Answer to review: Hermione wasn't alone, she had Walburga who raised her until she was six before dying. But yes, she still spent most of the time alone with Kreacher, and the "greater good" the Order loves so much souldn't have stopped them from helping her. But if they were able to let Harry with his abusive relatives for 11 years and then for a few summers after, why wouldn't they leave a child alone in Grimmauld, right?

Dear Hermione,

We spent the last thirteen years or so looking for you all over Europe. To this day, a private inspector is still following a lead that took him all the way to Romania where a family your mother crossed years ago lives. Please believe me when I say we are overjoyed to hear about you. We knew you were alive thanks to the Lestrange tapestry, but it truly is a relief to hear from your house-elf that you are also well and grew up happy and loved.

Kreacher made it clear that I couldn't come for you or send an owl, even though he didn't give me any reason. He also stayed unclear on your current situation but both him and your letter let me believe that you are not safe anymore. I don't know why you have not reached for me sooner and I won't judge or criticize you no matter the reason but know that my husband and I will always be ready to help you if you need us. You can send us those trunks you talked about; rest assured that we won't invade your privacy and look inside if you do not want us to. Kreacher described you as a brave girl, I have no doubt that you will get a detailed report of everything that happened during his visit, but please don't put yourself in danger. You might want to stay in the place you consider your home, I can understand that. However, you should keep in mind that you have a family waiting for you. If your safety is at risk or if you just feel like it, our door will be opened for you. A room will be ready, should you ever decide to come and join us at Malfoy Manor.

I am unsure of what to say. I have many questions to ask, but a letter is not the best place for all of them and you will maybe not want to talk about private matters with someone you don't remember.

Please remember that despite the years you have a family and are still very much loved.

With all my love and relief to know you safe and sound.

Narcissa Malfoy.

P.S: I asked for my house-elves to prepare some pumpkin pasties for you. They were your mother's favorites when she was your age and Kreacher told me you never had any. I trust he will not let you eat all of them at once, should you like them.

Hermione had read her aunt's letter every day since she had received it and couldn't stop herself from doing it again more than a week after.

She had cried with relief when Kreacher had appeared in the morning with the letter and a box of pastries. Like the woman had suspected, the house-elf had told her everything, from the jump the woman had made when he had appeared in front of her to the way her husband had to stop her from apparating right to Grimmauld. Hermione had listened with rapt attention and then cried some more.

Walburga had raised her to value family above all else, which hadn't stopped her from fearing not everyone shared her devotion for family. Something normal, she supposed. If the Weasleys were any indication, being devoted was easier when family was just a concept than actual people. Still, the years had passed, and she never saw Black come for her, nor her parents, and had assumed no one was really thinking about her like Walburga had assured her everyone was. To hear that someone had been genuinely happy to find out about her was such a relief that the walls she kept around her feelings and mind to keep up appearances like any pureblood should had collapsed all at once.

Needing time to think of an answer and no wanting to take the risk of Kreacher's absences to be noticed, she waited three days before sending the trunks to Malfoy Manor, shrinking them so that the house-elf could fit them in his small hands with the letter. He came back with another letter, where her aunt had written about the safe arrival of her resized trunks in the Malfoy's vault and the end of her bedroom's preparation.

It was that same day that Mrs. Weasley announced the soon arrival of one Harry Potter. The whole house was buzzing with excitement the week following this announcement and even Black seemed more alive, his face finally regaining a semblance of color. After many heated arguments between Black who wanted his godson to have his own bedroom in his house and Mrs. Weasley who claimed the boy would be happier sharing with Ron in a creepy house he didn't know, it was decided that the boys would share a room. The appearance of a new bed in Ronald's bedroom only seemed to make the idea of his arrival more real and the Weasley children became more excited than ever. Ronald, she could understand, he was his best friend. The twins were easy to read too, they didn't miss Harry as much as they missed the agitation that followed him wherever he went. Ginny, however, she couldn't understand. Instead of planning pranks for him with the twins or games like Ronald, the girl was planning outfits and hairstyles. The boys had assured her she and Harry weren't engaged nor courting, and so she couldn't understand the need to look pretty for him. Her friends refused to explain, in a way that she knew something was going on without having any way to know what without asking the girl directly. They were friendly, sure, but certainly not close enough to talk about something that certainly seemed personal.

