Crimson Heaven

BOOM!

Hermione woke with a start; she and Ron bolted upright, took one look at each other and then ran for the door, wands in hand.
“Harry?” They called, running up the staircase to where their friend was, “Harry?” Hermione called again.

“I’m in here!” he coughed; Ron was first in through the door, Hermione at his heels.

“What the hell happened?” Ron asked as he helped Harry to his feet.
It turned out that the explosion was a trap of some description, Hermione knelt down to get a closer look at the device, and saw in had a very familiar logo on it.

“Grab hold of me.” She breathed.

The two boys stood over her, brows furrowed in confusion. “What?” Harry asked, Hermione stood up and grabbed the two of them by their coats.

“Hold on!”

“Whoa!” the three exclaimed, Harry and Ron gripped each other’s coats, but Hermione’s grip slipped from the two boys, and she fell with a scream.

The surroundings were blurred; she couldn't get her head to focus on anything specific. The next thing she knew was coming into contact with something solid and the darkness that followed.
When she woke up, she found herself in a type of bed. Her body ached from the fall. Trying to sit up she groaned in pain, attracting the attention of the company that she didn't know she had.

"Are you uncomfortable?" Hermione looked up from where she was leaning to try and ease her pain to see a young girl, around Hermione's age, kneeling near the foot of the bed, medicine and other medical supplies at her feet.

Hermione looked at the girl in confusion, "Where am I?" She asked, the girl looked as confused as Hermione did.

"I don’t understand." She shook her head and it up to come to Hermione's side.
Hermione, meanwhile, tried to remember where she had heard that word before, then it hit her. She must be in Japan! Wakarimasen was Japanese for I don't understand.

The girl placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down. "Please lie back down, you have been badly hurt."

Hermione cocked her head in confusion and repeated her earlier word. "Wakarimasen. Erm... Goodness this is hard.... English?"

"Ah! Hai!" The girl suddenly got up and rushed from the tent, leaving Hermione dumbfounded. When the girl returned, she was accompanied by a young man.
"Eigo."

"Kasumi tells me that you are from Midgar." He had a deep voice and stern eyes and yet Hermione didn't feel threatened by him.

Midgar? Hermione suddenly looked up in shock, she was back in Genesis's world?! Oh then she wasn't in Japan, but Wutai! She needed to be careful now. "Yes, I am here with two others, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. My name is Hermione Granger. Please have you seen them?"

The young man looked at her, he was curious about something around her neck... The Phoenix materia! "Are you with the ShinRa troops?"

Hermione decided to try the negotiation tactic. "No, I am not with the ShinRa troops. I am, however, acquainted with one of them. Please do not take my honesty as a threat, I am not here as bait, I simply wish to return home."

The young man's eyes narrowed, "you are not here to hurt us?"

"No. Ow!" Hermione had attempted to get up, but she found herself in more pain. "Urgh what happened to me? What injuries do I have? And also, what is your name?"

The young man laughed. "So many questions! Clearly you are a scholar of some sort. My name is Sosuke. Kasumi is my little sister. My Imouto. As for your injuries, we managed to heal them with a low levelled cure materia so the only thing you can feel is severe bruising. Now, Granger-San, let us get you back onto your feet. And into some cleaner and more intact clothing."
Hermione lifted the blanket covering her legs to find her favourite jeans were torn in several places. Looking at her torso, she saw that her top clothing was also torn, looks like she'll have to scrap the lot. "I would like that very much. Also, can you tell me more about this war? I'm afraid I've been kept in the dark on these matters."

Sosuke watched as Kasumi helped Hermione to her feet and stabilised her until she was able to balance on her own. "Of course. But I cannot betray my people and tell you our battle plans. You understand?"

Hermione nodded vigorously and instantly regretted it. "Ow, urgh, yes I understand completely."

Sosuke smiled and extended his arm to her, "good. But first we must get you a new change of clothes."

