A/N: This is a long one to make up for my delayed posting! Hope you enjoy this one :)
-oOo-
Chapter 14
Charlus dismissed the boys shortly after James' promise and immediately Floo'd Moody to inform him of the new information he had acquired regarding Hermione's parents and Greyback. They would need to listen in for any mention of Hermione's survival or Greyback's interest.
Sirius and the boys left his office and immediately went searching for Hermione, whom they found wrapped up in Dorea's arms in the library. As they approached, Dorea signalled for silence as Hermione had fallen asleep.
"She is a wonderful girl, Sirius," Dorea whispered as they settled in the chairs around her.
"The best," he replied, his eyes refusing to move from Hermione's form.
"My boys, you have grown so much, I wish you did not have to be a part of this fight ahead," the older witch whispered sadly.
"Is it not honourable to fight?" asked Peter quietly. He was confused, he never wanted to be involved in the war, but after speaking with Charlus he knew he would be forced to do something. If he did nothing, he was still doing something, still picking a side. He just wanted to be strong, and powerful, and have pride and honour for himself and his name remembered. Throughout history, those who fought in battles and wars were considered glorious and honourable, and now Dorea was saying she wished they wouldn't?
"It is honourable to stand up for what you believe in, to stand up for your friends and family. It is honourable to fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves," Dorea spoke quietly but with conviction, "It is not honourable to fight to remove those you disagree with, to limit others because you see them as weaker, as less than, or to dismiss others protection because their views are different. It is not honourable to ask children that have not even graduated school and are barely of age, to enlist as soldiers."
Sirius was not sure if Dorea was speaking about Dumbledore or Voldemort. Both had enlisted students to fight for them, Dumbledore would ask him and his friends to join, and Voldemort had taken Reggie and Barty. Dumbledore had dismissed Hermione's safety because he disagreed with her spending time with Reggie and Barty, and Voldemort had used her and tortured her because she was considered less than him because she was Muggleborn.
"Each of you must choose your future path, decide what you truly value and what you would fight for. If you do not know why you fight, you very well may lose yourself and not recognize who you are in time," Dorea lightly stroked the side of Hermione's face, causing the young witch to snuggle into the woman. Sirius loved watching her sleep, it was when she was the most content and at peace, he had seen her, he wished she could be that relaxed when awake.
"I know what I fight for, I always have," replied James, fire in his eyes. Remus, Peter, and Sirius all nodded in agreement, they were Gryffindors, and they stood up for what was right.
"Good, now this girl needs rest," Dorea's tone changed from soft and somber, to light and airy, "Rooble?" A house elf appeared at her side wearing a pair of black trousers and a pale blue tunic adorned with a Potter crest on the chest.
"Mistress calls for Rooble?" the elf asked, bowing low.
"Rooble, you menace, how often have I told you?" Dorea scolded lightly, "No bowing!"
"The mistress has caught Rooble," smiled the elf, his ears vibrating in amusement, "There is a new guest." Dorea rolled her eyes at the small creature, just like her son he liked to play tricks and his favourite was to be as formal as he could. Something Dorea was adamant that formality would never cast a shadow over her home.
"New guest of not, Rooble, I will have Mipsy replace your shirt with a knitted jumper in orange," she smirked at the elf who gasped.
"Orange knitted jumper?!" he shrieked, causing the boys to choke back laughter, "Mistress would not punish Rooble with such cruelty. Mistress would iron Rooble's hands before she gave him anything orange or knitted."
"I would never iron your hands Rooble," tutted Dorea, "However, I did find a wonderful tweed wool in a bright, almost sunrise orange."
"For all the masters and mistresses of all house elf pasts and the mother that protects our bonds, please do not give me orange tweed mistress, I beg you!" the little elf fell to Dorea's feet, twisting his ears nervously. The boys could not hold their laughter in anymore.
"Ma, put the little guy out of his misery," chuckled Sirius.
"Oh you are no fun," smiled Dorea, "I am sorry, Rooble, for teasing you. I would never, ever give you such materials for your clothes. I know you would never wear anything knitted, tweed, orange, or magic forbid, magenta." The boys were hit with another wave of laughter when Rooble visibly shuddered at the word magenta.
"The mistress thinks she is funny," Rooble said standing up and dusting his knees off, lifting his chin and standing straight, "but mistress forgets that Rooble helped mistress into her nappies. Yes Rooble, ran after the mistress who refused to have bathses."
"Okay, Rooble, enough," laughed Dorea, her cheeks tinging pink slightly, she sometimes forgot Rooble had his fair share of stories he could share about her. "Can you please ensure Miss Hermione is transported safely to her bedroom in the west wing?"
The elf replied that he would be happy to assist and had made sure Mipsy had prepared the room earlier before disappearing with the young witch. Sirius felt a warmth leave him as she disappeared from his sight.
"You boys spoke with your father?" Dorea asked, continuing when each of them nodded, "Good, you need to be aware of everything going on in order to make a decision. Without facts, you cannot make the best decisions. I want you to question everyone and every decision, never blindly go ahead with something just because you trust the messenger."
"You also don't want us trusting Dumbledore?" Remus asked quietly. That was the instruction he was having the hardest time with, the headmaster had given him so much just by allowing him to attend Hogwarts. He could never repay that, he could only offer his trust and loyalty and now he was being told not to, but people he trusted with his life.
"No one is saying not to trust Dumbledore," she replied, "We are simply cautioning you not to trust blindly. If he gives you an instruction or advice, we only want you to question those instructions or advice. Look at something from all angles, from different perspectives because something is not always as it seems. Take Regulus for example, from nearly every perspective he looks like the perfect pureblood son, taking the Mark, following the values of his family. Without knowing he was forced and doesn't want to be there, you would take him for a willing Death Eater, wanting to bring an end to Muggleborns. The world is not black and white, it is every shade of grey, and unfortunately, Dumbledore, an incredibly grey wizard, paints a picture of black and white."
"Okay, mum, we understand," replied James.
"Do not think we do not stand behind Dumbledore, because we do. We are part of his Order and I know you will all join in the summer. I have resigned myself to that fact, I just want you to be smart about everything. I do not want to lose any of you, boys, because you trusted the wrong person."
"Never ma, the only people we trust explicitly are in this house and Evans' bedroom," smirked Sirius.
