When Hermione came back into consciousness, there was more light this present time, and she was not bound. Her head hurt from everything that had happened the last time she suffered from being awake, but this was different.

Maybe it was the kind face in front of her that proved the difference.

"Harry?" Hermione choked out, allowing her limbs to register the contact and the hold her friend had on her... "How?"

"I told you, when Rogues collect together it gets very suspicious, and I end up investigating. Draco had me here as quick as a broom for you." The man laughed a little, his smiled the best sight Hermione had seen, "And if there hadn't been anything suspicious going on with them, the letter Sagitta sent me from Narcissa would have done just fine."

"Smart girl," Hermione muttered, allowing the wizard before her to lift her upright.

Everything was wobbly, but since Hermione had suffered but a strike to the face, it didn't seem all that horrible. In fact, it all seemed too easy.

"Wait," she pulled him into her and tossed a sideways glance to the auror at his side, "Then you'll have to know about how I came to be where I am... or moreover why."

Harry took an annoyed glance down, "Don't think I'm not livid that my actual best friend tried to replace herself to take over the Rogues and subsequently the world, but don't think that I'm mad at you, either. You had no choice in being here, and you fell right into her hands. Merlin, I never thought her capable of something like that."

Hermione thought she was equally as unassuming,

"Did you catch any of them? The Rogues, I mean," she stuttered, feeling highly like she lacked any type of confidence.

"Let's go to my office and talk this out," Harry spoke quickly, holding out his arm in asking for permission to apparate them.

She took the arm, not sure entirely if apparation was the smart choice, but she did not need to be in that room any longer than needed.

The ministry was busy, as per usual, and being quite ratty with her appearance, made Hermione shrank into herself as Harry practically carried her. Her will was minimal as she fell into one of his office chairs, tired and confused.

Her mind was reeling with all the possibilities of why it was so easy for Harry to have found her. Maybe she was meant to be found, the Rogues and Hermione Snape being smart enough to concoct something like that. Maybe they were all weaker and stupider than she thought them... or maybe they had some larger, master plan hidden away that need only ruin her life for the time being.

"We have found that quite a few more people were involved than I originally imagined. Seeing as Lucius and Xander are both now in our custody and listed as Rogues, which we originally thought were only purebloods. We caught quite a few of them, mostly weak or quite stupid witches and wizards who wanted nothing to do with the supposed unity Madame Snape proposed. You were too smart, they said, even if her cross-dimensional spell worked, they were afraid of you, taking a high position in the ministry and such. We took in quite a few people, I'd say."

"Xander?" Hermione wondered, feeling bent-up about him the most. He'd been such a docile soul, and now he was one of the Rogues, "Does Draco know?"

"Of course, the Aurors de-briefed him when they brought back everyone. He sanctioned several teams of us to go out, my special mission was you, though. I wanted to make sure you were safe."

Hermione blushed, feeling quite like an idiot for all the terrible things that happened because of her. It was all her fault, if she'd have just tried to find a way back home and done as her instincts had told her, which was survive, then maybe she'd be back where Severus wasn't alive and Harry was straight. Those things didn't matter anymore, as she loved Draco and Severus, but at home... they had been on the brink of winning the war. And some version of herself was just left there, a shell of who she could have been. While her dreams hadn't pulled her into her past any longer, she knew in her heart that Harry had won against Voldemort. Even if he had to die, he'd lived through what should have been death before. She felt her friend was nearly immortal, like Nicolas Flammel had once been.

Her thoughts were irrelevant as Harry brought her mind back to his attention.

"I tried to see if Severus would come and wait for us to bring you back, but he wouldn't answer, and when Sagitta took over the fire-call, telling me it was useless, I figured I couldn't let you wait any longer. That's one person you're going to have to apologize to yourself."

She knew that, but she was dreading even seeing him, especially because of their last words to one-another, so full of hurt and the betrayal he rightfully called her out on.

"What does Draco think about all this?"

"We'll have to find out," Harry graciously let her avoid the topic of Severus for now as he got up and told her he'd retrieve the blonde for her. "Sit tight."

"Thank you, I don't deserve your kindness, Harry Potter."

He smiled a melancholy smile and opened the door, leaving her with a smile and a few kind words, "You do, Hermione. We have a lot to thank you for."

