Blinded by Lies

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/14980517.

Rating: Explicit
Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: F/M
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Relationship: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass/Draco Malfoy
Character: Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Draco Malfoy, Ron
Weasley, Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa
Malfoy, Parvati Patil, Lord Voldemort, Severus Snape, Minerva
McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Fred Weasley, George Weasley,
Ginny Weasley
Additional Tags: Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Good Malfoys, Good Severus Snape,
Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Potion abuse, Torture, Character Death,
Soulmates, Ultra slow-burn, Ron Weasley Bashing, Ginny Weasley
Bashing, Molly Weasley Bashing, Weasleys get titled, Mention of M/M,
Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Stats: Published: 2018-06-19 Updated: 2019-04-06 Chapters: 98/156 Words:
745531

Blinded by Lies
by jamcreynolds

Summary

That fateful Halloween night, Sirius makes a mistake that sends him running to adopt his
niece through blood magic. Little Hermione becomes his salvation and his reason for living.
Follow their story through Hermione's years at Hogwarts and through the second blood war.
Slow-burn Harmony. Complete AU.
 Chapter 1

A/N- Here we are once again, my friends. This story has over 150 planned chapters and while I
don’t think that the chapters will be near as long as they were in The Prophecies, it still leaves me
with an epic sized story. Lordy, is all I can say.
Before we begin, I want to cover a few things. First off, this is going to be an ultra-slow burn
Harmony story. It will follow our heroes through all their years at Hogwarts and Harry won’t get
with Hermione until sixth year. If you can’t hang with something for that long, I completely
understand. I love me a slow-burn and still find myself frustrated at times when I have to wait a
ridiculously long time. Let’s face it, this one is going to be a long wait.
Secondly, this story is going to be modeled off what happened in canon but won’t follow it to a tee
by any means. Not to mention, it’s been ages and ages since I read the series Harry Potter and since
I’m old, I’m sure that I’ve forgotten something along the way. If you have any questions on if I
meant to change something or if I just forgot what the hell I read five years ago, feel free to ask.
This story is extremely AU and while I have tried to fashion it after canon, merely tweaking the story
to fit this craziness, I’ll try not to let it get too boring. There are three parts, the first being before
Hogwarts, the second being during their school years, and the final part being during the war. This
fic is going to frustrate me to no end and will probably take me the better part of a year, if not longer,
to write so if you decide to embark on this journey with me, I hope you’re in for the long haul.
Finally, while I have taken this story and made it my own, the original idea from Part One was given
to me from a fan, Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. All kudos go to her for starting me down the dark
and winding path.
Now I’ll be bringing this ridiculously long A/N to a close (my longest one to date, ever!). Hope you
enjoy the story.
Disclaimer: None of this story belongs to me except the twist on the plot. I’m sure that the plot has
been done before and the characters belong to our queen. I haven’t made a single knut off this story
or any other, my bank account tells no lies.
Part 1
Chapter 1
October 31, 1981
Sirius couldn’t place the reason why, but he knew deep in his heart of hearts that something wasn’t
right. He had spoke with James just that morning and while he was going stir crazy from being
cooped up in Godric’s Hollow, all had been well. He had been able to hear Lily screeching at James
to get his damned head out of the fireplace and help her catch the cat, something about Harry had
used accidental magic and charmed it purple.
This was a normal day for the Potters. They bickered and argued like they had been together for a
hundred years rather than just a few but made up just minutes after a spat. Harry was the light of their
lives and meant more to them than the ridiculous amount of gold in James’ vaults at Gringotts. It was
par for the course for Sirius to admit that Harry was the light of his life as well.
Voldemort had them all in hiding. Sirius was still going on missions for the Order of the Phoenix, so
he was more of a move every night kind of hiding. Remus was constantly off with the werewolf
packs which was what originally had sparked the hint of mistrust in their furry friend. It was James
and Lily and Frank and Alice that had gotten the raw end of the deal, having to go completely into
hiding because of a prophecy that Sirius had yet to hear in entirety. James had told him that he had
heard it from Dumbledore but was under oath to not repeat it to a single person. Sirius hadn’t taken
offence. Some things were bigger than hurt feelings.
Since Dumbledore had cast the fidelius charm on the Potter’s cottage in Godric’s Hollow, James had
instantly volunteered Sirius for the job of secret-keeper. While Sirius was honored and pleased at his
friend’s trust in him, he knew that he went out far too often, consorting with the enemies too often, to
feel like that was the safest option. Since they had started to doubt Remus’ loyalties, Sirius suggested
that they use Peter since he mostly stayed home and took care of his ailing mother. While
disappointed, James and Lily admitted that his idea had merit.
For a year now, they had stayed safe in the little cottage. They were able to go out into the small
garden behind the house but that was the extent of it. James especially was losing his mind since he
was used to nightly adventures with his friends at Hogwarts in the form of Prongs. Sirius was unsure
who Frank and Alice had used as their secret-keeper but since he received an owl from them every
month like clockwork, it was clear that they were doing fine in their confinement as well.
It was because of this sense of unease that he found himself flying his motorbike to Godric’s Hollow,
just to check on his friends and godson. The last thing that he wanted was to ignore the feeling and
then discover that something terrible had happened. Sirius guided his bike to the ground, completely
astounded and horrified at what he saw before him in the rising moonlight.
The upstairs of the cottage was blown to pieces, the room that was his godson’s open to the
elements. He could see Lily laying on the ground, her vibrant red hair spread around her like an
oriental fan. He landed in the back garden and rushed inside the house to feel his heart get ripped out
of his chest.
His oldest and best friend in the world, was laying in a pile of rubble, eyes closed with glasses askew
on his face. His wand was nowhere to be seen and it was clear that he wasn’t breathing. This didn’t
stop Sirius from rushing to his side and gathering James in his arms, hauling him to his chest, and
letting out the most mournful sound he had ever heard. It took him a moment to realize that it had
come from himself. His best friend was still, however, already gone from this world.
Suspecting that Lily was dead as well, Sirius rushed upstairs to throw himself down at her side too,
checking for a pulse like she had taught him to so many months before. Unlike James, her eyes were
wide open and the glassy, unseeing haze he saw in them turned his stomach. Unable to hold his
dinner in, he turned and retched on the nursery floor, filled with loathing for himself. Peter had
betrayed them and there was nobody to blame for that but himself.
Stumbling to his feet, narrowly missing the pile of sick next to her body, Sirius turned to see that
Harry was sitting in his crib, silent, just watching the scene unfold before him. There was a scar on
his forehead now in the shape of a lightning bolt that Sirius had no idea of how it got there. He went
to the crib and Harry grinned up at him, standing so he could hold his hands up.
“Up, Siri, up.” Sirius hadn’t been able to refuse his godson a request yet so was happy to lift him out
of the crib where he had clearly watched his mother be murdered before him. The toddler’s hands
twisted in his long, black curls, tugging them until it forced a laugh from Sirius’ hoarse throat.
“’Pin me, Siri, ‘pin me.” Sirius let out another choked laugh before he untangled his hair from
Harry’s chubby little hands.
“Not right now, pup. We have to get you somewhere safe and I need to catch me a rat.”
As much as Sirius hated to leave Lily there on the floor by herself, he had no choice. He wanted to
lay her next to James, so he could have the illusion that they had died a peaceful death together, but
he couldn’t set Harry down in this mess and do that. The last thing he expected was for someone to
come crashing through the same door he had entered through. His wand came up quick as a snitch
only for him to realize that it was Hagrid, already wiping his eyes on a pink and white checkered
tablecloth. Sirius lowered his wand only for Hagrid to speak.
“Dumbledor’ tol’ me that there was sometin’ going on at tha Potter’s. I came as fas’ as I could.”
Sirius knew that this was a golden opportunity that he couldn’t believe was being handed to him.
Walking forward, the animagus held his godson out to Hagrid.
“Take Harry with you to Hogwarts. I’ve got to find Peter, I’m going to kill him.” Hagrid took the
infant but turned confused eyes to Sirius. He growled his frustration.
“Don’t worry about it now, Hagrid, I’ll explain everything later. I need you to get Harry to safety
and keep him for me until I come get him.” Sirius didn’t wait for a reply before turning to head for
the door. As he left the cottage, he called over his shoulder.
“Use my motorbike, it’ll be safer than the broom you came on.” Now that the wards were broken,
Sirius didn’t even make his way out of the back garden before apparating away.
His first stop was the shit hole flat that he was staying in at the moment. He used a charm to pack all
his things. He knew that there was no way he could bring Harry there. His ancestral home, Black
Moor, was empty and had been for a couple years; he would take Harry there to raise him and
nobody could contest it since he was the heir. Once the charmed bag was shrunk down and stuffed
in his pocket, he decided that Peter was a creature of habit, that had been proven several times
through the years. Knowing that the wizard wouldn’t willingly abandon his mother, he apparated to
the garden that they always used when visiting Peter.
It was clear that the rat wasn’t expecting anyone to come find him in his home; this made absolutely
no sense since he never left unless he only left when he had no other choice. It was clear now just
why that was, too afraid of getting caught in his lies and duplicity. Peter was seated at the table with
his frail-looking mother, spoon feeding her soup. Sirius had trouble putting the friend who betrayed
his best pal and the son who took such good care of his mother together. Before he could speak,
Sirius lunged forward and grabbed hold Peter. Before Sirius realized what was happening, Peter had
apparated them out of his mother’s house and onto some random street in Hogsmeade.
His “friend” managed to drop his wand the second they landed, throwing himself away from Sirius.
There were a few people on the street, walking briskly to wherever their destination was. Sirius
could see the absolute fear in Peter’s eyes and he was sure that it was because he looked as insane as
his family was rumored to be. He was glad. The rat deserved to feel terror before he died at Sirius’
wand.
“Pick up your wand, rat. I wouldn’t want anyone to say that I killed you in an unfair duel.” Peter
shrank visibly, not reaching for his wand in the slightest, hoping that it would stave off the
impending end. Sirius just chuckled darkly before casting a slicing hex at his ex-best friend. It hit him
right across the chest and blood poured down his robes.
“Last chance, rat. Get your wand or die on your knees.” Peter started to bawl, and Sirius couldn’t
take that. He reached out and kicked him, knocking him on his arse in the mud. Sirius raised his
wand, more than ready to deliver the last blow.
“I hope you rot in hell, Peter. You sure won’t be going to where James is.” He knew the spell though
he had never used it before. The animagus knew that you had to mean it, that you had to gather all
the hate inside you and fuel the spell. There was plenty of hate but for a moment he hesitated. In that
moment, however, he thought of James and Lily and all the crazy and beautiful memories they had
together. He thought of Harry and how he would grow up not knowing his parents, how Sirius
would have to be a poor stand-in. His resolve was strengthened.
“Avada kedavra.” The jet of green light left his wand but not at the angle that he had anticipated.
Someone had thrown themselves into his back at the last possible moment, shoving him forward just
enough to skew the spell. Rather than hit Peter, it slammed into someone standing in the shadows.
The young man dropped like a rock, the same lifeless look in his eyes that Lily had had.
Sirius was struck silent and still at just what he had done. After a few moments, he turned to see a
woman behind him, auror badge clearly pinned to her robes. Her face was stricken, many emotions
crossing her features before she focused on Sirius.
“That was my partner, you fucking killer!” Peter was still crouched on the ground, sobbing, but
Sirius wasn’t surprised when the woman ignored him. Her wand came up and she started blasting
spell after spell at him, determined to bring him down. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peter
reach for his wand and disappear with a soft pop.
Sirius knew that he was in trouble. He had killed an auror and it wouldn’t matter that he had meant to
kill Peter. He had used an Unforgivable, successfully at that. It wasn’t a good situation and he had to
do some quick thinking if he was going to get out of it, so he could retrieve Harry. He realized that
he had a way out of this, but it was going to cost him in the popularity department. It would mean
flouting the ridiculous pureblood laws that he had claimed to hate his entire life.
Even though he was furiously sending spells back at the woman auror, his mind was working
through what he would need to do. It was a good thing that the woman was clearly new in her job
because a seasoned auror could have easily taken him down with how distracted he was. Deciding
that his only course of action was to make his way to St. Mungo’s, Sirius flashed the woman a
haunted look before disapparating away.
The animagus appeared outside the muggle entrance to St. Mungo’s. This wasn’t something that he
wanted to do, at least not for this reason. He had been aware that his brother Regulas had been
seeing Lucius Malfoy’s younger sister Erise. He had been aware that when his brother went missing
and was assumed dead, she had been heartbroken. What he hadn’t been aware of was the fact that
they had had a daughter.
Sirius had received a missive from St. Mungo’s earlier that day regarding his niece. Apparently, the
Order had learned of Erise’s location and tried to blast their way in, for what purpose Sirius wasn’t
sure. He hadn’t been made aware that they were even searching for Lucius’ sister, but he supposed
when he thought about it he wasn’t surprised. The blasting curse they had used had caused debris to
lodge itself in Erise’s chest. While it did say in the missive that the Order members had done their
best to save her life, he knew that they didn’t count losing her as a true loss. She had merely been an
untapped vessel of information.
Their daughter had been injured. He had to admit that he was surprised that they had taken her to St.
Mungo’s rather than himself to begin with. Perhaps because they didn’t think that he would take her?
While he didn’t consider himself father material, he would never have turned away his brother’s
child. Even though Regulas had made bad decisions, he felt sure that the younger Black had
regretted his decision. He had meant to go to St. Mungo’s and claim his niece the next day but due to
recent events, he couldn’t afford to wait.
Sirius blew through the doors, not bothering to speak with the Welcome Witch. His missive had told
him exactly where his two-year-old niece was located. While he hated what he was about to do, it
was necessary. He couldn’t afford to let Harry go who knew where. He figured that he should
probably care about his niece more than his godson but since he hadn’t even known of her existence,
it was hard to focus on her now. As much as he knew it wasn’t right, she was a means to an end. He
knew that he would grow to love her with time, but Harry was his main concern.
There was an ancient pureblood law that had never been repealed. He remembered being disgusted
about it when his father had been tutoring him to take over his Wizengamot seat. No matter the crime
committed, if the pureblood in question was the sole parent of a pureblood child, Azkaban would be
forfeited. At the time it had sickened Sirius. Why should a person be spared punishment for his
crimes just because he was pureblood? It made him sick that he was about to capitalize on it.
Sirius made his way to the sixth floor, meeting nobody’s eyes along the way. Nobody seemed too
bothered to see him there probably recognizing him by his signature raven curls and grey eyes. When
he reached the main desk, he flagged down the pretty young mediwitch that was walking by.
“Excuse me, miss, I was sent a letter today about my niece being brought in. Erise’s Malfoy’s
daughter.” Recognition flashed in the young mediwitch’s eyes before she openly checked him out.
Under normal circumstances, Sirius would have set up a date with her after flirting shamelessly but
tonight he was in no mood. When she realized that he was uninterested, her face was schooled into
something more professional.
“Right this way, sir.” Sirius followed the young woman through the corridors until they reached a
room at the end. Sirius could hear a young girl screaming, calling for her daddy and her mummy.
Lights were flashing in the corridor and he realized that in her distress, her magic was flaring. The
mediwitch gave him a grim smile.
“I hope you can do something with her. She won’t let any of us near her. Every time we try she
somehow stuns us. We’ve never seen accidental magic so strong.” To be truthful, Sirius was
surprised at this. While it was true that all purebloods were inter-related somehow, it didn’t always
mean that their magic was weak. However, it was a fact that it was a strong possibility if you bred
with someone related too closely to you. His mother and father were second cousins, no last name
change needed when they had married. One would think that they would be destined to be weak of
magic or touched by insanity, but he and Regulus were neither. Both were rather strong wizards,
much stronger than most in their family.
Bellatrix was a prime example. Her parents were related but further down the line. While she was an
exceptionally strong witch, she was mad as a hatter. Narcissa was weaker but completely sane.
Andie was powerful and had all her mental faculties. While Sirius knew that his family was related
several generations back to the Malfoys, it wasn’t recent enough to play a part in his niece’s magic. It
was probably a case of inheriting her father’s and mother’s strength in magic and it manifesting early.
It also meant that he was going to have a rough few years. Sirius steeled himself to get stunned when
he tried to approach his niece.
The animagus pushed open the door and spotted three mediwitches trying to calm the child. The
looked harried and frustrated, eyes tired and hair falling around their shoulders. Sirius glanced at his
niece and was stunned. He couldn’t focus on anything but her for several seconds.
She was beautiful.
She couldn’t be any older than two with a chubby heart-shaped face. Her eyes were a brilliant icy
blue, the signature color of the Malfoys. It was like a punch to the gut, however, to see her raven
curls, just past her shoulders. It was like looking in the mirror. It was so clear that she was a Black it
was no wonder that his brother had kept her hidden from the world. She would surely have been a
target. Even though he had come in to adopt her to keep himself out of prison, he felt an affinity for
this child. She was alone in the world and terrified, missing her mother and father. How often had he
felt completely alone growing up, terrified of his own family? A fierce surge of protectiveness welled
up within him and he had to fight it down, so he wouldn’t scare her. Her little voice was the sweetest
sound he had ever heard.
“Daddy?” Sirius was unsure what to say. Should he allow her to believe him to be her father,
knowing that she hadn’t seen him in a year, since he was going to adopt her anyways? Should he tell
her he was her uncle? Would she even know what an uncle was? The oldest mediwitch made the
decision for him.
“Yes, honey, that’s your daddy.” Her eyes lit up and she held her arms out for him to lift her, much
as Harry had just hours prior. There was still a trickle of blood down one of her cheeks and a
massive bruise forming on one of her arms. Unable to help himself, he walked forward and lifted her
into his arms. She instantly burrowed into his chest, her thumb going into her mouth for a moment
before speaking.
“Bad men hurt mummy.” He was astounded that this child could speak as well as she did. Harry
only managed short sentences and they were rarely the full word. He called Sirius Siri for Merlin’s
sake. He wasn’t sure what to say in return but decided that he had to try to make the little girl feel
better.
“I know, sweetness. You’re going to stay with me, alright?” He couldn’t help himself. He ran his
fingers through her beautiful black curls and nuzzled the top of her head. She nodded her head
against his chest. Sirius chuckled softly at her before speaking.
“You’re hurt, sweetness. Let’s let these nice ladies heal you. I’ll stay here with you the whole time.”
He took a seat and perched his niece on his lap, gesturing for the mediwitch to come forward and
heal her. It took a matter of minutes for the young girl to be healed and the mediwitch smiled softly at
him.
“I take it you’re Sirius Black?” He nodded, aware that his niece’s eyes were drifting closed.
“What’s her name?” The woman gave him the oddest look but answered him nonetheless.
“Her aunt and uncle told us that her name is Hermione Alula Black and that she is two years old, her
birthday is September 19th. They wanted to take custody of her, but pureblood law says that a child
goes with the father’s family. You don’t know her? Why would she call you daddy?” Sirius raked a
hand through his hair.
“I didn’t even know she existed until I got the missive about her. She probably thinks I am her father,
Regulus and I always looked like twins even though there was a year between us.” She narrowed
her eyes at him.
“Are you equipped to handle a child?” Sirius nodded.
“I have friends that will help me.” She gave a firm nod before standing.
“We must sign some paperwork to release her into your care.” Sirius nodded and stood, cradling
Hermione in his arms. He was handed off to a matronly woman that looked to work in
administration. He followed her into a small and stuffy office and took the seat she indicated for him.
As much as he was already in love with his niece, he needed to get her back to Black Moor, so he
could perform the much-needed blood magic.
“Since you are the girl’s blood relative, you don’t have to sign any custody papers like you would if
you had adopted her. You’re just signing papers stating that you are willingly taking her into your
care.” Sirius nodded and grasped the quill in his hands, briefly looking at the parchment before him.
With a flourish, he signed his name and title, a title that he rarely used unless it would benefit him.
Even though he had been disinherited, the Wizengamot had reinstated him since he was the last
Black and they were loathe to let an Ancient and Noble House die out. The older woman smiled at
him after checking his signature.
“That’s all, Lord Black. You’re free to take your niece. We wish you the best.” Sirius gave her a
small smile even though the last thing he felt like doing was being cheerful. His best friend in the
world was dead, a woman he considered to be his sister murdered, and his godson orphaned. The
betrayer had escaped since the auror had intervened. His sense of urgency to get to Black Moor was
renewed.
Sirius stood and wrapped his cloak around his niece, heading towards the lift. He exited St. Mungo’s
as swiftly as he had arrived. Once back out on the muggle side of the entrance, he made sure that the
coast was clear before twisting on the spot. When he landed, he was standing in the foyer of the
Black ancestral home. He never understood why his mother refused to live there; she had always
preferred Grimmauld Place. Sirius had always loved Black Moor. In the later years of his parents’
marriage, his father had stayed there while his mother retained residence at Grimmauld.
Hermione didn’t wake through the apparition, something that surprised him. Sirius stalked into the
library, setting the little girl down on the couch before the fire that the elves had set. He wasn’t sure
how they knew that was where he would go when he arrived, but he appreciated it nonetheless.
While he had always hated Kreacher, his mother’s personal elf, he had always found his father’s
elves to be a delight.
His father had once been a proud man. Sirius had idolized him until he turned thirteen when his
mother had goaded him into punishing Sirius with the Cruciatus for talking about his Gryffindor
friends. It had been clear that he hadn’t wanted to, he had never been a demonstrative man, but Sirius
had never doubted that he loved his sons. However, he did as his wife asked to keep the peace
because his mother had the talent of making everyone’s life complete and total hell. While he
understood his father’s actions now, to an extent anyways, that hadn’t mattered at age thirteen. He
had been betrayed and felt like his father didn’t love him anymore. That had been the beginning of
the end for him. He had a feeling that his mother had been behind him being disinherited as well.
Uncle Alphard had confirmed it before he died.
Sirius went to the fireplace and threw in the floo powder found on the mantle. He called out for
Gringotts, and urgently asked for the Black account manager to come through. Once Furybolt
stepped through, Sirius sighed in relief. He had no idea when the aurors would come calling but he
wanted the adoption finalized when they got here. Sure, he would still have to pay exorbitant fines
for using an Unforgivable, but it would save him prison time.
“Furybolt, thanks for coming. I need you to perform a blood adoption tonight.” The goblin narrowed
his eyes at him.
“You want to engage in blood magic? Your father told me that you were most staunchly opposed to
such things.” Sirius sighed and raked his hands through his hair.
“I am, Furybolt, but I also am in a bit of a predicament. James and Lily Potter were murdered tonight.
They were betrayed by Peter Pettigrew and I went after him. An auror tackled me as I shot off the
curse to end him and it hit another auror. I must make sure that I’m not in Azkaban, so I can be here
for my godson. He was still alive, and Voldemort was gone. I’m not sure what happened but I know
that he is at the middle of it. That means I must blood adopt my niece. This beautiful little girl was
Regulus’ daughter. Her mother was killed today by the Order. I’m already her legal guardian but that
won’t be enough.” Furybolt nodded his head in understanding.
“I understand. The ritual isn’t difficult or time consuming. As you know, the adopted party usually
takes on the genes and blood status of the person adopting them. Since she is already genetically
belonging to your family, I doubt anything will happen in that regard. Her magic may strengthen
since she’ll have your magic in her system as well as her mother and father’s. This will also increase
her chances for the famous Black insanity. However, since you and your brother were free of it, I
imagine things will be fine in the end.” This worried Sirius for a moment but decided to take the
goblin’s word. He nodded his acceptance and the goblin produced a silver bowl and a dagger. He
nodded towards Hermione.
“Put your niece in a deeper sleep so she won’t wake when I cut her hand.” Sirius produced his wand
and muttered the somnus spell. Nothing changed in Hermione but to put her in a deeper slumber.
Furybolt took her hand and slashed her palm, the blood running freely into the bowl beneath her.
Once the required amount of blood was collected, the goblin waved his hand at her palm, healing it
completely. There would always be a small scar there. Sirius knew that he was next and held his
hand out willingly. Furybolt cut a deep cut through his palm, the blood pouring from the cut and into
the bowl, mixing with Hermione’s in a hiss of smoke. Once his cut was healed, the goblin began to
chant.
“Ego hunc sanguinem esse meum sanguinem nostrum sanguinem non praevalebunt.”
Furybolt said it several times over and while Sirius wasn’t quite sure what it meant exactly, he could
feel the invisible ties between himself and his niece tighten even more. Her outward appearance
didn’t change except maybe shedding some of her baby fat. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching
out and stroking her hair again, reveling in it’s silkiness. So much like his own. He was drawn from
his thoughts by Furybolt speaking in English again.
“Take her hand in yours, palm to palm.” Sirius did as he was bid and watched with rapt attention as
the goblin poured the blood concoction over their joined hands. Since it had been smoking, he had
assumed that it would be hot but was instead pleasantly cool. Hermione smiled in her sleep. The
goblin chanted a few more times before he waved his hand and vanished the blood. He gestured for
the two of them to part, so Sirius set her hand back down on the couch.
“It’s done, Lord Black. Hermione Alula Black in now officially your daughter and your official heir
until you produce a son. I can assume that there will be a large withdrawal from the Black vaults
sometime tomorrow.” Sirius gave a tired nod.
“Yes, I’m sure that the aurors will be along at some point tomorrow. I can’t wait.” Furybolt chuckled
before standing and making his way to the fireplace.
“I must return. I’ll be hearing from you tomorrow then. I wish you the best with your daughter.”
Without waiting for a response, Furybolt stepped into the flames and was gone.
Sirius sat down on the couch at Hermione’s head. He was a father. He had a daughter. While he had
been around for much of Harry’s life, he wasn’t entirely sure that he could raise her on his own. He
didn’t know the last thing about raising a child, much less a daughter. He had never even had a
serious girlfriend, playing the field and moving from girl to girl as they struck his fancy. With a sigh,
he called for the head elf.
“Candy.” An older elf appeared before him.
“Master.” He smiled at the diminutive elf.
“My daughter and I will be living here for the foreseeable future. We’ll sleep in here tonight, but can
you have the others prepare rooms for the both of us? Also, send a voucher with one of them to get
her some clothes. I’m not sure what size she is but I’m sure you have a better idea then I do.” Candy
nodded emphatically.
“Yes, master, I’s will have Kiki go tomorrows. Yous rooms be ready in morningtime.” Sirius smiled
at her softly.
“Thank you, Candy.”
The elf popped out of the room and Sirius settled onto the couch. He waved his wand, enlarging it
enough to be a bed for them both. While he would have preferred a bed, he knew that none of them
were ready and didn’t want to wait. He snuggled into his daughter, wrapping an arm around her
middle and pulling her against his chest. He summoned a blanket and covered them with it, not cold
with the fire going but he was sure that she would be.
His mind went to the sight of his friends, dead on the floor, the scar on little Harry’s forehead. He
needed to get things squared away with the Ministry and then he would make his way to Hogwarts
to claim Harry. He was sure that he was stuck in the Hospital Wing with Poppy or in Minerva’s
quarters. They would all be heartbroken and would want to keep the last living Potter close.
While everyone around the nation was celebrating the defeat of Lord Voldemort, Sirius was laying
on the makeshift bed, sobbing as quietly as he could at the loss of his friends. It was clear now that
he could trust Remus, that he had been undeserving of their suspicion. Vowing to find him after the
Ministry and apologize, Sirius tried to sleep. While he had lost so much, he had also gained a
daughter. The last link to his brother. The muggles always said that when a door closed, another
opened. Sirius vowed to try to think of it that way when things just became too much.
A/N- There we are, first chapter done! I can’t say how often I’m going to be able to update this story
since it’s summer and my life is insane, but I promise to do my best. Let me know what you think,
reviews make me smile.
Ego hunc sanguinem esse meum sanguinem nostrum sanguinem non praevalebunt = I take this blood
to be my blood, our blood will prevail.
This translation is thanks to google translate, if it’s wrong, I apologize!
Next up, the aurors at the Ministry and meeting up with Remus. Should be interesting!
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 2

A/N- Here’s the next chapter, y’all! I hope that everyone enjoyed the first chapter. Thank you to
everyone who has already followed, favorited, and reviewed my story. You da bomb! Your support
so far has been overwhelming. Anyways, I won’t go on and on, I’m excited to get started.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing. I haven’t made a dime off this story; my bank account wouldn’t lie.
Chapter 2
November 1, 1981
Sirius was caught in the middle of waking and sleep. He hadn’t slept well at all, he had fitfully tossed
and turned into the wee hours of the morning. Honestly, he wasn’t surprised. His best friend had
been murdered, the traitor had escaped, and he had taken a life. He couldn’t recall seeing the face of
the auror that he had killed but he had dreamed of the woman’s face as she watched her partner fall.
All in all, it hadn’t been the best of nights.
Hermione had slept soundly all night; she was obviously a cuddler, snuggling into Sirius every time
he shifted away from her. It made him wonder if his brother had ever slept with her like he was; this
thought didn’t make him feel any better. His brother was assumed dead and he knew that
Moldyshorts was behind it. He wished more than almost anything that he and Regulus had been able
to settle their differences before he died.
He could tell that the fire in the library had died awhile ago. The air was cool, and his nose was cold.
He forced himself to open his eyes and make sure that Hermione was still asleep. When he saw that
she was snuggled into his side still, he smiled softly at the sight of her.
Hermione was beautiful. Sirius still couldn’t believe that she belonged to his brother. Never in a
million years did he think that Regulus would flout pureblood tradition and have a child out of
wedlock with the Malfoy daughter. He supposed that his mother would have eventually approved
since it would have been a favorable match for both families, but she would have howled for ages
over the embarrassment and scandal the child would cause the family. He reached out and fingered
one of her silky black curls before calling for Candy. When she appeared before them, Sirius tried to
smile at her.
“Please light the fire, Candy. I don’t want Hermione to get too cold.” The elf gave an enthusiastic
nod before snapping her fingers. Flames jumped to life and Sirius sighed in comfort. The heat
pouring from it already was warming him. Just as he sat up, Hermione rolled to her side, her eyes
fluttering open. She didn’t seem to care that she was in a place she had never seen before; her eyes
focused on Sirius and she smiled at him as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“Daddy.” He reached out and stroked her cheek, smiling softly at her.
“Morning, sweetness. Are you hungry?” She struggled to sit up on her own so Sirius reached out to
help her. She gave him a resolute nod. It made Sirius wonder if she had even eaten the day before
since they weren’t able to get near her at St. Mungo’s.
“What do you like for breakfast?” Hermione grabbed his hand and started playing with his fingers,
tracing their lengths with her own fingers.
“Eggs and bacon.” He was still surprised that she was able to speak as well as she could. He figured
that Erise must have taught her on her own or hired a very private tutor for the girl. Sirius turned to
Candy.
“Can you find some eggs and bacon for breakfast? I’m not sure what you are prepared for here since
I’ve been gone so long. Whatever you need to run the house, charge it to the vault.” Candy gave
another enthusiastic nod.
“Yes, master. Candy sent Dip and Dot out last nights after you arrived. The manor is stocked and
ready for Master and young Mistress. Candy will have Tippy makes yous breakfast.” Sirius was
impressed that the elves had already stocked the manor for them to live there. He would have thought
that it would at least have taken a day or so. Of course, this probably just meant that they had stayed
up all night to do so. The animagus returned his attention to his daughter.
“Let’s get us get a bath before we eat.” Hermione began to whine but Sirius just raised his eyebrows
at her. It was a move reminiscent of his father. Whenever he or Regulus had started to whine about
something, his father would have raised an eyebrow at them, signaling that they would be punished
if the whining continued. He suspected that Regulus had done the same because Hermione instantly
ceased her whinging.
Hermione jumped from the couch and stood, waiting for him to join her. When he was upright,
Hermione took his hand and looked up at him, silently telling him that he would have to tell her
where to go. Sirius had no idea what rooms had been prepared for the two of them, so he decided to
head to his old room. There was an ensuite bathroom that they could both bathe in.
As they left the library, Hermione swung their hands, counting to herself. What she was counting,
Sirius had no idea, but he wasn’t going to say anything. If it made her feel better, he was okay with
letting her continue. They climbed two sets of stairs before Sirius led her into the room that he had
called his own since as far back as he could remember. Deciding that he wasn’t entirely comfortable
with bathing his daughter on his own, he called out for Candy again.
“Can you please get one of the younger elves to come and help me bathe Hermione? Make sure that
they bring something suitable for her to wear.” He regretted saying that the second it was out of his
mouth. He knew what the elves would consider suitable clothing and he didn’t want his daughter to
be drowned by propriety before she could even read. He let the order stand, however. When the
aurors showed up, it would just concrete the defense he was going to use with embracing the
pureblood ideals. Candy nodded and popped out of existence, Hermione laughing at the elf joyously.
An elf that Sirius had never met before appeared, eliciting more laughter from his daughter.
“Master, I’s Sipsy. Candy sends me to help with young Mistress. Sipsy is a brand-new nanny elf and
I’s would loves to take care of master’s heir.” Sirius smiled at the young elf. She would be perfect.
“I’ve never given a baby a bath and while I realize that Hermione isn’t technically a baby, I’m not
sure that I would be doing it right. Can you help me?” Sipsy was nodding enthusiastically. Sirius had
to smile to himself. The elves were all so happy that they were home. It wasn’t a well-known fact,
but elves loved taking care of children and the Black elves were no different.
Sipsy moved to the bathroom and began running water, pouring a potion in that made bubbles
appear. She was humming softly to herself, in her own world. Sirius was a little surprised when
Hermione tugged on his hand.
“What is that thing?” He still couldn’t believe her grasp of the English language.
“That’s a house elf. They are here to help us, but it is our duty to never take advantage of them.
They’re part of the family and should be treated as such. Therefore, when Sipsy tells you to do
something, you are to obey her. She wants to make sure that you’re safe and taken care of.” His
daughter cocked her head to the side for a moment before speaking.
“She’s here to help us so we need to be nice to her. I understand, daddy.” He ruffled her hair and
smiled down at her.
“I’m glad, poppet. Make sure that you always listen to Sipsy.” She nodded resolutely. Sipsy turned
back to them and motioned for Sirius to start undressing his daughter. While he was mildly
uncomfortable with undressing a small child, he knew that there was nothing sexual about it. She
was his daughter and even though she didn’t come from his loins, the protectiveness and sense of
duty that he felt for her assured him that nobody would look at him twice for bathing his daughter.
Hermione was quite agreeable to helping him undress her. While Sirius was quite adept at undressing
grown witches, undressing a small one made him feel out of his depths. He was sure that if James
was alive he would be rolling in laughter. Thinking of James made his heart clench in despair. His
best friend was gone. When he had originally got the missive from St. Mungo’s he had been thrilled
that his niece and his godson would grow up together. Now, he only had to wait for the aurors to
arrive, so he could take his licks and then claim his godson from Dumbledore.
Sipsy took over completely when it came to bathing his daughter. Sirius made to come help but was
shooed away by the bossy little elf. He wouldn’t complain. He really had no idea what the hell he
was doing. Hermione was playing with the bubbles, splashing water all over Sipsy but the elf didn’t
seem to mind. She gently chided his daughter but laughed when she tried to rub the bubbles on
Sipsy. Realizing that he was no longer needed in the bathroom, he moved into the bedroom to start
going through his things and reminisce about times past.
He was surprised that Sipsy had her in there for another twenty minutes. While he was sure that
Hermione was clean long before then, he assumed that she had let her play in the water to make her
feel more at home. Sirius made a mental note to send Sipsy out for bathtub toys. He knew that Harry
enjoyed them immensely. Once she came out of the bathroom dressed in a long dress that looked
extremely proper, he sighed in relief. Her hair was dry and combed back, half of it held back by
clips. It was clear that Sipsy knew exactly what to do with her curls.
Once they were out, Sirius instructed Sipsy to take Hermione to breakfast, so he could bathe in
privacy. While he wasn’t ashamed of his body in any manner of speaking, he didn’t feel right with
his daughter waiting outside the loo for him to clean himself. He showered off quickly, dressing in
the clothing befitting the station of Lord Black. He even made sure to wear one of his father’s robes
that were embroidered with the family crest. After all, it was only a matter of time before the aurors
arrived, demanding his audience. He would rather be prepared.
Once he was out of the shower and dressed, he made his way to the dining room. Hermione was
perched on a booster seat at the formal table, feeding herself eggs, bacon, and kippers. When she
caught sight of him, her eyes lit up.
“Daddy!” He chuckled softly and took the seat next to her rather than the head of the table. While it
would have been unacceptable if there was company, it was perfectly fine to happen when it was just
the two of them. Sirius dug into the plate that appeared before him, not realizing that he was hungry
until the food was set before him.
Once he began, Sirius couldn’t stop. It was quite clear that he had not anticipated the hunger from the
day before. He could admit that it was a day from hell, James was dead after all, Lily too, but he had
eaten only hours before arriving in Godric’s Hollow. He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty at the
fact that he was enjoying breakfast while James and Lily were dead. Especially when it was his fault.
He finished long before Hermione had, watching her do her best to feed herself with undisguised
amusement. She was so advanced in so many things but when it came to eating she was at the same
level as any other two-year-old. When she finally tired of feeding herself, she turned to her father.
“What happened to mummy? The bad men hurt her.” Sirius reached out and stroked her cheek again,
unsure of what exactly to tell her.
“Did mummy ever tell you about heaven?” He severely doubted it since Erise was a pureblood and
heaven was a muggle thing, but he was surprised when she nodded her head yes. Sirius heaved a
deep sigh.
“The bad men hurt mummy. She didn’t want to leave you, but she had to go to heaven. She wanted
me to take care of you, so I could love you in her stead.” Even though he wasn’t quite sure that she
understood what he was saying, she nodded, tears in her eyes.
“Mummy isn’t coming back then?” His heart broke at the saddened look on her face.
“No, poppet, she went to heaven and left you with me. Do you think that we can get along?”
Hermione nodded emphatically.
“Yes, daddy, we’ll be best friends.” Sirius felt his heart swell at her words. Before he could answer
her, Candy popped into existence at his side.
“Master, peoples are trying to get through the wards. Should Candy lets them through?” Sirius
heaved a deep sigh.
“Yes, let them through.” He turned to Sipsy. As much as he hated to do it, he had no other choice.
“Once the aurors arrive and see Hermione, I want you to apparate to Malfoy Manor with her. Do not
leave her for anything. Tell them that I’ll be along once this mess is cleaned up. If they try to keep
my daughter from me, I’ll press official charges.” Sipsy nodded solemnly. She understood exactly
what was going on; while Hermione was a Malfoy by birth, she was the Black heir and should be
protected as such. There was a resounding knock on the front door, several rooms away from the
dining room. Sirius gathered his strength, squared his shoulder, and lifted his chin.
“Show them in, Candy.” The elf didn’t respond, just disappeared from where she was standing next
to him. Just moments later, there were footsteps outside the door. The door opened and six aurors
filed in, wands held aloft, steel in their eyes.
“You’ve under arrest, Sirius Black, for the murder of Auror Matthews. We’ve been ordered to bring
you into the Ministry for questioning.” Sirius nodded and stepped forward. Hermione, however,
understood their words and burst into tears.
“No, daddy, you can’t go.” Sirius flashed the men a dirty look for bringing his daughter to tears. He
knelt before her and pulled her into his embrace.
“Don’t be scared, poppet. I’ll be back by dinner. You’re going to go see Auntie Cissa and Uncle
Lucius. When I get home, I’ll come get you and you can see your new room.” The auror behind him
snorted but was silenced by one of the others elbowing him. A happy look overtook his daughter’s
face.
“I love Aunt Cissy and Uncle Luci. I get to spend all day with them and Draco?” Once again, he
couldn’t believe how well she spoke. Much to his confusion at her love for her Death Eater relatives,
he nodded.
“Yes, sweetness. You get to spend all day with them. I’ll come get you this evening.” She threw
herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed the side of her head before
shooing her back to Sipsy. Once she was there, he beckoned Sipsy forward. When she reached him,
he whispered.
“Stay with her at all times. If I don’t return tonight, keep her safe. I’m not sure if she’ll be in danger
at the Malfoy’s but don’t let any harm come to my heir.” Sipsy nodded reverently.
“Sipsy will protect young miss with her life. Bad Malfoys won’t touch her.” Sirius nodded his
approval, standing to face the aurors. Once he was facing them, he spoke aloud.
“Sipsy, take your mistress to her family at Malfoy Manor. She doesn’t need to see this.” Behind him,
he heard a pop and knew that his daughter was gone. Now that the young eyes were gone, one of
the aurors stepped forward and punched him in the stomach. Sirius couldn’t keep his breath as he
dropped to his knees. The older man bent at the waist to hiss in his ear.
“That’s for Auror Matthews. We know you’re guilty, Auror Montrose saw you kill him. You’ll get
far worse than that in Azkaban. Hope you enjoyed telling your daughter goodbye; that’s the last time
you’ll see her.” Sirius kept his temper, as difficult as it was. He knew for a fact that he wouldn’t go to
Azkaban but that didn’t mean that he didn’t deserve it. He felt terrible for the aurors life that he had
taken but there was nothing that he could do about it now.
Sirius allowed them to haul him to his feet, magically binding his hands behind his back. While the
situation was going to be embarrassing, being dragged into the Ministry of Magic bound, there was
nothing that he could do about it. It was going to have to take his testimony, that of Furybolt, and
then an audience in front of the Wizengamot to make sure that he was set free.
-O-
Lucius was sitting with his wife at the dining room table, eating their breakfast in silence. He knew
why the silence was present. His sister had been murdered by the Order of the Phoenix the day
before and his beloved niece had been taken from them.
Erise had been in love with Regulus since they were thirteen years old; while he wasn’t thrilled that
they had conceived and bore a child out of wedlock, he knew that secrecy was key. Lucius and
Narcissa were targeted so many times just because of Lucius’ reputation as a Death Eater. Being the
sister of a well-known Death Eater and being a Death Eater, himself made the whole family more of
a target, especially since they didn’t have safe wards to hide behind.
Regulus had never been a favorite of Lucius. He was quite sure that the younger man wasn’t loyal to
the Dark Lord, but since his sister was with him, there was no way that he would ever speak of his
suspicions. When Regulus had disappeared, Lucius was quite sure that the Dark Lord had caught
him in his thoughts of betrayal, but they never heard anything about his death. Being a traitor was
something that the Dark Lord would have boasted about.
Lucius adored his niece. While he loved his wife and his son more than he could say, he had been
more than disappointed when the healers had told them that Narcissa would never carry another child
to term. He was grateful for his heir, but he couldn’t help but admit that he had always wanted a
daughter. There hadn’t been a Malfoy daughter before his sister in over two hundred years. He
would have loved to carried on the tradition.
For this reason, Hermione was the light of his life. While he loved Draco with all his heart, there was
definitely something to be said for daddy’s girls. He knew that she had a daddy, but he hadn’t been
seen in a year. He had filled in for the position since Regulus had disappeared without a word. He
knew that his sister was heartbroken, but she did her best to keep her heartbreak to herself.
Hermione spent just as much time at the Manor as she did with her mother in their modest home.
Lucius had offered them money, so they could afford a better place but Erise had refused. She
wanted a small and cozy home, something that Hermione could be comfortable in always. While he
hated to see them fending for themselves, Lucius had respected her decision.
Hermione was quite taken with Draco even though she was almost a full year older than him. Erise
had gotten her a tutor early on, training the girl in language and many other areas. He intended for
Draco to have the same, determined to make sure that his son would be second to none, except
maybe his niece. Narcissa was just as in love with Hermione as he was; she was her only niece (that
she claimed, the metamorphmagus didn’t count in their opinion) and she hoped to keep her for
herself to raise as her daughter.
They had been brokenhearted when the aurors had taken Hermione from them after the attack on
Erise by the Order. It was clear that they hadn’t meant to kill her, but it also broke their heart to
realize that their sister was gone forever. Hermione was the only link they had to Erise; the fact that
she was going to be sent to Sirius Black set an ill feeling in his middle. He was a member of the
Order and the last thing that he would do was let his niece visit their Death Eater relation. Narcissa
immediately wanted to renounce their ties to the Dark Lord, especially since he had apparently been
vanquished by the Potter boy. Lucius was leery, not wanting to be the victims of retaliation. Narcissa
was currently nagging in his ear.
“Lu, he won’t let us see her if he thinks that we’re following the Dark Lord. We must renounce him
or we’re going to lose our niece forever. Sirius doesn’t have a hard heart; if he thinks that we’ve
changed, he’ll allow us to see her whenever we want.” Lucius raked his hand through his long blond
hair, a sign of emotion that he rarely allowed himself.
“I know, Cissy, but what about those that will strike against us? Your sister would show us no mercy
even if it is to keep the Black heir safe.” Narcissa slammed her silverware down with a hard look
upon her face.
“I don’t give a fuck. Hermione is your niece through your sister and my cousin through my cousin. I
want to make sure that I get to have a say while she grows up. If I have to say that we were under the
Imperious, it’s a price I’m willing to pay. She’s the only daughter I’ll ever have. Don’t you dare try
to take her away from me. You will do what you must to keep her around and you will treat Sirius
with as much respect as you have to for him to let her spend time here. I won’t have her and Draco
growing up apart.” Lucius was surprised to hear her curse; she was the consummate lady and cursing
was most certainly not listed in her abilities. Therefore, he nodded since it was clear that if he decided
otherwise she would never forgive him.
“Very well, my dear.” He had no sooner spoke before there was a pop behind them. When Lucius
turned around, Hermione and an unknown elf was standing behind him, his niece smiling.
“Uncle Luci, Aunt Cissy! Daddy told me to come see you today.” Lucius was beyond confused
since he was aware that Sirius had been made her custodian. While she had Malfoy blood in her
veins, her eyes proved that, it was a proven fact that children went to the father’s family, so they
could take their places as heirs. As much as this irritated Lucius, he understood it. While Hermione
would be responsible for bearing the heir of the house that she married, her second son would be the
heir to the Black fortune so long as Sirius never had any more children. While he wished that
Hermione could have married Draco, they were simply too closely related. Therefore, he hoped that
they could be raised together, something that most Malfoys never seemed to get to do.
“Hermione, love, what are you doing here?” She threw herself into his arms and he didn’t hesitate to
hug her close and kiss the side of her head.
“Bad men came for daddy, just like they hurt mummy. He told Sipsy to bring me to you and keep me
safe.” Lucius couldn’t believe that Sirius Black had sent his niece to their house for safety. Surely, he
had to think that they were the epitome of danger and evil? Just who had taken him from his niece?
Sipsy seemed to realize that they would have questions.
“Master had to gos with men with badges. He tells me to bring young Mistress here and hims be by
to pick hers up tonight.” Lucius didn’t miss the fact that Black hadn’t trusted his niece with them
alone, sending one of his elves along for the ride. While he would normally have been offended, he
wasn’t in this instance. He wouldn’t have allowed his niece to go anywhere that he wasn’t one
hundred percent sure that she was safe.
“I assure you ….” He trailed off because he had no idea what the elf’s name was.
“Sipsy.” He continued.
“Sipsy, we have no intention of harming our niece. She means just as much to us as our son Draco
does.” While the elf took his words at face value, he could see that she doubted his word. That was
fine. He would just prove that they were safe for his niece to be around. There was no way that he
was going to give her up without a fight.
“Please join us, Sipsy. Hermione and Draco haven’t seen each other for a couple days and they’re
likely to spend hours together. Feel free to move around our home without hindrance.” While it made
him grit his teeth that he had to grant an elf this kind of freedom, it was necessary for Black to
believe that his niece was safe with the. As much as he hated it, it was a price that he was willing to
pay.
-O-
Sirius couldn’t believe the willful ignorance of the aurors that were questioning him. He had told
them the story from step one, feeling that there was something off the evening before. They hadn’t
believed him when he told them that Peter was the secret keeper and the traitor that betrayed his best
friend to the Dark Lord. They sure hadn’t believed that he hadn’t meant to kill the auror that fateful
evening before.
Sirius wasn’t sure what else he could say to make them believe him. He had told them innumerable
details, things that they surely would have been able to check on with any of James and Lily’s
friends. They had flat-out called him a liar when he told them that Peter had escaped when his killing
curse had hit the young auror. He was unsure of what exactly he could say to prove his point so at
the end, he just remained silent.
The Wizengamot had been pissed when they learned of his blood adoption of his niece. Furybolt had
been called to testify that he had indeed performed the blood magic required for Hermione to be his
daughter. Once they heard his testimony, chaos had ensued. While Sirius was more than thrilled that
there was nothing they could do about him killing the auror, he still felt terrible that he had taken a
life. Before he had been called in front of the full Wizengamot meeting, he had vowed that he was
going to do whatever he could for the young auror’s family.
“Lord Black, please tell us exactly what happened last night.” Sirius sighed. This was perhaps the
fiftieth time he had been told to recount the events as he knew them but so far, they hadn’t been
recognized. He raked a hand through his hair, determined that the members of the Wizengamot
would hear the truth.
He explained how he had been best mates with James Potter, how he had been asked to be their
secret keeper for the fidelius charm but had refused because he would be the first guess. Sirius had
detailed how he had gone after Peter and tried to kill him after betraying his best friend and almost
killing his godson. Even though he was most ashamed, he had told them how the female auror had
slammed into him, throwing his killing curse off to hit the auror that was across the street from him. It
had taken all he had to keep the tears at bay while he told the story.
Not that any of it mattered. They hadn’t believed a word that came out of his mouth except for him
saying that he was indeed guilty of killing the auror with the killing curse. They had all wanted
prison justice then but had been denied by Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody. He had insisted that he go
before the Wizengamot to learn of his fate.
Sirius now stood chained to the chair before the Wizengamot, ankles and hands both bound. He had
never been happier that he had sent Hermione to the Malfoys. Lord Greengrass was speaking, a
more pompous arse Sirius had never cared for before.
“We’ve all heard the testimony of not only Lord Sirius Black but the goblin Furybolt. Do we all
agree that he falls beneath the old law Merlin number 4385?” He could tell how much the other
members hated to acquit him but there was little else they could do. He was the Black heir, the
second most wealthy family in the wizarding world, and he had more than a fair alibi. Even though
nobody looked thrilled, every single member of the Wizengamot raised their hands. Lord Greengrass
spoke with a sneer.
“We, the Wizengamot, find Sirius Black innocent of crimes against Merlin and humanity. We order
that he raise his daughter with clear determination of our traditions. We also find that the defendant
pays a total of 500,000 galleons for the use of an Unforgivable curse on the night of October 31,
1981.”
Even though the fine was a little steep, Sirius was more than happy to pay it. Even though it hadn’t
been ordered of him, he was going to find something nice to do for the auror’s family that had been
affected. While he felt terrible for his actions, he also knew that no recompense would be welcomed
so he would have to be sneaky.
The depth of the fine should have worried him. It was half a million galleons, something that would
worry any other family in their world. However, they were only a short bit behind the Malfoys in
wealth and half a million galleons wouldn’t do a thing to his vaults. If anything, it would see the
purebloods investing in his businesses because they were sure that he was on their side. While he had
no intent of publicly claiming their loyalty, he wasn’t going to tell them that he was one hundred
percent loyal to the light. That would be like kicking your own mother in the teeth. While he would
have loved to do that to his own mother, he knew that feeling that way simply wasn’t normal. His
mother had been a special kind of evil.
The chains suddenly left his wrists and ankles, letting him know that he was indeed a free man. Lord
Greengrass spoke again.
“Please remand the agreed upon fine to the Ministry by the end of the day.” All the Wizengamot
members rose from their seats and began to file out the doors. Sirius heaved a sigh and started for the
door himself, the entrance that the public used. He didn’t see a single person from the Order of the
Phoenix. He had thought that Dumbledore or Remus would come and see how his trial turned out
but there wasn’t a single person there to support him.
Sirius quickly left the Ministry. He still had to make his way to Gringotts to pay his fine and he
hoped to have time to go see Remus before he went to pick up Hermione. He hoped that she was
doing alright at Malfoy Manor. He headed across Diagon Alley to Gringotts, ready to get this whole
ordeal over with.
The animagus stepped into the wizarding bank, scanning the large room for Furybolt. Seeing that he
was with someone, he made his way to his account manager’s queue. He waited at the required
distance, noticing that it was Walden Macnair ahead of him. Once Furybolt realized that he was
waiting, the goblin hurried Macnair along, though he didn’t look much very happy about it. Furybolt
waved him forward.
“First, let us get business out of the way. Then I will give you information about what occurred last
night in Godric’s Hollow.” Sirius perked up at these words. He slid the paperwork from the
Wizengamot across the counter to the goblin. The goblin shook his head.
“Half a million galleons? You should have fought that. They only gave Peregrine Parkinson a
hundred thousand galleon fine for the same thing. They capitalized on the fact that you’re the second
wealthiest wizard in our world.” Sirius knew that he was right, but he had no urge to fight the
Ministry on it.
“I know but I did kill an auror. I’ll pay my fine, so nobody can say that I was shown favoritism.
Besides, we both know that all the rich bastards that do business here are going to invest further in
the Black family businesses. It may be half a million galleons, but it’ll repay itself quick enough.”
The goblin chuckled to himself.
“That’s true enough. I expect you to make that back in just a month’s time.” The goblin steepled his
hands under his chin. Sirius waved his wand, silencing the area around them so nobody could
accidentally overhear them.
“The word amongst the goblins is that the wizard known as Lord Voldemort learned of the Potter’s
location through a source unknown to us. He struck your friend down first. We don’t know the
details of how, just that he was killed first. Ragnok himself told us that the Dark Lord tried to kill
young Potter, but Lily Potter cast herself in front of the curse meant for the boy. Once he turned his
wand to young Potter, the killing curse rebounded, leaving the scar on his head that you told me
about. It is believed by all that he is gone for good, but that isn’t so. There is dark magic involved,
the darkest. We are unsure as to what exactly, but our records show that the Dark Lord is still alive.
Dark magic is the only thing that could have saved him after being hit by the killing curse.” Sirius
cocked his head to the side.
“How is it that Harry survived then? For a killing curse to rebound off him, leaving only a scar?”
Furybolt tutted softly.
“His mother cast herself in front of him, taking the curse meant for him. She willingly sacrificed
herself. That produces protection. Sacrificial love is one of the strongest protections in our world.”
Sirius nodded his head slowly, taking in the words of his account manager. After almost a full minute
contemplating the situation, he gave the goblin a grim smile.
“Thank you, Furybolt. The information is appreciated. One last thing before I go. Can you lock
down the Potter vaults except for Harry’s trust account? I know that with both Lily and James dead,
I’m in charge of their finances until Harry is of age. I don’t want anyone thinking that they can start
dipping into their vaults because they’re dead.” Furybolt nodded.
“Absolutely. I know you rally behind Albus Dumbledore, but I wouldn’t trust him completely. He
was trying to convince James Potter to help finance your side of the war. I wouldn’t want him to
think that he could do so now because James is gone.” This really didn’t surprise Sirius. Once he had
accepted his title as Lord Black, Dumbledore had broached him about funneling money into the
Order of the Phoenix to help fund the war. He had agreed to a small amount, but it obviously hadn’t
been enough for the wizened old wizard.
“Again, thank you.” Sirius didn’t wait for a response before turning and leaving the bank. He was
ready to go see Remus and apologize for mistrusting him.
Knowing that Remus still lived at The Den, his parents’ old house in the middle of nowhere, Sirius
stepped off the steps and apparated. He was already keyed into the wards there so he apparated to
just outside the front door. He knew that the wards would alert Remus to the fact that he was there. It
didn’t take long at all for the front door to fly open and for Remus to step through, fury written upon
his features.
“You dare come here after your treachery?!” Sirius was silent in his confusion. Treachery? After a
couple false starts, he finally spoke.
“I’m not sure what you’re on about, I wanted to come tell you how sorry I was that I was doubting
your loyalties. I need your help. I have my niece and I’m going to get Harry, I know I can’t –.” He
was cut off by Remus’ roar.
“You betrayed James and Lily!! They’re dead because you handed them to Voldemort, you gave
away the secret of their location!” Sirius should have seen this coming. The aurors at the Ministry
hadn’t believed him and neither had the Wizengamot. He had expected his friend to know him better
than that, but he supposed that he hadn’t seen Peter betraying James either. Maybe they were both
blinded by lies. He held his hands out, trying to calm down his friend.
“I didn’t betray them, Remus, I swear it. We switched at the last second, Peter was the secret keeper,
not me. I would never have turned them into Voldemort. James was my brother in every way but
blood. Lily was like a sister to me. Harry is my godson, I love him. You can’t honestly think that I
would be capable of a betrayal such as this.” Remus just seemed to get angrier.
“I went to Peter’s this morning to make sure that he had heard the news. His mother was there and
told me that you showed up there last night and you both apparated away. He hasn’t returned. I
heard you killed that auror too. I bet you killed Peter and hid his body, so you could spin this story.”
Sirius couldn’t believe the things that his friend was saying to him. When he spoke, it was spluttering
in indignation.
“I did try to kill Peter because he betrayed James and Lily. An auror hit me from behind and the
curse went astray and killed the auror. Peter disappeared when she started to attack me.” Remus
snorted, obviously not believing a word out of his mouth.
“I don’t think so. You killed Peter and you betrayed James and Lily. If I have anything to say about
it, you won’t ever see Harry again. I’ll be damned if you sacrifice him just as you did his parents.”
Now Sirius was furious.
“You can’t keep me from him. I’m his godfather and I was named to take over custody of him if
anything happened to James and Lily.” Remus snorted again.
“Keep telling yourself that. Get the fuck off my property and don’t ever come back. If you do, I’ll
kill you. Once you’re gone, the wards will no longer admit you.” Sirius couldn’t believe what he was
hearing. Sure, he had killed the auror, but he had never thought that his friend would turn on him in
this time of strife. They needed to stick together. He must have hesitated too long because Remus
growled again.
“Get out, Black, and don’t ever come back.” Sirius knew that he wasn’t going to get anywhere with
Remus this day, so he grasped his wand and disapparated.
Sirius landed in the foyer of Black Moor and was surprised how the manor was already starting to
feel like home. He hadn’t even been able to tell Remus that Voldemort wasn’t dead at all. He sat in
one the high-backed chairs by the floo and raked his hand through his hair. How was he going to
care for two children without Remus? He could only hope that Minerva or one of his other friends
from the Order would help him. Frank and Alice perhaps? With Voldemort gone, they would be free
to leave their home once more.
Realizing that he didn’t have time to wallow in his self-pity, Sirius pulled his hand from his hair and
stood. He still had to go brave the Malfoys and get Hermione back. He really wasn’t looking forward
to this but knew that it had to be done. A stray thought hit him like a ton of bricks. There was every
chance in the world that if Remus believed the worst of him that everyone else would too. There
could possibly not be a single person he knew would be willing to help him. It was sobering to
consider.
Refusing to let that thought settle in his head, he stuck his hand in the pot of floo powder and tossed
it into the fire. Once the flames turned green, he stepped inside and called out for Malfoy Manor. To
his complete surprise, it went through. He had to wonder why his father had an open floo connection
to Malfoy Manor, but he didn’t pause to consider it. He wanted to see his daughter. An elf appeared
before him, dressed in a tea towel.
“Comes with Snitch. I’s take you to master and mistress.” Sirius figured that that would be the only
way he could manage to find his way in a decent amount of time so he conceded. He followed the
small creature through the corridors, past numerous rooms, until they stopped in front of a door that
was shut.
“This is Master Draco’s play rooms. They’s waiting for yous.” Sirius nodded his understanding
before heaving a deep sigh. He was going to have to face up to his cousin and her husband
eventually; he might as well get it over with early. He pushed the door open to find Hermione sitting
on the floor next to Draco, trying to teach him how to count. Lucius and Narcissa were sitting on a
sofa a few feet away, both with books in their hands but keeping an obvious and careful eye on the
children. Narcissa rose to her feet and smiled at him. Sirius was so taken aback that he almost didn’t
answer when she spoke.
“Sirius, it’s good to see you after so long. I’m sorry to hear about your friends.” Sirius couldn’t help
but to snort at her words. Afterwards, he realized just how rude that must have seemed.
“It was your all-powerful lord that killed them. Are you really that sorry? Wouldn’t that be treason or
something?” His cousin’s face froze for a moment before she lowered her gaze.
“Most of us don’t care about blood status. No, we don’t want the mudbloods ruining good family
names, but it’s always been about preserving traditions and the old ways. People like Dumbledore
want to just shuffle the mudbloods into our world and change it to fit them. If they want to be a part
of our world, they should fit to us.” Sirius hated to admit it but Narcissa had a point. Too many times
had Dumbledore brought muggleborns into their world without a single thought as to if they would
fit in. There were many old customs and traditions that he had grown up doing but it was now
frowned upon by the new order. Still, he couldn’t agree with her completely.
“You may want to preserve our ways, but you really think that you’re better because of your blood.
Lily Potter was the consummate muggleborn and her magic was ten times stronger than your own,
don’t even deny it. How do you explain that?” Narcissa had a deer in the headlights look before she
pulled the emotion from her face.
“I never said that we were right to follow the Dark Lord. We regret it actually. If our families hadn’t
been embroiled in the war on either side, Regulus would still be here, and the Order never would
have tried to raid Erise. We know they wanted information on Lucius. This war cost us both family
and nobody cared that we were on opposite sides. The only thing that we can do from here is to
change for the better and make sure that we never make those mistakes again.” Sirius couldn’t help
but want to believe his cousin.
When they were younger, Sirius had always loved Narcissa. She was a couple years older than him
and always made time to play with him and Regulus while Andie and Bella had always blown them
off. There weren’t many members of the Black family left and if he had the chance the get close with
one of them, he was going to do his best to make sure that it happened. While he didn’t trust her
completely, he could see that she was genuinely contrite. However, that did not extend to Lucius.
“What about him? He of the same opinion as you, cousin?” Narcissa shot Lucius and pointed look
and Sirius could tell that this conversation was killing the elder Malfoy. He gritted his teeth but
ground the words out to where they sounded mostly civil.
“I can’t say that I agree with you on the opinion that muggleborns aren’t weaker in magic. Most of
them are. Lily Potter was an anomaly and you know it. That doesn’t mean, however, that I haven’t
realized the error of my ways. My baby sister is dead because the Order wanted information on me
because of the support I gave the Dark Lord. I know that they didn’t show up at her home and try to
kill her, that it was an accident, but that doesn’t mean that I want to be their friends either. I don’t
want to become a part of your merry band of idiots that follow the old man blindly but I’m more than
willing to admit that I was wrong for following Lord Voldemort.” Sirius couldn’t believe that he had
gotten the man to give as much as he had.
While Lucius hadn’t agreed that blood superiority was a sham, he had admitted that he should never
have followed the psychopath Lord Voldemort. Sirius couldn’t even dispute his words; most
muggleborns weren’t as strong in magic as their half-blood counterparts. Lily Potter had always been
strong, and he had wondered more than once if she was the descendant of a squib. However, this still
didn’t mean that as stronger wizards that they were better. This being said, he knew he wasn’t going
to get Lucius to admit to that. Probably ever. Sirius scratched his chin.
“So, you’re wanting to call a cease fire between our families? Is that what this is about?” Narcissa
had the decency to blush a little at his words.
“To an extent, yes. Lucius and I can’t have any more children and Hermione has become like our
daughter. We love her and she’s the only piece of Erise that we have now. Losing her from our lives
isn’t worth following the Dark Lord or playing political games with the Black family. We recognize
that she is yours to care for and we don’t want to contest that. We just want to be a part of her life.”
As much as Sirius wanted to tell her to fuck off, he couldn’t. If changing loyalties for a child wasn’t
the purest of reasons, he didn’t know what was. However, he was going to make Narcissa work for
it.
“If you want to pull our family back together again, you need to reach out to Andie. I’m not saying
that she’ll respond but if she does, I want you to try to get close again. Our parents were arseholes,
disinheriting us because we didn’t do exactly what they wanted. If you want me to believe that
you’re willing to be tolerant, prove it. Reach out to your blood traitor sister and invite her and her
muggleborn husband into your home.” Sirius felt that it was fair but Narcissa looked horrified.
“Siri, you know what Bella will do to her if she ever finds out. How could you want that to happen
to Andie? I didn’t agree with her marrying the mudblood, but I never wanted to lose a sister over it.
Bella will kill them.” Sirius had to admit that she had a point. While it would be acceptable for
Narcissa to embrace Sirius with open arms, it would be quite another if she were to do that to her
sister that had openly defied her family by marrying a muggleborn. He supposed that he would have
to concede just a little on this point.
“Bella will be caught sooner or later. Once she’s in Azkaban, you reach out to Andie. Until then, no
more saying mudblood. That’s the last word that I want coming out of my daughter’s mouth.”
Narcissa looked confused.
“Daughter?” Sirius raked a hand through his hair.
“I went after Pettigrew last night for betraying James and Lily. I shot a killing curse but was hit in the
back by an auror. My curse hit an auror rather than the rat. I had to adopt Hermione with blood
magic to keep myself out of Azkaban. She’s my heir now until I have a son.” Lucius did not look
pleased at the fact but remained silent on the matter. Narcissa took several seconds to process it but
nodded her head in understanding in the end.
“It was all you could do. Pay your fine, do something nice for the young man’s family, and try to
move on. Hermione needs you.” Sirius still couldn’t get used to this version of his cousin. Since she
had grown up, she had never been so open or accepting. He decided to lay it on the fact that she was
now a mother.
“That’s what I plan on doing. For now, though, I need to get Hermione, so we can head home and
get some sleep. I’m knackered and she’s still realizing that her mother isn’t coming back.” Narcissa
nodded.
“Any time you need time for yourself or advice on anything, please call on us. We both love her as if
she were our own.” Sirius was still leery about the situation but realized that if his situation was as
dire as it could be, he would probably need their support. Therefore, he nodded gratefully.
“Thank you. I’m sure that I’ll have her over here several times a week. I may love her already, but I
never planned on being a father before I was thirty. I have no idea what I’m doing.” Narcissa
chuckled softly.
“I understand. Anytime you need us.” Sirius knelt before Hermione and tucked a curl behind her ear.
“Ready to go home and see your new room, poppet?” She began nodding her head enthusiastically.
“Oh yes, daddy! I hope it’s purple and silver.” He chuckled at her enthusiasm. Narcissa bent and
kissed the top of her head.
“I assume that home is Black Moor since the elf accompanying her had the family crest on it’s
clothing?” He nodded before remembering to call for the elf. When he made to, Sipsy appeared from
the shadows. Sirius smiled at her.
“You’ve done well, Sipsy. Go on home and we’ll be there in a few minutes.” Sipsy nodded without
a word and disappeared with a pop.
Narcissa and Lucius both guided him back to the foyer where he had flooed in from. Hermione was
bouncing in excitement at the thought of getting to see her new room. After grabbing a handful of
floo powder, he turned to meet the Malfoy’s eyes.
“Thank you.” He wasn’t sure if he was saying it for them watching Hermione that day or if it was
because they wanted to help him out with his new daughter. Regardless, he felt it needed to be said
either way. He didn’t wait for them to answer, just threw the powder and watched the flames turn
green. Sirius and Hermione flooed away in a whoosh, leaving bewildered but happy Malfoys behind
them.
A/N- There we have it, folks. Number two is in the books. I hope that you enjoyed it. Thank you for
your continued support. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think.
Next chapter, Sirius goes to Hogwarts to see Dumbles.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 3

