IMPORTANT NOTICE: Seeing as life is getting complicated and I'm getting a little stressed, this story won't be updated until February 2015, hopefully I'll have it completely written by then and THEN I'll start posting it... if not, then I'll post it anyway, so don't worry :D

SECOND MORE IMPORTANT NOTICE: Have you watch Carmilla? It's not only the best webseries I've seen since, well, ever, but it also has amazing acting, incredible additional content, a great plot and it has... vampires! Okay, really, if you're into girl-on-girl action then go watch it but I do recommend you to do it when you actually have time to watch the 2 and a half hours of material and that you have nothing important to do the next day... you're going to need the time to glue yourself back together.

If you'd seen it, I'm so not over episode 36... and WE SAVED CARMILLA!

The link is in my biography and for those that aren't English speakers, the CC are available.

Now, enough rambling... I own nothing:

Chapter Twenty-Five – The Coaches

"It has come to our attention that none of you could properly solve the clue we've given you."

"Well, it's not like the riddle made much sense." Sabrina said plainly.

Ludo Bagman had the grace to blush. "Er, yes. The person in charge of it was… eh, maybe not the best." He coughed and Hermione got the impression he had been the one to write the riddle, that while nice, really gave them no information. "Either way, we've decided to give you lot a hand."

"What? Only a week or so from the Task?" The American witch asked incuriously.

"At least they're actually helping us." Harry shrugged, remembering very well that last time they did not care if even one of them was not prepared.

"Yes, we are all here to help." Bagman smiled serenely as he motioned to the gathered.

The six Champions were not entirely sure why they needed their Heads of School, or the three Wandmakers there, or the rest of the people that was sitting around the big, long table that had been set for them. The six had been called at lunch to discuss the next Task and had been promptly escorted to the room were the Weighting of the Wands had took place. In there they found Ollivander, Gregorovitch and Helena, along with Lily Potter, Alice Longbottom, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Rita Skeeter and five other people that not all of them recognized, among them, much to Hermione's surprise, was Myka, though she was standing near a window, not sitting on the table. The only one missing was Crouch, but with so many faces and Ludo's excitement, he was not missed.

The first thing that they noticed, aside from the crowd, was that the seats were accounted for. Rita, just like Myka was standing to the side, but the rest of them had already been in their places all around the table, leaving only five chairs for the Champions. With six of them it was obvious someone was making a statement. Fleur was the one to solve the problem by simply pulling Hermione to her lap, letting Harry and Syaoran sit at either side of them.

The Japanese Champion and his fiancée had been sent by Chance to help them, or so he had told Hermione and Luna, and they believed him. However, they were also told that Yamamoto Sensei was a little on the paranoid side and it was really difficult for Syaoran to leave his side without him knowing. It was easier for Sakura and she had sneaked far from her schoolmates in several occasions to train with them and exchange Intel, but, much like Syaoran, her time outside the Sensei's watchful eye was limited and that was the only reason none of them had gotten down the Chamber with the rest… they had so wanted to see a Basilisk up close.

They were still getting each a set of the protective catsuit they were making out its hide, though.

"So," Bagman continued. "Did somebody understood anything out the clue?"

"We have the entire night to look and capture something while other things keep us from it." Fleur told the congregated.

"And we were thinking boggarts and Dementors." Harry added. He did not need to say who 'we' were, they all had noticed how the Boy-Who-Lived spent more and more time with Hermione and MYBUTT.

Ludo blinked at that, while Madame Maxime scoffed loudly and Miss Stephens giggled at his absurdity. Even Karkaroff and Yamamoto looked at him with amusement in their eyes. All off them obviously thinking the boy was crazy for even suggesting that.

"Well I'll be damned." The ex-beater said amazed. "He got it."

"What?!" A breathless and shocked Lily Potter cried in anguish. She too had thought Harry was exaggerating… maybe not about the boggarts but rather the Dementors. Her appalled face was echoed all around the room by most of the witches and many of the men. The only ones not scared to death were Myka, Hermione, Fleur and Harry, those three witches showed instead resignation on their faces and Harry, well, Harry was cheering mildly.

