Last time...

"If you want, you won't be getting anything for your birthday for like the next ten years." Hera insisted with a grin, which made him laugh.

"Well that sounds fair then." Ron agreed, his grin as big as her own.

Chapter 16

"Something's wrong." Hera whispered, once they got inside the Top Box.

"Punch a hippogriff or Quirrellmort?" Ron remarked without missing a beat.

"Somewhere between Quirrellmort and Broken Barrier." Hera replied in confusion.

"You really got to get a lock on that danger sense you got, Mate." Ron snickered, but she noticed that both he and Hermione checked their Weasley Wands in their pockets.

Their real wands were in holsters hidden under their sleeves with anti theft and notice-me-not charms on them. She'd begun outfitting her friends with things like that as Christmas and birthday gifts when she could. It hadn't escaped her notice that she always seemed to have something dangerous going on anymore, whether it be a mad man out to kill her or some crazy randomness that somehow ended up happening. Better to be prepared, and being her friend was dangerous. Since it was foolish to try and keep them from the danger that was attracted to her, it was best to outfit them to be safe.

Shrugging it aside for now, she found herself talking to a house elf by the name of Winky. The poor dear was afraid of heights, and saving a seat for her master. Hera wasn't sure where the lie was, but she'd heard it, knew it for what it was. That's another thing she noticed wasn't just a normal thing in the wizarding world, the ability to know when someone was lying. It had always been there, so she'd never questioned it, but no one else around her seemed to have the ability.

"I don't know what you said to him, Miss Potter, but your godfather is taking to healing with a vengeance." Lucius Malfoy stated, upon seeing her when he'd entered the Top Box.

Hera just snorted, and replied. "Let me know when he apologizes to Professor Snape, and I'll believe he's finally starting to grow up. Let me know if Professor Snape ever accepts the apology and reciprocates with one of his own, and I might actually believe there's hope for the human race."

"Well, I hear hope springs eternal." Lucius remarked wryly, and began looking around. "Are you here with the Weasleys? What did Arthur do, sell his house?"

"I thought adults were supposed to be mature, you know, be role models for all us bright young minds." Hera commented. The look she got was less than impressed, at which she just continued smiling innocently.

...

It wasn't long till the game started, and both Hera and Hermione had to pull Ron away from the window. Apparently Veela magic made men stupid. She noticed that Arthur had the twins by their collars, and Mr. Malfoy had Draco by his. Bill and Charlie were both dangerously close to the window, even with Percy holding them back with everything he had, and wasn't that a surprising development; Maybe this was the year he finally admitted he had a girlfriend. The Irish team's mascots were leprechauns, and the show they put on was fantastic, though she was fairly certain that the money wasn't real. She had never heard any stories where leprechauns gave away their gold for nothing, but there were plenty of stories about them tricking people with fake gold to protect the real stuff, something she'd tried to explain to Ron as he pocketed a bunch of the stuff.

When the game actually started, Hera was hooked. While the others watched the match, she watched the Seekers. The moves they pulled off were fantastic, and she would slow down, rewind, and reviewing them all until she figured out how she could do them too; Wood would be proud. Lynch, the Irish team's Seeker was good; Krum was better. She could see now why Ron was so obsessed with him. At this rate, she was probably going to follow suit.

During the match, Draco and Hera kept up a running commentary about the Seeker's moves. He's been reviewing them all just as she has, and she can only imagine the heart attacks they'll give their respective teams this year when they attempt them. Ron looks at her like she's insane for associating with a Malfoy, but she just shrugs; It's a Seeker thing. Hermione looks faintly amused, and no doubt has her own secret friendship-rivalry with the boy over academics. They're still talking Seeker moves when the game ends. Mrs. Malfoy has a soft amused expression as she watches her son talk animatedly about one of his most favorite topics with a girl he was adamant annoyed him with her entire being.

Eventually, they all separate, and head off to their own tents. Ron and Hera are animatedly talking about the match, and even Hermione is ecstatic about how thrilling it all was. Ginny looks like she's got stars in her eyes, she's so happy. Of course, it can't last forever, and eventually the play-by-play falls to the wayside in favor of sleep. Hera falls asleep as well at some point, and all she can hear is the fans in the stadium shouting 'Hera! Hera! Hera!'.

"Hera! Wake up!" Arthur insists, shaking her. "Come on now, this is urgent. Wake up, Hera!"

"M'kay, Unc'l Vern'n, I'll make br'fst." Hera mumbles as she rubs the sleepy bugs out of her eyes, and stills in embarrassment as she realizes what she's just said. "What's wrong, Arthur?"

