A/N: Hey folks, didn't actually think I'd get this out this week but once I started writing yesterday it just flowed… granted this chapter didn't cover as much as I had originally planned, but as Hermione likes to point out, everything happens for a reason… enjoy!

It was a few days before Ginny's birthday and Hermione found herself floating high above the valley on her broom, staring out towards the mountain and trying to locate the Goblin settlement, completely ignoring the Quidditch game going on in front of her. She reached out with her gift, and although she couldn't sense the Goblins, she did identify a warded area. She smiled, "That's why we have privacy here… we're as protected from them as they are from us…" she thought as she tapped into her wolf senses, hoping her improved eyesight would afford her some glimpse of their homes. Instead her hearing picked up the sound of a rapidly approaching Quaffle, reaching out her left hand at just the right time, she caught it. She tore her eyes from the mountainside to smile at the ball in her hand as Ginny flew up beside her.

"How did you do that?" she asked breathlessly, before kissing her briefly; "You've done it all afternoon… where are you?"

"Just thinking…" Hermione admitted with a sigh.

"I thought that was the point of playing?" Harry reminded her as he, Morgan and Nym joined them; "Take our minds off things?"

Since the burning of Vernon's body they had spent much of their time with the boys answering their questions. The most surprising thing they figured out was the reason Harry was having trouble with his Patronus and how, exactly, she and Ginny had managed to kill a dozen Dementors. First there was Morgan's theory that Tom's soul fragment was somehow preventing Harry from accomplishing the feat and Hermione's theory that Harry, having realized that he and Nym were failing, had shared both his and Nym's magic with them and Hermione's observation that she and Ginny were also vibrating from Fleur and Luna's magic, the came to realize that it was the magic of six of the seven that had incinerated the Dementors… not her, or even she and Ginny, who had prevailed.

It was Luna, however, who pointed out the most obvious reason Harry was having trouble with his Patronus… Morgan. Just like Fleur, Harry's Patronus was currently in a state of flux and she reasoned it would only be a matter of time before the two boys' Patronuses matched. As the boys were already blushing fiercely, Luna decided to leave out the fact that the more they physically bonded, the quicker that would happen.

"Oi… Hermione!" Morgan teased, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

"Sorry…" she sighed.

"It's a wonder you didn't take a Quaffle to the head," Nym joked.

"Love?" Ginny prodded; "Why don't you go for a run?"

"Trying to get rid of me?" Hermione asked lightly.

"Guys? Can you give us a minute?" Ginny asked as she turned to the others, looking back to Hermione once they'd flown off, she flew closer and reached for Hermione's hand; "I was thinking…" she started quietly, rubbing her thumb back and forth over her knuckles; "we said we'd take a few days off from each other to make my birthday more special but…"

"It's only been a day and we're both already on edge?" Hermione surmised with a small smile as she kissed her; "So where shall we go?"

"Actually…" Ginny replied, looking down to where Nym was landing near Fleur and Luna, then back to Hermione; "I still like the idea of us not… but maybe…" she asked, blushing as she raised her eyebrow.

"I do need to talk to Luna and Nym about your birthdays…" Hermione replied thoughtfully.

"And I'd really like to spend some time alone with Fleur…" Ginny admitted and looked down shyly. While the five had likely slept with each other equally, they hadn't spent much one on one time with anyone other than their mates. "And you should probably spend a little time alone with Luna…"

"What about Nym?"

"You go for a run and let Luna know when you're ready for her to join you," Ginny replied, pulling herself close to Hermione; "Fleur and I will get Nym ready for you and you can call her when you're both ready…"

"You seem pretty sure they'll go for it," Hermione teased.

"Fleur and Luna decided to do the same thing," Ginny confided; "they both need…"

"Something to take the edge off?" Hermione offered.

"It's more than that… but…" Ginny smiled and kissed her deeply; "being with them only makes me want you more…" she added, her voice deep.

