Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Spoiler alert: Cliffhanger ahead but don't stress I've been working on the next chapter already.

Chapter 35: The Magic of Glamping


Hermione curled herself up into a ball on the couch more as she watched one of the house-elves dusting one of the nearby shelves. To be more precise; the cupboard she had previously banged against a few weeks ago and cut her head open. She couldn't help but stare at it...him, she supposed. It was strange to see such a creature dusting the shelves and cleaning up the home. A thought crossed her mind of whether one of the elves had cleaned up after all the glass had crashed against the ground or everytime she left a mess anywhere, her bedroom...all the times she had wet the bed. She blushed deeply and rested her chin against her forearms gaining the attention of the house elf who turned slightly, his hunched back cracking in the process.

"D-Does Little Miss require sustenance?" He asked his eyebrow raising slightly in concern as to why the small child's eyes constantly followed him round the room.

She shook her head, continuing to stare at the creature's basic white robes, or what could be said as robes. He turned back to his dusting, reaching over to the top shelf filled with ornaments of the families pictures before he felt the small tickle of a soft bottle-brush touch his back.

"Gah!" He turned to find the brown, tuft furred cat starring curiously at him with large yellow orbs. In it's mouth, he could see a small pink sock that belonged to the young girl hanging limply from it's mouth.

Terrified of the sock, be backed away along the shelf and jumped onto the floor as she continued to follow him "Entertainment? Perhaps Little Miss would like a book to read?"

She shook her head and continued to unnerve the poor house-elf who could only hesitate. "Perhaps Miss would like a toy?" She placed the sock down in front of him before using her front paw to kick it over.

"Please Little Miss!" He begged the girl as he held the duster out in front of him for protection. "Rocky prefers to serve this noble home. Little Miss should not-"

"Hermione?"

It was only a heart beat before her father stepped in through the door with a basket in his hands and wearing a pink apron saying 'kiss the cook'.

"There you are, my dear. I thought you were going to help me in the kitchen?"

She immediately changed back and ran over to his leg before latching onto him as to give him a quick hug. "Sorry, papa" He gently chuckled, wrapped his fingers through her hair before pulling her away and asking her to follow.

"What are we making?"

"Oh, I think smores will do well for tonight. Something easy to put over the fire"

Hermione's face dropped for a second as she followed her dad into the next room.

"Do we have to have a fire?"

He chuckled before pulling her up onto one of the island seats in the kitchen and placing a tray of biscuits, marshmallows and chocolate in front of her.

"I can guarantee you, you will enjoy it" He winked at her before grabbing one of marshmallows and popping it into his mouth. The small girl giggled before doing the same only to stop chewing half-way through.

"Tastes funny?" She asked as she grabbed one of the biscuits and put on a piece of chocolate. "Your mother suggested that having the sugar-free option for our little desert to be a much finer choice. I couldn't help but agree"

"But sugars the best part" She finished making one of the smores and set it aside in the next tray.

"Not when you have a sugar-crash, my dear girl. You remember how hyper you were last time?"

"That's not fair" She snorted as she focused on putting together the smores.

"I don't think your mother, nor your god-mother, found it funny to pull out a bat tangled in their hair every two seconds from having attempted flying"

"But I got rrrea-ell-y close to fly-ing"

"You did very well, Kitten" She could hear the undertone in his voice and pouted. "Well what would you call it?"

"Gliding into a rats nest"

"Severus! Dear boy I did not hear you come in" Albus returned to his usual calm stature as he helped the girl with the rest of the prep.

"Only wondering why one of the house-elf's was nearly in tears" He couldn't help but run his eyes down the girl who had a slight blush on her face. "No such idea why, Little One?"

She shook her head and licked her lips nervously before grabbing another piece of chocolate and sticking it to one of the biscuits. "A terrible liar" He remarked.

"Am not!" She glared at him only for him to flick one back at her.

"Now, now, we mustn't argue before such a big night" He patted his daughter's shoulder before sending a quick 'stop arguing like a child' look towards the younger man. Severus gently leaned against the counter-top and crossed his arms in ignorance.

"Care to explain why you are deciding to camp outside the stead?"

