AN: Still alive. Thank you all who are sticking with this.
"If either of you want to come back and stay longer, you are welcome to," said Viktor. "Esperanza and I are happy to have you."
"Thanks, but I need to train," signed Hermione.
That was true, but she was also hanging around too long. At Viktor's last game, security had stopped a Death Eater who was heading towards the VIP Box. Hermione was none the wiser until after the fact, having been busy filming the game. Her filmed games were being sold to fans. They were giving her a good chunk of profits from those. Half she sent along to S.A.M.B. and the other half she kept for rebellion funding. Money helped a lot when it came to fighting wars and she couldn't put all her reliance on Sirius. It wouldn't be fair to him.
"Be safe, write often," said Viktor, hugging her tightly. "You too, Fleur."
"Thank you, mon ami," said Fleur, kissing his cheek. "I will see you at my wedding, yes?"
"Of course. I will not miss it."
Hermione held out the Portkey. Fleur placed her hand on it and within seconds they were whisked away into the air. Everything blurred and soon they were drifting down towards the platform in Luesma. Hermione straightened her feet out and floated down gracefully. Waiting for her this time were Abuela and Tío Greg.
"Hola, Cielita Nia," said Abuela. "Is this your friend?"
"Fleur Delacour," said Fleur. "It's so nice to meet you."
"We're good friends," Hermione said. "I'm her Maid of Honor."
They already knew her voice was eluding her. Even if she hadn't written them, Esperanza would have told them. Abuela hugged her tightly then hugged Fleur.
"It's always good to meet one of Nia's friends," she said. "Come on, hurry. Let's get home."
Tío Greg took Fleur's arm and Abuela took Hermione's. They apparated to the house and Hermione saw brand new wards around the entire property.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked.
"We have been getting some… visitors," said Tío Greg. "I don't know what they're hoping to achieve. The Sanchezes are a protected family. They're all kids, I think they're hoping to raise their status by intimidating us into giving you up. They scare off easily, but I think they'll be back."
Hermione pursed her lips. The last thing she wanted was to put her family in danger.
"Don't give me that," said Abuela, patting her arm firmly. "They aren't the first to go after the Sanchez family. Back during the rebellion, the colonizers whittled us down to only one Sanchez woman. She carried on our legacy. A few fascists wanting you dead can't take us down and we'll protect you. Understand?"
Hermione nodded.
"Now go greet everyone and tell us what your plans are."
Bianca, Noa, Josefina, and Manolo were at school, but everyone else was home and the house had been rearranged once again to accommodate the new adults. Their family was forever growing. The room she had shared with the triplets her age had been redone to single rooms. One of which was Hermione's and the one next door was given to Fleur. Both unpacked and changed into lighter clothes. It was a drastic change from the mountain town they resided in for the past few months.
"This is the most beautiful home I have ever been in," said Fleur as she was given the tour. "Oh, William better be ready for me to decorate just like this!"
"The architects are away at the moment," said Abuela. "Renovation job for Nia in England."
"Are they okay?" Hermione asked.
When she asked them to fix up Rosehill… she wasn't thinking about the price on her head.
"Yes, they're checking in every day. Don't worry about them."
Hermione relaxed at that. Back in the parlor, she was poured a cup of tea and Abuela asked her what her plan was since she dropped out of school. Her sign wasn't good enough, so she was penning it out.
"I need to start training," she wrote. "Until Fleur's wedding, I need to start learning all I can/ Disguises, medical training, survival skills, anything and everything that will help me keep a rebellion going. I'll do whatever I can to pay you back for it. Whatever you need. Someone to cook dinners, to help in one of our shops, anything. I know, I can't go back. Not only will no school take me, I don't know if I could even keep up with the school work. I would use a time-turner again if it meant I could be prepared, just don't leave me with any downtime."
Abuela read the note aloud so everyone else who was gathered could hear.
"Nia, are you sure?" Tía Manola asked. "You've been through a lot."
"I wasted too much time already!" she stressed. "I need to learn now!"
"Okay, okay," said Abuela. "You want to learn? We'll work you to the bone."
"Mamá," said Tía Constanza.
"Don't worry, mija, once the work gets too much I'll ease up on her. No over use of a time turner. We have one so mothers can take naps during the day. Tavi, bring me a fresh daily planner."
Tavi popped into the room with the items in question. She looked great. She was wearing clothes and jewelry and had a vibrancy about her. She still avoided eye contact with Hermione and was gone as soon as she came.
"Alright, Herminita, you want to fill every hour, you will fill every hour," said Abuela. "Do you know how to tend a garden?"
"Viktor taught us," said Fleur. "He has the most beautiful vegetable garden."
"Alright, what is your training regimen?"
