DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.

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A/N: Thank you for all the positive reviews! I will do my best to update every day. If you are looking for another CedMione fic, check my 'After Life'.

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Chapter 21: A Surprise Visitor

"'This Potter', said Aunt Marge loudly, seizing the brandy bottle and splashing more into her glass and over the tablecloth, 'you never told me what he did?'

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were looking extremely tense. Dudley had even looked up from his pie to gape at his parents.

'He - didn't work,' said Uncle Vernon, with half a glance at Harry. 'Unemployed.'" -J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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1993

(Hermione and Cedric's past)

"Hello, my clever girl!"

"Hi, Dad!" Hermione smiled brightly at her dad as she joined him and her mother at the dining room for breakfast. His father stood up to hug her and kiss her forehead. Hermione was a self-confessed 'daddy's girl', but it didn't mean she loved her mother less than that.

"What time is Cedric going to pick you up, sweetie?" he mum asked gently, filling Hermione's plate with food. Hermione allowed her mother to do that because she knew how much her parents missed her.

"He said before lunch, Mum. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory are both coming with Ced," she replied before taking a bite of her toast.

"And they will bring you directly to the O'Briens?" her mum asked in confirmation.

"Yes, Mum."

Hermione caught her father looking at her fondly. "Our Hermione... you should have read that letter from Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien. They are sincerely thankful you helped Terrence improve his grades in Potions and glad for your friendship."

When Hermione and her friends arrived at King's Cross Station weeks ago from Hogwarts, Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien - Terrence's parents - personally thanked her for helping their son. They also wanted to meet Hermione's parents to extend their gratitude, so they joined her at the Muggle side of the station. Her parents looked very proud of her. Since then, the O'Briens never stopped sending presents to the Grangers - flowers, wizarding sweets, and books! Her parents also exchanged letters with Terrence's parents and they wanted to invite Hermione (and all of their friends) to their house for Terrence's birthday celebration.

Today, she was scheduled to go with the Diggorys.

"Only three days at the O'Briens, and three days at the Diggorys, then you'll be back, all right? No more other house visits. We missed you so much," her mother said fondly.

Hermione laughed. "But Susan wants a girls' night out," she joked.

"Next year, sweetie. We're going to France this summer," replied Mrs. Granger. "Eat up. We're going to watch a documentary before the Diggorys arrive."

A half an hour later, Hermione was tucked between her parents on the sofa, watching a documentary on TV while eating sugar-free sweets.

Hogwarts was great, but nothing could beat home.

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"You said 'house' not a 'manor'!" Susan squealed at Terrence the moment the latter's parents left them in the room with tea and biscuits.

"Mate, you didn't say your house was huge like the Malfoys," Ian told Terrence.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Of course Malfoy lives in a Manor, doesn't he? He prances like he owns the school."

"Yep. My father used to work for little Draco's grandfather, but not anymore," replied Ian. "Not since they got involved with You-Know-Who."

Terrence just sat at the piano and started playing an unfamiliar song not replying to any comments about his house.

"This bloke's rich. He doesn't need a job," Cedric, who was sitting beside her on the couch, joked while playing with Hermione's curls. She let her hair down during summer.

"Why do you even want to be an Auror?" she asked.

Terrence glanced at her and just continued playing. "Because I want to have a career. You know, stand on my own... live my childhood dream and put food on the table with my own money."

"That's very noble of you!" teased Susan.

Ian snorted. "At least you aren't like Potter's father."

They all turned to Ian who was standing by the piano.

"How do you know things about that?" she asked curiously.

"My parents talk," replied Ian. "You know, Dad brought it up when he saw the news the other week - Sirius Black escaped Azkaban..."

Hermione's eyes went to the copy of The Daily Prophet on the coffee table. On the front page was a black and white photo of a man with long hair and beard, screaming with rage.

"He used to be best friends with James Potter, and it turns out that he's the one who sold them to You-Know-Who. Many couldn't believe it because, you know, they were like brothers during their Hogwarts days - Sirius Black and James Potter... they were notorious for their pranks. After graduation, they didn't have to work. They were sometimes caught pulling pranks in the Muggle world. Both were rich - even though Black was disowned, he still had some fortune left."

"But maybe, the reason why he still had money was that he wasn't really disowned," quipped Susan. "He was loyal to his family - and by extension to You-Know-Who, after all."

"It must be hard for your Aunt, Dad said," commented Ian.

Hermione saw Susan give Ian a questioning look.

"Oh. They were Hogwarts' golden couple - Sirius Black and your aunt, Amelia Bones... and now she's the head of the Law Enforcement..."

"So Sirius Black's escaped because..." Hermione asked her friends.

"Maybe he wants to kill Potter," Ian shrugged. "The Minister said Black talked in his sleep... 'He's at Hogwarts'."