A/N- Here we go for round three, my lovelies! Thank you, thank you to everyone out there reading
and reviewing, you guys make my day! I hope I do this chapter justice since a lot of you have been
asking about it and making guesses as to what will happen. Anyways, I won’t go on for forever, I
know you want to read this as much as I want to get it written!
One last thing…I really hate to put my stories on an update schedule because my life is insane, and I
would hate to disappoint you all if I missed one. I’ll try to post an update every two weeks at the
absolute longest.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing. I haven’t made any money from this story or any others that I’ve
written.
Chapter 3
November 2, 1981
Sirius came awake with a groan. The sunlight was streaming through the heavy curtains, the beam of
light landing perfectly in his eyes. If he hadn’t known any better, he would have thought that Candy
had done it on purpose. Throwing the curtains open had been her favorite way to wake him when he
was a child.
He stood from the bed and made his way to the loo. Candy had placed him in the master suite of the
manor, Hermione just two doors down from him. The night before he had had Dip and Dot start on
reading the room next to hers for Harry. While he hadn’t explained Harry coming to live with them,
it was clear that his daughter understood that there was something else going on. She hadn’t asked
about it, but he doubted that that would last.
After relieving himself, he decided that a shower was in order. Today, he was going to take
Hermione to Hogwarts, so he could retrieve Harry. While he was nervous as all hell, he was also
excited. He felt terrible for just hoisting the young tot off on Hagrid; it hadn’t been one of his best
decisions since it had led to the death of a young auror but there was nothing for it now. He would
retrieve his godson, and all would be well even if Remus wanted nothing to do with him.
Sirius stepped under the spray and began lathering his curly locks. His mind strayed to the
conversation the night before with his cousin and her husband. He was unsure of just how much he
could trust them, but he understood he’d never find out if he didn’t at least try to trust them. There
was no way that he would trust them completely any time soon, but he decided that he could trust
them with Hermione’s safety. Their love for her had been shining clear and bright in their eyes
whenever they had spoken of her.
The animagus rinsed off and crawled out, toweling off since he had left his wand on the table by his
bed. He threw the towel back on the rack before walking out into the room naked. When he walked
into his closet, he was astounded. Gone were his ripped jeans and muggle rock band tee shirts. Gone
was his beloved leather jacket and steel-toed boots. In their place was trousers, oxfords, sweaters,
and suits. Robes lined one wall just by itself, making Sirius cringe. Dressing like a Lord had always
been his least favorite part of being the heir. It seemed as though Candy had made sure that if he was
claiming the title that he dressed the part.
“Candy!” The elf appeared before him. When she saw him standing in his closet starker’s, a furious
look on his face, a smirk crossed her features.
“Yes, master?” Sirius was trying to rein in his temper, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t going to
work. While he didn’t have the Black family insanity, he did have an explosive temper that usually
did him more harm than good.
“Where did you put my clothes?” Candy began rifling through the clothing hanging before him
before pulling out a lovely charcoal grey pair or trousers, a white oxford, and a set of robes matching
the trousers perfectly.
“I’s gived them away. You’re lord of the manor now, you have young miss to teach and train. Candy
will not lets yous bring the house I love so much shames just because yous want to dress like a
muggle. Yous dress proper or Candy will dress yous.” Sirius shouldn’t have been surprised. Candy
had always been an overbearing elf, determined that she knew best for the Ancient and Noble House
of Black. Candy was one of the reasons that his mother had hated it at Black Moor. Not only did she
refuse to take orders from his mother, she continuously told her that she shouldn’t be so terrible to her
children. Deciding that it just wasn’t worth the fight, Sirius sighed and took the clothes in Candy’s
hand.
“Overbearing nag. What would you do if I told you to punish yourself?” He had never once seen
Candy punish herself. Of course, he had never heard his father tell her to either. While she was
bound to Regulus and Sirius as well, they would never have dreamed of ordering that of Candy. She
would have tanned their hides. The head elf snorted.
“Candy wouldn’t dos it, of course. First duty of house elf is to care for master, master’s family, and
House. Dressing like street urchins isn’t taking cares of the House, it’s bringing shame. Candy won’t
punish herself for doing hers job.” Sirius barked out a laugh at her words. Leave it to the overbearing
elf to have her own opinion on the matter and then make her word law. She popped out of existence
before he could say another word.
With a heavy sigh, Sirius began to dress in the clothes that Candy handed him. Once he was
finished, he turned to stare at himself in the mirror. While he hated looking like a pompous git, he
could admit that he looked damned good. The grey made his eyes pop and the clothes fit him
perfectly. He was unsure how they had filled his closet in two days’ time with perfect fitting clothes,
but he wasn’t going to complain. The last thing he wanted to do was go get fitted for these hideous
clothes.
Sirius exited his room after sliding his wand up his sleeve. He stopped two doors down and opened it
quietly, hoping to see that Hermione was still sleeping. No such luck, however. She was sitting on
her bed, pillow propped behind her, with a book in her hands. He had no idea where she had gotten
the book, he assumed that one of the elves had given it to her, but the fact that she was trying to read
was amazing. She closed the book rather abruptly and then held her hand out. He was confused for
several seconds before a book came whizzing by his head.
Hermione had summoned a book from the library wandlessly. He could only chalk it up to accidental
magic but to see it so controlled wasn’t something that he had expected. It reminded him that she had
been stunning mediwitch’s in St. Mungo’s. He was going to have to get a tutor for her quickly, so
they could begin working on her control. Otherwise, who knew what she would do accidentally if
she was in ever in distress. When she caught sight of him, she squealed in pleasure.
“Daddy!” She bounded from the bed and wrapped herself around his legs until he bent to give her a
proper hug. He held her close and kissed the top of her head.
“Morning, sweetness. How long have you been awake?” She shrugged her shoulders as she pulled
away from him. Sirius couldn’t help but chuckle at her.
“You want to go with me today and meet some new people?” She nodded enthusiastically.
“Oh yes, daddy, I love meeting people. Mummy always told me that nobody could see me except for
family and my Madam.” Sirius couldn’t help the stab of guilt at her words. She was a young child.
She should never have been locked away from people just because her mother and father were high
profile in the war. Sirius called out for Sipsy and when the elf appeared, he turned back to his
daughter.
“Get you a bath with Sipsy and let her help you get dressed. I bet she can do your hair pretty. Then
we’ll eat breakfast and go meet some new people.” His daughter bounded to the bathroom, excited to
get the bath out of the way so she could move on to new adventures. Sirius only hoped that it would
go well.
Leaving Hermione in Sipsy’s capable hands, Sirius headed down to the dining room. Once he took
his seat, Dot brought the Daily Prophet and a cup of black coffee. The elves had learned early on that
while most people preferred tea, Sirius adored coffee. The headline caused him to slosh his beloved
coffee all over his hand.
Lestranges and Crouch Jr. Torture Longbottoms to Insanity!!
By Roger Dunleavy
After the fall of Lord Voldemort Halloween night to little Harry Potter, everyone thought that they
were safe. While it wasn’t common knowledge, Frank and Alice Longbottom, top aurors for the
Ministry of Magic, were hidden away under the fidelius charm. They let the charm lapse just
yesterday morning and by six o’clock last night, they were patients in St. Mungo’s.
Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Bellatrix Lestrange, accompanied by Barty Crouch, Jr., found their way
to the home of Frank and Alice Longbottom. The pair met the four Death Eaters in the front garden
of their home, leaving their year-old son in the home in the company of an elf.
Both aurors were tortured for no other reason than to find their fallen master. When Frank was
rendered insane from the repeated use of the Cruciatus, the four Death Eaters turned their wand on
Alice. Both aurors held strong for longer than a person would anticipate, but in the end, it just wasn’t
enough.
The highly gifted pair of aurors now reside in the Spell Damage ward in St. Mungo’s. Whether they
will be allowed to return home is unseen at this point. Their one-year old son, Neville, has been sent
to live with his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, who refuses to comment for this article.
All three Lestranges and Crouch, Jr. have been capturedt and remanded to Azkaban to wait until
they will stand trial for their crimes against humanity. The Wizengamot set the trial date for
November 17, 1981 in an emergency meeting just last night.
All of us here at the Prophet will keep young Neville and Madam Longbottom in our thoughts.
Sirius couldn’t believe it. Frank and Alice had been tortured by his sick and twisted cousin. She had
driven their minds to the edge where they just couldn’t handle it anymore and had taken their lives
from them. Sure, they were still alive and breathing, but the very essence of who they were was
gone. What they had done to two of his oldest friends was worse than death.
Sirius was pulled from his thoughts by Hermione arriving, the thundering of her feet outside the door
to the dining room. He could hear Sipsy scolding her so when she came through the door, her head
was hung low, moving at a more sedate pace. He could hear Sipsy whispering to her.
“Yous can’t run like that, Miss. Yous could fall and break yous neck. What would yous daddy do if
yous was to get hurt like that?” Hermione didn’t reply, merely nodded before Sipsy continued.
“When you and yous daddy comes home, Sipsy will takes you outside and yous can run all yous
want.” Her head came up and she threw her arms around a startled Sipsy. Neither spoke a word,
Hermione just walked over to the seat she had claimed as her own, crawled up into it, and waited
silently. Only seconds passed before the meal arrived.
The pair ate quickly, neither one of them wasting time when it came to filling their bellies. Sirius had
always been serious about eating since his mother’s favorite punishment for him when he was a
young boy was to refuse him food when he misbehaved. When he had been at Black Moor, the elves
would sneak him food after everyone had gone to bed but when it had occurred at Grimmauld Place,
he was forced to starve. Kreacher seemed to hate everyone aside from his mother and his younger
brother and would laugh at him being punished.
Once the meal was finished and cleared, Sirius called for Dip to bring them their cloaks. They would
be apparating and since you couldn’t apparate onto Hogwarts land, he was going to have to shoot for
the front gate and then walk across the grounds. Hermione was beyond excited at the thought of
going somewhere new.
Since Sirius was the Lord of the manor, he was able to apparate through the blood wards. As his
heir, Hermione would be able to as well. Since this was possible, they only had to stand from the
table, grasp hands, and disappear with a pop. Once they landed outside the gates of Hogwarts,
Hermione was uproariously laughing. Sirius was confused beyond measure. Side-along apparition
was terrible; it always left him nauseous. However, Hermione seemed to find it delightful. He would
probably never understand his daughter. She jumped up and down and tugged on his arm.
“Again, daddy, again!” Sirius could only shake his head at her exuberance. To appease her, he
disapparated them to ten feet behind where they had originally appeared. Her peels of laughter
reverberated off the trees that surrounded the gates. He raised his eyebrow at her when he saw that
she was going to ask him to do it again.
“We’ll do it again when we leave.” She quieted and nodded, clearly appeased at his promise.
The gates swung openly silently which Sirius took to be a good sigh. Surely if Dumbledore believed
that he was a traitor, he would never have let him into the school during term time. Of course, it was
also after nine in the morning and all the students would be in class.
Sirius bent to pick up Hermione and carry her. While she was rather accomplished intellectually, she
was still just a two-year-old little girl. Her legs weren’t long enough to keep up with his strides across
the rugged terrain of Hogwarts grounds. She had no qualms about riding in her father’s arms through
the chilly morning air. When they caught sight of Hogwarts for the first time, she gasped and
pointed.
“Look at it, daddy! It’s amazing. Where are we?” Sirius chuckled but kept on walking.
“That’s Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That’s where your Aunt Cissy, Uncle Lucius,
and I went to school. When you turn eleven years old, you’ll come here too. The best times of my
life were spent at Hogwarts.” An excited gleam appeared in her eyes.
“Can’t I go now? I promise to be good and always listen to my teachers.” Sirius barked out a laugh.
“No, poppet, you have to stay with dreary old dad for now. Don’t worry, your time at Hogwarts will
come soon enough.” She looked devastated but simply nodded.
Sirius continued his trek across the grounds, finally getting close enough to the castle to see that there
were two people standing just outside the Entrance Hall. He instantly recognized Albus and Minerva
though he could have sworn that he could feel someone’s eyes on him. The pair stepped forward so
Sirius set Hermione down on the ground next to him. He moved forward to meet them but held
Hermione back with a hand out to the side. The looks on Albus and Minerva’s faces weren’t very
welcoming. Sirius decided to break the ice.
“I’ve come for Harry. I should have never sent him with Hagrid, but I wanted Peter to die for
betraying James and Lily like that. It was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.” Albus didn’t say
anything but Minerva said enough for all of them.
“You lying, conniving, piece of dragon shite! You killed Peter Pettigrew, turned the Potters into your
lord, and when you killed an auror, you found a child to adopt so you could escape prison. All you
ever did was tell everyone how those laws were outdated and complete rubbish, now you’re using
them to your benefit. You’ve played us all like a fiddle. You won’t ever lay hands on Harry Potter,
that much I can promise you.” Sirius was surprised at the level of venom in her voice. It was clear
that she truly believed everything she was saying, and he was unsure what to say to make her believe
him.
“Minnie, I wouldn’t lie to you about this. I’ve never supported Voldemort, James was my brother.
I’m Harry’s godfather for Merlin’s sake. You know that’s a magical bond that can’t be broken. I
would break it if I handed the Potters to the dark lord. Everyone knows that he wanted Harry.”
Dumbledore finally spoke.
“You’re a traitor, Sirius. Nobody can find hide nor hair of Peter Pettigrew to corroborate your story.
His mother tells us that you showed up there and looked ready to do him harm. You killed an auror.
What other conclusion am I supposed to draw from these facts? If you think I’m letting you go near
Harry Potter, you’re sadly mistaken.” Now Sirius was getting well and truly pissed. His voice raised
enough to be heard clearly over the howling Scottish wind.
“I expect you to come up with the truth, which is what I’m telling you. I did show up there to kill
Peter. I did shoot the killing curse but the auror intervened and my curse hit another auror. Peter
disappeared. He’s the one who handed James and Lily to that psychopath, of course he’s going to go
into hiding. I did use the laws protecting the purebloods by adopting my niece that you and the Order
orphaned so I could still be here for Harry since I know that James and Lily named me his guardian
if anything were to happen to them. You can’t keep me from Harry anymore than you could take
Hermione from me.” Albus pulled his wand, brandishing it wildly. Sirius wondered just what was
wrong with him; the old wizard was usually calm and collected even when he was angry. This was
totally odd behavior.
“That whelps mother was collateral damage. We wanted information on Lucius, not for her to die.
She’s the one who got too close when we blasted in her door. We dropped her off at St. Mungo’s, I
thought that was more than generous considering who her parents were. You’ve said yourself that
your brother was a Death Eater and a cold-blooded killer. Erise couldn’t have been much better if
she had a child with him outside of wedlock.” This Sirius couldn’t stand for. His own wand slid out
of his sleeve while stepping in front of Hermione. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hit if
Albus threw a curse.
“Look in my fucking head, you stubborn fucking bastard! You’ll see that I’m not lying. I have
control of James and Lily’s estate, I have custody of Harry. You tell me where he is right now, or I’ll
bring you up on charges before the ICW.” Albus shot him a disdainful look.
“You’re forgetting something, Mr. Black. You’re an animagus. The animal inside you clouds your
mind and it’s almost impossible to read you, just the same as Remus. Go ahead and take me before
the ICW, who do you think they’ll believe when I tell them that you betrayed the boy’s parents and
sent them to their deaths and now you want their son, the boy who saved us all? They’re going to
laugh in your face.” Sirius went cold at his words. It was likely that Dumbledore was right. While he
knew that he would win if it was before the Wizengamot, he was completely unsure about the ICW.
The International Confederation of Wizards was well-known for being fair and just. Since
Dumbledore was the Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot, he couldn’t be tried there. Therefore,
that left the ICW. Still, Sirius had to try.
“You’re just a controlling fucking prick that is pissed he couldn’t get his hands on all the Potter
fortune. The goblins told me that you wanted James to funnel money into the war effort. My money
wasn’t enough? Are you sure that the money went to the war effort and not your own personal
vault?” While he truly didn’t think that Dumbledore would steal the money for his own personal
gain, he didn’t care. If he could damage Dumbledore’s reputation, he would.
Out of nowhere, two curses flew out of Dumbledore’s wand. Sirius had his wand in his hand but
was nowhere near fast enough to cast a shield at such a short distance. The first was a cutting curse
that landed on his knee, slicing a tendon he was sure since he dropped to the ground, unable to bear
weight. The second was obviously some sort of binding spell that flew right over the top of him and
hit Hermione behind him.
Ropes wrapped around her several times over, getting tighter and tighter as she struggled. Sirius was
struggling to his feet, so he could go to her and help her. Minerva was screaming at Albus, telling
him that he couldn’t hurt a child no matter who her parents were. However, this wasn’t needed since
Hermione was well and truly angry now. Sirius wasn’t sure what she was going to do but he had a
feeling that it wasn’t going to be pretty.
In the end, Hermione Black screamed.
Her piercing cries echoed off the walls and turrets of the castle. The ropes disappeared from around
her and Albus’ wand was blasted out of his hand. He took another step forward as if to retrieve it,
but Minerva laid a hand upon his arm, holding him back. When she finally quieted, she stepped
forward in front of Sirius.
“You won’t hurt my daddy again.” Sirius could see a grudging respect in Minerva’s eyes but only
loathing in Albus’. He struggled to his feet fully, blood running down his leg in a small river.
“Don’t worry, that will be a charge against you also, Albus. Cursing a minor child, almost an infant
when you’re the Headmaster of a school, charged with protecting so many young children. Don’t
worry, they won’t need my memory. They can take Hermione’s.” There was a brief flash of fear in
the older wizard’s eyes before his face went calm again. He turned his own wand to his leg, splinting
it so he could bear weight on it enough to get them off the grounds of Hogwarts.
“Leave, Mr. Black, before I call for the aurors to escort you off the premises. Sirius snorted at his
former Headmaster.
“Not a problem. I’ll see you in court.”
Hermione took his hand when he turned, walking slowly so she kept pace with him. Sirius had to
repress a chuckle when she turned and stuck her tongue out at Albus and Minerva. There was
hissing behind him, so he was sure that neither one of them appreciated the move, but he didn’t care.
The old fuck had cursed his daughter, intentional or not. He had everything he had gotten coming to
him.
The trek that had taken only ten minutes before was taking almost half an hour now that he was
injured. They had just reached the gates to have them swing open, allowing them to leave, when a
silvery grey patronus appeared before them. For a moment, his heart leapt in his throat.
A doe. Lily’s patronus.
Was it possible?
His hopes were shattered when the unforgettable voice of Severus Snape resounded in the cold air.
Meet me at the Three Broomsticks in private room number three in twenty minutes.
Sirius sighed. The last thing in the fucking world he wanted to do was meet with Severus bloody
Snape on his own. He was aware that the Death Eater had turned spy for the Order. He was also
aware that he was the one who had leaked the prophecy to the Dark Lord. He was quite sure that
Severus didn’t know that he knew. When Albus had met with Severus that dark and stormy night to
discuss their terms, Sirius had been frolicking in the night air with James in their animagus forms.
James had been a hundred meters away, too far away to hear their whispered conversation. Sirius,
however, had heard everything. It was out of respect for Dumbledore that he had kept his mouth shut
about the conversation to absolutely everyone. Now, it seemed, he was going to have to deal with
him about something. However, the timing seemed far too perfect for it to be anything other than the
conversation he had just had with the Headmaster.
Sirius reached down and grasped Hermione’s hand again, twisting on the spot to reappear in front of
the Three Broomsticks. Hermione’s laughter rang out and even though Sirius couldn’t imagine
feeling worse than he did, he smiled. His godson was gone, he had no idea where he was, everyone
thought that he was a traitor, and his knee was fucked up. He wasn’t sure if things could get worse.
Of course, when you threw Snape into the mix, it was always possible.
Hermione stayed by his side as they made their way to the bar. Rosmerta was looking as busty and
beautiful as ever. Sirius had been trying to hook up with her for ages only for her to laugh at him and
tell him that he was far too young for her. He was quite sure that she couldn’t be more than ten years
older than him. Regardless, now wasn’t the time. He was injured, his daughter was present, Snape
was on his way.
He asked for the key to room three, throwing a few coins out to pay for it’s use. He told her that a
professor would be along to meet with him and send him on his way when he arrived. She seemed
genuinely surprised that he didn’t try to hit on her like always, but her confusion cleared when she
peered over the counter and saw Hermione.
Sirius didn’t hang around and allow her to ask questions. He took Hermione by the hand again and
led her up the stairs to the private rooms. The stairs were murder on his knee and he swore that if
Severus didn’t have anything worth hearing to say, he was going to castrate him. Sirius had never
dealt with pain well.
Since it took him ages to get up the stairs and then find room three, they had only sat down for a
handful of minutes before Severus knocked on the door and breezed in. Both men were silent as they
sized each other up. It was Hermione that surprised Sirius.
“Uncle Sevvie!” Sirius was noticing that all Hermione’s favorite people had eeee after their names.
Cissy, Luci, Sevvie, daddy. It’s a good thing he already loved her because otherwise it would drive
him mad. Her familiarity with the potion’s master astounded him, however. Hermione flew across
the room and into Snape’s arms, hugging him close. While Severus did appear to be a little
uncomfortable, he returned her hug. When they broke apart, Sirius gritted his teeth.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Severus raked a hand through his lank hair before reaching into
his pocket and pulling out a vial and handing it over.
“Pain potion. Until you can get to St. Mungo’s and fix that.” Sirius couldn’t help but mistrust him
just a little. He was still a Death Eater after all. He opened the vial and sniffed it first, bringing a
smirk to Severus’ lips. When he realized that it was indeed pain potion, he quaffed it quickly before
handing the vial back. The pain immediately eased, letting Sirius breathe easier.
“Now tell me what the fuck is going on here.” Severus sighed this time.
“There are things about me that you don’t know, things I’ve done -.” Sirius cut him off.
“I know you’re a Death Eater, I know that you’re spying for Dumbledore because you heard the
prophecy and told Voldemort. Pretty sure you turned spy because you still love Lily and wanted to
protect her.” The look on Severus’ face was priceless.
“How…how did you…. how in the fuck did you know?” Sirius shrugged.
“I’m an animagus. I was outside and heard your whole conversation with Dumbledore that night.
This doesn’t tell me what we’re meeting for right now or why my daughter calls you Uncle Sevvie.”
It was clear that the name embarrassed him by the pink tinge to his cheeks. Severus sighed again.
“When you and your brother had your falling out, Regulus and I became best friends, much like you
and Potter. When Hermione was born, he and Erise named me her godfather, much the same as
Lucius and Narcissa did when Draco came along. I’m honor bound to protect her, just like you are
for Lily’s boy. I could no sooner harm her than you could harm young Potter.” Sirius knew what this
meant. Snape believed him.
“You mean that you believe me?” Severus nodded, rolling his eyes.
“Anybody far enough removed from the situation would realize that you would never do something
that would harm your godson even if you had turned traitor. Albus obviously doesn’t have any
godchildren, otherwise he would understand.” Sirius knew exactly what he was trying to say.
“You’re saying that even though you hate me, you’re willing to put our differences aside to be close
to Hermione?” Severus gave only a sharp nod in answer. Sirius considered him for a few moments.
It was true that the man could be lying about it all, but Hermione had called him that ridiculous name.
She obviously loved him, not something a normal child would do if he didn’t care for them in return.
He did understand that if he was indeed her godfather, he would never harm her and do whatever he
could to protect her. It was his turn to sigh now.
“Alright, I’ll give you the same deal I gave Lucius and Narcissa. No words like mudblood around
her. You drop the superiority bullshite. You always protect her, even if it’s with your life.” Severus
looked affronted.
“I would never let harm come to her if I could prevent it. I don’t love many people, but I love your
daughter.” For some odd reason, Sirius believed him.
“You can see her whenever you like. We’re living at Black Moor, just floo ahead and I’ll make sure
the wards will accept you. She’ll be at Malfoy Manor quite often so long as the pair of them abide by
their word. You’re more than welcome to see her there.” Severus breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Black.” Sirius snorted.
“We’re practically family, you know. Don’t you think we should graduate to first names?” Sirius
really hated to think of the man as family but seeing the look on his face at his words had been
hilarious. It was through gritted teeth that Severus nodded.
“Absolutely, Sirius.” Sirius nudged his daughter over to go sit on the potion master’s lap like she had
been wanting to since he had arrived before speaking.
“So, what’s the story on Dumbledore? Do you know where Harry is? Do you have any information
that would help me in this custody battle?” Severus wrapped his arms around his goddaughter and
sighed.
“The old man refuses to tell me where young Potter is. I know that Minerva and Hagrid are aware,
but they refuse to speak of it. I do know that he will do everything in his power to keep the boy out
of your hands. He truly does believe that you’ll kill the boy or hand him over to Death Eaters.” The
potion’s master paused for a moment.
“As for his story, I’m not entirely certain. He trusts me to gather information but not to keep his
secrets. I know that he had been hoping to get Potter to finance the war. I’m not sure if that’s really
what he was doing or if it was going to his personal account like you said. He’s just so bloody
Gryffindor that I’m not sure I could see him doing something so underhanded.” Sirius snorted.
“Don’t let that act fool you. He’s more Slytherin than you are. Did you forget that he blackmailed
you into spying for him and then he failed to keep James and Lily safe? To me, that sounds like
something the dark lord would do.” Severus was quiet for several seconds.
“I suppose I can see that, but I really don’t think he’s taking the money for himself.” Sirius conceded
this point.
“I agree, I don’t think he wanted the money for himself. That doesn’t mean, however, that I wouldn’t
trust him to go about the money in an honest way. Sure, it might be allocated for the war effort but
who’s to say that anyone aside from Albus would have access to it? It would guarantee that we kept
him in power, something he obviously delights in.” Severus nodded.
“I could see that. He conned me into agreeing to protect Potter with my life after Lily was killed. He
told me that it was my fault, that I had put my trust in the wrong people.” Sirius felt the familiar lick
of shame.
“It wasn’t your fault, it was mine. They both wanted me to be their secret keeper, but I told them to
use Peter because everyone would suspect that it was me. If I had been in hiding it would have been
different but since I was still going out on missions, it wasn’t a good plan. We should have used
Remus.” Severus hummed his agreement.
“Does the wolf agree with Dumbledore?” Sirius started to bristle at the man’s use of the word wolf
but remembered that the wolf in question thoroughly hated him now. Instead, he hung his head and
nodded.
“Remus sincerely believes that I turned James and Lily into Voldemort. There’s no reason for him to
believe otherwise when Dumbledore is telling him he’s right.” Severus gave a resolute nod.
“It seems we’re at an impasse. I’ll keep my ears open for you in return for seeing Hermione
whenever I’m able.” Sirius shook his head.
“I don’t expect you to keep spying past these questions. If I know Dumbledore he’s made you take
oaths. The last thing I want is for you to get caught up in one of those and end up dead. Then I’d
have to figure out how to tell Hermione.” Severus snorted.
“Alright. I’ll be round in a few days. I don’t get many days away from the idiot children.” Sirius
openly laughed now.
“Speaking of idiot children, can you direct me on how to get in touch with the tutor Hermione had?
She’s already got a great start and I’d loathe for her lose it.” Severus gave a sharp nod.
“I’ll owl you the information tonight.” There wasn’t much else to say.
Severus stood and allowed Hermione to hug him again before he bid them good day. Once he was
gone, Sirius turned to Hermione and smiled at her.
“You doing alright, poppet?” She gave an enthusiastic nod.
“Yes, daddy. We need to fix your knee.” Sirius chuckled even though he didn’t have much to
chuckle about.
“Alright, you bossy little thing. Let’s go turn our key in and we’ll go to St. Mungo’s.” Hermione
nodded happily, eager to allow him to take his time on the stairs.
One thing was for sure; Sirius had much to consider and the first thing on the list was getting his
family solicitor on a case against Dumbledore.
A/N- Boom, another chapter down. Now I want to point out that while Dumbledore is planned to be
light in this story, he’s definitely not going to be the good guy he’s portrayed as in canon. He’s going
to be shady and a real prick because he really does think that Sirius is a traitor. Once the truth comes
out, it will get better but trust me, bridges will be burned for them to be friends. Anyways, I’ve
rambled enough. Let me know what you think! Reviews make me smile.
Next up, Sirius goes to court before the ICW.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 4

A/N- I’m back again, my friends. I know that some of you have made comments about Remus,
Minerva, and Dumbledore being OOC, that they would never react the way they did. While this is
true, I put in the summary that this was AU. They all feel betrayed and Sirius is an easy scapegoat.
These characters are only going to get worse as the story goes on so if that isn’t your thing, no
offense taken at you moving on. I promise you, all these characters that are acting irrationally are
going to be on the side of the light, they’re just going to be flawed, much like you and I are. If you
can handle my portrayal of the characters, I’ll see you on the other side. Thanks to everyone for
reading and reviewing, you’re seriously awesome.
Side note: You guys are getting this chapter earlier than usual but it’s because I work the next three
days and can’t guarantee I’ll be able to give y’all a chapter in that time frame. Happy Friday!
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing, I haven’t made any money. I work like a dog and sweat my ass off
daily so all the money in my bank account is mine by honest means.
Chapter 4
December 1, 1981
Sirius couldn’t deny that he was nervous beyond measure. Today was his court case in front of the
ICW, or International Confederation of Wizards. While he was as prepared as he could be, he also
was aware that Albus Dumbledore was a well-respected wizard in many countries. It was going to
be difficult to discredit him.
Sirius had called upon the Black family solicitor, a Mr. Silas Toomey, the day after his encounter
with Albus. Sirius was quite certain that the man disbelieved him as everyone else in his life but in
the end, it didn’t matter. He was going to fight tooth and nail for custody of Harry no matter what he
believed.
Mr. Toomey had a plan, of course. He wouldn’t be the Black family solicitor if he hadn’t. While
Sirius considered himself far more forgiving than the rest of his family, it was quite apparent early on
that if the man didn’t put forth all his effort into winning this case, he would be out of his arse so to
speak. Since their solicitor couldn’t afford to lose the Black family as clients, it was a given that he
would do anything short of avadaing someone to win.
The animagus tried to distract himself from his nervousness with thoughts from the past. Even
though there was a constant ache in his chest where James, Lily, Remus, and Harry belonged, he had
done his best to focus on the positive. First was Hermione, his beautiful and incredibly intelligent
daughter. They had only gotten closer since he adopted her, and he could say without a doubt that
she was the light of his life. He had taken Severus’ owl several days after their meeting, the one
containing the name and contact information of one Madam Cambridge.
Madam Cambridge came highly recommended from numerous pureblood families, she had produced
the recommendations at their first meeting. Since Narcissa had expressed interest in her tutor as well,
Sirius had allowed her to attend the meeting. She had been working with Hermione for a year
already and while he didn’t want Madam Cambridge to know that he was loathe to switch from her
now, he still wanted to make sure that she was the best choice for his daughter.
While he was pretty much set on Madam Cambridge, he also checked out numerous other tutors in
the wizarding world. Even though some of them already had charges, Sirius was arrogant enough to
know that the name Black would have most of them renouncing their charges to flock to his door if
only he said the word. In the end, he had decided that Madam Cambridge was the best there was to
offer. So perfect, in fact, that Narcissa had begged her to take Draco on as well and teach the
children together. For quite the hefty increase in pay, Madam Cambridge had agreed happily.
Hermione flooed to the Malfoys every other day now for lessons. On the days she didn’t, Narcissa
flooed Draco over and left him with one of their elves. Sirius found that he didn’t mind his tiny
cousin being there several times a week. He had indeed gotten closer to Lucius and Narcissa, if for
no other reason then their children growing up together and getting along. While he hadn’t confided
in his cousin and her husband in anything other than his upcoming trial, he was getting along
famously with them and they had stood by their word.
Narcissa had been upset to hear that Bellatrix was found guilty by the Wizengamot for torturing the
Longbottoms to insanity. Sirius suspected that her upset was not because her oldest sister was sent
away but because she had inflicted the worst punishment possible on someone. Narcissa was a softy
at heart and she was quite against unnecessary human suffering. For this reason, Sirius couldn’t help
but wonder how she had gotten mixed up with the Dark Lord.
Bellatrix had been convicted, of course, as had Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Barty Crouch, Jr. While
none of them had been sentenced to the Kiss, they had all four been convicted of life in Azkaban.
Both fates were horrible, and Sirius really couldn’t wager which one was worse. Narcissa had cried
when the sentence was handed down, both in attendance. Sirius had comforted her as best he could,
Bella was her sister after all, but in the end had smirked his cousin’s way as she had been led off by
aurors.
Since Bella was now in Azkaban, Narcissa had to hold up her end of the bargain. She had owled
Andromeda the very next day, begging for her to meet with her in her home, that she wanted to
rekindle their relationship. What Sirius hadn’t expected was for Andromeda to owl him and ask his
opinion. He had only tweaked the truth a little when he told his older cousin that Narcissa was
genuine and that he had already mended bridges with her.
Sirius hadn’t been present for their first dinner. From what he heard from both parties, he was happy
that he had agreed to keep Hermione and Draco overnight that night. It had been explosive at first,
literally and figuratively. With emotions so near the surface, both women had lashed out at the other,
ending in a duel of epic proportions. In the end, it took Lucius stunning them both, binding them to
chairs so they could talk without hexing each other.
Apparently, it had taken hours for the two to air their grievances with each other. Lucius had been
pissed off fire whiskey by the time they were no longer fighting but it had all been worth it. While
they weren’t perfect, they were both willing to try to make their newfound relationship work.
Sirius had been invited to the next “family” dinner. When presented with Andromeda and Ted
Tonks, not to mention their metamorphmagus daughter, Lucius had seemed downright thrilled to see
Sirius, which the Gryffindor was more than amused at. The dinner had gone smashing, however, and
as a family, they were well on their way to mending all their fences.
Severus had held true to his word, showing up the weekend after they had met. He had stayed the
whole weekend and while it was awkward that first time, the following two weekends after that had
been just fine. It made Sirius wonder just how their lives could have been different if they had
managed to put their differences behind them back in school. In all actuality, it was a good guess that
James would have never married Lily because she would have been with Snape. As much as he
hated himself for thinking it, he was glad that the pair had had a falling out. James had loved nobody
aside from Lily and Sirius would never begrudge the man who was his brother in everything but
blood his happiness.
To his knowledge, Remus was still holed up at the Den. He hadn’t heard any news of him on the
streets or in the Ministry. Lucius had told him that all had been quiet on his front as well. Since Sirius
had started to take over managing the Black estates and businesses, he heard quite a bit but never
anything about Remus. Dumbledore was a different story. It was made clear to everyone through the
Prophet that he would be going before the ICW against Sirius for custody of Harry Potter. His
godson’s location was never leaked, however, and it was driving Sirius mad.
These thoughts brought him back to the present, the fact that he was getting ready to walk into a
courtroom housing thousands of people that had come to watch the battle between the betrayer of the
Potters and Dumbledore. Hermione was standing next to him with Narcissa on one side, Lucius on
her other, both holding her hands. They had decided to leave Draco in the safety of Malfoy Manor
with their army of house elves to watch after him. Hermione had balked at leaving him there by
himself, but Sirius had assured her that it was safer for him there rather than with them. Only then
had she capitulated. Narcissa gave him a soft smile.
“I’m hoping for the best for you, Siri. It would be wonderful to raise Hermione and Draco with
young Harry Potter. He needs to grow up and know that he has a heritage and a legacy.” Sirius
grinned at her for the use of his childhood nickname.
“Thanks, Cissy.” Lucius gave him an encouraging nod before they led Hermione out of the private
chambers and out into the gallery where they would watch the proceedings. Sirius watched them
leave and couldn’t help but consider just how he had ended up where he was today. In the only
words that he could come up with, Peter Pettigrew. With a scowl, he turned toward the door he was
supposed to take. Heaving a deep breath, he stepped through and strode to the defendant’s table and
took his seat next to Mr. Toomey.
It was clear that his solicitor could tell that he was nervous. While he didn’t offer any words of
comfort or encouragement, it was clear by the look on his face that he expected to win this battle.
Dumbledore had chosen to not have representation, feeling that his position as Supreme Mugwump
would be good enough to protect him. While Sirius wanted to be irked at the absolute arrogance of
his opponent, he still couldn’t help but worry.
The gallery was full. There were thousands of people gathered to watch this battle play out in person
and Sirius couldn’t blame them. Even though court proceedings did absolutely nothing for him, he
probably would have turned up too just to see what happened in such an epic battle.
After watching the gallery long enough to spot Hermione and the Malfoys close to the front, he
turned back to the scene before him. There was a collection of a hundred different wizards, most
with a country name before their person. The Supreme Mugwump of the ICW was an ancient man,
one as old as Dumbledore if it was to be believed. Dumbledore was across the aisle from them,
seated at a table all by himself, a satisfied little smile on his face. Sirius couldn’t help but to want to
punch it from his features. When the doors the enormous room closed, the Supreme Mugwump
brought the room to order.
“We’ve been brought here today by Lord Sirius Orion Black, who is pursuing the custody of his
godson Harry James Potter, heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. He is bringing charges
against Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot of
Britain for kidnapping, assault against a child, and misappropriation of funds. We’ll work our way
through each of these charges today and then it will be left up to the esteemed body of the ICW to
make their ruling. I hold the veto power as befitting my station.” Sirius took a deep breath, trying to
calm himself, as the Mugwump, a man by the name of Percival Chalmers continued.
“Mr. Toomey, would you prefer to bring your case first?” Silas rose to his feet as he addressed the
Mugwump.
“Absolutely, sir. The first charge we’ll bring before the court is misappropriation of funds. I would
like to enter into evidence paperwork from the goblins of Gringotts, Britain branch. In this
paperwork, there is proof that a total of 200,000 galleons were donated by Lord Black to the war
effort in the name of the Order of the Phoenix. There is also proof in there that Albus Dumbledore
tried to withdraw 500,000 from the Potter vaults after their deaths, citing that James Potter had given
his consent before he died. When the goblins researched the account Dumbledore had begun for the
war effort, they found that it no longer existed. I would like to call Epoxymoch to the stand first to
testify for Gringotts.” Silas turned to one of the doors after handing the information to the man in
charge of handing evidence to the governing body.
“Epoxymoch.” The door swung open and a rather ancient looking goblin appeared before stepping
up to take his seat next to the Mugwump. Silas gave him an encouraging smile, which he sneered at.
“You were the goblin that was called upon to investigate these charges. We in no way hold the
goblin horde responsible if a guilty verdict is found today. Could you tell us your findings?” The
goblin showed his rows of tiny razor-sharp teeth before folding his hands under his chin.
“My findings are as follows. Lord Black did indeed donate a sum of 200,000 galleons into an
account that existed for the war effort. He and Albus Dumbledore signed a very basic contract,
stating that the funds were to be used for the Order of the Phoenix, getting people into hiding, things
of the like. That much is fact. The contract is in the stack of parchment you hold now.” The witches
and wizards were now shuffling through their parchment to find the one he was speaking of.
“It is also fact that Albus Dumbledore attempted to withdraw 500,000 galleons from the Potter vaults
after their death, citing on the parchment in your stack that he was given permission to do so before
James Potter was murdered. Since he could have possibly pushed that through due to his standing in
the Wizengamot, it is only the intervention of Lord Black that this did not occur. He requested
through his own account manager that all Potter vaults be frozen until such time that he could go
over them since he was made custodian of them until young Harry reaches the age of his majority.”
There were soft gasps from the gallery and Sirius felt a slight thrill. Witches and wizards hated to be
stolen from, especially wealthy people, and there was a good portion of those sitting on the ICW
today. Epoxymoch continued.
“I also tried to bring the balance of the account in question and found that it had been dissolved
shortly after Albus Dumbledore tried to funnel more funds into it from the Potter vault. It was merged
with his own personal vault, the balance there in the parchment you are holding in your hands. Also
included is an itemized list of withdrawals from his personal account and to whom they were paid
to.” Every single witch and wizard was poring over their copy of the parchment. Dumbledore sat
there at his table, alone, hands folded serenely on his lap, eyes twinkling. Sirius wanted to punch him
in his crooked nose. Mr. Chalmers spoke.
“It shows in these records that Mr. Dumbledore hasn’t spent a thing from his vault except for large
amounts of common staples, sent somewhere unspecified. These charges are congruent with feeding
and clothing those hidden in safe houses, the very reason that the money was donated. The money
that Lord Black donated has been used in the manner that it was meant to be. Epoxymoch, please
step down, I’d like to hear from Lord Black for a moment.” The goblin seemed pleased to be free to
leave, hopping down without a word. Silas turned his way and urged him with his eyes to take the
witness stand. Once seated, he waited patiently for the Mugwump to speak.
“When you signed that contract with Mr. Dumbledore, did it state that the money would remain in
the account that you put it in?” Sirius gritted his teeth.
“No, sir. It stated that the funds I donated would be used to help the war effort.” The man put the
parchment in his hands down on his table before meeting his eyes.
“It is quite clear in the parchments your solicitor handed up that there have been no withdrawals from
Mr. Dumbledore’s account that haven’t been war related. That does not constitute misappropriation
of funds.” Sirius nodded but couldn’t help but answer back even though he probably shouldn’t.
“Maybe we should change the charges to attempted theft. He still tried to take money from James
and Lily’s vaults after they were dead. It very well may have gone through if I hadn’t frozen their
accounts until I could sort them out.” The Mugwump glared at him.
“Very well. Amend the charges and I would like to have Mr. Dumbledore up here to hear his side of
things.” Sirius stood and caught sight of Hermione cheerfully waving at him. While he didn’t wave
back, he flashed her a grin. Dumbledore stood and made his way to the seat Sirius had just vacated.
Mr. Chalmers met his gaze.
“Mr. Dumbledore, it is clear that you have stood by your word regarding the money that Lord Black
donated. What do you have to say regarding the money you attempted to get from the Potter vaults
after their deaths?” Dumbledore stroked his beard for a few moments before answering.
“I had spoken with James the day that they were murdered regarding their contribution to the war
effort. He had agreed to donate 500,000 galleons and have his account manager handle the
transaction, much the same as Lord Black’s had. I was under the impression that this transaction had
already been handled, just needed my signature. I would never have stolen from James and Lily
Potter.” Sirius got a funny feeling in his gut when he saw the gleeful look cross the Mugwump’s face
for just a moment after Dumbledore spoke. He wondered if they knew each other. Mr. Chalmers
nodded.
“Very well, we’ll vote later on your innocence or guilt.” Dumbledore returned to his seat and Mr.
Chalmers turned to Mr. Toomey. He hoped that Silas was ready to bring his a-game.
“Continue with the next charge.” Silas stood and ran his hands down the front of his robes,
smoothing them out.
“The next charge we will bring against Albus Dumbledore is assault against a child. As Headmaster
of Hogwarts, this is a serious charge. I would like to call Lord Black to the stand, as well as a mind
healer.” Mr. Chalmers nodded, and Sirius stood again, re-taking the witness seat.
“Please tell us what happened, Lord Black.” Sirius took a deep breath and vowed to remain calm.
This was the one charge that he was sure of, he just needed to play his cards right.
“I had gone to Hogwarts with my young daughter Hermione to speak with Mr. Dumbledore about
the location of my godson. We got into an argument and he pulled his wand. Mine stayed in my
pocket for a few minutes, not wanting to escalate the situation. When I saw that he didn’t care that I
had my two-year-old daughter standing behind me, I pulled my wand but didn’t cast. He was so
angry that he cast a cutting curse at my knee, slicing the tendon in two, which sent me to the ground.
His second curse was some form of an incarcerous, which sailed over my head and hit my daughter.
Hermione was so livid that she exploded out of the ropes holding her and disarmed Dumbledore with
her accidental magic. Minerva McGonagall had to restrain him to keep him from retrieving his wand
and doing who knows what to my innocent daughter.” He was quite certain that the Mugwump and
Dumbledore knew each other now. The faint tensing of the man’s jaw gave it away. Silas nodded at
Sirius, taking that as his sign to move away from the witness’ seat. The rest of governing body
remained silent as they watched things play out in front of them. Silas called for the mind healer.
“Healer Ainsworth.” A matronly woman came through the doors and settled in her seat to look out at
everyone in the gallery. It was clear that she was used to testifying, something that Sirius really didn’t
want to think about. Silas smiled softly at her.
“Thank you for coming, Healer Ainsworth. You are employed at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical
Maladies and Injuries, correct?” She gave a sharp nod.
“Yes, sir. Have been for nigh on fifty years.” Mr. Toomey smiled again, this one looking somewhat
like a shark going after its next meal.
“I understand that you drew a memory from little Hermione Black’s mind the day that she was
assaulted. Due to Lord Black’s status as an animagus, he is unable to submit to legilimency, our
usual form of verifying the truth. Therefore, after he was healed in your wonderful facility, the
records being part of the parchment packet you all have mind you, you were called in to remove the
memory of what happened.” Healer Ainsworth nodded.
“Yes, I was requested the remove the memory from her mind, not only for the purpose of this trial
but because Hermione Black has already suffered the loss of her biological father and watched her
mother die before her eyes. Lord Black was concerned that she would begin having nightmares.”
Silas gestured for someone to bring forth the pensieve. Once it was set on the table in the middle of
the room, Silas turned back to Healer Ainsworth.
“Please tell us about the memory we’re about to see.” The older woman leaned forward and folded
her hands on the table, a no-nonsense air about her.
“First off, what you won’t be able to tell by viewing this memory is the terror Hermione Black felt at
watching her father fall before her and the absolute fury she felt for the man who had cursed not only
her father but herself as well. Her reaction is extreme, the strongest accidental magic I’ve felt in
decades, but then again, she is only two years and watched her mother die only days before this even
happened. There is no expecting a child that young to exert control while facing the level of terror
that she was.” The man running parchment between all the members of the governing body retrieved
the memory that Healer Ainsworth had turned in before the start of the trial and poured it into the
pensieve. After a quick spell, the memory was projected for the whole room to watch.
Sirius couldn’t help but turn to watch his daughter’s face as the memory played out. Since he had
requested the memory be removed, Hermione only had knowledge of it in the very back of her mind.
Watching what happened would likely affect her and not in a good way. He tried not to worry since
he had spoken to Lucius and Narcissa about it beforehand, hoping they could stave off her reaction.
The whole of their conversation was there for everyone to see. The memory had started just as they
were reaching the castle and didn’t end until Sirius was hobbling away after bandaging his bleeding
knee. There were gasps at not only Dumbledore cursing Hermione but at her display of accidental
magic. There were, however, several mistrustful glances Sirius’ way, probably because he had
admitted to killing in auror on accident in the memory.
He caught Hermione’s eye after the memory was over. She looked pale and was clinging to
Narcissa, but she hadn’t reacted violently as he had feared she would. For that, he was grateful. The
last thing he wanted was to terrorize her more. He hadn’t even wanted to bring her with him today,
but the Malfoys had insisted that it would help in the long run, show him as a responsible family man
no matter what he had done before.
When the memory came to an end, the room was silent. Sirius wasn’t sure if it was because they
watched Dumbledore attack a child or if it was because of her display of accidental magic from
nothing but screams. Finally, the Mugwump turned to Healer Ainsworth.
“Is that level of accidental magic possible? I’ve never seen it before.” The matronly woman took a
deep breath.
“It is. I haven’t seen it in decades, like I said before. It was in a young man that unfortunately died
from dragon pox in the 1960’s. Believe it or not, he was a muggleborn. In the case of Hermione
Black, her father, Regulus Black, and her mother, Erise Malfoy, were both extremely gifted when it
came to magic. When Lord Black adopted her through blood magic, she inherited magic from his
genes as well. To put it bluntly, a normal witch or wizard has magic from two parents. Miss Black
has magic from three.” The room remained silent and Sirius shot another look at his daughter. She
was now seated in Lucius’ lap, snuggled into his chest, realizing that they were talking about her. He
had no doubt that Lucius was whispering to her that she was most certainly not in trouble if the tears
on her cheeks were anything to judge by. Mr. Chalmers waved Healer Ainsworth down from the
stand.
“I’d like Mr. Dumbledore to give his testimony of this event.” Sirius watched as Albus stood and
took the seat that Healer Ainsworth had vacated. Mr. Chalmers didn’t look as confident as he had
before.
“Please tell us why you would bind a child like that.” Dumbledore sighed and looked contrite. Sirius
couldn’t tell if it was genuine or not. He liked to believe that his old Headmaster wouldn’t want to
hurt a child but now that he thought Sirius was a traitor, he was unsure of just what the old wizard
was capable of.
“I never meant to hurt the child. I was angry at Lord Black, the very reason that I sent the spells his
way. I didn’t expect him to drop and I had already sent the second spell at him. I never wanted to
harm Hermione Black no matter who her parents were.” Sirius wanted to snort but refrained. There
were a few sympathetic looks in the governing body but most were still hard-faced. Mr. Chalmers
nodded and dismissed him.
“We will vote later in the day as to your innocence or guilt.” Dumbledore took this to mean that they
were moving on and stood, returning to his seat at the table opposite of Sirius. The Mugwump
continued.
“Let us continue on with the final charge of kidnapping.” Mr. Toomey nodded and stood.
“I would like to call Lord Black to the stand.” Sirius was getting extremely tired of getting up and
down, but this was the last time. He hoped. Silas gave him an encouraging nod.
“Tell us why you wanted Mr. Dumbledore charged with kidnapping.” Sirius took a deep breath and
began.
He told them how he and James had grown up together, how both their families were prominent
purebloods. He told them of their Hogwarts years together and how their bond had only grown
closer. He was the best man at James’ wedding, he was named godfather to their only son, and he
stopped and visited them as often as he could once they went into hiding. He couldn’t help but tear
up at the part where he had found James and Lily, cold and dead in their cottage in Godric’s Hollow.
He told them how Hagrid had arrived and since he was so consumed with getting revenge on Peter
Pettigrew, he sent the infant on to Hogwarts for looking after until he could retrieve him.
Sirius was completely honest about the death of the auror on that fateful Halloween night. He kept
the tears at bay, that just wouldn’t do, but he knew that the emotion bled through into his voice. He
told them about the missive from St. Mungo’s and how he saw adopting Hermione as his daughter as
a way to escape prison and be there for Harry now that he was an orphan. He made sure to include
the ruling of the Wizengamot and the ridiculously high fine that he paid with no qualms.
Since the gallery and governing body had witnessed the confrontation between himself and
Dumbledore, he touched on it only briefly, just enough to explain that he wanted Harry to come
home with him more than anything, so he could make sure that he had the life his parents would
have wanted him to have. Mr. Toomey had produced the parchment needed from Gringotts stating
that James and Lily had indeed made Sirius not only the custodian of their vaults, but the only person
that should gain custody of Harry in case of their deaths. It was clear to Sirius that when the
paperwork had been drawn up, James had still doubted Remus, or he would have made the list as
well. While it still would have killed Sirius to release his godson to Remus, at least he would know
that Harry would be loved and treated well. At the end, Sirius couldn’t help but add one last quip.
“I’m well aware that I’m not able to have a legilimens look through my memories, but I’m willing to
submit to a wand oath or veritiserum to prove my innocence.” There was a collective gasp
throughout the room. Most of the governing body looked on with approving expressions but Mr.
Chalmers looked irritated. It was him that spoke.
“Even though there are precedents where we have used veritiserum, we try not to do that anymore.
A tolerance can by built up to the potion and a person especially gifted in occlumency can overcome
it. We do not permit wand oaths or Unbreakable Vows in this court room because they result in the
loss of life and loss of magic. Our world is sparsely populated as it is; we would never think to
endanger our numbers. If you are unable to submit to legilimency due to your status as an animagus,
we must simply take your word against that of Mr. Dumbledore’s.” Sirius wanted to rage at the fact
that the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards was in Dumbledore’s
pocket, but he knew that there was nothing else that he could do except rely on the governing body
of witches and wizards to believe the truth when they heard it. Sirius stepped down only for Mr.
Chalmers to call Albus to the witness stand to defend himself.
“Tell us why you are not guilty of kidnapping.” Dumbledore folded his hands serenely in his lap and
gave the room a soft smile.
“I am the one who cast the fidelius charm on the Potter’s home. While I was not there to see Lord
Black take on the role of the secret keeper, he is the one that I fed into the spell since James told that
was who they were going to use. This means that Lord Black had to give their location away to the
Dark Lord and to let young Harry go with Lord Black would surely mean his death or turning to the
dark side to take over where Lord Voldemort left off.” Sirius could not believe the words that came
out of his mouth. How could he seriously believe that he would turn Harry into the next Dark Lord?
It was so preposterous that he was struck silent for several moments before he began hissing in Silas’
ear.
“You ask him if Lily Potter could have changed the spell, Professor Flitwick always praised her for
her work in charms. He wanted to take her on for a mastery.” Mr. Toomey nodded and stood.
“Mr. Dumbledore, your charms professor, Master Filius Flitwick, wanted to take Lily Potter on as an
apprentice, correct?” The Headmaster’s eyes narrowed at his words.
“Yes, he did. He claimed that she was the most talented student that he had seen in years.” Silas
nodded understandingly.
“Is it true then, that Lily Potter could have changed the spell when they realized that their choice in
having Lord Black as their secret keeper wasn’t well thought out?” Rage flashed in Dumbledore’s
eyes. Sirius could tell that he was gritting his teeth when he answered.
“I suppose that it is possible but let’s be honest. A woman with no formal training altering a spell that
I cast without my knowledge? It doesn’t seem likely.” Sirius knew that they weren’t going to get
much better than that. There was a small amount of doubt and he could see it reflecting in the
expressions on those making up the governing body. Mr. Chalmers cleared his throat and spoke
before anyone else could.
“Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Dumbledore. We’re going to adjourn so we may deliberate on
the charges.” Dumbledore stepped down and re-took his seat at the table opposite of him. Since Mr.
Toomey was sorting through parchment in front of him, Sirius stood and made his way through the
gallery to find Hermione and the Malfoys. When he kneeled before Hermione, she threw herself into
his arms.
“I’m not in trouble, am I daddy? Uncle Luci told me that I wasn’t, but I acted terribly.” Sirius
chuckled as he hugged her close.
“Uncle Luci is right, poppet, you’re not in trouble at all. You helped daddy that day and you deserve
a treat. How about ice cream for dessert tonight?” Sirius had learned that it was her absolute favorite,
so she was quick to nod her head up and down.
“Oh, yes please, daddy.” He kissed the top of her head and turned to his cousin and her husband. It
still astounded him how easy it was to get along with the pair of them.
“What do you think?” Lucius raised an eyebrow at him for a moment before speaking.
“I think you’re going to lose and not because of your solicitor. The Mugwump is obviously in
Dumbledore’s pocket.” Sirius hated to have his fears confirmed but couldn’t fault the man for telling
him the truth. He had no idea what to do if he lost so his voice was small when he spoke.
“What the bloody fuck am I going to do if I don’t get Harry? They’ll turn him against me quicker
than a snitch.” Narcissa reached out and patted his hand.
“You can’t stop them. We’ll make sure that Hermione and Draco befriend him when they go to
Hogwarts and tell him the truth. I know you planned on hiding nothing from your daughter
anyways.” This wasn’t his preferred plan of action, but he realized that it was all he had. Nodding to
his family and kissing Hermione on the top of her head, he stood and returned to the table that Silas
was still occupying.
The wait was long and nerve-wracking. Sirius called upon every bit of training that his father had
instilled in him in not showing his emotion, but it was difficult. Dumbledore seemed perfectly at ease
over at his table. The gallery seemed to be waiting in bated silence, Sirius knew that they wanted to
see just what charges would stick to the “most powerful wizard in the world”. When the governing
body and the Mugwump filed back into the room, Sirius noted that there were more than a few sour
expressions. He only hoped that this boded well for him. Mr. Chalmers stood and faced the room at
large.
“In the case of attempted theft of funds from the Potter vault, the ICW finds Albus Dumbledore
guilty. A fine of 50,000 galleons will be levied against his personal vault.” Sirius couldn’t fucking
believe it. He got a fine and it was to be taken out of the vault that his money was sitting in. Mr.
Chalmers continue.
“In the case of assault against a minor child, the ICW finds Albus Dumbledore guilty. Whether by
accident or design, you still cursed a two-year-old child. Not only will there be a fine of 50,000
galleons for the offense, an additional 50,000 galleons will be awarded to the child to be put in trust
until she is of age to access it.” Sirius wanted to laugh now. He was sure that there was somebody
out there just wanting to make Albus’ life a complete hell. Sure, two hundred thousand galleons in
that vault belonged to him, but that meant that one hundred fifty thousand galleons had been awarded
to either the ICW or Hermione. While it wasn’t ideal, he’d rather them have it then Albus. Mr.
Chalmers looked nervous when he spoke again.
“In the case of kidnapping, the governing body finds Mr. Dumbledore guilty since there are clear
stipulations by his birth parents as to who the primary caregiver of their son should be.” Sirius felt his
heart leap in joy before the man continued to speak.
“However, as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, I hold the right of
veto. In this case, I do. Whether Lord Black is telling the truth or not, it is best that he not be
associated with Harry Potter, the Vanquisher of the Dark Lord. If there were other Death Eaters
looking for him, Lord Black is the first place they would look. I order that he be remanded to his
muggle relative’s home and cut off from wizarding society until he reaches the age to attend
Hogwarts. Only anonymity will keep him safe. Lord Black, you may not contact him at all until he
contacts you. Our world can’t have you putting our hero in danger.”
Sirius felt like he had been kicked in the gut. Even though the panel of a hundred witches and
wizards had felt Dumbledore was guilty, the Mugwump had overrode him, sending Harry to Petunia,
a horrible excuse for a human. He wasn’t allowed to contact his godson until he contacted him, and
everyone knew when that would happen. Never. Albus would sink his hooks in him at the first
possible second and poison his godson against him.
Sure, they had won on the attempted theft charge and the assault against Hermione but what Sirius
had really wanted to win was the custody of his godson. He was sure that James and Lily were
cursing him from the beyond, pissed that he had failed to secure custody of their son. Rather than
wallow in his grief in front of the masses, he stood and made his way over to the table Dumbledore
was at.
“I hope you reside in the darkest pits of hell until you realize the mistake you’ve made here today.
Then, I hope that those you’ve fucked over will give you what you truly deserve.” Dumbledore just
smiled that serene little smile of his before speaking.
“Spoken like a true agent of the dark. Harry will be safe from you, I guarantee it.” Dumbledore
glanced over at the Malfoys, who were keeping Hermione close.
“Don’t worry, he won’t be allowed near your spawn either.” Sirius saw red and there was nothing he
could do to hold back his words.
“You come near my daughter at any point in the rest of her life, I’ll fucking kill you and they won’t
find the body. Just remember, if this happens, I won’t go to Azkaban, that’s a guarantee. Half the
Wizengamot would cheer at your painful demise. They follow the Dark Lord after all.” While he
saw no fear in the older wizard’s eyes, Sirius could tell that his words affected him. Of course, this
meant that Hermione was going to need protection whenever she left the Manor. He wouldn’t stand
for her to be hurt just because Dumbledore wanted him gone. Sirius turned at stalked away from the
wizard he used to call Headmaster. When he reached the Malfoys and Hermione he knelt and pulled
Hermione into a hug.
“I love you, sweetness. We’re done here. Are you ready to go home and get ice cream?” Before she
could answer, Narcissa spoke.
“Let’s go to Malfoy Manor. You can drink just as easily there, Lucius will most likely keep you
company, I can watch over Hermione and make sure that she’s taken care of.” Sirius thought for a
moment and realized that her idea had merit. He really didn’t want to be alone and he did want to
drink himself to a stupor, so he wouldn’t have to deal with the fact that his godson had just been
taken from him for good. In the end, he nodded his agreement and allowed his cousin to lead him out
of the court room while Lucius followed with Hermione in his arms.
-O-
It was clear to Lucius just three drinks in that Sirius was innocent of everything that he had been
accused of. Yes, it was true that he had thought that from the start, but it was only this day that he
truly believed it. The man was heartbroken that he hadn’t received custody of his godson.
While Lucius had never been a huge fan of the Potter family in general, he could acknowledge that
they were powerful enough in their own right. They were just as Ancient and Noble as his own
family or the Blacks; if he had had a daughter he wouldn’t have been opposed to a match with a
Potter. To see Sirius so upset, however, cemented his belief that he was indeed innocent.
This meant that his Lord had indeed used the services of a Gryffindor, something that he had sworn
to never do. While it wasn’t a huge thing, it still dinged the trust the blond had for the Slytherin heir.
Not only was he using Gryffindors now, he was going after children. The latter of the two had
Lucius curling his lip in disgust.
As much as he hated the Order the of the Phoenix, they didn’t target children. Sure, Hermione had
been injured in their raid of her home but that hadn’t been their objective. They had even sent
Hermione to St. Mungo’s for treatment. Lucius knew from first hand experience that the Dark Lord
had no qualms targeting, torturing, and murdering children. It turned his stomach.
It was for this reason that he decided that maybe his wife’s cousin had the right of it. Did he believe
that purebloods were above mudbloods? Sure. They were notoriously weak in magic. It had nothing
to do with their parentage, per se, but the fact that he wanted this offspring to be strong in magic.
Breeding with a weak muggle born would not be a smart move in that aspect.
This outlook, however, didn’t mean that only purebloods were powerful. Harry Potter was the
perfect example. Lily Evans had been one of the few exceptions to the muggleborn rule. She was
powerful and gifted, something that she passed down to her son. The young boy was a half blood
and had vanquished the Dark Lord without holding a wand in his hand. It was clear that magic was
the factor he cared about now, not so much the blood status.
Sirius drank himself to a stupor, crying at the end for the loss of his godson. While Lucius couldn’t
handle such emotional displays all the time, he understood this one. If the Gryffindor had kept
Hermione from himself and Cissy, he would most likely have been just as heartbroken as the man
before him. It wasn’t something that he liked to think of, therefore, he tried to temper it with thoughts
of the future.
He knew that if he and Narcissa returned to the Dark Lord when he returned, Hermione would be
gone from their lives for good. Since she was the last remaining link he had to his beloved sister,
Erise, that just wasn’t an option. Lucius had a feeling that the Dark Lord would indeed return some
day; it just wasn’t feasible that he wouldn’t since they had never found his body. Therefore, this left
only one option available to himself and his wife.
Help Sirius in his mission to stop the Dark Lord once he returned.
He hated to side with the Order for any reason, but it seemed that they now had a common goal,
even if they weren’t aware of it. Sirius had told nobody but them what the goblins had said regarding
their Lord. This meant that they were merely biding their time, hoping that their children would be
grown and strong before he decided to return. Lucius didn’t hold his breath on this matter.
This meant that it was imperative that Hermione and Draco had the most extensive education that
they could get before the inevitable happened. While he was sure that Hermione would be tasked
with protecting Harry Potter, Lucius had no urge to see either of his children injured in this task. He
knew without a shadow of a doubt that whatever Hermione’s mission was regarding young Potter,
Draco would adopt it. The pair were already thick as thieves.
Lucius chased the last of his fire whiskey down, grimacing slightly at the burn all the way down to
his stomach. He left Sirius snoring on the couch, determined to find his wife and reaffirm his love for
her after his epiphany.
A/N- I know that many of you saw this coming and I’d like to say that you were right. I did say that
this story would be following canon and that most certainly doesn’t mean that Harry would be raised
with Hermione and Sirius. Anyways, let me know what you think. Reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, Hermione’s sixth birthday.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 5

