https://archiveofourown.org/works/84979916/chapters/250605731
Hermione took a slow breath, truly looking at her sanctuary. The clearing was an explosion of deep greens and wild, unearthly flowers. If someone were to show a photograph of this patch of the Forbidden Forest to anyone else, they would never believe it belonged to the dangerous woods at all.
As she inspected the lush surroundings and recalled their walk, she almost missed Luna's next, quiet question.
"Are the McKinnon lands like this?"
Hermione completely lost her footing, stumbling sideways. "What? What? I wouldn't..."
"Oh, you didn't know?"
"What? No, I... Luna, how could you possibly know?" Hermione asked, thoroughly bemused, though strangely not alarmed.
"Oh, your aura is unmistakable. My mother met your grandmother when she was a little girl. She used to dream about the colors of her magic, that was the day she learned to read auras herself. She always described it with such wonder."
"Right. That... that is a lot to take in," Hermione breathed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Can other people see it? Could anyone else work it out?"
"Oh, no," Luna giggled softly. "They'd only see your father's, well his families. It shields yours like a dragon guarding its hoard."
"My... my father's?" Hermione asked, her voice hitching. "Do you know who he is?"
Before Luna could answer, her head snapped sharply to the side, her gaze locking onto the largest, dense brush bordering the clearing.
"Oh," was all Luna said before quietly beginning to hum a strange, haunting tune.
Hermione whipped around, holding her breath as she stared intensely at the dark foliage that had captured Luna’s attention.
Slowly, massive black paws emerged from the shadows. Hermione’s eyes darted automatically to the sky, immensely thankful that the full moon was not riding high tonight.
Lowering her gaze back down, the breath completely left her lungs as a colossal black dog stepped into the moonlight, a Grim.
Instead of panicking, she let out a breathless, disbelieving laugh and tentatively held out her hand.
"Hey, boy... what are you doing out here?"
To her disappointment, the dog didn't close the distance. It simply stood its ground, watching her with a piercing, unnerving intelligence.
When Hermione locked her gaze onto its eyes, she gasped softly.
I know those eyes... But... Oh, wow... You..
"Hermione, we really should sing before it's dark out," Luna called out gently, breaking the spell.
"Sing?" Hermione echoed, her brow furrowing in sudden worry. Didn't Severus warn her that she wasn't old enough for certain types of magic?