Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter etc, please don't sue me!

Thanks to shaymars [yes, I love writing her character so she will appear :D ] for the review, and to everyone who had favourited or is following my story!

Thanks also to my awesome beta reader foreverandeversimplyme!

To all those with siblings, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Happy reading!

Recap:

'I expect a full report on Monday, and a picture of-.'

Their wands started to vibrate.

Thank Merlin, Hermione thought. 'Admissions is calling, we had better run,' Hermione said before darting out of the door and out of question range.

The rest of the week seemed to crawl by, despite the incredulous number of people who managed to be admitted with potion issues. Honestly you think people would be more careful with magic! That week she and Cate had treated 12 people who had ingested poorly made potions, 6 who were pranked, and 18 who had drunk the potion without checking it was the right one or the dosage instructions! The most amusing was a girl who in an attempt to give her skin a healthy pink glow for a first date, she had turned herself neon red. On the upside, people's stupidity had at least kept her occupied while she watched the clock slowly tick by towards the weekend.

She was just gathering up her belongs to head home when a shout interrupted her.

'Hermione!'

Looking up she saw her healer friends: Jemma, George and Cate. Jemma was on rotation in The Unknown, with Peter - poor Jemma. George considered himself far luckier than Jemma; he had spent his time doing his best to make his rotation partner, Lucy Graves, swoon while working with the kids in Paediatrics.

'Drinks!' George called.

'I have plans tonight,' Hermione replied.

'Not until 9 pm,' Cate countered. 'We can eat at the pub.'

'But I have to get changed,' Hermione said in dismay, looking at her jeans and polo shirt which were hardly club-wear.

'I thought he was just a friend,' Cate teased.

'He is. But as I've said before, I didn't get along with his friends and, as such, I want to make sure they can't find their usual faults.'

'Okay, new plan. George, Jemma, I will see you two and Lucy at the pub in thirty minutes. Hermione, apparate me to your home and I'll help you get ready so you can come with us and still look smashing for your night out,' Cate said taking Hermione's arm firmly.

'Great, see you both in half an hour,' Jemma called as she grabbed George's arm and pulled him from the room so Hermione couldn't change the plans.

Hermione scowled at the bouncy girl gripping her arm.

'What?' Cate said far too innocently.

'I wanted to prepare for tonight.'

'You mean you wanted to stew over everything that could go wrong. So sorry you are going to have to miss that. Now come along, time is a-ticking and we have a deadline.'

Hermione glared, but the closed her eyes and apparated them both to her home.

'Sweetie?' her mother's voice called.

'Hi, Mum, Dad, this is my friend Cate. Cate, this is my mum, Helen, and my dad, John.'

'Hello, Cate,' her parents said in unison.

'It's lovely to meet you both,' Cate replied offering a winning smile. 'I've just come around to help Hermione dress for her night out with Draco and his friends before we go to the pub with some other healer friends.'

Helen's eyes widened. Hermione hadn't mentioned it was Draco she was seeing tonight. Clearly she was going to have to get to know Cate, the fountain of surprise knowledge.

'I'll come and help you, I know everything in Hermione's closet,' Helen replied. 'John, can you start dinner on your own without burning down the kitchen?'

'I only burnt it once!' came her offended husband's call.

'But you will be cooking the same thing as when you did set the kitchen on fire, something you haven't cooked since that soot-filled night, I haven't forgotten,' Helen said.

As John left the room with a wave goodbye, the three ladies heard grumbling under his breath, although what exactly he was saying could not be determined… probably for the best.

'This way, Cate,' Helen said, guiding the way to Hermione's room.

When they entered the room, Cate's eye swept around, taking in as many details as possible: the stack of magical and muggle medical and legislature books; the perfectly organised room; the cat watching with gleaming, judgmental eyes; the quirky ornaments; and the fact that there was not a single magical photo of anyone but herself and her parents, although she did note a few muggle photos of Hermione with what looked like other muggles. The last point in particular was very interesting, but one that Cate would need to pry into later, tonight she had a mission and she immediately strode to the wardrobe and flung the doors open in triumph. The shelves and hangers were neatly packed full, no doubt magic ensuring it stayed that way. Helen quickly joined Cate and they began to pull out dresses.

'Actually I was going to wear jeans to the club, I just need a shirt,' Hermione said.

In unison, Helen and Cate raised their eyebrows before they changed tack and found a pair a dressy, figure hugging jeans and a green satin shirt which would cling flatteringly to the wearer.

With a smirk that could rival a Slytherin, Helen said, 'Silver jewellery would be best with this.'