A/N- I’m back, y’all!! So many of you were upset over me sending Harry to live with the Dursleys
last chapter but I’m trying to stick to canon. Obviously, that won’t be possible in many instances, but
sending him away was crucial to the story. These next few chapters are going to be filler chapters,
showing snippets of Hermione and Sirius’ lives before she goes to Hogwarts. Hang in there. A huge
shout out to those that are reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following this story. Y’all are rock star
readers! Enough for now, I want to bang this chapter out!!
** Shout out to SereniteRose for being my 100th reviewer. Ya do bomb, girl! **
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing in any of my stories and I haven’t made any money from them. As
much as I would love to be a professional author, these stories are written for my entertainment.
Chapter 5
September 19, 1985
Sirius had decided long ago that he was going to play the pureblood front, spy on them and such for
signs that the Dark Lord had returned. Today was going to be the final part in this plan.
As much as he hated being a responsible Lord, he was. Sirius attended Wizengamot meetings,
listened to new bills and voted accordingly, just as the other purebloods would expect him to. He
attended balls and parties, was invited to every major social event on the calendar. Even though he
refused to marry at this time, he escorted a beautiful woman to every event, showcasing his proper
breeding and upbringing.
It all made him sick.
Sirius hated always having to wear the right thing. He detested always having to be proper. He was
always having to pretend that he hated muggleborns and half-bloods alike, which he couldn’t stand.
He loathed that he couldn’t just fuck one of the women that he escorted to all those parties;
pureblood custom would have demanded that he marry them.
It was for this reason that Sirius now commiserated with Severus, a man that he had grown close to
over the years. Severus was constantly playing both sides of the fence, gathering information for
Dumbledore and keeping his Death Eater friends from suspecting his duplicity. Severus hated it as
much as Sirius did but had no other option due to the oaths he had made to the conniving old bastard.
Sirius did the best that he could to cope with everything. When Hermione stayed with the Malfoys,
he would venture out into the muggle world and pretend to be some rich CEO. Women fell at his
feet, most were quick to sleep with him. There had been one woman that he had developed feelings
for but when he realized that he would soon be embroiled in a blood war and she was all muggle, he
cut things off without another word to her. It was harsh, but it was the only way he could cope with
it. That had been when Hermione was four. Now he simply made certain that the women knew that
he wasn’t going to date them or marry them before he slept with them.
Hermione was none the wiser. She still thought that the sun rose and fell around her father,
something that Sirius cherished more than anything. He had been best friends with James and
Remus, even Lily to a degree, but they had never needed, had never counted on him. He had been
the practical joker all the way, never the one to be counted on when his friends needed something.
Looking back, he could see how selfish that had been of him but there was no going back now.
Hermione, however, needed him. She loved him fiercely and she counted on him to be there for her.
It was a heady feeling, being wanted and needed, especially when he grew up knowing that nobody
in his family needed him or wanted him outside of his duties as the heir. Even though he was trying
to fit into the pureblood circles, he had sworn that he would never treat Hermione like some of them
treated their children. She would always know that she was loved and wanted.
His daughter astounded him daily. Madam Cambridge still tutored Hermione and Draco together,
flooing to Black Moor every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for their lessons. She met with them
at Malfoy Manor on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, although Saturdays were only a half day
of lessons. Both children read at a level far above their age, not something that surprised him since
Hermione had always had an affinity for books. While he was quite certain that there was no way in
hell that every book in Black Moor’s library could be read, he knew that his daughter would end up
giving it a try. Draco was almost as bad but did allocate time to flying and quidditch.
The pair were learning muggle subjects as well as magic. It was something that he had insisted on.
Erise had never told Madam Cambridge to teach her daughter such subjects, but Sirius wanted her to
be as educated as possible, so all aspects of the world would be open to her once she graduated from
Hogwarts. He really hoped that she wouldn’t flee to the muggle world but if that was what she
wanted to do, that’s what she would do. Her happiness was tantamount.
Their lessons in magic were somewhat limited. They were unable to carry wands; therefore, they
couldn’t really practice. However, this didn’t stop them from learning theory and practicing
pronunciation of spells and wand movements. He was quite certain that they had memorized the
spells and wand movements for all the first-year curriculum at Hogwarts.
Sirius had learned early on that there would be a time that Hermione would have to go before Albus
Dumbledore and that the man would feel no remorse in rummaging around in her head. Sirius was
unable to be read due to his status as an animagus, Lucius and Narcissa were quite accomplished
occlumens themselves. However, nobody was as good as Severus Snape. He kept his relationship to
Hermione quiet, only telling the Headmaster that he saw her because she was at Malfoy Manor when
he visited there on his information gathering missions.
Sirius had begged Severus to teach Hermione and Draco.
While Draco had picked up quicker than they had thought, Hermione still struggled. She was an
exuberant child, full of love and laughter that just couldn’t be contained. Since she was only six, it
was work getting her to control those emotions. She was doing better but still had a long way to go.
Severus reassured him that it would get easier for her as she aged; small children weren’t meant to
control their emotions. This had caused a flash of shame to rush through him, sure that he was
stealing away her childhood, but Severus had stopped him with a quick reminder that if her mind
was open when she went to school, Dumbledore could insert any manner of thoughts into her mind
if he so chose.
Sirius could honestly say that he was never a kid person before. He had cared for Harry and then
Hermione, but he had avoided other children like the plague. Arthur and Molly Weasley had already
had six children that they dragged to every single Order meeting. He found that his little cousin had
made the list of children that he cared for.
Lucius and Narcissa hadn’t been kidding those years ago when he had first gotten Hermione. She
and Draco were practically attached at the hip. They took turns staying the night at each other’s
house and Sirius couldn’t recall the last time that just he and Hermione had done something. Draco
was always included in their plans and Hermione was always included in Lucius and Narcissa’s.
They rarely argued, in fact, they seemed to balance each other out. Where Hermione was always
laughing, Draco tended to be more serious. Hermione could be emotional, Draco always seemed to
think about his reactions first. Hermione excelled in schoolwork where Draco lagged just a little and
didn’t let her get too caught up in her studies. If they weren’t so closely related, Sirius wouldn’t have
been surprised if they had ended up marrying each other.
Sirius had wanted to make sure that he had no secrets from his daughter. Even though Narcissa and
Lucius had told him that she was too young, he had told her all about himself and that Halloween
night. He had told her how important it was that she befriend Harry when she went to Hogwarts, her
and Draco both, how they needed to protect him because there was going to be another war.
He had expected his daughter to rage at him for killing someone; he had expected her to let her
emotions run free and cause a rare burst of accidental magic. None of this happened, however. As
emotional and exuberant as his daughter could be, she could also be serious if it was called for.
Hermione had floated into his arms and hugged him tight, told him that since he was sorry for killing
the man, she forgave him. She had promised that she would become friends with the boy who should
have been her brother and she would protect him if he needed her to. She had insisted that she work
harder so she could learn more in her lessons.
This had been three months ago.
Sirius had assured her that she was already doing well in her lessons and that she didn’t need to work
any harder. She had seemed flabbergasted when he told her that she was to go outside and enjoy the
grounds with Draco, sending Sipsy along for company. In short, Sirius was surprised by his daughter
every single day and he loved her for it.
He was getting ready to embark on the last step of integrating himself into the pureblood circles. It
was Hermione’s sixth birthday and he was throwing a party for the pureblood elite and their children
to attend, somewhat of a tradition in their circles. It was a time for the parents to mingle and the
children to make friends with each other. Sirius had always thought that this was the main event in
betrothing their children, but he had assured Lucius and Narcissa that there would be none of that
going on.
Lucius and Narcissa had been allowed to marry without a contract because they had truly loved each
other. This wasn’t common practice amongst their peers, however. Since Sirius thought the whole
idea was a complete sham, he had readily agreed when the Malfoys had begged him to allow
Hermione to marry for love, as they would be allowing Draco. It was quite progressive of them, not
something that they would have agreed to if they hadn’t done it themselves.
His friendship with the Malfoys still astounded him sometimes. Now that he knew Lucius, he found
him rather witty and entertaining. His humor was dry but that didn’t matter to Sirius. He could be
sarcastic with the best of them. Narcissa was as sweet as he remembered her growing up. That dinner
so long ago with Andie had starting the healing of their relationship and the pair were now quite
close. Ted still didn’t come around too often but not because he wasn’t welcomed; he was always
busy with his legal practice and who knew what else. Sirius wondered if it had something to do
feeling uncomfortable in their homes. If that was the case, he never forbade Andie or Dora from
visiting.
Nymphadora had been a regular visitor to both their manors when she was younger. She had loved
helping take care of Hermione and Draco since she was six years older than them and had always
wished for a younger sibling. Now, she had just went off to Hogwarts for her second year, a proud
Hufflepuff just like her father.
The funniest part of young Nymphadora going off to Hogwarts had occurred when she had returned
for Christmas her first year. She had told them all over Christmas dinner that Dumbledore had asked
her what it was like visiting with the Malfoys and the Blacks. When she had told him that they were
her family and that she loved them, he had been confused. He had then asked after Hermione,
wanting to know if she was like her father. Apparently, the astute eleven-year-old Hufflepuff had
realized that he was asking too many questions and told him that if he wanted to know about her
family so badly he should owl her cousin Sirius and ask.
The whole table had laughed uproariously at that, the little badger showing her true colors in her
strength of loyalty to her family.
Sirius, though, wasn’t surprised at the old man’s interest. While he hadn’t been fired from his job as
Headmaster, he had indeed lost much of the support of the pureblood community. Attacking a Black
child, one of the closest things to wizarding royalty there was, whether by accident or design, had
made him no friends. The charge of attempted theft did nothing for him either; he was seriously
mistrusted in all circles except for those made up of half-bloods or muggleborns.
Sirius supposed that he should feel guilty for fucking up his reputation like that when there had been
an accord between James and Albus, but he didn’t. You don’t fuck with family, the unofficial motto
of the Black line. Dumbledore, most assuredly, had fucked with the Black family. All the more
reason to keep the charade of how he really felt about purebloods to himself.
Sirius hadn’t heard a word from Remus since that day outside of his family home. There had been no
news around his circles either, nor the Ministry. Even though they clearly weren’t friends anymore,
Sirius couldn’t help but hope that the werewolf hadn’t died somewhere with nobody there. He tried
not to linger on those thoughts for too long as they only managed to depress him.
Sirius was pulled from his inner monologue by Candy appearing next to him, pressed and dressed in
a pristine tea towel bearing the Black family crest.
“The firsts of the guests have arrived, master.” He gave a sharp nod and couldn’t help the flutter of
nervousness. While he had gone to every social event of the year since taking up spying, he had
never opened Black Moor for entertaining. This was the first time and he could say that he was
scared to death that something was going to ruin the day for Hermione. Even though it wasn’t the
party he would have wanted, she was very excited at meeting other children.
His daughter was standing at the doorway that led into the drawing room that the children would be
occupying. She was next to Draco, dressed in a royal blue set of robes that fit her perfectly. There
was no denying that Narcissa had been teaching her how to act with company. Draco was similarly
dressed, in black, his robes clearly expensive and tailored. Sirius wasn’t sure how they were
supposed to play in these clothes, but it was what society called for. Thoros Nott was the first to
arrive, his young son Theodore at his side dressed similarly to Draco. Thoros bowed slightly to
Sirius, a show of respect for the Lord of the manor.
“Allow me to introduce my son, Theodore. He’s excited to meet young Hermione and Draco.” Sirius
gave the boy a small smile.
“Well, my daughter and cousin are over there by the door. Go meet them, they’re excited too.” Both
men chuckled as the boy ran over to the pair waiting impatiently for him.
-O-
Hermione was so excited to meet the other children that her father had invited to her party. She loved
Draco as much as she did her father, but she was sure that the more friends you had, the better off
you were. Her father had told her so many stories of himself and his best friends and she wanted to
be just like him. She clutched at her cousin’s hand when a handsome boy bounded over to them,
dressed properly in much the same manner as Draco. He skidded to a halt before them before
bowing to Draco and taking Hermione’s hand and kissing her knuckles softly.
She couldn’t help but to chuckle softly. This wasn’t required until they were much older. The boy
was trying to impress her, whether it was because he wanted to or because his father had instructed
him to she didn’t know.
“I’m Theodore Nott but you can call me Theo.” Hermione curtsied at him.
“I’m Hermione Black and this is my cousin and best friend, Draco Malfoy.” Theo reached out and
shook Draco’s hand.
“I hope we can all be friends.” Hermione nodded happily and pulled both boys in to the drawing
room that they were going to be staying in while the adults had their drinks next door.
The elves had set up games all over, games that Hermione had never got to play because there
weren’t enough people with just her and Draco. Before they could even sit down, another boy
appeared, a dark-skinned boy that flashed a bright smile at them. He introduced himself as Blaise
Zabini and he hit it off quickly with Theo and Draco. They had just started talking about quidditch
and the matches that they had attended with their fathers when a girl a few inches taller than
Hermione walked in, her long black hair tied back demurely. Hermione smiled at her warmly.
“Hello, I’m Hermione Black. What’s your name?” The girl rushed forward and hugged Hermione,
catching her off guard.
“My name is Pansy Parkinson. I’ve never met another little girl before. I only have my brother and
he’s already at Hogwarts.” Hermione smiled at her, forgiving her for being nervous.
“I’ve met my cousin but she’s six years older than me. She’s at Hogwarts too. It’s usually just Draco
and I.” The girl’s eyes went to Draco since Hermione pointed him out.
“Oh, he’s so handsome.” Hermione wrinkled her nose even though she knew it was in bad taste.
“Ewww, he’s my cousin. My best friend. I don’t think he’s handsome at all.” Pansy laughed now.
“That’s how it’s supposed to be, silly. I don’t think my brother is handsome at all but everyone else
thinks he is.” Hermione nodded, content with her words if she wasn’t required to think of her cousin
like that.
While the two girls were speaking, several other children filed in, two boys by the name of Gregory
Goyle and Vincent Crabbe, and three girls by the name of Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, and
Millicent Bulstrode. Hermione liked them all very much even though none of them enjoyed learning
or reading. Draco was the popular one with all the boys and unsurprisingly, Pansy was running the
girls side of things. Hermione didn’t mind. They were nice enough and would be good friends but
none of them understood her like Draco.
Hurrying over to join in on one of the games they were all starting to play, Hermione let her thoughts
drift away while she enjoyed her birthday.
-O-
Sirius watched his daughter through the open door. She had let Pansy Parkinson take over her party,
but she didn’t seem too upset about it. Hermione was playing a game with the rest of the girls.
Thoros Nott and Gregory Goyle, Sr. stepped up to watch beside him. The three of them were silent
for almost a full minute before Thoros spoke.
“Would you be interested in a betrothal contract between my son and your daughter? She would do
my House proud.” Sirius knew that it would be coming and was more than ready.
“No, not at this time. If she becomes interested as she gets older, I would love to revisit this
conversation then. The last thing I want is my daughter to be bound to someone that she might end
up not liking. Make no mistake, she will be a proper young lady, but I want her to be happy above
all else. I have no need for added wealth so that leaves her with more options.” Sirius was sure that
his words were condescending, but he didn’t care. He wouldn’t be bullied into signing Hermione’s
life away just because the other Lords wanted her married into their family. However, he was
pleasantly surprised when Thoros nodded.
“I can respect that. As purebloods, we tend to marry for money, power, and influence. You have
more than enough of all those things so why should you sacrifice your daughter’s happiness? I
would do the same thing if I were in your shoes. If I had a daughter, my Aliana would have killed
me if I betrothed our daughter without her input.” Sirius chuckled at his words.
“I remember her in school. Even though she was the most proper young lady, she was a force to be
reckoned with. I remember in our third year, she caught me trying to prank some Slytherin first years.
She hit me with stinging hexes right on my arse the whole way down the corridor. Who knew she
could run in robes like that?” Thoros burst out in laughter, holding his belly and drawing the
attention of the children. When he got himself under control, he smiled.
“Aliana was something else. I wish Theo could have known her.” Sirius clapped him on the
shoulder.
“Sorry for your loss, mate.” Thoros nodded but dropped the subject. They floated back over to the
main body where Sirius took up conversation with Lucius and Severus. Since Dumbledore had no
idea that Hermione was Severus’ godchild, he couldn’t speak with her outright until the guests went
home. She had been told and had been surprisingly alright with it. Hermione had understood that it
was needed in order to keep her godfather safe.
Sirius watched as Narcissa and Posey Parkinson made their way into the room with all the children,
probably to make sure that they were all getting along. He could hear Posey making over Hermione
in her high-pitched, nasally voice, which made him want to rip his ears off his head. He had no idea
how Peregrine could stand her.
Conversation turned to politics as they always seemed to at functions like this. Peregrine Parkinson
and Gerald Greengrass joined them, ready to discuss the newest reforms being pushed through at
Hogwarts. Sirius barely listened. He really couldn’t give two shits but kept the look on his face that
showed it was very important to him.
His mind wandered to what was going to happen when Voldemort did return, and he refused to take
the Mark? As much as he liked to think that he was spying on his fellow purebloods, he wasn’t as
strong and brave as Severus. The man bore the Mark and the hatred that came with it, all with a stoic
expression. Nobody trusted him aside from the Malfoys and himself. This also begged him to
wonder what would happen when Lucius was called. Would he return to that life, casting himself
and Hermione far from their family? Would Draco be forced to bear the Mark at his father’s
insistence? What would Narcissa do?
Sirius liked to think that his cousin would sooner murder her husband than give up the girl that she
considered her daughter. He didn’t think that she would ever stand for her only child to bear the
Mark either. He and Severus had discussed it at length under the influence of fire whiskey. He was
under the impression that Lucius didn’t believe in the cause like he had before, that Narcissa never
really had. Both wanted to preserve the old customs and Voldemort had been an easy way to go
about doing so. While both thought that they were inherently better than most muggleborns, they had
never signed on to demolish a part of their world.
Sirius was pulled from thoughts by Candy appearing next to him.
“It’s times for cakes and presents.” Sirius gave her a sharp nod, the kind that was reserved for when
there was company that would frown upon the elf’s bullying of her family. As much as she irritated
Sirius some days, he would never allow her to come to harm for doing what she thought was best for
his family.
Sipsy herded all the children out of their play room, Dip and Dot helping her. They were all laughing
boisterously, at what Sirius was unsure. Once they realized that all the adults were watching them,
they quieted back into the children they had arrived as. Sirius wasn’t having any of that.
“Don’t stop having fun on our account. It’s time for presents and then cake.” All the children began
cheering, a beautiful flush present on Hermione’s cheeks.
The present opening was insane, to say the least. All the children had wanted Hermione to open their
gift first, they wanted to have the one that she loved the most. Sirius remembered those days, what it
was like to be young. While she seemed embarrassed as hell, she bore it well and thanked everyone
sweetly for their gifts. Candy, Dip, and Dot appeared directly afterwards to clean up the mess,
transitioning the room for cake.
Hermione begged them not to sing to her, so they acquiesced. The cake that appeared was enormous
and beautiful besides. It was decorated as the night sky with Ursa Major as the focal point, the
constellation that her middle name was derived from. Sirius watched as his daughter grabbed Draco’s
hand and pulled him to the cake with her, intent on keeping their tradition of blowing the candles on
their birthday cakes together. It was Theo that spoke up.
“Hey, that’s Hermione’s cake. You can’t blow out the candles, that’s cheating. Her wish won’t come
true.” Sirius nodded as he chuckled softly.
“Right you are, young Theo. However, these two have blown their candles out together since they
were old enough to have a cake. She helps him on his birthday. They say their wishes still come true,
but we don’t know because they only tell each other.” The adults all chuckled at this explanation, but
the children looked confused. Nothing more was said though.
The pair blew out their candles with little fanfare and Sipsy stepped forward to cut the cake. Pieces
were passed around to children and adults alike. The children laughed amongst themselves, smearing
icing on their faces, reminding Sirius that they weren’t always preprogrammed little robots. A few of
the parents didn’t look very happy with it, but most seemed to be fine with it. The adults continued
their conversations with each other, the woman all discussing the ball at the Greengrass’ the
following weekend. Sirius was slotted to take a young French pureblood witch that Narcissa had
introduced him to.
When the children began tiring, their parents began to offer their thanks and gather their offspring.
Sirius watched as little Pansy Parkinson hugged Hermione close, promising to be her best friend. His
daughter looked at her, perplexed, and he was sure it was because she considered Draco to be her
best friend. She remained silent, though, and hugged her new friend back. The other girls are offered
her hugs as well and Sirius hoped that she at least kept the friendship of some of the girls. He didn’t
want her to have only Draco in her life.
Once all the guests were gone, Sirius sank into the nearest couch while the elves began clearing
away the dishes and the mess. Hermione crawled up in his lap and snuggled her head under his chin,
her favorite position. He wrapped his arms around her while the Malfoys, Draco, and Severus settled
around them.
“Have fun, poppet?” She nodded against his chest.
“I had fun. They were awfully loud though and none of them like to read.” Severus snorted next to
him.
“That’s because they’ll grow up to be dunderheads while you and Draco won’t. I think that we’re
going to start the pair of you in potions on the weekends come next week. Just think about how far
ahead you’ll be compared to your friends.” Hermione drew her eye brows together in deep thought.
“Won’t that make them hate us?” Sirius kissed the top of her head.
“Nobody could ever hate the two of you. You’re perfect.” Sirius knew that he probably shouldn’t tell
her that she was perfect, but he didn’t care. She was his daughter and if he wanted to boost her
confidence, he would. Hermione, however, lifted her head and smiled.
“You’re silly, daddy.” He patted her on the bottom and shoved her off his lap.
“If you two are going to eat popcorn and read before bed, you better go to your rooms and get baths.
Sipsy and Dot will take you. We’ll be up to kiss you goodnight when it’s time.” Both Hermione and
Draco were quick to exit the room, neither running as they had been taught. There was laughter that
followed them, then faded away as they climbed the stairs together. Narcissa sighed.
“She’s never going to be interested in popularity, that much is certain. She allowed Pansy to just take
over her party.” She looked so dismayed that Sirius wanted to laugh. It was Lucius that spoke next.
“She likes to wear pretty things but that isn’t the most important thing to her. She won’t ever be like
Pansy Parkinson or any of the other girls. Make no mistake, however, that little spitfire will be a
trendsetter. I guarantee you, every father of boys her age will be sending Sirius betrothal contracts.
Our little Hermione is the whole package, beautiful, powerful, and intelligent.” Sirius snorted.
“They can send them all they want. Hermione will get to make her own choice in that aspect. Once
she settles on a young man that deserves her, I’ll talk to his father and get a contract set up. I hate the
blasted things, but it would protect her as my heir.” Lucius nodded his agreement.
“I agree. The same will happen for Draco.”
Their conversation was brought up short when Severus finished off his drink and stood.
“I must return to the school. I have rounds in ten minutes.” Sirius nodded and stood to shake his
hands.
“We’ll see you next weekend for the new potions lesson.” The Slytherin gave him a sharp nod and
headed for the floo, disappearing in a flash of green. Narcissa was grinning ear to ear.
“You know he’s going to lose his mind trying to teach a five and a six-year-old how to brew
potions.” Sirius grinned back.
“Why do you think I plan to attend?”
The room dissolved in laughter as they got more comfortable and finished off their drinks.
A/N- Not as long as normal, but these next few chapters won’t be. These are just little flashes of
Hermione’s life before Hogwarts. Seven total. I hope that you enjoyed this little piece of fluff, for
that’s exactly what it was. Leave me a line and let me know what you think. Thanks again for
reading!
Next up, Hermione spills everything to Draco.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 6

A/N- Once more into the breach, my friends. Here we are with chapter six already, I know it hasn’t
been long, but I can’t believe that I’m already this far. Just one more chapter and part one will be
over. Hermione and Draco are almost headed to Hogwarts! Anyways, thank you to everyone out
there that is reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting, you guys are my heroes. You keep me
motivated, which is a good thing for y’all! Enough for now, this won’t be a long chapter, but I want
to bang it out!
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything to do with this story. Original story idea belongs to Hermione Lyra
Malfoy-Riddle and the rest I’m sure has been done before. I haven’t made any money off any of my
stories.
Chapter 6
January 3, 1989
Hermione smiled as she saw the ever-familiar foyer of Malfoy Manor come into view from the floo.
Her father had just sent her through to come spend the week with Draco, Aunt Cissy, and Uncle
Luci. Uncle Luci was trying to get her to call him Uncle Lucius, but Hermione was the first to admit
that it was a lost cause. He had been Uncle Luci to her since the day she was born, it would likely
never change. Even though he complained, Hermione could tell that he didn’t mean it. He adored the
fact that she had a pet name for him, just as he had for her.
Her uncle, the most notorious cold-hearted bastard in the wizarding world, called her his sunshine.
Hermione couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t. Even though he wasn’t the most demonstrative
of people with his son, his love for Hermione and Aunt Cissy always shone through. Draco was
jealous at times and she couldn’t blame him. Hermione always made sure to point out that he was the
son, so he was supposed to be manlier in his emotions, just like his father and cousin besides. Most
of the time he accepted it.
Hermione was well-aware that Aunt Cissy treasured her. It was clear in every movement, every
word the older woman gave her. Her aunt had adored her mother and it showed through word and
action every single day. The socialite delighted in taking her niece shopping for every occasion under
the sun, spending ridiculous amounts of money on her that truly weren’t warranted. This never
stopped Aunt Cissy, however. She just gave and gave with no thought to anyone else, least of all
herself.
Hermione was well-aware that her father and aunt and uncle had not always gotten along. Her father
had told her the truth about everything, telling her that her aunt and uncle had followed an evil
wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort while he wanted to vanquish him. Her would-be brother,
Harry Potter, had somehow sent the Dark Lord into the great unknown, how nobody knew for sure.
Once the Dark Lord was gone, her aunt and uncle had renounced their beliefs and vowed to fight for
the light to keep her in their lives.
For this reason, her aunt and uncle were as close as ever to her heart.
Draco was their son and her best friend besides. They had shared everything since the day that Draco
was born, a full nine months younger than Hermione. She had never minded. Her father had
reminded her all the time growing up that it was imperative that she remain safe and the only places
that he was certain that was possible was at Black Moor, her ancestral home, and Malfoy Manor.
While she was allowed out to attend birthday parties and such of her friends, she was always
accompanied by at least one elf and an adult that her father trusted. She knew that list was extremely
short, consisting of himself, her aunt and uncle, and her Uncle Severus.
Uncle Sevvie, as she still insisted on calling him, was one of her favorite people in the whole world.
Even though he was almost always sour and snarky, he never failed to make her feel cared for and
safe, the same feelings that she associated with the rest of her family. He lived at Hogwarts with the
wizard that had attacked her when she was only two years old; her father had told her that he had
tricked her godfather into spying for him.
Hermione knew that her father had been completely honest with her about all things. She knew the
deepest and darkest secrets of her family, good and bad alike. She knew that Uncle Luci had tortured
and killed people, she also knew that he would do whatever he had to do to protect herself, Draco,
and Aunt Cissy from harm. Uncle Sevvie had done much the same as her other uncle but had sold
his allegiance to the person that he thought could protect the woman that he loved for his whole life.
She knew that there was an empty place in his heart where Lily Potter had once resided.
Her father had admitted to her many years ago that the night that his best friend James had been
murdered, he had handed his godson over to one of the men who worked at Hogwarts, so he could
extract revenge. His sorrow and regret over the fact that he had murdered an innocent auror on
accident still weighed on him heavily. Hermione was not blind to her father’s faults; she just
managed to see his good traits as well.
Hermione chose to forgive every person in her life their mistakes they had made. She knew that it
probably wasn’t her place, she hadn’t been the one who had suffered at their hands of course, but she
couldn’t help but try to ease their guilt. She loved her family and they would always be important to
her, no matter their past. Maybe some would call that folly, but she had yet to be proven wrong for
having faith in her less than perfect family members. Pip popped into existence next to her.
“Come, Missy Mione, Draco is waitings for you in his rooms.” Hermione laughed softly at the tiny
little elf. Pip had been assigned to Draco when he was only three years old. Draco was very attached
to him which Hermione found adorable. Not that she would ever tell him that. Best friend or not, he
could still get downright moody.
Hermione started for the door, making her way down the corridor past the day room. Aunt Cissy was
inside, pouring over magazines, fashion most likely. Uncle Luci was nowhere to be found but
Hermione was certain that he was most likely at the Ministry. It was where her father had been
headed after he put her into the floo. She stuck her head in the doorway.
“I’m here, Aunt Cissy. Pip’s taking me to Draco now.” Her aunt’s head came up and she smiled
brightly at her.
“That’s wonderful, dear. He’s been waiting for you for at least an hour now. I swear, the two of you
act like you didn’t just see each other yesterday.” Hermione giggled.
“I know but we can’t help it. Draco is my best friend.” Her aunt raised her eyebrow playfully.
“Trust me, we’re all aware.” She turned her attention back to the magazine for a moment before she
spoke.
“Little Pansy Parkinson’s birthday is in two days’ time. Tomorrow, you and I are going to go
shopping and find you a new dress.” Hermione groaned softly.
“I just got three new dresses a month ago. Can’t I wear one of those?” Aunt Cissy looked up at her.
“No, you can’t. We can make a day of it. It’ll be fun, I promise.” Hermione sighed and nodded.
While she wasn’t completely against shopping, her aunt took it to a whole new level. Where the boys
were passionate about quidditch, her aunt was passionate about shopping. Since there were no other
females for her to share the experience with, Hermione was almost always dragged along.
“Alright, Aunt Cissy. Could Aunt Andie and Dora come along too?” Her aunt’s eyes lit up, an
indicator that she hadn’t considered her sister and niece as shopping partners. She beamed at
Hermione.
“Absolutely. I’ll owl them right now. Go on up and see Draco, dear.” Hermione cheered internally.
While she loved her Aunt Cissy, she could shop for hours. If Dora came, Hermione could quiz her
about Hogwarts, her classes, and her boyfriend Charlie Weasley. They had seen each other several
times over the Christmas holidays but they hadn’t had a chance to discuss these things with Draco
right there. He always whined that his cousin was dating a Weasley.
Hermione continued on her way to Draco’s room, located on the second floor of the west wing.
Hermione had her own room in the family wing as well, right next to Draco’s, but she rarely stayed
there. She had ridiculous amounts of clothes in the closets and such, but she usually ended up
sleeping in Draco’s room with him. They had shared a room for years so they never thought about it
anymore. Knowing that Pip had already informed her cousin that she was there, she didn’t bother
knocking before just going in his room.
Draco was stretched out on his bed, a sketch book on the duvet before him. Hermione smiled at him
before she kicked off her shoes and crawled up on the bed next to him and took his book away from
him. She inspected the drawing he was working on. It was a massive dragon in a multitude of colors
with fire shooting out of it’s mouth. Hermione smiled at him again.
“This one is brilliant. I wish I could draw.” He nudged her shoulder with his own before taking it
back, a light blush coloring his cheeks.
“You sing way better than I do though. Dance better too.” Hermione shrugged her shoulders.
“I suppose. What do you want to do today?” He laughed at her earnestness.
“Since when do you not want to read?” Hermione shrugged her shoulders, eyes dropping to her
hands resting in her lap. Draco instantly knew that something was wrong.
“What’s wrong, Miney?” He rarely called her that name, telling her that it was childish. When he
did, it was always because he was trying to convince her to do something that they shouldn’t be
doing or trying to get information out of her. She raked a hand through her long black curls.
“I’m just thinking about everything. I’m not sure what Hogwarts is going to hold for me since the
Headmaster hates me. You don’t know everything, Drake.” His eyes clouded over in confusion.
“I’m not sure what you mean. What do I not know?” Hermione was unsure of what to do. She
wanted to tell Draco everything, but she was unsure if she would get in trouble. The last thing that
she wanted was to get grounded because she hadn’t minded her father. Draco clearly saw her
hesitation and frowned.
“We tell each other everything, Hermione. Are you mad at me?” Hermione shot her eyes up to his
face, instant remorse on her face.
“No, I’m not mad at you at all. I just don’t know if I’m supposed to tell you everything that my father
has told me. Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy might get mad.” Draco cocked his head to side as he
considered her words.
“Why would they not want me to know?” Hermione began to knot her fingers in her lap.
“Well, there are a few things about your parents that they haven’t told you. I’m not sure if they know
that I know, otherwise it would probably be a huge fight between my dad and your parents.” Draco
scooted closer to her.
“Tell me. I won’t tell a single person that I know.” Hermione stuck out her pinky, a type of promise
that her father had shown her.
“Pinky promise?” Draco nodded and hooked his pinky with hers.
“Promise.” Hermione turned sideways and fell to her side, pillowing her head in Draco’s lap. His
hand began stroking her curls, something he had done since he was old enough to tell her that he
loved her hair.
“Well, it all started when our parents were in school. None of them liked each other, mostly because
there was a wizard that some of them followed that didn’t want muggleborns to be in our world.”
Hermione told him the whole story of her father and his friends, how they had hated Uncle Sevvie
and those like him, how they were mean to him and played pranks on him. She told him his parents
had followed Lord Voldemort just like Uncle Sevvie and how her father had been on the other side
of the war. The little girl held nothing back, making sure that her cousin knew that his father and
godfather had tortured and killed.
Draco seemed to take it well enough. His hands tightened in her hair, but he didn’t lash out or yell.
He urged her on, clearly wanting her to continue with her tale. Hermione told him about her father
trading secret keepers with Peter Pettigrew and going after him once the Potters were discovered
murdered in their home. The boy seemed unmoved when she told him of the auror that her father had
killed.
The next show of emotion from her cousin came when she told him about the encounter between
herself and the Headmaster on the grounds of Hogwarts. His hands clenched in her hair again as she
told him that her father had the memory removed from her consciousness because he was worried
that she would have nightmares from being attacked. Hermione enumerated the trial a month after
that incident and the charges that Albus Dumbledore had been found guilty of, how he had finagled
his way into keeping Harry Potter from her father. Draco finally got tired of sitting up as she finished
up, shifting her head out of his lap so he could lay down next to her. He reached out and held her
hand.
“So, what are we going to do? I don’t think that this Albus Dumbledore is going to be all that nice to
you.” Hermione began to bounce their joined hands on the bed as she contemplated his question. In
the end, she decided to be honest with him.
“I want to help Daddy. He misses Harry and he can’t even talk to him unless Harry talks to him first.
I want to become his friend, so I can tell him that everything that Dumbledore has told him is a lie. I
want to help protect him because if he really did send Voldemort into some state of unliving, his
followers are going to want revenge on him. He hasn’t been taught like we have; he was sent to live
with muggles. I want to help him learn and protect him until he can protect himself. I don’t think that
the Headmaster is going to protect him.” She could tell that Draco was considering her words.
“You know that Dumbledork is going to tell him to stay away from you, tell him that you’re evil just
like your dad and my family. I think it’s going to be harder than you’re thinking.” Hermione felt tears
prick her eyes but refused to let them fall.
“I know. I’ve just been thinking about it today and it’s depressed me. Everybody that isn’t pureblood
is going to hate me because of Dumbledore.” Draco gripped her hand tighter.
“Even if that’s the truth, it won’t matter. Eventually, Dumbledork is going to mess up and everyone
is going to know what a liar he is. When they discover that, everyone will like you. What isn’t to
like?” Hermione rolled over and hugged her cousin close for several seconds.
“Thanks, Drake.” He laughed softly when she released him.
“I’m going to help you. You won’t be able to do all that stuff by yourself while going to school too.”
Hermione nodded, secretly thrilled that her cousin was going to help her on her mission. She felt a
tear leak out of her eye which she quickly hid by burying her face in the duvet for a moment. When
she turned her face back to her cousin, she smiled again.
“Thanks, Drake.”
The pair didn’t speak after that. They spent the afternoon laying on the bed together, napping and
reading together as they usually did when they spent time with each other. Hermione knew for
certain, though, that she felt a million times better now that her best friend knew her secrets and he
had promised to help her.
It made her heart feel lighter.
-O-
Harry was exhausted. He was eight years old and living with his aunt and uncle. They told him the
story almost daily that he had been dumped on their doorstep, a note tucked into the blanket that had
kept him from the cold. His parents had been drunks and killed in a car accident that ended up being
their fault. Harry wasn’t sure why his family insisted on reminding him of this fact, but they did.
His cousin Dudley was the same age as he was but treated much better. Harry had learned early on
that while they both lived in the home, they were by no means equal. Dudley enjoyed his own room
and hundreds of toys. He was able to eat all the food that he could stuff into his fat face and watch
whatever he wanted on the telly. His friends were allowed to come over whenever he wanted them
to and he got to have the most wonderful parties for his birthday.
Harry, on the other hand, lived in a tiny cupboard under the stairs, so tiny that he had to duck inside
or hit his head on the stairs above him. He had no toys to call his own, just a few stolen ones that he
hid from Dudley, so he could play with them late at night while the rest of the house slept. Harry
rarely went to bed with a full belly and was clothed in Dudley’s hand-me-downs, already several
sizes too big for him. Harry did all the chores around the house and in the yard, cooking and cleaning
like he was their personal slave and he had never received a gift in his life.
His life was horrible, and he knew it.
Every night before he would fall asleep, Harry would fantasize about a different life, one where he
was with a family that loved him and wanted him to be happy. One where his aunt and uncle didn’t
hit him or starve him. One where Dudley didn’t beat him up with all his friends, laughing at him
when he finally cried. He wished more than anything that he could leave number four Privet Drive
for forever and never return.
This would never happen though.
A boy at school had told his friends about karma, explaining that bad things happened to people who
did bad things. Of course, Davey hadn’t been telling him; Harry had no friends and was reduced to
eavesdropping. This made him wonder what he had done to deserve his life.
Harry was quite certain that his aunt and uncle were keeping something from him. He wasn’t sure
what it was, but he wasn’t so stupid as to miss the sideways glances that they gave each other when
odd things happened around him. Just the other day his aunt had been complaining about his hair
being too unruly and had sheared it as close to his scalp as possible with kitchen scissors. It had
looked horrid and Harry had cried himself to sleep at the thought of facing the children at school the
next day, knowing that they would ruthlessly tease him.
When he woke up, his hair was just as long as it was before Aunt Petunia had cut it.
Harry had been thrilled that his hair was back to normal, but his family had been livid. They had
demanded to know how Harry had managed this and when he didn’t have an answer for them, it had
earned him a black eye and split lip. He had been told to tell the teachers at school that he had fallen
down the stairs.
Once his aunt and uncle had thought that he was no longer paying attention, however, they had
turned wary and worried eyes to each other. Harry knew that they were hiding something but for the
life of him, he had no idea what. He wondered if the reason his family hated him so was because of
the secret they kept from him. Would he ever find out?
Harry sighed and turned back to the task at hand, making dinner for Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon,
and Dudley. The three of them didn’t believe in balanced meals, not that he had ever ate one even
close to resembling balanced. There were no vegetables, just the meatloaf and mashed potatoes and
gravy. Even Harry understood that this was why both Vernon and Dudley were so heavy. Aunt
Petunia usually picked at her meals, citing that her weight was very important to her even though
Harry couldn’t help but think the uncharitable thought that his aunt was not an attractive woman.
Harry stood back and watched his family eat, hiding in the shadows for them to finish so he could
clean up. Once all the work was done, Harry would be allowed to consume the miniscule amount
that his aunt had saved back for him. Harry knew that he was malnourished; he was the smallest boy
in his class, even smaller than the girls. His clothes hung off his body and he always inhaled the tiny
lunch that his aunt sent with him, not even wanting to spend the money for him to eat a lunch from
school.
Once they were finished, he silently cleared the table while the rest of his family moved into the
living room to watch the telly. Harry cleaned and rinsed the dishes quickly, his belly gurgling loudly
at the prospect of finally getting to eat. The dishes were all put away when he finally gathered his
plate out of the refrigerator, wolfing it down. It was always a possibility that Dudley would come in,
hungry again, and take his food, leaving Harry hungry for the evening. He had learned long ago not
to tarry.
Harry didn’t bother going into the living room with the rest of them. It would only start a fight and he
would end up in trouble. Therefore, he headed to his cupboard under the stairs, so he could change
into his pajamas. He had school in the morning and would have to be up early to cook breakfast for
the family. Once he was ensconced in his little cot, he let the tension leave his body.
Harry fingered the toys that he had filched from Dudley, debating if he wanted to play with them
before going to sleep. As much as he wanted to, he knew that there was always a chance that they
would be discovered, and he would be punished again. Therefore, he lay there in the dark and
dreamed about the future.
Someday he would have a family that loved him, someone that wouldn’t hurt him or starve him. He
would move away from the Dursleys and never darken their doorway again. He imagined tons of
friends that always had his back and never beat him up. He dreamed of having enough food on his
table to fill his belly whenever he was hungry. Harry closed his eyes and let sleep pull him under to
the sound of the telly playing in the background.
Someday.
A/N- A shorter chapter than usual but I warned y’all that the chapters in this story might not all be as
long as they were in my last story. This was just kind of a filler chapter anyways. Only one more
chapter before Hermione and Draco go to Hogwarts, hope you guys are ready for part two!
Anyways, leave me your thoughts on the chapter, they make me smile.
Next up, Harry’s birthday before all the children head off to Hogwarts.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 7

A/N- Here we go, my friends. Another chapter down, incidentally the last one of part one. After this
chapter, Hermione will be at Hogwarts. Even though I wanted to make part one longer, I thought
that it would draw out the chapters to an even more ridiculous degree. Therefore, I hope that you all
can hang tough with me in knowing that these short little chapters are going to morph into chapters
of Hermione at Hogwarts, dealing with Harry straight on. I’ve had a few negative reviews wishing
that I had placed Harry with Sirius but for canon events to occur that just wasn’t possible. I hope you
all can forgive and forget.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing. The original idea belonged to a reader that was kind enough to pass
their idea on and have me like it. If there are any mistakes in the chapter, I claim them all.
Chapter 7
July 31, 1991
Sirius swirled the fire whiskey in his glass around, staring into the fire. It was Harry’s eleventh
birthday and should have received his Hogwarts letter today. In just one short month he would be
shipping his daughter off to reside in the same building as Albus Dumbledore, a worry that floated to
the forefront of his mind whenever he wasn’t otherwise occupied.
Hermione and Draco were currently upstairs. Rather than playing games or causing trouble, they
were planning which books to bring with them to school. The pair were ridiculously advanced,
probably well into their fourth year in spells, history, potions, and the like. They had just recently
began practicing with their wands; the wards on Black Moor and Malfoy Manor cloaked the use of
underage magic.
The pair had been practicing wand movements since they were old enough to understand instructions
to do so, spell enunciation coming shortly after that. Hermione especially was pleased to note that all
her practice hadn’t been for naught. Every single spell she had cast with her wand had been
successful. Draco had acquitted himself just as well; his spells were just as strong as Hermione’s and
perfectly cast.
Sirius was proud of them. Through the years, Draco had become like a son to him. He spent at least
three nights a week at Black Moor with Hermione, being the brother to her that Harry should have
been. While he would never deny Hermione the company of her cousin, he couldn’t help but be
resentful at the fact that it should have been Harry there with her.
Maybe he was just maudlin at missing the last ten years of his godson’s life.
Hermione had assured him time and time again that he had done everything that he could to get
Harry and keep him safe. He knew that she was right but there was still that underlying sense of guilt
when he considered the fact that Harry had spent his childhood with Lily’s sister. Lily had never had
anything good to say about the woman and Severus had told him that she had called Lily a freak
from the very first burst of accidental magic. Sirius could only hope that Petunia treated her nephew
better than she had her sister.
Severus had become close to him; just as close as James if the truth were told but in a different way.
Hermione had drawn them together so many years ago, but they had cultivated a friendship where
they had common interests and nurtured it. It was clear that Severus had never had a friend that was
as loyal as Sirius aside from Lucius and he seemed to flourish in knowing that he wasn’t the outcast
he once was.
Lucius and Narcissa were the ones that had surprised him the most. Both had renounced their
bigoted ways, on the surface at least, and held Hermione close to their hearts. They spent ridiculous
amounts of money on her and treated her as if she were their own daughter. It was more than he had
ever expected, and he was grateful for it.
Sirius had no idea what would happen with them when the Dark Lord returned. He knew that
Lucius was Marked and couldn’t expect him to put his family at risk to renounce him. Narcissa had
become as close as ever to him through the years; he had relied on her when Hermione had started
her cycle, he relied on her to make sure that his daughter had good taste in all things that mattered.
She was Hermione’s surrogate mother and he loved her for it.
Lucius doted on her shamelessly. It was clear to the world that he was the apple of his eye, much the
same as she was for Sirius. He had his own little pet name for her and was always quick to smile
warmly at her, a feat that most people is their world would never believe due to his reputation. There
were pictures of her all over Malfoy Manor and he knew that Draco was jealous sometimes.
Hermione always pointed out to him that his father loved him just as much, he just wasn’t as
demonstrative because he wanted Draco to be a man about it. She assured him that he would feel the
same way about his own children someday.
Sirius finished the fire whiskey in his tumbler and poured himself another four fingers. There were
two days a year that he allowed himself to get completely pissed: Harry’s birthday and Halloween.
Both were for obvious reasons. Hermione usually spent both those days at Malfoy Manor but Lucius
and Narcissa had a previous engagement that they had been unable to reschedule. He didn’t mind,
really. If anything, it reminded him that he should probably make sure that he didn’t do anything
stupid since there were children in the house.
Candy was flitting around the room, straightening up the stacks of books that Hermione had left out
the night before. Her room was always immaculate, but she left a mess in the library every time she
visited. It drove the elves mad, but he was more than pleased that she wasn’t perfect. For years, she
had labored to be perfect in his eyes, unaware that she already was. For her to have one definitive
fault made his heart smile.
He took another swing as he contemplated his daughter. She was gorgeous, there was no doubt
about that. Her ebony curls now reached her waist, shiny and sleek against the expensive robes that
Narcissa insisted on buying her. Her eyes were still icy blue, a reminder of her Malfoy heritage. Her
eyes matched her cousin’s perfectly, and if it weren’t for Draco’s platinum locks, they could have
been siblings. She was still quite short, but Sirius couldn’t be sure that she wouldn’t hit a growth
spurt somewhere along the way. She was only eleven after all.
Just looking at her made Sirius swell with pride. He knew that his brother would have been proud,
and he did his best to follow what he thought his brother would have wanted for his daughter. While
they hadn’t parted on good terms, Sirius was the first to admit that Regulus would have loved his
daughter more than himself and done whatever he could to protect her. Sirius endeavored to live up
to his brother’s wishes every single day.
A shriek of laughter broke the silence in the library. Hermione dashed in, her cheeks flushed and
expression happy. Draco darted in after her, his pale skin rosy like hers. Hermione laughed again as
her cousin darted after her, hands outstretched. His daughter hid behind Sirius, hands on his
shoulders.
“Protect me, daddy. Draco says he’s going to tickle me to death because I threatened to turn his hair
blue.” Sirius couldn’t help but chuckle. There were times that both children were ridiculously serious
but there were also times that they surprised him by being the most playful children he’d ever met.
He lifted an eye brow at their exchange.
“Why would you want to turn his hair blue, poppet?” Draco’s cheeks colored further, and his
expression was full of warning.
“Don’t you dare, Miney. If you do, I’ll tell Theo that you think he’s the most handsome boy in the
world.” Sirius wasn’t sure what to make of this conversation. Hermione, however, was unafraid.
“Go ahead, tell him. It isn’t true, so you’ll just end up looking stupid for telling lies.” She turned to
Sirius and smirked evilly.
“Drake has a crush on Pansy and he wants to impress her. I told him that even though she’s my
friend, she’s quite daft about most things. He should be focusing on his studies, not impressing girls
that don’t even know how to cast a proper spell.” Sirius figured it was something along those lines.
Regardless, he had to point out that his daughter wasn’t being very nice.
“I know you think Draco can do better than Pansy and I happen to agree with you. You don’t get to
decide that though, sweetness. It’s Draco’s life and his choice. Turning his hair blue just to embarrass
him is just mean. Would you want him to turn your hair orange or something just because he didn’t
agree with one of your decisions?” He could see his daughter visibly slump at his words.
“No, daddy.” She turned apologetic eyes to her cousin.
“Sorry, Drake. I won’t turn your hair blue.” Her cousin nodded his head and relaxed his stance.
Sirius didn’t like seeing them argue.
“Why don’t the two of you go find Dip and see if she’ll get you some ice cream? It seems as though
the pair of you need something to distract you and keep you from causing trouble.” Hermione
hugged him quickly before rushing forward and taking Draco’s hand in hers, so she could pull him
out of the library.
“Come on, Drake. Let’s see if we have chocolate.” Draco nodded and allowed her to lead him out of
the library, both intent on their dessert. Sirius could only shake his head. Hermione could be so bossy
sometimes, determined that she was always right.
He couldn’t help but wonder if his daughter did indeed find the Nott boy handsome. Theo had been
a guest at Black Moor several times through the years, but he had never got the impression that his
daughter had a crush on him. Perhaps she hid it well, however. Sirius knew that he wasn’t ready for
his baby girl to be interested in boys though. She was only eleven.
Sirius settled back into his arm chair and took another swig of whiskey. He was about to settle
further into his contemplation about Harry and missing so much of his life when the floo in the foyer
activated. Since there were only a handful of people with unfettered access to his home, he wasn’t
worried. He simply threw back the remainder of his whiskey and waited for them to find him. He
wasn’t surprised at all when Lucius and Narcissa joined him, Lucius going to the bar before taking
his seat next to Narcissa on the sofa. His cousin’s voice was soft.
“It hasn’t gotten any better through the years?” Sirius shook his head.
“No, I know what those muggles are like. Lily never had anything good to say about them and
Severus said that her sister was terrible growing up. I know that Harry hasn’t had a good childhood
and I can’t help but feel guilty.” Lucius sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He really had
turned out to be a good friend through the years.
“You did all you could. I could never have gone to check on him without alerting Dumbledore.
Severus probably could have but the boy would never have been able to hide the fact from the old
man when he gets to Hogwarts. That would have given away everything. It isn’t ideal in the least but
there was nothing else that you could do.” Sirius nodded, his gaze fixed in his lap.
“I know. Doesn’t make me feel any better though. I would kill someone if they treated Hermione or
Draco like I know they’re treating Harry.” His cousin and her husband nodded their heads slowly.
They did commiserate with Sirius, but they still had no clue what Petunia was like.
“It doesn’t matter. There’s nothing that I can do about it now and that’s what I must make peace
with. I can’t wait until this second war is over with.” Narcissa darted her eyes over to her husband
for a moment before speaking.
“Actually, that’s what we came to speak with you about.” Sirius was terrified. Was it possible that
the Dark Lord had already returned? He wasn’t prepared in the least and neither was Harry. As if
sensing where his thoughts had went, Lucius spoke.
“We know what you’ve been doing all this time though you’ve never said a word about it to us. We
know that you’re only in the pureblood circles because you want to know when the Dark Lord
returns. I understand that. I also understand that young Mr. Potter has no way of knowing what is
going on if Hermione doesn’t tell him.” Lucius paused before continuing.
“Narcissa and I are also aware that your daughter told Draco everything a couple years ago. He’s
never said a word, but we were able to tell that his allegiances had changed. No longer is he
committed to doing whatever it is that I say; he’s now determined that he is going to help your
daughter bring Harry Potter onside and show him the truth regarding Albus Dumbledore. It’s for this
reason that we are flummoxed.” Sirius really couldn’t say anything. He had had no idea that
Hermione had told Draco anything about what he had told her all those years ago. In hindsight,
however, he should have seen it coming. When he spoke, it was tentative.
“What are you trying to tell me?” Narcissa reached out and grasped her husband’s hand before
letting him take the floor.
“What I’m saying is that we aren’t able to let Hermione go. We remember our agreement all those
years ago and know that if we were to return to his side when he returns, it would result in Hermione
and Draco being split up. Not only would it kill him, we couldn’t bear to be separated from her. She
is like the daughter we never had, and it would kill us to lose her now over something as trivial as
blood purity.” Sirius sucked in a breath, unsure of how to proceed. When he finally spoke, he was
unsure.
“You’re sure? You know that he will target your family.” Lucius nodded, quite resolutely.
“Yes, we’re sure. We’ve considered it for years. Neither one of us wants to lose Hermione or you for
that matter. We’re family and there is nobody else that we would trust Draco’s safety with. If we
were to return to the Dark Lord’s ranks, we would never be safe, and neither would Draco. We want
to help you spy. When the second war happens, we want to be firmly aligned with the light, even if
it’s not through Albus Dumbledore.” Sirius couldn’t even manage to think about how thankful he
was that his family felt this way.
His greatest fear had been losing everything that he had gained since losing James and Lily. Sure, he
had always imagined that he would lose the Malfoys, Draco too for that matter. He had never
expected them to put Sirius and Hermione before their own well-being. Unexpected tears pricked his
eyes, but he held them back ruthlessly.
“Are you positive about this? Once you go down this path, you can’t ever turn back.” Both Lucius
and Narcissa nodded.
“We’re positive. Even if we stayed with the Dark Lord, he would someday Mark Draco and that’s
the last thing we would ever want.” Sirius knew that there was a frog in his throat as he contemplated
their words. His voice was hoarse when he finally spoke.
“Thank you. Hermione would have been devastated to lose you. She would never have understood.
Thank you.” He realized that he had thanked them twice, but he felt that the situation called for it.
The pair rose as one, Narcissa stepping forward to press a kiss to her cousin’s cheek.
“We would never abandon the two of you. You’re family after all.” Sirius returned the kiss to her
cheek before smiling.
“You and Lucius have become my closest confidants.” Lucius said nothing, he had never been much
for showing emotion when it came to males. The pair stood and left the library, the floo activating
proof that they had already left.
Sirius sat and considered their words. No longer was he alone. They had determined that Sirius and
Hermione were more important that Lord Voldemort, taking their side over his in the oncoming fight.
While he didn’t expect many others to take the same attitude, he could only hope that they would
understand their stance. It was no secret, after all, that Sirius was a Gryffindor through and through,
repudiating the Dark Lord at all turns. The Malfoys had just made the decision to stand with him. It
was a heady feeling.
Sirius considered his position now. He was already better than he had been at the start of the
evening. He had never wanted to break from Lucius and Narcissa, had never wanted to take
Hermione from her aunt and uncle. Even though he knew that it would make it harder for the Order
of the Phoenix to believe him when the truth came out, he felt stronger knowing that the Malfoys
were on his side.
Things had to get better, right?
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe what he was reading. The post had been an experience, shooting hundreds of
letters through the slots, fireplace, and windows to reach him. He had finally taken hold of one of the
letters addressed to him even though his uncle was doing his level best to make sure that he didn’t.
To say that he was surprised at what he had discovered would have been an understatement.
Harry Potter was a wizard.
It all made sense now that he had read the letter to him, inviting him to attend a special school for
wizards. He had never heard of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but he was quite
certain that his aunt and uncle had. This is what they had been keeping from him for years, that he
was sure of. He was still a little disbelieving of the fact that magic existed but there was nothing for it
now. Even his aunt couldn’t deny that magic existed now that he had seen his invitation.
Harry was unsure how to go about accepting his invitation to school. The letter spoke of sending an
owl, something that he had no idea how to do. Therefore, he just hoped that they would assume the
best and know that he was coming. This, of course, left him with the problem of getting his school
supplies and finding his way to King’s Cross. There was no way that his aunt and uncle would help
him out.
Everything was so clear now, why he was able to do things that his peers weren’t. He was a wizard
and from the few comments that he had heard his aunt make, it was likely that he would never fit in
in their world again. He knew that his aunt had hopes, however, that she could still pass him off as
normal. Harry couldn’t help but snort to himself. It wouldn’t happen anytime soon if he could help it.
As shitty as his life was, Harry had been granted an out. If he didn’t show up on the first of
September, they would surely send out the cavalry to figure out why he hadn’t been sent along. Sure,
his family could lie to the best of their ability, but Harry got the distinct impression that they feared
just what he would someday become. It kept with the thought that they had kept his heritage from
him in the first place.
He was currently cleaning up after dinner, already being forbidden from eating that evening. Even
though he would be starving in the morning, it was worth the fact that he was able to keep the letter
from earlier to reread over and over to his hearts content. To him, it was worth the trade.
Harry wasn’t aware of any family that had magic in their genes now; this left only his mother and his
father as the culprits. His aunt had refused to answer any of his questions, but this didn’t bother him.
There was nothing that his aunt could do to him once he left for school and for the ten months or so
that he would be there. He would only have to suffer with the Dursleys through the summer holidays
now.
Once the dishes were washed and put away, Harry slipped away into his cupboard and changed into
the rags that he usually wore to bed. He laid down on the cot that took up the tiny space he was
allotted and threaded his fingers behind his head.
Harry couldn’t help but wonder what the school would be like, if he would have friends there since
they would be just like he was. He was thrilled at the idea of friends, though he tried not to get his
hopes up. He had learned long ago that if he hoped for something too much, it usually didn’t come
true.
His mind was still boggled at the thought of magic being real.
Harry took his glasses off and laid them on the floor next to his bed before rolling over to snuggle
under the thin, threadbare blanket that covered his cot. The muted sound of the telly in the
background lulled him into a place between wakefulness and sleep; Harry decided that he wanted to
dream of Hogwarts.
For once, life was grand.
A/N- Another chapter down, look at me go. Thanks to everyone out there reading and reviewing,
you guys are the bomb. I did have a few problems responding to reviews last time so if you didn’t
get one, I apologize. Forgive me? Anyways, leave me a message after the beep and let me know
what you think!
Next chapter, everyone heads to Hogwarts.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 8

A/N- I’m back again, my lovelies. I got a couple days off work and while I still had to adult and do
things around the house, it afforded me with enough time to produce this chapter for you. It isn’t
often that life works out like that for me but it sure is nice when it does. My continued thanks to those
of you out there reading and reviewing this story, you guys are seriously awesome. It’s much
appreciated. I have nothing else of import to say so I’ll just get started!
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing and I haven’t made any money off this story or any others that I’ve
written.
Part 2
Chapter 8
September 1, 1991
Harry glanced around King’s Cross station, quite certain that there was no Platform 9 ¾. He really
should have gotten Hagrid to tell him exactly where he was supposed to board the Hogwarts Express
because for the life of him, he couldn’t find it.
The biggest man that he had ever seen had arrived at his house one day just a short week ago and
explained that he was there to take Harry shopping for his school supplies. They had visited a place
called Diagon Alley and the wizard bank Gringotts. Harry had had no idea that his parents had left
him money; he hadn’t known that they were well-off. Harry could only shrug his shoulders. He
hadn’t known anything about his parents.
Hagrid had told him that his mother and father had been murdered by an evil wizard called Lord
Voldemort. He had explained to him that their oldest friend had turned dark and turned them over to
his master, which resulted in the murder of his parents. Harry had been so upset that he had broken a
shop window in display of accidental magic. He had been deeply embarrassed at his show of power
and apologized profusely, offering to pay the owner for the broken window. The man had simply
laughed and waved his wand at the glass, repairing it to it’s former state. It had been the first show of
deliberate magic that Harry had witnessed, and it had been amazing.
A group of redheads hurried by, all of them pushing a cart much like he was. He stood back and
watched as the woman, a plump and somewhat frumpy sort, ushered her children into the bricks that
separated Platform 9 and 10. To watch the children disappear as if they hadn’t been there had been
disconcerting to say the least. When there was only one child left, Harry decided to be brave and step
forward.
“Excuse me, ma’am, I was wondering if you could tell me how to get through?” The woman, a little
girl, and boy that appeared to be the same age as himself turned to see who he was. The boy gasped
out loud, pointing at Harry excitedly.
“Look, mum, it’s Harry Potter.” The woman gave him a kind smile and beckoned him closer.
“It’s nice to meet you, dear. I’m Mrs. Weasley and this is Ronald and Ginny. This is Ron’s first year
to Hogwarts too.” Harry gave them all a polite nod before turning his attention back to the platform.
The woman smoothed his hair down in a motherly way before answering.
“To get onto the platform, you simply run through the barrier between nine and ten. The Hogwarts
Express is on the other side.” Harry took a deep breath and nodded. She gestured for him to go first.
With a burst of bravery, Harry rushed into the bricks, finding himself on a crowded platform once he
came to a stop. Ron came through right behind him, almost crashing into him because Harry had
been too busy staring at the huge train. Just moments after Ron came through, Mrs. Weasley and
Ginny followed.
Harry stepped towards the train since he had nobody to say goodbye to. Ron was currently being
smothered by his mother, the other redheads long gone. Once he got closer to the Express, he
wrestled his trunk and owl cage off the cart and began pulling them onto the train. Not sure if there
were special places for first years to sit, he flagged down one of the redheads that passed him. The
badge on his robes looked very official and Harry hoped that he could help him.
“Excuse me, are there assigned seats on the train?” This boy surely had to be related to Ron. Their
hair was the same vivid shade of red, rather pretty actually if it had been on a girl. The boy sniffed at
him imperiously.
“No, if you find a compartment that’s empty, anyone is free to sit there.” The boy was already
walking off, leaving Harry to wrestle his belongings on the train by himself.
After almost ten minutes, Harry had his trunk and owl cage situated in an empty compartment. He
had just taken his seat when the door opened to reveal Ron lugging his own trunk behind him.
“Mind if I sit with you, mate?” Harry flashed the boy a smile and shook his head. He took the seat
next to Harry and began fishing around in his pocket, finally pulling out a haggard-looking rat.
Harry’s attention, however, was riveted on a man that seemed to be staring at him even though there
was a pane of glass between them. Ron was getting ready to speak but Harry spoke before he could.
“Do you know who that man is and why he’s staring at me?” Ron gasped when he saw to who
Harry was referring. Even though he was still waiting for an answer, Harry couldn’t take his eyes off
the man. A small girl was next to him, smiling up at him before turning eyes to Harry as well.
The girl was very pretty. Even though he usually paid girls no mind, Harry could say without a
doubt that the girl next to the strange man was quite stunning. There was a boy next to her, already
several inches taller than she was. He thought that they were friends, but the same icy blue eyes
shone back at her. They had to be related. The girl had just thrown her arms around a man with long
blond hair, most assuredly the father of the boy next to her, when Ron finally spoke.
“That’s Sirius Black, mate, he’s the one…” Ron trailed off and Harry couldn’t help but notice the
blush that tinted his cheeks.
“The one who…?” Ron raked a hand through his shaggy hair.
“He’s the man who betrayed your parents to You-Know-Who. That must be his spawn next to him,
she looks just like him.” Harry felt the blood in his veins turn to ice.
“How did he not go to prison?” Ron shrugged.
“I don’t know. Mum and Dad always tell me that I’m too young for such conversations. Maybe
Percy or the twins would know. We can ask them when we get to Hogwarts.” Harry nodded his
head absentmindedly, still watching the man outside the train. He was now hugging his daughter
close, kissing the top of her head before laughing merrily at whatever she said. Harry could hear Ron
introducing him to his pet rat, Scabbers, but he continued to watch the man and pretty girl.
This could be a very long year at Hogwarts.
-O-
Hermione fought back tears. Today was bittersweet; she and Draco were leaving for Hogwarts,
something she had looked forward to for as long as she could remember. It was also the day that she
was going to be leaving her father alone for the better part of a year. Sure, there would be holidays
and such, but it wouldn’t compare to being home with him all year long like she had been.
They had just arrived at Platform 9 ¾. Hermione and Draco both had their trunks stowed in the
pockets of their robes, their shrinking charms quite helpful. She could see her father searching the
crowds for Harry Potter, his eyes scanning the smallest children hungrily. It was several minutes
before he grasped her shoulder and gestured with his chin.
“There he is, poppet. Merlin, he’s tiny. Have they been feeding him? He looks just like James.”
Hermione went on her tip toes and tried to see where her father was pointing.
“I can’t see him.” Sirius knelt next to her and pointed as unobtrusively as possible.
“There, he’s getting on the train now. Merlin, I wish I could go talk to him.” Hermione felt badly for
her father. She knew that he wanted to have Harry in his life more than anything.
“I’m going to be become friends with him, daddy. I’ll tell him the truth.” He pressed a kiss to the top
of her head while watching the boy through the windows of the train. Hermione was recalled to the
situation by her Aunt Cissy.
“Let’s say our goodbyes, the pair of you needs to consider boarding the train so you have decent
seats.” Hermione realized she was right and moved to hug her aunt closely. Her familiar jasmine
perfume was comforting, and Hermione found that she was going to miss it.
“I’ll miss you, Aunt Cissy. I’ll write every week.” Hermione could see Draco shaking his father’s
hand, so polite and formal. She moved away from her aunt to throw herself into the arms her uncle.
“I’ll miss you too, Uncle Luci. We’re definitely coming home for Christmas so make sure you take
time off from the Wizengamot to spend time with us.” Her uncle laughed outright, drawing
disbelieving looks from those around him. He kissed the top of her head before ruffling her curls
slightly.
“We’ll spend all the time in the world together. Now, do well in school and keep Draco in line. I
expect to get good reports back on the both of you. If you have any problems, go to Severus.”
Hermione grinned at her uncle before nodding and moving to her father.
“I’m going to miss you most, daddy. Promise me that you won’t sit at the manor all day and waste
away.” Her father threw back his head and laughed.
“Do you really see Candy allowing that to happen? She would have my hide and you know it. The
little demon doesn’t believe in respect.” Hermione laughed now.
“She respects you just fine when you aren’t being stupid. Promise you’ll write me.” Her father ran
his hand down the length of her raven curls, curls so much like his own.
“I will write you every week, I promise. You promise that you go to Severus if you have problems
and to leave Dumbledore as alone as you can. I fear what sort of retaliation he may have against
you.” Hermione was somber as she nodded her agreement.
“I promise, daddy. I’ll stay away as much as I can.” Suddenly, her eyes pricked with tears.
“I love you.” Her father kissed her forehead one last time.
“I love you too, sweetness. Be good and get good marks. I know you’ll make me proud.” Draco
reached out and grasped her hand with his larger one.
“Come on, ‘Mi. Let’s board.” With a last wave to their parents, Hermione and Draco both boarded
the train, doing their best to find an empty compartment. Once they were ensconced in one by
themselves, they removed their trunks from their pockets and returned them to their original size. Her
father had explained that the house elves would deliver their trunks from the train to the appropriate
common room. After settling in, Hermione turned to her cousin.
“Since when you do you call me ‘Mi?” Draco shrugged, his cheeks tinging pink.
“People are going to think we’re babies if I call you Miney. That a just us nickname.” Hermione
nodded. His reasoning was sound. The train began to move, and both moved to the window to wave
farewell to their parents until Christmas. She couldn’t help the thrill of excitement that went through
her. They were finally on their way to Hogwarts! They resettled in their seats and Draco broached
the subject they had talked about thousands of times over.
“What house do you think you’re going to be in?” She wrinkled her nose.
“I’m not sure. I think I have traits of all four houses. Dad was a Gryffindor though, so maybe a
lion?” Draco eyed her critically.
“I don’t think so. Sure, you’re brave if the occasion calls for it but you think everything out. You
never act brashly. Besides, your real dad was a Slytherin, so was your mum.” Hermione had to give
him that one. She never acted without thinking.
“What about you?” He grinned at her.
“I know I’m going to be a snake. There is no doubt in my mind.” Hermione laughed at his
confidence. Truth be told, she thought he would be a snake too. Then her fears settled into her chest
and her eyes became uncertain.
“What if we aren’t in the same house? We’ve never not been together.” Draco slipped an arm around
her shoulders and hugged her close.
“We’ll still see each other all the time. We’re still going to be best friends. We just won’t sleep in the
same part of the castle.” Hermione nodded against his shoulder, still not appeased but not completely
terrified. To get her mind off being separated from her cousin, she smiled brightly.
“Let’s go make friends with Harry before we reach Hogwarts. We’ll get to him before Dumbledore
does.” Draco chuckled as he stood.
“More proof right there that you’re going to be in Slytherin.” Hermione didn’t speak, just followed
him out of the compartment.
The pair traveled the length of the Express, peering into the windows of all the compartments as they
went. They were near the end when Hermione spotted Harry in a compartment that had three
redheads in it. They had to all be brothers because they looked remarkably alike. Draco groaned
before she could open the door.
“You owe me for this. Those are Weasleys and they hate our family with a passion. Father told me
all about it.” She rolled her eyes at his dramatics before sliding the door to the compartment open. All
eyes turned to herself and Draco, making her insides quake slightly when she saw the disgust on
their faces. Regardless of her inner turmoil, Hermione flashed them a bright smile.
“Hello, we came to make friends. It’s our first year at Hogwarts and we wanted to spend the train
ride with other children our age.” The youngest redhead’s eyes landed on Draco and scowled.
“We aren’t friends with Malfoys.” Hermione drew her eyebrows down in confusion.
“Why not? I’m a Malfoy too and I assure you, we’re earnest in our desire to be friends.” Sneers
graced the faces of all the redheads faces now. One of the older boys spoke. He and the other boy
appeared to be twins because Hermione could tell no difference between them.
“You sure don’t like a Malfoy.” Hermione could hear the disgust in their voices and she stiffened her
spine while raising her chin.
“My name in Hermione Black, daughter of Erise Malfoy. She was a little before your time, so I
doubt you know who I’m talking about.” The younger boy spoke again. Harry had thus far remained
silent, though he didn’t appear to be desirous of her friendship either.
“Hermione Black. Should have known that the spawn of a traitor would be a Malfoy too.” Now
Hermione could feel her hackles rising but a hand between her shoulder blades by Draco forced her
to calm herself.
“My father is no traitor. Even the ICW believed him. You were still pissing in your pants at the time,
so you really wouldn’t know, would you?” She turned to Harry.
“I’ll still be friends with you. You haven’t been mean.” Harry opened his mouth to speak but Ron
beat him to it.
“He doesn’t want to be friends with the daughter of the bloke that got his parents murdered. Can’t
you run along and find any snakes to play with? None of us here give a shite about being your
friend.” Hermione felt the familiar tears prick at her eyes again, but she refused to let them fall. Draco
stepped forward now, anger painted on his features.
“Don’t talk to my cousin like that. She has been nothing but nice to you and you just keep insulting
her. I guess that’s what bad breeding will do to a person.” Hermione wished that Draco hadn’t
insulted them, but she really couldn’t blame him. His father had charged Draco with protecting her at
school and it was a duty that Draco took quite seriously. One of the twins spoke again.
“Maybe you and your cousin should just move along. You’re clearly not wanted here and you’re
making a shite situation worse because you won’t take a bloody hint.” Hermione opened her mouth
to speak again before a voice behind them startled her.
“Just what is going on here?” Hermione spun around to see a redhead with a prefect badge on his
robes staring at them with a disdainful expression. The youngest boy in the compartment spoke
again.
“We were minding our own business and they burst in, looking for ‘friends’. We told them we
weren’t interested, and they refuse to leave.” While Harry wasn’t nodding, the two older redheads
were. The prefect shook his head at what she assumed was their behavior.
“Get back to your compartment and leave these fellows alone. They aren’t interested.” Hermione
hung her head and nodded, unsure how she was supposed to befriend Harry when his friends hated
her on sight. They hadn’t even tried to get to know her before deciding that they hated her. No
wonder Uncle Luci had warned Draco about them.
Hermione and Draco both trudged their way back to their compartment. Once they were seated
inside again, Hermione took a shaky breath. They hadn’t even reached school and they had already
been chastised by a prefect. One that was partial to the other party, sure, but chastised all the same.
“I don’t understand how they can hate me so much when they don’t even know me.” Draco
shrugged his shoulders before tugging on one of her more errant curls.
“I don’t know but we’ll get Potter to be our friend when they aren’t around.” Hermione nodded but
she was no longer sure of herself.
“I don’t think he’s going to be friends with us. He didn’t say a word, but he sure didn’t look as
though he wanted to be friends with someone that is related to the person he thinks got his parents
killed. I think we just lost our chance.” Draco tugged her hair hard enough to make her squeal and
then glare at him.
“You aren’t giving up yet. You never give up and you’re not going to start now.” Hermione
continued to glare at him but nodded. No further conversation was had about the subject because
their compartment door slid open and their friends filed in. Draco looked particularly pleased that
Pansy was among them, as was Theo, but Hermione was far happier to see Daphne. While she liked
Pansy, Hermione got along better with Daphne since the girl wasn’t quite as outgoing.
Hermione settled back into her seat and smiled at her friends. Maybe the trip to Hogwarts wouldn’t
be so terrible after all.
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe that the pretty girl that had been hugging Sirius Black had wanted to be his
friend. Her father was responsible for the deaths of his parents and she wanted to become best
friends. It was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.
After Percy made her and her cousin leave, the Weasleys all talked about how the Blacks were a
dark family and that they couldn’t be trusted. The Malfoys were brought into the conversation and
were cited to be extremely rich and snobby. Harry could honestly say that if he hadn’t known who
the girl was, he would have accepted their friendship. They were both very nice and hadn’t started
hurling insults until the Weasleys had done so. The bullied kid inside him quailed at the treatment of
this girl by people she had never met before, but Harry hardened his heart.
Her father had as good as killed his parents himself.
It was for that reason alone that Harry was entirely uninterested in friendship with the pair. He could
care less that they had money or that they were reported to be dark. They were only eleven, how
dark could they be? The Weasleys, Ron in particular, assured him that he had made the right choice.
Aside from that one altercation, Harry enjoyed his trip to Hogwarts. The Weasleys treated him as if
he was a normal wizard, not the freak of nature that his family told him he was on a daily basis. He
reminded himself that he wouldn’t have to speak with them until the following June. It was like a
dream come true. The train pulled to a stop in a place called Hogsmeade Station and Harry couldn’t
suppress the excitement that had been bubbling in him since he had woken up that morning.
It was now dark outside, the day passing quickly when he was surrounded with his new friends. His
belly growled loudly since the only thing he had ate that day was a ton of candy that Ron had talked
him into buying off the trolley. Fred and George instructed them to leave their things in the
compartment, that elves would be along and take their things to the castle. Harry couldn’t have been
more grateful; it had been difficult to get his trunk loaded by himself.
They left the train and were ushered to the boats on the lake, Hagrid calling out for all the first years
to follow him. In his broken speech, he told them to load into the boats, no more than four in each
one. Harry had spotted the girl, Hermione, with her cousin just ahead of them, an excited look on her
face. It was at the last possible moment that Harry realized that they were going to get stuck in a boat
with them, the group of people they were with fitting four in the boat ahead of them. Harry sighed
inwardly. There was nothing for it now.
The pair climbed in the boat, still unaware that Harry and Ron were loading in behind them. When
they turned and saw who was accompanying them, Ron sneered. It was hard to tell if they could see
it since it was dark outside, but Harry had a feeling that they knew. Ron just couldn’t keep his mouth
shut even though the pair hadn’t said a word.
“If you didn’t want to have to share a boat, you should have had daddy dearest buy you one.”
Hermione pursed her lips together, clearly disapproving of his statement, but the boy was by no
means timid. He was quick to hurl an insult back at Ron.
“We don’t mind sharing with people, we just mind sharing with you. We’re scared ‘dirt poor’ is
catching.” Harry could see the tips of Ron’s ears turning red in the reflection of the moon on the lake.
He knew that if this continued, it was likely that one or all of them would end up in the lake.
“Just leave it, Ron. They can stay on their end and we can stay on ours.” Ron’s hands fisted at his
sides, but he said nothing else.
The trip across the lake was beautiful. Harry could hear something out in the distance splashing in
the water, but he didn’t ask what it was. It sounded large and he could only hope that it was friendly.
Halfway across the lake, Harry got his first sight of Hogwarts and it took his breath away. This
would be his home for the next ten months. It still seemed too good to be true. Hermione grabbed her
cousin’s arm and gasped.
“Look at how beautiful it is, Draco. I see why they make us take the boats across the first time.”
Hmm. So, Draco was the cousin’s name. While he wasn’t particularly interested, Harry filed the
information away for later. The rest of the trip across the water was silent, everyone taking in the
view as apparently only happened on your first trip to Hogwarts.
They reached the dock on the other side and Hagrid climbed out of his boat, so he could start helping
them out of their own boats. Even though Hagrid helped Hermione out of the boat like he did all the
other students that came before her, he caught a slight sneer on the half-giant’s face. Did nobody like
the girl aside from her cousin? Once they were all out of the boats, Harry followed the other students
as they were led to the main steps of the castle by Hagrid. He held the door open and waited for them
all to file in and come to a stop before shouting.
“Wait ri’ here, Perfessa McGonagall’ll be here in a mo’.” Hagrid had just walked away when a very
stern looking older woman appeared out of the huge doors to their right. She didn’t glare at them, per
se, but it was clear in her expression that she was in no mood for arguing or whining.
“You are about be sorted into your house. They are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and
Gryffindor. Your houses will become your family for your duration here. Any triumphs will be
shared amongst them, as will failures. Once you’ve been sorted, please take a seat at your house
table. You will know which one it is by the cheering.” There was general unrest in all the students,
eager to get on with the sorting. The professor nodded her head after seeing that they understood and
called for them to follow her.
Harry couldn’t believe the sight of the room she led them into. All the other students were seated in
there at four long tables that stretched the length of the room. The ceiling looked like it was night
outside, stars and moon shining brightly. He faintly caught Hermione leaning into one of the girls
walking with her and telling her that the ceiling was bewitched to look like that. They came to a stop
at the front of the room where a stool was set out with an ancient looking hat sitting on top of it.
Much to Harry’s supreme surprise, the hat began speaking.
“Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can top them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a steady mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

So, put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!”

