Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I believe I ever will make any money Harry Potter or any trademarks associated with it. If I did, do you think I would write fanfiction?

Summer. It's the best time of year: sunny parks, cool ice cream, and yesterday Gi and I had a blast puddle jumping. Oh, she looked too cute in those new yellow rain boots I bought her. She looks cute all the time. And today was the best time I've ever had at the zoo. I have to be the luckiest big sister in the world.

"Hermyonee," the four year struggled to make her tongue cooperate, "Can me and you go catch the, the lightening buggies in the park? Can we?"

I smiled down at her as she looked up at me, her choppy red hair falling in her dark brown eyes so that she wrinkled her freckled nose in annoyance.

The park was near home and we wouldn't have to wait long before it was dark. But being in the dark in the middle of muggle London was dangerous enough without being the best friend of a very famous wizard.

She stopped walking and as her little hand was nestled in mine I was forced to stop, too. She squinted up at me, the sunset casting a pink glow over her features and the anticipation was so clear in her eyes,

It was a tradition I couldn't break. Since my second year when she was born I'd brought her to the neighborhood park once every summer to watch the fireflies. Fireflies are still the most magical thing I've ever known, no matter how many unicorns I see or house elves I meet. I couldn't break tradition because some megalomaniac was after me. I wouldn't let him take that away from me, from us.

"Okay, Gi," I tried to sound serious, "But don't run off from me and don't talk to anybody we don't know, understand me?"

Gi laughed, such a sweet sound, as she nodded her head and began walking again. This time she moved with a vigor I just didn't possess. It was all I could do to keep my grip on the skipping, bouncing, twirling, dancing little girl. I don't think I should have bought that caramel covered popcorn for her only moments before we made our way home. Thankfully, the sugar rush kicked in then instead of when we were on the subway.

We turned down Angel drive, our street. Instead of turning onto the brick walkway to our front door, Gi skipped us right past it. What should have been a five minute walk went by in what seemed like nanoseconds. My little sister shares an eagerness with me, but our eagerness comes from different places. Even when I was younger, when I had just began my life in the wizarding world, I had an eagerness to learn everything, to drink up all this new life could offer. I was so eager to prove myself. Look where it got me. I'm the most wanted list of every Death Eater, right below Harry Potter. Since Dumbledore's death, I've taken the number two spot. But my sister, my sister is eager to experience everything just for the experience. The word 'mudblood' wouldn't phase her. But that's what she'll be called. It looks like both Granger children are witches.

I turned my attention back to the 3'5 body of energy. My sister had slipped from my grasp and was giggling as she ran to the swings with frantic joy. I didn't have to see her face to know that her eyes were lit up with the brilliance of life and that her cheeks were pushed up in chubby cuteness with a broad grin.

"Hermyonee! Hermyonee! Come push me! Hermyonee!" She called over her shoulder.

Then a sharp yelp of pain.

Wide-eyed I ran. Without thinking, I ran towards her where she laid on the ground. Stopping, I knelt down beside her. She pushed herself off the ground into a sitting position. Her face was scrunched up in agony and her howling accompanied by tears. Her little skirt, the pale blue one with my initials, the one she had found in a trunk of my old clothes, was ripped just slightly at the hem and the front of it had a dusting of dirt. She hugged her raw knee to her and continued to sob.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to run in the gravel?" I huffed as I looked her over.

"I'm...I'm...I'm sowwy!" She sniffled as she tried to calm herself.

I pulled a disposable moist wipe and a band-aid from my back pocket. Healing booboos and saving lives was really Mama's thing, but I always came prepared. Once I had finished doing the practical thing I leaned down to kiss her knee. I knew that underneath the band-aid the small gash had healed instantly. I think my little sister really believed a kiss made it all better. She never guessed that it was because she was magic herself.

She wiped her eyes and smiled before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Thank you, Hermyonee," her voice quivered for a moment.

I hugged her back and said, "Watch out next time. You could break a bone!"

She detached herself from me and started on her race to get to the swings. This time she made it without another accident and wiggled herself onto a vinyl seat.

"Push me! Push me!" She demand while kicking her legs back and forth.

I helped myself up and walked around the swing set to stand behind her. I grabbed the chains and pulled back to begin Gi's flight. I let go and she swung forward a few feet and then back to where I stood. My hands met her back and I pushed forward to keep up the motion.

"Higher!" She told me without turning around.

I pushed a bit harder the next time. Gi screamed out another demand for more altitude. Push, forward, back, push, forward, back, push forward back. And so the age old game began Soon, the swing's chains were almost level to the ground before she came rushing back. The few minutes of sunlight left turned her orange as she leaned back with her legs stuck straight out. The whole time she was laughing.

Finally, she jumped from the swing and landed on her stomach a few feet in front of it. She was still laughing and gasping for breath so I knew that no more band-aid were needed yet. I caught the swing as it came back to me and stilled it. Before walking to Gi and offering her a hand.

She took it and sat back down on the still swing and started to swing herself. I sat down on the vinyl swing next to her and did the same.

After a while she said, "The sun's almost down and it's almost time for the lightening buggies and and and . . . and the first won to catch a a lightening buggie is the the winner."

She nodded her head in an important way before looking over at me and grinning.

I laughed and asked, "The winner? The winner of what?"

She slowed her swinging to look at the gravel below with a pout on her face, the same as the one I get when I'm looking over a difficult theory or complicated incantation. She opened her mouth and looked back at me. Before she could say anything a cold voice came from behind me.

"Well, look what I've caught? A mudblood and a midget. Thought your Weasley friends were the only ones who kept muggles as pets."