Author's Notes: I know this is a couple days later than the other chapters, but I actually wanted to go through and edit it properly now that Irene is no longer hanging over my head. In the future expect a chapter about once a week. For those who were curious, Irene only flooded my town a little bit, and only the area much closer to the bay than I am. There was a branch the size of a car down a bit away from my house, but it wasn't so bad. The worst was the power lines that were down about twenty feet from my mail box. As it turns out, my aunt had it a little worse than we did, but everybody's alright, if a little waterlogged.

Chapter 4

Hermione let out a groan as she came to. Her hangover was worse than usual. Normally her hangovers were no worse than a mild headache. She tried to burrow back into her pillows, only to stop short. Her pillow was breathing. And surprisingly warm.

She reared back, letting out a shriek as she fell from the bed. She looked up just in time to see several knives fly through the air where her body had been.

"Ow," she moaned, clutching her head and hoping that the knives had been some sort of mirage. What had happened last night?

She thought back, trying to remember even as her eyes scanned for her wand. She remembered speaking with Gai and Wolf-no, his name was Kakashi, wasn't it?-about magic. It was all rather clear, unfortunately. She remembered Gai's suggestion far too well. She even remembered going to what had to have been Hokage Tower. At least, she supposed, that Utatane woman-Koharu, she thought-had made sure to serve the three of them water. Her hangover would have been worse otherwise.

She blushed as she remembered what had happened after they'd returned to Kakashi's apartment. At least he'd thought to ensure that she'd enjoyed herself, bringing her to completion with his skilled tongue and calloused fingers. Afterwards had been uncomfortable, and initially, at least, more than a little painful, but not all that bad overall. Although she did still feel more than a little sore.

And then she felt the blood drain from her face when she remembered that they'd not used protection. She had no access to the morning after pill and none of the plants she could think of that worked as birth control would be of use. Either she didn't have them in her potions kit and they didn't grow locally, or they were only useful if ingested over the course of a month or so beforehand, much like the pill.

"I'd thank you not to try to kill me," said Hermione.

Kakashi sat up, somehow keeping a hand over his face and his scarred left eye closed, though Hermione distinctly remembered seeing a strange red and black eye instead of an eye socket or a dark grey eye to match his right, the night before.

He looked down at her disinterestedly. "What are you still doing here?"

"In case you've forgotten, I'm now your wife," she growled, even as part of her began to panic.

The Wizarding didn't believe in divorce, although the annulment of a marriage was occasionally permitted, as she well knew. Unless they had done something wrong during the brief wedding ceremony, and she was rather sure they hadn't, they were stuck with each other until one or the other died.

He blinked. "We didn't."

"We did," she sighed. "I'm going to go get dressed and then I think we need to talk."

Kakashi nodded and got out of bed. He grabbed the knives out of the wall and a change of clothing, before glancing at Hermione, who'd thankfully taken the sheet with her when she'd fallen off the bed. He went out into the living room the change so that Hermione could get dressed in privacy.

She clumsily stood and found her bra, panties, dress and chemise, along with her bag. She quickly dressed and then finger combed and plaited her hair, as using a hair brush would have made her hair a terrible, bushy mess. Once dressed, Hermione began to search around for her athame and wand. Giving the athame to the groom was a symbolic gesture and the bride was expected to take it back once the marriage was both publicly acknowledged and consummated. Once found, both were slipped back into place upon her person. Then she hesitantly knocked on the door back into the living room.

"Are you dressed yet?"

"Yes."

She pushed the door open and bit her lip unsurely. "I think, I think I should go back to the hotel room. Mr. Lovegood should be there for this conversation. He and Luna are probably worried sick about where I am by now."

He nodded his agreement and opened the front door of the apartment, motioning for her to go first. Hermione followed Kakashi out of the apartment building, paling even further with each step. She winced at the sunlight and felt as though she might throw up.

How could she have done something so stupid? She might have blamed Kakashi, but she was the one to offer him her knife-and why did those old Wizarding rituals have to be so simple? Though most couples preferred modern religious or civil ceremonies these days, the old rites and rituals were still perfectly legal among the UK's Wizarding enclave, unfortunately. It was completely legal and even more binding.