"Thought it'd be a nice treat to be able to get in to nature for a bit. Enjoy the outdoors and give our girl a positive experience of what camping really is?" He smiled down at her as she returned a hesitant smile back.

"You mean glamping?"

"Call it whatever you would like but it still counts as being in the outdoors"

"This wouldn't happen to be one of the ideas out of your book is it?"

"I found the modern father-daughter muggle ones much more interesting and have inspired a few ideas. One being baking together. Care to join us?" Albus bit into one of the chocolate bars earning an eyebrow arch from the dark eyed man.

"To sit in the cold winds of the Scottish Highlands and freeze my arse off over a dying fire" He arched his eyebrow.

"Nonsense, a barrier will be in place so only a small amount of wind comes through and a simple heating charm will go a long way"

"Indeed, however I have made plans with Narcissa for tonight?" He walked over to the top of the counter and removed what Hermione could only imagine to be a brown liquid concealed in a fancy glass.

"Dr-aco?"

Severus rolled his eyes thinking back to his conversation with Narcissa, "His mother has agreed to allow Draco to sleep over for the night. Granted, without Lucius' knowledge" Severus mainly directed the conversation to Albus who could only smile very gently.

"I hear our girl's been having a positive impact on the boy"

"Much to Lucius' joy" the younger man said flatly before removing the whole chocolate bar the girl was chewing on on.

Hermione's face fell "Hey?" she pouted.

"You will spoil your dinner!" Severus argued back before pushing the tray away to Albus. The caramel eyed girl glared at him "Did the elves make it?"

"Don't start this again. I can reassure you the elves will find offense if you do not eat what they have spent hours preparing you"

"I didn't ask them to slave hours over a stove"

"What do you think they are paid for?" Severus crossed his arms.

"They're not paid. They only get-"

"A comfortable home, holidays, sustenance, an easy job and payment for upkeep of their clothing and any additional items as you've so fondly put up a fight with" He glared at her only for her cheeks to blush back in anger and share an equal glare back at him. Albus noticed the tension between the two of them and decided to intervene as quickly as possible by distracting the girl.

"Becoming quite the little rights-activist" Albus shook her hair only for it to get caught in his fingers. Severus could only roll his eyes as the small girl could only try and pull away from his large hand.

"Something more of a politician, perhaps Fudge is rubbing off on her" Severus teased earning a slight glare from the older man. "A very funny joke indeed, Severus"


"Come on, come on, come on" Draco stomped his feet at the bottom of the steps as he waited for the caramel eyed girl to reach him.

"Hold your horses, Drrraco" The curly brown haired girl called back as she raced down the last flight of stairs dangling a pair of grey winter socks in her outstretched hand.

"Hold my horses?" He scarfed at her and watched as she basically collapsed to the floor and began putting on her socks. Tired of waiting he leaned over grabbing the pair of tanned sheep-skin boots and helped put them on her.

"It's a figure of speech...and thanks" She grabbed her coat, gloves and Trapper Fur Hat before opening the door to the late afternoon.

"Hurry Hermione, we're gonna miss it" He took her wrist and dragged her out into the garden. Behind her, she could hear her mother calling out not to stray too far from the house however, Draco seemed to not hear and continued running as far away from the home as he could to get the best view of the setting sun.

She began to get more weary the more he ran towards the forest. She remembered near this spot a few weeks earlier with her mother showing her the manor's grounds and the-

"Ow! My Nose!" Hermione reared back instantly from the invisible barrier before she could get hit by it. Draco on the other hand-

"What was that?" He asked rubbing his nose in pain. "Force-f-field, my parents put it up to stop m-monsters from getting in"

He scoffed, "I'm not afraid of monsters" He crossed his arms over his chest. Hermione couldn't help but arch her eyebrow as she found the nearby log that she had fallen over previously as a kitten and proceeded to sit down on it. "What? I'm not!" He stuck his chest out.

"Prove it" Draco couldn't help but smile at the comment and stuck his hand into his pocket jacket, removing a 16/5inch wand. "Its got a Dragon heart as its core" The blonde haired boy smiled proudly, not that it meant much to the girl. She decided to go along with it and pretended to know what it was. "W-Whose is it?"

"Grandfather's old wand. I found it lying round the manor earlier. Grandfather sleeps a lot; I'd doubt he'd realise it went missing. Want to see what it can do?"