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Meanwhile, Harry and Ron had also landed with a crash. But they had landed in a different place altogether.
"Whoa, what happened?" Harry and Ron got to their feet and looked around, "um, Harry?" Turning Harry saw that Ron was stood facing the receiving end of what could only be a seven-foot-long samurai sword.

"Who are you? How did you come to be here?" His voice was a deep, soft baritone, his hair was the colour of a sickle and his eyes, they were bright almost ice-green with cat-eyes slits for pupils, like Voldemort. "Answer me."

"Harry does he look familiar to you?" Ron's question broke Harry out of his stupor, as the figure stepped further into the moonlight Harry could see what Ron meant.

"You should know that I am not a patient man, answer me!"

"The one thing about Sephiroth that sets him apart from myself and Angeal is that he has the patients of a saint in all circumstances but one; when he is on the battlefield." Genesis's voice went through his head as Harry realised who he was stood in front of.

"My name is Harry Potter; this is my best friend Ron Weasley. We are acquaintances of Commander Genesis Rhapsodos." Harry spoke in a similar way to how Genesis introduced himself to the Delacours, he hoped it would satisfy Sephiroth.

It worked. Sephiroth lowered his blade, his eyes sweeping the duo, looking for the familiar face.
"Where is Hermione?"

"We don't know. We got separated when we dropped into this world." Ron held out the piece of the explosive device that he had picked up before Hermione had grabbed him. "This yours?"

Taking the scrap, Sephiroth's eyes widened in shock. "We had planted these in the field outside Fort Tamblin just past the river behind you. Where did you come across this?"
Harry and Ron explained what had happened to Sephiroth, who was walking them back to the encampment where all ShinRa troops were stationed. There, Harry and Ron met Angeal. "I see you ditched the useless one." Sephiroth greeted.

Angeal sighed and looked up from the book he was reading. "Yes, he's off with the second that's in B Unit. And he is not that useless, we could do worse than a rookie Turk." His abnormally blue eyes were glowing as they glanced at Harry and Ron. "Who are they?"

"Hermione’s friends. I'll let them introduce themselves, I have to find Genesis." Sephiroth went to walk off when Angeal spoke.

"What for?"

"One of the devices that he planted ended up in their world, they heard the blast and picked up a piece of the remains of the device before coming here, Hermione is missing."

Angeal stood up fast causing Harry and Ron to step back. "You don't think she's in the Fort?"

Sephiroth looked over his shoulder as he turned to walk away. "I do."

Leaving Harry and Ron with Angeal, Sephiroth walked away. Angeal looked at the floor before giving his best smile to the two boys, but they all knew it was forced. "Forgive me, Commander Angeal Hewley, SOLDIER First Class and second in command of the ShinRa army under the man you have just met, General Sephiroth Crescent, I am at your service, gentlemen."

Harry and Ron looked at each other. "Harry Potter, it's a pleasure to meet you Commander Hewley." Harry held out his hand to shake Angeal's.

Taking his cue from Harry, Ron held out his hand too. "Ronald Weasley, Ron for short. It's nice to meet you, Genesis has told us much about you and Sephiroth."

It was true, in fact, Genesis never stopped talking about them. "Harry, Ron, what happened?!" Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Genesis strode out of the tent that Sephiroth had entered and over to the two boys extending his arms for the two to grasp in both relief and greeting.
“We don’t know, Genesis. One minute I heard something beeping in the room I was sleeping in, next it blows up and then the three of us get thrown around. Ron and I end up here and we don’t know where Hermione is.” Harry explained. He and Ron shared a nervous glance as they watched the colour drain out of Genesis’s face.

He swung round to face Sephiroth, “you don’t think she landed in Fort Tamblin, do you?”

“Unfortunately, I do. I will inform Tseng. He can go in a search for her as he is the most fluent in the language.” With that as his final word, Sephiroth nodded to Harry and Ron before walking off to find the man in question.

“Wait… Sephiroth, WAIT!” Genesis suddenly called, Harry and Ron stood back as Sephiroth came back.

“What is it, Genesis?”