"She wakes up at 5:30 and works out until 7:30," said Fleur. "Even Viktor thinks she's crazy to do it every morning."
It wasn't always strenuous. Sometimes she just did tai chi or she went for long walks.
"Very well then," said Abuela, marking it in. "During that time frame you may do as you wish. Just make sure you stay within the wards. At eight in the morning, you will meet me in the workshop. There you will learn the art of jewelry making. You dropped out, so you're going to need a job. Esperanza says you make the prettiest gems, so that will be part of it. You will work from eight to noon, use a time turner, and back at eight, Renata will teach you a new disguise. Wearing that disguise, you will candystripe at the hospital Angela works at. She's training a new batch of Healers, so you will join them under a pseudonym. That training goes from ten to three.
"Every other day at 3:30 you will either work in the clothes shop learning how to mend, sew, and create fabrics, the days you aren't doing that you'll keep house here. Prepping for dinner, shadowing me or Constanza as we are the leaders. If someone has a task and you are not otherwise busy, you must say yes. The only exceptions for these tasks are Sundays. You can work in the church nursery and daycare or you can sing with us. Between 2:30 and 5:30, you must spend time with someone doing something other than work." She gave her a stern look. "I will work you to the bone. Let's see if you can handle it."
"Bring it on," Hermione signed, taking the schedule.
"Do you have a task for me?" asked Fleur.
"Well, why are you here?" asked Tía Constanza.
"I am here because I am ugly when I used to be beautiful." She pulled down her mask to show her scars. "My fiancé hasn't ended the engagement, but his mother has tried to convince him to many, many, many, many times even when I was pretty. I also cannot deal with being treated as if I am fragile or something to be pitied. So we are taking a break until I return to France in December."
"Well, you can flit around," said Abuela. "Would you like to learn a new skill? Or perhaps just help around the house? What is your skill set?"
"I was a professional duelist. I am taking a sabbatical." Fleur tapped her cheek with her hand. "May I learn to make jewelry, too?"
The door burst open and Draco stormed in, pale and sweating profusely. Ms. Black hurried in behind him.
"Draco, you're ill, please lie back down!"
"You!" he panted, pointing at Hermione. "Next time I'm in a life or death situation, just let me die!"
He collapsed at her feet. The color slowly returned to his cheeks and the dark circles under his eyes faded away.
"It's the honor code," said Ms. Black fretfully. "I had hoped… well, I talked Lucius out of the ceremony when he was a baby, but it seems that because both our lines had done it for so long, it's affected him."
Hermione tipped her head in confusion.
"Draco can't be far away from you until he has paid back his debt," she said. "Until he saves your life or thirty years have passed."
Hermione frowned. That went against her whole philosophy. If anyone was going to be fighting alongside her, she wanted them to do it of their own free will. No manipulation, no fighting due to feelings of indebtedness. There was no telling how long this could go on for. She got her notebook back from Abuela and jotted down a note.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes, unless you want something horrible to happen to him!" said Ms. Black. "And you don't need to write notes, he knows all of this."
"Ah, she is not speaking," said Fleur. "Because of the trauma."
"Is that really what it takes to get you to finally shut up?" Draco asked, looking up at her.
Hermione smiled mirthlessly and threw her schedule at him.
"Ow! Hey, what's this?"
"Our new schedule."
He stared at it. "No."
"Too bad. We begin tomorrow."
"I'm not getting up at the ass crack of dawn just to work out!"
"Maybe I should call you Baby Hands." She grabbed his wrist and flapped his hand, drawing attention to how soft they were.
"I think your schedule is too intense for anyone except you," said Fleur diplomatically. "Perhaps he should just learn healing and gardening."
Hermione clicked her tongue and dropped Draco's hand. That was fair. She opened her purse and dropped the new item she commissioned from Esperanza on his head.
"What's this?" he asked, taking the fabric tube.
Hermione jotted out the answer. "It covers your tattoo. Suppresses the magic."
He looked at his dark mark, which was out in the open. It was too warm here, he had to wear short sleeves. Nobody except the main family knew what its meaning was, but compliments on it would probably be worse when you didn't want it in the first place. He tugged the sleeve on over the mark and hissed as his skin writhed beneath it like the knotted snake had come to life and was trying to break free. Then, it settled and Draco's shoulders relaxed.
"You should be able to cross through the wards now. We can test it."
"Yeah… alright," he said.
"Well, now that's settled," said Abuela. "Are you hungry?"
"I'm fine," said Fleur.
"Okay, I will make you something." She got up and went to the kitchen.
Hermione tucked her planner notebook under her arm and followed.
"Can I help?" she threw.
Abuela opened her mouth as if to urge her to rest or do something else, then flicked her wand so the vegetables for that night's dinner marched themselves over.
