Hermione had been moping around the house all day. Her parents were at work but she didn't feel like going out. She didn't even feel like reading. She just moped. She missed Y/N so much.

She was extremely grateful Newt was staying with her for the next month. She sat out the back laying on a sunchair enjoying the warm day, stroking the Bowtruckle who was sat on her chest. She smiled saying to the tiny creature that happily getting stroked:

"You miss him too, don't you Newt?"

Newt nodded sadly and hugged her finger tight as Hermione smiled:

"We have each other Newt."

It was mid afternoon when Hermione saw an owl flying towards her. She was surprised when it dropped a newspaper towards her, they had already received the Daily Prophet that morning, until she unfurled it and gasped, whispering:

"What did you do love?"

The newspaper was a special emergency afternoon edition. The headline on the front page read:

Punisher Attacks St. Mungo's- Four Dead in Carnage. Ministry in Chaos.

Hermione had placed the paper in her room before her parents got home. Monica had squeezed her tightly and asked "how are you feeling honey?"

Hermione smiled and answered: "ok."

"Liar" Monica giggled before continuing:

"Your dad and I both booked tomorrow off. We thought you might like to go to Diagon Alley and pick up your books for next year?"

Hermione smiled happily and hugged her mother tightly, thanking her profusely.

-~-

The Grangers had passed through the Leaky Cauldron and into the Alley. They had picked out the books required for third year, Hermione was quite excited to be starting five new subjects and took them to the counter with her parents. She smiled, greeting the tall witch behind the counter happily:

"Hello again, Madam Villanelle."

"Hello again Ms Granger, Mr and Mrs Granger" the Madam greeted the family.

"Just in to get these for Hermione's start of term" Monica smiled.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to complete your transaction today, Granger family" Villanelle said in her usual tranquil tone. Hermione was puzzled as Wendell said quickly:

"I assure you good lady that I have plenty of Galleons, and can go to-"

A small smirk briefly broke on Villanelle's face as she held her hand up to placate the concerned family.

"It is not a matter of the amount of money you possess, it is the fact I promised my best customer I would not sell you the books you need"

"Why would anyone want to stop my daughter from accessing her school books?" Wendell asked in an aggrieved tone. He was shocked when Hermione giggled and asked:

"What did Y/N say?"

Villanelle smiled at Hermione's deduction.

"He asked me not to allow you to spend any money in my shop, and for your books to be charged to his account, once certain conditions were met."

Wendell was stood in bewilderment, Hermione was very curious what her boyfriend was up to, and Monica had the largest smile on her face.

"What conditions, Madam?" Hermione asked.

"I have it here, Ms Granger. Ahem..."

She pulled a small piece of parchment from her breast pocket, cleared her throat and began to read:

"My dearest Hermione Granger's required textbooks may only be charged to my account after the following occurs. As my dearest, beautiful Hermione is such an avid reader, and since I will be away thirty days, Ms Granger must pick an additional thirty books, one for each day, and while Ms Granger is picking those books Madam Villanelle will be at her beck and call-"

Villanelle looked up to Hermione and scrunched her nose, adding "he put that in just to annoy me"

Hermione giggled as Villanelle continued:

"Once these books have been selected all will be added to my account. I love you Hermione, and just know I miss you terribly, Y/N."

Hermione's eyes had began to water as her mum had cuddled her from behind.

-~-

It had taken Hermione well over an hour to choose the books she wanted. When she finally placed the last book up high there was four stacks of books on the counter. Hermione had selected excitedly from a wide range of topics- Magical theory, Creatures, history, art, combat and much more. She was thrilled to get stuck in and already felt better.

Wendell though had a concerned look on his face, muttering:

"How the bloody hell are we going to get all these to the car?"

Villanelle smiled and pulled a shopping bag from under the counter, marked as Flourish and Blotts, and began to load books in it, one after the other after the other. Wendell and Monica looked at it stunned as it continued to appear empty.

"Does that have an extension charm on it Madam Villanelle? Like Y/N's pouch?"

Villanelle smiled.

"It does. Mr L/N purchased a single use extension bag for your use. Once you return home and unload the books it will revert to a normal bag."

"Aren't they exceedingly expensive?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, but Mr L/N doesn't worry about money. As I said he is my best customer. He alone accounted for almost 7% of my total sales last month."

"Are uh- arrangements like today common, Madam Villanelle?" Monica asked.

Villanelle chuckled and replied:

"No, today was the first time."

Monica couldn't help but giggle and say to Hermione:

"Y/Ns a keeper Hermione. He knew you wouldn't want to spend his money and made sure you had to."

Villanelle laughed.