"Your birthday is going to be epic…" Hermione laughed, pulling Ginny down to the ground to join their friends. They landed nearby and explained the plan to the others, Harry and Morgan shaking their heads in amusement while Dudley could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"I'll see you guys in a bit?" Hermione asked as she kissed Luna, then Nym, briefly.

"Looking forward to it…" Luna sighed, blushing.

Hermione smiled as she turned and started to jog away, reaching full speed in a matter of moments, she shifted into her wolf form and picked up even more speed as she made for the ocean.

There was something about running as a wolf that calmed her… all her thoughts and emotions dulled somewhat as she found herself just enjoying the feeling of physical power she possessed in this form. Ever so slowly she started to channel her magic into her form, picking up so much speed that the trees she was passing were merely blurs.

She slid to halt to get her bearings, wondering how far she was from the beach when she caught the smell of salt on the air. She looked around, and judging from the mountains, she knew she only had a few more minutes to run. Shifting back to her wolf she ran at a more moderate pace until she reached the sand.

She switched back to her human form, her breathing hardly affected from running at top speed for almost an hour, as she approached the water. She wrapped her arms around herself as she stared out at the water… she sighed as the memories of recent events washed over her… would she ever be free of them?

…

Ginny watched Hermione rapidly shrinking form as she ran towards the ocean.

"You're worried about her?" Luna asked as she went hug her best friend.

"Always…" Ginny admitted with a sigh.

"There must be a way to help her," Fleur offered as she went to stand next to them.

"What are you lot going on about?" Morgan asked.

"The three of us have come to think the way Hermione does," Ginny explained as she went to sit herself in Nym's waiting arms; "but only she can recall everything with perfect clarity…"

"Given the memories she's seen lately…" Luna added, but trailed off as Cara arrived holding the Sisters' spellbook.

"You would've figured it out soon anyway," Cara explained with a shrug; "no point in letting her suffer any longer than necessary…"

"If that was true," Ginny replied, her tone a little tense as she took the book from Cara; "you'd of told us about this right away…"

"She needed time to come to terms with what happened," Cara countered; "but now it's time for her to put it behind her…"

"Who are you to decide that?" Fleur asked.

"I didn't," Cara replied, a little defiantly; "in a way, Hermione did…"

"So this is on Fania's instructions?" Fleur surmised.

"While she and Fania are, essentially, the same person, Hermione is very different from who she used to be," Cara explained calmly; "Fania knew Hermione would have difficulty putting this behind her and believed she knew the best way to help her…"

"And you honestly believe that Fania knew Hermione better than we do?" Ginny countered.

"I do," Cara replied to their surprise; "Hermione is what Fania aspired to be… and she would have done anything to make sure Hermione reaches her full potential," she looked towards the ocean; "you'd have realized soon enough that Fania would have needed to find a way to deal with over two hundred years of information even without Hermione's eidetic memory…" she looked back to them; "I'm trying to break their mold, I am, but…"

"Old habits die hard?" Ginny offered, her tone softening somewhat.

"They do at that," Cara admitted.

"How is Rue doing? I'd have thought we'd have met her first by now…" Nym asked, changing the subject.

"Well... she did have the first but something… strange… happened…" she smiled; "the second is almost ready to be born and the third should be along before your wedding…" she laughed; "I suspect it's all the love the five of you have been filling the valley with…" she laughed as she disappeared.

Luna shook her head as she went to sit next to Ginny; "I swear… half the time I don't know whether I want to hug that one or smack her…" she placed her hand on top of the book, waiting for it to grow warm before opening it… when she did however she frowned, prompting Ginny to read over shoulder.

"But it's not like a regular Penseive…" Ginny said thoughtfully, never really considering how a Penseive worked before; "It takes the images but leaves the information whereas a normal Pensieve only takes a copy of the memory…" she smiled and kissed Luna's cheek; "It's perfect…" she added and resisted the urge to immediately apparate to her fiancée and tell her the good news… she knew Hermione needed some time alone and she wasn't about to intrude on that even if she, personally, had never felt the need.