'Why silver?' Cate asked, 'Gold would work just as well.'

'Green and silver were Draco and his friend's house colours,' Helen illuminated.

'Gold will be fine,' Hermione interjected as she opened her jewellery box.

Cate immediately pushed her out of the way and, swooping down like Harry on a snitch, she pulled out some goblin-made silver jewellery. 'This is stunning,' Cate breathed.

'Why, thank you,' Helen said with pride, 'John and I bought these pieces for Hermione after she received her OWL results. Her results were the highest in the school.'

Cate nodded, unsurprised. Hermione had, after all, taken out the highest scores in the healer tests. Hermione just shrugged and said she was going to put the outfit on.

'No! Wait!' Cate said as she dove back to the closet. 'You need nice underwear too.'

Hermione blushed in the direction of her mother. Helen, unfazed by the discussion, joined Cate once more and pulled out some emerald green lingerie which had black trimming. 'I think this will go quite well.'

Cate nodded approvingly as Hermione snatched the lingerie from her mother's hands, face feeling like it was on fire and she now just wanted to disappear. Instead Hermione stepped back and slammed the door to the ensuite closed as she changed into the clothes picked by her soon-to-be-non-friend and her Mrs-Bennet-like mother.

As Hermione changed, Helen and Cate begun to talk.

'Hermione didn't tell me she had a date with Draco tonight, how did you come to find out? She is usually pretty secretive.'

'His owl arrived with the invite while I was on a break with her,' Cate said with satisfaction. 'So, who is this mysterious Draco?'

'They went to school together and didn't get along: but he seems to have changed quite a lot and Hermione is happier than I have seen her since she arrived in Australia, so I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. Hermione deserves to be happy given what she has had to deal with.'

'Deal with? Is that something to do with why she has no magical photos of friends around the room?'

'Partially, it seems Draco was not the only one to change drastically in the past few years.'

'What hap-'

The door burst open and Hermione stood in the doorway looking very alluring in her new outfit. 'Okay, I'm dressed.'

'Oh, wow, you look great, Hermione. Draco won't be able to keep his eyes off you,' Cate said. 'Helen, do you want to grab some shoes while I magic on Hermione's make-up and do her hair?'

'Of course, dear,' Helen responded, heading towards her daughter's heel collection.

It only took a few more moments and Hermione was ready. Cate was grumbling that Hermione hadn't let her straighten her hair with a charm, something Hermione insisted would not hold anyway and besides she liked her hair the way it was.

With a promise not to wake her mum if she returned late, Hermione and Cate apperated to the pub to join their friends.

As they joined the others, Hermione was heaped with comments on how wonderful she looked. Hermione just gave them all a glare. Lucy gave Hermione a look up and down, then glanced at George smiling at Hermione, slid a little closer to George and snuggling into his side. Hermione rolled her eyes at the jealous and insecure action.

'So, Hermione, why didn't you tell me you have a cat?' Cate asked, deciding to start her probing of Hermione and her secrets with the lighter questions.

'Oh, umm, you never asked,' Hermione replied.

'What type of cat is it?' Jemma asked.

'He is actually half-keezel,' Hermione said, 'and no-one wanted to buy him, so I had to give him a home. He is a great cat, very clever and an excellent judge of character.'

'I thought I was just paranoid when I thought he was judging me,' Cate said with surprise.

'No, you were right, he was judging you.'

'And the verdict?'

'He doesn't often make snap judgements, he will probably see you a few times before he either starts hissing at you, ignoring you, or, most likely, offers you a chance to pat him.'

'I assuming those translate to; dislike you, that you are inconsequential, or that you are acceptable,' George said.

'Yes, that's about right. He has only ever attacked a few people, and it turns out he was right about them,' Hermione said with affection.

'What's his name?' Cate asked.

'Crookshanks,' Hermione said slightly guardedly, defensive of the name given the mocking it had first received.

'And can he be bribed with treats?' Jemma asked.

'He'll take them, but it won't get him to like you. Although, if you forget to feed him, then I would avoid him for about a year… he has a good memory and is rather unforgiving.'

'How long have you had him?' Cate asked, George and Jemma were starting to send her strange glances, wondering when she was keeping up the conversation.

'Since my third year at Hogwarts,' Hermione replied.

'Hogwarts. I've heard of that school before. Wasn't there some kind of battle there?' Lucy suddenly spoke up.