"Yes Y/N was very insistent. He can be a very... Passionate young man, as you know. He was very animated when talking about you and your love of learning Ms. Granger."

Hermione couldn't help but blush. They headed home where she dove into her reading, forgetting her sadness prior to their sojourn into magical London.

Y/N's plan had worked.

-~-

It had been a month since Hermione had seen Y/N. 29 days and 18 hours to be exact. It was 3:00pm in the afternoon the day before Y/N was due to return home. Hermione had finished her last book, her Arithmancy textbook, earlier that morning. She was just sat having a cup of tea with Monica when there was a familiar crack and a knock at the back door.

Monica opened the door and smiled, hugging Penny tightly. Hermione though, wasn't smiling as she asked anxiously:

"Where's Y/N? Is he ok?"

Penny smiled.

"I'm not sure where Cutie Pie is, but he is fine. Can I have a hug now?"

Penny stood with a smile and her arms wide open. Hermione giggled and hugged her.

The three sat and as Monica poured Penny a cup of tea she asked:

"So what did bring you here Penny? Not that it's not wonderful to see you."

Penny laughed and answered:

"Well I was just wondering if Hermione would like to come to our house a night early? If it is ok with you Monica?"

"Oh that's nice of you Penny of course she can go!"

"Thank you Penny" Hermione smiled.

"You're welcome Hermione. Dean is going out on a boys night with a few friends so I have some girlfriends coming over for a ladies night. Paint our nails, strawberries and champagne, or in your case lemonade, girl talk, it should be fun."

Hermione's face held a look of slight confusion.

"Oh, well... thank you. I've never done... anything... like that before"

Monica giggled adding:

"You'll have a lovely time Hermione"

"Would you like to come Monica?" Penny asked with a hopeful tone.

"I can't Penny dear, but thank you. You girls have fun."

Hermione quickly packed the remaining items she needed to and Penny apparated them both back to her apartment. As they arrived Penny turned to Hermione:

"We were going to put you in with Y/N if you like. No pressure but-"

"Yes please!" Hermione said keenly, quickly feeling embarrassed. Penny just smiled though.

"You're welcome dear. I remember when Dean and I were your age. Just want to be with each other all the time."

-~-

Hermione enjoyed spending a few hours talking with Penny and helping her get ready, they enjoyed a light meal before Chiara arrived with Beatrice, Tonks and Tulip. They were all lovely- Tonks extremely excited to properly meet her little 'bro's' girlfriend. Tulip though gave Hermione an angry look, saying:

"I've got a bone to pick with you missy!"

"Oh?" Hermione asked slightly puzzled.

"Yeah. You stole my boyfriend!"

"P-Pardon?" Hermione asked very shocked.

"You stole my boyfriend! Every time he saw me he would flirt with me and it was so adorable. The minute he met you he stopped. You stole him!"

The smirk on Tulip's face made Hermione think she was just joking, but she wasn't sure until Beatrice slapped Tulip on the arm telling her to stop. Tulip chuckled as Beatrice said to Hermione:

"Don't mind her Hermione, Tonks and Tulip were the biggest pranksters at Hogwarts while they were there. Who do you think trained the twins?"

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Guilty as charged" Tulip chuckled.

-~-

Hermione had enjoyed a lovely evening. She had enjoyed a glass of champagne and lemonade Beatrice had snuck her before sticking with lemonade. Penny transfigured the bath into a spa and they had an enjoyable spa before going to the lounge in dressing gowns to paint their nails.

Penny picked a light pink skin tone for Hermione which would accentuate-

Hermione had sort of vagued, not really knowing much of what Penny was talking about. She appreciated Penny's help though. She had been growing and shaping her nails over the summer. She wasn't sure why but she really wanted to look nice these days.

After they had all dried the girls were enjoying strawberries and chocolate fondue when they heard a crack and saw smoke appear in the room.

-~-

Y/N had the summer from hell. He had enjoyed it immensely, in the way that only a driven, goal orientated gym junkie could, but it was hell.

As a taskmaster Gellert Grindelwald made Jacob look like a nursery teacher. Y/N had been blown from pillar to post, pushed, pulled, prodded and poked- pushed to the absolute point of exhaustion then Sparta kicked through it.

He had never smiled so much in his life. It had been icy at the beginning. Y/N told Gellert his girlfriend was Muggleborn. His Granddaughter-in-law was a Muggleborn. That Y/N had and would happily slaughter any prejudicial pure blood that got in his way of protecting their rights.

He was preparing for a fight with his grandfather. He was no match for Gellert Grindelwald but would go down swinging. He was completely shocked when Gellert had smiled at him. Told him that Gellert never ever felt anything but love for Muggleborns. That all magical blood was sacred. That he had no desire to kill muggles, only control them, for the safety of wizarding kind.

