I own nothing.
It was finally the day before everyone got to go home and Dumbledore, being abnormally obtuse, decided to hold another sleepover.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! At the beginning of the year I asked for certain people to stay after dinner, I would like those people to do so again!" He yelled, all of them looked to one another incredulously before finishing their meal as everyone else left the hall. "Okay now, I know you're all getting along better but I would like for all of you to be friends. You really have a lot in common... Now Minerva, you can come with me but Severus I would like you to stay and work on your relationship with Remus and Sirius. There will be no rules for the night, thus no detentions or point taking, however the beds will only appear around midnight so you can't go to bed until then. Have a nice night!" Dumbledore told them rushing Minerva out the door before any of the others could follow him.
"God dammit, I hate that man." Snape muttered.
"Ditto." Hermione, Ginny, Remus, Sirius, and all the Slytherins chorused.
"He's definitely missing a few marbles..." Ron said reluctantly glancing at Harry and Neville, the only two who hadn't spoken.
"More than a few, he tried to get Severus to kill him, then he brought me to a cave and drank a poisonous potion, then led us three on a wild goose chase around the country." Harry explained.
"I can't believe that he hasn't noticed that we already are friends and most of us are dating each other." Neville said.
"I was supposed to meet Dora tonight for dinner..." Snape grumbled before conjuring his jack rabbit patronus. "Dora, sorry I can't meet you tonight, Dumbledore locked me in the great hall for another one of those sleepovers like we had at the beginning of the year, when I managed to escape with a confundus." He sent his patronus and looked up to see everyone looking at him curiously. "What Ginny and Hermione aren't the only ones who patronus' changed." Fifteen minutes later everyone was sitting with their significant other and talking as a group when the doors burst open and Tonks stumbled in before they slammed closed again.
"Hey, everyone." Tonks said brightly before going and sitting in Severus' lap.
"Not that I don't like your company Dora, but why are you here?"
"I got bored, I finished all my paper work and had nothing to do."
"So you came here to join us?"
"No I came to break you out, commenting that it was kidnap and against the law. Dumbledore brought me here then just shoved me in and closed the door again."
"That's... interesting..." Tonks kissed him once and looked at everyone else to see they were all in similar positions.
"Interesting..." She commented before shrugging. "So what're we talking about?"
"Nothing fun or interesting." Ginny whined, Hermione nodded, everyone else in the room looked slightly offended.
"Well what do you suggest if we are boring you so?" Draco asked with a pout from under Ron. Both girls looked at each other once and smirked. They jumped from their seats, much to the disappointment of the two men, and jumped on the table in the middle of the couch square.
"I propose a game!"
"A game of I Never!"
"Oh no, I got out of that the first time for a reason."
"Shut it Sev, this sounds fun." Tonks told him giggling, he frowned but remained quiet as the game commenced. Surprisingly, or not, Ginny, Hermione, and Severus tied for the win.
"I never pictured you doing half of that stuff Severus." Harry told him when the game was over.
"Most of it wasn't by choice, but what was... well I was a teenager at one point." Everyone snickered and Hermione and Ginny narrowed their eyes.
"We need a tie breaker! We will ask questions first one to have never done it loses!" Hermione proposed. Severus sighed but nodded.
"I never... punched someone in the face and broke his nose." Harry proposed, Hermione smirked and looked at Draco who rolled his eyes and glared.
"I'm still angry about that." Ginny frowned and shook her head. It was down to Severus and Hermione.
"I've never kissed a girl named Lily." Sirius said, Hermione and Severus both smirked and drank.
"No!" came several shouts from the other ones, until they noticed Hermione drank as well. "Wait what?" came chorused like the 'no'.
"Lily and I were friends since childhood; we had kissed before, just not romantically." Severus explained, much to Sirius' annoyance.
"I had a neighbour named Lily, and I was curious fourth year... second best kisser ever." Hermione told them.
"After me, right?" Ron asked, Hermione looked at him shook her head and pointed at Remus. Ron frowned but quickly smiled as he had a question. "I've never made out in a secret passage way around the school." Ron said, sure of Hermione's reluctance against it. Hermione and Remus blushed as she drank and Sirius snickered, Severus also drank looking at Tonks.
"I never... serenaded someone." Tonks asked not aware that both Hermione and Ginny had done just that only a few weeks ago. Severus scowled but shook his head; Hermione smirked victoriously and jumped up again to begin dancing around the room just as beds appeared. Remus sighed and got up after her. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder before walking over to a bed and laid down with her in his arms.
"We have to meet three sets of parents soon enough and I have to face mine for the first time in a while and you yours tomorrow, go to sleep." Remus told her still sore and tired from the full moon a few days before. Hermione groaned and hit him once.
"Thanks for the reminder, now I just don't want to sleep in fear that I might have to see them sooner. If I'm tired I can just go to sleep while I'm there and claim too much work."
