Caramel Cones, an independent ice cream shop, was approximately ten minutes away by foot near a local park. With the weather being so pleasant and the sun staying out late for so long, Hermione's parents were content to walk there. Draco, Blaise, and Hermione followed shortly behind them, with Draco trying not to boggle over all the new things he was seeing and utterly failing not to.

And he boggled over everything. Seeing neat houses with neatly-kept gardens in front of them seemed almost like it would break his mind, to say nothing of the street lamps and traffic they passed.

"What is that?" Draco demanded, pointing. "Is it dangerous?"

"It's a car."

"You said that was a car."

"There are different types of cars. Like different breeds of horses."

"Is that kind dangerous?"

"It's like a horseless carriage," Hermione said. "It's only dangerous if you get in its way, Draco. Then it might run you over."

"Are you sure?" Draco gave her a suspiciously look. "It was growling at us."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Draco, it's not an animal," Hermione said, exasperated. "It's a vehicle. My parents have one too."

Blaise stifled a snicker, and Hermione could see her parents exchange an amused look.

As they approached the park and ice cream stand, there were more people milling about, and Draco looked more and more uncomfortable as they did. He crowded in closer to Hermione, who gave him an annoyed look and pushed him off.

"They're just people, Draco," she said. "They're not going to bite."

"There's so many of them, though," he said, looking around with wide eyes. "There are so many children, too! How is that?"

"The muggle population greatly outnumbers the wizarding one," Hermione said, keeping her voice low. "That's all."

"But the children! How are there so many?"

Hermione shot Blaise a skeptical look, who shrugged, helpless.

"Just ignore them, Draco. They're not going to do anything to you."

At the ice cream stand, Draco seemed boggled again by just the normality of it all and its very existence.

"This is just like Florean's in the alley," he said, looking around. "This is just like it, practically! How is that?"

"Muggles can do a lot without magic," Hermione said patiently. "After the Statute of Secrecy came into effect, muggles started making major technological advancements, especially with machinery and electricity."

Draco still seemed dumbfounded as they waited in line at the stand.

"They're all so normal, though," he hissed to Blaise. "How is it that they're normal?"

"There's just people, mate," Blaise said. "They don't have magic, but so what? They're just like you when you were ten or so and not allowed your own wand."

Hermione was growing more and more annoyed with Draco as time went on. She knew that he'd been raised with blood prejudice and to view muggles as 'lesser', but he was being faced with clear counter-examples, now. Why was he still holding onto that belief when there was so much evidence to the contrary?

She hoped he managed to get the idea through his thick skull sooner rather than later.

"Love the costumes," the boy working the stand said to them, when it was their turn. He grinned. "What are you, the Council of Elrond?"

Hermione's father laughed.

"They haven't figured out how to make fake ears, yet," he told the worker, grinning. "Nor have they decided where around here is a good Mount Doom."

Hermione had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Draco's eyes went wide at the mention of 'Mount Doom'.

"Fun," the worker said, grinning. "What can I get for you all?"

They each got an ice cream cone: Hermione got strawberry, Blaise asked for cookies and cream, and Draco ended up with some over-stuffed chocolatey confection called 'Midnight Madness' that he seemed to enjoy immensely. The three of them claimed a bench near the playground to enjoy their cones while Hermione's parents stopped to chat with some of their neighbors who were around.

The ice cream was good, and it was helping Hermione relax. It helped too that Draco was too preoccupied with his own dessert to constantly overreact to every new thing muggle he found. Blaise, to her surprise, seemed perfectly at ease. He'd been caught off-guard when she'd taken him to see the play, but now, you'd never know he wasn't used to going out and about in the muggle world all the time.

The silence they sat in while eating their ice cream was comfortable, the sound of laughing children from the park filling the air. Hermione watched on with a faint smile. She'd never really had friends to play with at the park as a child, but she had enjoyed going on the swings and the slide.

"Before Hermione's parents come back here," Blaise said, looking at Draco sideways, "you need to make an Unbreakable Vow to Hermione."

Draco choked on his cone, coughing and sputtering for a moment before turning to stare at Blaise, his eyes wide.

"I need to what?" he said indignantly.