Gellert asked was Y/N's goal was. Y/N told him straight, that it was for the equality of all sentient beings. That he would not stop until he had achieved it, achieved freedom and equality for all in Magical Society.

Gellert replied that it was a noble goal. He made no apologies for wanting to protect his people, even from themselves, but if he had his time over he would have done things differently. He wished he could make amends for all the hurt he had caused. Most of all he wished he could have been a grandfather to Y/N and his brothers.

It was an extremely tense first few hours. Gellert and Y/N had grown close quickly though. Y/N learned that the Grindelwald family was an Ancient and Sacred Austro-Hungarian house, in the same way the L/N family was a British one. One male a generation inherited the families gifts.

Y/N was the Heir of Grindelwald.

Gellert spent days teaching Y/N spells and abilities, some Y/N didn't know he possessed. Gellert smiled saying that it was Y/N's birthright. They would take time and strength to master, but Y/N would master his skills.

Over the month Jacob taught Y/N one spell. Just one very powerful, very difficult spell. Gellert had had a vision and told Jacob Y/N would need it.

-~-

Y/N ran through one of the courtyards of the castle, casting spells behind him as he twisted and ran. He stopped as he turned a corner, only to be hit in the chest with a Flipendo spell from the target who was now in front of him.

The spell sent Y/N flying, crashing through one of the castle's ramparts, cutting along his upper chest and covering him with blood and ash and sweat and god knows what else.

He had been duelling with Gellert for the past 26 hours. No letting up. No breaks. Grindelwald wouldn't let Y/N get away. He was stalking Y/N- not beating his grandson, as easily as he could. The elderly wizard was prolonging the pain and fatigue.

Y/N knew it was to make him stronger, meaner, faster and more dangerous but fuck did it hurt.

As Y/N pulled himself slowly to his feet he was struck with another spell, throwing him back through another wooden structure. Y/N groaned in fatigue and pain as he tried to pull himself to his feet before he was summoned through the air and down to his knees. Y/N was beaten, bloody and dirty. Gellert stood in front of his grandson. Y/N looked up at his grandfather who looked down at Y/N and smiled.

"Well done grandson. Well done. I'm proud of you. Not many wizards would have lasted this long, let alone anyone your age. You didn't cry, or whine or complain you just-"

"Had my arse kicked?" Y/N asked with a wry chuckle. Gellert returned the laugh and continued:

"Yes. But you took it like a man. That was the point here. Your time with me is done. You have done extraordinarily well, and I am proud of you. I'm beyond proud of you. Remember our lessons. Keep working on your abilities. I will see you next summer.

Y/N looked up with a smile.

"I would get up Grandfather but I honestly don't think I can right now. I thank you for your wisdom and your training."

Gellert chuckled, helping Y/N to his feet.

"Keep safe grandson. And remember what I taught you. The most important lesson..."

Y/N offered his grandfather his customary cocky smirk and finished his sentence:

"The disapproval of cowards is praise to the brave"

Grindelwald smiled, his right eye flickering.

"That's right. This year will be hard, stay strong. Protect Harry and keep that little girlfriend of yours safe. I look forward to meeting her one day."

Y/N nodded as Gellert hugged him tightly. The two separated and Y/N apparated. Jacob had left earlier in the day.

-~-

Y/N landed in Dean and Penny's loungeroom, on one knee, leaning down on his balled fists. As he looked up he saw the shocked faces of six ladies before zeroing in on the face he wanted to see more than any other:

"Hermione?" Y/N said surprised but overjoyed. Hermione gasped ecstatic to see Y/N but worried at his appearance. He looked worse than when she had found him in the Room of Requirement. She started to rush towards him before Chiara grabbed her quickly.

"Wait!" Y/N said as he pulled himself to his feet. The others looked in pure shock- small lightning bolts were crackling off Y/N and his eyes appeared to be pure light.

"I'm ok I'm ok just keep back a minute" Y/N said to Hermione as she sighed in relief. He stood to his full height and the women all gasped.

He seemed a good few inches taller than Hermione remembered, but it was his appearance that shocked everyone. His ashy, sweaty, bloody, dirty upper torso. He was wearing only shorts and sneakers- he was bare chested and it was black, a large gash on his left shoulder and a number of smaller cuts and burns.

"What happened Y/N?" Penny squealed in horror.

"You don't need to panic Pens, just been training with my grandfather" Y/N chuckled.

"What?" Hermione asked shocked.

"Why did you tell us not to come over Y/N...?" Chiara asked at the same time, extremely concerned "...and what was all that um, lightning?"