He grasped the wand and pointed it to the open. The caramel-eyed girl couldn't help but feel nervous. The wands weren't something that her family ever let her touch, except maybe her papa a few times when he was letting her hold it to light the candles in the rooms or the fire in her bedroom on the odd occasion.

"Isn't it dangerous?" Hermione clasped her hands together beginning to feel the chill of the sun beginning to set.

"No, I've seen mother and father use them all the time and they've never done anything dangerous with it. Well, my father said he did have to deal with bad guys before and had to use it" He aimed it towards an open patch of field and began to flick it.

"Wine-ar-um Levio" He tried to flick the wand causing a yellow spark to shoot out from the tip. "Hey, hey did you see that. I did magic. Bet I could do more. Father said he could produce fire. He called it friendfire no, no that's not it. firemonster? I think that's it: Fire-fend. Want to see me do more? Check this out?"

Hermione couldn't help but watch the excitement on the young boys face as he half hazardly threw out jibbish-spells. She wondered if that was what she looked like the first time she had seen magic. The first time she, herself, had done magic"

"Wanna try" he asked, huffing and puffing as sweat ran over his forehead. She hesitated, then shook her head and held her hands together to stop herself from figetting. "pfff, baby"

She glared at before stopping over and grabbing the wand off him. "I'm not a baby and I know more than you do"

"I doubt it. Father's taught me all there is to know about magic. He's the greatest wizard there ever was"

She couldn't help but glare at him before looking over to the fallen stump and aiming the wand towards it. "W-Wing-gard-dium Levi-Osa" She swish and flicked but nothing happened. She gritted her teeth repeating and stumbling over her words, still nothing happened. Not even a measly flare from the wand.

"Wingard-d-ium L-Levi-o-OSA" She tried again and again and again but nothing happened. Draco ended up rolling on the ground laughing. The girl couldn't help but become slightly panicked. She couldn't produce magic. She wasn't making any magic, not like Draco did. Even if it was just a flicker. She slumped over onto the ground and thumbed the wand between her fingers. What if she was never able to produce magic like they could. She wasn't related to her parents. She barely thought herself human half the time. Oh Merlin, what if she never was to receive a Hogwarts admission letter. What would happen then?

Her breathing became rigid and Draco could see that something was wrong. "Mione?" He called out to her and ended up falling down next to her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded as a single tear ran down her cheek. He couldn't help but worry. He hated seeing his mother cry. It seemed to bother him in the same way. "You know, my mother said that I shouldn't rush to learn magic. She said it doesn't fix everything" She looked at up him to find him smiling and she couldn't help but smile back. His innocent, healing smile so contagious. He brushed the tear from her cheek. "Your mum sounds smart"

He nodded before he sat down with her and watched as she twisted the wand between her finger tips. He couldn't help wonder what she was thinking and could only assume it was-

"The monsters"

"Hmmm?"

"Your worried about the monsters" He grabbed her hand and pulled her up to her feet. She sniffed and rubbed her nose. "I guess so"

He smiled warmly to her, "you know I'd protect you right?" Her eyes widened. "Against the monsters. I'll protect you; you don't have to be afraid of them" He flashed his white teeth at her and had a goofy smile plastered on his face.

"Y-You'd do that? For me?"

"Yeah," He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You're my best-friend and -" He plucked the wand from her fingers and placed it back in his coat pocket. "I'm going to follow in my fathers footsteps. I'm gonna be the greatest wizard alive. I'mma give 'You-Know-Who' a run for their galleons so you'll need me" He laughed as he threw his arm over her shoulders and headed back to the manor, towards a tent and fire-pit that had been set up just in the backyard.

Hermione, however, felt both confused at Draco and weary of his father and the supposed 'Greatest Wizard Alive'.


"Queen to E3"

The Red Queen moved across the playing board and swung her chair to shatter the white bishop to pieces. Narcissa hummed and smirked sipping her wine glass before commanding her horse to take the spot of the red queen.

"I do believe you are getting worse at this game as the night progresses, Severus" He looked up at her and then back to his own glass before gulping down the rest of the contents. "Perhaps, I am being chivalrous and allowing the lady of the house to win a simple game of chess" He smirked back before getting up from the settee and walking over the wine cabinet.

