Over her second year at Hogwarts, Hermione learnt to keep control over her Ueni powers, and slowly started to learn how to attach spells to the pieces of her core she extracted.
From the first week of the school year, Hermione would meet Regulus, Avery and Bellatrix in an empty classroom on a Friday to go through all sorts of exercises, mainly meditation, to gain control. Thankfully, her parents agreed not to tell Dumbledore or Slughorn about the matter, for fear of them utilising her, and turning her into some kind of child soldier.
The Marauders also learnt to lay off slightly, knowing what would happen if they tipped her over the edge, but they wouldn't stop their pranking endeavours entirely.
One night, Hermione was in the library, reading up on her tribe in the restricted section, when Remus came up to her shyly.
"Hermione? Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, quiet enough so Madam Pince couldn't hear.
"No"
The blunt reply surprised the werewolf, but he ploughed on through his mission.
"Please? It won't be long, and I won't bother you with it again, unless you want me to"
Hermione looked up, tearing her eyes from the tome she was holding. She moved them to the chair, gesturing for him to sit while she finished her paragraph.
"Yes, Lupin?" she said finally, setting the book aside and looking at the boy expectantly. She schooled her face into a mask of indifference and waited for him to find his words.
"How are you? With the whole…. thing? Your mother wouldn't say anything about what happened that day, and neither will the Blacks…. Fort knox secret huh?" Remus rambled.
Hermione raised a brow at the Muggle term "What's it to you, Lupin? Why do you feel the need to know? So you can find chinks in my armour for your immature pranks?"
Pinkening slightly, Remus whispered as the librarian turned her head his way "No! James is worried about you and"
"So he can't ask himself? Can't get off his own arse to enquire after his sister, and instead sends the only slightly tolerable one out of the four of you? That doesn't sound like worried behaviour Lupin" Hermione snapped, opening her book back up again.
"He thought you wouldn't listen to him, but he knew you spoke to me when I stayed over, so he thought I could…" what Remus wasn't saying, was that James thought the pair could relate. Both of them being magical creatures and all. But Remus didn't know if he wanted to reveal everything just yet. "I could help"
Hermione scoffed, her head buried in the book so only her manic curls could be seen. "I doubt it Lupin. Now if you could kindly bugger off -"
"Hermione! I… I'm a magical creature too. I can help" he avoided saying werewolf, hoping she would think he was a forest nymph or something, but Hermione just looked at him, a sliver of sympathy breaking through her mask.
"I know what you are, Lupin. And in another life, our shared situation could have made us friends. But I can't excuse your role in James and Sirius's torment. You need to grow a spine. Do tell James not to worry about me though. It makes it harder for me to…" Hermione wavered between hate and dislike, but settled for "loathe him"
Hermione had been suspicious of Remus's condition since she'd first known him. The scars that couldn't quite heal on his face, seeing as they were caused by a cursed being, the tiredness around the full moon and the constant "visiting his mother". But she'd finally realised when she noticed the timing of Remus's visit to her house.
She picked up her book and checked it out, leaving Lupin to contemplate what she'd said. What she didn't know though, was James, Sirius and Peter were listening in under their father's invisibility cloak.
Sirius took the seat Hermione had flounced from, James sitting next to him and Peter next to Remus.
"Loathe me? She doesn't loathe me. She loves me, she's just being stubborn" James spoke into the silence, tracing a finger around the swirls on the wooden table.
"I don't know J. Hermione seemed pretty serious, You don't think she'll say anything about Remus, eh?" Sirius asked, watching the werewolf squirm at the idea.
"Nah. Mione's not like that. She wouldn't. Ever" James crossed his arms, and while Sirius looked sceptical, no one questioned his judgement.
"What was she reading?" Peter piped up. "We couldn't see"
"A book on the Ancient European Tribes"
When he was met with blank stares, Remus sighed "The Ancient European Tribes, we learnt about them in History of Magic in 1st Year? The main ones were the Uenis, the Rapetas, the Icorpes and the Vetenes. They all had special powers, they were unique types of wizards, but Muggles found them and tried to take their powers. They died out"
When Remus concluded, the Marauders looked at each other, before Sirius shrugged "She's probably just doing some revision. Who would've thought Jameyboy would have a swot for a sister!"
It was towards the end of the year, and Andromeda had called Narcissa and Hermione into her room. Bellatrix was off with Evan Rosier, making the most of him before she was becoming officially betrothed to Rodolphus Lestrange. The pair had had a fling since 4th Year, not dating but not with anyone else. Regulus and Avery were exploring the Forbidden Forest. Hermione was jealous, but Andromeda needed her, so that's where she was.
The three girls sat in their pyjamas, Hermione in checked pants and a black spaghetti top, the Black sisters in black satin sets.
"So. You know how the 7th Year prefects and Head pupils plan a night for them and their guests as an end of Hogwarts thing? Well the Head Boy decided he wanted a ball, because he's a Muggleborn and has never been to one. The purebloods are happy to help him plan it out. I think it's a masquerade!" Andromeda grinned.