In the back of her mind, she understood something was wrong. The noises in the campsite had changed. No longer was it celebratory. She could hear screams, and the sound of running. The girls were putting on jackets, but she just threw on her shoes, and rushed out the door. The few fires that were still lit gave off enough light that she could see people running into the woods, fleeing something that crossing the field towards them; flashes of light and sounds like gunpowder followed after them. Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells drifted towards them; then came a strong burst of green light, enough that it illuminated the entire scene.

A crowd of wizards, tightly packed, moving together across the field like a unit, their wands pointing upward. Hera tried squinting to see them, but it was like they didn't have faces. Hoods covered them, their faces masked. High above them, floating along in midair, were four figures contorting in grotesque ways; as if the wizards were puppeteers playing with their marionettes. Two of the figures in the air were very small, and all at once Hera couldn't breathe. Children. They were torturing children.

"We're going to help the ministry!" Arthur shouted over the noise, gesturing to indicate his three eldest sons. "You lot…get in the woods, and stick together! I'll come fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

They were gone before the children could say anything.

"Any of you have your brooms?" Hera asked intently.

"Harry, we're supposed to go into the woods!" Hermione shrieked in panic.

"He said 'get in the woods, and stick together'. He didn't say we had to do it in that order, or when we had to do it exactly." Hera pointed out, already getting out and unshrinking her broom. "We don't have a lot of time. Who has their brooms?"

...

Fred and George both raised their hands, but Ron wilted. He'd left his at home. Ginny shook her head no, and Hermione turned green at the thought. She'd not bought one. Hera nodded in understanding; it was a situation to correct later, but not something to worry over just yet.

"Alright. Fred, George? I'll distract the wizards, you play Keep the Muggle. Ron, Hermione, Ginny? Lay down some ground defenses, offenses if you like. If they get too close, I want you in those tents with the strongest shield charms you can muster, blasting anything that comes through, and ask questions after they're dead."

"Pardon." They hear, and everyone is quick to hold this new person who is nearing them at wand point. "Vould you haff room for von more?"

"Krum?" Hera realizes. "Fight or Fly?"

"I vill fight. Protect." The older teen replies quickly. "Ve must move quickly."

"Alright. You all know what to do." She nods, before she mounts her broom, shooting off like a rocket towards the wizards.

Fred and George wait till she's almost half way to the encroaching wizards before mounting their brooms, and flying low but wide circles around the muggles. It would help if they had another broom, but Ron left his at home, and Krum had decided defending those that had less combat experience was more important. They couldn't just depend on two third years and one second year to have Hera's back on the ground. Speaking of which, Hera had speared through that group like she was playing chicken

…and they'd blinked first.

"What does she think she's doing?!" Malfoy hissed. Hermione was successful in not jumping at the sound, but she was the only one.

"The right thing." Hermione snapped, already setting up spell upon spell under her breath.

"Why aren't you running? They'd do worse to you!" Malfoy continued. "Damn it, Granger, they'd take one look at you, and-"

"Malfoy, if you aren't going to help, either shut up or get out." Ron growls, not even looking back at him. "Bloody hell!"

Hera had stopped in the middle of yet another charge, and shot into the air like a bullet, only to catch one of the smaller children that had fallen past Fred and George's reach; both had caught the two adults, and one child was still being tortured. It was exactly the distraction the wizards down below were looking for, and they began firing off spells at the girl. Too bad for them Ginny put all her might into casting the strongest Batty Bogey she could at the lot, and at least four of them went down. Malfoy looked mildly terrified of her, which boosted Ginny's confidence big time, and even Krum looked suitably impressed. Some of those batty bogies were the size of Great Danes.

...

Most of them apparated out when that happened, pulling their injured comrades with them. Hera had a split second to realize that left the other kid free-falling, before she was racing to save that kid too; not an easy feat with one child already in her arms. She dove, pushing the Firebolt for all the speed she could get from it. She was able to reach the kid, but she had to let go of the Firebolt to do it, and she wasn't going to be able to pull out of the dive with just her knees. Hera rolled off the broom and onto her back, shielding the small children as best as she could, curling herself around them before they hit the ground. She had no idea how far they slid, but they do eventually stop, and she sags with relief.

"That hurt." Hera groans breathlessly. Both little boys start hugging the life out of her when they realize they are safe and on the ground. "You two alright? No injuries? We landed kinda hard there."

"HERA PRIMROSE POTTER!"

Hera took a deep breath despite the excruciating pain it caused, and let out a string of expletives she'd never dare say in front of Molly, breathlessly laughing when the two younger boys looked scandalized even after everything they'd just been through.

"Quick! You have to hide me. She's so scary." Hera wheezed through her pained laughter. She waved her hands pitifully. "I can't move."

