AN: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 2: Strained Conversation

The ride back from Hogwarts differed from the joyous event Hermione had enjoyed in previous years. One of her best friends was in St. Mungo, her sister-in-all-but-blood looked like death warmed over from worry and lack of sleep, another friend looked like he was about to face down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and her last friend couldn't wait to play Quidditch when he got home. Sometimes, she wasn't sure what went on in Ron's head. Not that she had much time to contemplate such things. She was about to have a difficult time at home herself.

Hermione heard Mrs. Weasley's voice on the platform before she and the others could get off the train. She knew her parents would be nearby and felt her heart beat faster. It wasn't like she did anything wrong with Krum, really. She shouldn't feel worried about seeing her parents.

A group of students parted, and she saw Mrs. and Mr. Weasley standing with her parents. Her dad, Denis, looked a little older than she remembered. He hadn't shaved in a few days, and there were a few more gray hairs near his temples than she remembered. Her mother spotted her before the others and smiled. Hermione knew Mrs. Weasley told her mum everything by the way Eve's eyes locked onto hers. As a child, whenever Hermione knew she did something she wasn't strictly supposed to do, her mother always gave her the same look.

"Bloody hell," she hissed through her teeth as Ron stepped up beside her. He gave her a wide-eyed look.

"Dears!" Mrs. Weasley greeted everyone, including Neville, and swept everyone up in a massive hug.

Her parents smiled and hugged her when Mrs. Weasley finally let them all go. Augusta Longbottom appeared out of the crowd and collected Neville with a nod to the adults and a beckoning hand to her grandson. "See you in a while," Neville called as he ran to catch up with her.

"It's so good to see you, dear," her dad smiled as he hugged her again. "We're going to stay in London tonight, then drive back tomorrow. Your mum and I want to make the most of the trip."

"That's okay with me," she said without looking at her mum. The longer she didn't acknowledge that her mum knew about Viktor, the better.

"Have you had dinner yet?" Eve asked brightly as she placed a hand on her shoulder. It took a gentle squeeze for Hermione to look up at her mum. Oh, there was no mistaking that look. Mrs. Weasley told her mum everything. She wished she was at St. Mungo with Harry right then. The temporary loss of an arm might be worth it.

"You're all welcome to the Burrow," Mr. Weasley called. "We'll see Harry in the next few days."

"I'm sure Hermione would love to join you," Denis said with a nod. "We'll contact you tomorrow if you're up for it."

"Oh? Will you call by tele-phone?" Mr. Weasley asked brightly. His smile was infectious, and Hermione found herself smiling along with him. All things Muggle made Mr. Weasley excited for new knowledge.

Her mum expertly guided the conversation to heading to the car, and Mrs. Weasley seemed keen on getting her children, Mr. Weasley included, home as well. Walking through King's Cross, Hermione couldn't help but imagine what conversation her mum had in store for her. She'd contemplated it on the train, but now she wasn't sure what to say.

"Are you alright?" her dad asked softly as he pushed her trolly onto the pavement. Crookshanks yowled in his cage. She knew how odd all her school trunks looked compared to those around them.

"Just tired," she managed to get out.

Her mother patted her shoulder. "We're glad to have you home. Now, is there something that sounds good to eat tonight?" she pressed.

"Maybe pasta?"

Denis chuckled. "Some things will never change."

Hermione wanted to be angry, but her dad was right. She loved pasta when she needed something comforting and, just then, she needed something comforting.

They ate at a beautiful little restaurant a colleague of her mother knew about. Her parents were dentists, and they were part of a community that had bi-annual meetings about the changes in their profession. Hermione knew it was more about networking than keeping up with the latest trends and requirements in the medical field.

During dinner, her parents asked her about the school year and her accomplishments. When she finished telling them about her Outstanding marks, they asked about her friends. That subject brought up Harry and his part in the Triwizard Tournament. Her dad expressed some discomfort that someone his daughter's age would be forced to fight against a dragon. Eve just stared at her when she'd finished and raised one eyebrow.