Hermione's face became a little ridged. George, Jemma and Cate hadn't known much about the war, so she was comfortable mentioning places around them, but she had forgotten about Lucy; not hard to do since she didn't seem talk much and was moulded to George's side. 'Yes, there was. Do any of you have familiars?'

'Hang on, Hermione Granger, right?' Lucy asked.

'Yes, that's right,' George answered.

'I remember my dad mentioned you, he is a government liaison to England, you were involved in the war. A member of… oh what was it… oh, the Order of the Phoenix and The Golden Trio,' Lucy continued, oblivious to Hermione's blank face. 'What was it like to fight in the war? Is that where you were able to practise your healing spells and get ahead for the exams?'

Hermione levelled a cold stare at Lucy, jaw clenched. With concentration she was able to loosen her jaw and respond, 'Fighting in a war was horrible, of course. And as for "getting ahead", I suppose you could call researching in every spare moment to learn how to save my friends lives when I found them with their life-force of blood seeping into the already red stained ground, then, yes, I "got ahead".'

Wide eyed faces stared back at Hermione in shock. Jemma was the first to break it. 'Oh, Hermione, I can't imagine how awful it was for you, and I understand you probably don't want to think about it. Lucy - that was a thoughtless question! George, perhaps you should take Lucy to get us all another round of drinks.'

Hermione let out a shuddering breath after Lucy had left the table. 'Sorry about my outburst,' Hermione said.

'Oh, don't be sorry,' Jemma replied. 'Have you had a chance to talk to anyone about the war? Like therapy?'

'I've spoken about it in detail to people. I'm okay, healing, it's just when someone speaks so thoughtlessly that it upsets me,' Hermione said.

'As it would anyone,' Jemma said. 'You're really some sort of hero?'

'Gosh, no, I was just given very little choice and fortunately was on the winning side. My friend was a hero though.'

'Not a hero anymore?'

'He is, just not my friend anymore. The war changed people, unsurprisingly.'

Cate, feeling guilty for starting this discover-Hermione conversation, said, 'Okay, enough talk of war, although anytime you do want to talk about it just let us know, Hermione. My familiar was a jervy.'

'Why would you choose such a rude familiar!?' Jemma cried in surprise as she eyed the usually bouncy, sweet girl.

'Gift from my older brother, the prick,' Cate grumbled. 'I've had it for three years now, and all it says is swear words. None of the judging loyalty of Hermione's Crookshanks. My jervy's name is 'Bollocks' by the way, he named himself and refuses to respond to anything else. It's sooo embarrassing calling out "Bollocks" in the magical familiar parks.'

A small smile slipped onto Hermione's face, Jemma just laughed boisterously.

'And then, of course, up bounces my jervy shouting all sorts of crude words around playing kiddies, the glares I get from their parents and grandparents is humiliating. One old grandma actually hit me with her handbag, which must have been filled with rocks, for not controlling my familiar around children.'

'This is why you should not accept gifts from siblings, they are always geared in the siblings favour,' Jemma intoned wisely.

'Like you would know, you don't have any siblings,' George countered as he sat down, Lucy nowhere in sight.

'Just because I don't have siblings, doesn't mean I haven't seen the havoc they wreak. In fact, since I don't have them, I am not blinded by love to their evil mechanisms,' Jemma replied snootily. 'Do you have a familiar, George?'

'I had a niffler for a week, nothing since then,' he said.

'Why did you have a niffler?' Hermione asked.

'My little sister gave it to me,' George said with a wary look at Jemma who started laughing.

'Told you so! Siblings use your love to hide their evil!' Jemma cackled.

'Wow, you sound like a witch,' George said.

'I am a witch so, thank you, I suppose,' Jemma replied, sill cackling.

'No, I mean one of those Muggle witches: ugly, warts, eats children while cackling like you are currently doing,' George said with a mischievous grin.

'Hey,' Jemma shouted, cackling abruptly ending as she threw a peanut at George.

He caught it in his mouth with a grin and said, 'Thanks.'

Jemma scowled and then redirected the conversation to the past week at work, 'So, George, I hear you managed to be knocked out by a kid's uncontrolled magic this week…'

The banter continued and Hermione was please to find that her friends were staying away from her past. They teased George mercilessly about being knocked out and then shared their own stories, Hermione's one about the neon red girl being a decided hit. The laughing only slowed when Cate's wand started to vibrate and she announced Hermione had a club to get to as it was now 9 pm. Hermione reluctantly waved goodbye as she realised she did not want to face the other Slytherins, before apperating to a location near the pub.

A/N: Pokes head from under the table - she'll meet the Slytherins in the next chapter - I promise! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.