Harry Potter, Torchwood 1. Prologue

Fragmented

Prologue

Disclaimer- Everything belongs to their respective owners.

_Eugene: the average life is full of near misses and absolute hits, of great love and small disasters. It's made up of banana milkshakes, loft insulation, and random shoes. It's dead ordinary and truly truly amazing. What you've got to realize is it's all here now. So breathe deep and swallow it whole because take it from me, life just whizzes by. -Random Shoes- S1E9_

Running. Lots of running.

Truly unbelievable amounts of running. Her life seemed to be encased in a solid state of nothing but running anymore. Her current situation only spoke volumes of truth on the fact. Her trainers, something she wore everyday (a trait that Jack said reminded him very strongly of someone else); hit the ground with snaps as a voice shouted directions into her ear piece.

She skid to a quick stop at the end of a brick alley way, briefly thinking that this was always how bad situations started. "Left, go left", it was a constant ringing in her ear by now. A constant direction being repeated over and over again by the mousy computer geek Toshiko.

"Tosh, I would love to but all I see when I look left is a pretty brick wall" true to her word all she could see to her left was a plain wall, no fence, no fire escape, and most importantly no door.

"Impossible, the alien is right to your left, it must be inside the building somehow." She double checked the wall, lots of bricks and maybe some mortar but defiantly no door. Something odd caught her eye, a certain disharmony amongst the bricks. A section, large enough to be a door was made of pristine and new bricks, vastly telling compared to the old and browning ones around it. She gently pressed her small hand on one of the bright red bricks, and suddenly jumped back when a series of clicking noises interrupted the previously silent night. Quickly the clean bricks started sliding out of place, seemingly disappearing into thin air. One after another they slipped away to reveal a hallway devoid of anything other than darkness.

"Tosh, do you detect any rift activity in my location" he voice shook a little, partly out of shock and partly out of awe, but mostly from being the one to find something as astonishing as the door.

"Granger," it was a new voice this time, "you park yourself right there and wait for me I'm on my way" she smiled to herself, he was always trying to be a hero, putting everyone else's needs in front of the mission. She decided to meet him half way and wait for the quiet Asians' answer.

A couple clicks later and an answer followed by another question echoed through her ear piece. "No, why?"

"Because I just watched a door appear in front of me." She huffed in frustration before gathering her wits. "Jack," she started not waiting for an answer, she knew the alien had to be moving further away from her "Time is precious, I'm going in"

She readied her gun even as she heard her commanders' voice over the ear piece. "Granger stay where you are, Granger wait I'm almost there, Hermione damn it wait" she crept in slowly waiting for her eyes to adjust to the sudden flash from her torch.

"Hermione, the alien is still in there with you, its close" she mentally thanked Tosh for the slightly useless update, she was too cautious to say it out loud.

"Granger get out of there right now, you hear me. That's a direct order" Jacks voice kept shouting in her ear, concern and impatience increasingly coloring his every word as he went on. She smiled slightly, always the hero. Her smile was erased immediately afterward as she felt an alien arm clamp down around her neck. A small gurgle must have come from her as she suddenly heard both voices calling to her before she felt an immense pain in her neck as a cold solution slowly drained into her blood stream. Darkness followed seconds later.

"HERMIONE"

-xxxxx-

It was cold. Well to be more precise whatever she was lying on was cold while the temperature of the surrounding area was quite pleasant. She couldn't seem to grasp the once simple concept of moving quite yet but she could properly guess that the coldness that she was lying on was some sort of metal slab. Small conversations were looming above and around her. She could only hear small snippets as her brain and ears both worked to properly focus their way back to a state of being awake and active. "Owen, tell me you know what's wrong with her." It was the voice of a male. 'American' she mused silently to herself, 'It's been years since I've heard a Yank.'

"Yes Jack I know everything because I'm a bloody magician, of course I don't know and I can't know unless you let me do my work." the voice sounded agitated and Welch. A soft sigh followed as he continued on in a much calmer tone. "Look, I know you're worried. We all are, but she's strong. Go have some coffee and relax." A muffled grunt of affirmation followed as footsteps walked away, the sound of boots clanking on metal wafting through the atmosphere. Feeling suddenly returned as if someone had untied the bonds that held her down. She opened her eyes slowly, the harsh light immediately hurting her head. A young man, late twenties at least popped into her view, harsh cheekbones and worried eyebrows gracing his angled face. "Well good morning there sweetheart, have a good rest?" He turned to look over his shoulder. "Jack, look all your worrying worked, she's awake!"

Chocolate eyes wandered frantically around the room, high ceilings and dingy cream bricks covered the small circular room. Machines littered what little floor space was not taken up by the metal table she was on and images looking like computer screens projected onto the walls. It was the total opposite of the infirmaries she was used too. Heavy running, the same footsteps that just left, echoed off the walls as a tall man in his late 20's arrived into the room. Relieved blue eyes widened as the new man barreled towards her slowly rising form. Warm strong arms wrapped around her pulling her towards him as the man exhaled a small sigh. "Hermione, I'm so happy that you are awake, how do you feel?" he pulled her out of the hug to look her in the eyes, while speaking with a now much stronger tone, "don't you ever disobey an order and get yourself hurt like that again"

Hermione blinked twice and shook her head quickly, almost as if to clear the cobwebs, before she looked the handsome man in the face, "I'm sorry but who are you?"

