I had finished watching the Three Musketeers when I wrote this story, lol. A little something stayed stuck in my head and made it into the story… (sigh).

I'm not sure why I didn't want to put this story out there, but I figured I should before I remember again and end up deleting it.

I hope you all enjoy this one…

Please heed the M warning for this story!

o.O.o

Chess

o.O.o

"Saying nothing sometimes says the most."

–Emily Dickinson

o.O.o

"Hermione? Hermione!"

The older woman clung to her in relief and joy but Hermione could only sob her pain and grief into her mother's shoulder.

It had been too long since she felt this safe in someone's arms.

Her father pulled her and her mother into his long, strong arms she felt like she was home. She was finally home. Though her parents had let their house in England, Hermione learned where her true home was after she spent nearly a month after the Battle of Hogwarts wandering around the world.

She had finally come home to her parents and could see the shock on their faces at her dramatically changed appearance from when they last saw her. Even Viktor and his wife were stunned and almost cursed her when she showed up. She ended up collapsing on the front stoop of her parents' home in the States and ended up being carried inside after Svetla, Victor's wife of two years, pushed her hair aside and ordered Viktor to put her in her room.

She was surprised to find her parents had set up her room almost identically to her old room upon their arrival to Virginia. Her mum and dad had been at work, and when they arrived, they hardly recognised her at first glance.

"When did you arrive?" Daphne, her mother, asked after Hermione's sobs gradually lessened, then stopped. She slightly pulled back and found Hermione's eyes closed and her breathing even and looked up to see her husband's eyes soften as he looked down at their daughter.

Carwyn Granger lifted his worryingly light daughter and tucked her back into her bed. Daphne refused to leave Hermione's side and Carwyn didn't protest having his family back together again. The small family of three slept through the rest of the afternoon and night in one small bed.

The next morning, Svetla gently woke the parents to introduce them to Healer Canicus. The tall man with straw coloured hair politely gave them time to prepare for the morning before looking over their daughter. By the time they returned, Hermione was observing the Healer warily and guardedly, but Svetla seemed to have reassured her about the wizard.

"May I use a few diagnostic spells, Miss Granger?" The Healer asked when her parents entered the bedroom and looked at him expectantly. Hermione's demeanour closed off before she finally gave him a short nod. The man was displeased at the results of his diagnostic spells and explained the meaning and results to Hermione and her parents.

"You were tortured," Healer Canicus finally said after five minutes. His face softened as he looked down at her. "How?" He asked delicately.

She turned her head and looked out her open window, determined to ignore him and everyone else. She heard her mum sob and closed herself away from the sound. She wanted to be in her peaceful library with stars shining above the shelves and a comfortable, velvet red armchair waiting for her to curl up in it with a nice tome.

She flinched away from the wizard when he lifted her arm. He kept a firm grip on her when she tried to pull away, but slowly and methodically pulled up her sleeve. The room's gasps had her fleeing back into her mind's library for the comfort and peace she knew she would find there.

Sometime later, her mum placed a breakfast tray over her lap and sat next to her. She nearly cried again when her mum put her arm around her and started chopping up her breakfast into smaller pieces. She snuggled more into her mother and slowly ate her breakfast when prompted.

Her parents hardly left her side on the first full day she had returned to them. Her father read to them while her mum stayed cuddled up with her and they slept together again when night came.

The second day was different, Carwyn and Daphne had to leave for work and were reluctant to leave Hermione's side, but eventually, Carwyn decided he would see their most important patients and reschedule the rest, it would also benefit them that he would be home two hours after twelve in the afternoon.

Viktor finally got to see Hermione.

He explained he would have seen her sooner, but Svelta kept him from interrupting her time with Carwyn and Daphne. Hermione softly smiled at his excitement of seeing his best friend again, telling her that he was going to be a father in a few months, and happy that she had come back to them alive. She could tell he kept the worst news from her parents, but she didn't know how much harshness he had heard, and she didn't feel like ever asking.

The memories of the second war were going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

Two weeks later, Hermione overheard her parents quietly discussing the possibility of sending her to a psychiatrist. She listened to their debates about her talking to a non-magical psychiatrist and hiding magic and not being able to explain away her youth and experiencing war when there was no war that had been publicised in the last few years.

She found herself wandering out of the house just to get fresh air. Her feet carried her into the city and she idly watched the comings and goings of various passer-by and cars. Her nose wrinkled at the fumes the cars created, along with the scent of asphalt mixed with dirt and grass. She found she slightly missed the scents of the muggle world, no matter how unhealthy they could be, and missed the sounds of a busy city.

A park to her right caught her attention and she slowly relaxed at the children's laughter and the sight of people jogging on a path. There were a few picnic tables and some benches on a path where trees comfortably shaded them. She sat on one overlooking a small string of older stores and slowly leaned back and closed her eyes to listen and breath in the earth surrounding her.

The area was having very light, misty rain and she felt it coolly on her face as she breathed in the dampened soil, grass, and trees. It was a relaxing experience in a city she felt she could be safe in, far away from the upheaval of the aftermath of the British Wizarding World.

When she slowly opened her eyes, she spotted a man with light brown hair sitting at a chess board table and playing the game with himself. He seemed to be interested in his game as he looked at his mobile and switched seats to play the other end of the board. It was slightly amusing and slightly pathetic that he was playing the game unaccompanied by an opponent.

She felt her feet guiding her toward him before she realised what she was unconsciously doing, but continued confidently toward him until she reached the vacant seat at the other end of the board. After a few moments of standing there uncertainly, he finally looked up and observed her calculatingly, she uncertainly pointed to the vacant seat.

"Sure," he responded. "I'm done with testing my theories on a few strategies anyway." She looked at him expectantly for a few moments but he ducked his head, most likely put off by her silence, and silently moved his pieces back into their place, leaving her wondering what theories he was testing. "White has first move," he said.

She looked at the board and shivered before moving her first pawn with a slightly shaking hand. He was looking at her calculatingly again and she flinched before she could control her reaction. The game continued in an awkward silence for nearly an hour. She was slightly amused as he tried to keep up with her and eventually took away her rook, her main piece for the strategy she was using.

"Little sister!" Hermione turned to see Viktor heading toward them and slightly smiled at his appearance. "Your mother and father are worried! You have been gone for over three hours and didn't tell anyone where you were heading to!" Her smile had faded and she bowed her head as she stood. Viktor slightly hugged her before Hermione silently waved to her opponent and twinkled her eyes at him mischievously before moving her queen.

His groan followed after her and Viktor as they walked away.

"I think I should be thankful that you refuse to fly a broom," Viktor laughed.

Her mother hugged the life out of her when they returned home. Daphne had been had been nearly a block from their house when she spotted Hermione and Viktor and ran right for Hermione while quietly thanking Viktor. Her dad drove up to them in the car and looked Hermione over before saying he would meet them at home.

After that day, she made sure to leave them a note when she left and refused to see a muggle psychiatrist when her parents asked over dinner.

It upset her mum, but she just couldn't explain the things she had seen and done to win the war. Looking back, she couldn't fathom how the Hermione during war was a different her that she didn't realise was inside somewhere. It scared her that she would be and was willing to dismiss any laws and rules to bring the war to an outcome that was favourable for the greater good.

A few days later, her feet guided her toward the same park and bench with a few books in her shoulder bag, a comfortable blanket, and an umbrella in hand. The rain was again light and misty, but the umbrella kept her books from becoming ruined and the blanket kept her comfortably warm from the chill of the changing season. She was nearly done with her first book when someone sat next to her on the bench. She discreetly looked around to see that there were plenty of open benches in the park, but the person sat next to her. She carefully moved her hair behind her ear and spotted a familiar bag.

"Nice move," the man said, struggling to pronounce the words correctly. "I didn't even realise I had been backed into a corner the other day." She smiled and glanced over at him before turning back to her book. "May I ask your name?" He asked.

She fiddled with her sleeve before reaching into her purse to pull out a small notepad she had made herself from recycled cardboard and parchment.

'I speak the Queen's English,' she wrote.

"Thank goodness," he said with a small, accompanying laugh.

She waited a moment before writing, 'I believe you just asked me if I am a fairy in Bulgarian.' She looked at him teasingly before handing him her note. He slightly reddened and she laughed. He stared at her indecipherably before they were interrupted.

"Hermione." Her hand quickly flew to her arm before she looked up and threw herself at her best friend. Harry held her just as tightly while looking at the man observing them, then down at Hermione. "I see you found your parents," Harry commented. Hermione smiled softly in reply. "So, is what Viktor told me true?" Harry asked as he lightly pushed Hermione to sit on the bench again and kneeled in front of her.

Hermione looked at him questioningly.

"How have you been, Hermione?" Harry asked, waiting expectantly for her reply. Hermione reached for her notepad set between her and her once chess partner and started to write before Harry placed his hand over hers and looked her over with his unusually green, tear-filled eyes. "I think that answers my previous question," he said softly as he tried his best not to cry. "I-I've talked to your parents," he said with a flinch. "I told them everything."

Hermione pulled back her hand from his and glared down at him angrily while she stood.

"Hermione?" Harry asked. She ignored him and stuffed her blanket and book into her bag and grabbed her umbrella while her bench companion looked at them sharply, but uncertainly. She began walking away, towards the busier parts of the city before Harry pulled her back. "Hermio-," Harry tried to say, but she punched his shoulder and he stepped back as he rubbed it while looking dolefully at her while she scurried away.

She was across the street when she heard his footsteps following her and swiftly turned and punched his shoulder again, but met the sight of a brown, comfortable sweater vest instead. She looked up at her former chess and bench partner with wide eyes before looking down at the weapon in a holster attached to his hip. Her hand flew to her mouth and she stepped back with wide eyes while he rubbed his shoulder and took in her reaction.

"I'm not your, um, was he a friend?" He asked. She nodded after a moment. "He was going to follow, but I said I would instead," he continued. "Would, er, would you like to go for some coffee?" He asked. Hermione cringed and he laughed. "I know of a tea house that has some good reviews," he said a little hopefully. She considered his offer than finally nodded with a small smile. He smiled brightly in reply and was about to speak again before his mobile rang.

His face fell and he looked at her apologetically before excusing himself. She spotted an antique shop a few yards ahead and pointed it out to him before heading that way. The small shop was slightly dusty and mouldy, but she breathed in the air and smiled before becoming lost in a section of old gadgets until a short, aged man stepped beside her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," he greeted. Hermione looked startled before he looked at her knowingly. "Thank you for your help in saving the world," he said after a moment, then turned to fully face her and patted her hand. She flinched at the contact but didn't move away. "It was an honour to meet you," he finished.

"Please don't thank me," she whispered hoarsely.

"War takes a toll on us all," he said wisely. "Do not close yourself off to your loved ones, they are the people who love us unconditionally. They will understand eventually, Miss Granger," he advised. "Please stop by my shop any time for coffee or tea, whichever is to your liking," he said before disappearing behind a shelf of jewellery.

Hermione stared at the space he had occupied for a brief minute before spotting a small sapphire set in a band of intricately twisted knots. The ring was beautiful.

"There you are." She turned and looked at her acquaintance suspiciously before giving him a small smile. "That's a beautiful ring," he commented, reaching to take it off the shelf and place it on her finger. She looked down at the ring on her middle finger and opened her hand to see the full effect of the ring. "It should be in a locked display," he said with a furrowed brow and looked around the shop.

Hermione would have agreed, but didn't communicate to him that magic would prevent any would-be thieves. She looked down at the ring one last time before placing her fingers over it to slide it off her hand, then looked up at her acquaintance worriedly when it stayed stuck fast on her skin.

"Let me try," he suggested. She held out her hand to him and winced as he pulled… and pulled, then finally stopped. She looked around for the shop proprietor and couldn't find him anywhere. "Excuse me?" He called out. "We need some help."

His only reply was silence.

Hermione looked back at the shelf the old man had disappeared behind and noticed a curtain there. She slowly pushed it aside to only see darkness in front of her and a shiver went down her spine. Her companion placed himself in front of her and slowly unstrapped his holster while she palmed her wand.

"Excuse me," He called out again.

"Coming!" The old man's voice called back. A small light gradually grew brighter and his face slowly came into view from the darkness. "I apologise for the wait," he said as he came closer. "I seem to have lost something back there. How can I help?" He asked as he stepped into the main area of the shop.

"We, er, well, my friend seems to have gotten a ring stuck on her finger," Hermione's companion answered as he held out Hermione's hand.

"My, my, my," the man said as he looked through his small round glasses sitting on the tip of his nose. "If what I have heard about you is correct, Miss Granger, trouble seems to effortlessly find you," he said with amusement. "Who might your friend be?" He enquired.

"I'm Doctor Spencer Reid," Hermione's companion answered. "Do you have anything we can use to remove the ring?" He asked.

"Oh, I am afraid I do not," the man answered with twinkling eyes. Hermione looked at him suspiciously.

"Are," she said hoarsely and softly coughed to clear her throat when Doctor Reid looked down at her in surprise. "Are you related to Headmaster Dumbledore?" She asked.

The man's large bell-like laughter rang through the store and he tapped his finger on the side of his nose. "Albus was a cousin twice removed," he answered. "Well, I apologise for cutting our introductions short but-,"

"You haven't introduced yourself," Doctor Reid said.

"Have I not?" The man asked with a short laugh. "Forgive this old man, if you please. I am Alfred Pamphilus Waldemar Barthold Dumbledore." Hermione sharply inhaled as she looked at him with watering eyes. "Oh, none of that now, Miss Granger," he said hastily handing her a handkerchief. "I know your late Headmaster and I share the same initials, but I assure you I am a completely different person!" He said with a wide smile.

"Now," Mister Dumbledore continued. "Oh, yes! I remember!" He reached for her hand again and looked at the ring carefully. "My, my," he murmured. "I believe the family heirloom has taken a liking to you, Miss Granger." He tugged once on the ring and laughed. "I cannot possible take this ring back now," he said after a moment. "It is yours, Miss Granger, as our family's thanks to you."

"I couldn't possibl-," Hermione began to protest and he put up his hand to stop her.

"You have a beautiful mind and voice, Miss Granger," he murmured. "Use it to woo your friend here," he said with a wink. Hermione blushed brightly. "Now," he said to himself as he wandered away. "What have I done with my kneazle."