"Fire-whisky?" He called to her. She waved a hand to dismiss his request but couldn't stop her eyes from difting to his rear.

"Whatever happened to that muggle-woman you were dating?"

"Janet?"

"That's the one!" Narcissa exclaimed as the dark, brooding man came to join her. "Wasn't the one" He shrugged her question off. "No one is for you, are they?" She ran her hands through her hair and pulled her knees up onto the settee they both shared.

"Yes well, we can't all fall in love at Wizarding school and marry a few months out at graduation"

She paused, "After all this time. You are still sour about James and Lily Potter?"

"Evans" He corrected.

"He didn't steal her from you"

"I beg to differ" She reached out grabbing his chin and thumbing his cheek. Her touch, soft. She trailed her fingers, thumbing just near the corner of his lips. He stiffened before taking her hand and pulling it away. She looked at Severus bored for a second almost disappointed in his action. "Lucius is not back until Saturday"

"Narcissa, do not start this again"

"I'm sure he is out likely fucking his mistress at some cheap hotel"

"Perhaps you should be more concerned about speaking to your husband about it" She rolled her eyes, giving him the you-know-I'm-fucked-if-I-confront-this look. "You shouldn't be suggesting, what I think you are suggesting just to get back at Lucius, Cis"

"Get even, and I'm not suggesting anything" She lifted her barefoot up and pulled his face to look at her with her foot. Her bare skin glimmering in the fires-light. "I'm merely...insinuating it" She licked her lips.


Hermione couldn't help but gawk at the fire as her father flicked his hand at it creating different types of animal silouettes from the flames. He created large cats, dolphins, owls, dogs and of course...

A phoenix, rising up from butane as the red and white flares and embers danced around it's wings. "Wow!" Draco couldn't help but be impressed by her papa's magic. In an instance, the fire bird squarked making the children jump until Fawkes swept down from the night sky and frightened the young boy who fell back off the wooden log. Hermione couldn't help but giggle as Fawkes landed onto the girl's shoulder and proceeded to rub his beak against the girl's cheek in non-verbal greeting.

"That's not funny" He called back, picking himself off of the ground and wiping his sleeves of the dirt.

"Fawkes was jus- saying hi" She remarked, stroking his long feathers and tickling the underside of his chin. Draco arched his eyebrow before hesitantly walking over and attempting to touch the bird out of fear of not looking like a-

"Big chicken"

"He is not-" Hermione rolled her eyes at the boy whilst Fawkes attempted to peck his fingers. "I think he's pretty. Like a swan or an eagle" She smiled up at him. The bird thrilled under the small girl's comments and rubbed his head against her in appreciation. "See Dwaco"

He hesitated for a moment before looking up at the animal that could so easily tear his face off. He gulped, and slowly ran a hand down the birds back, "nice phoenix"

Albus couldn't help but smile from watching the two together. This was a grant idea to have the boy stay over the evening. Even more so, his daughter was finally coming out of her shell with others. "Albus, Albus your marshellow's burning!" He felt his wife's hand on his as she pulled the stick out from the flames. He couldn't help but chuckle as a chunk of marshmellow fell from the stick onto the green grass below.

"Apologies dear, I was just in thought"

"About what?" She sighed and flicked her wrist, vanishing the fallen marshellow before ants could find their way near the tent.

His eyes twinkled in the moonlight before he looked over to the small children laughing and giggling to one another. "It is nice to see her smile. It doesn't come around as often as I'd like it to be"

Minerva thought about his words as she too, couldn't help but observe their interactions in worry. "You can't be thinking about her future already, Albus. From the amount of scares we've had with her this year alone"

"She has a bright future dear," Minerva couldn't help but worry. After the loss of her brother in the war against Grindlewald and her husband by a poisonious plant, Minerva had struggled to open her heart. Her daughter's medical scares only put more pressure and anxiety on the woman so much so that she had not even thought about the day the girl would grow up. Rather, taking everything day by day and making the best out of the situation.

"She's too young for boys, Albus" She snipped back. Her husband hummed back in acknowledgement before placing his hand upon hers'. "I know and I too know she'll grow up to be a wonderful, caring person" He couldn't help but smile.