"Swear an Unbreakable Vow," Blaise repeated. "To not tell anyone Hermione's secrets."

"First off, we can't even make Unbreakable Vows yet. We're underage," Draco said, annoyed. "Secondly, what are you even talking about? I'm not going to tell anyone anything about—"

"About what?" Blaise challenged, his eyes flinty. "About what, Draco?"

Draco looked uneasy.

"I mean," he faltered. "So long as nothing's really been confirmed for me, and no one would have any reason to ask…"

Blaise scoffed.

"This is why he needs to make a vow to you," he told Hermione. "All it would take is the slightest suspicion from his father, and he'd spill your secrets like a tipped glass."

"That's not fair!" Draco objected. "Just because you don't have a proper father who cares about—"

"Don't you dare talk about my father," Blaise snapped, his eyes alight with anger. "And don't change the subject. This is about you."

"Is it, though? It seems an awful lot like this is about your paranoia with Hermione—"

"Well, if you were trustworthy, I wouldn't have to be paranoid, would I?"

"Come on, now," Hermione interrupted, giving them both a sharp look. "Blaise does have a point, Draco. Intended or not, you do know one of my secrets, now."

"I'm not going to share your secrets with anyone," Draco objected.

"All the same," Hermione said, "I'd feel better if we made sure of that before you left today."

Draco looked annoyed and uneasy, shooting Blaise dirty looks.

"Fine," he said finally. "But no Unbreakable Vows."

"That's fine," Hermione said amicably. "What about a Loyalty Oath with a Tongue-Tying Charm?"

Draco looked confused. "What?"

"A vow can be anything," Hermione told him. "If you vow loyalty to me and my secrets, and we put in a Tongue-Tying charm instead of death, it won't stunt your magic, but it would keep you from spilling any secrets."

"Either that, or we Memory Charm you," Blaise challenged, and Draco's eyes narrowed.

"Like you have the skill to do that," he sneered.

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Want to try me?"

"We don't need to do any Memory Charms," Hermione said exasperatedly. "Draco, are you willing to swear an oath to not spill my secrets?"

"Yes," Draco said immediately. His eyes glanced at Blaise and then back to her. "I would swear you an Oath of Loyalty, or an Oath of Fealty. Just say the word."

"I am not accepting Oaths of Fealty," Hermione said, annoyed.

Blaise smirked. "Well, when will you, Hermione?"

"An Oath of Loyalty is fine," Hermione said, ignoring Blaise. "We can do it in the backyard before you go home, Draco, okay?"

"That's fine by me," Draco said. He sneered at Blaise. "I am happy to reassure you, Hermione, even if Zabini's paranoia is getting ridiculous."

Blaise sniffed. "Whatever."

After they had walked back to the house, the three teens went into the backyard for a few minutes, crafting Draco's vow. Draco seemed astonished by Hermione's spiral notebook and ballpoint pen that she drafted the vow in, to the point he really wasn't much help until Blaise elbowed him sharply and made a snide comment.

"I think this will cover everything?" Hermione said finally. She looked at the boys. "Do we all feel good about this?"

"I do," Draco said immediately.

Blaise looked reluctant. "I suppose it covers most everything," he said. "I'd still prefer if the consequences were more dire—"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We are not putting in body parts falling off, Blaise."

"If he didn't spill your secrets, that would never happen, though, would it?" Blaise challenged.

"We should probably do this soon," Draco interrupted, looking at the setting sun. "I don't want my father to go looking for me and not find me at the Zabini's."

Hermione nodded, decisive. "Right. Let's do this."

Draco knelt in front of Hermione. The notebook sat on the pavement next to him for him to read from, and he took Hermione's hands in his own.

"I, Draco Malfoy, swear to you my loyalty," he told her. "I will not deceive you, nor shall I try to harm or hinder your aims. I will keep your secrets as my own; may my tongue tie itself into knots if I try to speak them, and may my fingers break their bones if I try to write them down. My arm is your wand, my eye your scout, and my body your soldier. I swear this on my life, my magic, and my honor."

There was a sharp snapping feeling as something grabbed at Hermione's magical core abruptly, and both she and Draco gasped. Draco's eyes were wide, and Hermione could feel her heart pounding as she looked down at him.

