When the party got back to Grimmauld Place, all hell broke loose. Druella was screaming at Bellatrix, throwing simple hexes at her, shouting about how she embarrassed the family and should be blasted off the tree. Walburga was trying to mend Hermione's dress, with dark magic, and Cygnus and Orion were playing cards in the middle of the chaos that was the drawing room. Narcissa pulled Hermione from the room and led her down to her temporary bedroom, pulling the door closed quietly.

"The Black Family escape plan" Narcissa explained to Hermione's quizzical look. "You're taking Sirius's place, although he's usually the one being shouted at. We sneak off in pairs, until the adults turn on each other, and the person in trouble can leave"

"Wow. So this comes up often, huh?"

"Yeah, almost every group outing. See we might not like each other all the time, but our loyalty is to the death."

"Something James and Sirius lack" Hermione walked over to her vanity and sat in the chair. "Do you think Walburga will get the robes back to normal?"

"No, Zonko charms it's products. It'll give her something to do, instead of terrorising Orion and Kreacher"

"Oh she's not going to stop until she figures it out. She's beyond pissed it happened while you were under her charge. I don't doubt she'll take it to Zonkos herself" Regulus said as he crept into the room, shutting the door behind Andromeda.

He walked over to Hermione and started pulling the pins from her hair gently. "Are you alright Nita? You don't think your Mother really meant that you aren't welcome back?"

Hermione sighed and looked at him through the mirror. "She'll miss me by summer, though I can't say anything about Easter just yet. It'll be a surprise if she sends gifts tomorrow"

"Merlin I forgot it's Christmas tomorrow. Well in 30 minutes" Andromeda laughed exasperatedly. "We'll be round here I think"

"Can we go on the roof, Reg? When Bella comes back?" Hermione's eyes brightened up.

"Course. I'll get Kreacher to bring some snacks up there too" Regulus pulled the last pin out, and Hermione's curls tumbled down her back freely.

Bellatrix stumbled into the room a few minutes later, with gashes on her face and arms, her skirt torn and her lip split. The kids put her on Hermione's bed, and whipped out their wands.

"Cissa, you start mending the dress, Nita, go get some warm towels, and Reggie start cleaning her arms up. I'll work on the face" Andromeda instructed, whispering incantations and healing her sister's injuries.

It took them at least 10 minutes to get her healed, but there was no healing her temper.

"Oh I have half a mind to go back to Potter Manor and give that witch a piece of my mind, waving everything off as pranks! And now Father's more likely to shove me into marrying Lestrange, apparently children will turn my temper into patience. I despise children anyway. Always have and will" she paused to take a breath, so Hermione interrupted her before she could start again.

"What did happen in the parlour?" She asked, but when she saw Bellatrix's eyes darken, she regretted it instantaneously. Narcissa saw too, so she answered instead.

"We told her of those boys and their insistent bullying and she waved it away, couldn't see past her failed parenting to see the truth. She said we embarrassed everyone. Then I may or may not have said that we hold no love for James like you do, so we won't have qualms about retaliation."

Hermione felt a swell of many emotions swirl around inside her. She felt sick that her mother didn't defend her, anger that the marauders got away with everything and love for the Blacks who treated her like their own.

When Regulus saw her far off look, he grabbed her arm and said "roof time!" pulling her to the secret ladder in the attic that went through the sky light.

The five of them laid down and looked up at the clear sky. "Trying to spot St Nick, Regulus? You know he won't give you gifts if you spot him" Bellatrix said seriously.

"No, he comes round later than midnight. We're just here to see in the Yule" Regulus confirmed, though he was secretly scared that the man might come early. Muggles liked to say that he didn't exist, but it simply didn't make sense. How else would the presents get there, if not by magic? The Kringle Family were one of the most powerful families on Earth. They made the Blacks look like Muggles.

"If you get us coal, Reg, I will have to kill you" Hermione mockingly glared at him, before turning her attentions back to the stars.

"I wouldn't be surprised that you would get away with it. Kreacher!"

The house elf appeared on the roof, surprised that they were all laying there. "Yes, Master Regulus?"

"5 of your best hot chocolates please. With everything. But don't let Mother, Father, Cygnus or Druella know where we are."

"Yes Master Regulus" and with a pop we left them in silence once again.

"When we go back to Hogwarts Nita, we will protect you. Bella and I are Prefects, and Cissa's a master charmstress. You'll be okay" Andromeda patted Hermione's hand and Regulus grasped the other, not letting go for the rest of the night.

It turned out, Regulus did not risk their presents the night before, as he ran into Hermione's bedroom the next morning and shook her awake, shouting "Wake up! It's Christmas! Let's go wake Cissa up!"

Hermione rose with unruly curls and sleep ridden eyes, said eyes narrowed.

"What if I was awake and changing Reg? You can't burst into a room"

But the boy waved her off and pushed her behind her screen and said "Just change, I want my presents"

"I need clothes to change into Regulus. You really are daft in your excitement"

Regulus sighed in frustration, running into her closet and throwing a dress and socks at her. He refused to touch her underwear, so she had to go and retrieve them herself, but when she finally could change, she commended her friend on his fashion taste.