"Those are already washed, start cutting," she said, signing as she spoke out of habit.
Hermione nodded and got to work.
She and Fleur made it an early night since Bulgaria was six hours ahead.
"I like this place," said Fleur. "I think I could be happy here for the next four months."
"I'm glad." Hermione waved goodnight and went into her room.
It was about twice the size as her dorm at Castelobruxo, but the bed and desk were separate. She had her own balcony looking out over the courtyard. The way the house and family was growing the architects were building into a diamond shape now. The courtyard, which could be reached through the kitchen or the living room, still stretched towards the ocean. The eating table was in the middle of it and a spell against inclement weather made a roof of it. The design of the roof was still the same when she saw it. Mamá Florencía's room was there as was the lab. Esperanza's studio had been converted into a greenhouse like they knew she wouldn't be living there for long.
Some people maintained their ancestral homes, her family constantly changed it. Remembering the past, but always looking forward, too.
The runes on her spine hummed. There were anchor stones here. She couldn't quite connect to them, she would have to write that spell she once did on Hogwarts' mirror, but they called to her nevertheless. She didn't think it would be a good idea to connect.
That was the problem when magic was concentrated in a single place for centuries. It gained a personality and if one place got a host then all the places wanted a host. Why did she have to be the only viable one?
Perhaps she was reading too much into it.
Hermione sighed heavily and closed her eyes, but sleep did not come easily.
She had barely dozed when her alarm went off. She hit the off button and got up, changing into her armor. She tied her hair back, filled her reusable water bottle in the kitchen, and went outside. She did her usual routine. Stretching, cardio, running, she used the jungle gym by the girls' home to do chin ups and upside down crunches, back close to home she brought out Bob who had been reinforced and updated and practiced sparring with her scythe. She would do her sword training tomorrow.
When her watch chimed for 7:30, she went inside, showered, and changed, then went back down for a quick breakfast. The usual golpes had been served and everyone was either eating or heading out to work.
"Have a good workout?" asked Abuela.
Hermione nodded.
"Good. When you're done eating, come with me. Fleur, you too."
"Yes, madame."
"No need to be so formal. Call me Abuela."
The door burst open and a second Hermione hurried into the kitchen. The original Hermione stared at herself thinking she looked like hell.
"It's my time with R-E-N," she said, a watch Hermione had never seen before glimmered on her wrist.
"I'm still eating," said Renata. "You eat something, too."
Future Hermione nodded and helped herself to some cereal and a cup of coffee.
After a good breakfast and a cup of coffee, Present Hermione and Fleur were led to the workshop. Juana was already there.
"Let's begin," said Abuela. "I will teach you the art of crafting jewelry through magic as well as by hand. You always want to use arithmancy when creating with magic because it creates a more permanent bond. There is a process with Transfigurative magic but that will always unravel eventually. Except Cedric's magic. He transfigured a set of knitting needles for Mamá Florencía two years ago and they're still in perfect condition. Anyway, to begin, I am going to show you how jewelry is made and you will start familiarizing yourselves with the equipment in the workshop."
"Will we be making rings?" asked Fleur.
"I will teach you, but I would rather start you off with something easier like necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Rings can be tricky because the band has to be precise. Piercings are standard size and they make extenders for necklaces and bracelets." Abuela sat down at her bench and Hermione and Fleur sat down across from her. Hermione took out her video camera and put in a new crystal, setting it up over her shoulder.
They spent the next four hours watching her work and learning each piece of equipment. Hermione took lots of notes and pictures, documenting the entire process so if she was ever lost, she could just refer back to them.
"Lunch time," said Abuela. "There are sandwiches inside. Herminia. Your time turner." She handed over a watch. "Just wind it back to the hour you want to go and push it back in. Be careful where you turn back, you don't want to crash into anyone. You don't have to return to the location you left at, but I recommend making a designated square. Please do not use it more than twice a day and I will not let you use it for longer than six months. Understand?"
Hermione nodded.
"Okay. Go on."
"I think I will go inside," said Fleur.
Hermione went over to the side of the building and drew a section in the dirt with an old fire poker. She put the watch on and turned it back to just before eight. She pushed it in and time reversed. She watched it all blur around her and the sun push back to the horizon. When it stopped, she ran back up to the house and burst into the kitchen to find herself eating golpes next to Fleur.
"It's my time with Renata."
"I'm still eating," said Renata. "You eat something, too."
She nodded and grabbed the cereal since it was closest. She scarfed it down and watched her past self leave with Abuela and Fleur. She got herself a to-go cup of coffee and left with Renata to go to the hair salon.
"Hola, Renata," said a girl working there. "Who's this?"
"My cousin, Nia," she said. "She's here to learn how to shapeshift. Carla can you move my appointments to after ten o'clock?"
