On No! Not Again!

by

grenouille and Herman Tumbleweed

Disclaimer: In the realm of the unknown, who could really know what is known as the knowing? For that matter who cares? JKR owns HP, we own old worn out computers

Chapter Two:

With a soft pop, Hermione reappeared in her bedroom. Looking around with a small shudder at all the frilly, girlie, "Hello Kitty" accessories, she thought, "Gods, what was I thinking?"

Suddenly the bedroom door swung open to a distraught, older version of Hermione. Winifred Granger let out a sigh of relief as she started to mildly berate her daughter, "Where have you been? I've been looking all over the house for you. You father and I have been in such a panic..." she trailed off as Hermione threw herself into a massive hug with her mum.

"Mum, calm down, I'm right here, I'm here," she tried to reassure the upset woman. "I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep. For some reason I've been restless all morning," she paused, hearing her mates chuckling in her head. "Hush, you two." Their giggling only increased.

Shaking her head slightly, the young genius turned her attention back to the parent in her arms. "I'm really alright, Mum. As I said, I've been restless this morning and just roaming the house and yard. I even brought in the paper. We must have just kept missing each other. I'm sorry if I worried you."

"We know what she's been missing, don't we, Luna?"

"Yes, Harry, we do. And I'm certain that it's not the Schmoozing Skinlickers, either."

"Well, maybe some kind of licker." Hermione could hear Harry's smirk.

"You guys aren't helping any, you know. Especially as we CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!"

"Are you alright? Are you ill?" Winifred placed her hand on her daughter's forehead in the old-as-time parental health check. "Hmm, you're not warm. Maybe you'd like to stay home in bed today."

"Mother! Honestly, now. I'm quite alright, thank you, but I need to get ready or I'll be late for class. May I please do so in peace?" Hermione released her and stepped back from the now chuckling dentist as the two miscreants in Ottery Saint Catchpole laughed hysterically in the young girl's mind.

"Alright, sweetheart. You'd better hurry as your bus will be here soon. Have you eaten, yet?" Winifred's parental instincts were back in full force.

"I'll just grab some tea and toast, thanks, Mum. Now if you'll excuse me..." Hermione turned her attention back to Harry and Luna as her mum left the room to prepare for her own day. "And you two... just wait until I get back there."

oOoOo

Meanwhile, Cassie watched with confusion as Harry and Luna held each other up while laughing hysterically. Eventually, they untangled themselves from each other, still chuckling quietly. At the woman's raised eyebrows and confused expression, Harry and Luna started giggling again before they were able to explain to the now concerned older witch.

"Mum," Luna started between giggles, "we're quite alright. Hermione's mum had found her missing and..." she turned to Harry in confusion. "Exactly how would you find someone missing if they aren't there?"

Shaking his head with a private smile for the young girl who shared his heart, he continued for Cassie, "Hermione was trying to cover her absence, and we, uh, we weren't very helpful." He made the mistake of catching Luna's eye and they fell into each other's arms again in mirth.

Cassie heaved a great sigh as she waited for the not-so-young children to calm themselves. When they seemed to be coherent again, she suggested, "Why don't we discuss this over breakfast?"

oOoOo

Over a large English breakfast, Cassie tried to get Harry and Luna to tell her of their lives. The youngsters, however, wouldn't give her more than generalities and anecdotes. They felt that Hermione needed to be with them for the serious discussions.

Hermione listened to Cassie's attempts to coerce her partners with amusement as she wryly asked herself how she was going to manage primary school again.

"Merlin, how am I going to put up with this shite?" she sent to her lovers just before lunch. "I've never been so bored in my life. And these kids! It's no wonder I didn't have any friends here, they're so... so..."

"Wrackspurt-infested? I've often suspected that they've entered the Muggle world. Just look at the various world leaders. They are obviously not completely responsible for their own actions otherwise they would make more intelligent decisions. Perhaps these people in your class are the ones who gain power in the Muggle world in our time."

Hermione giggled at Luna's assertion. Unfortunately, she giggled out loud.

"Miss Granger? Miss Granger!" her teacher asked with annoyance. "Could you please explain to the rest of the class exactly what you find so humorous about long division?"

"Uhm, not really, ma'am," the clearly embarrassed genius quietly responded. "It was just a random thought..." "Yeah, random my arse! I'm so gonna get you guys."

