a/n1: Hello dear ones! I hope you're dealing well with the heat and having a fabulous summer. Just a little heads up: from August 13th to September 7th I will be on excavation and I don't know yet how much time I'll have to write! September will also be a busy month but I'll try not to leave you hanging for too long. The lovely reynardinepttr is my beta reader!
Enjoy! ;)
(tw: mention of corporal punishment and slavery (non-explicit) | I hope I portrayed the issue well, but as a white person I'm bound to make mistakes, please respectfully mention them to me if you find any so I can adjust it!)

6th June 1998, 7:43 AEST/GMT+10

"So, did you book the flight?" Helen asked, taking the first sip of her morning coffee. It had just the right amount of sugar and milk to make her hum in contentment.

"Yes, we'll fly on the eleventh. I talked to Neil about being our stand-in for emergency patients," Richard answered while putting away the newspaper and getting up to pour more coffee for himself.

Helen waved away his offer of more toast. "What about Lisa? She already took on some of my cases after my accident, I guess it would be alright if we send some to her."

Richard nodded thoughtfully.

"You know, the doctor cleared me for work from Monday onwards. Do you think I should come in?" Helen asked.

"I think it wouldn't make much sense for you to start working those three days only to go on holiday on Thursday," Richard said, sitting back down.

"That's probably right," Helen sighed, fidgeting with her cup. "I just really miss work."

Richard put his hand on her arm and smiled at her. "I know you do, love. And as soon as we are back you can work again."

"When we arrive, should we go straight to Charing Cross Road?" Helen asked, drinking the last of her coffee.

"Maybe we should check into our hotel room first so we don't have to lug the suitcases around," Richard suggested, emptying his cup as well.

Helen nodded and stood up to start packing.

8th June 1998, 14:42

"I heard Draco finally asked you to get ice-cream with him - is it true?" Pansy asked with a sly smile, half hiding behind her cup.

Hermione blushed and looked down on her plate. "Yes, he said he forgot to ask at his party."

"That's great," Pansy said earnestly. "I swear if he had waited a day longer I would have set you two up! Where are you going?"

Hermione pulled a face at Pansy for the first part. "London, I hope he doesn't get startled or something."

Pansy shook her head. "I don't think so, he was fine in Manchester and that city is no quiet wizarding village either."

Hermione contemplated the girl across from her. Had anyone told her that she would be sharing lunch with Pansy Parkinson in a muggle café in Birmingham, she wouldn't have believed them. And Pansy was actually not too terrible. She was snobby and sometimes downright arrogant, but while no stretch of imagination could describe her as 'gentle' she took care of those she liked.

"You do realise that your lip isn't something to eat, right?" Pansy asked with quiet amusement colouring her voice.

Hermione startled and let her lip go. "Really? And here I thought it was." She rolled her eyes at Pansy who only smiled innocently. "Can I ask you something?"

"I'm not talking about how Draco is in bed!" Pansy exclaimed, faux-exasperated and Hermione shushed her immediately, her cheeks flaming.

"Not what I wanted to ask, Pansy!" she whispered, looking around.

Pansy grinned. "Alright, then what did you want to ask?"

"If I get my parents back…" Hermione trailed off. It was really too much to ask. It would be unfair.

"You want me to act as witness of how dangerous it was?" Pansy asked, all traces of laughter gone from her voice.

Hermione nodded. "I already asked Narcissa, but I thought more than one opinion would probably be good. Just in case they don't believe me, you know? Harry and Ron are coming anyway and I was thinking about asking Mrs Weasley, but I don't know whether she would be comfortable talking to my parents, now that I won't marry Ron or any of her sons really-"

"Wait, calm down, Hermione," Pansy reached over the table and put a hand on hers. "Deep breaths okay? In and out, in and out, like that, in and out."

"I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered, mortified.

Pansy moved to the chair next to her. "It's alright, you're safe. Everything will be fine, nobody will hurt you. And if somebody does they'll be faced with quite a lot of opposition. Do you know the unofficial motto of Slytherin?" Hermione shook her head, still trying to get her breathing under control. "'Protect your own.' They always forget that loyalty is just as important for us as for Hufflepuff."

Hermione took Pansy's offered hand, just as the waitress came over. "Ev'rything alright, girls?" she asked, frowning and Hermione noticed some of the other guests staring, but before she could say anything Pansy spoke up.

"Just a panic attack, we will be paying now," she said in her poshest voice and Hermione giggled quietly.

