Author's note: Just wanted to say thank you to bookgeekchic for agreeing to beta for me. Neither of us have done this so we are figuring it out together. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy where the story is going and how we get there. Since it's all written I feel like I'm along for the ride now too. Everything is JKRs except what isn't. Thanks to all the fanfiction authors who have inspired me and changed the world JKR created, in my mind at least.

-maybenotahufflepuff

Thorfinn watched the denim clad behind of the little witch walk towards the door. If another wizard had put that look of disbelief and slight uncertainty on her face, he would have been jealous. It was impossible to be anything other that surprised by how the day went. It had started with him slogging through paperwork and tallies of monies out and monies to collect. Then he had been chasing the witch in the dark, then dinner. It had been different, the food and the beer, it had been good though. It had felt almost unbelievable to be sitting in a muggle restaurant with the little witch. How his life had changed. Out there, with her, it didn't feel like such a huge task, living.

Then Yax had showed up and the day had turned into something else altogether. Sure he had seen her take down wards when they came here the other day and when she had left that day. He'd seen her duel too, knew that she was a formidable witch. That display though, the slight edge of dismissal she had, before the ice pillar grabbed all of her attention. It was impressive to watch her make her way through the bastards version of an obstacle course. She had been the only one of the three that didn't know what was coming but hadn't been surprised by the outright insanity of those challenges. It made him wonder what she had been doing, alone. Just her doing insane magics without telling anyone, the man who sent her sitting in the same stone box while she risked herself. Potter must not have known exactly what she was doing or he would have made a fuss. Even the Malfoys would have raised havoc over her doing magic alone like that. So they didn't know. Little witch had been living a double life.

Looking up at the two older wizards he caught the last part of their, probably extended, silent conversation. Dolohov's shoulders slumped a little and Yax began to laugh. A real laugh, Thorfinn thought, a bit surprised. Dolohov threw a quill and then the ink bottle at the other wizard, the first fell harmlessly and the second he caught.

"She is surprising, isn't she? Offering you an out. I thought you would combust." Yaxley was still laughing and when Dolohov cracked a slight sneer he thought maybe it was time to go. This whole day had been odd but this was going a bit far. Standing, he looked between the laughing wizard and the obviously not laughing one and edged toward the door. Just before he reached it a voice cracked out.

"Tell no one not of us." It took a second to puzzle out Dolohov's meaning and then he snapped his gaze up. 'Bas then, he wasn't sure who else it could be. He nodded.

"Come tomorrow afternoon if you don't want to be here for the assessment." Yaxley put in, finally calming down, though chuckles seemed to escape him occasionally. Nodding again, he strode to the door and then, again, left through the hole she had put in the wards.

As he walked down the damp path, free of the cold or ice from earlier, he thought about the little witch. Flashes of her face throughout their day. Uncertainty, glee, the lazy relaxed grin, and how she had looked to him before coming here. Like she would have listened to him, had he offered advice or knowledge. It made him a bit uncomfortable. Admiring the witch, from afar, was different than letting himself interact with her. Reaching the apparition wards he turned back, the cabin was around a few bends and he couldn't see it. Knowing it was there, that today had actually happened helped but surreal was the only word. Thinking of Rabastan's cabin, he spun away with a crack.

Walking towards this cabin gave him more feelings of certainty than the one he had just left. He took a breath before knocking and opening the door. He wasn't sure if anyone was here. It didn't look like it, his friend was stretched out on the couch with a thick book in his hands. Looking over at him with an absent greeting, he must have noticed something on his face.

"Good afternoon? Hermione was here and then you were both gone." There was some teasing in the voice but mostly it was a serious question. There must have been conflicting emotions on his face.