"Yes!" He cried as he threw his fist up. Then he turned to Fleur and Hermione. "Pay up!"

The French witch stared at him. "I'm not paying you a bet in which you were right about that we'll probably die!" She said forcefully, making Hermione giggle at her frazzled look. "And you, shut up, if he won't get his money neither will you!"

That exchange made for the rest of them to be shocked out their, well, shock. How was that those three were so casual about such a statement? They did not know, and, obviously, the first one to recover was the one that really saw no danger in the Task. "Well done, Harry!" Ludo praised him. "Yes, you each have to retrieve a boggart while a series of creatures hunt you lot down. Now, following the spirit of the First Task, each one of your Ministries had contributed with something-"

"Told ya!" Harry whispered loudly to Hermione, who rolled her eyes with a smile.

"- and I have that list here. From Britain we got, yes, Dementors. From Norway, we got Inferi. France and Japan got us Vampires and Al-Basties respectively. And America got us some Pomberos, whatever those are." He muttered the last part.

"What?!" Lily yelled again, this time a little more frantic and lots more scared. "What kind of dunderhead are you?!"

"Sorry?" Ludo asked her, totally perplexed.

"How are you setting kids up against that creatures?! Are you out of your mind?" Miss Stephens cried, voicing what was echoing in all the Heads of School minds.

"Eh- No?" He said rather confused, however, he proved not to be too stupid as he noticed the red face on the Professor and immediately continued speaking in a rushed way, now well aware that she was seconds from exploding. "That's why we hired some coaches for them. For ten days, starting tomorrow, Valentine, these coaches are going to train and prepare the Champions to face the Task and live to tell the tale."

"Coaches?" Harry asked surprised. He shared a look with Hermione, then with Fleur. This was totally new and unexpected.

"Yes coaches." Ludo smiled as the tension in the room left slightly, just barely. "May I introduce you all to the witches and wizards that were hired to help our Champions?"

The ex-Beater stood and went to stand behind Alice Longbottom, who was sitting beside two witches and two wizards Hermione did not know. "This, ladies and gentlemen, are Auror Longbottom, Master Weiss, Doctor Noakes, Miss Hayward and Detective Dennis." He indicated as each one of them stood and bowed when their names were called. "They were hired based on their abilities and knowledge on Dark Creatures and survival. Each one of them will take one of you Champions and, hopefully, will make sure you are up the task of hunting down our runaway Boggart while defending yourselves from the Forest's creature and those that'll hunt you lot down. And, to make things fair, let's let them decide who they want to train, okay?"

"Wait." Syaoran said instantly, almost as Bagman stopped speaking. "There are only five of them. We are six."

"Yes, well, according to the Barty, the rules establish that in the only moment the Champions could be given help is when the tasks attempt to their lives and integrity and the judges consider necessary such intervention. But, the rules also establish that the help can only be provided taking into account the Champions planned before the Goblet of Fire was lit, as those coaches need to be selected before the Tournament starts."

"What?!" The indignant yell was echoed in three different voices as Harry, Fleur and Syaoran stared in disbelief at the man.

"That means one of us is not having a coach, how can you do that?!" Fleur screamed, jumping to her feet, transferring the witch on her lap to be held against her hip. "Are you out your minds?!"

Harry too leaped to his feet, ready to scream too, but really happy to let Fleur do all the talking. He noticed, without too much surprise, that nobody was angered at the fact that one of them was going to be left without help. He did not need to ask who was going to be the one left out, after all.

Syaoran, though, remained seated, his sole focus on the woman he knew was Helena Well's girlfriend and the way she too was almost shaking with indignation and barely suppressed anger. He saw how the woman approached the table, behind her girlfriend and silently let her hand rest on her shoulder, murmuring soft words for her ears only.

Bagman scowled at the French Champion. "There's nothing we can do. This people was selected and paid for before the Tournament started, ever since May. We. Cannot. Hire. More." He said slowly as if she was a little girl not good with words.