"You sound like nobility," she whispered, keeping her eyes down. She couldn't face the stares.

"I would hope so, my governess would be disappointed if I didn't," Pansy whispered back with sparkling eyes. She paid and left a good tip.

Hermione gathered her purse and pulled the sleeves of her shirt down further. "Where to?"

Pansy looked at her calculatingly. "You never visited me at home, right? How about I show you gardens more beautiful than those of Malfoy Manor?"

Hermione smiled a little. "Sounds good to me."

o0o

The gardens were indeed breathtakingly beautiful. Gravel paths wound themselves through flower fields and around trees, over sparkling brooks and through rose-bush archways. The seemingly wild garden was so different from the rigid beauty of the gardens at Malfoy Manor, Hermione was speechless.

Pansy had talked quietly to an elf in a mauve tunic made from a pillowcase. Hermione had to consciously breathe deeply lest she say something, but Pansy noticed her agitation anyway.

"That was Viola, she will be preparing refreshments for us," she said. "Maybe while we walk you can explain to me why you're so passionate about house elves?"

Hermione took the offered arm and tried to find a good beginning. Harry and Ron had never truly understood. "Did you know that people of my skin colour were, until some forty years ago, still considered 'less' than others in American law?"

Pansy shot her a quick look and shook her head. "No, why would they? The skin colour is totally unimportant! The best astrologists are from the African school whose name I can't pronounce for the life of me."

Hermione smiled. "Uagadou? Yeah. That's a bit puzzling for me in the Wizarding world, how you can discriminate against blood but not against skin colour."

Pansy shrugged. "Your skin colour didn't make you more of a liability I guess."

"Anyway, muggles used people from Africa as slaves for centuries. And even long after slavery was officially abolished my grandparents were still seen as second class humans. The way muggleborns were treated in the last year? Forty years ago that was everyday life for my grandparents until they decided that they'd had enough and moved to Great Britain, where the situation was marginally better." Hermione took a deep breath. She couldn't think about that now. "But I'm getting off-topic. The thing is, my great-grandma was a slave. And if she had been asked by the ruling class whether she liked being a slave she would have answered: 'Yes, ma'am or sir, Marie likes being slave.'"

Pansy swallowed heavily at her side. "What would have happened when she said no?" she asked quietly, clutching Hermione's arm tighter.

"Punishment," Hermione whispered. "Lashes or maybe no food or something like that, if she was especially unlucky it could have been her death sentence."

"The first elf you heard of was Dobby, right?" Pansy asked quietly.

Hermione nodded. "Harry told us about him and we saw him around after the second year. And then there was Winky, with the Crouches."

Pansy sighed heavily. "I understand why you would see it as slavery then. They were mistreated, at least Dobby, I don't know about Winky. But Abraxas Malfoy was a right bastard to any living being. How much do you know about servants in the 19th century in England?"

Hermione frowned. "Some. Low pay, room and board, not much personal freedom."

"That is the situation of most house elves in Great Britain," Pansy explained quietly. "There are of course families who are cruel to their servants, but I'm quite certain it was the same in the 19th century. Their situation is bad, but not quite as bad as slavery. I'm so sorry that you had to see it as slavery. I won't pretend to understand how that feels. But I understand that it must have been disturbing."

Hermione nodded. "I talked some more with Kreacher, Tinna and Cinny since. They explained the situation to me from their point of view. They like to take care of things and those who don't, don't. I think that was the most surprising to me."

"Did Cinny tell you about her aunt who is a singer in America?" Pansy chuckled. "She's really good!"

"The situation in America is different right?" Hermione asked curiously as they were closing in on a bench with a small table and the promised refreshments.

Pansy nodded. "They are further advanced than most British families. I don't know if you noticed, but being conservative was quite 'in' for the better part of the century."

"The elves are free?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"Most are, some serve families like they do here. Some serve families, but aren't bound to them," Pansy explained. "The thing is: if a bound elf is released their chances aren't very good, the bond is quite invasive. Few are strong enough to live without bond, it's like living without corsetry after you wore it your whole life. But if the children aren't bound after their birth they can live without a bond."

"That's why Tinna wanted to be bound again?" Hermione asked. "She mentioned it, but I wasn't sure whether I understood it correctly."

"That's right," Pansy nodded.

"So freeing elves can only be done by not binding their children?" Hermione was a bit surprised.

"That, and you shouldn't just push freedom on them," Pansy said calmly, sitting down on the bench. "Give them a choice. Now that Grandfather isn't the master of our house-elves anymore, Father wants to try that."