Hermione Jane Granger remembered many things in her life. Her parents, Amelia Joan Granger and Solon Jonathan Granger were both accomplished dentists and amazingly lovely people. She remembered them well, even if they no longer remembered her. She remembered her first day of school, walking down the hallways, dragging a bag filled to the brim with books meant for children much older than her. She remembered being years older and being in the fourth grade desperately wishing for her beloved books to take her away to a fantasy world. Most of all she remembered her eleventh birthday, she could still feel the coarseness of the parchment containing the one piece of paper that finally did take her away to her dream life, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She remembered the school, the wonderful school that swooped in and took over her life. She gave it easily and let the magic of the once unknown world swallow her up. She remembered how it felt to cast a spell, how the food tasted so much better, and how everything seemed so wonderful. She could easily call to mind the name of every friend, text book, potion, and disaster that she encountered while in the illustrious institution. Every new magical device seemed like something from her old fairy tale books and she relished in living in a world encased in it.

She remembered Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley and all of the asinine adventures they went through to exterminate the wizarding world from evil. She remembered winning, and the horrible price it cost. She remembered the deaths. Her beloved cat Crookshanks, her honorable headmaster Dumbledore, Moony, Tonks, Snape, all along with countless other needless deaths. Each one stuck to the corners of her mind with distinct detail, every cut, every glassy eyed stare, every pale hand that she held onto as she urged each soul to return to their dead body. She specifically remembered wanting to forget.

Hermione remembered attempting a relationship with the wizarding world's savior. It didn't quite work, too much history, to many times together that screamed of sibling love. They broke it off, each agreeing that it was impossible. She remembered her brief fling with the fiery redhead Weasley and the terrible fights they had each night. She remembered Harry and Ron both marrying, Ginny and Luna respectively, and remembered the horrid dress that Luna "Loony" Lovegood asked her to wear as a bridesmaid. She remembered her most recent birthday, twenty six; she spent it alone only joined by a TV, a plush robe, and a small tub of ice cream. Her best friends were busy with their new children.

Hermione, never to be called "Mione", "Mia", or "Hermy", always prided herself on her distinct memory, one that never failed her, a photographic one if you will. So why, she wondered to herself, did she not recognize this handsome man in front of her?

Why could she not remember this 'Jack' who held her so familiarly as if she were a long lost friend?

-xxxxx-

Jack and Owen cast strained glances at each other. Awkward situations occurred quite often in the hub, however ones including one of their own team members in such a fashion had never occurred before. Owen watched sadly as the brunette introduced herself to people she should have already known. She was up and walking, acting like she wasn't just in a coma like state for over a week, and it just seemed so wrong, her sudden memory loss reminded him greatly of his ex fiancée Katie and her parasitic tumor. In the current case however they didn't know what had caused her to forget her life, the only wound she even had was a small puncture in her neck and some bruising from the aliens arm. He knew that it was a neurological problem, something brought on by whatever had been injected into her, but despite his background in the field Dr. Owen Harper could not find any other clues on how to help his colleague.

Jack was perplexed. It was really quite strange to watch her now. Her little behavioral ticks seemed the same and she still reminded him of a female version of a very dear friend but it was the little things that differed, little things that seemed disastrously huge when coming from her. For instance after their initial introduction, or when she stared blankly at him as Jack liked to call it, she had asked for the date. Normally with Hermione's studious manner this didn't seem to off until after she found out the date she tried to run away claiming that 'Harry and Ron must be sick, it's been over a week and I promised to be at the burrow last Wednesday.' She had also immediately begun frantically searching for something yelling about her wand. Jack had laughed at her then, only to hastily wish he hadn't after the glare she sent his way, and stated that there was nothing in the entire hub that resembled a wand and she should stop moving around so much or she could hurt herself.

Ianto was in the middle of attempting to calm the distraught brunette when Hermione suddenly went still. He watched as her face switched from frenzied and confused to one of a small state of shock, her eyes wide and mouth slack. She had teetered for a moment, recognition crossed through her honey orbs right before they proceeded to roll back into her head and her entire body crumpled. Ianto Jones was never known to be an especially fast fellow, but in that moment he was astounded himself with how quickly he dropped his mug of coffee and grabbed the young woman's body before it hit the ground. "Jack," he had shouted to the now running immortal, "I don't know what happened, one minute she was fine and the next she looked surprised and fainted." Jack looked solemn and gently retrieved her from his tea boys arms.

Calmly he walked to the infirmary/autopsy room and gently laid her onto the cold slab once again. "Owen, fix her." With that said Captain Jack Harkness retreated to his private room for a stiff drink.

-xxxxx-

Hermione Jane Granger remembered many things in her life. Her parents, Amelia Joan Granger and Solon Jonathan Granger were both accomplished dentists and amazingly lovely people. She remembered them well, even if they no longer remembered her. She remembered her first day of school, walking down the hallways, dragging a bag filled to the brim with books meant for children much older than her. She remembered being years older and being in the fourth grade desperately wishing for her beloved books to take her away to a fantasy world. She remembered excelling in secondary school and studiously secluding herself in libraries absorbing any information they would give her. Most of all she remembered the nondescript man approaching her after one of her classes at the University and telling her that aliens were very real and very dangerous.

She easily recalled her subdued surprise when she learned the truth about the universe. She was always a social outcast, preferring the company of dusty tomes and paper pages to real human contact, so it was perfectly understandable that with her many years of time spent in libraries she had come across certain books pertaining to aliens, life out in the stars, and a "Doctor". She remembered the job offer clearly also, it was to be a research position; he had told her, one that didn't involve any danger or direct contact with any possible extraterrestrial species. She had foolishly believed him.