Hermione sighed heavily and slumped her back on the sofa, causing Cedric to draw his hand away from her hair and pat her knee instead. "And here I thought we're going to have another normal year at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts is the safest place, Hermione," Ian reminded her.

She gave him a challenging look. "But no one's escaped Azkaban before, right? Even Gellert Grindelwald has not escaped his prison cell..."

"Whatever is happening to Potter at Hogwarts this year, I'm not going to help. Never," Terrence said solemnly. "I have O.W.L.s to pass."

"At least you know your priorities," she teased. She reached out for a biscuit. "Hmmm... this one is good, Terrence. Where can I buy this biscuit?"

Terrence turned to her. "Oh, we didn't buy that. Pink baked them."

"'Course you have servants," chuckled Ian.

"Pink's a family," Terrence replied casually, still playing an unfamiliar piece.

"I'd like to meet her," she said happily, taking another biscuit.

"I think she'd like you and she'll be happy to know that," Terrence grinned at her. "Pinky," he called.

And out of nowhere, a small creature with long ears, a long nose, and tennis ball-like eyes appeared in front of Terrence, wearing a pink dress.

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July 2020

(the present)

"So Aunt Mione didn't start S.P.E.W.?" asked Albus.

Cedric continued reading files on his desk without looking up at Albus. "What's that?"

"Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare," the boy replied. "Aunt Mione doesn't like slavery - how the wizarding families were treating house-elves, so during her fourth year, she started this organization, but was not successful. After Hogwarts, she worked at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, before transferring to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She proposed some laws for the welfare of the house-elves."

Cedric frowned. "You're right, she didn't like slavery. But Terrence and his family loved all their house-elves. They treated them like family. And the Hogwarts elves were also friendly to Hermione..."

"Because she didn't know that it was wrong to treat them as slaves?" Albus asked, uncertain.

Cedric finally looked up from his paperwork. "I don't know what your universe's deal with house-elves, but only some wizarding families mistreat their house-elves; some crazy families like the Malfoys and the Blacks. But it was Helga Hufflepuff who brought house-elves into Hogwarts - with proper working conditions. No salary, of course, because they believe they have no use for it. With their powers and natural talent, they can make anything or practically everything that's available in wizarding shops..."

"So what did Aunt Mione do with the kitchen elves at Hogwarts?"

Cedric grinned. "She gave them presents - Honeydukes sweets, pastries - knitted clothes and hats for them. She wasn't the Hogwarts master, anyway."

"So, there was no S.P.E.W.?" Albus looked like he still couldn't believe it.

Cedric shook his head. "No."

There was a knock on the door. Ian came in, handing him a folder, grinning. "Letter from Hogwarts - request for a time-turner for the brightest witch of her age. You have to sign the paper."

Cedric accepted the folder happily. "Thanks, mate. She will be happy to know she could attend all classes."

Ian laughed. "Just like her mother. See you around."

Ian left and Albus went to his desk. "Is Rose the brightest witch of her age?" he asked carefully.

Cedric smiled at the boy and nodded. "Yes. And we're issuing her a time-turner that could only allow her to go back in time for strictly an hour. No more, no less."

"And Aunt Mione still had a time-turner in this time?"

Cedric nodded once more. "She did," he smiled.

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1993

(Hermione and Cedric's past)

Terrence's birthday came. Ian could not believe that there were only a few visitors and a small party for their friend, even though the family was wealthy. Hermione actually admired the humility and simplicity of the O'Briens. She learned more reasons why the hat placed the entire family in Hufflepuff.

"Can I help you with that, Pink?" Hermione asked while watching the little creature design Terrence's birthday cake.

"No, Miss Hermy. Just continue with the cupcakes."

Hermione worked on icing the cupcakes. She actually enjoyed helping around and chatting with the house-elves. She wasn't reading but she was learning so much from them.

"Is Ced back yet?" asked Ian, eating a cupcake across from her.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she replied.

After breakfast, Mrs. Diggory made a Floo call, asking Cedric to come home just for an hour because there was a visitor.

"It's been an hour already and he's not back yet..." she murmured.

"Miss me already?"

Hermione looked up and saw Cedric enter the kitchen, flashing his crooked smile. He was wearing a casual short-sleeved yellow shirt and denim trousers, making him look like a Muggle fashion model.

"Hey, what's up?" she greeted, ignoring the doubling of her heartbeat.

"Guess who the visitor was," he told her and Ian.

"Who?" They asked together.

"Professor Snape," Cedric grinned.

"And?" she asked curiously.

"He's teaching me this summer at home."

"Perks of having both parents as Ministry workers? You're untraceable," grinned Ian.

"So what's he going to teach you?" she asked.

"Well, for starters, he asked me to read about the Patronus Charm."