"Pans." Hermione called into the quiet foyer that was the floo room of Warrington Hall. These people all had such names for their homes. Ridiculous.

"Bug." She called much more quietly. The elf appeared and she didn't smile at the bright pink embroidered pillowcase the elf wore. Why it was that instead of the usual lilac she wasn't sure.

"Is Pansy home?" She asked and the elf didn't answer her. "Is she doing something I would rather not be involved in?" She asked tactfully and got a decisive nod.

"Alright then. Thank you Bug. Please tell her that I do not appreciate her moving and failing to inform anyone except me. Who is now receiving all of the people who wanted to see her or owled her or any other method of contact." She said and the elf nodded once then flicked her ears in a way that meant she agreed. With that Hermione turned around and flooed home. She really didn't need this now.

"So?" Daphne said from her place beside Sabrina on the settee.

"She moved. Like she told me she was but she didn't tell anyone else." Hermione answered honestly and Daphne blinked twice and then stood.

"Finally! Oh we can start planning." She said and Sabrina caught her eye. Daphne meant the wedding and she giggled at the distracted look that had come over their friend's face.

"Then yours?" Sabrina asked the dark haired witch and Hermione didn't look at Daphne as she settled down across from them.

"I should easily say yes but right now I can't think past the end of March." Daphne admitted and they both understood. Everything was changing and she wasn't sure what to do either. She had gone back to the Tower and decided she needed to ask him first

The topic changed and they were talking about Camden's latest invitation when Zavi popped in.

"Letter Miss." He said casually and then when she touched it he was gone. From a trusted sender then.

Mione, was written in familiar spiky writing on the outside.

"It's from Harry." She said and opened it.

'Mione,

Can we go this afternoon? I know it's short notice but I had a dream last night and it's time.

Harry'

She couldn't help her laugh at his characteristic letter writing style. Handing the letter to Sabrina when she stood, both witches looked at it and gave her some sort of understanding look.

"Dinner?" She asked Sabrina who smiled and shook her head.

"Mark's birthday is Tuesday and we all have to work so we are going tonight." She said and Hermione grinned at her slight blush, Cam would be there then. Daphne grinned at her and stood too. They would see each other in two days if not before.

Fifteen minutes later she was exiting the Ministry floo and cleaned herself off before heading towards the lifts. It was ten to five so Harry would be off soon and he was on desk duty this month. Which he hated but it was normal hours which he and Ginny liked.

"I've got to go Micheal, but thank you." She said firmly but politely a minute and walked away from the man she thankfully didn't know that well. Head mostly down and with quick strides, hoping to make it to the Merlin cursed lifts. Eventually she did and only hello's were given to her after she put the firm expression on.

"Mione." Harry said with relief when he found her waiting by the Auror office reception desk. Audrey was a witch of about sixty and had gone to school here then moved overseas. She had a huge family in Canada and Hermione was always trying to lure them here.

"Take care Audrey. Hello Harry. Let's Go then." She said, they walked into hallway and she said quietly.

"Before you go to bed tonight and change your mind."

"Ha ha. I just don't want to wait for no reason and the dream was a good one." He admitted seriously and she stopped teasing after that.

"Miss Rosier." The Goblin teller said and she smiled politely. Harry spoke then and she didn't acknowledge his grin at her discomfort. They liked her now and it was equally as uncomfortable as when they had spears pointed at her, at least outside of the singular offices she visited regularly.

When they stood in the front portion of the Potter family vault she looked around. Harry was fumbling with the wall case of variously sized drawers and and she was trying to give him some space. This was his thing, she was just here for support.

"Does it bother you?" Harry asked quietly without looking at her.

"Does what bother me? So many things do." She was scanning the shelves of books and scrolls without touching anything.

"That you don't have a Token." He said quietly and she looked at him then, their eyes met.

"No. Sabrina has brought it up many times. I was talking to Blaise about Daphne and she got angry with me. If I could see how important it was and cared so much then why wouldn't I let her do for me what I was doing for Daph." She could see his understanding. "It's not the same though. I've seen him and he hasn't suggested it, or offered. I don't feel like it's because he doesn't accept me or want me, and I know that Sabrina would have given me one years ago. To me though, I don't need it." She held his gaze and let him discern that she meant it, truly didn't feel slighted or envious.

"Alright Mione. This one." He said and she watched him pull a lovely necklace from a thin flat drawer. The rubies weren't large and she could feel an enchantment on it when she got closer. It could be more than it looked right now.

"Can I?" She asked him and he easily handed it over.

He watched her silently cast at it and then the design shifted in front of them. A formal array of rubies and diamonds that would be fitting for a formal party or something.

"Wow. So it can be either." He said quietly.

"So she can wear it everyday but also at events or something. It's gorgeous Harry. More importantly to Ginny, it's from you." She said and they shared a long emotional glance.

"Let's get out of here then. Maybe you are comfortable here but it gives me the creeps." He said quietly and she told him to clean up his mess first. Then walked the shelves again and stopped at a lower shelf that looked like it hadn't been touched in ages.

She was on her knees and wiping the spines to more easily see when she saw the word in intricate calligraphy. Bonds. Her hands froze and Harry must have noticed because he was beside her then.

"What is Mione?" He asked her and she could hear the tension in his voice.

"Can I borrow this Harry?" She asked him and he was nodding and watching her now.

"Yeah. Anything. You know that. Do I want to know?" He asked her and she couldn't help her smile at that.

"I'll tell you eventually. Thank you." She said quietly and carefully put the book in her bag.

"How was Christmas?" Josh asked her as she sat down in the hard chair.