"Finally!" he exclaimed "Lets go" and he dragged her down to the drawing room where there was the only festiveness in the house. It had an old Christmas tree, almost rotting away, and it was wrapped in the black glittering tinsel the kids had put up a few days before. Under it were presents in black wrapping paper with emerald ribbon, and Hermione was surprised to see a few with her name on the tag.

The girls were already sitting on a sofa, waiting for the adults, chattering about the latest song the Weird Sisters had produced.

"About time! The adults have gone out to scatter the seeds for the birds. Auntie Wally has moaned the whole time, saying we don't have to take part in every Yule tradition but Mother insisted" Bella rolled her eyes. "So we can open the presents without them"

"Kudos on the Yule Wreath by the way. I assume Hermione did it? You and Sirius have never been one for crafts Reg" Andromeda laughed as they sat around the tree, Regulus grumbling about helping.

"Here's yours Nita, from us. We got our house elf Sella to go out and buy some things for you" Narcissa passed Hermione a long box, and she opened it to find a care package. Inside were the different products Bellatrix had put in her hair, a makeup palette with similar colours to the ones she had on the night before, and a new set of robes in a light lavender.

Hermione got up and hugged each of them, before she went under the tree and pulled three identical boxes out. "I asked Kreacher to get you these, I always wanted James to be a girl so we could have them"

They each opened them to find small lockets. "They convey pain. Emotional and Physical. So you can get to each other quickly"

The gift exchanges continued, Regulus getting a few books from Hermione with annotations inside and a pocket watch with Regulus Arcturus Black on the inside from the sisters, and giving Nita a bracelet with the Slytherin emblem hanging off of it and his cousins some robes that matched their individual styles.

Just as the kids started to rise, the Potter's owl flew through the window carrying a basket. Inside were two letters and two wrapped presents, complete with five of Hermione's favourite cinnamon and apple buns. She passed them around to the Blacks, and opened the first letter.

Dear Hermione,

While I am appalled by yours and the Misses Black's behaviours, I regret how we all handled the situation. Of course you are always welcome back at your home, it was something I said out of anger, and I regret that too. However, Bellatrix and Narcissa mentioned James has been bullying you. I hardly believe that for a second. You would need the Wizengamot to convince me. I have enclosed a parcel for your present, the others are here and I will bring them for you when we meet at Platform 9 and 3/4 . You need something to open you see.

The second parcel is from the boys. And the other letter is an apology from them too. It's all resolved, dear, though I wish you'd been here in person.

All my love,

Mum x

Hermione scoffed and passed the letter to Regulus, who had apple icing in the corners of his mouth. While Bellatrix read it over his shoulder, Hermione opened the second letter, reading:

Mione,

Sirius, Peter, Remus and myself are so very sorry about our actions. We really feel awful and hope that you accept our gift in addition to our apology.

Love,

Your Jamey

She felt herself brighten at the letter, but then she turned the page over at the instruction of a little blue arrow in the corner, and saw a messily scrawled extra message.

We aren't sorry, but James's dad was watching over him as he wrote, and he asked me to make some edits before I sent it. I would say your father, but he's not your real one is he? James would also like me to tell that no matter what his mother says, you are not welcome at Potter Manor, and you should stay with the Blacks as you have become as deranged as them. Minus Sirius of course. Enjoy your present.

See you in the halls,

Peter Pettigrew, on behalf of the Marauders

Hermione went numb, and while she faintly heard Bellatrix and Narcissa raving about the letter her mother had sent, she could not bring herself to intervene, and so she just passed Regulus the second letter and bit into her bun.

Andromeda walked over to her and whispered "It's okay. It's alright. Shhhhhh" on repeat, rocking the trembling girl back and forth.

She told herself to cry, because that's what you do after loss she thought, but the tears wouldn't flow, so Hermione allowed herself to be held.

"I'll open it over in the corner, so whatever it is they've sent you, it won't hurt you okay?" Andromeda stoked her hair and stood, putting the box far away from everyone, and muttering a spell that caused the wrapping paper to unfurl.

It exploded with a bang, the smoke going everywhere, and floating through the air and surrounded by black ash and rubble, was a polaroid. It was of Hermione walking in her pink robes, and the goo colliding with her. Then Regulus came to get her and Bellatrix marched across the screen. At the bottom of it was written The Potter Christmas Eve Ball '72 in her brother's loopy writing.

Regulus picked up, now holding both Pettigrew's note and the polaroid, his knuckles white with how hard he was gripping them. He handed them to Andromeda both of the items and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Bellatrix scanned the letter and glanced at the polaroid, before racing after her cousin.

Narcissa sat down on the floor, sandwiching Hermione between her and Andromeda, and wrapped an arm around her. "Reg just needs to cool off. Black family temper. Bella always knows how to calm people, when she's not aggravating them"

"And if it's any consolation, Reggie's the calmest of the lot of us" Andromeda added.

The three girls stood after a while, and went their separate ways to their rooms to put away their gifts, Hermione leaving her gift from her mother unopened.