Author Note: Chapter 2 of The Good Life. I had a few ideas during thinking time.
(BEGIN)
"Sirius dad did you see that girl?" Harry asked as they stood watching the boxes and furniture be carried by the moving men at Remus' direction.
"Yes. I did wave to her." Sirius said.
"I know. I saw. Do you think she's nice?"
"Well once we get all of our things put away maybe we can go find out." Sirius said casually. Remus glanced over at the two of them but shook his head.
"Really?" harry asked excitedly.
"Once everything is put away and neatly organized." Sirius said seriously. Looking at Harry until he glumly nodded.
Remus came over, "Actually Harry we met her mother when we came to look at the house with the land agent last week."
Harry looked interested in the comment, "Yes?"
Remus smiled in amusement, "Her name is Hermione. She is a year older than you are and you'll be going to the same public school this fall."
Harry's eyes got wide as he grinned, "Good. She looks nice. I hope we can be friends. Do you think she'll like Luna and Neville?"
Sirius and Remus glanced at each other before Sirius said, "Probably. Your birthday is in a few weeks so we can find out then. We'll just have to remember that she may not like strange things going on."
Harry nodded, "I know." he glumly said.
Sirius tousled his hair causing Harry to grumble but otherwise look thoughtfully at the back garden. "Can I go into the back garden?"
"Just don't go wandering off or anything." Remus said as Sirius nodded. They had already put alerting wards and a few other minor passive protection wards. Nothing that would make the house stand out too much among magicals.
"I won't uncle." Harry said dodging the moving people as he ran through the house and out of the back door.
Harry entered a neat and tidy garden with a small shed in the corner and an apple tree in the middle of it. He started looking around for any Nargles as Luna had warned him about them and how they liked to take things.
He stopped as he felt like he was being watched and looked up at the window of the house next door. The girl was back looking down at him with a curious expression, like Luna got when she found a particularly interesting flower. He looked away and went back to exploring the grass and flower beds but glanced over several more times. She had apparently realized she was staring and had moved away from the window. Harry wondered what she was like and if she liked books.
Having explored the back garden he laid down in the grass under the apple tree and stared at the way the leaves made the sunlight sparkle as it came down from above.
He heard someone walking nearby and sat up quickly. The brown haired girl was standing only a few feet away staring at him. She had some leaves in her hair and dirt on the knees of her trousers.
"Hi. I'm Harry." He said with a smile.
"Hi. I'm Hermione. That's from a play." She replied in a slightly lisping voice due to missing a front tooth.
"Oh. That's nice." He didn't know what else to say and glanced over at the house when the back door opened.
"Harry?" Remus called out as Sirius came out quickly behind him.
"I'm sorry. I was curious and wanted to say hello." Hermione said turning towards the two approaching men with her back straight and shoulders squared.
Sirius and Remus both looked more relieved and amused than upset so Harry relaxed. They had tried living in another house but something had happened and they moved away from it. Harry did not want to move again.
"Oh. Well that's nice but most people come through the front gate." Remus pointed out with a light admonishing tone.
She looked bashfully at the ground but said with a bit of defiance, "I know. I'm sorry. I saw Harry in the yard and wanted to talk to him."
Remus and Sirius shared a glance before Sirius asked, "And how did you get into here without coming through the front?"
She hesitated for a moment but pointed at the hedge between the two houses, "There's a hole under the hedge in the back corner. I'm small enough I can squeeze through." She said proudly.
Sirius nodded. Remus sighed, "I must have missed that when I looked the hedge over."
"Its pretty well hidden." Hermione explained.
"You have some leaves in your hair from it." Sirius said brushing them out, as he did he plucked a few hairs.
"Ow!" Hermione cried out with a scowl.
"Oh I'm sorry. I must have got some of your hairs caught."
"She rubbed her head going, "Okay. Am I going to be in trouble?" She asked biting her lip.
Remus and Sirius stepped aside for a moment to talk softly. "She alerted on the wards like a magical."
"Yes she did. Plus I don't think I missed a hole big enough for a rat to get through." Remus said pointedly.
"Accidental magic?" Sirius asked causing Remus to nod.
Turning back to the nervous Hermione and Harry Sirius smiled at her, "Well, your mother said your name is Hermione right?"
