"You're translating into Archaic Greek, not Phoenician," Hermione explained. "It's an easy mistake given that we start with translating to Archaic Greek then assigning the values."

"You have got to be kidding me," Padma groaned. "How could I have made such a stupid mistake!"

"Arithmancy's a bitch," Hermione offered. "And so are similar languages."

Padma narrowed her black eyes at Hermione. "Aren't Arithmancy and Ancient Runes your best classes?"

Hermione felt warmth rush to her cheeks and lowered her head to hide behind her mass of hair before muttering: "Didn't you say arithmancy was your best subject?"

"Actually," Padma sighed. "And so was Ancient Runes. Though my best subject is History of Magic...I think I'd like to go into Arcane Archaelogy but if I keep making careless mistakes like this-" she gestured to the papers. "It'll never happen."

Hermione remembered that she still had no idea what she wanted to do. Graduating at fifteen proved difficult and she certainly liked the idea of being an investigative reporter but she wasn't sure. And here Padma was, same age but still in third year, with a fucking plan. Hermione tried to put aside her jealousy and sympathise with Padma. She's made plenty of careless mistakes herself.

"It happens, especially if you're distracted," Hermione forced a smile. "Just tell me you're not looking to get into Arcane Archaelogy because Tran thinks it'd be a 'waste of talent not to pursue Arcane Archaelogy'."

"What? No!" Padma blinked, staring at Hermione. "D-did he tell you that?"

Shit! Hermione just assumed he told any new comers with talent that. She wanted to reassure Padma not lord something over her. How was she-wait, does that mean Tran actually saw something in me? Hermione set about trying to process this when Padma pushed further and all Hermione could manage were incoherent squeaks.

"Tell me you didn't think he just said that to anyone who showed interest in the subject?" Padma challenged.

All Hermione could do was squeak in response.

"Wow," Padma rolled her eyes. "You aren't as full of yourself as you seemed as Parv says."

"Sh-she thinks I'm-" Hermione shook her head. "What do I do that comes across as-I try to keep my head down-I-"

"Calm down," Padma sighed. "I think Parv and Lavender are jealous. That's why they- I-erm-" she looked down at her spread red nails. "God, we were so cruel to you. And Luna."

Hermione shook her head. "Padma, you never-"

"Said or did anything to stop them and laughed when they did," she said.

"Parvati's your twin," Hermione offered. "I wouldn't-I mean I don't have any siblings (that I know of), but I would have a hard time leaving confronting them."

Padma shook her head with a weak smile. "I wish I could blame the twin thing, but if I'm honest-" she inhaled before leaning in and lowering her voice.. "Parvati says you like both girls and boys? She over heard you talking to Ron Weasley-well, I think a lot of people did."

Hermione remembered. She shouldn't have yelled. It wasn't like it was a secret, but she didn't want to be found out all at once. And because Hermione couldn't control her damn moods she was. And she still felt bad about some of the things she'd said to Ron. No, she didn't. She felt guilty because she now wondered if her father overheard her yelling at Ron. She'd thrown some of his own words back at him, and she could imagine her father making Ron miserable for saying such things to her. She hoped he had the restraint, but knew he didn't.

And she was suddenly happy he didn't confront her about Hiro sooner.

Hermione nodded slowly wondering what hate would be thrown to.

"Okay," Padma sighed. "I-erm-I've played along because, well-I-erm-I like Lavender. She's just-"

After a long and awkward pause. Hermione filled. "I get it, a blind man could see she's gorgeous."

That was true. Hermione thought she was attractive even if she wasn't attracted to Lavender herself. She had elbow length golden hair that fell in neat ringlets, ivory skin and rosy cheeks with stunning blue eyes. And like Miyuki, she was also always well put together accentuating the features she had naturally. Lavender was incredibly pretty, she looked like a princess. With Kaori there was a debate in Hermione's mind on whether she wanted to be with her or be her. But Lavender was simply, Hermione (and probably every other girl in school) wished she looked like her.

"And emotionally volatile and vain and a bit of a bully," Padma admitted. "I knew this and I still had this stupid crush. Then when Parv, Lavender and I were hanging out on the grounds Lavender said the-well, let's just say the things she said about you make me certain if she knew she'd never want to look at me again."

