AN- I only realised when I was uploading chap 6 that I hadn't uploaded chap 5 properly sorry about that!!

On with the story

"Yes Minerva I'm sure that you are delighted to see me judging by the conversation I just heard" Snape said.

"Yes…well what can I do for you Severus?"

"Dumbledore sent me to ask if you would consider letting Miss Granger learn occlumency." Minerva and Hermione both sat up "He says that now that she is even closer to Potter she is in even more danger. Someone could enter he mind easily and it would be best if she learnt how to stop that." Severus almost spat out the word Potter.

"Yes of course tell Dumbledore yes" Minerva was serious, she had been thinking that herself.

"Why don't you tell him yourself he will be here later or am I some kind of personal slave to you and the headmaster?"

"Well you are going back to hogwarts I presume and the earlier he knows the better"

"Fine. I will see you at Hogwarts." With a swish of his cloak Snape apparated to outside the Hogwarts grounds.

Hermione and Harry had spent the day finishing their homework. Hermione had finished hers an hour ago and Harry was almost doing his last sentence when Mcgonagall called them down.

"Oh here you are. We will be going to Hogwarts sometime in the next day or two so can you please make sure your trunks are packed" Minerva saw Harry's face light up. She knew it was one of the only places where he felt at home, she hoped he also felt at home in her house as he would probably return next year.

"Do you know when? Will we be staying there the rest of the summer?" Harry could barely contain his excitement.

"Most probably and tomorrow."

"Cool, thanks professor"

"It's Minerva at the moment!" she snapped.

"Okay sorry. Well 'Mione I'm going to go and finish that essay." Harry then just realised what he said, "I don't know where that came from. I'm sorry or shouldn't I be? Do you mind or not?" Hermione shook her head

"It's fine" she smiled at him "I'll be up soon" Harry ran up the stairs.

It was then that Minerva realised how quiet her daughter had been, how she looked so sad next to harry when talking about Hogwarts. She sat down next to Hermione and asked her about what we wrong.

"Hermione dear, are you okay?" Minerva's voice showed her concerned

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Hermione knew what her mother was talking about but didn't want to get all upset. She knew if she voiced her feelings that she would cry again. She hadn't cried in a few weeks now, she had been brave. For harry and her mum.

"You just seemed a little bit upset when I mentioned we were going to Hogwarts"

"It's nothing."

"Well obviously it is or you wouldn't be upset." Damn thought Hermione, she knows me too well.

"Well it's just that…it's just" she felt Minerva's hand grab her own. "This year when I return from Hogwarts it will be…it will be the first time mum and dad wont pick me up, the first time they haven't asked me how my year was, the first year I wont go ho- home first" it was all coming in a rush now as she spoke fast while still sobbing. " This year will be the first year I wont receive an owl in my first week asking me how it's going, I wont get an owl telling me to be careful so I don't get in any accidents like my first, second, third and fourth years. I won't get an owl from my mum saying 'Hermione you need to have fun as well as study'". With this Hermione broke down and cried every tear she had been holding the last few weeks. Minerva pulled her into her and let her cry on her shoulder. Hermione hugged her back, hard. The only other people she had received such a motherly hug from was the mother that had passed away and Mrs. Weasley. But neither of those people had given her a hug like this one. Hermione never had felt close to her mum or Mrs. Weasley, not like Minerva. She had never needed one of these sorts of hugs from them, they had never been around at the right time, never known when she really needed one of those hugs. Minerva had always been there, at Hogwarts, during the summer when she was worried about Harry, when her mother hadn't given her one she turned to Minerva who knew straight away what she wanted.

"Hermione it is going to be okay. It will get easier, I promise."

"When? When will it get easier? I've tried to be brave I tried to be a gryffindor. I didn't want you to think that I didn't love you because I was crying over my other mother. And at the moment it doesn't feel like it will get ever get better." Hermione continued crying into Minerva shoulder.

"Hermione, look at me" Minerva moved her hands from Hermione's back to her shoulders and pulled her away so she could look her in the eyes. "I don't want you to EVER think that. I know that you love you mum and I…I know you love me too…but I don't want you to feel like you have to pretend for her to have never existed or I wont love you as much, because I do. Hermione I know that she and your father are a big part of your life and always will be and it doesn't make me love you any less. It was my decision to adopt you out and every day I regret that, but in some ways I'm glad. I'm glad that the Granger's brought you up the way they did because you are a beautiful, intelligent young woman and it is all because of them."

"You helped with that too you know"

"a little yes, but ultimately it was them who punished you and showed you what was right and wrong" Minerva was crying a little herself now, she squeezed Hermione's hand. "I didn't imply in any way that I wouldn't love you if you brought your parent up did I?"

"No, no it was me I just…I, dunno, jumped to conclusions I guess. I'm sorry I shouldn't have been bottling this all up the last few weeks."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You know you can talk to me whenever, even in the middle of the night. I would do anything for you Hermione and I just want you to be happy, that includes talking to me about your parents, okay?" Minerva fixed her with a stare she would usually give students.

"Yes" Hermione leaned in for another hug when something Minerva said struck her. The piece about her father. She had never talked about Hermione's real father but Hermione had never asked. "Mum?"

"Yes"

"Um…who…who is my real father?" Hermione could feel Minerva tense up when she finished her question.

Minerva hadn't been expecting this, not right at the moment at least, but she knew that Hermione was ready to know.

"He- he was an auror I had been involved with, by the name of Henry King. He was killed by Voldemort just before he attacked the Potter's." Minerva started crying and her and Hermione comforted each other each lost in their own thoughts.

AN- not much of a cliffhanger I know, actually not a long chapter either. I'm just trying to make it not so long between updating as I have lots of Homework at the moment. Again sorry about not putting chap 5 up sooner it was a genuine mistake on my part. Hope to update soon. Reviews please.