Hermione looked down at said kneazle winding its way around her ankles, looking up at her mischievously. She slowly kneeled and pet her before sending her after her human.

"He was interesting," Doctor Reid said. Hermione smiled softly in reply. "Please don't stop talking," he said after a moment of Hermione's silence. "You…" his cheeks suddenly dusted a light pink. "You really do have a beautiful voice."

"Hermione!" Svelta called. "Alfred," they heard her say urgently. "Hermione wasn't in the park."

"Miss Granger's just fine," Alfred said as he pointed toward her peeking around the shelf.

"Hermione!" Svelta rushed to Hermione and tightly embraced her. "I vorry vhen I vas not finding you at park like you say," she said in a heavy Bulgarian accent. Hermione hugged her back before starting to write out an apology. Her pen suddenly stopped writing and she tapped it a few times before turning to glare at Mister Dumbledore who looked back at her innocently while twiddling his thumbs and popping a cherry sour in his mouth. She rolled her eyes before pulling a feather out of her hair and continued writing. Doctor Reid looked at her interestedly while she wrote and promptly snatched her quill away when she was done.

"Interesting," he murmured as he looked the quill over and grabbed Hermione's notepad when Svelta handed back to her. He quickly wrote something in it before handing it back to her and nodding goodbye.

Hermione looked down to see what he had written.

'You don't talk because you would have to explain something traumatising that you recently experienced, but your green-eyed friend already told everyone most important to you what you had to go through, thus making not talking invalid. Now you must talk, Hermione Granger, and I hope you do when you meet me at Alice's Tea House Sunday at noon.

...Mister Dumbledore wasn't lying when he said you have a beautiful voice, and I'd like to get to know how beautiful your mind is for myself. The glimpse you've already given me is promising.'

When Hermione and Svelta returned home after another hour, her parents were waiting for her in the parlour room. She avoided their sympathising words and locked herself in her room for the rest of the day. They knew everything that had happed to her and she couldn't keep them safe from her world's cruelty any longer.

The migraine she woke with in the morning had her flinching away from the sun and she threw the covers over her head, seeking relief from the light. Someone knocked at her door and she ignored it until the door clicked, then opened. She didn't have the strength to scowl.

"Hi, Mione," Harry's voice floated over to her softly. "I, er, didn't see you last night at dinner," he said hesitantly. "Your… parents are really nice," he continued. "…and your dad's a little scarier than Voldemort…" Hermione peeked out at him amusedly and motioned toward her open curtains. "You want those closed?" He asked.

She nodded and listened as he went over to her window and closed them. She slowly sat up and tenderly rubbed her temples with a slight groan. Harry handed her a small pink potion and she looked at him gratefully before popping off the cork and downing the foul liquid quickly. The relief was instantaneous and she sighed before placing the phial down on her bedside table and scooting further back into her bed and patting the empty space.

Harry quickly laid next to her and they drifted off to sleep.

Hermione woke to her father whispering and gesturing to her and Harry angrily and slowly sat up and yawned. Her parents quickly stopped and looked at her and Harry expectantly and she rolled her eyes and shook Harry while he pretended to sleep. She settled for pushing him off her bed and smirked down at him when he squawked after hitting the floor.

"That was unfair!" He exclaimed as he picked himself up. Hermione threw him a raspberry and laughed in reply. Harry worried his hair uncertainly as Carwyn glared at him while he stood between Hermione and Carwyn. Hermione looked at Harry mischievously before pulling him back onto the bed and planting a kiss on his cheek.

Carwyn stalked over to them before Daphne pulled him back.

"Harry is like my brother," Hermione said quietly and climbed over Harry and left the occupants of her room stunned while she quickly locked herself away in her cupboard to dress for the day. Not a few moments later, her mother threw open the closet door, causing her father to whack Harry on the back of the head when he got a full glance of her undressed.

"Hermione!" Daphne exclaimed and promptly pulled her out of the small room. Hermione blushed while Carwyn bodily tossed Harry out of her room and slammed the door behind them as they exited. Suddenly her mother was sobbing and dressing her while Hermione tried to help and simultaneously fight her off half-heartedly.

They made it down to the breakfast room where Harry uncertainly sat next to her and her dad sat down in front of Harry and looked at him while he slowly ate. Hermione glared at her dad and stood up from the table.

"I'm sorry I haven't spoken," she said quietly. Her voice was still hoarse from weeks of disuse, but she managed to say it loud enough for her parents to hear. "I'm still not ready to discuss anything," she continued. "Stop picking on my brother," she chastised her dad.

He looked at Harry sheepishly and apologised. Carwyn Granger was used to protecting his little girl, who was no longer so little, and Hermione had not brought home a love interest, but a friend who she saw as a brother. His eyes flew up to Harry after a few minutes and Harry choked on his food when he caught Hermione's dad looking at him with an indecipherable smile.

"Have you ever gone fishing, Harry?" Carwyn asked.

"Er, n-no," Harry stuttered.

"Let's give the girls some time to themselves today and go to the lake," Carwyn suggested.

"S-sure," Harry replied.

Merlin, he hoped Carwyn wasn't entertaining thoughts of drowning him.

An hour later, he was helping the man to load the boot with fishing poles and bait, then they left. Hermione smiled at Harry reassuringly, which was hardly helpful. Her father was about to do away with him, this was the last time he would see anyone alive and he couldn't hurt his best friend's father or she would definitely kill him.

"What's your favourite genre?" Carwyn asked, causing Harry to jump slightly, not that the older man noticed.

"Genre?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Rock and roll, pop, folk music," Carwyn clarified.

"Oh, er, I don't really know," Harry said hesitantly. "My aunt always played folk."

"Did you like it?" Carwyn asked. Harry thought about it for a few moments.

"Not really," he replied. "I heard a song once, that I really liked, but my uncle-the radio was changed quickly," Harry hastily said.

"How did the song go?" Carwyn asked. Harry repeated the lyrics without singing and Hermione's dad quickly placed them and found the very song on his stash of CDs. "I think we might have ourselves a rock and roll fan," Carwyn said with a wide smile as The Beatles music filled the car. It was confirmed after a few more songs and Harry started humming along to a few recognisable tunes while Carwyn sang.

Suddenly there was a loud bang and the car swerved before Carwyn regained control of the wheel and pulled off to the side of the road.

"What was that?" Harry asked uncertainly as he palmed his wand and scanned their surroundings. Carwyn gently placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and looked at him solemnly.

"We've got a flat," he gently explained. "I'll need your help putting on the spare."

Maybe this was where Hermione's dad did away with him and the lake would be his grave. Harry withheld a shudder and followed Carwyn to the boot where he helped him pull out the fishing poles and struggled to pull out the spare tyre. Carwyn laughed and easily lifted it out, along with the jack.

Harry waited for his end to come with a swift hit to the back of his head with the cross Carwyn had pulled out, but instead took it from him when he handed it over and instructed him how to change the tyre. It took half an hour for him to do it with Carwyn's help, but the spare was finally on, the bolts properly tightened, and they were on the road again.

By the time they reached the lake it was an hour after noon and Carwyn pointed to his small boat docked off the small pier. Harry looked at the lake grimly before following after Hermione's dad.

'So,' he thought. 'This is to be my grave.'

Perhaps he could try explaining to Hermione why he had to hurt her dad when he tried to kill him. Any bruises could be considered defence wounds, the downside was they could also be considered as wounds Carwyn created in defence of himself while Harry attacked.

Hermione would be stuck between believing her dad and her best friend. In the end she would most likely believe her dad and give Harry that sorrowful look she had given him their Third year when Ron convinced him that Hermione thought herself all high and mighty when she was only trying to protect him from what could have been a cursed broom.

'Oh, the things I do for you, Mione,' He thought to himself while Carwyn showed him how to tie and bait his hook, then how to cast it out into the water.

"Fisherman always want complete silence while out fishing because noises disturb the fish," Carwyn explained, "but I'll show you a little trick," he said with a wink. "The fish just need to be relaxed."

The older man started humming softly, then quietly singing with the sound of the water lapping at the sides of their fishing boat. Harry's eyes gradually closed until he felt a tug on his line. He looked over and Carwyn winked at him while he reeled in his own fish and helped Harry with his.

They released their fish and cast their lines back into the water. Carwyn spent the next few hours teaching Harry the song and various others that grew louder and when the sun was low in the sky, they left and continued singing.

When they got back to the Granger's home, Harry realised he had a fantastic time with Carwyn Granger. It was like having a dad all to himself. When Hermione arrived, he found himself feeling slightly jealous that he had to share Carwyn again, but Carwyn's hand on his shoulder stopped him from even completing that thought.

"It would be nice if you would call me dad," he said, "but you can also call me Carwyn, if that makes you more comfortable. No more Mister Granger," he said with a small laugh and followed his wife into the kitchen.

"How did today go?" Hermione asked softly.

"I'm wondering why I never talked to your parents more after our Second year," Harry confided. "How did your day go?" He asked.

Hermione smiled while she relayed to him what she and her mother had done.

America was very interesting, she hadn't realised that they lived in a town where your neighbour was most likely to be law enforcement, FBI. Perhaps Doctor Reid was a part of that organisation since he carried a weapon and no one stopped to reprimand him in any way.

Daphne drove to a shopping strip where a few clothing shops were located and filled Hermione's arms with any piece of clothing she could get her hands on and promptly sent her off to the fitting room.

"Viktor and Svelta told me about a young man you've met at the park and Mister Dumbledore's antiques shop," Daphne's voice reached her and she startled.

"I-I've only met him twice," Hermione softly replied.

"Is he handsome?" Daphne asked. "From Svelta's description he's a very handsome young man. Do you know how old he is? What's his name?" She asked excitedly. Hermione's hoarse laugh sounded across the small space.

"I don't know his age, mum," She answered her first question. "His name is Doctor Spencer Reid."

There was a thump in the room next to hers.

"Oh!" Daphne squealed and Hermione shook her head as she opened the small door. "A doctor?" She asked. "He must at least be over seven years older," Daphne calculated. "That's no matter, no young thing your age is a proper match for your intellect and intelligence."

"This is a little too big," Hermione said even more softly.

"Oh, dear," Daphne said as she looked Hermione over. "We simply have to get you back to your proper weight, love. Meanwhile, we'll take in these clothes and let them out when you get there. Healer Canicus' prescriptions have already helped you to regain some, and you've gained your pallor back…even your gums are a nice healthy pink," she commented as she pulled Hermione lower lip away with her thumb and looked at her teeth.

"I'm not some cow you're bartering away, mum." Hermione frowned while she lightly batted her mother's hand away. She heard a silent snicker and looked in the mirror in time to see the door next to hers close quickly. Daphne frowned, but ignored the woman listening in.

"We should put you through voice therapy," Daphne murmured. "Just to strengthen your vocal chords again, all this whispering is only straining them further."

"Mum," Hermione said sharply.

"Sorry, darling," Daphne said with tear-filled eyes and quickly pulled Hermione into a hug. "You were missing for a whole year and now we have you again and I just want you to be healthy again. I know you'll never be my daughter from before, but that doesn't change how much I will always love you," she said. "Never forget that, Hermione, your father and me love you so much."

"I love you too, mum," Hermione replied. After a moment she asked, "How do you know Mister Dumbledore?"

"The terrorist attacks did not only happen in Britain, Hermione," Daphne said solemnly. "On the same day you and Harry were fighting Tom Riddle, a few attacks happened everywhere in the world. You and Harry saved us all, Hermione," Daphne said while hugging her again more tightly. "Mister Dumbledore headed the resistance on this side of the pond and helped Viktor and Svelta protect us when the fighting came too close."

The door next to her fitting room suddenly flew open and a woman stood there staring at them with her mouth hanging open.

"You're Hermione Granger?" She asked. Hermione looked at her uncertainly and suddenly the woman squealed louder than her mum had earlier. "You are!" She exclaimed and quickly pulled a pen out from her pocket and shoved a piece of paper toward her. "Please sign!" She demanded. "My father's a wizard," she whispered, "but I'm a no-maj. He's my step-father and he's just great!" She exclaimed and was suddenly hugging Hermione tightly while she spun her around and set her down just as quickly. "Wow, you really do need to regain some weight, hun," she commented. "I know some great recipes with plenty of protein to help with that!" She quickly wrote out her number on another scrap of paper and took the piece Hermione signed. "Please call me!" She yelled back as she rushed out of the fitting room. "And be nice to Reid. He's a bit awkward with women," she advised after rushing in, then out again.

"I had no idea what just happened," Hermione commented while Harry laughed at her retelling of her day. Shopping for clothing took up most of their mother-daughter day. "How did father-son day go?" She asked innocently.

Her question dumfounded Harry and he looked at her blankly, then started to explain how he thought her father was going to kill him a few times and make the lake his watery grave. He thought of how upset Hermione would be if he fought Carwyn off to get away and decided he would just die so she wouldn't have to choose between believing him or her dad.

Hermione promptly hit him over the head after a few laughs.

"One word, Harry," she said with twinkling eyes. "Veritaserum." Harry looked at her, stunned and they were suddenly laughing again. Daphne and Carwyn looked in on them with smiles of their own before heading off to bed.

The next morning her parents switched on them.

Carwyn ushered Hermione to the car, eager to get her away to the nearest museum. It was new to her and he was excited to show her the exhibits and explain their history. Hermione found herself being ushered toward the check-in desk with her father paying for all the special exhibits with an enthusiasm that affected the employees behind the desk while Hermione was amused with her father.

"It's our father-daughter date," he excitedly explained to them. "I haven't seen my daughter in over a year and she loves museums almost more than I do!" He laughed and looked at her fondly as he handed over his card to pay.

"Have a great time," the woman said, smiling at them and handing over a few stickers that would allow them passage into the special exhibits.

Hermione looked around at all the American revolution and Civil War artefacts while her dad explained their history to Hermione when the plaque wasn't detailed enough. He even politely debated with an older gentleman who overheard their conversation and they went over the differences of each side of the war.

"It's easy to see where each side is coming from," Hermione quietly interrupted. "'Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either,'" she quoted.

"Aesop," the gentleman replied.

"A fabulist, but his stories have several morals for the reader to think on," Hermione said softly.

"Hermione," Carwyn said with a wide smile. "Meet Jason Gideon. We met during my residency and kept in contact after," he explained.

