Regulus and Hermione sat in the Great Hall opposite Avery, Regulus wolfing down his eggs and Avery nibbling a piece of toast nervously.

"What is wrong with you today A? You're not eating anything." Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow at the toast he kept raising to his mouth and discarding when he thought no one was looking.

"I have to go home. I can't go to Reg's house like last time, my parents are taking me with them to view potential suitors or suitresses to marry me off to a pureblood . And I really am not looking forward to being sold like a broomstick"

Regulus snickered "Latest model, Avery, not very sociable, but can do your makeup for you on a timed schedule! Pre-Order him now before he runs out, ladies" he said in his most telemarketing voice.

Hermione elbowed him and held Avery's hand reassuringly "Don't worry, just make sure you hit it off with the most poised, least prejudiced and very pretty girl and you'll be fine"

"So basically you?" Regulus pointed out, helping himself to more sausages.

"Yes. Find yourself a clone of me, Avery and you'll have yourself a wonderful future wife" Hermione grinned.

"Speaking of you, Nita, Mother asked if you want to come to the summer house this summer. Sirius'll be there, and you might have to attend some dinners and whatnot, but there are some upsides" Regulus offered.

"Upsides?"

"Well you'll be in the company of yours truly, there's an awesome lake to swim in, and a wizards only town by the beach. And next to that is a muggle tourist attraction. A theme park I think it's called. We can sneak off there"

Hermione beamed at the idea of seeing the muggles, and made a note to write to her mother to ask. Just as they were readying to leave for transfiguration with the Gryffindors, Dolohov was hoisted into the air by his underwear. He was swearing like a sailor, and trying to reach his wand, but every time he made a grab for it, he was twisted around. Boils started to grow on his face, bubbling with pus and his hair started to thin considerably. Hermione started to chuckle, and look over at Lily, assuming she was the cause of it, but she shook her head irritably, pointing down the table where the Marauders sat laughing their heads off.

Shaking her head and assuming it was a coincidence, Hermione started to describe to Avery how to being charming in a way women appreciated, and Regulus pretended to read as he listened in and made mental notes.

Hermione opened the letter her family's owl sent her and read it aloud at breakfast the next day

Mia,

I believe this is a good experience for you to hone your social skills, I know Lady Black is one of the most efficient in etiquette after all. However, you promised you would show us your progress with your specialty, so I must insist you spend the night you leave Hogwarts at home, and arrive at Grimmauld Place the next day. Do you find this reasonable? This way you can pack your clothing yourself and deposit any school items you don't need. How are Jamey and Sirius? Do ask them about their school work please. Also, don't mind your father when you come home, he's in a bit of a mood about the situation you've caused .

See you tomorrow,

Mum x

"Well that's nice of her. Not, how are you Hermione? Not, how's your schoolwork? Just ask James and her second favourite child Sirius. Wouldn't believe I would be third, hmm? He's probably getting all the Potter jewellery and my bedroom no doubt!" Hermione fumed, folding up the paper and stashing it in her pocket.

"If it's any consolation, Nita, I believe Mother is far more partial to you than Sirius. More likely to name you her heir, as you're older than me" Regulus smiled sympathetically.

"I might as well get this over with. I need to ask them why they did that to Dolohov anyway"

"Why do you care, you hate Antonin" Avery asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"I'm worried about their motives"

Hermione waltzed over to the Gryffindor table, and stamped her foot to get the Marauders attention.

"Mum asked how yours and Sirius's test results are going and if you're okay" she almost snapped, brandishing the crumpled letter.

James looked at her for a few moments, as if he was contemplating something, but instead settled on saying "I'll tell her when I write her back. What did you write her for? She says you never bother anymore"

Hermione's emotions started to swirl slightly in the pit of her stomach, the way they usually do when her core's about to release pent up energy. "You gossip about me do you? Well I needed to ask her if I can go to the Black's summer house, Sirius's mother invited me. I suppose you're glad I won't be home, you can gossip all you like about me in my absence"

"Grow up Mia, it's not like" James started, but Hermione cut across him because she needed to leave the hall so she could let the energy inside her out.

"Why did you do that to Dolohov?"

James stared at her, thinking her ungrateful, but Sirius answered instead quietly "Evans said something about how he treated you, and about how Reggie, er Regulus and Avery look after you. James thought he might put his two cents in"

Hermione's emotions started to rumble, filling her stomach with intense pain as the energy tried to find an outlet.

"I don't need your anonymous pranks James, I need your support and love but you're incapable of that so just bugger off with your two cents. I have two new brothers and I don't bloody need you! And don't look so surprised, I know you replaced me with these as soon as you left for Hogwarts in first year, and that's just fine. But don't pretend to care! " Hermione hissed, and she fled as unnoticed as possible.

Lily sent the quartet a glare down the table, as well as Marlene, who had grown fond of the witch from afar. Peter looked confused, Remus guilty, Sirius conflicted and James red faced and stubborn.

Regulus and Avery had been observing from the Slytherin table, and they stood to follow her. They knew what would happen if Hermione didn't realise the energy in a safe place, so they chased her through the halls to find where she'd gone.

Finally they came across a small classroom that was once used to harbour magical creatures when their pens were destroyed or damaged. She was sitting in the middle, sobbing, and surrounding her were hundreds of bubbles.

Regulus sat next to her and wrapped her in a hug while Avery secured the room and made sure no intruders could come across them. He sat opposite her, and watched her sob into Regulus's shirt, before whispering "we're so proud of you Mione. Turning the blast into bubbles. Do you know how hard that is? Bloody hard."

Hermione chuckled wetly and sat up slightly, staying in Regulus's hug.