"Exactly," piped up Peter smiling at his friends. He may not be as smart as his friends, or as popular, but they always had his back, always stood up for him. They trusted each other absolutely.
-oOo-
Hermione woke up the next morning in a bed that felt like clouds. She took nearly thirty minutes just to convince herself to get out of bed before rolling off the edge. Landing on the floor with a thud, she was happy to find the soft carpet had softened her fall. Standing up she looked around and found herself in a stunning bedroom. It was a large room; the bed was a four-poster dark wood bed with sheer sage green drapes and was placed in the centre of the room. The carpet was actually a stunning cream Persian rug with a green motif that covered dark wood floors and the wainscotting matched the floor colour. The walls were also cream but shimmered in the light, upon closer inspection Hermione saw that the walls were covered in gold foliage.
If her parents had seen this room, they would have been beside themselves. Her mother would be pushing for her to get to know James and get close to him to show him how suitable she would be as a wife. Her father would have immediately dismissed Mrs. Potter and spoken to Mr. Potter about his investments and desire to network and shake hands with the right people. She never had to think about them again and while she had hated them, guilt ran through her knowing that because of her they were dead. Not just out of her life, they had been brutally murdered because of her.
The contentment she felt upon first waking disappeared as she remembered her parents, which only led to her remembering her torture. She ran to the bathroom as a wave of nausea hit her and emptied her stomach in the toilet. She retched until she had nothing left in her stomach and laid her head against the cool ceramic. Once she felt the weakness she felt after being sick subside, she stood up and washed her face in the sink. Looking in the mirror she saw her eyes were red and puffy while her skin was as white as a sheet and covered in a sheen of sweat.
Hermione glanced around the bathroom and was amazed at the opulence, it reminded her of the prefect bathroom in Granger's time. The bathtub looked like ten people could sit in it comfortably, there was a standing shower with three nozzles, and the entire room was a jade green marble with black ceramic and gold pipes and plumbing. While she wasn't much of a bath person, Hermione couldn't lie to herself and say she would not indulge at least once while here for Yule.
With a deep breath, she wiped her face of sweat once more and returned to the bedroom to crawl into bed once more. She knew she was being rude, she should go out and see the Potters and the boys, they had invited her here and she should say hello, but she couldn't.
It was only fifteen minutes later, as she was hiding under the blanket that she heard a crack. Lifting the blanket from her head she looked around the room and found a small house elf standing near the bed. He was looking up at her with big blue eyes, his ears drooped down, wearing a red tunic with a crest on it and black trousers.
"Rooble is wondering if the miss Herm-in-ninny is wanting to come for lunch?" the house elf asked her.
"Oh, um, no I am okay here thank you," replied Hermione softly.
"The miss Herm-in-ninny does not feel well?" Rooble asked nervously.
"I'm just not hungry, Rooble."
"Mistress had Rooble help miss Herm-in-ninny to bed without dinners, miss Herm-in-ninny did not wake for breakfast, and now miss Herm-in-ninny refuses lunch? Miss Herm-in-ninny will get sick if she does not eat!" the elf spoke sternly.
"You're a pushy elf, aren't you?" Hermione asked with a smile. She knew from Granger's experience that they were very, very against freedom, and she knew from Reggie that house elves relied on their connection to wizards. However, she also learned from both Granger through Dobby, and Reggie through Kreacher, that they had the ability to go against their bond if it was to listen to or help someone, they deemed more worthy of their strongest connection. Dobby had gone against Lucius Malfoy to warn Harry, multiple times, and Kreacher had never gone against Regulus' wishes in the future even after he was dead, and had betrayed Sirius to Narcissa and Bellatrix.
"Miss Herm-in-ninny says pushy elf, Rooble says excellent elf," he harrumphed. Hermione bit back a chuckle but could not hide her smile. "Will miss Herm-in-ninny listen to Rooble and come for lunches?"
"I will come for lunch Rooble, as you are so insistent," sighed Hermione causing a large smile to overtake Rooble's face and his ears to perk up and vibrate with excitement.
"Miss Herm-in-ninny will like this lunch, after not eating for many meals, Rooble has made sure the kitchen elf, Tootsy, has prepared soups, breads, and cheeses."
"That was very kind of you Rooble, please thank Tootsy for me," Hermione said to the elf kindly, "Would you be able to lead me to the others once I am dressed?" Rooble let her know he would return in a few moments after letting everyone know she would be along shortly. She dressed herself in a pair of jeans and a blue jumper from her trunk and brushed her hair into a high ponytail. Once she was finished getting ready, Rooble popped into the room.
"Miss Herm-in-ninny, I informed the mistress that you would be coming and Rooble would show you the way but the young mister Si-" Rooble was interrupted by a loud, obnoxious knock on her door. The visitor did not wait for an answer before pushing the door open and revealing Sirius Black. "As Rooble was saying, mister Sirius was pushy," Rooble let out a depraving sigh and stared at the wizard unblinkingly.
"Oh Rooble, that is you, the pot, calling Sirius, the kettle, black," she laughed. Seeing the exasperated look on the little elf as Sirius looked at him innocently was too much for her.
"Rooble has told the miss Herm-in-ninny that he is not pushy!" the elf turned his eyes from the wizard to Hermione, emphasizing his point by stomping his foot and disappearing.
"What in Merlin's name did you say to him?" asked Sirius, walking into the room with wide eyes, "I have never seen him so flustered before."
"Me? What did you say to him?" she grinned.
"What could I possibly have said to him? I am always an angel and only speak sweet words to all," Sirius spoke with a glint in his eye, "He stomped his foot and left after you said something."
"Angel my arse," she replied, "a lot more devilish."
"I can be more devilish if that's what you want," Sirius said, his voice dropping an octave. He stepped up closer to her, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek. She leaned into the warmth and comfort his hand provided her.
"Trying to corrupt me with your devilish words, Mr. Black?" she asked, looking up at her through her lashes. Sirius leaned in close so his lips could ghost over hers, teasing her, before he pulled back slightly.
"I want to do more than corrupt you, princess," he whispered into her ear. Before he could press his lips against hers, Rooble reappeared.