Hermione bit her lip and nodded. She had no idea Lavender would have the same hate as Inuyama. And for Padma to like her and have to hear that pile of horse shite...Hermione felt for her. She couldn't imagine how hard that would be. And she thought she had it bad with Ron...

"I'm sorry," she said.

Padma sighed. "So am I. Wasted so much time trying to please her. But I'm thirteen and there's plenty of fish in the proverbial sea."

"Trying to convince me or yourself?" Hermione asked recognizing the regret and hopelessness lingering behind her black eyes.

"Yes?"

Hermione burst out laughing, nearly choking the mandrake leaf in her mouth. She never heard someone else use that before. She was relieved she wasn't the only person to find humour in a response her father only ever found tiresome.

Padma rolled her eyes and joined in the laughter. "Like you're so much better?!"

"Oh, I am not!" Hermione mulled over for a moment. "So, on the note of fish and the sea, I did overhear Dean Thomas say he thought you and Parvati were the prettiest girls in school. I don't know if you're re-"

Padma covered her mouth to barely conceal her cackling. "Dean Thomas isn't my type, Hermione. Not unless he's looking to change his name to Dina anytime soon."

Both started laughing again until a shadow loomed over them.

"We are in a library!" Pince hissed.

Severus noted Hermione's less-than-subtle attempts at avoiding him. Their conversation went...well it wasn't great. Hermione of course had no interest in breaking it off with Yamato before she returned to Japan. And he wasn't about to take that away from her, as much as he liked to threaten it. It was the only time she was something other than a professor's daughter. He recognized that. And, as much as he needed to believe that her birth parents didn't matter, he imagined she reaped some benefit from being among people who looked like her. He'd read that international adoptees often have a connection with their birth culture, and Hermione's taking to it-no, she finds it interesting, that's all. If she were raised by her birth parents she might not have any connection to her-and I'm only assuming because I think "Ren" is a Japanese name- Japanese heritage. And it's not as if she's been clamouring to learn African languages or traditions or learn about muggle customs. My assuming it had anything to do with her birth parents is probably some white people bullshit.

Whatever her reason was, he was loathe to take away something so important to her. But the idea she was involved with someone behind his back made him worried to say the least. It would be simply be an adolescent girl's disrespect if it was only letters, but it concerned him that she'd be off on her own for thirty days with him that summer. And that concern somehow made him the bad guy?

He looked up from his book to see Hermione as part of a new trio. Luna Lovegood wasn't surprising, the girl was nearly a constant companion, but their new addition was Padma Patil. Wasn't she one of the girls that tormented her? Though Hermione engaged in strange social behaviours if he thought about it. She still spoke with Pansy Parkinson on a semi-regular basis.

Over the past couple weeks he had noticed that Hermione weaved between social groups when she wasn't in the library working. If it wasn't those girls, it was Sloan, Delaney and O'Malley (Though Lovegood was often a tag along), or it was-and he noted it was exceedingly rare-Potter, without the company of Weasley. On occaision he noted she hung around Ginny Weasley (Hermione was not hanging around when she was with any of her other friends though) or Longbottom. Part of him, in seeing the way she weaved between the groups, wondered what happened with the Weasley twins, Jordan and Johnson-who all but adopted her into their group in her first year.

And of course she also spent considerable time at Hagrid's. Still helping him with the case, he presumed. She never bothered to tell him.

"If she sees you, she'll just be more upset," a voice said from behind.

Severus turned around to see Dumbledore smiling at him, blue eyes twinkling from over his glasses. Once again, he found himself hating that damned knowing twinkle.

"Last two Saturdays she barely said two words to me," he muttered under his breath. "How else am I supposed to know what's going on in her life?"

"Do you expect other parents have a clue what their children are up to here?" Dumbledore raised an arched white eyebrow.

"What other parents do or fail to do is none of my concern," he folded his arms across his chest.

"Of course it isn't," Dumbledore chuckled. "It's been a while since Harry's been in trouble. I do under if you've noticed anything with your keen eyes or if Hermione-"

"Wouldn't tell me even if it were life-and-death," Severus scowled. "I believe I am the one under your employ not my child, yes?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Of course, Severus. I wouldn't expect her to be."