"Well, please keep your random thoughts to yourself," chided the teacher, who then turned back to the rest of the class, "Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted..."

oOoOo

It was with a relief like she had never felt before that Hermione finally got off of the bus and walked the short distance to her parents' home. Harry and Luna had been of no help to her during her other classes, either. Now she was anxious to see (and possibly hex) them. But first, she had to make sure she wasn't going to freak her parents out again.

She entered the house and headed straight for the kitchen. Looking by the telephone where she remembered her parents' always left messages for her, the young witch saw a message from her parents. Hoping for the best, she reached for the note:

Hermione,

Have heavy case load today and will be home late. We'll stop for Indian take-away on the way home. Love you,

Mum and Dad

"Hey, guys?" Hermione sent in relief.

"Yes, love?" came the stereo response.

With a small smirk, Hermione silently Apparated right behind Harry and Luna. "BOO!" she yelled.

With a start, the younger two turned suddenly and glared. "And to think that we missed you," Harry commented, before turning to Luna and asking, "And why was that?"

"I'm not certain at this moment," Luna replied with a smirk, "but as I recall it had something to do with her tongue. Or was it that she actually admitted to seeing a Nargle once?" Then, Luna briefly making eye contact with Harry, they pounced on a shocked Hermione and started tickling her and peppering her face with kisses.

A few minutes later, after falling just short of a full-blown three-way snog, the youngsters fell apart, laughing. They were happy to have spent a short time in one of their favourite normal pursuits, but realized they didn't have much time that day and had things to discuss.

"What a greeting," Hermione commented while catching her breath and looking around. "It almost made this day worth it. I don't know how I survived primary school before and I'm not certain how I'm going to do it all again." She knew they were outside, of course, but now noticed they were by a stream not far from the house.

"It wasn't really that bad, was it?" Harry asked with sincere concern in his face.

"I suppose not. I guess I had just forgotten how boring the classes were and how cruel my classmates were. I mean, I was always ahead of the rest of the class, and I understand that now it's going to be even worse. I just don't know how I put up with those... arseholes. I haven't wanted to hex anybody so badly since the last time we saw ferret-boy." She turned to Luna with some asperity, "and you suggesting which creature was infecting them wasn't helping any. Honestly, a few times I thought the teacher wanted to have me committed." She sighed, "I'm sorry, both of you. I know you were just trying to help cheer me up. I guess... I guess I just really missed you. And, maybe I was justalittlejealous." The last was quite rushed and run together.

"Hermione," Luna started, and then drew her into a full body hug, "please don't feel that way. I know it seemed like we were just having fun, but it wasn't right without you being here with us. We, too, were just trying to cope. It's been a long time since we've had to share each other with the world. We need to speak with Mum and see what we can figure out, but we've waited for you to get here. After all," she added with a small smirk, "who else is going to come up with our brilliant plans for us?"

"Yeah, love," Harry interjected, "you know we can't plan anything ourselves worth two shites or half a god damn."

"Prats." She shook her head affectionately at her mates, then kissed them both deeply. Let's find Cassie, then. I have to be home in a couple of hours and we have things to plan before then. And," she looked seriously at them both, "I need some quality time before I go."

After a bit more cuddling and kissing, the trio wandered up to the Lovegoods' rook-shaped home.

oOoOo

Cassie watched her daughter and friends interact as she started to prepare dinner. "I knew life would be interesting when I married Xeno, but I hardly expected this," she chuckled to herself. Her thoughts grew more serious as she thought about Luna and her friends', no, life mates', revelations that morning. Luna seemed ecstatic, almost... overjoyed... to see her; as if... "No, it couldn't be like that, could it?" As the possibility set in, the witch sat suddenly on a nearby stool, nearly toppling it and ending up on her arse.

The kids came bouncing into the house to find the older witch still perched on the stool, obviously in near shock. Concerned, they shared a look as they slowly approached Cassie. Luna gently touched her mother's shoulder. "Mum?"

With a start, Cassie pulled out of her thoughts, and with an age old "mum" smile greeted the worried trio. "Hermione, it's nice that you're back," she greeted the bushy haired girl. These two have not been the same since you left." She seemed very nervous to the trained eyes of the "kids".

In typical Luna fashion, she sent, "Oh shite, I think I know what she figured out…"

Hermione and Harry both added, "Oh shite is right/an understatement." Hermione's was the second one of course, her being more literarily inclined and all that; though she did lack Harry's penchant for rhyming in short sentences.

