Standing in the Potter vault, Hermione spun slowly. They had come here today to retrieve the bracelet for Astoria. The first physical token of his intent, a representation of how well he knew her and what he could provide for her. Hermione knew that her gorgeous friend didn't need or consider Harry's wealth something significant. It was the man he was, even more than the wizard. The girls had shared several long talks about their situations, finding themselves falling in love, for the first time. Other than the similar timelines, their relationships bore little resemblance to each other but the feelings and uncertainties were the same.

The assurances she gave the dark haired witch carried more weight than the ones Hermione received in return. Astoria didn't know Finn and couldn't have any idea what he felt. Hermione knew exactly what was in her best friend's mind and heart. Had sat with him while he talked out his insecurities about the poised and seemingly completely self sufficient witch. This was one of the easier issues to deal with, she just used herself. Wasn't she capable and independent? Did she need Finn to survive or succeed? Of course his answer had been no and then he looked as if he understood. It wasn't that she or Astoria needed the wizards, they wanted them. Partners. She had thought that through later and decided it went both ways. Finn didn't need her, but maybe he wanted her enough.

Now, with her green eyed friend clutching a six inch long crimson velvet box that contained a bracelet with tiny crimson rubies and vibrant emeralds that swirled around slightly larger diamonds. It was intricate and it suited this Slytherin and Gryffindor couple. As it had Charlus Potter when he married Dorea Black. They were both just looking around the vault now. Huge and cavernous, this one didn't hold gold, or not very much of it. This one held paintings and furniture. Books and magical objects. In addition to the cabinets of jewelry and smaller items. It was amazing to see a family's history like this.

When they had come here for the first time, after the war, it had been shocking. James Potter's quidditch robes from school and Lily's school trunk full of books and essays she had kept. It was like a time capsule and they had set off to meet his account manager to find out why this was all here. Why hadn't it been with them? They had known they were being hunted, the two younger people knew that. That they had expected to be found though, thought it enough of a possibility to store nearly everything in a way that couldn't be destroyed or taken. It was heartbreaking but she pointed out then and felt now, he had this. These everyday things of his parents. They had wanted him to have it, one day.

Now he was here, a grown man and wizard. With a witch he was courting and future that was promising. He walked over to her and she just hugged him, hard. Absorbing the feel of the familiar body pressed against hers. Even his smell was comforting and something ingrained in her mind. Safety. Family. Unable to help herself she started talking.

"Harry. I just want to tell you how proud I am. I know, really I am so sure that your parents. They would be so proud. Are so amazed with the man you've grown into. I wish Lily could meet Astoria. Please bring her here. Let her use some of this when you decide which property to live in. Maybe his broom could go in your babies room and her books in your library or in a sitting room. When you are ready." He just wiped her tear away and then buried his face in her shoulder.

Today had been an emotionally draining one and it wasn't even noon yet. When his head had popped into her floo with a determined expression and then vanished, she had sent a message to the cabin. Could she have the day off? Her readings were done. Tomorrow is fine, was the response from her master and she felt excitement swirl through her at the thought that tomorrow they would actually begin and maybe finish her own rune stone array at her home.

She had kissed her wizard goodbye and accepted the long hug he had given her in support. Then she had gone to Grimmauld and the two had sat under the big oak tree in the middle of the back garden and done the Potter adoption ritual. It was simple and powerful blood magic. Instantly, she could feel his magic differently than before and the look on his face told her that for the first time he could feel her magic in a way close to how she had felt other magics for years now. They had sat in silence for about fifteen minutes and then the look on his face had changed from wonder to grin determination and he had looked at her.

"Let's go sister of mine." Then he had smiled and she had returned it. Their joint apparition to the Alley had even more significance than usual. Siblings, officially instead of by choice as they had been for years now.

When they walked into the huge atrium of the bank, she was surprised to be greeted by a goblin and the two were led to the Potter account manager. Harry didn't catch her eye and she suddenly had a thought. As soon as the ornate doors to the office closed behind them, she spun.

"Harry James Potter. You will not give me money!" She nearly shrieked and the coughing sound from the goblin brought her back to the fact that the two weren't alone. It looked as if that sound was laughter and she caught herself before she could gape like a fish at the goblin sitting on a stool behind the desk.

"She is as spirited as most brought into your family, Lord Potter. Just as you said she would react." Harry smiled sheepishly at her and gave the goblin a what can you do gesture. She huffed.

"Sit Mione and I'll explain. When Sirius was disowned, an account was set up for him. He didn't use it much, he ended up with his own inheritance from Alphard, and it seems my grandparents insisted on paying for the regular things like school and brooms. Anyway it was a way of showing him, making him part of the family. He willed it back to the family. You know he would be thrilled to have his own account, go to you." His eyes were steady on her now and she knew there was little she could do but accept as gracefully as possible.