She remembered quickly connecting the dots and reading through the loop holes left by the cover stories that the British government felt they needed to explain the strange occurrences that seemed to happen more and more often. She knew it was this same knowledge that caused her eager mind to agree to the job offer, there were in fact other worldly creatures, and the more they learned about them the more protected they were for the future.

She remembered the room that was her office; shelves lined the walls filled with various books and paperwork, a small desk threatening to spill files and equations all over the floor and the damn desktop that took at least five minutes to start. Every day the same nondescript man who had revealed the world to her brought her strings of equations and untranslated conversations to solve. Every day she dutifully did so. She was trapped and she had known so, sure at the end of the day she could leave the office and return to her mediocre flat. She could recall the placement of each hidden bug and camera though, the silent threat they seemed to signify. She knew how valuable her mind was to the government, the knowledge she had gained over the years could either destroy the world or enlighten it and they were too smart to let that run away.

Hermione remembered the day Captain Jack Harkness saved her from the tedium of the confined room that was her world. He strolled into her life all swagger and confidence and grabbed her hand and led her out of that hell hole. He was her knight in shining armor, which was until he moved her to Cardiff and threw her in the line of fire. She mentally thanked him every day for bringing her to Torchwood. It was only within the cold underground of the base that she could finally make connections to people that were on a deeper level than simple paper and knowledge. She remembered first meeting the severe welsh doctor Owen Harper and all of his dysfunctions, the quiet and somewhat tortured Toshiko Sato and all of her computer genius, Suzie Costello and her engineering brilliance, and the ever primly dressed Ianto Jones and his oh so wonderful cups of coffee. It was Jack Harkness that she recalled the most, his daring nature and his need to love everyone and everything that would give him the time. He was more to her than a simple friend or lover could ever be, he was her leader and she would give anything to serve him. The team quickly became a family too her, making it able for her to spend her 26th birthday among like minds.

Hermione, never to be called "Mione", "Mia", or "Hermy", always prided herself on her distinct memory, one that never failed her, a photographic one if you will. So why, she wondered to herself, could she not recognize the look on the face of the handsome man in front of her?

Why could she not remember what happened to cause Jack Harkness to look upon her with such concern?

-xxxxx-

Toshiko Sato silently watched the heated exchange between the two brunettes in front of her. Jack wanted to play the mother hen to the newly conscious patient while consistently asking her various questions about her life. Hermione was fighting back to the coddling with a renewed vigor all the while answering every question correctly, looking confused about the verbal salvo all along. Tosh allowed a small smile to curve her lips as she watched them. It was wonderful to know that the female had her memories back and seemed to be in good health. What was slightly disconcerting however was the cause. Tosh remembered every agonizingly slow moment after she heard the small noise of shock over the headset. Muffled sounds of struggle filled her ears as fear and worry filled her head. It was the destructive silence that followed that frightened Tosh the most. Hermione was fast and good at her job, it was unreasonable that anything could take her down and it was only after she heard Jacks strangled cry for the jeep did realization sink in.

Hermione had been hurt. Her closest friend had been injected with an unknown fluid by an unknown alien and woke up acting like an unknown person. The Japanese computer genius had been severely distraught at the news that her closest friend seemed to be broken, and for all of her smarts and wits Tosiko didn't know what to do. She wanted to think that the threat was over with and out of mind but the emergence of another personality that Hermione had shown when she didn't have her correct memories worried the Torchwood team. Happy to have the researcher back to being herself Tosh allowed herself to file the fear into its own little mental filling cabinet.

-xxxxx-

Time seemed to drag on for Hermione as the team slowly returned to normalcy. Owen requested her presence every hour for cautionary readings but otherwise allowed the quiet researcher do as she wished. Susie had left hours ago stating that she had felt ill and would be back in the morning which didn't seem all too unusual for the socially awkward engineer who disliked intense social situations. She guessed having a teammate suddenly regain consciousness with an entirely new set of memories counted as one. Hermione let her thoughts drift in the quiet of the hub. Jack had told her that she referenced several people and places but she couldn't remember any of it. Hermione could only draw a blank when the American asked her about the other memories and wondered why she could not remember them now.

Finding no new information on any medical cases pertaining to her situation and having no leads on finding the alien that had drugged her she decided to retire to the couch underneath the unnecessary Torchwood sign. The blue eyed flirt in command had kindly requested she stay in the hub overnight so he could keep an eye on her, at least she was sure he thought it was a request. The order was voiced nicely and in concern but she knew now it was only a symptom of one of his kind commands. Ianto had kindly fetched her pillow and blanket before returning to tidy up the mess left from the Chinese takeout and keeping an eye on the rift monitor. She was barely comfortable before Jack came rushing from his office, which she also believed was his room, telling the sharply dressed man to call the team together to meet at a murder scene.

Hermione was up and pulling on her trainers before Ianto had made the first call. She was sliding into the back seat of the blue lit jeep before Owen had shaken himself awake from his desk. She was fighting with Jack before she knew what was happening.

"You are not even thinking of going with us on this one, it's a murder scene we can survive without you for the night" Jack had spit out the words before she opened her mouth to protest. His baby blues shined in the night as he eyed her with concern and she let a small smile cross her tired face.

"Jack I'm coming, I need to see what happened, what if it was from the same alien that attacked me? Please I'm feeling normal and all myself." Hermione punctuated her quiet plea by firmly snapping her seat buckle into the lock and reclining in the car. Jack could only glare from the front seat as she sat looking quite proud of herself.


	2. Chapter 1: Everything Changes

Forewarning I'm rubbish at conversations.

Disclaimer:Everything belongs to its proper owners.