All three gathered around Cassie in a hug, which she returned with fervour to no one's surprise. After a couple of minutes of sharing the feelings among the four of them, though Cassie's were understandably muted to Harry and Hermione - being filtered through Luna - they finally pulled back some from each other. All four maintained contact, though.

"Mum," Luna questioned, "did you just figure something out about the future that we know and you don't?"

It took a couple of moments of staring off into space with a faraway look, but the woman finally responded by saying, "Yes, love, I think I did."

It was Harry who finally found his voice; the girls were too choked up with emotion at the moment. He asked softly, "Would you mind telling us what you think you know?" There had been no mental conversation this whole time, and the three remained quiet between their minds, as well as verbally, in anticipation of the answer to the elephant-in-the-room sized question.

She gazed at Harry, then the other two young faces, one to the next a few times, before returning to gazing solely at Harry. In answer she sighed, and asked softly, yet hesitantly, "I won't ask the girls, Harry, I can see part of the answer on their faces none of you want to give. But… how did I die, love? How long do I have?"

When he looked aside at the woman's shoulder as soon as she asked, a date popped into Harry's head, obviously sent by Luna. He gulped, or at least tried to, and worked his tongue a bit, trying to moisten his suddenly parched mouth and throat. There was still no conversation among the three, but he could feel the emotions welling off of them. Hope, fear, sadness, and an almost overwhelming sense of yearning rolled off of Luna, and Hermione by extension, because of the bond.

Finally, Harry was able to meet Cassie's eyes. "You," he croaked and cleared his throat, then started over, "you were experimenting with a spell that went wrong. Luna doesn't remember all that much about it, but it happened just a month before her next birthday. August the second, I believe… this summer. That's why she was so overjoyed, ecstatic to be truthful, when she realized we had come back far enough for you to still be alive…" His voice trailed off as a lump rose and choked it off, the same as it had done that morning.

She sat back, rocked to her core, yet now understanding the changes in her daughter, the girl's almost clingy nature today, and the sudden realizations that had been coming to her throughout the day. "Thank you, Harry," she whispered. "I know how difficult that must have been." She looked up at the saddened group. "I-I need to think about this for awhile. Why don't you guys go get some air for a bit?" At their obvious hesitation, she added, "Shoo, off with you. I'll be alright. I just have to think about this." Grudgingly, the three complied and headed for their tree, thoughts of… snuggling in mind.

Some time later, Cassie went to check on them. She shuddered as she, once again, realized how close she had been to repeating history. "Six weeks. Six more weeks and it would have been too late. I'm going to have to seriously rethink that spell I've been working on. I guess the world can survive a bit longer without a nose-hair trimming spell. It's a shame, really. Xeno could really use it."

A smile crept across her face as she saw the young lovers dozing, all piled together under the same tree they were under earlier. She quietly approached them, and gently shook the threesome awake. As they came to full wakefulness, Hermione glanced at her watch.

"Damn, my folks will be home in a few minutes, I gotta go." With a quick deep kiss each for Harry and Luna, as well as a heartfelt hug for Cassie, she Apparated away.

oOoOo

Hermione appeared with a soft pop in the hallway outside of the sitting room shortly before her parents should be home. Relaxing momentarily at the apparent silence in the house, she started up the stairs to her bedroom when she heard Winifred's shriek of fear.

Reacting out of habits learned from a childhood of war, the young witch spun around suddenly, reaching for her non-existent wand. Of course, the combination of not being fully acclimatized to her now much smaller body and being mid-step on a stairway, caused her to lose her balance and fall back. She wound up sliding back down to the ground floor on her now narrow, bony bum with a loud thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.

"Her- Hermione? Wh-where did you come from?" asked the panicking dentist as her husband came up behind her, cricket bat in hand.

"M-mum, D-daddy, wh-what's wrong?" she stammered, as her mates were jabbering in her head, trying to figure out why she was suddenly freaking out.

"Where the hell have you been, young lady?" demanded her father in that annoying way that frightened fathers have.

"And don't give us that "just missed each other around the house" nonsense, either," added her mum, whose worry had turned to anger.

"I-I… What are you doing home so early, anyway?" stammered the flustered youngster. Her lovers were in the back of her mind, clamouring for what was happening to her, while her parents were peppering her with questions about where she'd been and how she just appeared as if out of nowhere.

Finally, it just got to be too much for her, and she shouted out, "Shut up! Everyone just shut the hell up!" Silence ensued.

"Oh, shite," she thought. "Help me out here, guys."