Harry was astounded. He was unsure as to which house he wanted to be in, but he had never
expected a hat to be the thing that sorted him. A talking hat no less. The woman that had led them in
there began calling out names.

“Hannah Abbott.” Harry watched one of the taller girls shuffle her way to the front of the room. He
hair was platinum blond and straight as a pin, hanging down just past her shoulders. The professor
set the hat on her head and after only a few moments, it called out.

“Hufflepuff!” The table in the middle of the room went wild and the girl’s cheeks flamed at the
attention. She took off the hat and handed it to the professor, so she could hop down and scurry over
to her new house table. Once she was seated, the woman called out for the next student.
“Hermione Black.” Harry watched the pretty girl heave a deep breath, clearly nervous as to where
she was going to be put. He thought that she was muttering to herself under her breath, but he
couldn’t be sure. Now that he could see her with all the other students, she was easily the smallest
girl. She took a seat on the stool and then waited as the hat was set on her head.
Whereas Hannah had been sorted in seconds, Hermione was still sitting there a full ninety seconds
later, a look of fear on her face. Harry wondered if the hat was going to sort her or not. Whispers
were going up around the room and Harry could see her beginning to squirm. Finally, almost a full
two minutes from the time it was set on her head, the hat yelled out.
“Slytherin!”
Ron, Fred, and George had explained about Slytherin’s on the train ride. They were usually regarded
as evil and dark, the wizard who had killed his parents had been in Slytherin. Hermione was also a
Black, a family that was akin to wizarding royalty according to his new friends. While most people
would be despairing about being in Slytherin, Hermione grinned happily and handed the professor
the hat before getting down and skipping over to her new table on the left side of the room.
As the first snake sorted, their table went wild. He could see a light blush rise to her cheeks, her pale
skin showing the color vividly. Once she was seated, Ron leaned over and spoke softly in his ear.
“Told you, evil witches and wizards come from Slytherin. Good riddance.”
Professor McGonagall continued with the list, boys and girls both taking their turns when their
names were called. The students went to all four houses, almost equally, and every table cheered
when they got a new student. It seemed to sneak up on him when he heard his name called.
“Harry Potter.”
A hush fell over the room, whispers sprouting from every table. Harry knew why they were acting
like they were; Ron had explained that he was famous on the Express. With trepidation, Harry
stepped forward and took the seat offered to him. The hat was set on his head and he was surprised
to hear the hat speaking to him inside his mind.
‘Aw, yes, Harry Potter. A fine, young lad I see, a fine mind with lots of talent. A thirst to prove
yourself. Where to put you though. Slytherin would serve you well, you’re ambitious after all.’ Harry
began whispering to himself, eyes scrunched together tightly.
“Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.” The hat laughed in his head.
‘Not Slytherin, eh. Better be…’
“Gryffindor!”
Everyone at the Gryffindor table went wild, whooping and hollering their approval of his sorting.
The professor gave him a proud smile and he couldn’t help but wonder if she had been a Gryffindor.
He handed the hat to her and made his way to his new table, Fred and George beckoning him to sit
with them. Since he knew nobody else at the table, he was quick to take the seat offered.
Harry tuned the rest of the sorting out until he heard Ron’s name get called. His siblings applauded
happily when he became a lion as well. Without further ado, the Headmaster bid them to eat, huge
amounts of food appearing on the table before them. He couldn’t recall ever seeing that much food at
one time in his life.
Harry ate his fill, the first time in years. Even though his stomach was aching, he couldn’t make
himself stop, a side effect of never getting enough to eat he was sure. Pudding arrived, and he tried
something called treacle tart and it was instantly his favorite. Just when he thought that he was going
to fall asleep at the table, the Headmaster stood and began speaking.
“Before I dismiss you, I want to remind all students that the Forbidden Forest is just that, forbidden.
Classes begin tomorrow morning and you will receive your timetable at breakfast. For those of you
not wanting to die a most horrible and painful death, the third-floor corridor is out of bounds.” He
paused and smiled serenely out at the students.
“Enough for now, off you trot to bed.” Harry was suddenly exhausted.
He rose to his feet and followed the other Gryffindors out of the Great Hall. The prefects were
spread amongst them, showing them the landmarks that would get them to breakfast without getting
lost. Harry trudged up seven floors before they came to a portrait of an extremely large woman
drinking wine.
“Fairy wings.” It was clear that this was meant to be the password and the door swung open.
He and the other first years were shown around quickly, everyone feeling the effects of the full meal.
Once the bathrooms were located, Percy showed them to their room, a large spacious room that
housed five beds. Their trunks were sitting alongside them, ready to be unpacked whenever they saw
fit. Harry was quick to strip off his clothes and climb into his pajamas; he noted that the other boys
followed his lead.
Harry didn’t worry about unpacking, he vowed that he would do it the following day. The boys did
take a few moments to introduce themselves since they would be sharing a room for the next seven
years of their lives. Even though he was exhausted, Harry couldn’t quite get his brain to turn off
enough for him to fall asleep like the others.
It was several hours later before he finally dropped off, nervous and excited for his day of classes the
following day. Not a thought was spared for the girl that had reached out to him and tried to be his
friend.
-O-
Hermione was unpacking her trunk in her new dorm room. She shared it with four other girls, Pansy,
Daphne, Millicent, and Tracey. She had known them all for years so there really wasn’t an awkward
stage where she had to introduce herself to anyone. All Draco’s friends had been sorted as snakes as
well.
As she put away her belongings in the chest of drawers and wardrobe, her mind returned to the
embarrassing display of hat stall. The hat had been stumped as to where to put her, telling her that
she would happily fit in any of the four houses. Hermione wasn’t quite certain that happily would fit
if she was a Gryffindor, but she felt like it had done a fair job of assessing that she had the traits that
all four houses prized.
Once her belongings were put away, the trunk disappeared into storage, she assumed. Deciding that
she would shower in the morning, she went ahead and changed into the pajamas she had laid out.
The girls around her were doing the same, although Pansy and Tracey decided to shower before bed.
Hermione had told herself that she was going to write her father before bed and tell him where she
had been sorted into but when it came down to it, she was far too tired. Besides, she knew that Uncle
Sevvie would be flooing her father after the feast and letting him know where she ended up. She
could just as easily write him after classes the next day.
Hermione crawled into bed and snuggled down into the fluffy silver duvet on her bed. She reached
out and pulled the curtains around her bed, not used to sleeping in the same room as anyone but
Draco. She was excited to see her timetable the following day though she didn’t think that the
curriculum was going to offer much of a challenge for her.
Her mind drifted to the situation with Harry. The only option she had left available to her was to be
persistent. She couldn’t force him to be her friend and he would never listen if she tried. Therefore,
like Draco said, she was just going to have to keep trying and not give up.
Vowing to try again the following day, Hermione gave into her exhaustion and allowed sleep to pull
her under.
A/N- In case y’all haven’t figured it out, Ron is going to be a bag of dicks in this story too. I just
can’t seem to write him as a decent person. The other Weasleys are going to be arseholes too but
they won’t be searching for Hermione or Draco to be mean to them. Be patient, eventually life will
get better for our characters. Much later, ha-ha. Anyways, let me know what you think, reviews
make me smile.
**Sorting hat song was taken from J.K.R.’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Next up, first day of classes.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 9

A/N- I’m back once again, my friends. Happy 4th of July to all my American friends!!! Not many of
you were very happy with how Harry just capitulated to the Weasleys but remember that he has no
friends, has never had friends. He doesn’t want to lose the few that he’s already made. Put yourself
in an eleven-year-olds shoes that is in the same situation. Anyways, big thanks to all those that have
read and reviewed the story, you guys are rock stars. I appreciate it more than I can say.
** Shout out to leonix2009 for being my 200th reviewer! Thanks for being so awesome! **
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing except the plot twist on this story. Even then it’s probably been done
before. I haven’t made any money off any of my stories, trust me, the six dollars I have in my
account tells no lies. Adulting sucks.
Chapter 9
September 2, 1991
Hermione was excited for her first day of classes. She had been the first to rise in her dorm,
determined to be up and ready so she wouldn’t be late for breakfast. They would be receiving their
time table then and she was eager to see just what classes she was going to have. Her father had told
her that all first years took the same classes, that they weren’t varied until their third year when
electives were available. Hermione had already started studying many of the electives with their tutor
at home, so she was unsure as to which ones she would choose when the time came.
Since she was up so early, she was the first one in the common room. She had decided to wait for
Draco there, knowing that he would come down eventually for breakfast. She was re-reading her
potions text book when the door to the common room opened and her godfather stepped through.
Since there were no children around, Hermione had no qualms throwing herself in Uncle Sevvie’s
arms. He hugged her back fiercely before releasing her to grin.
“I’m proud of you for making it into my House. I knew that you weren’t going to take after your
father.” Hermione laughed.
“Thanks, Uncle Sevvie. Honestly, the hat let me choose because it said that it couldn’t decide. I
wanted to make sure that I was with Draco. Who knew that the hat would stall out and have no idea
what to do with a student?” Her uncle laughed at her.
“It’s happened a time or two since I’ve started teaching but they’ve never had the hat on their head
for as long as you did.” Hermione shrugged at his words.
“Did you tell dad that I’m a snake? Is he alright with it?” Her uncle ran his hand down the length of
her curls.
“I flooed over and told your father, Lucius, and Narcissa last night. They were all thrilled that you
and Draco made it into Slytherin.” Hermione sent her godfather a sheepish grin.
“I was worried that dad would be disappointed if I wasn’t a Gryffindor like him.” Uncle Sevvie have
her an understanding smile.
“I know. Trust me, he’s not.” There was thundering on the stairs coming from the boy’s dorms. Her
godfather stepped away from her and assumed his potion’s master persona. Draco, Theo, Greg,
Vince, and Blaise all appeared moments later, satchels ready on their backs.
“Good morning, Professor.” He nodded his head at the boys before turning back to Hermione.
“I’ve come to make sure that all the first years make it to breakfast on time. Were the girls getting
ready when you came down?” Hermione sighed because she had absolutely no idea.
“They weren’t when I came down, but I’ve been awake awhile. I’ll go up and check on them.” He
gave her a stiff nod and she turned to head back up to her dorm. When she pushed through the door,
she found that all the girls were slinging their bags over their shoulders and getting ready to make
their way down together. Pansy caught sight of her first.
“How long have you been awake?” Hermione grinned at her.
“Awhile. I was too excited to sleep. I’m so ready for classes to start.” Pansy just shook her head as if
she didn’t understand.
“You are odd, Hermione.” She shrugged her shoulders as if she had nothing to say for herself. She
had learned long ago that it did no good to discuss academics with Pansy.
“Professor Snape is downstairs waiting to make sure we get to breakfast on time. Hurry.” The other
four girls hastened their steps, following Hermione back down the stairs to the common room. Once
they were all gathered again, Uncle Sevvie spoke.
“Before we go down, I want everyone to listen to me. You are Slytherins and therefore, the rest of
the school is going to assume that you’re evil by association. The other students are going to try to
get you in trouble. Other professors may favor the other houses over yourself. It’s unfair and I don’t
expect you to like it, but I do expect you to not retaliate. I’m known for showing favor to the snakes,
everyone will tell you. This is true. However, I also expect you to not get caught causing trouble or
getting caught in petty house rivalries. You are Slytherins and you are above that. Don’t let me hear
of you retaliating. If you have a problem that you can’t handle yourself, come to me. I can’t
guarantee that the other professors will help you. Now, are you ready to head down to breakfast so
you can get your time tables?” Hermione nodded enthusiastically, Draco copying her movement.
Daphne looked excited as well but curbed her actions. The rest of them nodded but looked much
more sedate.
“Follow me.”
Professor Snape took off and led them out of the common room and up the stairs out of the common
room. They wended through the corridors until the familiar sight of the Great Hall came into view.
Gesturing for them to file in and take their seats, Hermione watched her uncle stalk back the way he
had come. She figured that he was going to be entering from the staff entrance.
Hermione and her class of first years took their seats at their house table and began spooning food
onto their plates. She wasn’t particularly hungry, she usually wasn’t when she was nervous, but she
knew that she needed to eat. The last thing that she wanted was to get a headache during class.
Therefore, she ate a small pile of scrambled eggs and a slice of toast with marmalade.
Once most of them had finished their meal, her uncle came down from the High Table and started
passing out the time tables to the whole house. Since it was alphabetical, Hermione was near the
front of the line. Her father had told her that as they got older, they would get double periods but for
their first year, they would all be regular classes. She perused her schedule while Draco leaned over
her shoulder.
“All but one of our classes are with the Gryffindors. Do the professors hate us that much? Their
hatred of Slytherin is legendary.” Hermione had been surprised to hear Theo speak. Where Draco
was usually the outgoing one and the first to speak on any given subject, Theo did make
observations occasionally. Just not often enough for Hermione to not swivel her head to look at him.
“Maybe this year will be different. Maybe if we’re nice to them they’ll be nice to us.” Theo shrugged
his shoulders, obviously not wanting to tell her that she was being stupid to believe that. Draco
squeezed her arm softly.
“Maybe, ‘Mi, but we need to be prepared for the worst. My father said that Slytherins stick together
so if they’re mean to one of us, we all stand up for that person.” Hermione knew exactly what he
was doing and while she hated that it was necessary, she was grateful. They all knew that Hermione
was already widely hated throughout the school due to her father and his supposed actions against
the Potters.
Everyone nodded their agreement to Draco’s words and stood, deciding that they wanted to leave
early to find their first class. Hermione knew that the other first years were scared to ask for
directions but since she most certainly didn’t want to spend the next thirty minutes looking for the
Transfiguration classroom, she stopped by one of the older boys.
“Can you tell us how to get to Transfiguration?” The other first years couldn’t believe that she had
stopped and asked but they all hung on every word. The boy narrowed his eyes at her.
“What’s your name?” Hermione smiled at him even though he didn’t look particularly pleased.
“Hermione Black, what’s yours?” Suddenly, his face cleared, and he didn’t look put out at all. He
reached out and took her hand in his before bending over it to kill her knuckles. Hermione felt her
face flame but the other girls behind her were whispering jealously.
“I’m Marcus Flint. I would love to show you and all the other firsties to Transfiguration.” Hermione
instantly felt terrible.
“Oh no, I wouldn’t want you to miss your breakfast. Directions are perfectly fine.” The older boy
shook his head.
“Absolutely not. My father would have my hide if I let a daughter of the house of Black get lost of
her very first day.” Hermione felt her cheeks grow hot again but nodded.
“Very well. I appreciate it very much.” While Marcus stood and gathered his things, his friends
watching him with amused expressions on their faces. Marcus had just beckoned for them to follow
him when Draco leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“Watch out for him. He heard your last name and realized you’re royalty. He’s sucking up so maybe
he can petition for your hand when you get older.” Hermione frowned at his words before meeting
his eyes.
“You really think so? I’m only eleven for Merlin’s sake.” Draco nodded sagely.
“I’m positive. Father told me that people were going to react like that towards you. You’re the heir to
the richest family in Britain after mine. Everyone is going to want a piece of you. Why did you think
Father told me to look after you? It wasn’t because he didn’t think that you couldn’t hex someone
seven ways from Sunday if they crossed you.” Hermione considered his words and concluded that
he was probably right. She gave a resolute nod at her cousin.
“Thanks, Drake, I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Hermione then hurried up behind Marcus with her friends, eager to get to their first class.
-O-
Harry was near to bursting with excitement at learning magic. Ron had done nothing but complain
since they had received their time tables, whinging that he hated schoolwork and they needed to
make quidditch a subject. Harry had bore it good-naturedly, laughing at the faces that his friend was
pulling.
Even though he was quite certain that he didn’t want to be friends with Hermione Black, he found
that he couldn’t take his eyes off her when she had stood with her friends and stopped by an older
boy, so she could speak with him. At first, he had appeared annoyed, but Harry watched as his
expression changed. He couldn’t help the foreign lurch deep in his belly when the boy had bowed
over her hand and kissed it. His eyes followed her out of the Great Hall which Ron noticed right
away.
“I don’t blame you, I’d keep an eye on that one too. Who knows if she wants to finish the job of
killing you for her dad?” There were several hisses from Neville and Seamus and Ron turned red.
“Sorry, mate. Didn’t mean it the way it sounded.” Harry decided that he didn’t want to fight with his
new friends, so he nodded his head in understanding. It was Neville that spoke next.
“Ron, you’re being too hard on Hermione. I’ve known her for years, Draco too, and they’re both
really nice. I’ve been to her home and haven’t been treated badly at all.” Harry swiveled his head
around, so he could look at the other Gryffindor.
“Why were you at her house? Doesn’t your family care that her father was a traitor to the light?”
Neville rolled his eyes.
“I’m a pureblood. Most of the purebloods grow up together after their sixth birthday. I’ve been to all
her birthday parties, some of Draco’s too. Hermione is really smart, and she doesn’t mind talking
about plants with me.” Neville sighed before continuing.
“My gran knew Lord Black when he was friends with your parents, my parents were friends with all
of them. She told me that he would never have sold out your parents to You-Know-Who.” Harry
considered his words before speaking.
“She said something about the ICW believing him. Do you know what that’s about?” Neville shook
his head.
“No, gran never talks about those days. I only know the part about Lord Black because she was
telling Ron’s mum one day in Diagon Alley when I was with her and he passed them. He greeted
them both respectfully and Mrs. Weasley started in about him. My gran told her that about Lord
Black being friends with my parents and the Potters.” Harry wanted to consider his other friend’s
words, but Ron spoke as he stood.
“You believe what you want, Nev. Do you think it’s worth taking the chance of her killing Harry in
his sleep?” Harry rolled his eyes again at his friend’s theatrics but remained silent as he followed him.
They needed to get to class after all.
Harry was regretting leaving breakfast late. All the Gryffindor first years had no idea where they
were headed so in the end they stopped and asked Percy for directions. After he directed them to the
third floor, Harry started for class, the rest of them following him, apparently promoting him to
leader.
As he turned the corner leading him to the classroom, he caught sight of Hermione and her group of
snakes queuing up outside the door. The older boy was bent over her hand again, kissing her
knuckles before he bid her farewell. Her cheeks were a lovely shade of pink. Draco Malfoy glared at
the older boy, said something that caused his face to harden, and pulled his cousin away by her
elbow. He watched the blond boy pull her aside and speak with her, his face going from anxious to
happy before he reached out and tugged on one of her curls. Harry almost winced at the shriek she
let out. Ron didn’t bother hiding his distaste.
“Merlin, Malfoy, I know you two are cousins, but I think it’s just a bit too close for you to consider
her as a prospect. We all know that the Blacks and Malfoys are as inbred as they come.” Since
Hermione Black hadn’t thrown any insults and him or his friends since they had met, he was rather
surprised when she stepped in front of her cousin and glared at Ron.
“Actually, the Malfoys and Blacks haven’t been paired together for over two hundred years. As a
proper pureblood, you should know that. Perhaps your stupidity can be attributed to troll genes, one
can never be sure. I haven’t gone on insulting your family, have I? I would appreciate it if you didn’t
insult mine.” Draco was openly laughing at Ron now, the rest of the snakes behind them were
snickering into their hands. Ron was sputtering, and all the other lions looked angry aside from
Neville. Harry couldn’t feel that Ron had deserved her words just a little bit. Hermione hadn’t started
anything with him, but she had certainly finished it. Before Ron could speak again, Neville stepped
forward and took Hermione’s hand in his, so he could bend over it and kiss her knuckles. The
Gryffindors all fell silent as they watched the interaction.
“It’s been a few months, Hermione. I’m sorry that we’ll miss your birthday party this year. Maybe
we could get together and study sometime.” He turned to the rest of the snakes.
“You’re all welcome of course. I haven’t seen any of you since Draco’s birthday.” The rest of the
Slytherins seemed to not have a problem with Neville, the boys shaking his hand firmly. They spoke
for a few moments in the queue before Ron started hissing to the others.
“Bloody traitor.” Harry couldn’t let that pass.
“Ron, that isn’t fair. Those kids have been his friends since he was six. Is he supposed to just drop
them because they’re in Slytherin? Would you have dropped me if I had been sorted into Slytherin?”
He hadn’t mentioned to Ron just how close that possibility had come to being a reality. His friend
sputtered next to him, but in the end, looked defeated.
“No, I suppose not.” Harry gave a sharp nod.
“Then let Neville have his friends. He’s not asking that you befriend them, he’s just telling us that
they’re not so bad, that he’s known them for a long time and has more insight into the matter than we
do.” Nobody got to say another word because the door opened at the witch who had handled the
sorting the night before stepped out and ushered them inside.
The two houses each sat on one side, none of them looking too keen about mixing company. The
woman introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House. Without further
ado, she bid them to remove their texts, parchment, and quill from their bags and to take notes. Most
of the Slytherins did as they were told, as did most of the Gryffindors. Harry had never been called
upon to take notes in muggle school, he simply hadn’t been old enough, but he wrote down the
things that the professor had told them were important.
They went over their syllabus for the year and started the lesson on changing a matchstick to a
needle. Harry was excited to try the wand movement and incantation, but the bell ended class before
they could begin. He was a little disappointed but reminded himself that he had Transfiguration the
very next day and there was nothing saying that he couldn’t give it a try that night.
The class dismissed, and Harry watched as Hermione Black went to the front of the room and asked
Professor McGonagall for directions to Charms. Harry watched as a flash of dislike crossed her
features, but she hid it quickly and gave her short and succinct directions. Hermione then snagged the
arm of her cousin and pulled him from the classroom, the others following behind her easily. Since
Harry had no idea where he was going, he decided to follow as well, though at a distance.
They found Charms with no problems. The door was already standing wide open so they all filed in
and took their seats. Harry once again sat by Ron, pulling out his text, parchment, and quill,
assuming that this class would most likely be just like Transfiguration. Their professor, a tiny little
man by the name of Professor Flitwick, appeared and started the lesson post haste. Harry repeated
the same actions as he had in Professor McGonagall’s’ class, taking notes as well as he could. When
he glanced over at Ron’s parchment, it was woefully wanting; there were only a few lines scribbled
on the page and his friend was staring out the window. Harry nudged him sharply, gesturing with his
chin to pay attention.
They were learning the wand-lighting charm and Harry was excited to see that they had ten minutes
to practice before class dismissed to lunch. Wanting to see how everyone else did, he waited before
he cast the spell and watched those around him. Ron failed on his first attempt, also his second and
third. Neville managed it on the third try, while Dean and Seamus got it on their fourth. Hermione
and Malfoy both got it on their first attempt, looking quite bored. Most of the other Slytherins
managed it, though not on their first or second try.
Finally, Harry decided that he needed to try before the class dismissed. He gave a wave of his wand,
said the incantation as clearly as he could.
“Lumos.”
His wand flickered but then went out. Harry frowned before waving his wand again, putting more
concentration into the spell. This time when he spoke the words, his wand lit up and help,
illuminating the area around him. Ron flashed him a grin.
“Wicked.” Harry grinned back, proud of himself that he had managed his first spell with no
problems. Before he could say anything else, the bell rang, and Professor Flitwick was speaking.
“We’ll continue practicing next lesson, everyone make sure you bring your wands.” Harry gathered
his things quickly, shoving it all into this bag so he could hurry out of the classroom. His first spell
had been cast, setting him on the path of following his parent’s footsteps. Today was a great day.
-O-
Hermione ate better at lunch than she had at breakfast. Both morning classes had been a success but
a disappointment at the same time. Even though she hadn’t had time to change a matchstick to a
needle in Transfiguration, she had already practiced it at home once she had gotten her wand.
Charms had been a breeze as well, the lumos spell being the first spell she had ever learned at age
three. While it was deemed a success, Hermione could already tell that she was going to be bored out
of her mind this year. By the look on Draco’s face, he was thinking the same thing.
The Slytherin table was subdued compared to the other three houses, though Hermione still found it
louder than what she was used to. She supposed that she would eventually get used to it but until
then, she tried to stave off the oncoming headache. Her mind drifted while she waited on the others
to finish.
Hermione couldn’t help but feel just a little bit guilty at the fact that she had retaliated to Ron
Weasley. Her uncle had been quite clear in saying that they had better not get caught retaliating and
then she had done it in plain view and hearing of a professor’s classroom, a professor that clearly
didn’t like her. She didn’t miss the expression that crossed her face when she had asked for directions
to Charms; Professor McGonagall either really hated Slytherins in general or was such a loyal
supporter of Dumbledore that she had believed his story hook, line, and sinker. Though, her father
had told her that the woman had been present the day that the old man had cursed her. Now, she
could only hope that nobody opened their mouth to her uncle.
Hermione had felt eyes on her throughout both her classes. Out of the corner of her eye, she had
caught sight of Harry watching her and she wasn’t sure how to take it. While she was pleased that he
was showing interest, the Slytherin wasn’t sure if it was the right kind. It certainly wasn’t a good
kind of interest if he was watching her because he was worried that she was going to attack him.
More than anything, she had wanted to tell him the truth, to make friends with him like her father
wanted. She wanted to make their family whole again. Neville had had no problems showing that he
was friends with her, that he had accepted her, but the rest of the lions still didn’t want a thing to do
with her. Her thoughts were interrupted by a boy tapping her on the shoulder. She caught sight of
Draco glaring before she turned to see the most stunning boy she had ever seen in her life.
His blond hair hung to his shoulders, not platinum blond like Draco’s but a warm honey blond. His
eyes were a brilliant sea green and were focused solely on her. Even though her mouth was dry, she
gulped softly, hoping that she wouldn’t be required to speak. The other girls were whispering next to
her, what Hermione couldn’t tell though.
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Thorfinn Rowle and I’m a seventh year. Would you
allow me to escort you to your next class?” Hermione knew that her cheeks were flushed, probably
down into her neck as well. Before she could answer, Draco stood and faced the older boy down.
“The only way you’re getting near her is with me present. It isn’t proper for you to escort her without
a family member since you’re making quite clear that you’re interested in her. You’re aware that
she’s only eleven?” Rowle faced Draco with a hard expression.
“I’m more than aware of her age. I’m merely introducing myself and offering my services. There is
nothing you can do to stop me, Mr. Malfoy.” Draco lifted his chin and his face went impassive.
“I assure you there is. All I need do is send a single owl to either my father or hers and that will be
the end of you. You think either one of those two will stand by and let you manipulate her?” A flash
of fear crossed the features of Rowle before he grudgingly nodded.
“Of course, all the first years are welcome to come with us.” Draco gave a nod and helped Hermione
to stand. She had finally gained some of her abilities back, so she had little problem gathering her
things. Rowle didn’t wait for the others, just took off, assuming that they would hurry after him.
Draco took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm, escorting her so Rowle wouldn’t attempt
it. She stuck her tongue out at him, finally drawing a smirk out of him.
Since they were headed to Herbology, Rowle led them to the door that would take them nearest the
greenhouses. After telling them to go straight for the big building on the right, Rowle left with a
swish of robes. The girls all started exclaiming excitedly.
“Merlin, did you see him? He was gorgeous!” Hermione couldn’t help but agree. However, after
seeing how he acted after Draco had called him out, she had a feeling that he was just wanting a
chance at marrying her as well. Apparently, most purebloods were superficial enough to only want to
marry someone for their money, standing, and power. Once they were well on their way, Draco
spoke quietly.
“I heard the boys last night in the dorms after they thought we went to bed. They were comparing
numbers and Rowle has been with more than his fair share. You can count on the number being
even higher by the time he married you. By the way he was talking, I don’t think that he would
remain faithful either. I know that’s a big deal for you.” Hermione nodded.
It was true. Her father had instilled in her, as well as Aunt Cissy and Uncle Luci, that when she
married she should be able to expect loyalty from her spouse and she would give it in return. They
implored her to only marry for love and hope that it would be a good match. Since she knew that her
father didn’t care about blood status, she didn’t figure that her aunt and uncle could say much about
her choice when the time came for her to make it.
When they entered the greenhouse, Hermione turned to see that the Gryffindors were following
behind them, though further back than she had expected. She and Draco took seats together at the
front of the room, getting out their supplies so they would be ready when Professor Sprout appeared.
The lions filed in and took seats together much the same way they had when they had attended
Transfiguration and Charms. When Professor Sprout breezed through the door, she smiled at the
class.
“This won’t do. I promote house unity in my class, so you will be paired with someone from the
opposite house. See your pairs on the boards and move accordingly.” Hermione looked up and her
heart leapt.
She was paired with Harry!
Hermione stood and moved towards Harry, waiting patiently for Ron to gather his bag and move on.
He threw a glare her way, but she steadfastly ignored it as she took his seat. Draco had been paired
Ron and she felt terrible for him. Pansy was with Seamus, Daphne with Lavender, Millie with
Parvati, Theo with Faye, Greg with Dean, Neville with Tracey, and Vince with Sally. It had worked
out perfectly, surprising Hermione. Hermione sent a small smile Harry’s way.
“Hello.” He didn’t glare at her, but he didn’t respond. Nothing else could be exchanged since
Professor Sprout launched into her lecture for the day. After going over the syllabus, she started on
the bouncing bulb, something that Hermione had covered years ago with her tutor. She took diligent
notes even though she had her original set in her wardrobe back in her dorm. She caught Harry
trying to read her notes, then look at his own before he started writing again at a rapid pace. His
handwriting truly was atrocious.
The bell rang, and Hermione began to collect her things. Harry was doing the same next to her and
he had yet to speak a word to her. Deciding that it was now or never, she turned to him.
“I’m glad that we’re going to be partners in this class.” He just stared at her for a few moments,
confusion flickering on his features, before he finally spoke.
“I’ve got to go. Ron’s waiting on me.” Hermione knew that her face fell at his words, but he wasn’t
there to see it. He had already started in the direction of the door where Weasley was waiting for him
impatiently. Draco came to her side and tugged her hair softly.
“It’ll work out, I know it will.” Hermione nodded and turned to her cousin.
“Let’s go to History of Magic. We have it with the Ravenclaws.”
Hermione vowed to herself that before the next day of classes she was going to get her notes from
her tutor out and use them instead of taking new ones, taking down any new information in those. It
made the most sense. Draco smiled at her and gestured for her to lead the way.
-O-
Harry was confused. He was unsure of how he felt about Hermione Black. He had taken Neville’s
words into account, also Ron’s, but he couldn’t help but feel as though he was betraying the memory
of his parents by even considering befriending her. He would have to ponder the situation long and
hard before he made a final decision.
Sure, he wanted to remain friends with Ron. Harry had never had friends before and Ron and his
brothers had been his first. He wasn’t the happiest with how they treated Slytherins, Ron especially,
but he supposed that they probably had some reason for it, one that he wasn’t privy to. However, he
also liked Neville and he couldn’t see the clumsy boy being friends with someone that wasn’t at the
very least a decent person.
They were headed to the common room, Ron spouting that he wanted to play wizards’ chess during
their free period. While they hadn’t been assigned homework on their first day of classes, Harry was
a little excited to continue practicing the lumos spell and start practicing for Transfiguration. It was
rumored to be the most difficult subject in Hogwarts. It simply wouldn’t do to fall behind before they
even began.
Ron was insistent, however, citing that they could practice later that night. Since he was already
complaining that Harry was paired with Hermione in Herbology, he capitulated. His friend set up the
chessboard and explained the concept of the game since Harry had never played before. While Ron
didn’t seem to be the most dedicated to school work, he was quite good at explaining how to play the
game.
They played for the whole of their free period, Ron beating him both times that they were able to
play. Harry didn’t feel as though he would ever get the hang of it, but Ron assured him that his
second attempt was much better than his first. Harry decided to give it awhile before he abandoned it
completely.
The pair headed down to dinner together, Fred and George walking with them. They were telling
him and Ron about the prank that they had pulled on the Slytherins, the first years specifically,
promising that they would get to witness it at dinner. Harry wasn’t sure how he felt about that but
decided to see just what the twins had done. If their hair turned pink or something like that, he could
admit that that could be funny.
They slid into the bench seats at the Gryffindor table and immediately started to dig into their meal.
Harry piled his plate high with chicken and potato casserole, the food at Hogwarts being the best that
he had ever eaten in his life. Hermione and Malfoy arrived, though they were alone. The rest of the
first years appeared to have stopped somewhere along the way, leaving the cousins to make their
way alone to dinner.
Harry watched as the pair put food on their plates, laughing together about who knew what.
Hermione good-naturedly shoved her cousin with a smile on her face while Malfoy reached out and
tickled her side. Just watching them made Harry wish that things could have been different between
himself and Dudley. He doubted that they ever would have had that easy camaraderie the pair
displayed but just getting along and not hating each other would have been nice.
The whole table watched on the edges of their seats as Hermione Black poured herself a glass of
pumpkin juice. She offered it to Malfoy, but he shook his head and gestured to the milk that he had
poured himself. The pretty first year took a drink and set it down without realizing that there were
now words appearing on her face. Harry couldn’t read them yet but if he knew the Weasley twins
the tiny bit that he thought he did, he’d be able to quite quickly.
Suddenly, a Hufflepuff screeched when she saw the words on Hermione’s forehead and cheeks. The
whole Great Hall looked up to see just what was happening, but it was quite clear when everyone
started staring at Hermione Black. Malfoy was furious, that was plain to see, holding his cousin’s
face in his hands to try to see what the words said. Fred (or was it George?) leaned over and
guffawed.
“Snake slag in training. I wish that the others would have been here to drink the juice too.” Harry
was speechless. He was still trying to wrap his head around what was happening. The rest of the
table was tittering apart from Neville. Hermione was now openly crying, her house circling around
her protectively, while she buried her face in Draco’s chest. Harry couldn’t help but feel a little guilty
even though he knew that he wasn’t responsible for this act and he wasn’t laughing. Neville,
however, stood abruptly and shoved his full plate of food at the twins, splattering them everywhere
when it came to a halt. His face was red, and Harry had a feeling that this wasn’t going to end well,
especially when he saw Professor McGonagall headed their way. Professor Snape was already at
Hermione’s side, arm wrapped around her shoulders and speaking quietly with her.
“You two are fucking despicable. I’ve never seen such a display of cowardice, you’re not even
deserving of wearing Gryffindor colors. You’re third years and you played a malicious prank on first
year Slytherin girls. Hermione Black has done nothing to deserve your actions, all she did was
express the wish to be friends with all of you. You insulted her, you insulted her family, and you
humiliated her. The rest of you are just as despicable for thinking it’s funny. If I wasn’t determined to
make Gryffindor proud for my parents, I’d request a new sorting, so I could distance myself from
arseholes like you.” He leaned over even further so he could make sure that the Weasley twins heard
him.
“Just because your family has fallen from the pureblood elite doesn’t give you the right to torment
those who haven’t. Hermione is a good person and she would never hurt anyone. I’m ashamed to be
in Gryffindor right now.” Professor McGonagall had heard every word and she was clearly shocked
silent. Neville got out of the bench seat and stalked over to the Slytherin table where Hermione was
still wrapped up in the embrace of her cousin and Head of House. He hugged Hermione close when
he got there and then turned to follow them out of the Great Hall. Harry was instantly brought back
to the happenings at his own table. Professor McGonagall was now speaking low, a sure sign that
her anger was red-hot. The twins were quailing in their seats.
“I cannot believe that students in my House would stoop so low as to humiliate a first year in such a
way. It makes no matter who the student is or how you feel about them, it is completely
unacceptable. Mr. Longbottom said it better than I could. I’m ashamed of my own House right now.”
The twins tried to defend themselves.
“It wasn’t supposed to be just her, it was for all the first years.” Fury flared in her eyes.
“Is that supposed to make me feel better? That’s even worse. I may not care for Miss Black, but I
will not tolerate my House tormenting an eleven-year-old girl. There is a ridiculous amount of
animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor already and tonight just made it worse. I’m sure that I
don’t have to inform you that the Black family is like royalty in our world and you just attacked its
princess. What do you think the rest of the pureblood society is going to do about it?” This was
turning into a lesson, apparently. Harry was grateful since this was all foreign to him. Ron snorted at
her words, however.
“Not all purebloods think that Blacks are royalty. The Weasleys don’t, we think they’re scum.
Neither do the Browns, the Abbotts, the Bones, many others. It’s only the dark purebloods that do.”
Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow at her.
“I think you should look around, Mr. Weasley. Does Susan Bones look very happy? What about
Hannah Abbott? Yes, I saw Miss Brown laughing, but look at all the other pureblood children sitting
at these tables. Most of them don’t look very happy. Mr. Longbottom is an example. His family is as
light as they come but he just gave you a piece of his mind and left with Miss Black. Yes, he’s
friends with her now, that much is real, but he’s friends with her because his family paid court to
hers.” His Head of House sighed and tried to calm herself down. When she spoke again, it was at a
normal volume.
“I’m not saying that you have to regard Miss Black as royalty. I think it’s all rubbish. I am saying that
you are all foolish if you think that this won’t somehow come back around on you. Not only is it
wrong what happened to Miss Black tonight, it wasn’t smart to paint a target on your backs and on
the backs of your families. You need to be smarter, especially when the girl has done nothing to any
of you.” She squared her shoulders and raised her chin high, the whole of the Great Hall watching
with interest. When she spoke, it was loud enough to carry.
“Mr. and Mr. Weasley, you will both serve a month of detention with Professor Snape. The rest of
Gryffindor House will spend tomorrow night in detention as well, with Mr. Filch. I think scrubbing
the castle down by hand will be a fitting punishment for laughing at your fellow student.” Harry
wanted to point out that he hadn’t laughed at all but decided that it probably wouldn’t be wise since
the rest of his peers had. The table accepted their punishment silently but not happily. Harry waited
until the table started to break up before he stood and started for the door.
He wanted to go to his dorm, take a shower, and crawl into bed. He wanted tomorrow to be a better
day. Unsurprisingly, Harry realized that he no longer wanted to practice his spells and decided to do
just that.
-O-
Hermione was sitting on her uncle’s lap, cuddled into his chest, as Draco sat nearby watching them
with a pained expression. She knew that he felt helpless and that he didn’t like it but there was
nothing that she could do about it. Uncle Sevvie was stroking her curls, calming her down.
The words were already gone from her face, but she couldn’t stop the burning humiliation she felt at
the whole Great Hall laughing at her. Her house had closed ranks around her, shielding her from the
view of others but that didn’t help the fact that everyone knew that she had ‘snake slag in training’
spelled onto her features.
She had just been informed of the punishment that Professor McGonagall had levied against the
whole of her house. While she was happy that they were getting punished, she also knew that it had
nothing to do with the fact that the stern professor liked her or wanted to protect her. It was done to
protect her own house from retaliation, that’s why she had punished everyone. It made it worse when
considered that their punishment wasn’t for her, it was to protect them.
Uncle Sevvie was furious, not that she expected him to be anything but. The words had been
vanished from her face before they had even left the Great Hall, but he had still insisted on bringing
them to his office where she could gather herself and he could comfort her. The fireplace in his office
flared and her father stepped out of it. Hermione flew off her uncle’s lap and threw herself into her
father’s embrace. He held her tight and sat next to Draco, reaching out to ruffle her cousin’s hair.
“What happened?” Hermione buried her face in his neck while Uncle Sevvie explained. She could
feel her father getting tenser and his arms holding her tighter and tighter. When her uncle went silent,
her father put his finger under her chin and forced her to look at him.
“Don’t let them see that this bothers you. Cry all you want to Draco and Severus but don’t give them
power over you. You’re better than the fucking Weasleys, Hermione. If this is how they treat young
girls, I seriously wonder about their upbringing. When I was in school, the only pranking on first
years was done by first years. This is unacceptable.” She nodded, her tears finally dry.
“I won’t, daddy. I just don’t know why they don’t like me. I tried to be friends with them, Harry and
the Weasleys, but they were mean to me and said that they didn’t want to be friends with us because
you’re a traitor and we’re Malfoys. They don’t even know Draco and I, how can they say that?” She
was honestly confused about the matter. Her father stroked her hair while he tried to find the best
answer.
“They do that because that’s how they’ve been taught to think. They’re doing what their parents
have taught them. Their parents all think that I’m a traitor and that I’ll do the unthinkable and have
you kill Harry off for me. They know that Lucius was a Death Eater in the first war and have taught
their children to hate them for that reason. There is also a long-standing feud between the Malfoys
and the Weasleys so that plays into it also. As for Harry, I have a feeling that he didn’t have a very
good childhood. He may not have had friends and he’s scared to lose the ones that he’s already
made. It doesn’t excuse him condoning this kind of behavior, but I understand it.” Hermione
considered his words for several moments before she nodded her head.
“I guess that makes sense. I just don’t think that he’s ever going to be my friend which means that he
won’t ever listen to me about the truth.” Her father kissed her forehead.
“Poppet, you don’t have to solve all the problems. I know you want to help and if you can, that’s
wonderful. If you can’t get through to Harry, that isn’t your fault. The truth will come out someday
and when that happens, I’ll be waiting. Don’t beat yourself up if he won’t listen to you. His mother
and father were both extremely stubborn.” Uncle Sevvie snorted.
“That’s the understatement of the year.” They all chuckled softly before her father met her uncle’s
gaze.
“I’ll let this slide this time but if something like this happens again, I will destroy the Weasley’s
standing in the Ministry. I can take aspersions on my name and character, but Hermione shouldn’t
have to pay the price for being related to me.” Hermione sat up and met her father’s gaze
unflinchingly.
“I’m proud that you’re my father. You’ve never done me wrong.” He laughed at her now before
setting her on her feet.
“I know, sweetness, I’m just saying that you shouldn’t have to suffer because of things in my past.”
She knew that her father was getting ready to leave; she had been warned that he wouldn’t be able to
stay long so the Headmaster wouldn’t discover his presence.
Hermione hugged him close around the waist, reveling in the firm hug he held her in. She felt him
shake Draco’s hand behind her before he released her and stepped towards the floo.
“Stay strong, poppet. Draco, I’ll tell your parents that you’re acting admirably regarding your
cousin.” Hermione sniffled just once.
“Love you, daddy.” He took a handful of floo powder and prepared to throw it in the fire.
“Love you too, sweetness.” With a flash of green flames, he was gone. Draco took her hand as they
turned to Uncle Sevvie. He smirked at them before standing himself.
“Come on, you two. I’ll deliver you to the common room and I suggest you make it an early night.
Today was a long day and I have a feeling that tomorrow isn’t going to be any better.” The pair
nodded and followed their uncle out of his office and into the dark corridors of the dungeon.
-O-
Severus was livid. He stalked through the corridors of the dungeons, making his way up to the
second floor so he could meet with Albus. Yes, his Slytherins had been the butt of pranks before,
hell, he had been for years. Never had one been this humiliating, not one that he was aware of
anyways. The fact that it was his godchild that was the victim made him want to kill someone.
He had learned that Minerva had assigned the Weasley twins to him for a month of detentions. While
he was thrilled that they would be his, he was also worried that he would seriously curse them for
causing his niece to cry into his robes until she had been exhausted. This was unacceptable, and it
would not be happening again.
Albus must have known that he would come because he didn’t have to produce the password at the
griffin. It merely leapt out of the way when he stood before it. He didn’t bother to wait for the stairs
to deliver him to the top, he climbed them on his own in a hurry to get to his employer. When he
threw the door open, he found not only Albus but Minerva as well. He slammed the door shut
behind him and stalked over to the desk where the pair were conversing quietly.
“You took no points from your house, Minerva? Yet you tell me that I’m the biased one.” She did
manage to flush at his words and he couldn’t help but wonder if she had merely forgotten. Not that it
mattered. He was out for blood.
“A month of detention isn’t enough for those two fools. They completely humiliated a first year in
my house. I don’t claim that my house is perfect, but they don’t attack innocent first years. Hermione
Black has done nothing to anybody since she’s been here, and her father is livid. I would call for
expulsion.” Both Minerva and Albus looked scandalized. Minerva was the first to recover.
“That’s going too far, Severus, they’re just children. I’ve never punished my house so harshly as I
did tonight. Mr. Longbottom was the only one to escape punishment, even though his language left
much to be desired.” Severus picked up and trinket off Albus’ desk and threw it at the wall,
shattering it completely. He was heaving deep breaths, so he willed himself to calm down. This
wasn’t how Slytherins acted.
“Those disgraces made the words ‘snake slag in training’ appear on the face of an eleven-year-old
girl. Not just any eleven-year-old girl, Hermione Black, the same girl that the Headmaster has a
charge of assault against a minor for. If this went public, how do you think our world would view
that this had been allowed to happen?” He knew that he would have to spin it like he was concerned
about the Headmaster to get what he wanted. This also seemed to warm both parties up to him.
Albus sighed and began twirling his beard.
“I understand the repercussions, Severus. I’m not the happiest with the Weasley twins right now, nor
with the rest of Gryffindor house, but I can’t expel the children. Even if it ruins my reputation, I need
the Weasleys in the Order. I don’t think that Lord Voldemort is gone for good and we will someday
have to resurrect it. That would be near to impossible without Arthur Weasley. He’s well-liked in the
Ministry and could net us many allies. You will just have to make sure that they remember the month
of detention they spend with you, Severus. It’s the best we can do.” He folded his hands and
narrowed his eyes.
“Why does her father know what happened?” Severus couldn’t believe the stupidity of the
Headmaster. Even Minerva was looking at him as if he was daft. Severus refused to back down.
“He is her father. It is procedure to inform parents when their children are seriously injured or
targeted in some way. I owled him and he responded immediately.” Albus was angry, that much was
certain.
“I will handle informing parents about their children. That does not fall in the purview of your
position, Severus.” He smirked at the Headmaster.
“Have you informed him yet?” Albus’ eyes hardened at his words.
“Not yet. I had planned on doing so after our discussion, so I could inform Mr. Black as to the
punishments those involved would be receiving.” Severus knew he was lying but remained silent.
The Headmaster continued.
“If you go behind my back again, Severus, a formal complaint will go in your record. None of us
want that.” Severus hadn’t expected any less of a threat, but he decided to hit the Headmaster where
it hurt.
“I understand but you should be thanking me. Since I informed Mr. Black about young Hermione,
he’s agreed to not retaliate. However, you might warn your precious band of weasels that if a prank
of this magnitude occurs again, he plans on ruining your recruiter’s reputation in the Ministry. Not
only will the Order be crippled, the family will starve. I doubt that anyone will hire a muggle-lover
when his family has brought shame upon him by injuring a young girl who was guilty of nothing.”
Albus could tell that he was serious, but Minerva was disbelieving.
“He wouldn’t do that, not over a prank, surely.” Severus snorted.
“Don’t act like you’re so surprised, Minerva. You think he’s a traitor, after all. Why would he have
no problems turning over his best friend’s family but then have a problem ruining one of the most
high-profile members of the Order of the Phoenix? Maybe you should consider that because frankly,
him being a traitor never made sense to me.” He feared that he had said too much but Albus just
chuckled.
“You never did want to believe that you and Sirius Black were on the same side at any point in time,
Severus. I’ll pass along your message to Arthur and make sure they have words with their children.
If that’s all?” Severus gave a sharp nod and turned to leave but decided to get one more jab in at
Minerva.
“Don’t worry, both Mr. Black and his daughter are aware that the only reason you punished your
house like you did is because you didn’t want anyone to retaliate against them, not because you were
truly disappointed in them.” She looked seriously affronted which gave him just a little bit of hope
for her.
“Severus, I assure you that I am most embarrassed at what my house has done. I will admit that I
don’t like having Miss Black here, I think that she is danger to the other children considering what
her father is capable of, but I would never condone for a child to be harmed. I admit, I made their
punishments harsher so there would be no retaliation, but I don’t like seeing any child hurt.” Severus
arched a brow at her.
“I really hope that’s true, Minerva.” He didn’t wait for an answer before he swept out of the office
and headed for his dungeons, robes billowing behind him.
A/N- This chapter turned out to be a monster! I want to point out that the twins are out of the game
now. They’re going to get better from here on. I know that a lot of you have left reviews concerned
that all the Weasleys are complete douches. That won’t always be the case. No more spoilers though!
I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter. Leave me your thoughts after the beep, reviews are love.
Next chapter, a fight breaks out and Dumbles gets his hooks in Harry.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 10