Kakashi gave her an assessing look and angled them toward a restaurant that was thankfully not that crowded at this hour, as it was after breakfast, but before lunch. He ordered a traditional breakfast of tea, miso soup, rice, and some fish for them both.

"How could we have thought that was a good idea last night?" she asked silently. "No offense meant, but I barely know you. I have no idea what your values or beliefs are and you know just as little about me."

"I distinctly remember us hammering out a marriage contract with Koharu-sama's aid last night."

She blinked. "What? When?"

"After we signed the marriage certificate and submitted your will and I updated my own, but before I amended the clan registry and my ANBU file and registered you as a citizen of the village with permission to travel freely so that you could take care of clan business and your work as a bard would be unimpeded. You are rather organized, even when drunk." Even through his indolent attitude, Hermione could tell he actually seemed impressed by her organizational skills.

Hermione sat back, thinking things over. "I think I remember. Didn't we name your cousin and Luna as our desired guardians should both of us pass on before our future children were seventeen?"

"Aa. And we agreed that our daughters would be civilians and attend either Hogwarts or a comparable school and that our sons would be trained as shinobi, but were not permitted to graduate from the Ninja Academy before the age of twelve under any circumstances, no matter what I or the teachers or the Councils or the Hokage said."

"I remember that. Didn't Utatane-san suggest that clause?"

Kakashi nodded.

"I think I like her," announced Hermione. "Where's Maito-san? I want to ask him what he was thinking, suggesting what he did." Well, she wanted to yell at him, anyway.

"On a mission. He was scheduled to leave more than an hour before we awoke."

They sat in uncomfortable silence until the waitress brought them breakfast. Hermione dug in, deciding not to speak again until her headache was more manageable.

"We could get divorced."

Hermione shook her head. "You know as well as I do that divorce does not exists among our people's laws. This is for life."

She let out a sigh. "Look. I'll be gone ten months out of the year for the next two years, at least. And who knows what will happen during the war."

"When does the school year begin?"

"The first of September. And I need to mail Penny, uh, Penelope Clearwater. She needs to know what happened."

"Penny?"

"She's responsible for me until I turn seventeen in September." And an apprentice healer who would likely know more about Hermione's birth control options than anybody else. "I should owl the Deputy Headmistress; Professor McGonagal while I'm at it."

"You're sixteen?"

She shrugged. "Sixteen is legal for marriage among the Muggles in the UK. I have the feeling most women marry younger than that around here."

There was no marriageable age among the Wizarding, although according to custom most didn't marry until after Hogwarts. Nor was there an age of consent, either, but that was unimportant anyway. Among Muggle society, sixteen was both marriageable age-with permission from the courts or parental permission in the UK-and the age of consent as well. There were some exceptions, of course. Hermione had two classmates who'd been married by proxy when they were toddlers, though they were not supposed to consummate the marriage until they were seventeen, or possibly older.

"Civilians, yes. Most kunoichi marry in their late teens or early twenties."

"How old are you, anyway?"

"Twenty one."

Hermione looked down, picking at the last of her rice. She'd been hungrier than she'd thought. "So… I guess we should go see the Lovegoods now."

Kakashi nodded. He left money for the food on the table and escorted her out of the building. It didn't take them long to find their way to the hotel. She bit her lip nervously when she realized that there was a man from the military police in the room, speaking to Xenophilius. Luna gave her a wide eyed, stunned look. It was the first time she'd ever seen the eternally unflappable Luna shocked.

"Uh, hi," she said nervously.

"Hermione, where have you been?" demanded Xenophilius.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry for worrying you. I went out for a drink and well…"

"We got married," said Kakashi, as though it were perfectly normal to spontaneously marry somebody a person had known for only a couple hours. "Utatane Koharu-sama registered our marriage last night." He nodded at the police officer. "Shisui-kun."

"Kakashi-kun. Have to say I didn't expect something like this out of you," said the officer. They knew each other obviously, and were apparently acquaintances, if not friends. "Is there any reason for this marriage to be invalidated?"