"Who are you taking then Meda?" Narcissa asked slyly.
Andromeda went red, and looked at her hands, wringing them nervously. She looked up with a serious mask that every Slytherin had practiced to perfection. "This is what I wanted to talk about. I need you two to swear on your magic you won't mention this to or around anyone. My life… this is a grave situation, okay?"
Narcissa didn't bother to mask her own emotions, and shock and worry were splayed across her face. Hermione kept her cool however, and just swore on her magic, waiting for the secret.
"Are you okay Meda? Is someone hurting you, threatening you?" Narcissa reached to grasp Andromeda's hands, but she just let out a wry chuckle.
"Quite the opposite actually. I… I'm in love… with Edward Tonks"
Hermione squealed and went to hug Andromeda, who looked bewildered by the lack of screaming.
Narcissa retracted her hands "But Tonks is… muggleborn. And you're marrying Stanny!"
"I can't marry Rabastan. I've never agreed with this pureblood supremacy, and I love Ted. I'm hoping to speak with Grandfather about it, after you and Bella are married. Rabastan is younger, so I'll have time. Ted understands" Andromeda searched her sister's eyes for forgiveness, but she couldn't see any emotion at all.
"How can you do this? Bella won't talk to you, you'll be disowned, you'll ruin your reputation!" Narcissa finally cried.
"Which is why we aren't saying anything" Hermione nodded. "We'll keep your secret, besides it could be useful in the future, his connections to the Muggle world"
Andromeda sighed. "Cissa, I love you, and I hope you can understand that I don't want a pretty pureblood life. I want to be loved, not learn to love someone I'm forced to marry.I want to choose"
Narcissa looked close to tears. She wanted Andromeda to be happy, and she also didn't want her own happiness spoilt. "If I meet this… Tonks… and I approve of this affair… then I shall accept your decision. And no one will know of your transgression, for everyone's sake." she paused for a moment, before grinning. "So this is like Romeo and Juliet?"
"Ooooh are you going to go to the dance with Stanny and sneak off with Tonks? And it's a masquerade so it could be so simple! You could wear yellow, so he can find you, seeing as they're his house colours…" Hermione carried on, but Narcissa interrupted her.
"I can't believe you went for a Hufflepuff Meda. Really going for forbidden romance weren't you? Your life has become a Muggle play!"
Hermione was laying on the grass with Avery and Regulus, filling them in with her night before and them filling her in about theirs
"So Meda's throwing a masquerade ball for the seventh years and those invited. I think they're going for themed outfits, so we need to come up with something"
"No," Regulus said bluntly, twiddling a daisy between his fingers.
"What do you mean no, Regulus?" Avery asked, looking at him through his peripheral vision. He had observed that, while his best friends had only known each other a year previous, they knew each other insanely well, almost as if they could read each other's minds.
"We are not dressing up as Hades and Persephone, Nita, stop bloody asking" he elaborated, and Avery turned to Hermione for her response.
"But why? You have the high cheekbones, pale skin, dark hair, intense eyes! Hades personified! And my skin looks nice in warm colours, and my hair's flowy, so I can wear the flowers! It's practically perfect Reg!" by the end of her speech, she had sat up and was peering down at Regulus, blocking the sun.
"No" Regulus growled, and rolled on to his side, facing away from her.
Hermione bent forward over his shoulder, her hair creating a waterfall around them, her breath tickling his face, her eyes boring into his. "Please?"
"No" he blew into her face so she would be flustered, so he could roll himself back round, however he found himself glaring at her ankles.
"Avery can be Cerberus" Hermione said in a sing song voice.
Regulus sat up, clashing heads with his pesterer, to look at Avery, who had a camera in one hand and a piece of film in the other.
"What are you doing?"
"Taking a photo. You two looked funny. Here" he passed it to Hermione, out of fear of Regulus burning it, and she grinned at the image. It was when Hermione was peering at Regulus when he was facing the sky, and it reminded her of Prince Charming waking up Snow White in the Muggle fairytale book she found in her library when she was young, except vice versa.
"Do you wish to be Cerberus, A?"
"Not really, sorry Mione. But I think you two would look great. I'll have a solo outfit." Avery winked at Regulus, who already realised he was going to give in.
"C'mon Reggie. You can decide whatever the next big decision we make! Whatever you want." Hermione jutted her bottom lip out and looked at him pleadingly.
The boy sighed, shaking his head, saying "The things I do for you Potter", before tucking the daisy he was playing with behind her ear.
Andromeda krept up the stairs of the Astronomy tower, ushering Ted Tonks behind her to hurry. She needed to talk to him before Hermione and Narcissa arrived.
They sat on the balcony ledge, and Andromeda leaned into her boyfriend's side. "Be your charming self Teddy, and make sure you don't do anything risky or speak badly of pureblood culture. My relationship with my entire family and my reputation rides on this. Hermione'll be alright but just be careful with Cissa, she's offended easily and"
"Oh Dromeda stop worrying. It'll be fine love." he pressed a kiss on her forehead gently.
