Author's Note: Howdy! I have edited chapter 1 and am half way thru writing chpt 3 :) Thank you to everyone who has fav'd/followed, looking at my ff account I think it is pretty obvious I don't do too much writing so this has been neat. Hope everyone is staying safe in quarantine.

Edit: Thoughts are in italics

"I'm going to kill you, brat!"

Jean Granger screamed in frustration as she ran across the living room, hot on the tail of her daughter, Hermione. She reached out a hand, clutching at the thick brown hair, forcing the young girl to come to a screeching halt.

"Please, I didn't mean–"

The ten year old began to blubber, tears rolling down her cheeks as she steeled herself against the angry gaze leveled at her head. Jean wound up her arm, in preparation to strike the sniveling child when a commotion was heard in the front hall.

"Bombarda!"

The front door exploded inwards, debris flying across the room, damaging the far wall.

"Let go of her! Hermione, it's okay. You're safe now."

A slender woman emerged from the gaping entry way, stepping over rubble before reaching out to the scared girl, her fluorescent green hair styled in a spiked mohawk. Hermione shifted towards the newcomer, not knowing who she was but feeling calmed by her voice.

"This is absurd. How can I feel safe with her? She just blew up my home!" Hermione wavered in her decision to trust the newcomer, but a quick glance at the rage flashing in her mother's eyes gave her pause to reevaluate. After all, she couldn't be in any more danger than she was already.

"Who are you? Why do you know Hermione's name?"

The green-haired women sneered at Mrs. Granger, not deigning to answer. Instead, she reached out to Hermione. Jean held her daughter's arm steadfastly, not budging at the display of power from the smaller woman.

"Hermione is my child and you aren't welcome here."

She spit out the words as she gestured to the woman, who didn't appear phased by the venom in her voice. The (unwelcome) guest ignored the fuming brunette and instead bent down to Hermione's level, seeing how pale the girl's face had turned at her mother's threatening tone.

"Hermione, I am Auror-in-training Tonks. Pleased to meet 'cha."

Tonks, once again, stuck her hand out to the girl, who was still in Jean Granger's grasp.

"Ma'am I'm going to say this nicely once. I need you to let go of your daughter. I'm with the Auror department and Hermione is going to come with me, whether you approve or not. I promise she will be safe, though I don't imagine that is one of your higher priorities… bitch."

Tonks coughed over the last part before handing Jean a warrant and forcing her to let go of the tear-stained girl. Before Jean could react, Tonks put her own hand on Hermione's shoulder and with a pop, apparated herself and the child out of the house. Upon landing, Hermione quickly threw up, her meager breakfast spilling out on her shirt and shoes.

Tonks stepped back at the girl's projection, but quickly returned to stabilize the still wobbly ten-year-old.

"What happened? Where are we? Who are you? What's going on?"

Her questions came out of her as quickly as her slice of toast had a moment earlier, catching Tonks off guard.

"I'm an auror."

Upon seeing how confused the girl still seemed to be, she decided to elaborate.

"It's like a muggle penny? No… copper? Yeah, I'm a copper!"

Tonks was proud to have remembered the word, but the young girl still seemed confused.

"Magical law enforcement, Hermione. It was a joke."

"Ohhh."

Though she now understood who her rescuer was, Hermione was unimpressed with the young woman's humor. The auror continued,

"Hermione. You're a witch. I was sent to fetch you and show you the magic of our world."

At this, Tonks began to chuckle. Hermione was still suspicious of this strange woman and her decidedly dad-like humor.

I hope all witches aren't so unfunny. Hermione shook the rude thought away and settled for an experiment.

"If you are a witch then prove it."

Hermione wasn't foolish. She didn't believe in ghosts, goblins, and ghouls. None of it fit with her logical mind.

"I just apparated us 500 kilometers…"

Seeing Hermione continue to stare at her, she relented.

"Oh very well…"

Hermione glanced down briefly before looking back up at Tonks, she yelped. The woman's previously green hair was a bright, flamingo pink. But that wasn't all. Hermione was shocked to watch her nose elongate into an elephant's trunk. Hermione started to laugh as Tonks's ears stretched through her short hair, matching the grey leathery appearance of an elephant's.

"Blimey."

Hermione's mouth hung open, speechless. Her hand reached out, almost of its own volition, to touch the swaying nose. As she made contact the auror sneezed mightily, startling Hermione out of her mannerless behavior.

"I'm so sorry. That was rude. But we can become elephants?"