"I'll tell her when I see her?" Luna offered.

"I was thinking…" Nym said thoughtfully as she rubbed Ginny's arm; "there's more than one lake in the mountains right?" Ginny nodded; "What if I take the boys swimming?" she smiled as Ginny realized what she was implying; "You and Hermione can thank me before bed…" she whispered into her ear; "I think I'm ready to be the middle…"

"I don't know how I feel about flying…" Dudley interrupted.

"How about Harry and I fly ahead and then Morgan can bring you by side-along apparition?" Nym offered after kissing Ginny's cheek and going to stand.

"I don't know that I like that transporty thing much better," Dudley admitted reluctantly.

"You've only been by elf apparition," Luna corrected; "Morgan's apparition is slightly different, and the more you do it, the more you get used to it…" she trailed off as she heard Hermione's voice; "Whenever you're ready love…" causing her to smile and blush. "Speak of the devil," she joked.

Ginny drew her attention and kissed her softly.

"Take good care of her?" she asked gently; "she's been so…"

"Fragile?" Luna offered, Ginny nodded; "I know… it hit her hard but…" she smiled as she scanned for Hermione, feeling her more at peace than she had in a long time; "She's almost there, Gin…" she laughed as she stood; "I just figured out why she's been so distracted…" she pulled Ginny to her feet and hugged her; "She's planning something for your birthday and she doesn't want you to know about it…"

"Oh for crying out loud…" Ginny laughed; "and it was her idea to stop having…" she laughed even harder; "did she think that would really distract me?"

"Maybe…" Fleur offered as she hugged Ginny from behind; "shall I take you to mine and Luna's room?"

"I'd like that," Ginny replied as a smiling Fleur kissed her cheek; "Maybe have Hermione take you to ours?" she suggested to Luna.

"Maybe…" she smiled and kissed a smiling Ginny; "I love you…" she turned and kissed Fleur; "and you… most of all…" she kissed her again deeply before kissing Nym softly; "and you too…" she stepped back and apparated to Hermione's side.

Luna sat down beside her, lifted her arm and placed it around her shoulder before lacing her fingers with Hermione's free hand.

Hermione turned her head and kissed the top of the blonde's head.

"We found some good news…" Luna said, her voice just above the crashing waves; "something that can help you with your problem…"

"Yeah?" Hermione said with a sigh as she laid her head on top of Luna's, she was afraid to hope there could be a solution; "And what's my 'problem'?" Hermione asked.

"How can you move on from something if you can still see it so clearly?" Luna deduced but didn't stop there; "plus all the other memories you've seen lately… I can imagine your head is starting to get…" she squeezed Hermione's hand to get her to meet her eyes; "a little full?" she asked.

"You have no idea…" Hermione said laughing ruefully as tears stung her eyes, it was only getting more and more difficult to shut her brain down.

"The Sisters invented a forerunner of a Penseive," Luna explained to Hermione's surprise; "only their version takes the images permanently but leaves the information…" she was interrupted when a grateful Hermione kissed her deeply, Luna freely sharing the memory of what she had read.

"Oh my god…" Hermione sighed, fresh tears coursing down her cheeks as she went to straddle Luna; "thank you…" she said before kissing her passionately; "not just for this, but…" she took a deep breath and looked towards the sky as she wiped the wetness from her face; "thank you for everything, Lu…" she sighed as she looked back down and met her eyes; "I don't know what Ginny would have done without you while she waited for me to catch up," she kissed her softly; "all the while you were figuring out how you felt about her…" she smiled and kissed her forehead, Luna's hands sneaking beneath her shirt; "I love you Luna… for everything you are…" she kissed her softly, taking a moment to deepen the kiss before pulling away again; "when I start to feel weak…" she admitted, her voice cracking; "I just look to one of the strongest women I know," she kissed her again; "I look to you…" she added, her voice barely above a whisper as she rested their foreheads together; "thank you…"

…

Ginny sighed as she placed her hand against the cool glass, Hermione's contentment washing over her. She felt Fleur walk up behind her then wrap her strong arms around her, relaxing back into their warmth.