Hermione would not bring up Viktor unless they forced it out of her. She stared at her mother right back. "I understand you had a lovely partner to dance with for Christmas," her mum said as dessert arrived. Her father choked on his wine and looked between his wife and daughter.

"I did, thank you. He was a gentleman, and," she tried to say.

"Who had been trying to catch your eye for months before," her mum added with a nod.

Hermione dearly wished she could remove Mrs. Weasley's mouth just then. Why couldn't Ron's mother keep her nose in her own business? It didn't help that Viktor answered every question Mrs. Weasley asked him. "He did," she finally answered.

Her father sat up straighter and looked between his wife and daughter again. He upended the rest of his wine in his mouth and set the glass down very carefully. "Why… don't you tell us a little about him, dear?" he managed to get out.

Hermione wanted to be anywhere other than where she was right then. Her parents stared her down, their eyes demanding answers. "Viktor Krum, that's his name. He is a student at Durmstrang, another wizarding school," she said after a moment. That was technically true then. Viktor probably graduated already and was off… doing whatever he did. He really should have talked to her more before he left.

"And?" Eve pressed as she slid her fork through the chocolate pie in front of her.

Hermione sighed and told them a little about Krum. The damage was done, thanks to Mrs. Weasley, but she could distract them with other things and definitely not talk about his age or that they'd kissed. Her father might have a heart attack. He looked like he'd aged ten years in the first five minutes of talking about Viktor as it was.

Denis took it better than Hermione could have hoped, but she knew her mum still knew the whole story. There were things Mrs. Weasley hadn't told her, like his desire to do more than play Quidditch. As her father paid the bill and went to the washroom, Eve looked at her and said, "Thank you for not mentioning the age difference between you. Molly explained that… there are certain things that your… community doesn't see as a problem. The age difference is one of them. I'm not sure I agree. Now, as your mum, did anything happen other than some kissing?"

Hermione was mortified. They were in a public place, and her mother was questioning her about… about this? "No!" she hissed as she looked around. She felt the heat in her cheeks.

"Your father knows that I dated an older boy… but I was a bit older than you are now. I suppose it was bound to happen. What of Harry? I thought you two," she trailed off with a slight shrug.

"He's my best male friend, is all."

Her mother nodded once. "Please, next time, just write to me. I know Molly was doing the right thing, as we parents need to watch after our children, but I would have liked to know what's going on in your personal life. I'm here to help you, dear, and keep you safe. You never did mention his eyes; did he have nice eyes?" Eve teased.

Hermione huffed, but she felt better. Keeping everything from her parents was hard. She also knew there were things that she had to keep from her parents, or they'd never let her go back to Hogwarts. "He has lovely eyes, very expressive," she muttered. Eve smiled and patted her hand.

-X-X-X-X-

She talked to them about seeing Harry when they made it to the hotel room. She noticed that Mrs. Weasley didn't tell her parents about what happened to Harry. Because of work, her parents couldn't extend their stay in London but promised that they could either take Hermione to the Weasley's place or St. Mungo the following week. There was also the problem of her aunt, on her father's side, coming up from France to see them at the end of the month.

The first thing the following day, Hermione wrote a letter to Harry explaining the situation and that she'd come to see him as soon as possible. Her next letter was to Ted and Andromeda Tonks. She wanted to keep working with them over the summer if they were available. It would have been surprising to learn Mr. Tonks hadn't secured a job already, but her parents offered to compensate him for his time over the summer if he was willing.

On the drive home, they listened to her mum's favorite albums on cassette. Hermione sat in the middle of the car, so her magic wouldn't disrupt the speakers or, worse, fry something significant within the vehicle itself. Magic and technology did not go well together, and she didn't know how a car worked other than you turned it on and drove. They talked about various subjects in school, her parent's work and the minor issues they'd run into, and about possibly purchasing a new home closer to London. Denis knew of a practice about to close because the aging dentist planned to retire.

The drive was a long one, but it wasn't unpleasant. After Hermione initially worried about how her parents would react to Viktor, everything seemed to return to normal. She'd missed her parents while away at school. Maybe not as much as she had the previous year or the year before, but she missed her mum's laugh and her father's terrible jokes.

