Hermione tucked her feet underneath herself as she made herself comfortable. Minerva had Owled her and requested her presence at dinner when she was next available. She had smiled at the letter and hastily scribbled a reply.

"Dinner was scrumptious," the younger witch said from the comfort of the overstuffed chair.

Minerva smirked before replying, "You can thank Ada for that. I'm afraid my cooking skills aren't that exquisite."

Hermione threw her head back and laughed. "Did Ada teach you how to cook as well?"

"She did," Minerva answered. "Although I certainly don't have the knack of it like Ada does. When I was upset she always made me lemon tea and..."

"Ginger cookies," Hermione finished for her. With a smile she added, "Ada always snuck me warm ginger cookies."

"Snuck," Minerva inquired curiously.

"Mum and Dad frowned upon sweets," her daughter answered. "If they only knew Ada and Papa kept me a steady supply."

"Papa," she inquired again.

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip before answering, "Elphinstone."

Minerva nodded her head in acceptance. "You loved him fiercely."

Hermione nodded her head. "Papa was wonderful to me. Any important date or event he was there. I just had to figure out his disguise. We made it a game of sorts. The quicker I figured it out, the better the reward. I didn't realize it at the time but he was teaching me how to see through disguises. He was always teaching me defense regardless if I knew it or not."

Minerva smiled at that. "Of course he would, Elphinstone worked in Magical law enforcement most of his life. I daresay he was proud to teach you, to share his secrets."

Hermione smiled sadly for a moment or two before replying, "I wish we would of had more time with him. He was such an amazing person but Magical Britain will only ever see him as a beloved Ministry Department Head and the irony of his death. He was so much more than that."

Minerva settled next to her distraught daughter and pulled the girl into a hug. "He was rather amazing," she agreed then added. "I have you love." Hermione had started to lose her battle with her emotions.

"It is nice to be able to talk about him with someone that truly knew him," she said. "Nan didn't really know him or of his accomplishments during his career. Her mindset is skewed based on her personal experience I think."

"Most likely," Minerva agreed. "Pureblooded families have been known to be vicious to squibs in the family. I daresay the McNair family to be quite vicious."

"Nan won't go into details," Hermione stated matter-of-factly. "I know there was abuse and she had to have extensive medical treatment but that's about it. I know her mother sterilized her with a dark spell once she realized Nan had no magic."

Minerva looked suprised at that. "Your mother?"

"Another squib saved by Isobel," the girl answered with a smirk. "She is actually an older sister to Sirius. Mum had enough magic to perform some bouts of accidental magic but not enough to get a Hogwarts letter. She was beat extensively on her 11th birthday and was smuggled out by Alphard Black. Anyways, Sirius saw her once at Kings Station and called to her by his nickname for her. She teared up when she recognized him and wouldn't let him out of her sight for over a week. I think it healed some of Mum's emotional damage."

"I did not expect that," Minerva answered, feeling overwhelmed and profoundly proud of her own mother. "I'm glad Sirius had a bit of happiness in his life. It is hard to imagine my mother smuggling and rehoming all of this squibs. She was a minister's wife and as far I knew she had put up her wand when she married my father."

"Maybe this was her way to still be involved in the magical world," Hermione offered. Minerva merely nodded her head.

Minerva was sitting at her desk when an agitated Harry Potter floo called her. He was breathing heavy and seemed agitated. She raised an eyebrow in question but never said a word. "I'm sorry to floo unannounced Minerva but I need your help," he said briskly. "Hermione has worked herself up and I don't think I'm going to be able to calm her down this time."

"What happened," Minerva demanded to know as she rose from her desk. "Is she alright?"

"She's not the one I am concerned with," Harry muttered. "She and Ron got into an argument and the fool let his mouth run away with him. He said some pretty nasty things to her and I fear what she would do if she manages to get ahold of him."

Minerva wanted to questioned him about what had been said to make Hermione so angry but she pushed that desire away for now. Her daughter needed her and she wouldn't let her down. "I'm coming through."

Minerva rushed out of the fireplace at Grimmauld Place, removing the soot wandlessly as she went. She followed the muffled voice of her daughter to the library. She was vaguely aware of Harry following after her. As she reached the door, she felt Harry dropping the wards preventing Hermione from leaving it.

Her heart dropped as she saw her upset daughter. Hermione was paced like a caged lioness. Her cheeks were flushed in her anger and her brown eyes held a dangerous glint. The floor littered with broken knick knacks and scattered books. Hermione loved books too well to cause damage to them. Minerva guessed she was too angry to realize what she was actually doing. "Hermione Isobel," she said in the most stern voice she could muster. "Kindly stop abusing Mr. Potter's library."

Startled by the intrusion, Hermione turned and looked towards the voice. Tears welled in her eyes as she saw the concern on her mother's face. "Mama," she whispered as she dashed into Minerva's quickly opened arms.

Shocked by the endearment directed at her, she lost her balance as Hermione rushed into her arms seeking comfort. She felt a gentle rush of magic nudge her into a quickly conjured chair. Smiling gratefully to Harry, she mouthed a quick thank you. He merely nodded his head and gently closed the door behind him as he left.

"I have you love," Minerva cooed as she wrapped her daughter in the most comforting hug she could muster. "I have you."