"You okay?" Fleur asked softly, kissing just below her ear.

"Yeah… why?"

"You're not…" Fleur corrected as she turned Ginny to face her; "I can't put my finger on it, but…"

Ginny sighed heavily and pulled herself from Fleur's arms, going to rest against the window sill then opening her arms to her again. She rested her head against Fleur's shoulder, trying to find the words.

"Have you been having nightmares too?" Fleur asked gently, searching the redhead's eyes when she jerked away.

"Luna's not having nightmares again is she?" Ginny asked concerned.

"No… Nym has though…" Fleur admitted.

"Maybe she should siphon off some of her memories too…"

"That might not be a bad idea..." Fleur replied with a laugh then kissed Ginny's forehead; "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"I don't know that it's wrong…" Ginny sighed, she hadn't come out and told Hermione yet, just how bad it was, she already had too much on her plate; "I've stopped… I don't feel pain anymore…" she shook her head; "How am I supposed to control my gift if I can't feel pain?"

"Is that why you completely healed Dudley's arm?" Fleur asked, she remembered that Ginny had seemed surprised when the boy had hugged her and told her it felt like new, Ginny having barely flinched as she healed him. "Maybe it's just because you've been…" she started softly, running a finger along Ginny's cheek; "storing up so much energy that you're healing almost instantly?" she kissed her softly, frowning slightly when she didn't really respond to the kiss; "What?"

"It started when I healed our brands…" Ginny admitted, then tried to find the words to form her request; "Fleur… I know you and Luna sometimes…" she blushed and looked down.

"We get turned on by how each other react to pain... not by causing it," Fleur clarified; "something about it… it brings us into the moment…"

Ginny ran her hands down the blonde's arms, taking her hands and bringing them into her lips, searching her eyes as she considered how to phrase what she wanted.

"But you always have to be careful with Luna… hold back so you don't injure her…" she said quietly, her tone almost begging; "Hermione… she's too afraid to let go like that…" she laughed quietly; "too afraid of hurting a Healer…"

"Just because you can heal yourself…"

"I know," Ginny interrupted then kissed her; "it's just… after reading Elise's last journal… if I can start feeling pain again…"

"You can slow down how strong you're getting?" Fleur supplied, Ginny nodded and kissed her knuckles.

"It's more than that…" Ginny shook her head; "I want this…" she pulled Fleur close; "want you to be as rough as you want to be…" Ginny wondered if her words were having the same effect on Fleur as they were on her, her knickers almost soaked through. "Do for me what Hermione can't… yet…" she bit at Fleur's neck sharply causing her to hiss and her nails to dig into Ginny's hands; "I'm giving you permission Fleur…" she trailed her tongue up the French witch's neck to whisper into her ear; "Hermione even knows…"

"She's okay with it?" Fleur asked, taking Ginny's face in her hands to search her eyes.

"I've given up control with her many times, Fleur," Ginny smiled; "and had a first with everyone but you…" she kissed her deeply; "you're the only one who can do this for me… at least… for now…" she smiled; "I've given up control… but I want you to take it…" she said, reinforcing her wish with a wave of her desire, making Fleur go weak in the knees as it doubled her own need.

Fleur couldn't deny she wanted this… she wanted Luna this way more but she was too afraid she wouldn't be able to control her Veela, that she would really hurt her without meaning to

"I believe…" Fleur started, her voice low, "a safe word is in order?" she asked.

"Only stop if I call you Celeste…" Ginny replied, giving Fleur a clue just how much thought she had put into this as she took her by the wrist and maneuvered Fleur's hand past her waistband and then her underwear, Fleur almost losing all control when she found the fabric soaking. "Do you need more proof?" she asked, sighing as Fleur's fingers explored her… retreating before offering any relief.