"Are you really telling us you hired someone, paid someone, before even knowing you were going to actually use them?" The blonde did not try to hide the disgust on her voice, and it was obvious her attitude was starting to get on the Heads of School and teachers' nerves.

"Miss Delacour, please, calm yourself." McGonagall asked in her brisk rough voice.

"Calm myself?! CALM myself?! Are you lot out your minds?! It's not fair to have one of us unaided and, let's face it, you all know who that Champion is going to be." Fleur sneered. "Aren't you Hermione's godmother? Why didn't you take her in when she was disowned? How is that you haven't come forward in her defence? Your House has been attacking her and harassing her since her name came out the Goblet. Where were you?" She asked sweetly, a little fire escaping her fingers and charring Hermione's robes slightly.

"How dare you?!" Minerva almost screamed, almost. "That is not important here, what's important is that the Champions, the real, Champions are helped."

Harry was the first to act, quickly snatching Hermione from Fleur's arms as the French witch's hands were engulfed with fire. "Put that out, woman." He hissed to her before addressing the gathered. "I've told you before, I'll tell you now. I did not enter my name, I did not ask anybody to put my name down nor do I want to compete. Given that, Hermione here is the true Hogwarts Champion. Not I."

Hermione sighed exasperated and reach over the older witch, to touch her forehead as her other hand crept behind Harry's neck. "You two, calm the fuck down and stop being so unreasonable. Look at Myka and Helena. They're planning something. We are not alone in this. REMEMBER THAT!"

"Harry, my boy," Dumbledore said, his pale eyes twinkling madly. The Boy-Who-Lived felt a gently prove in his mind, and, hearing Hermione's mild curse by their link, he knew the Headmaster was too trying to steal her thoughts. "We are certain of who Hogwarts' Champion is and we are looking into how there was an extra name selected. You don't need to concern yourself with that, leave it to us."

"I'm sure you are certain, Headmaster." Harry said bitterly as the Headmaster recoiled from his failed attempted at Legimency. "I, for one, are certain this is dragon dung."

"Harry!" Lily scolded him.

"Calm the fuck down!" Hermione yelled in his mind.

"I'm sorry, Mother." He muttered. He gently placed Hermione on his seat as Fleur sat again, rounding the chair to stand behind the chair, placing his hands on its raised back. "Shall we continue, then?" He said in a strained effort to be polite.

"Yes, that should be better, yes." Ludo Bagman said after a brief silence in which no one spoke. "So. Shall we assign the coaches?"

In short order the Champions were picked, Harry going with his Aunt Alice, Fleur with Detective Dennis and Syaoran going with Doctor Noakes. It went without saying that the only one left without coach was Hermione.

"Oh," Ludo said. "Miss Potter is the only one not picked, well, let's continue with the Second Wa-"

"Excuse me." A musky voice was heard. Every eye turned to Helena Wells and the woman behind her. "We are willing to help." She indicated with her hand to herself and Myka.

"Help how, Professor?" Miss Stephens asked her, narrowing her eyes at her employee.

"As we all are well certain that this Tournament tries to be fair for all participants, my partner and I volunteer to help Miss Potter train for this Task."

"I'm sorry, Professor Wells," Ludo said. "We cannot hire more coaches."

"I believe the rules say that you must choose and pay for them at the beginning of the Tournament, but in no place they say that an unpaid coach cannot be hired during the course of the Tournament." Helena smiled to them sweetly.

"Unpaid?"

"Yes, Mister Bagman, unpaid. My partner and I are willing to help her without receiving any monetary gain."

"The two of you? Don't you think that's unfair? The rest of the Champions have only one coach." Karkaroff finally spoke up. Apparently the unfairness only mattered when it affected his charge, not that Viktor was even paying attention.

"Professor Wells," Miss Stephens' concern, though, was other. "If you decide to help her, then I must inform you that you wouldn't be able to work for Salem's Withes'. We cannot have a member of our staff supporting the competition."