Chapter 1: Everything Changes

_Jack: We don't just catch aliens. We scavenge the stuff they leave behind, find ways of using it. Arming the human race for the future. The twenty-first century is when it all changes. And you've got to be ready. -Everything Changes- S1E1_

It was raining. Not the gentle kind of drizzle but the kind that drenches you to the bone and settles just beneath your skin. Hermione rubbed her arms cursing her own idiocy. She had lived in England her entire life and couldn't remember to bring along a jacket, honestly who forgot those kinds of things. The rain matched the somber affair of things though, she thought wryly, it seemed the sky had a sense of humor, because there she stood, looking down onto a dead body. Not her first mind you, but seeing death can never quite become less tragic. Shaking her head to rid herself of the gloomy thoughts she attempted to focus on Suzie and her glove. The woman took her place at the head of the body as Owen shot video with his new favorite toy. As she began to concentrate upon calling the man back from the dead Hermione knelt in further to protect their little team's actions from viewing.

As the dead man's eyes snapped open the rain stopped and Hermione's drifted closed. She watched as a woman wearing what seemed to be a very old nurse's uniform pointed a stick at a seemingly sleeping person and shout _Rennervate_. The boy instantly awoke much like the previously dead man as she felt her body move forward to hug him. Hermione felt as if an intruder had taken over her own skin, everything moved against her own will. Arms wrapped around a stranger as her mouth spoke names and words that made no sense to her. Who was Harry? Why did her insides quiver as she asked him if he was alright? Why had such a young man been in any danger to begin with? What was that stick? What did the phrase and hand movements mean? Questions swirled about increasing in pace. Everything seemed so vivid, so real. Like a dream she couldn't wake up from, she merely watched and rode along as some force other than her controlled everything.

Hermione blinked only to open her eyes to the soaked alley way and the now talking man. His red hair and pale skin reminded her so much of the other boy, the one she had not embraced. Had that been a dream? A trick of the glove? She attempted to return her attention to the frantic corpse and the line of questioning but couldn't bring herself to stop the swirling queries inside of her own mind. Jack had said that when she had awoken the first time she mentioned someone named Harry and a wand. Was that the same Harry? Was the slim piece of wood that the elder nurse held a wand? Her inner tirade stopped instantly when she felt the rain begin to fall again. John Tucker, she barely caught his name, lie dead on the pavement for a second and final time. Her mind seemed once again in a fog as she followed the motions. Her rain slicked hand quickly began to massage her now aching head; it was a slow building ache that made her vision momentarily darken. She caught the conversation about the last corpse screaming for an ambulance and looked up to see a pretty but shocked woman gasp and turn to run when Jack loudly asked her what she thought.

"Hermione, are you sure you are alright, you've been in a daze since we've gotten here," the question was asked by Toshiko. Bullocks, Tosh was right lovely when she wanted to be but now that they thought something was wrong Jack was going to be even more of a mother hen. Hermione made the decision to grit her teeth and refuse to show weakness then and there.

"Of course, just tired. I promise I'll be right as sunshine tomorrow. Jack could I get a lift back to my place?" he threw yet another concerned lock in her direction, quickly followed by one reeking of 'I told you so' before replying.

"Nope back to the base with you, I still want to make sure we don't have any memory issues. Can't have my favorite researcher forgetting all her valuable information can I?" It seemed all business but she could clearly read the personal concern underneath, not that far underneath mind you they all knew that Jack was the type to care quickly and completely about those around him. It was because of this she relented. There was simply no fighting Captain Jack Harkness when he had something on his mind. It was also because of this she chose not to mention her little episode during the questioning of one John Tucker.

-xxxxx-

Jack was off playing master spy. If Hermione hadn't known better she would have thought that he fancied her a bit, well honestly she still thought that but knew that he had particular reasons for making her look up the file of Gwen Cooper. She was pretty, that much for sure and was a successful police officer but Hermione couldn't for the life of herself figure out why he wanted the young copper on the team. Honestly though she probably would have said that about Ianto at first too but he was honestly too valuable to even dream the thought now. A few days had passed since the memory incident and Hermione was grateful that her mind seemed to still be her own, conveniently lacking any foreign memories or sharp head pains. Owen continued to study the trace remnants of whatever had been injected into her but only found a sedative with other currently unidentifiable agents in it.

It was Jacks unrelenting desire to have the welsh woman on their team that led her to her current situation. She sat snuggled up on the ever present plush sofa reading a book while the rest of her team worked diligently. Well at least while they tried to look serious and attentive while an unsuspecting victim walked in carrying several pizzas. Giggles permeated the serious atmosphere as Dr. Harper and Tosh couldn't carry the charade any longer. "I can't do this. I'm sorry. I'm rubbish, I give up." Owen spun in his chair to look at the new brunette.

"He set me off." Tosh pointed an accusing finger at the still snickering man. Hermione smiled to herself and giggled quietly, those two just needed to be together.

Suzie gave up on her own right with a huff as she threw her welding mask down "Well that lasted no point two seconds."

Hermione herself felt the need to chime into the good natured ribbing "Hm. She's actually carrying pizza." She gently set her book down, an old rusty tome, and stood to join the others.

Jack ever the dramatic one exasperatedly chided her "Come on! She was going to say, "Here's your pizza." And I was going to say, "How much?". And she says, "Oh whatever, 20 quid." And I say, "Oo, I don't have any money." I was working on a punch line. I hadn't got there, but it would've been good." Hermione had to give it to him, he was a charmer. Especially when he shot that smile at the ladies, however the commentary and playfulness only served to annoy PC Gwen Cooper.