"The mister Sirius is so pushy for the miss Herm-in-ninny to eat, Rooble is an excellent elf to convince miss Herm-in-ninny to eat and Rooble finds mister Sirius keeping miss Herm-in-ninny from lunches! Rooble is getting very upsets with the witches and wizards in this house. Mistress threatening orange knitted horrors, mister Sirius being pushy, Rooble is an excellent elf and miss Herm-in-ninny will learn that soons!" Rooble magicked a Daily Prophet in his hand, rolled it up, and began smacking Sirius' legs. "Rooble will get the mister Sirius and miss Herm-in-ninny to lunch if it is the only thing Rooble does todays when he has so many other things to do. He will make sure he is an excellent elf and has his mister and miss fed!"
"Ow! Morgana's tits Rooble!" cried out Sirius as the elf continuously smacked his legs, "Merlin's saggy balls, I'm going, I'm going!" Hermione burst out laughing and was almost doubled over as she watched the short elf, that barely made it to Sirius' knees, bully him and push him out of the room.
"The miss Herm-in-ninny laughs, but Rooble will smack her too," the elf threatened. Hermione quickly followed behind the cursing wizard and pushy elf, although she would never call him that to his face again.
Through the house Hermione followed, laughing the entire way until they made it to the dining room where James, Remus, Peter, Dorea, and Charlus were waiting for them.
"Rooble, Godric, we're here, you can stop hitting me!" cried Sirius, dropping into a chair in front of James. Rooble gave him one more smack before turning to Hermione.
"Miss Herm-in-ninny will sits now!" the elf commanded, pointing his newspaper at the chair beside Sirius, in front of Remus.
"Sirius, what did you do to dear Rooble?" Dorea asked curiously.
"Me? I did nothing! Ask her!" Sirius cried, pointing towards Hermione dramatically. Hermione was calmly sitting down, acting like the polite girl her parents raised her to be, looking completely innocent.
"Whatever could I have done to the elf?" Hermione said sweetly. Charlus choked back a laugh as he watched Sirius' eyes widen at Hermione's act. He shared a look with Dorea and he knew they both agreed, Sirius had found his match in the young Ravenclaw.
"Rooble, you're being awfully pushy this morning," commented James. Hermione turned to James with wide eyes before glancing toward the elf. She held her breath in anticipation as she looked at the elf, his wide blue eyes had turned from Hermione and Sirius towards James, the right eye twitching as he silently stared at his young master.
"Pushy?" the elf asked slowly. James caught Hermione's eyes and was confused at the worry swirling in them, the worry for him from Rooble for some reason.
"Yes…." He said slowly.
"Pushy?!" the elf shrieked loudly, running at James with the newspaper. The elf began smacking James everywhere he could reach, James was covering his face and head with his arms as he was assaulted by the elf, "Rooble is not pushy! He is excellent. Excellent elf, no, Rooble is never pushy!"
"Fuck! Rooble! Merlin, what is happening?!" the bespectacled wizard cried, "Mum! Get him off, what in Merlin's name did I say?!"
"Rooble!" laughed Charlus, "leave the boy be. You are an excellent elf, James misspoke and has now learned his lesson." Rooble stepped back from James who was nodding furiously.
"Excellent elf, Rooble, I'm sorry!" exclaimed James. Rooble let out a huff and glared at James, Sirius, and finally Hermione before disappearing. "What in the bloody fuck just happened?"
"Language, James!" admonished Dorea.
Remus and Peter were crying from laughter, unable to contain their tears from seeing Sirius and then James be beaten by a small elf. James was looking particularly dishevelled, resulting in a fresh wave of laughter hitting the boys. His glasses were askew on his face, his hair was pointing in every direction, his clothes were rumpled, and his cheeks were flushed.
"Mate, I don't know. I went in to get Hermione and she said something to him, and he stomped his foot and left. He came back a few minutes later and went on about being an excellent elf and started smacking me," replied Sirius.
James and Sirius both stared at Hermione expectantly as her laughter died down.
"What? I happen to think Rooble is an excellent elf," she replied innocently. Dorea and Charlus chuckled as they watched the children interact. Rooble reappeared with lunch in front of Hermione as she finished speaking.
"I am glad that the miss Herm-in-ninny is learning her lesson, Rooble is an excellent elf," Rooble said glaring at James and Sirius, disappearing without serving the boys.
"He seems to have a problem with being called pushy," smirked Charlus, glancing towards Hermione, whose lips upturned but refused to look up at him.
"Now, Hermione dear, how was your sleep? Was the bedroom I had prepared for you comfortable?" Dorea asked as the family tucked into their lunch.
"It is beautiful, Mrs. Potter, truly," replied Hermione politely.
"Dorea, dear, please call me Dorea, and my husband is Charlus. I will not have you call us Mr. and Mrs. Potter, it just won't do," the elder witch said, waving her hand dismissively at the formal titles.
"As you wish, Dorea," Hermione replied carefully, her parents had raised her to never refer to an elder by their first name. First names were for friends, colleagues, and children, even Moody, she called by a last name and had taken time to stop saying the Mr. in front of it. Moody had shuddered every time she had called him Mr. Moody and was adamant she called him Moody or Alastor. She had shuddered at the thought of calling him Alastor, and she felt similarly now at the thought of referring to Mr. Potter as Charlus.
Her father had only ever hit her once when she returned after her first year, but he did ensure a healthy dose of fear was ingrained in her. Fear of men of authority and disrespecting them. When she was only six years old, she had unknowingly disrespected one of her father's coworkers, dismissing him in conversation to address the man's wife. When her parents' guests had left for the evening, her father had screamed and yelled at her, smashing everything she loved in her room and informing her that she would be receiving discipline from her mother, five smacks across the knuckles with her wooden ruler.
That day had led to a panic attack, isolation in her room for a week, and a new fear of ever disrespecting an elder man again.
Dorea and Charlus shared a look at Hermione's polite and respectful tone and inability to look Charlus in the eyes. They understood they had had Sirius come to them after being abused by his family and disowned. Hermione had experienced terrible treatment from her parents, neglect, abandonment, and then the ultimate betrayal that led to something no child should ever experience.
They continued breakfast watching the boys talk to Hermione. James and Sirius told her about the Manor and the different elves, while Remus explained about the amazing books and history of the area, and Peter gushed about the food from the elves. They told her about the quidditch pitch in the back garden that sat beside a small hedge maze leading to a beautiful pond filled with magical fish that they promised to show her. Hermione smiled and laughed with the boys but still seemed to be holding back in the presence of the adults.
