Hello there lovely humans!

I had said over on my tumblr (indiebluecrown. tumblr. com) that I would post a new chapter yesterday, but I was sick and in bed all day. So the new chapter is for today :")

Can we also talk about how we surpassed 100 reviews on this story and how do we have 221 people following it as well? I about died out of happiness, no lie. I can't even begin to express how happy it makes me. Mind blowing. Thank you all, so, so, so much xxx

patty cake rocks : I know ;)

Sweet Melancholic figured out the end of the chapter. I'm curious if anyone else will get it or not.

I'm sorry I'm going to do this to you, but it'll be a little while coming before we have any future snippets/ 'present' day happenings.

My wonderful Beta: prattster666

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and only the story line and any OC's belong to me.

July 8th, 1973

Potter Manor Gardens

"For the final time. No." Hermione scrunched up her face with disdain. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I told you she wouldn't do it," Draco smirked when he turned to Sirius, holding out his hand. Hermione's jaw dropped when Sirius begrudgingly placed five galleons in Draco's awaiting palm. Remus shook his head, rolling up the sleeves on his thin, white, cotton long sleeved shirt.

"You bet on whether or not I would do it?" Hermione put her hands on her hips, glancing around at her boys. James was pawing the ground with the toe of his shoe. Peter was scratching his head and whistling as he subtlety slipped James a few coins behind his back. Hermione was furious.

"My own brothers? Fine. You'll see," Hermione bristled, grabbing the broom out of Draco's hand gruffly. Has she even flown properly, much less at all since first year? Draco frowned in concern as he watched Hermione swing her leg over the broom.

Ok. Hermione. You can do this. It can't be that hard right? I'm not Hermione Granger anymore, I'm Hermione Potter. If I want to bloody fly a broom to prove those idiots wrong, I will. Hermione's palms began to sweat a bit, and she recalled a conversation she had with Ron once. Harry had watched in amusement as Ron tried to show her how to properly fly on a broom in Sixth Year after classes. When things had been more simple, or at least more simple than the War.

"I'm right here, Mione. I'll be here the entire time." Ron swore, holding her hand as she stepped over the broom.

"You'll be fine, Mione. We've both got you. Plus you'll only be floating a few feet off the ground today, anyways." Harry reassured her, striding over to them, standing on her left side.

"You promise you won't tell anyone if I fall on my face?" Hermione asked sheepishly, brushing a strand of hair that fallen out of her bun behind her ear.

"Why would we do that?" Harry quirked an eyebrow, and then tilted his head to look around her at Ron. "We won't...right?"

"Hey! Why are you looking at-" Ron stopped talking when he noticed both of his best mates were looking at him with droll expressions.

"You think about it too much, Mione," Harry said.

"Just will the broom up, gently, it's like asking in a way, soon it'll become like second nature." Ron advised. Hermione took a deep breath, wiping her sweaty palms on her skirt, before grasping the broom handle for dear life. Harry and Ron had their brooms in their hands just in case things did go awry. Madame Hooch had narrowed her eyes at Hermione for a moment, as if something inside of her said not to lend the three Sixth Years one of the school's brooms. She had relented though, with a threat of denying Harry the pitch to use if he didn't bring it back in the same shape they had gotten it.

"Just let go, Mione," Ron whispered, Hermione closed her eyes for a moment to gather her bearings, and once she opened them, she tried to relax. She was still terrified, but she cleared her mind and just thought about the broom hovering a few feet off the ground. A soft gasp fell from her lips when the broom wobbly raised off of the ground.

"I'm doing it!" Hermione murmured proudly, it only lasted a few seconds though, because she began to worry about it all going horribly wrong and the broom fell back towards the ground. Two pairs of strong arms caught her, and soon they were all laughing. Ron hugged her briefly, and Harry ruffled her hair playfully. Both telling her how proud of her they were.

Hermione channelled that memory and the brief euphoria she had felt in those quick moments and she opened her eyes again. A fierce determination about her. I miss Ron and Harry so much. I hate to think what it'll be like when I meet Arthur from this time, since Molly said Ron looks a lot like what Arthur did in his younger years. I wonder how they are doing. Bill is probably two now- focus Hermione. Her hands clenched the broom handle tightly, she relaxed her frame, and then she pushed off of the ground. She was beyond scared out of her mind, but she pushed it down. Focusing on the air toying with her tresses, how amazing it felt to be zipping higher and higher in the air. She forgot about her deathly fear of flying; it seemed so silly now. She had conquered it, first by anger, then nostalgia and now she felt closer to Harry and Ron than she had in a long, long time. Up here they wouldn't hear her silent sobbing. It was probably a mistake to look down, but she had to know. Her boys were running around in circles, cheering and dancing around like hooligans. Somehow looking down wasn't as scary as she thought it would be. Don't worry Harry, Ron. I'm ok. I'm flying. Hermione smirked, letting go of the broom with one hand. Instead of flying, how bold she was becoming was beginning to terrify her a little bit. Now that she was in the air she didn't want to come down anytime soon. She cried, the tears flowed down her cheeks, her eyes started burning. For once though, they were happy tears. Thank you boys. When I get back, I'll make sure to show you that I can fly now. I can fly.

