Last chapter wasn't so great. But I just want to make you guys think for a second. Remember all that's happened in twenty chapters, then go back to the first chapter and think "Haaha, you're gonna date in like, seventeen more chapters, haha!" That's what I did today.

PS – hey, umm, you know who you are – why were you in the hospital? Are you okay? Is everything going to be alright? You don't tell me stuff like that and then not even say anything about why you were there, I start worrying about you when that happens.

Somebody was humming, and there was something trailing along down the side of her nose. She wrinkled her nose and groaned a little, burying her face into the pillow a bit, hoping that whatever the disturbance was would go away.

"Hermione," somebody said softly, "Wake up."

"Go 'way, Lily," she muttered, putting the pillow on top of her head. She thought for a few moments before pulling back out and blinking at the smiling redhead before they gave quiet screams and hugged each other.

"What are you doing here?" she asked happily as Lily scooted into the empty space.

"Well, Tuney was getting on my last ever-loving nerve, so I begged and pleaded with Mum to let me come here earlier than expected and begged and pleaded with James to come and get me, so here I am at four in the morning," at Hermione's curious look, she smirked, "He got excited."

"How long are you staying?" she asked.

"Umm, up until after Easter – that's when Petunia leaves," she shrugged before beaming again, "I missed you for the three days I didn't see you."

She beamed back, "I missed you too."

"Sirius, would you do me a favor and go wake the girls up?" Dorea asked as she checked back on the pancakes.

Sirius stared at her wide-eyed before finally shaking his head, his mouth full of pumpkin juice.

"And why not?" she asked with a frown, hands on her hips as James chuckled.

"He's scared of them, Mum," he laughed as Sirius shot him a glare.

"Alright, then you go wake them up, James," she shrugged.

"Umm…" James faltered, wincing at the smirking Sirius.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, boys, just go," she glared, making them wince at each other before they slumped up the stairs.

"Morning!" Charlus said happily as he stepped into the kitchen, pecking his wife on the cheek, "Where are the kids?"

"The boys are waking up Lily and Hermione," she answered.

He stopped on his way to the table, turning back around and staring at her with wide eyes, "No."

"What?" she blinked back.

"Are you trying to kill them?" he asked incredulously.

"Charlus, those girls are angels," she huffed.

"To you and me, perhaps, but when it comes to James and Sirius…" he trailed off with a grimace before sighing, walking over to the table, "Best start planning the funerals now."

She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to argue with that when she heard two screams and the boys cursing as the group tromped down the stairs. James and Sirius rocketed past his parents, flinging open the back door as Lily easily chased after them, Hermione sliding a little in her socks before going out as well. Charlus was trying to hide his grin behind his paper as Dorea gaped at them when the four seemed to yell out "Cold!" simultaneously, James and Sirius running back in and shutting the door and locking it. Dorea shook her head slowly at them, going back to making breakfast as they heard Lily huff at them until a loud crack sent the boys yelling and pressing themselves into the corner as Hermione rolled her eyes and let Lily in.

"Morning," Charlus said coolly, taking a sip from his coffee.

"Good morning," Hermione winced and bit her lip, Lily coughing awkwardly as she wrung out her hair.

"James, Sirius, did you pour water on the girls?" Charlus asked without looking.

"Uhh," they chorused.

"Did you even attempt waking them up nicely?"

"Uhh," they repeated, wincing at each other.

"I'll go get dressed," Hermione winced, grinning sheepishly at them before heading back upstairs as Lily glared at James and rolled her eyes.

"No idea why I'm dating you," she muttered before turning to Dorea and smiling, "Anything you need help with, Missus Potter?"

"Uhhmm," she pursed her lips and looked around before shaking her head, "No, nothing comes to mind, but thank you for asking, Sweetie."

"Sirius Black! Why is there a frog in my bag?" Hermione called from upstairs, making the teenager blink.

"Uhh, Kitten, frogs are gross!" Sirius called up, "I don't go near them!"

"James?" she asked.

"Umm, no," he said warily, scrunching his eyebrows as Charlus began to stand and slowly make his way to the staircase, wand out as Lily followed worriedly.

"…Lily?" she asked, sounding a little scared.

"Run!" Lily ordered, having her scream and dash down the stairs as Charlus ran up them, skidding into Lily and grabbing her to tow her back into the kitchen as there were shouts and bangs heard upstairs. Dorea grabbed her wand and the frying pan, handing the latter to Hermione as she blinked at her.

"What are you doing in my house?" Charlus asked as he towed the man down the stairs, holding him by the back of his shirt. He was skinny, zits on his pale face as he tried to wrestle out of his hold.

"Oh my god," Hermione whimpered into Lily's shoulder, "I changed shirts before I noticed the frog!"

"Merlin's shorts, you pervert!" Sirius growled, reaching for his wand as the man continued to twist and turn.

"I didn't see anything – don't kill me because of the Mudblood!" he yelled angrily, except Dorea pointed her wand directly in his face.

"Don't you dare call my girls that foul name!" she glared as he stilled and stared at her with wide-eyes, Hermione, Lily and James doing the same behind her as Sirius smirked at her.

"Who're you?" Charlus asked.

The man stayed silent until Hermione was upon him, wielding the frying pan.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Kenneth Picknesse!" he yelped.

"Why were you in my bag?" she asked. When he didn't answer, she prodded the frying pan towards his nose and glared harder, "I will use this."

"I was sent by Bellatrix Lestrange and another woman," he finally answered.