"Yes sir. Its from a play. She was a queen."
Remus nodded, "Ah A winter's Tale. Not one of his more famous ones but quite nice otherwise."
"My dad likes to read a lot. Do you like to read?" She asked the group in general.
Sirius laughed, "Quite a bit. Harry why don't you tell her about your books while we go see where we are going to stack them."
Harry grinned nodding enthusiastically. "Okay Sirius Dad."
"Why do you call him Serious dad?" Hermione asked as the two adults walked back intot he house.
"Oh because he's the serious one and my uncle is the funny one. At least that's what they say." Sirius heard harry say causing him to chuckle under his breath.
Remus and Sirius had walked into the house to find their two new neighbors standing in the front hall looking slightly worried. "Hello you're Emma right?" Sirius asked.
"Yes you were Steven?" She replied using the cover name he had given her.
"I am. Let me guess you're missing a brown haired girl about so tall." He said holding his hand about Hermione's head height.
Dan sighed, "Sorry. She's like a bull terrier when she get curious about something. She will not let go until she has worked things out completely."
"Well she and Harry were sitting in the backyard talking about books." Remus said with a laugh.
"Oh dear. We might as well see about renting the chapel now." Emma said rolling her eyes with a laugh.
Sirius and Remus both grinned, "We might want to at least wait until they graduate primary first." Remus chuckled.
"True if she gives him that long." Dan laughed holding his hand out, "I'm Daniel, also known as dad."
"Ah. I'm Steven also known sometimes as dad. This is my brother Randolph. Although we call him Remmie due to an old school event." Sirius said politely.
Dan looked from one man to the other then his eyebrow raised as he seemed to realize, or at least think he realized, something. "Right. Okay. Sure."
Remus frowned as he had argued with Sirius that their cover could cause some rather awkward implications, which only made Sirius that much more committed to it. Sirius looked at Dan with a curious smile.
"Oh. uh. Not that there's a problem. I don't have a problem. Right, no problems. So uh. I hope Hermione is not a problem." Dan said after all three of the people not moving furniture stared at him with varying degrees of amusement at his rambling awkwardness.
Sirius shook his head, "She seems like quite the special little girl."
"She is. She is rather precocious. She learned to speak by a year old, was reading only a year later and I swear she can read a book once and repeat it back a week later." Emma declared proudly.
"Ah. That must exciting, she probably keeps you on your toes then." Remus stated.
"She can. But then you have a son so you must know what I mean."
Remus and Sirius nodded, "Oh yes. Harry is. Between slaying dragons and rescuing princesses with his friends, he wants to play every sport, sometimes at the same time." Sirius said with a laugh.
"Ah yes. My mother was a saint to have put up with myself and my brother." Dan laughed.
"Well since you are here I think I can find the kettle if you'd like something to drink while we watch the budding Romeo and Juliet there."
"I'd really hope they have a much happier ending." Dan said walking with the two magicals with his wife.
"There is that." Remus agreed.
Hermione had been talking to harry about the books in her library, and the one in the school and the local community. Harry would sometimes ask if she had read a particular book or not, or if the school as interesting. Mostly he sat and let her talk. He had not spent a lot of time around other girls his age. His friend Luna was the main one, although he had briefly met Ginny Weasley.
Ginny and her family had been in Diagon Alley once when he and his uncle Sirius had been shopping for things and her mother had introduced her daughter to him. Harry could barely remember anything about the girl other than she was shy, had hidden behind her mother and had the same bright red hair as the rest of her family. He had been polite as Uncle Remus had taught him but dismissed her as uninteresting.
Luna was the only other girl he had spent a lot of time around outside of his early school. She was mostly quiet unless she had something to say or ask. She also looked at people intensely. Sometimes making adults uncomfortable as she would go long minutes without blinking.
Hermione would talk and describe books and people almost without breathing Harry found amusing She had stopped talking and was looking at him with a frown.
"Is something funny?"
"No. How do you talk without breathing?" He asked. Another aspect of being around Luna and her mother was he had an even higher tendency to ask questions without filtering them. Something that made Sirius nervous as harry had been taught that they had secrets they needed to keep.
Hermione blinked several times before saying, "I don't know. I've always been able to do that. Dad says its my special power. Making him tired." She giggled.
