Hermione settled with Harry on a log in the Forbidden Forrest, waiting for their past selves to emerge from the Whomping Willow. Harry was still visibly reeling from not only learning that time travel was real, but actually experiencing it. He had his hands pressed together in front of his face. Hermione felt a pang of sadness for her friend who had shared his theory that James Potter had been the one to save him and Sirius Black from the dementors.

Despite time travel recently proving to be real, it remained true that the dead stayed, well, dead.

The forest was silent except for Buckbeak nipping at some passing bats, and leaves rustling from the wind. The moon passing in and out of the clouds had a mesmerizing effect on the forest around her as she stared at the Whomping Willow, waiting for everyone to emerge from it. With so much on the line, Hermione knew she shouldn't relax, but the past day, (two days? One-and-a-half? Time travel could be disorienting,) was beginning to take its toll.

Then she heard a voice behind her.

"I knew I felt someone messing with timelines again."

Hermione froze up, and she saw Harry draw his wand as he turned around.

"Bunny?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"You know this thing?" Harry asked, eyes wide.

"Thing?" Bunny scoffed. "I'm a pooka, mate. Among other things, we are ancient time-travelers which is how I could sense that things were being changed here. Big things. And I should have expected that you," he looked down at Hermione, "would be behind it."

"Bunny visited me before when I tried to use my time-turner for something beyond just my studies," Hermione explained. "He's not a threat, so you can lower your wand, Harry."

"Harry Potter? So you're the bloke that was causing Hermione so much trouble."

Harry's eyes widened. "I- I mean- uh-"

Harry was saved from answering by Buckbeak who had noticed the newcomer. The hippogriff began to make a low croaking sound deep in its throat and started to paw at the ground as if debating whether to charge.

Bunnymund turned around to look at the hippogriff, but did not lower himself into a bow. If anything, he stood taller and looked down at the creature, causing its' feathers to bristle. For a moment there was a stalemate that Hermione was afraid would turn into a fight, until Buckbeak lowered himself into a bow. Bunnymund returned it, and then turned back to Hermione.

"Alright. What is it exactly that you two are doing?"

Hermione gave a brief explanation of what was happening, including the false murder charges against Sirius, Pettigrew's betrayal and framed death. She told him their plan, of using the Hippogriff that they had just saved from execution to rescue an escaped convict and allowing both of them to flee into the night. Despite his nose twitching, Bunnnymund said nothing.

"You would be able to find Pettigrew, right?" Harry asked, desperation in his voice. "He's going to get away, or he has gotten away and we can stop it this time around if we catch him."

Bunnymund hesitated before answering carefully. "What you are doing is already dangerously close to changing the timelines. It is interfering, but each of the wavelengths are still within their natural boundaries, although barely. If I were to catch that man, everything would be off balance. I cannot."

Harry turned to hide his disappointment, and Hermione pretended to not notice him wiping his face.

But Bunnymund couldn't ignore the hope that he had so quickly extinguished. He put his hand on Harry's shoulder to get him to turn around, and Hermione averted her eyes to give her friend a bit of privacy, but she could still hear what Bunny was saying as she watched the Willow.

"Hey, Harry. I am real sorry that I can't help you like you want me to. I've felt a pain similar to yours - I lost all of my kin to a war against someone who never did get justice properly served to him." He took a breath before continuing. "Not gonna lie, it's terrible. It hurts. But sometimes if you're lucky, you can find a family that doesn't replace the old one, but acts as a new one and makes you feel whole again.

"I don't know you very well, but I know that you have a good friend in Hermione and Ron. I don't know Ron, but I know that Hermione was ready to change the past to make sure she wouldn't lose your friendship. And I think that by the sounds of it, your godfather wants to have a role in your life, if you'll let him."

"Thank you." Harry's voice sounded muffled, and a glance over her shoulder showed Hermione that Harry had embraced Bunny who had his paws gently on Harry's back.

Hermione turned back to the Whomping Willow with a smile that faded as soon as she saw the movement of Lupin, Ron and Pettigrew emerging from the base of the tree. "We're coming!" She said in a hushed voice.

"Alright. I am going to leave now, and pretend that I didn't even notice what you two were doing." Bunnymund gave Harry a final pat on the shoulder. He tapped his foot and a hole appeared in the ground. "And Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Return that time turner, would you?" Bunny smiled and disappeared into his tunnel, leaving a red lily in his wake, causing Harry to wipe at his cheek once more before focussing on the events unfolding by the Whomping Willow

-.-.-

A golden light shone through the infirmary as morning broke over the castle. Hermione couldn't speak for Harry and Ron, but she was itching to go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather with all of the other students she could see from the windows.

Just when she thought they would be free to go, Madam Pomfrey pulled her away from Ron and Harry. "Ms. Granger, I must ask. Have you been suffering from any negative side effects from your use of the time turner this semester? I've encountered cases where some people may begin to…see things after extended usage."

"I-" Hermione started and then dropped out. "What – what sorts of things?"

Pomfrey leveled her eyes at Hermione. "Some people have spoken of having out of body experiences even when they are not currently using the time turner. Some have problems with disassociation, or encounters with imaginary creatures. Have you had anything of that sort?"

Hermione considered telling her the truth. There might have been a time when she thought her tired brain was just making things up, but the encounter with Bunnymund yesterday solidified that the Guardians were not just products of her own imagination.

"I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary, Madam Pomfrey." The Matron gave her a look as if she could tell that the student is not being entirely truthful, but she relented.

"Alright." Pomfrey turned to the other third years. "Be on your way, you three. I would say I hope to not see any of you again, but I think I will simply settle with wishing you all a good summer."

Harry and Hermione's conversations over the next few days are steered carefully away from what happened in the forest because they seemed to be in mutual agreement that Ron didn't need to know more than necessary. But at King's Cross Station, after Harry bid farewell to Ron, he leaned in close to Hermione.

"I didn't imagine Bunnymund, did I? You said you'd met him before."

"That's right. He is a…friend of mine."

Harry nods. "Okay, that is good. I was worried that stress had been getting to me. If you see him again, could you thank him for me? For the advice?"

"Of course. Have a great summer, Harry. I'll see you soon!"

-.-.-

The summer began slowly, as it often does. And if Hermione's parents noticed that she went to work with them more often than she ever had to do her homework in the staff lounge, they didn't mention it. But Hermione had always made sure to have some fruit or sunflower seeds handy in case any of the passing fairies needed any snacks. Occasionally, one would deliver a letter to her from the Guardians, but this too soon became a normal occurrence. As did the evenings spent painting Easter eggs, building snowmen in colder parts of the world, or visiting the North Pole simply for the fun of it.

Because having experienced time travel and meeting beings she thought were just fairy tales, not much registered as out of the ordinary for her lately.

-.-.-

AN: Well, here we are my dudes; at the end of this saga that I started almost four years ago. This is all that I plan on writing for this story, but if anyone else is inspired to write something else in this universe, just send me a link, and I'd be delighted to read it and I'll link to it in this story.

I'd like to thank everyone who has been following from the beginning, and the new readers who have also given me encouragement to finish this story. You guys are all amazing :D