Helena's sculpted eyebrow rose. "Then please expect my resignation letter this afternoon, Headmistress." She turned to the Durmstrang's Head. "And no, having the two of us is not unfair. Neither Miss Bering or I are Dark Creatures experts, nor are proficient in combat or strategy as we are both Muggleborn, but I believe that between the two of us we can help Miss Potter." The Wandmaker lied easily. Of course both of them were expert in combat, Dark Creatures and an array of several other little things that may or may not help Hermione stay alive during the Task. Myka had promised to teach Hermione how to fish with her bare hands some day!

Miss Stephen was rendered speechless, and the look of horror on Sabrina's face was priceless. Ludo Bagman, on the other hand, was looking too gleeful for anyone tastes. "Perfect, perfect!" He almost squealed. "Miss Potter will then be aided by the lovely Miss Wells and… beg your pardon, luv', what's your name?"

"Bering. Myka Bering." She said.

"Myka, the Myka?" Sabrina asked, still getting over the fact that one of the most loved professors at Salem's Witches' was quitting.

"The one and only." The American brunette smirked.

"Oh." Sabrina's little questioning was completely ignored as Ludo grinned and proclaimed that he, having been given full control over the coaching proceedings, agreed with the appointment of two not so talented and experimented witches as the trainers of the one Hermione Potter.

"So… if we are here for our 'teachers'," Syaoran asked. "Then why are they here?" He motioned to the three Wandmakers sitting almost in front of the Champions.

"Ah, yes. Giving the nature of the Task we had decided to have a Second Wand Weighing. To make sure all your wands are up to shape and still functional."

Hermione and Fleur exchanged worried glances as Viktor was called to test his wand. This was proving to be too strange, too different from last time. What was happening, but most importantly, what was changing and how could they prevent a fatality?

XxXxX

"Are you sure this is allowed?" Hermione asked them for the tenth time.

"Yes." Helena assured her, again. "Professor Snape sighed for your custody the moment you were casted out the Potter family. He gave his permission for you to be here. Stop worrying."

"But-"

"Stop it, Tiny, or Helena will pull over and I'll take you to a stroll for a talk." The threat in Myka's voice was unmistakable and Hermione wisely chose not to find out what having a talk with the American witch entailed.

"Sorry." She instead mumbled.

She was sitting on the backseat of Helena's sedan, going to where Myka worked to drop the witch's permission to miss work for a month, citing family business. She had been amazed at learning that any fireplace was up to an intercontinental connection if one had the proper kind of Floo powder, which was purple rather than green. One brisk walk to Hogsmeade and a quick word with Rosmerta and she had found herself in Helena's arms and travelling all the miles to Helena and Myka's flat in South Dakota, where Myka worked at a Muggle Government facility.

The American witch was taking the time off work, as was Helena, to dedicate all her waking, and she suspected, sleeping hours to help her train for the Task that was going to be held in just ten days. It had been Helena's idea to take the girl out Scotland and have her train at their home at the United States, citing that underage magic was not so restricted in the New World and they could easily practice more without alerting the Ministry of the Dark spells they were going to pour down the girl's throat in the upcoming days. That, and Helena wanted to crave her a special staff that would be 'merged' with her wand so that she could use it to both cast and fight.

Or so she was told.

"We're here." Myka announced as Helena parked in front of a rather decrepit building that had a cow tied to the front.

"What the-" Hermione murmured. This was where Myka worked?!

"Don't judge the Snitch by its shine, luv." Helena remarked as Myka left the car and quickly went inside the building. "The building has some expansion charms inside, it's really bigger than what you may think."

The younger witch frowned and leaned so that she could peek better from in between the two front seats. "I thought she worked with Muggles?"

"She does. But that doesn't mean that the Muggle government doesn't use magic for this special building."

Something in the way she spoke made Hermione pause. "You can't talk about it, right?"

Helena smiled. "No. The secret has a strong compulsion charm that affects anyone knowing of here. We can't speak with anyone unless they are cleared by Myka's boss."

