Hypatia got dressed for the second time that day. She smiled as Regulus pulled up the zipper on her dress. They had spent all morning in bed, but they had to emerge at some point. Hermione had sent word via D.A coin that they would be arriving within the hour.

"These people are really important to you, aren't they?" Regulus asked.

Hypatia sighed as she nodded, "They're like the parents I never had. They came and got me as soon as Dumbledore would let them every summer. Hermione would take my nice things home in her trunk so the Dursley's wouldn't do anything to them. They saved me."

Regulus swallowed the question he wanted to ask- why did she need to be saved? Why would they touch her belongings? Sirius told him her Muggle guardians were unpleasant, but he sensed real fear from her. She spoke about them as if they were monsters. He'd ask later, when they had more time.

"I'll do my best to make them comfortable. I know they must be giving up a lot to come here."

Hypatia spun to look at Regulus, a soft smile on her face.

"Yes, but there's nothing more precious to them than Hermione. They'd never risk her safety."

"Now that's something I can understand," Regulus replied.

He placed a soft kiss on her lips. A ding ran through the room, and Hypatia looked around in a panic. That had to be either the twins or Hermione.

"Okay, one last thing," Hypatia whispered. "Don't be scared. Just uh...don't."

Regulus tilted his head at her in curiosity, "Why would I be scared of Muggles, Hypatia?"

Hypatia's eyes tilted around shiftily as she headed towards the door,avoiding his question.

"Hypatia?"

"Uh...let's just go. You'll see what I mean."

Hypatia threw etiquette to the wind and hurried ahead of Regulus. There they were, her family. Hermione stood tall in a beautiful full black skirt and white blouse with lace on the cuffs. She had piled her tight curls on top of her head, and there were large pearls placed within. Of course she'd never let a small thing like a battle at the Ministry of Magic make her discomposed.

"Are you okay, Hermione? Dumbledore made me leave. I didn't want to!"

"I'm alright Hypatia. The instructions you sent worked wonders. I'm just a little sore."

Hypatia loosened her hold on her friend with an apologetic smile. She looked past Hermione at her parents. Hermione's mother held out her arms and Hypatia ran into them.

"Ça va, ma chérie?" She asked in a soft whisper. *Are you well, my dear?*

"Ça va très bien!" Hypatia assured her. *I'm very well!*

Hermione's father looked at her seriously, as if he could see right through her. Hypatia tried to convey how sincerely happy she was. He could be a bit stern at first, but he was a very loving man.

Regulus watched the entire interaction with blatant surprise from the foot of the stairs. Hermione's father was one of the tallest men he had ever seen. He had to be at least 6'7, with broad shoulders to match. His wife on the other hand was just as small as Hypatia. Hermione's own height was somewhere in between. She had her father's dark brown skin, and elegant features.

He'd never seen Muggles like this, and his suspicions were growing every second. They were dressed too nicely for ordinary Muggles. Her father wore a three piece suit and her mother wore a dress that could have easily been bought in Diagon Alley.

He felt Sirius and Remus arrive behind him, and even Remus did a double take at the tall form of Hermione's father. Sirius gripped Regulus' shoulder and shook him gently. Regulus swatted at his hand, and finally Hypatia turned around with a sheepish smile.

She held out her hand, and Regulus joined her at her side. "Regulus, this is my friend Miss Granger."

Hermione curtsied, though she didn't deign to smile. She hadn't made up her mind about Regulus yet, and wouldn't bother showing him affection until she had. Regulus couldn't blame her, it was a lot of change all at once.

"And this is Lord Hector Granger, and Lady Helene Granger."

The Granger's greeted him properly with a curtsy and a bow, which also set off red flags in Regulus' brain. Unless they were Muggle aristocracy, they shouldn't know how this went, and only then because their etiquette was similar.

"This is Lord Regulus Potter-Black, my husband."

Helene turned her dark brown eyes on Hypatia, "I expect an explanation now."

It was calm. Too calm. Hermione turned her head, and placed her hand over her mouth in an attempt not to laugh. She'd heard that tone more than once, always when she was in trouble.

"Why don't we go into the sitting room," Regulus offered.

Hypatia shot Hermione a pleading look as she led her parents into the sitting room. She turned to Regulus and gave him an apologetic shrug. Sirius actually laughed and patted his brother on the shoulder.

"Time to face the firing squad," he whispered in Regulus' ear. Remus dragged him into the sitting room by his hand. Regulus blew out a deep breath and braced himself. He felt the wards shift, and suddenly the Weasley twins were racing in the front door, pushing past him.