Harry smiled sadly. Thinking about how happy she sounded talking about her parents.
"So where is your mum?" Hermione asked curiously.
"She died." Harry said flatly. Sirius and Uncle Remus had told him about his parents for as long as he could remember. They had made sure he understood the need to keep the truth away from people who might want to hurt him. Looking at the brown eyes of the girl in front of him he didn't think she would hurt him.
"Oh. I'm sorry." Hermione said and stopped talking like she did not know what to say.
"Its okay." He solemnly said.
She sat quietly for several minutes until harry asked her about her friends.
"I don't have any friends." She admitted. "That was why I wanted to meet you."
"Do you want to be friends?" Harry asked. He liked having friends and making a new one would be nice. Even if he couldn't tell her about the special world he lived in.
She smiled like he had given her an entire library of unread books, "I would like to be your friend."
Harry held his hand out like he had seen the adults do when they finished a deal and said, "Okay friends."
She shook it saying friends back.
The two of them having decided they would be friends Harry started telling her about his other friends and how he hoped she would like them when they came to his birthday party next month.
…...
When Sirius went to tuck Harry in after a long afternoon of busily putting furniture together and unpacking the muggle way as the Grangers had decided to stay and help. Not that Sirius or Remus minded as it seemed like Harry and Hermione had not run out of anything to talk about and sat under the apple tree out of the way until dinner.
Dan had run down to a nearby Thai place for some curry which discovered he liked. After dinner Hermione had said good night taking her mother's hand as they left.
"So you like your new friend?" Sirius asked as harry pulled his blanket up to his chin.
"She's really neat." He said. "Did you know she has her own library card at the library?"
"Really. Wow what an emancipated lady." Sirius chuckled.
"She said I could go with her and her dad when they go again. Can I Sirius?"
"Remus and I will have to make a few security checks and talk to Albus. But I won't say yes and I won't say no right now. Okay?"
Harry huffed but nodded, "Okay. I can't wait til I get older and we can make the bad people go away."
Sirius patted Harry on the shoulder nodding sadly, "I know. Me too sport. Now get to sleep and have happy dreams."
"Okay Sirius dad." Harry smiled. He had begun calling him that as the man had not felt comfortable with just dad. Saying that was a word that should be reserved for James alone.
Sirius paused as he turned the light out. Harry curling up with a wide happy smile. He shivered as he wondered what would havae happened if things had gone differntly.
…...
By the time Sirius got into the main living room Remus had a small fire in the fireplace.
"So have you told Albus?"
"Yes he's bringing Minerva. I think she's a magical. Probably a muggle-born."
"Yeah her parents don't seem to be magicals in hiding."Sirius said pulling a special book out of the globe in the corner.
The floo crackled as Albus' face materialized in the coals, "Remus?"
"Yes Albus we're here. You can come through."
Albus followed by Minerva stepped out of the hearth. "Ah. This is a nice home."
"Yeah. So anything on the Grangers?"
"She is in the book for Harry's class." Minerva said with a nodding smile.
"So that means she is a magical. That explains how she got through the hedge. Remus and I had charmed the thing to go after anyone trying to wriggle through and hold them."
"And as she only had positive intentions towards harry the other wards only alerted us of an intruder not a threat alarm." Remus said with a shake of his head at the way she had managed it.
"Does she or her parents seem to be aware of her powers?" Albus asked.
Sirius and Remus shook their heads, "No. I mean we didn't come right out and ask if they were magicals hiding from the big V or if they knew their daughter could do magic, but we did use some of the common code phrases." Sirius explained.
Minerva nodded, "She is probably a muggle-born then. What do you know about her family."
Sirius shrugged, "They're dentists, they have a practice in the city here. His dad worked at a department store in London until he retired. His older brother got killed in a bar fight in Soho. He thinks Remus and I are gay lovers. His wife is a nice woman."
Minerva pursed her lips as Remus sighed. "I told you your cover story would have serious implications Sirius."
"I know Minerva, but it does keep most people from digging too deeply into our personal life." Sirius chuckled.
Minerva rolled her eyes as Albus asked, "So what do you plan to do about the girl?"
