GREENGRASS ESTATE, EAST SUSSEX, ENGLAND; 26TH JUNE 1977

The pair of witches stepped through the fireplace and out of the warm emerald flames. Hermione gasped slightly at the sight in front of her as her vision cleared. The sitting room that they stepped into was a warm yellow colour with plush furniture that looked comfortable and inviting. A chandelier hung in the centre of the room, candles burning to light the space, giving it an orange glow that made the home feel inviting.

"Welcome home," Helen said, smiling at Hermione as she helped her from the hearth. "Hector's grandfather built this after the original property that stood here was burned down in a horrific fiendfyre accident, it took all the buildings and animals that lived here. Thankfully no one was home at the time, so the entire family survived, but it was still very hard on them. The Greengrass family has always raised abraxan, so the loss was devastating not only to us but to the entire wizarding community. It's taken years, but we're finally back to where the family was before the fire. Hyperion, our son, he is more interested in politics, so we'll see how that pans out for our little farm."

The witch continued talking about her family and their operations, giving Hermione more history on them as they toured the home. Helen led Hermione through each room, and Hermione wasn't shocked to see so much colour filling the space as she got to know the matron better. Reds, blues, greens, each room was painted and decorated with a different colour in mind. It was easy to feel the joy in the home and that it wasn't just another house. The family that lived here clearly loved each other and the welcoming nature helped to put Hermione at ease.

"This will be where you're staying," Helen said, coming to a stop outside one of the upstairs rooms. "We have a few house elves on staff. Evie, Tilly, and Abby, are the ones that will help you get settled in. If you need anything, you're welcome to call for any of them and they'll answer. I'll leave you be," Helen told her, giving a slight nod before backing out of the room and shutting the door.

Hermione was able to look around, noting the large bed with a plush white comforter. The pale purple walls had a white floral overlay, making it look like lace was draped against them. The bay windows overlooked the vast property, cleared pastures for the giant winged horses and were lined with forests that expanded further than she could see. It made Hermione wonder just how wealthy the Greengrass family was, and why in the world they would want to take in a basically orphaned teenage girl with no memory of her past.

Going to her personal en suit, Hermione gaped at the claw foot tib that sat in the centre of the room. It was so large, it was clearly meant for multiple adults or one enormous person, making her consider possibly just taking a midday bath. Putting that on her to-do list, Hermione went over to the sink to see what supplies she might need to stock up on her next shopping trip.

Slowly blinking, she was shocked to find an assortment of different hair products for her to try. She couldn't remember what she used on her hair to control the mass of curls, but the shampoo St. Mungo had provided only made her hair wild and frizzy, making her look slightly mad in the process.

Curiosity took over, and Hermione found herself back in the bedroom searching through the wardrobe and dresser. Because if Helen had gone to the trouble of making sure she had hair products stocked specifically for Hermione, she couldn't help but wonder what else the witch had already done to prepare for Hermione coming to stay. As she shifted through the new belongings, Hermione found everything was in her size. Helen had even provided various clothing options from formal dress robes to casual muggle style clothing. Nothing had been missed, making Hermione wonder just how she would ever repay Helen and the kindness she was being shown.

A soft pop behind her, had Hermione turning in shock, her hand clutching her chest as she now faced three identical house elves. Large bat-like ears, bright blue eyes, and tiny button noses, the elves each wore a pillowcase, but each in different colours.

"Mistress told Evie she was bringing home a Missy for us to care for!" The one in a sage green uniform announced, bouncing on the balls of her feet, clapping her hands together. "Mistress tells the truth! A new Missy really is here!"

"What Evie means to say," the one wearing sky blue said, narrowing her eyes at the first elf, "is Tilly and her sisters are very pleased to meet you."

"Abby is very happy to have a girl to care for. Master Hyperion is no fun to dress up and says he's too old for our silly games." The third elf said, giving a courtesy, her yellow uniform billowing out as if it were a dress. "New Missy doesn't look too old for Abby and Evie to play with."

"I presume you're the Greengrass house elves?" Hermione inquired, as unnecessary as it was. A part of her twitched at the idea of house elves as she recalled obscure facts about their historically poor treatment and lack of fair wages and personal time. However, as this information flowed through her mind, Hermione couldn't help but notice how clean and put together these three elves were. They were nothing like what was described in the pages upon pages she could recall reading, in fact, she did not feel anything like she was in charge in their presence, but more like they were overly eager aunts wanting to dote on her.

"We are," the one in blue, Tilly, said, giving a slight bow of her head. "Our family has always cared for the Greengrass family, the three of us since Master Hector was a boy. We assist with all the household tasks, while the grounds are cared for by our father, Kipper, and brother Zipp." The small elf explained with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Oh, I see. Well, it is very nice to meet you all," Hermione told the sisters, being sincere. When none of them made another move, waiting for Hermione, she squirmed a bit in her shoes.

Finally, not able to take the awkward silence any longer, Hermione thought of a request that would actually be helpful, because much to Evie's dismay, Hermione did not want to play dress up.

"If it wouldn't be a bother, could you please collect all the newspapers from the past year? I'm a bit behind on my current events, you see, and–"

"Is not a problem, Missy Hermione," Evie said, cutting Hermione off. "Would you just like the Daily Prophet or would Missy like all newspapers?"

"Could we perhaps start with a bit of an assortment from across the U.K.? Muggle and magical publication, if it's not too much trouble, that is," Hermione finished.

"Not trouble at all," Abby said, dipping low again. "We will deliver what you ask for this evening. Is there anything else Missy wishes from us?"

"No, no, that will be all, thank you," Hermione told them. With one little bow from each, the trio disappeared from sight with a soft pop, leaving Hermione alone once again. Moving back to the window, looking out at the beautiful green landscape, Hermione wondered just how she was going to piece her life back together, especially when she didn't know where to start.