Q's Gift 1/5 (Hermione/nu!Spock ~ PG13)
Title: Q's Gift
Author: sarhea
Fandoms: Harry Potter; Star Trek AOS/Reboot/IX/2009; Star Trek TNG
Summary: Q decides Hermione Granger is messing up the timeline given her tendency to fight for underdog causes so he drops her in the future to be found by young James Kirk. To stir the pot, he also leaves a trail of bread crumbs for the House of Surak... clues to help T'Pau's descendants identify a singularly unique human female with great power, rare abilities, and a driven intellect. Then one day Spock meets a woman who could be the model for a painting created long before his father was even born, a human who was More. Having lost his mother to Nero he is unwilling to let a woman who soothes his soul to walk away without making a claim on her.
Author Notes:
- AU after B7 Deathly Hallows; ignore the epilogue, EWE. Hermione and Ron do not get together. They Do Not Work in my universe.
- Post the Star Trek Reboot movie with spoilers. Key changes near the end of the movie and several new scenes between their return to Earth and the Admiralty confirming Kirk's Captaincy.
Summary: T'Pau meets Q and a clan legend takes root
AN: Pre Reboot the Movie
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~ooO Provoking Interest in Vulcans Ooo~
T'Pau allowed her awareness to return to the physical. She blinked and stared as she noticed the intruder in her private room, a Terran male dressed in black boots and an odd jumpsuit, with black legs, sides, and shoulders and a red long-sleeved top. At that moment he was bending forward from the waist, poking at the embers of her firepot like an unruly child.
"But I am not a child."
She blinked, startled. Had he read her-?
"Yes. You were projecting very clearly."
Reflexively the leader of the Syrrannites slammed down her shields and focused on keeping her thoughts carefully blank.
He straightened and turned with a typically human smile that unnerved the Vulcan, so she focused on his appearance instead. The collar of the odd jumpsuit was a stand-up style with four round metal studs in a row on one side. His hair was dark brown standing up all over his head in an informal human style and receding, eyes dark brown and very round, skin the white-pink typical of Caucasian Terrans.
"Who are you?"
The human male cocked his head to one side and arched his brows. "Is that what you really want to know?" T'Pau was confused. "Let me put it this way, who I am is not really important, but what I'm here to share with you is."
"And there is no way for me to know both?" T'Pau inquired calmly.
He laughed. "You are correct, T'Pau, daughter of T'Kei. Why don't I start with who I am, then." He waited until T'Pau nodded hesitantly in agreement. "My name is Q. I am a member of the Q Continuum. The Continuum exists on an extra-dimensional plane of existence. What you see before you," he gestured at himself, "is a construct. I have no physical body. I can choose what appearance to take." There was a flash, and, when it cleared, T'Pau saw a Vulcan with the same facial features and messy hair dressed in the same odd black-red jumpsuit. There was another flash, and the original human male reappeared. "All Q are omnipotent, and more barbaric and infantile races have called us gods. You may consider us watchers. When we do interfere, it is for a reason that is usually unclear to the mortal races involved."
T'Pau nodded. If this Q was omnipotent as he said, it made sense his people had rules to not interfere in the development of the younger, less experienced species. It was the reason why Vulcan was very hesitant to provide technology to Earth. Of course, being on the other foot-as the humans said-was not very… pleasant.
"May I know the reason why you are 'interfering' now?" She spoke carefully. She was not quite sure if she believed, but it would not hurt to listen.
Q looked hard at her before nodding and reaching out to pick up a sliced half of amethyst geode. It was an inexpensive, common geologic specimen, short purple crystal shards pointing inwards from the curved inner surface of the semi-ovoid rocky 'shell.'
T'Pau watched with wide eyes as a bright white flash appeared above his hand. The geode vanished, leaving behind a double-fist-sized chunk of purple crystal, long, perfect facets and a center free of the micro fissures that usually riddled large natural crystal specimens, making them cloudy and unattractive. An amethyst crystal of that size and quality would be priceless, a family heirloom, treasured for properties that amplified and focused psionic abilities such as empathy, telepathy, and healing.
He tossed the crystal towards T'Pau who caught it reflexively. "Here, a token of my seriousness. It is the real thing and two point four five times larger than the one kept in Mount Seleya. And unlike that one, this one is flawless. It can easily handle up to five Adepts-or the equivalent-merging for a single purpose."
T'Pau nodded wordlessly. His claims could easily be verified. If the stone was as he claimed, it would be well worth listening. Perhaps even beneficial.