A/N- That last chapter was the longest yet and for those out there that don’t like long chapters, I
apologize. Though I can’t say that there won’t be others in this story that won’t be just as long,
maybe even longer. We shall see. A huge thank you to those of you that continue to review, favorite,
and follow this story. I know that there will be times that your support is going to be all that keeps me
going since this is going to be such an epic-sized story. Anyways, enough for now, let’s get started!
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing except the personal plot twist. The characters belong to J.K.R., I only
use them for my own nefarious means.
Chapter 10
September 8, 1991
Hermione sighed as she brushed her through her curls. Once again, she was up and awake before her
room mates though they weren’t surprised anymore. Hermione had never been one to sleep in overly
long, even on the weekends, so she was always the first one awake in the mornings. The older
Slytherins had already accepted it and now waved her way when they finally emerged from their
dorms in the mornings.
Life was good, well, mostly. Even though her classes were going well, Hermione was bored.
Everything they had covered so far was something that she and Draco had learned a long time ago.
While she completed her homework and handed it in on time every single day, she wanted
something else to fill her time. She loved learning and she felt like she wasn’t going to learn anything
for quite a while here at Hogwarts.
Their third day of classes, Hermione had finally sent home a letter to her father requesting that he get
with Madam Cambridge and have her assign them things to learn about. She was going out of her
mind not learning anything and the last thing that she wanted was to lose her edge. Her father had
responded and told her that he would ask but that he had no idea if she would agree since she had
only been commissioned for the summer holidays now that they were in school. She was still waiting
on a response.
Hermione had further become the subject of ridicule because she gained the most points for
Slytherin. While her house mates were more than happy to let her rack up the points for them, it
rubbed the rest of the school wrong way. She understood that they all felt like she was sucking up,
trying to be teachers pet. They had all made it quite clear that they thought she was looking for favor
with all the teachers, but the truth was that she wasn’t. She answered so many questions because if
she didn’t there was every possibility that she would fall asleep in class because she just wasn’t
challenged.
Hermione and Draco studied in the library every evening after dinner, working on their homework
and then pursuing their own interests. Neville had approached them one evening, asking if he could
join them and get their help in transfiguration, one of his weakest subjects to date. Hermione had
happily agreed and once the rest of their friends realized that the pair was willing to help them with
their homework, they had their own little study group. Neville attended three nights a week while the
others attended as their assignments came due.
While it wasn’t the stimulation that she was looking for, Hermione still enjoyed her time in the library
with her friends. She never allowed them to goof around and she was quick to turn a glare their way
if they tried. Most of them respected her and Draco though, only showing when they were serious
about getting their homework done.
Hermione still hadn’t had any luck with Harry yet. They had had several more herbology classes and
Harry had been distant at every one. Originally, she had thought that he was taking time to consider
her before he made a decision, but it didn’t seem like that was the case now. He wasn’t rude to her,
nor mean or condescending in any way, but he wasn’t friendly and when she tried to be, he merely
ignored her. She had wanted to give up, but Draco kept pushing her to continue trying.
Hermione vowed that she would; she hadn’t forgotten the promise to herself to get her father’s story
out there, to make sure that the person who mattered most believed him. She also hadn’t forgotten the
promise she had made to herself to protect him if necessary. It wasn’t something that she necessarily
wanted to do, she was just a child after all, but she knew that she was more well-equipped to protect
him than he was himself.
For the most part, Harry seemed to do just fine in his classes. She noticed that he never got the spells
on the first time, but he usually did on the second. She did notice that he seemed to hold back,
probably from growing up with those horrid muggles that raised him. If they had made their distaste
for magic well-known, he could be repressing his power subconsciously. It was something to
consider when he clearly had the most talent of his friends.
His friends. Ron Weasley was still completely horrid to her, but the others seemed to leave her alone.
Most of the time, anyways. They still taunted her for answering all the questions right and being a
teacher’s pet but those she could live with. Ron was the only one that was down right mean to her
when they met in the corridors and classrooms.
He had called her names, insulted her family and name, insinuated that she and Draco were shagging
(honestly, who thought of those sorts of things at eleven?), and told the world that if it weren’t for
Snape awarding her all those points, Slytherin wouldn’t be in the lead for the House Cup. The truth
of the matter was that while a good portion of her points did come from her godfather, a fair portion
came from the rest of the professors as well. When nobody else volunteered answers, she would
swoop in, answer correctly, and win a grudging five points per question.
Dean and Seamus hadn’t been mean to her specifically other than the comments about her being a
know-it-all. They seemed to be friends with Harry but not as close as Ron and his brothers. They did
make comments about her other friends, so she assumed that they had only decided to be nicer to her
to keep themselves from being punished. Neville was certainly Harry’s friend, they sat together quite
often but once again, not as close as Ron. She knew that the rest of their friends were flabbergasted
that he came and studied with a huge group of Slytherins, but Neville just shook his head and told
them that if they weren’t such prats they would have been welcome as well.
The girls were all friendly with Harry as well, but none as much as Parvati Patil. The girl was
gorgeous with her beautiful brown skin and long, dark hair that reached her waist. On days they
didn’t have to be in Hogwarts uniforms, she and her twin wore saris, stating that they were far more
comfortable than the clothes that British wizards wore. Hermione was most jealous of Parvati,
though she would never admit it to anyone other than Draco. She was effortlessly friends with him
while Hermione was working her tail end off to get him to pay attention to her, only for him to
ignore the fact that she was alive. It was frustrating.
She set down her hairbrush and gathered her bag before heading down into the common room to
wait for Draco. He was almost always down before the other boys, so they usually made their way to
breakfast without waiting for their other dorm mates. They all met up for breakfast though, and
usually made their way to class together.
Hermione was getting along with her dorm mates a little better. None of them really understood her,
not like Draco anyhow, but she did consider Daphne to be a good friend. Pansy, Millie, and Tracey
were her friends as well but more due to circumstance than anything else. They were worried about
fashion, gossip, and hair and makeup charms. While Hermione could appreciate looking nice, it
wasn’t the most important thing in her life.
Draco seemed to be losing his crush on Pansy, though he wouldn’t admit it to Hermione. He seemed
to get annoyed with her quite easily and had told her to bugger off several times. A hurt look had
passed her features, but she had quickly obeyed Draco, which made Hermione just a little sick.
Hermione and Draco had been told their whole lives that they would be marrying for love, Pansy
had not. She was expected to marry to further her family’s fortune and power and marrying Draco
would certainly accomplish that.
The Slytherin plopped down into one of the chairs by the fire. Her aunt would have been horrified at
her lack of grace, but nobody was there to see it. She had just pulled her book out of her bag when
Draco came down the steps, bag slung over his shoulder. His eyes had shadows under them and
Hermione couldn’t help but worry. She went to her feet and met her cousin halfway, pushing his hair
off his forehead.
“Are you alright, Drake? You look terrible.” He batted her hands away from his face as he scowled
at her.
“I’m fine, I just couldn’t sleep. I’ve had a headache all night.” Her hands went to her hips.
“Why didn’t you go to the Hospital Wing and see if Madam Pomfrey would give you a headache
potion?” He rolled his eyes at her before starting for the door.
“Where do you think I’m headed now? Merlin, Miney, give a bloke some peace.” Hermione bit her
lip guiltily. She followed behind him a few steps.
“Sorry, Drake. I was just worried. I didn’t mean to come on too strong.” He sighed and slowed
down for her to catch up.
“I’m not angry. Let’s just go get my potion so I can eat something. Right now, my head hurts so bad
I think I could throw up.” Hermione wrapped her hand around his arm and let him lead her to the
Hospital Wing. Once they were there, Madam Pomfrey bustled out and clucked her tongue at them
for being out so early. She supposed that she couldn’t blame her; it was only a little after seven.
“Are you two here for a reason?” Her tone was brusque, but Hermione didn’t get the impression that
she was irritated with them. Draco was holding his head, so Hermione took the opportunity to speak
for him.
“My cousin has had a headache all night, said he feels sick at his stomach. Can he have a headache
potion?” With a quick smile, Madam Pomfrey hurried away and returned quickly with two vials in
her hand. She handed one to him first.
“This one is a headache potion. Take it first.” Draco was quick to swallow it down and Hermione
could tell instantly that it had given him relief. He smiled at the mediwitch before he was handed
another potion.
“A pepper-up. It’s obvious you didn’t sleep last night, young man.” Hermione watched in
undisguised amusement as her cousin drank it down and steamed at the ears. Once he had handed
back the vials, Draco bowed slightly at the mediwitch.
“Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I appreciate it.” She smiled back but made a shooing motion to herd
them towards the door. Once they were back in the corridor, Hermione turned to make her way back
down to the Great Hall when she ran into a wall. She felt Draco jerk her back roughly, which caused
her to almost stumble, but he caught her round the waist. After glaring at him for a moment, she
turned her attention into what she had hit, and her stomach lurched.
All her occlumency shields went flying up.
While she always had basic shielding in place now, it was possible that an accomplished legilimens
would be able to peer into her mind, though she would always know when it was happening. Their
godfather had made sure of that. He told them that they weren’t quite as good as he was, but he
attributed that to the fact that he had decades of practice where they only had years.
Albus Dumbledore, esteemed Headmaster of Hogwarts, was peering down at her with a distasteful
look on his face. He was wearing a lurid set of pastel purple robes and a pointed hat that completed
his ridiculous ensemble. His hands were clenched tightly at his side as he spoke.
“You might watch where you’re going, Miss Black. One wouldn’t want you to come to injury.”
Hermione wanted to snort at his words but decided that she needed to keep the meeting as short as
possible.
“Sorry, sir, we weren’t expecting anyone else to be out and about quite this early.” She could feel a
gentle probing of her mind and couldn’t help but smirk when he met her eyes after realizing that he
wasn’t going to get in.
“That’s illegal, sir. My father told me that it’s against the law for anyone to probe the mind of a child
under the age of seventeen without their parent’s express permission. Somehow, I doubt my father
told you that it was alright.” The Headmaster gave her a kindly smile.
“I was merely trying to ascertain that you weren’t injured, my dear. We wouldn’t want your pride to
get in the way of your health.” Hermione was livid and knew she should keep her mouth shut but
just couldn’t make herself.
“I know when I’m injured and when I’m not. I assure you, your mind probes aren’t needed.” He
bowed slightly to her before stepping out of their way.
“You should hurry along to breakfast before Mr. Goyle and Mr. Crabbe eat all the sausages.” Draco
took her hand in his and began pulling her down the corridor, not giving her a chance to speak again.
Taking the chance that Uncle Sevvie might still be in his office, they headed there next, even though
it was several floors away. Hermione was still seething but Draco was calming her down slowly with
rhythmic strokes across her knuckles with his thumb. When their godfather opened the door and
ushered them inside, she let out a sigh of relief.
“What has you two at my door this early in the morning?” Draco turned to her and gestured for her
to tell the story. She quickly filled her uncle in and watched his reaction. Fury flitted across his
features but was quickly replaced by amusement.
“I assume that you had all your shields in place?” She gave a resolute nod.
“Absolutely. He saw nothing. I know I shouldn’t have told him that I knew but I couldn’t help
myself.” Uncle Sevvie bent and kissed the top of her head and then duplicated the gesture on Draco.
“No, it was brilliant. He knows you know now and he’ll be afraid to try again for fear of
prosecution. He already has one charge on his record pertaining to you, another would get him
sacked. He’s going to assume that if you’re skilled in occlumency that Draco is as well. He’ll watch
himself around you both from here on out. Your father, Lucius, and I discussed this not that long
ago, trying to decide how long he would wait before he tried. Your father wanted me to tell you
when it happened that you did well, keep up the good work, and continue to do your best to stay
away from him. I find it’s good advice.” Hermione and Draco both nodded their understanding.
They bid their uncle farewell and headed back towards breakfast where they should have been quite
awhile ago. It was almost over when they got there but they were able to eat a plate before it all
disappeared. Hermione let her thoughts drift while they ate, Draco making excuses for them to their
friends, explaining about his headache through the night. It had been just the day before that the
Weasley twins had made their way the Great Hall and stood before her at the Slytherin table.
*Flashback*
Hermione was poring over her Defense Against the Dark Arts text with Daphne as they ate
breakfast. The whole school was in attendance, there didn’t seem to be many students having a lie in
that day. Surprising, honestly, since most students waited until the last second possible before
stumbling their way to breakfast. A hush fell at the Slytherin table and Hermione glanced up to see
what the problem was. Hermione saw that Draco was focused on someone behind her, so she turned
to see who it was.
Fred and George Weasley, the arseholes who had fed her a potion that made that at hideous phrase
appear on her face.
Hermione didn’t stand, she knew that it was rude, but it was less than they deserved. Draco,
however, stood from the other side of the table, spine straight and shoulders thrown back.
“Is there anything we can help you with, gentlemen?” Hermione could see that the last thing he
wanted to do was be polite to them, but it was expected of him, especially with an audience. Their
behavior had to be beyond reproach. One of them, she wasn’t sure which, stepped forward a little
before speaking.
“We wanted to formally apologize for our actions a few days ago. We were trying to come up with a
fun prank for you guys, something to make everyone laugh, but it ended up being malicious and
hurtful. We realize that now and we wanted to apologize for victimizing you.” As much as Hermione
didn’t like them at the moment, it was clear that they were remorseful. She really didn’t think that
they had thought their actions out, even Uncle Sevvie had confirmed that from their discussions in
detention. Draco’s eyes flicked to her and then he cocked an eyebrow, showing her that whatever
happened next was up to her.
Since they had come and offered a public, formal apology, Hermione knew that she would have to
respond in kind. Hoping that she didn’t regret her decision in the future, she stood, climbed out of the
bench seat and turned to the twins. She only came up to their shoulders, still the smallest girl in their
year.
“I accept your apology and move that we put this incident behind us. I restore your honor and hope
that we can move forward from this as friends.” Both twins looked flabbergasted at her words.
Hermione held her hand out and both were quick to continue in pureblood custom, proof that they
weren’t completely ignorant of their heritage. First one stepped forward and took her hand before
bowing over it and kissing her knuckles, then the other followed suit. Draco seemed reluctant but
when they stepped back, he gestured for them to sit.
“Share a meal with us. We don’t bite.”
The twins were quick to sit on either side of Hermione, sandwiching her between them. It was clear
that the rest of the snakes were unsure how to take it that the Weasley twins were not only sitting at
their table but were displaying pureblood mannerisms that nobody had been quite sure that they had
been aware of. To Hermione, it was clear that their parents, while not holding much stock in the old
ways, had still passed them onto their children as their heritage demanded. Hermione understood to a
point. She thought that most of the customs and such were ridiculous, but her father had insisted that
she have the knowledge anyways. She thought it was sound advice. It was always better to know
and choose not to use it than to be completely ignorant.
While she had been nervous about Draco inviting the Weasleys to eat with them, her fears were
quickly quashed. They were talkative and quite funny once you got past their extremely outgoing
personalities. They talked about their pranks and their dreams of opening their own joke shop
someday and some of the older students that had been listening in were quick to say that they could
see it being a success. When they admitted to having a bit of a problem with one of the potions for
some product they were making, Hermione kindly pointed them in the direction of a book that would
help them after extracting a promise that they wouldn’t use it on unsuspecting students. They were
most grateful.
Neville had joined them for a short period of time, long enough to ask if she could help him with his
potions assignment that evening in the library. With a warm smile, she had agreed, and he had went
about his way. The twins looked confused and she had explained that a group of them got together
almost every night and worked on homework together. As they were leaving, the pair promised that
they would stop in sometime and see what it was all about. Hermione didn’t expect them to follow
through since they didn’t seem to be academically inclined if didn’t have to do with a prank, but the
thought was nice.
Having two less enemies was nice as well.
*End of Flashback*
Slytherins and Gryffindors had Defense Against the Dark Arts this morning, followed by a free
period. The teacher was an odd sort, Professor Quirrell. He was the jumpiest person she had ever
seen and didn’t seem to be all that knowledgeable about his subject. Most of the snakes made fun of
him because he smelled so strongly of garlic and wore a turban. Hermione tried to stay above all that,
she didn’t like to be made fun of after all, but she could admit privately to herself that he was her
least favorite teacher.
While the other teachers seemed to act like Harry was just another student, Professor Quirrell was
constantly singling him out, asking his opinion on things and making references to killing the Dark
Lord. It was different to say the least but who was she to say anything? The Headmaster had been
the one to hire him, he would have to be the one to do something about his odd behavior.
The bell rang while she was contemplating her upcoming class. Hermione heaved a sigh, braced
herself for another useless lesson, and allowed Draco to lead her out of the Great Hall.
-O-
Albus paced the length of his office that evening, waiting for Harry Potter to arrive. It would be his
first meeting with the boy and he had to make sure that he knew exactly who he could trust and who
he couldn’t. It wasn’t that he didn’t think Harry couldn’t make good decisions on his own, but the
fate of their world depended on him making the right decision.
He had kept a careful eye on Harry from afar since the beginning of school. His teachers, all aside
from Severus, claimed that he was a quiet, talented boy that was strong in magic. This gave him
hope. If they trained him well enough, he could save their world where nobody else could.
His mind drifted to the Black chit. She was a thorn in his side and had obviously been taught
occlumency at a young age to be as accomplished as she was. He could break through her shields if
he had enough time but there was no way that that could ever happen now that she knew he was a
legilimens. It would land him in Azkaban quicker that he could say quidditch. He attributed her skill
in the subject to her father hiring someone to specifically keep him out her mind and where she was
skilled, he could almost guarantee that the Malfoy boy was as well.
To his surprise, neither child had caused any trouble yet. Albus had expected them to instantly start
problems with Harry or try to woo him to their side. So far, Black had been friendly but hadn’t
pushed too hard. He had caught her watching him across the Great Hall but other than that, there was
nothing beyond reproach.
In the split second she hadn’t had her more extensive shields up this morning when she had ploughed
into him, he had caught just one small wisp of thought. Make friends with Harry. Whether it was a
wish or an order, Albus had no idea but it was what had prompted this meeting today. There was no
way that he could allow that friendship to happen when he knew that Sirius had an ulterior motive.
All those years ago, he had somehow managed to convince the ICW of his innocence. The only
thing that had saved him and young Harry was the fact that Mugwump Chalmers had been a
childhood friend. He had merely explained the importance of keeping Harry safe, so he could save
them again in the future and his old friend had been more than happy to use his power of veto to help
him.
The other two charges had been complete dragon shite, however. He truly had thought that the
Potters had filed the paperwork to fund the war, so he didn’t think that he should have been held
responsible for going after the money once they were dead. As for the charge he received regarding
Miss Black, that was shite too. He had meant to hit her father with that spell, not her. He most
assuredly wasn’t too broken up about hitting her, especially after she had blown his wand from his
hand afterwards but hitting her had not been his intention.
Albus was pulled from his speculation by a knock on the door. He waved his hand and saw Harry
walk in sheepishly, hand on the back of his neck. His eyes were darting all around him, probably
nervous and thinking that he was in trouble. Albus needed to put him at ease and smiled kindly.
“Please, young Harry, take a seat.” He made sure that he took the seat behind his desk, gesturing for
the boy to take the one in front of him. He knew that his eyes were twinkling and could see that it put
the boy at ease.
“You aren’t in trouble, dear boy. I just wanted to have a chat with you and see how your year was
progressing thus far.” With a relieved breath, he grinned at the Headmaster and he was instantly
reminded of James after he had pulled a prank.
“School’s been going good so far. I have a few friends and classes are going well. I’m trying to be
careful not to fall behind.” Albus nodded encouragingly.
“I hear you received a detention on the second day of school with the rest of your classmates.” The
boy blushed and lowered his eyes but nodded.
“Yes, sir. It was for laughing at the prank the twins pulled on Hermione Black.” The boy was an
open book and he could see quite clearly that he hadn’t laughed at the prank, had in fact thought it
quite malicious. His thoughts about Hermione Black were teetering on a knife point since he was
uncertain if he should accept her hand of friendship or shun her like his friend Ron. The twins
seemed to not mind her now that they had spoken with her and Neville seemed quite close with her
and the Malfoy boy. It would be something to consider later.
“Yes, that wasn’t the best showing of the Weasley twins charms. Though I understand why they did
it.” Harry cocked his head to the side.
“You do?” Albus nodded sagely, noting that he had the boy hook, line, and sinker. He would
believe anything he told him at this point.
“Have you heard the tale about your parents and how they were murdered?” Harry shrugged.
“Kind of. Hagrid told me a bit and then Ron told me that Sirius Black betrayed them but that’s really
all I know.” Albus sighed for effect.
“Would you like to know?” Harry nodded eagerly.
“Yes, please.” He steepled his hands under his chin in front of his beard.
“Growing up, Sirius Black and your father were best friends. Sirius came from a notoriously dark
family but had told everyone that he was shunning them, that he didn’t want to follow Voldemort.
He moved in with your dad when he was only fifteen years old.
Once they graduated, your father was already engaged to your mother and they married young.
Black was your father’s best man and he played the part seamlessly. It took about a year before Lily
fell pregnant with you. They were all in the Order, were all on missions quite regularly, some that
went terribly wrong. I have since suspected that Black sabotaged them in the some way, though I’ll
probably never know. Your mother became an off-duty member, meaning that she attended meetings
and such but didn’t participate until you were born.
When you were born, your parents were so proud. I remember holding you for the first time at an
Order meeting, that’s Order of the Phoenix, an organization devoted to fighting Voldemort, and you
could just see the pride shining in their eyes. They had made Black your godfather, which means that
he was charged with caring for you if anything were ever to happen to both of them. He seemed to
be proud as well.
Your parents went into hiding after you were born for reasons that you don’t need to know right
now. I cast what is called the fidelius charm on their home in Godric’s Hollow. That means that one
person can know the location of the home and are referred to as the secret keeper. They can tell other
people where the home is located but nobody else can, the spell prevents it. Your parents insisted on
using Sirius Black as their secret keeper, saying that they trusted your life with him.
It held for a year. The night of Halloween in 1981, Lord Voldemort arrived at your home in Godric’s
Hollow and struck your father down. He then went upstairs to where your mother was trying to
protect you. He told your mother to move aside and she refused. He killed her for not listening and
then turned his wand on you. When his curse hit you, however, the curse rebounded and hit him
instead. Tell me how you think Lord Voldemort found your home.” Harry swallowed hard, the
anguish clear on his face.
“Sirius Black had to have told him, right?” Albus nodded, pleased that the boy was quick-witted.
“Yes, Sirius Black told him.” Harry’s expression was one of pain.
“Why isn’t he in prison? If he was a supporter, if he betrayed my parents, why in the world isn’t he
rotting in prison where he belongs?” Albus decided that they needed tea. He discreetly called for an
elf and asked them to bring them the hot beverage and when it appeared, he poured a cup for Harry.
The boy sipped it and seemed to calm slightly. Albus continued.
“He knew that he was going to be implicated since he was the only person that could divulge the
whereabouts of your parent’s home. He went to their other friend Peter Pettigrew’s house and
threatened him before apparating him away. Nobody ever saw Pettigrew again after that. Sirius was
seen in Hogsmeade where he took the life of an auror and fled the scene.” Albus paused and took a
drink of his own tea.
“Sirius had received a missive earlier that day telling him that his niece had been orphaned. Her
father had been a Death Eater and her mother was Erise Malfoy, young Draco’s aunt. She had been
killed that day and the child had been transported to St. Mungo’s, the magical hospital. Sirius had
been named caretaker since he was the last of the Black line. He retrieved her before the aurors could
get there and fled to his ancestral manor. There, he adopted his niece through blood magic.
Now what you aren’t aware of is that the system regarding laws in the wizarding world are very old
and outdated. What is important to you is that there is a law in effect that states if a pureblood child
has only one pureblood parent, that parent can’t go to Azkaban and leave behind an orphan.
Complete rubbish, but that was the law. Still is for that matter. Sirius was sent on his way with a half
a million galleon fine once the Wizengamot realized that they couldn’t send him to Azkaban for the
deaths of your parents or the death of the young auror.
He has since claimed his title as Lord Black and has traveled the pureblood circles, the very ones that
he claimed to hate once upon a time. He has embraced the Malfoys, known Death Eaters, and he
raised his daughter with their son, cousins though they are. They’ve all been thick as thieves since.”
Albus could see the tears that the boy was trying to hide. Since he didn’t want to embarrass him
further, he acted like he didn’t see anything.
“Hermione told me on the train that it wasn’t true, that the ICW believed him. What does that mean?
Was he really innocent?” Albus growled internally. This was more than he wanted to reveal.
“He came to retrieve you from me a few days after your parents died. He claimed to be innocent and
I told him that I wouldn’t be revealing your whereabouts because I was quite certain that he wanted
to kill you himself. He had Hermione with him that day, she was only two years old. We dueled over
the fact that I wouldn’t give your location to him and one of my spells hit Hermione. She reacted as
any two-year-old would. She screamed.
However, her screams were full of magic. My wand was snatched by a wind, her bindings fell to her
feet and she stepped in front of her injured father and in no uncertain terms told me that I wouldn’t
harm her father again. Even then, she was dangerous and completely devoted to her father.” A look
of awe was on his young charge’s face. Albus continued before he could expound on that look.
“Sirius took me to the International Confederation of Wizards. It’s like an international court. He
charged me with cursing his daughter and tried to gain custody of you. Since he had the memory of
our duel that day removed from his daughter, I was charged with assault on a minor even though it
was clear in the memory that I didn’t mean to hit her with the spell. However, I wasn’t angry. My
spell did indeed hit her, and she didn’t deserve that.” He knew that he was winning points with him
by admitting the truth.
“When it came time for us to present our cases regarding custody of you, it was my word against his.
They did find that he was innocent but the Supreme Mugwump suspected that he had paid off
numerous members of the governing body. Therefore, he used his power of veto to revoke the
charge and let you stay with your aunt and uncle, deeming Sirius unable to contact you until you
were seventeen or you contacted him first.”
Albus could see the thoughts whirring around in his mind, taking in all the details and trying to make
sense of them. He let Harry sit there for several minutes in silence. Deciding that he wanted to make
his point, he spoke again.
“I would strongly advise you to stay clear of Miss Black and Mr. Malfoy. While they may sincerely
want to be your friends, there is always the chance that they want to hand you over to the man who
caused the deaths of your parents. Believe me when I tell you that that isn’t something that I want to
see happen.” Harry nodded jerkily.
“Yes, sir. I can see that’s the best way forward. I’ll just continue to ignore to them both.” Albus
nodded happily, his eyes twinkling again.
“Very good, Harry. If you have nothing else to report, I’ll let you be on your way. I’m sure you have
more important things to do with your evening besides spend it with an old man.” Harry nodded and
left his office in a daze. Albus smiled to himself.
Sirius wouldn’t ever get his hands on the Boy-Who-Lived now.
-O-
Harry wasn’t sure what to think about everything the Headmaster had just told him. Hearing about
the deaths of his parents had broken his heart, he had broken down crying for Merlin’s sake. It was
Sirius Black’s fault that he was subjected to living with his horrid aunt, uncle, and cousin instead of
his parents.
He swiped his arm angrily over his eyes, wiping away the first sight of tears.
Harry stalked through the corridors, angry now as he continued to think about what the Headmaster
had told him. Killing his father’s friend and then killing an auror, all so he could adopt his orphaned
niece and get out of prison in the end. It was the dumbest thing he had ever heard but he wasn’t
surprised. It seemed that fate wanted to punish him for something.
Ron, Dean, and Seamus had apparently come looking for him and met up with him just a few
corridors away from the Headmaster’s office. Ron bounded up to him, wide smile on his face.
“Fred and George told us that there is secret entrance to the kitchen and if we find it, the elves will
give us food whenever we want it. Want to come help look?” Harry nodded. He needed to get his
mind off the meeting with the Headmaster before things started exploding around him.
The four of them searched for over an hour, tickling every portrait they found. It was the only clue
that the twins would give them, so they were determined to tickle every single one. Harry was
growing tired and bored, however, and was just about to suggest that they call it quits for the night
when a group of Slytherins rounded the corner, obviously heading back to their common room. Ron
cracked his knuckles and sneered their way when he saw that Hermione was leaning on her cousin’s
shoulder, half asleep as they walked. Harry now felt revulsion when he laid eyes on her.
“What have we here? More incestuous displays between first cousins. Merlin, you two need to set
your sights higher.” Harry wanted to shake his head in frustration. He didn’t understand why Ron
couldn’t just leave the two of them alone. Hermione was just about to step forward when Draco
shuffled her behind him and glared at the lot of them.
“Why are you so obsessed with my cousin and I? Which one of us do you have a crush on? I assure
you, it isn’t returned by either of us so it would be appreciated if you could turn your wandering eye
somewhere else. Maybe the two blokes on your right. They seem to like you just fine.” Dean and
Seamus stepped forward menacingly.
“Ron’s not a poofter and he doesn’t have a crush on the traitor. He just doesn’t understand how the
pair of you are so close if you aren’t shagging. Maybe that little temporary tattoo on her face was
right.” Hermione was trying to get around her cousin, but he was holding her back with his greater
height and weight. Draco was livid, she could see that, but Crabbe and Goyle were the ones to step
forward first.
“Don’t talk about our friends like that. Hermione is eleven, she isn’t a slag. She was raised better
than that.” Seamus laughed.
“Says you. Maybe you should ask Malfoy.” Harry couldn’t believe that it escalated like it did when
Goyle stepped forward and punched Seamus right in the nose. Dean threw himself in the fight, as did
Crabbe, and the four of them ended up wrestling on the floor before the rest of them. None of the
boys moved to stop them. Hermione, however, finally shoved her cousin with all her strength out of
her way and ran forward to help pull the boys apart. Dean’s elbow caught her in the face and
knocked her on her arse, blood now running down her face to stain her robes. Draco pulled his wand
and a loud boom sounded, bringing the four boys to halt so he could bend down and help his cousin
up.
“Can’t you ever leave well enough alone? Now look at you, you’ll have to be healed.” Nothing else
was spoken before Professor Snape rounded the corner, fury dancing in his eyes.
“What is going on here? Why are you all on the floor and why is Miss Black’s nose bleeding?”
Draco stepped forward, obviously the leader of the bunch.
“They stopped us on our way to the common room. Weasley was insulting Hermione and I like
usual, insinuating that we’re in an incestuous relationship. We exchanged words, I told him that
neither one of us had a crush on him, so he needed to look at his friends. They in turn made a
comment about Hermione indeed being a slag and Goyle hit Finnegan. It became a brawl. Hermione
got around me and tried to get them apart, but Thomas elbowed her in the face and knocked her
down. I sounded the cannon to get them to stop.” Her uncle looked livid.
“Crabbe and Goyle, fifty points a piece from Slytherin for fighting in the corridors along with two
detentions to be served with me. Finnegan and Thomas, fifty points a piece from Gryffindor and two
detentions to be served with me. Thomas, an additional twenty points for injuring a student that was
trying to help you end the fight. Weasley, twenty points for starting the altercation and Mr. Malfoy,
ten points for not walking away.” He looked at Potter.
“Ten points from you, Potter, for doing nothing, especially when a girl was injured. Chivalry should
not be dead. Miss Black, thirty points for trying to break up a fight involving four people that are
larger than you. Everyone get out of my sight aside from Miss Black and Mr. Malfoy.” Harry was
grumbling to himself as the four of them made their way back to the common room
It was clear that Snape was showing favoritism, who else would take points for not breaking up a
fight after a girl got hurt. He may have been inclined to help Hermione Black before his discussion
with the Headmaster, but now he just wanted to be shot of her. No friendship was worth dying for.
Harry didn’t say a word to his dorm mates, just went upstairs and got ready for bed. It had been a
shite day and all he wanted to do was cry himself to sleep over the death of his parents and his
innocence.
-O-
Severus led them to his office once more. Once safely ensconced inside, his wand appeared, and he
pointed it at his goddaughter, stopping the blood flow. A quick cleansing charm siphoned away the
blood. He glanced at Draco.
“Is that really what happened?” He gave a nod.
“Every word was true.” Severus nodded.
“Crabbe and Goyle should have let them throw the first hit. If it had happened like that I wouldn’t
have taken points. Make sure you tell them to be smarter about it. They’re Slytherins for Merlin’s
sake.” Hermione laughed softly.
“I’ll tell them. Thank you for fixing me up.” He pulled them both in for a hug before kissing her
head.
“You’re welcome. Now off you go, make sure all your homework is done for my class tomorrow or
there will be points to be taken.” Hermione hugged him close and nodded.
“Yes, Uncle Sevvie.” He groaned.
“You’ve got to update that to Uncle Sev, you aren’t four anymore.” She chuckled as she released
him and headed for the door.
“I’ll think about it. Love you, goodnight.” Draco mirrored her words but without the love you.
“I love you both. Good night and sleep well.”
The door closed behind them and Hermione ground her elbow into her cousin’s side.
“Don’t do that again. I don’t like being protected all the time.” Draco laughed openly at her.
“Don’t count on it. Your father and mine both expect me to protect you while we’re here. Once we
start dueling, then I’ll consider letting you fight your own battles.” Hermione stuck her hand out to
shake his.
“Deal.” They shook and started for their common room. Apparently, they had advice to pass on to
Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione suddenly grinned.
“You know, they’re your friends so you get to tell them.” He heaved a deep sigh and nodded.
“Only if you beat me to the portrait hole and back.” Hermione took off without warning, laughing as
he chased after her.
A/N- Another chapter down, y’all. Hope you all enjoyed it. Did I redeem the Weasley twins in your
eyes? Leave me your thoughts, they make me smile!
Next up, the first flying lesson.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 11

A/N- Lordy, don’t kill me everyone! I know the last chapter was harsh, but it had to be done! The
title of the story is Blinded by Lies…anyways, I hope y’all forgive me. Big thanks to everyone out
there that are following, favoriting, reading, and reviewing the story, you guys keep me motivated.
I’ll be quiet now, so we can get on with the show.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing except the personal plot twist. There isn’t anything new under the
sun, y’all. I haven’t made any money from this story or any others.
Chapter 11
September 15, 1991
Hermione had been dreading today since the day she had received her time table. It was their first
day of flying lessons.
While she had been taught to fly at a very young age, her father and uncle had insisted, she didn’t do
it well and she detested it. Hermione was quite accomplished at a height of two meters off the ground
but any further and she froze up. Draco teased her mercilessly, he still did whenever the situation
arose, but she couldn’t help it. She was terrified of plunging to her death after slipping off her broom.
Draco, of course, was an ace on a broom. Hermione was nothing but a ball of nerves every time she
watched him, but her father and uncle encouraged him and cheered him on when he did something
incredibly stupid above the trees of the family quidditch pitch. Draco owned the best broom that
money had to offer while Hermione refused to let them buy her one. As if her cousin could tell that
she was worrying internally, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they entered the Great Hall.
“You’re going to be fine, ‘Mi. Nothing is going to happen to you, there will be a professor there the
whole time. Your father and mine never let you fall, she won’t either.” Hermione nodded her head
but remained silent. Nothing he could say would calm her nerves to where she didn’t have to worry
about it.
The pair dropped down into their usual seats at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. Draco instantly
began dishing himself up a large breakfast while Hermione spooned a small amount of eggs and a
piece of toast onto her own. She had never been a big eater, just eating enough to where her belly
wasn’t growling anymore. Draco jumped into a conversation with Theo and Blaise about their
lessons that afternoon, so Hermione tuned them out. Since the girls were discussing the new winter
line of clothing in France, Hermione paid them no mind either. Her mind flitted momentarily to her
homework for the day, sure that she had finished it all.
Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Charms were on the agenda for the day. Since her
godfather was determined to help her become friends with Harry, for the first time ever, he had
assigned seats and they were forced to sit with someone of the opposite house. Hermione was paired
with Harry while Draco was paired with Parvati. Hermione had thought for sure that he would enjoy
working with such a beautiful girl, but he did nothing but complain about how stupid she was. Even
though it was mean, Hermione couldn’t help but giggle just a little.
Not that Harry was much better. Where he did rather well in his other classes, he was truly terrible in
Potions. She wasn’t sure if it was her uncle’s caustic remarks the first day of class or the fact that
none of the Gryffindors seemed to enjoy the subject, but he couldn’t brew anything to save his life.
Hermione found it endearing. She was terrible at flying and he was terrible at potions.
Hermione couldn’t help but notice that her would-be brother was just a little bit cute. Not in a classic
way like Draco or Theo but in a real, down-to-earth way that spoke to her. His hair was unkempt,
and his glasses were thick, but the fact remained that he was what Hermione would dub as good-
looking. She could never tell anyone, however, not even Draco. The teasing would never stop.
Originally, Hermione had thought that he was starting to warm up to her, he didn’t treat her like the
rest of the lions. That hope died after that altercation in the corridor between Seamus, Dean, Vince,
and Greg. She wasn’t sure why that had made it change, but it was obvious that it had.
Harry now ignored her completely, even when she spoke directly to him. Their fourth Potions class
had seen her telling him quietly that he shouldn’t add the daisy root yet, that it came after the rat
spleens. However, he hadn’t appreciated it. He had exploded at her, screaming at her for the room to
hear that he didn’t need help from a know-it-all, traitorous, swot. Hermione had been so stunned that
she had just stared at him, confused as to what she had done wrong.
Her house had jumped to her defense, all of them righteously indignant that their princess had been
spoken to like that. Hermione had ruthlessly held back her tears while her godfather had taken fifty
points and assigned detention for not having the sense to listen to advice that would net him a passing
grade. The rivalry that had been brewing already exploded full force after that.
There were skirmishes in the corridors now, mostly between Greg, Vince, Seamus, Dean, and Ron,
but her snake friends were always extremely careful to never get caught. Twice now, Hermione had
left her parchment alone on a table in the library while she fetched a book and come back to find it
destroyed, ink spilled over the whole thing. Draco had been shoved into an empty classroom and
locked there for hours before Hermione had found him.
This didn’t mean that the Slytherins were innocent, because they weren’t. The girls were vicious,
Pansy especially. She had given a hair loss potion to one of the house elves and convinced it to put it
in both bathrooms that belonged to Gryffindor first years. Lavender, Faye, Dean, and Ron had all
reported to their Head of House completely bald. They had been horrified and Pansy had laughed for
days.
Hermione knew for a fact that after Ronald had called her a traitorous hag, Draco had overheard
plans that he had made with the other boys to look for the entrance to the kitchens. Draco had told
their godfather and later learned that it had gotten all the boys aside from Neville a point loss and
detention. The whole situation was ridiculous, and Hermione hated it, but she couldn’t put a stop to
everything.
Neville was the only one that remained above it all and by unspoken agreement, both sides left him
out of it. He usually sat with his Gryffindor friends at meals but spent time with his Slytherin friends
in the library in the evenings. Harry usually didn’t instigate the problems between their house, but he
was never one to back down when he was involved by association.
Hermione had written home to her father about it but there really wasn’t anything that he could do
about it from there. He had just told her to keep her eyes open and always be careful, that there
would always be people out there that wanted to hurt and humiliate her because of who she was. He
had been extremely pleased to hear that the Weasley twins had formally apologized for the prank
they had played on her as well.
To her surprise, the Weasley twins seemed to have no interest in pranking her or her friends. They
had shown up in the library one evening, much to Hermione’s surprise, and worked on potions with
her. The rivalry between their houses was already underway and they had promised her that if they
weren’t targets, they would refrain from pranking her whole year. They also added the proviso that
Ron couldn’t get seriously injured but there hadn’t been anything malicious done to anyone. Yet.
Hermione seriously worried about what would happen as they got older.
Breakfast ended before she could ruminate further. She and her friends gathered their bags and
started for Potions, one of her all-time favorite classes. However, since she had done all this work
years ago it still bored her some. Her father had started sending on work for her and Draco from
Madam Cambridge, assigning them research on certain spells and subjects. Draco figured that they
were already well into their fourth-year studies in Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Spell Theory, and
Wards. Of course, the latter two weren’t offered at Hogwarts but Hermione didn’t care. They were
interesting subjects and she planned to continue them.
They all started for the dungeons, ready to start with potions. She and Draco were the only ones in
class that were advanced, but Theo and Daphne held their own. They weren’t great but with practice
they could be. The rest of her friends were just as hopeless as Harry, but she didn’t care, and they
didn’t seem to either. Hermione would always be grateful that her godfather had saw fit to teach her
and Draco at a young age.
Their group filed in and took their seats, arriving earlier than the Gryffindors. Hermione used to look
forward to sitting with Harry but since his change in attitude, she almost dreaded it. She was still
determined to befriend him, but the situation was looking more and more bleak every day. Since
today was going to be a lecture class, Hermione pulled her notes from her bag along with her quill
and ink. Class had become much easier for her since she started using her notes from her younger
years when she had originally learned the information. She did glean new information, she had a
different teacher after all, but for the most part, the information was the same.
The lions skulked into class only a couple minutes before her uncle was due to arrive, a brave move
on their part. Uncle Sevvie got angry when they weren’t prepared and ready to begin when he
entered his class. Harry took the seat next to her sullenly and when she met his gaze for just a
moment, he glared at her. She quickly turned her eyes to the front where her godfather had just
entered.
Uncle Sevvie launched into a lecture about the forgetfulness potion, brewed to make the drinker
forgetful. It wasn’t a terribly difficult potion, it was on the first-year curriculum after all, but
Hermione still checked that her notes were immaculate. She could feel the glower coming from the
other half of the table, more so than usual, and she wondered if he hadn’t slept well or something.
She didn’t recall hearing anything from her friends about pranks played on him the evening before.
When her uncle ended his lecture, there were only a few minutes left before the bell rang. Hermione
put the lid on her ink and stored it away in her bag, her quill following. She had just restacked her
sheaves of parchment when Harry spat out a question at her.
“Are you so much a swot that you take notes before you even get here? Isn’t the point of coming to
class to take notes? No wonder they call you a teacher’s pet.” It wasn’t the most malicious thing he
had ever said to her, but it still stung. She tried not to answer angrily like she wanted; the last thing
she wanted to do was make this whole rivalry worse.
“No, they’re notes from Madam Cambridge, my tutor. I learned all this years ago, I just saved my
notes. I use them now, so I don’t have to do the work all over again.” His next words hurt.
“A tutor paid for with money from your traitor father. I know what he did. You can warn him that I
won’t rest until I see him thrown in Azkaban, you with him if I discover you’re helping him.”
Hermione fought the sting of tears.
“Helping him what? He isn’t doing anything. He isn’t a traitor and he’s an excellent father. You
would have had a happy life if you had come to live with us.” Harry sneered her way before leaning
over her menacingly.
“Your father is the reason I don’t have a father.” Hermione didn’t even get to say anything in return
because he spun around and stormed off only seconds after the bell ringing. Draco was instantly at
her side, his hand wrapping around her arm gently.
“What was that? You look like you’re about to cry.” Hermione brushed the lone tear that had
escaped from her cheek before she smiled at him.
“He just threatened to put dad in Azkaban, me along with him, if he finds out I’m helping him. I’m
not sure with what but it’s clear that Dumbledore got to him. I don’t have any chances left to become
his friend.” Draco tugged one of her curls before pulling her out of the classroom.
“Don’t give up hope. It may not happen for awhile but eventually he’s going to start questioning
things. When that happens, you’ll be there.” Hermione turned now teary eyes to her cousin and
couldn’t help her whisper.
“What if he’s been so mean to me by then that I don’t want to be friends anymore? Dad will be so
disappointed.” Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her tightly from the side.
“Don’t borrow trouble. If it comes to that, we’ll deal with it then. Until then, we’ll just stay out of his
way.” Hermione nodded and hugged her cousin back.
She tried to bolster her spirits as they made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was her
least favorite class, the professor was quite odd. While she and Draco weren’t dueling yet, they had
already learned several hexes and curses, could cast a shield on the fly, and knew about many dark
creatures. Not only was the class a joke for her and Draco, it was a joke for the rest of the students as
well since their professor seemed to have no idea what he was doing.
Hermione and Draco settled at their table together, pulling their notes from their bags. The rest of the
students filed in and took their seats, removing their parchment, ink, and quills. Hermione wished she
could just take a nap in this class, but she knew that if she would get caught, she’d get detention and
then her father would be disappointed, not to mention Uncle Sevvie.
Harry entered last with Ron and Parvati, the trio laughing quietly about who knew what. It still
rubbed her the wrong way that he was such good friends with Parvati when he wouldn’t give her the
time of day unless it was to insult or hurt her. They took their usual seats, Ron and Harry together
and Parvati with Lavender. Professor Quirrell entered right after and immediately launched into his
lecture about vampires.
Since that was one subject that she and Draco hadn’t covered with Madam Cambridge, Hermione
took diligent notes, but promised herself that she would fact check everything he told them in the
library later. Half the things that he was saying didn’t seem to make any sense. The attention of the
whole class seemed to wander though the man didn’t notice. When the bell finally rang, Hermione
gathered her things and was one of the first ones out of the classroom. Something about Professor
Quirrell gave her the creeps. She just wished that she could pinpoint what it was.
She and Draco followed their friends down to lunch in the Great Hall. It was fish and chips today,
one of Hermione’s all-time favorite meals so she loaded her plate more than usual. Pansy and
Daphne laughed at her, surprised that she was going to try to take on a plate that size, but she waived
them off. Draco was caught in conversation with Greg and Vince, apparently trying to explain to
them the potion that they had just learned about in class.
Lunch passed without incident. When Hermione finally ate her fill, she waited for her cousin
patiently. Charms was next and while she excelled at it, it wasn’t her favorite. It saddened her heart
that the one subject true to her heart, transfiguration, probably wouldn’t be offered to her beyond
what she learned at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster were the only masters in
Britain and they both seemed to hate her.
While Hermione earned her fair share of points in that class, it was still obvious that the professor
didn’t like her the way she did her own cubs. She tried not to take offense. Her godfather couldn’t
stand most Gryffindors; the only one he was interested in knowing at a deeper level was Harry and
right now that was off the table. Hermione sighed. She just wished that they were able to act without
restrictions.
She and her friends entered Charms with no fanfare. Professor Flitwick was one of the few that
didn’t treat Hermione like she was trash because her father was a “traitor”. She wasn’t sure why, but
it was reassuring all the same. Ron had told the class one day that she shagged her cousin every night
and instead of turning his head like the others probably would have, pretending they hadn’t heard,
Professor Flitwick had deducted points and put the redhead in detention. Hermione was more
grateful than she could say and had made sure to stay behind and thank her professor after class.
Professor Flitwick had reassured her that he didn’t listen to gossip and no matter what the
Headmaster had said, he had attended the ICW court date so long ago that determined that Sirius was
most likely innocent. In her gratitude, she had hugged him tight for a few moments before she
remembered that she wasn’t supposed to act that way, but the half-goblin had laughed at her softly
and sent her on her way. Since, it had become her second-favorite class. If she couldn’t pursue a
Transfiguration mastery, she would pursue her second favorite subject.
Today they were learning the softening charm. She added what notes she could to her already
immaculate ones, noting that Draco did the same. She was completely flabbergasted by most of the
classes’ lack of attention. Harry was one of the few that actually paid attention and attempted notes.
Once again, she found herself wishing that he would just listen to her, so he could benefit from extra
teaching as well.
The class ended without time to practice the spell, not something that worried Hermione. Since the
time she had received her wand, she had taken the time to practice every spell she had ever learned.
It had taken a few weeks, but that time had proved to her that she was indeed ahead of her peers in
many ways.
Class dismissed without further ado and Hermione couldn’t be more nervous. It was time for their
flying lessons and she dreaded it more than anything she could recall in recent history. She allowed
Draco to pull her out of class and through the corridors to the door that led them down to the
quidditch pitch where the lessons were taking place. She could see Draco’s eyes gleaming when the
hoops came into sight; he had made clear that he was planning to try out for the team the next year
since first years weren’t allowed. His love for quidditch was surpassed only by his love for her and
even though she hated that he wanted to play such a dangerous sport, she hoped that he would make
it on the team.
Madam Hooch was already waiting outside for them, brooms lined up on the ground in two rows.
For once, the Gryffindors had beat them there, obviously excited for their lesson. Hermione knew
that Harry had never flown and since Dean, Faye, and Sally were all muggleborn, they hadn’t either.
When it came to the skill of the others, she wasn’t sure, but they seemed excited just the same. It
made her smile just a little, seeing people excited for something that scared her to death.
Draco rubbed comforting circles between her shoulder blades, knowing that her level of tension was
out of this world. The others, even those in her own house, were shooting them weird looks. Finally,
it was Daphne that approached and asked what they were all wondering.
“What’s wrong, ‘Mi?” Hermione scrubbed her face with her hands and Draco started to step in front
of her, with a smart retort she was sure. She hurried and answered before there would be hurt
feelings within her own house.
“I hate flying. I know how but the thought of falling scares the life out of me.” Rather than make fun
of her as Pansy might have, Daphne pulled her into a quick hug and flashed her a sympathetic smile.
“Nobody is going to let anything happen to you, ‘Mi. You’re our friend and we would never let
anyone make fun of you either.” Hermione laughed a nervous laugh.
“I don’t know, this is just the kind of thing Pansy would laugh at.” Draco nodded but Daphne shook
her head.
“If she does, I’ll prank her myself.” Hermione appreciated the show of loyalty. Daphne had never
really acted like she was in awe at Hermione’s last name; they had mostly got along because they
both had a love for learning. After learning that she was almost royalty in the pureblood world, it was
most welcome to have a friend that didn’t care about her parentage. She was pulled away from her
friend by Madam Hooch beginning their lesson.
“I want you all to step up to a broom, Slytherins on one side, Gryffindors on the other. Once there,
hold your hand out over your broom and say ‘up’.” Hermione stepped up next to her cousin and did
as she was instructed. She knew that she had the confidence to make the broom respond, it was in
the air that she got nervous.
“Up.” The broom flew into her hand and Draco turned to smile at her. His had responded even
faster. To her surprise she s aw that Harry’s broom slapped into his hand in less that a second. It was
a very good possibility that he would be a strong flier. Their professor was encouraging those of
them that the broom didn’t respond to immediately. Parvati was one, and she was exclaiming that she
wasn’t used to brooms, only flying carpets. Hermione couldn’t help but be jealous. A flying carpet
would be an amazing experience.
After several minutes, everyone had their brooms in their hands. There was an air of excitement
surrounding them all and Hermione sighed. It seemed as though she was the only one less than
excited about flying. Madam Hooch was speaking again.
“Everyone mount your brooms and lift the handle slightly. It will lift you in the air. Do nothing else, I
want you to just hover there for a few moments.” Hermione was alright with this. A meter off the
ground didn’t bother her. The class was quick to comply, and despite the instructions, Dean Thomas
started rising further in the air.
“Mr. Thomas, lower the handle of your broom and come back down with the rest of us. You have
not been cleared for that height.” Hermione watched as he did lower the handle of his broom, but it
just kept climbing. It was clear that someone had tampered with his broom and she wondered exactly
who it was. By the look on Theo’s face, she suspected that it was him.
Madam Hooch was still hollering at him to come down, not realizing that there were other forces at
play. Hermione could see the terror on the other boy’s face and she felt for him at that moment. They
all watched it happen in slow motion; there was nothing else that she could do. Dean got high
enough that he hit one of the outcroppings of the castle and knocked him off his broom. He went
plummeting to the ground even though it was only five meters or so. When he landed on the ground,
there was a sickening crack of bone.
Hermione watched sympathetically. Her first time flying she had fallen off and broken her arm. Her
father and uncle had forced her back on, but the experience remained at the forefront of her mind.
Madam Hooch landed and gestured for the rest of them to do so. She quickly checked on Dean and
turned on the rest of the class.
“Mr. Thomas needs to go to the Hospital Wing. I’m going to deliver him and return here right after.
You are all to wait her and stay on the ground. If I discover one of you has been in the air while I’m
gone, you’ll be out of Hogwarts faster than you can say quidditch.” Hermione didn’t doubt her
words, but it was obvious that the others did. Hermione could only hope that they would listen.
Madam Hooch stalked off with Dean at her side, his arm cradled against his chest in pain. Everyone
else was now on the ground and Hermione couldn’t help a sigh of relief. Ron and Harry seemed to
catch the sound and Ron pounced.
“Miss Pureblood Princess isn’t a real witch. She doesn’t like to fly, the most basic of magical
functions.” Hermione’s temper flared, and she stepped forward.
“I know how to fly perfectly fine, I’ve been able to for years. The fact that I don’t like to means
nothing.” Ron openly laughed at her, but Hermione held herself back.
“How can you call yourself a witch if you don’t like to fly?” Hermione ground her teeth together.
“I’m more of a witch than you’ll ever be a wizard. You skate through classes doing the bare
minimum and you think that the world owes you something. Let me tell you now, it doesn’t. You
need to start working hard now so you don’t end up a useless excuse for a wizard.” Seamus stepped
forward, his wand in his hand, and shot a curse at Hermione. What, she wasn’t sure, since they had
yet to learn any, but she easily cast a shield. Rather than Draco step forward and defend her, Theo
did, broom in hand.
“You and me, Weasley, a race. If you win, we leave you alone the rest of the year. If I win, you
apologize publicly to Hermione.” Everyone was nodding until Harry stepped forward.
“You go against me and if we’re caught by teachers, the deal is null and void.” Theo nodded and
stepped forward, hand outstretched. The Gryffindors didn’t seem to understand what that meant, and
Hermione began to seriously wonder if they knew anything. Finally, Harry stepped forward and
shook his hand. Draco stepped forward and named the terms.
“You both race to the castle, slap the wall, and race back, The first one back wins.” Hermione knew
that her cousin had faith in their friend. He had been flying just as long as they had, and he was quite
good at it. Both boys nodded, and Draco shot sparks from his wand.
“Go!”
Harry and Theo took off like a bat out of hell, both racing with all they had to the castle wall. Theo,
who was a conservative flier, barely hit the wall. Hermione was astounded at the ease in which
Harry flew. It was obviously something that came naturally to him. When they hit the castle wall,
Harry did some fancy loop that she had never seen before while Theo skimmed the surface of the
castle with his fingertips. It was an all-out race back to their starting point, Theo barely winning in
the end. Hermione felt triumphant until she looked over at the door leading to Hogwarts and saw
Professor McGonagall striding out of the castle, red spots high in her cheeks.
“Just what in the devil is going on here?” The whole class remained silent until finally Parvati spoke.
“It was just a friendly race, Professor.” Professor McGonagall looked around and noticed the
absence of Madam Hooch.
“Were you supposed to be flying without Madam Hooch here?” There were several seconds of
silence before they all finally shook their heads no. The Gryffindor Head of House sighed and
lowered her head before finally raising it and meeting their eyes.
“Thirty points from both Mr. Nott and Mr. Potter. I don’t see any need for detention since this is the
first offense but if this happens again, there will be far more consequences.” The rest of the class
nodded but their professor wasn’t finished.
“Mr. Potter, please come with me.” Hermione watched as he nodded meekly, sure that he was going
to be in trouble. The rest of the class was silent until Madam Hooch reappeared only to quickly
dismiss class. Hermione was thankful; the last thing that she wanted to do was face her fear in front
of a bunch of people that would only laugh at her. Hermione threaded her arm through Draco’s and
pulled her over to Theo’s side. Her friend gave her a confident smile.
“Don’t even apologize. We’re good as far as I’m concerned. I’d have done the same if it was Pansy
or Daphne.” Hermione grinned at him, thankful that he was aware of how uncomfortable she would
be. Instead, Hermione smiled.
“Actually, I wanted to thank you for what you did. I hate that we’re always in trouble but it’s nice
knowing that our enemies have apologized at one point in their lives.” Theo nodded but turned on
his heel and made his way over to Vince and Greg. Draco wrapped an arm around her and smiled.
“That was a lesson for everyone. The last thing we want is for someone to get the better of us. That
could have easily happened to you.” Hermione felt shame at his words. Would she have let
something happen if they hadn’t been so hateful? Her cousin seemed to realize her train of thought
and smiled.
Not caring what was going on around them, Draco led her off the quidditch pitch and towards the
castle. They entered the Great Hall with no fanfare, though everyone was still wondering just what
McGonagall wanted with Potter. The Slytherins took their usual seats and the other grades even
commiserated their tough time today.
Dinner appeared before them and Hermione ate the bare minimum since she didn’t have much
appetite. She had fully expected for people from the Gryffindor table to come over and make fun of
her, but they didn’t. To her surprise, they left the snakes completely alone. Not that she was
complaining. Since there was nobody else to complain, Hermione let her fears float away so she
could finish her dinner with less stress. This wasn’t meant to be, however. Harry, Ron, Dean, and
Seamus all approached the Slytherin table, smiles on their faces. Even though they wore smiles,
Hermione couldn’t help but disbelieve them. It was Ron that spoke.
“We wanted to thank Nott from the bottom of our hearts. Since McGonagall caught the two of them
racing, she saw the moves Harry had and placed him on the house quidditch team. Youngest seeker
in a century, all thanks to Nott.” Hermione couldn’t help but feel righteous indignation at their words.
There weren’t any first years allowed on the team and they made an exception for Harry, most likely
because of what his name was. Suddenly she was livid.
“You can gloat all you want but it all means nothing. There aren’t any first years allowed on the team
and he isn’t on the team because of talent. He’s on there because his Head of House pulled strings
with the Headmaster, someone who obviously favors your house. Trust me, this doesn’t gain any of
our respect because it’s shady. If it wasn’t, you would be following the rules and fighting a fair fight
against those others that are qualified to compete. Not to worry though, if you need something like
this to boost your ego, by all means. None of my house is going to take the time to call you pathetic
to your face.” Hermione didn’t wait to see what the reaction of the rest of her house was. She stood
as regally as she could and stalked away, spine straight and chin raised high. Silence followed her
and she didn’t mind. Once they were in the common room again, Theo spoke.
“How are we going to compete with that?” Draco snorted.
“Leave it to us. We’re going to go complain to Professor Snape. If he can’t do anything about it,
we’ll believe him. Until then, there’s hope.” The rest of their house nodded before going their own
separate ways.
-O-
Severus was livid. Hermione and Draco had just visited his office and told him the entire awful story.
While he agreed that they should have all been punished, the fact that Potter was allowed on the
school quidditch team was complete bullshite. Quidditch teams were meant for students in second
year and above, students that earned their spots, and the fact that McGonagall had surpassed tradition
was utter tripe. All it served was her being able to put a decent flier on her team that she thought
would excel.
The worst part was that Severus agreed with her.
From the memories that his godson and goddaughter had provided him with showed that Potter was
an exceptional flier. Severus would have been pleased to have his team fly against him in the future,
win or lose, but the fact that he had made the team in a default manner made him sick.
Severus was on his way to the Headmaster’s office. Not that it mattered. He knew that Potter would
be allowed to play no matter what he brought up in defense, but he still had to try for the rest of his
house. He knew that Hermione and Draco would understand but the fact that nobody else did irked
him. How were they supposed to set an example for the rest of Hogwarts if they proved that there
were some that were above the rules?
Severus finally came to the griffin that led to the Headmaster’s office. He was usually more attentive
to his younger children and if he had been he would have realized that there was a serious lack of
respect at the moment but there wasn’t much that anyone could do now. Deciding to break the
silence, Severus spoke.
“Today, our first years had their first flying lesson. It would have set the class right to know that there
was nothing that we could hold against them. However, they were threatened with expulsion if they
flew without the proper professor. It took several moments to be able to get the children under
control. Members of both houses were flying at this point, everyone deserving of expulsion.”. It was
clear that Severus was the most passionate about the situation. Once silence fell and had been present
long enough, Dumbledore spoke.
“The score is even. There were no detentions, and nobody lost more points than the other.” Severus
couldn’t fucking believe it. Somebody had insinuated that it was a fair interaction. He turned to the
Headmaster and sneered.
“You’re going to tell me that you’re going to allow Minerva to allow the Potter boy to serve on the
quidditch team, throwing all our rules for the last century down the toilet? Take points from my
house and tell them that all is well while the other person is rewarded beyond measure?”
Dumbledore held his hands out in placation.
“I just know that young Harry needs something to keep his mind off the horrors in his life. Quidditch
is a good substitute. You can’t deny him that, Severus.” Severus leaned forward and met the eyes of
his employer.
“This is bullshite, Headmaster, and you know it. All you’re doing is fostering hatred between the
houses and encouraging them to hate each other. It’s going to be the downfall of our world.”
Severus knew that there was no use in hanging around now that the Headmaster wasn’t even going
to listen to his words. He turned on his heel and stalked out of the Headmaster’s office, robes
billowing behind him.
Nothing of what he had said had meant a single thing.
-O-
Harry was unsure as to how he felt about his appointment to the quidditch team. Sure, his friends
were thrilled. Even Professor McGonagall seemed happy but that meant nothing when he considered
the situation at hand. The fact that he was being rewarded a spot on the quidditch team while Nott
was in trouble didn’t seem very fair.
Harry wanted to be normal more than anything else in the world. The fact that he was being lifted
above all other made him somewhat sick, but he really had no idea what to do about the situation. It
was clear that the rest of the school hated him since he had only won the position in a technicality; he
wanted nothing more than for them to see that he deserved the position because he had worked hard
for it.
That wasn’t what had happened though. Professor McGonagall had awarded him a spot on the team
no matter what he said and no matter how he had protested. He supposed that there was nothing he
could do about it now. Harry snuggled into his bed and considered his day.
Hermione Black was always at the forefront of his mind. He knew that she didn’t deserve his time or
emotions, but he couldn’t help but feel terrible for how he treated her. Dumbledore himself had told
him that he was proud of him for how he treated her, but it still made him sick to think that he was
anything like Dudley.
Ron and Parvati assured him that he was right, that Hermione needed to keep her distance because of
who she was, but a sliver of his soul knew that he was wrong. Still, he wasn’t quite ready to admit
that his Headmaster was wrong. Therefore, he continued the path that he had sent him down, hating
all those that may have had something to do with the man who was a traitor to his parents.
Harry sighed.
There wasn’t much that he could do about the situation, therefore, he kept his feelings close to his
chest and only allowed Ron close enough to see them. While he adored Parvati, there was something
about her that he just couldn’t trust. Harry sighed again.
He decided that he wasn’t going to dwell on the situation any longer. Closing his eyes and drawing
the darkness around him like a warm blanket, he allowed himself to be drawn into the darkness.
When he closed his eyes, his body relaxed, and it was only a moment or two before sleep pulled him
under.
A/N- That’s another chapter down, y’all. Hope you enjoyed!! Leave me your thoughts after the beep
and let me know what you think. Reviews make me smile.
Next up, a wizards’ duel.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 12