After they all ate, the boys took Hermione back to the library to show her the organizing system and how to find a book she would like to read. They also ensured she had a proper tour so she wouldn't get lost in the house while she was visiting. It got dark before they were able to show her the gardens but promised they would show her the next morning after breakfast. Remus promised to sit with her and read while James and Sirius played against each other, and Peter refereed.
Dorea and Charlus smiled as they watched their boys bring life back into the young girl, they only hoped they could help her with her fear of them. They knew all they could do was show her kindness and respect her need for space. They hoped that she would be more comfortable around them when Lily arrived, so they could take both girls aside and speak with them about the outside world. Charlus sent a message to Alastor requesting that he join them when they did talk to the girls, hoping that he would help Hermione feel more at ease. His colleague's reply was quick and short, a simple 'yes, moron', Charlus had a good chuckle at that.
-oOo-
The days flew by at Potter Manor for Hermione. Each morning she woke from a nightmare in the cloud bed and rolled over to enjoy a shower or bath in the stunning bathroom. She would then join the boys for breakfast, Dorea and Charlus joining as they finished up and were heading to the gardens. Hermione wasn't sure if they normally ate after them, or if they were keeping a distance because of her. She hoped it was the former because she never wanted to change how James' parents acted in their own home.
When they arrived in the gardens, the boys would drag her around to look at all the wonderful things on the property. On the first day, they had shown her the quidditch pitch, which explained why James was so skilled at both Chaser and Seeker with the ability to practice both constantly. It also explained a lot of his arrogance on the pitch when he felt born to play it.
The second day they had shown her the maze and led her to the middle where she watched the most entrancing fish swim around. Some glowed an iridescent blue, like the bioluminescent algae in the ocean, some were the colours of the rainbow, changing colours as they moved. The most beautiful one to Hermione was the fish that looked like a koi, but the colour was a pearlescent white with bright pink fins that flowed behind it ethereally. Each of the magical fish were enchanting to watch and she could watch them for hours, which she did as all four boys played a game of two-on-two quidditch.
In the days following, she had been shown the stables that held two regular horses. Charlus enjoyed the muggle racetracks and had bet on both horses for many years, when they were to be retired and put down, he had stepped in and took them in. Dorea and he enjoyed taking strolls on horseback through the trails around the property, often taking them before muggles. Hence the desire for muggle animals rather than unicorns or abraxan. Hermione was also shown the ward lines and the muggle town just outside of the property.
To say this was the best yule holiday Hermione had would be an understatement. She loved learning about the property, Remus telling her about the history while James and Sirius threw in facts about themselves or a prank they played. Peter constantly followed behind, always chasing James and Sirius when they went off to fly or cause mischief, leaving Remus and Hermione to talk about their classes or a book they both had read. Sirius made sure he made time for her, always holding her hand or touching her in some way as he led her around the estate. He kissed her head, temple, cheek, or forehead whenever he could, but had yet to kiss her lips again since that day in the classroom.
Hermione wasn't sure what to take from Sirius' actions. He touched her a lot, gave her chaste kisses everywhere but her lips, and called her his endearing names, but made sure he was never alone with her and hadn't kissed her. She wanted to kiss him again, it had felt so perfect, but she wasn't sure if maybe he had changed his mind about her, she would understand, he was Sirius Black and she was, well…her.
Yule Eve finally arrived, and James was beside himself with excitement for Lily's arrival the next day. Hermione smiled as she watched him jump around between his friends, teasing them or playfully wrestling them. Sirius finally had enough and shoved James off him and onto the floor.
"Mate, Prongs, will you just fuck off?" Sirius chuckled at his friend lying on the floor staring up at him in offense.
"Pads, what the fuck?" James growled, lifting himself off the floor and tackling Sirius to the floor. Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes at the boys rolling around on the floor. Remus shook his head and continued reading his book and Peter chose to cheer them both on while he snacked on his chocolate frogs.
"James, Sirius, I know I like an informal home, but this goes a bit beyond that I think," Dorea said as she glided into the room. She was wearing a beautiful royal blue robe and had her hair pulled into a loose bun. She was staring at the boys disapprovingly as they jumped apart and apologized to their mother, "Now, James, I understand you are excited about Lily arriving tomorrow, but I will need you to contain yourself. When Lily arrives tomorrow, she and Hermione will be needed for a short while. You boys can play quidditch while your father and I speak with them, understood?"
Dorea stared each of the boys down, earning a nod of understanding quickly from Remus and Peter. She had to stare pointedly at James and Sirius before they conceded to behave and not disturb the girls until Dorea and Charlus had finished with them. Hermione watched everything with wary eyes and nervousness, James' parents had kept their distance from her since she had arrived and had concluded that they too believed she was not worth their time. Just like her parents, just like every teacher and professor, bar Mrs. Anderson and Professor McGonagall.
"Fine, mum, I will force myself to stay away from my girlfriend after not seeing her for a week!" pouted James. Dorea rolled her eyes at her son's attempt to manipulate her with guilt, she had certainly not raised a Slytherin.
"James, darling, when we arrived home from Hogwarts, did you speak with your father?" she asked gravely. James' expression changed from confident and smirking to solemn and defeated, she hated to see her son so deflated, but the world outside would not allow her son to be as carefree as he would like.
"Yes, mum," he sighed resignedly.
"Then, you know I need to speak with the girls, and I believe it is important to include your father in that conversation," she explained kindly, her demeanor changed to a lot more excitable as her next words came out, "now, the elves have prepared some baking and would like your opinion on what would be Lily's favourite."
The boys and Hermione all perked up and started to run towards the door when Dorea called out for Hermione to stay behind for a moment. Hermione gulped but told the boys to go on ahead and that she would catch up. Sirius was the most reluctant to leave her, while he trusted Dorea, he just didn't like being away from Hermione for long. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand, letting him know she would be okay.
Dorea watched their interaction, their ability to communicate without speaking and it warmed her heart to know Sirius had found someone. She always worried that the abuse from his parents and the expectations to marry and produce an heir had turned him away from the idea of love and marriage completely. She need not have worried; she was watching her son in all but blood fall in love before her eyes. It was a sight to behold.