"Okay." Hermione accepted the true at it was. "Where are we going from here?"

"We are going to buy supplies to last us at least a fortnight. We are planning on holing up until the Task to train you." She turned to see the smaller brunette fully. "Is there something you'd like us to buy?"

The Basilisk blushed. "I have no money, I wouldn't like to impose. Having me in your home is more than enough. Thank you."

Helena stared down at her for a minute, making Hermione squirm in her seat. "Money is not everything, Hermione."

"I know, but still…"

The older woman swiftly pushed the girl back and, in a quick move, joined her on the backseat, gently placing Hermione on her lap. "What's bothering you?" She asked her in a soothing murmur. "You can talk to me."

The Slytherin Queen let out a shaky breath, sorting through her thoughts and allowing herself voice something that had been bothering her for years yet had stayed in the back of her mind until the term started. "Last time around I had everything. I was not rich but I was wealthy enough to pay Hogwarts without having my parents sell their kidneys, and I had a family that loved me. I could have books, toys, a piano, hell, I was set to pay for a rather costly school, more expensive than Hogwarts, and I was happy." Her voice cracked. "But now, now I really have nothing. I'm practically living on charity and I have no idea what I'll do next year… Sev likes me, but I hate living off him, he's a colleague, not a friend and, no matter how much Luna likes to tell me otherwise, I know I'm not living with her anytime soon.

"Nev and Drake are in a similar position. They are both adults and in charge of their own affairs, they have their soon to be wives and they also need to take care of their families… I can't impose on them either. And Harry, well Harry is Harry and he's just a Scion… I- I'm being dumb…" She finished softly, burring her head on the tall woman's chest. "I'm sorry."

Helena hummed as she gently stroke her hair. "It's hard. Remembering past lives and comparing them to what you have at the moment. I can understand you, but you need to let go. You are in for the long run, Maya and this feeling is going to be present every moment of every life. There's no escape form it, you need to learn to bury it or accept it. There's no other way around it."

"I know." She whimpered. "But it hurts. I miss my parents."

"Which ones?"

Hermione chuckled mirthlessly. "The real ones, the first ones and the good ones, not the bad ones… James and Lily, and Mum and Dad… I miss them, their, I don't know what to call it… presence, maybe?" She groaned. "I need a way to tell them apart, don't I?"

"Well, you can refer to them as you call them, no? James and Lily are Papa and Mama, and the Crawleys are Mum and Dad… the other two are 'that bastard' and 'that bitch'." Helena smiled sadly. "And you miss their love, dear. We all miss our parents' love once in a while."

"How can you cope?"

"Practice, love, practice." Helena sighed. "We've lived so many lives and we've met so many people, have so many friends, families, lovers… in the end the only ones who really matter are us, you and your heart, your Luna, Hermione, you need to remember that. Once Luna and you are done with this life is highly probable you won't see anyone but each other again. You need to accept that and focus so that you meet Luna again."

"It's not fair." It was not fair that they got to live so many times. It was not fair that they could not see their friends again. It was not fair they were going to meet so many people who would become a memory sooner or later. It was not fair that they were going to be separated time and time again, only to found each other and remember. It was not fair she had to sell her soul so that they could live free. It was not bloody fair.

"That's the matter, dear. Life's not fair."

XxXxX

"Missing the wife?"

Luna snorted. "Of course I am. It's been five days already!" She said sarcastically.

"Hey! No need to be bitchy about it!"

The blonde Slytherin sighed. "I'm sorry, Nev, I really miss her. Without her here I'm having visions almost nightly." She was an unlucky Seer and her visions always came to her in the night, taunting her, mocking her. That she only saw visions filled with death and pain was the only reason she hated her gift, a gift that at least sometimes proved to be useful. Hermione was the only one that kept the worst visions at bay and no matter she drank vials and vials of Dreamless Tonic, she still had them one way or another.