A/N- I’m back! Happy to hear that most of you are enjoying where I’m taking this story. There have
been a few naysayers but that’s normal. Anyways, thanks to everyone again for supporting me in
writing this story. Y’all are the bomb. Now that I’ve rambled on long enough, I’ll get started on the
stuff you really want to read.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing. The characters are JKR’s, I only use them for my own nefarious
means. I’m sure that the plot has been done before by the hordes of fanfiction writers that came
before me.
Chapter 12
October 18, 1991
Harry ran a hand through his unruly hair as he and Ron headed to breakfast. He suspected that
someone had put itching powder or something of the like in his trunk. It sounded exactly like
something that the twins would do. He would have suspected the Slytherins but there was no way
that they had been able to get into his dormitory whereas the twins only had to open a door.
Ron was chattering next to him about something that Parvati and Lavender had said. Harry sighed.
He liked both girls, he really did, but when they got together they were an unstoppable force of
fashion and gossip. It wasn’t something that he particularly liked to listen to.
Parvati had started hanging around himself and Ron over a month ago. She was pleasant enough; the
Indian girl was never mean or rude to him. He enjoyed having someone around that wasn’t Ron.
Harry knew that Ron was his best mate but when he went off on his tangents that all Slytherins were
evil, he just couldn’t handle it.
Since Parvati was always around, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was only feigning friendship
because of who he was. He knew that while the boys in his dorm were genuine in their liking him,
he knew that the older students that tried to befriend him were only doing so because he was famous
or on the quidditch team. Harry snorted. He wished he wasn’t famous at all and simply had his
parents.
Thoughts like these were dangerous. Whenever he became melancholy about the loss of his parents
or how terrible his life was outside of Hogwarts’ walls, he always thought of Hermione Black. They
were rarely charitable thoughts to be truthful.
Harry couldn’t help but feel the sting of betrayal even stronger than before when he realized that
everyone outside of his own house seemed to genuinely like the girl. Her father was responsible for
his situation, she was trying to befriend him, so she could haul him home to her father to finish the
job. Dumbledore had made it clear that since Hermione had no mother, Sirius Black could do
anything he wanted and not get thrown into Azkaban. He could murder Harry in front of the whole
school and he would only be fined by the Ministry.
He had briefly wondered why the esteemed Lord Black hadn’t done anything else that was illegal,
but he quickly remembered Professor McGonagall’s words. The Blacks were like royalty. He
wouldn’t want to do anything to tarnish his perfect reputation even though Harry thought that it was
already shite. Murder tends to do that to a person.
Even though he rarely had thoughts about Hermione Black that weren’t negative, he couldn’t help
but admit that she was beautiful. In fact, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, even Ron
agreed when he could pause his diatribe about her traitor father. Though he would never admit it to
anyone, it was Hermione’s face that he saw in his mind when he wanked at night. It was a new
development for him, wanking in general, and it made him feel dirty that he imagined the daughter of
the traitor responsible for his parent’s death.
Not that there was anything on the twelve-year-old girl to really look at. She was still very much a
child and always wore proper clothing. Harry had gone to fetch something for his aunt one day over
the summer and had seen a magazine on his uncle’s bedside table. There was a scantily clad woman
on the front and Harry hadn’t been able to stop himself from flipping it open and ogling the naked
women inside. It seemed far more likely that his mind would return to that instance when he brought
himself to completion but that was never the case. It made him sick.
Harry and Ron took their seats at the Gryffindor table, Seamus and Dean already seated and
shoveling food into their mouths. Harry served himself at a much more sedate pace; he no longer
stuffed himself like he wasn’t going to get to eat again. He had even gained some weight and no
longer appeared to be gangly when he looked at himself in the mirror. The proper nutrition had also
done wonders for his height. He was still the shortest boy in school, but he had shot up two inches.
Neville was standing at the Slytherin table, talking and laughing with Hermione and Malfoy. Harry
knew that they had been friends before school, but he still couldn’t piece together why he would
want to be friends with someone who’s family had destroyed their own.
Neville had come clean late one night in their dorm room about his parents and what had happened
to them. All the boys had listened raptly as Neville told them what he knew of what had been done
to his parents. Apparently, Malfoy’s aunt and Hermione’s cousin had taken her husband, brother-in-
law, and another ardent follower of Voldemort and tortured his parents into insanity. They were later
caught and sent to Azkaban, where they had now resided for the last ten years, but the damage was
done and while his parents were certainly still alive, they weren’t capable of acting as true parents
should. With a parting retort, Neville laughed and re-joined them at the lion’s table. Harry couldn’t
help it when he blurted out the question.
“How can you be friends with them when you know what their family did your parents?” Harry
instantly regretted the question when he saw the flash of pain cross his friend’s eyes. His face
hardened slightly before he spoke.
“While their family may have done harm to mine, Hermione and Draco did nothing to me. Hermione
was two years old, Draco only one.” Ron seized on his words like a dog on a bone.
“I understand that, but you’ve gone over to their houses since you were little. How can your gran let
that happen knowing what happened?” Neville slammed his cup down on the table and there was
fury etched in his features now.
“Not that I expect you to understand, Ron, but Lord Black has done right by my family. He cast
Bellatrix from the family tree and then paid an extremely large amount of money to my family in
reparation. Not only did he pay us reparation, he has taken care of all my schooling since he feels
responsible for the fact that Bellatrix took away my parents. It wasn’t his fault in any way but since it
was his family that caused it, he insisted on doing the right thing.”
This wasn’t what Harry had been expecting him to say. He had expected stuttering, maybe telling
them that he just did what his gran told him to do. That would have been the response Ron would
have given. It was clear that Ron feared his mother on a very visceral level. Not that he blamed him.
He had heard the howler that Molly Weasley had sent the twins after the prank on Hermione Black.
It was clear that she was the reason that they had apologized the way they did but they were quick to
reassure everyone that since giving her a chance, they did indeed like her a lot. Ron, however, just
had to keep pushing.
“You’re letting that traitor pay for your schooling? Well, I guess that makes sense why you’re nice to
them.” Neville’s face suddenly went impassive at his words. Harry wondered if it was something that
purebloods were taught as children. Every single one of them aside from Ron seemed to be able to
turn their emotions off at will.
“I’m nice to them because they’re my friends. Lord Black paid the Longbottom family reparation
when I was two years old. A fund was set up for my schooling at the same time. It has never been
spoken of since. I attended parties at both their homes and nobody ever treated me poorly. Narcissa
Malfoy, Bellatrix’s sister, was always welcoming and motherly, she never made me feel guilty for
my parents landing her sister in prison. For the record, Ron, you might want to start referring to Lord
Black by his title. If the right people were to tell him that you were disrespecting him, and yes, I
mean Hermione and Draco, he could retaliate on your father. There’s a reason that your mother
ordered the twins to apologize no matter how much she doesn’t like the situation.” The twins, who
had been sitting just a couple down, leaned over and nodded their heads sagely.
“If you would just give her a chance, I think you’d like her. Yeah, mum made us apologize but we
quite like her now. She always helps us when we ask for it, she and Malfoy are really smart. The rest
of the little firsties aren’t as bad as we thought they’d be either.” Ron shook his head angrily.
“I don’t recall asking the two of you for your opinions.” Harry couldn’t help but agree with Ron.
While he wasn’t going to go out and make war with Hermione and Malfoy, he had every intention of
heeding Dumbledore’s advice when it came to befriending Hermione Black.
Ron was the only person that he had confided in regarding what he and Dumbledore had spoken
about. Since the redhead hadn’t had the full story on what happened that Halloween night ten years
ago, he had hung on every word and told Harry that staying away from the Slytherin pair was
probably his smartest move. Harry felt somewhat vindicated; at least someone else agreed with his
decision to follow Dumbledore’s advice.
The argument was halted by the bell, dismissing them to their first class. Transfiguration was up first,
with the Slytherins of course. Harry couldn’t help but wonder who had decided to put the snakes and
lions together for almost all their classes. He and Ron stood, the rest of the boys following suit after
snatching one last piece of toast for the way. They traversed the corridors quietly, the tension still
vibrating between Ron and Neville. Once they arrived, Neville took his usual seat with Faye and he
and Ron took the table next to them.
Harry noticed that the Slytherins were already present; he always wondered why it was that they
were always early and always seemed to be prepared the second that the bell rang. Harry could
appreciate being punctual and ready for class, but they seemed to take it to a whole new level.
He watched from the other side of Ron as Hermione pulled her text out of her bag, scattering a stack
of parchment across the floor as she did so. She huffed angrily and went to her knees to gather her
parchment, but Ron managed to snatch a few of them that had landed near his feet. She jumped to
her feet and glared at him.
“Please give me back my parchments.” The Slytherin side of the room was silent as they listened to
her overly polite tone. Harry saw Malfoy reach out and touch her back, probably trying to calm her
down. Ron sneered her way.
“I don’t think that I will. The last thing you need is another O on your homework. Maybe I’ll just
burn it and you can take a T for once.” Dean and Seamus were snickering off to the side of them.
Hermione’s face went completely impassive.
“That’s a nice thought but those aren’t assignments for Hogwarts. Please return them before I’m
forced to take them.” Ron smirked at her before he took the parchment in both hands and ripped
them in half. Hermione launched herself at Ron but was stopped by a spell hitting her. Harry turned
to see Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway, wand held aloft, expression thunderous.
“Just what do you think you’re doing, Miss Black?” Harry hated that he instantly thought that the
color that suffused her cheeks made her look lovely.
“Parchment fell out of my bag when I pulled out my text. I was picking them up and Weasley took
some. I politely asked for them back and he refused. Then he tore them in half.” His Head of House
swung her gaze to his friend, who did look rather shamefaced.
“I was just funning about, Professor, they could be mended easily enough.” McGonagall didn’t look
impressed.
“Twenty points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, for attempting to destroy another student’s property.
Forty points from Slytherin, Miss Black, for being caught in the act of trying to harm another student.
Anymore incidents and you’ll both be in detention.” The stern woman held out her hand to Ron and
he handed them to her. She waved her wand over them, repairing them, before she really paid
attention to them. Her eyes narrowed in confusion and then began flipping through them. Harry
could see that Hermione was gritting her teeth at the intrusion but remained silent. Her face finally
came up and met Hermione’s gaze.
“What are these, Miss Black? They are far too advanced for you.” Harry could see the cold fury at
her words.
“They are assignments that Madam Cambridge sent Draco and I. I have to owl them to her today, so
I would appreciate having them back.” Harry wondered what was on the parchment.
“Is Madam Cambridge a private tutor?” She gave one sharp nod.
“Why are you learning about spell theory and wards? Ancient Runes and Arithmancy aren’t offered
until third year.” The young girl was back to gritting her teeth.
“Draco and I have been learning all of those things for years. Please return my assignments to me.”
Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes at the tone but handed them back to Hermione.
“Why are you still continuing with Madam Cambridge while you’re at Hogwarts?” Hermione
seemed to be contemplating her answer. Finally, she gave a matter-of-fact answer.
“Draco and I aren’t challenged here. We want to continue to learn. It’s quite simple.” His Head of
House’s eyebrows went up.
“Today, we’re turning parchment into silk. When did you learn that spell?” Hermione raised a single
eyebrow. Harry wished that he could do that.
“When we were five. We made sure the spell worked once we got to school.” Harry didn’t quite
believe that fully, but he wasn’t going to speak out of turn and land himself in detention. He was still
unsure as to why this conversation was occurring in front of the entire class.
“How far have you made it in your studies?” Hermione got a confused look on her face but
answered anyways.
“The end of four year. Hence, why we are continuing our education with Madam Cambridge while
we are here at Hogwarts.” Harry wasn’t sure that his Head of House even remembered that they
were in class because she just kept going.
“Why have you not told anyone that you aren’t challenged?” Hermione quirked her eye brow again.
“Do you really want the answer to that, Professor?” The reply was curt.
“Yes, I do.” Hermione stiffened her spine and raised her chin, her shoulders squaring as she stared
down the Transfiguration professor.
“Nobody aside from Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick would do anything about it.”
McGonagall instantly looked offended at her statement and began to sputter.
“Of course, we would, we want all our students to do well.” Hermione cocked her head to her side
as she scoffed.
“No, you wouldn’t. You think that Draco and I don’t know that all the teachers don’t like us because
of who are our parents are? You think we don’t know that the Headmaster hates us? You think
we’re unaware that as Slytherins, everyone looks at us like we’re evil? Trust me, we’re well-aware
and know exactly what would happen if we were to ask for special treatment. Everyone would say
that we wanted an easier curriculum, that since our families are wealthy that we wanted everyone to
cater to us. The fact that we’re bored out of our minds holds no bearing. Ma’am.” It was clear that
she tacked the ma’am on the end of her spiel because she didn’t want to end up in trouble for
disrespect.
Harry could tell that his Head of House was shaken to her core. It seemed that everything Hermione
had said was ringing true to her and it made Harry wonder what she was going to do about it. In the
short time that he had spent at Hogwarts, he had learned that McGonagall was not a witch to be
toyed with and who was a force to be reckoned with when her mind was set on something.
“I assure you, Miss Black, that I will be speaking with the Headmaster about your education.”
Hermione shook her head as she took her seat.
“That isn’t necessary, Professor. We’re fine with the arrangement we have now.” Suddenly recalling
that they were indeed in class, their Transfiguration professor cleared her throat and strode to the
front of the class and began her lesson.
Harry sighed. That wasn’t what he had anticipated happening when he came to class today.
-O-
Hermione was livid. Not only had the ginger git taken her assignments and then tore them in half,
Professor McGonagall had questioned and quizzed her about her education as if she had the right to.
She turned her assignments in every day and they were always perfect. Beyond that, her education
was none of the woman’s business.
While Hermione would absolutely love to get a more advanced curriculum, especially in
Transfiguration, she knew that it would never happen. The Headmaster wouldn’t approve it. She
was sure that they could probably fight his decision since Uncle Luci was on the Board of
Governors, but Hermione really didn’t want to hassle with it. It would be more trouble that it was
worth, especially since she was still receiving a quality education from Madam Cambridge.
When the Gryffindor Head of House had promised her that she was going to take the matter to the
Headmaster, she wanted to laugh out loud. The woman didn’t have to like her, but she should want
to teach her students to the best of her ability without being guided by guilt. Hermione knew exactly
the effect her words to the professor had had: extreme guilt that she had let prejudices keep her from
doing her job. As far as Hermione was concerned, getting more difficult work for herself and Draco
should have been broached ages ago. They’d been in class for almost two months and neither had
turned in anything less than a perfect essay or failed to perfect a spell on the first try.
Professor Flitwick had indeed been the only professor to ask them if they were challenged enough.
While she had hated lying to the half-goblin, Hermione had told him that they were, that they were
extremely diligent in their schoolwork. She knew that he would have to bring a curriculum change to
the Headmaster and once again, that was more trouble than it was worth.
Hermione was forced out of her thoughts by the bell ringing. She gathered her text and pushed it into
her satchel. Draco led her out of the classroom and turned them towards the Charms corridor. They
took their usual seats at the front of the classroom and waited patiently for class to begin. Others were
trickling in as the time passed, obviously not eager for class. Draco leaned over and whispered in her
ear.
“I can’t believe you took Professor Cat down a peg or two. It was brilliant.” Hermione snorted as the
met his eyes.
“Until Uncle Sev finds out. I’ll be in detention for days.” Draco ruffled her hair much to her chagrin.
“I bet he isn’t angry at all. You didn’t lose points, you didn’t get detention, and you pointed out that
the whole school is prejudiced against not only us but all Slytherins.” She nodded but they were
silenced by Professor Flitwick entering and beginning their lesson.
They were learning the fire-making spell, something that Hermione and Draco had mastered long
ago. She still checked her notes against what the half-goblin was teaching them, not adding a single
thing to her notes. They were paired off to begin practicing. Hermione and Draco decided to be
sporting and pair off with other people, so they could help where needed. It wasn’t something that
they normally did but since it was the fire-making spell, they decided that it was worth it.
Draco paired Greg while Hermione paired up with Millie, the worst in their group at Charms. She
wasn’t sure if they girl hated the subject or what exactly caused her complete and total failures in that
class, but Hermione decided to help where she could. Much to her surprise, Draco had Goyle casting
the spell properly on his third try, something unheard of for the boy. While he really did have a sweet
personality, Greg wasn’t known for being the most intelligent She knew that other houses made fun
of Greg and Vince both, said that they were nothing but boulders, but she didn’t believe that. It just
took them longer to grasp things.
Millie was another story. Hermione couldn’t fault her effort, it was clear that the girl was trying her
hardest to produce flames, but her magic wasn’t cooperating. When Hermione considered it, she
realized that while Millie always did well on her classroom assignments, she always faltered on
practical application in almost every class. She was going to have to research and see if she could
discover something to help the girl.
Much to the bigger girl’s absolute delight, her spell was successful on her eighth attempt. She
laughed and threw her arms around Hermione in glee, thanking her profusely for helping her to cast
the spell. Hermione just hugged her back, there wasn’t much else she could do since the girl was
hanging around her neck, laughed, and told the girl that she needed to gain confidence.
Professor Flitwick awarded everyone points that had successfully cast the spell. The only ones that
hadn’t managed it were Lavender and Pansy, so they were assigned extra practice as homework.
Both grumbled to themselves about it but neither voiced complaints. Professor Flitwick dismissed
them just moments before the bell rang, telling them that lunch would be served momentarily in the
Great Hall. Hermione was excited since she was starving.
Lunch ended up not being in the cards, however, since just outside the Charms classroom, Ron
Weasley stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her way. Hermione sighed; the last thing she
wanted to do was deal with him being a complete git to her. Draco, however, wasn’t going to take
his shite now that they weren’t in class.
“Why can’t you just leave her alone, Weasel? We told you before, she doesn’t have a crush on you.
Go talk to the blond, she can’t seem to stop staring at you.” Hermione knew that would piss him off,
so she was unsurprised when the redhead drew his wand and let it hang at his side.
“Like I would have a crush on a traitor. Take it back or I’ll make sure I curse you both bald.” Draco
laughed openly now.
“You just heard in Transfiguration that Hermione and I are already through most of the fourth-year
curriculum. You think you stand a chance against us? It’s not like you’re quickest snitch in the sky
anyways.” Ron stepped forward, but Harry held him back, so he could step forward himself.
“Don’t insult my best mate. He didn’t have a thing to say to you. You need to just keep your face out
of his business.” Draco smirked at Harry, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Hermione is my business. She’s my cousin and best friend and your ‘best mate’ does nothing but
torment her and insult her. Maybe if he wasn’t a complete waste of space, he would know that it’s
impolite to treat young ladies as such, especially when she has done nothing to him.” Harry’s chest
was heaving, and she could tell that he was angry.
“He treats her that way because she’s a traitor, she was raised by a traitor. When you embrace that
kind of life, you have to be willing to suffer the consequences.” Draco laughed again at how angry
Harry was.
“Hermione is a traitor? Traitor to who, to what? That doesn’t even make any sense. If you seriously
believe that Uncle Sirius is a traitor than you aren’t half as intelligent as I had hoped.” Ron finally
spoke again, fury evident in his voice.
“We’ll settle this once and for all. Wizard’s duel, tonight at nine. Trophy room and don’t be late.
Bring your second. I hope Harry wipes the floor with you.” Before Draco could retort, Ron grabbed
Harry by the shirt and pulled him away from them and down the corridor. Hermione wasn’t sure if
she should laugh or cry.
“I can’t believe that they want to fight a wizard’s duel. They’ve been taught a total of twenty spells
since they’ve gotten here. They can’t be serious.” Draco laughed softly as they started for the Great
Hall.
“I think they are, though Harry didn’t appear to even know what a wizard’s duel is. I’m a little
surprised that Weasley did.” Hermione couldn’t help but chuckle at his words but sobered quickly.
“I’m your second and you are not going to hurt them. It wouldn’t be sporting.” He rolled his eyes at
her.
“I know, Miney, Merlin. Do you think I’m an evil Slytherin too?” She laughed and shoved him in
his shoulder.
“Oh hush. I’m starving, and we need to get to lunch.” Draco offered her his arm with a grin.
“We wouldn’t want Princess Black to waste away from hunger.” Hermione shoved him again before
taking his arm and letting him lead her down the corridor.
-O-
Severus was nearly growling in irritation by the time he reached Albus’ office. He had received a
message from a house elf that his presence was requested in the Headmaster’s office during lunch.
He was sure that his Slytherins were being blamed for something, especially since the marked point
loss that morning, which put him in the worst mood.
The door swung open to reveal that Albus and Minerva were both present and sitting tensely by the
fire together. Severus sighed. Why did he have a feeling that this meeting was about both his
godchildren? Deciding that there was nothing to do but get the ball rolling, he took a seat in an
armchair before the fire as well. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke.
“I’m missing lunch. Does anyone want to inform me what this impromptu meeting is about?” The
Headmaster gestured to Minerva.
“Minerva called this meeting, not me. I’m just as clueless as you are.” Severus turned his eyes to his
colleague. She took a deep breath and met his gaze.
“Did you know that Miss Black and Mr. Malfoy are highly advanced students? There was an
altercation in Transfiguration and I found papers that Miss Black said she needed to send off to a
Madam Cambridge. I shouldn’t have but I rifled through them after I repaired them and found work
on wards, ancient runes, spell theory, spell creation, and arithmancy. When I questioned Miss Black,
she told me that she and Mr. Malfoy weren’t challenged so their tutor sent them work to do in their
free time.” Severus steepled his hands under his chin and cursed inwardly. He had no idea how
Minerva had encountered her assignments from Madam Cambridge but if she knew, Albus would
certainly know. Hoping that the children hadn’t spoken of his part in their education, he nodded
curtly.
“Of course, I know they’re advanced. Draco is my godson and he’s attended lessons with Miss
Black since they were infants. Lucius has always been proud of them and boasts about them every
chance he gets.” Minerva stared at him, shocked.
“You knew that they were this advanced? Miss Black told me that they had worked their way
through most of the fourth-year curriculum.” Severus nodded.
“Yes, I knew. Not the specific level but I knew they were far above their peers. They don’t want
special treatment, so they just do all matters of assignments from Madam Cambridge and owl them
back and forth.” Minerva shook her head.
“This is unacceptable. I asked her why they had never said anything that they weren’t challenged,
and she told me that nobody would do anything if they knew. She informed me in front of the whole
class that she knew that the professors didn’t like herself and Mr. Malfoy and that everyone would
assume they wanted special treatment because they’re wealthy. She also insinuated that nobody
would do anything because they’re Slytherin and everyone thought they’re evil. I’m here now to
demand that they be put in higher classes. There is no sense in them biding their time, wasting their
time and money on classes that they have no need of.” Severus smirked. It was cute that she thought
she was going to get her way on this when the Headmaster would have to be the one that agree to it.
True to form, Albus began stroking his beard.
“Minerva, that isn’t possible. You know as well as I do that if we do that for them, then there will be
people out there that want to make the classes easier because their children aren’t as gifted. It’s a
double-edged sword. Not to mention that they would be ridiculed not only by their peers but by the
older students they would have classes with.” Her mouth fell open in disbelief. She was silent for
several seconds before she found her voice.
“That is unacceptable, Albus. Those children aren’t learning a thing and that isn’t right. We’re
professors above all else and teaching is what we’re supposed to do. Besides, nobody is going to
ridicule a Black and Malfoy, least of all the Slytherins. They’re royalty in our world, you know that.
It would simply broaden their horizons. You have to agree to this.” Severus almost felt bad for the
witch. She was trying to do the right thing, but guilt was her motivator and that made him just a little
sick at his stomach. Albus was shaking his head.
“I can’t, Minerva. If I start showing favoritism now, I’ll have to show it to everyone. They may
continue their correspondence with their tutor but that is all I’m willing to do.” Severus hadn’t
expected any less. No doubt the Headmaster felt that if the pair weren’t learning anything, it would
be less that they could do to Harry. That truly did make him sick. Therefore, Severus sneered at his
colleague.
“Dumbledore has spoken, Minerva. You should know by now that he only wants what’s best for his
students. By students, that means everyone except my students.” Severus knew that the old man
would probably be pissed at his words, but he would blame it on keeping his cover. She pursed her
lips and went to her feet.
“I’ll have you know that I expected better, Albus. I expected that we would be better educators than
this.” She didn’t say anything else before she swept out of his office, head held high. Albus watched
her go before he turned to Severus.
“You know that isn’t the case. You care about all your students.” Severus nodded his head.
“I know, I was keeping up appearances. It wouldn’t do for me to appear to be too friendly or caring.
She knows that I care for my students and the others can go hang.” Albus chuckled.
“We both know that isn’t true. You protect Harry with your life.” Severus wanted to snort at the man
but thought better of it. He didn’t want to protect the little brat since he insisted on hurting his
goddaughter’s feelings constantly. However, he didn’t feel like allowing the Headmaster to get a dig
in without getting in one of his own.
“I also know that you filled Minerva full of dragon shite. The only reason you aren’t making sure
that they learn anything here is, so they won’t have as much in their arsenal to use against Potter.”
Dumbledore nodded his head.
“Yes. We can ill afford for Black or Malfoy to get to Harry. The last thing that we need is to lose him
to either. The fight would be over before it begun.” Severus felt vindicated that the man admitted as
such to him. However, he questioned him.
“You really think that is their goal? Get Potter to be their friend and then take him home to their
fathers to do their worst?” Albus nodded his head again.
“It is my fear. I’m not certain that is their plan but just the possibility is frightening.” Severus made
commiserating noises in the back of his throat.
“I suppose. I have never heard of such plans from either. Lucius trusts me, I think that he would
inform me of this plan and implore for me to help if I could.” Albus was silent for several seconds.
“That may be true, but I remember well the animosity between yourself and Sirius Black. I’m not
sure that he would want to include you in any plans that involve something important to him.”
Severus wanted to laugh outright now but held it back. If only the old man knew that they were the
closest of friends now.
“I defer to you in this matter, Headmaster. Now I find I must make my way to lunch.” Albus
twinkled his eyes at him as he nodded a final time.
“Good day, Severus.”
Severus left with a scowl on his face, robes billowing behind him.
-O-
Sirius was sitting in his library with Lucius and they were discussing the latest bill to come through
the Wizengamot. It wasn’t too terribly exciting, but it was better than sitting there by himself. It was
just before dinner and the pair were winding down Narcissa arrived.
Sirius was lonely, that much was certain. He missed his daughter and his cousin, the sounds they
made in the house even when all was quiet. The elves all doted on him even more now that there
was nobody else to care for and it wore his nerves. He was officially counting down the days until
the Christmas holidays. Sirius threw back another swig of his fire whiskey as Narcissa flounced in
the room in the palest blue taffeta gown he had ever seen. They both stood, and his cousin floated
into her husband’s arms, kissing his cheek in greeting.
“Hello, how was the Wizengamot today?” Lucius returned the kiss and Sirius was kept from
answering by a tapping on the window of the library. He rose and walked over to the window,
throwing it open to allow in an ebony owl with bright yellow eyes. Sirius couldn’t help but worry;
this was Severus’ owl. Lucius and Narcissa seemed to realize it as well and looked on nervously. He
shoved the bowl of owl treats at his friend’s owl and returned to his chair before ripping the letter
open and reading it aloud.
Sirius,
I hope this letter finds you well, well, as well as you can be considering the Wizengamot is in
session. I don’t have much to report this week. Hermione and Draco are both doing extremely well
in class, though Hermione did lose forty house points this morning because of an altercation with a
Ronald Weasley. Apparently, he tore her assignments for Madam Cambridge in half and she went
after him. Minerva walked in at that moment and stopped her, only taking points rather than
assigning detentions.
Your daughter is a fireball, that much is true. When Minerva mended her parchment, she caught sight
of exactly what they consisted of. When she questioned Hermione, she told her that Hogwarts didn’t
challenge her or Draco. They went back and forth before the entire class, Hermione finally telling her
that she didn’t tell anyone because nobody would do anything about it, not only because they aren’t
liked in school due to their parentage but because all Slytherins are assumed evil.
Minerva got indignant and righteous, calling me to Albus’ office so she could demand that they be
allowed in more advanced classes. It did nothing to sway his answer, of course, but it was amusing
to watch her try to better the educational experience of the children because a twelve-year-old guilted
her.
I haven’t spoken to either of them since the incident and if I know Hermione, she’s avoiding me. She
probably thinks that I’ll be cross with her because of the forty points she lost and the information that
was discovered. I’ll let her stew for a few days before I finally put her out of her misery and tell her
I’m proud of her.
I must go to dinner now so I’m ready to patrol the halls and find all the little monsters out breaking
the rules. I’ll write you if anything catastrophic occurs but otherwise, expect my owl next week.
Severus
Sirius wanted to get angry at the letter, but he knew that it wouldn’t do any good. He expected
Dumbledore to do everything in his power to keep his little girl down. The whole situation was a shit
show but it was what it was.
Sirius had wanted to go to the Ministry the second that Severus had told him that Albus had tried to
use legilimency on Hermione. While he had been expecting it, it didn’t make it any easier once it
actually happened. Lucius and Narcissa had both stopped him but he was shaking in anger at the
intrusion. They reminded him that Hermione had kept him out and she had called him out on his
actions, ensuring that he wouldn’t do it again. Draco would now be safe as well since Severus had
never hid the fact that the two took lessons together and learned the same things.
Lucius and Narcissa arched eyebrows at the letter. There was nothing bad in this one, aside from the
fact that Hermione was still being bullied by the youngest Weasley. None of them worried about the
situation though. Hermione and Draco had both wrote home and told them that Draco was quick to
defend her when she didn’t do it for herself. Lucius was the first to break the silence.
“Our little girl put Minerva McGonagall in her place in front of their whole class. She guilted her into
taking action.” Narcissa was grinning and Sirius gave into the amusement of the situation.
“She is a little fireball, that much is true.” He raised his glass of fire whiskey, duplicating it so one
could be handed to Narcissa. She and Lucius both followed suit.
“To Hermione and Draco, they’re going to take Hogwarts by storm.” They all drank to the toast,
Candy popping in next to Sirius.
“Dinners is done, master. Yous and Malfoys get to dining room before it’s cold.” He chuckled at the
affronted look on Lucius’ face. Candy popped back out and Lucius shook his head.
“That elf is a pushy harridan.” Sirius laughed and nodded.
“Yes, yes she is.” He gestured for the two of them to lead the way, leaving the letter from Severus on
the table next to his chair. His belly growled loudly.
Dinner was calling.
-O-
Hermione was being as quiet as possible as she sneaked out of the Slytherin common room behind
Draco. Draco had told their friends about the duel, laughing about how Weasley had decided it was a
good idea. They had all shaken their heads, surprised at the idiocy being shown by the redhead.
None of them had the experience to participate in a wizard’s duel.
All their friends had wanted to come watch, but Draco had told them no. The more people that
sneaked out, the bigger chance of them being discovered. Being caught out of their common room
after curfew to fight a wizard’s duel would most certainly net them detention. They had reluctantly
agreed with Draco and made them promise to give details of what happened when they returned.
Draco led them out of the common room and through the dungeons up to the fourth floor where the
trophy room was located. Hermione couldn’t help but feel nervous, not for the duel itself, but
because she was scared to death of getting caught by someone. There were voices ahead of them and
Hermione knew that it was Harry and Ron. They slowed momentarily to listen to their conversation
before showing themselves.
“You’re going to do fine, Harry. We’ve learned plenty of spells, just use them and dodge anything
he throws at you. If you go down, I’ll take your spot.” Hermione rolled her eyes. The simplest way
to explain dueling in the history of. Draco decided that they had heard enough and appeared in the
open doorway. He stepped through, Hermione behind him, and Harry and Ron fell silent. Silence
held for several moments before Ron burst out laughing.
“You brought Black as your second? A girl?” Draco raised an eyebrow, but Hermione stepped
forward.
“You should worry, Weasley. You take several tries in class to get your spells right. I’ve known the
spells you know for years. For your sake, I hope that Harry doesn’t fail.” His mouth closed with a
snap and Draco laughed out loud before gently pushing her over to the side.
“You stay over there, ‘Mi. If Potter disarms me or knocks me to the ground, you’re up.” Hermione
could see Harry gesturing for Ron to do the same thing. Hermione did as her cousin asked and
waited passively for them to begin. Draco paced out the distance between them and smirked at
Harry.
“We must observe the niceties. First, we bow. Since I’m a gentleman, I’ll allow you to cast the first
spell.” Harry nodded and both boys bowed to one another. Hermione watched as Harry lifted his
wand and cast.
“Locomotor mortis.” Hermione was a little surprised to see him use the leg-locker curse, she had
anticipated the body-bind, but it was executed beautifully. Draco seemed a little surprised that his aim
was perfect. Rather than cast a shield, he moved quickly to the side and the spell crashed into a large
trophy on the shelf behind Draco. It clattered noisily to the floor, the sound reverberating through the
room and the surrounding corridor. They all stood there silent and still, making sure that nobody had
heard them. It was only moments later, however, that Filch’s voice could be heard.
“There are students out of bed, Mrs. Norris. Go find them!” Hermione didn’t bother waiting to see if
she was going to come their direction. She grasped Draco’s hand dragged him out of the room
towards the nearest staircase. Harry and Ron were hot on their heels. Even though they needed to go
up rather than down, they launched themselves onto the moving staircase right behind Hermione and
Draco.
Since it was only one staircase, it ended when they reached the third floor. Knowing full well that
they had to find another staircase to go down or up, both boys followed Hermione and her cousin.
There were footsteps coming from the far end of the corridor and she suspected that they belonged to
her godfather. The Slytherin made a snap decision that she hoped would keep them out of trouble.
Hermione reached the door and tried to open it, only to find it locked. Knowing that they needed
somewhere to hide, she pulled her wand and whispered the unlocking spell. The door swung open
and the four of them piled in the room and slammed the door shut. They all waited in bated silence to
see if someone burst in the room and assigned them detention. After a full minute of only their
breathing filling the room, Hermione sighed and turned around to see the room they had taken refuge
in. What she saw surprised her.
An enormous three-headed dog was sitting atop a trap door.
The dog came awake slowly and Hermione was silent, unable to warn any of them of the danger
they were in. Not only did the dog look pissed off, it was extremely close. She could see that it was
chained to the floor but that did little to make her feel better. The boys finally turned and saw exactly
what she did, and Ron screamed.
The dog was no longer calm. It jumped forward, barking and snapping its jaws. Hermione tried to
move out of it’s range but since the others were in her way, it was hard to do. Instead of catching her
with it’s teeth, it caught the skirt of her uniform and ripped it. She felt Draco and Harry both take
hold of her arms and haul her closer to them, further out of reach. Draco’s wand appeared, and he
was quick to unlock the door once more, so they could escape before anyone got seriously hurt.
After her cousin shoved her unceremoniously through the door, Hermione looked down and realized
that her skirt was torn beyond help. She also saw that her blue silk knickers were on display, along
with a red scratch on her upper thigh. She squeaked when she realized that the boys would see
everything, trying desperately to cover herself with her hands.
Her squeak caught the attention of Harry and Ron and they were both now staring at her exposed
skin. Hermione tried to hide behind Draco, the only boy that had ever seen her in her knickers before
and that had been years before. He was checking to make sure that the door was locked securely
behind them. When he turned to see why she was dancing around him, he saw her predicament and
then realized that the boys were staring at her. He shoved her behind him while he took his robes off
and thrust them behind him. Once she was putting them on, he turned angrily to Harry and Ron and
raised his wand, casting stinging hexes on them both.
“Ow, what the bloody fuck, Malfoy!?” Ron just got angry.
“We’re telling the professor you did that!” Hermione could see that Harry rolled his eyes and
elbowed his friend. Draco answered first, however.
“Go ahead, tell a professor. Make sure you also tell them that you were out after curfew, fighting a
wizard’s duel, and got hexed because you were being uncouth bastards and staring at a girl’s
knickers when her clothing became compromised.” Ron started to speak but Harry interrupted him.
“We aren’t telling a professor, Ron. Use your head.” He turned to Hermione and she fully expected
that he was going to make fun of her. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised.
“I apologize for my behavior, Miss Black.” Hermione made sure that her cousin’s robes were
fastened all the way up before she stepped out from behind Draco.
“I accept your apology, Mr. Potter.” She noticed that she got nothing in the way of an apology from
Ron. Draco laid his hand on her lower back, turning her towards the dungeons.
“We all need to get back to our common rooms now.” The Gryffindors needed no further urging and
turned to go in the opposite direction.
Hermione followed behind Draco back towards their common room, keeping an eye open for the
prefects and professors that were still out patrolling. Although, Hermione had a feeling that it was
getting to be late enough that there wouldn’t be many people left. When they were only a corridor
away from their common room entrance, Hermione pulled her cousin to a stop.
“Did you see underneath that dog?” He raised his eyebrows and shook his head. She couldn’t help
but feel contemplative.
“It was guarding a trap door. We were in the third-floor corridor, the one that Dumbledore said is
forbidden.” A look of comprehension crossed his features.
“I wonder what he’s hiding down there.” Hermione shrugged her shoulders.
“I’m not sure but I have a feeling it’s dangerous whatever it is.” Draco nodded and put an arm
around her shoulders.
“Come on, lets get inside. You know the others are going to want to hear about our adventures.”
Hermione giggled slightly before allowing her cousin to lead her towards the Slytherin common
room.
Hopefully, it was going to a short tale and she could go to bed.
-O-
Harry and Ron rushed into the Gryffindor common room, out of breath from running from Mrs.
Norris. He had never felt any certain way about cats, but that beast was enough to make him hate
them for life. Ron was already heading towards the couch, panting, then taking a seat to catch his
breath. Harry took a seat next to him, mirroring his actions. Finally, Ron was recovered enough to
speak.
“Why did you apologize to her?” Harry rolled his eyes.
“Even if her father is a traitor and I don’t want anything to do with her, it was still rude and wrong of
us to do. We shouldn’t have been staring at her like that when it obviously made her uncomfortable.”
Ron nodded agreement for once but kept talking.
“Did you see those knickers though? They looked super expensive.” Harry rolled his eyes again only
Ron didn’t notice.
“Well, her father in the second-wealthiest man in Britain. The wealthiest man in Britain is her uncle.
I’m sure that they are very expensive, especially since Neville said that Malfoy’s mum takes her
shopping all the time.” Ron shrugged his shoulders, obviously not sure what else to say. In the end,
he went to his feet and yawned.
“Come on, mate, let’s go to bed. We have Potions in the morning.” Harry stood and followed his
friend up to their dormitory where they stripped off their clothes and put on their pajamas. Harry
flopped down in his bed after a quick goodnight to Ron, pulling his curtains closed.
His mind went to the ridiculous duel that they had tried to take part in. It was clear that he was way
out of his league when it came to dueling and would probably stay that way until they practiced it in
class. Percy had told them that they would begin in fourth year, which seemed so far away. There
was nothing for it though, he would just have to wait. His eyes were growing heavy as he laid there
in the dark.
His mind went back to Hermione Black standing there in her knickers and he cursed himself
inwardly. Where Ron had been worried about how expensive they were, Harry couldn’t get it out of
his mind how perfect that color had looked on her. Her skin was pale, much like her cousin’s, except
for the angry red scratch across her thigh. He knew he shouldn’t feel bad about the scratch marring
her skin, but he did.
He hadn’t even thought twice about reaching out and pulling her closer to himself and Malfoy. No
matter how much he despised her father, he would never wish death or disfigurement on her. Harry
knew that he should keep his distance, even if that meant her being injured, but it just seemed wrong
to let her get hurt because he and his friend had been stupid enough to call for a duel. Besides, she
had saved their hides by finding that room, regardless of what was inside.
Harry yawned and willed his mind to quiet. He was tired of thinking about Hermione Black and her
father and he refused to continue when he had to face Professor Snape in the morning. After all, she
was quite forgettable, Hermione Black. Harry snorted to himself.
Just keep telling yourself that.
A/N- Holy hells bells, another long chapter! It wasn’t originally going to be this long but what do
you do? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this installment! Leave me a message after the beep and tell
me what you think. Reviews are like chocolate and whiskey shots.
Next chapter, an encounter with a troll.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 13

A/N- Hey, y’all, I’m back with another chapter. I got a few PMs that complained about me
commenting on Harry bringing himself to orgasm at such a young age. I even had one reader tell me
that I was a sicko for writing such a thing in a story, that it wasn’t appropriate for such young
children. I want to clarify that I googled when boys began bringing themselves to completion and it
said ages 10-12. Since eleven fit right in the middle, I went with it. I’m not sick, it’s a fact of life that
all people, boys and girls alike, face eventually. If you want to quit reading the story, I completely
understand. However, don’t insult me and call me names because I wrote about something that we
all go through whether you want to admit it or not.
Anyways, now that that uncomfortable conversation is over with, I’m going to get started. Thank to
everyone for your continued support, it means the world.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing except for the personal plot twist. The basis of the story belongs to
Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters are JKR’s. I’ve made no money from story or any
other.
Chapter 13
October 31, 1991
Hermione knew that today was going to be a bad day. She had known for years that her father sent
her to Malfoy Manor on Halloween and Harry’s birthday for only one reason. He wanted to get
completely pissed so he didn’t have to think about what happened on those days.
The Slytherin was aware that Halloween was a hard day for her father; he had lost his best friend in
the world that night. The events and mistakes he had made that night had led to him losing Harry to
Albus Dumbledore and losing his one remaining friend, Remus Lupin. She understood that the last
thing he wanted to do was relive it all; therefore, he drank until he was smashed and then passed out
in the library, looking at albums.
Hermione had never spent a Halloween at home; at first, she was sure that her father didn’t want her
around for such an important holiday. She had cried into her Uncle Luci’s robes, wailing how her
father didn’t want her to be there to make him happy again. Uncle Luci had explained to her once
her sobs had subsided that sometimes people needed space to remember difficult and hurtful things.
He had implored to her that her father still wanted her and loved her but needed a few nights a year
to himself to deal with the mistakes he had made in his life. Even though Hermione had only been
six at the time, she had understood.
This year she hoped things would be better since Hermione had contact with Harry; it wasn’t good
contact by any means, but she was able to reassure him that his godson was fed well and being
treated like a young boy should. Uncle Sev had told her that he was handling this year better than the
years before, so she was hopeful that all would be well. This didn’t mean that she was holding her
breath though.
Draco came down the stairs from his dorm and saw her seated in the common room. He made his
way to her quickly before pulling her into a hug. Hermione didn’t speak, she just hugged him to her
tighter, thankful that there was one person that knew that she would be worrying about her father
relentlessly. Over a minute went past before he finally pulled away and shot her a winning smile.
“He’s going to be fine, Miney. Don’t worry about him. He’s strong, you know he’s going to do what
he does every year, which means that all will be well come morning.” His words really didn’t make
her feel any better, but she supposed that they were true. Her father would still be pissed at the end of
the night, so she could only hope that the next day he felt better.
Hermione let her cousin lead her out of the common room and through the corridors out of the
dungeons. Hermione couldn’t help but be thankful that they were close to the Great Hall, unlike
Gryffindor, whose common room was located on the seventh floor. Once they reached the doors to
the Great Hall, they pushed inside and took their usual seats at the Slytherin table.
They were the only ones present from their year, not really a surprise anymore. Once everyone had
learned their way around the castle, the others rose even later in the morning, hoping to catch just a
few more minutes of sleep rather than worry about breakfast. While Hermione normally didn’t eat a
lot, she still maintained that she needed food on her stomach to learn at her full capabilities.
Draco served up his plate while she put a small amount of scrambled eggs on her plate along with a
slice of toast and a few bites of cut up fruit. It was all she would be able to manage, and she knew
that she would eat every bite, unlike Pansy who piled her plate high with food and then only ate half
of it. She barely held back a chuckle at the thought of Pansy; it wouldn’t do to anger Draco.
Just three days before, Pansy had received a letter from her father and had shown it to Hermione. In
it, he had told her that she needed to turn up the charm around Draco because he was sending a
betrothal contract to Uncle Luci. Hermione had told her that it wouldn’t work but she had ignored
her entirely. It was for this reason that Hermione had little pity for the girl.
It had been lunch time when Pansy had sidled up next to Draco at their house table and laid her hand
on his thigh. Draco had looked at her thoroughly confused as to why she was touching him;
Hermione was the only girl to have touched him aside from Aunt Cissy. He threw her hand off him
and demanded to know what she was doing.
Pansy had told him in no uncertain terms that they were going to be betrothed in a short time. Draco
had looked at her as if she was mad before sending a questioning look Hermione’s way. Pansy
scooted impossibly closer to Draco before Hermione had finally taken pity on her cousin and told her
that his parents wouldn’t even sign a betrothal contract. The dark-haired girl had looked crest-fallen
but had scooted away from Draco in a hurry. Hermione had felt just a little bad after that.
Hermione was pulled from her thoughts by the Weasley twins sitting on either side of her, both
pressing a kiss to each of her cheeks. She could tell that they flamed red but there was nothing for it
now. Instead, she tried to play off that all was as normal, not that anyone believed it. Draco was
shooting her glances that suggested that he was getting ready to tease her.
“What are you boys doing over here this morning? You never sit here and eat.” She knew her voice
was slightly unsteady, but she did her best to ignore it. Fred (she could tell them apart now) shot her
a grin.
“We just wanted to come and check on the wellbeing of our favorite snake after we heard what
happened last night.” Hermione’s blush deepened if it was possible.
The night before, someone (she suspected the Gryffindor boys) had loaded the book she left at the
table in the library with confetti. When she had returned to her seat and opened it to continue her
reading, confetti had shot in the air and spelled out the word ‘slag’. Everyone in the library had seen
it but there was no proof as to who had done it, so it had gone unpunished. Just thinking about it
made her shrink in shame. George seemed to realize her embarrassment and laid an arm around her
shoulder for a few moments.
“When we said it, we only meant it as a prank, not that we truly believed it. Maybe whoever did it
this time did as well.” Hermione chuckled softly at his attempt to make her feel better. Rather than
call her out on it, she agreed with him even though she didn’t believe it for a second.
“Maybe.”
The rest of their house filtered into the Great Hall, all of them looking rather tired and asleep.
Hermione wasn’t sure how late they stayed up at night, but it was always later than she did. She
thanked Merlin every night that she had perfected a silencing charm years ago.
Neville came over and checked in with her, making sure that their plans for studying the following
evening were still on. Hermione had agreed but once he left, Draco had teased her about Neville
having a crush on her since she was the one that he talked to the most of all their friends. Hermione
blushed furiously before telling her cousin that Neville was an upstanding young man and he would
never make his interest known so young, unlike a certain witch they knew. Draco had turned a
suitable shade of pink and Hermione had felt rather vindicated.
Breakfast dismissed, and the pair headed towards Transfiguration. Uncle Sev had informed them
almost two weeks ago that Professor McGonagall had taken her request for them to be in more
advanced classes to their Headmaster, but the man had denied her request. Her uncle had also told
them his reasoning, but they were less surprised than the Deputy Headmistress. Therefore, when the
pair were split into a pair together, they gaped.
Minerva McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House, had just laid a parchment on their table that they
had never seen before.
Hermione couldn’t quite keep her eyes off the parchment. It contained an assignment that they had
just sent back to Madam Cambridge, meaning that their professor was going to teach them advanced
classes until the Headmaster found out. Hermione wasn’t sure how long it would last, but until he
figured it out, she planned on learning as much has she could. In the meantime, she and Draco
finished the assignment that Madam Cambridge had just assigned and hoped that the next lesson
would bring something that they didn’t know.
Though Draco had been more surprised that she had been, Hermione had insisted that they keep their
lessons a secret from everyone aside from their godfather. Even though their heads had been bent
together in serious thought, Hermione had made sure to convince everyone that they were discussing
a family matter rather than their studies.
Transfiguration ended with no fanfare, the only complaint coming from Lavender Brown for having
the class attempt such a difficult spell. Hermione had wanted to snort at the blond; it was clear that
she was just lazy since half the class had completed the spell before they had been dismissed. Just
more proof that Hermione would probably never get along with Lavender even if she was ever lucky
enough to become friends with Harry.
Harry was obviously not too happy with History of Magic. It was no surprise that Professor Binns
hadn’t impressed anyone when he had appeared, he began lecturing on the early goblin wars that had
plagued society. Hermione took her notes diligently, adding what she could to the notes that she
already had wrote down. Class didn’t change any from what it would have been if Hermione and
Draco had taken notes for the entire lesson; for this reason, she couldn’t feel bad that the students
weren’t listening to her any more than they did if they were in the library and she hushed them into
silence.
Once History of Magic concluded, notes and assignment clear in their notes, the bell dismissed them
to the Great Hall once more. Lunch was important to Hermione. It was clear that she did better with
food on her belly at breakfast and the same was true for lunch. Nothing worth mentioning occurred
in the Great Hall and Hermione was grateful. They were headed to Charms next and she wanted to
have her head on straight, so she didn’t disappoint Professor Flitwick.
All the first years made their way to Charms together and it reminded Hermione of their first week at
school. While boys still asked her occasionally to escort her to class, Draco never let them unless he
was invited to come along as a chaperone. Even though it was an outdated practice, she was thankful
that her cousin cared enough not to abandon her to the masses. Even though she should be used to
the attention the boys showed her, her aunt had warned her how it would be for her someday, they
all made her feel uncomfortable.
The group of ten Slytherins entered Charms together, laughing about some inside joke between the
boys. Hermione hadn’t been paying attention, so she was left as the only one not laughing as they
took their seats. Once seated, she didn’t bother taking her parchment, ink, or quill out; last class, they
had spent the entire time lecturing about the levitation charm. Today, they would be putting it to use.
Professor Flitwick entered, happy grin on his face, and spoke to the class.
“I’m moving you into groups of four. I want you all to help each other and master the levitation spell
before we all leave today.” Hermione groaned inwardly and hoped that her group consisted of all
Slytherins. None of the Gryffindors liked her at all and they would make her life hell. Even helping
Vince, Greg, or Millie would be preferable. Professor Flitwick waved his wand at the board and the
groups appeared.
Hermione groaned.
Not only was she paired with all Gryffindors, she was paired with Ronald, Dean, and Seamus.
Draco was paired up with Harry, Pansy, and Millie and she was sure that he was just as unhappy as
she was. While he had appreciated that Harry had apologized for staring at her bare skin and
knickers after their farce of a duel, her cousin and protector had been less than impressed that the
apology was even needed. Draco was the only boy that had ever seen her in her knickers and that
hadn’t happened since they were seven.
Hermione knew that none of the boys were going to come to her, so she reluctantly gathered her
belongings and moved over to the table that Harry had just left so he could take her seat next to
Draco. She slid into the seat next to Ron quietly, trying her hardest to not bring attention to herself. It
really wasn’t the best of choices that her professor had put her with Ron; he was the worst of the
bunch.
When she took her seat, Ronald sneered at her but remained silent. Dean and Seamus shoved their
desks over to push them together before taking their seats. The boys began trying to master the spell,
each taking their turn, completely skipping her. It was fine by her; she didn’t need the practice in any
way. She listened as Ron and the other boys continued to mispronounce the spell, putting emphasis
on the saw part of the spell rather than the o part. Finally, she couldn’t stay quiet any longer. It was a
poor choice on her part since Ronald was the one who was trying at the moment.
“You’re saying it wrong. It’s levi-O-sa, not levio-SAW.” His eyes darkened, and he scowled
hatefully at her.
“Let’s see you try it then, traitor.” Hermione quailed slightly under his unwavering gaze, but she
squared her shoulders and raised her wand.
“Wingardium leviosa.” The feather that they had been given raised from the desk and floated into the
air, wafting gently as if it had been caught by a slight breeze. All three boys scowled at her now but
were cut off by Professor Flitwick.
“Wonderful job, Miss Black. If you could help the other boys I would appreciate it.” Hermione gave
him a shy nod before lapsing into teaching mode like she did with her friends from Slytherin. The
only difference was that her friends usually appreciated her help. Before she could continue her
initial explanation, Ron spat out the most hateful words at her.
“I can’t believe that we were stuck with the traitor. Tell me, Black, did daddy dearest groom you to
be the insufferable hag that you clearly are? Nobody likes you except your house.” Hermione started
to sputter her defiance.
“That isn’t true, Neville likes me and so do your brothers, they just ate breakfast with me this
morning.” Ron snorted harshly.
“Your father paid Neville off and my brothers are probably getting a payment of a different sort.
What male in their right mind would turn down having your legs wrapped around them?” Hermione
couldn’t even believe that he was talking like he did; what eleven-year-old said such inappropriate
things? Yes, she knew what they meant but only because her Aunt Cissy had made sure that she
wouldn’t be left vulnerable against the opposite sex.
“My father paid the Longbottom family reparation for the wrongs Bellatrix had done against their
family. It was before Neville could even talk, that has nothing to do with him being my friend. As for
the twins, that’s complete rubbish. We’re eleven and sex should be the last things on our minds.” It
was at this point that Hermione knew things were going to get so much worse. The glint in the
redhead’s eyes warned her that she wasn’t going to like what he said at all.
“Really? That wasn’t what you were saying when you threw yourself at Harry and me. Had your
skirt down and showing us your expensive blue, silk knickers. You made quite clear just what you
wanted from us. You were just hurt that we wouldn’t touch your ugly arse with Neville’s prick.”
Hermione couldn’t believe that he would twist her getting her skirt ripped by the three-headed dog
into what he was saying in front of Seamus and Dean. She was also well aware of what would be
said once class was over. She would be painted as a slag and there was nothing she could say to
discourage the gossip. Ron had played his hand and she had to admit that he had played it well.
Hermione noticed that the other boys were now laughing at her, silently guffawing directly to her
face in order to keep Professor Flitwick from discovering what had been said. Suddenly, she realized
that their words would be around the school by the Feast that night. Hermione couldn’t hold her tears
in and rather than have the whole classroom witness them, she turned and fled, not even bothering to
gather her bag before she did so.
Hermione ran for she didn’t know how long. The Charms classroom was located on the fourth
corridor and before she realized what was happening, she was ensconced in one of the stalls of the
girl’s loo on the first floor. It was one that was off the beaten path and rarely used; she was glad. The
last thing that she wanted right now was company and that included her cousin. He would bluster
and get angry and that was the last thing that she wanted to listen to.
Hermione considered her life at this point. Her father said that he wasn’t counting on her to get close
to Harry and tell him the truth, but she knew that deep down he was. Not only was Harry completely
against her now, so were his friends. His friends couldn’t just leave her alone and let her continue
with her life as she pleased; they had to do their best to make her life a complete hell. She wasn’t sure
why they were so obsessed with making her feel terrible, but it seemed to be the Gryffindor’s
favorite past time.
Hermione passed the rest of the afternoon away in the girls’ toilet. Sometimes crying and sometimes
feeling sorry for herself, either way she still felt terrible. She knew that it was past the time for the
Feast to begin before she finally decided to show her face. If she knew Draco, he was going spare
trying to find her. Hopefully he didn’t do anything rash while looking for her. She had just splashed
cold water on her face when the door slammed open and a troll lumbered in, club clutched tightly in
his hand.
-O-
Draco was about to lose his mind.
He was well-aware that the Weasel had done something to upset his cousin during Charms, he was
just unsure as to what it was. She had run away from Charms and left her belongings there, a true
showing as to how upset she was. Draco hadn’t bothered with his wand when he realized that his
best friend was gone; he had stridden forward and punched the sneering redhead in his face while he
was mimicking to his friends about Hermione running off.
Professor Flitwick had lost his patience at that point. He had pulled Draco back by hand, forgoing his
wand completely. This didn’t stop Draco throwing him off and going after Weasley again. He was
stopped, however, by Theo and Blaise stepping in front of him. Their professor was vibrating in
fury.
“Mr. Malfoy how dare you lay hands on Mr. Weasley! You will serve three detentions with me
starting tomorrow evening.” Draco knew that his father was going to be disappointed when he heard
but he didn’t care. Hermione was his priority.
“Why don’t you ask Weasley what he said to Hermione to make her run out of class crying? Nobody
hurts my cousin without answering to me. If you think I’ll get in trouble with my parents, you’re
dead wrong. They charged me with taking care of their niece and they will be most displeased.”
Professor Flitwick turned his eyes to the Weasel and narrowed his eyes.
“Why did Miss Black leave so upset?” It was clear that he wanted an answer and Ron was not used
to lying to professors.
“She got her feelings hurt when we tried to tell her how to do the spell.” It was feeble sounding at
best and Draco sneered, the rest of his house along with him.
“Liar. Hermione mastered the levitation spell when she was six years old.” Even though the
professor’s eyebrows raised at the information, he turned his gaze once more to the redhead. Weasley
stammered for a few moments before he revealed the truth.
“I said that she had made inappropriate overtures and that Harry, and I had rebuffed her.” Draco
knew exactly what he was referring to. He could see that Harry looked stunned but that didn’t help.
Instead, Draco lunged once again at Weasley, brought to a halt by Greg and Vince this time. Now
Professor Flitwick looked thunderous. Draco knew that Hermione was his favorite student.
“Detention, Mr. Weasley, for slandering a student and passing false rumors. Miss Black is eleven, to
say she was engaged in the sort of things you insinuated would be utterly ridiculous. You will spend
tomorrow evening with Professor Snape. Maybe you’ll learn to respect other students the same way
your brothers did.” Ron’s face showed that he wasn’t planning on learning anything from his
encounter. Draco couldn’t help but sneer at the redhead, hoping to scare the life out of him if nothing
else.
“I’ll make sure to tell my father and Uncle Sirius what happened today. I’m sure that your father isn’t
too attached to his Ministry job.” He could see the redhead pale further at his words, but he didn’t
care. He didn’t get to comment further since the bell rang and he wanted nothing more than to find
Hermione and reassure her that everything was going to be alright.
Draco gathered his things and then grabbed his cousin’s, throwing it over his shoulder as he vowed
to look for her. He knew that the rest of their house was concerned about Hermione, but he didn’t
think that she would appreciate being found in tears by all his house. Therefore, he turned to the rest
of his house and took a deep breath before speaking.
“I know you want to help me look for Hermione but think about how embarrassed she’s going to be
when I find her; don’t make her live through that embarrassment with everyone watching. I’ll bring
her to the Feast as soon as I find her; trust me, there will be retribution against the redheaded slime.”
Everyone looked vindicated at his words but didn’t look happy at him banning them from going after
Hermione. It was Theo that spoke first.
“I know that you have first dibbs on retribution, all of us would agree with that, but Hermione is our
princess. This can’t be allowed to stand how it is.” Draco nodded.
“I know how you feel and I appreciate it. My family will as well. However, this is a family matter
and I will make sure that the Weasel knows what’s going to happen if he’s going to spread lies. I’m
going to send a letter home tonight and tell them what he did.” The rest of his house nodded and
allowed him to begin looking for her on his own.
Hermione would be disgusted to hear herself described as Slytherin’s princess even though that’s
what she was. The name Black was far more important in their world than the name Parkinson or
Nott. He knew that she hated the fame and notoriety that came with being a Black, but the fact
remained that it was hers by birthright.
Draco began searching. He had a whole free period to search before the Feast began and he hoped to
have found her by that point. The Slytherin searched all her usual hiding places; the owlery, the
window seat on the sixth floor, and the unused classroom on the fourth floor turned up nothing. He
was unsure of where else he could look since Hermione would never have ran to the library or her
room upset. The last thing she would have wanted was to have people see her so upset.
Draco cursed to himself about the fucking Weasel. Only he would try to tell his friend that Hermione
tearing her skirt and him staring at her knickers was her making an inappropriate gesture to him and
Potter. He knew for a fact that while Hermione would feel terrible about the redhead’s father losing
his job, his father or Uncle Sirius would make sure that he took a pay cut or something of the like.
Maybe a forced vacation. Hermione would chastise him and say that was cruel to punish the family
for one of their actions, but she refused to see that that was how his father and Uncle Sirius worked.
Family was the most important thing to them and they didn’t like to see or hear about Hermione
getting hurt, even if it was just her feelings.
The Halloween Feast had started not too long ago, and Draco still had no idea where his cousin was.
Deciding that he might need help after all, he turned to head to the Great Hall. Once he entered, he
scanned the Slytherin table, hoping that she had decided to come down from wherever she had
hidden and eat. There was no such luck, however. She wasn’t at the table and he didn’t spot her
anywhere else in the room. Weasley, however, was sitting at the Gryffindor table next to Harry,
shoveling food into his mouth at an alarming rate. Draco could only sneer in his direction; if he were
to go to the lion’s table, he would probably punch him in his freckled face again. Instead, Draco took
his usual seat at the Slytherin table and the rest of his friends looked at him expectantly.
“Where is she? Is she alright?” Draco scrubbed a hand down his face at the onslaught.
“I don’t know, I couldn’t find her. I checked all her favorite places and she isn’t anywhere that she
usually is. She would never go to library.” He turned to Daphne.
“Was she in your dorm?” Daphne shook her head.
“No, she wasn’t there, and it was clear that she hadn’t been there since this morning.” Draco let out a
frustrated sigh. Trust his cousin to discover a hiding place that nobody in the bloody school could
find. He was surprised when Missy Selwyn, a fourth year Slytherin, leaned over the table to speak
over her friends.
“I’m not sure if it was Hermione but there was a girl crying in the first-floor girl’s loo, the one by the
staircase.” Draco was about to thank her but couldn’t because the door to the Great Hall slammed
open and Professor Quirrell rushed in, hand clutching at his turban.
“Troll in the dungeons, troll in the dungeons! Thought you ought to know.” The students all began
screaming, and Draco could barely hear himself think. The only thing he could focus on was getting
to Hermione since she didn’t even know that there was a troll loose in the school. Suddenly,
Dumbledore’s voice was magnified and yelling at them.
“SILENCE!!!” The room fell silent immediately and the Headmaster took the opportunity to begin
issuing orders.
“Prefects lead your house back to your common rooms in the most direct manner. Professors follow
me, so we can see to the troll.” Draco wasn’t about to leave his cousin in the girl’s loo.
The Slytherin stood with the rest of his housemates and followed the six prefects. As they left the
Great Hall, Draco hung back just enough to duck behind one of the statues and make his way up the
stairs rather than down towards the dungeons. Once the stairs stopped at the first floor, Draco
bounded off the stairs and headed for the loo that Missy had heard a girl crying in.
Just outside the door, Draco could hear screams, Hermione’s screams, and the sounds of something
hitting the wall. Then, taking him completely by surprise, there were shouts that didn’t belong to
Hermione. Draco drew his wand and burst through the door and almost dropped it in bewilderment.
Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley were in the bathroom, watching as an enormous mountain troll
lifted his cousin off the ground by her hair.
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe the situation he found himself in sometimes. He was in a school for magic and
there was a troll loose in the dungeons. He was unsure how big trolls were, but he got the distinct
impression that they weren’t good. It seemed as though the professors were all going to take care of
the problem, but he still couldn’t help but worry. Suddenly, he realized that there had been one
person missing from the Slytherin table.
“Ron, did you see Hermione Black at her table?” His best mate snorted.
“Why would I care about that traitor?”
Harry couldn’t believe his friend. Merlin knew that he was his best friend, a great one, but he could
be such a bully sometimes. Just the fact that he had lied to their friends about Hermione making
inappropriate gestures to himself and Ron was ridiculous. They both knew that Hermione had only
showed them her knickers because the three-headed dog had torn her skirt.
“You should care because Malfoy is already going to tell his father that you have been bullying his
niece and he’s going to get your father fired from his job. Dick move on his part but what do you
think he’s going to do if his niece gets hurt by a troll because she’s off somewhere crying because
you were mean to her?” Harry could see that his words affected his friend.
It was no secret that the Weasleys were extremely poor; Harry didn’t much care and neither did
anyone else in Gryffindor house. However, he had to wonder, to himself of course, just why that
was. Every other pureblood child came from a family that was at least comfortable, if not wealthy.
He was unsure what politics were at work, but he vowed to ask someone soon. Regardless, the last
thing that the Weasleys needed was to have Ron’s father lose his job because he’s being a complete
prat to Hermione Black. Ron finally figured out that he may be in even bigger trouble.
“What do we do?” Harry stood and followed the prefects out of the Great Hall just as the rest of the
student body was. He leaned over to Ron’s side and whispered in his ear.
“Parvati said that there was a girl crying in the loo on the first floor. I’d bet that’s Black. Let’s go
warn her to get back to her common room; the last thing we need is for her to get caught unawares
by a troll.” Ron was quick to nod his agreement. Without drawing any attention to themselves, they
slipped away from the group and started for the stairs that would take them to the first floor.
Harry knew that Malfoy must be losing his mind with worry over his cousin. As much as he didn’t
like the boy, it was clear that he cared deeply for his cousin. Harry was also able to admit now that
he was slightly obsessed with Hermione Black. Even though he wanted nothing to do with her and
had no plans on becoming her friend anytime soon, he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. He couldn’t
not think about how brilliant she was when she performed every spell in class to perfection on the
first try.
Harry and Ron rushed through the corridors, hurrying to find Hermione in the girl’s loo. It only took
them a few minutes to find the loo and once they reached there, Harry was glad that they had come.
Hermione was inside, screaming in fear, and there was crunching sounds that sounded suspiciously
like porcelain sinks being torn from the wall.
The pair burst through the door, they were Gryffindors after all, and what Harry saw horrified him.
Hermione was being held up be her hair, or maybe the nape of her neck, he really couldn’t tell. Her
feet were dangling a good meter and a half off the ground and she was trying her best to get her hair
loose from the troll’s grip. Her wand had clattered to the floor beneath her and she was whimpering
in pain. Harry faintly heard the door open behind him, but he was frozen when he saw the troll lift
his club and swing it at Hermione. It landed on her calf and there was a sickening crunch of bone.
Before he could even react, Malfoy shot out from behind him, wand raised high, and shot he wasn’t
sure what spell at the troll. It bounced off it, of course, but it kept the attention off Hermione. The
troll howled in outrage and dropped Hermione and she landed in a heap with a cry of pain. Sinks
were knocked off the wall and bathroom doors were ripped off the stalls. Water was spurting from
the sinks, soaking the room.
Harry watched as Draco ran forward while the troll was momentarily confused by the spells and took
hold of his cousin’s robes and began to drag her towards the entrance of the bathroom. Harry
couldn’t fault his actions; it was what he would have done if he had been able to act quick enough. It
didn’t last long, however, since the troll was now enraged. It reached down and grabbed Hermione’s
leg, the same one that was obviously broken since it was sitting at an angle. She screamed in pain,
but Harry finally realized he needed to step forward.
Harry didn’t bother casting a spell; instead, he jumped on the troll’s back and began hitting it with his
fists. While he knew that it wasn’t harming the beast, he also knew that he was distracting it enough
to make it turn loose of Hermione’s leg. It howled in indignation and started thrashing about, doing
its level best to throw him off it’s back. Malfoy was now standing off to the side after dragging
Hermione further into the bathroom, wand held aloft.
“Hit it in the back of the head with a stunning spell, Potter!” Harry wasn’t sure what a stunning spell
was, but he began hitting the troll in the back of the head with his fist. Malfoy growled in frustration.
“Point your wand at the back of his head and yell stupefy!” Draco did this several times over so
Harry wasn’t sure what this was going to accomplish but he did as he was told regardless. To his
complete and utter surprise, his spell hit the troll and he dropped to the ground which sent Harry
rolling close to Hermione and Draco.
The troll was laying on it’s side right where it had fallen. Ron was still standing at the door,
dumbstruck and still. Draco was crawling to his cousin, panic written in his features even though
Harry was sure that he didn’t want to broadcast his fury. He had Hermione wrapped in his arms and
was whispering in her ear, gathering her close to him. Harry couldn’t help but feel just a little jealous
before he quashed the feeling. He couldn’t want his mortal enemy.
Before any of them could speak, the door to the bathroom slammed open and the Headmaster,
Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape all filed in. They were caught off guard at exactly what
it was they were seeing but aside from a moment of not knowing what was going on, their
expressions were blank. Professor Snape was the first one to speak, although Harry wasn’t sure how.
His leg seemed to be bleeding heavily, though he hid it quickly behind his robes.
“What in the bloody hell is going on here?” Harry wasn’t sure that his professor had meant to curse
but he had and there was no taking it back. Professor McGonagall spoke next.
“I think what Professor Snape is wanting to know is just why you are all in this bathroom with a troll
instead of in your common rooms like you were ordered to be.” Harry was going to speak up and
take the blame since Ron had been the reason Hermione was in there to begin with, but he was cut
off by Hermione.
“It was my fault. I followed the troll because I thought that I could beat it. The others came to save
me from my stupidity. Don’t punish them, it just isn’t fair.” Harry couldn’t believe that she would lie
for them. Even though he figured it was more for her cousin, she had included not only himself but
Ron as well. It was clear that she had no loyalty to the redhead, but he suspected that she was
grateful all the same. Professor McGonagall sounded quite angry when she spoke.
“I’m highly disappointed in all of you. The fact that you saved Miss Black doesn’t mean a thing.”
The Headmaster broke in.
“Now, Minerva, you know that it does mean something. They saved Miss Black and I’m sure her
father and uncle would be grateful.” Harry wasn’t sure what that meant but he just rolled with it.
Hermione, however, narrowed her eyes and spat her words as if they were poison.
“I went after the troll by myself, I wanted to make a name for myself. Draco and Potter came after
me hoping to dissuade me from making such a colossal mistake. Once they realized I was in trouble,
they stepped forward and helped save me.” Harry could see that Draco was livid with her story,
obviously shaking his head in disagreement. However, nobody paid attention to him. When he
spoke, it was hesitant.
“Professor, I don’t think that -.” Harry was cut off by the Headmaster.
“If Miss Black is willing to take the blame for tonight’s events, it sounds like a good plan. The last
thing that the savior of the wizarding world needs is to be at blame for a young girl being emotional
and running into danger.” Harry wanted to barf at his words. They all knew that it was a lie that she
had told to keep them safe. The best he could do was keep her wish alive and believable. Professor
McGonagall, however, looked livid, believing completely that her house was innocent.
“I am well-aware that taking down a mountain troll is quite the feat. However, it’s a clear violation of
the rules since you were all instructed to go to your common rooms.” She turned to the rest of the
students and Harry knew that the points losses were coming.
“Miss Black, fifty points for clearly not listening to the Headmaster and following the prefects to
your common room. Mr. Malfoy, twenty points for going after your cousin. After all, family comes
first, even that is something that a Gryffindor can appreciate. Mr. Potter, thirty points for doing the
best you could to stop the troll and casting spells beyond your skill level to save another student.”
Harry watched as Hermione bowed her head and snuggled into her cousin’s side, crying harder than
she had in ages he was sure. He couldn’t help but feel bad for letting her lie for him. Professor Snape
stepped forward and glared at everyone.
“Yes, Minerva, make sure you take points before the girl has even been treated for her obviously
broken leg. I’m sure that’s not insult to injury.” Harry could see that his Head of House felt terrible
once the girl’s state had been pointed out, but she said nothing. Instead, she had allowed the
Slytherin Head of House to take control of his student and levitate her out of the loo. Once they were
gone and the Headmaster had left, Harry’s Head of House fixed her gaze upon him.
“I’m very disappointed that you let that girl lie for you, Potter. Filius told me exactly what happened
in his class and Miss Black had no idea that there was a troll in the building. I punished her instead of
you and Mr. Weasley but know that I’ve never been more disappointed in you both. Gryffindors are
always honest and you did your house a disservice today.” Harry hung his head, even though Ron
didn’t, at her words. They were all true and he had no excuse for his cowardice. Instead, he nodded
his agreement with her words and once she gestured for them to leave, he hurried to their common
room.
Even though he deserved it, he couldn’t bear to lose any points from his house, Hermione Black be
damned.
-O-
Severus couldn’t remember being this livid, ever. Maybe when the Dark Lord had killed Lily, but it
would be a close toss-up.
Severus knew that his goddaughter was lying the second the words fell out of her mouth. He also
knew that she was trying to protect not only Draco but Harry as well. He knew she wouldn’t care if
Weasley was in trouble but since he was there she was forced to include him in her story.
They were currently in the Hospital Wing, Draco perched on her bed with her and rubbing
comforting circles into her back as they waited for the skele-gro to do its work. Severus had already
scared away the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall; while he was sure that it wouldn’t matter in
the long run, he was quite committed to keeping those that would bother them out of their face.
Madam Pomfrey bustled over and met his gaze.
“She’s free to leave as long as she promises no serious activity on that leg for the next forty-eight
hours.” He nodded his head and gestured for the two students to stand.
“I understand, Madam. I’ll do my best to keep her as sedate as possible.” She flashed him a smile
before helping Hermione gather her things and helping her towards her godfather, even though she
didn’t know that tidbit of information. Severus stood and took her hand in his before drawing it into
his arm, so he could formally escort her. While it wasn’t required for such an elderly wizard to
perform for such a young witch, it was a show of respect, and in his case, love for the witch in
question.
“Please allow me to escort you to your common room, Miss Black.” Hermione was quite aware that
he was trying to keep the scene to a minimum before he started to pull her towards his office. Once
they were all safely ensconced inside, Severus turned his severe gaze to his goddaughter.
“Why would you lie?” She blanched slightly before she finally decided on how she wanted to
answer.
“I didn’t want Draco punished for my weakness when Weasley lied about my honor. I didn’t want
Harry to think that I hated him like I did Weasley. The best way to go about doing both of those
things was to lie about what really happened.” Severus sighed. While she was correct, that didn’t
mean that he enjoyed her actions being necessary.
“What did really happen?” Draco shot her a look that clearly asked her how much they wanted to
divulge of their adventures. Since Uncle Sev had done nothing to earn their mistrust, she nodded and
proceeded to tell him the whole story. It began with Ron’s suggestion of a wizard’s duel and ended
with both Harry and Ron staring at her knickers.
Severus couldn’t say that he was pleased when he finally worked out the rest of the story for himself.
It didn’t do any good for him to get angry in front of the children, however. The last thing that he
wanted was to keep them from trusting him. He realized that there was nothing he could say at the
moment that wouldn’t end up sounding petty or judgmental, therefore, he remained silent. Severus
rolled his shoulders when Draco spoke next.
“I’m going to write father tonight. Weasley needs to learn his place and as much as I hate to say it,
Potter does as well. If he’s going to hang around Weasley, he needs to know what can happen to
him, especially if his friends are so bloody stupid.” Hermione looked panicked for a few moments,
her hands clutching at the fabric on her cousin’s chest.
“Drake, please, don’t have Uncle Luci fire their father. It isn’t his fault that his son is a complete
cad.” Draco sighed and rubbed his hands down his face in a clear motion that said he was only
capitulating because of Hermione.
“I’ll only suggest that they give him a pay cut or force him to take a vacation, that you don’t want
him to be majorly punished since it’s only one person in the family that’s a complete idiot. I think I’ll
pass on, however, that his family should know that their lack of serious punishment is due to your
interference.” Hermione was nodding happily so Severus stood and urged them to do the same.
He escorted the pair back to their common room, knowing full well that their friends were waiting on
news from them. Severus knew that his godchildren would try to downplay the situation, but he
couldn’t erase the fact that what happened had happened. He just wished that his goddaughter hadn’t
been forced to lie about what had happened, especially since she was likely to suffer in loss of
opinion of Filius Flitwick. Severus wondered if he could somehow bring the half-goblin around to
their way of thinking. He wasn’t sure, but he was aware that the professor had already chosen his
favorite student and it just happened to be Hermione.
Severus didn’t even bother going to Albus’ office; all he would be doing, along with Minerva, would
be gloating that little miss perfect wasn’t quite so perfect. The last thing that he wanted to listen to
was his colleagues talking about how his goddaughter had got what she deserved. Severus sighed as
he settled back into the chair behind his desk and pulled a piece of parchment to him. He would write
to Sirius and inform him as to the reasons behind his daughter’s point loss. He knew the man
wouldn’t be happy about it, but he still had a right to know. Severus sighed and picked up his quill.
These children were going to be the death of him.
-O-
Draco had just finished telling their friends what had happened to Hermione and they were just as
livid as he was. Yes, he was thrilled that he wasn’t in trouble, but Hermione should never have had
to have lied about what happened. That irked him more than anything, especially since they had
learned growing up that honesty was key. He understood that she didn’t want Harry to hate her more
but taking this punishment on as her own was completely insane.
Draco laid his quill down and decided that the letter to his father was the best that it was going to get.
He decided to proof read it before he sent it off.
Father,
I know that you’re probably busy so I’m sorry for bothering you so late at night. I wanted to let you
know that Hermione was injured tonight when a full-grown mountain troll got into the school and
attacked her. She was in the loo crying because the youngest Weasley had told everyone that she had
made inappropriate gestures to him and Potter; this wasn’t true, not in the least, but he told them that
she showed him her knickers. Know that while he and Potter did see her knickers, it was because her
skirt was torn, and they were staring.
Before you start yelling at me, I gave her my robes and Potter apologized for staring, he did appear to
feel bad. Weasley took it a step too far and made her run out of class crying. The troll found her in
the loo while the rest of the school was evacuating to their common rooms.
I went after her and found her with the troll, holding her up by her hair. Potter felt bad and he made
Weasley come with him to warn her. The troll still broke her leg with his club and I feel terrible that I
couldn’t stop that. I tried to pull her to safety once he released her, but it turned on her again, lifting
her up by her broken leg. I was trying to stun it but it’s skin was too thick. Potter jumped on it’s back
to try to distract it and I finally yelled at him to stun it in the back of the head. When it worked, and
the troll fell to the ground, the professors arrived.
Even though Hermione had no fault whatsoever in the situation, she lied to the professors and told
them that she went after the troll. It made sure that I didn’t get a punishment and neither did Potter or
Weasley. This is why I’m writing.
Hermione has already demanded that the Weasleys not be permanently punished; she says that she
would feel guilty. I propose, however, that elder Weasley take a pay cut or some sort of forced
vacation so they get the point that their youngest needs to be reined in. I’m leaving this in yours and
Uncle Sirius’ capable hands. I’ll continue to take care of Hermione as best as I can (as much as she’ll
let me).
Thank you, Father.
Draco
The letter sounded fine, so he folded it up to send off tomorrow morning. He was sure that Severus
was informing Sirius of the events as he sat there so his letter wouldn’t be a huge surprise. He was
more than happy to let his godfather take the heat by being the first one to inform his family of the
events that had taken place tonight. He sighed as he rose to his feet and headed for his dorm.
This was not what he had expected to happen on their first Halloween in the castle.
-O-
Harry lay in his bed, hands behind his head and piled under blankets. He couldn’t help but wonder
about what had happened that evening. Sure, he had known that he would be facing punishment
when he went after Hermione Black; he hadn’t expected any less. The last thing he expected,
however, was the girl to lie to all her professors and save not only himself punishment but Ron as
well.
Harry wasn’t under the false impression that she was trying to save Ron from punishment. Most
likely, she was trying to save her cousin and Harry just got lumped in there as a bonus. He knew that
she wanted to be friends with him and this would be the perfect opportunity to win support from him.
It wasn’t going to work, however. Sure, he was slightly obsessed with the girl; he couldn’t keep her
out of his mind. This didn’t mean that he was going to rush into her arms and become best mates
with her; he knew who her father was, and he knew what her agenda was. Dumbledore wouldn’t lie
to him and he was going to do the best he could to remain safe.
This didn’t mean that he wasn’t perplexed by the girl’s actions. He was confused as hell as to why he
wanted to be friends with him so badly. Sure, he could understand doing what her father told her and
getting close to him, so he could trap him in the end. Harry never would have thought that his would
mean taking the blame for something that was clearly not her fault. He shook his head and closed his
eyes, determined to get some sleep before classes tomorrow.
Hermione Black was indeed a puzzle that he would figure out someday.
A/N- There we are, folks, another chapter down. Boom! I really didn’t foresee this chapter being that
long but look at me go, ha-ha. Let me know what y’all think, I do so like to read your opinions.
Next chapter, first quidditch match of the season.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 14