Fleur didn't reply as she licked the wetness from her fingers, pausing only a moment before tearing away Ginny's clothes then carrying her to the bed and throwing her down on it. She held her down with one hand as she removed her own clothes, moving to hold Ginny down with her body, distracting her as she tied her hands to the bedposts. She sat up, straddling her even has the redhead worked against the bonds… she thought a moment… she'd fantasized of having Ginny in this position and the things she could do to her… she smiled… a smile that almost chilled Ginny even as it caused her to drip.

Fleur stood up and over her before magically turning her and forcing to her knees, her hands still attached to the bedposts. She knelt behind the redhead, dragging her nails along the inside of her thighs and forcing her legs apart. She brought her hands up and started to massage Ginny's breasts roughly biting down on her neck at the same time.

"You're sure about this?" Fleur whispered, checking in one last time before she knew she wouldn't be able to stop.

"Yes…" Ginny sighed; "please…" she pleaded.

"Then you don't come until I let you," she commanded firmly, pinching both the girl's nipples as hard as she could, Ginny finally gasping in pain. One last thing she felt, needed to be said, "thank you for trusting me with this…" she leaned back and smacked Ginny's ass as hard as she could; "I'm going to make you scream in so many ways…" she added before drawing blood with her nails as she dragged them down her back.

…

Luna snuggled into Hermione's neck as the older girl pulled the blanket tighter around them… they'd never gotten around to leaving the beach, instead summoning a blanket and screaming their climaxes to the waves. They both had an idea what Ginny and Fleur were up to, both their partners having shared that particular fantasy, and wanted to make sure they had the time to fully enjoy themselves… so instead they sat, cuddling naked beneath the blanket as they talked about it.

"It doesn't…" Luna sighed; "I don't know… make you feel inadequate?"

"That I can't fulfill one of Ginny's fantasies?" Hermione asked as she pondered the question. "Maybe… at first… but I think…" she hugged Luna closer; "it'll be easier for them to let go with each other than it will for us…"

"Because Fleur is so afraid of hurting me," Luna replied sadly.

"Because she loves you so much," Hermione reminded her; "it's the same reason… until I can really control my strength… I can't…"

"But she's a Healer…" Luna teased.

"I know," Hermione said with a laugh but then turned serious as she started reaching for her clothes; "but in the moment? I can't bring myself to give her what she needs…" she shrugged her shoulders as she turned her shirt right side out again; "it'll take more trust for Ginny and me than it does for her and Fleur…"

"Fleur does love her," Luna said, frowning slightly as Hermione pulled her shirt over head; "Why are you getting dressed?"

"Because we have company…" Hermione replied, surprised that Luna hadn't noticed.

Luna smiled as she reached for her own clothes, she'd been too distracted by her lover's emotions to notice that of someone, who was slightly uncomfortable, waiting just out of sight.

"Who do you think it is?" Luna asked as she watched Hermione shimmy into her jeans beneath the blanket.

"I don't know," she replied as she handed Luna her jeans; "but they've been waiting for us to, um, finish, for a while…" she kissed Luna briefly, the younger girl blushing. "You can come out now!" she called; "We're decent!" she added as she knelt and turned to the treeline, almost gasping in surprise as she a saw female Goblin for the first time.

"Hello..." she replied as she drew closer, wringing her hands nervously as she approached, her head bowed and her eyes trained to the ground; "I didn't mean to disturb you but…" she chanced a look up before quickly looking down again; "my father sent me to fetch you," she shook her head; "I'm sorry… to ask if you'd like to visit our village… he has some gifts for the rest of your coven…" she explained in a rush.

Hermione considered the young Goblin in front of her… she wasn't sure how she knew she was young but she didn't think she looked as old as most of the Goblins she'd met. She fought a sigh as realized she knew as little about their allies as they did their enemies.

"Please," she finally said warmly; "you needn't fear us…"

"Oh… I don't," the Goblin replied, chancing another quick glance at the girls.

"This… how you're behaving… it's a sign of respect?" Luna asked.