"She has an advancement and a book on Japanese fairy tales that say other wise," Severus rolled his eyes.

"I admit," Dumbledore walked along side him. "The advancement was because she entangled herself with Harry's fate and I believe it will help both of them, should the time come. But the book wasn't a bribe. I just wanted to-" he sighed. "I get it, however, things haven't been the same since last May."

"Oh?" he scoffed. "You mean when you decided to use her to drill a lesson into Potter's thick skull?"

Dumbledore nodded. "It was a point that had to be made, Severus. And yet-"

Severus knew what went unsaid. Many of his colleagues were fond of her, took an interest in her from a young age, but with Dumbledore it was different. For one, he actually spent time with her, often watching her when Severus was sent out to gather information. He treated every milestone he told him about with great enthusiasm. Both he and McGonagall have worked their way into her life, but Dumbledore held a position of importance and was trusted. Something that clearly changed for Hermione after the Chamber.

"If it bothers you," he said. "You could always just apologize."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and fixed a judging gaze on him.

"Yes, headmaster, I do realize how rich that sounds coming from me," Severus sighed pinching his nose.

"Do the Elizabeths really need 'Lily'," Luna mused. "It seems unfair. There's already seven before that!"

"I know, it's not as if we have that many options to choose from," Hermione sighed after going through every scrap she could find on Sato, Elizabeth sorted Hufflepuff. "So my fake mother has a real name. No evidence she had anything to do with my dad though."

"It's easier to tell a lie based in reality," Luna shrugged. "An easy name to come up with. Plus she looks both Black and Japanese, so as long as you didn't contact her, if you went looking, you'd buy it."

" Sato also transferred to Ivermony in second year, a perfect candidate. My father is a complete arse," Hermione groaned. "No luck with Elizabeth Chow either."

Luna nodded. "No evidence of connection with George or Harding either. I like 'Kitty'."

Hermione blinked looking at her strange friend. She didn't lift her eyes from the pile she accumulated for Lily Kapoor, her wand and a stargazer lily tucked in behind her ear as she swung her legs over the edge of the table. There was no context, but she said it like she was stating the sky was blue.

Hermione re-adjusted in her chair-she never knew how to sit- until she crossed her legs, opening what she gathered on Lily Evans in her lap. "I'm sorry?"

"'Hermione' doesn't really have much in the way of nicknames (I have plenty anyway...) but I like 'Kitty'. I know it comes with its baggage, but I think it quite suits you," she stated.

"Yeah," Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm not looking to adopt a new nickname."

"Oh," Luna looked up from her file, pale skin growing pink. "Sorry."

"I-erm-guess it's fine if you wanted to call me that," Hermione sighed. "But if you could not in front of other people, maybe?"

Luna nodded with a thin smile.

Hermione sorted through Lily Evan's papers when she suddenly remembered something she read a long time ago. She clapped a hand to her forehead. "Shit!"

"What is it?" Luna jumped to read over her shoulder.

"Lily Potter (nee Evans) " Hermione recalled scrambling to Prophet archives, pointing to the obituary for Luna. "Lily Evans is Harry's mum! I can't believe I didn't recall! Merlin, I'm a moron!"

"You don't think she's the Lily that healer was talking about do you?" Luna asked.

"I don't know."

With the weight of everything, Hermione worked through her Divination dream journal. She stooped to Ron and Harry's level, making up dreams when so many of hers were better forgotten than recorded. She didn't need Skylar to tell her why she still dreamed of the chamber, or the dementor, or Hiro abandoning, or her father's assertions she was, indeed, inadequate. Those dreams were simply her anxieties surfacing, no more, no less.

Hermione mixed elements from dream sequences in Koneko Mahou Shoujo and the Son of Hermes books. Media consumed effected dreams, so it should have been fine.

She sat at the table by herself surrounded by work. It was so hard to keep up with all of these classes and she worried that she would fail every OWL, it seemed her father was right about something.