A/N- Here we are again, my lovelies, with chapter 14. It doesn’t seem like I should be this far along
in the story. I want to send a shout out to all those that are reading and reviewing, y’all keep me
motivated and make me smile.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing. Nothing but the personal twist on this story belongs to me and I’ve
made no money on any of my stories.
Chapter 14
November 19, 1991
Hermione had settled into her new routine nicely. Almost three months at school had let her know
just how far advanced she was. She was still bored out of her mind in all her classes but comforted
herself with the thought that Madam Cambridge was still sending them advanced assignments. Her
father and Uncle Luci had also promised that they would start teaching them dueling when they
returned home for the summer holidays.
Professor McGonagall had managed to give them advanced assignments for all of two weeks. One
day, they suddenly stopped, and Hermione instantly knew what had happened. Somehow, the
Headmaster had discovered what she was doing and put a stop to it. Uncle Sev had then told them
that Dumbledore had done a random check of the assignments turned in by the pair in all their
classes. The Transfiguration professor had reluctantly handed over their advanced assignments,
knowing that she would likely suffer an official complaint since she had expressly went against his
wishes.
Her godfather told them that she hadn’t gotten a complaint in her file, but she had received a stern
dressing down at the staff meeting. The other professors had seemed surprised that she was allowing
first year students to do fourth year assignments but there was nothing for it now. Even though
Hermione knew that the stern professor didn’t like her because of who her father was, she felt
compelled to thank her for the effort she had put forth into trying to challenge them.
Therefore, she had left a note on her desk one day after class while she was speaking with one of her
Gryffindor students. Hermione never knew if she read it or not but that wasn’t what concerned her.
She had left a note and it made her feel better. Draco had shaken his head at her, mirth dancing in his
eyes, but let her carry on without a single word.
The atmosphere since the troll incident was tenser than ever. Hermione made sure to never start any
arguments and always keep her opinions to herself. Draco tried to do the same, although he found it
more difficult when she was being teased and taunted. Ron Weasley remained the worst of the
bunch. The other Gryffindors still teased her relentlessly but they weren’t near as ruthless as
Weasley.
It had gotten worse when her father had written her and told her that he and Uncle Luci had strongly
suggested to Arthur Weasley’s boss that he be given a three-week long vacation. He had told her that
the patriarch of the Weasley family had protested, insisted that he didn’t need a vacation, but his
superiors had insisted. Once they were made aware of Ron’s actions, she was quite sure that they
knew who was responsible for his forced leave.
Hermione still felt terrible for it, however. Ron was the only one that had done wrong by her, even
the twins had apologized and made friends with her. The Weasley parents certainly hadn’t done
anything wrong to her so it just felt wrong to punish the whole family because their youngest son
was a complete arsehole.
Ron still teased and tormented her, but he was careful to make sure he never brought her integrity or
virtue into the conversation. She was sure that he had gotten a nasty letter from home and she knew
for a fact that the twins had threatened him (they were proud to inform her of just how creative they
were when they threatened him), none of these things, however, kept him from being a complete
prat. Mostly he made comments about her father being a traitor and her being a suck up to the
teachers. It was ridiculous, so Hermione did her best to just let it all roll of her shoulders. She usually
succeeded.
Harry was a different story. He never started altercations with the others, but he wasn’t afraid to rise
to the occasion if it called for it. He still wasn’t friendly to her, in fact he ignored her very pointedly
when they were paired together in class. He wasn’t mean to her at all, which was heartening, but
rather he acted as though she didn’t exist. That hurt her more than anything.
Since this was how he wanted things to be between them, Hermione had decided that she would just
follow his lead. It was clear that he wasn’t going to want to be her friend any time soon, so she saw
no point in making herself miserable by being constantly rejected. It wasn’t the most ideal situation,
but it was what she had to deal with. She would protect him from afar if she could and then act as if
they shouldn’t have grown up as brother and sister.
Draco nudged her with his elbow, bringing her out of her reverie. Her breakfast was gone and when
she looked at his plate, she realized that he was done now too. He smiled at her, likely more than
aware of where her mind had went, but he remained silent. He never mocked her or teased her for
wanting to be Harry’s friend and being hurt by the fact that she had been so thoroughly rejected.
“Ready to head out there? I want to get a good seat.” Hermione nodded, excitement shining in her
eyes.
Today was the first quidditch match and since it always made for a good match, it was Slytherin
versus Gryffindor. They had all witnessed the rivalry between the two houses and it was made even
worse when you added in the matches. Everyone was talking about how good Harry was at seeking,
and even though the Slytherin team didn’t believe it, she could tell that they were worried. He
wouldn’t have made it on the team if Professor McGonagall didn’t think that he was talented. The
Gryffindor Head of House’s love for quidditch was legendary at Hogwarts.
The group of first years stood and started for the door that led to the pitch. While Hermione didn’t
enjoy flying in the least, she had been to enough quidditch matches through the years that she had a
certain appreciation for the game. It didn’t come close to reading or learning but it was enjoyable
enough. She wasn’t all that pleased that Draco was planning on trying out for the team the following
year, she was scared to death that he would get injured, but it was one of his dreams and she would
never take that away from him.
The rest of the school fell in behind them, eager to find good seats to watch the match. Hermione had
a book tucked into the inner pocket of her cloak, but she wasn’t sure if her friends would allow her to
read it. More than anything, she was excited to get outside and breathe in fresh air. Since it had
turned cold, she had spent more and more time in the library or her common room as well as her
hidey holes throughout the castle.
The group of ten found seats on the front row since they weren’t tall enough to see over some of
their classmates. Hermione was squeezed in between Draco and Millie and since they were both
bigger than her, they served as a little bit of a wind block. It was almost December and the weather
had been frigid for well over a month now.
It took almost half an hour for the whole school to find seats in the stands. Hermione was quite cold
by that time so she surreptitiously cast a warming charm on herself when nobody was looking. They
weren’t supposed to learn that charm until third year which she thought was just cruel since none of
the older children were offering to cast one upon the younger students. Draco nudged her and
grinned, and Hermione realized that she hadn’t been as sneaky as she had thought.
All four houses had their own stands and the smallest set of stands were used by the Headmaster and
the professors along with any guests that might show to come watch the match. Hermione knew that
if Draco made the team Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy would be there to watch him every time he
played. Truthfully, she was a little surprised to see that there weren’t that many parents present in the
box currently.
Madam Hooch strolled out on the pitch, whistle around her neck and broom in hand. The students
were all sitting on the edge of their seats, vibrating with excitement as they waited for the match to
begin. A boy from Gryffindor was commentating the match. Hermione had seen him hanging around
with the twins, but she wasn’t sure what his name was. Hermione watched him wave his wand at his
throat, casting the sonorous charm she was sure.
“Welcome everyone to the first quidditch match of the season. Today is Slytherin versus Gryffindor,
snakes against the lions. Both teams have been working hard so far this year so make sure you cheer
extra loud for them.” He paused and turned to Professor McGonagall, nodded and then turned back
to the pitch.
“Let’s hear it for the Slytherin team! Captain and chaser Marcus Flint, keeper Miles Bletchley, chaser
Cassius Warrington, chaser Graham Montague, beaters Lucian Bole and Peregrine Derrick, and
finally, seeker Terrence Higgs.” The Slytherin students all went wild, cheering loudly as their team
appeared on the pitch and fell into formation behind Marcus Flint. From the other end of the pitch,
the Gryffindor team emerged.
“Here come the lions, cheer loudly! Here comes our captain and keeper Oliver Wood, chasers
Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet, beaters Fred and George Weasley, and finally our
seeker and youngest member in over a century, Harry Potter!” The whole school went crazy at his
announcement. Slytherin was subdued since most of them still thought that it wasn’t fair that Harry’s
bad behavior was rewarded with a spot on the quidditch team.
Hermione watched as they all mounted their brooms and hovered in the air. Madam Hooch bent
down and flipped open the lid to the box that held the balls needed to play. She released the snitch
first; all that was visible was a glint of gold before it was gone. She could see Harry and Terrence
trying to see where it went but she knew that it was a lost cause.
Next to be released were the bludgers. Since there were only two and they careened around the pitch
wildly, it was unsurprising that the beaters followed them even as they headed to opposite ends of the
pitch. Finally, Madam Hooch pulled out the quaffle and the chasers all stepped forward, eager to beat
the others out for possession. With a sharp whistle, Madam Hooch threw the large ball up into the air
and it was a mad dash by the chasers.
Hermione watched as Slytherin took possession of the quaffle, passing it seamlessly between
themselves as they headed for the hoops at Gryffindor’s end. Lee was shouting in the background,
urging the Gryffindor chasers to step up their game and steal the ball back. This didn’t happen,
however, since Fred Weasley (or was it George? She couldn’t tell from this distance.) reached a
bludger and smacked it as hard as he could towards Cassius. It caught him right in the elbow which
caused him to drop the quaffle, Angelina swooping forward and snatching it from the air just a meter
below him.
Hermione shook her head in dismay. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt but she had a feeling that
Cassius had a broken bone since he was favoring it now. Hermione watched as Marcus called for a
time out and spoke with the chaser; it was only moments later that he waved him towards the ground
and the reserve chaser flew up in the air. Hermione hoped that they got plenty of practice time as
well, otherwise their team wouldn’t be near as flawless in their teamwork.
The match continued in this fashion for over an hour; Slytherin was in the lead, 120-70. She could
see that her classmates were getting overly confident and she hoped that the players weren’t doing
the same thing. If Harry caught the snitch, the lions would win. She turned her gaze back to watch
the Weasley twins, marveling at how they themselves were like human bludgers. The boy
commentating paused her thoughts, however, when he commented on Harry Potter.
“Look at Potter, his broom appears to be jinxed!” Hermione felt her heart drop into her gut when she
caught sight of Harry flying high above them. His broom was jerking up and down, shaking like
mad, and he was barely holding onto the handle as he dangled above the pitch. She reached out and
clutched Draco’s forearm with her hand, her nails digging into his pale skin. He hissed in pain, but
she barely noticed.
Hermione scanned the crowd, doing her best to see who could be cursing the broom. Since it had
been fine for over an hour, the curse would have to be being applied at that moment. The students all
looked on in worry, even her godfather looked like he was sitting on the edge of his seat.
Until she caught sight of a man sitting on the bottom row of the staff stands.
Professor Quirrell was sitting by himself, hunched over and shivering. She wondered why he didn’t
bother casting a warming charm on himself but that wasn’t the important thing. What was important
was that his eyes were locked on Harry and his broom and he appeared to be chanting to himself.
Hermione instantly knew that this was the person responsible for trying to kill Harry.
Without a single word to Draco or the other students that were watching in worry, Hermione flew to
her feet and raced down the steps that led to the seats for the students. She wasn’t quite sure what she
was going to do when she reached the professor, he was a professor after all, but she knew that she
had to do something before Harry plummeted to his death.
Since the staff stands were the closest to the Slytherin stands, she didn’t have far to run. Deciding
that she couldn’t do anything out in the open, she hurried underneath the seats, silencing her shoes so
nobody would hear her blundering about beneath their feet. She pulled her wand without a second’s
hesitation and took a deep breath before she cast the spell at the professor’s robes.
“Incendio.”
Flames erupted from her wand and fire quickly spread on the bottom hem of his robes. She didn’t
wait around to see if her plan had worked; the last thing that she wanted was to be discovered as the
one who had technically attacked a teacher. Once she was out from under the stands, Hermione high
tailed it back to where she had left Draco and the rest of her friends.
After she was seated again, her cousin shot her a confused glance. Hermione didn’t have to worry
about explaining her actions when a shout went up next to them. Professor Quirrell was standing,
beating his robes with his bare hands. She wasn’t quite sure why he wasn’t using the aguamenti
charm to put it out, but she wasn’t going to suggest it to him. Her godfather stepped down from his
seat, wand held aloft, and water shot out from the tip of his wand. Professor Quirrell was now
drenched and looked extremely pissed off.
Hermione turned her gaze to the sky and noticed that Harry’s broom had stopped bucking and he
was able to muscle himself back up onto it. Once he was properly seated again, he sped off. The
other students from both Slytherin and Ravenclaw were laughing at the fact that their professor had
somehow caught fire. Professor Quirrell was red-faced now that he knew that he was the cause of so
much laughter. Draco leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“You set him on fire.” She grinned at him. Her father would be proud.
“He was cursing Harry’s broom. I couldn’t let him fall when I could do something about it.” He
nodded his head that he understood.
“He didn’t see you, right?” She narrowed her eyes at him and he held his hands up in surrender.
“Of course, he didn’t see me. I’m not stupid.” Draco laughed now.
“Of course, you aren’t, ‘Mi.” Her cousin bumped her shoulder with his before tuning back into the
quidditch match.
Slytherin was still ahead, 180-150. The skill on both teams was apparent, even to someone like
Hermione who wasn’t too interested in the sport. The boy commentating made a crude comment
about one of the Gryffindor chasers and Professor McGonagall reached out and smacked the back of
his head. The boy laughed good-naturedly and continued with his commentary without missing a
beat.
Hermione was just beginning to think that the match was never going to end. She was cold, warming
charms only did so much after all, she was hungry, and she wanted to finish her homework for
Madam Cambridge. She was just getting ready to whine to Draco when the crowd gasped. When
she caught sight of Terrence and Harry racing across the pitch at breakneck speeds, her heart
dropped into her belly again.
They were high in the air and when they both dived suddenly towards the ground, Hermione dug her
nails into her cousin’s arm again. Before she knew what had happened, the pair pulled up at the last
second and landed, Harry’s hand clutched over his mouth like he was going to get sick. Terrence
was watching in confusion, as were the rest of the spectators. Hermione could see when he began
coughing and after the third cough, the snitch popped out of his mouth and landed in his open hand.
The whole stadium fell silent.
“Gryffindor wins, 300-180, Harry Potter caught the snitch!” Hermione could tell that her classmates
and house team were disappointed, but they were trying not to show it. Professor McGonagall was
jumping up and down in the stands, jabbing her finger at Uncle Sev in triumph. She was unsure what
the woman was saying to him, but he didn’t look happy in the least. The Gryffindor team had rushed
Harry and lifted him up on their shoulders, Harry’s face cherry red at the show of attention. Theo
was grumbling, as were the other boys around her.
“Fucking dragon shite. Potter made the team because of his name. None of the rest of us were
offered spots and we’re all fair flyers.” While Hermione was happy for Harry, her father would be
proud of him for sure, she couldn’t blame the Slytherins. It wasn’t fair, but she was quickly learning
that she wasn’t going to have a fair experience at Hogwarts. She reached out and squeezed Theo’s
arm softly.
“Just let it go, Theo. Next year, you can all try out and you’ll give him a run for his money. There’s
nothing else we can do about it.” He grinned at her briefly but nodded in the end.
“I know, I just hate it. Just because we’re Slytherins doesn’t mean that we should be hated by
everyone.” She moved closer to Draco and threaded her arm through his before she responded.
“My father was a Gryffindor and look at him now. Everyone hates his guts. Life isn’t fair, so we just
have to make the best of it.” Theo looked contemplative for a few moments before he turned to
Vince and Greg to go over the finer points of the match. This was something that Hermione wanted
no part of. She smiled at her cousin and started to pull him towards the castle.
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe that he had caught the snitch.
Sure, he had done well catching it during practice, Oliver had told him time and time again that he
was the best seeker he had ever seen, even better than Charlie Weasley, Ron’s older brother that had
just graduated the year prior. Just like practice, though, everything and everyone else disappeared the
second he started to concentrate on finding the snitch.
His broom, however, had worried him. Professor McGonagall had secured the broom for him and he
hadn’t asked her where she had gotten it or how. He supposed that he should have just in case
someone was trying to make him fall on purpose. He just couldn’t see his Head of House trying to
kill him off but after that experience, he wasn’t sure about anything anymore.
The team finally set him down outside the locker room. They were all laughing and playfully
shoving each other, all of them excited to have won their first match. Ron had followed them to the
locker room and promised Harry that he would wait outside for him to shower and change. There
were murmurs of a party in the Gryffindor common room, but Harry wasn’t sure if they were true.
He showered off quickly, starving now the match was over and the pressure to win was gone. He
dressed just as quickly, the team following suit. Even though the girls were a little slower than the
boys, they weren’t in the locker room for longer than half an hour. They left the locker room and the
pitch as a team, Oliver said it would make more of a statement if they entered the Great Hall together.
Oliver had been correct. Since the meal was already being served, everyone was in the Great Hall
when they entered. Cheers and catcalls erupted, making Harry blush again. They took their seats at
the table, all of them sitting together, the other lions scooting down to make room for them. Ron
congratulated him half a dozen times on playing a good match and Harry thanked him with a grin.
The meal passed by quickly, everyone congratulating the team and telling them what a remarkable
job they had done. Harry finally tuned all the well-wishers out, so he could enjoy his meal and finish
it in a timely manner. Once the rest of the team was through, they all stood as one and Oliver spoke.
“Celebration party in the common room, everyone. Fred and George, you’re in charge of food and
drink.” Percy was there with them and he looked conflicted.
“I don’t care if there’s a party but no alcohol. Nobody on the team should be drinking, you’re all too
young.” Harry was pretty sure that Oliver was a fifth year, same as Percy, but he didn’t look too
bothered at the prefect’s words.
“Let’s go, everyone.” The whole house trouped after the team and Harry was beginning to wonder
how long this treatment would last. While he had enjoyed it at first, it was getting rather
uncomfortable.
As one, Gryffindor house made their way out of the Great Hall and into the corridor. It was there that
Harry and the rest of their house met a large group of Slytherins headed for the dungeons. Harry
cursed to himself; if only they had left a few minutes later, there wouldn’t have been any trouble. He
wasn’t surprised when Ron was the first one to pop off. It was getting annoying.
“So, did the Slytherins cry when their team lost?” Harry watched as the snake’s eyes flashed. It
wasn’t just the first years this time, there were several third years there too. Harry couldn’t help but
notice that Hermione Black was with them, looking quite lovely in her skirt and button up shirt. Theo
Nott stepped forward and sneered their way.
“We aren’t sore losers. If this had happened next year, we would have shaken your hands and told
you well done. This year, however, it’s dragon shite. Potter had the rules bent for him because he’s
the precious Boy-Who-Lived. If it had been myself or Draco, we would have had points taken away
or worse. Oh wait, like I did. Only Potter would get rewarded by having the rules broken for him.”
Harry felt a stab of guilt at his words. It was true; he had broken the rules the same as Nott had and
while Nott had been punished by points loss, Harry had received a spot on the quidditch team. Sure,
he had head points deducted as well but that was nothing in the wake of being put on the team.
Oliver held his hand out and tried to defuse the situation.
“I understand why you see it that way; if it was the other way around, we would feel the same. Put
yourselves in our shoes though. If you were offered such an advantage, would you have turned it
down? No, you wouldn’t have. You’re Slytherins and that means you’re ambitious and want to win.
It isn’t our fault that Harry was put on the team, I didn’t even get a choice of having him. I doubt that
he got the choice to play.” Harry shook his head, not really wanting to make the Slytherins any more
of his enemies.
“I didn’t get the choice, I was just told that I was meeting with Oliver and that I was on the team.”
Hermione stepped forward just a little and spoke.
“It’s not their fault, guys. Yeah, its not fair that the professors did this, but they didn’t have a choice
in the matter either. We’ll make a proper go of it next year.” Oliver nodded at her words, but Ron
just couldn’t let her speak without insulting her.
“Why are you talking again? It’s clear you don’t know shite about quidditch, all you do is read and
do homework.” Marcus Flint’s little brother Marco stepped forward menacingly.
“Shut your gob, Weasel. Hermione has been to more matches than you have. You’re just jealous that
she wins us tons of points and you only lose them.” As if sensing that this was going to be a disaster,
Oliver started ushering them towards the stairs.
“Tell your brother he played a damn good game today. If Harry hadn’t caught the snitch, you would
have won.” Marco nodded his head respectfully before turning back to his house. Harry let the rest
of his house usher him towards the stairs while Fred and George grabbed Ron by the scruff of his
neck and started hissing in his ear.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? You know what her father did to dad just because you can’t keep
your mouth shut. Hermione is a good girl, a sweet girl. There is no call to be mean to her like you
are, even if her father is a traitor. That doesn’t mean that she is.” Ron scoffed openly at their words.
“I’ve learned what I can get away with saying and what I can’t. Obviously, I can’t tell her that she’s
a nasty slag. I can tell her she’s nothing but a know-it-all bookworm that has a traitor for a father.”
George cuffed him on the back of the head roughly. Ron howled in indignation.
“Just remember that her uncle is a school governor. It wouldn’t take much for him to get you
expelled for openly bullying his niece. I guarantee you that Draco would back him up.” Ron snorted
now.
“Malfoy can go get hanged. I don’t care what he tells his father.” Harry finally decided to step in
before it ended in a brawl in the middle of the corridor.
“Enough, Ron. You need to back off Black. She clearly has power in this place and it’s not worth
bringing her wrath down upon you without good reason.” Ron eyed him as though he had never
seen him before.
“Since when is being a traitor not a good reason?” Harry groaned in frustration and the twin’s
expressions hardened. Fred (or maybe George?) spoke.
“Back the fuck off her, Ron, or we’re going to write home and tell Mum. You know what she’ll do
to you at Christmas.” Ron paled and nodded quickly.
Harry wasn’t sure if he would stick by his word, but it was better than nothing.
-O-
Severus couldn’t help but scowl at Minerva sitting next to him at the High Table during dinner. She
was still gloating over the fact that Gryffindor won the match today and his snakes hadn’t. Albus was
just watching with a small smile on his face, gloating himself on the inside he was sure. Minerva was
now enumerating the ways that Potter was going to help their team win not only the Quidditch Cup
but the House Cup as well. Finally, Severus could take no more.
“Cease your gloating, you insufferable harridan. The only reason you won that match is because you
bent the rules to put a first year on the team, something that hasn’t been done in a century. If I had
tried to do that with Mr. Malfoy, you would have been crying to Albus before I even got the question
to join out of my mouth.” Minerva halted her words immediately, her mouth hanging open to show
her complete surprise. Deciding that he should get all he needed to say out before she realized that
she was still able to speak, he continued.
“Yours and the Headmaster’s blatant show of favoritism isn’t going to help anyone. It’s going to
create deeper rifts between the houses and when your horrid little lions win the quidditch cup, the
rest of the school will resent them because they know that they only won due to Potter being allowed
on the team because of who he is. You’re telling the world that you think he’s better than everyone
else.” Severus wiped his mouth and took one last drink of his wine before he stood. Albus was no
longer twinkling and Minerva was starting to look indignant.
“How can you say that, Severus? He’s an exceptionally talented flier, he needs as much practice as
he can get.” He snorted at her words.
“Draco Malfoy has been flying since he was two years old and he’s quite accomplished as well. I
don’t see you making allowances for him. I know for a fact that he’s a better seeker than Terrence
Higgs. However, he’s abiding the rules, as am I. Anything you say from here on out is just you
trying to convince yourself that you’ve just cemented the house rivalries that Weasley is trying to
worsen all by himself.” Severus didn’t wait for them to speak again before stalking off.
He left the Great Hall by way of the staff door and started for the dungeons. The last thing that he
wanted was to deal with brats in the corridors. He decided that he would take his grading to his
quarters rather than his office. There would be less disruptions that way. After gathering what he
needed from his office, he moved into his arm chair and pulled his quill out, so he could begin.
Severus sat there for several hours grading, stunned at the levels of idiocy his students had reached.
He wasn’t sure how they managed to fuck their essays up as badly as they did but was sure that it
had to do with the combination of not listening, quidditch, and hormones. He was almost ready to
quit, there were only two essays left, when there was a knock at the door. Severus heaved a sigh,
quite sure that it was Minerva coming to gloat some more.
“Go away, Minerva, I’m going to bed.” There were muffled words, but the knocking resumed. He
took a moment to gather himself before he stood and wrenched the door open. Rather than seeing
Minerva, his goddaughter was standing out there, peering down the corridor to make sure that
nobody was watching. He reached out and grasped her elbow, pulling her into the room. Once the
door was closed, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her close.
“I’ve missed being able to see you like this all the time, little one.” She buried her face in his robes,
breathing him in. She had done that since she was small child. His hands carded through her curls as
she pulled back.
“I miss you too, Uncle Sev.” He chuckled.
“At least you’ve quit calling me Uncle Sevvie. It was cute when you were six but you’re older now.”
She grinned and nodded before pulling away completely and sitting on the couch in front of the fire.
“Draco knows that I’ve come. The others are still celebrating.” He sat on the couch next to her and
laid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side like he did when they were home.
“What you brings you here, little one?” She breathed in his robes again before answering.
“Professor Quirrell was the one cursing Harry’s broom. I realized that he was chanting something
and keeping eye contact with Harry. I’m the one who set his robes on fire. I crawled under the stands
and did it quickly, then ran before I got caught. I’m not sure why he’s trying to hurt Harry, but I
couldn’t let it happen.” Severus gave her a small smile.
“I don’t blame you at all. You did the right thing and then you told me. Now I can be on the look out
for other things he’s up to.” She nodded, clearly relieved at his words. She blew out a breath and
smiled at him.
“Thanks, Uncle Sev. I didn’t want to get in trouble, but I knew I had to tell you.” He ruffled her
before standing and pulling her to her feet.
“You better get back to the common room before anyone realizes you’re missing. Make sure you tell
them to keep it quiet and it has be over midnight.” She nodded and gave him one last hug before
slipping out of the room once more.
Severus sighed. This wasn’t the kind of information that he could just give to the Headmaster. Not
only would he ignore it since it came from Hermione, he’d be pissed as hell that it was slandering his
personal pick of professors. Therefore, Severus was going to have to do exactly what he had told his
goddaughter. He was going to keep an eye on the quirky little professor and make sure he didn’t
cause any more trouble.
Severus sighed and steepled his hands under his chin. This was going to be a long year.
-O-
Albus knew that Severus was right. His choice, and Minerva’s, had fostered nothing but animosity
between the houses. Not that he would ever admit it. He was well-aware that by making the house
rivalry even worse, he was just turning people away from the light side that might make the choice to
not follow their parent otherwise.
Albus sat behind his desk and twirled his beard in his fingers. Was he doing the right thing? Was he
making the right decisions? He knew that Hermione Black wanted to befriend Harry desperately and
he knew that it was so she could lead him to her father. However, after the tale he had told Harry
about her and her father, he couldn’t help but wonder if he had done the right thing in turning young
Harry so against another child.
Albus shook his head trying to rid himself of these thoughts. He had done the right thing, he was
keeping Harry safe from those that would harm him for no other reason than the Dark Lord hadn’t
managed to kill him when he was only a year old. He pushed his doubts from his mind and hardened
his heart.
Hermione Black was the daughter of a traitor and he would do everything in his power to protect
Harry Potter from her obvious charms.
A/N- There we are, folks, another chapter down. Not as long as my last couple chapters but decent-
sized to say the least. Anyways, thanks for being awesome and encouraging me along the way.
Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think. Reviews are love, y’all.
Next chapter, Christmas for our amazing characters!
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 15

A/N- I hope that everyone enjoyed the last chapter. I know that there wasn’t much interaction
between our favorite characters, but they can’t all be thrillers. Hang tight with me! There won’t be
any interactions in this chapter either, it’s pure family and Christmas. Please excuse the lack of
descriptions; it’s hard to get in the mood for Christmas when it’s 104 degrees outside, or as my son
puts it, hotter than the devil’s butthole. Thanks to everyone that continues to read and review this
story; it’s going to be long and there are going to be times that I want to quit. Your reviews make me
want to continue.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing but the personal twist on this story. I haven’t made a dime off this
story or any others, trust me, if I had I would have quit my job and taken on writing full time!
Chapter 15
December 25, 1991
Hermione came awake slowly, stretching languidly in her own bed. Draco was asleep next to her;
they had stayed awake most of the night before wrapping the gifts for their family. Her eyes came
open and she stared at the starry sky above her bed. She knew that she was going to be getting out of
bed in just a short time, it was Christmas after all, but she doubted that her family would want to get
up before the sun rose. Draco snored softly next to her and she sighed.
After the quidditch match against Gryffindor, the taunting and tormenting had lessened considerably.
Hermione made sure to always keep to herself unless she was around her own house. Acting like she
wasn’t paying attention to what was going on around her seemed to keep the others from speaking to
her. It still hurt that this was necessary since she was more outgoing than what she currently acted but
it was for the best. Draco was especially perturbed that she had to change her personality just to get
through school.
Life had been great since they had returned home. The first few days had been spent at Malfoy
Manor with Aunt Cissy and Uncle Luci, her father retrieving her the night before to stay for the rest
of the holiday. Draco had come with her since they were still having lessons with Madam
Cambridge. Since it was Christmas morning, Aunt Cissy and Uncle Luci would be along soon. Aunt
Andi and Dora had declined the invitation to spend Christmas with them, they had decided to spend
the holiday with Ted’s family, but had promised everyone they would be over on Boxing Day.
Aunt Cissy had taken her shopping the day after returning from school. Since Uncle Luci had taken
time off from the Wizengamot, he stayed home with Draco, doing what she wasn’t sure, but both
had laughed as she whined on her way out. It had been hours later that they had returned with
enough new clothes to clothe her completely for the next three years. Hermione had insisted that she
didn’t need any new clothes, but her aunt had insisted.
Her father had just laughed at her when she complained the night before and told her that it made her
Aunt Cissy happy to take her shopping and treat her as a daughter since she wasn’t able to have one
of her own. Hermione understood that but sometimes the shopping was just too much. There were
times that she just couldn’t help but think that her aunt would be better off with a niece like Pansy.
Fashion was very important to her.
Hermione had fun spending time with her uncle as well. He bought her a complete set of first edition
classics and they had spent several days holed up in the library of Malfoy Manor reading them. Most
people weren’t aware of the fact that her uncle loved to read. Some of her fondest memories of him
growing up were them reading together in the library. Sometimes Draco joined them, sometimes he
left to go fly with Theo, Blaise, Greg, and Vince.
The Slytherin started when her door opened, and Uncle Luci stepped in, dressed in his best. She
couldn’t recall every seeing him when he wasn’t dressed impeccably, with the exception when he
would comfort her in bed when she was little and had had a nightmare. Draco was stirring next to
her and her uncle chuckled.
“You two are still sharing a room? How do you sleep separately when you’re at school?” Hermione
sat up and wiped her eyes before answering.
“It wasn’t that we meant to sleep together last night. We stayed up wrapping gifts and fell asleep.”
Her uncle snorted as Draco sat up.
“You aren’t fooling me. Even if you hadn’t been wrapping, he would have stayed in your room.
You stayed in his room the whole time you were at the Manor. Tinky tells us everything.” Hermione
couldn’t hide the blush that colored her cheeks.
“Draco’s my best friend. We would never do anything inappropriate.” Uncle Luci came forward and
sat on the edge of her bed before tugging one of her curls softly.
“I don’t care what those children you go to school with say. Cissy and I know that there is nothing
untoward going on between the two of you. You’ve slept in the same room since Draco was born.”
Hermione couldn’t resist hugging her uncle for understanding that she and Draco were more like
siblings than anything. He squeezed her tight before releasing her and going to his feet.
“Get up and dressed. Your aunt went to go wake up your father. I think you two got off lucky
having me wake you up. You know she’s going to pour water on him or something.” Hermione let
out a giggle as she bounded out of bed.
“Hurry, Draco, if Dad is getting soaked by Aunt Cissy, I want to see it.” Draco started laughing and
Uncle Luci left so they could dress. Hermione took the bathroom while Draco threw clothes on
behind her changing screen in her room. When she remembered the gifts they had wrapped, she
decided to ask for help.
“Candy?” The elf appeared and smiled at Hermione.
“Whats can Candy do for Mistress?” Hermione hugged the elf quickly before standing again.
“Draco and I wrapped those gifts last night. Can you move them downstairs for us and put them
under the tree?” Candy nodded enthusiastically.
“Oh yes, Mistress. Hurry down, Master is taking his showers since Missy Cissy woke him up.”
Hermione groaned slightly before she turned to Draco.
“We missed it. He’s already taking a shower.” Draco laughed at her pout as they started for the door.
“Does your father know that you like seeing him suffer at the hands of my mother?” Hermione
shrugged as they started down the stairs.
“If he doesn’t, he should. He laughs at me when she drags me shopping. It’s only fair that I get to
laugh at him when she torments him.” Her cousin nodded.
“Fair point.”
For as long as Hermione could remember, the Black family Christmas was held in the library. There
was parlor that the family had used in the past, her father remembered many Christmas’ in the parlor.
Hermione refused, however. She said that the library was cozier than the formal parlor. Nobody ever
seemed to mind so it had become tradition.
Hermione and Draco entered the library to find that her father, aunt, and uncle were already there,
seated around the tree and drinking tea. Hermione ran to her father’s side and sat in his lap briefly, so
she could hug him close. He hugged her back tightly.
“Happy Christmas, Hermione.” She kissed his cheek before standing.
“Happy Christmas, daddy.”
Hermione had handed out gifts to everyone since she had been able to read. The adults had always
found it endearing that her favorite holiday was Christmas and insisted on overseeing the entire
holiday. Her father had admitted that it had been different this year since she hadn’t been there to
oversee decorating or telling the elves what desserts needed to be served with Christmas dinner. It
made her feel guilty for leaving her father there by himself, but he had told her to stop. He wanted
her to go to school and enjoy the experience and told her that he was more than capable of taking
care of himself. Hermione wasn’t quite sure that she believed him completely, but she had let it stand.
Hermione had sat down with her father last night before Draco had flooed over. He had wanted to
know everything about Harry and how school really was. She hadn’t lied to him; Hermione had told
him everything she knew about Harry, the good and the bad. Her father seemed disappointed in his
godson, but he didn’t come out and say it. Once she had told him everything about Harry, he had
surprised her into silence.
“I guarantee you that Dumbledore got to him. He told him all the bad things and twisted the truth, so
he wouldn’t want anything to do with you.” Looking back, Hermione could see that that could
possibly be the truth. He had hugged her close and kissed her temple.
“He’ll come around eventually. Until then, just do your best.”
He hadn’t been impressed when she told him how much the Gryffindors liked to bully her. He had
cursed and thrown his whiskey tumbler, swearing to her that he was going to have Lucius do
something about it in his capacity as a school governor. Hermione had let him wear himself out
before she had taken his hands in her and told him that she didn’t want him to help her yet. He hadn’t
been the happiest with the situation, but he had agreed to let it go until she asked for help. Uncle Luci
gestured to the tree with a smile.
“Are you going to pass out the presents or do we need to pass the job onto Draco?” Hermione stuck
her tongue out at her uncle while her aunt laughed. She went to her knees and began passing out the
gifts.
The next hour passed in a flurry of wrapping paper. Hermione lost count of how many gifts she had
opened; there had been numerous ones from her aunt and uncle, the same amount from her father.
All her friends had sent gifts for both herself and Draco, along with the Weasley twins. There were
several small tokens from people her father and uncle worked with, those she had met throughout the
years. Those, she suspected, were more for gaining favor with her father.
The next several hours were spent with everyone enjoying their gifts; Hermione had several new
books to read, an impossible amount of clothes, most of them from Aunt Cissy, perfumes, a new
cloak with a built-in warming charm from Draco. The best gift she had received had been from her
father in the form of a pure black kneazle kitten. It had instantly curled up in her lap and fell asleep.
Hermione had instantly dubbed her kitten as Tenebris, Latin for dark. He seemed to like it and
already answered to it.
Hermione had already almost finished the first book she started reading when the elves called them to
dinner. Dip and Dot were quick to serve the meal once they were all seated, and there was more food
then she knew what to do with. They ate until they couldn’t move. Once they adjourned to the
library again, the mess was cleared away and they settled before the fire to continue enjoying their
gifts.
It was times like these that Hermione enjoyed the most; being at home and spending time with her
family doing nothing important. It was these moments that made her wonder what her real father and
mother would have been like. She had heard more stories than she could count from her aunt and
uncle, her father as well. Uncle Sev had the most recent stories about her father but they weren’t
always the most pleasant since he had been in the Dark Lord’s employ.
Uncle Sev joined them for the leftovers they had that night. Since it wasn’t the summer holidays, he
was required to oversee Christmas dinner before he could follow his own pursuits. He thanked
everyone for his gifts and passed out his own in turn. Hermione received a rare text on potions that
he promised he was going to start teaching her that summer. Draco had received an autographed
jersey that belonged to his favorite quidditch player. Both had been thrilled with their gifts.
Hermione turned her thoughts to the gift that she and her father had sent to Harry, anonymously of
course. Her father had told her that it was an invisibility cloak that had belonged to Harry’s father, an
heirloom that was passed down from father to son for almost a century. Her father had wanted to just
send it, but Hermione had insisted that they send a note, so he would know the history behind such a
gift.
It was almost midnight before her aunt and uncle headed back to their Manor, dragging Draco along
with them. They insisted on having him home for at least a day to give Hermione time with her
father. She suspected that it was also, so they could spend time with just him as well. Hermione
didn’t mind; she and Draco wouldn’t always be able to spend all their time together.
After pressing a kiss to her father’s cheek and promising him that they could spend the whole day
together the following day, she scooped up Tenebris and carried him upstairs, happy to see that the
elves had installed a food and water dish in her bathroom. She changed into her pajamas and crawled
under her duvet with one of her books, determined to finish her second book before she fell asleep.
Tenebris jumped up next to her and curled up against her belly, purring loudly as he fell asleep.
Hermione finally dropped off at almost two, smile on her face from the remarkable holiday she had
spent with her family.
-O-
Harry sat bolt upright in bed, a nightmare sending him out of sleep. After a few deep breaths, his
heart slowed, and he scrubbed a hand down his face. It was several moments later that he realized
that it was Christmas morning and there were gifts at the end of his bed. Ron was stirring in the bed
next to him before sitting up abruptly as well.
“It’s Christmas, Harry, let’s open our presents!”
Harry hurried to the end of his bed and saw his presents piled there. Since he had never received
presents before he wasted no time in ripping them open and exposing what he had received. He had
gotten a homemade jumper from Ron’s mum; all his friends had gotten him something. Ron had
gifted him with seeker’s gloves for when he played quidditch and the twins had gotten him huge box
of candy.
He began flipping through the book that Parvati had given him, Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry
had read the copy that Hogwarts had but this was the most recent edition. Ron was rifling through
his own box of candy that he had received from Neville. Harry was surprised that the boy had given
Ron anything at all after all the grief he had given him for being friends with Hermione Black and
Draco Malfoy.
Harry slipped his new jumper on and even though it was truly horrid, he was thrilled to have gotten
it. He had never gotten anything that someone had taken time to make him. Ron was complaining
that his was maroon and he hated that color. They made their way down to the fire and sat before it
for awhile before they were joined by the twins.
They all compared gifts for a few hours since they were the only ones there. Percy was around but
they hadn’t seen him. The twins joked that he was off patrolling even though there hardly any
students in residence. The Weasleys were only there because their mum and dad had gone to
Romania to visit their second son who was a dragon tamer there.
Harry learned quickly to not eat anything that the twins had gifted him with. Ron had pulled out a
bar of chocolate and inhaled the whole thing. Just moments after he had finished it, he had turned
into a snail. It only lasted a minute but when he returned to his human form, Ron was livid. He went
after the twins, trying to curse them as they ran from him.
Eventually, Harry gave up watching them and decided to get change out of his pajamas for
Christmas dinner. When he got there, there was an owl that he had never seen before waiting on his
bed for him, package attached to it’s leg. He hurried to his bed and removed the package. The bird
flew away before he could offer it a treat or try to see who it belonged to.
Harry ripped open the package eagerly to reveal a shiny, shimmering cloak. It was thin as parchment
and flowed around his fingers like water round a rock. He threw it on around his shoulders, unsure
how it was going to be much use if it was too thin to keep him warm. He had just thrown it around
him when Ron came in and let out a yelp of surprise.
“Where the bloody hell did you get that?” Harry wasn’t sure why he was so surprised until he looked
down and realized that he was now invisible from his neck down. He was silent for a few moments.
“I just got it off an owl that was waiting for me. I don’t even know what it does.” Ron scoffed at his
words.
“It’s an invisibility cloak. They’re super rare and very expensive. Somebody must have really wanted
you to have a good Christmas.” Harry didn’t miss the jealous look that crossed his best mate’s face.
“Was there a note?” Harry went back to the wrapping and sure enough, in the bottom of the package
was a slip of parchment. Harry read it aloud.
Harry,
This cloak belonged to your father, an heirloom passed down from father to son for a century. He
would have wanted you to have it.
Use it well.
Ron was grinning and came over to finger the fabric. When he stepped back, his words were slightly
in awe.
“We’re going to be able to get away with so much stuff with this.” The twins yelled from the bottom
of the stairs.
“Hurry up, we’re going to miss the feast!” Harry folded up the cloak and stowed it into his trunk
before putting on the clothes that he had picked out the night before. After he and Ron were dressed,
they hurried down and met with the twins.
Together, the four of them went to Christmas dinner. There were only twelve students total, so the
professors were interspersed through the students. Harry ended up next to Professor Snape, his least
favorite professor since he always managed to somehow denigrate him in class. Dinner passed
without incident and the whole table laughed when the Headmaster made Professor Snape set off
crackers.
All in all, it was the best Christmas that Harry had ever had.
The students were dismissed from the feast and Harry and the Weasleys all made their way back to
their common room. They passed the afternoon away playing exploding snap, wizards’ chess, and
other games that Harry had never heard of. Since there were so few students, the Headmaster had
informed them they the elves would just be sending leftovers up to the common rooms.
When the food arrived, they ate with gusto, Percy finally appearing right before it was served. He
ended up staying the rest of the evening with them, trying to beat Ron in chess. Harry had learned
long ago that Ron was impossible to beat at chess, so he and twin sat back and watched as Percy did
his best. Harry decided to call it an early night even though they really hadn’t done anything.
He lay there in bed for an hour, letting his mind wander over inconsequential things until he heard
Ron come in and flop into his bed. Only minutes passed before snores were heard coming from
behind his closed curtains. Harry couldn’t settle, why he wasn’t sure, but since his eyes weren’t even
the least bit droopy, he decided to give his dad’s cloak a try. Harry dragged the cloak out of his trunk
and threw it around his shoulders once more.
He stole out of the dormitory and then out of the common room, noting that the twins and Percy
were also out of the common room. Harry made his way through the corridors, unused to not
fighting crowds of students as they made their way to class. Since there was nobody patrolling the
corridors, Harry let himself wander aimlessly, looking into rooms that he hadn’t yet.
The Gryffindor found himself on the fourth floor, close to the trophy room, and found a door that led
to an unused corridor. After following the corridor, he entered a room that was completely empty
aside from a large mirror. Harry was curious as to why it would be in a room all by itself, so he
stepped up to it and gazed at his reflection. His reflection remained the same.
For a moment.
Rather than seeing an eleven-year-old boy in the mirror, he saw himself at age sixteen with a man
that looked remarkably like himself standing behind him, hand on his shoulder. A woman with red
hair and green eyes had her arms thrown around him in hug, laughing gayly. What surprised him the
most was the fact that the man from the train, Sirius Black, was standing next to his father, laughing
at whatever his father had said. Hermione Black was in front of Harry, looking up at him with a
smile on her face and his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. He watched as his older self
bent and pressed a kiss to her neck and she pecked his cheek before he could pull away.
It was like a train wreck.
Harry found himself sickened at the fact that Sirius Black, the man who had handed his parents to
Voldemort, and Hermione Black, his only daughter, were in this odd reflection. As much as he hated
it, Harry couldn’t look away. The scene before him reflected what his life would have been like if
Black hadn’t gotten his parents killed. It was enlightening and depressing at the same time.
Harry was unsure how long he sat there and watched the scene in the mirror. His body was stiff and
cold when the door behind him opened. He flew to his feet and stepped away from the mirror, not
wanting whoever had come in to see the strange image reflecting back at him. He was surprised to
see the Headmaster stepping inside the room.
“Good evening, Harry. I see you found the Mirror of Erised.” Harry nodded.
“It’s rather strange.” Dumbledore chuckled.
“Yes, it shows us our heart’s desire.” Harry wasn’t quite sure what to think about that.
“I saw what I wanted to have in my life reflecting back?” The Headmaster nodded.
“What did you see?” Harry couldn’t help but feel that that was a rather personal question but didn’t
see the harm in answering.
“I saw myself around sixteen with my parents.” He left out the fact that Sirius and Hermione Black
had also been reflected at him. Dumbledore nodded understandingly, commiserating noises coming
from his mouth.
“This mirror is a helpful tool in discovering truths about yourself but not much else. It will be moved
tomorrow, I’m afraid. It doesn’t do to dwell on hopeless dreams.” Harry sighed sadly. As much as he
wanted to watch it again and again, despite the traitor and his daughter being in it, he understood
why the Headmaster was doing this. Harry would be there every night otherwise, watching a version
of himself with his parents. Dumbledore spoke again.
“Run along back to your common room. We wouldn’t want young Mr. Weasley to wake up and
realize you weren’t there.” Harry nodded and wrapped his cloak back around him. The Headmaster
spoke in surprise.
“Where did you get that cloak?” Harry wrapped it around himself tighter, afraid that the Headmaster
was going to try to take it away from him.
“I got it from an owl, someone sent it to me for Christmas. Said it was my dad’s and it was passed
down from father to son for a century.” The Headmaster’s eyes narrowed but he remained silent.
Finally, he nodded towards the door.
“On with you, pip, pip.”
Harry didn’t need to be told twice. He scurried out of the room and through the corridors until he
reached his common room. After he slipped in, he made his way to his room and put his cloak in the
trunk once more before climbing back into his bed. He laid there contemplating his first Christmas
with friends. He considered it for another hour before he finally felt himself dropping off.
It had been the best Christmas of his life.
A/N- There she is, guys, another chapter finished. It isn’t very long and there wasn’t any interaction
between Hermione and Harry, but it was kind of a fluff chapter. Sometimes, we all need a little bit of
fluff. Hope you all enjoyed! Let me know what you think, reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, our Slytherin duo see a dragon.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 16

A/N- Alright, y’all, I’m back with the next chapter. There have been a few negative PM’s and
reviews saying that it is taking too long for Hermione and Harry to make up and become friends. I
posted in the summary that it was an ultra-slow burn. Harry won’t discover the truth about Hermione
and Sirius until third year, they won’t get together until sixth year. I wasn’t lying, y’all. This story has
a planned 155 chapters, not to mention others that may get thrown in there as I see fit. I’ll also
reiterate that this story is going to follow canon events to an extent; if you have a question, I’m more
than willing to answer it if it won’t give away the story line. Please don’t send me hateful messages
telling me that Harry needs to pull his head out of his arse and become friends with Hermione. I
know he does, but he’s been brainwashed. If slow-burns aren’t your thing, I completely understand
that you’re frustrated. This story isn’t for you. For those that want to continue to take a walk on the
dark side, welcome. I have Doritos and we all know they’re the best. Thanks again to everyone
reading and reviewing this story, you guys are seriously the bomb.
Disclaimer: I own the personal plot twist on this story and that is all. The original idea belongs to
Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters and such belong to our queen, JKR. I haven’t
made any money off this story or any others, trust me, if I was, my bank balance would be more than
a hundred dollars. Adulting sucks.
Chapter 16
January 18, 1992
Harry woke up abruptly from a rather graphic dream. Hermione Black had been standing before him,
naked as the day she was born, beckoning him forward with a small smirk on her face. Her breasts
were merely bumps on her chest, but Harry didn’t care. They were lovely, and they were hers,
therefore, he had loved them.
His cock was rock hard in his sleep trousers, not something that was unusual anymore. When this
had started in the summer, he had been sure that there was something wrong with him; it wasn’t until
he had gone in to wake Dudley one morning for breakfast that he realized that maybe it was normal
for boys his age; not that Dudley would admit it. They were still enemies and wouldn’t go out of
their way to help each other.
Deciding that he needed a cold shower, he rose from his bed and gathered his toiletries and clothes
for the day. All five boys shared a bathroom attached to their dorm; there were five shower stalls and
five sinks on one side of the room and five stalls with toilets on the other. It wasn’t fancy by any
means, but it was functional and got the job done.
Harry stripped off his clothes and stepped under the frigid spray. Goose bumps erupted over his skin,
but he held fast; he dreaded the times when he had to bring himself to completion. It was always
enjoyable, but he had come to hate the fact that he always pictured Hermione Black. He longed to be
able to imagine Parvati naked under her sari, she was beautiful after all, but Hermione’s face always
floated to the forefront of his mind.
He washed himself quickly, his cock finally deflating after several minutes of being assaulted with
ice cold water. Harry was thrilled that he wouldn’t have to torment himself with thoughts of
Hermione again; even though he wanted no part of Hermione Black, he could admit that he couldn’t
stop thinking about her, especially after seeing her in the Mirror of Erised.
After he turned off the water, he was quick to towel off and dress. There were sounds coming from
their dorm, so he was sure that the others were finally rising and getting ready for the day. Most of
them preferred showers at night so they could sleep later but Harry had always been the opposite.
Showers woke him up and cleared his mind for the day.
Harry returned to his room and noticed that all his friends were ready for the day and were gathering
the books they would need for their classes. He was quick to follow suit. It was Potions today and
the last thing that he wanted was to be caught unprepared in Professor Snape’s class. Harry cocked
his head to the side when he thought of the surly professor. He acted as though he hated Harry with a
fiery passion but there were times that Harry had caught him watching him with a contemplative look
on his face. However, his curiosity wasn’t great enough for him to chance asking.
The boys headed down to breakfast as a group, laughing and ribbing each other about who knew
what. Once they reached the Great Hall and took their seats, Harry piled his plate high with waffles
and bacon. The others followed his example before turning the conversation to the quidditch match
coming up the following weekend between Puddlemere United and the Falmouth Falcons. Since
quidditch was something that Harry could understand, he was more than happy to join in the
conversation.
As usual, Ron was the last one to finish his meal. Harry had no idea how the boy ate so much and
didn’t weigh as much as Dudley. He could admit that his friend’s manners were atrocious, which
surprised him. The twins and Percy weren’t rude at all when they ate. Harry was getting the
impression that since Ron was the youngest boy he was spoiled and allowed to get away with most
things. Harry didn’t understand it since he had never been spoiled or favored in any way, but he
supposed that if he had been, he would have taken advantage of it too.
Ron really was a great friend. Sure, he had his flaws and he could be a bit of a bully to the
Slytherins. He got jealous over the dumbest things, but he was also loyal and kind to those that were
close to him. Harry had watched him hold Parvati close in a hug while she cried because she had
exploded her cauldron all over herself and boils had erupted on her face. He hadn’t revealed a single
secret that Harry had told him and he was always quick to defend the twins when someone spoke
badly of them.
Seamus nudged Harry out of his thoughts, gesturing for him to gather his things since Ron had
finally finished. He flashed the Irish boy a quick smile as he picked up his bag and followed
everyone out of the Great Hall. Potions was up first, and he wasn’t sure what they would be doing so
he wanted to be there early, so he could make sure that he was ready for whatever Snape threw at
them.
Even though he got fair grades in the subject, Potions was his least favorite subject. Harry knew that
Professor Snape’s harsh words were part of the reason, but the other part was that it reminded him of
cooking, something that he hated to do since he was forced to do it at the Dursleys. As long as he
continued to pass, he wouldn’t complain but if Snape started to fail him because of his obvious
dislike, he would go to Dumbledore.
They reached the dungeon classroom and entered, Harry groaning inwardly. He shared a desk with
Hermione Black in this class. It was true, she was exceptional at Potions and she did try to help him
when he made mistakes. He hated being forced to interact with her; he did his best to ignore her in
day-to-day life and being forced to be in such close quarters with her was maddening.
Of course, she was already there, text, ink, and quill lined up on her desk, ready to take notes if need
be. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, curls escaping to brush against her shoulders. Her
uniform was perfect, though it usually was. Harry couldn’t remember a time where he hadn’t seen
her in a perfect uniform aside from when the three-headed dog had torn her skirt. He felt a blush
color his cheeks at the thought of her in her pretty blue knickers.
Harry took the seat next to her and he began to emulate her actions. His text and quill were pulled
out of his bag and laid on the desk, but Harry had to dig a few moments to find his ink. With a curse
under his breath, he realized that he had forgotten to put the new pot in his bag the night before since
he had used the last of his ink in Transfiguration. Since Ron was sitting at the table next to his, he
leaned over and spoke as quietly as he could.
“Ron, do you have any extra ink with you? I forgot to put my new pot in my bag.” Ron’s eyes
widened at his words. This was the worst class to show up to unprepared. The redhead shook his
head. This time Harry cursed a little more loudly. He was just about to turn and ask Seamus when he
heard Hermione’s voice. It was reluctant and soft, and Harry knew that he was to blame for that. The
last time that she had tried to help him he had told her that she was a swot and didn’t need her help.
“You can share my ink if you’d like. I don’t mind.” Harry spun around to blast her. After his dream
this morning and suffering the frigid water because of her, he wasn’t in the mood for her to be nice to
him, especially when it was only because she wanted to befriend him and take him to her father.
However, his words didn’t get a chance to leave his mouth because the door slammed open and
Professor Snape entered, his black robes billowing behind him. Harry heaved a sigh; he would have
to share now, or he would land himself in detention.
With a quick nod, Harry watched as she pushed her pot of ink to the middle of their table. It would
be slightly inconvenient since he had to reach so far but it was better than a point loss and detention
for being unprepared. This, however, didn’t go unnoticed by Professor Snape. He stepped down
from the dais that his desk sat on and stood before their desk. Harry didn’t look up but instead
focused on his text.
“Well, Mr. Potter, it seems that you have come to my class unprepared. It’s extremely nice of Miss
Black to offer to share her ink with you after how you treated her the last time she tried to help you.”
Harry raised his eyes and met his professor’s gaze.
“Yes sir.” The dark-haired man turned to Hermione.
“Five points for helping out a fellow student when they could have been more prepared.” Her eyes
met their professor’s gaze as well and Harry was surprised to see genuine respect shining in her eyes.
“Thank you, professor.” Professor Snape swept away back to the board, so he could begin his
lecture.
Hermione ended up pushing her ink closer to him since it was clear that her notes were already
perfect. Harry couldn’t help but wish for a copy of her notes, so he wouldn’t have to struggle like he
did at taking them. He would never bring himself to ask, however. Even though it was clear that she
knew the lecture from start to finish, she still paid rapt attention and raised her hand politely when she
wanted to answer a question.
By the end of class, Slytherin had gained almost forty points and Gryffindor had lost fifteen. It did no
good to get angry at the unfairness of it all. He wouldn’t say that Slytherin gaining points had been
unfair; Hermione had answered the questions correctly when called upon. It had been extremely
unfair for Snape to deduct points from Ron for breathing too loudly.
Harry gathered his things quickly, shoving the ink back to Hermione unceremoniously. He knew that
he needed to thank her, she had saved his arse so to speak. She was gathering her things as well.
When he shoved the ink her way, she smiled and said nothing. Harry’s voice was gruff when he
spoke.
“Thanks for letting me share your ink.” She slung her bag over her shoulder and her cousin appeared
at her side, probably nervous that Harry was going to throw insults her way. She smiled again.
“You’re welcome.” Harry watched as her cousin pulled her away and out of the room. Ron appeared
at his side, sneer in place.
“I can’t believe you shared her ink. She’s probably got a crush on you now.” Harry snorted at him as
he threw his own bag over his shoulders.
“No, she doesn’t. If her father follows Voldemort like you and Dumbledore say, she’s probably
already set up to marry one of their friend’s kids, like Nott.” Ron nodded as they left Potions.
“Probably right.”
They chatted about how ridiculous the homework assignment in Potions was, how long it was going
to take them to accomplish. Harry really wasn’t too worried; he did a fair job on essays in the class, it
was usually the practical work that he struggled in. He commiserated with Ron, however, who was
terrible at both. He had told him only once that he should just buckle down and get the essay finished
with no whining rather than put it off to the last second and then whine about it, but it hadn’t
mattered. Ron hadn’t changed his ways and was therefore only passing by the skin of his teeth.
The pair settled in together once they reached History of Magic. Harry, while finding the class dead
boring, enjoyed the subject matter. History had always intrigued him, even in his muggle primary
school. It was much more enjoyable to take notes in History of Magic than in Potions.
Professor Binns appeared through the floor and began his lecture forthwith. Harry was quick to put
quill to parchment and take notes as best he could. Ron was dozing next to him, not that the ghost
noticed. Most of the students were napping to be honest. He, Hermione Black, Draco Malfoy, and
Daphne Greengrass were the only ones awake and paying attention.
Harry paid no attention to Hermione during History. He had hit his limit of dealing with her and was
quite successful in making sure that she stayed firmly out of his mind currently. Professor Binns
assigned them a fifteen-inch essay on some goblin that Harry had never heard of. Once the bell rang,
he gathered his things once more and headed to lunch in the Great Hall with Ron.
Lunch was a sedate affair; it usually was after Potions and then History. Everyone was still half-
asleep and were running on auto-pilot until food woke them up completely. Harry always thanked
Merlin that lunch came after History, otherwise they would surely lose points in another class for not
paying complete attention.
As he ate, Harry’s mind wandered to the Prophet from two weeks prior. It had declared that there
had been a break in in Gringotts and the vault had already emptied. It just so happened that the vault
that had been broken into was the vault that he and Hagrid had visited when they had went school
shopping. He wasn’t sure why he couldn’t just forget about it, but he had a feeling that it was
extremely important.
He also wondered what the chances were that the small package that Hagrid had removed from the
vault was what the three-headed dog was guarding on the third floor. It made no sense for the
Headmaster to put something so dangerous in a school, but he supposed that this way of thinking
could be due to his muggle upbringing. Maybe it was normal in a wizarding school.
When they finished their lunch, Ron and Parvati were walking closely together out of the Great Hall,
laughing about something. Harry and Ron had broken down and told her about discovering the
three-headed dog a few weeks ago since she was their friend and they were both certain that she
would keep the secret. She had been thrilled but quite frightened at the prospect of facing the beast
herself. She had called them brave and Harry couldn’t help but feel his chest swell a tiny bit at her
words.
He decided to run his idea by them before heading the Charms; they had a fair bit of time before they
were due. Therefore, Harry pulled both of them into an alcove a few corridors down from the Great
Hall before speaking. Ron looked intrigued while Parvati just looked confused. Harry took a deep
breath before beginning.
“I just had a thought. You both know that I went to Gringotts with Hagrid over the summer, right?”
Ron and Pav nodded so he continued.
“Well, the vault that was broken into a couple weeks ago was the vault that Hagrid needed to visit
for the Headmaster. He’s the one that emptied the vault. What if whatever was in that vault is now
what the three-headed dog is guarding?” Both his friends’ faces went blank for a few seconds. Not
the impassive look that most purebloods had mastered but a completely blank look that he hoped
meant that they were thinking about his words. Parvati was the first to speak.
“I don’t know, Harry. This is a school. Whatever was in that vault must be dangerous; the Prophet
said that the person who broke into it was a follower of You-Know-Who. Why would the
Headmaster bring something so dangerous into a school full of children that couldn’t dream of
protecting themselves?” Harry had to admit that she had a point, but he still wasn’t convinced that he
was wrong. Ron, however, was of the same opinion as Harry.
“I think you might be right. Dumbledore lives here and if he felt that whatever was in that vault
wasn’t safe at Gringotts, he would want it where he knew it was safe at all times. What better way to
do that then by putting it under a three-headed dog?” Harry nodded his agreement.
“I mean, Pav has a point, it would be dangerous to bring it here but tell me how safe it is to put a
beast like that in a school where just anyone could find it. I mean, a group of four first years found
it.” Parvati shrugged her agreement to his point. Before they could finish what they were saying,
there was a shuffling sound from outside the alcove. Harry put his finger to his mouth, so they would
be quiet. He peeked out of the alcove and saw Hermione trying to pick herself up off the ground
while her cousin helped her. He wasn’t entirely sure that they hadn’t heard anything, however. He
stepped out and his two friends followed him.
“Were you listening in on my private conversation, Black?” His tone was harsher than he had
expected it to be, but he wasn’t sorry. What they had been discussing had been important. Hermione
didn’t get to answer because Malfoy stepped in front of her, his face twisted in a sneer.
“She tripped and fell. We don’t give two shites about what you and your pet weasel were talking
about. You do not get to talk to her like that, especially when she’s done nothing wrong.” Now Ron
stepped up, which was always a recipe for disaster. Harry put an arm in front of him, indicating that
he wanted him to be quiet. Ron looked disgruntled but listened. Parvati, however, did not.
“Poor little perfect princess fell down. Are you sure you tripped on your own, and nobody sent a trip
jinx at you? Nobody can stand you because you’re just so bloody perfect. I’ll have you know,
however, that nobody from our house aside from Neville is under your spell. We all think you’re an
ugly, stuck-up, swot who has followed her daddy to the dark side. Oh wait, your real daddy was a
Death Eater. Proud moment for you, I’m sure.” Harry saw Hermione’s eyes water, but she tamped
them back ruthlessly before stepping in front of Draco and into the personal space of Parvati. She
looked angry enough to curse her so Harry stepped closer too. Hermione didn’t draw her wand,
however, only came close enough to make Pav take a step back which caused her to trip and fall on
her arse.
“You ever say such things about me again, Patil, I’ll make sure that your family fortune disappears
before you can utter the word quidditch.” Fear was evident on Pav’s face, but Harry couldn’t help
but think that she brought it on herself with her unkind words. Hermione then turned to him and
Ron, fury still dancing on her features.
“I can handle being made fun of for getting good grades, that just shows you’re jealous. However, if
either one of you ever insults my real father again, you’ll regret it. I’ll make sure your reputation is so
fucked, you won’t want to step foot outside of your home.” Ron was pissed, sputtering and turning
red. However, he remained silent. Maybe he had taken it to heart when the twins told him that the
next time he fucked up, it would cost their father his job.
Harry, however, wasn’t quite sure what to make of her threat. He wasn’t sure that she would follow
through on it but if they did anything in this very moment, she would. Parvati had pushed her too far
and the magic emanating from her was astronomical. The ends of her curls were sparking and there
was a hazy quality to her eyes. Even though he was the one being threatened, Harry couldn’t help
but find her show of temper and power fucking hot. His dick was rock hard in his trousers (thank
Merlin he was wearing his robes) and it begged him to stroke it roughly to completion. Instead, he
took a step back and gestured for Parvati to stand.
“We weren’t trying to insult you, Black. Parvati is more than happy to apologize for any words that
angered you.” Parvati glowered at him darkly but nodded in the end.
“Please forgive my words, Miss Black. I meant no harm.” Everyone knew that her words were a lie,
but it didn’t matter. They seemed to appease Hermione since she stepped back next to her cousin,
who put his arm around her shoulders.
“See that it doesn’t happen again.” All three of them nodded and watched Malfoy lead Hermione off
through the corridors. They weren’t quite out of sight when he saw her crouch down and Malfoy
pulled her robes up past her knees. There was a nasty scrape on her knee and Harry felt terrible. She
really had fallen, and he had accused her of lying. Both his friends were whining about Hermione,
but he ignored them.
“Come on, let’s get to Charms.”
-O-
Hermione could feel her magic stirring within her after her encounter with the Gryffindor trio. Draco
was rubbing insistent circles in between her shoulder blades trying to calm her down. She shouldn’t
have been surprised. While most witches and wizards had the magic of two parents dwelling within
them, she had three, which tended to make her more volatile when she finally lost control of her
temper.
It also worried her because when her father had adopted her through the blood magic ritual, their
goblin had warned him that it would also raise the chances of her inheriting the gene that doomed her
to madness. While she didn’t think that she felt mad, ever, she was scared that it would crop up as
she got older. She doubted that her cousin Bellatrix was completely mad at twelve years old.
Her father had warned her years ago that as a Black, they tended to have short and explosive
tempers. From an early age, Hermione had worked on controlling her emotions, something that was
helped by her occlumency training with Uncle Sev. Where Draco had excelled at the subject, it had
taken her a ridiculously long time to master; several times through the years it had taken her to master
it she had just wanted to call it quits and become an animagus, so she wouldn’t have to worry about
the subject.
There were only a few occasions in her childhood where she had lost her temper completely.
Whereas Uncle Luci and Draco had been appalled, her father and Aunt Cissy had taken it in stride,
completely understanding that she couldn’t help her reactions. In fact, her father had told her that her
control over her temper was better than his own.
The pair took their seats in Charms and Draco started to pull his materials from his bag. Hermione
sighed and started to do the same. Her knee was aching from where she had landed on it when she
had tripped. It was scraped pretty good, but she had refused to let Draco take her to the Hospital
Wing. It was just a scrape after all.
While she didn’t feel guilty for letting her temper fly at Patil’s words, Hermione did feel badly for
letting Draco lie to them. They had stopped outside the alcove when they realized that all three were
in there speaking in hushed tones. He had rationalized that no good could come from them coming
up with things with nobody knowing any better; they were Slytherins and needed to make sure that
they weren’t planning anything stupid. She and Draco had heard every word they spoke, Hermione
only crying out when she had tripped on her way away from the alcove.
Professor Flitwick entered before she could speak with Draco about the conversation they had
overheard. He bid them to begin working on the severing charm. They had taken all their notes the
class before and this one would be purely practical. Hermione sighed. She wanted a challenge more
than anything in the world.
Since their professor had learned that Hermione and Draco were so far advanced in all their classes,
he tended to pair them with others that needed the extra help and extra time to practice. Hermione
usually didn’t mind if she wasn’t put with Weasley. He usually refused to listen to listen to her and
was a complete prat to her as well. Thankfully, this class she was paired with Millie while Draco was
paired with Weasley.
Hermione worked as hard as she could to make sure that her friend could accomplish the spell before
they left that day. Millie worked as hard as she could, only just accomplishing it before the bell rang.
She wanted to tell the girl that she may need tutoring, so she didn’t fall behind but she really didn’t
feel that it was her place. She knew that her parents were well-off, so she wasn’t sure why they
hadn’t procured her a tutor before Hogwarts like her father and Uncle Luci had.
Once they were dismissed from Charms, Draco escorted her out of the castle towards Herbology. It
was still one of Hermione’s least favorite classes, but it was only one of the two classes that she was
seated next to Harry in. Usually she was excited for the fact that she might win him over with a small
act of kindness; today, not so much. She had threatened to ruin his reputation, along with his friends,
if they spoke of her real father again.
Her cousin seemed to understand her reluctance but chose not to comment. He escorted her to her
seat and took his own, leaving Hermione to pull out her own parchment, ink, and quill. She was
sitting there calm and collected when Harry and the Gryffindors walked in. Harry didn’t speak to
her, didn’t look at her in fact, before he pulled his own belongings out, readying himself for class.
Professor Sprout appeared and began her lecture over asphodel and it’s uses. As usual, it wasn’t
enough to stimulate Hermione’s mind or keep her interested, but she did her best to pay attention
anyways. She did manage to add two lines to her notes, information that the professor had given
them that she didn’t already have written down. They were assigned a twelve-inch essay on asphodel
before they were dismissed to dinner.
Hermione and Draco quietly cast warming charms on themselves as they traversed across the
grounds on their way to the Great Hall. It was much colder in Scotland that Hermione was used to,
so she got cold far quicker than she did at home. Once they had found their way back inside the
castle, Hermione and Draco started for the Great Hall for dinner.
Dinner was a boisterous affair; Pansy and Millie were bragging about the latest prank they had
played on the lions. While the rest of her friends laughed, Draco included, Hermione could only
shake her head in exasperation. They didn’t seem to realize that if they continued the prank war, they
would also continue to be victims. She ate her fill of roast and potatoes before pulling the latest
assignment from Madam Cambridge out of her bag.
Hermione was grateful that they were able to continue with their lessons taught by their long-time
tutor. However, she got frustrated with the fact that it took several days for the lesson to be taught
since they were owling back and forth; she had learned much quicker at home with Madam
Cambridge in front of her. Hermione didn’t get to work for long because Draco nudged her with his
elbow and leaned over to whisper in her ear.
“Look, Harry and the Weasel are sneaking out of the Great Hall. We should follow them and make
sure that they don’t try to get under the three-headed dog.” Hermione groaned but knew that her
cousin was right. It sounded exactly like something that Gryffindors would do. She unceremoniously
shoved her work back in her bag before turning to Daphne.
“Hey, Daph, will you take my bag to the common room for me? Draco needs my help and I don’t
want to have to haul it around.” She nodded her agreement.
“Sure, Hermione. I’ll put it in the dorm on your bed.” Hermione grinned at the girl before stepped
away from the bench seat. With a deep sigh, she turned to Draco.
“Lead the way. You saw them leave.” Draco threaded her hand through his arm and escorted her out
of the Great Hall as he sometimes did.
It was clear early on that the pair wasn’t headed to the third floor where the dog was located. In fact,
Hermione and Draco tailed them to the doors leading them out of the castle. She had a feeling that
they were going to visit the gamekeeper, but she wasn’t sure. Draco started to pull her out the door,
but she dug in her heels.
“Draco, there is no need to follow them now. They aren’t going to the dog.” Draco reached out and
tickled her ribs. Hermione had to bite her lip to keep the giggle in.
“Come on, Miney, don’t be a stick in the mud. Have a little fun.” Hermione crossed her arms over
her chest.
“How is trekking all over the grounds in the freezing cold fun?” Draco jogged away from her but
yelled over his shoulder at her.
“Because you’d be doing all that with me.” Hermione groaned to herself before following her
cousin. He was grinning at her now, but she just scowled at him.
“You’re a pain in the backside.” Draco laughed.
“You love it.” Hermione rolled her eyes and allowed him to pull her towards Hagrid’s hut.
The sun was setting quickly, the oranges and pinks reflecting off the snow on the ground. It really
was quite beautiful, but Hermione could admire it from inside; it was downright freezing outside.
They could see through the windows of Hagrid’s hut that both boys were inside; both appeared to be
studying something on the table rather intently. Hermione slowed down, intent of making Draco
return to the castle with her. She was in a skirt for Merlin’s sake. Her cousin sensed her words and
spoke first.
“Come on, just one quick peek through the window, then we’ll go back to the castle. I just want to
see what they’re studying so hard.” Hermione could admit a little curiosity herself, so she gave a
shaky nod, her teeth starting to chatter.
The pair crept up to the window, mindful of the debris that was laying around the house. The last
thing they wanted was for Hagrid to know they were there because they had made too much noise.
There was a large brick below the window and both stepped up to look in the window. What
Hermione saw stunned her into silence.
A baby dragon was sitting on the table, Hagrid, Harry, and Weasley gathered around it, watching it
closely.
Hermione hissed at the stream of fire that came from its mouth, almost burning Harry but hitting
Hagrid’s beard instead. She clutched Draco’s hand tightly, unsure of how she was supposed to look
away from something that most certainly had the potential to be a disaster. The Slytherin didn’t have
to look away, however. A violent shiver wracked her body and she stumbled slightly, knocking into
Draco, who fell off the brick and into a pile of junk.
Hermione jumped off the brick just in time to see the three occupants rush to the window. Draco was
already standing up, so she started to drag him away from the hut, knowing that they were probably
going to get in trouble for spying since she knew for a fact that the three of them had seen them.
Draco was cursing softly under his breath, but Hermione paid him no mind. What mattered now was
getting back into the castle and to their dorm; the last thing they needed was to be caught out after
curfew as well.
Once they stepped foot inside the castle, Hermione started to pull her cousin towards the dungeons.
He followed willingly, though a little stiffly. She attributed it to him landing on a pile of trash. Once
they were in a deserted corridor, she turned his way.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get us caught. I’m sorry you’re hurt, I just couldn’t help shivering. It’s so
cold out there.” Draco chuckled at her.
“It’s fine, there’s nothing they can do about it anyways. Maybe now they’ll be more careful rather
than just watch a baby dragon where anyone could be watching.” Hermione’s jaw fell open.
“We could get in trouble for spying, of course we need to worry.” Draco shook his head.
“Nope. If they were to complain that we were spying, and somebody talked to us, what do you think
they would assume we would tell them? That they had a dragon, of course. That’s highly illegal so I
have a feeling that none of them are going to utter a word to or about us.” Hermione felt her stomach
unclench at his words.
“You’re right, of course. I didn’t think of that.” Draco threw an arm around her shoulders before
making her walk again.
“That’s what you keep me around for…that and I’m devilishly handsome.” Hermione tickled his ribs
much like he had just a short time earlier.
“Your ego gets bigger every day. Sooner or later, your head won’t fit through your shirts.” Hermione
took off in a light jog, laughing as her cousin chased after her.
-O-
Harry cursed softly to himself as they trooped into the common room. He had just spent the last half
hour consoling Hagrid, trying to convince him that Hermione and Malfoy wouldn’t turn him in for
having a dragon. Harry hadn’t realized that it was illegal to have a dragon until Hagrid had explained
it to him.
His huge friend had waxed on and on about how he loved dragons and how he had always wanted
one. Harry personally thought that he was crazy but who was he to judge? Ron had went on about
his brother Charlie and how he worked with dragons in Romania, getting Hagrid more upset by each
passing minute.
Finally, Harry had told the enormous man that they needed to get back up to the castle, so they didn’t
get in trouble for missing curfew. Hagrid had seemed to pull himself together enough to wish them
well and thank them for being there with him for such a momentous occasion. Harry shook his head
in exasperation as Hagrid was talking to himself about sleeping arrangements for the dragon and
making sure that it had the correct food.
Harry flopped down on the couch nearest the fire. It was frigid outside, much colder than winter in
Surrey. Ron sat next to him, a contemplative look on his face.
“Do you think they followed us or do you think they knew about the dragon and wanted to see it for
themselves?” Even though it sounded a little self-centered, Harry answered truthfully.
“Hagrid said he hadn’t told a soul about the dragon. I think they were following us to see if we were
doing anything they could get us in trouble for.” Ron grumbled next to him.
“Too bad we can’t tell on them for spying.” Harry nodded.
“I suppose. It’s not like we can just broadcast what they saw while they were spying.” Ron’s fist
clenched.
“If they tell on Hagrid, I’m going to pummel Malfoy’s face. See how pretty he is after that.” Harry
rolled his eyes.
“No, you won’t. The last thing your family needs in more trouble because you got in a fight. Just
leave it alone for now, we don’t even know if they’re going to say anything.” Ron snorted.
“You know they will.” Harry really wasn’t so sure that they would but remained quiet. He really
didn’t want to argue with Ron right now. He turned and slapped his friend on the shoulder.
“I’m tired so I’m heading to bed.” Ron nodded and stood.
“I’ll come with you. We need to get up early, so we can get that essay for Transfiguration finished
before class.” Harry groaned as he started for the stairs.
It was always something in this wonderful world of magic.
A/N- Boom shocka locka, another one bites the dust. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, there was
more interaction between our two sets of friends and the plot moved forward. Drop me a line and let
me know what you thought, reviews are love.
Next chapter, Ron receives a nasty bite and a plan is formulated to get rid of a dragon.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 17