Hermione turned around and looked at the elder witch warily. Her shoulders were hunched, and she kept her head down, hair dropped down to cover her face like a curtain. Dorea's heart broke at the submissive stance Hermione took to speak to a parental figure. If she could hurt her parents, she would, but the Death Eaters had done that for her. While she was against everything they stood for, they had been able to give the punishment she had been unable to. They had done her a favour, albeit unknowingly.
"Hermione, dear, I hope you are enjoying your stay," Dorea spoke softly.
"It has been wonderful, Mrs. Pott- I mean, D-Dorea," Hermione corrected quickly, wincing at her mistake. Hermione hated this, she was a strong witch, she had stood up to Voldemort and Bellatrix, she had endured taunts and name-calling throughout her life, had suffered at her parents, and had lived an entire other life with Granger, yet she could not stand tall in front of James' mother. Regulus and Barty would be so disappointed, especially after they were able to stand up to their parents.
How long ago was it that Barty told her and Reggie about taunting his father after being asked about Reggie's pockets? Or Reggie lying to the entire Slytherin house and his parents about their friendship and defying them every day just to be her best friend. And she couldn't look in the eyes of Dorea and Charlus Potter.
She was a disgrace. An embarrassment. Weak.
Harry and Ron would laugh at her. They would say she wasn't worthy of Granger's memories, the girl who had set fire to a professor's robes, a girl that had solved the chamber of secrets monster, the girl that used a time turner and saved two innocent souls. She wasn't worthy of the girl that stood by her best friend's side and prepared him for a tournament he shouldn't have been in, the girl who stood up to a ministry official and broke into the ministry, the girl who researched horcruxes and helped hunt them and destroy them. She wasn't worthy of the girl whose best friend sobbed and screamed at her side as she died protecting her friends, the older twins that reminded Hermione of the Prewitt twins. Twins should never be separated and Granger knew that, sacrificing herself to preserve a twin bond, sacrificing herself and offering herself in the place of her best friend.
Hermione McCallister was not worthy of the life Hermione Granger lived.
She wasn't worthy of much.
"Stop," Dorea spoke loudly, breaking Hermione from her thoughts. The young witch startled and looked up at the Potter matriarch, "Stop, I see the thoughts swirling in your mind. Hermione, darling, you are worthy to be here. You are worthy of the love my boys give you, and the protection we are offering you. You are worthy of your magic and every good thing that can and will happen for you. You are not deserving of the foul treatment that you have suffered until this moment; you did not deserve parents that neglected you because you are incredibly special. You did not deserve to be targeted because you are Muggleborn. You deserve love and safety and protection, each of these are what we are willing to provide you. James, Charlus, and I, as the Potter family, and of course Sirius, Remus, and Peter with their own magic and determination.
"My husband and I were only able to have James, after many, many years of trying. We had almost given up when we were granted the miracle that is our son. Due to our older age, James grew up isolated from children his age, our friends had had their children already and the other parents did not share our views. When he went off to Hogwarts and bonded with those three boys, it was very easy for us to adopt them as our own. Sirius, Remus, and Peter are not just James' friends, they are our boys, they are our children as much as James, and I hope that one day you and Lily feel the same."
"I just- I don't- understand?" Hermione finished awkwardly. She couldn't understand, a large part of her understood, the young girl that trusted Mrs. Anderson and Mr. Hubert, the girl that was saved by Professor McGonagall and visited by Moody, and Granger. But the small part of her that still couldn't understand people caring for her, just couldn't grasp this was her new reality. That part of her was waiting, waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the dream to end, and for her to wake up once again alone and unloved.
"I know, Hermione," Dorea said quietly, kneeling in front of the young girl, slowly placing her hands on Hermione's cheeks, "Your parents were unkind to you, but I promise you, Charlus and I want to look after you. No more going back to the Leaky Cauldron, you can stay here every holiday. After you graduate too if you do not want to get your own place. You are a wonderful girl, and I am so happy that Sirius and the boys befriended you. I have always wanted a daughter," Dorea stroked Hermione's cheeks, wiping the tears that leaked without drawing attention to them.
"D-daughter?" Hermione whispered.
"Yes, daughter, if you like?" Dorea asked cautiously. Hermione broke down and fell into Dorea's arms and cried. Dorea wrapped her arms around the thin girl and comforted her as she cried, it broke her heart knowing that this girl unlikely ever had a motherly hug like this before. Hermione was grasping her like she would disappear, however, as the tears ended, she felt Hermione stiffen at her loss of composure.
"I'm sorry," Hermione said, trying to pull away. Dorea would not have it though and held Hermione tightly to her chest.
"Never apologize for needing comfort, for needing to feel safe and soothed. I will be here for this whenever you need me," Dorea spoke, she placed her hands on Hermione's shoulders and pulled her back so she could look her in the eyes, "I mean it, whenever you need me, I will be here."
Hermione's lip trembled as she nodded in understanding. Dorea's promise meant more to her than she could possibly imagine. A promise to be there for her whenever she needed it. No one had ever made that promise because they were unable to keep it. Reggie and Barty promised to always be there for her in the end, but she knew there were times they couldn't. Now being a prime example.
Dorea soothed Hermione for another few minutes before she was composed enough to feel comfortable enough to find the boys. She watched Hermione run off to find the boys with the elves while she went to find her husband and ensure Alastor would be there in the morning with Lily before breakfast. While she had prepared her son to wait for his girlfriend, she did not expect miracles. Thus, an early meeting before breakfast, they would hopefully be done before James finished his first game of quidditch and came searching for them impatiently.
-oOo-
Hermione woke up the next morning and was about to have a bath, as per her usual routine, when she was disrupted by four bodies running into her room and dog piling on top of her in the bed. She squealed as she was smothered by the Marauders, she couldn't see who was who, but she could smell sandalwood indicating that it was Sirius directly on top of her.
"Get off me, you heathens!" she shrieked, trying to pull herself out of the cocoon of men.
"It's Yule, princess!" Sirius called out, "Time for presents!"
"How do you expect presents when all of you have clambered on top of me?!" she replied, desperately trying to push them off her.
"She makes a fair good point, mates, lets go!" replied James, scrambling off the bed, elbowing Remus in the eye in the process.
"Ow, fuck, Prongs! Watch that bony elbow!" the werewolf called out.
