Hermione Granger and Fate's Divergence

A.N: I apologize. Works been hell, life's been hell, but that's life. My computers been through enough and back, and I'm going slower on the chapters cause of school. I'm sort of surprised how many reviews I got for the first, but not for this one. Maybe it's the prologue….If you have any suggests, please feel free to write them. Thank you and Read and Review.

Chapter Two:

Searching

"Christian, you may see me only as a drunken, vice-ridden gnome whose friends are just pimps and girls from the brothels. But I know about art and Love, if only because I long for it with every fiber of my being. ~Toulouse-Lautrec

Hermione could not explain it; the feelings that had run through her body more than a week ago were still there, floating around inside of her. A month ago, she would have held onto those dreams of hers about her emerald-eyed prince for everything she had; now it seemed so trivial. This Crono had taken the place, or rather filled in the gaps it seemed. She still had dreams, random ones it seemed of nothing more than flying on a creatures back, holding onto Crono's waist. She blushed as she remember the feelings that dream sent through her.

Shaking her head, she awoke from her day dreams making sure she was mentally prepared for tonight. The General and his guests were “gracing” their cruise this evening, and she knew that man “Harry Potter” was going to be there as well. Just as he luck would have it, as she finished putting on her waitress uniform, a note slid underneath the door.

“Great now what?” she mumbled to herself as she picked up the note.

Miss Granger,

It has been requested by the General's guest, mister Potter, that you be their server tonight. This is a request directly from the General and must be adhered to.

There was no signature. Much to her chagrin. Shaking her head, she pocketed the note and headed toward the deck, where she was planning on meeting the guests with the rest of the waitresses. As she walked onto the deck, she noticed the increased amount of security onboard. She figured it was normal for the type of even they were hosting that evening and thought nothing more of it.

“Hermione,” James motioned over for her. “I want to apologize in advance.”

“For what?” Hermione asked as she looked to where James was pointing.

“He insisted that he get you as a waitress tonight,” James said, pointing at the tall redhead next to the General. “I don't understand why, but there is nothing I can do about it. I'm sorry.”

“What am I going to do?” She said to herself. Her hand went to her pendant and an image of Crono filled her mind, giving her peace. James gave her a smirk and pointed at a man walking onto the deck at the moment. He was dressed as a bartender, but she knew that mop of hair anyway. “Crono!” she squealed, running over to him. He was almost knocked over at the young woman in her arms. Hermione relaxed immediately as his arms went around her waist. He twirled her for a bit before placing her back on the ground.

“Ain't you a sight for sore eyes farm boy?” Hermione asked, as she hugged him once more. Luna had told her on one of her return visits that Crono worked part-time on a farm, the other on a fixing up an old fishing boat. She had started to call him farm boy because of it and the name just stuck. He smiled at her slightly, placing her back onto the floor. “What are you doing here?” He looked down at his clothes than back at her eyes. “You're bartending?” She said with surprise. He smiled once more and laced her hand through his, guiding her toward the ballroom, where evidently the evening would be held. “Do you even know how to prepare the drinks?” He raised an eyebrow as he led her toward the not-so-small, but rather well stocked bar they had in the ballroom.

Hermione took the moment to look around as Crono went behind the bar. The tables were elegantly prepared around the dance floor, with large floral settings at the center. The band had finished setting up their equipment was going through a sound check as she turned back to Crono. He had two bottles on the countertop and a glass between them.

He smirked as he picked the bottle on the left and flipped it in his hands. No a drop fell as he flipped it again, this time pouring the drink as he caught it. A clear liquid filled the glass. He looked at Hermione as she stared at his movement. He picked up the second bottle, and tossed it to his left hand, where the other bottle still was. With skills she had not seen he poured other liquid into the drink, giving it a opaque orange color. With his right hand, he reached underneath the counter and pulled out another glass; however this one seemed to be frozen. He poured the drink into the frozen glass, and smoke started to come off the drink as it fizzed.

“Wow,” Hermione said, finally unable to hold it back. He held out the drink for her. “Me? We're not allowed to drink anything while on duty.” Hermione said, thinking back to the rules. As good as the drink looked she did not want to break the rules. However, the grin on face made her knees go weak. “Okay.” She took the glass and brought it to her lips. The warm drink filled her mouth with a fruity flavor as she swallowed it. “Wonderful.” Crono had his back turned to her, but looked over his shoulder smiling.

Hermione finished the drink quickly as Crono began to clean off the glasses. He gave her a smile, one that made his emeralds sparkle brightly. She could not help herself but smile back. The guests were entering the room at the moment and Hermione made her way to the galley, picking up her pad of paper and pen. Although she primed herself for her impeccable memory, she did not want to make a mistake, and wrote everything that everyone asked for.

As she walked back to the ballroom, she could not help but sigh. Harry Potter was sitting next to the General both of them deep in conversation. James was walking around, talking to the other guests as the waitresses asked them for their orders. Gathering her courage, Hermione walked over to both the General and Potter as they were discussed something about some attack on some port. She never really cared for war, too much destruction and pain….

“Welcome, may I please take your order?” She said, with her best smile. James and Marcy returned, but the ones upon the General's and Potter's faces were forced. She took their order for drinks and headed back to the bar, giving them to Crono.

The women were once again jealous of her. Crono filled the orders with ease, but kept his eyes upon her as he did so. She held back her blush and wasn't sure how successful she was going to end up being as a waitress or making friends here.

Hermione took the orders back to the table and gave them to each of the respected drinkers. Potter gave her a once over, and she tried to ignore the looks he kept giving her as she took their dinner orders.