"Ginny was right when she said you were meant for Slytherin." He said before placing silencing charms around their bed. The others laughed at their friends banter.
"Does anyone else notice that Hermione seems almost scared to go home?" Sirius asked "Remus mentioned it but doesn't know why. She seemed utterly terrified when she couldn't call home instead of just sad." Ginny remained silent but was frowning, everyone else just shrugged and she followed their lead.
"Maybe she's just nervous about what they'll say; she mentioned her planning on telling them about Remus before they meet him... maybe that has something to do with it."
The next morning when everyone woke up, due to the blaring alarm, they rose only to find Hermione and Ginny already up and talking quietly. They stopped when the alarm went off and Ginny looked nervous and sad, while Hermione looked resigned. Dumbledore entered and changed everything back before sending them away. As they were all of age they didn't need to take the train and were apparating instead.
"So we will all meet outside the wards at the burrow on Christmas eve to talk to Molly. Remus will go pick up Hermione and meet her parents then and Hermione will meet his on New Year's Day." Ginny asked everyone. Sirius, Remus, Severus, Tonks, and Harry were going to Grimauld place, Theo, Blaise, Draco, Pansy, Millicent, and Neville were going to Neville's, Hermione was going home, and the other two were off to the Burrow. Everyone nodded and each apparated away leaving Hermione to go last. She was scared shitless and nobody knew why, except Ginny, who had already given the planned excuse.
Christmas Eve came and they all met outside the wards of the burrow. Ginny had convinced Molly to let their big group all come for dinner, as most were in the order and the others should have been it wasn't hard, where everyone Molly considered family would be announcing their relationships, including Neville.
They all sat down for dinner and the new couples sat next to each other, at the opposite end of the table from Molly. The room had been enlarged to hold everyone on the inner circle of the order minus Dumbledore and McGonagall. The seating was arranged so that Arthur sat at one end of the table with Molly to his right followed by Percy, Audrey (Percy's fiancée), Alicia (Fred's girlfriend), Fred, Charlie, Neville, Pansy, Millicent, Theo, Remus, and Hermione. At the other head, beside Hermione, was Bill; on his right were: Fleur (Bill's wife), Blaise, Harry, Ron, Draco, Ginny, Sirius, Kingsley, Severus, Tonks, Angelina (George's girlfriend), and George. Dinner was lively and everyone was talking to one another, even if conversation with the Slytherins was slightly uncomfortable they still felt welcomed because the others were trying.
Just as dessert was being served Ron stood, as his was going to be the biggest bombshell seeing as nobody even knew he and Harry were gay.
"Umm, so I started seeing someone and I thought I would tell those of you who didn't know." He said quietly, Draco looked at him sympathetically before staring at his plate and not looking at anyone.
"OH! Who's the lucky girl?" Molly asked looking ready to burst, Ron winced and looked to Harry for assistance, he shrugged, he had to do this too.
"Well, it's not exactly a girl..."
"I knew it! I knew you were dating your broom!" Fred yelled causing a little nervous laughter. Molly was looking at her son in confusion and Arthur's mouth dropped open looking from Draco to Ron as he'd realized the connection.
"What do you mean it's not a girl?" Molly looked crestfallen and Ron looked nervous and scared that he'd hurt his mother. Draco sighed quietly and stood as well.
"He's dating me." He told the table, stunned silence met his announcement and they both sat, Ron looked close to tears so Draco put his hand on Ron's shoulder. Ron took that as an invitation and moved his chair so he could put his head on his boyfriends shoulder as silent tears fell down his face. Harry stood next and attention turned from the scene of Draco comforting Ron to him.
"I'm actually seeing someone as well... Blaise and I are a couple." He told them bravely daring them to say anything against it, everyone was far too stunned.
"You're both gay?" Percy asked in astonishment. "I did not see that coming. Congratulations though." He smiled at the four and they returned it. Molly turned to Percy but still didn't speak.
Neville stood at the same time as Theo. Everyone's eyes held something close to an 'I told you so'.
"I'm dating Pansy and Theo's with Millicent. We thought we'd just tell you together because we're not as close to you guys as the others." Neville explained, the two sat down and saw more astonished glances.
"Neville, I think everyone thought you were gay and had suspicions about Theo." Severus explained at his confused expression, he nodded, then the news sunk in and he glared at everyone. Hermione and Ginny stood and everyone's eyes widened.
"No you perverse idiots Hermione and I are not together." Ginny screeched at her brothers bringing a laugh from Sirius and Remus.
"We are both seeing people though. People of the male variety George." Hermione glared, Severus smirked and finally admitted something.
"I see what everyone was saying about you belonging in Slytherin. That glare is almost as good as half my seventh years."