"I daresay that worked," she said faintly.

Draco looked awed.

"I can feel you," he said, his eyes far off. "It's like a tether. I bet if I could Apparate, I could find you anywhere."

"Only if she called for you," Blaise snapped. "You swore loyalty, not fealty. She has no obligation to you."

"I know, I know." Draco shot him an annoyed look. "But still."

As they went back inside, the boys continued bickering. They seemed to be bickering over nothing, in Hermione's opinion – they just liked to bicker. They did stop to politely say good-bye to Hermione's parents before going to the fireplace to head back to Blaise's home.

Just before they left, Draco paused.

"I nearly forgot," he said, reaching into his robes and withdrawing a scroll. He handed it to her with a proud smirk. "I got this for you."

"Oh?" Hermione unrolled the scroll, her eyes catching on an official-looking golden seal at the bottom.

Class B Non-Tradeable Goods License

This license authorizes Hermione Granger to sell and trade
the following Class B Non-Tradeable Goods:

Basilisk parts

The aforementioned is authorized to sell and trade these goods for a period of five years, whereupon the license will expire.
This license extends to the greater area of the Ministry of Magic and does not extend to other countries.

Authorized by Tick Chaptin

Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Hermione beamed.

"This is great!" she exclaimed. "Thank you, Draco!"

Excited, she threw her arms around Draco, hugging him tightly for a moment before pulling back. There was a slight flush to Draco's cheeked, and he looked slightly dazed.

"It was my pleasure, Hermione," he assured her, taking a confident pose. "If there is anything else I can help you with, just let me know."

"Right now, I think it might help the most if we got going," Blaise said, his voice neutral. "If your father tracks you here…"

"Right." Draco squared his shoulders, turning to the fireplace and withdrawing his wand. "Incendio." With some Floo powder, the flames turned emerald green, and Draco paused to smile at Hermione.

"This was kind of nice," he admitted. "I wouldn't mind doing it again."

Hermione laughed. "Good-bye, Draco."

Draco stepped into the fireplace, tucking his elbows in. "Zabini Villa!"

There was a whoosh, and abruptly Draco was gone. Blaise took his own handful of Floo powder from the jar on top of the mantel, looking at it before tossing it into the fireplace, the flames turning green once more. He looked at her, his eyes holding hers.

"I'll be seeing you soon?" he murmured. He took one of her hands in his, toying with it idly.

"I think so." Hermione was optimistic. "I think my mum will lift my punishment, so I should be able to convene our coven together soon."

Blaise relaxed, giving her a grin.

"Good," he said. He paused, before tugging on her hand, pulling her into a hug.

"Ah! Blaise!" Hermione laughed, her face flushing, but she hugged him back. His chest was warm and firm, and she couldn't help but smile.

"I wouldn't want to go the entire summer without seeing you." Blaise's voice was warm and low in her ear. "It's hard enough not seeing you every day."

"You say that now," Hermione teased, pulling back so she could look at him. "You'll be sick of me soon enough, calling our coven together all the time over the summer."

Blaise's eyes sparkled at her, and he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Never."

With a cry of "Zabini Villa!" Blaise disappeared as well. Hermione put out the magical flames after a moment, wondering what would happen if someone tried to Floo in if there was a muggle fire burning.

She went back outside to find her parents, who were watching the last of the sunset from the porch. She sat down next to them quietly, no one saying anything for a while, just enjoying the peace.

"So…?" she finally prompted.

Her mother glanced over at her.

"Interesting friends you have, Hermione," she commented, and Hermione flushed.

"Draco's not really my friend," she muttered. "Blaise is, and he's more normal. Not shocked silly by electric lights."

"Still." Her mother sounded amused. She regarded her for a long moment, before sighing in resignation, though a smile still lingered on her lips. "Your punishment is lifted, Hermione. You can see your friends again and go out during the summer."

"Yes!" Hermione clenched a fist, excited.

"But, Hermione, no more dangerous adventures," her mother warned her. "I don't want to get word of you risking your life next year, do you hear me? Magical school or not, you need to be safe."

Her mind flying over all the craziness Hogwarts provided and all the potential dangers she might encounter, Hermione managed to give her mother a sheepish grin.

"I'll do my best."