A/N:: I'm so sorry for the long wait for this chapter, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. My muse took an unscheduled vacation on me, but it's back so hopefully I'll get some more chapters on this story done. R&R please & thank you ^_^
A Year Earlier
"Little Bit, you got a letter from Hogwarts." Her father called from the family room. "Isn't it a bit early for your book list?"
"Thank you Daddy," Hermione took the letter from her father. "It's probably nothing more then letting me know that there is an Order meeting."
"Mia, darling would you come help me cook lunch?" Mrs. Granger called from the kitchen.
Hermione placed a kiss atop her fathers' head and then headed toward the kitchen, ripping the top of the envelope open. She stopped by the stove and pulled out the parchment and began to read it, quickly realizing that the script was not that of her headmaster but rather of her potions master, Severus Snape. "Oh, no."
"What's wrong baby girl?" Mrs. Granger asked as she turned to look at her daughter.
"Professor Dumbledore has sustained a magical injury. He's asked Professor Snape to owl me with a request to join in the efforts to find a cure. They need me at Hogwarts no later then tomorrow evening."
"Oh my, but how could you be of any help? Professor Dumbledore has how many years of experience with magic, not to mention Professor Snape's experience as well." Mrs. Granger looked up from the stove and at her daughter. "You have so much on your shoulders already, dear."
"I know, but Dumbledore wouldn't have Severus owl me unless he thought it was very necessary for him to do so." She set the letter down on the counter and went in to help her mother, deciding that she would leave in a couple hours after lunch. "I'll eat with you and Daddy, than pack. I think it best if I get there tonight."
"Since when do you call your Professor by his first name?" Mrs. Granger wanted to object but knew that it would fall on deaf ears. Her daughter was very much like her, caring and wanting to help everyone. Hermione got her work ethic from her father and her caring spirit from her mother. So instead to focused on Hermione's lack of calling Severus by his title.
"When I was staying at Grimmauld place with the order, there were a few nights I had trouble sleeping and would sit up in the library reading. These were mostly on nights after meetings and Sev…sorry, Professor Snape, would stay behind. One night we got around to talking and he allowed me to call him by his name outside of the castle. It was just to make it easier to talk about our worries with the war."
"Why didn't you talk to Ron or Harry about this?" Mrs. Granger finished plating their lunch of fried shrimp, coleslaw, and macaroni salad. "Love, lunch is ready," She called out to her husband.
"Harry has so much to worry about already, I didn't want to burden him with my worries. I didn't talk to Ron about it because. Well because Ron is rather thick headed and doesn't like to deal with anything that's hard. The rest of the adults had other worries besides the war and order meetings."
"What about Mrs. Weasley?" It wasn't that Mrs. Granger didn't like Severus, though she knew about him calling Hermione an insufferable know-it-all, it was just that she remembered how the Trio were never sure if he was really on the side of Light or not.
"She just pats me on the head and tells me not to worry. It's rather irritating, to be honest with you, mom." Hermione said as she placed glasses of iced tea by each plate. "I know Severus hasn't exactly been the kindest teacher at Hogwarts, but I honestly think part of it has to do with the fact that he's a double agent. He can't be seen caring about me or the other students outside of the Slytherin House."
Hermione's mother just nodded her head. Mrs. Granger didn't mention the name-calling but Hermione knew that was what brought about the question. They ate their lunch around the kitchen table that was placed in front of the window that looked onto their backyard. It was a lovely sunny day outside. Mr. Granger talked about having a barbeque with the family and asked if Hermione thought she would be able to take a break from helping Severus to join.
"I think so, Daddy. You know I'll try. Will Papa be able to come?" She missed her Grandpa Jim very much.
"I'll see what I can do, Little Bit," Mr. Granger promised.
They fell into a comfortable silence as they finished their meal. Soon Mrs. Granger excused herself and went to work in her garden. Hermione offered to take care of the dishes as she and her father finished at the same time. She watched her father join her mother in the garden as she collected the dishes to wash. Her thoughts started to drift back to her conversation with her mother.
She never tried to come across as a know-it-all or like she was better than everyone else. She couldn't help it that her parents taught her to take schoolwork seriously and to strive to do her very best. Hermione wanted to not only make her parents proud of her, but she wanted to be proud of herself and know that she did everything she could to better herself. Though I don't help myself by nagging Harry and Ron about just doing the bare minimum to pass each class. She thought to herself as she finished cleaning the dishes from lunch.
Hermione made her way to her room, knowing that her parents would worry even more this year. Tom Riddle was back and she almost lost her life in the fight at the Ministry. She didn't want them to worry but she knew that she couldn't just stand idly by and not do anything to help the side of Light.
As she shrunk down her items before placing them in her school trunk, she pondered what had the headmaster so ill that he couldn't write to her himself. She feared that it was something that she would not be able to help find a cure for. He may be a royal pain in the arse with his vague "clues", but he reminded her so much of her grandfather who lived in the States.
Soon she was shrinking her school trunk and placing it inside her little beaded bag that's inside she had enlarged last year before heading to the Ministry, along with her iPod and Shelly Laurenston Pack Challenge series, which was her secret indulgence. Once she was satisfied with what she had packed and how her room looked, she headed into the family room to say goodbye to her parents.
"Darling, she's seventeen, we can't stop her." Mr. Granger was standing behind Mrs. Granger, who was in front of the fireplace looking at the pictures of their daughter. "I know you're scared, I am too, but we have to trust that we taught her well and to use her brain."
"I know, love. I just don't want to let her go so soon after she's come back from school. She's only been home for a month!" She turned around in her husbands' arms and laid her head on his chest. "Our baby girl is growing up too fast."
Mr. Granger just held his wife close, knowing that he couldn't do or say anything to change the path that their daughter's life was taking. They could just be there for her when she needed them. He trusted Hermione to know when to come to them for help.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I never realized how hard this war would be on you. I guess I was hoping that since you live in the muggle world that it would never touch you." She walked up to her parents and hugged them. "Dumbledore and Severus would never call on me if it wasn't necessary. I promise."
"I know, Little Bit, and so does your mother. But it's our job as your parents to worry." Mr. Granger kissed Hermione on the forehead before letting her go. "Owl us as soon as you get there, understand?"
"Yes, daddy. I'm just waiting for Severus's owl. I asked how he wanted me to arrive to the castle." Just than one of the Hogwarts owls tapped its beak on the window. Hermione opened the window and took the small parchment from the bird; the owl taking off once its job was complete. "Looks like I'll be taking the floo to the castle. Severus says that he's already connected our fireplace to the Network."
She rummaged through her purse and pulled out a little bag of green powder that Harry had given her before they headed home at the end of their last year. Walking to the fireplace she hugged her parents one more time. "I promise I will write after I'm settled in and let you know what I find out about what they need help with. I love you both very much." With that she turned around and threw in a pinch of the Floo powder, stepped into the hearth and called out "HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDY"
"I hope she will be safe."
"Darling, from what Little Bit has told us, as long as Dumbledore is alive and in the castle, there is no safer place." Mr. Granger hugged his wife to him and prayed his daughter was right.