"Nice to meet you, Mister Gideon," Hermione said with a small smile.

"Call me Jason," he said as he looked her over. "You had your parents quite worried for a few weeks," Jason said before Hermione could respond.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She looked at her dad quickly before stepping back. "Excuse me," she said quickly and rushed away.

"I'm sorry, Carwyn," Jason said as they rushed after her.

"She's been a tad…delicate," Carwyn explained. "She has barely been talking with us since the afternoon before last and goes back into her quiet moments quite often." They noticed her enter the ladies' room and waited outside while talking quietly. "It's been difficult for me to accept what Hermione's had to go through," he confided in his friend.

Jason looked at him understandingly before saying, "I know you can't tell me all of what happened while Hermione disappeared, but just be there for her. Don't push her to open up until she's ready," he advised.

"How will we know when she's ready?" Carwyn asked. "Christ, Jason, we were almost taken and Hermione would have been left with only you to look after her and she doesn't even know you, how can Daphne and me ever tell Hermione that without her withdrawing into herself again?"

"It's my fault Hermione doesn't know me," Jason said softly. "I've been selfish and I want to fix that now, if you and Daphne will let me."

"Of course we will," Carwyn said firmly. "You have always been our friend and you are irreversibly Hermione's godfather."

"What?" Hermione asked as she looked between the two of them.

"Hermione," her dad said quickly.

"Hermione," Jason interjected. "It's my fault you didn't know," he explained. "My job is high risk and I distanced myself from even my son to keep him safe. I asked your parents to keep our connection quiet because there was someone following me a few years back, someone who would have harmed anyone I was connected to."

"What changed?" Hermione asked.

"He was caught," Jason said, showing his relief. "I was there the day you were born," he said with a soft smile.

"That is a hilarious story for after dinner," Carwyn announced. "Right now, we are going to spend time exploring the rest of these exhibits!"

Hermione smiled as she followed after her father and godfather. She couldn't stop looking over at him and wondered who he was, he seemed closed off and distant. After a few more laughs between them, she concluded it was learned behaviour on his part to protect himself and his private life from the risks of his job. Jason looked down at her and softly smiled at her curiousness while her dad cooed over one of Monet's Water Lilies. He had seen them hundreds of times, yet the painting always stole away his attention.

"I talked with you until you were seven," Jason said quietly. Hermione quickly looked up at him.

"You were my Eastmund," she breathed. He smiled at her a little wider.

"Anglo-saxon for 'gracious protector'," he responded. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to see you through your nightmare after I stopped calling. I hope you… found a solution." He felt her shudder next to him and looked at her worriedly. "I seem to remember you telling me about a falling chandelier. You even convinced your mother to get rid of the one in the dining room." He could see her closing herself off while Carwyn rambled on about another of Monet's paintings. "I understand you completed your A-levels by the time you were ten," he commented. "I know someone who graduated high school by the time he was twelve."

He seemed to be talking to himself while Hermione's eyes dulled even more. It started happening when he talked about the nightmare she had as a child, perhaps she still had not been able to forgive him for not seeing her through the nightmare. Her gracious protector had abandoned her to fight the dream all on her own.

Carwyn finally turned back to them and his exuberant face fell when he looked at Hermione. He silently slipped his arm through hers while commenting on the artwork in a more subdued tone. Jason added his input a few times and even asked questions that Hermione answered by writing in a notebook Carwyn handed to her.

Jason eventually took the notepad from her and looked down at her firmly.

"I want to hear your voice," Jason said. "If you'll allow me to, I know I hardly deserve it."

"It came true," Hermione whispered before moving on to the next room filled with Native American artefacts.

Her words stopped him while Carwyn followed after his daughter.

Hermione's dream came true.

How?

She confided to him when her dream started at the age of five. She remembered pain, a lot of pain, her arm hurting so much, then a large chandelier falling and nearly crushing her. It was the chandelier that woke her up screaming every night. He thought it was her schoolyard bullies being excessively fierce with her at school and suggested her parents give her a home education when she came home with unexplainable cuts and bruises, but the dreams continued even after and he thought she might need time to calm down from not having to look over her shoulder anymore.

Instead, her dream came true.

How did it happen?

Hermione looked up at him with her guarded eyes and he noticed how she held herself. He thought back to when he first entered the museum behind her and Carwyn and her eyes passed over him before discreetly scanning over the rest of the museum and noted every available escape route, she even paused for a moment to look at an emergency map.

Hermione was a soldier.

With his realisation, the lights in the museum went out and he felt himself being pulled along with Carwyn past the lavatories. The emergency lights popped on and Hermione quickly looked around before pushing them into a dark corner. A man in a dark cloak and white bone mask rushed past them and Hermione stifled a gasp.

"Are they here?" Carwyn breathed quietly. Hermione nodded sharply and palmed something in her hand while Jason palmed his handgun.

"You must not use it until I tell you to," she said to him.

"Why?" Jason asked.

"I hear you, mudblood!" A man hissed as he rushed toward their corner.

A red beam of light shot out from the stick Hermione pointed at the man and he partially blocked it with a blue shield coming from his stick, but was blasted back into the wall with the force.

"Avoid the blue shields," Hermione calmly instructed him. "Your bullets will ricochet."

He was wrong about his goddaughter being a soldier.

She was trained to be a General.

He saw more masked men coming toward them and Hermione quickly blasted the ceiling before ushering them in another direction while summoning a glowing silver otter dancing in the air around them.

"Alert Mister Dumbledore, Harry Potter, and the Order, 'Death Eaters at the museum. Come quickly!'" She ordered and the otter nodded its head in reply and shot down the hall in a silver beam of light. Two more men descended on them and She quickly turned the floor to ice while they slid down the hall toward the opposite end of the corridor.

The exit sign glowed ahead of them and something green shot past them. Hermione suddenly stopped and shouted, "Sectumsempra!" before another of the masked man could erect another shield. He cried out in pain and Hermione barred down on him. "You dare attempt to harm my family?" She hissed as her face twisted in outrage. Carwyn gasped at her sudden change and Jason only stared at her in understanding while the man bled out from various cuts and gashes.

"Miss Granger," an old man said as he slowly walked toward her. "The rest have been apprehended," he informed her while looking down at the man sadly. "Mister Page," he said softly as he kneeled next him.

"You know him?" Hermione asked.

"Al-fred," Mister Page gasped as he bled out.

"Mister Page's father forced him into becoming a Death Eater, Miss Granger," the old man said softly. Hermione's face softened only a little, but she kneeled over the young man and softly started to sing while his gashes started to mend and eventually closed.

Mister Page suddenly tackled her and held her with his stick and was suddenly blasted back into the wall and his mask fell off to revel scowling grey eyes and dark hair. Hermione stood up and looked down at him fiercely as she towered over him.

"I saved your life, Mister Page," she hissed. "You now owe me a life debt, I believe, and I am calling it in right now. Attempt to harm me, my family, my friends, or any of my allies and you will die," she said tersely.

"I owe you nothing!" Mister Page roared as he raised his wand again and started choking and looking up at her with wide eyes.

"I warned you about the life debt," she said dispassionately as she walked over to her father and godfather. She turned her dad toward the exit while Jason watched as Mister Page eventually stopped breathing.

His goddaughter was a ruthless General, but one who knew how to dole out mercy when needed.

"I'm sorry, Mister Dumbledore," she said quietly when the old man followed them out. He softly patted her shoulder.

"I suppose I held onto the hope that Tyler Page had not given in to his upbringing," Mister Dumbledore said sadly.

"Headmaster Dumbledore held onto that hope too strongly," Hermione said dully. "It is what eventually led to us fighting against our classmates at the end of the war."

"Then I must learn from my cousin's mistakes," Mister Dumbledore said softly. His expression held great sadness.

"Alfred!" A man about the same age as her father rushed toward them and looked at them suspiciously before his eyes landed on her and widened. "Hermione Granger!" He breathed and quickly shook her hand. "As I live and breathe it will always have been an honour to have met you!" He exclaimed and gave her a deep bow while she stepped back and blushed at his reaction.

"I-I'm no one," Hermione stuttered.

"You are only the most famous muggleborn in the world!" The man exclaimed. "Everyone followed your adventures after the Battle at Hogwarts! You saved the school in Japan when an earthquake nearly toppled the castle!"

"I merely held up the charm until everyone was safely out," Hermione protested. "Anyone could have done it. It was the school's staff and the townspeople who are the true heroes!"

"Nay, Miss Granger," Mister Dumbledore. "Only a witch or wizard strong and powerful enough could have held up that school."

"Harry could have done it just as easily," Hermione protested. "People just don't know how to properly perform spells so they perceive themselves as weak when they cast them."

"What about the volcano in Hawaii?" The man asked. "No one but the magical population know that your wards were the strongest that saved the whole island from annihilation!"

"Again," Hermione protested. "I was not the only one involved. There were other who were just as much of a hero those two days we held up the wards. I never worked alone to save anyone. I would have died and others would have too if I even attempted to be so selfish as to think myself indomitable!"

The man looked at her admiringly and it made Carwyn and Jason uncomfortable.

"Perhaps we should head home," Carwyn suggested.

"Of course, Mister Granger," Mister Dumbledore said.

"Mister Granger?" The man asked as he looked at Carwyn interestedly. "Hermione Granger's father," he said with wide eyes. "You helped create a most honourable saviour," he said as he shook Carwyn's hand enthusiastically. "Thank you, thank you for giving us your daughter!"

A green light flashed and Hermione quickly stood in front of her father and godfather while a woman looked at them with her wide blue eyes.

"I will take care of this," Mister Dumbledore said quickly. "You just take your family home, Miss Granger." He handed her a necklace and she quickly wrapped her dad and Jason's hand around it before it glowed blue and they portkeyed away.

They landed in the parlour at home and stumbled into the furniture before catching themselves. Hermione was unfortunate to land on her back and just stared up at the ceiling before Jason easily lifted her onto her feet and then helped her dad. Harry rushed into the room while Daphne attempted to cleanse a gash on his forehead and he stopped to take them in before rushing to hug Hermione.

"I couldn't find you," Harry said hastily. "As soon as we got there they were on us and I couldn't get through to find you."

"I hardly saw any of them, apart from at least four," Hermione explained. "I used Professor Flitwick's ice trick," she laughed.

"Nice one," Harry laughed in reply. "You'll have to teach me that after dinner." Daphne started cleaning away at a few of Hermione cuts after she had Harry all cleaned up.

"Is anyone going to tell me what the hell happened today?" Jason finally spoke up.

The room suddenly quieted and Hermione looked at Harry and her parents before saying, "Well, you see, I kind of… well not kind of, I was, actually, as there is no way no one can kind of be born with magic." Jason stared at his goddaughter and Hermione slightly shrugged then conjured a comfortably plush arm chair and sat in it.

"Now you're just being a show-off," Harry said with a slight smile and transfigured his bloody tissue into a red and gold butterfly.

"And you don't call that showing off?" Hermione asked with a lifted eyebrow. She pointed her wand at the coffee table and transfigured it into a medium sized Labrador with golden fur. Jason ended up with a lap full of dog who excitedly licked at his face and begged for attention while Carwyn laughed at him.

"You want to play that game?" Harry smirked.

"Enough, children!" Daphne said hastily. "I don't need my home to become a menagerie. Hermione, turn that dog back into the coffee table, please."

"What about Harry's butterfly?" Hermione asked with a pout.

"Harry's butterfly is not prone to weeing on the carpets," Daphne said firmly. Hermione glared at him half-heartedly and quickly transfigured the dog into a coffee table again before excusing herself to freshen up and change.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said with an uncomfortable glint in her eyes that made Harry slightly squirm. "Avis Oppungo!" She said with a smirk. Harry yelped at the birds pecking at him until he successfully managed to make them vanish while Daphne yelled after Hermione.

"Carwyn!" Daphne said with exasperation. "You must talk with Hermione about attacking Harry like that!"

"Oh my," Carwyn drawled. "Are our children already having a pesky sibling squabble?" He asked indifferently while trying not to laugh. Jason had no compunction and his laughter followed Hermione up the stairs while Daphne smothered her smile and ushered Harry up the stairs to freshen up also.

"You sent Hermione to a military school," Jason said after Harry had left.

"It wasn't meant to be one," Daphne said soberly. "Hermione was supposed to learn how to control her magic and pass her N.E.W.T.s, then come back and follow her plan to become a psychiatrist. I think her plans may have changed though, after everything."

Jason held up his hand when Daphne intended to continue.

"I want Hermione to tell me what she went through on her own," he said. "I'm not as close as you both are to her and it would make it easier for her to open up to me."

"Are you sure?" Daphne asked, sad that Hermione might never fully tell them her experiences, but hopeful that she would eventually confide in her godfather. If anyone could help her through her trauma, it would be Jason.

Hermione and Harry ended up calling Jason, Uncle Jase by the end of the night. He watched as she taught Harry how to use the Glisseo incantation and laughed when they turned the hallway into a slide. Hermione coaxed him and Carwyn into the game her and Harry had started to see who slid to the end of the hallway the fastest. Both wizard and witch pouted when Jason beat their time, even Viktor's time, and Daphne finally made them turn the floor back to normal before sending everyone off to bed after Svelta healed their bruises.

Jason stayed with them for a few days just to be sure he wouldn't suddenly be needed again and made a date with Hermione. Carwyn and Daphne planned to get Harry away from the house while Viktor and Svelta set up the house for a surprise party.

The first night Jason stayed with them, he heard Hermione talking softly from her bedroom and quietly walked toward her room while listening to her talking turn into soft whimpers, and eventually begging. He carefully peeked around her door to make sure her room was empty and finally entered to find she was actually asleep and having a new nightmare, or reliving an actual experience. Her begging gradually became louder and he sat next to her on the bed and held her hand.

He didn't expect a tight squeeze in return, but her hand's grip eventually loosened as she calmed and snuggled with his hand under her cheek. He heard Carwyn smother a laugh and turned to find him standing at Hermione's door.

"You can't let her go now," he said quietly. "She'll scream so loud the neighbours might call the police again."

"I can't sit here all night," Jason replied.

"Just scoot her over," Carwyn shrugged. "And be careful she doesn't wallop you before dawn." He rubbed his arm in remembrance and Jason could only laugh in reply before scooting Hermione over and laying down next to her.

Hopefully she wouldn't be too frightened if she woke up before him and found a practical stranger in her bed.

