Siren's call

~previously, Hermione and her mates are mated, Dean and Harry tell Neville and Ron about Tom and Jerry the Cartoon not the ice cream, and Hermione gives up on her second form.

Chapter 15

It was not long until the Christmas season was upon them, Dumbledore stood in his office, looking out of the window. He could see the train platform perfectly from where he stood. He sighed, looking down at his hand. He wondered what would have happened if he had not so badly wanted to see his sister again.

"You are a fool," he said out loud to himself turning from the window. He had to prepare Harry for the end battle with Tom. Their sessions would renew after he returned from school, for now, he would have to make do with what laid before him. He sat heavily in his desk chair, which was far more comfortable than it looked.

Fawkes warbled behind him, and he turned to look at the firebird, "You are free to leave whenever you desire my old friend."

Fawkes warbled another toon, stretched out a wing and smacked Dumbledore in the forehead, and warbled again before he started to prune himself.

"If that is how you feel," Dumbledore said with a chuckle, "I will stop suggesting that you leave."

Fawkes chortled in agreement before he continued pruning himself.

…

~On the train heading to London~

Luna, Neville, Harry, and Ginny were sitting and talking about what they had planned over the Yule holiday. They were joined shortly after by Ron and Hermione.

"So, are you excited to see the boys?" Ginny asked once Hermione had a chance to sit in the compartment, she had just come back from patrolling and could not wait to grab some sweets off the trolly.

Hermione smiled brightly at Ginny, "I missed them so much, they aren't going to be at the station platform, but we will see them once we get back to the borrow."

"Why aren't they meeting you?" Ginny asked slightly concerned, "didn't the ferret say something about being careful?"

"He did but that was before we finished the bond," Hermione said in a bland tone, "but there will be Order members at the train platform, and I will see my mates tonight. There is nothing to worry about."

Ginny gave Hermione her best smile, but that did not help her worry less about what might happen once they get to the train platform. Neville came to the rescue, he whispered in Ginny's ear causing her to giggle, and turn to look at him.

Hermione smiled and turned to look out the window, and when she turned to look at her companions in the compartment with her, she was surprised at what she saw. Lavender was all but sitting in Ron's lap, they were reading the newspaper. She smiled when Lavender reached up and moved Ron's bangs out of his eyes, and she looked away when he leaned in to kiss her.

Harry and standing in the doorway talking to whom he assumed was Cho. He looked back at Hermione and smiled, and she returned it and a small wave to Cho, who blushed and waved back. The romance blossomed around her and she could not help but long for her own loves.

She turned her head to look back out the window, she sat like this the rest of the journey home. She wondered how her father was making out with Tonks. It was not too weird, if they married, she would be her stepmom. She giggled; Tonks really was a great woman. Even though she was clumsy and wore her heart on her sleeve, she thought they made a fantastic pair.

When the train started arriving at the station, they heard the train whistle blow, and the train came to a stop. One by one the student's stepped off the platform, first the younger years and then the older, and finally, the prefects and the Head boy and Girl stepped off the train.

"Hermione!" someone yelled, she looked up and to her left, "Finally!"

"Dad!" she yelled jumping into his waiting arms, "I missed you!"

"Is this all of your things?" Remus asked her.

"Yes," she said happily, "where is Tonks?"

"She is making a perimeter check, to watch for Death Eaters," he whispered pulling away from her to lift her trunk on the trolly, and then gently took Crooks and put him on top of the trunk. Crooks meowed loudly at the motion of the trolly.

"Shh," Hermione said in a soothing voice, "it's ok love."

As they made their way to the barrier, Hermione tried to pay attention to her surroundings. She was not worried about Draco's warning anymore, as she was mated now; but that would not stop them from trying and that is what everyone else was worried over.

They made it to and through the barrier, and then they disappeared once they were at the apparition point. Once they were at the Burrow, they were greeted by Molly and Sirius.

"Were there any problems at the station?" Sirius asked taking a good look at Hermione and then at Remus, "I'm guessing no because you are both here in one piece."

"You assume correctly," Remus said to Sirius before turning to Hermione, "why don't you go and get settled upstairs."

"Okay," she said as she levitated her things and took them to her room.

"I forgot she turned 17 in September," Remus said to Sirius as they watched her climb the steps.

"So, there were no problems at the station at all?" Sirius asked a little befuddled, "what about Malfoy Sr.?"

"He didn't show, not that I could see," Remus said shrugging his shoulders, "Mrs. Malfoy picked her son up from the station, I didn't see a sign of him anywhere."

"Well I wouldn't stop worrying," Sirius said rubbing his hand over his eyes, "you never know."

"Don't worry too much," Remus said putting his hand on Sirius's shoulder, "she will be fine."

…

After arriving at the Burrow where she would be spending the Yule Holiday. It was the safest place now. Heading upstairs to put her things away, however, she was not sure which room she was going to be staying in. Fred and George had already moved out, they had a little apartment above their shop in Diagon Ally. As she walked down the hall to Ginny's room, she saw that the room that belonged to the twins was open. She peeked inside to see if there was anyone and when she turned around, she was surprised to see not one redhead but three.