"Little witch needed a distraction and her usual ones were busy. Took me into muggle London and we played laser tag. I'll explain later. Then we were sitting in a restaurant out there and Yax showed up. Dolohov summoned her via Yax, she said something about them snatching each other off the street. I'd like to know what that was about. Anyways she went. Then we followed. He put her through some serious magical obstacle course. Complete with enchanted frozen forest and bolts of magic shooting at her. Then she solved the puzzle she had failed. He couldn't be more of a dick about things. Anyways after, he offered her an apprentice scroll. Well Yaxley did, they talked. She signed it." Thorfinn related the bare bones of the evening. After his first sentence his friends eyes had flicked back to the book but after that it lay on his chest as he listened. Mouth a bit open at the end. Silence for a minute. Then he shot out of his prone position.

"She signed. He took her on. Merlin, this is not what I expected. I thought maybe he could be worn down eventually. Yaxley too eh? That's good. I think he spends too much time alone." The last was said in a musing tone of voice. Thorfinn couldn't help a snort. They had all been in isolation, essentially. 'Bas rolled his eyes.

"We've got each other, yea? They have only had each other, as long as I've known them." He seemed contemplative now. Thorfinn nodded. Some became pairs in his service, some came as pairs. They had been the latter category. It wasn't often that Voldemort accepted his slaves with conditions. He didn't want to think about then, now was better and more interesting.

"Did you have fun, whatever kind of tag you were playing?" The real curiosity and the slight smile made him a bit uncomfortable but if he couldn't talk to 'Bas then he couldn't talk to anyone. He had been pretty well behaved today.

"Mmmmm. It was fun. No time spent watching her body molded into those denims is wasted though. The boots rode her calves to just under her knees. It was basically a big dark room with stuff to hide behind, we hunted each other. The little witch is hot as hell, especially when she is a bit dangerous. Watching her do magic like that, I've never even seen some of it." A slight choking noise escaped his mouth and he rolled his eyes when 'Bas chuckled at him. Then he nodded.

"I too can appreciate those muggle pants. Well your day was certainly more exciting than mine." Rabastan said thoughtfully. Thorfinn tilted his head in question, sitting across from him.

"Luna and I went exploring again. This time the other side of the river. That witch is so aware of her surroundings but doesn't react to what people normally would. It's fascinating to watch her. I had only known her while she was a captive. Free, I've never been so free." For minutes they sat together. Thinking their own thoughts, about witches and freedom. The future.

Scenebreak replace and remove.

"Harry! Harry are you here?" She stood, breathless and still in her outfit from earlier today. Sure her hair was a disaster. She had a stressful meeting, then laser tag, a meal, several apparition trips, and been attacked magically more than once. Her hair had then been basically frozen along with the rest of her and she had never felt so alive. Disbelief was warring with the almost overwhelming joy. He had offered and signed first. Didn't take her fumbling way out, even when offered. It even seemed a little bit like he wanted to have her apprentice under him. Maybe that was reaching.

"Harry!" She called out again. Not able to hold in her voice or stay still. She was practically hopping around the dark kitchen. Nothing, no reply.

"The Rookery." She called into the floo and then came out of the fireplace at Luna's house.

"Luna! Luna it happened!" She called out. This time she made herself slow down and clean the soot off of herself. Another dark house and no reply. Luna could be anywhere and she didn't fancy apparating to her without any idea of the situation. She wasn't drained but she was depleted, magically. She hadn't been home in a while and needed to check on Lev, so she responsibly made herself floo home instead of trying to find her friend. Maybe she could owl them and someone would have time for breakfast.

Stepping out into her floo room she was surprised to hear laughing from what sounded like her kitchen. The comfortable brush of her two closest friends magics should have calmed her but it seemed not even that familiar feeling would. She followed the noise and found the people she had been looking for sitting at her kitchen island. Harry and Luna looked up when she had entered. Luna had a blazing look on her face and Harry seemed less certain but he smiled at her and then frowned as he scanned her dirty clothes and frazzled appearance. For a moment she just stood there. Looking at her two oldest friends. Unable to speak. Lev curled around her ankles and she picked him up. Letting herself smile into his soft golden fur.

"I had a feeling. That your dreams were coming true." The slightly choked tone in Luna's voice caused her own emotions to break from their shell. Hermione could feel herself starting to shake. The adrenaline and overwhelm draining away slightly. Feeling her emotions spike, the kitten wiggled to get down and she let him go. With trembling hands she ran her fingers through her hair and just looked at the two of them. They couldn't be more different but they were her people and they were here.