He rubbed his own shoulder in remembrance when Hermione woke up and looked out of his office window to see her walking shyly past Reid, who was as usual, oblivious to the office while he was caught up in his work.

Hermione was excited that Gideon had invited her to his workplace that Friday.

She dressed carefully and her mum helped her fix her hair into a messy rose bun that complimented her muted beige dress. The sleeves were supposed to snuggly fit her arms while the upper sleeve was more loose fitting and almost puffed out, but didn't quite do so. The dress skirt fell to her calves, and white, lacy boots covered what skin might have showed. Daphne finished with taking Hermione's picture and hastily printed it out so she could hand it over to her godfather for his billfold.

"I feel like a bloody doll," Hermione murmured.

"Language," Daphne scolded and Hermione slightly reddened at her slip. Harry smirked at her and she scowled in reply, but ended up smiling at him in the end. "Are you sure you're up for driving?" Daphne asked uncertainly.

"Dad and Uncle Jase prepared Harry and me," Hermione replied. "I can do this easily."

"Remember the invitations in your pocketbook," Daphne whispered in Hermione's ear when she finished cutting out the pictures she had printed. Hermione looked at her mum oddly when she handed her all five pictures. "If you lose one or two it might just bring a nice young man home," she said with a wink.

"Mum!" Hermione and Harry shouted while Daphne cackled at them.

"Hurry along now, you don't want to be late for your date with your uncle," she said as she ushered Hermione down the stairs.

Hermione grew nervous as she joined the traffic and carefully followed the GPS to her uncle's workplace. She handed the gate guards her identification and waited as they confirmed her arrival with Jason before she stared at the empty space uncertainly and recalled the theory on how to park.

She was relieved her first try was successful.

The lifts oddly terrified her when she reached them. It wasn't like they had magic to stop them from falling straight down and was only slightly reassured when she reminded herself that she had magic. She quickly exited and caught her breath before wondering which way she was now supposed to go.

She closed her eyes for a moment and chose to go straight through the glass doors on the other side of the corridor. She slowly opened them and entered a wide-open area filled with L-shaped desks and people working tirelessly. Jason had said his office would be at the back and he would be expecting her. She ducked her head when she noticed a few people staring and silently walked toward the back of the room.

She could feel her cheeks slowly becoming more red while more people stopped what they were doing to notice her entrance, except for one familiar voice in the direction she was heading.

He was talking on the phone and she knew she would blush horribly if he turned now.

What was he doing here in her godfather's work place? On the very floor her uncle also had his office?

She safely passed his desk while one man looked at her appreciatively and waggled his eyebrows. She quickly looked away and up to see her godfather looking down at her with a soft smile.

"Uncle Jase," Hermione said in relief, then blushed more when a few people started murmuring and his voice stopped talking over the phone. She heard him say a hasty goodbye and quickly stand.

"Hermione?" He asked.

Jason looked at the two of them with amusement dancing in his dark eyes and Hermione slowly turned to look at Doctor Reid. He was looking between her and Jason while mentally calculating something, probably why they didn't look related.

"This way, Hermione," Jason finally spoke and motioned toward the stairs. Hermione looked at Doctor Reid uncertainly before heading in the direction her uncle indicated before a hasty blonde woman bumped into her and caused her to drop her pocketbook and spill its contents.

"Sorry! Sorry!" The blonde woman called back as she loudly called for someone called Hotch. She paused at her uncle's scowl and quickly moved past him with her head ducked and barged into an office without knocking.

Hermione quickly gathered her things with Doctor Reid's help.

"Excuse Garcia," he said quietly. "We're consulting on a case from home and she can get quite excited when the unsubs don't act how we expect them to."

"Reid," Jason said sharply as he looked down at them. Hermione quickly stood up and stared up at him with wide eyes. His face immediately softened and Doctor Reid handed her the last of her things. "Back to work," he said in a softer tone while he escorted Hermione up the few steps and towards his office when the office next to her uncle's suddenly opened again and two people stepped out.

One of them motioned to her uncle while the woman quickly walked past them without looking at either one of them. Jason excused himself and told her to wait in his office while he saw to something. Hermione turned at another familiar voice and looked at the enthusiastic blonde-haired woman as she dramatically complained about Hermione's uncle. Hermione silently went back down the stairs and stood behind her as the woman called her uncle grumpy and other unflattering things.

"Garcia," someone coughed, a woman who looked at her and then the woman, Garcia.

"He's behind me isn't he?" She asked soberly.

"Er, no but-," the woman tried but Garcia interrupted her.

"Oh, thank God!" She exclaimed. "Don't scare me like that! Where was I?" She asked.

Hermione gently tapped on her shoulder and Garcia brushed her hand off and kept talking about 'The Grump'. She tried again, more firmly, and Garcia turned and looked at her before turning back, but nothing came out of her mouth as she gaped at her colleagues. She squeaked a few times while Hermione covered her smile with her white-gloved hands.

"Hello," Hermione said quietly. "I seem to have misplaced your number the other day," she said with amusement.

"Oh! I can totally write it out for you again, Miss Granger!" She yelled enthusiastically. Hermione laughed while the woman hugged her half to death and spun her around again while she squealed louder than she had the first time. "Did you want those recipes?" She asked. "I can totally print you out a book right here! Wait!" She exclaimed. "No! I can't! I have to give them to you one by one so you're forced to communicate with me and eventually hang out with me and we can have a few girl dates and become best friends forever!" She squealed again while Hermione laughed.

"Oh my God!" Garcia suddenly exclaimed and hastily pushed Doctor Reid out of his chair while he stared up at them with interest and amusement. She quickly shoved Hermione into the chair and started feeling her. "I didn't hurt you?" She asked loudly. "I don't want your fans to start beating up on me if they find out!" She exclaimed.

Hermione suddenly blushed when everyone looked at her more interestedly.

"Er," she said uncertainly. "I'm perfectly fine," she said gently. "Besides," she said with amusement, "you can always call it a friendly shove between girlfriends."

Garcia gaped at her again and made small noises before letting out another squeal that threatened to make everyone in her vicinity deaf. Hermione quickly covered her ears with a cringe while Garcia only smiled up at her, then pulled her out of the chair again and spun with her in her arms.

"You're really strong," Hermione grunted and laughed with amusement. Garcia put her back onto her feet and she stumbled slightly before someone settled her. She looked up into Doctor Reid's light brown eyes while Garcia looked at them both with her hands clasped under her chin and stars in her eyes.

"Stay right there and don't move an inch!" Garcia yelled at them both. Hermione looked at her, startled, and Garcia suddenly yelled at her to return to the same position and she quickly did so.

"It goes more smoothly when you indulge her," Doctor Reid said quietly.

"I… see," Hermione said softly.

"You're talking more today," he said with a soft smile. Hermione slightly blushed as a few flashes nearly blinded her, but she refused to close her eyes or look away from him. "Are we still on for Sunday?" He asked.

"What's happening Sunday?" Garcia suddenly asked.

Doctor Reid looked bashful for a moment before answering, "Tea."

"Hey," the man who had been looking her over said with a wide smile. "The kid's got himself a date!" He teased. "You must be something special for Reid here to ask you out," he said, pointing his thumb at Doctor Reid.

"We simply must stalk them and take more pictures of their couple-y cuteness!" Garcia exclaimed enthusiastically. "What's your phone number so I can track you?" She asked Hermione with a playful huskiness as she sidled into her.

"Er," Hermione said hesitantly. "I doubt you would be seeing me go anywhere," she said softly. "I only have a landline."

Garcia gaped at her again while she squeaked. "Prentiss!" She yelled. "What's the number one thing every girl should have?" She asked.

"A cell phone?" The woman from earlier asked.

"Exactamento!" Garcia shouted. "Every girl should have a cell phone for social reasons… and safety," she said, lecturing.

"I'll be sure to correct my goddaughter's oversight," Jason spoke up. Garcia looked up at him before quickly excusing herself in a more professional manner.

"Everyone back to work," another man from the top of the stairs ordered. He looked at Hermione and her uncle before following them into her uncle's office.

"Hermione, this is Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner," Jason introduced her. "Hotch, this is my goddaughter, Hermione Jane Granger, who we were discussing in your office." Hermione looked at him sharply as she stepped back from them. "Something came up in this case," he said quickly, but more softly when he noticed the signs of her closing herself off again.

She looked up at them warily, but gradually untensed when her uncle guided her toward a leather armchair.

"Our unsub has hacked into our personal lives and knows everything about us," Agent Hotch explained. "He seemed particularly interested in you because you and your family just entered Gideon's life with no prior indication of your existence, but he's concentrating on you and we don't yet know why."

Hermione shivered before straightening her spine and looking at the two of them sternly. "I need to know more about your… unknown subject?" She asked, and they both nodded. "There may be a small chance I might be able to assist you, but I will be honest and admit that there is an even bigger chance I might not."

Her uncle nodded at his younger colleague before Agent Hotch abruptly stood up and exited the office.

"Meeting room!" He called out. He motioned for her to follow after them and she allowed her uncle to escort her to the meeting room.

"This was supposed to be a date," he apologised. "I wanted to talk to you, but I came in today to see a few of your pictures of us at the museum and the grocers."

Hermione looked up at the boards they had posted and stoically stared at the victims covered in gashes.

It was a curse, a curse she knew well and had used recently.

"The women bled out either before they could reach a hospital or at the hospital because their wounds resisted any methods of closing them off, taping, stitches, skin glue. Using those methods made the wounds worse, in fact, it created a new wound for every wound the doctors tried to close off," Hermione said as she silently removed pictures.

"How do you know this?" The woman, Prentiss asked suspiciously.

"I know this because I have personally seen the damage this can do to a person if they don't seek the right help. Only two people in the world know how to reverse the damage your unsub does," she said as she started pinning up the pictures on a cork board. She went over to their map and removed the different threads of yard strung between pins and unravelled more.

"Only two?" The man from earlier asked while Prentiss scoffed.

"You come in here and you automatically know all this information?" She asked doubtfully.

Hermione stopped threading the yarn and watched the woman expressionlessly.

"Never assume anything of a person by just a few words, emotions, and body reactions," she said after a few moments and turned back to the board as she started with the yarn again. "I once knew a man who was everything dark. He killed ruthlessly without a second thought, he tortured, he used the heaviest dark sarcasm and tried to have my friends and me expelled from our boarding school numerous times because he hated the very thought of us."

"What was he doing working at a boarding school?" A blonde woman asked.

"Professor Snape was working at our school because, behind all the darkness he flawlessly projected to us, he was fiercely loyal to us," she said firmly as she moved over to their evidence board and started drawing and adding to their profiles. "He protected us with his very own life numerous times. This man, Severus Snape, created the method of these untreatable wounds.

"He came from a broken home… abusive drunk of a father, submissive mother who tried to protect him, but ultimately couldn't," she explained. "Boarding school would have been a reprieve from his home life, and instead he only had bullies to look forward to. Not one bully, never one," she said softly, "but two, sometimes three.

"Sirius Black," she said and they instantly recognised the name, "was framed for killing thirteen people in London."

"What do you mean, framed?" Prentiss asked.

"His best mate, Peter Pettigrew, was believed to be one of those people," Hermione replied as she erased something on the board. "The thing was, Pettigrew was the culprit and Black took the fall. He was completely innocent, but was denied a trial for the supposed crime." She turned to look at them darkly. "He may have been charming elegant and completely innocent, but his soul was nearly as black as Professor Snape's.

"He orchestrated Severus Snape's death as a complete joke," she said as she turned back to the board and erased something else after a moment. "Either willingly uncomprehending that one of his best mates would be expelled from school for unwillingly participating in murder, and summarily executed, or just not caring.

"My point here is," she concluded as she pinned a drawing of their unsubs at the top of the women's pictures. "Appearances are not what they seem. The man, Professor Severus Snape, is dead. I saw him die. In fact, I held him in my arms and quietly sang to him a song I overheard him unconsciously humming in one of my detentions as his soul passed on," she said with tear-filled eyes. "You have one unsub who knows how to disguise himself as Severus Snape," she explained. "His name is Gregory Goyle."

"What does Goyle want with you?" Her uncle asked.

"He believes I killed his father," she answered as she finally sat in the seat next to their boards and wiped away her tears.

"Did you?" Agent Hotch asked.

"No," she answered quietly. "I couldn't properly treat those wounds," she motioned toward the victims pinned on their board. "I didn't know how to at the time and he blames me for his father's loss. He knows I'm here. If you look carefully, you will find more women in Australia, Japan, Russia, Italy, Hawaii, but most of them survived."

"Why did they survive?" The agent asked.

"Because my best friend taught me how to properly treat those wounds after I lost Atticus Goyle," she answered. "Goyle knows how to act dumb, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty, and most importantly," she looked at them, "he knows how disguise himself as the very person sitting next to you. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference between your real colleague and him unless the person is acting out of character. Have any of you been acting differently? Even subtle differences will give him away."

"Morgan has," Prentiss spoke up.

"What?" The man, Morgan asked.

"Ask Agent Morgan a personal question only you two would know," Hermione said to her uncle.

"What did we discuss on this date one year ago?" Jason asked.

Morgan ducked his head before mumbling his answer and Reid and Prentiss looked at him in surprise. Jason nodded to Hermione.

"Set up code phrases, words, personal questions," she instructed. "Discard them after the first use and set up another, everyone has a different phrase between your team, no one has the same safe words. This is how you must deal with Goyle." She held out her hand to her uncle and wiggled her fingers while he looked up at her blankly. "Your mobile," she clarified.

"Why?" Jason asked.

"To call my parents," she answered.

"They already know," he replied. "Even your… organisation knows."

"What organisation?" The blonde woman asked.

"Top secret," Hermione answered. "Only certain individuals are authorised to know who we are and how we operate and I have not been given permission to speak to you all about us. I've already given you all enough information about Goyle here that could have me labelled as a traitor to these people when they find out. This may be the last time any of you ever see me again," she said solemnly.

"What?" Reid asked, quickly standing up from his seat. "Why? You just told us more information about our unsub than we were able to find out on our own and you will be labelled as a traitor because of that?" He asked incredulously.

"Goyle is one of us gone bad," she said softly. "And I will be seen as the same for exposing myself and him to you all."