"I sort of gave him my athame," she explained to Xenophilius, knowing that he would understand her meaning.

"You accepted, I assume. Did you know what you were agreeing to?" he asked Kakashi. When then man nodded, he turned to Shisui. "It's legal. Thank you for coming out Uchiha-san, but I'll deal with this myself."

There were nods and goodbyes and then the police officer left. Hermione played with the end of her loosely braided hair nervously as she waited for Xenophilius to speak. Eventually, he said, "Luna, take Hermione and help her clean up and change into fresh clothing. Hatake-san and I need to speak."

She grabbed a tunic with elbow length sleeves in deference to the heat and skirt along with fresh undergarments and allowed Luna to lead her into the shower room. Hermione helped gather a bucket of water and then stripped off her clothing. She soaped up a cloth and washed her body, careful to avoid her stitches.

The curse she'd been hit with was particularly nasty. According to the Healers at St. Mungo's, she wouldn't begin to heal physically for another week or two, and during that time, she had to keep her stitches dry and clean and ensure that she didn't bother her ribs too much. They had been sliced clean through by Dolohov's curse. As it was, she was on a potions regimen that kept her upright and mobile, although she still felt the occasional twinge of pain. At least they were simple potions Penny had been willing to make herself rather than spend a fortune buying from the hospital or a professional potions maker.

She wrapped a towel around her body and then began to wash her long hair. It was simple enough to simply lean back into a buck of water to wet it, and then again to rinse off the shampoo. Hermione towel dried her hair and then applied a leave in conditioner before beginning the lengthy process of combing out her curls. Hermione put on her underclothes and then put on the thin cotton tunic and a broomstick skirt.

"I like him," announced Luna, after nearly half an hour of silence. "I think he'll be good for you. And you'll be good for him."

"He and his cousin are Wizarding," she commented. "Descended from one of the Blacks who got thrown out for marrying a Muggle-Born."

"If you'd said something, I would have gone out with you."

"I should have," she agreed. "But I needed some time alone."

"Mm," she agreed.

The duo went back out into the main room. Xenophilius and Kakashi were kneeling across from each other at the low table. He nodded and then looked to Hermione.

"Kakashi-san has explained the situation to me." He was more familiar with Kakashi and she wondered if that was a good or a bad thing.

"And?"

"We believe you should remain in Konoha for the remainder of your summer vacation with your husband, although if you would feel more comfortable staying in the castle with Luna, we understand."

"I, um. Alright," she said.

And suddenly she felt abandoned all over again. She knew that Xenophilius had responsibilities, but how could he just leave her here with this stranger, with a man neither of them knew from Adam, as though it was proper thing to do? Luna at least was trying to be helpful, even if she did go about giving that help oddly.

"I'll arrange for Luna to return to Konoha for the last week before we return."

"Okay."

"If you write a letter to Professor McGonagall, I'll send it out for you."

Hermione nodded, still feeling a little stunned.

"Why don't you and Luna pack up and seal your things so you can bring them over to Kakashi-san's apartment."

"I-alright."

Kakashi gave her a key. "I have afternoon shift. I don't see why you can't spend the day with your friend."

Hermione nodded once again. "Right."

Still in shock, Hermione allowed Luna to lead to the back of the room. The duo quickly tossed her clothing, books, and knickknacks into the trunk before sealing it into a scroll. Then they sealed the instruments individually into a scroll. Finally Luna pressed a bundle of papers into Hermione's hands.

"A gift, for your wedding," she explained quietly.

"Thank you," she said.

She unrolled the bundle and looked over the images appreciatively for a moment before sealing them away as well. Hermione slipped the books into her bag along with her knitting and then put the bag back on.

"I have everything," Hermione said quietly.

"Luna, why don't you go with Hermione and help her unpack," suggested Xenophilius.

"Yes Daddy," she agreed.

In the hall Kakashi took her left arm and examined the inside of her elbow, pushing up her sleeve. "I was under the impression that tattoos were uncommon for women."