Viola arrived with cooled water with lemon and peppermint and served it with a flourish. "It is good that miss is asking questions," the elf-lady said with a smile. "Knowing how to help right is important."

Hermione blushed. "Thank you, Viola. I will give my best."

"You were a child, now you are a child turned adult too fast," Viola said. "Mistakes are there to teach. Learn from them and do better next time."

"Yes, Viola," Hermione nodded with a smile.

Pansy smiled and turned to Hermione once Viola had excused herself. "So, what did you think of the gardens?"

12th June 1998, 15:03

Draco waited nervously for Hermione to arrive at the Leaky Cauldron. He had been early so he could exchange some galleons into muggle money (with Pansy's advice into many papers and coins). But Hermione was a few minutes late and the patrons of the pub started whispering. Draco brushed his thumb roughly over his knuckles.

Just when the first burly man started to get up from his seat, his eyes set on Draco, the floo flared and Hermione stepped out. She smiled broadly when she saw him and the man settled back down.

"Draco! I'm sorry I'm late, I misplaced my purse for a second there," Hermione said in lieu of a greeting and quickly hugged him before she dragged him out of the pub. "I hope you didn't have to wait too long! Did anyone bother you?"

"No, you came just in the right moment," Draco said, still a bit winded from the panic and her whirlwind greeting.

"Good, I would hate for this day to begin like that," Hermione said, smiling at him. "So, let's find some ice-cream and go window shopping!"

Draco laughed. "You seem excited. Did something happen?"

"It's a beautiful summer day, I'm getting ice-cream and potentially a good conversation with an intelligent person – what's there not to be excited about?" Hermione said grinning and Draco fiercely hoped that she would attribute his blush to the sun.

"I see, so you finally admit that I'm intelligent?" Draco teased her, tugging at the hand she was still holding. But not to make her let go, so he held on tighter.

"You were always intelligent," Hermione said with a small smile. "But now you actually act like it." She made no move to let go of his hand and Draco relaxed a bit.

"I'm not sure whether I should be insulted or flattered," Draco said, eyes narrowed playfully.

"Oh, definitely flattered," Hermione said with a laugh. "I don't call many people intelligent."

Draco snorted and followed Hermione who weaved through the masses of people like an expert. When they came to an ice-cream parlour Hermione turned around to him.

"I'm so sorry, you invited me and I just took over everything!" she said, her eyes wide in surprise. "Did you have somewhere else in mind?"

Draco laughed. "No, it's fine. I'm glad you took over really," he admitted shyly. "Do you want to get a cone or a sundae?"

Hermione turned to look at the display contemplatively. "I think I'd like a cone and a walk around London. There are a few too many people in there for my liking."

Now that she had mentioned it Draco noticed as well. "Alright, then let's get cones."

Draco chose 'stracciatella' and immediately vowed to tell Fortescue's that they needed to update their flavours. His mother would love something this understated and elegant. Draco paid without problem and they turned back to the street.

Hermione had chosen raspberry ice-cream and was happily licking at her scoop. "So, what inspired you to take me for ice-cream?"

Draco shrugged, blushing once again. "I just thought you'd like it. And I know how hard you work both at your home and with my parents at the company. You deserve a break."

Hermione smiled at him. "Thank you, Draco. That's very nice of you."

"Shush, not so loud," Draco whispered, looking around frantically, a smile tugging at his lips. "I have a reputation to maintain!"

Hermione laughed and gently knocked against him. "I think you already lost it and I'm quite glad you did."

"Me too," Draco said earnestly, looking over to her. "Can I try your ice-cream?"

"Sure," Hermione held out the cone for him. "But only if I can try yours as well!"

Draco laughed. He leaned forward and steadied the cone with his own hand. The rich taste was exquisite as he had expected and when he looked at Hermione she was clearly blushing. Quickly he leant back and held out his cone for her to taste and realised why she had blushed when she licked the cone.

"We have to remember that place," Hermione finally said after a few moments in silence. "The ice-cream is heavenly."

"It really is," Draco hurried to agree. "I'd ask Fortescue's to try making stracciatella if I was still welcome there."

Hermione scoffed. "They act like animosity will make their wounds heal. It's ridiculous. Do you know why I feel better about everything that happened? Because I accepted the apologies and moved on. I probably would have never been comfortable around Dolohov-"

"He's a creep, even when he was civil," Draco interjected.