"Not something, I'm sure, they've shown many humans given how they've been treated by them," Hermione replied ruefully. "Please, look at us…" she waited until the Goblin did just that; "What is your name?"

"Siofra," she replied, surprising the girls again; "We do have first names…" Siofra said, her voice teasing; "you don't honestly think we go around giving ourselves these silly blood-thirsty names without reason…"

"But you're named after Elise's first-born," Hermione said, slightly awed.

"I grew up here," Siofra began, relaxing slightly as she sat on the sand with them; "all of us have been named after the descendants of the Sisters," she smiled; "our 'surnames' are more of a joke on wizarding society, really…"

"Appearing to be what they expect you to be," Luna surmised.

Siofra nodded then stood again; "Will you come visit?" she asked.

"Maybe tomorrow…" Hermione offered, then rushed to add at the girl's disappointment; "I just… I thought it would be nice if we could all be there… we'd all like to thank you and your kin for your sacrifices…"

"The Sisters gave my people purpose and a way to prove themselves to the rest of the magical world," Siofra stated then smiled; "Can I tell my father when you'll be visiting?"

"How about tomorrow afternoon?" Luna suggested.

"Alright," Siofra replied with a grin; "I suppose we can put the feast off for another day…"

"I'm sorry?" Hermione asked.

"We thought, after we revealed our presence, you'd be knocking down our door the next day," she smiled mischievously; "but I guess you've had other things on your mind…" she teased before turning and running back to the trees; "See you tomorrow friends!"

…

Hermione sat, Ginny curled in her arms, as she and the others sat around a fire pit they had set up in the backyard. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered another lifetime that she and her Sisters had sat around a similar fire. Her left hand was rubbing Ginny's leg, the other playing with the back of her hair, both actions soothing not only her but Ginny as well.

"Are you feeling better?" Hermione asked quietly, trying not to draw the attention of the others or interrupt their conversations.

"You already knew, didn't you?" Ginny asked with a sigh.

"I don't know why you thought you couldn't talk to me about it…" Hermione prodded gently, Ginny sitting up in her arms to meet her eyes.

"You already had so much on your plate, love…"

"You don't think I would've like the distraction from my problems?" Hermione asked, her tone light but Ginny sensed the underlying insecurity.

She searched Hermione's eyes; "You're not… jealous are you?" she asked, but before she could answer Ginny leaned in to whisper into her ear; "Cause… as it amazing as it was…" she trailed off her hand down the front of her neck, sneaking down and beneath her collar; "Only makes me want it from you more…"

"Did it help?" Hermione asked gently; "Were you able to drain enough of your energy to feel pain again?"

"So you knew the only reason I wasn't feeling pain was because I was healing too fast?" Ginny laughed and nuzzled her nose into Hermione's neck. "I think… for you to really understand… this is one memory I should share with you…"

"Only if you want…" Hermione replied, happy that Ginny wanted to share but unsure she wanted to see.

"Well…" Ginny started softly, kissing her neck before continuing; "now that we know how… if the images bother you too much…"

"It's not that…" Hermione laughed and kissed her; "I want to see… understand… I just don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands off you once you do…"

"I'm okay if we break that particular promise," Ginny confided then went to whisper to her again; "I need you…" she almost whined.

"Oi! Lovebirds!" Nym called.

"You ready to wash that brain of yours, love?" Fleur asked, entirely bemused when those with Muggle knowledge started to laugh.

"Brainwashing?" Hermione gasped out.

"Oh, you know what I meant…" Fleur replied, exasperated but laughing as well.

"I don't understand why Harry and I have to be there…" Morgan whined, not wanting to leave his comfortable spot by the fire or have to let go of the boy in his arms.

"Aside from the fact that I'm sure there's a few memories Harry would like to forget…"

"I didn't realize it would work for all us," Harry said, surprising Morgan by quickly pulling himself from his arms and standing; "What are you waiting for?" he teased Morgan.