"Helene! Hector!"

"Boys!" Helene greeted jovially. "How have you been? You've been working too much! You hardly ever come to see us anymore."

Regulus came to sit by Hypatia as Hector and Helene embraced the Weasley twins. He was shocked to see how cheerful they looked, since they seemed ready to kill him just moments before.

Fred and George squeezed themselves onto the loveseat with Hermione, crushing them between her. Hermione rolled her eyes, though she spared a fond smile for them. Helene beamed over at them.

"Such a beautiful triad," she complimented in her slightly accented English.

Hector had resumed staring at Regulus while Helene focused her eyes on Hypatia. "The explanation, Hypatia?"

"I've always been in love with Regulus. I knew it was kind of crazy, but I just couldn't help it. There were these journals he left behind, and pictures of him that Sirius had. No one else ever compared, and you know what they say about Potter's."

"Potter's are plotters," George joked.

Hermione dug her elbow into his side and he yelped.

"Potter's only fall in love once," she snarled at him.

"It's not ladylike to elbow your suitors, or to call them names," Helene chastised gently.

"I apologize," Hermione mumbled unconvincingly, though her parents let it slide.

"I was alone after the battle," Hypatia continued. "Sirius had gone to sleep. He thought I had too, but I couldn't. I kept having flashbacks. I thought it would help if I drank some firewhiskey. At first I didn't feel anything, so I drank more. I drank most of the bottle before it hit me all at once."

"Oh ma cherie, firewhiskey is not for you. Champagne and wine only, in small amounts."

Hypatia blushed, "I know that now. I found one of Regulus' journals with the ritual,and I invoked a soul bond using blood magic."

The silence in the room was deafening. Regulus had saved her from having to tell the full story earlier, but there it was. She owed the Granger's the truth. Regulus grabbed her hand, and gave it a squeeze.

Helene's eyes traveled between Regulus and Hypatia. "Soul bonded at just fifteen. So young. Still, perhaps it is for the best. I never did like Dumbledore. Do you have anything to add, young man?"

"I have to admit you have me at an advantage. Hypatia told me you were Muggles, but that's clearly not the case. You know what soul bonds are, and you're dressed like Purebloods. What's going on here?"

"You didn't tell him?" Fred asked.

Hermione's parents turned their eyes to Hypatia and she gave a little shrug.

"I was never given permission to share that information. I would never dishonor the House of Potter by betraying your trust."

"You should have known Hypaia would keep our secret," Hector chastised Fred.

"What am I missing?" Regulus asked.

Lord Granger turned to him, "My grand-father was Lord Hector Dagworth-Granger, perhaps you've heard of him."

"Of course I have," Regulus confirmed. "Any potions student worth their mettle has. I didn't know he had any children. It's thought the line died out."

"Helene and I are Squibs, as were our parents. My existence was kept secret. Easy enough to do since my father didn't often participate in Pureblod society. I went to boarding school in France, where I met Helene."

"My father is a Lapin," she added. Regulus nodded, that was a very old French Pureblood line.

"We have lived in the Muggle world for our safety, but our Hermione is magical. We asked her to keep her lineage a secret until she is of age. There are those who may want to marry her just for her position."

"Not us," the twins chorused.

"We want to marry her cause she's hot," George laughed.

Fred reached over Hermione and hit his brother in the stomach.

"What he means to say is we want to marry her because she's intelligent, kind, and brave. Her beauty only enhances her already glowing character."

Sirius could barely contain his giggles. It didn't seem to matter what the Weasley twins did, the Grangers were enamored with them. Hector merely shook his head while Helene smiled indulgently at them.

"Yes well, they are good boys, even if they are mischievous. We like them."

Hermione rolled her eyes. She wished she could get away with half as much as her parents let the boys get away with. They had started visiting her during the summers after her third year, and her mother doted on them. Still, she knew she was spoiled by most standards, and couldn't complain.

"Helene and Hector saved our early joke products. Our mother wanted to trash them, but Hermione had the foresight to tell us to store most of them at her house. Our mom only got a few of them that way."

Helene sighed, "Yes, well she really is a harpy. Back to the point. Have you learned your lesson about drinking my dear?"

Hypatia nodded, "Ladies do not get drunk."

"At the very least they don't drink an entire bottle of firewhiskey and turn blood magic into a drinking game," Hector added.

Hermione stifled a laugh behind her hand, and her father shot her a cheeky wink. They were forever cutting up together when Helene was trying to be serious. It drove Helene crazy. Regulus felt Hector's gaze on him, and raised his eyes.

