Epilogue

Chapter 11 of 11

Hermione has deviated from an obvious life. She has moved down a challenging and divergent, but ultimately lonely, path. She meets Severus Snape by chance one day, and she has some difficult choices to make.

Drama Angst Romance Potions Under Duress 20,324 Words 11 Chapters Complete

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“May the circle be unbroken.”

—Country gospel song

16th January 1990

Hermione is 10

It feels like I’m cheating; it’s probably snowing back home and here I am at the beach, and the sun is shining so brightly it feels like it will never be cold again. Mum and Dad have retreated under the brolly; they’re bright red already. Mum doesn’t understand why I haven’t become red and crispy, either, but I told her it’s simple: “I don’t want to burn.” She rolled her eyes at me and told me there’s no way to will yourself not to burn.

I wander down the beach a little. A group of kids are playing cricket, and they shout to each other in a broad, Australian twang. A toddler chases a big, fat seagull, but it’s too fast for him, and he falls onto his nappy-padded bum. He sticks a handful of sand into his mouth, and I think that I’ll never want to have children: I’d rather become a scientist or a doctor, thank you very much.

Right at the edge of the beach, where the bay curves away into headland, there’s an old couple sitting under a brolly. They’re both reading, and I smile. I’d like to get married one day, if I could have a man like that to read with, I think. Somebody intelligent. Not like the boys at my school. They’re not talking, but there’s some aura of quiet companionship between them that draws me to walk closer to where they are sitting, up away from the tide line where the sea had been sucking at my ankles.

The woman glances over the edge of her book. She’s got grey, curly hair. It bounces like a spring in the wind. God. I hope my hair doesn’t look like that when I’m old; mine is also curly and bouncy. I hate it. The sun is warm on my back, and the sand on my skin itches suddenly. I shrug my shoulders, trying to get rid of the strange tingle. The wind gusts suddenly and a hat cartwheels across the sand towards me. I bend to pick it up, and I carry it over to them.

“Thank you very much, young lady,” she says in crisp, clear notes that sound like home, smiling. She’s got lovely warm eyes… so friendly and so knowing.

“You’re welcome,” I tell her. “Are you also from England?” I ask.

The man drops his book, now, and gazes at me with black, black eyes. His hair is long and grey, his nose is very big; he looks like an old hippie, I think. “A long time ago,” he says to me. His voice is low and deep and smooth, like chocolate.

“We’re just on holiday,” I inform them. I scratch at the tingle on my arm again. I shouldn’t be talking to strangers, but there’s something so familiar about them… something that itches under my skin, hides just around the corner.

“A traveller,” the woman says, smiling at me. Her teeth are even and straight; Mum and Dad would approve. I’m going to have to wear braces to straighten my horsey teeth, I think sourly. “Well… all travellers need a guide,” she says, reaching behind her neck suddenly. Then she stretches out her arm; she’s dangling a silver chain from her fingertips. “Please… take it; I don’t need it any longer.” She smiles at the man like she’s sharing a private joke with him.

I hesitate for an instant before I let the silver pool into my palm. There’s a small, round, silver charm on the chain.

“Saint Christopher,” she explains, “is the patron saint of travellers.” She smiles at me kindly. “So, you will always travel safely and find your way home.”

I slide the chain on over my neck, and the charm settles against my skin with familiar ease. “Thank you,” I say, astounded by the stranger’s generosity.

“Travel safely,” the woman says.

I turn to walk back up the beach, and I hear the man chuckle softly. “And so the circle remains unbroken,” he says.

I turn and wave goodbye. The sun is warm on my skin again; the tingling is gone.

~~~The End~~~

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Latest 25 Reviews for The Traveller

117 Reviews | 6.06/10 Average

10/10

Elleallio

I love you.

9/10

Tilly

Beautiful 😃

0/10

Lightening

I honestly think this is my favorite fan fiction,,, it kept me guessing :)

0/10

kimjo2

*heavy sigh of relief* beautifully done! thanks so much

10/10

sregner

This is exquisite...please hurry with the next chapter (thank you for saving our Severus)

0/10

rachow

Normally when I start new stories, I wait until I'm caught up before I review. But I feel I need to comment here before I read the next chapter to see what happens.Whenever I read a time travel story, I always try very hard to interpret each writer's concept of time and meddling with the past. There are so many ways to meddle with it. Suppose someone traveled back in time and bumped into someone, who then dropped his briefcase, was late to a meeting...I've always enjoyed Anne McCaffrey's interpretation, and I have yet to see anyone else use it. I've been trying to figure out how to word it, but I can't. Nevertheless, it seems that you may be the first person to replicate Anne's model of time travel. The way I see it is that Severus's portrait has been that way because Hermione did go back and grab his body. There is no altering the future. When someone travels back in time, that's just the way it is. It's almost as though the decision has been made twice.I guess if you've read the books you'll understand. I just felt that I had to point this out. I'll continue to read and see what happens.PS. Good story