"Are you okay, love?" Luna sent. Harry remained quiet, but Hermione could feel his presence.

"Yes, but… I think my parents are going to kill me. What do I say to them? What can I say to them?" In spite of her vast intelligence and experience, Hermione's interpersonal skills were still rather pathetic with people other than Harry and Luna. She was quite talented at dealing with them, although much of their interactions were, or had been, physical. Very physical.

"Hermione Jane..," Eugene Granger was a patient man (you'd have to be after years of dealing with people biting your fingers all day), but he was already reaching his limit.

"Daddy..," Hermione's response was interrupted by a soft "pop" in the sitting room. She turned and quickly entered the room, followed by the angry dentists, to be tackled by blonde- and black-haired children. Children who had not been there moments before, both parents noted with fear. Despite the oddness of people apparently appearing out of thin air, Winifred's eyes were drawn to the older person in the previously empty room, and nearly popped out of her head as she recognized a childhood friend.

"C-cassie? Cassie Black?"

"Winnie? You're Hermione's mum? Oh, this is so wonderful." The women greeted each other with a hug.

The sound of a man's throat clearing brought everybody back from their greetings (or as in the case of the trio, their mutual fondling session, which was currently being more or less ignored by the adults because two of them were as confused as they could be and the other was overjoyed at seeing her long-lost friend).

Eugene's patience was once again virtually sending steam out of his ears as he commented loudly, "I think that it's nice that we have all of these happy reunions, but can someone please explain just what the hell's going on!"

Taken aback at her normally mild-mannered husband's pronouncement, Winnie pulled back from her old friend and looked at her strangely. "I'm sorry, Cassie; I'm really glad to see you again after all these years, but far too many strange things have happened today that need explanations."

Chuckling, the older blonde pulled her friend to the nearest sofa and sat them both down, indicating that Gene should join them. "There's a lot to discuss, but first of all," she looked to Gene, "I believe some introductions are in order. I'm Cassie Lovegood, formerly Black. For many years, my family used to summer at the same place as Winnie's did and we became good friends. Then, erm, things changed for my family and Winnie and I lost track of each other."

Winifred introduced her husband, then added, "I always wondered what happened."

"It's a long story," Cassie replied, "and I promise that we'll get to it soon. However, I think we need to deal with these three first." Turning to the crowded recliner where the bonded mates were snuggled together still greeting each other, the witch, eyes twinkling in humour, cleared her throat loudly, "Ahem."

"Shite!" "Oh!" "Ouch, my ba...!" The pre/post-teens scrambled to untangle themselves from each other in panic as Cassie and the Grangers laughed out loud, though Eugene was a bit less enthusiastic, being his young daughter was being held rather intimately by a boy. The Daddy Gene had kicked in. (No apologies for the pun, either.). The not-as-young-as-they-looked lovers quickly collected themselves, straightening hair and clothing as the adults caught their breath.

"Oh, Merlin, if you could have seen yourselves..." Cassie caught herself before breaking into more laughter, but just barely. The three looked at each other, the adults, then at their feet, blushing brightly.

"No worries, kids. Besides, we really needed the laugh." Cassie's mien grew more serious and a bit sad. "We have much to discuss, and not much time tonight to do it." She held up her hands to forestall any questions. "We all have much to explain to each other – especially to Winnie and Gene. At the other adults' nods and confused looks, she continued, "Please let me get through what I can, and then we'll have you guys," she indicated the children, "fill Hermione's parents and me in on the other details. I suspect we'll have some decisions to make after that." Harry, Luna, and Hermione each quietly voiced their assent, as did the elder Grangers. She also quickly introduced Harry and Luna to the Grangers, but said they'd explain Harry's presence in due course.

"First of all," Cassie continued, turning to her old friend and husband, "I have to tell you something that you won't want to believe. Just trust me that before we're through you'll absolutely have all the proof that you'll need." At their hesitant nods, she continued, "First of all – and this will be the most unbelievable part for you both – is that magic exists."

Gene began to scoff and Cassie again raised a hand to forestall him. "Just watch." She drew her wand and transfigured the glass topped coffee table into an iguana. She returned it to its original state, then conjured a small erotic ice sculpture on top of the table which she then transfigured into a full tea service – complete with a steaming pot of Earl Grey.

Chuckling softly at the expressions on the faces of Winifred and her husband, Cassie served them both before continuing, "You may recall that odd things sometimes happened around me when we were little?" Winnie nodded. "That's because I have the in-born ability to use magic. I am a witch."