“C unit has yet to return from their scouting mission.”

“Scouting? That was not the order I heard given by the leader of C unit.” Angeal cut in.

Sephiroth and Genesis looked at Angeal. “That was the order I had given them,” Sephiroth replied, his eyes darkening. “The Captain is no fool, Angeal.”

“No, but he is trigger happy. And the infantry doesn’t take kindly to taking orders from SOLDIERs, not even you, Sephiroth.” Angeal argued.

Harry and Ron shared a look at this fact; this meant that Hermione was in trouble. “Oh they are so screwed,” said Ron, he and Harry smirked at the three SOLDIER First Class who were looking at them as though they were mad.

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Hermione looked at her reflection in the small fountain’s waterfall. She was dressed in a leaf green kimono and had her hair placed in a delicate bun.
She had only been here an hour and was steadily beginning to wonder whether or not Genesis was the kind man she had come to believe him to be. By all accounts this war was all down to the fact that ShinRa wanted to place a Mako reactor here in this lush and beautiful land, whereas the natives were strongly against the company “pillaging and raping” their beloved homeland.
From the way she had seen the guards acting earlier, she gathered that they were a very passionate people and loved the land of their birth and the birth of their ancestors, and they wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.
Can’t say as I blame them, she thought as she turned away from the waterfall and walked over to Sosuke, who was acting as her bodyguard as well as her translator.

“Thank you, these clothes and this hairstyle are beautiful. You have made me feel very welcome here, considering what I told you.”

“Well, truth be told, you remind me of another young lady, she would be around two years younger than you. She and her mother are very respectful of our cultures and traditions. And speak very loudly against the building of the reactor here. Come, you must be hungry."

Hermione's stomach decided to growl at that time, causing her to blush. "Yes I must be." She chuckled.

The two of them had just walked past the statue of the local deity when a cry came from one of the watchtowers.
“Soldiers! We're under attack! Take cover!”

Sosuke suddenly took Hermione’s arm and pushed her against the nearest wall. “What is it?!” she asked, her answer came in the form of an explosion to her right. “What was that?!”

“Hermione, please, get into the temple, you will be safe in there. ShinRa dogs! Do they not know a civilian camp when they see one?!” These were the last words Hermione heard Sosuke say before he ran off in one direction and Hermione went in another.

“Wait…” Hermione stopped just short of the door to the temple, why was she running away? She could fight, she had her wand and her Wicca, so why was she running. It could be Genesis you are fighting. Hermione’s eyes darkened, “serves him right. I’m not letting innocents get hurt!” Turning on her heel, Hermione raced after Sosuke.
Reaching the main area of battle, Hermione stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her; men and women and children lay at her feet either dead or dying. The sounds of explosions and gunfire sounded off around her, she flinched when they got too close. One little boy was screaming in pain, Hermione rushed over to him.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay…”

“Okāsan! Okāsan, Okāsan, Okāsan!” Now that word Hermione knew. It was Japanese for mother.

Seeing that she had no choice in the matter, Hermione found the body of a dying adult and used her magic to learn the language, she was just in time too, as the man died not three seconds after Hermione had finished. Returning to the boy, Hermione then noticed the body of a woman with no arm lying not that far away, she was dead. It was then she saw that the little boy was holding a severed arm… “Oh Goddess, no!” Her stomach churned and she vomited right there.

“Okāsan, Okāsan! Ahh!” the little boy was holding the severed arm of his dead mother, he too would soon die if Hermione didn’t do something.

Hermione ran a gentle hand over the little boy’s face and gave a weak smile, tears were now falling from her face as she spoke the newly acquired language. “Shh, shh, it will be alright. My name is Hermione. I am here to help you.”

The boy stopped calling for his mother, but continued to cry in pain, though his eyes were now solely on Hermione’s face. “I hurt! It hurts!”

Oh, Goddess give me strength. This is painful! Hermione continued to wipe the blood from his gushing head wound, trying to work up the concentration to save this dying little boy. “I know. I know it hurts. But... I'm going to help you. I just need you to stay strong for me.”