"Who do we need to kill Nita?" he asked, and Hermione went to laugh but saw the deadly seriousness on both her boys faces.

"No one, it's fine, truly. To be honest, it's a good way to practice, and I'm sure Evans is laying into them now"

Avery snorted, and Regulus looked down at his chest with a grimace "so all these tears and snot ruining my jumper were just for practice? And I don't even get to kill anyone? It might just be you Nita, if you ruin another jumper of mine without a good reason"

Hermione laughed and cleaned the wet patches on the fabric, when Avery asked, "so why did you get so upset?"

She sighed and laid her head back on Regulus's now clean chest. "James said Mum told him I never write anymore, which annoyed me because I send her updates on the Ueni thing all the time. Then I asked him about Dolohov, and Black said James did it because you guys are always protecting me and he wanted to 'put his two cents in' which got me more mad because he always pretends to care from far away. He never comes and asks me how I feel, or supports me."

Avery moved to sit on the other side of Hermione and sandwich her inbetween them.

"Then I told him I had two new brothers and replaced him like he replaced me with those bloody Marauders."

While Avery's heart warmed at the title, Regulus was distracted. "What do you mean protecting you from Dolohov?"

Hermione's eyes widened, but she stayed silent.

"Nita, what did you mean? You need to tell us"

She stayed silent still, and when Regulus was about to ask a third time, she said "when we were leaving for the ball, and Lily was invisible, Dolohov was being a bit creepy. He said I looked ravishing, and I should save him a dance. Then he asked me to let him escort me, but I said no because everyone knows what happens from the trip from the dungeons to the Great Hall. He winked at me, and I think something caught his eye so he let me go. Lily must've mentioned it to them"

Regulus's teeth were gritted, and Avery was beyond mad his cousin acted that way towards his best friend. They all stayed in the silent three way hug, forgetting Charms. Regulus knew Hermione hated retaliation, so he refrained from going on a punching spree, and instead settled on a bone crushing hug, promising himself to give her the best summer ever.

Hermione and her mother landed neatly in the kitchen after apparating from Kings Cross, Fleamont and James waiting for them.

Fleamont cleared his throat "James, go and unpack, your mother needs to... discuss something with your sister about... her new room"

He wanted to protest, but he saw his father's stern glare, and skulked upstairs. Euphemia took Hermione's arm and led her up the third, narrow staircase that used to be the staff staircase before Fleamont's great grandfather hired house elves. When they arrived at the fifth floor, Euphemia took a left and they stood in front of a ladder.

"Up you go" Lady Potter pushed Hermione forward, and she climbed up the rickety ladder and stepped into the low ceilinged and cold room.

It was obviously lined with steel, but Euphemia had placed fabrics over it and put empty photo frames everywhere, to cover up the fact as well as possible. Her furniture was the same, but she had many extra fans around, as it was summer, and the steel would cook her like a baked potato.

"Well we moved you up here because we can't have your powers exposing you, I know you're often very emotional around James. Sirius is using your room now, because of the connecting doors, and I moved all your things that was worth having, I did a bit of a spring clean you see."

Hermione grit her teeth and started to unpack as her mother continued. She left the photos on her bed to put in the frames later, and set aside any clothes she might want for the trip.

"Now, you mentioned learning how to harness the energy into spells? I don't suppose you can do it yet, dear, it seems extremely advanced, which is why your father and I think it may be best for you to stay home and go with the Blacks some other time, so you can practise"

Hermione whipped her head round, her curls flying, and stared at her mother incredulously. "No. I can do it perfectly well mother, and you're getting me just mad enough to be able to show you. I'm going on this trip!"

By now, her trunk was empty, so she swung open the wardrobe to look for formal wear, before stopping short. "Where's my sage dress? The floor length satin one, with spaghetti straps?"

"Oh I threw it out. The colour made your skin very pale, and you were so attached to it. Unhealthily." Euphemia waved her hand, and Hermione felt her stomach started to ache like it usually did, like a balloon with too much air. She cupped her hands above and below a swirling ball of purple energy. Her hair started to fly and her brown eyes had a sharp glint of menacing purple in them. (A/N picture a purple Scarlet Witch moment, Violet Witch if you will) She watched the wispy ball in her hands for a moment, before directing it toward the wardrobe.

It was engrossed in purple, before the items that she was focusing on in her head came dancing out. They folded and tucked themselves neatly into her trunk, and Hermione sank into her chair, exhausted. Now that she could control how much of her core she retracted, Hermione didn't flat out faint, but she did feel a migraine coming on.

She looked over at her mother, who's eyes were widened in a sort of fear "M-m-m-mia, your eyes are... well they're still purple. Your father never mentioned them ever being p-p-purple"

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, shutting her eyes "New development. When you start to gain control more, you can form shapes with the pure power, your hair stops changing colour but it still flies, and your eyes go purple. But now that you've drained me of my energy, can you put the photos in the frames?"

"Of course, love" Euphemia patted Hermione's arm and went over to her bed to look through them before deciding which order to put them in.

After a few moments she asked "Is this Lily Evans? The one thats in love with James?"

Hermione started to cackle "Lily despises James! She thinks he's arrogant and pig headed."

"Oh. Well you two look like you're having fun. And is that the Avery's boy? My, I haven't seen him in years"

"Yeah that's A. One of my closest friends. He took the next one"

"The one of you and Regulus Black? Well that's a nice one..." Euphemia slyly smiled and put it in a nice frame in the centre of the room.

"Mother, when you're done, can I have a nap please? I don't want a headache when I travel tomorrow"

"Sure, love"