"Here's your pizza. I think I'd better go." Gwen spat angrily turning even as the handsome Captain retorted.

"I think we've gone past that stage." Hermione could only agree and nodded along.

"You must have been freezing out there. How long were you walking 'round? Three hours?" The welder asked smirking. Hermione checked her wrist watch and felt sorry for the new woman.

"Be nice Suzie, it was only two hours and forty three minutes," Even as she stated it Owen and Suzie gave her that look, the same look they always gave her when they thought she was being an 'insufferable know it all'.

"You could see me?" The police officer seemed genuinely uncomfortable with the concept and started to shift nervously.

Before letting Suzie answer Hermione piped in "We have security cameras covering the bay area, we weren't specifically watching you. You just happened to be within our view." She was feeling a steadily increasing pity for the woman who was thrown into such a new world. It reminded her all too much of when that nameless man introduced her to the aliens, only she had no one to be gentle with her. The only people around were cold and to the point just like Suzie, and Hermione knew better than anyone that Gwen didn't need that right now.

Before letting the information sink in too far Jack intervened. "And before we go any further, who the hell goes around ordering pizza under the name of Torchwood?" She could only let a smile twitch her lips; leave it to him to notice the tiny detail.

"Uh, yeah. That would be me. Sorry, I'm a twat." Owen stated in typical Owen behavior, humor with a touch of sharpness that accentuated his features only too well. As the others continued their conversation over logistics and the murdered porter Hermione made her way over to the chastised doctor.

"Told you not to do it" He looked at her with a small smile as she verbally chided him.

"Oh and like you helped, everyone was working all diligently and being all technological when she came in and here's you sitting on a couch reading a book. How is that supposed to show how sci-fi-ie we are?" It was a joke and she knew just as well but that didn't stop her from giving him a seriously strange look at his made up word.

"Sci-fi-ie?" she questioned only to receive a shrug of indifference in response. "I'll have you know I was researching."

"Hey I like my new word, and you can research on the computer. That's what they are there for anyways. You have your own desk with one on it, even though you never seem to use it." Owen huffed in retort.

"Books are better." Hermione stated as if it were the simplest and truest thing in the world, which to her it might as well have been.

"Fine Ms. Bookworm" It was said while he was laughing, and either way she never would have taken offense.

"Proud of it."

-xxxxx-

Hermione was researching again. She had to find out what alien got her and it was driving her insane not knowing. She was prided as a walking encyclopedia of all things extraterrestrial, her days locked in an office doing nothing but committing information to memory saw to that. She shifted on the sofa and wished not for the first time that Jack would let her take the books to the privacy of her own home, if only just so she could sink into her favorite arm chair while reading. Jack was giving out orders again, giving each person a task, and yet when he got to her all he said was go home. She huffed in frustration and began to pack her things together grumbling under her breath about how she was fine and not an invalid. Honestly one little accident and you're treated like glass forever. Being the last to leave through the giant steal door she turned and waved as Jack took Gwen up the invisible lift.

Images flashed across her mind as pain exploded throughout her head. She was standing in a bright red telephone box while a seemingly automated voice asked her name. It was as if she had no control once again as her mouth spoke without her willing it to. She watched with skeptical eyes as the red booth slid seamlessly down into the pavement unnoticed by those around it. The box rode further and further down into the ground until finally halting and opening its scarlet doors to reveal an extraordinarily busy room filled with people and beings of races she didn't know about. Her body reacted beyond her will and walked out purposefully waving to people and creatures as she strode by.

After blinking once Hermione was suddenly within the dingy underground of the hub again. The pain within her head was so intense she slowly slid to the floor as she tried to compose herself and calm her shaky breathing. After what seemed to be hours but was in reality only a few moments the pain slowly faded away leaving no trace of ever being there to begin with. Hermione looked around carefully and after making sure that no one had been around to witness her moment she continued on her way home vowing to discuss the matter over with the team leader in the morning.

-xxxxx-

She found him watching the city again. He always did seem to fancy high places, but standing out on a ledge hundreds of feet in the air only seemed to trigger her fear of heights. Hermione was quite content to stand well towards the inside of the rooftop as she shouted against the wind. "Jack what's wrong?" he carelessly strode towards her as if he wasn't in a near death position. "And don't try to fool me either; you only come up here when something is wrong." She gently sat down on the chilly concrete and patted the roof next to her.

"You know Granger sometimes you are to observant for your own good."

"Well Jack that's why you hired me isn't it?" he only laughed at her in return.

"I retconed Gwen last night. She was so willing to believe despite what she said and she was beginning to trust me." He was always so distraught whenever he had to erase someone's memories, he always seemed so many years older after he had done so.

"So you made me research her and tell you all about her because you wanted her to join the team only to erase all of her memories?" Hermione wanted to be angry at him but couldn't find it in herself; he always had a reason for what he did.

"If she can find us again she deserves the spot. Call it a test if you will. Now what were you doing looking for me anyways?" The quick change of subject surprised her. She suddenly found herself unable to tell him about her lapses, he always seemed so stressed and busy. Who was she to add to it? No, this was something she could handle herself, something she needed to.

"Ianto wanted to know how many he needed to order take out for" It was a lie. He knew it, she knew he knew it and yet he let it go. It was a trait she admired him so much for.

She most definitely couldn't add her problems onto the mass of mysteries and disharmony that was her Captains life.

-xxxxx-

It was raining as Hermione walked slowly along the streets. She had waited until it was too late for even Ianto to be in the hub before coming by. The need to research ate at her bones, the want to know what had happened to her numbing her mind to any other thoughts. Though she hated to admit it to Owen sometimes the computers were better and that was precisely why she was making her late night journey. She had to know how to make the flashes and the pain stopped, and she had to do it in any way possible.