"Thank you Harry." Her tone was soft but her eyes hardened and he knew it was anger at his loss. The connection they both had to a family. How it had felt to have an adult on their side. Erratic and headstrong as Padfoot was. He should have been there now, with Harry. The goblin gave them a few minutes and then showed them to the vault. Harry traced her name, listed on the scroll, set into the wall of the main family vault. Potter was a middle name, as it was listed for Sirius. It was humbling and the blazing smile her friend gave her was worth anything. Far more than this. Now the two broke their embrace and walked toward the door into the mine cart warren of the bank.

"See you tonight then?" He asked her. Having gone this far, her friend was of the get it done mindset and she nodded.

"Still at mine then?" Traditionally this was in the family home, the offering of the first token. Since they weren't using Potter Manor, hers was the closest. She had brought it up at breakfast the other day and after a complicated discussion, the three traditionally raised purebloods had unanimously decided that was the best way to go.

"Yes. Seafood Linguine?" He asked and she laughed. The witch loved the muggle dish and requested it whenever she had the opportunity. Her elves were not of a mind to take on Italian seafood dishes.

"Of course." As they walked toward the apparition point she felt it. A surge and then she grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him down, hoping they looked casual. Immediately using rummaging in her bag for a reason, she spoke as quietly as she could.

"He is here, finally." Her tone told him who it was and he stiffened slightly.

"That was a tracker he sent at us, I'll let the next one hit and then apparate to the field. It's open and private. More than I usually get. I'll try to still be able to do tonight." He just gave her a look like she was crazy and stood.

"This is nuts. I'm glad this is the last one. I don't like you being accosted. You're right they should have to schedule these, or at least approach you." He was grumbling now and she laughed as they stood. Walking slowly, she tracked the spell as it came and made herself let it hook into her magic. Surely the man would know she hadn't tried to dodge. Reflex had forced her the first time. It was hard to let an opponent hit you with a spell on purpose.

Reaching the apparition point they exchanged a glance and spun, Hermione's last thought was to make sure that Harry didn't come with her.

As she spun into being on the slight rise in the middle of the field she looked around. It was beginning to come to life, spring finally here. She counted to twenty six, slowly, before the crack of apparition heralded the arrival of her opponent. After a quick glance around the place he found himself, the man looked at her from a hundred yards.

Field. Bring Harry if he wants. Message sent, she just waited. This was the last one and she didn't feel the need to put up more protections than already stood against the outside world. This was one of the three places she had put up muggle repelling wards, and then layers of wards to keep out any stray magical beings that might think this a safe place. Wizard or creature. Quite sure that they stood alone and secure enough, she just waited. After minutes of nothing happening she spoke.

"Kogda ty gotov." Her slightly drawling, when you are ready, got an instant response. Perhaps he had been waiting for an invitation.

The lights of wards began flicking up and out, she responded. Happy to duel with wards completely if he wanted to, though she thought this wouldn't last.

Minutes passed and the air heated up. Deciding this was a waste she began storing magics in other wards and using his own falling wards as impetus to follow into the patterns. This one noticed what she was doing and she watched his head cock in curiosity and then she began letting herself be creative. Her layers were enough for now and she didn't want to hamper herself. A few extra added to her bracelet got a look of curiosity and then his first spell shot at her. She deflected and finished the complex ward she had been tying to a trip ward. It was her first time trying to use a ward pattern to cover a ward going up, in front of someone. He did notice something, she thought, but didn't get to assess further.

The ground began writhing and she felt the pressure in the air shift as he used transfiguration and tripped one of his wards. It didn't take very long for her to get lost in the duel. Magics changed the ground and air. Changed the colours and the smells of the field that had been so tranquil.

When the stone around her feet exploded upwards she jumped just as she would have been catapulted and began tripping two of her wards while shooting her own spells back at him. None hit but when she rolled and stood, panting with the effort, she noticed his posture change.

"Perhaps not exaggeration." He called in his own language, across the smoky ruins between them and she didn't respond. Merely put up two wards quickly and dove toward him. Her magics were continually scanning the ever changing landscape and she encountered his several times. Deciding that she didn't want him to know what she did, she began lashing out with her own, when he came into her range. Still delivering bursts of spells at him and their surroundings she watched four twigs root and begin growing at a rapid pace around him. Still casting, she enforced the protections and added several more. Hoping that would keep him occupied while she moved closer and pushed him further into his own wards.