As she walked back past Crono and his theatrics, she could not help but smile at the man grinning at her. Now the jealous of the other girls was present even more as she not only had the attention, as they saw it, of the captain, but also of the new bartender that she had previously befriended.

After placing the order, Hermione made her back to the table, to make sure their drinks were filled. As she approached the table, she noticed the absence of Captain James but thought nothing more of it. Potter had stood and was approaching her with a large smile on her face.

“Can I have this dance?” He motioned toward the floor, stopping her in place.

“I've got work to do,” she said attempting to step around him.

“Get one of the other girls to do it,” Potter said, stopping her once again. “I want to dance with you.” He gripped her arm tightly and she resisted the urge for her other hand to go to her pendant. She held a strong front against him, or at least tried to.

“And I said I have work to so,” she said, trying to pull her arm from the constricting grip. “I only listen to Captain James.”

“He has fallen ill, and has told the General to look after the ship for him,” Potter said, his grin widening. “Something about sea sickness.” Hermione felt her body heat for a moment in anger, but it subsided quickly. She glared at him, opening her mouth to say something, but it never came out. The tossing of the ship in a blast of destruction stopped her.

Hermione felt her feet come out from underneath her, and falling into a set of protective arms. She knew it was not Potter; the calloused hands that held her steady were gentle as they were firm. Smoke blinded her as she was pulled into the warmth of a muscular chest. Sighing as the man held her she could not help but wish that it was Crono, or the real Harry, holding her. As the smoke cleared her eyes met with a pair of emeralds.

“Crono,” she said, squeezing his waist tightly as she let out the breath she was holding. Her legs shook slightly as she let go, only to have him grab a hold of her once more. Looking of his chest, she could see the wall that had blown up, and felt herself grow dizzy once more as men with weapons, varying from guns to swords began to come in through the new door. Hermione felt herself being moved behind Crono as the terrorist began to enter the room.

“Give us all of your valuables and nobody will get hurt,” the terrorist said as a group of his men began to hold out bags for all of the gold and silver pieces that the guests wore. Hermione's hand went to her medallion, fear running through her body. She had never removed the medallion, it was a part of her, and like it held something that for so long she did not have. Crono's hand gripped hers and she noticed his other hand playing with a small pocket watch. He slid it back into his pocket before reaching into the vest of his. She could not see what the item was, but the grip on her hand loosened.

“Give us the medallion miss,” the terrorist said. Hermione shivered at the callousness of the voice. She could see that Potter had an opening to attack, without endangering any one, but the scared look on his face told her that he would not act.

Crono moved so he was between the two of them. “You'd move sir, if you knew what was good for you,” the armed man spoke. Crono's wrist appeared to flick, but other than that he did not move. Rather, more screams erupted from the room, and this time, it was from the armed man. Hermione watched from behind Crono as the man's hand slid to the floor, cauterized and smoothly cut. While the man screamed, everyone stood in awe and terror.

“What's the meaning of this?” A voice yelled from the kitchen. Sirius, the cook, came out barging into the ballroom, a frying pan in one hand and a knife in the other. He was a modest man, and the rumor was that he was best friends with the captain, next to the captain's brother, who died the same time as Harry did in this world. His frying pan blocked a bullet sent his way as another scream echoed through the ballroom. No one had move, least of all Harry, as a man on the far side of the room fell to the floor, clutching his limbless leg. Crono and Sirius shared a look before Crono moved. They nodded toward each other before anything else happened.

In silent agreement, Crono and Sirius took on the terrorists, with Crono still protecting Hermione as Sirius protected everyone but the General and Potter. Hermione had never seen someone as strong as Crono that moved as fast as he did. Sirius's greater strength was evident, but it was Crono's finesse that amazed her. He easily sidestepped the lunging terrorist, whereas Sirius had to make a big deal of I, nearly getting hit several times. Taking her eyes off of Crono, Hermione looked at the General, who held a scared look on his face, but it Potter that made her afraid.

Angry was enflaming within his eyes, and she saw something unexpected. A small ball of flames was growing in Potter's hand, and his leer was upon Crono as he dodged another attack with ease. She watched as Potter raised his hand, and threw the ball at Crono's back, as he stepped away from another attack. The flames moved too fast for Hermione to saw anything, and there was no way that Crono could move out of the way of something he could not see.

Crono's body lurched at the sudden impact, only to be knocked through the wall. Hermione began to scream as soon as she found her voice, running over to where Crono had disappeared. The sea was raging outside as a storm was brewing, something she had failed to notice before. For the most part, Sirius had finished off the terrorists and with a little help from Potter, though minimal effort.

Hermione searched the water for Harry but could see nothing with the raging winds and turbulent waters.

“CRONO!” Hermione screamed, over the wind. Tears began to come to her eyes as rain fell steadily to the ground. “No, please come back.” She clung to the railing, as the ship shook as a large wave hit it. Now drenched, she called out again for him to no avail.

“What is the meaning of this?!” James's voice carried from the crow's nest. Hermione looked up through her tears as she saw James travel down one of the ropes coming down from the top of the ship. “I left for five minutes to check on the engine, and this happens?” James turned to the General, staring at him directly. “I want to know what happened and I wanted it five seconds ago!”

“Cap'n, calm down,” Sirius said. “Lets get back indoors before we all get sick.” James and Sirius shared a look before James walked over to Hermione, removing her fingers from the railing.

“Let go Hermione,” James said in a soft voice. “He's gone.”

“No……” her voice trailed off as she tried to feint sleep, but the pain hurt too much. Crono was gone, the one person that may have brought something more to her life.