"Who you calling bony, Moony, this Marauder is all muscle," James replied puffing out his chest and flexing his arms. Hermione snorted at the display, James may be built from throwing the Quaffle around, but he was still quite lean. It was Sirius that had the most muscle, playing beater gave him a workout that had Hermione appreciating the sport, "Oi, Hermione! No laughing!"
"Who's laughing?" she asked innocently, James just glared at her.
"I'm watching you, McCallister," he threatened without malice, "Now let's go, there are presents that require my delicate touch."
"Your present isn't Evans, Prongs," teased Sirius, climbing off the bed.
"I can't believe she's actually coming here later, Lily Evans will be in my house," James announced excitedly, "my girlfriend, Lily Evans!"
"Here we go," said Remus rolling his eyes, "Poor boy still can't believe his luck, and honestly, neither can any of us," he said to Hermione.
"Hush you, I believe it completely," admonished Hermione, following the boys out of the room down to the sitting room. It was beautifully decorated with a large tree covered in magical snow, icicles, and delicate iridescent glass ball ornaments. On top of the tree was a misshapen star that had a golden glow coming off of it.
"James made it when he was young, Dorea adores it and puts it on the tree every year. James used to be so embarrassed, but he has resigned himself to his childish star on his mother's prize tree," explained Sirius when he saw her staring at the piece.
Hermione turned to the wizard as she listened to him speak but once he finished, she looked back up at the star. It was a beautiful story and it was more proof of how much the Potter parents loved their son, more proof of how much love this family had to give and Harry only experienced a year of it and had no memory of it. She knew that year he had with his parents were filled with endless love, constant memories that would bring tears to her eyes, all taken from them because of one psychotic wizard.
"I love it," she finally spoke, staring unblinkingly at the star. While most people would be confused by her emotion behind the story, Sirius wasn't. He was just as affected when he had been told, even Remus had felt something wash over him when he was first told the story.
They sat down and Charlus handed out the presents from under the tree. Hermione had not been expecting anything and was surprised to find she had received many presents.
Peter had gotten her sugar quills and some chocolate frogs, and Remus got her a muggle novel, another work by Emily Bronte, another female author that wrote novels similar to Jane Austen. James got her a beautiful quill set with an ink set of three colours. Dorea and Charlus gave her the softest blanket she had ever felt and a personal mug that she could keep at Potter Manor, so she would always know she had a place there. Lily had sent a journal for her to write her thoughts and feelings, in her note she had let Hermione know it helped her when she was home and dealing with Petunia. Professor McGonagall and Moody each purchased her books on defense and transfiguration, specifically animagus training, making Hermione wonder if perhaps her professor was hinting at something.
Sirius' gift was the one she was the most nervous but excited about and he watched her carefully as she opened his gift. Inside the box, she found a first edition of Pride and Prejudice, not only was it a first edition, but it was also an illustrated first edition. She looked at the book with wide eyes, afraid to touch it, her fingers delicately tracing the air above it. She reverently opened the green leather clamshell case that revealed the book. It was a beautifully bound leather hardback with gold gilt details, the cover detailed with a peacock and its intricate tail feathers. Even the edges of the pages were also gold gilt. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, let alone received as a gift, she couldn't accept it.
"Sirius," she finally spoke, the room silent as they watched the girl become emotional over the book.
"Yes, princess?" he asked quietly, watching her without moving. He had searched for months for it, the moment she woke up he had sent owls to every bookstore in the country hoping someone could help him. Finally, he had found a small bookstore that dealt with muggle book collectors and had managed to acquire it for him. It had not been cheap, but he would have paid whatever they asked, he wanted to give Hermione the world.
"I can't accept this," she said quietly, her voice breaking as she looked up at the wizard that had stolen her heart.
"Yes, you can," he replied without hesitation, "I bought this just for you and I want you to have it."
"It's too much," she tried again, tears building in her eyes. She had cried entirely too much since she woke up.
"Nothing is too much for you," he vowed, staring at her intensely, conveying how true those words were to him. She stared into his eyes until she found what she was looking for and nodded, she wouldn't fight him on it, but she would ensure she repaid him for the best gift she had ever received.
She was about to turn and watch the boys opening their presents when she noticed one last small box for her. It had no note but upon casting a quick charm over it, discovered no hexes or curses on it. She slowly opened it and gasped at what was inside.
It was a small charm, a Celtic oak rune.
A symbol of truth, courage, and wisdom.
Reggie and Barty had sent her a charm to remind her how strong she was.
Even without them, they found a way to be there for her. She smiled and felt tears fall as she stared at the charm, but she didn't care if the others saw, she was happy.
Lifting her wrist, she added the new charm to sit beside every other charm they had gotten her through the years.
No matter what was ahead, they still loved her and were waiting for the day the truth came out and they could stand by her side again.
She would be courageous until that day came and plan everything to ensure she brought down the dark and saved her friends from Granger's future.
-oOo-
"Dorea, Charlus," Moody greeted gruffly as he stepped through the front door of the manor, "I have the Evans girl."
"I should hope so, Alastor, I gave explicit instructions," Dorea greeted with a kiss on the auror's cheek.
"Well, your husband is Charlus, so I thought I should announce I am already more capable," replied Moody with a smirk, "Remind me why you ran off with him and not me again?"
"Oh, you devil," laughed Dorea, "How could I leave Charlus now, he would be hopeless!"
"Lovely to hear the thoughts of my wife this early," huffed Charlus, walking over and shaking the aurors hand, "Hello, Lily, I now have a witness to the conspiracy between my wife and friend!"
"Hello Charlus, Dorea," smiled Lily shyly. She was nervous, her sister had just embarrassed her in front of the auror and said auror made her nervous with his paranoia, on top of spending Christmas with her new boyfriend's parents. She knew Charlus and Dorea and had spoken to them on the platform every year but this was entirely different, she had to prove she was deserving of their son.
"Ah, Lily, I am so sorry I had to send Alastor to collect you. No one is deserving of such punishment," the witch smirked as Moody sputtered. Lily smiled at the ability Dorea had to diffuse any tension and make a situation more comfortable, Lily could already feel her nerves dissipating.
"It was quite alright Dorea, Mr. Moody was educating me on the importance of constant vigilance," Lily smiled up at the older witch and wizards. Charlus burst out laughing when he saw the twitch in Alastor's eye at being addressed, once again, as Mr. Moody.