A jet of light burst through the top of the trees surrounding him and she was surprised at the use of raw magic. Immediately her wards began coming down as if that had been a key. It was but it wasn't something she had anticipated. The last time she had blasted through someone else's actual wards, instead of a specific point or joining place was the first trial she had been put through at the cabin. It was one of the things she had decided wouldn't hurt even if it was unlikely that one of them would ever do such a thing. They had been apprentices for longer than her and already she rarely ever considered it for reasons other than temper.

Rapidly casting wards on herself to block effects of what he had just released, then quickly switching to cooling wards all around both of them.

He spun slowly in a ring of complex wards, in the circle of the four trees she had forced to grow. They had turned to stone, as had every thing else in one of her wards paths. Except people. So the two of them.

For a moment she just stood there. Panting and holding onto her side. She had a stitch and it hurt. Assessing herself, there were scrapes and small cuts from plants and debris.

Nothing for it but to clean up. So she began taking down the remaining wards and using them to fix what she could. Twenty minutes or so later she stood in front of the intricate stone statue of four gnarled trees, he had burned the leaves off so the branches were bare. Inside of the sphere of branches was a slightly glowing orb with a wizard floating free, though petrified in there. He couldn't see out and the use of the sensory deprivation wards might have been overkill but he was the one that had pulled it all down at once. He could have died, if she had used other things or hadn't had so many tied to other uses.

He hadn't accosted her really. Hadn't insulted her or called her names. Just dueled. Very well until the end. Saving the best for last. Deciding that was honourable, she removed that ward and watched tension enter his body and his eyes flick frantically. She added two, to keep his physical mobility restricted and then drains, big ones, two of them. So that whatever he cast would fix the still ruined landscape around them. She could come back and bring help or do it over time. Some of the gouges were deep, and the natural species had to be brought back or it wouldn't grow as it had and could contaminate the area around it. Luna had taught her about that.

Thinking about her blond friend, she sent a signal to her. A white owl feather would have fluttered down wherever she was in Scandinavia right now. The travel had been good for her but she could see the toll on Rabastan. Giving her head an actual shake, to clear it, she checked the wards on her captive again and then on the field around her.

Then she noticed the aberration to the North and knew that was where they were watching her. Then she looked at the sky and cursed. Immediately she began jogging over to them and cursing the lack of time she had for dinner. Wand moving as she approached, they came into view. Both cabins residence and Luna. All had different expressions but pride or pleasure showed on all but her masters face.

"I know. I didn't really think he might. We were lucky." Immediately she began excusing the tumultuous ending to the duel. His eyes scanned her and then he gave her a nod. Excising her of responsibility and then his face relaxed and he turned to the stone statue with a wizard in it.

"Priyemlemyy." Hermione just smiled complacently at the underwhelming praise from Dolohov. Acceptable was actually quite something to hear aloud. Hermione thought back and decided that was the first verbal praise she had ever gotten. Usually it was a nod or even a look. Silence meant nothing to criticize.

"That seems to be the best you're going to get Mione." Harry teased and she looked her question.

"He said that, during the first part of your crazy display day." He looked at her but was surprised by her surprise and flicked a glance at her mentor. He just looked at her and she quickly looked away. Staring at him in astonishment was not a good idea.

"Yes well. That was a surprising end." Yaxley sounded like he wasn't quite sure what to say and Finn walked over to her. She just accepted his hand and smiled at him and then Luna barrelled into her and he let the two witches fall.

"You did it Mione. I knew you would, to see you fight like that." Hermione blushed at the wonder in her unique friends tone and wondered if it was something like what she felt, watching her friend count unicorns or one of another dozen things she took as normal but were amazing to her.

"You are here." She laughed back and they hugged for a moment on the ground.

"Alright. This is undignified. Are we waiting?" The last was directed at Dolohov who grunted. As Hermione got to her feet, she understood the sound to mean yes and looked her question. The three not used to his communication lexicon were puzzled but caught on when the three that were settled in. Hermione leaned against Finn and spoke to Harry.

"I'll make dinner. What time is it? Can we push it if we have to?" She didn't want to put it off and when he opened his mouth to argue Finn cut in. It had been clear from the look on his face what he would say.

"I can tell by her posture that arguing will get you nowhere Potter. She's a bit jumpy after and doesn't really need you trying to coddle her now. Magics alright?" He asked Dolohov, who was scanning the area. Another grunted yes and Finn shrugged.

"All good then. It's three thirty so push it till six and that should be good. These two won't stand around longer than a half hour for anything." He finished with a certain tone.

"So six then. Please give her a version of the truth. No lies. Just no Details." She asked her friend and then after a few more minutes the three not usually with them, walked out of the wards and apparated away.