James, Sirius and Hermione's eyes widened and they blinked at one another.

"Who was the other woman?" Charlus asked.

"I – I didn't get her name," he fidgeted, "Kinda tall, blonde, around her thirties, really creepy, told me to 'kill the frizzy-haired Mudblood so she can see Mummy and Daddy.'"

Hermione paled and dropped the frying pan onto Kenneth's foot, making him howl in pain as she slapped her hands over her mouth.

Sirius stepped forward and grabbed her shoulder, steering her away from everybody as Charlus sent a Patronus for Aurors. He led her into the library, shutting the door and casting a few charms on it before he turned to her as she shakily sat down on the couch.

"Hermione?" he asked after a few moments.

"She won't stop," she sighed, letting her head fall against the back of the couch, "She won't stop until I'm gone."

"What do you want to do?" he asked after a few more moments.

She pursed her lips, running her hands over her face as she sighed, "My best bet is to play dead once school is over. I still need Dumbledore's cooperation to get a few more Horcruxes, after that we'll have to think of something and I'll have to go into hiding."

"Who should know?" he asked.

"You, Peter, Lily, the Potters, the Lupins, Dumbledore, Emmeline and Alice," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Things are going to get very difficult very quickly."

"You've got us to help," Sirius said proudly, making her look up and smile.

"Yeah," she chuckled before groaning, "I hate frogs now."

"Mum," Remus winced as he watched his girlfriend being hugged enthusiastically by his mother, "This is kind of awkward. For everyone. Hermione especially."

"Oh, right, sorry!" Lyn smiled as she pulled back from Hermione, beaming at her as she blushed back. "Oh my gosh, you're so cute!"

"Mum," Remus repeated, taking Hermione away from her as his father did the same with his wife.

"She's just very glad to meet you," John said, smiling at Hermione as Lyn nodded enthusiastically, "And I am too, just…not as glad, I think."

"Thank you," Hermione smiled back, "It's nice to meet you too."

"Ugh, you're so boring, Kitten," Sirius pouted on the staircase with Lily and James, "Think up a snappy response."

"Shut it, Sirius," Hermione and Remus chorused, frowning at him.

"I mean, you're just all prim and proper – at least relax, you're dating their son for Merlin's sake," Sirius continued before blinking and looking dully at Lily, "Same to you, Evans."

"I'll kick you down this staircase," Lily glared at him to make him grin.

"Do it," Hermione, James and Remus frowned at him as he stuck his tongue out at them.

"One word, Kitten," Sirius smirked, "Ribbit."

"That's not funny!" Hermione told him as Lily smacked him upside the head, James wincing and hiding behind the railing a little as Remus looked at his friends curiously.

"What?" he blinked.

Hermione gaped at him before glaring further at Sirius, who winced and hid with James as Lily sighed.

"We had a little…altercation the other day," Lily tried to grin, "No biggie, it's covered."

"Why do I get the feeling you aren't telling me everything?" Remus asked dully as the four exchanged glances.

"It's nothing, honestly," Hermione grinned at him.

John blinked at them, "Were you the ones who got the frog that tried to kill somebody? I heard about that at work, but never got a name."

"Hermione?" Remus asked, narrowing his eyes at her as she bit her lip and gripped part of her hair.

"Umm…it's handled?" she tried.

"You were nearly killed by a frog?" he blinked.

"No…" she winced before perking up, "Hey, uhh, I'm going to go see if Missus Potter needs any help, okay bye." She quickly dashed off to the kitchen as Remus and his parents turned to the group on the stairs, who glanced between each other before grinning sheepishly at him.

Hermione frowned down at the apple in her hands, unaware that somebody was there until he leaned against the back of the swing, making it move. She blinked and looked up at Remus, who grinned at her.

"Am I that boring that you had to run out here?" he asked, making her wince and shake her head.

"No, I just…" she looked at the apple as he sat down, "Thinking."

"Hmm," he hummed, swinging them in silence for a few moments before he reached over and slid her closer to him, pulling her legs over his lap and looking at her curiously, "Why didn't you tell me about the frog guy?"

"I don't want you to worry too much."

"Who said I'd – ?" he cut himself off as she looked at him disbelievingly, grinning sheepishly at her. "Fine, yes, I'd worry, but can you blame me?"

"Not everyone wants to kill me," she pouted, "Just a decent amount of them do."

"Not what I was going to say, but that's…something," he smiled, "Hermione, you're my girlfriend. If someone wants to hurt you, I'm going to worry about it."

She huffed and laid her head on his shoulder, rolling her eyes, "Fine."

He chuckled and ran his hands through her hair, "What's with the apple?"

She snorted and shrugged, "I dunno, I found it."

He laughed and nuzzled her neck, hugging her close, "You're so weird."

She smiled at him and pecked his lips, "You are too."

"So what are you going to do? With the other Horcruxes?"

She sighed and thumped her head on his shoulder again, "Well, one's in Bellatrix's vault, I remember that one, and the others are just in a big bag labeled 'nope.'"

"We'll get them, don't worry," he reassured her.

"Why can't everybody just get along with everyone else?" she pouted at him.

"Because people think they're right and everyone else is wrong, regardless of whether they are or not."

"That was a quick answer," she muttered as she hugged him again.

He shrugged, taking the apple from her and taking a bite out of it, "I've thought about it once."

She hummed before blinking at him as he spit the apple out, "What?"

"That just sucked all the spit out of my mouth," he threw the rest of the apple away, grimacing at her as she laughed.

I think I need sleep….

Love,

Ava