When the other adults started to protest even more than before, she held up her hand and went on, "Nor am I the only one here." Gesturing to the three preteens, she continued, "so are my daughter, Luna, her friend, Harry, though we call him a wizard, and… so is Hermione." Before the Grangers could utter any further objections, she handed her wand to Luna, who lit a roaring fire in the fireplace and passed it to Harry, who wisely summoned the tightly gripped cricket bat from Mr Granger's hand and, finally, passed the wand on to Hermione, who conjured a flock of canaries and sent them peacefully flying around the room (canaries, of course, are only dangerous in the presence of red-headed morons).

Handing the wand back to its owner, Hermione slowly approached her gob-smacked parents, dropping to her knees in front of them. Her eyes were wide in fear as she took both of her parents' hands in her small ones and asked, "Mummy, Daddy..?" At their blank stares, she sighed miserably and started to pull away from them. Sensing her movement, the elder Grangers' pulled their daughter into a tight family hug and whispered assurances and encouragement. She then gently reminded them of all the odd things that had happened around her, and explained that it was the accidental magic that every magical child exhibited.

At a thought from Hermione, Luna and Harry came to stand behind their lover. Hermione pulled back and introduced them again. "Mum, Daddy; this is Harry and Luna. They've been my friends for years and are very important to me."

More confusion entered her parents' brains and Cassie interrupted again, "I think that this is the best time to start the explanations. Frankly, this is a twisted mess and I think that if we just talk about everything that's going on we'll all be able to get at least somewhat of a grip on it." Seeing everybody's nods of approval, she gestured for the trio to re-take their seats.

"First of all; Winnie, do you remember how I sometimes knew about things that I shouldn't know about yet?" At her old friend's nod, she continued, "As Luna knows, and I'm certain that she told you two," indicating Harry and Hermione, "I am a seer of sorts. However, unlike many seers, I see not the future, but what is now and what is different about now, and to some extent what could have been, or in some cases actually was. Sometimes I even know some of the why and fortunately this is one of those times.

"Wh-when I awoke this morning, I knew that Luna wasn't the same Luna as I put to bed last evening. When you, Harry, then you, Hermione, arrived, I began to know more. I also know what you are and what you mean to each other and even some of what you all have gone through to get where you are." She gave Harry and Hermione each a deep, searching look and held back happy tears as she continued, "Thank you both for the joy you've given my daughter. I would be proud to consider you my children, as well." The children quickly moved to her and the woman took them all into a deep embrace, while the Grangers continued to look even more confused, and it was clear Gene's patience was becoming more than a bit frayed around the edges.

After a few moments, she released them and went on, "There are Powers which control all things. They go by many different names to many different peoples, but they do exist. For the most part, they let us go on our merry way. They let us make our own choices and our own mistakes; and they allow us to learn from those mistakes and correct our own errors. But on rare occasion they do intervene. This is usually due to a great evil that could cause great damage to more than just our little world. Now is one of those times." The Grangers looked only slightly less confused, but continued listening intently.

Looking at the kids, Cassie told them, "I know that you three were involved in fighting a great evil; and that things were not going well. I can only assume that this had to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Cassie looked for and received confirmation. "I was afraid of that. I do not know what the Powers fear, but I do know that you three have the strength and ability to fight this evil. It will take time and all of your gifts and skills. And you will only be able to fight this together."

Cassie's eyes took on a distant appearance, "Here is what I know has happened. You were all brought back to this time to allow you to prepare… without the manipulations of someone." She probed, "A certain long bearded and haired headmaster, perhaps?" At their nods in response, she went on. "You need to stop this…evil before it happened before. Before when, I do not know. Just… before. I know that you are much older than you appear and that you have been involved for a long time. Years, in fact. You have come together, physically, mentally and spiritually. In fact, you've married each other… no, not just that, but have bonded each other." The piercing grey eyes of the seer focussed intently on the trio, "How did you manage that? Common understanding is that it cannot be done that way."

Hermione looked to her mates with a warm smile as she answered, "Harry took me into the House of Black, then we were married in both Magical and Muggle ceremonies. He then took Luna into the House of Potter. We found a Druid priestess who then handfasted the three of us together. Harry wanted to marry us both, one for each House, but Luna was insistent that it was better, no, necessary to do it the way we did; including the Muggle wedding. She never did adequately explain why."