"I was going to say…" Hermione said, drawing their attention again as she and Ginny stood; "From now on rituals include all of us…" she smiled; "besides… I need you to collect my memories for me…" she trailed off with a frown as she realized something; "Cara!"

"Your ritual room is…" Cara began but trailed off at the look of anger on Hermione's face.

"You have their actual memories, don't you?" the brunette accused.

"Not their memories… no…" Cara replied, summoning a phial and handing it Hermione. "Fania only sought to clear her mind and had no use for the memories once she'd siphoned them off," she sighed and nodded to the phial in Hermione's hands; "They did however, leave me, and you, messages…" she held up her hand; "Don't ask me for the rest," she shook her head; "they were charmed to only appear when needed and disappear once viewed…"

"Viewed?" Luna asked.

"We, the Goblins and I, found a way to keep the original properties the Sisters created while adding a few of our own," Cara explained; "The Goblins already had a similar device and the Sisters adapted it to suit their own needs…" she smiled; "we added the ability for a large group of people to watch one person's memories… almost like watching a film…"

"That is going to make it so much easier to catch everyone up…" Hermione said thoughtfully as she looked from the phial in her hand to Cara; "What is this?"

"The first direct message from the Sisters to you," Cara replied; "I would suggest watching it after you've cleared your head though…"

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"I think this might be one you want to hang on to," Cara answered; "Your ritual room is ready…"

"The same one we used for the Branding?" Fleur asked.

"You didn't think they created a whole room just for that, did you?" Cara asked with a laugh before disappearing.

"No…" Hermione laughed as she took Ginny's hand and laced their fingers; "I suppose not…"

The group quietly made their way through the cottage to their ritual room, each lost in thought as to what memories they wanted to forget. Hermione, of course, had done little else since Luna had told her what they had found...there was such a laundry list of images she wanted to forget she only hoped she'd get them all.

They entered the room, the torches already lit, a silver basin in the middle of the table inside the basin that had collected their blood, along with at least a hundred small phials. She ran her hand over the charmed wood before summoning the Spellbook. She opened the book, wanting to read for herself how to perform the ritual before starting.

"Seems simple enough…" she said quietly and looked up to find the others already in place around the table. "All we have to do is think about the things we want to forget and the magic in the table and Pensive will draw them out through our hands…" she pointed to the channels in the table; "they move down to the basin then separate and flow down, one by one, to each of you to bottle…" she smiled; "Since I have the most to forget… I'll go first, yes?" she asked and received their nods.

She closed the book and sent it back to their room. She turned to Ginny and kissed her softly; "Love you…" she said softly.

"Love you too…" Ginny replied and turned her back to the table; "now go ahead and clear your head so we can fill it with better memories…"

"I'm just making space for all the amazing memories I already have," she confided and kissed her one last time. She closed her eyes and ordered her thoughts, something, due to the amount of practice she had, didn't take very long. Her eyes still closed as a multitude of vile images flitted past, Hermione felt along the table for her hand print, sighing in relief as, one by one, each of the images faded until only the knowledge of the memories remained… her head slow becoming clearer, the happy memories even brighter… before she realized she had started, her face was wet with tears… both out of happiness and relief.

"Hermione?" Ginny's voice said, seemingly from far away. "Love?" she added, a little more urgently, Hermione becoming aware of a hand rubbing her forehead.

"I'm okay…" she said, opening her eyes then understanding why Ginny sounded so concerned… she'd fainted as the last of the images had left her. She rubbed her face and smiled; "Guess I shouldn't have gotten rid of them all at once…" she theorized as she let Luna and Ginny helped her stand.

"What I want to know," Harry started, getting their attention; "is how you're supposed to tell them apart?"

"He has point, Sis… there's more than three dozen here…" Morgan added thoughtfully as he rolled a phial containing one of Hermione's memories in his hand.