...

July 10th, 1973

Hermione and Draco's Potions Room

"It'll only be harder once we have to go back to school," Hermione laughed as Peter's eyes watered as she placed yet another Mandrake leaf under his tongue.

Hermione had roped Charlus into distracting Remus for the day. They needed to talk about becoming animagi without Remus' keen ears around.

Yesterday Hermione had successfully managed to complete her month with the dreadfully bitter leaf under her tongue. The aftertaste still lingered however. Sirius surprisingly had kept his under his tongue longer than James or Peter. James was now on day seventeen, Peter was back to day one, Sirius was on day twenty, and Draco was on day twenty-eight. Sirius had jumped him causing him to swallow it, otherwise he would've finished yesterday with Hermione as well.

"Some months are longer than others y'know," James commented lightly.

"That's why we're being safe, and why you need to keep it in your mouth until the thirty one days are up," Hermione reminded him.

"When are we telling Moony again?" Draco quirked an eyebrow.

"When we become animagi," Sirius shrugged nonchalantly.

"So possibly years?" Hermione snorted, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Does it take that long?" Sirius frowned, looking slightly put out.

"It can, I doubt I'll take that long," Hermione said smugly.

"Why do you say that?" James asked, wincing slightly as a bit too much saliva filled his mouth and he struggled to keep his leaf in place. A relieved expression covered his face and he gave them all a thumbs up. His leaf was still in position.

"I'm going to start meditating today, and I'm very determined to get this done," Hermione said sombrely.

Hermione's words seemed to touch something in them, and they set their jaws determinedly.

"For Remus," James said grimly, nodding in his sister's direction. Pride swelled up inside of her as the rest of her boys followed suit.

"For Remus," Hermione echoed her brother's sentiment, a small smile touching her lips.

"After we're done with these stupid, foul tasting leaves...I'm going to be the first person to find out my animagi form," Sirius said boldly. Hermione could see where this was going, and decided to duck out. I have work to do.

...

Night quickly fell and Hermione had been trying her hand at meditating for hours at this point. She had changed locations, the floor, her armchair, and now she was seated, legs folded under her in the middle of her bed.

What do I even think about? Powers of the Mandrake leaf...tell me what my animagus form is? After another twenty minutes of trying Hermione came to the conclusion that this was just not going to work. Frowning deeply, she did the only thing that made any logical sense. She hopped off her bed, exited her room, quickly descended the stairs, ran through the foyer and burst outside; sights set on the orchard. The cool summer night air brushed across her skin. She felt alive. Hermione was deep in the orchard when she finally decided to stop. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness in moments, and she sat in the middle of a trio of trees. Let's try this again.

Hermione sat down cross-legged, hands resting leisurely in her lap, her curls cascading down her back. She took a deep breath and gently closed her eyes. Listening to nature around her, the leaves rustling as the tree branches swayed.

She cleared her mind until it was a blank state, her hands moving to dig themselves into the earth around her. At first it seemed like nothing was happening but then a sense of knowing rushed over her. Fox. Was the only thing that kept playing through her mind, and Hermione opened her eyes and sighed. Of course. When the boys found out, especially Sirius they were never going to let it go. That her animagus form was a fox. At least that's what it seemed like. The hardest part was going to be the actual transformation it seemed.

Hermione stood up and brushed the dirt off of her bum when a thought occurred to her, Dray is going to have a field day with this. With a sigh, she began to make the trek back to the Manor. Euphoria at possibly figuring out what her animagus form was filling her.

...

July 14th, 1973

Dear Mione,

I know it's only been a few weeks since school ended, but I miss you dreadfully. Sev and I have been hanging out a lot again and we cleared up all the problems that we had. I wish him and James didn't detest each other so much, and that they could just get along. Speaking of, how is that arrogant little toe rag? Is he at least trying to behave himself.

Sev has been explaining the Pureblood families to me a bit and he said that your Mum is sort of an oddity, not in a bad way, but Blacks don't really marry outside of...well the Blacks. Well that they haven't done it in awhile. I think she sounds kind of cool that she branched away like that, and that she was a Slytherin. She was a Slytherin right?