She shrugged. "I got it October of last year," she explained as Kakashi looked at the gray-blue figures of an otter, a stag, and a terrier. "It's Harry, Ron, and I's patroni."

"It's in the same spot as the Death Eater's Dark Mark," commented Luna.

"That was the point," said Hermione. The trio had each gotten one as a figurative 'fuck you' to their enemies. Not that they went out of their way to announce that. Only their various roommates knew about the tattoo the three of them now sported.

"It's good work," said Kakashi.

She blushed, looking down. The trio headed out not long after. They went back up to his apartment which was really rather small. The living room was large enough to entertain small groups, but the kitchen was far too small with almost no counter space and there was only the one bedroom. At least the apartment had its own toilet and separate room for bathing, as was apparently common in this country. Luna stood in the center of the room, hands on her hips as she looked about.

"Have you considered setting up some expansion wards?" asked Luna. "It wouldn't take much to double or triple your space and they would be easy enough to work into your existing ward scheme."

"Maybe even set up a couple false windows keyed to the view outside and it would be easy to add on to the kitchen," suggested Hermione, getting into it. "Unless your landlord would have a problem with that."

"I'll find someplace else to live before you come back to the village," he said.

Hermione unsealed her trunk and Luna helped her unpack while Kakashi leaned against a wall, reading. The duo placed her instruments to the side in the living room so they'd be out of the way.

Hermione bit her lip. "Um, do I have enough time to learn that thing we talked about last night before you have to go to work, or should I wait for another day?"

"I have enough time. Lovegood-san can come along. She may need to know this."

"You can call me Luna. You're my friend's husband."

He gave a short nod and led them downstairs. They went to a stone canyon outside the village but within the walls that was labeled 'Training Ground 32.'

Hermione and Luna sat down on a boulder and watched patiently while Kakashi explained, and then demonstrated using a couple hand seals. According to him it was so difficult a spell that she and Luna should only use a wand to create it unless they were incredibly skilled with wandless magic, otherwise they risked loosing control and burning down the countryside. And then he had Hermione try the spell. It was one of the hardest things she'd ever done and several times she felt as though the creatures of fire it created were getting away from her. Even more difficult was ending the spell. Hermione all but collapsed onto the ground, gratefully accepting the water Kakashi offered her while Luna attempted to create Fiendfyre herself. The duo did the spell twice more each before it exhausted them completely.

Kakashi escorted Hermione and Luna back into the village before he left to go to work. The duo headed over to Ichiraku's and ate half a dozen bowls or ramen each before debating what to do.

They ended up at a tea shop on the opposite side of the village from the Akimichi's eventually. She took out a couple pieces of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink.

"I suppose I've delayed writing to Professor McGonagall long enough."

"What about your parents?"

Hermione shook her head. "It's… it's complicated. And I am nowhere near drunk enough to explain it to you. And honestly, I don't think I'll be drinking anytime soon."

Luna acknowledged her words by focusing on her tea, so as to give her the perception of privacy while she wrote her letter. Eventually she set it aside to dry and took a sip of her own tea. The second letter was both easier and harder. Her and Penny's relationship was complicated, as she'd said before. She pulled out the folding knife and wrapped it in a spare handkerchief before tying the bundle with a piece of spare thread. She paused for a moment and wrote out a quick third letter and attached it to the knife with the thread.

"Could you have your father send this letter to Professor McGonagall, this to apprentice-healer Penelope Clearwater, and the package to Harry? Hedwig hasn't been back yet and I want him to get this before we return."

Luna slipped both into her own bag. "I'm sure he'll appreciate your thoughtfulness."

"So, this has to be in the top five of the list of incredibly stupid things I've done over the years. And I've done a lot of stupid things over the years. I still can't believe I agreed to… Even if I was drunk, I shouldn't have…"

Luna tilted her head. "Perhaps this should not be seen as a tragedy, but rather as an opportunity. Why did you marry him in the first place?"

"I was throwing myself a bit of a pity party and I said… I said that I'd regret not marrying or having children before I died. And then there was something about most shinobi dying young and delusional civilian women and the next thing I know Maito-san's suggesting that Ha-well, Kakashi-kun and I marry."