It took no time for her to settle back into her familiar routine of chores, studying, and S.P.E.W. research. The day after she got home, Mr. Tonks wrote back that he and his wife would come round to talk with her and her parents. It was easier than asking Denis or Eve to drive up to see them. Her parents were delighted to have the Tonks over and instructed her to write back that night.

"It's wonderful to see you," Andromeda greeted as she swept Hermione into a big hug. "I see you've grown."

Hermione smiled. With Andromeda, she was never sure if her statements only meant one thing. "I have."

The older witch looked her over and nodded. "Good. It's important to grow in more ways than one. I heard a little about what happened at Hogwarts. Would you mind if Ted and I asked you a few things? Later, away from your parents?" she said in a lowered voice. Ted was talking and laughing loudly with Denis. Hermione thought the Tonks might have planned it ahead of time.

"I don't mind," she carefully said. "I might not be able to answer everything." Andromeda's daughter was Nymphadora Tonks, an Auror with the Ministry.

"Excellent," Andromeda smiled. "Eve," she greeted with a hug. Hermione stifled a smile.

"Now, I read over what you sent me, and, wow, am I blown away at the progress you and Harry have made," Ted Tonks beamed as they ate dinner.

Denis and Eve exchanged looks. "What progress?" her father asked as he looked at her.

Hermione felt her cheeks redden. "I… we… well, there are magical creatures who are… not fairly treated in the Wizarding World. Harry and I have been working to promote their fair treatment and rights all term."

"There's no easy way to say it," Andromeda cut in. "House-elves are seen as little more than slaves to some wizarding families. Unfortunately, the household I grew up in treated our House-elf similarly. Since moving out, I have not formed a contract with a House-elf for that reason. They are sentient beings, created by wizards, many, many years ago."

"Harry thinks the first wizards in Egypt might have created them. He thought… well, it doesn't matter," she flushed when everyone looked at her. Eve smiled and shook her head.

"Ah, well, as I was saying. Ingenious stuff you sent me. Now, I can't work with you as much as I did last summer. I'm working full-time now for Oddmant's Oddities in Horizont Alley. It's mostly clerical work, but a lot of it is proving who owned what object before it came into Mr. Oddmant's possession. That means I'm running all over the country during weekdays. However," Ted said with a wink, "I'd be more than happy to work with you here over the weekends."

"And, with your parent's permission," Andromeda said with a nod to Denis and Eve, "I could work with you on more… esoteric subjects during the weekdays. Say Tuesdays and Thursdays?"

"Esoteric?" Denis asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Girl talk," Eve answered with a nod. She and Andromeda shared a look and then looked at Hermione simultaneously.

"Ah, I see," her father said with a confused look. Ted took another bite of his roast.

"Um… I wouldn't mind," Hermione managed to get out. What else was she supposed to say when her mother and Andromeda looked at her like that?

"Wonderful," Andromeda said with a smile. She and Eve exchanged another look.

Hermione suddenly had the overpowering feeling that the two women just wanted an excuse to meet. She couldn't blame them, she supposed. Her mum didn't get out except to work and meet suppliers for the dentistry, and Andromeda didn't have many friends from her old life who still spoke to her. Not after marrying a Muggle.

Ted started asking her questions about what she'd learned during the term. Her parents couldn't follow all of the conversation, but they understood enough to be impressed and shocked at some of the things she could now do.

"You can create real furniture, not just illusions? Or… I don't know… change something into something else?" her mum asked as she tried to understand Conjuration.

"Yes, mum," Hermione smiled. "It takes a lot of practice and a little experimentation, but a witch or wizard can create something real from nothing."

"Could you make food that way?" her father asked with a pensive look.

"No, it's impossible to conjure food from nothing. You can multiply food with some downsides, but can you simply create it from nothing? No."

"Ah, drat. World hunger and all that," he sighed. Hermione nodded. It would take a lot of planning to keep the method secret, but saving lives would be worth the effort.

"What are your plans for the summer, dear?" Eve asked as she cut into the apple pie Andromeda and Ted brought with them.

"O.W.L.s are next year. I should really start reviewing for them now. Yes, it's like eleven months before I have to sit them, but the higher my score, the better. They are super important for my future."