Before she could reply, steps were heard, and Narcissa swept into the room with the grace of a swan. Hermione came up behind her, just as poised, and they sat opposite Andromeda and Ted.
"So you're Hufflepuff my sister has fallen for? Edward, was it?" Narcissa spoke softly, but her voice cut through the room like a knife. It was sharp, unpredictable and she had everyone hanging on her every word.
"Yes, I am. Pleased to meet you Narcissa, Hermione" Ted said, his confidence lacking in front of the younger girl "and do call me Ted"
"Well. Tell us about yourself. Ted." Narcissa's eyes were darting around Ted's person, and if anyone didn't know better they'd think she was checking him out. But Hermione and Andromeda knew she was checking for weaknesses and strong points.
Tonks cleared his throat "I have a younger sister. Stella. She's a Muggle, and she's the only family member who speaks to me. I'm too odd for the rest of them. I'd do anything for her, just like I'd do anything for Dromeda"
Narcissa nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.
Hermione asked curiously "what do you wish to do when you leave Hogwarts? I for one want to take my fathers seat in the Wizengamot. Change some laws"
"I have an apt hand for transfiguration, so I'll probably get a job in the ministry to tailor to that. What laws are you trying to change?" Ted smiled encouragingly at Hermione. One of the things Andromeda loved about him was his way with younger people, always listening.
"Ones for magical creatures, and abolish those dreadful marriage contracts. To think, I might end up marrying Reg or Avery one day" Hermione rolled her eyes, and then pinkened at the conversation topic she had started.
"Speaking of marriage contracts" Narcissa's eyes twinkled, hinting at a scheme. "You know how it feels to be outcasted from your family. And you're doing this to Meda? And this ministry job, is the money substantial to keep my sister comfortable? Are you tying her down and keeping her from a life where she could be happy?"
Ted's eyes flashed. "She couldn't be happy, the way your parents are trying to force her to marry the git Lestrange! Your lot are mad. Dromeda loves me, and I'll do damn well anything to keep her happy Black. Don't you ever question that"
Andromeda had her head in her hands. "Why are you doing this Cissa? You said you'd try!"
Narcissa quirked her head to the side. "What do you mean Meda? I like Ted. If you're going to run away with a Muggleborn, you need one who will stick up for you against our crazy family tree, and he is that one. I'm happy with this pairing, though for this to work I would like to discuss something me and Hermione want to do with him later."
Andromeda beamed and looked at Ted who was positively baffled.
"So what are you guys wearing to the ball? I've convinced Reggie to do a Persephone/Hades theme with me" Hermione grinned.
"How'd you manage that? Though I do agree Reg is the Hades type" Andromeda nodded, still looking relieved that Narcissa was just acting her devious plan out earlier.
Hermione laughed and pulled out the photo Avery snapped to show her "I'm an amazing persuader"
Narcissa raised her eyebrows, noting the slight pink to Regulus's cheek and the sparkle in Hermione's eyes as she tried to persuade him, but said nothing.
"Persephone? There's a girl in my house called Persephone, or Sephy. She's coming to the ball, maybe you can keep her company?" Ted asked, looking at Hermione almost pleadingly. "I only ask because she hasn't been doing well with making friends, and Dromeda's said you and Regulus took Avery in so smoothly."
Hermione bit her lip. "Is she a half blood?"
Ted raised a brow, but Narcissa answered a tight lipped "yes".
"Oh alright. It's only because Avery can't really dance or speak kindly with Muggleborns, his parents are very strict. It's fine with me though, as I am considered a blood traitor and my parents don't truly care"
"Okay then…" Ted trailed off, slightly uncomfortable. "I'll tell her to look out for you."
"Are you looking forward to your first glimpse of our society, Ted? I'm sure Andromeda can help you find appropriate robes?" Narcissa said "She truly is one of the most fashionable people we know, right Nita?"
"Of course"
"Trust me Cissa, I'll have him looking like a Black in no time" Andromeda grinned up at her boyfriend, who was already thinking of ways to avoid wearing overly fancy garments.
"Er yes, I am. I've never been to anything like this before. May I ask why you're called Nita, Hermione?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.
She smiled slightly, and replied "Reg caught me at a… tough time and called me Ninita, Spanish for little girl. He knew an intellectual challenge would distract me from my issue, and it kind of stuck. Everyone assumes it's just because my name ends with the ni sound."
Ted nodded. "You have good friends, Mione"
"I do"
"Well. Hermione and I have found a solution to stop you from being disowned Meda. Ted can retrace his bloodline to the last known pureblood relative and claim the house. That way, you are still making an amicable marriage. I would still wait until after mine and Bella's marriages though, just to be safe." Narcissa said, waiting for their reactions.
"Oh Cissa, Nita thank you!" Andromeda hugged her sister and swept her cousin up and spun her around in the air. "Teddy you don't mind do you?"
He looked at the three girls and found himself unable to say no.