Tonks laughed, shaking her head.

"No kiddo. I'm what we call a 'metamorphagus.' It's a weird gift, even in the wizarding world. But, you are magical, and you could learn to become an elephant, if you wanted. Though that's some tricky spellwork and also I've never met an animagus that was less sneaky than their human form… I wonder if anyone has ever done that? Anyways, let's go get some lunch and I can try to answer some of your questions. A smart girl like you must have a million."

Hermione went to protest, seeing as she didn't have any money and her mom wouldn't want to pay back this odd elephant woman.

"No little missy, you're getting fed. My boss is paying for it, so no worries."

Plus, Tonks thought to herself, you need to eat– this tiny girl didn't keep her breakfast down and how would that look, if my charge starved to death on my first solo mission?

Tonks grabbed Hermione's hand, who stiffened, as if preparing to be yanked into another dimension. She relaxed as the auror simply led them out of the alleyway and onto a street filled with odd looking people. Hermione could scarcely keep her eyes in her head, as she swiveled like an owl to take in as much of the view as she could. Just as she made eye contact with a haughty, platinum haired woman, she was yanked into a dimly lit building that stank of cigar smoke and something greasy. Once they sat down, the woman, who no longer looked like an elephant (thankfully) turned to look at the small brunette.

"This is the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione. We are on one of the main magical thoroughfares of London. So be careful– you never know who is around us. But I'm starving. I'm gonna go get a cheesy Chimera-chonga. What would you like?"

Hermione stared up at Tonks blankly before asking for a chicken sandwich. The auror looked at her before nodding and walking off.

Hermione was watching her finger trace a path around the whorls of the wooden tabletop when a pale, manicured hand came down on top of hers. Startled. She looked up, only to see the woman from outside glaring down at her, her face cool and stern. When Hermione didn't offer her a response, she seated herself next to the child in the booth.

"Hello, dear. My name is Narcissa Malfoy. Who are you?"

When Hermione continued to stare at the blonde woman mistrustfully, forcing the older witch to once again break the silence.

"I could feel your magic when you were tugged into this abysmal … diner. Are you with anyone?"

The fashionable woman seemed to have trouble finding a polite way to describe the dingy restaurant. She forced her cold face into a smile that to others, more closely resembled a scowl. Hermione shifted in her seat, unsure of what this woman was looking for. It'd be rude not to talk to a grown up.

"My name is Hermione Granger. I'm with an arr-er. Who are you?"

"Hermione?"

The blonde was surprised at the name, it appeared, and the young girl watched as Lady Malfoy's brow furrowed with thought. Surely this can't be Hermione. I need to find out more before I ask Bella, but Hermione is such an uncommon name. Narcissa physically shook herself from her train of thoughts.

"An auror? Whom dear?"

"Lady Malfoy. I'm going to ask you to step away from my charge."

Tonks was now standing over the two witches, her hand prepared to draw her wand if necessary. Neither Hermione nor Lady Malfoy had noticed her approach, which Tonks took as a testament to her auror training. God I used to be so clumsy.

"Oh, how lovely to see you Nymphadora. How is your mother doing? I pray all is well with you-"

"Narcissa, you need to leave. I'm here on Ministry business and this is wildly untoward."

Tonks pulled her wand out and pointed it at the blonde, before addressing Hermione.

"Hermione what has she said to you?"

"What? Nothing."

The girl looked scared to have been drawn into the increasingly hostile exchange. She hadn't done anything! Though Hermione knew that she was often punished for things she couldn't control she had thought the auror was different, safer. Lady Malfoy rose from her seat and glanced cooly at the young auror before smiling again to Hermione.

"Until next time, little one. Nymphadora… you could bring your family great pride."

Narcissa sighed softly before strutting away from the duo, her mind racing as to why the child's magic had spoken to her so, practically shouting at her from across the alleyway. Surely it couldn't be her? As she exited the unseemly business, she vanished with a pop.

"Hermione you just met a very powerful witch. That was Narcissa Malfoy. She is one of the 'sacred 28,' all pure blood nonsense. Anyways, I hope you're hungry. I got you the butterbeer battered chicken, all the Cauldron's bread vanished this morning so no sandwiches today."

Tonks tried to smile at the girl to hide the tension that had built once she had spotted her Aunt speaking with Hermione. Showing the muggle born how upset she was would only make it harder for her to feel comfortable with Tonks and the wizarding world at large. As far as the run-in with Narcissa though, things definitely could have ended worse.