"Moody or Alastor lass, if I hear Mr. Moody one more time you will be experiencing some of the lessons my aurors experience," growled the auror. Lily's eyes widened at the threat and stared up at Dorea and Charlus.
"Don't worry about him, dear, what is it muggle's say? His bark is worse than his bite?" Dorea said, latching her arm around Lily and leading her through the manor. Lily admired their home and complimented it as they walked into an office. They entered the office to find Hermione sitting alone on one of the couches.
"Hermione!" Lily called out excitedly, running up to the girl. She paused and looked at the girl before seeing a small nod of consent and pulled the girl into a hug. Hermione was stiff at first but finally relaxed into the redhead's embrace.
When Lily pulled back and Hermione looked up, she spotted Dorea and Charlus walking in with another wizard.
"Moody?" Hermione asked, her head tilted to the side and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Hello, lass," Moody greeted, pulling the girl in for a quick hug, "how are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," Hermione whispered, looking up at the wizard who had looked after her in her summers, who had visited her when she woke up from her coma. He was there for her; he was an adult she could trust implicitly.
"It's okay to not be, you know that lass?" he asked, staring into her eyes conveying his understanding and compassion. He cared for her, he truly cared for her, and it made her heart swell.
"I do, and I really am okay," she replied, a small smile appearing. He nodded and stepped back, content that she was alright.
"Take a seat, girls, we wanted to talk with you before you spend the day with the boys," Dorea smiled. It had been quite a feat convincing the boys to go off and play quidditch after opening presents, but she had managed just before Alastor had arrived, thankfully. She knew if James spotted Lily, he would have been impossible to remove from Lily's side.
The boys were off enjoying their yule gifts, James and Sirius had their new brooms from Dorea and Charlus. James wore his chaser gloves and Sirius wore his leather cuff imbued with protection charms, both from Hermione. Peter rode James' old broom but wore his new robes from the Potter parents, his sweets from Hermione hidden in the pockets to snack on. Remus sat on the ground reading through the defense mastery book that Dorea and Charlus had found him while enjoying the chocolate from Hermione.
Lily glanced over at Hermione in question, but Hermione shrugged her shoulders as she wasn't sure what to expect in the meeting either. Lily sat beside the younger witch, the light catching on the earrings Hermione got for her, gold earrings with a garnet stone. They were red like her house, but Hermione learned that Lily's birthday was in January and garnet was her birthstone, making the earrings perfect for the witch.
"We wanted to talk to you about the tensions in the wizarding world," Dorea said softly. Both girls stiffened in their chairs, both wanting to avoid the discussion.
"I believe I know a bit-" Hermione tried to say without anger.
"Lass, we know," Moody cut her off, "We know you have experienced more than any witch or wizard at Hogwarts. However, this is still a discussion that must be had." Hermione scoffed and sat back, showing her attitude to the Potter parents for the first time. They were happy to see they made the right decision in bringing Alastor, he allowed Hermione to be comfortable to be herself and not the timid version she was with them.
"We just wanted to advise you of the coming days," explained Charlus.
"What do you mean?" asked Lily.
"You will be graduating this summer Lily, meaning you will be out in the world. You will no longer be safe in the castle walls; Hermione had another year of that protection. But even she will need to make some decisions before she leaves," replied Dorea.
"What decisions?" asked Hermione, sitting up and frowning at the witch.
"We explained this to the boys, but soon, Dumbledore is going to approach you, Lily. He is going to ask you to join his group that is fighting the Death Eaters," said Charlus.
"I'll fight, I don't want them taking over!" Lily replied vehemently.
"And that is why we needed this chat," sighed Moody causing Lily to frown and slump in the chair. She thought her announcement to fight for what was right would be met with a positive response.
"We are happy to hear you want to stand up for what is right Lily, you and Hermione both have a right to fight more than many of us. You are fighting for your place in this world, and we all stand beside you in that fight. However," Dorea spoke.
"However, the problem is that everyone on every side has their own agenda, and we want you to be prepared for that," Charlus said, taking over for Dorea.
"Dumbledore," Hermione spoke up, Lily turned and stared at the younger witch in surprise. Dumbledore was the leader of the light.
"Dumbledore and Voldemort," replied Moody, "Both are playing their own game and give orders expecting obedience. This discussion is to remind you to think for yourselves, to not follow anyone blindly because they told you to."
"But Professor Dumbledore is good," said Lily, her brow furrowing.
"Dumbledore is a leader, and leaders make decisions for the greater good, but they forget about the little things. They forget that their soldiers are people," Hermione said coldly. Lily stared at the girl in surprise, she didn't understand the witch's hatred of their headmaster.
"Hermione, are you comfortable with Lily hearing what I have to tell you about your experience this summer?" Moody asked her kindly, she nodded her consent. Lily knew everything now, except Reggie and Barty and Moody had no knowledge of their part in her torture.
"She told us everything she knows and felt comfortable sharing," Lily said, defending her friend and trying to protect her from Moody sharing something he shouldn't.
"I do not believe she is aware of this," replied Moody gruffly, he stared at the girl he came to care for intently, he hoped he did not break her anymore with his information, "Dumbledore wanted to send you to St Mungo's without protection." Lily gasped but Hermione stared at the auror unflinchingly.
"He also didn't want me removed from my parents," she answered.
He also didn't want to remove Harry from the Dursleys, left him on their doorstep on Halloween night, his parent's bodies had not even moved yet, and he was left with only a blanket. Left to be raised in a cupboard under the stairs, left to be called a freak. He never stopped Quirrell even though he knew and had Snape follow him, 'protecting' the stone with trials first years could get through. He had apparently been oblivious to a massive snake roaming the castle, allowing his students to be petrified, each only surviving because of exceptionally fortunate circumstances. He had allowed Sirius to be seen as a mass murderer and traitor when he had been the one to cast the Fidelus. He had forced Harry to compete in a competition that was for of-age students, and he was only 14, isolated him the entire year after witnessing his schoolmate murdered and his parents' murderer resurrected. He had known Malfoy was a death eater and done nothing to help him, making him believe he was going to have to kill the headmaster himself or die, only to have made a vow with Snape that he would do it. He had left three teenagers with the challenge of hunting down the darkest magical items and destroying them with his continuous riddles and clues. Never a direct answer.