There were quick knocks on the door to the meeting room before two men barged in and looked at her sharply. "Hermione Granger," one said with awe. "I-I can't believe it. Why?" He asked.

Hermione silently held out her hands and the man carefully handcuffed her.

"Why are you arresting my niece?" Jason roared.

"You can't arrest her!" Doctor Reid exclaimed.

"Back!" The second man ordered. "Hermione Granger, you are under arrest for violating the International Statue of Secrecy set in place by the ICW. You have a right to representation and a trial by the full contingent of the ICW."

"Stop," a voice ordered as he stepped into the room with another man.

Hermione looked at them in surprise.

"Kingsley?" She asked uncertainly.

"I would say good afternoon, but I'm afraid I had to call in a few favours to get you out of this bind, Hermione," he chastised her as he uncuffed her. "Full transcripts of this conversation between you and these… agents… have already reached the proper desks. You have said nothing incriminating against us therefore… gag… orders will need to be signed by everyone in this room and you will be allowed to help in their case with a lot more leaping room. You should have come to me earlier," he admonished her.

"I didn't know I would be a consultant when I arrived for a date with my Uncle Jase," she replied sharply "Perhaps if you all had not kept me in the dark I would not have been blindsided," she admonished him in return.

"Well," Kingsley said as he cleared his throat. "We put you in this position, therefore we must take the blame." He quickly answered his mobile and smiled at her after a few moments. "You've just been exonerated," he said with a wide smile and handed her the mobile. "You have a few promises to make."

"Hello?" Hermione answered uncertainly as she turned her back to the crowd in the room in feeble attempt at privacy. "Yes sir," she replied. "I will keep doing so, yes," she responded. "Oh, well," she slightly fidgeted. "Tomorrow is Harry's birthday," she offered, "but I'm sure my mother will be delighted to meet you, sir," she added. "Have a nice day, sir," she said and handed Kingsley back his mobile, looking every bit exhausted. "I don't know how you do it," she said to him and his booming laughter filled the room while her uncle's colleagues finished reading up on their gag orders and signing them.

"You'll get there someday," he said reassuringly as the rest of his men filtered out.

"Oh, no," Hermione said with a slight shake of her head. "I have plans for becoming a neurosurgeon in a few years. I am finally free of expectations and constraints holding me to our organisation."

He looked at her soberly before saying, "You have not heard the recent talk going around."

"What talk?" Hermione asked warily. He leaned in and whispered while she grew pale and swayed. He guided her into her seat before leaving them all with a goodbye while she stared at the floor, frightened.

"Hermione?" She heard him call her as he kneeled in front of her and idly realised her uncle and Agent Hotch tried to get her attention before Doctor Reid managed to do so. "What's happened?" He asked. Hermione's feet led her toward the window overlooking the woods and car park.

"Goyle likes the dark," she said quietly, they all had a hard time hearing, but could just make out her words. "In school, his common room was in the dungeons. The only light he will be using is candle light. I think he likes the smell of moss and dampness. His best friend, Vincent Crabbe, died by fire. It was an attempt to kill my friends and I in an enclosed space, but we escaped. The wounds of your victims include burns. He is going to burn me and make sure I cannot escape again, but he is not just coming after me," she said dispassionately. "I am collateral, the scapegoat to hide his true intention. He wants Harry through me. He wants to break him first.

"I'm Harry's self-adopted sister," she said softly. "We lost our best friend in that fire. It caused Harry to rethink his relationship with his adopted family, the Weasleys. He loved Ginny, but she moved on after events this past year. He could hardly look at her without seeing her brother, and she could hardly see him without seeing Ronald also.

"I'm the last of Harry's family," she quietly explained. "Take me, and Harry has no support. He becomes an unknown equation. Will he become dark, or will he continue to fight for the greater good?" She asked as tears silently fell down her cheeks. "I want to say he will be good because I have that much faith in him, but Goyle doesn't care," she said with harshness tinging her tone. "He wants to drive Harry to the edge of reason and push him over until his soul becomes just as blackened as Tom Riddle's.

"He's going to use my parents and Uncle Jase to get to me because he knows I will do anything to protect them," she said fiercely and turned to look at them. "Nothing will stop me from protecting my family," she promised them as the door banged open and Harry strolled in.

"Really, Hermione," he said with exasperation. "Did you have to get all dramatic on me?" He asked, amused. "I've brought your parents like Uncle Jase asked me to," he said with a mischievous smile. "And that list of properties Kingsley asked me to give to you all." He handed the paper over to the nearest agent, which happened to be Hotch, and immediately stopped him from directing his team.

"Set up your safe words," Harry directed. "Then every member of your team will be partnered with two members of our organisation. I'm sorry, Uncle Jase, but you will have to sit this one out. It is too risky to allow you out onto the field on this case," he apologised and looked at Hermione with a wide smile. He stood next to her while talking softly, "Dad and mum are in Uncle Jase's office," he said. "I've brought in the D.A. to watch over them."

"All of the D.A.?" Hermione asked carefully. Harry's smile slightly drooped and he nodded in reply. She squeezed his hand and they stayed looking out the window as the afternoon grew later and the sun began its decent.

Her uncle's colleagues were ready to leave and Harry planned on going with them. She knew he would press her to stay behind and let them deal with Goyle. Goyle who was smart, but just as awful at magic because he never applied himself to learning, but anger had the disadvantage of changing people.

"Don't underestimate him," she said to Harry as he prepared to leave. "Goyle may have been incompetent when we were in school, but that was only because he was lazy and puffed up with importance," she quietly explained. "Now he is angry at us, at the world for not bowing to Voldemort and killing me, people like me. He will be more methodical, he will have applied himself to leaning properly," she warned Harry. "He will actually be using his brain, instead of using his influence as a pureblood, but keep in mind that purebloods thrive on the illogical. They have absolutely no sense of logic. That is to be your weapon this time, Harry," she advised him.

"I hardly grew up on logic," Harry slightly panicked.

"My uncle's team thrives on logic," she said to him. "Go with the one you are most comfortable with and use their logic as your defence."

"'All for one,'" Harry said quietly as he held his hand out.

"'And one for all,'" Hermione whispered as she placed her hand over his and wiped furiously at her eyes. "Don't fall, Harry," she murmured, hugging him tightly. "I-I have to go with you," she said as she looked up at him.

"What?" Harry asked. "No!" He exclaimed. "I thought we silently agreed you were going to stay here!"

"'United we stand, divided we fall,'" Hermione finished the quote. "He's counting on it, Harry. He's counting on us separating," she said firmly. "I either have to go or you have to stay here with me and ruin his plans."

"You need to stay," Harry said stubbornly.

"Think about it, Harry," she said as she tapped his temple. "'All for one, and one for all, united we stand divided we fall.' We made it no secret that was our catchphrase at school. Goyle is counting on us to separate. He has two plans. He knows of our plans by now, there's an inside man in our organisation or the FBI's," she said fiercely. "We have to knot him up in neat little bows. We know how to play with him, Harry. Crabbe might have taken Ron from us, but we're still a team, a strong team."

"She's right," Agent Hotch said. Hermione noticed he and his team had been standing close to them and looked at them knowingly.

Harry groaned and worried his hair. "I'm paper," he finally said.

Hermione smiled before saying, "And I'm the glue."

"Stick to me and I'll stick to you," they both completed with smiles before looking at the team and sobering.

"One last time?" Harry asked as he held out his fist.

"We can only hope, with our luck," Hermione retorted before Harry started their chant again. They looked at each other soberly, waiting for that third voice to join in and looked down at their hands, missing their third.

"'All for one,'" Doctor Reid said as he placed his hand over theirs, to their surprise.

"'And one for all,'" Harry and Hermione repeated.

"'United we stand, divided we fall,'" they all said together.

Morgan joined in after Doctor Reid and one by one the team joined their chant until every one of them had a hand placed in their circle and chanted with them. Hermione's hairs stood on edge at the magical oath each of them were participating in and knew they understood on some level that they must always act as a team. She looked up and smiled at Jason as he joined in and instinctively knew he understood her and Harry, that they all did in those few moments they all joined together as one element.

"What's the plan?" Jason asked after everyone finished, not letting any the moment of boosted morale pass them by.

"Goyle is counting on Carwyn and Daphne Granger being here for safety," Hermione spoke, mentally separating herself from her parents.

"They must be moved to a safer, unknown location," Harry continued. "They must be separated."

"I'll see to that," Jason said. "J.J. will be with me."

"Use only agents you trust," Hermione instructed. "Ask them personal questions to ensure it truly is them."

"And if it's not?" Agent Hotch asked.

"Shoot," Harry said darkly. "Only to incapacitate, but it would be better if your spy or spies were permanently put out of commission. They multiply faster than rabbits."

"Cockroaches," Hermione corrected him.

"Doesn't matter," Harry shrugged. "They still spontaneously proliferate. When one is temporarily incapacitated, gives the snakes a chance to get away."

"Ou," Hermione teasingly drawled. "Little brother's learned a big word."

"Only because I have to listen to you," Harry dramatically rolled his eyes. "Next is to be illogical," Harry said.

"We must be as illogical as we can appear to be, but still logical about being so," Hermione explained. "Goyle is expecting us to act in a logical manner and has been playing everyone by deploying what brain he is capable of scrounging up," she said as she scrunched up her nose. "He doesn't know very much, maybe only theories and what he has seen me use, so he will be copying me."

"We don't know you to copy you," Prentiss said. "How do we know if we are not doing it uncomprehendingly?" She asked.

"Easy," Hermione answered. "Who is the most illogical, yet logical person on your team?" She asked. Everyone looked over at Reid at the same time and Hermione followed their gazes. "Then Doctor Reid must be the one to direct this time."

"What?" Doctor Reid asked with a higher than normal voice before he coughed and asked again in a normal tone.

"You heard her," Harry replied. "And last thing. Constant Vigilance!" He shouted at them. The all looked at him oddly and he smirked at Hermione. "Moody would have loved these guys," he commented.

"Moody would have also loved a bottle of scotch," Hermione commented as she wrinkled her nose. "Now, Doctor Reid, we await your command."

"The Grangers will be seen leaving with us," Reid said after gathering himself. "They will get into a car with Hermione-" Jason coughed and he quickly corrected himself. "Miss Granger. Mister and Mrs. Granger will get into a car with Hermione-Miss Granger!"

"Just call me Hermione," Hermione said as she glared at her uncle.

"Sure," Doctor Reid smiled at her quickly before continuing. "She, J.J., and Gideon will separate from the from each other and the Grangers will be taken to different safe houses while Hermione drives to our location."

"On my own?" Hermione asked uncertainly. "I, er, I just discovered earlier that I can hardly manoeuvre a vehicle," she said as she brightly blushed.

"Was anyone injured?" Jason asked sharply.

"No," Hermione replied. "I managed to get here without scathing anyone, including myself," she said wryly.

"I'll go with them," Hotch volunteered.

Reid thought it over before saying, "Hermione would take off on her own to try to get back to Harry. That's when Goyle is going to make his move to capture her, it's logical to him, yet illogical of her to have backup. It'll be at least two men going after her, three of he's paranoid."

"If he's paranoid then that means he'll be making mistakes," Agent Hotch said. "He has to second guess every time he tries to think as Miss Granger does and paranoia means he's getting tired of the mental exercise because he knows how close we are to getting him."

"Then can we stop being illogical if he is paranoid?" J.J. asked.

"No," Hermione corrected her. "He has this all planned out, all his moves are already nearing their end," she said as she looked at Doctor Reid. "Your theories you played out at the park," she said to him, "why not give them a bit of a… French flair," she suggested.

"A French flair?" Reid asked himself aloud as he quickly calculated. "You employed my theories against me," he breathed in awe. "After tweaking them!" He laughed as he lifted her and spun her around, then held her tightly against himself as he firmly kissed her. Sounded had faded from around them as he concentrated on her lips pressing back against his and breathed in the light perfume she wore. He was floating away until one voice got through to him and he fell back down to earth and set Hermione onto her feet while she looked at Hotch with doleful eyes that had Hotch stepping back in surprise.

"I think Gideon and Harry just might team up to kill our genius," he said with a small smile that was almost teasing. Reid sputtered and stuttered while Hermione glared at her godfather and Harry before pulling Doctor Reid down to her to placed her lips over his to give him a short, but no less sweet kiss in return.

Harry immediately separated them, leaving Doctor Reid to split everyone up into teams with suggestions from Harry and Gideon when they organised them with members of The Organisation they weren't supposed to know anything about, but did know and now couldn't talk about them with their 'gag' order.

"He even expects us to go in as a team," Reid realised.

"What?" Morgan asked.

"We always go in together when we can," Reid explained. "It's standard procedure," he said while looking at Hotch.

"We go against it this time," Hotch finally said after a moment.

"No," Hermione interjected. "I would expect you all to split up as soon as you all enter anyway. Does that not happen eventually?" She asked.

"It should stay the same," J.J. said. "He's expecting standard procedure and that is what he'll get."

"But that will be the only thing that goes according to his plans," Morgan said determinedly.

"He's going to push hard for you all to break up and get the job done your own way," Hermione realised. "Stick close to your group as you separate," she advised. "Goyle will be counting on those moments to use any weaknesses he knows you have against you."

"Have we covered everything?" Reid asked.

"We have," Hotch answered. "Keep your head in the game when the unexpected happens," he quietly advised Reid. "It always does happen and it always will."

They explained their tactics at least two more times before they decided it was time to split. Hermione silently made her way into Jason's office and looked at the occupants soberly. She hadn't seen any of them after the Battle at Hogwarts and they looked at her with twinkling eyes and mischievousness playing about their expressions.

"Watch out for Goyle and the goons he collected," she warned them.

"That stupid gorilla?" Dean Thomas asked with a scoff.

"That stupid gorilla was smart enough to fool Voldemort that he was useless," she said to him. "He's angry at his losses and it's making him reckless. He will have stopped being a lazy git and started using his brain," she explained. "His well-developed brain," she emphasised. "Do not let your pride get in the way of overestimating Goyle. That will be your downfall if you do and most of all, don't imitate me and definitely don't imitate Harry," she advised.

"Then who should we imitate?" Lavender Brown asked.

Hermione silently placed her hand on the young woman's shoulder and softly said, "Be Severus Snape."

"That filthy traitor!" Seamus spat.