Q smirked. "Good. Keep listening, T'Pau of Vulcan. I want you to meet someone." He waved at one wall. There was another white flash, and, when it faded, there was a large, three-foot-high, four-foot-wide picture, framed in rare Teku wood carved in an intricate design of vines and thorns around the edges.
T'Pau could not resist stepping closer to examine the artwork. The surface was heavy canvas stretched on a wooden frame coated with thick, vividly-hued pigments. It was a Terran artistic medium. T'Pau had heard and seen oil paintings, but such art did not fare well on Vulcan with its hot, dry atmosphere.
"I am unfamiliar with the figure depicted."
The painting was a collection of images, distant and close-up, all of one Terran female in a variety of settings and outfits. She was young, less than thirty, with deep velvety brown eyes that seemed almost alive, even on the painted surface. She was not classically beautiful, with straight, thick brows and a long tip-tilted nose. Her cheekbones were high and as defined as her jaw line and firm, clefted chin. Her mouth was full and lush, painted or slick in the different images, almost sensual.
Her light brown hair, streaked with light and dark hues, by turns flowed wildly around her face and down her shoulders, or was restrained in an elegant coronet of braids, or was twisted in a haphazard knot, anchored with slender sticks that did not constrain wispy strands from escaping and framing her face and touching the nape of her neck.
She was a child, still physically immature, walking down an ancient stone-paved corridor lined with Terran-style medieval armour bearing weapons, with a heavy looking bag bulging with books over one shoulder. She wore a knee-length pleated gray skirt and white shirt with red and yellow-striped fabric knotted around her neck and knee-high black socks and shoes.
She stood under a tall leafless tree staring at a lake, a Terran castle in the misty background, wearing white lace-up shoes, pale blue heavy cotton trousers, and a tight-fitting red top embroidered with yellow and white flowers around the neck and short sleeves, holding a slender length of wood, around ten inches long, in one hand.
She was seated at a desk with piles of ancient books arranged around her, scribbling on an unrolled scroll using a glass-nib pen and inkpot, dragging her ink-stained fingers through her messy mane of brown curls. Her clothing was black and covered her completely, from her neck down to her wrists.
She stood on a marble balcony, leaning against the balustrade, under the velvety dark sky, sprinkled with stars. She wore an elegant, old-fashioned Terran-style gown made of thin, very light purple and pink material that floated from a high waist, with a low-necked bodice and cap sleeves.
She was dressed in heavy black robes, the skirts almost floating around her legs, holding out an arm wielding the slender length of wood like a conductor's baton. Sparks of red and gold shot from the tip like miniature fireworks.
T'Pau turned to Q. "Who is she?"
"Her name is irrelevant. It is simply a label which can be easily changed." Sensing T'Pau's ire, he smirked and added, "She is known by many names and titles, some complimentary and some not, but all very accurate labels on various aspects of her character." Sensing he had her attention, Q continued. "Know-it-all. Bookworm. Side-kick. The Gryffindor Princess. Brightest Witch. Most Brilliant Mind. The-Witch-Who-Said-No. Trouble-maker. Rebellious. Law-breaker. Self-rule Activist. Creative. Loyal. Dependable. Honourable. Vengeful. Ruthless. Unrelenting. Implacable. Compassionate. Loving. Merciful. Trusted."
T'Pau was impressed and concerned. At one point she herself had been similarly labelled. It was only after she had succeeded that the trouble-maker, law-breaker, and rebel labels vanished. It was odd, feeling much in common with an unknown Terran.
"Why are you showing her to me?"
Q studied T'Pau intently. "I am only sharing this information as a courtesy. What you do with it is your choice." He waited until T'Pau nodded, indicating her understanding, before continuing. "I have removed her from the past. Her presence was disrupting history, warping your Now for the worse. Not because she was doing anything wrong, but because she was trying to do too much Right. She was born in the decades leading up to the Eugenics Wars, and when her people chose to retreat and hide from the Holocaust, she chose not to because it was not in her nature to see her people suffering and look away. And she would be quite successful in her personal guerrilla war. For quite a few years."
T'Pau's eyes widened, and she stared at the painting more closely. "One female would have such a drastic impact on a planetary war?"
"Like you haven't?" Q challenged.
T'Pau stilled and bowed her head, accepting the jibe.
"Anyway, like I just said, she would succeed in keeping the Augments from gaining control. Unfortunately it would make them more vicious and driven and reckless. They would use methods that would shatter all civilization and cause a general reversion to the Dark Ages. That is something that cannot be allowed-humanity is too important for the future-so I was given permission to move her to a time where she will not have such an effect."
T'Pau considered the information and noted a flaw. "You have not specified if now is a time on which she will not have such an effect."
