After berating Malfoy, Harry gingerly picked up Hermione, and walked toward the room he shared with Ron. As soon as they entered, Hermione pushed herself out from his arms, and settled comfortably in Ron’s bed. She stared into his green eyes, questions dancing in her small brown pupils.
“Who you?” she asked softly, chewing her tiny fingernails.
“I’m Harry.”
“’Arry.”
“Yes.”
“Who he?”
“That is the Ferret,” he smiled.
“Fewat!” she repeated with glee.
Harry noted her gleeful smile disappear, questions etched all over her small face.
“You stranger. Where’s my mum?”
“Your parents are on vacation, Hermione. I’ll be taking care of you.”
“Like a babysiwer?” she asked.
“Yes, like a babysitter,” he answered softly.
After a minute of silence, the little girl climbed off Ron’s bed, and walked around the room. She noticed the magical items scattered about the floor and shelves. Her attention was caught by the model dragon Harry had received during the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
“Where are we?” she questioned, obviously even as a toddler Hermione was bright. Harry wondered whether he should tell her the truth, or not. He briefly realized there was a slight probability that his best friend might have to go through her childhood all over again. After a moment of consideration, he resigned himself to tell her the truth.
“You’re a witch, Hermione,” he began.
Harry carried his best friend through the dark hallway as he made his way to the kitchens, wondering what he was going to do. He found Remus waiting for him, quietly sipping hot chocolate, as he spoke with Tonks. Apparently, the old werewolf had taken the time to fill her in on the details of the current situation. He and Remus had been out on Order business when the warning charm Harry had secretly put on Hermione went off. They had Apparated back expecting the worst “ but not a four year old Hermione.
When they had first arrived, they had stormed the house “ wands ready for dueling.
However, they were shocked to find Draco trying to calm down a tiny brown haired girl as she bellowed her lungs out. Some sort of gooey mixture clung to several parts of the wall and ceiling, and what appeared to be cauldron pieces were scattered about the floor. The still burning fire indicated that an accident had occurred, but the panicked expression on Malfoy had raised Harry’s suspicions. A long moment of stunned silence hung in the air until Remus began laughing heartily.
Malfoy turned around scandalized that he was being laughed at yet he managed to scowl at the same time. Harry, on the other hand, had thrown a fit, threatening to flay the ferret, and then dump his scrawny Slytherin bum at Voldemort’s doorstep, until Remus had to drag him out from the room, still laughing.
Harry honestly didn’t think it could have been any worse. At least, if Malfoy had actually hurt Hermione they could have taken her to St. Mungo’s. This was ten times worse.
Now, Harry was ready to lose his patience again as he watched Remus and Tonks having a merry old laugh at the situation. He scowled.
“Remus! This is horrible,” Harry exclaimed as he put his best friend on the floor, where she promptly sat down to stare at Tonk’s pink hair.
The little girl cocked her head, smiling as the Metamorphmagus took to entertaining her by changing her looks.
“Harry, it is not so bad. She’s rather cute at this age “ and I’m sure we’ll find a cure,” Remus declared as he gingerly picked up Hermione, placing her on his knee.
“We can’t leave her here all alone with him, though.”
“Well, we certainly can’t take her with us “ it’s too dangerous,” Remus admonished.
“What about Molly?” Tonks suggested, making a face for Hermione. The small brown-hair girl clapped her hands in delight.
“It wouldn’t be fair to Mrs. Weasley,” Harry muttered, “She already has her own family to take care of, and this would be an inconvenience.”
“Nonsense, Harry. You know better than that! Molly loves you and Hermione. She would be more than happy to watch over her,” Remus exclaimed, smiling tenderly at his fiancée.
“No.”
“Harry.”
“No! Even if Mrs. Weasley took care of Hermione “ we can’t leave Malfoy alone at Grimmauld Place. Who knows what sort dark magic he could practice here on his own “ especially since the house reacted so well to his presence,” Harry muttered darkly.
“Harry you don’t know that. Besides Grimmauld Place is still Order Headquarters. Order members come and go at all times of the day; he wouldn’t be able to do much harm. Besides, the Weasleys could move to Grimmauld Place, seeing as the Burrow isn’t very safe after it was attacked two weeks ago. And Molly had already volunteered to live here, and take care of our troops prior to the attack. This,” Remus motioned to Hermione, “would hardly be an inconvenience.”
Grudgingly, Harry mumbled his agreement. “I trust you, Remus. You’re the closest to a father figure I have, and if you say it won’t be an inconvenience to Mrs. Weasley then I’ll take your word for it.”
In quiet acquiescence, Harry picked up a mug of hot chocolate to hash out further details. Hermione smiled at everyone as she grabbed a handful of marshmallows and stuffed them in her mouth.
“Malfoy!”
Draco heard his name bellowed by the raven-haired git, and walked out of the make shift potions lab where he had been fuming for the past hour.
”I’m not a house elf, Potter,” he sneered.
Draco noticed Potter rolling his eyes at him as he walked in carrying miniature Hermione.
“As if I care, ferret. House elves are above you, right now”
Mutely, Potter put Hermione down on the floor, then turned to glare at Draco in disgust.
”Molly Weasley will be Flooing shortly to keep you and Hermione company. You are not to leave Grimmauld Place under any condition. You will treat Mrs. Weasley with respect, Malfoy, or you will have to deal with me. Your primary concern is to reverse this,” he motioned to Hermione who was currently sitting chewing on her long curly brown hair.
“Is that all, master?” Draco spat angrily.
“No. You will also take care of her. I told you that earlier, you bloody prat,” Harry muttered angrily.
“Potter, you’ve got to be kidding. You can’t possibly expect me to take care of Granger “ especially not in her state, and without a bloody wand!”
“Yes, well, you are. If anything happens to her “you will find yourself at the receiving end of more than a nasty Bat Bogey Hex,” Harry threatened.
Draco winced.
“Be downstairs in a couple of minutes with Hermione. Remus and I are leaving. If you need help with Hermione, I’m sure that Mrs. Weasley will be more than happy to guide you, but she has other responsibilities while at this house.”
Harry waved goodbye to Hermione before he turned around to leave. However, he stopped in a moment of reflection before allowing himself to smile at Malfoy’s current predicament. It would be hilarious to see Malfoy take care of his best friend. Not to mention, Hermione had shared many of her childhood memories with Harry “ in most, she was a rather energetic child.
“By the way, Malfoy, if I were you “ I’d be more worried about Ron’s reaction,” Harry taunted before bursting into a fit of laughter as he walked out of the room.