"That filthy traitor saved every single one of us at the Battle at Hogwarts!" Hermione growled at him. "Do you want to know the truth about your former Headmaster?" She asked. "He lived a lie for Harry Potter, for his best friend, Lily Evans Potter! He made mistakes you and I have made in the past as children and he was reprimanded worse than all of us put together! Did you know a Gryffindor set him up to die?" She asked. "Someone from our house!" She hissed at them. "And Albus Dumbledore covered it up and had Professor Snape cleaning up toilets for the last two months of school! How was that fair to a man who was younger than us at the time?" She asked. "Our housemate got off on his offense with barely a slap to the hand while Severus Snape suffered the injustices done to him day after day for seventeen whole years of his life and you still call that brave man a traitor?" She asked.

"He killed Dumbledore!" McLaggen yelled back.

"Only because Headmaster Dumbledore made him participate in an unbreakable bond to kill him!" Hermione retorted and was met with stunned silence. "If he didn't kill him, he would have died and we would have all been damned. If he did kill him then we would spit on his name in remembrance and call him a traitor for the rest of his life even when he did the noblest thing of us all!"

"And that was what?" Seamus asked with a scoff. "Die?"

"He dedicated his whole life to the greater good," Hermione hissed at him. "He devoted his time to torturing us with his sarcasm, severe point taking, and lengthy parchments of homework and just those things made him the most hated man in school. If you cannot get over that childishness then there is absolutely no hope for the future of our world!" She exclaimed.

"He saved us from the Carrows," Lavender Brown spoke up. "We were supposed to be sent to them for punishment every time we broke the rules by just breathing, but Headmaster Snape was always there to send us to Hagrid or one of the House Heads, no matter the time of day he was always there to save us from the Carrows' torture."

"He saved me when they had me locked up," Hannah Abbott spoke up. "I had only been there for five minutes," she shuddered, "and they already had me stripped," she whispered. "Snape saved me and sent me to Madame Pomfrey for punishment. I was supposed to be cleaning out bed pans, but instead Madame Pomfrey placed me in a private room and healed me. I heard him come in later, he knew I was supposed to be working, but he looked right at me and walked out of the hospital wing."

Hermione felt her uncle place a hand on her shoulder and she looked at the D.A. "Remember what we stand for," she said to them. "'United we stand,'" She quoted.

"'Divided we fall,'" a few members repeated.

"I didn't hear you." She scowled at them and lifted her wand in the air. "'United we stand,'" she repeated more loudly.

Everyone lifted their wands in reply and roared back at her, "'Divided we fall!'"

"Constant Vigilance!" She roared at them, a few jumped in surprise and she eyed them calculatingly. "Partner up!" She ordered. "Make sure you're both yin and yang!" She raised a gold coin this time and everyone disappeared right before her parents and the agents' eyes. "Get to the vehicles and be prepared to be as ruthless as Severus Snape, yet just a loyal!" She shouted after them as they filtered past the confused agents.

She suddenly stopped someone and a young man appeared from thin air. He was as tall as her, yet acting grown up and looking ready to fight.

"I'm sorry Dennis, but you are barely sixteen," she said softly.

"They killed my brother, Hermione," Dennis replied. "I have to. I can't listen to mum cry anymore."

"I know how much it hurts and how much you need to fight," Hermione said softly, "but you need to save that and concentrate on becoming an Auror. You'll be able to fight dark wizards then." She apologetically placed a small charm in his hand. "Patience," she said and he disappeared again. "He's going to return again," she said to them. "He's going to sneak in like Colin did and-"

"You did what you could, Hermione," Harry said softly as his disillusionment charms gradually faded away, "Everyone knows to watch out for him when he tries and they will look out for him," he explained while they walked out together.

"Tell me he doesn't know where we're going," Hermione responded.

Harry hesitated before saying, "Dennis doesn't know where you're going."

"Dammit, Harry!" Hermione hissed at him as they waited for the lifts. "Who told him where we're going?" She asked.

Harry flinched and answered, "McLaggen."

"I want that arrogant arse strung up by his toenails and skinned!" She hissed. "Make sure McLaggen knows he's cleaning Featherwings and his other equestrian friends' stalls for the next ten years if Dennis so much as scratches himself!"

"And how are you going to make him?" Prentiss asked curiously.

Hermione glared at her darkly and they all shivered at the sudden drop in temperature.

"Careful, Hermione," Harry murmured. "Your dark side is showing."

"Shove off, Harry," Hermione replied.

"Hermione!" Daphne said sharply.

Hermione held her the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger and slowly counted as she breathed more deeply and evenly. The lift dinged and they all squeezed in somehow.

"I feel like the pimple that's ready to pop as soon as those doors slide open," J.J. muttered as the lift lowered and they all shuffled in what little space they could.

"Well, you are wearing white today," Reid with an amused smile and the door slid open and J.J. was shoved out by a laughing Morgan.

"Hey, this pimple just popped," he laughed. J.J. shoved back at him playfully as they made their way to the SUVs where their partners were waiting for them.

Hermione solemnly said goodbye to Harry as she clung to him tightly. Carwyn and Jason had to pull her away eventually and she stared at Harry until the door closed on her. Harry entered another SUV with Doctor Reid and she finally stopped looking when she could no longer see him or Doctor Reid.

The ride out to the north of Quantico was solemnly quiet.

Carwyn and Daphne each held one of Hermione's hands as they drove further away from Jason's workplace, and closer to the point they would be separated. Hotch stopped at a busy grocer's market and nodded at J.J. before she exited the SUV with Carwyn. He waited until his mobile rang and then circled another area a few times before driving even longer to drop off Gideon and Daphne.

"Come on, Daphne," Jason said gently. "Hotch will see to it that Hermione is okay," he said reassuringly.

"We have the whole D.A. out here mum, if anything happens it's because I was stubborn," Hermione said with a small smile.

"That's not very reassuring," Daphne said with a worried laugh, quickly hugged her daughter before hastily exiting the SUV.

"And then there were two," Hermione said as she crawled over to the front passenger seat. "Listen carefully," she said to Hotch as he drove off after Gideon gave him the signal. "It is already a certainty that we are going to be attacked," she said gravely. "These people will be able to erect blue shields. Do not shoot when that happens, your bullets will ricochet. Fire only when they're down, but if our opponents are particularly lucky today they might just be able to stop a flying bullet," she said grimly. "Lady Luck can sometimes be a bitch."

"Got it," Hotch said as he glanced at her, then back at the road. "You went to a military school and they made you a General before you were even sixteen."

"No," Hermione replied. "I went to what was supposed to be a normal school, but then terrorists happened and I stuck by my brother's side to help him stop a mad man from literally taking over the world," she said. "He would have too," she said darkly. "Not one single person on this earth could have stopped Tom Riddle if Harry and Professor Snape had not been willing to die for the greater good."

The cliff rocks ahead of them started rolling downhill and Hotch managed to avoid them just in time.

"This is it," Hermione said as he brought the vehicle to a stop. "I'm paper and you're the glue."

"Stick to me and I'll stick to you," Hotch finished from memory.

"Exactly," Hermione said as they quickly exited the SUV at the sight of three masked men.

"He's paranoid," Hotch said. "He's probably already making mistakes. We're unravelling his plans."

"Stupefy!" One of them called out.

Hermione deftly manoeuvred aside and they listened as the spell hit the SUV behind them and exploded the bonnet off.

"How to get them to lower those shields," Hermione murmured. They ducked and rolled as the wizards sent a volley of more spells. "Be prepared," she said before yelling, "Impedimenta! Confrigo! Bombarda!" In quick succession, her words almost blurred together with her spells.

Two of the wizards' shields were broken and Hotch quickly shot them in quick succession. The last wizard looked at them uncertainly before twisting on his heel and ended up on his arse as Hermione smirked down at him and walked closer.

"Expelliarmus!" She shouted and his wand flew out of his hand and into hers. "Stupefy!" She hissed as she glared down at the man and he stiffened as he glowed red and went unconscious. She slowly started to murmur and she twisted and flicked her wand and then levitated the unconscious man toward a boulder near the SUV and made him disappear into thin air.

"I've been meaning to ask how the hell you do that," Hotch said as he watched.

"Magic," Hermione replied with a smirk. "Plain and not so simple as one would like to imagine."

"That's handy," he commented, "but we'll have to find another route," Hotch said, looking around. "We weren't expecting to have our route suddenly blocked off."

"No need," Hermione said as she stepped closer to him. "Forgive my liberties, but I assure you it's important," she said and wrapped her arms around his waist and twisted on her heel. The world twisted and reformed around them and he gasped and held onto a silver car as he struggled to catch his breath. "Deep breaths," she murmured when he started retching. "The first time is always the worst," she explained.

"There better not be a next time," Hotch gasped as he finally stood and weakly clung to the car.

"Perhaps I should give the wheel another try," she said uncertainly as she pulled out a car key and unlocked the doors.

"I think not," Hotch said and quickly snatched the keys from her. "We had Garcia look up the traffic cameras from this morning. You are definitely never driving if I can help it," he said firmly.

"What, are you planning on blocking me from taking the driving test?" She asked with amusement as they entered the car and drove out again. The security gave them odd looks as they drove out the exit, but otherwise ignored them.

"I already have," he replied. "I made sure Garcia labelled you as a high-risk driver, with a, 'turn around if you spot this woman,' warning," he responded with a slight smile.

"I do believe you told a joke at my expense." Hermione laughed.

"Tell me more about your school," Hotch said curiously.

"There's nothing more to say really." She shrugged.

"Really?" He asked. "Because from where I'm standing-"

"Sitting," Hermione corrected.

He looked at her sternly before continuing, "…from where I'm sitting you seem to be a wizard or something." Hermione laughed while he looked over at her a few times until she finally wiped away her tears.

"I can honestly tell you I am not a wizard," she said with another laugh. "I'm missing a few important parts, if you know what I mean." It took a moment, but the tips of his ears started burning red and Hermione did her best not to laugh again and instead covered her smile with her palm. "How far are we?" She asked.

"Five minutes away," he answered as he pulled out his mobile and tried to turn on the screen.

"I believe I owe you an apology," Hermione said.

"Why?" He asked.

"Technology and I have a love/hate relationship," she replied.

"What kind of love hate relationship?" Hotch asked.

"The kind where I love to use my abilities to their fullest and technology hates me for it," she answered with a small smile. "I'm afraid your mobile will have to be replaced."

"This was a new one too." He frowned and tossed it in the back seat.

"No electronics will work where we are going anyway," Hermione shrugged. "I'm not the only one technology hates."

"You mean we'll be cut off from everyone else?" He asked sharply.

"Not necessarily," Hermione answered. "As long as your colleagues stay with a member of the Organisation, they won't be cut off from us as a whole. We have ways to work around it," she said cryptically as he pulled off the main road to meet with everyone at a rest stop and found them waiting. Hermione cautiously walked up to Harry to some people's confusion and stared at each other for at least a minute.

"What's going on?" Morgan asked.

They ignored him and started at each other for a few moments more until Hermione finally spoke, "'Shared joys'"

"'Make a friend,'" Harry replied.

"'Not shared sufferings,'" They finished together. Hermione looked relieved and allowed Harry to pull her into a hug.

"Friedrich Nietzsche," Doctor Reid murmured. He quickly questioned Hotch in return and received the answers he was looking for. "We found two spies," he said to Hotch. "You needed be there to see what happened, but Mister Potter took care of them for us," he explained.

"You'll need to explain every detail to me later, but right now the daylight is fading and we need to get moving," he said.

"It has to look like you're still in charge," Reid murmured. "Just to be safe. He knows everything about us, but he thinks you won't give up leadership of the team so easily for one case. We all know what to do by heart anyway."

"Got it," Hotch said as he started ordering everyone. It took a few moments for others not with them to organise, but they did it quicker than he expected. He had concerns about working with a top-secret organisation, but they didn't seem to be as concerned about working with them.

"You are seasoned fighters," he said to Hermione and Harry. Reid wanted them in the smaller car, it would announce Harry's arrival because it would single him out from the rest. It would make Harry look overconfident and smug, boastful even, about his victory over Tom Riddle.

Harry's perceived conceit would push Goyle to abandon his premeditated plans and he would become careless. He would have expected Hermione to be captured by now but she wasn't, and he knew it. Goyle knew his plans were falling to pieces.

He expected to by playing Hermione's game, but he was playing Reid's unknowingly with a side flair of Hermione added on the board. Goyle nearly got away with his plans if Hermione hadn't been so lucky, they hadn't picked up on the case until yesterday morning.

"Harry," Hermione gasped as their destination came into view.

"I see them," he said grimly.

"They're innocent," Hermione said hastily. "We have to help."

"We have to find out if we weren't and aren't going to be played by them first," Harry said sharply.

"I would hardly think the Malfoys tied to trees while Lucius is stripped and beaten qualifies as them premeditating betrayal!" Hermione exclaimed as she pointed to a few photographs lining the path.

"He would be expecting you to want to help them!" Harry roared. Hermione watched him expressionlessly.

"Well it's a good thing he already thinks I've gotten to a safe house," she replied blandly.

"We need you to stick with us," Doctor Reid said firmly. "We can't deviate from the plan. Morgan and his team will be looking for any hostages we haven't caught onto yet."

They ended up walking the last hundred or so yards to the small home at the centre of the property. The land was small enough for the teams to approach from all sides. Goyle would be expecting them to land right on his front doorstep, but instead they would also skip the back and take or make a side entrance into the home after the first two teams made an entrance.

They went in through an unused side door that most likely had been forgotten about. Harry went in first with Hotch behind him, then Hermione and Reid. She didn't like the setup but they pushed for it and she had to go with it. Goyle was easily found in a study, yelling at a few of his cohorts because he was upset that she hadn't been captured like he planned.

He kept yelling what he had planned for her and Harry, she could feel Doctor Reid stepping closer to her as he yelled about her torture at Malfoy Manor, about how he wanted to continue it and she wouldn't get away a second time. Harry would be broken to find her corpse, mutilated, in front of the Gryffindor common room, leaving Harry more susceptible manipulation from a new friend.

She could have laughed when he planned on replacing her and Ronald as Harry's friends. Instead, she placed herself next to Harry and sent off a patronus to the other groups that Goyle was in the study on the main floor behind the parlour room. Her patronus startled Agent Hotch and Doctor Reid, but she focused on Harry and Goyle.