"Perhaps a Healer"

Minerva, still stiff with the thought of her baby-girl growing up could only nod, "perhaps".


Severus hi-cupped as he stumbled towards the front door of the manor.

Tonight had been a-

How to even describe this night. He shook his head zipping his pants up as his feet hit the stone pavement leading to the house. He was pretty sure Lucius would kill him if he were to ever find out. About to touch the front door with his wand, he paused as he heard a twig break. He immediately rounded on the shadowed figure standing at the front of the manor's gate.

Surely, Lucius would not of known that quickly.

"Show yourself" Severus' wand lit as he stared at the figure. The large figure immediately pushed the gate open, showing he had no problems with the manor's wards. "Would you lower that bloody wand of your's Son" the giant man's loud voice pierced the early morning air.

"Aberforth" He quirked his eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"Was looking for you"

"Why?"

"Why else would you think?" His blue eyes glinted in anger at the man however, the dark haired man still had no idea what planet he was on.

"Hermione, why else would I be here?" He spat, the wreak of alcohol stinging Severus' eyes. "It is 2AM in the morning. I can assure you the girl is sound asleep"

"I don't mean that! I mean-" He leaned closer to the smaller, younger man. "You know where the man who beat her lives. I want revenge"

"You're drunk. You wreak of alcohol. Go back to your home, Aberforth" Severus sounded bored and was about to turn around and ignore the man before his shoulder was grabbed and he was hauled back. "And you wreak of sweat, sex and guilt. Doesn't take a smart one to figure out where you've been, Snape"

He gritted his teeth in anger and held his wand higher. "I mean it Aberforth. Leave it alone"

"We both know I ain't and I reckon you want revenge too for what he did to her"

Severus couldn't help but consider it. He really did want revenge for the girl. Just now. After they things had finally settled down. Perhaps now, was actually in fact the perfect time. And him doing it now, maybe Hermione would never go looking for him if he was simply...gone.

"Alright" Aberforth smirked. "On one condition"

"Name it!"

"We follow my plan on getting rid of the man"

"Alright Snape. But I am gonna beat him"


Five hours earlier

"Come on you two bed time" Hermione looked over to her mother calling to her before looking back at the blonde haired boy. "I don't want to go to bed. It's too early" Draco yawned before resting his head on the young girl's shoulder. She snickered, before looking over to see the stoic woman carrying her evening medication. In her hand, she could see the woman carrying a dreamless sleep and couldn't be more relieved to see it. She wanted to sleep throughout the night tonight and was terrified of the young boy finding out if she wet the bed still.

"I thought I called the two of you?"

"Sorry maither" Hermione shook Draco before she walked over to her. McGonagall gently thumbed her chin before bending down to the girls level. "Go put on your pajamas, please Draco"

"But I don't wanna go to bed" He complained as he rubbed his eyes and walked over to the tent. Minerva snorted reminiscing of when she taught Lucius at school. Like father; like son.

"Here, kitten" She removed the four viles for her night-time medication. She took them quickly without hesitation before her mother pulled out the last bottle of the dreamless sleep. She took a few drops before wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

Minerva couldn't help but chuckle at the girl before stopping her attempting to wipe her tongue on her sleeve.

"I wish Sev would make them taste better"

Minerva nodded, "I'm sure he's trying too" she wiped the girl's lip. "Now run-along. I want you both to be in bed by the time I come back"

Hermione nodded, "Can we please read the book tonight?"

Minerva couldn't help but smile down at her daughter. "You will have to pick another one dear, I don't think Draco would understand hearing 'Alice in Wonderland' if we're half way through it"

"What about Hogwarts: A History"

"Perhaps something a little more fictional. How about-"

"Magic?" Both the girl and the mother turned to see Draco by the tent looking at them with excitement.

"Magic?" Minerva re-stated.

"Yeah, mother said you could make a pa-ron-ass"

"Patronus" She corrected, "And yes" Minerva removed her wand and ushered the spell producing a patronussed cat that walked back into the tent. Draco, squealed in excitement before chasing after the translucent creature.

Hermione arched her eyebrow before feeling a pressure on her shoulder. "Now, run along I will be with you two very shortly. I just need to put the fire out and cast a few more wards on the tent so you two don't go off wondering about in the middle of the night"

"We won't" The young girl blushed knowing that her mother had a tight leash on trust and it was something the girl was only slowly beginning to get back after not taking her medication weeks ago.