The little boy nodded, keeping his eyes on Hermione’s face the entire time. Casting her gaze to the sea of stars, Hermione began her spell. “Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt, change the fates' design, save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine... What once was mine.” Yes, it was a song from Disney's Tangled, her powers came from songs from Disney as well as the incantations and spells she had learnt as a child. But she preferred to sing the songs than do it the old-fashioned way.
She felt the power in the wind that blew through her hair, looking down at her hands, Hermione smiled as she watched the child’s wounds close up and heal leaving no trace.

“Ha! It worked!” she laughed as the spell ended and the boy stopped crying… in fact, he had stopped making a sound… “No, no, no, no, no, NO!” In her panic Hermione almost missed the sound of the little boy breathing again. “Oh thank the Goddess I thought I’d lingered too long.”

Seeing the little boy’s eyes open again, she smiled. “Are you an angel?”

“Yes I am an angel.” Lifting the boy into her arms, she saw him drop the arm and hold her tightly.

“Thank you.” he whispered, clinging to her tightly. Hermione walked back towards the temple.

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Harry and Ron walked beside what they had heard Sephiroth call the First battalion. Genesis was walking beside them, with Angeal bringing up the rear and Sephiroth at the head of the troop.
Ron and Genesis were both an edge, they had a common cause to fight for, but both of them were wondering what kind of state she would be in once they got there.

Sephiroth stopped and held up his hand. “Halt!”

“What is it Sephiroth?” Angeal asked.

“I hear gunfire.” It was true, they could all hear it now, the sounds of rifles and other military weaponry could be heard.

“Hermione.” Ron murmured. Harry put a hand on his best friend’s shoulder.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine. Knowing her, she’s probably fighting.” He soothed.

"She would be a fool if she is fighting here. My men are trained to kill anyone they consider a threat." Sephiroth stated, turning to the two boys.

THOOM!

Everyone fell to the floor at the sound of the explosion. Harry looked up and saw a dragon made of fire swoop over the tree tops.
So close was the creature of flames that Harry could feel the heat on the back of his neck, "what in the name of the great goddess is that?!" Exclaimed Genesis, Ron and Harry looked at each other, agreeing in one thing; Hermione was angry.

"Come on." Harry hoisted Ron to his feet and took off in the direction the dragon was returning to, they could hear Genesis shouting for them to come back, Sephiroth called out to Genesis and to Angeal who had obviously followed the two running wizards.

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Hermione was indeed angry.
She had just put the injured boy, who had told her his name was Satoshi, into the temple where many of the surviving civilians were sheltering.
"Please keep him safe for me." She asked one of the women, the woman nodded and Hermione turned and left the sanctity of the temple. As she walked back through the battlefield, she noticed more bodies, deciding to follow the carnage she soon found what she was looking for. “Sosuke!”

The warrior in question spun round to face the approaching witch. “I thought I told you to stay safe in the temple?!”

Hermione swept her hand through a nearby torch, scooping up the fire into her hands, a cold, dark, determination shone in her eyes. “I will not allow any more innocent people to die. Call your people back, I will end this fight for you.”

“How will you do that?”

“Just call your people back.” she ordered.

“Back to the Temple! Fall back to the Temple!” the warriors were about to question their commander, but at the sight of a young Western girl with growing flames surrounding her, they thought better of it.
Hermione summoned up the flames so that they flew high into the air, her mind's eye picturing a Hungarian Horntail.

Throwing up her arms, she cast the dragon into the air, watching it fly over the trees before returning to Hermione, she stepped out into the line of sight of the ShinRa troops, several of them cocking their weapons.
The dragon swooped over them all, engulfing them in flames, they wouldn’t burn, no she was no killer. Sonorus. she thought, holding her wand up to her throat.
“THIS ENDS NOW. ALL SHINRA TROOPS WILL LEAVE THIS CIVILIAN CAMPSITE, OR SO HELP ME I WILL BURN YOU ALL!"