"As soon as he fathers a child on you, you'll have completed your goals."

"I-you have a point. But I'm…"

She was young by both Wizarding and Muggle standards. Too young to have a child. But there was the possibility that the events of the night before had had consequences. If she wanted children, she would have to have them young or she'd probably miss out on the opportunity entirely. She was thinking about it too much, Hermione decided. She was getting ahead of herself. If she was pregnant, she'd worry about it then. Hermione knew that whatever happened, she wouldn't be able to go through with an abortion.

In mid afternoon the duo headed out to browse the market. They ended up at a store that sold cloth, looking at the various options. Hermione had enough dresses, but she had seen the state of Kakashi's shurinkan patterned patchwork quilt and it was more than a little threadbare. Hermione would have left it alone, but there were no other quilts in the apartment. It was Luna who'd suggested making a quilt as a project for the summer, as even though the sewing spells would make that part of the process easy and relatively quick, she still needed to do all of the piecework, which might take a while to figure out.

They chose batting, two large pieces of cotton for the bottom layer and the top layer and then began to pick out colors for the pieces of the top and finally thread. Hermione had decided to make a quilt with a forest in late spring with animals hidden within and a couple birds flying above in front of a set of snow topped mountains with a mountain stream going down one side and then through the woods along with a flower filled meadow in front. It would hopefully be masculine enough not to bother Kakashi. She'd briefly considered a traditional wedding quilt with tulips or rings, but had dismissed the idea relatively quickly. She wasn't sure that Kakashi would understand the significance of the imagery and she likewise had no desire to do something to celebrate the wedding.

Luna and Hermione carried everything back and spent the rest of the afternoon deciding on a design for the quilt, mostly based upon Luna's drawings. She was a far better artist than Hermione anyway. They had supper together and went to a nearby park.

Eventually the duo said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. The Lovegoods were set to head out with the Daimyo's party very early in the morning and Hermione wasn't sure that she'd be up in time to see her friend off.

She bit her lip, contemplating what to do now. She put her sewing materials away and grabbed her book. For lack of a better idea, she lay on the couch and settled in to read. She found herself yawning only two or three hours after dark and got ready for bed.

Kakashi still wasn't back by the time that Hermione went to bed, but she faintly remembered a figure coming in through the window sometime in the middle of the night. She reached out with her magic and then turned over to go back to sleep when she realized it was Kakashi. When she was on the edge of sleep, she felt something warm move her closer to the wall so that it could slip under the covers and lay down. Still more asleep than awake, she snuggled into this new warmth and drifted off to sleep.

Hermione groaned, attempting to bury her head under a blanket when she heard something pounding. "Too early," she muttered. "Go 'way."

Beside her the bed dipped and then sprung back into place as the warmth went away. There was the sound of a door opening, and then she heard a voice say, "I heard the craziest rumor last night-"

Hermione yawned and sat up, realizing she wouldn't get anymore sleep. She blinked, trying to figure out why nobody was speaking. Hermione yawned again, and then turned to look in the general direction of the door. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was a direct view from the bed, through the bedroom door to the front door. Had Kakashi the arranged the furniture specifically to get that effect? Kakashi stood at the front door, blocking most of the view, but Hermione managed to see a figure on the other side of the door.

"Morning, Sarutobi-san," she said, waving at Asuma lazily.

"It better not be a rumor," said Asuma, almost growling at Kakashi.

"I see you know my wife," said Kakashi.

"Give me a minute," she ordered before slipping out of bed and closing the door to the bedroom so that she'd have some privacy.

It took her only a moment to throw in a simple muslin gown with pink accents and embroidery on over a chemise and then do her morning ablutions. She grabbed her knitting and opened the door. Bag over one arm and she twisted her hair and then twirled it into a bun on the back of her head, pinning it as she stepped out into the living room.

"It's good to see you," said Hermione. "But I thought the Daimyo and his entourage was heading out at dawn and it's at least an hour past."

Asuma shook his head. "Shijimi-sama lost her cat. Again."