As she turned the corner into the Millennium Center she spotted two figures talking by the lift. Two women, average size and height, only one was holding an object. It wasn't until she got closer that she could recognize the women for who they were. Suzie Costello had a gun pointed at one Gwen Cooper. Hermione continued towards the two quieter than before, fearful of startling the wielder of the weapon. It wasn't until the gun went off and the very limp form of Jack fell to the ground did Hermione break into a run.

"Jack!" Hermione was screaming his name as she ran, oblivious to the continued conversation between the two women. Tears were streaming down her face as she saw the bullet wound in his handsome forehead. Captain Jack Harkness, her savior was lying dead on the street before her. Her feet ground to a halt the second he stood up. "Jack?" the name was only a questioning whisper now as she watched the blood sink back into the quickly closing wound. He was talking to Suzie, demanding the gun back with such confidence that it, among other reason happenings, astounded her. Suddenly she was running again, this time towards a different body as Suzie dropped to the ground from a gunshot caused by her own hand.

While the two had never truly been friends they had been co workers and Hermione only allowed herself a moment of compassion for the woman who had shot Jack in cold blood. Jack was standing perfectly still looking sadly down at her body and seeming completely healed. Gwen was speaking now, saying how she remembered everything before she collapsed to the ground. Hermione was at her side in seconds, offering a comforting arm around the shocked woman while trying to deal with the miracle that had happened not minutes before.

-xxxxx-

She stopped him that night after he put the body into storage. "You died." He nodded back in the affirmative. "I watched you die, and then you didn't die. You were alive again." He gave her a gentle smile in return as she spoke quietly and calmly.

"And you didn't tell anyone." It was true, aside from discussing with Gwen about how the others shouldn't know she hadn't spoken a word.

"It's not my secret to tell," She seemed to know a lot about secrets lately, "So you can't die?"

"Nope" It was simple and to the point, she smiled in return. "I can already hear the wheels turning inside your head wondering how." He did know her well; he took a deep resigning breath before starting. "Something happened to me a while back. A long story and far away, but I was killed, and then I was brought back to life. And ever since then I can't die."

"But, how?" Hermione hung onto his every word. Enraptured in the mystery that was Jack. He in return fed her the knowledge she craved.

"I don't know, but someday I'll find The Doctor and he can explain it but until then I can't die." He seemed so broken when he spoke of a doctor and it was only then that she knew of who he meant.

"You don't want just any doctor do you? You want THE Doctor, and I'll help you find him."


	3. Chapter 2: Day One

Authors Note- As I'm sure many have noticed this is going to be written from mostly Hermione's point of view. It will closely follow the show up to a point and certain parts of certain episodes will be omitted simple because Hermione wouldn't have been in them or they were focusing on her character.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to its rightful owners.

Chapter 2: Day One

_Jack: That was just the kiss. Imagine the buzz you get from the rest. That wasn't exactly the reaction I'd anticipated. -Day One- S1E2_

It was hard to not respect him now, both she and Gwen agreed, although honestly she had never had a problem with that before. It seemed that having his secret immortality revealed to the both of them only gave a puzzle piece to a much more complicated jigsaw and yet Hermione became even more addicted to solving it. With her recent conversation with the man and her declaration to help him find The Doctor she found herself engrossed in the pages of any book she could find. Perhaps it was a need born from gratitude or a want stemmed from some other feeling that she willed herself not to dwell on that compelled her to take up the additional research project. Either way Hermione found herself more and more willing to hold herself to the promise, even if she was finding little to no information on the elusive man.

Hermione growled in frustration before gently setting her book down. She wished she would have thrown it immediately afterwards but honestly couldn't find it in herself to purposefully damage such a tome. He had left her behind again, and after she had proven that she was all recovered too. She had even gone as far as had Toshiko help her erase the footage of her breakdown off of the CCTV.

Yet here she was in the hub, reading a book and chatting with a bored tea boy while the others were off gallivanting around and playing with cosmic rocks. She had begged Jack to let her along, he only responded with a resounding no pointing out that there were only four seats in the jeep. What a bloody cheap excuse that was, she could have very easily driven her own vehicle. Hermione had physically restrained herself from crossing her arms and yelling that it wasn't fair to the American. She wanted to study the meteor too, imagine the information it could reveal. All of the stories it could tell and what if it had some form of alien life inside? Oh that would be pure delight. Sure they were bringing samples back and she could study them just as well in the hub but nothing matched the experience of being there first hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean too." Hermione's head snapped to the entrance where the field team was strolling in with an apologetic Gwen. Something had happened while they were out and she yearned to know what it was but couldn't bring it upon herself to ask least upsetting the brunette further. Hermione was quickly growing fond of the former police girl, sharing a secret as important as Jacks immortality often did that to people, and didn't like seeing her so distraught.

Hermione only caught the tail end of Owens scathing retort, something about office safety or some sort. She resisted the urge to snort at the young doctor; he was the pot in this situation. The new girl pleaded some more "But you two were throwing tools around at each other and I thought," she didn't get to finish her sentence before Owen interrupted.

"Yeah well we don't miss." Oh that was a lie and a half.

"So you think. I've seen you miss before." Hermione immediately shrank into herself as angry eyes were trained on her for her remark.

"This coming from the woman who is bloody rubbish at sports." He had a point there.

"Children, knock it off." Jack had obviously had enough of the banter and Hermione felt the need to comply.