Inside Draco was setting up his sleeping bag that had a Chinese Fireball Dragon flying and breathing fire animatedly on the black sleeping bag. Next to his laid Hermione's red and gold laced one with the Gryffindor symbol in the middle. After removing his dragon-hide boots and plushing his quittage broom covered pillow he pulled out his favourite plushed owl and waited.

It was only a matter of seconds before the girl came in with a disgusted look on her face and attempting to lick her coat sleeve much to the boys amusement.

"Only Hippogriffs eat clothes" He laughed causing the girl to pause in her tracks and have to think. What was a-

"Fantastic Beasts and where to find them" She answered as she thought about what the book had said on them but could only think "they eat meat"

"And people"

She snorted.

"It's true!" He argued as she slipped her boots and hat off. "Father said he saw one tear a man's arm clean off"

"The book says they don't attack people,"

"Do you believe everything you read?"

"Do you believe everything your father says"

"He's right though. Father's really high up at the Ministry"

"Books are right too"

Draco snorted before he heard the footsteps of the tall, stern woman enter the tent. Draco instantly shoved his head back onto the pillow and gulped. "Are you two settled for the night?"

"Yes maither"

The woman waved her wand towards the entrance of the tent warding off any intruders...or leavers.

"I don't want you two staying up late. I want lights out by eight o'clock"

"Eight o'clock!" Draco groaned as the girl blushed and avoided eye contact. Both her and her mother, knowing that she desperately needed her sleep otherwise she wouldn't be able to get up in the morning.

"No if's or buts. Albus and I will be in the next room. If you need either of us throughout the night wake us up" She said sternly before leaving a very small vial of Drought of Sleep next to her daughter's side, away from the blonde haired boy.

"I am trusting that you will take this before you go to sleep, Kitten" she leaned over and kissed both their foreheads and left them alone. Hermione couldn't help but watch her mother leave before grabbing hold of her teddy and cuddling him to her chest.

"I can't wait for Hogwarts" She turned towards Draco to find him staring up at the transfigured roof of the tent. "Why?"

"To learn magic and shoot fire balls from my wand"

"You mean your grandfather's wand"

He shrugged before removing it from his pocket and running his fingers across it. "You should really return it. It's not right to steal things"

"It must be so cool to live there" He continued, ignoring her. "I like it here more" She mumbled before looking up at the transfigured starry night sky.

"I get to see maither and papa here a lot more. They work a lot during the school term and they have to take care of a lot of other children" She mumbled not particularly happy that she had to share their attention. Of course, she was an only child. She wasn't used to sharing her parents love and affection with another. "Father works a lot from home. Mother teaches me. Sometimes the house-elves do as well. What do you do at Hog-warts if your mommy and daddy aren't there?"

She shrugged, not really sure how to answer that question. She had spent majority of her time sleeping and reading if she was being honest. How could she not? "Grandmomma was teaching me Gaelic and French, God-daddy was teaching me some potions, sometimes I saw god-momma. I used to help her set up the hosss-p-ital and then I'd see Ha-Hagri-d to play" She smiled at the memories wondering what was going to happen when she went back to Hogwarts.

"So you don't get to attend your parents lessons?"

She shook her head and watched as he placed his stick away. "That's boring" He muttered making Hermione smile to herself.

Boring was good though.


Severus stepped in through the home as quietly as possible, however knowing the older, bigger man subtilty it was in vain.

"Where are ya, ya bloody scoundral" Aberforth dashed through the broken down house and straight into the main room. Severus rolling his eyes removed his wand and chased after him before he heard the sound of a growl and Aberforth scream in pain.

"Aberforth, AH-" Drool and spit drenched him as he felt the large paws of a big cat on him. Looking up, he could see a golden eyed black panther snarling at him from above about to tear his throat out. Near the fire place, Aberforth was clutching his bleeding arm as he tried to lift himself up against the heavily bruised, unconscious man in the corner.

"Hermione?" Severus questioned staring into the golden orbs of the animal's eyes that reminded Severus so much like her own. The large cat flinched at the name.


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