"Oh God. I don't know where Crooksie is," she said. "And I left his things with my cousins. I need to-"

"Could you?" Kakashi said to Asuma.

The man nodded and disappeared in a blur of movement. Kakashi went back into the bedroom and after a moment, Hermione decided to follow him in. She sat down in a chair by the desk, worrying about what had happened to her poor familiar as Kakashi went to the toilet and then got dressed. He returned in what she was quickly beginning to believe was the local shinobi uniform. He was strapping on various weapons and then wrapping bandages around the hems of his pant legs when Hermione heard scratching.

She looked up to see Crookshanks just outside the window. In an instant she was at the window, only to have Kakashi gently pull her back.

"I need to key you into the wards before you can open the windows," he said, opening the window.

How were the windows warded for Kakashi to have such a reaction? It was probably a nasty set of wards keyed to only allow access to a specific set of magical signatures from the sound of it, though Hermione couldn't be completely sure without seeing the arrays.

Crookshanks slipped through the window, Kakashi closing it behind him. She gathered the cat into her arms and cuddled him to her chest.

"I'm so sorry I forgot about you," she said, petting the cat affectionately. "I'll never ever forget you again Crooksipoo."

A couple minutes later there was a knocking at the door. Hermione opened it, expecting Asuma, only to take a half step back when she saw it was Genma.

"Yo," said Kakashi.

Genma gave Kakashi a disbelieving look. "I heard that you got married, but I didn't believe it."

Kakashi shrugged and Hermione let out a sigh. "Yes, we got married."

"Oh," said Genma. He gave Hermione an evaluating look and then said, "My team is waiting for me."

"Please tell Inuzuka-san I said congratulations for making Chunin," said Hermione. "And that I was really impressed by her and her dogs at the tournament."

He nodded and walked back down the hallway. Hermione was about to close it when their third visitor for the morning appeared.

An unfamiliar purple haired woman in a trench coat and mesh held out an arm to stop the door from closing and announced, "I heard some bimbo tricked you into marriage by using some barbaric knife ceremony."

"I didn't think it was a barbaric ceremony," Kakashi said dramatically. "It's a sacred ritual from my ancestor's people which dates back more than a thousand years."

"You make it sound like I stabbed him," grumbled Hermione, wondering if this was going to be happening all day. "The knife was sheathed when I handed it to him."

"Your ancestor's people," said the woman.

"My ancestors come from the same set of islands as Hermione-chan."

"Well, in all fairness, I'm from Scotland and your great great great grandparents were from England, but I won't hold that against you," she joked.

"And that means?"

"She's from the northern part of the island and my family's from the southern part which walled themselves off from the northern tribes about fifteen hundred years ago just so that they could get some peace and quiet."

"Hey, it was the Romans who built Hadrian's Wall, not the Britons. And they only did that because they couldn't conquer the entire island and they were afraid of us Scots."

"Of course."

"So you knew what the knife thing was about?" said the woman, staring at the duo as if they had four heads between them.

Kakashi gave a short nod. "Hermione-chan, this is Mitarashi Anko. Anko-chan, this is my wife, Hermione-chan." There was an almost mocking edge to his honorific usage and Hermione realized that he was teasing the kunoichi. She was probably one of his friends.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Hermione.

"Anko-chan," said Asuma, as he reappeared in the doorway. "I couldn't find your cat, but I retrieved what you left behind with the Lovegoods."

"Thank you, Sarutobi-san," said Hermione, taking the bundle from his arms. "Crooksie showed up at the window a couple minutes after you left. Does everybody have time to go out for breakfast?" The fridge and the cupboards were almost completely empty, something she'd have to rectify before long. "If we're going to talk about this, I'd rather eat while we do so."

There were general rumbles of agreement and the group headed out of the apartment, Hermione locking it behind them, leaving Crookshanks within. They ended up at a restaurant Hermione hadn't even noticed, the main entrance hidden down an alley. The group was seated quickly and suddenly Hermione found herself unsure of what to say. She managed to buy some time by looking at the menu and then ordering.