"Dumbledore has his own plans, he comes to conclusions and cannot be swayed against them," spoke Moody, "It seems that your friendship with Regulus Black and Barty Crouch Jr., both of whom we know are targets for recruit, has led Dumbledore to be suspicious of you," Lily stared wide-eyed at the others in the room, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"But I was friends with Severus, best friends and I know they are trying for him too," she said, "Is he suspicious of me?"
"No, the headmaster has a prejudice against any house but Gryffindor," sneered Dorea, "You are a Gryffindor, ended your friendship with Severus in your fifth year, and are friends with the Marauders. He believes you are a good recruit for his Order of the Phoenix."
"Hermione is friends with us and isn't friends with Regulus or Barty, though," Lily replied slowly. Dorea smiled at the girl, she like her son, didn't think like a Slytherin either.
"I argued with you every day before I woke up, I screamed at the boys and constantly tried to catch Reggie or Barty's attention," Hermione explained, "I am a Ravenclaw that is disliked by every person in my house, I am shunned by basically everyone. Being friends with two people recruited by Death Eaters and torturing me? I can see him thinking I could turn dark and join my two best friends," she shrugged.
"You could never join them!" Lily said, her teeth clenched in anger that anyone could think that of the sweet witch, "Not only are you, you, but you're Muggleborn!"
"Muggleborn with parents that treated her as nothing because of magic," retorted Hermione, "I'm called the Ice Queen, of course, I could easily join them to get back at my tormentors."
"You wouldn't…" gulped Lily, staring unblinkingly at the witch.
"Of course, she couldn't," laughed Moody, "This girl could never turn dark. She cares about house elves and the treatment of merpeople and centaurs getting enough land." Hermione huffed and growled at the auror, crossing her arms over her chest as her father figure laughed at her. "She's got too big a heart and hates the pureblood ideology with vehemence."
"It's just stupid!" scoffed Hermione, causing everyone around her to chuckle.
"Anyways, back to the point, we want you girls to be very careful ahead," reiterated Charlus, "You will always have protection here and we will always stand by your side. If you ever need help or guidance, we are here. If you are asked to do something or follow an order, please look at it from all perspectives. How could fulfilling that order be beneficial? Is the risk worth the reward? No one person is expendable, hear me?"
Hermione smiled at the Potter patriarch, he believed every life was worth saving, that every order should be questioned. She was happy he was explaining that she just hoped Lily and the others listened. Dumbledore used the excuse of the greater good too often, sacrificing lives for his own plans and agendas. Plans and agendas that could have failed exponentially, many of which relied on luck.
Like the diadem, they had only found it because Harry luckily spotted it while hiding his potions book after almost killing Malfoy. Every year had relied too much on luck every year in Granger's life. They were lucky the mountain troll hadn't killed them. They were lucky that Ron was incredible at chess and Dumbledore had been lucky Harry could not be touched by Quirrell, something Hermione was sure the headmaster did not know before that moment. They were lucky that each student looked at the basilisk through a reflection, Harry was lucky he had survived defeating said basilisk. They were lucky that they escaped Remus Lupin's werewolf without injury and Harry could produce a Patronus to overcome hundreds of dementors. They were lucky Harry was an incredible flier against a dragon, that Dobby managed to get a hold of gillyweed, Harry was lucky to survive another encounter with Voldemort, but Cedric was not as lucky. They were lucky that Umbridge was not smarter and able to outsmart them, they were lucky to escape the Department of Mysteries with only one death. Even if that death was the worst they could have experienced, losing Sirius was an unexpected and devastating loss. They were lucky that Greyback only injured Bill Weasley and didn't kill him or attack any students. They were lucky they found each Horcrux that they did, and Granger was lucky to escape Malfoy Manor. They were lucky to break into the most impenetrable bank and escape on dragonback.
They were lucky until Granger wasn't.
Hermione McCallister was not going to rely on luck, she was not going to trust Dumbledore to bring an end to Voldemort's reign with his planning and greater good nonsense.
Hermione McCallister was going to plan and use her knowledge of the future to ensure each plan was executed perfectly. Hopefully, the Marauders and Lily listened to James' parents and did not follow Dumbledore blindly, they had an entire year before Hermione graduated and could join them in the Order. If Dumbledore invited her.
"Lily, dear, we do not want to scare you. You should trust your headmaster; he is leading the fight that the ministry is unable to properly do. However, we just want you to be aware that sometimes even the best of us cannot envisage every possibility. We just want you to always question your leadership and do what is best for you, do not just follow orders because they were given."
"I understand," Lily replied. She did, she had taken muggle history lessons in primary and had learned about the second world war. Adolf Hitler's soldiers in the nazi party had followed orders, murdering millions of men, women, and children, simply because they were Jewish. After the war they had pleaded that they were just following orders, they were just being good soldiers.
Lily never wanted to be someone like that. She wanted to always stand behind her values and have integrity. If she did not stand behind her actions, what kind of person was she? She knew she was considered a teacher's pet, and people made jokes that she would do anything if a teacher told her to, but it wasn't true in the slightest. She had spoken up to teachers many times and stood up for herself and her fellow classmates. The only difference was that she approached the professor after the class had been dismissed. Some would say she was being cowardly, refusing to stand up for people in public, but that was not true. She had tried to stand up for a fellow classmate once in front of an audience, and it had only led to further embarrassment and humiliation, to lashing out and cruel words. She had made a point to always do it privately until she didn't do that with Severus, she had done it in front of so many people and he had done exactly as she expected but hoped against. He had been angry, he had lashed out, and he had called her the worst word.
Their friendship ended that day.
She stood by her values and her decision. She did not follow the advice or orders of her friends and classmates to cease being his friend in the past. She had done it on her own terms and still agreed with her choice.
"I question everything," replied Hermione simply. While it was not a response anyone wanted to hear from her, they wanted her to trust them, they were thankful they would never have to worry about Hermione blindly trusting anyone.
They just hoped she grew to trust them.
Little did they know that Hermione trusted no one but the occupants of the house and Professor McGonagall.
-oOo-
A/N: And another chapter done, I wasn't expecting an entire chapter to lead up to Yule. Next chapter will bring us back to Hogwarts and the Marauders graduation. Hermione and Sirius will also get closer, they can't really get very close under the watchful eyes of the Potter parents when Hermione is uncomfortable around adults can they? Eventual smut will appear, do not worry, and I will have a warning for anyone that likes to glance over the spicy times.
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