Between two stories of Ronald and Harry's adventures in Hogwarts, Hermione asked herself where she would stand in the pretty picture of the orphan joining his godfather and friends. She understood he was the one who ensured the light's victory during the last war but couldn't hold a grunge towards an unknowing baby and based on what the twins had told her about him, her name wouldn't be a problem for him. But out of all personal considerations, would the Order be willing to let her stay with their Boy-Who-Lived? What would the noisy invaders think of having a death eater's daughter and a hero under the same roof?

Her answer came the evening of Potter's arrival. The boy had screamed at his friends as soon as he had step foot in the house and seen the Weasleys waiting for him in the staircase. Intrigued by the angry noises that weren't from the paintings or Kreacher, she nearly slammed into him and had to grab the handrail to keep herself from falling. The fuming boy was on his way to Ron's room and frowned when he didn't recognize her.

"So even strangers can come here before me? Who are you anyway?"

His tone was aggressive, and Hermione didn't appreciate being talked like this. She straitened herself and clenched her fists before answering in a biting tone.

"Not someone who will let you speak with this tone."

The boy glared at her before walking past her and slamming the door of Ronald's room behind him. In the stairs, Lupin sighed.

"You will have to be patient with him, Hermione. He's been through a lot."

The girl kept a straight face, only raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'll let this one pass," she eventually declared. "But no matter what happened to him, it's not my fault and if his intention is to take his anger out on me you can't expect me to let him get away with it."

Without waiting for an answer, the girl turned her heels, hearing Ronald and Ginny joining Potter as she made her way back to her room. She stayed in her room for the rest of the afternoon and voluntarily missed dinner. If the newcomer had calmed down and joined the Weasleys, Lupin and Black in the dinning room, she didn't want to risk meeting him again and spoil the mood. From the various conversations she had heard about him, she knew he had spent the first part of summer without any contact with the wizarding world and the girl understood better than anyone his frustration and need to be with the people he had chosen as his family. She didn't want to intrude, no matter Kreacher's indignation at the idea of her becoming the intruder in her own home.

It was much later, after hearing chatter in the staircase and the door of the Weasley children getting closed, that she got out and went down the stair to find something to eat. She was at the end of the stairs when she heard the muffled voices of the adults coming from the dinning room. She was about to ignore them when she thought she heard her name. She casted a quick spell to be able to hear their conversation and stayed where she was, fearing the werewolf might hear her if she got closer.

"I keep thinking letting her stay with Harry is a bad idea," was saying Mrs. Weasley.

If it wasn't for Walburga's painting near her, Hermione would have rolled her eyes. She was here thirteen years before Potter. If it was such a bad idea to bring him to her, they could have sent him somewhere else.

"She's doing quite well with your twins," argued Lupin. "I don't think she'll be any different with Harry."

"She would have stayed with him in Hogwarts if she had agreed to go anyway," reminded quietly Mr. Weasley.

"But she didn't! Merlin knows what she's doing in those rooms on the third floor…"

"Beside hiding from us, you mean?"

Hermione smirked at Lupin's teasing. The plump woman was being ridiculous and her dislike for the girl certainly didn't help.

"She won't be staying with him for long anyway," intervened Black, unable to see the way Hermione's eyes had widened at his revelation.

"Headmaster Dumbledore didn't give any specific day; we can't know how long it'll be."

"I don't think it'll be too long. Most people in the Order pressured him to do it, he'll want to move her quickly so everyone can focus back on the death eaters."

"How does he even plan on doing this? I can't imagine she'll like the idea."

"Yes, Moony," laughed Black. "I'm sure it'll be impossible for grown wizards to make a fifteen-years-old girl who never touched a wand follow them."

The girl had heard enough. She casted a silencing charm on her feet and climbed back to her room, forgetting about dinner. The Order took a decision faster than she had anticipated and she had things to prepare. Her escape plan wasn't ready yet and she could just hope Dumbledore would wait just a few more days before taking her Merlin knew where.

When morning would come, she'll have another letter to send.