Hermione was exhausted, she hadn't been able to sleep well, she'd been too excited to leave these damnable walls. With a gasp Hermione tossed back two shots of the purple potion and, smiling as it raced through her veins, ran down the seven flights of stairs to freedom. Only Filch was up, and even he was groggy; he let her out of the grounds with a feeble, halfhearted glare. Hermione smiled as she passed the irritable old man, passing him a galleon for being up so early, he cheered up considerably after that. Hermione observed him as he trekked back up to the castle, waiting until he passed from sight. With a giddy giggle she pulled the shrunken form of her car from her charm bracelet. She tossed the miniaturized car to the ground, watching in satisfaction as the low riding vehicle came back to its rightful size.
Closing the canary yellow door above her* Hermione settled into the custom leather seat, gripped the wheel, and floored the gas. Hermione immediately felt better as the cars soft purr continued to put more and more room between her and those awful walls. The scenery flashed by in a whirr of green and grey. The bass of her stereo rumbled through her chest, forcing a laugh from her. The streets were empty so early in the morning, a good thing for her, so it only took minutes to reach her destination. She felt the pull the second her car pulled in the drive, an almost physical tug against her magical core, the second she felt it she envied and pitied the European wizards. Envied them because they were in all aspects of the word, free; and pitied them because they were so fragmented and weak.
"CHARM!" The over excited voice could only belong to one person.
"Razael!" Hermione cried back rushing to hug the blue haired, purple eyed girl. "Are the others up yet?"
"Yup! Of course, only because you're here, otherwise, you know them, they'd sleep till noon." Razael's voice was light, but her eyes darkened considerably as she looked at her friend. Lowering her voice she leaned closer to Hermione, "Michael had another nightmare last night, Matthew had to physically stop Cynthia from going back to find the damn bastards." The last words dripped with venom, and Hermione wouldn't have been surprised if Aaren had been restraining Razael, she knew if she had been there no one could have stopped her. She nodded.
"Where is he?" Hermione asked softly, relinquishing her hold on Razael.
"On the couch, watching cartoons, waiting for you. C'mon, don't let me keep you outside." Hermione stepped inside the house, smiling slightly as she noticed all the redecorating.
"Wow, you guys were really busy this week weren't you?"
"Yup, just wait you get to help too!" Razael said, her voice happy again. "Want something to eat? You can't have had breakfast." Hermione's stomach growled.
"Food would be good," Tom and Jerry greeted her, the idiotic cat and ridiculous mouse always trying to one up each other; one of Michael's favourites, sometimes it was hard to remember that he was only twelve. She lost track of time as they just sat there, watching that show. Until tears began dropping from the boys eyes, and his shoulders shook with suppressed sobs.
Gently she pulled the smaller boy into a hug, he shuddered. "Shh, it's just me. Shh. You're HERE, they can't reach you now. You're safe now." Michael cried into her shoulder seeking comfort in the woman he saw as both a sister and a mother. "That's right, just cry. Let it all out." and he did, because this was probably the one person he didn't mind seeing him weak, because even before he had joined she had taken care of him, protected and loved him.
"We are gonna eat breakfast, then finish this house. Waddya say? I will work you so hard today you won't have time to think." He smiled at this, it was always a good option, her favorite, works so hard you couldn't think. "And then, if you still can't sleep, I will personally make you a bomber? Alright?" Michael pulled back from the hug smiling in reassurance at her. "Oh my poor baby." Hermione whispered while she wiped the tears from his face. "My poor, poor baby. There is something you must understand about the world, Osito, no matter how much we wish to, the world will not let us forget our pasts, because our pasts are what make us strong."
"Breakfast!" Footsteps made their way down the stairs some moving faster than others, one set almost silent. "How is it that I can dump ice on you people and you won't so much as twitch, but every time I say food, you're all immediately up? HUH? How is that?" Razael's voice had risen about half an octave, and held an irritated pout.
"But your food's just so GOOD." Cynthia said happily, flipping off the last stair to stand upright again. Her bright blond hair laying haphazardly around her shoulders and obscuring her left eye; her t-shirt was soft pink, clashing magnificently with her lime green mini skirt over darker rose leggings, she didn't wear shoes, instead white ribbons were wrapped around her hands and feet. Razael stuck her tongue out at her friend, her violet eyes bright with irritation.
"is that mi preciosa I hear?" A deep, slightly accented voice asked.
"Si." Hermione giggled as Aaren swept her into an all enveloping hug and kissing her forcefully. Eagerly Hermione responded to the kiss, wrapping her arms around Aaren's neck and locking her fingers in his hair.
"Ummm, excuse me, but there is a small impressionable child in the room." Cynthia said smirking as Michael glared and flipped her off.
"Miguel," Aaren warned breaking the kiss, Michael smiled back innocently. "Razael he has been spending way too much time with you." Raz smiled and Cynthia laughed.
"You're just encouraging them, hermano." Matthew said from the kitchen already eating.
"Why you little, Micheal sweetie close your little ears." Michael smiled and placed his hands over his ears so the curse words that Razael screamed at Matthew were muffled. Hermione smiled happily, laughing along with her 'family'.
"Charm." Cynthia's voice was hushed as she whispered in the other girl's ear. "THEY are sending delegates to Hogwarts." Hermione's smile vanished.
"Damn."