The young Lord nodded, well aware of her dilemma, and sat beside her on the boulder that had been hers since their last life time. No one was exactly sure how, but the little crazy girl simply took possession of that massive rock facing the Lake and no one ever sat on it again after that. "It's going to sound crazy, but the Castle feels empty without them around."

The witch nodded. While Hermione was taken to America, Harry was taken to Potter Manor and Fleur was sent to Canada for their own training. The other three Champions had left the School too, but not having their friends close was strange and really did make the Castle feel empty. "They'll be back on the twenty-four." She said both to comfort him and herself. "Only a handful of days until then."

"It sucks she wasn't around for Valentine."

Luna smiled. "She sent me her gift in the morning."

That perked the wizard up. He knew Luna had sent her something as they both considered Valentine being their anniversary, but she had not thought that Hermione could send her something while on training. "Really? What is was?"

"Just a box of chocolates and a letter. But I loved it." Luna had to suddenly blink back tears. She did miss her little Basilisk. "Oh, Sweet Morgana, what am I going to so without her until the Task?"

"Keep training. Keep going to the Forest to hide everything. Keep studying. Keep getting ready to help her the moment she arrives back." He smiled sadly. "Keep doing what you are doing right now."

"Okay." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them gone was the sad twinkle in them, replaced by steely determination. "Report our progress."

Neville nodded at her change of attitude. A moping Luna was a useless Luna. "Vati and Lav had outdone themselves. Cissy's tailors refused to work with the Basilisk hide so they took it upon themselves to make our uniforms. They'd recruited Winky, Anty and Dobby to help them and last time I checked they already have three dozens of uniforms ready, all of them self-adjustable and charmed to be featherlight. According to them they'll have all of us geared up by the Second Task. We are only missing the masks, but I don't think those are a good idea."

"The masks are necessary. We don't want anyone knowing who we are. Besides, they'll help protect us better."

Neville frowned. "If you say so. Gred has the designs, you only need to pick one and we can start the production. No need to hurry with those, though, we are not getting any ready for the Task."

"Maya is the one picking our face, Nev." She reminded the wizard. "How is the Forest Team doing?"

"We are done. Everything that's ours in there is hidden and has enough repelling wards to make Hogwarts look like a lighthouse. We only need to keep making rounds to ensure that no one cross the wards by accident."

"What about the night of the Task?"

"We've drew a schedule. It's impossible to all of us be out there without alerting someone. I'm sure the Snakes are up the task, but the rest of us will make rounds. We're appointing two per location and we'll be switching every three hours, starting at eight in the morning of the Task. Everyone that volunteered know where and when to be. Our main goal is making the Aurors and Botanists roaming around no the wiser about our plantations, the creatures finally understood that our things are not for their eating. The maps we gave the rest of the Champions were adapted so that we can know where they are in every moment and they'll instantly confound them if they get too close to our plants, that's it if they actually use the maps."

"They will." Luna smirked. "None of them really believed Hermione when we told them about the beast in the First Task, yet they still prepared themselves because they really had nothing to lose. They won't not trust her again, they'll use the maps."

Neville conceded that. "Then we are as ready as we can be."

"Which means we are not ready at all."

XxXxX

"I can't believe they are having the kids going against those monsters!"

"Calm down, Lils, Harry is amazing, he'll do fine."

"Alice, you can't tell me to calm down! What if it was Neville the one to enter that Forest?"

The Auror sat straighter, her hard eyes pinning Lily to her chair. "He won't come out there, that's for sure. But Harry will. You haven't see him train, Lils, he is fast, agile and know a god lot of spells." She sighed. "Trustfully, I'm entirely sure he needed my help."

"Stop exaggerating, Al, please. I know how hard it'll be to face those things… remember he was deeply affected by the dementors, what will happen when he face one of those?"

"He'll drive them away, surely." Alice said without real thought.

"How? The Patronus Charm requires years a stable core and months of practice. No boy of fourteen can cast it."

"Harry can." The brunette informed her friend. "He cast a corporeal Patronus, Lils, a sort of bird, I think."