"Well her and harry seem to like each other a lot. So I was going to add her to the wards so we don't have a bloody headache every time she sneaks over to talk to him. She invited him to go to the neighborhood park so I was thinking maybe Harry could have a pet cat for a bit? At least until we can set up more observation crystals. We won't be able to ward the neighborhood or park too heavily but we can enhance the observation over him." Remus suggested.
Albus thought for a moment then nodded, "Just make sure that they remain subtle enough that the Ministry doesn't get wind of things."
"Not a problem. Minerva feel like spending a few days playing kitty cat? I can get some good Moroccan catnip." Sirius grinned wiggling his eyebrows.
Minerva exhaled through her nose sternly with her eyes narrowing at Sirius causing Remus to snicker briefly as Sirius looked like he was going to have detention.
"Sorry." Sirius said with an easygoing apologetic grin.
Minerva sighed but nodding said, "I can observe the two of them. Although do you not think the two of them are too young to wander around unescorted?"
"Well Remus agreed to be the housewife so I'll go out and work on the problems going on. He can escort them. I was just wanting, until we can get the network setup a bit, a spot of help."
"Alice has not managed to complete her shifting yet?" Albus asked.
Sirius shook his head, "No. She can still only do a partial. Frank is right behind her though so it shouldn't be but a few more days. Pandora managed to do her full shifting, but a white tiger in the middle of Crowley city park might cause more problems than it would solve." Sirius said innocently.
Albus chuckled, "True. The one short coming with the current animagus process."
Sirius sighed, "Well Remmie and I are working on it."
"I shall arrive after breakfast. Make certain you have fresh fish and not that horrible tinned stuff you got last time." Minerva said before she departed through the floo.
Albus chuckled, "I shall look into the Granger family history some more. If they pass inspection we may pull the curtains back sooner rather than later."
Remus agreed, "Probably a good idea if she is going to be around Harry for an extended period. For her safety as well as ours."
Albus nodded, "Agreed. Although you could move again."
"No. We got found because we stayed too close to the magical world. We're the only magicals other than this girl in a moderately large city. As long as we don't go around broadcasting that we have magic we should be fine." Sirius said.
Albus frowned slightly, "I'm still not entirely comfortable with your family not being able to find you."
"Albus relax. I changed the way I look, the kind of car I drive. I'm just a nice middle aged muggle widower trying to raise his son with the help of his brother. Cousin Cissy will never believe that I would act like this. Because she can't change her attitudes."
Albus took a deep breath, "We must trust that the pure-bloods are too unwilling to leave their comfortable cocoon and branch out into he muggle world then."
Remus shrugged, "They haven't so far. I doubt they will anytime soon. Even Arthur is not entirely comfortable in the muggle world."
"I know. He has developed a strange obsession with transistor radios of late." Albus said with a chuckle. "According to Molly he has at least a dozen of the things in various stages of disassembly in his shed."
Sirius laughed, "Oh good grief. Wonder what he's going to go after next."
"Well let's hope its nothing that goes boom." Albus said heading for the floo. "Goodnight gentlemen."
…...
The next morning Minerva came over for breakfast with the Potters. She had just finished when there was a knock at the door causing her to shift into her feline form.
"Ahh Good morning Emma, Hermione."
"Good morning Sirius. Are you sure this won't be a problem? We usually take Hermione with us to the office during the summer but she wants to show Harry the park and the neighborhood."
Remus chuckled, "There will be no problem. Harry and I are looking forward to spending the day with the young lady."
"Alright then. On your heads be it. Miss Hermione you are to be on you best behavior." Emma admonished the young girl.
"Yes mum I'll behave." She earnestly promised then gave her mother a hug.
"Well I am off to the office myself so behave yourself Harry." He said giving him a one armed hug.
"Yes sir." Harry replied honestly happy.
Once Sirius and Emma had left, Emma joining her husband and Sirius off in his BMW Hermione noticed the cat sitting calmly on the chair watching them.
"You have a cat?"
"Yeah we're watching her for a friend for a few days." Harry said. "Her name is Minerva."
"Oh how nice." Hermione gushed going over to gently pet the cat. Minerva purring loudly.
…...
Albus spent the day meeting with his associates in the muggle government making subtle and quiet investigations into the Granger family. Once he was done on the muggle side he went to the Hall of Heralds in the Ministry to see if there was any squib lines or other families that could claim relationship with them.