Harry, Ron, Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth rounded the corner to hear Hermione’s words.
“Great Goddess alive, she created that thing?!” exclaimed Genesis.

“Oh yeah, she’s angry alright.” Ron stated.

“How is she doing that?” asked Sephiroth, “she is potentially burning our troops…”

“No, they’re not burning… not yet. They will burn if they don’t leave.” Harry explained.

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Hermione saw a figure in red stood to her right, behind the troops. “Commander Genesis Rhapsodos, call your troops off or I will burn them.”

"Better do it, Genesis, Hermione doesn't make idle threats." Ron warned.

Gulping, Genesis stepped out into the firelight. He decided to play the humble approach. "Sweet flower of gold, radiant Goddess of power, please I ask you to stop this."

Hermione smirked, "begging, Genesis? Really? I would have thought you would just have me shot dead for what I'm doing. Goodness knows the rest if your company wants to."

So much for the humble approach, "they'll have to go through me first, Hermione. Come on, now, stop this..."

"I WILL NOT!" The dragon moved away from the troop that had attacked and landed behind Hermione and gave a roar, causing everyone bar the First class SOLDIERs and the two male wizards to back off from the heat. "I will not bow to soldiers who prey on the civilian populace," Genesis took a step back, Sephiroth and Angeal both looked at the ground.
Harry and Ron, however, remained unchanged, both of them knowing that Hermione had seen something horrific to be acting this way.

"I will not bow to the whim of a man who helps to command so called soldiers that think it a good idea to leave a six-year-old boy lying on the floor dying of his injuries and holding the severed arm of his dead mother!"

"Oh boy, that'll do it. She's not going to come out of this easily." Ron stated.

“Hermione, please…. I understand that you are angry with us and Goddess knows we deserve it, certainly in your eyes.” Genesis stepped forward, braving the heat of her fiery guard. “But please understand that, although we are the ones that are doing the killing, we are simply following orders.”

“LIES! You once told me that you enjoyed the thrill of a battle…”

“Yes, I did! But only with battle-ready warriors, people who want to fight… Goddess that doesn’t make it sound any better.”

Hermione frowned as she watched Genesis sound bitter in his own words. “He is right, Hermione.” Sephiroth stepped forward. “The troops currently surrounded by your fire are not here under any other order save their platoon commander’s. Genesis, Angeal and I did not give them orders to come here and kill. They came here of their own accord.
By rights I should let you kill them, but then that would make you no better than us.” The fire in Hermione’s eyes faltered and Sosuke came to stand at Hermione’s shoulder.

“What the General says is correct. It does not excuse what they have done, but I do not believe the three commanding officers of this army ordered this attack.” Hermione turned to face Sosuke. This Wutanese man had been so kind to her, why was he sounding like he was calming her down?

“But, Sosuke-”

“You have done as you had promised, now please, soothe this rage and return to your friends.” he interrupted her. Suddenly, Sephiroth’s words echoed through her head again and the fire in her eyes and around the broken defences died out.

Hermione sighed before bursting into tears and falling to her knees, Harry, Ron and Genesis were by her sides in a flash. Still with tears falling down her face, Hermione’s vision blurred and she succumbed to the blissful darkness of unconsciousness.

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Genesis was the one to catch her. “We’d better get her out of here Genesis.” Ron stated. Nodding in agreement Genesis lifted Hermione into his arms and turned to face Sosuke.

“Thank you, for taking care of her. And I am so very sorry for what has been done, rest easy knowing that they will be punished severely.”

Sosuke nodded. “I hope for your sake, Commander, if there is to be bloodshed in that punishment, it is done away from her. I fear her outburst was due to the underlying shock of war.”

“So do I.”

“Commander Tseng!” Sephiroth called, a young man about ten years older Harry, Ron and Hermione came out of the shadows. “the Commander will stay and help you with the clean-up, consider it another way of apologising. If any more assistance is required, please send word and we will come and help.” he offered.