"That is because I couldn't. It's been three years and I still can't. I just felt that it was the best way to go. But I couldn't be happier." Luna snuggled deeper into her loves' embraces.

Cassiopeia leaned back with an expression of fierce concentration. "This still doesn't explain it," she thought, "The Powers must be more involved than I thought. What priestess would (or could) do a three-way handfasting? One at a time, maybe, but all at once? And how? Well, first thing's first..."

"Now wait a bloody minute!" Eugene roared, interrupting the seer's thoughts. "Okay, I can buy the magic bit, mostly because I can't see how you could have faked what you showed us, but TIME TRAVEL? I don't know who you are or what…"

"I believe her," Winifred said calmly.

Eugene's head whipped towards his wife's. "What? Are you losing your bloody mind?"

"Eugene Alfred Granger!" she snapped. "Listen to me for a minute."

"Ooh, three names," Hermione sent to the other two. "Daddy's in deep shite already, and we've only just started." Her mates giggled silently in response.

"Do you remember me telling you about how my brother almost died?"

"Yes, but…"

"He only survived because someone told us that he was in trouble, right?"

"That's what you said, but what…"

Pointing to Cassie, Winnie all but yelled, "She's the one who told us! And she'd been with me all day. She had no way of knowing, but she did!" Winnie's voice softened as she concluded, "Cassie saved Randall's life. I saw the look in her eyes when she said all that she just did. She had the same look when she told us that we needed to find Randall." Turning to her friend, she added regretfully, "And I never properly thanked you for it, either."

"Yes, you did. You stayed my friend in spite of all the weird things that happened." The women hugged each other, tears of happiness flowing freely.

Digesting his wife's words, Gene said, in a much more reasonable tone, "I can see that we still have much to discuss. Let's adjourn to the kitchen for dinner and you all can begin to tell us your stories. I'll call the pizza parlour down the road and have some delivered. I know that doesn't go all that well with the Indian take-away we brought home, but…" he trailed off at the murmur of acceptance from his wife.

Cassie looked up and agreed, "That sounds like a good plan. After we're done," she looked at the youngsters, "we'll have to figure out how we are going to keep the three of you together. It is important that you stay together. I know that Vernon and Petunia, Harry's relatives, are unpleasant, but I also know that someone is interfering with them. I think that we can work something out. We will have to, and soon."

"Well," Harry shyly commented, "after the scene I made when I left this morning, I kinda doubt they'll want me back." The girls chuckled at this admission, having already shared the memory of his leaving the Dursleys. He added, "I also collapsed Long Beard's enchantments while I was at it, by declaring it was no longer my home.

"That's good, Harry," Cassie replied, "but we need to find a way to legally get you away from them."

"Why would we need to do that?" asked Winnie.

"Harry's, erm, relatives," Hermione spat out the last word, "aren't the nicest people in the world, Mum. They aren't fit to raise a retarded slug. "Hmm, come to think of it, Harry, did they actually ever have legal custody of you? Or was it that they had your birth certificate and guardianship papers which were prepared by He-Who-Needs-A-Haircut-And-Beard-Trim? I seriously doubt there is anything in the Muggle records which corresponds with those."

"Be that as it may, "Cassie interrupted, "we'll need to research and plan for that later. For now, I think that we should get everybody up to speed so we can make these kinds of decisions.

"Oh, and as I am aware of your true ages, and Winnie and Gene will soon be as well," she glanced at the other adults in warning, "feel free to behave as you normally would. We remember young love and I, for one, wouldn't wish to deprive you of that. This will be hard enough on your bond as it is. Just remember, your bodies are different now; they are much younger, so care should be taken not to... expose them to things they are not physiologically ready for."

As Cassie turned towards the kitchen, drawing the other adults with her and effectively cutting off any attempts by Gene to object, she smirked at Hermione's loud growl of frustration. "Being a seer is great for pranking, as well" she thought with a small smirk as she started to quietly and briefly explain Magical bonds to the outraged Muggle parents.

An hour later found the six of them sitting around the Grangers' dining room table, munching on pizza and Indian dishes, which went better together than one might think, and drinking Pepsi. With their pleasant dinner they began a series of tales that would last well into the next day.

*more to come*

Very Strange A/N: The authors, not the note. We thank all of you who have waited patiently for this next chapter for so long. Muses being the way they are… well, we hope you understand that the creative process is not necessarily an "on call" thing. Thanks for your continued interest in both our works, as well as this combined effort.