Damn it, Dad, Hermione thought. She looked up to see Harry and Ron laughing about something or other. Ron always had jokes, and Luna's assessment of 'funny but very mean' was incredibly accurate. She missed them both, but since Sca-Pettigrew took off, Ron avoided her like the plague. He made efforts here and there, but for the most part he wanted nothing to do with her. Which hurt, he was one of her first friends and it worried her it was ending. And Harry, who made more efforts, especially after the broom tests, would always choose Ron over her. If her friendship with Ron ended, so did her friendship with Harry. She just had to live with it. Even after everything they'd been through...

She wondered if Harry's mum was that Lily. She was muggleborn and Slytherins often hated muggleborns, but her father didn't seem to have that prejudice. And they were in different houses, but so were Hermione and Luna. What if her father hated Harry's not because James Potter was a bully, but because Lily chose him. The bitterness seemed extreme, and he refused to give Hermione details beyond 'Potter was cruel'. It both made so much sense and made no sense at all.

No, it can't be over a simple school crush, that's stupid, you stupid piece of shit.

Hermione watched as the Common Room thinned out hour after hour until she was the last one left. Once she was certain she was alone, Hermione dried the ink on her finished homework, packed it and sent her school bag to her bed. She undid her bow tie, and shed her outer robe and sash to rid her form of the scraps of scarlet and gold that might add to her visibility and her shoes for sound. Sending those up as well, she went to make her way to the grounds.

Dodging a near encounter with Mrs Norris, Hermione ducked behind walls and slinked in the shadows until she reached her destination. The snows gave way to frost, which sent stabbing chills from the soles of her feet up. She glanced up to the bright full moon and took a deep breath. She crept toward the Whomping Willow. She kept enough of a distance to not be "whomped" but she was close enough no student would come near in the day time. She then set to work to extract exactly a teaspoon of dew from the chilled grass.

She then gently plucked the mandrake leaf from her mouth wrapped in a lock of her hair. She placed it in the crystal phial Harry gave her along with the dew drops.

"Accio death's-head hawkmoth's chrysalis."

The dark amber oval appeared like carved wood in her hand, but it was exactly what she'd been looking for. She knew from cataloguing them with her father for years. She thought to knick it then when she realized her father wasn't about to ignore her while she counted them. Perhaps he'd become wise to her antics after all.

She put the matter from her mind and dug a hole sized perfectly for the phial. Once buried, she made her way back to the castle in silence.

March ended with a fortunate lightning storm. It'd been two weeks since Hermione buried the phial. Now that it was the first clear night since the rains began, and Hermione successfully evaded detection from her housemates, she left to unearth and drink the potion.

She made it to the phial without incident, looking over her shoulder more than she cared to admit. Finally she made it to the spot, a precise metre from the phial. Kneeling in the dewy grass in the dark, she dug until she reached it. She blew the soil from the intricate crystal to reveal the bright red liquid with in. She swished the phial watching the red swirls from within, checking its consistency. Hermione tested its colour, texture and viscosity thrice, noting it each time.

"Here goes nothing," she muttered to herself before downing the metallic tasting mixture in one shot.

"This is mad," Ron moaned trying to decipher mystical properties of crystal. "I honestly don't know how you do it, Hermione."

You're talking to me again? Hermione thought. "It's because I do the assigned readings."

"Ouch," Ron grumbled.

"I reckon I preferred it when you two weren't talking," Harry rolled his eyes. "Are you two honestly arguing when you just started talking?"

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "Crystal resonates with lay-line vibrations,Ron. They're like an amplifier. That's why they're used in potions and divination. That and the alchemical reactions it facilitates."

Ron nodded writing down what Hermione said in a flurry. Hermione wished she was more to him than an answer key for his homework. She also wished he wasn't so cavalier with herself and Harry. They had been chatting, not about anything important over their perspective homework when Ron just joined them.

The three of them sat round the table in the Common Room as groups of three and four filed up either stairway to their dorms. The three worked away on perspective projects. Once they were alone Hermione just had to wait for Harry and Ron to tire. If they stayed she'd excuse herself to the toilets, though she would rather have been under open sky.

"Hermione," Harry leaned over, green eyes scrutinizing her like her father did. "Ron and I know you've been sneaking out every night this month. What are you doing? If it's about Sirius Black I need to know."