Sosuke gave a small bow, “Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita.”
Giving only a nod in reply, Sephiroth rounded on the platoon that were now coming out of their shock of nearly being burned alive.

“Where is your Captain?” One of the younger soldiers stepped up and fell to his knees.

“General Sephiroth, our Captain is behind those trees, he ran at the sight of the fiery dragon that girl created, he was the only one of us who did run, though.”

“I can see that, private. Know that none of you will get away from this unpunished.”

“Sir, for dishonouring the troops we will accept any and all punishment you see fit.”

Harry watched Sephiroth’s head tilt back just enough for him to see Genesis holding the still unconscious Hermione, there was an evil smirk on his face, “the punishment that I see fit is the one you have just been spared from.” a collective shiver ran across the troop and Harry and Ron.
“Get up, all of you, we return to the camp.” Sephiroth turned to leave but the sound of a child’s voice stopped him.

“No! What have you done to my angel?” A little boy ran past the two wizards and pulled at Genesis’ coat. “Have you hurt her? Why have you hurt her?”

“What’s he saying?” Ron asked, the little boy was crying.

“Wake up, angel! Please, angel, wake up! My angel!”

It was Sosuke that answered. “This is Satoshi, judging by his apparent affection for Hermione, I would say that he was the source of her anger. He thinks you have hurt her, Commander. Let me talk to him.” He approached the little boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Your angel is going to be alright, Satoshi. She has simply passed out from exhaustion.”

Tears kept falling from little Sosuke’s eyes, he continued to sob; he could not have been any older than seven. It tore Harry and Ron up to see that he had attached himself to Hermione. “Watashi wa kanojo ga taizai shitai!”

Harry watched Genesis’s stiffen, clearly he could understand the child. “Genesis, what did he say?” Ron walked up to the Crimson Commander.

“He- he wants her to stay."

Harry and Ron looked at each other before looking at the boy. “That’s not good… ah, Hermione?” Ron placed a hand on Hermione’s head as the young witch now started to stir in Genesis’s arms.

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“Urgh my head! Did anyone get the troll that hit me?” She heard several chuckles from around her, finally opening her eyes, Hermione blinked at the sight of crimson. “Genesis?”

“Hello, angel.” Genesis quite liked that nickname. Genesis placed his golden flower onto her feet.

“Tenshi! Tenshi!” Hermione jumped and looked down to see an attachment around her waist.

“Satoshi? Haha, hey, I'm alright. Come on now, stop crying.” the little boy looked up at her tears streaming down his little face.

“Stay with me angel! Please stay with me!” Hermione blinked and looked up at Sosuke.

“What do I do? I can’t take him with me, not where I’m going.” Hermione looked away from the group and the little boy before thinking of something.
“Satoshi, come here a moment.”

The little boy came over, he looked terrified, Hermione knew this was going to be hard, but she had to make him understand. “Now then, you know I’m an angel, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Well there are other children, like you, who need me more than you do right now. I promise you I’ll come back to see you once my task is done, until then you’re going to have to stay with Sosuke and his family, please.”

The little boy’s eyes lit up. “So you are a guardian angel to children like me? Then I will let you go, you need to help those other children.” Satoshi looked around for something in his pockets and pulled out a little pebble with a symbol on it, it was the Wutanese kanji for protection. “Take this with you, so that you can be safe and remember me.”

A lonely tear fell from Hermione’s eyes as she took the stone and placed it into the pouch that Kasumi had given her. “Thank you.”

Genesis came up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, “come on, let’s get you out of here.”

Satoshi ran up to Hermione and buried his face into her kimono. “Goodbye, my angel, I hope you win all the battles you have to fight from now on. Please be safe.”
He released her and ran over to Sosuke who nodded a farewell to her.

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The disgraced troop and the troop that had arrived with the boys all walked in formation whilst Hermione, Ron and Harry walked with the three SOLDIERs, the walk was silent with Harry and Ron stealing the occasional glance at Hermione who was walking in the treeline, her mind elsewhere.
“May I ask you two something?” Sephiroth had held back to walk with the boys.