"Hera, what were you thinking! You could have gotten yourself killed!" Hermione shrieked, as she stomped over. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm just…stuck." Hera admitted as she laughed, waving her hands a little more for show. "Feeling a little like an overturned turtle. Help?"

"Hera! Hera! Is she okay? Let me through! My family is over there!" She hears Arthur shout. When he gets into her field of vision, he has the sternest expression she's ever seen him use. "You're grounded."

"You're not my real dad." She teases.

The man doesn't even hesitate, and replies with a grin. "Just for that, I'm going to make sure you eat all your vegetables."*

...

While the muggle family was taken off to be treated and obliviated, Hera was looked over for injuries as well. She was sore, and a bit stiff, but otherwise fine; a surprise, given the rather long crater she had left in the earth when she hit it and continued sliding. There was a rather large nasty looking bruise covering the expanse of her back, but that would easily heal with time. The Firebolt was recovered, hovering near the Weasley tents when they went searching for it. That was a minor miracle, considering everything that had happened.

Arthur was scolding her for her recklessness, and how she'd wriggled out of his orders…and influenced his children to disobey him, but he smiled fondly at her like he was remembering something. Maybe this is what it was like for Ron when he made his parents angry worry, that they fuss at him but still show that they love him. Hera had never experienced anything like it, and didn't know how to react or how to handle it. Ron hadn't look like he was going to get kicked out, or told he was unloved. He just accepted his father's fussing, feigning a put upon look, but Hera could see the fondness for his father in his eyes. They still loved him, and Ron had no doubts about it, which eased her mind when the fussing was turned back towards her.

"You think this is something," Ron tells her later. "just want till Mum gets her chance to fuss over you."

Hera had groaned, having somehow forgotten she was going to have to face Molly.

...

When they get back to the Burrow, Hera makes sure to stay in the back of the group. Old fears are ever present, memories of being 'scolded' by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon at the forefront of her mind. It is the reason Molly is more cautious with her than she is with her own children. The woman worries over Arthur first, fussing as she checked him over for injuries even though the incident had been days ago. Her oldest boys are next; Bill and Charley shrug her off with the ease of practice, and Fred and George get surprised with hugs so tight they couldn't breathe.

"Now, you four…" Molly frowns, pausing for a moment, looking around. "Where's Hera?"

Hera is shamelessly hiding behind Ron, figuring that she might as well use that beanpole height of his for all it's worth.

"Hera, what you did was reckless and dangerous. You endangered the lives of your friends, but even so…" Molly began, as she tried to peer around her son's side, realizing where Hera had likely hidden herself. "…You made sure they had a plan to stay safe, and you saved two children at extreme risk. I'm so proud of you, of all of you."

And then suddenly she was being hugged as the others had been, her eyes wide as she looked to the others to check if this was normal, despite already knowing the answer to that; Ron grinning sheepishly at her. When had he moved? The traitor! She starts waving her hands, because she can't breathe, but she's never felt so loved before. The others all chuckle, and eventually Molly lets go enough that Hera can see she'd started crying, and then they're hugging again.

Hera doesn't like the idea of giving up her vault key, needs to know she's got that security in case something goes wrong. This means that when Molly asks for it, so she can pick up any last minute items that Hera may have forgotten, she just goes with her instead. Molly doesn't question it, instead making it a girls day with Hermione and Ginny as well. Hera is a long way away from trusting authority figures enough to hand things like that over without a thought, but she likes that Molly forgets she's not just like one of her children sometimes. When they come back from their shopping trip, Ron can be heard complaining already.

"Mum, I think you gave me Ginny's dress." Ron stated, looking quite confused as he held up some sort of lace covered maroon monstrosity.

"No, those are your dress robes. They're on your list." Molly insisted. "Robes for formal occasions. Your father's got some for smart parties."

Before Ron could object any further, and she could see that he was going to, Hera snatched them from him.

"They're not that bad. The lace is coming apart, but that's an easy fix. I'd have to tailor it to you. That's an easy fix too, and I think I can tone down the colour a bit, so that's not a problem either. I feel like maybe a dark blood garnet might be more your shade." Hera stated, as she looked the robes over, before starting up the stairs. "Come on, Ron. You've just volunteered to be a dress dummy."

"I don't want to be a dress dummy." Ron objected petulantly.

"Should have thought of that before you started complaining then." Hera retorted, no sympathy, already set on dragging him along.

Fred and George start snickering.

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you." Ginny warned sagely. "Who knows? You might be next."

The two looked at her with new light, and a dawning understanding came upon them as they turned to each other, before bolting from the room.

* Quote is from 'Survival is a Telent' by Shanastoryteller over on AO3