Q smirked. "Good call. It isn't. Things are too much in flux, and there is too much paranoia and general fear of all things different. You know that best, given Terra Prime and the former Vulcan High Council's actions. The universe is not yet ready to accept and respect her values, ethics, and abilities."
"Then when will the universe be ready?" T'Pau wanted to know.
"Soon." Q thought hard. "In your grandson's time, almost certainly in your great-grandson's time." He cocked his head. "She will bring great honour and promise to any clan. Fresh blood, new attitudes, different perspectives, power, drive, and intelligence." He glanced at the painting. "Of course, winning her loyalty and respect is a completely different story. She is not the sort to bow and submit because it is expected. Quite unlike her namesake in The Winter's Tale." He smirked. "I don't think there are any Vulcans with the mental flexibility to understand, match, and accept her. Vulcans generally are a rather rigid, blinkered race. Besides, she is not the sort to follow social expectations. The best thing you can hope for is forming an alliance." He waved a hand. "Good luck finding her." And then he vanished in a white flash of light.
T'Pau blinked, taken aback by the bland conclusion that Vulcans were incapable of the necessary mental flexibility to understand and accept humans. She huffed internally and made the decision to prove Q wrong. She would show the Q Continuum that Vulcans were capable of understanding and accepting humans.
Then she realized the near impossibility of the challenge awaiting her. Was it really worth the trouble and effort? She had created her position opposed to interactions with off-worlders, supporting the Syrrannite interpretation of Surak; Pure Logic would clash with human emotionalism and sensibilities. Then she remembered that this human female was admired by an omnipotent being. Her will and influence was enough to potentially shift the path of a major event in Terran history. It was almost certain she would shape the future once she formed new contacts and alliances.
T'Pau was determined that Vulcan be part of that alliance. Good thing she had at least four to five generations to work on ensuring it.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Young Sarek stared at a high resolution digital rendering on a stretched silk screen. It had to be a duplicate of a Terran artist, given that the subject of the painting was a Terran female, around ten years older than himself, dressed in archaic clothes.
"I see you have discovered our clan's secret, Sarek-am."
Sarek did not flinch. It would shame his parents to display his faulty control before the clan matriarch.
"Pid-kom." His voice was level with the high-pitch of childhood.
T'Pau nodded gravely and did not speak. Sarek did not fidget, but after thirty-seven seconds he spoke first.
"Who is she?" He glanced at the digital rendering.
T'Pau glanced at the young Terran female with laughing eyes, solemn eyes, challenging eyes… eyes that seemed to follow T'Pau no matter from what angle or distance she observed the image. The effect was more intense when she looked upon the original 'gift' Q had given her.
"Her name is not known, and it is irrelevant."
Sarek considered the information. "But she is important," he concluded.
T'Pau was taken aback by the insight. "How did you reach that conclusion?"
"She is Terran. They are mostly weaker and less intelligent than Vulcans. For you to be interested in her, she has to be More."
T'Pau was impressed by the logic. "You are correct. She is more. She has the potential to shape planetary, no quadrant-wide history and influence the flow of events."
Sarek blinked. "How so?" he asked hesitantly. "Certain patterns repeat throughout history in cycles, but how can you say this Terran female will have such an effect?"
T'Pau raised a brow. "Was not Surak also but a single voice? His voice guided our people out of savagery and towards logic and control."
Sarek bowed his head. "You are correct. Forgive me, but I failed to define my query more accurately. How do you know she is a pivot point for events?"
T'Pau's brow smoothed. "Sit Sarek-am and listen to my tale. It is part of our House history and is not to be shared with others. Understood?"
Sarek stiffened obediently. "Yes, Pid-kom." And then he sat on a low backless stool, across from the high-backed chaise upon which T'Pau settled.
And he listened to T'Pau describe her first and only encounter with the omnipotent being known as Q. Of a not-ordinary human called the Gryffindor Princess. At the end of the tale, Sarek was more serious and grave, comprehending the weight of knowledge to which he was now a party.
"I have chosen to share this information with you and not your parents or anyone else because you of all my grandchildren have the necessary flexibility to meet off-worlders and find common ground. Most Vulcans see Terrans as lesser, and most are, but they erroneously conclude all are lesser and so do not recognize when they encounter the rare gems. You must remember to greet each off-worlder without assumptions or prejudice. If you do not, you will be more likely to make inaccurate conclusions through biased and flawed data."
Sarek nodded solemnly. "May I go to Terra?"
"Why?"
He glanced at the rendering. "I would like to meet her. She is a Terran. It is highly probable she will stay with her own kind."
