Author's Note: Written for the Four Seasons COMPETITION by Rosalie'sRevenge on the HPFC forum.
King's Cross Station is a lot smaller than Regulus remembers. It's also quite crowded, in spite of the fact that the train hasn't arrived yet with its load of students. Were there this many parents when Regulus was a boy? No, he decides, glancing at the spot where Sirius and Severus are standing with James and Lily. Back in his day, it was only the parents who came, not everyone in the whole extended family.
"Relax, Reg," says Sirius, patting him on the back. He's apparently mistaken the expression on Regulus's face for nerves. "It's not like you're meeting for the first time."
"No," says Regulus, "but this time the Grangers won't be there to mediate." Okay, so maybe he's a bit nervous. Well, his summers home from school were never fun; he's worried that he won't know how to be a proper parent without the help that Jean and John gave him.
"You don't need them to mediate," says James bracingly. Regulus never fails to be surprised by James's cordiality. They weren't exactly on speaking terms at school, after all. "You'll do just fine on your own."
"Besides, Hermione adores you," Lily points out. "Harry wrote to say she hasn't stopped talking about you since Christmas."
Regulus feels a blush creeping onto his cheeks and turns away hastily, hoping to escape further comment. Fortunately, the reticent Severus doesn't deign to add anything. There's a reason he and Regulus weren't close at school – Severus's words are likely to be scathing. Regulus still can't fathom why Sirius would want to marry the man.
"There's the train," says James, and sure enough, the Hogwarts Express comes chugging down the tracks. Regulus shoves his hands into his pockets and does his best not to tense up. The last thing he needs is for Hermione to think he doesn't want her over the summer.
The train has barely stopped before the students come pouring out. Regulus's eyes flicker across the crowd, searching for his daughter. It occurs to him that this is what Hogwarts parents have been doing for a hundred years or more. James and Lily are doing the same thing, although Sirius and Severus are attempting to hold a conversation without shouting. It involves a lot of speaking directly into each other's ears.
"Mum! Dad!" A voice cuts across the mob, and it takes Regulus a moment to realize that it's not so much louder as closer than the rest of the students. It's a young boy with messy black hair and round glasses, easily recognizable as James's spawn. Harry throws himself into Lily's arms, laughing, and then moves away to hug James as well.
Regulus is distracted from the scene when a hand tugs at his sleeve. He looks down into the gray eyes of his own daughter.
"Hello, Father," says Hermione, her soft voice barely audible over the rest of the students.
Regulus doesn't try to resist the pleased smile that makes its way onto his face. "Hello, Hermione. Did you want to say goodbye to your friend before we leave?" Harry is now busy greeting Sirius and Severus, although he surely saw them this morning before the students left on the train.
Hermione nods, and Regulus draws her over to the laughing Potters. Sirius notices them immediately and grabs Harry's shoulders, turning the boy around to face Hermione.
"Hermione, this is your father?" Harry looks up at Regulus curiously.
"Yes. And we're leaving now, so I just wanted to say goodbye," says Hermione.
Harry smiles and hugs her with just as much enthusiasm as he gave his parents. "I'll see you soon, all right? We can get together sometime over the summer, I hope."
"Don't worry, Harry, Regulus's hermit days are over," says Sirius.
"And don't forget to write!" Harry releases Hermione and steps back, where he is instantly claimed by his mother's arms.
"I won't," says Hermione. When she turns around and looks up at Regulus, he gives a brief nod to the group before leading the girl away.
"We've got to go out through the Floo," he explains to Hermione as they move away from the platform entrance and towards a small building in the corner. "They used to let parents Apparate their children away, but now they've deemed Side-Along Apparition too dangerous for anyone younger than fifteen. Have you ever Flooed before?"
"Yes, the Potters took me through the Floo last summer when we went to Diagon Alley," says Hermione. "It's not very pleasant."
Regulus smiles as he joins the line for the Floo, keeping his hands on Hermione's shoulders. "You'll get used to it, I'm sure. It's less convenient than Apparition, but a good deal more comfortable."
"More comfortable?" Hermione shudders. "Then maybe I understand why Mrs. Potter doesn't like to Apparate."
"Doesn't she?" Regulus purses his lips as Hermione shakes her head. "I did not know that. Curious. Well, she's also Muggleborn; maybe there's some connection. We're up."
They step forward, and Regulus lets Hermione go first, directing her to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. He goes through after her, and as he steps out of the fire into the kitchen, he finds her staring around the dim room.
"I'm sorry it's so dreary," he says. "I've spent the last few months trying to fix it up, but mostly all I could do was clean. It's my parents' old house, so I had to get rid of about a thousand horrible Dark artifacts – and it hasn't been lived in for years, so I also had to get rid of cobwebs, a Doxy infestation, a Boggart, and a whole lot of mold."
Hermione turns and smiles at him. "Maybe we can make it a project over the summer."
"A project?"
"Yes, I always like to have a project over the summer," says Hermione, sitting down at the kitchen table and swinging her legs enthusiastically. Regulus sits across from her, contemplating how different she is when she's not surrounded by strange wizards. "Last summer I did a lot of Potions research. Professor Snape lent me some really interesting books! But I'd like to do something different this year."
Regulus smiles crookedly. "If that's what you'd like to do, I'd be happy to have your help. I'll admit, it's not what I expected for the summer, but I'm not really an expert on proper summer activities."
"Well, I am," Hermione assures him, with all the confidence of her thirteen years. "It'll be the best summer you've ever had!"
And – although Hermione takes some time to adjust to Kreacher, and they discover another Doxy infestation in the cellar, and Sirius keeps stopping by to check up on them – it really is.