"Wh-What?"

"Your boy is terribly powerful. I'm really confident he can survive this." She paused for a second. "He has a map, a piece of parchment, really, that shows the whole of the Forest and what lives there."

"What? How could he map the Forbidden Forest? Nobody goes in there!"

Alice regarded her friend, trying to decide if the redheaded was joking or not. Surely she remembered all their adventures, together, in the Forest, right? Surely she was more than aware that while its name meant to make the place out of limits there were almost no student that have not gotten in there at least once in their school careers. Surely her friend was aware that her boys had gotten in there too, right? "Regardless," She decided to pin it to Lily's nerves. "He has the map and it'll be great help."

"Where did he get it?"

The Auror pursed her lips, not sure how her almost sister would take the information. "That Club of your daughter's-"

"She's not my daughter." Lily interrupted her.

The other witch frowned. The way the Potters broke all ties with Hermione was something she could not fully understand. Lily and James had loved the girl almost since they first saw her, yet they had ditched her the moment she proved to have her own mind and her own personality. Alice and Frank both had been Lions and were proud that Kim was a Cub too, but that did not mean that they loved Neville less for being placed in Hufflepuff. In fact, she was proud that her son was so kind and loyal to be placed in there. She was grateful too, that his kindness had seen Frank only whipped and not killed like many fathers had been over the centuries as the boy took control of their family. Being in a different House than the norm for their families was good. Why could not Lily see that?

"What does MYBUTT has to do with anything?" Lily prompted her friend to keep talking.

Alice snorted at the childish acronym, briefly wondering why Lily did not react to its silliness, just as she did not react that Hermione was in the Tournament too. "Well, as soon as they knew the Task was going to take place in the Forest, the whole club started going to the Forest to map the place and made sure their members survive. According to Harry all the Champions were given a map the moment they were completed."

"And they trusted them?" The redheaded asked a little on the incredulous side.

"Who is them?" Alice asked her, just a little insulted. Neville was part of the club, after all.

"Those kids in the club. They do nothing but waste time and space." The Lady Potter pursed her lips, angered.

"Let me remind you, Lily, that both Neville and Harry are part of that club."

The other witch sniffed offended. "And so do Malfoy, Lovegood and Parkinson."

Alice imitated her best friend pose, crossing her arms and turning her nose up. "And so do three Weasleys, the Patil twins and Susan Bones, who let me remind you, is Amelia's nice, your husband's boss."

"Still… nobody know what happens in the club. I don't trust most of their members."

"I do." Alice said in all seriousness. "I'm sure had Neville not been a member Frank would have kill him in mere seconds."

"And I'm sure had her not be a member he would never challenge his father to duel."

The Auror remained silent for a moment, allowing both of them to sip their teas and to nibble on the scones Hook had made. Yes, that club had changed her son, but she really thought it had been for the better. Neville had never been weak or feeble. He was the top of his class in Hufflepuff and he was in the first five of all the year, beating most the Ravenclaws and putting himself in the spot for being next year's Prefect, yet with the club she was aware he was getting more powerful, more resourceful and much more knowledgeable.

Most of the spells he used when dueling her husband were spells only taught in Auror Academy, or, in the case of his last spell, only known to a handful of people that worked in England but studied abroad. She was not blind, she saw the boy fight and she was well aware that he had had some sort of training before the duel. Kim said that Neville and the club went out for running daily and that they meet every night after dinner to do only they knew what.

She really thought they were assembling a small army, but she was the only one thinking that and she would not tell on them. No way of knowing what Fudge would do with that information.

"Harry will survive." Alice said when she finished her tea and, after popping the last of her scone in her mouth, she got up. "He's powerful and intelligent. The best of combinations."

Lily simply stared at her as the Auror left the parlour. Harry's break was up and she needed to get back to training.

She only hoped that she was right and her baby was capable of surviving this damned Task.

XxXxX

"Wake up, Maya! Wake up!"

Brown, panicky eyes shot open as her little body scrambled to a crouching position a top the bed, her wand was called to her hand silently and instantly aimed to the figure sitting on the bed.