"Sarutobi-san, could you keep an eye on Lu for me?" she found herself asking. "She tends to be so oblivious at times and her father's going to be off somewhere, probably across the country and Chiriku-kun will be working and-"

"I understand," said Asuma. "I'll look after your cousin."

"Thank you."

"You're related to one of the Ninja Guardian Twelve?" said Anko, relaxing a bit.

Hermione nodded. "Chiriku-kun and I members of the same clan. Completely different branches, but the same clan."

"So how did you two meet?" asked Asuma.

"We saw each other around the village a couple times," she explained once she realized Kakashi had no intention of speaking, understanding from what little Kakashi had said that she wasn't to mention him being in ANBU. She shrugged. "Honestly, I didn't even know him until two nights ago. He, Maito-san, and I got completely drunk together. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"So what does your family think of this?"

Hermione shrugged. "I think Lovegood-san is more angry that I did something so irresponsible than anything else. But Lu said she was happy for us."

"And your parents?" clarified Asuma.

Hermione looked down, concentrating on her food. She shook her head. "I suppose they'd think it one more bad decision in a long line of terrible choices if I told them."

"You're not going to tell your parents," said Asuma, giving her an odd look.

"I don't see why I should. It's not like they'll care one way or the other about what I do with my life or who I marry," she stated. Even two years later, that knowledge hurt. But she wouldn't give in. She wouldn't cry for people who didn't deserve it.

Anko was giving her a speculative look, and Hermione wondered if the woman had picked up on what the men obviously had not. Well, Asuma, anyway. Next to her, Kakashi had sagged in a way that suggested he'd moved into an even more slothful position. She was beginning to think that the more bored Kakashi acted, the more interested he was in what was going on around him.

"Hermione-san," Asuma started to say.

"They disowned me," she stated baldly, before he had a chance to finish.

Kakashi actually lowered his book so that he could look at her.

"What? It happens a lot," she said. "Particularly to those in my position."

Kakashi nudged her leg with his own in acknowledgement and went back to reading. He'd understood her message, even if the others hadn't.

"What did you do that they would-"

She gave Asuma a quelling look. "I inherited the clan kekkei genkai from one of my mother's ancestors. My parents hate the rest of the clan." Her parents were active members of the Church of England and so far as they were concerned, magic was unnatural and unholy. They'd never abused her, but they had made their opinions very clear over the years. Her maternal grandmother had been the only member of the family in the know who hadn't been uncomfortable with her magic. "They didn't deal well when the clan came for me when I was eleven so that I could learn to control my abilities before I accidentally hurt myself or others. Again. A week after my grandmother died, they cast me out from the family entirely. My cousin Penny took me in when she found out what had happened. She has the kekkei genkai as well, though her parents didn't throw her out for it."

Mrs. Clearwater was her mother's second cousin, not that Penny or Hermione had known that until a family reunion before Hermione's second year. It had been quite the surprise to run into a fellowHogwarts student. However, knowing about their relation to each other had saved their lives during the Chamber of Secrets fiasco. If not for the knowledge that Hermione was her baby cousin, Penny admitted that she'd not have heard Hermione's supposition about what the beast really was out. And then they'd have been killed rather than just petrified. The Clearwaters unfortunately, were just as ill at ease with magic as the Grangers, although they'd not disowned Penny outright. They'd just made it clear it would be for the best for all involved if she didn't visit.

"Religious reasons?" asked Kakashi. At Hermione's nod, he explained, "The local religion views kekkei genkai as against the natural order of the world and believe that any who possess one made a deal with a demon for extraordinary abilities."

"Perhaps we could talk about something else…" she suggested. Kakashi's explanation was technically a little harsh, but still true to the historic attitudes of the Church and Hermione really didn't want to dwell on that for too long.

Ending Notes: Maybe no quite as funny as some people were imagining, but I'm happy with this chapter. I edited it what had to be ten times, but it's finally up to my standards. I know that Hermione and Kakashi still haven't spoken. That's intentional. More than that, I won't say at this point. Just as intentional is how Hermione is almost always in motion.