Hermione let the team wander to the infirmary/morgue without comment. She calmly listened in and absorbed the information. The meteor had been chipped, due to an error in judgment on Gwen's part, and a noxious gas had been released. Possibly some sort of gaseous alien. Her ears perked up as she ran to the team at the mention of extraterrestrial life.

"What color was the gas?" It was a small detail but to Hermione it easily meant the difference.

"A luminescent pinkish purple. It raced off toward the downtown area as soon as it was released." Toshiko stated as Hermione let a small grimace cross her face. There were two kinds of alien life forms that took on a gaseous shape when without a solid body. They were also unfortunately the same color. The Dwovari and the Scenscum, and while the former was relatively harmless the later was an extremely dangerous being.

Before she had a chance to say anything though Ianto came in wielding his favorite clipboard. "A report just came in. there was a death in a night club and the circumstances seem a little strange." Before the Welsh man could continue Hermione snuck the board from his grasp and quickly devoured the contents. It seemed fairly strait forward and unfortunately pointed towards the more dangerous of the two purple smoke aliens. Man goes into a bathroom with a random floozy. Man has sex with said floozy. Man dies in bathroom and leaves nothing but a pile of dust and a floozy behind.

She frowned. "This is most definitely one of the Scenscum." She looked gravely up at her boss before continuing. "And this is most definitely not good. These beings are not meant to survive inside a host for long and it feeds off of energy." Once again she welcomed her wealth of knowledge.

"Well if its energy it feeds of why don't we just trap it in a room with a never ending supply of batteries? Or better yet just give it a comfy cell so it can siphon off the energy from the rift, lord knows that'll never stop seeping it out." She smiled shyly at Owen as he suggested it. If only it were that easy, unfortunately for her it was a little more awkward.

"Not that type of energy. They get a high off of the extra energy created when someone or something creates excessive amounts of endorphins." She quickly handed the clip board to Jack as the others crowded around it. "We need to go see who it's decided to inhabit because chances are it's going to be searching for more sexual partners to satisfy its need. And Jack," she waited until he looked at her to finish "by we I mean me too."

Jack nodded in understanding. He knew how stubborn the researcher could be and didn't have the time to argue it. "Fine but you're taking your own car." Hermione could only smile in response.

-xxxxx-

Hermione was lost in thought. They had been to the night club and watched the video and had taken readings. They had done all of the necessary steps in order to find the information they needed only to confirm her hypothesis about the creature. She had kept quiet as Gwen charged on asking questions and had hung back as the brunette and Jack went and checked out the alleyway. She didn't know why, and had so far found no reason for it, but ever since the new woman came along Hermione felt replaced and feared for the quickness in which Jack became close to Gwen. She knew well enough to know that she herself was not the jealous type, and yet the feeling she felt so strongly seemed just that.

Distancing her mind from the mood dampening thoughts she forced herself to think on the case at hand. When that had watched the footage from the alleyway they could see the woman who was occupied. She was thin and frail looking but other than her pale skin and body shape not much could be seen. Gwen and Toshiko were on the trail looking for the woman as the rest of the team researched what to do with the Scenscum when they found it.

It took her a few seconds to realize that Jack had left the room without giving her an order. Everyone else had been given a task, even tea boy Ianto, and yet he had given her nothing. She was beginning to feel useless. She gave a quick growl in anger as she grabbed her firearm and retreated down the metal stairs and down the damp hallways. A few minutes at the firing range would do her some good. It was a strange thought, just a few short years ago she would have never seen herself willingly shooting off a gun much less saving the world on a weekly basis. Now she gripped the metal as if it were another appendage or an extension of an already existing one.

Perhaps he was doing this to her as a punishment for not waiting for him when she got attacked. She huffed while shooting off her first round. Hermione would fight Jack to the ends of the earth about that certain experience, she was so positive in her choice to go in without him. Maybe he was too infatuated with the new girl to remember her. Hermione made face as she shot off her second. No, that was just her being jealous again, which to be honest she didn't know why she was feeling such a scornful emotion. It wasn't like she fancied the confident yank or anything. It was also a possibility that he was treating her as such out of concern. She mentally shook her head as she fired and hit the paper target in the shoulder. She really needed to get off that train of thoughts. She only felt gratitude towards the man. He had given her a way to get out of the hell hole that was her previous workplace after all.

Another shot rang out across the range hitting the target in the nonexistent heart. It was a natural feeling of loyalty and appreciation she reasoned with herself. Completely innocent. He was her leader and she treated him as such. If so why had she started crying when she thought he had died? A gunshot rang true as it sailed past the target. It was out of concern her mind answered itself as the heated debate continued. Why had she been so happy to see him stand back up, blood pouring out of his head? A likely reaction she answered, a feeling of coping when seeing a dead man stand up.

Then why was she so bloody jealous of the gorgeous welsh woman stealing the attention of her superior? A round ripping through the head portion of the target was her only answer.

-xxxxx-

Her name was Carys Fletcher and moments after breaking into her home Hermione got a good look at her. She was all limbs and doe eyes with a head full of reddish brown locks, and completely unknown to Hermione and yet the second she laid eyes on the girl she felt the warning signs of an immense headache.

As suddenly as the pain started she began to see mental images of another woman. The new woman was also pale and leggy, rail thin and freckled covered. Hermione once again watched as her own body walked over to the woman and gave her an encouraging smile. It was then she saw the attire of the fiery redhead. A white gown trailed along the floor as the ginger shifted nervously from foot to foot.