"It was good. Maybe it's becoming more normal to be happy and together. It didn't feel as much like anything might change or go terribly wrong this year." She said honestly and he must have understood because he nodded at her and seemed to be looking her over carefully. Her glamours were subtle but good and she was sure he didn't know she was wearing one.

"Before we move to pictures or regular updates, could we talk about what will happen?" She asked him. Not liking that she even had to ask him.

"What do you want to know?" He didn't sound defensive and she couldn't help relaxing a bit.

"Are you okay with me being the one to meet you after your release?" She asked him straight out. Then watched his face look her over and then look down.

"I doubt it will be private." He said quietly and she waited for him to look up, noting as usual that his eyes were a darker shade of brown than hers.

"Definitely not. There will be reporters in the Atrium and Kingsley wants you to go out the same way the others have, openly." She said calmly and watched his jaw tighten.

"You don't need the press." He said firmly and she did smile at that.

"Press for you finally getting out and coming home with me? I'll take it." She meant it and he scoffed lightly and then sneered. It was familiar but she didn't see it often, or hadn't in here.

"It isn't your responsibility." He said evenly and held her gaze. The sneer was gone and she felt her uncertainty spike. Still, forward was the only way and she tried to remind herself of the people around her assuring her that it would be okay.

"Yes it is. This is my family responsibility Josh." She said calmly and firmly, deciding to wait for him to tell her it wasn't or capitulate.

"Just you." He said and she knew what he meant.

"Definitely. I wouldn't bring her even if her parents would allow it." She said and he must have heard something in her tone because a single eyebrow went up.

"Her parents have let her come and go, be with me or in our homes. Now that you are getting out that will all change. Me and Daph will sort out our own things but." She stopped, not wanting to argue with him. Not wanting that between them two months from now.

"Tell me." He said and she wasn't upset at the lack of please used. It wasn't a demand but a request.

"I don't know all the small rules in regards to this situation, but it will be a change for her, another one. You are getting out and that's enough but if her parents lock down and restrict her when you do, that's another change." She said quietly and as reassuringly as she could.

"I see." He said slowly and she thought he did. Then his eyes went out of focus and she knew he was thinking it all over, considering. It was reassuring and she thought it the best reaction she could hope for.

"Did she mention this to you directly?" Josh asked her after a minute and she nodded.

"Yes." Her smile was gloating and he laughed at her. Outright laughed and it sounded genuine.

"I will remember what that expression means Hermione." He said quietly and then sobered.

"I'll be ready for the Greengrass." He said and she smiled her relief.

"How are the apple trees?" He asked her and she blinked once and then understood.

"Dormant for the winter." She answered him and held his gaze.

"You've been there." He said and she nodded. She herself had told him she was there and was sure Rowle had said something about it too.

"You don't want to speak to me about this." He said and she could hear that he didn't like it.

"It's none of your business." She said and it wasn't cutting or snide. She meant it but wasn't offended and he sat back at that, crossed his arms and held her eyes.

"It's not. How is the Tower or anything related to it your business?" She asked him and he raised a brow.

"You are my sister." He said and she nodded her agreement and waited.

"Your well-being." He began and she scoffed at that, unable to keep it in.

"This isn't threatening my wellbeing in any way. I'm sure you know more about the place than I do. I'm not a child, you don't get a say in this." She said and held those eyes just a bit darker than hers, trying to show him that she meant it.

"Right." He said and she didn't like the tone, always tried so hard to keep hers even and be considerate. This time she hadn't got that back. At least he had listened about Daphne. So she pulled out the pictures and the short notes from Mac and Stolford.

"You succeeded. That's a big pay raise." He said and she did smile a bit at that. Stolford had sputtered and then coughed.

"That took ages but we just kept going. Kept asking and trying to find a way. Then I put Mac on it too and Blaise and I met with him a few times. The loophole was hiring him as the firm's lawyer. We had to incorporate it and it means my file is a bit smaller but Mac has a whole new file that he assures me will soon be another great weight keeping him behind his titanic desk." She said and he moved to Mac's letter with only a small twitch that might have been a smile.

"None of that is here." He said and she could tell he expected it to be.

"It isn't Rosier business." She said quietly and watched his hands tighten on the paper before he released it.

"Show me what you have all been doing." He said flatly and she pulled the pictures out.

"Sin made the team." She said excitedly and he did look up at that. "He's had two games so far and won one. Lost to Chang's little sister but it was so close. Doesn't want to be a seeker but two of the chasers graduate this year so he is hopeful." She watched him flick through the quidditch pictures and then slowly watch them again.

"Are you wearing green?" He asked her, stopping at a picture of all of them in the stands.

"Of course." She said darkly and he grinned then. Not at her but the picture.

"What happened?" He asked and she knew he had reached the picture of Sabrina and George.

"They had their first fight. Disagreement anyways, about the order of ingredients into a potion. That was the result." She said and knew she was grinning too. The two of them in the picture were standing across the cauldron from each other and clearly speaking quietly. Covered in bits of what looked like fluff, these bits were moving over them and growing quickly enough that you could see it in the two seconds of movement.

When her watch said they had three minutes left, she spoke. Needing to ask this before she left.

"Do you have any instructions for me?" She said and waited for him to look up from the pictures. They had made it through once and he was looking at some of them again. She could understand him wanting to know what he could and had answered every question about the people in them.

"No. It is all ready and Stolford assures me that he expects no issues." He said and she nodded, having received more assurance than that from the older wizard.

"I'll see you in two months then." She said when she heard the knock, he only nodded at her and she thought he watched her until she left the room.