Anyways, besides spending time with Sev, being at home is somewhat, stifling. Tuney doesn't really want to talk to me, and she especially doesn't want me around any of her friends. Mum and Dad are always curious about what's going on at school, which is nice...but I feel like I have to exclude some things since they most likely wouldn't approve. Like Peter getting stabbed in the shoulder during the Herbology exam. I don't know, I feel like I'm slowly drifting away from their world and I kind of hate it. I guess it's hard to explain, and none of my close friends are muggleborns. Sorry if it sounds like I think you don't understand, just, I'm not sure where I'm going with this anymore. I hope your Summer has been good so far, and those brothers and boys of yours are behaving.

With love,

Lily xoxoxo

P.S. I seem to have gotten over my crush on Draco, I haven't told anyone that yet, not even Alice. I guess you should feel honoured Mione haha.

Hermione sat by her window stroking the tawny brown owl's feathers reading the letter, and her heart skipped a beat when she reached the end. Lily no longer liked Draco. On one hand she felt for her best girl friend, but at the same time her heart rate quickened at the idea. "Can you please wait until I finish writing a reply letter?" Hermione pleaded with the owl, who turned its' head and she could tell what it wanted by looking in its' eyes. "Here," Hermione fished a treat out of her pocket and held it out to the owl; who quickly snatched it up and seemed to hum in thanks. Getting up off of the floor she walked over to her desk, moved aside some of the scattered pieces of parchment and closed the massive books and placed them to the side. She had been up late researching the cruciatus curse and its' effects, but most people that were tortured long enough became completely brain dead, and those that weren't tortured long enough were able to recover. But, only after long extensive rehabilitation and care, which took years and it only worked if it was started as soon as possible. For once the boys had slept in their own rooms.

Hermione dipped her quill in her inkpot; she had spelled the ink a teal colour, and was very happy that it looked so lovely against the slightly off white parchment. Remembering to light a small fire under the wax pot, then returning to her letter.

Dear Lily,

I know it will only seem like a false reassurance, but I can understand what you mean about drifting away from one world whilst you become immersed in another. I'm glad that you and Severus are back to being proper friends again. I wish Jamie and him would stop their petty fighting but I have a feeling that a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will keep their position for more than a year before that happens.

Jamie is good, so is Dray and the rest of the boys. Peter recovered nicely after the Herbology exam incident. They've managed not to blow up the Manor, so I think that's a plus so far. (Don't tell anyone, but at this rate, I'd probably be by their side).

Speaking of Blacks getting married, our cousin Narcissa is getting married to that git Lucius Malfoy. Dray is a lot closer to her than the rest of us, and apparently despite Walburga's complaints and blatant disapproval, Narcissa invited all of us to the wedding. Sirius said he wasn't surprised his Mother had something to say about it, since she always has something to say, and that she doesn't even want him there. The Wedding is going to be on the Twentieth of August. It will certainly be an affair to remember.

To answer your question, yes Mum is a Slytherin. She's proof that not all Slytherins are bad like what some of our fellow Gryffindors want to believe. I know a few more Slytherins that are just as great, and I hate that the entire house is painted with the same brush.

I don't know if your parents will want to let you do this since you only get to see them for a limited amount of time each year, but you could come here for a week or two if you want? James of course would love to have you haha. In all seriousness, we would love to have you and I can double check with Mum and Dad, but I'm sure they'll agree.

Lots of Love,

Mione

P.S. I miss you too my little firebreather, and I would love it if you could actually make it. Sometimes being just with my boys can be a bit much. I love them to bits, but every now and then I need you, Nancy or Kira to break it up a little bit. Speaking of, how are they? Do you know?

Hermione folded the parchment neatly, and picked scooped some of the pale blue wax with the canting she kept in her top drawer. Carefully pouring the right amount onto the letter, she placed the canting back in the pot, used her house seal that Charlus had given her and pressed it into the parchment.

Crossing the room, she rubbed the owl's head before giving it the letter. "Thank you for your patience."

Hermione stood by the window watching the owl flying away, hugging herself as the summer breeze blew softly against her face. I know all too well what it's like Lily, Hermione thought disparagingly about her parents.

That was how a week later, Lily Evans came to stay round at the Potters for a couple weeks.

Is anyone else as excited for Lily to come for a bit of a visit as I am? I'm wayyy too excited.

This chapter you start to see how Hermione is slowly but surely changing, Draco is as well, and don't worry, you'll see that soon as well. I left a little hint in this chapter somewhere, so if you see it or think you do, I would happy to talk to you about it! I'll even help. It has to do with the memory.

Also, I updated It Was Her Ginger Hair on Thursday, and I'm having too much fun writing about my Slytherins. They are mine and I am theirs, and all the other mushy things you can think of..."After all this time?" "Always."

Seriously, love you guys,

Indieblue xxx