"Easy, dear." Helena said quietly, trying not to spook her more than necessary. She raised her bare hands slowly, showing no wand in them. "It was just a dream, Maya, just a dream."

Her tense body relaxed almost immediately as soon as she recognized the older witch that was just a feet from her and Myka's silhouette that was waiting patiently by the door, vigilant of the two females that had come close to her heart. Hermione lowered her wand and sat gingerly on the bed, not protesting when Helena swiftly gathered her in her arms.

"Shh, dear," The older witch murmured as she combed her hair out her face. "Easy now, it was just a dream."

Hermione just sniffed, finally noticing that she was crying her eyes out. She buried her face in the other woman's chest, faintly noticing that she was placed on Helena's lap and the slight weight that shifted the mattress. A warm, strong hand gently rubbed her back.

"It's okay, Maya. We're here." Myka never called her Maya, only Tiny, that she was doing so now only made her cry harder as the way she said her name was filled with a love and a promise of a security that moved her. These two women cared for her so much it hurt, it hurt to be with those two that she had only gotten to know in mere months and that showed so much more love than her real parents. It hurt.

"I'm sorry." Hermione mumbled into Helena's chest. She had woken them up daily now and no matter what they did they could not prevent her nightmares from visiting.

On her first night at their flat she had woken them up three times, one of which she ended up throwing up after the images that danced through her mind. On the second night she had confided in them with the little ritual that Lily had developed for her to dream free of nightmares. Myka had read her a child's book while Helena softly ran her hand through her dark curls until she succumbed to sleep yet she had woken up almost an hour later screaming her lungs out.

The following nights had gotten them experimenting in ways to keep her terrors at bay. So far nothing had worked, though she found out drinking a mix of lavender, mint and chamomile made wonders to keep her asleep for at least three hours, time in which she would again wake up from a nightmare. She was tired, cranky and miserable without her Luna and, although she only had to wait four days to see her again, those days felt like an eternity.

Her training was going well, yes, but she was moody and in dire need of a proper night of sleep.

"Don't apologize, dear, we're here for you." Helena said to her softly. "What to share with us?"

"No," Hermione hiccupped. "Not really. I only want to sleep." She whined.

Myka chuckled at the pathetic girl on her lover's lap. "Come here, then, let's get you sleepy again."

Hermione sighed and let herself being drawn on the other's female form. On her third night, after a rather shocking nightmare, she had found herself on Myka's arms who simply carried her as she paced around, softly rocking her back to sleep, just like she was a toddler. It had calmed her immensely and had made her tears stop after a few minutes and ever since, when she ready to go back to sleep, Myka would take her and gently get her sleepy and calm again.

It was wrong, having those two treating her like family, loving her as family, but she was so grateful for them. They loved her and she knew she loved them back. They made her feel safe. They made her feel oh so guilty.

"She's out." Helena murmured as Myka passed by her again, noticing the knock-out girl resting against her shoulder.

"Let's go then." Her lover murmured back as she left their guestroom with the small witch still in her arms.

Helena was bemused for a second before she went after her. Entering the master bedroom she was pleased to see the always aloof woman so endeared with the little brunette, who was currently being tucked in the middle of their bed, her face peaceful and relaxed for once. "I wondered when you'll finally crack." She had no trouble having the girl sleep with them, but for her lover to be happy about it, Myka needed to be the one taking that decision.

Myka shrugged. "She doesn't take up much space." She crawled into bed, letting Hermione snuggle on her chest. "Com'mon, love, it's late."

Helena simply smiled and climbed with the other two brunettes on Hermione's other side, throwing an arm over her to almost embrace Myka. Within moments the only sounds on the house were their soft breathing and the occasional rustle of the sheets.

Hermione remained asleep until morning.

A/N: I needed to leave Hermione with a small relaxing time, she's going to appreciate it soon.

Have a good Holiday and an amazing New Year, people. I'll read you in a couple of months. :D