"Why do you deserve our Hypatia?" Hector asked.

The tone shifted in the room, as everyone watched them.

"I don't deserve her. I'm lucky she saw something in me worth falling in love with, worth twining her soul with. I will do everything in my power to end this war, and prove her faith justified."

"Were you involved in the last war?"

Regulus let out a tense breath, "I was Marked by the Dark Lord, and forced into his service. Thankfully the soul bond removed the Mark. It's important to me that you know I didn't want to serve him. They threatened to kill Sirius, and I couldn't lose him. I nearly died trying to defeat him."

Hector and Helene looked at him so intensely that Regulus would think they were Legilimens if he didn't know any better. Perhaps this was a good parent thing, interrogating suitors. He wouldn't know. Hector sighed.

"You seem like you're well intentioned but just know, we won't forgive any slight against our Hypatia. There are many who would wish to harm her. We've done what little we could to help her, though Dumbledore made sure it was never much. Still, we love her. I may be just a Squib, but I won't allow you to betray her."

Sirius gulped, with Hector's impressive size that was a valid threat.

"I understand," Regulus assured him.

"And you'll have a formal wedding after the war is over," Helene added hastily as a final condition of their approval.

"Really mum?" Hermione whined on Hypatia's behalf. She knew Hypatia hated being the center of attention.

"Really. Lord and Lady Potter would want their only daughter to have a proper wedding. I'm convinced of it."

Hyptia felt a lump rise in her throat. Just another experience she wouldn't have with Lily, but she had Helene. She found that she wanted the chance to do mother-daughter things.

"She's right," Regulus added. "We should have a formal wedding."

"Really?" Hypatia asked.

"Really."

"Well then I think we have come to an accord," Helene smiled.

Kreacher came into the room pushing a cart with a selection of cookies and teas. He served them without complaint, and left quickly. Hermione watched Regulus and Hypatia interact with him with wide eyes.

"Now what happened, because the last time I saw Kreacher he was cantankerous at best."

Regulus sighed, "Kreacher was left alone in this home for over a decade after watching me nearly die in the most gruesome of circumstances. That is enough to turn anyone cantankerous. He is not a cruel creature, he merely needs to be treated with kindness."

Hermione blinked at him, surprised by the attitude of a Pureblood lord.

"And werewolves?"

"Seem to really like my brother?" Regulus answered with a bemused smile. "I assure you I am fond of all magical creatures. Far more than I like most wizards and witches. Perhaps once the war is over I can turn my attention to creature rights legislation in the Wizengamot. It didn't seem possible before, but now..."

Hermione gave him one last piercing glance before she relaxed back into the loveseat. "I suppose you can keep him, Hypatia."

Hypatia giggled, "Well I'm glad you approve. Malfoy seems to think Regulus has done something to me because I didn't want to fight with him over every little thing."

Hermione scrunched up her nose in annoyance. "Ah yes, where is the little ferret?"

"Hermione, that's terribly rude, but where is he?" Hector asked, looking around.

"He and Cissa have been working on redecorating the Master suite for Hypatia and Regulus all morning," Remus told them.

"That's uncommonly kind of Malfoy," Hermione replied.

"It was Cissa's idea," Sirius told them. "She can't bear to be idle. She always did have an eye for decor, much better than Walburga. Draco's just along for the ride."

"Anything is better than being forced into the Dark Lord's service," Draco said from the doorway.

"Merlin, Draco. That's so melodramatic," Cissa sighed as she passed by him to take one of the two empty chairs. Draco looked at the Granger's for a moment, clearly surprised by how well put together they seemed.

"A pleasure to meet you Mister and Misses Granger. Hermione, I should apologize. I...I was a prat. I didn't understand how bad the Dark Lord was until..."

"Until?" Hermione asked testily.

Hypatia leveled a reproachful glare at her friend. Draco was trying, even if his apology was properly fumbled. Regulus took over for his cousin, who seemed to be lost for words.

"The Dark Lord has been known to torture the family members of Death Eater's who fail him."

"But you're....we're...just teengaers." Hermione said brokenly.

"He doesn't care," Draco finally responded. "He's insane."

He finally took the spot beside Cissa as those in the room considered what Draco had said.

Finally Hermione broke the tense silence."I forgive you, Draco. You were an absolute terror though. I expect you to act better if you want me to tolerate you."

Draco laughed, "Fair enough."

"And son," Hector added. "It's Lord Granger, not Mister."

"What?!" Draco asked.

Sirius chortled as he jumped to his feet, "Settle in Drakey-poo, have I got a surprise for you."