"I was right! You do teach them to glare, smirk, and to that eyebrow thing!" Ginny yelled, Severus raised an eyebrow at the same time as all the other Slytherins and Hermione. "See, wait how'd you learn it Hermione?" she smirked and everyone shuddered.
"Anyways, I'm dating Remus and I'm his mate so don't bother trying to talk me out of it. Plus we're also soul-mates like Severus and Tonks. Our patronus' are the same. A big grey wolf." Hermione sat and took Remus' hand before looking at Ginny.
"I'm dating Sirius... we're the same as Remus and Hermione minus the mate thing." She said quickly before sitting down again. Molly stood and looked around.
"Ron and Harry are gay and dating Slytherin death eaters, Hermione and Ginny are dating men old enough to be their fathers, I don't know how to react to this... I'm going up to my room to lie down." She left the room and the four couples blushed at all the people looking at them.
"What time is it?" Hermione asked wondering how much longer the stares would last.
"Quarter after 10." Charlie answered while he finished his dessert like nothing was happening. Everyone was slowly offering congratulations and smiles before going back to normal. Hermione jumped from her seat and rushed to the coat rack.
"Oh no! I was supposed to be home an hour ago!" She screeched before running over giving Remus a quick kiss and running from the house. Ginny and she had both paled and Ginny got up to go to her room after giving Sirius a quick kiss.
"Something is definitely going on with Hermione." Sirius commented "And Ginny knows what it is and is hiding it."
"I'm sure nothing's wrong, Hermione's always been this way. Her parents are strict and don't like her out too late. They're trying to get back their relationship and probably reverted to what was common for them, strict rules and a curfew." Everyone nodded but Remus still looked nervous. Two hours later Ginny ran down the stairs clutching a letter and ran straight for Remus.
"Remus, you need to go get Hermione and bring her to your place!"
"I'm staying at Grimmauld not my place, why do I need to go get her? What's going on?!"
"Hermione's parents have been abusive since her first bout of accidental magic. When she left she was late for curfew, she can talk her way out of some things and she can defend herself sometimes but... She always sends me a patronus when she gets in trouble, she gave me her sign saying she would! It's been two hours and she hasn't sent anything!" Everyone left at the house was on their feet in seconds after her explanation and Remus' eyes turned a golden color. He breathed deeply to control his wolf from killing those who'd hurt his mate for so long.
"We need to go get her, even if she is fine she's never going back there!" Remus told the room, nobody argued as the Weasleys had already adopted her into their family. "Sirius, Bill, Severus, Tonks, and I will go get her and bring her to Grimmauld so she has more room." Remus told everyone Ginny was about to protest when Remus cut over her. "Ginny, we need a small group. Sirius can contain me if I change on accident, Bill will help me by getting her stuff packed and moved, Severus is good at healing, Tonks is an Auror and can erase their memories, and I will bring her to Grimmauld when she's stable if she is injured. Sirius will come get you when she's safe, I promise." Remus explained before they left the room as a group, leaving all the others in a panic.
They arrived at Hermione's house and heard screaming. They had no neighbours for miles and nobody to help Hermione. The five ran forward and exploded the door off its hinges after silencing it so they didn't let the bastards know they were coming. Quietly, they made their way closer to the screaming and muffled noises of thumps and crying. As they were walking Bill sniffed and went up the stairs to get Hermione's things. Everyone paused when they saw the broken wand laying on the floor snapped into four pieces. They shuddered. A wand was a part of you and when it broke wizards and witches typically feel a surge of excruciating pain, to have it snapped twice must've been close to agony.
Tonks picked up the pieces for evidence and they marched into the room with the screaming to see Hermione on the floor covered in blood, her father kicking her in the stomach and her mother on the ground whispering things that made her mother smile and Remus growl. Tonks and Sirius stunned them while Remus and Severus rushed to Hermione to assess the damage.
"She has three broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a bit of internal bleeding. Her skull is fractured and she has a broken arm as well. It's nothing I can't fix but her wand was her only defense and it's extremely painful when one's wand is snapped, she will need a new one. She will be good to be apparated in a few moments and she will be fine, physically, in the morning. I suggest waiting to let anyone other than us five see her until then, and some bruise removal paste from the twins as well."
"I will go tell them and tell Bill. Tonks why don't you erase their memories and help Bill while these two get her out of here?" Sirius planned, they all nodded while Severus poured a few potions down her throat and Remus healed the cuts and gashes on her arms and legs.
Hermione spent the rest of the holiday's at Grimmauld with everyone else who'd come to be close to her. She got to meet Remus' parents who'd come over there for New Years, they'd been cautious at first because of her age but after talking for a few moments they loved her and saw why Remus did as well. She got a new wand, Vinewood with thunderbird tail feather, then they all apparated to Hogwarts when break was over. All in all it wasn't the best Christmas but she still counted it better than the one during the hunt with Nagini.