"Elemental magic" Y/N smiled in reply. "Lightning specifically. Still trying to figure out how to master it. Every now and then I just start flaming or sparking. The water is the worst though. Woke up one night thinking I'd pissed myself."

Hermione giggle-snorted involuntarily at her idiot boyfriend, much to Beatrice's amusement next to her.

"Pardon?" Chiara asked in disbelief. Y/N smirked:

"It's a long story. You all look lovely. And you 'Mione, you look so so beautiful. Chiara could you fix this and clean me up so I can sit down?"

Hermione blushed as Chiara replied "of course."

She quickly got to work non-verbally healing and cleaning Y/N. The moment she had finished he tiredly made his way over to the couch and practically fell onto it, Hermione in turn practically falling onto him as she cried in happiness and they hugged and kissed in sheer relief of being back together. The other women all smiled and 'awwe'd' at the couple.

"You look exhausted Y/N" Penny said in a worried tone when the couple fell into a comfy position of Hermione leaning against Y/N's neck.

"Yeah I feel it. Been awake for around 35 hours. Been fighting for my life the last 26."

"What?" almost everyone in the room replied in shock.

"I've been duelling with my Grandfather" Y/N chuckled tiredly.

"For 26 hours straight?" Beatrice asked stunned. Y/N chuckled again:

"Yeah. He was stalking me like a predator. Refused to put me down and end it. Just kept blasting me away and chasing. For a dude over a hundred he can move!"

Y/N thought it was funny. No one else laughed but Tonks asked suddenly:

"Wait, Dean always said he didn't have any grandparents, they all died before he was born... how did... what?"

Y/N smirked at Tonks seemingly confusing herself as he answered in a serious tone.

"So this can't leave this room, but our grandfather wasn't Orion Black. Walburga gave herself to another for her first night and fell pregnant with our whore of a mother."

The room fell silent as Y/N seemed to drift off towards sleep. Tulip finally asked:

"Ok I'll bite. Who did she visit?"

Y/N seemed to snap back to the conversation.

"Right. Our grandfather is Gellert Grindelwald."

The room was silent. Dead silent before finally Tonks exclaimed:

"You're joking!"

Y/N laughed and answered "I'm not!"

Hermione and Penny were sat silently as Beatrice asked:

"You were duelling Gellert Grindelwald?"

"I was" Y/N yawned.

"How do you know? I mean even if your gran did go and uh... you know. How do you know he is your grandfather?"

Y/N chuckled with his eyes closed.

"Have you all heard of Protego Diabolica?"

Tonks looked at Y/N worried. Tulip, Chiara and Beatrice just looked puzzled. Y/N elaborated:

"Protego Diabolica was a spell first recorded as being used by Gellert Grindelwald in 1926. It is an assault of blue flames that anyone loyal to the caster can pass through harmlessly but anyone opposed to the caster is turned to ash."

"Wait... Quirrell!" Beatrice stammered. Y/N nodded and held his arm that wasn't supporting Hermione out-

There were gasps and shocked stammering as blue flames jumped from Y/N's hand.

"This is part of my grandfather's memetic legacy. I alone inherited it."

The group was silent for a few moments before Y/N added:

"Anyway I was running on adrenaline for the past fifteen hours and I think that has run out so enjoy your ladies night. I need to hit the hay."

"I'll come with you." Hermione said quickly, slightly embarrassed at her own enthusiasm. Y/N smiled:

"It's ok babe, enjoy your time. Have fun doing.... what ever it is you girls do and I'll see you when you come to bed. You look beautiful by the way. That colour suits you too."

Y/N kissed Hermione gently and softly and she melted into it with a smile. Y/N got up, wished the others good night and went to the room to see Newt, who was asleep in his terrarium.

Hermione watched him leave with a smile before turning to see the other five staring at her:

"Sharing a bed hey? Dirty girl" Bea teased. Hermione hit her with a cushion and they all laughed.

-~-

The girls talked for another hour before Chiara, Tonks and Tulip had to leave for work the next day. Beatrice was sleeping in with Penny as Dean was crashing at Bill's.

Hermione thanked Penny again for inviting her, hugged both Haywood sisters and wished them goodnight.

She entered Y/N's bedroom and closed the door. Y/N was laying on his back out cold and Newt still asleep in his terrarium.

Hermione smiled as she quietly changed and laid next to Y/N, climbing over him close to the wall. She smiled- Y/N ALWAYS wanted to have the side of the bed closest to the door. She had no idea why. She laid her head against his chest and was suddenly engulfed by a large arm. She said happily:

"I missed you so much."

Hermione lifted her head when there was no response, looking at her passed out boyfriend. He had grabbed her on instinct. She smiled as she fell asleep... a whole month of this.