Sirius entered the bank he had established a secret identity within and apparated to a safe house in Wales where he changed into the old Sirius. Making a few appearances in Dublin and other places to keep the Death Eaters off of the scent as much as he could. He had followed a few leads on some of the Death Eaters that had escaped prosecution and gone into hiding.
Snape was one that Sirius had wanted to deal with but Dumbledore promised he would take care of him personally. Since it had been several years since Sirius had seen, or even heard of Snape in the last few years he would have to say Dumbledore had dealt with the man quite effectively.
Minerva was carried by Hermione as they walked around the park. She listened as Hermione told Harry about the festivals that were held and how she liked to come and read on nice days. Minerva did not like to make snap judgments but she had begun to like the girl, not just because she seemed to like cats.
Remus was walking just behind them but had excused himself to visit the loo and told them to remain close at hand.
"So Granger what's that you have there?" a taller brunette girl demanded snidely as she walked up. She appeared to be at least a year or two older than Hermione.
Hermione frowned at the girl as she said, "Its a cat. I thought you would know that."
"That's not a cat." The girl sneered pointing at Harry.
"No I'm a boy." Harry frowned at her. He didn't know who this person was but he realized he didn't like them.
"Ohhh. Granger finally found a friend and its a boy. Little Miss wants to be grown up has a boyfriend." she laughed starting to sing the phrase over and over.
Minerva would have sighed if cats could sigh at how the childish taunting had not changed in a half century since she was this age. She was curious to see how Harry and Hermione would deal with this person.
Hermione frowned at the girl before sniffing, "Stop laughing at me."
"Why? You're really funny." The girl said between guffaws.
Harry glared at the girl, "She said stop laughing."
Both girls looked at him, Hermione in surprise and the other girl with a scowl at being interrupted. The girl stepped closer to Harry so that she was directly in his face and said, "Why don't you make me scrawny butt."
Harry pushed the girl backwards, but the thing that shocked Minerva was that the girl's mouth was melting and sealing shut. She was grabbing at her face making muted screaming grunting sounds.
Minerva looked around and saw that there did not seem to be anyone observing things and as both children where frozen in confused fear she wriggled free of Hermione's grasp and shifted back to herself.
Remus had exited the loo and noticing Minerva in her human form began to run to the small group.
"What happened?" He asked quickly.
Minerva had cast a sleeping spell on the girl to calm her down, "She was tormenting our charges and Mr Potter silenced her."
Remus looked at Harry who was looking worried between Remus, Hermione and the girl. "I'm sorry! She was making fun of Hermione and I wanted her to shut up."
Minerva reversed the simple transfiguration spell Harry had cast. She was grateful it had not been something more powerful or in depth. "That is well and good Mr Potter. You did not do any lasting harm to the girl."
Harry looked a little bit relieved at that. Hermione though was staring at Minerva with wide eyes, "You. You. You were a cat!"
"The proper term is animagus. Remus I believe our charges should be taken back to the house while I deal with the young lady." Minerva calmly said.
Remus nodded, "A capital idea. Shall we?"
Harry tugged on Hermione's arm to get her to start walking with them as she was still staring at Minerva in shock.
"She was a cat Harry. You made Stephanie's mouth disappear. How did you do that?"
Remus sighed through his teeth as he said, "Miss Granger. We will tell you everything you need to know when we return to the house but there are a great many things we cannot discus in public. Please be patient."
Hermione bit her lip as she looked like she was going to explode into a thousand questions.
Minerva watched the three walk off then obliviated the most recent events from the girl's mind before waking her up.
"What happened?"
"You fell and hit your head young lady. You should be more careful." Minerva said, "Are you injured?"
"I'm fine." The girl said with a confused frown as she regained her feet.
Minerva stood with an imperial nod said, "Very well. You should watch your step."
The girl frowned but wandered off without saying anything else. Minerva watched her go then went behind some shrubs to shift back and run to the Potter house.
…...
Hermione had drunk some water and calmed down slightly. She still looked like she was going to explode with the number of questions she was holding in. Remus had taken Minerva to the front hall so they could speak leaving the two in the kitchen at the table.
"Harry. Are we in trouble?" Hermione finally asked softly.
Harry shook his head, "Not really. I've done a few things like this before. Only this was the first time I did anything to someone else." He said awkwardly.