"He offered me the scroll. We signed in our magic. He's a right ass, dropped me in the middle of it and they watched the whole thing. I couldn't believe it. After this morning's meeting. Today was just." She trailed off, aware her words made no sense. Luna was out of the bar chair and around the counter before Hermione really braced herself and then the girls were on the floor. Laughing and crying. Words came out but no complete thoughts. Harry just watched them with a soft smile until the babbling slowed and then reached both hands out to help them up.

"You look rung out. Let's eat something, I brought soup and sandwiches. Luna said we were camping out, waiting for you. You can tell us what happened. I got nearly nothing from that emotional outburst." His dry tone was teasing and they all laughed. Hermione calmed down a bit, forcing herself to do the breathing exercises and reign in her magic. Breathing in through her nose was to much so she slowed her breath as best she could and got herself a glass of water. When she sat down on the end of the island a glass of red wine sat there and she stared into the dark liquid. When she could speak coherently, enough for these two anyways, she looked up.

Luna's eyes were so light they should have been grey but were the palest blue. Harry's emerald green gaze held a similar look to the blondes. Just taking her in, observing her emotions and looking as if he wasn't sure at all what she might say.

"I'm his apprentice." She said. "Apprentice to a warding master." She spoke the words aloud and then had to stop herself from jumping to her feet. Breathing carefully again, she couldn't help but giggle at the expectant looks on their faces. Both had bowls of what looked like tomato soup and roast beef sandwiches in front of them but it was untouched.

"Start from the beginning. How did this happen?" Harry broke in when she opened her mouth to speak. She nodded and looked thoughtful. How to explain.

"I was with Rowle, laser tag and then tacos, when his summons arrived. I went, even though I knew it probably wouldn't turn out well for me." She told them, more than she ever had before. About the tests and even the obelisk. She summoned the paper and explained a little of each step, and where she had gone wrong. Then showed them the solved equation. Both looked a bit uncomprehending.

"All of that for just that last number? To solve an equation." Harry confirmed.

"Yes." She said it in a slightly breathless tone of voice.

"Could I watch?" Luna asked with a look of interest she usually only had for her creatures. Hermione shrugged.

"That's up to him." It felt so good. To know that she would have proper instruction. More so that she would have some supervision.

"It's been hard. Doing it alone. Today, just knowing he was watching, it made doing the magic much easier. It's frightening, to know that if you make a bad call, or misunderstand something, if you aren't totally certain, well." Luna was looking at her with understanding but Harry just cocked his head.

"What are you saying Mione?" He asked. Putting down the last of his sandwich.

"It's dangerous." Luna stated. Meeting Hermione's gaze and then turning to Harry.

"My mother died, experimenting with wards. To much energy when one collapsed." They were silent. Hermione was sure that her face didn't look much different from Harry's. Shock. Luna had talked about her mother but not exactly how she had died. An experiment. Harry's eyes snapped to her and she saw his face redden.

"I was careful." She made her voice certain and calm. "He also does it in such a way, sets it up so that you aren't looking at the whole problem at once until you've solved every piece minutely." Hermione got up and hugged her friend who smiled at her. Luna missed her mother, so did Hermione. So did Harry, even if he had no real memories of her. For a few minutes they held onto each other. Hermione behind the two still seated. She gave a tighter squeeze around both of them. Unable to articulate her feelings about having them, family of her own.

"So what happens now?" Harry asked, as they walked into her living room.

"Tomorrow moring at ten i go for the only assessment that I will get from him." She didn't know what to think about it. What he would say or how far she had to go.

After they speculated on where she was, they didn't know and neither did she, Hermione changed the topic.

"Has Harry told you of his woman woes? She is playing hard to get." Luna perked up and surveyed Harry closely. He squirmed a bit under her scrutiny.

"Snakes can be slippery. We should all keep this in mind. Perhaps we should fashion a trap?" Luna sounded serious but Harry blushed and the girls laughed, teasing him for whatever might have caused it.