T'Pau frowned. "Remember what I said about making preconceived conclusions?"
"There are no facts saying otherwise," Sarek argued as he stood up and moved to stand before the painting. "The images in the background are highly reminiscent of historical Terran architecture. Most buildings on colony worlds are constructed of synthetic materials and are more modern in appearance."
"True. But there is no guarantee Q will leave her on Terra."
"If she is truly from the past, she will know nothing about modern technology, spaceships, aliens, and other planets. Terra will be familiar and safe to her."
"Your logic is sound. How do you propose explaining your presence on Terra?"
Sarek considered the question. "Many Vulcans teach in Terran educational institutions. Or I could join the Vulcan Diplomatic Service."
T'Pau nodded gravely. "Then expand your studies to include subjects required for a diplomatic career. When you are ready, I will put your name forward on the list of Ambassadors to Terra.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Sarek never forgot his conversation with T'Pau. After his marriage ended he set aside a promising career in Astrophysics to pursue a career in the Vulcan Diplomatic Service and eventually returned from Earth with a Terran bride, a teacher named Amanda Grayson.
It was a choice that surprised many, but one T'Pau supported after a private conversation with her grandson.
~o~
"Why have you chosen a Terran as your bondmate?"
Sarek was silent for a while. "It would be more concise if I shared my thoughts."
T'Pau studied her favoured grandson sharply before nodding. She watched as he knelt before her, face tilted up to meet her eyes calmly. He did not flinch as she settled her fingertips against the meld points on his temple and allowed her mind to sink into his.
Several minutes later she lifted her fingers away and gestured for him to sit beside her. And she watched with a thoughtful expression as he did that.
"You still seek her."
"Not to the exclusion of my other duties."
T'Pau was silent for a time. "There is no guarantee the Gryffindor Princess will react in a similar fashion as Amanda Grayson."
Sarek frowned slightly. "Amanda is different from the one Q described to you. But there is something about her expression, her passion for knowledge, her devotion to her students… It reminded me of the female in the painting. I found myself drawn to her," he admitted freely. "Our mental compatibility only confirmed my attraction to her."
"Your union will most likely be sterile," T'Pau pointed out. "Hybrids rarely survive birth or reach maturity. And there is a ninety-seven point three probability the child will be infertile."
Sarek did not look away. "Science can compensate when nature fails. The VSA has a very talented and skilled genetic engineering department."
T'Pau considered his suggestion. It was expensive but possible. Illogical to most but for a Matriarch seeking to bring a particular human female into the clan some point in the future perhaps it was not so logical. Amanda Grayson would be a test run, to determine what a human female would embrace in Vuhlkansu.
But this was her grandson's future, not a purely scientific experiment!
"Are you certain Amanda Grayson will not break?"
"I am certain."
Sarek did not flinch under the unrelenting scrutiny of his Clan Mother's black eyes. After several tense seconds she nodded once.
"Very well then. But first, I wish to speak to your bondmate myself."
~o~
T'Pau was not disappointed by Amanda Grayson. Not when she first met the young Terran woman, not in the months and years that followed.
Eventually Amanda Grayson presented Ma'at S'chn T'gai with a son named Spock, a new heir to the House of Surak.
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
Spock stared at a very old digital rendering on display in one of the smaller locked rooms in the family wing. He had hacked the system to see if he could, and once he had the 'key,' it had seemed logical to make use of it and explore the unused sealed rooms in the ancient estate.
"I see you have found the Gryffindor Princess."
Spock started. To his shock, his father did not look displeased by his actions. In fact, he looked reminiscent as he moved into the room to look upon the rendering.
Spock wondered why there were old images of a Terran female in a Vulcan household. As far as he knew, his mother was the first human female to marry into Ma'at S'chn T'gai. Who was this female? She had to be of great importance to be remembered by his House.
He watched his father re-examine the image from varying angles. As Spock mimicked his actions he could see what had so intrigued his father. The eyes in the painting seemed to follow him around the room; warm, loving, serene, accepting. He wondered if he would ever meet someone who would look at him like that.
"Who is she?" he asked his father.
"We have yet to determine her exact identity, Spock."
That was a bit of a shock to the young hybrid. "You do not know who she is, but you have a picture of her? Is the image valuable? Like the Mona Lisa?"
Sarek glanced at his son with faint amusement. "The painting is not intrinsically valuable, but it is to those of our clan who know its history."
Spock perked up. "History? Tell me, sa-mekh!"
And so Sarek told his son the tale the clan matriarch had shared with him. He had never managed to locate the time-displaced woman, but he had managed to uncover a few additional details about her.