"The two men with Goyle can easily be dispatched," Reid whispered. "We still have the element of surprise."

"Ready when you are," Hermione said to Harry.

He nodded and they easily stunned the two wizards in front of Goyle, taking him by surprise, then stepped into the room together.

"No!" Goyle shouted. "You're supposed to be hiding!" He yelled at Hermione. "I'm supposed to be the one who saves Potter from those blood traitors Malfoy and Snape!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and silently stunned with barely a flick of her wand, he easily blocked it and went after her, completely ignoring Harry and thus, falling unconscious from Harry's spell.

"A bit anticlimactic," Harry drawled as he snapped Goyle's wand with his foot. They hastily did the same with the others.

"I did expect a bit of a skirmish," Hermione replied. "Perhaps Goyle was simply less than average to begin with." She shrugged. "Though he did manage to block my stunner and not get blasted back."

"He should get that at least," Harry agreed as they tied Goyle up with a few flicks of their wands. Hermione sewed his mouth shut and stuck him to the ceiling so they could easily find him after it was all over. She quickly finished with her own modified sleeping spell and they left the two stunned agents looking after them with too much interest.

The rest of the teams were actually involved in a few skirmishes. Harry and Hermione immediately took on the team that was having the most trouble and everything was wrapped up a minute later. Mister Dumbledore and his friends had the Death Eaters bound and sent off to the Auror office while Kingsley took care of Goyle.

"Merlin," Kingsley breathed as he followed them into the study. "What did you do to the boy?" He asked with no little amusement. "I want you both in the Auror office. You've proven time and again that you are a strong team. You would be invaluable to us."

"You already know my answer, Kingsley," Hermione said quietly. "Has anyone found the Malfoys?" She asked.

"Not yet," Kingsley answered. "They have to be here somewhere, but not in the obvious places. We have a few people for you to take in," he said to Agent Hotch and Doctor Reid.

Hermione hastily palmed her wand while Harry followed after her as they started to search the house, the two agents followed them, leaving the rest of the team to take care of the group they had to deal with. Hermione spent nearly thirty minutes searching walls and floors until they entered the last room. It didn't quite fit with the rest of the measurements of the rest of the house, it was smaller and there were no cupboards or hidden spaces, the floor was higher.

"Harry," Hermione breathed. "I think we're in a room within a room," she tried to explain.

"What?" He asked.

"This room is smaller than it should be," Hermione clarified.

"This room is inside the real room," Doctor Reid said. "How do we get in?"

"Look for a door, an uneven space, or even a loose floor board," Hermione directed as she started feeling along the walls.

"Here," Hotch said as he stepped onto a squeaky floor board. Hermione rushed toward him and said a few detection spells.

"Revelio," she said with a flick of her wand and tried a few more spells. "It might just be a loose floor board," she said as she took out a pen and scratched the wood. "We'll have to return to it if we don't find anything else, keep searching."

Hotch started helping her feel along the walls when he was done with checking out the floors. They had been in the room for nearly an hour. Prentiss and Morgan helped them search for a while and everyone was close to giving up until they heard a few knocks.

Hermione quickly shushed everyone and knocked back. There was silence after a few moments and they were close to writing off the knocks as a coincidence, but more knocking was heard in the same pattern. It was in a corner of the wall she had started checking in the very beginning.

She and Hotch started feeling on the wall again before he said, "I feel something here." His hand was placed over the wall that looked no different from the rest. Hermione used him to balance herself as she stood on the tips of her toes to reach the part of the wall he had indicated.

Nothing happened after she tapped her wand to it. It was all a bit anticlimactic again.

"Perhaps it's like the entrance to Diagon Alley," Harry suggested.

"Do you think Goyle would really have been that lazy?" She asked, then retracted her statement, "Never mind, he would have been indolent somewhere in his plans." She quickly tapped her wand in the same pattern as the entrance to Diagon Alley and the wall opened up to reveal three bodies with blond hair lying on the floor, gagged with the dirtiest rags she had ever seen.

She hastily vanished the rags, then the ropes.

"Thank Merlin that awful trash is out of my mouth," Draco gagged.

"Perhaps a few detoxing potions will help with any…" Hermione cringed, "undesirable germs those rags might have contained. Madame Pomfrey should be waiting downstairs for you all."

"Thank you, Hermione" Narcissa said with relief as she helped her stand. "We tried to find you a few weeks ago and ended up finding Gregory instead," she explained.

"I'm afraid a few weeks ago I was… unreachable by anyone," Hermione said softly.

"That is what we were afraid of," Lucius rasped.

"Have they tortured any of you?" She asked as she helped Narcissa downstairs with Prentiss' help. Harry and Doctor Reid had Draco, while Morgan and Hotch helped Lucius down to Madame Pomfrey.

"Just me," Lucius said hoarsely.

"Father kept taunting Goyle so he would leave mother and me alone," Draco explained. "He took the brunt of the curses for us."

They finally made it downstairs and Madame Pomfrey was directed to Mister Malfoy. Lucius was summarily strapped to a conjured stretcher while Narcissa and Draco were given a nutrient and invigoration draught. They downed them with a little help and soon felt better.

"Take Lucius to my home," Hermione directed Madame Pomfrey. "The nearest hospital is too far to magically transfer Mister Malfoy and Healer Canicus can easily be called in to assist you," she said to the medi-witch.

"I'll take you there," Mister Dumbledore offered. Madame Pomfrey paused and looked a bit flustered, but accepted his offer with a little shyness.

"Why don't you go along," Hermione said to Narcissa and Draco. "We still have to finish up a few things with my uncle's team and get my parents home before midnight," she explained.

"Are you sure they will not mind having us over?" Narcissa asked.

"I don't think they will but we will talk about it in the morning," Hermione replied. "Go rest where you won't have to worry about anything for a while."

"That sounds like heaven," Draco murmured as he followed after Madame Pomfrey and Mister Dumbledore.

Her day had turned out to be mentally and physically exhausting and she just wanted to collect her parents and get home. Harry seemed to share the same sentiments as they rode back to the FBI headquarters. Her eyes gradually closed and somehow her head ended up on Doctor Reid's thigh. His scent was light, but masculine. She could smell a bit of tobacco with some leather and cloves in the soft cologne he wore.

His hand was slowly running through her hair and loosening her already relaxed rose bun. Her hair would be a mess by the time they reached the car park, but she couldn't mind because Doctor Reid's hand was comforting. He gave her feelings of security and a sense of home she only felt with certain people. She stopped his hand with her own and laid a lingering kiss over his thumb before placing it under her head. He laughed at her softly and used his free hand to run through her hair again.

"We're here," Doctor Reid said quietly as he gently shook her shoulder. Hermione yawned and cuddled into his waist while he shifted uncomfortably. "Hermione?" He asked. She smiled into his sweater, but ignored him and held him tighter. He pulled her onto his lap and slowly climbed out of the car without having to use too much effort because she was smaller and lighter than him.

"I didn't expect that," Hermione whispered.

"Shh," he breathed. "Everyone's watching and Garcia is taking pictures." Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

"You better get me a few copies," she murmured. "That way my mum can tease us for a few weeks."

He suddenly stopped.

"You want me to meet your parents?" He asked.

Hermione opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"When you're ready and whenever we pass our sixth date," she said, closing her eyes again. "Besides, you have to work with my Uncle Jase." She heard him swallow and tried not to laugh. "He won't be too hard on you," Hermione said softly. "He's soft on you, I think that means he really cares about you."

"What happened to Hermione?" Jason asked loudly as he rushed toward them. Hermione fully opened her eyes and Doctor Reid settled her on her feet.

"Eastmund," Hermione smiled. "I'm fine. I was just a bit worn out and Doctor Reid indulged me." She quickly stood on her toes and kissed his cheek before following everyone toward a waiting lift.

"Eastmund?" Prentiss asked.

"Gracious protector," Doctor Reid said automatically. "The name is Anglo-Saxon in origin-"

"And a variant of the old English name Esmond," Hermione finished for him. Jason looked at the two of them and slightly shook his head as he looked at Harry and back at them. He knew they would find each other sooner or later and resigned himself to the fact that Reid was a good man and Hermione was a wonderful and strong young woman.

A few months later

Carwyn was excited that he would get to take Harry out for his first season of hunting. Jason had taken a week from work to spend with them and Aaron had given everyone the week as a holiday and planned to take his two-year old along on the trip with them for his own father-son time.

The whole week would be a surprise for Harry.

Lucius and Draco agreed to come along for a magicless weekend and he was a bit nervous to see how that would go for them. Magic was like water to them, they used it without a second thought. It took some getting used to while Lucius recovered from the family's ordeal and it gradually became second nature for Carwyn and Daphne to watch out for anything from flying socks to a dinnerplate.

He rubbed his forehead as he remembered that first incident and Lucius looked at him apologetically.

"That was funny after." Carwyn laughed.

Lucius smiled and chuckled with him as they kept an eye on Harry and Draco.

Harry and Draco's friendship was a bit strained, but for the most part they got along because Hermione pushed them to do so. She often got exasperated with them and often found herself being chastised by Daphne or Narcissa when she overstepped her boundaries.

"I've got two sets of parents," Hermione grumbled. "At least I have Uncle Jase," she smiled at Jason and he indulged her, as he often did. Perhaps it was as it should have been when he wasn't there to indulge Hermione as a child.

Hermione.

Carwyn frowned and grumbled when she brought over Doctor Spencer Reid for dinner a few nights ago. Daphne immediately took her husband in hand and he was as polite as he wanted to be when he answered the door to find Jason standing there with the doctor.

It was hard not to be polite with the socially awkward, but well-mannered young man, but his heart hurt just watching Hermione looking at another young man with admiration and… love… shining in her golden eyes.

'Reid is lucky he reciprocated my Hermione's glances,' Carwyn thought as he loaded his rifle and stared at Reid's ridiculous snowsuit. The young man caught his gaze and quickly gulped, but then Jason stepped in Carwyn's line of view and started instructing him on how to use the rifle.

He looked over at Harry and decided to get started with his own instructions while Aaron took on Lucius and Draco together.

Two hours later they were all comfortable with their students and they set off for the woods. Reid ended up with Jack after an hour when Jack became too fussy, but he gratefully took on the task of looking after the toddler.

Carwyn wanted to… pull Reid's hair.

Hermione would kill him if he even scratched her boyfriend with a bullet and Aaron would skin him if he accidentally injured Jack because he was too close to Reid.

It was easier to live with Hermione and Daphne when he agreed with them about Reid… though he always waited to agree with them so he could haggle a little extra time with Hermione. He patted himself on the back when he could steal that time away from Reid.

Aaron looked at him knowingly and he shrugged.

What could he do?

He was a father and that young buck wanted to take his daughter and… they would create… babies…

'Better not think of that right now,' he thought to himself. He would only end up hurting Reid if he thought of the doctor and his daughter together in that sense. He could see Harry in the corner of his eye giving Reid the same glance and he knew he wasn't alone in his thoughts.

Lucius smirked at him and twisted his hand.

Reid tripped over a raised branch and Carwyn tried not to laugh at the young man's misfortune.

Jason was there to quickly help him up though and Aaron stared at Lucius until he blinked just a tad faster than normal. That was the wizard's only tell when he got uncomfortable. Lucius finally nodded reluctantly and stopped.

Pity.

"How long are we supposed to wait?" Lucius asked.

"As long as it takes," Jason answered. "Patience is a part of the hunt."

"So," Mister Malfoy drawled. "I cannot say… transfigure us a deer to shoot?"

They all looked at each other.

"We're not going to actually eat it, are we?" Reid asked.

"I usually end up selling it to the town's local butcher," Jason said. "Why not?" He asked. "It'll save a few deer and we still get to enjoy hunting."

Thus, they had a successful week of hunting.

The deer were changed back into rocks and twigs after they were done and they didn't have to worry about killing any actual deer or figure out what to do with them after.

PETA would love their solution to saving the animals.

…but maybe not the violence.

He shrugged.

Not everyone could be pleased.

He didn't get to glare at Hermione and Reid when they arrived home. Daphne was the perfect distraction, and by the time he realised Hermione had greeted Reid the same way, she was hugging him and wrinkling her nose at the smell of manure.

He forgot about that… incident…

"What happened to your clothes?" Daphne asked.

"Er, well… you see…" Carwyn stuttered.

"You don't really want to know," Harry answered for him. "Really, just don't ask."

"Go freshen up and throw those out," Daphne ordered while crinkling her nose. "Dinner will be done by the time you come back down."

Hermione greeted Uncle Jase after her dad and asked him and Spencer, "How was the trip?"

"It was exciting," Spencer said hastily. "Mister Malfoy, Draco, and Harry transfigured deer for us and we got to hunt. I got to shoot a rifle for the first time on Monday!" He said excitedly and Hermione smiled at him as he continued explained quickly. When he reached the parts about being accident prone out in the woods Hermione and Narcissa eyed Lucius until the wizard cleared his throat and thought he might also freshen up. Draco immediately followed and they knew he was a bit guilty too.

"Your dad is a really great shot," Spencer continued, though a tad pale as he fixed his collar. "I think he might be able to give Hotch a run for a medal."

"We'll have a competition next year," Hotch said. "The fastest shot out of five."

"I'm in," Jason said. "Though I can hardly compete with you now," he softly laughed.

"How much longer do you have Jack?" Daphne asked as she carefully took the sleeping child from his father.

"Just until Sunday night," Aaron answered quietly.

"Well, it'll give Jack time to get over his fever," Daphne said as she felt the back of Jack's neck.

"What?" Aaron asked, standing up and feeling his son's neck and stomach. His body was a little warmer than he usually was. "I didn't notice."

"It's fine," Daphne said. "Perhaps we might be able to call on Madame Pomfrey?" She asked Hermione.

"I'll ask," Hermione said as she headed toward their floo before her mother had even finished asking. Five minutes later she pulled her head out of the floo to see Spencer looking anxious, but relieved and interested looks from her uncle and Aaron. She gave everyone an odd look before calling up her patronus. "Give this message to Madame Dumbledore," she said to her otter.

"Madame Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

"Apparently, they had a bit of a Gretna Green wedding," Hermione replied after sending off her otter with the message.

"Gretna Green?" Aaron asked.