"Honestly, Harry," Hermione sighed, narrowing her eyes. "You two barely-" she clasped her hands together and inhaled sharply. "No. It might be helpful later, I hope it will. But this is just-it's something I need to do. It's not about-it's just something I-erm-look, Harry, if you respect me at all, you'll leave it be."

Harry and Ron both stared at her as she got up to leave. Perhaps there was a better way to handle it. They had just started talking to her again. But what she was doing...Hermione wasn't just breaking some silly school rule. What she was doing was illegal. She couldn't have them be liable. She...she just wished she didn't have to make them hate her for it.

But why did Harry assume it had anything to do with Black in the first place? Was Hermione not allowed to do something for herself?

Hermione got up and left Gryffindor tower, her heart beats grower louder in her chest. Each telling her it was time.

Hermione stood a metre from the Whomping Willow as the blood burned in her veins. The cool air did little to mitigate it and her hearts beat faster and faster. Like every night during the month, she pointed her wand at her heart and whispered the incantation.

Pain shot through her entire body as her hearts pounded in her ears. Every fibre of her being caught fire, like lightning coursing through her hot blood. She shook, and her stomach churned. Her bones snapped, contorting with her flesh in unnatural ways. This was supposed to happen the first time, she kept telling herself that. She expected that. But nothing prepared her for the world of pain that wrought her body.

The grounds came into sudden focus despite the dark, Hermione scanned the area thrilled at the sudden clarity. Distant crickets grew louder and the hearing she'd missed so much returned to her. Her body balanced itself with lithe elegance and she felt the urge to bound around the fields. Much larger fields.

It worked! Hermione examined her tawny paws and bottle brush tail. Her animagus form was a cat! It all felt so familiar and so new at the same time. The cool grass sent pleasant shivers up her four legs and her now one heart leapt with joy. She dashed through the grass, she could play. She wanted to play. If anyone asked, she could never describe the joy she felt rolling around in the grass. When was the last time she felt so carefree? Did she ever?

She purred, her ribs vibrating. It all felt so natural.

One of the Kellas kittens peaked their head out of the tree knot. She sniffed the air before leaping toward Hermione, butting her head against hers. Hermione noted as the blue-eyed, black kitten did this Hermione realized that she and the six-month-old Kellas kitten was the slightly larger than she was. Which meant she was small for a cat. She put it from her mind as she and the Kellas kitten took turns chasing each other.

Her littermate joined in and the three played to their hearts content.

I should change back...Hermione thought, but the adolescent cat within her said 'no'.

With a pang, Hermione realised that she never really had play before. Sure, there were books, and Sudoku and riddles... but this...she never had it. Was it bad she never wanted to resume human form again?

Once the kittens tired out and Hermione caught sight of Crookshanks and the Kellas cat (she would have to name her and her kittens) watching them make utter fools of themselves, Hermione embraced the inevitable. She dashed behind a tree and focused on the things she read. She was early into her adolescence, so she had to focus more to do it.

Changing back was much less painful-at least physically- than changing into her cat form. She examined her feet and hands, which returned to their naked, medium olive, and the only thing bushy about her was her hair. She plucked a mirror from her pinafore pocket and examined her face, olive skin, brown eyes, hair less. It was successful and she padded back into the castle to return to her life. Or what was left of it after snapping at-

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione hissed pulling them behind a wall. "I can't believe you!"

"We just wanted to be sure you were okay," Harry whispered. "Last time you disappeared you went after a killer. When I caught you coming in last night-"

"Right," she muttered. "Invisibility Cloak. What the hell did you guys see?"

"We just caught up with you now," Ron grumbled. "You're good at disappearing."

"I hope you are too," Hermione said. "Check the map, were you followed?"

"Lupin has the map, Hermione," Harry said. "Remember?"

"Still?" she choked. "With everything you two do, it's so important not to-" she inhaled deeply. "I just thought you might have stolen it back by now."

"I'm not stealing from my Dad's best friend," Harry asserted. "What-just tell us what you were doing."

"It's none of your business!" Hermione hissed. "Last I checked you were my friend not my father-"

"No," a cold voice said from behind them. "But I am."

Hermione's blood froze as she slowly turned around to see her father looming over them. His arms folded over his chest and tapping his foot impatiently and black eyes boring into them.