"The Winter's Tale is an ancient Terran play written by a playwright named William Shakespeare. Q described her character as strong, intelligent, and driven, and very unlike her namesake from the play. There are two primary female characters in that play, Paulina and Hermione. Based on Q's description, her name must be Hermione.
"When I became ambassador, my assistant examined the Terran census records as far back as available looking for a Caucasian female named Hermione. As you know, many databases from before the Eugenics Wars are incomplete and fragmented. However, I believe we managed to determine her identity. Ramek found an old-style newsprint article about the winners of a fully-paid scholarship to a prestigious educational institution. One of the winners was a Hermione Jean Granger, born September 19, 1981 in Crawley, England. Computer software extrapolated her adult appearance from her image in that newsprint article to various ages, all of which strongly match the painting. There are no records of her after 2000 and very few details from before then."
Spock's eyes were very wide. "She is from so long ago? That was well before First Contact."
Sarek nodded. "Yes. T'Pau believes she will find it hard to adjust to the future, the new society, and modern technology. And if she is as wise as Q describes, she will not tell anyone she is displaced out of time. She will watch and wait and seek alliances with those who will respect and accept her."
Spock studied the female, no, Hermione Granger, more closely.
"She is pretty," he commented. "Her hair is like Terran oceans."
"What do you mean?"
Spock explained carefully. "It looks like it will move like waves."
Sarek considered the image and found he had to agree. "I believe you are correct. But it is something that can only be verified once she is found."
"Will you find her?"
"I do not know. T'Pau said she would appear in my lifetime or yours. That is a long span of time."
"But you are looking for her." Spock noted shrewdly.
"Yes. I've inserted certain subroutines to alert me if any variations of the name Hermione Granger are entered into any Federation database on Terra."
Spock considered his father's semi-legal actions. "Would it not be more logical to tell others? So more people can look for her?"
"Perhaps, but there is no proof other than memories, and T'Pau is unwilling to share what could be an advantage with others. Besides, few would believe such an extraordinary tale."
"What will be done if she is found?"
"That is uncertain and up to the clan member who locates her," Sarek admitted. "T'Pau indicated she would support an alliance or connection of a more lasting nature."
Spock's brown eyes were very wide again. "Like a bonding?"
Sarek inclined his head. "Like a bonding. The being called Q said she was loyal and honourable, powerful, driven, and intelligent, worthy qualities to introduce into the clan. And to impress an omnipotent being, she must truly be extraordinary."
Spock frowned slightly. "Is it not illogical to believe in an omnipotent being, in God?"
"Most modern Vulcans would agree, but remember Spock, our ancestors believed in many such deities. And remember, much of the universe has yet to be charted or explained thoroughly. For the concept of God, all-powerful beings, to be universal and enduring on so many worlds, there must be a core of truth in the tales."
The younger Vulcan absorbed the mild rebuke with a thoughtful expression before speaking. "Sa-mekh, do you believe in the gods?"
Sarek was silent for a while. "I cannot say I disbelieve in them," he answered after a while. "I have seen much and read many classified reports that indicate there are unknown entities guiding and shaping events. But who or what no one has been able to determine. They could be what our ancestors called gods or some unknown alien race that is more advanced than any we have encountered."
Spock nodded slowly. "So if someone believes in a god..."
"It is a personal choice. Just do not expect any god to act on your behalf."
"It is foolish and illogical to believe in gods then," Spock announced.
"Perhaps." The corners of Sarek's eyes creased. "But it would be illogical and rude to go around denouncing the religious beliefs of others. You can believe or disbelieve but do not disrespect anyone who chooses to believe."
"But it is illogical!"
"My decision to bond with, to marry, your mother was illogical to others. To me, it was perfectly logical. T'Pau understood that and that is why she supported our union despite the wide-spread opposition."
Spock looked down at his toes absorbing the information, then up at his father. "So this being called Q could be one of these entities?"
"I believe so."
"She must be very special for an advanced race to notice her." Then a small frown creased the young Vulcan's brow. "What should I do if I find her?"
Sarek tilted his head to one side. "That would be up to you. But you would gain great admiration and support, from T'Pau and myself, if you won her interest."
Spock frowned slightly. "But I am betrothed to T'Pring," he pointed out.
"Winning her interest doesn't have to mean wedding her. You must secure her respect and trust so that she trusts Ma'at S'chn T'Gai and, by extension, Vulcan."
Understanding dawned. "I understand, sa-mekh. If I find her, I will attain her respect and trust. So that she will be friends with me and our race."
~ooOoo~ooOoo~ooOoo~
TBC…
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