"Er, a Vegas wedding," Hermione clarified. Harry laughed incredulously until a hasty knock disturbed them. Narcissa answered the door to find a woman with greying hair looking back at her.

"May I help you?" She asked.

"I would hope I could help Jack," the woman answered.

"Madame Pom-Dumbledore?" Narcissa asked with surprise. The medi-witch only laughed and glided past her in the entrance hall and said her greetings to everyone in the parlour. A few minutes, and one potion later, Madame Dumbledore was back to her honeymoon and Jack was sleeping more soundly.

"You've successfully avoided Hailey's wrath," Reid said to Aaron.

"I'm just glad Jack is okay," Aaron said with relief.

"It was just a cold in its beginning stages," Daphne said reassuringly. "He's spent too much time in the outdoors and wasn't used to the snow. I'm sure he had fun though."

"He did," Aaron agreed with a small smile.

One month later

He lit the candles on his dining table and straightened the silverware before opening the bottle of elf wine Draco had supplied him with. Harry was prone to pull a joke if he had asked him for the wine, and Draco was more experienced with what to pick for his dinner with Hermione.

He didn't want to think about Lucius.

The wizard was more likely to offer the best wine and hex it.

He jerked his hand back when he cut himself on the corkscrew and looked at it suspiciously. Draco was prone to hexing, but Narcissa influenced Draco to not be so stubborn about Hermione's relationship with him. He forgot about his bleeding finger and rushed to answer the door when Hermione knocked. He had her all to himself for the night and was excited to have a long period of time alone with her.

"Hello," Hermione smiled softly as she looked up at him with her golden eyes. He could hardly look away from her. It was so easy to get lost in her smiles and laughter. "May I come in?" She asked.

"Oh!" Spencer hastily pulled her inside and helped her out of her cloak. "You came from the magical world?" He asked.

"I did," Hermione said tiredly.

"What's going on?" Spencer asked as he guided her toward the dining room table and scooted her chair in when she sat. She idly played with the corkscrew and he could only watch her saddened eyes.

"There is something I have been trying to avoid back in Britain," she answered quietly. "I am running out of excuses to give the Wizengamot."

"Why do you have to go back?" Spencer asked, his stomach fell to his feet when she started fighting back tears.

"Spencer," she started. "I love you," she whispered. His heart leapt at her words and his breathing stuttered, but she continued before he could tell her how much he loved her too. "I don't want to go back, but if I don't I'll spend the rest of my life on the run. It was hard to do that for nearly a year, I can't imagine the rest of my life that way."

She suddenly pulled her own hand away from the corkscrew and he saw the thick line of blood running down her palm. He quickly grabbed it with his hand and whimpered at the sharp pain travelling up his arm and into his heart. He heard her cry out at the same time and held her closely until the pain subsided.

"What was that?" He asked as he gasped for breath.

"Spencer," she said anxiously. "Did you cut your ring finger?" She asked.

"Yes," he replied. "How did you know?"

"Oh, well… you see… there are some… side effects… to being, you know… magical," she said hesitantly, slowly becoming more aware of his body being so close to hers. Things had become heated between them a few times, but never had she wanted to act on her feelings more at that moment.

"What effects?" Spencer asked as he slowly started kissing her neck.

"We need to stop, you need to know," Hermione said breathlessly as she clung to him and pressed herself against him.

"Why?" He asked as he moved lower and backed her against the wall.

"Because we've just become magically engaged," she breathed. He pulled his head back but still held her tightly against him.

"What?" He asked with surprise. Hermione looked at their entwined arms and he saw the blood red, almost black threads entwining their arms firmly together. His eyes grew wider but he couldn't find a single feeling of regret for their accidental engagement. "Well… I was going to ask anyway," he said with a laugh. "It would have been nice if you had a choice though."

He looked down to see her looking up at him, crying and smiling, before pulling him down to kiss him. He moaned into their kiss and lifted her thigh to rest on his hip and smiled into her neck when she gasped.

"If we keep going we'll be married," she finished with a moan. He answered with a nip to her shoulder and pulled her away from the wall before carrying her into his bedroom.

"Do you want to be married to me?" He asked.

"Yes," she breathed as he lowered her onto his bed and settled on top of her.

"I've never done this," he blushed.

"I've never done this either," she replied.

"Then we'll learn together," he said before kissing her again. "How do we do this?" He asked and looked at their entwined arms. Hermione smirked at him and flicked her wand. He suddenly felt her warm, soft skin on his and pulled her up to kiss her deeply. "We're actually going to do this?" he whispered.

"We are," she agreed.

"Okay," he said hesitantly. "I'm sure we both know the basics of what's supposed to happen."

She flinched.

"I heard the first time hurts like hell," she said.

He gulped.

"Should we get over it quickly this first time?" He asked.

"Maybe we should," she said hesitantly. She gasped when he lifted her leg to his hip again and settled more into her core. He moaned and kissed his way down her chest while slowly moving into her. "Spencer," she moaned as the top of his cock rubbed against a sensitive area. He moved against her harder and more insistently while nibbling on her breast. She suddenly stiffened and moaned louder.

"Hermione," he breathed as he watched her. He settled the tip of his head at her entrance and slowly moved in with the contractions of her muscles and groaned at the wetness and heat. He scrunched the blankets into his fist as his arm supported her head while he slowly moved into her and stopped when she whimpered and looked up at him with wide eyes. "I'm trying not to hurt you," he whispered.

"It's nature," she breathed. "It has to happen this way." He rested his forehead in the crook of her neck and breathed until he calmed himself.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"It's only this time," she said with a whimper as he moved out of her and back in again. He breathed harder into her neck as he did so a few times until he pushed past her barrier and she cried out. He tried his best to stay still for as long as she needed. She started kissing his chest while he moved slowly in her. "Okay," she whispered. "Okay."

He kissed her and grinded against her with deeper movements before pulling out a little more and pushing inside her tight walls just as quickly. She moaned when he grinded against her and did it just a little harder until she moaned loudly again and her walls became a delicious vice around his cock. He held her against him tightly as he pushed into her all the way and grunted into her ear as he came after her.

"I love you," she whispered, kissing him just below his ear.

"I love you too," he said softly as he brushed her hair away from her face with his free hand.

They both looked at their hands to find simple silver wedding bands on their ring fingers with silver lines of runes over the veins of their left forearm.

The next morning

He never knew how scary Gideon could be.

He found himself facing the man's temper at work when he showed up with Hermione… and their wedding bands. Their wedding rings refused to leave their fingers and he resigned himself to 'facing the music' and his friends' wrath for getting married without them… but getting married without them was better than losing Hermione.

The British Ministry of Magic transferred her citizenship to the American Ministry of Magic overnight upon their marriage the night before. A lot of British wizards were upset, but they later found out that their marriage had others seeking blood marriages outside of the country with willing partners.

She explained to him that the Wizengamot had been claiming her as an asset to the Ministry and they wanted her to become something like Severus Snape, which she knew she could never do. Professor Snape had the Malfoys to help him with his duties and he had decades worth of experience and a mastery of the Dark Arts.

Thus, Hermione's only problem the next morning was explaining her new husband to family and friends, which was also his problem. She was relieved the announcement of their impromptu marriage was the only problem they would have to deal with for now.

She wore blue gloves to cover her wedding ring but he knew his friends would still spot the bump on her ring finger, and they would spot his ring right off. He kept his hand in his trouser pocket at her suggestion and they rode the lift up to face Gideon first, out of all Hermione's family.

They were early, as Gideon usually was, only Prentiss was there early too and looked at them with a knowing gleam in her eyes.

"I know what you did!" She sang teasingly.

"You do?" Hermione asked while Spencer said, "I don't know what you mean."

Prentiss laughed at them.

"A woman has a certain… glow about them when they lose something," she pointedly implied.

Hermione looked at him slightly panicked and jumped when she spotted her godfather listening to them from the doorway of his office.

"Inside," he ordered them. "Now!" He barked. Hermione jumped and bowed her head until they reached his office and the door slammed shut. She flinched and hesitantly looked up at him afraid to even open her mouth. "I better not have overheard what I just did," he growled at them.

"W-what did you hear?" Hermione stuttered.

"I'll see you suspended if you even touched my goddaughter in an inappropriate manner, Reid!" He roared at Spencer.

"I-I, um," Spencer said and flinched when Gideon's fists hit his desk and knocked a few items off. Hermione and Spencer quickly moved to pick them up before Spencer was lifted off his feet and pushed into the wall.

"Uncle Jase!" Hermione screamed and inserted herself between the two of them, but Spencer's left hand had caught her uncle's attention.

"You're married and thought I would even let you get away with using my goddaughter as your mistress!" He hissed at Spencer.

"Stop!" Hermione screamed and pulled at her glove as she tried to shove her uncle away.

"What's going on here?" Aaron yelled as he pushed Gideon away from Spencer and placed himself and Morgan between the Spencer and her uncle. Hermione hugged Spencer fiercely when Gideon's grip on his shirt's collar was released.

"Uncle Jase," Hermione whispered harshly and held up her left hand, sans glove. Gideon paled and stumbled back as he ran his hand over his face.

"You're married?" Morgan asked. "Since when?"

"It was a bit of a magical surprise," Spencer answered.

"It was a happy accident," Hermione said quietly.

"Shit," Gideon muttered. "I severely overreacted." It was his way of apologising and Spencer accepted it for what it was.

"I can understand," Spencer responded. "I would have overreacted too if our places were reversed."

"We wanted to tell you first because you are important to Spencer and me," Hermione said softly, "but most importantly, Spencer."

Gideon stood and slowly moved toward Spencer and pulled him into a hug. "I would have killed you if you hadn't chosen Hermione," he half-smiled. Spencer laughed in reply. "I'm sorry for the scene," he said to Spencer and Aaron. "And I'm sorry for ruining your announcement," he said to Hermione.

"You're my Eastmund," Hermione said softly. "You were bound to react on some level."

"I wasn't so gracious about it was I?" He asked.

"No," Hermione laughed. "But you are about your apologies," she smiled at him. He tightly hugged her.

"I keep seeing you as a little girl," he murmured. "You father is going to have a rougher time."

As things go, Spencer was warier of their announcement to her parents. Hermione lingered in the entrance hall while Narcissa looked at her gloved hands pointedly. Hermione reluctantly removed her right glove first, then her left while Narcissa looked at her expectantly.

It was a bit suspicious.

Draco looked into the entrance hall and made a swift exit to the garden out back.

Definitely suspicious.

Eventually, Hermione made it to her left glove, and by that time Daphne had joined the three of them in the entrance hall. Hermione paused and looked a little nervous. Narcissa nodded at her and Hermione hastily removed her glove.

Daphne stared at Hermione… and Hermione stared back at her mother.

Then there was an unholy squeal and Spencer almost asked if Garcia had been hiding out in the coat closet since she had done it a few times already when Hermione invited her over, but it was Daphne and her noise had brought the rest of the house running into the entrance hall while she attacked Hermione and him with a hug.

It didn't take long for Carwyn to find out what had his wife so happy.

He stalked toward Spencer and looked down at him before shoving his hand toward him. Spencer quickly shook hands and did his best not to flinch at Carwyn's tight grip.

"Hurt my daughter and I'll kill you," he whispered.

"Yes sir," Spencer said. "I mean no sir," he quickly corrected. "I couldn't never hurt Hermione," he replied.

Carwyn nodded at him stiffly and turned to Hermione. His face immediately softened and he hugged her and her mother tightly before releasing them and headed toward his study.

"Congratulations," Narcissa smiled at them. "We must plan the reception party," she said to Daphne and Hermione.

Eight months later

"How did we become such dunces?" Hermione asked.

"I have no idea," Spencer answered as he looked down at her and smiled. "But I can't find it in myself to be sorry," he said softly. Hermione gently smiled at him and he lifted her the rest of the way when she had trouble standing on the tips of her toes to reach him. "I promise I'll be a good father," he whispered.

"I know you will be," Hermione replied.

Spencer held her firmly at his side while he knocked on J.J.'s door.

"Come in," J.J. smiled at them and stepped aside. "I called because I wanted your advice," she said to them. "Well, William and I do," she said hesitantly as she led them toward the back of her home. She opened the curtains and the shouts of 'Surprise!' startled Hermione and Spencer. Every one of their friends were standing in J.J.'s backyard.

It was a surprise baby shower.

Viktor and Svelta happily greeted her and showed off their little Tatiana. She talked with Svelta and J.J. for a few minutes about pregnancy and Svelta commiserated. Spencer and Viktor talked a little bit about the BAU and Viktor intently listened to him.

They spent time going around and talking before J.J., Narcissa, and Daphne started the games. Morgan and Garcia competed to win most of them, but the funnier part was when Draco and Harry teamed up to beat them at some of them with magic.

"That is so unfair!" Garcia groaned.

"Not using magic wasn't in the rules," Harry teased.

"Hey, kid," Morgan said when he spotted Spencer and Hermione smiling at their antics. "You've gone and grown up on me," he said to Spencer fondly. "Next thing you know you're going to be moving out," he said with a bit of sadness.

"Don't make Hermione cry," Spencer said quickly. Hermione glared up at him but wiped away a tear with a short laugh. "Hermione and I can't go too far," Spencer smiled at Morgan. "We can't have our son too far away from his Uncle Derek and the rest of the family."

Derek pulled Spencer into a hug and quickly released him with a short laugh before joining Garcia in another game.

Three weeks later Hermione smiled up at her husband tiredly as he held his son and read to him from Aesop's Fables. Spencer smile at her and brushed her hair back while he recited one story from memory while he carefully laid their son, Esmond, on her chest, then climbed into the bed to cuddle around them.

"Thank you for everything," he whispered as she slept.

Hermione turned her head and softly kissed him.

"Thank you for everything," she repeated with a soft smile.

He knew he couldn't have been happier if Hermione had not stepped into his life and turned it upside down with one chess game. She was his home, and he felt lost when he had to leave her side, but she was always waiting for him with a smile and laughter with their son at her side, and later their daughter.

o.O.o

"Let your tongue speak what your heart thinks."

–Davy Crockett

o.O.o

Hermione silently grieving is something that happens in another story that I will be putting up soon. I miscounted my CM and HP crossovers and counted two finished Marvel crossovers… so instead of 7 stories as a chapter, there's 5. Sorry about the miscount! I haven't properly named anything (sigh).