"You made her mouth disappear and the cat turned into a woman. Like it was magic." Hermione said excitedly.
"That is because it was." Minerva said entering the room. Hermione immediately sat straighter in the chair. "Please you may relax as you are not in trouble."
"Thank you ma'am." Hermione said earnestly looking at the professor,
"You may call me Minerva as that is actually my name. Minerva McGonnagal."
"That was the name of a Roman Goddess." Hermione said.
"I am not a deity, I am a mere mortal." Minerva said with a polite smile. "Although one with a certain ability."
"Magic." Hermione whispered as if the very word itself would cast a spell.
Minerva nodded, "Yes. Now I would like to wait for your parents to arrive before I continue as we should explain everything to them as well as you at once."
Hermione nodded, "Are you going to make us forget?"
Minerva shook her head, "No. But we will explain when your parents arrive."
Hermione seemed to relax slightly as she studied Minerva. "Can I ask a question?"
Harry snickered briefly before Minerva raised her eyebrow at him. "Yes you may ask a question."
Hermione bit her lip and began to ask if Minerva had been born able to turn into a cat and if she could learn to turn into a cat, what it was like to be a cat. In rapid order causing Minerva to smile.
When the Grangers arrived they found Albus Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, Minerva and Hermione sitting beside Harry at the dining room table. There was a large book in front of Hermione that she was looking at that seemed to be incredibly old Daniel noticed.
"Daddy, Mummy! I'm a witch!" Hermione proudly exclaimed as she ran to hug her parents.
"Excuse me? I know she can be a bit tiring at times but to call her a witch." Emma grumpily said. The other adults chuckling did not improve her mood.
"That was not meant as a pejorative, merely descriptive." Albus said, "Harry myself and these gentlemen are wizards."
"Like Merlin or Gandalf." Dan quipped while Hermione rolled her eyes and tugged his hand back to the table.
"Well while I have been compared to the both of them the only one I know for certain existed was Merlin Emrys of Wales." Albus simply said, although he did pull a long pipe out of thin air and using his thumb to strike a flame lit it. "Oh I'm sorry. I should have asked if you minded."
Daniel and Emma stood silently staring at Dumbledore in open mouthed surprise. "See mum They can do magic and when I grow up so will I."
Daniel sat down suddenly in a chair that slid underneath him in the nick of time. He looked like he was trying to say something but his mind and mouth had filed for separation.
Vanishing the pipe Albus said, "Perhaps later. Are you alright MR Granger? Mrs Granger?"
Daniel laughed, "That's a really neat trick. David Copperfield teach you that?"
Albus chuckled as he nodded to Minerva. She stood up then shifted into her feeling form. Leaping onto the table and walking over to Hermione who began to pet her.
Daniel said, "This is real. This is all real?"
Emma sat beside Hermione on her other side. "Hermione will learn to do this?" She said pointing at Minerva.
Albus shrugged, "If she desires and her talents lend themselves to that skill. There are other areas such as potions, charms, ancient runes, care of magical creatures taught at our school."
Daniel and Emma looked at their daughter then back at Albus, "Maybe you should start explaining at the beginning."
Sirius stood up, "I'll go get the Thai. The usual curries?"
Daniel just nodded as Albus began, "It was a thousand years ago when four heroes decided to found a school in the Scottish Highlands."
...
Review Responses
Sparky40sw: Cool. Thanks. I'm glad you enjoy. Corva has her own reasons for doing pretty much all of it. Being told she is a backup meat suit for dear ol daddy high on the list.
Dennisud: Thank you. I'll work on some of this from here and there. I blame the Attention Deficit disorder or getting hit in the head during high school football games on the jumping from idea to idea. LOL. I'm not entirely sure how things with Corva will turn out. I'll keep it in mind though.
Katmom: Well here is a little bit more.
Jadesabrexiv: Thank you. It could be an interesting one. Ginny is going to have a lot of work to do to avoid having some serious issues happen to her. Thank you for reading.
IdlemanRPG: I'll keep it in mind and add a bit here and there as time goes by.
TimeKeeper: Oh definitely as shown in tonight's episode.
OfficerDonNZ: Yep. Occasionally I like to shake things up a bit. LOL. It is going to be rather interesting to explore how different yet similar things are going to be.