Andromeda nodded. "I should have worked harder in my fifth year. I don't regret my scores, but I know I could have gotten higher marks. Ted here," she smiled as she looked at her husband, "had something to prove to one of the boys in his dormitory. So he, naturally, got higher marks than I did."

Ted shrugged and smiled. "You had other things on your mind, love. Preparing for the O.W.L.s is good, but don't focus too much on review. Continue to push your knowledge. If you want Outstandings, you must go above and beyond what is taught in the classroom. That's just a little tip," he winked.

"These… Owls," Denis said slowly, "determine what?"

"They are similar to the General Certificate of Secondary Education exams," Ted answered. "O.W.L.s, or The Ordinary Wizarding Level exams, help determine what area of study a wizard can take going forward. If they don't show the correct aptitude for… say, Potions, then they can't take the next level or… well university-level courses. That isn't right either."

"The Ministry of Magic, our government, takes aptitude scores seriously. Without proper training, a witch or wizard could cause serious damage to themselves or others. The O.W.L.s are a standard way to measure a student's understanding of a subject. While we never stop learning as we grow older, it is much harder to find a job within our community without certain Ministry-regulated scores. The Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, or N.E.W.T.s, are the last and final test at Hogwarts. They are, as advertised, nastily exhausting," Andromeda said as she smiled thinly.

"So… it is prudent to take this year and her last year very seriously?" Eve asked slowly to the Tonks and her daughter.

"I should take every year seriously," Hermione smiled. "But, yes, my fifth and seventh years are the most important for my future."

"Are there ways to take these tests after someone has graduated Hogwarts?" Denis frowned. "That seems… I don't know… odd, that everything should ride on a young person's desire to do their best at such a young age. I didn't take school seriously until I wanted to be a dentist. There was a lot of catching up to do, and my father helped with tutors, but…"

Ted nodded before shaking his head. "Yes… and at the same time no. There are places you can go to learn more after Hogwarts, and most jobs have apprenticeships where a new hire must learn what's required of them… but... once you take the O.W.L.s, that's it. Those are your scores for the rest of your life. The same goes for how many N.E.W.T.s you get before graduating. If you don't meet certain requirements while in school, then… well, the chances of becoming, say, an Auror or a Healer are…"

"Next to impossible without the right connections," Andromeda finished.

Hermione blinked. She didn't realize how much was at stake. "I… thought… I mean, I know I want to do well… but… people like Ron," she muttered. There were a lot of witches and wizards within Gryffindor who might struggle to pass the O.W.L.s in the core subjects. She shivered. Why hadn't the professors pushed them harder? Made them see how important it was?

"You're looking a little green, dear," her mum said softly. "I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"I… wasn't really worried for myself. Just… why don't the professors clarify how… important this is?" she asked Ted and Andromeda.

"There was a time when excellence was forced down the student's throats," Andromeda sighed. "It is one of the reasons for the reduction in students at Hogwarts. One of the Blacks was a headmaster at the time. His… methods were poorly received, and his predecessor didn't help matters. It wasn't until Armando Dippet came around that things started to turn around for Hogwarts. Even now, I'm sure you've noticed the abundance of unused classrooms, bathrooms, and other parts of the castle."

"Harry always has someplace he can hole up," Hermione muttered.

The Tonks shared a look that Hermione couldn't mistake. They wanted to question her about him. "I want to try and get all Outstandings in my O.W.L.s she said to her parents. That way, I have the best possible chance of getting a good position within the Ministry," she said, keeping the conversation on her. She hadn't told her parents everything about Harry's term and didn't want the Tonks to accidentally reveal things.

"That's smart," her father said with a nod. "Have you figured out what you want to be?"

"Someone like Madam Bones, maybe, in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Not doing the enforcing, but rather looking at the laws in place," she added quickly when her father and mother had looks of alarm.

"Ah, the spew? Did you call it?" her mum asked gently.

"S.P.E.W." she enunciated carefully.

Andromeda and Ted stayed a little longer before heading home for the night. Her parents seemed to enjoy the company. She'd hoped to hear back from Harry but never got a letter. Before the Tonks left, they made a tentative schedule with her parents about when it was appropriate to visit Hermione.