"Because…" Hermione said with a smile, approaching the table and hovering a hand above the many vials, deciding on one in particular, she picked it up and smiled; "there's a security feature… when I pick up a phial I see the memory again…" she handed the phial to Ginny; "but no one else can…"

"Cool…" Ginny said, placing the phial on one of the new shelves on the wall, the others following suit until they were done. "Who's next?" Ginny asked.

"I'm good…" Fleur offered and looked to Luna.

"Me too," Luna added and looked to Ginny.

"I'm okay…"

"Really?" Hermione asked in surprise; "I'd have thought you'd have like to forget some of the year…"

"I played host to Tom?" Ginny supplied with a shrug; "I use it as reminder to not let my guard down again…" she turned to Nym's sigh.

"I'll go next…" she smiled, there was more than one thing she wanted to forget.

They again took their places around the table, Hermione squeezing Nym's free hand in support and kissing her cheek before she started. First she ridded herself of the actual memory, along with the implanted one, of the attack four years earlier. Next, one by one, she forgot each of the faces of the people she had been with, along with their sexual adventures, since meeting the girls… she couldn't go back and become a virgin again, but only having memories of the four women she was currently madly in love with, was pretty close.

"Wow…" Nym said softly as she opened her eyes; "I feel so…"

"Light?" Hermione offered and kissed her smiling cheek.

"I can't imagine how much better you're feeling…" Nym replied as she hugged her.

"Harry?" Luna said, drawing the sombre boy's attention as he occupied himself with putting away Nym's memories.

"Just thinking…" he admitted as he accepted Luna's hug; "I'm not sure I want to forget…"

"You don't exactly forget," Hermione corrected.

"I still know the things I removed… I could even describe them accurately," Nym said as she placed a hand on his shoulder; "but I can't bring an image to mind if I tried…"

"You will see a small flash of each… just to make sure you're losing the right memory," Hermione amended.

"Still…" Harry said quietly as he walked back over to the table and traced the impression of his own hand; "I don't know that I would be who I am without them," he looked up to Hermione; "It's different for you… most of the stuff you wanted to get rid of was never yours to begin with," he smiled sadly; "I don't even want to lose the memory that I hear when the Dementors are around…" he looked to Morgan; "it's the only memory I have of my mother's voice…" he looked back to Hermione and smiled; "besides… it's not like I can't…" he grinned and laughed; "change my mind…"

"No pun intended?" Morgan laughed and hugged him.

"None…" Harry laughed and hugged him back; "What Vermin did to me… I can let it destroy me or make me stronger…" he pulled himself from Morgan's arms and went to hug Hermione; "I choose the latter… what about you?"

"I'm not going to let it destroy me," Hermione said with a smile; "but I don't know that it'll make me stronger…" she squeezed him tight one last time then pulled away from him to take the phial Cara had given her from her pocket; "it did change me…" she said as she walked back to the table; "How could it not?" she asked them. She shook her head and looked to the phial in her hand; "I can't change what happened… I don't know that I would if I could…" she admitted sadly then looked up to meet Harry's eyes; "He deserved to die for the things he did to you, Dudley and Petunia but what gives me the right to make that decision or take his life?" she smiled to their surprise; "I don't feel badly that he's dead, anymore, just that I killed someone…"

"That's a step in the right direction…" Ginny offered.

"It really is…" Hermione said and kissed her temple; "Shall we see what Fania wanted to tell us?" she asked as she emptied the contents of the phial into the basin.

A fine mist rose from the table, coalescing into a laughing Fania.

"I have nothing to tell you…" she laughed; "You already figured it out…" she added before disappearing completely.

"Next time…" Hermione said through clenched teeth; "I see her in one of my dreams... I am definitely strangling her!"

A/N 2: I may have missed a few mistakes and a few parts still aren't as smooth as I'd like them... I'll get around to fixing both in the next few days...

A/N 3: thanks to Guest reviewer Heather... I hadn't realized I was posting on Hermione's birthday! I think, had I known, it might not have gotten in time as I would have placed even more pressure than usual on myself to get it just right. Thankfully the chapter turned out better than I expected!