Harry Potter: Syndicate of Heroes

Hermione took her time going down the stairs, after all, she still wasn't convinced that she wanted to be here. Her initial idea of how to spend the evening was most appealing; unfortunately, her parents could be quite persuasive. Not to mention that she still had a lingering feeling of guilt after her Hogwarts' years – spending ten months of the year at the castle and then a large portion of each holiday away from home with Harry and the Weasleys meant that she hadn't spent as much time with her parents as she should have. Not to mention what she did to them in her 'first' seventh year.

The sound of her parents' voices coming from the kitchen as she approached the door had the corners of her mouth twitching upwards. That smile, though, was instantly dispelled the second that she heard that third voice.

And to think that she'd believed her mother when she'd promised.

With a scowl, Hermione stomped the rest of the way to the kitchen and pushed hard enough on the swinging door to slam it back against the far wall.

"Mother, I'm going to have to take a raincheck," she began through her clenched teeth.

"Hermione!" her mother said, one hand on her breast in her apparent shock of her daughter's appearance.

Hermione fixed her mother with a deathly gaze, her mind going through the myriad of hexes that she'd like to cast. In her peripheral vision, she noted the man seated at the table across from her father, but there was no way that she was even going to grace the man with any attention.

"I'm guessing it'll just be the three of us, then, Mister and Mrs Granger. Shame really, I was looking forward to catching up with Mione," the man said.

Hermione's eyes widened. She knew that voice. And that shock of messy black hair.

"Harry?" she asked in disbelief. Then, after seeing that lop-sided grin when said man turned to look at her, his green eyes sparkling with mischief, "Harry!"

Instantly, she was across the room, flinging herself at him. Thankfully, Harry was able to push himself and his chair back fast enough from the table in order to catch her on his lap. The two hugged fiercely

"What are you doing here?" she laughed in her ear. "You should have told me that you were coming."

"Now where would the fun be in that?" Harry asked as they let go,

"Prat," she smiled, giving him a gentle slap on his chest.

"Marauder," Harry countered.

The laughter from her mother spun her head around.

"And you! Keeping this from me. I thought that you promised that you had no ulterior motives," Hermione accused.

"Well, I didn't. Harry did," Jane grinned. "I did also promise that you'd regret it if you didn't come, didn't I? And I was right."

Hermine gave her mother a mock glare, one that she simply laughed at.

"When did you arrive? How long are you staying? Do you have somewhere to stay? Why are you finally back in England? I've got a spare room at my apartment if you need it," Hermione asked in a single breath.

Harry laughed at her. "It's good to see you again, too, Hermione. Now in answer to your questions: I arrived this morning; I'm not sure; Grimmauld Place (I do own it, after all); and a transfiguration problem."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "A problem. What is it? Describe the effect you're trying to achieve, the incantation and wand movements, then outline where it's going wrong."

"I think that can wait until after dinner," her father, Henry, interrupted.

Hermione pouted, but relented, moving from Harry's lap to the chair beside him.

"You know everyone's going to want to see you now that you're back," Hermione said.

Harry grimaced. "I guess that I'll catch up with a few people. But really, Hermione, all I'm wanting is a short, low-key sort of visit."

Hermione stared at him incredulously for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.

"Why does everyone start laughing every time I say that?" Harry pouted, running a hand through his hair.

"Who else laughed when you said that?" a still smiling Hermione asked.

"Luna," Harry replied simply.

"You've seen Luna?" a surprised Hermione asked. "When did you see her?"

"She just appeared at the Den about a week ago and ended up staying with me until I left New York," Harry explained. "She made a new friend, a fellow magi-zoologist, and she's now gone off with him on an expedition."

"Yes, that sounds like Luna," Hermione smiled. "How did she go keeping the fact that she's a witch from Doreen?"

"Uh, Doreen knows about magic now," Harry replied and quickly continued at her rounded stare. "It wasn't Luna's fault. And there were other factors involved. Let's just say that it involved a squirrel, a snake and a really interesting tail."

Harry snickering to himself while not providing the complete story did not impress Hermione.

"I promise to tell you all about it later," Harry said. "Perhaps after dinner."

"Good idea," her mother agreed as she carried a large white pot full of vegetables to the table and placed it in the middle.

"Do you prefer white meat or leg, Harry?" her father asked from where he stood over the roast chicken, carving knife and fork in hand.

ooo00ooo

The two needed to squeeze together on the end of the lounge for them both to be able to see across the hall and into the study, but neither Henry nor Jane Granger minded. Simply getting this chance to see their daughter happy like this, smiling and laughing even in the seriousness of the magic puzzle she was working on with Harry, was worth a small amount of discomfort.

Both had gasped and Henry had nearly spilled his tea when Harry had changed his body from human into some bird-human hybrid. Hermione's laugh at the absurd sight eased their fears that something terrible had happened

"Animagus," Jane said, snapping her fingers. "That's what it's called, what Harry's trying to do. Remember when that McGonagall lady first came to give Hermine her Hogwarts' letter, that she could turn into a cat? That's what she called it."

Henry nodded as the memory surfaced.

"If Harry's doing it, how long do you think it'll be before Hermione sets her mind on doing it, too?" he asked.

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