The next week went by quickly. She got a letter from Ginny about her visit to Harry. She said he wasn't himself, but Madam Pomfrey kept him busy. There was a disturbance in the lobby that made everyone leave through a Ministry-only exit, even Sirius. Her parents wouldn't tell them what happened.

Hermione wrote back to Ginny with questions of her own. She asked how Ginny and her family were, if Ron was doing his summer coursework, and if she knew when it would be best to see Harry. Her parents made plans to go back to London the following Saturday. The Daily Prophet got wind of what happened at St. Mungo the Wednesday before Hermione would go with Andromeda and Ted to see Harry.

The front page showed a middle-aged man in his white bathrobe wildly waving his wand around. He'd come out of the Floo Network and attacked everyone in the lobby. The Daily Prophet called it an isolated event caused by an experimental potion gone wrong. The wizard had been arrested and held in St. Mungo until further notice. On the second page, Hamilton Davies and Ludo Bagmen were sent to Azkaban for their part in disrupting the Triwizard Tournament. The French and Russian Ministries demanded more information from Fudge about the charges.

On Friday morning, another attack happened in the lobby of St. Mungo. Again, the wizard was arrested and held in the hospital for treatment of a strange experimental potion gone wrong. The Ministry demanded that St. Mungo allow their Aurors to protect the hospital. So far, St. Mungo had not accepted any outside help, and no serious injuries have occurred. The second attack meant that Hermione couldn't visit Harry. She tried writing to Arthur to see if he could do anything, as Harry hadn't written back to her yet.

"I spoke with Sirius," Andromeda said on Saturday when everyone sat down to discuss what was happening. Ted nodded as he sipped the tea Eve gave him. "Lovely," he muttered.

"And?" Hermione nearly demanded. She was getting tired of her friend ignoring her.

"Harry hasn't gotten a single letter. He's been with him most of the time, except to sleep at home and do some things elsewhere. Someone, probably the hospital, is intercepting all communication to him."

Hermione blinked. "Do you think it is Dobby again? He did that during our second term."

"Harry's House-elf? Probably not, but Sirius is going to look into it. Harry has a letter for you, but I couldn't meet with Sirius before coming here. I promise to drop it off later if you want to write something to him. We'll get to the bottom of this," Andromeda promised with a smile.

"So, I can't go today and just see him?"

"Not with the lockdown. Aurors are watching the Floo to prevent any more incidents. Only those with serious medical needs are being admitted, and even then, they're being escorted everywhere by the St. Mungo's orderlies. Which, if you ask me, are just as good or better than some of the Aurors," she answered with a frown.

Hermione sighed and sat back. She wanted to see Harry. "I'll get something ready for you to take if you don't mind waiting," she said as she rose.

"Please, take your time," Andromeda smiled. Hermione could hear her mum question the older witch about what was happening in the magical world.

The letter was quick, knowing Harry had already written to her. She just wanted to see how he was doing. How was his healing coming, and was he learning anything interesting with Madam Pomfrey? She knew he was, but it might engage him into a longer letter than he usually sent over the summer. The next part of the letter was more challenging for her to write. She wanted to know if he was leaving Hogwarts and, if so, where he might go and how she could reach him. While she knew he hated Hogwarts, to some degree, she wanted him to continue to study with her. It was selfish, and she knew it even as she wrote the words, but she wanted to at least try to sway him.

When she returned to the living room, she realized it'd been almost an hour. "Sorry," she said as she passed the letter to Andromeda.

"No problem, dear. I expect you had a lot to say."

"Will you let me know when I can go see him?"

Ted and Andromeda exchanged looks. "You know we will, but… well, it might be a while. I'll ask Sirius if he can get in touch with Arthur too. If anyone can get you in, it'll be him," she answered softly. "However, things are tight everywhere. The Ministry is in its own mess."

"I've been reading the Prophet. Could Fudge really be on his way out?" she asked slowly. Barty Crouch Senior was gaining many followers to push for a reelection.

"We don't know," Ted said simply.