"Oh, you scared me," she said looking up to greet the redheads before her, only to find herself scooped up into a hug by not one but two of her mates. "Fred, George, I missed you," she said hugging them tightly.

"How about you move this to your room," Ron said with a laugh, "some of us want to put our stuff away in our room."

"Oh yes of course," Hermione said pulling the twins into their old room shutting the door behind her. Ron just stood in the hallway and laughed before heading to his room. He settled in his room and wrote a small note to his girlfriend before sending it off with his owl Pig.

When he finally left his room to return downstairs, he saw whom he could only assume was Cedric and Viktor enter the twin's room. Ron stifled a full-blown laugh before he headed to the kitchen.

"Ron, there you are," his mother said as he stepped into the kitchen, "Dinner will be ready shortly, would you like a snack?"

His stomach rumbled before he had the chance to answer, his mother laughed before handing him a plate laden with treats, "no don't fill up on it, dinner will be ready in a couple of hours."

"Yes Mum," he said taking his plate of snacks up to his room to share with Harry.

…

The evening was winding down now, Molly sat next to Arthur at the table as they rambled on about this or that. The twins fluttered around Hermione teasing her and playing with her hair while trying to keep anyone from noticing the pranks they had been trying to carry out.

Harry watched as Ron and Ginny faced off at Wizard chess, Ginny had a smug look on her face as she called Check. "I think she has you in a corner mate," Harry said cheekily.

Ron glared before moving his rook, "stop helping her harry," Ron wined as Ginny called Check again.

Viktor was telling Hermione and Cedric about something funny that had happened at home.

The evening ended on a quiet note, and soon everyone was cleaning up and heading for bed. Hermione and her mates retired to the twin's old room, with the promise that they would use silencing charms. They piled into an enlarged bed, Hermione kissed her mates and the rest I will leave to your imagination.

…

The holiday was passing quickly, soon Christmas eve was upon them and they were all preparing diligently for the feast that Molly was no doubt planning for the next day. Hermione and the twins were up late into the evening wrapping presents, Viktor and Cedric were sitting in the corner of the room whispering about something.

Ron and Harry were downstairs at the table playing exploding snap and laughing. Ginny was sitting up in the tower, reading a letter from Neville, wishing fervently that it would be morning sooner so she could see him.

Molly and Arthur were hanging mistletoe in all the places that the twins missed, and they did not miss many.

Suddenly there was shouting outside, everyone raced to a window to see what was going on. The moon was high, people dressed in black could be seen coming from the meadow. Everyone who was of age dashed outside the wand at the ready.

There in front of them were death eaters, Bellatrix Lestrange was leading the group with a loud cackle. "Time to die," she said tipping her head to the side, before pointing her wand at them. "Boom!" she cackled as fire spat from her wand in the attempt to set ablaze to everything within reach.

It was a madhouse after that, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny stood wand at the ready, Ron was standing behind them a worried look on his face. A stray spell came towards them and Hermione put up a shield charm, "Go inside and get the animals and Floo to Grimmauld," Hermione whispered to Ginny, "Make sure that no one is left inside," when Ginny didn't move, Hermione had to pusher her before she raised her wand to block another spell.

It was after that when The Burrow was engulfed in flames, she heard a scream from inside and without thinking ran into the house. She had watched as Ginny stood at the top of the stairs, Crooks in one arm, while she let, the owls free. "Ginny go to the window," Hermione yelled, Hermione turned on her heel and ran out the door, turning into her black Pegasus form. She flew to the window just in time her Ginny to jump from the window.

"You're my hero," Ginny said hugging Hermione's neck tightly, they landed far from the fray, and watched as the flames licked at the house.

Hermione changed her form back to humans before scooping Crookshanks from Ginny, "I'm sorry Ginny," Hermione said soothingly. They ran towards where they could hear people yelling their names.

"There you are!" Molly scolded them, "where have you been?"

"I ran back in to get the animals out before the fire started," Ginny explained, "then Hermione came in when she heard me scream. So, she turned into her Animagus form and I jumped onto her back from the window."

Molly pulled them into a fierce hug, scolding them for being stupid but also celebrating their bravery. "You two," she said stepping back to look at them before pulling them into another hug. "We have to go," she said finally, "we are meeting everyone at headquarters," she said sadly.

It took a couple of hours for everyone to arrive at 12 Grimmauld Place, but once everyone was there safely, an order meeting was called. Hermione and Ginny were given a cup of hot chocolate, the moment they entered the kitchen. They smiled and accepted, of course, the peace did not last, they still had to get yelled at by at least six people.

A/N: this is where I am going to leave it for now. I know you are hoping for some lemons, I am sorry to disappoint you. Next, we should have the confrontation between Malfoy and Harry, and of course the love potion incident.

I do not know when I will be updating again, but this story is not abandoned. I have ideas about where I want to go, and I am thinking about different storytelling ideas. I also might put up a story about Crookshanks the wonder cat. I am still working out the idea. I have also been using Grammarly in addition to the editing in Microsoft word, if anything looks weird please let me know.