"Exactly, your father was at least polite! I didn't expect him to suddenly be nice just because he lost the war. But he is civil and we get on," Hermione said indignantly. She licked at her cone with a bit too much force and got some ice-cream on her nose.

Draco quickly reached over and stole the blob with a finger. "Can't let this wonderful stuff go to waste," he said, grinning cheekily at Hermione's mock exasperation.

"Prat," Hermione muttered, but he saw the small smile she tried to hide behind her hair.

"Wouldn't be me if I wasn't, right?" Draco asked, gently knocking his elbow against her upper arm.

"Probably," Hermione admitted. "At least I would check you for fever or something."

They walked through Covent Garden and Draco marvelled at the displays and the artists throughout the neighbourhood. It was nearly time for supper when they returned to the Leaky Cauldron. But before they could enter, Hermione froze right there on the pavement.

"Hermione? Hermione, what is it?" Draco turned back to her when he noticed that she wasn't by his side anymore. Hermione looked like she had seen a ghost, her eyes huge in her pale face.

"It's…it's…impossible," Hermione whispered. Her eyes were fixed on something behind him.

Draco put an arm around her shoulder and turned to look into the direction. "What's impossible, love?"

Hermione shuddered against him and turned her face against his shoulder. "They're here. They can't be here!"

Draco finally saw who Hermione had seen and he felt the shock like a punch in the gut. "Your parents…"

"So you see them too?" Hermione looked at him with pleading eyes and Draco nodded.

"Yes, should we go to them? They seem to be looking for something," he said quietly, gathering the trembling girl closer.

Hermione nodded shakily and started forward. But as soon as she had left his embrace she turned. "Can you hold my hand? I feel like I'm floating away."

"Of course," Draco tried to smile reassuringly. "I'll be right here, love."

Hermione didn't even notice the endearment and when he took her hand it was clammy and gripped too tight.

"Hey, Hermione," Draco said quietly, pulling her back by their linked hands. "Wait a minute, if you go to them like this they will be shocked. Breathe with me." He took Hermione's other hand and put it against his chest. "Breathe, slowly. Like that. That's it, love."

Hermione nodded and when her breathing had slowed down they turned to find the Grangers standing right in front of them, nearly as pale as Hermione had been only seconds before.

"Hermione?" Mrs Granger whispered, stretching her hand out towards her daughter. "We found you!"

Hermione nodded mutely, tears gathering in her eyes but still not letting go of Draco's hand. When Mrs Granger grabbed her and pulled her close Draco let go. Mr Granger stepped closer as well and wrapped his arms around the two crying women.

Draco watched the reunion uncomfortably. He took the time to study Hermione's parents. They looked both well-tanned and wore clothes more suitable for warmer weather, but they didn't seem to care. Mrs Granger shared her curly hair and small stature with her daughter and Mr Granger had the same straight nose and full lips Hermione had.

Draco tried to ignore the muttered apologies and reassurances, but after more than a few passers-by had taken offence at the display of emotion he gently cleared his throat.

Hermione tensed. "I'm sorry, Draco, I realise that this isn't the outcome you wanted for our date."

Draco smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm glad that you have your parents back. I just think that you maybe should celebrate your reunion not in the middle of a street in London."

"Oh," Hermione blushed furiously. "You're right! Mum, Dad, where are you staying?"

"At a hotel," Mrs Granger said, smiling warmly. "But maybe we could have supper together?"

"Then I will make my excuses," Draco said, inclining his head to Hermione. "I enjoyed the afternoon tremendously. Thank you."

Hermione looked torn but in the end she sighed and nodded. "I hate for it to end so abruptly, but I'm sure I'll see you on Sunday for tea."

"As always," Draco said with a smile. After a second he leaned in and gave Hermione a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you on Sunday. Enjoy the evening with your parents. Mrs Granger, Mr Granger."

He left with a nod to each and entered the Leaky Cauldron without taking notice of his surroundings. He floo'd home and arrived in the living room at Tonks Cottage in a flurry of green flames.

"Draco? Did something happen?" Narcissa asked, startled. Lucius and Andromeda looked up from where they had been playing with Teddy.

Draco looked at his mother and nodded shortly. "Hermione's parents are back."

a/n2: It finally happened! Draco and Hermione had their first date! The Grangers are reunited! Whew, what a ride! The bit with Pansy just sneaked in, I have no idea where it came from and again I hope I didn't portray it too badly. What did you think? I love to read your reviews and look forward to it every time I post! :)