“Sure, ask away.” Harry replied.

“Has Hermione always been able to do that? Use her powers as a weapon, I mean.”
Harry frowned.

“She’s always told us that – if she wanted to – she could kill every human being on earth if she was angry enough. And that that thought alone scares her that much that anyone who tries to use her powers for their own use usually gets a lasting scar, one of the physical and one of the psychological variety. Theoretically yes, practically, no.” Ron answered in a deadpan voice.
He was looking after Hermione as she wandered a little deeper into the trees, “is there a river along that treeline?”

Genesis answered. “Yes there is, why?”

“Come with me.” Sephiroth called over to Angeal to join them, the troops were ordered to continue back to the camp.
What the three SOLDIERs were expecting to find was Hermione wading in the water, but what they actually found shocked them to a greater extent.
“That is what she usually does with her magic, she entertains, expresses herself.”

What they were all seeing was Hermione walking on top of the water, and the surface of the water (only the surface mind) was freezing under her feet, she was singing to herself too, Harry recognised the tune as the Vuelie from the most recent Disney film; Frozen.
She continued to sing as she walked along the river, the boys all following them.

Hermione only came off of the river and stopped singing when she heard voices of other men calling out to the troops; they had made it to camp.
“You have an amazing talent, Hermione.” Angeal greeted as she re-joined the party.

“Thank you, Angeal. Genesis may I have a word with you, please?” Hermione looked tired, Harry and Ron wandered over to the fire and sat with Angeal and Sephiroth, the former discussing what to do with the troops that had attacked the camp.

“What is it?”

Hermione flung herself at Genesis. “I’m so sorry! I really, really, am!”

Genesis felt his heart stop for a few seconds as hard, painful sobs racked his Golden Flower’s body. Dropping to his knees, Genesis cradled the sobbing witch tightly in his arms. “There now, it’s okay, you were angry, and you had every right to be angry. It’s okay.” He knelt there in the mud listening to her tell him how they had treated her, of how she had found the boy with the severed arm of his already deceased mother, of how she had suddenly stopped being afraid, every word was like a knife in Genesis.
Once the sobbing and the stories had stopped, she looked up at him with watery eyes and smiled.

“Thank you, for coming for me.” She rested her head back onto his shoulders and Genesis rested his head on top of hers.

Neither of them wanted the moment to end, but upon seeing Brother stood behind Hermione, Genesis knew she had to go back home.
“Other?” Genesis stiffened, “do we have to go back?” she must have got her answer, because she pulled out of Genesis’s embrace and got to her feet.
“Harry, Ron! Come on, we have to go home.”

Suddenly she was bowled over by a young man in a light blue uniform. “Oops! Sorry, miss I didn’t see you there, whoa!” The young man was about two years older than Hermione, he had jet black hair and bright blue eyes, he must be a SOLDIER Third she thought, laughing as Angeal grabbed his weapons harness and began scolding the boy.

“Haha ha ha ha! It’s okay, Angeal, I’m not hurt, I think he caught me before I hit the ground.” Turning to the boy she held out her hand.
“Hello, I’m Hermione Granger, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The boy wriggled out of Angeal’s grip and shook her hand with a surprising gentleness. “Nice to meet you, Hermione, I am SOLDIER 3rd Class Zack Fair. Sorry for running into you like that I should have been more careful. Wh-whoa!” Hermione’s hand became transparent.

Harry and Ron walked over to her and all three smiled in farewell at the three SOLDIER First and Zack. “See you soon, Genesis!” Ron called. They arrived back at Grimmauld place with Hermione finding she was still in her kimono, which sent them all into a laughing fit.
“Well, at least you came back with a souvenir.” Harry joked as the three of them settled down for some food.

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Other and Brother now had their own problems to deal with as someone was now aware of their presence.
“What do you two think you are doing, interfering with two separate worlds and colliding them, do either of you know what you have done?”
It was their father.