Sighing in frustration, Hermione sat on the edge of the hospital bed. Dumbledore had locked them in the Hospital Wing, again and Hermione just wanted to get out of there. They had just returned from saving Buckbeak (something Hermione enjoyed) and Sirius (something she did not). The wizard had flirted with her by saying: "You really are the smartest witch of your age." Accompanied by a smirk.

Hermione frowned as Minerva stormed into the Hospital Wing. She forced herself to look nervous instead of confrontational. She had used bombarda to get Sirius out of the prison.

"What were you thinking, Miss Granger?" McGonagall demanded.

"I'm sorry?" Hermione, while knowing what her Head of House was implying, played naïve.

"You took Mr. Potter back in time." Minerva was irate. "And changed history!"

Hermione flushed in anger (Minerva thought it was embarrassment). "Professor Dumbledore told us to!"

"He did not." Minerva's anger quickly shifted targets.

"He did." Hermione nodded. "I couldn't tell him no."

Minerva placed a hand on her protégé's shoulder.

It was all Hermione could do not to shrug it off.

"I'm not mad at you." Minerva assured her. "I can't believe Professor Dumbledore would put you in so much danger."

Yeah, like he never fucked you? Hermione thought, smiling tightly. Telling Minerva her lover was a power, hungry, manipulating bastard would be preaching to the choir. And how could Hermione tell her she knew, she knew, it had been a test.

As she was about to leave, Minerva turned around. "Why did you use bombarda?"

"Because alohamora didn't work." Hermione shrugged. She had wanted to use alohamora, but the door had been charmed against unlocking charms.

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Minerva continued out of the Hospital Wing.

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It wasn't until she stepped off the train onto Platform 9 ¾ that Hermione realized her parents would expect her exactly the way the last time they had seen her. Barely able to escape Molly Weasley, Hermione nearly dove through the barrier.

"Hermione, dear!" Jean exclaimed as she enveloped her daughter in a fierce hug.

"Mother, father." Hermione smiled slightly at her parents.

The Grangers frowned, since when did their daughter call them mother and father?

"Hermione?" John licked his lips. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, father." Hermione nodded. Without waiting for her parents to respond, she headed to their car.

The ride home was silent as the Grangers wondered what adventure their daughter had been on this year (hopefully nothing like being petrified by a giant snake), and Hermione fingered the letter she had received from Andy.

The older – Hermione started, Andromeda would look older than her now – witch had invited Hermione to her house for the summer.

Jean, seeing the letter her daughter was fiddling with, turned in her seat and asked. "What's that?" Her head pointing to her letter.

"I was invited over to Andy's house this summer." Hermione smiled wistfully, remembering the last time she had seen her 'daughter'.

John glanced into the back. "Are you going?"

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Yes I'm going." Do they not understand?

"Sweetie." Jean frowned. "Are you going to stay there for the whole summer?"

"Yes." Hermione sighed. "I have something I need to tell you."

The Granger shared a look, there was something… different about their daughter.

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As soon as they entered the house, Hermione cast warding spells around it. She didn't want anyone to over hear this conversation.

"I thought you couldn't do magic outside of school?" John asked.

"That's that I want to talk to you about." Hermione sat on the arm chair; looking very commanding and regal, nothing like the nerdy, bookworm her parents knew. "You'll want to sit down."

Sharing nervous looks, the Grangers sat on the sofa.

Keeping a hand on her wand, Hermione launched into her story- leaving out the blood sacrifices and Revals. Once she finished, she waited for her parents' reaction.

"You're saying, you're some evil witch?" Jean asked.

"From a certain point of view." Hermione shrugged. "But the creature laws and laws restricting the use of magic needed to be changed."

"So the end justifies the mean?" John asked.

Leaning back in the chair, Hermine chuckled. "No, it's about power."

"Power?" Jean was shocked, since when did her daughter care about power? "What do you know about power?"

Hermione tried not to laugh, she really did; but a giggled bubbled out of her lips before turning into a full-fledged laugh. "I'm sorry." Her eyes sparkled with mirth as she tried to get herself under some semblance of control. "What don't I know about power?"

The Grangers exchanged nervous glances.

"Look." Hermione leaned forward. "I'm going to Andy's house and you two are welcome to visit."

"Hermione, we only have you for the summer." Jean sounded hurt.

"Yes and you know what happened to me this year." Hermione stated like one would explain to a small child. Circe's tits! Tom was right, muggles were stupid.

John scowled, he didn't like the way his daughter was talking. "You don't look any older."

Eyes flashing in anger, Hermione summoned her magic to her. The black wisps curled around her body and pooled at her feet. The wisps curled around her arms and tangled in her hair. "Really?" Hermione's voice was cold. "I haven't changed?"

While John looked at his daughter in terror, Jean – shoving her fear down with the love she felt for her little girl – stood up and walked in front of her daughter.

"Mother." Hermione smiled, a wisps darting out to brush against Jean's hand.

Jean swallowed. "You're scaring me."

Pulling her magic back in, Hermione tried to look as non-threating as possible.

"What kind of magic is that?" John choked out.

"Nothing that's taught at Hogwarts." Hermione smirked. "I can assure you."

Nodding, Jean pressed a kissed to her daughter's forehead. "We would like to have dinner with you once a week."

"Thank you, mother." Hermione stood up and grabbed her suitcase.

"Hermione." John fidgeted. "Why do you call us mother and father?"

Hermione smiled softly. "Because I respect you."

"She really has changed, hasn't she?" John murmured as Hermione headed toward the door.

"She's still our daughter." Jean grabbed her car keys. "Are you coming?"

John shook himself. "Where?"

"To Andy's house, whoever he is." Jean sighed, before she headed toward the door. She hoped her husband would follow.

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A/N: Sorry about the delay; but between exams and moving back home it has been hectic. Also, due to me work schedule, I do not know how frequently I will be able to update over the summer. This is NOT abandoned. I will keep working on it.