"Okay, Renata," said Carla at the front desk.
The salon was stylish. It bragged a variety of styles, there was a whole wall with wigs and weaves, many which boasted to be made from real human hair, there was another wall that sold shampoos, conditioners, styling products, and potions. Three tables were dedicated to manicurists, there was a wall with mirrors for makeup and styling, and about ten chairs for stylists. The very back wall had sinks for washing. There were two back rooms for waxing, plus the employee break room. The whole place was done in bright orange, fuchsia, and lime.
The place boasted head-to-toe makeovers. Renata made the hair growth serums herself. The recipe wasn't exactly hers, but she had modified it.
"I will require some payment," said Renata. "Work, gems, whatever you can give me, I'm giving up precious tips to help you with this. In return I will teach you how to disguise yourself without magic. Now, are you willing to shave your head?"
Hermione jumped back and grabbed onto her locs. They were starting to mature, she liked how they looked, why on earth would she want to get rid of them now?
"Nia, it will be easier to put wigs on if you're bald," said Renata.
Hermione shook her head vigorously. "Not shaving! I'll wear caps and use pens."
"Fine. And that's not the sign for pin." Renata pinched her forefinger and thumb together, wiggling it. "This is pen, like what you write with. This is pin, like for clothes and fastening things down." She made the same sign but instead she opened and closed it like a little mouth.
Hermione copied the sign.
"Anyway, moving on."
Once again, Hermione was made to familiarize herself with the products and tools she would be using. When Renata's first customer of the day arrived, Hermione was sent along with a new wig that was long and straight and hung down her back like a waterfall and a makeover that hid her scars. She was directed to the hospital and found Angela's training class. There were about fifteen interns working in various departments. Cycling through a different one each day over the course of a year. Hermione really just needed the basics. She needed to be able to make sure someone wouldn't die from something stupid like a left alone injury. She changed crystals again. She would prefer to keep her training footage separate.
Part of the group was Draco. He didn't have the usual air of someone who thought they had more important things to be doing, though he didn't look excited to be there either.
"Ah, there you are," said Angela. "All of you are here because you were not lucky enough to be handpicked to be an assistant to your school nurse, but that's okay because I am here to help you see if work in a hospital is right for you. We have many, many departments all conducive to keeping this place running. Let's get started."
Second verse same as the first. Hermione was shown the lay out of the hospital and given a schedule of what unit she would be training in each day. Hers was the same as Draco, but they would not be with the remaining cluster of baby-faced interns flitting and causing chaos in one department after another.
At three o'clock, she was running off to the clothing store. Upon walking in, she saw many of the pieces that Esperanza had designed for her last summer on mannequins as well as photos on the wall that she had posed for. She went to the counter and Mamá Delfina greeted her.
"Right on time," she said. "Come on to the back. Esperanza already taught you some basics, right?"
Hermione nodded. "I know how to sew buttons."
"That is a good start. Let's get right to it then. I'll show you how to take in and let out clothes, as well as mend holes."
Several of the store employees worked at the Girls' Home, but a few were planning on moving out. Two were going to the university, another was getting married and they were moving to America.
The back of the store had rows of women handcrafting the pieces. Hermione immediately thought worst-case scenario, then knew her family was better than that. There were water and snack stations (as well as handwashing stations so food wouldn't get into the designs). They were also chatting and cracking jokes. Assistants whose job it was to cut the fabric and get materials were running back in forth. One got snapped at for cutting it wrong a third time. The snappish employee was working at a bedazzled sewing machine, which only could have been Esperanza's at some point. Most of the time these clothes were made to order. Very few pieces were ready to buy, ready to wear.
Another function of the store was tailoring and mending. Which was the section Hermione was brought to.
"These are clothes from home," said Mamá Delfina. "Now that she only sends designs and prototypes along, we don't have to hide the mending basket from her. She always ends up turning it to something new. Never likes to look back."
"Viktor doesn't either," said Hermione.
"They are a good match—watch what I am doing," she said. "Of course, their wedding will be The Big One. Our family will come from Mexico and New York for this. They're both famous, so I assume there will be reporters and other famous people in attendance. Ay, I doubt even the triplets could make something they could all stay in. It's going to have to be hotels."
Hermione listened to her gab away and tried her own hand at mending a hole in a pair of trousers. At six, the majority of the employees left, a few were on a roll and didn't want to slow their momentum. Mamá Delfina and Hermione worked for another 45 minutes. When the others left, so did they. They apparated home.
"Wash up for dinner," said Mamá Delfina.
Hermione went to her room and washed the makeup off in the bathroom. She found a stand and hung the wig up on it. Back in her ordinary clothes, she went down to dinner.
Tomorrow, she would begin it all again.