"Ginny Weasley if you don't stop acting so skittish someone would think you'd want to skip out on your own wedding." Hermione herd herself say, once again having no control over her own muscles. The woman, Ginny she corrected herself, flashed a brilliant white smile at her.

"Thank you for being here Hermione, I swear if you weren't keeping me from rushing out right now I'd be in Harry's arms and trying to run away with him. I can't believe how big this whole thing has gotten." It was true. She could hear a cacophony of noise outside of the room, people praising congratulations to what sounded like the bride's family and making numerous mentions of a "Heroic Harry Potter"

"I wouldn't miss this for the world you know that." True to her word Hermione couldn't find fault in her own voice as it spoke. She felt friendship well up in her chest along with happiness and several other confusing feelings. Why was she feeling such things for a woman she had never met before? More importantly why did said woman act so familiar towards her?

"Hermione!" the strange vision went black as she blinked her way back into the real world. Forcing the heels of her hands up to her temples she gently massaged her aching head while looking at the person who had called her name. Toshiko had one arm around her and was looking at her in concern. "Hermione are you alright? You froze once we got in the door and wouldn't react throughout the whole scuffle." The Japanese woman's voice was coated thickly in unease and worry for her friend.

"Yeah I'm sorry Tosh I just got lost in thought I guess. I'll go check upstairs to make sure no one else is here." With that said Hermione quickly pushed past the rest of the team leading a miserable Carys to the jeep and stumbled up the stairs. The pain was worsening and she was glad that the current situation had captured the others attention so she wouldn't have to explain her lack of response to anyone else. She quickly found her way to the closest bed and curled up into a ball waiting for the pain to pass. She barely registered the sounds of boots clanking up the stairs before she jumped off the bed and made herself busy looking around.

"Granger are you coming or not?" Great, off all the people to come up the stairs it had to be him.

"Sure, I was just checking to make sure no one else was here. Go ahead and take the jeep, I'll hitch a ride with Toshiko. We can't all fit with Carys in there anyway." The handsome man nodded astutely before retreating down the stairs, flippantly yelling up to her about meeting up at the hub and to not let Tosh's driving make them late. Hermione gathered her wits before following in his footsteps. Something was happening to her and she needed to know what. She was sitting contently in the car as Tosh pulled out to follow the jeep before she fully registered her own actions.

"Hermione what was that back there? What happened?" the computer genius was curious and concerned. The care in her friend's voice only made Hermione feel worse when she gave the only answer she could.

"I don't know. I truly honestly don't know."

-xxxxx-

"Bloody Hell Owen I told you she was a walking aphrodisiac!" Hermione shouted across the main room of the hub all the while giving a strange look at Captain Jack Harkness as he pleaded with their now escaping prisoner to not hurt the severed hand in the jar. Honestly, it was a dismembered hand! Hermione growled in frustration as Carys ran out the doors of the hub before swinging around to the now thankfully dressed doctor. "I tell you 'be careful the Scenscum have wafting pheromones' and you not only get close to her you let her trick you into letting her out!" Hermione was furious. No one ever listened to her; she really did know what she was talking about.

Everything seemed fine only minutes before. Carys had been safely locked up and the whole team was working together to save her life until a certain Owen Harper got close enough to the alien inhabiting the poor girls body to be affected. The girl had run around the hub knocking things over in a rush to get out but not before grabbing the now infamous jarred hand which was apparently just important enough to make Jack let her go free. She made a mental note; she would really have to find out why that hand was so damn important.

After regrouping they quickly deduced that the girl would have headed for an ex-boyfriend, as the five of them headed to the garage Hermione groaned upon realizing that she would have to drive her own personal automobile again. "Jack we really need a bigger jeep." She called over her shoulder after quickly turning around and heading out the civilian entrance. Ianto nodded politely as she ran out the door and to the nearest parking lot. "I swear I miss out on all of the good stuff driving my own car like this."

After frustratingly trying to catch up to the speeding vehicle she parked just in time for everyone to come running out of the apartment complex. Carys' most current ex had already been reduced to nothing more than a pile of dust.

-xxxxx-

They had found her at a fertility clinic. It was so convenient that Hermione resisted the urge to smack her head for not realizing it earlier. She along with Toshiko and Owen had done nothing more than watch as Jack kissed the dying girl and trapped the alien into a stasis field. Carys had been returned to her father with scaring memories but otherwise no injuries and everyone else had returned to the hub.

Jack had taken Gwen off to a corner and proceeded to give her an encouraging talk about everyone making mistakes and Hermione couldn't help her mind wander to her mistake on her second week. She had slipped while going down a set of stairs and hit the emergency release button for the cells. Thankfully there had only been one weevil occupying them but the terror of being in the hub with a one alone had been all encompassing. Jack had saved her then too; he had charged in and quickly fought the weevil back into his cage so quickly she hadn't had a chance to wonder where he had come from. It wasn't until the next day that she had learned he had been sleeping in his office when he heard her screaming.

Hermione let a ghost of a smile cross her face as she thought about the embarrassing explanations for the accident and the ridicule that she suffered from Owen for a whole week. She supposed Jack was just that kind of man, he always seemed to save her when she most needed it. She felt it was due time to return the favor as she crept over to her near spotless computer station. Maybe she could manage to get some research about The Doctor in before Owen noticed her and their ever continuing fight over whether books or internet was better started again. She silently chuckled at the thought. This was her family, the arguments and taunting, the caring and loving. It all felt so real and was something she had been missing since whoever had first recruited her retconed her parents.

Maybe the group dynamic would change with the addition of the outspoken welsh woman ,but Hermione for one sure welcomed it.


End file.