She sat back, for the first time attempting to think about nothing of her previous few hours. While there was still that feeling that something was off, everything in her was tight and nauseatingly aware. There was pain in her face where a quick glance in Harry's mirror proved a bruise had formed, and her shoulders felt like knots took place of her muscles.  Still, she focused on sitting back and taking in the peace, ignoring the dread that still welled within her.

Hermione noticed that her wand had yet to be returned to her, though that was the least of her worries. It felt odd not having the small thing with her, but she'd been attached to that wood and its magic for eight years, what more did the world want from her? Quickly, Hermione rationalized, and allowed her thoughts to calm, Harry probably had it anyways.

"I brought a very unhappy, yet relieved, Minister of Magic for you, Hermione. And this," Harry announced as he pulled a wand from his pocket and handed it to her, her relief evident.

She focused on it until pale hands held her face between them and she was forced to look at grey eyes.

"Are you okay?"

She startled a bit, her eyes wide and excitement for her wand dulled.

"I... I suppose I'm alright, I wasn't there for too long," Hermione said with nonchalance.

"Good!" He proclaimed, releasing her and then throwing his hands on his hips dramatically, "Now explain how in Merlin's name you ended up not yourself or... whatever."

She looked at Harry as if hoping the Auror would calm his boyfriend down, but the Minister was still staring at her expectantly.

"I was in my realm, a huge battle raging, and then suddenly I was knocked out by this powerful spell, and I found myself in Diagon Alley, which looked far too different for me to be here during a time of war. I looked around, ran into myself here, and not knowing how to get back at all, I took her place...."

She felt dirty saying it out loud, and suddenly her motives didn't feel as crystal clear as when she first arrived. Hermione felt she should have really tried harder to get back home, seeing all the damage she'd done here. She'd fallen right into Hermione Snape's traps, and that made her very upset. In the gods' names, she was the brightest witch of her age and had spent an entire year avoiding traps just like that one! She was fighting a war!

"Well... knowing what I do, and experiencing you these past few months..." Draco said gently, probably sensing the frustration and upset in her features and aura, "I think that you're exactly who you're supposed to be, Hermione."

She felt tears come to her eyes after those words, and then he hugged her, thanking her for all the good she'd done. It felt like everything fell into place then, her emotions settling with much needed words being heard. Hermione has felt awful as things went, and those words... the acceptance was more than she could ever ask for.

"Severus may be upset... but everything happens for a reason, and I think that he'll realize he still loves you eventually. That's the best we can hope for," Draco added.

Nodding, she wiped away a few tears and straightened her posture, wanting for nothing more than a shower and clean clothes.

"Why don't you come with me tonight, Hermione?" Harry offered.

Smiling, she nodded in agreement, feeling like she should really just go home.

"Wait," Draco said, "One moment. You know we have your other self in custody, yes? I think you need to know that. Her, my father, and Xander are all headed right for Azkaban."

"It seemed too easy," Hermione admonished, "But thanks, I did need that."

"Rubbish Auror over there if he didn't tell you," Draco joked, obviously trying to make her feel better as Harry scoffed.

"Rubbish my arse."

She laughed as Draco tossed his Head Auror a suggestive glance, the tension making her almost change her mind and deny Harry's kind offer.

She needed a friend that evening though, and she'd fight her battles with Severus tomorrow.

"Are you alright, Draco? Won't you miss your father at all?" Hermione wondered timidly, attempting to get her mind off her husband.

He raised his eyebrows, shrugging as if it were some distant, twice-removed cousin he'd thrown into a ministry cell.

"No, he's been awful to my mother, cheating on her and what have you. We found them together, the other you and that traitorous man. Besides, there wouldn't be anything I could do to get him out of it, even if I wanted to," he admonished, calm and collected as always.

"Let's get you settled, Hermione," Harry decided suddenly. Hermione was glad too, the topic would just spiral back into things she didn't want to hear and thoughts she didn't want to have.

"Goodnight you two, don't steal him away from me, Hermione, or I'll put you in a cell too."

She felt better then, though the storm cloud that was Severus Snape still loomed over her thoughts, as much as her distractions tried.

Maybe one day, she'd earn his forgiveness. Just maybe.