A/N- I’m back! Get excited, lol. I just got off work and decided to bang out this chapter, or at least as
much of it as I can. It’s no secret that I live in Kansas and this week the Largest Night Rodeo is in
town. Yay me. Since I live here, I’m treated to the PA system keeping my awake until eleven and
then I get to listen to the band from the dance until two am. It’s great. We’ll just say that if I didn’t
decide to write right now, I’d be sleeping. Anyways, I’ll quit whining, I just needed to get that off
my chest. Thanks for reading and reviewing, y’all, it keeps me so motivated.
**Huge thank you to skyeryder01 for being my 400th reviewer. You’re awesome!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing, I’m sure these tropes have been done thousands of times before. I
haven’t made any money off my stories. Only in my wettest dreams do I own Harry Potter and Co. If
I owned them, Fred and Sirius would have survived, and Hermione would most certainly have ended
up with Draco or Harry.
Chapter 17
February 3, 1992
Hermione hummed happily to herself as she came down the stairs from her dorm. Her hair was
hanging long and heavy down her back; she had decided to wear it like that since it was so bloody
cold in the castle. It made her wonder if there were spells that could produce heat in rooms; it really
did make it difficult for her to write essays when she couldn’t feel her fingers.
Once she was in the common room, Hermione pulled out her essay for Transfiguration to check it for
mistakes once more. She was quite certain that it was perfect already, but she would only have to
wait for ten minutes or so before Draco appeared to head to breakfast with her.
As she checked her spelling and grammar, Hermione let her mind wander to the incident involving
the dragon. It turned out that Draco had been correct; neither Harry or Weasley nor Hagrid had
uttered a word about her and Draco spying on them. Hermione still felt guilty when she thought
about it, but she supposed that they really should have been more careful. Anybody could have been
watching and she knew for a fact that if any of the other snakes in her year would have been the ones
to see the dragon, they would tattled quicker than a snitch.
Hermione and Draco had decided that they weren’t going to say anything unless they absolutely had
to. The last thing that they wanted to do was make the rivalry between the two houses worse.
However, she had insisted that the second that the dragon hurt someone they needed to go to Uncle
Sev. Draco had agreed and though he told her that the only reason he agreed was because she would
be heartbroken if it ate Harry, she knew he would feel guilty for something of that magnitude.
After she finished checking her essay over, she stuffed it back into the folder she had for her
completed homework. She didn’t get a chance to pull out her Potion’s essay because Draco came
ambling down the stairs, yawning widely. Hermione couldn’t help but notice that he looked like
complete shite. She went to her feet and met him by the door, leaving together before commenting.
“You look like you’ve been run over by a herd of stampeding hippogriffs. Did you sleep at all last
night?” He shook his wearily.
“No, I had another headache. I’m pretty sure that it’s because Greg and Vince both snore so loud that
unless I fall asleep first, I can’t fall asleep at all. It’s started to get better in the last hour though.”
Hermione threaded her arm through his and watched him worriedly.
“Should we go to the Hospital Wing? At least you’ll be able to get a pepper-up.” Draco shook his
head as he yawned again.
“No, I’m fine. The headache is better, and I think I’ll be fine after I eat.” Even though Hermione
didn’t agree with his logic, she just nodded her agreement. The last thing she wanted to do was start
an argument with Draco when he wasn’t feeling well.
For the first time ever, Hermione led Draco to the Great Hall rather than the other way around. Even
though he was in the proper position to appear as escorting her, she was guiding him because he was
so out of it. Once they were in their usual seats at the Slytherin table, Hermione began piling her
cousin’s plate high with everything that he usually ate. Rather than get affronted as he usually would,
he gave her a grateful smile before beginning to eat.
Hermione served herself and ate at a much more sedate pace than Draco. Other students were
beginning to file into the Great Hall and take their seats. After several more minutes, she saw Harry
slink in, still half-asleep, and take his normal seat next to Parvati at the Gryffindor table. Hermione
still couldn’t help but feel the tiniest twinge of jealousy at the beautiful Indian girl; she was
effortlessly friends with Harry while she was cast as his enemy. Deciding that the last thing she
needed was to become melancholy at her train of thought, she banished it from her mind.
The rest of the Slytherins entered breakfast just a few minutes later, most of them looking awake and
well-rested. Rather than take her normal seat next to Hermione, Pansy sat on the other side of Draco
and seemed to take in the sight of him, frowning slightly. Before she could say anything, Neville
plopped down in front of them, smile on his face.
“How are my favorite Slytherins?” Hermione grinned at him; Neville really had come a long way
since she started tutoring him in Potions. The rest of his grades were decent so while she wouldn’t be
happy with them, he had told her more than once that he was thrilled.
“Good, Nev, how are you?” Before he could answer, Pansy started petting Draco’s head since it was
buried in his hands with his elbows propped on the table.
“What’s wrong, Drakey? You don’t look very good.” Hermione could only shake her head
incredulously. It was as if the talk she had had with Pansy a few months prior had vanished from the
girl’s head. Draco shot her a dirty look that she completely missed. Surprisingly, it was Neville that
spoke.
“Pansy, you know he hates it when you call him that. He always has. You’re just going to piss him
off if you keep calling him that.” Pansy shot him a dirty look but didn’t say anything before turning
her attention back to Draco. Hermione wondered if she should step in; that’s what Draco would do
for her. With a deep sigh, she turned to her friend.
“I talked to you about that, Pansy. Leave Draco alone; we’re eleven and twelve. The last thing he
needs to be thinking about is a betrothal contract, Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy will agree.” Pansy
glared at her now, but Hermione wasn’t scared.
“You don’t know that. Daddy said that Mr. Malfoy said he would think about it.” Hermione knew
this was an outright lie, probably told by Mr. Parkinson to his daughter so she wouldn’t give up
hope. Hermione felt her anger flare, but she tamped it back down. Pansy was her friend and she
didn’t want to lose her because of hurtful words that she really wanted to say.
“Either you or your father has misunderstood. Stop pushing yourself on my cousin, it’s clear he
doesn’t feel well.” Even though she hadn’t outright called her a liar when she had wanted to, Pansy
still stared holes into her head.
“If he’s so sick, you should have insisted that he go to the Hospital Wing. It’s what a good cousin
would do.” The whole table fell silent and Draco finally seemed to realize that something was going
on. Neville was fingering his wand under the table, Hermione could tell, while the rest of their table
watched in trepidation. The rest of the Great Hall was still blissfully unaware, however, of the
tension. She knew that she could never let this slight on the House of Black stand, it would show
weakness in a house that really didn’t believe in showing any, Hermione rose to her feet and decided
to give the girl a chance.
“What did you say?” Pansy rose also, unaware of the attention that their argument was garnering.
“I said a good cousin would have made sure that he went to the Hospital Wing.” Hermione pulled
her wand from the sheath on her arm and let it hang limp at her side. Deciding that she knew exactly
what she wanted to do, her wand flicked just a tiny bit while she muttered under her breath.
“Faciem palmis caedebat.”
An invisible hand reached out from her wand and slapped her friend across the cheek hard enough to
snap her head to the side. When she turned her face back to meet Hermione’s eyes, there was a
bright red handprint across her pale skin and tears were swimming in her eyes. Hermione felt
absolutely horrid but knew that she had to remain strong, so her family would remain on top. Her
father needed to be portrayed without weakness to gain information when Voldemort returned. She
laid her wand on the table, noticing that she had garnered the attention of her godfather and Professor
McGonagall. Both were heading her way, so Hermione leaned towards Pansy and whispered to her.
“Don’t you ever insult myself or my family again. Remember who you’re speaking to; we’re friends
and I’d like to remain that way but don’t presume to think that if you slight my honor again that I
won’t cut you from this group faster than you can say quidditch.” Fear flitted across her features and
Hermione knew that her message had been received loud and clear. She had just leaned back away
from Pansy and put a contrite look on her face when the two professors swooped down upon them.
“Just what is going on here?” Professor McGonagall sounded livid. Her uncle was staring at her
face, so she opened her mind just enough for him to slip in if he was attempting it. Once she felt his
presence, she replayed the memory and how she had given the girl a chance to take it back. When
she felt him pull away, her barriers went back into place. Hermione turned to the Transfiguration
professor. She was just getting ready to explain when Pansy spoke.
“Nothing, Professor. Hermione and I were having a heated discussion and her magic got away from
her. No harm done.” Her uncle looked surprised but remained silent. Professor McGonagall looked
incredulous.
“You expect me to believe that someone that is almost through with their fourth-year classes doesn’t
have complete control of their magic? I find that quite farfetched.” Hermione kept her face impassive
before nodding. If only the woman knew that she was already through her fourth-year classes.
“Nobody is perfect, Professor.” The older woman scoffed before meeting her eyes.
“I don’t believe you. Therefore, you will be deducted twenty points for your lies and a detention with
me for harming Miss Parkinson.” Hermione kept her face free of emotion, but she was freaking out
on the inside. She had never gotten detention before; how was she going to explain this to Uncle
Luci and her father? What would Uncle Sev say? Her godfather decided to speak.
“Whatever happened to having proof, Minerva? The victim is saying that it was an accident. Nobody
else has said anything about hearing her verbalize a spell. If she’s on par with Draco, she hasn’t
mastered non-verbal spells.” McGonagall turned a sharp eye to her uncle.
“Don’t patronize me, Severus. We both know she’s guilty. You just don’t want your star pupil in
detention.” Her uncle leaned over and whispered in his colleague’s ear.
“We’ll take this before the Headmaster directly after breakfast.” She glared at him but nodded. Her
uncle appeared to glare at her but when she felt his mind probe hers once more, she let him in.
“Come to me after your detention. We’ll talk. I’m not mad.”
Hermione gave the barest minimum of nods before her uncle stalked away, robes billowing behind
him like always.
Since breakfast was officially over, Hermione gathered her bag and started for the door, not even
making sure that her cousin was following her. He was, however, and caught up with her easily,
Neville and the others trailing behind him. Pansy was last, head hanging low in shame. Nobody was
speaking to her and Hermione wanted to make clear that she wasn’t going to keep everyone from
being her friend. The handprint on her cheek seemed impossibly brighter but for that, Hermione was
glad. It would serve as a reminder to those around her that she wasn’t one to be trifled with when
pressed.
She was aware that she let Weasley and the Gryffindors talk badly about her father but in the scheme
of things, their opinions didn’t matter. She didn’t really care what her friends thought of herself or her
father either, but it was important for them to respect her and her family name for the information that
it would provide later. Hermione was quite certain that once the truth came out, most of her friends
would kick her to the wayside anyways. Just before entering the Transfiguration class room, she
turned around abruptly and spoke.
“Pansy had a momentary lapse in judgement and nobody is to shun her.” Everyone nodded sagely
before she turned back to the class room door and headed through it. Draco took his seat next to her
and rather than let him start preaching to her, she started on him first.
“You can’t hardly keep your head up. After this class, you’re going to the Hospital Wing and getting
a potion for your headache and a pepper-up. Don’t cross me right now.” He reached out and rubbed
her leg under the table.
“You did the right thing. Don’t feel bad either, you’re a great cousin.” Hermione bit her lip and
nodded, unable to respond because Professor McGonagall entered, her wand sparking to bring them
all to attention.
“Pass your homework forward and turn to page 117 in your text.” Hermione did as she was bid,
wasting no time in following directions.
Class passed quickly; the spell was to learn how to turn a mouse into a snuff box. It was the most
ridiculous thing ever but since it was on the curriculum, Hermione had already learned it. All she
could think to herself was that it was a good thing that Draco had already mastered the spell since he
was hardly awake through the class.
Hermione noticed early on that Ronald Weasley wasn’t in attendance. Harry was in his normal seat,
taking notes like he usually did. It was rare to see one of the boys without the other so Hermione
couldn’t help but wonder just what had happened to Weasley. She tried to distract her mind; it wasn’t
like she would ever find out why the boy was missing class so there was no point in dwelling on it.
Class dismissed with them receiving the assignment of an essay over their next chapter in the text.
Hermione sighed to herself. Another boring assignment; she comforted herself with the reminder that
she had three assignments from Madam Cambridge waiting for her in her dorm room.
Once they were out in the corridor, Hermione shoved her cousin gently towards the fourth-floor
staircase. He growled at her, but she just laughed at him. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before
shoving him again.
“Go, you stubborn arse. I expect to see you looking better by the time she releases you.” Draco
grumbled to himself but followed her instructions. Their group was just getting ready to start for the
dungeons when Pansy came forward, eyes cast downward.
“I’m really sorry, Hermione. I didn’t mean what I said, I promise, I was just upset because you seem
so sure that Mr. Malfoy won’t sign a betrothal contract. I’m really sorry you got a detention also.”
Hermione sighed. She had been hoping to forego this conversation since she knew she was just
going to feel worse.
“I understand, Pansy, just don’t let it happen again. I only know what Draco and I have been told our
whole lives and that is that there would be no betrothal contracts for either of us until we were sure
that we were in love with someone. Both our fathers have been extremely adamant. What do you
think would happen if you were married to someone that you hated and forced to have children with
them?” Pansy shrugged so Hermione continued.
“You would resent them, hate them maybe. Do you really think that your magic is going to blend
well with someone that you resent or hate? Probably not the most conducive for conceiving a child.”
Hermione knew that her words were complete tripe, but she could see that her friends were buying it.
Right now, she was sure that she could tell them that the sky was purple, and they would believe her.
Pansy nodded.
“That actually makes sense.” Hermione gave her a small smile before she turned and started for
Potions. What a wonderful day it had been, and it wasn’t even lunch.
-O-
Draco knew that Hermione was right, but he hated admitting it, especially to her. She always got that
self-satisfied smirk on her face and he always got the impression that she was laughing at him. Who
was he kidding, of course she was laughing at him.
The Slytherin pushed open the doors to the Hospital Wing to see that there was only one student in
residence. Weasel. Draco had wondered why he wasn’t in Transfiguration but hadn’t cared enough
to eavesdrop or anything of the sort, although honestly, he wasn’t sure that he would have had the
energy. Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight so he decided to go see if he could make the redhead
spill why he was all trussed up in bed, looking like he was in a fair amount of pain. If it was a
quidditch injury, Draco was going to laugh his arse off at him. Acting more confident that he felt, he
wandered over to Weasley’s bed and waited for the redhead to acknowledge him. When he realized
who was standing at his bed, the Weasel sneered.
“What the fuck do you want, snake?” Draco decided to have fun with him since he was so hateful.
“Tsk, tsk, don’t you think you should speak with more respect when it comes to your betters?” Even
though Draco really didn’t think that he was better than most people, Weasley was one of the people
that he would always see as below him. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was a pureblood
but because he was a complete tosser. As predicted, Weasley started ranting at him, his hands
waving and pointing at him and random things in the room.
“You think you’re better than me? That’s a bloody joke, you wouldn’t be shite without your daddy
and your sweet little cousin.” Draco was sure that he hid his reaction when Hermione was mentioned
but he doubted that he had since Weasley latched onto it immediately.
“Your cousin is pretty fit, but I’m sure you know that. Maybe I should overlook the fact that she’s a
traitor and date her long enough that she falls for me, that she agrees to let me take her virginity and I
impregnate her with my seed before dumping her. Both your families can suffer the indignity of
raising a Weasley cast-off.” Draco was livid at his words but refused to let the redhead’s words get to
him.
It was in this moment that he realized why Weasley looked like he was in pain; his hand was free of
bandages so there was nothing hindering the view of the deep bite in the flesh, oozing green pus. Just
looking at it was enough to turn his stomach. When the redhead realized that he was looking at his
bite, he hid it under his blanket like he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t have been or
doing something extremely stupid.
Then it dawned on him.
Dragon bites were famous for the green pus they produced. Weasley had somehow managed to get
himself bit and was now in the Hospital Wing because the pain had become too great. Draco snorted
to himself; Hermione was going to just love this, especially since they had vowed to tell someone if
the dragon hurt anybody.
Rather than react to seeing the bite, Draco laughed at his words. The redhead’s face turned purple in
his rage. He obviously didn’t like the fact that he was being laughed at. Draco left a trace of
amusement in his voice when he answered.
“Trust me, if you could ever convince Hermione to love you, I would raise your bastard myself. The
problem with your plan is that you’re bloody stupid. Hermione will never fall for you, she would
never shag you, and she would never be stupid enough to get pregnant. She’s far smarter than you
are so why don’t you just bow out before you embarrass yourself panting after her. It’s already
bloody disgusting watching you have a crush on her from afar.”
The redhead was furious but since he couldn’t get out of the bed, he picked up a book on the bedside
table next to him and threw it at Draco. Draco was laughing hysterically on the inside; it was so
much fun to poke the bear, especially when the bear was Ronald Weasley. He dodged the book
easily and scooped it up in his hands, tucking it into his robes.
“Thank, Weasley, I needed something to read.” Weasel growled in frustration but was stalled from
responding by Madam Pomfrey appearing. With a last smirk in the redhead’s direction, Draco
followed her behind a curtain. Her voice was curt and business-like but not unkind. Draco liked that
about her; while most of the professors didn’t like the Slytherins, Madam Pomfrey didn’t seem to
mind them.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Malfoy?” Draco hopped up on the bed and let the fatigue hit him once more.
“I had another headache all night. It’s almost gone now but I’m falling asleep in class. Can I get
something for both?” She tsked at him, reminding him that he had used it against the redhead across
the room.
“You should have come sooner. I fear the pepper-up will keep you awake tonight.” Draco shrugged
his shoulders, unsure of what she wanted him to say. She regarded him for a moment before turning
on her heel.
“Wait here until I come back.” Draco nodded, and she disappeared from behind the curtain.
To pass the time, Draco pulled the text Weasley had thrown at him from his robe and looked at the
title. How to Care for Dragons: A Beginner’s Guide. As if it wasn’t obvious enough that he had
been around a dragon; this was like a flaming sign saying that he was guilty. To pass the time, he
flipped through the pages only to find that a piece of parchment fell out. Draco bent to pick it up,
seeing that it was a letter. He scanned it quickly and grinned.
He had to tell Hermione.
-O-
Harry had just finished dinner and was getting ready to leave to go see Ron. He was waiting on
Parvati to finish eating or talking to Lavender rather. Neville was seated on his other side but was
having a conversation with the twins. Even though Harry had more important things to worry about,
he couldn’t help but to feed his obsession and ask after Hermione Black.
“What happened this morning with Black and Parkinson?” Neville set his fork down and wiped his
mouth, his expression grim.
“Are you sure you want to know?” Harry found his behavior odd but figured he was probably going
to hear about some pureblood ritual or something. He really didn’t understand those. He nodded at
his friend, who sighed.
“Pansy was all over Draco. Hermione told her to stop, that there wouldn’t be a betrothal contract,
that she and Draco were going to marry when they loved someone. Pansy not only told her that her
father had told her it was possibility, she then told Hermione that she wasn’t a good cousin because
she wasn’t making Draco go to the Hospital Wing when he was sick.” Harry wanted to snort; it all
sounded extremely petty to him. Neville continued.
“Hermione gave her the chance to take it back, but she repeated it. She cast a spell to slap her in the
face, then warned her that she would lose her circle of friends if she ever spoke ill of herself or her
family again. Pansy covered for Hermione, but she still got detention and lost points.” Harry was
flabbergasted. She really slapped her and threatened to take her friends away because she didn’t like
her opinion. As if Neville could read his mind, he spoke again.
“I’ve been warning you all year, Harry. Hermione Black has more power in our world than the
Headmaster, all because of who her father is. I’ve known her for years and she is the kindest person
you’ll ever meet. She hates it when people are in pain; however, there is one thing you don’t do to a
pureblood and that’s insult their family. Just look at how angry Ron gets when one of the Slytherins
say something to him. Think of how Lavender gets when the other girls make comment of her
mother divorcing. It’s how our world is. She restored Pansy’s honor by accepting her apology and
making sure that all their friends knew they were free to continue being friends with her.” It still
sounded ridiculous to him.
“We talk badly about her father all the time. Why would she allow that?” Neville smiled at him as if
he couldn’t believe he hadn’t put it together yet.
“Her family has already punished Ron’s family and will continue to do so if he doesn’t stop. She
can’t threaten you with much because you don’t live in our world. Plus, she wants to be your friend.
She already knows that you hate her because of who her father in, so she doesn’t want to give you
another reason to hate her.” Harry could see this but had one more question.
“So, she can’t do anything to the muggleborns either?” Neville laughed.
“Oh, I didn’t say that. If she convinced her father and her uncle to make a law saying that you had to
meet certain criteria to return to Hogwarts, say have all O’s in their classes, it would affect them most
certainly. She’s just smart enough to know that Dumbledore is going to have your back more than
anyone because you’re the Savior, the Boy-Who-Lived.” Harry gulped at his words and nodded.
His mind returned to the incident two weeks prior; Hermione had threatened them all when Parvati
had insulted her real father. Ron and Parvati had been reasonably cowed, but it was just now
occurring to him why they had been. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about the girl that wanted to
be his friend so badly holding so much power. Neville had assured him more than once that she
didn’t like wielding the power at all, but it was clear that she would do it if need be. It was something
to file away for later contemplation.
Parvati waved him on once she realized that he was waiting on her; Harry was only too happy to
comply. He liked Parvati but sometimes she was just too much energy, too much fashion, and too
much gossip. He hurried from the Great Hall to the Hospital Wing, hoping that Ron would be
finished eating dinner, so they could talk. He wanted to tell him about Hermione Black and what his
thoughts were on the matter; surely, he would understand the pureblood aspect better than he did.
It didn’t take him long to find the Hospital Wing since they had been in school now for six months.
He knew where all his classes were and could find them in his sleep, though the staircases might
pose a problem. Ron was indeed done eating when he pushed through the doors and was instead
sitting on his bed and staring into space, a worried look on his face. Harry sat on the bed next to him.
“What’s wrong, mate? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Ron turned his eyes to his friend and
Harry could see genuine worry in them. He raked a hand through his shaggy red hair before
speaking.
“I fucked up, Harry. Malfoy came in here during Potions and he was baiting me, which means I
baited him back. He insulted me, and I threw my dragon book at him, the one that had the letter from
Charlie in it. If he finds it, he’s going to know and snitch on us.” All thoughts on the altercation
between Hermione and Parkinson flew out of his mind and he began contemplating his friend’s
words.
“He kept the book?” Ron nodded miserably. Harry did his best to comfort his friend by punching his
arm lightly.
“It’ll be alright. Why would Malfoy want a book on dragons?” Ron snorted.
“You know that Draco is Latin for dragon. Why wouldn’t he be interested?” Harry hadn’t thought of
that. However, learning about dragons and learning how to care for them were two different things.
He brushed his hair back over his scar before he spoke.
“I don’t think he’s going to read it. We go on with the plan and we’ll use my dad’s cloak. We’ll
make sure to keep an eye out for Malfoy and Black. We both know that where there’s one, there will
always be the other.” Ron nodded enthusiastically, happy to have a plan rather than the undecided
wallowing he was doing before Harry arrived. With a shake of his head and a smile in exasperation,
Harry pulled the chess board from his robes.
“Come on, we can play until just before curfew.”
Ron happily complied.
-O-
Hermione headed to her detention with Professor McGonagall. Draco had told her during dinner that
he needed to speak with her in private once she returned to the common room and she quickly
agreed. It was clear that whatever is was he needed to discuss, it was important.
While Hermione didn’t dread the detention itself, she did dread spending it with Professor
McGonagall. It had been clear from the start that the woman didn’t like her, that she didn’t think that
she was any better than a dirty traitor. She had only given herself and Draco advanced work because
she had made her feel guilty, not because she cared that they were challenged in school. If she had
cared, she would have gone to the governors on their behalf and fought the Headmaster’s decision.
Hermione stopped at the door to the Transfiguration class room and heaved a deep breath, preparing
herself for what was to come. She assumed that it would be lines; she could live with that. The
Slytherin had always wrote fast. Since the door was cracked, Hermione felt that she should knock.
There was no sense in getting started on the wrong foot.
“Enter.”
Hermione pushed open the door to find her professor sitting at her desk grading what appeared to be
essays. She wasn’t sure from what year and frankly she didn’t care. The last thing she wanted to do
was to spend more time than necessary in this detention. She stood before her professor’s desk and
waited for her to quit writing. It was several seconds before she lowered her quill and stood, only to
come around to the other side of her desk. Hermione was not prepared for what came next.
“Tell me why you cursed Miss Parkinson.” Hermione gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into
fists behind her back.
“It was accidental magic, I already told you.” Professor McGonagall hummed softly and began
pacing in front of her. Hermione decided that this wasn’t’ what she had signed up for and took
matters in her own hands.
“What will I be doing for detention?” The animagus stopped in front of her and grimaced.
“Your Head of House convinced the Headmaster to cancel your detention and re-instated your points
that I deducted. Apparently, the Weasley twins were his reasoning. I still want to have a conversation
with you.” Hermione glared at her mutinously. She had lured her up here with the promise of
detention and then wanted to question her.
“Unless it pertains to my schoolwork or any misconduct, you have no right to have any sort of
conversation with me.” The Transfiguration professor looked shocked and then affronted. Her hands
were clasped together tightly in front of her when she spoke.
“How far ahead are you in your studies?” Hermione wasn’t about to set herself up. Therefore, she
smiled sweetly as she answered.
“Turning mice into snuff boxes.” Her professor growled at her.
“Don’t lie to me, Miss Black. We both know that you’re far more advanced than what you portray in
class.” Hermione wasn’t about to bullied by this professor. Her father had told her that she had been
his favorite while he was in school but had turned on him when Dumbledore refused to believe the
truth. Therefore, she glared at the professor and took a step back from her towards the door.
“If you think I’m stupid enough to hand you ammunition to use against me, you’re barmy.” Now her
professor looked offended.
“Miss Black, if you think that I would use this information against you, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Now Hermione was livid.
“Professor, I don’t trust you any further than I could throw you. You’ve been Dumbledore’s lap dog
since the first war, you refused to see the truth about my father, and you refused to acknowledge that
even if it was true, that didn’t mean that I was evil. Are you aware that I chose to be in Slytherin?
The hat told me that I would do well in Gryffindor; what would you have done if you hadn’t been
able to fall back on the hating me because I’m a Slytherin? Everything I tell you, you’ll run to the
Headmaster and tell him. Let’s just say that he’s tried to insert himself in my mind once already; do
you really think I’m going to give him information that he can use? Use your head, professor. You
and the Headmaster have clearly drawn lines in the sand and you think we’re on opposite sides.
You’ll never get information from me. If you want to punish me, feel free. Draco and Professor
Snape will inform my father and uncle poste haste and you’ll be without a job for trying to squeeze
information out of a first-year student.” Hermione knew she was going to get detention now. Her
professor was dumbfounded at her words and it took several moments for her to gather herself and
speak.
“I would never tell the Headmaster something that you told me in confidence and I don’t hate you.”
Hermione snorted.
“I never once said that you would tell the Headmaster with your mouth. He’ll pluck it from your
mind while you don’t even realize that he’s there. As for you not hating me, maybe if you acted like
you believed that in public, I’d have reason to believe you.” Hermione stepped closer to the door,
more than ready to escape.
“I told Professor Snape I would tutor the other first years after detention and since that isn’t going to
occur, I’m leaving.” Hermione didn’t wait to see if her professor nodded or not. She turned and fled.
It didn’t take long for her to find her way to her uncle’s office. She knocked on the door politely and
it swung open immediately. She was ushered inside and once the door shut, he gave her a quizzical
look. Hermione sighed, sure she was going to get in trouble now.
“I just got back from detention. Or from what was supposed to be detention.” His eye brows rose,
and she sighed again.
“Just look.” She lowered her barriers and allowed her godfather in. Hermione replayed the memory
in her mind, her uncle watching closely. When she finished, her uncle pulled out and she re-shored
her barriers. He rubbed his chin softly, clearly contemplating what he had shown her. It was several
minutes later that he spoke.
“I’m proud of you. She was certainly fishing for information though I’m sure she was just curious.
You confound her, she has no idea what to think of you. She wants to believe Dumbledore, but she
also can see that you aren’t a malicious girl. She even admitted in the meeting with the Headmaster
that Pansy probably insulted your family. She’s a pureblood herself, she knows our ways. However,
I want you and Draco to watch yourselves around her. The last thing we need is for her to learn
something important.” Hermione nodded.
“Are you angry with me for this morning?” Uncle Sev opened his arms to her and she hugged him
close.
“No, little one, I’m not angry and neither is your father or uncle. They’re proud of you for doing
what needed to be done.” She nodded against his chest and held the hug for a full minute before
pulling away. He seemed to sense that she had other things to do that night, so he shooed her
towards the door.
“Remember my words, little one. Tread carefully and don’t forget to tell your cousin.” Hermione
blew him a kiss before nodding.
With a quick wave, Hermione left the same way she came and made her way to the common room.
The second she came through, everyone began barraging her with questions about her detention. She
still laughed a little that they Slytherins all called Professor McGonagall Professor Cat. With a
promise to tell them after a few minutes, she turned to see Draco waiting for her impatiently. She sat
down next to him and cast a silencing charm around them.
“What’s wrong, what’s so important?” Draco brushed hair off his forehead and blew air out of his
mouth in one long breath.
“Weasel is in the Hospital Wing, I saw him there earlier today. He has a dragon bite on his hand, I
saw it. I knew we were going to have to tell someone but then he threw a book at me. In the book, I
found a letter from one of the older Weasleys. Here, read it.” Hermione took the letter and opened it.
Dear Ron,
How are you? Thanks for the letter - I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be
easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who
are coming over to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.
Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there
and take him away while it's still dark.
Send me an answer as soon as soon as you can.
Love,
Charlie
Hermione sighed, unsure of what they should do now. Should they tell someone and let them deal
with it, getting not only Hagrid, but Harry and the Weasel in trouble? Should they trust that the duo
would get the dragon to the tallest tower that late at night with no help whatsoever? After a few
moments contemplation, Hermione turned to Draco.
“I think that we should let them try to get rid of it. However, I don’t trust them to get it done on their
own. I’m not that confident in them. I think we should follow them and make sure that it gets done.”
Draco was nodding slowing, considering her words. Finally, he met her eyes.
“That sound like the plan that has the least amount of collateral damage. Merlin knows the two idiots
are just trying to be good friends. Why it never occurred to them to tell Hagrid he needed to tell the
Headmaster I’ll never know.” Hermione snorted at his words but remembered her uncle’s words.
She told him about her conversation with Professor McGonagall and then the words from their
godfather. He was livid at the fact that she had been tricked into meeting the Transfiguration
professor, but she had quickly reassured him that she was fine, and their godfather had told her she
had done well. He was quick to cool down which made Hermione smile softly to herself. Just as she
was going to comment on how much better he looked, the crowd pressed in closer, wanting answers
about her detention. Hermione laughed to herself as she cancelled the silencing charm.
Some things would never change.
-O-
Minerva was still seated at her desk in her class room at almost midnight. She had a tumbler of fire
whiskey in her hand and had been contemplating Miss Black’s words since she left.
It was true, she hadn’t attempted to hide the fact that she didn’t like the girl. The animagus hadn’t
gone out of her way to see if the girl had been challenged like she had been known to do with her
lions in the past. Bill Weasley had been a prime example; he had been a precocious child and had
advanced quickly. The rest of her words didn’t make as much sense.
Dumbledore would never lie to her about Sirius being guilty if he wasn’t. The man was nearly
infallible, and his instincts were on pointe. Minerva believed that Hermione Black may have been
misled because it was obvious that she believed in her father’s innocence. There was also no way in
hell that her mentor was ransacking her mind; he was a Gryffindor after all.
What the Slytherin girl had said regarding Dumbledore trying to look in her mind startled her though.
How would she know what to look for, let alone the fact the Headmaster was a legilimens? How
could she be that skilled in occlumency at the tender age of twelve? The only person she knew that
knew the practice of occlumency was Severus. Would he have taught her?
Minerva wanted to laugh at herself. Of course, he wouldn’t have. She was Sirius Black’s daughter
and her father was single-handedly responsible for the death of his childhood sweetheart, Lily Evans.
She had been certain that he carried a torch for her still, but she had never asked him. The animagus
had a strict policy that if someone didn’t bring it up in conversation, she shouldn’t ask about it. This
sounded hypocritical since she had just questioned a student about something she hadn’t wanted to
talk about, but it was also fact that she had brought the whole subject up in Transfiguration that day
Weasley had torn her papers in half.
Minerva threw back the remainder of her whiskey. The contents of her conversation with the young
girl would bear further contemplation when she wasn’t quite as inebriated. Vowing to watch the
Headmaster closer, Minerva rose to her feet unsteadily and started for her chambers.
It was an afterthought that she needed to make Hermione Black trust her.
A/N- There you are, friends, another chapter down. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks again to everyone
reading and reviewing, you have no idea how much I appreciate it. Leave me a message after the
beep and tell me what you think, whether you love it or hate it.
*Charlie’s letter was taken word for word from Philosopher’s Stone.
Next chapter, a dragon is sent off.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 18

A/N- Well, y’all, I survived the rodeo, praise Jesus. My daughter rode in the Grand Entry, so I was
forced to attend once but I suppose that I can live with that. The bad news is that I must work the
next six days so I’m not sure how quickly I’ll update. I continue to write on my phone during my
lunch breaks, but we shall see. Don’t be surprised if it takes an extra few days. Shout out to everyone
reading and reviewing, favoriting and following. You guys are seriously the bomb. I’m going to shut
up now and let you get on with reading.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story except the personal twist on the plot line. We all
know that there isn’t anything new under the sun. I’m a broke bitch so it’s obvious that I haven’t
made any money from my stories.
Chapter 18
February 8, 1992
Harry sighed deeply, picking at his dinner. He was nervous for that night, Saturday night, the night
that Charlie’s friends would be arriving to pick up Norbert. He wasn’t quite sure if Hermione and
Malfoy knew their plans or not, Ron had never gotten his book back, but he was nervous that they
would be caught. Not only did he and Ron have a lot to lose, so did Hagrid.
There hadn’t been any further encounters with Hermione Black since he had accused her of listening
in on his, Ron’s, and Pav’s conversation. He had thought long and hard about the conversation that
he had had with Neville about why Hermione had slapped Parkinson and why she still tolerated the
behavior from himself and Ron. The whole concept was still foreign to him, but he could readily
admit that the wizarding world was wildly different from the muggle and he was nowhere near well-
versed enough to judge.
Harry also admitted to himself, only in the privacy of the curtains around his bed, that Hermione
showcasing her power and dominance made him rock hard. He had wanked several times since then
to the image of her slapping Pansy and then threatening to ruin her; he wasn’t sure if this made him a
deviant (he had heard the term from his aunt while she whispered it to his uncle) but truly, he didn’t
care.
Harry wished more than anything that he could get over his infatuation with Hermione Black. He
would freely admit that she was the most beautiful girl in school, all the boys in Gryffindor said so,
even the seventh years. She was also the most powerful, that much had been evidenced in the sparks
from her curls when she was angry and the hazy look the took over her eyes when she had been
done wrong. Harry could admit that he saw why she was his heart’s desire even though he knew that
it would never happen.
For as much power she held, Harry also didn’t think that she abused it. According to Neville, she
had told everyone that Pansy wasn’t to be shunned and had seemingly forgiven her without any
repercussions. She rarely retaliated to Ron even though he tormented her worse than anyone, even
though Harry had the most reason to torment her. She hadn’t told anyone about the dragon that she
had spied on the table in Hagrid’s cabin. Harry didn’t think that she was going to throw away the
stiff set of morals just to turn them in for helping out a friend; there was no other way that she could
see it as anything but.
Harry was pulled from his ruminations by Ron pushing away his plate. It seemed that their daring
escape for Norbert that night hadn’t dampened his appetite in the least. Neville shot them a
questioning glance before turning back to his Herbology text in front of him. Dean and Seamus were
caught in an animated conversation with the twins and Lavender, Parvati was listening in and
laughing. Harry didn’t think that he could handle anymore normal at the moment, so he gestured for
Ron to follow him out of the Great Hall.
Since he knew that he would never be able to study while he waited the few hours before the drop
off, he pulled Ron to the quidditch pitch. He knew if he went flying for just a little while, it would
settle his nerves. Ron seemed amenable, so he followed without complaint. Just as they left the
castle, Harry leaned over and spoke softly to his best mate.
“Are you nervous? I know I am. The last time we were out after curfew on purpose, we almost got
eaten by a three headed dog.” Ron snorted at his friend before answering.
“Yeah, I’m very nervous. I’m afraid that Malfoy and his pet are going to snitch on us and get us and
Hagrid in trouble. If that happens, I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself around them.” Even
though Harry knew that his friend needed to reign his temper in, he couldn’t help but agree. Keeping
his mouth shut about the matter from here on would be extremely difficult. Still, he needed to remind
his friend just what was at stake.
“I know you won’t want to control your temper, but you must. What will your dad do if he loses his
job?” Ron sighed deeply before answering.
“I know I can’t lose control, but Merlin, those two tossers would deserve it.” Harry nodded as they
reached the broom shed. Since Ron didn’t have a broom, he was relegated to the school brooms and
since Harry didn’t want his friend to feel bad about not having one, he used one as well.
The pair took off from the ground and started out by flying around the pitch. Ron appeared to be
flying in a very set pattern; Harry suspected that he was imitating what he had seen his brothers do
during practice. He didn’t want to worry about quidditch, however, so the Gryffindor left Ron to it.
As the evening wore on, more and more students made their way inside. Harry knew that they
should as well, it had been drilled into them by Madam Hooch that flying at night wasn’t safe, he
was loathe to do so. Flying calmed his nerves.
Finally, once darkness had fallen completely, Harry hollered for Ron to call it a night. They landed in
the middle of the pitch and walked the rest of the way to the broom shed, not wanting to take a
chance of hitting the dwelling while on their brooms. His nerves returned as strong as before and he
sighed.
The pair headed for the castle, Harry knowing that they needed to get to their common room before
curfew. There was no way that they would be able to sneak back out later if they were caught being
out after curfew already. The corridors were mostly empty on their way to the common room; this
fact would be helpful once they were sneaking out. However, it was a Saturday night so there would
surely be professors out patrolling until who knew what time.
Once they were back in the common room, Harry and Ron were blasted with music. The older
students were dancing to what Harry thought was the Weird Sisters and the younger ones were
watching and laughing. Fred and George had somehow managed to sneak in food and drinks, so it
reminded Harry of a tame party. It made no matter, though, if this continued, it would be much easier
for them to sneak out.
Harry and Ron took seats on one of the couches in front of the fire, Dean and Seamus sat next to
them. They proposed that they play a game of exploding snap and while Ron accepted, Harry shook
his head. His head wouldn’t be in the game and there was nothing worse than having the cards
explode on you. The three boys seemed to enjoy their game and Harry even laughed when Ron
ended up with a singed jumper because he had been just a little too slow.
Time passed slowly for Harry; he wasn’t sure why he was so nervous about this, he hadn’t been near
this nervous when they had sneaked out to fight the wizard’s duel. Now that Ron was caught up in
the game with Dean and Seamus, he didn’t seem nervous at all. Harry could only shake his head;
only Ron could get sidetracked from something this important by a game.
Eleven o’clock arrived and Harry nudged Ron. They were meeting Charlie’s friends at midnight and
they still had to get out to Hagrid’s and get the dragon before making their way back up to the
Astronomy Tower. Harry had already stowed the invisibility cloak inside his school robes so all they
had to do was get away from Dean and Seamus. Ron seemed to realize that and took it upon himself.
“I’ve had enough, guys, my mum is going to kill me for ruining this jumper.” He turned to Harry
next.
“Let’s go get some of those snacks while these two find someone else to play with.” Dean and
Seamus clapped Ron on the shoulder and stood, already heading off to where Neville was talking to
the twins.
Harry and Ron started for the door, looking over their shoulders to make sure that nobody was
paying attention. The music was still blaring so everyone was focused on that and Harry was
grateful. They slipped out of the portrait hole quietly. The Fat Lady sniffed at them when she realized
that they were heading out rather than in.
“You know it’s after curfew, if you’re caught, you’ll be in trouble.” Harry didn’t answer her, but
Ron rolled his eyes at her.
“We’re aware, we know the time. We’ll be back shortly.” Harry started down the corridor a little
way before he threw the cloak over himself and Ron. The last thing he wanted was for the Fat Lady
to realize what his cloak did and tell one of the professors.
Once they were headed to the main entrance of the castle, things got interesting. The pair ran into
several students on the way, some snogging and some clearly up to no good. They had to duck into
an alcove when they passed Professor Snape and then again when they almost ran into Professor
Sprout. They finally reached the main entrance and slipped through, heaving sighs of relief that they
hadn’t been caught.
The way to Hagrid’s was well-known and well-travelled by the pair. They didn’t trip on the rocks
that littered the ground since they knew where they all were. Once the reached the gamekeepers hut,
Harry pulled the cloak off himself and Ron. Harry knocked on the door and it swung open
immediately. Hagrid was crying, tears rolling down his face while he blew his nose on what looked
to be a tablecloth.
“Thanks, ya two, fer doin’ this fo’ me. It means a lot ta Norbert an’ me.” Harry patted his enormous
friend on the arm.
“I know, Hagrid. I’m sorry you can’t keep him.” He waved them both in the house and gestured to a
crate on the floor.
“I got ‘im settled in there, he’s got ‘is favert teddy and plenty ‘o food.” Harry nodded and waved
Ron over.
“I hate to run, Hagrid, but we only have thirty minutes to get Norbert up to the Astronomy Tower.
We have to go.” Hagrid nodded and blew his nose again. Harry assumed that he had said his
goodbyes to the dragon since he made no moves to the crate.
Harry took one end of the crate while Ron took the other. It wasn’t very heavy, but it was awkward,
making the trip to the Astronomy Tower an interesting one. Since the cloak wasn’t big enough for
the crate and both of them, Harry decided to throw the cloak over the crate. Hopefully, they wouldn’t
run into any professors and if they did, they’d be able to move fast enough to hide before they were
caught.
The trip back to the castle took much longer then the trip out to Hagrid’s. They might have been able
to go a little faster if they could see. Ron had wanted to use his wand to light the way, but Harry
wouldn’t let him. The last thing they needed was for someone to look out one of the many windows
of the castle and see someone outside lighting their wand.
They were as quiet as they could be when they re-entered the castle. Norbert was no longer calm
inside the crate and was moving from end to end, throwing the weight around. Once they reached
the second floor, Harry could hear footsteps heading their direction. As quickly as they could, the
pair slipped into an alcove directly across from the griffin that guarded the Headmaster’s office. After
just a few moments, Professor Snape stepped to the griffin and muttered something, Harry assumed it
was the password since the statue moved and allowed him entrance.
Harry and Ron crept out of the alcove and hurried to the staircase. Professor Snape was the very last
person that he wanted to be caught by. They hurried the rest of the way through the castle, finally
reaching the Astronomy Tower with only minutes to spare. He wasn’t sure how they hadn’t been
caught but he wasn’t complaining.
The pair sat on the crate as they waited for Charlie and his friends. Both were breathing hard and
even though it probably wasn’t the smartest place to sit, Harry was beyond caring. He wanted to be
back in their dorm, curled up in bed. He didn’t mind helping Hagrid, but this ordeal had turned out to
be more trouble than he had expected.
There was wand light off in the distance; Harry nudged Ron, so he could stand and help him haul the
crate closer to the edge. Once Norbert was in a better position, they turned their attention back to
approaching people. Harry sighed impatiently. They must not be certain which tower was the
Astronomy Tower.
Finally, the approaching light was upon them and three people landed in front of them. It was clear
that one of them was Ron’s brother; he had matching hair and freckles. However, where Ron was
tall and lanky, Charlie was shorter and much more muscular. He had heard stories from Ron and the
twins about how Charlie was a womanizer, that he never dated and only shagged girls for a good
time. Harry wondered why any girl would shag him knowing that he would never date them and
would be with another girl the next day. After seeing him in person, he understood why girls fell for
him.
The two friends that he had brought with him were built similarly. Charlie couldn’t have been more
than six feet, but his friends were taller. Burn scars littered all their arms and Harry made a mental
note to never become a dragon tamer. Charlie stepped forward and hugged Ron tight before ruffling
his hair.
“Hey, little bro, haven’t seen you in ages. How are you?” Ron was grinning at his brother.
“We’re good. Didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into when we agreed to help Hagrid.”
Charlie opened the crate just a little to peer inside.
“Where did he even get the egg?” Harry shrugged his shoulders, so Ron answered.
“We have no idea. All I know is that after that bite, I’m ready to be shot of it.” Charlie reached out
and took Ron’s hand, so he could inspect it. It was still red and inflamed but the wound itself had
closed. The redhead released him and pulled a tube out of his pocket. He threw it to Ron with a grin.
“Put this on it twice a day until it isn’t red anymore. Pomfrey did a good job getting it to close but it’ll
stay red and painful for ages without that cream. It’ll still take a week or so, but the pain should be
gone.” Ron grinned and shoved the tube into his pocket.
“Thanks, Charlie.” The two men that were with him pulled what looked like belts out of their robes
and began lashing the crate to their brooms. Harry didn’t see how hauling a crate between them
several hundred feet in the air was safe but who was he to judge? Like Ron, he was just ready to be
shot of Norbert. After they were finished, Charlie hugged Ron one more time.
“We really have to go. Tell the twins I said hi and that they need to write more. I’ll come visit over
the summer.” Ron hugged him back and nodded before stepping back.
Without another word, the three of them took off and flew away into the darkness. Harry could just
make out the crate swinging between the two brooms and he hoped that dragons couldn’t vomit,
otherwise they would have a huge mess to clean up. Once they could no longer distinguish the
people out of the darkness, Harry and Ron both turned to leave. Before they could even take a step, a
familiar voice rang out, fury evident in her tone.
“Just what is going on here?”
Fuck.
-O-
Hermione and Draco watched from an alcove on the seventh floor as Harry and Weasley wrestled
something between them. It was clear that there was something there even though they couldn’t see
it. Hermione realized that they had thrown the invisibility cloak over whatever held the dragon.
After they watched the pair struggle their load up the steps leading to the Astronomy Tower,
Hermione crept up after them slowly, so she wouldn’t make any noise. When she realized that there
were people up there with them and they were lashing what appeared to be a crate to two brooms,
she came back down to find Draco waiting impatiently.
“We can go. They’re hooking the crate to brooms as we speak.” Draco let out a relieved breath and
nodded.
“Let’s go before we get caught.” A voice cleared behind them.
“It’s too late for that.” Hermione dropped her head in resignation. They had come this far and once
their mission was accomplished, they’d been caught by the teacher that hated them most in school.
Draco turned and stood shoulder to shoulder with Hermione, meeting the gaze of Professor
McGonagall.
“What are you two doing out of your common room so late at night? Don’t even think about lying to
me either.” Hermione was unsure of what to say. If Harry and Ron told her the truth, she would end
up looking like a liar if she had tried to cover for them. Draco turned and looked at her before
shrugging his shoulders. Hermione sighed.
“Everyone has told us that you aren’t really accepted in your House unless you sneak up to the
Astronomy Tower at midnight. You caught us leaving.” The animagus cocked her head to the side,
clearly disbelieving of her words.
“I don’t believe that, Miss Black. What is up in the Astronomy Tower that made you leave your
common room?” Hermione knew that she answered too quickly but couldn’t change it now.
“Nothing, Professor.” The woman narrowed her eyes at them.
“Wait here.” Hermione sighed again. She was going to find Harry and Weasley and they were going
to think that Hermione and Draco had snitched them out. She could hear them speaking and only
moments later both boys followed McGonagall back down to the seventh floor. Weasley exploded.
“I knew you two couldn’t just leave well enough alone!” Harry was glaring at them too and
Hermione knew that the hope of friendship was gone now. Even though she wanted to tell them that
they hadn’t snitched on them, she refrained. It wasn’t like they would believe her anyways. The
animagus turned to the Gryffindors and spoke.
“Why were you two out of the common room? I knew you were gone when I was called by a ghost
to come put an end to the party.” Hermione could see Harry trying to come up with a believable
reason. In the end, he settled for one that wouldn’t happen in a million years.
“We were doing our Astronomy homework and we needed to come out and see the constellation to
clarify a point.” Hermione wanted to burst out laughing. As if Weasley did homework, let alone
clarify something to do with said homework. However, she refrained. Professor McGonagall seemed
to disbelieve them as well.
“You’re telling me that you two were doing your homework during that party? The party where the
music was so loud I couldn’t hear myself think?” Both boys nodded their heads vigorously. The
older woman rubbed her temples for a moment before sighing.
“I don’t believe any of you and since you can’t give me a valid reason to be out of your common
rooms at midnight, you will all four lose fifty house points and each serve a detention tomorrow
night. Let this be a lesson to all of you.” Hermione was surprised that they had all been punished
equally. However, the animagus turned to Hermione and Draco and spoke again.
“We will drop these two off at their common room and then I will escort the two of you to your
Head of House. I’m sure he’ll be wondering why there is a point loss of this magnitude.” Hermione
nodded but couldn’t help but worry.
Her godfather hadn’t been angry at her yet, for any points loss or supposed detention she had
received, but she had a feeling that this time would be different. She and Draco should have just
gone to him when they discovered the dragon and had him watch the two idiot Gryffindors to make
sure that they got the dragon sent off. As if he could feel her worrying, Draco pulled her hand
through his arm and patted it. Weasley rolled his eyes at the gesture while Harry silently fumed.
Professor McGonagall lead them down the corridor to where Hermione assumed the entrance to
Gryffindor Tower was. When the professor was far enough away, Ron leaned over and hissed in her
ear.
“You won’t get away with snitching on us. We will pay you back.” Hermione rolled her eyes at him
but remained silent. Draco was sneering at the redhead. Harry pulled his friend away from her, so he
could whisper to her now.
“I know you both snitched and it was a low blow. Don’t ever let us catch you doing something
wrong or the pair of you are going to go down.” Hermione could see the hatred in his eyes and her
eyes pricked with tears. No, Harry hadn’t liked her before but there had never been hatred in his gaze
before. The professor came to a stop ahead of them and gestured with her head for the two boys to
get in the common room. They muttered the password low enough that Hermione didn’t hear it and
once they were gone, Professor McGonagall started off again.
It took them nearly ten minutes to reach Professor Snape’s office. She assumed that he would be in
his quarters by now, but the light was still on under the door. Hermione tightened her hand on her
cousin’s arm while McGonagall knocked briskly on the door. It swung open to find their godfather
glaring at them all. After he waved them inside, he spoke.
“What is going on here?” Professor McGonagall sniffed imperiously before explaining.
“I found your snakes just outside the Astronomy Tower. They gave me some rubbish story about it
being tradition to sneak out and visit there but I don’t believe them. Upon further examination, Mr.
Potter and Mr. Weasley were already in the Tower. I think that there was some sort of altercation that
was planned but I have no proof.” Her uncle looked livid.
“What were their punishments?” Hermione quailed under his gaze, shifting closer to Draco. The
animagus clasped her hands in front of her as she answered.
“All four of them lost fifty points a piece and they are all to serve a detention tomorrow evening.”
Hermione could see a flicker of surprise cross her uncle’s face, but it was gone before McGonagall
saw it. She assumed that it was because the professor had punished them all equally.
“Thank you, Minerva, I can handle it from here.” Professor McGonagall bowed her head slightly
before turning around and leaving them there alone with an obviously angry godfather. Once the
door was closed, he waved his wand and cast a silencing charm.
“What in the fuck were you two doing out after curfew? You know that this will reach the
Headmaster’s ears. I can’t believe that you two were so reckless.” Hermione felt tears prick her eyes
at his tone but held them back ruthlessly. She couldn’t remember her godfather ever speaking to her
like that and she didn’t like it. Draco knew she was upset and began rubbing soft circles in between
her shoulder blades as he spoke.
“We should have come to you, but we didn’t want Potter and Weasley to think that we had snitched
on them. That idiot Hagrid as well.” Her uncle seemed to stop his pacing for a moment due to his
confusion.
“What are you talking about?” Hermione let Draco continue since he had started the explanation.
Her uncle still looked angry, but he no longer looked like he wanted to kill someone.
“We followed Potter and Weasley one night out to Hagrid’s. We were afraid that they were going to
get in trouble. They ended up watching a dragon egg hatch with the man. We never said anything
because we really didn’t want anyone to get in trouble and it would have made the whole rivalry
between our houses explode. We promised ourselves that if it hurt someone we would tell.” The livid
expression appeared on his face again.
“The day I missed Potions, Weasley was in the Hospital Wing with a bite on his hand. A dragon
bite. We exchanged words and he threw a book at me. I knew that we were going to have to come
tell you. However, I opened the book and there was a letter in there from Charlie Weasley, making
arrangements to pick up the dragon tonight from the Astronomy Tower at midnight. Since they were
getting rid of it for Hagrid, we just followed them to make sure that it was really gone. They were
lashing the crate with the dragon in it to brooms when Professor Cat caught us.” Hermione watched
in horror as her uncle picked up the tumbler he had been drinking fire whiskey from and threw it
against the wall. His voice was soft now.
“You’re telling me that that idiot Hagrid had a dragon on the grounds and you two knew about it and
did nothing because you didn’t want to get anyone in trouble?” Hermione shrunk into her cousin’s
side even further before nodding. Draco answered.
“Yes, professor.” Hermione wasn’t sure if it was the fact that he had thrown something or that Draco
had called him professor that forced her uncle to calm down. They never addressed him as professor
when they were in private. Her uncle raked a hand through his limp hair before picking up his wand
and waving it at the mess, vanishing it from sight. He sounded much calmer when he spoke again.
“I don’t think I need to tell you both how monumentally stupid that was. Dragons are dangerous;
they aren’t pets and they can kill people. Everyone was lucky that Weasley only suffered a bite and
that Madam Pomfrey could treat it. I don’t expect you to tell me all your adventures; I don’t want you
to tell me everything. Sometimes you need to make mistakes to learn from them. For the love of
Merlin, if it’s involving a bloody dragon, tell me. You won’t get in trouble. Do you understand?”
Hermione nodded her head again and Draco spoke for them both.
“Yes, sir.”
Hermione didn’t like feeling like this; she was a well-behaved child that couldn’t remember her
father or either of her uncles ever raising their voice at her. She had never been spanked or anything
like what Pansy and Daphne talked about. Sure, the elves weren’t above using a stinging hex on her
rear if she misbehaved but she was unfamiliar with this show of temper, especially from her calm and
controlled uncle. Her father, yes, but never Uncle Sev or Uncle Luci.
Draco seemed unfazed, however, and she chalked that up to the relationship he had with Uncle Luci.
There had been plenty of affection when they were younger but when Draco started to get older,
Uncle Luci had gotten more distant. He told her that it was preparing Draco to be not only a Malfoy,
but a man. Nobody would take him seriously if he hugged other men and showed them affection in
public. Even though he doubted his father’s love for him sometimes, Hermione could kind of
understand.
Hermione watched her uncle finally look at them and his eyes widened at what he saw. He turned
completely to them and held his arms open to them. She wanted to bolt into them but waited for a
moment to make sure that that was really what he wanted. When he didn’t move, Hermione dragged
Draco into her uncle’s embrace. She felt him kiss both their heads and then rest his cheek atop her
curls. Draco pulled away first, but Hermione held tight to him around his waist. He carded his hand
through her curls as he spoke.
“I’m sorry, little one. I didn’t mean to get so angry. I shouldn’t have shouted at you or thrown the
glass. It just worried me that not only could the two of you been injured, Potter could have been as
well.” Hermione nodded against his chest.
“We’ll tell you next time, we promise.” He snorted at her words before pulling her away from him.
“Let’s just hope that there isn’t a next time.” She giggled just a little and nodded.
“You’re both going to experience a fall out come morning and everyone finds out where the hundred
points went.” Draco snorted now.
“We’ll tell them to go get bent. Hermione wins the most points for our house anyways, she has more
of a right than anyone to lose them.” Her uncle nodded.
“I agree, just expect it. For now, the pair of you need to get back to your common room and go to
bed.” Hermione and Draco both nodded before heading towards the door. Their godfather shot them
a smile before they opened the door and showed themselves out. Hermione sighed as the common
room came into sight.
It had been a long night.
-O-
Severus stalked through the corridors once more, heading for the Headmaster’s office. While he tried
to keep his visits with the man to a minimum, he felt that the situation called for it. A bloody dragon
in the school was more than urgent if anyone asked him.
Severus felt terrible for frightening his goddaughter. He had never shouted at her, not even when she
was small. While Sirius was known for exploding in anger over various things, Hermione had never
been on the receiving end of his anger. She was an extremely well-behaved child and he doubted
that Lucius had ever yelled at her either. Seeing her shrinking away from him and into Draco had
calmed him down faster than a calming draught would have. It was no secret that Hermione was
tender-hearted and even though she would be the first one to show a person who was boss, it ate at
her for days and it wore on her conscience.
He muttered the password to the griffin once more. At least this conversation would be more
stimulating than the one he had attended earlier. While it was necessary, Severus hated going over
the expense reports for not only the school lab and stores, but his personal ones as well. He wasn’t
surprised when he saw that while Albus was now in pajamas, he was still seated behind his desk
rifling through paperwork.
“What has you calling so late, Severus?” The Slytherin sighed and took a seat in front of the desk.
He told the Headmaster everything that his two young charges had told him. Severus implored to the
man that Hagrid needed speaking to, that he was bringing dangerous creatures onto the grounds and
then letting two eleven-year-olds make the trek out of the castle and then back at midnight. He
couldn’t understand why the man just hadn’t taken the beast to the Astronomy Tower himself. There
would have been far less questions asked. When he finished, he sat back and waited for the
reassurance that the Headmaster was going to take care of this. Instead, the man smiled at him softly.
“All’s well that ends well.” Severus couldn’t believe this blasé attitude. He couldn’t keep the bite out
of his tone.
“You’re telling me that’s your final say on this matter? Potter and Weasley were getting rid of a
dragon. What would you have done if your precious Potter had been bitten?” The old fool’s eyes
started twinkling.
“Harry and Mr. Weasley were demonstrating exactly why they were put in Gryffindor. They were
helping Hagrid because their loyalty is to their friends. I will of course speak with Hagrid, but all is
well. The dragon is gone and that’s what matters.” Severus doubted that the man was going to say a
single word to Hagrid; he had always been a favorite of Albus’. Rather than sit there and argue (he
would just be wasting his breath), Severus stood and headed for the door.
He didn’t say a word before he left. If he did, he would likely explode and tell the Headmaster
exactly what he thought of him. It wouldn’t be a pretty scene, that was certain. Therefore, Severus
stalked out of the office and through the corridors until he was ensconced in his quarters. There, he
poured himself another glass of whiskey before settling in his arm chair. After this glass, he would
head to bed. He would write the letters to Sirius and Lucius in the morning.
It had been a long night.
A/N- There you are, y’all, another chapter. I literally banged this out in two hours so if it’s terrible, I
apologize. Thanks again to everyone out there reading, I really do appreciate you all. Leave me a
message after the beep and tell me what you thought. Reviews are love.
Next chapter, detention and the Dark Lord.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 19

A/N- Hey, all, I’m back with another chapter. I got a few PM’s asking me why I’ve made Hermione
so passive and why she feared Severus. It’s easier to just answer here. Hermione was raised as a
pureblood, not a muggleborn. As a general rule, purebloods treat their women with more care,
pamper them so to speak, so she has been sheltered to a degree. She would never dream of letting
someone slander her family name and she’s more than powerful, but she’s been taught to let men
take care of certain things. Look at how Draco looks out for her and she lets him; the wizarding
world is patriarchal, and Hermione has grown up in it. Her backbone only shows when she is
pushed.
As for why she fears Severus, that’s because he has always been a favored uncle. He’s taught her
and loved her and she’s been a well-behaved child. She’s never had him angry at her before, let
alone show his anger in such a demonstrative way. I remember being young and hiding behind my
brothers when my dad would yell so I don’t see this as too far-fetched.
Anyhoo, enough for now. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing, y’all keep me motivated.
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything in this story. The characters belong to J.K.R. and the trope has
been done a thousand times before. I don’t make any money off my stories, otherwise I wouldn’t be
eating hot dogs for dinner tonight.
Chapter 19
February 9, 1992
Harry was still livid. He had been fuming the night before when he had realized that the Slytherins
had snitched on them. He had assumed that it would get better as the day went on, cooling his anger,
but that wasn’t the case. He and Ron had woken up that morning and by the time that he went to
breakfast, their whole house had known that they were the ones that had lost them a hundred points,
taking them out of the running for first place in the house cup.
Harry and Ron had tried to explain to Seamus, Dean, and Neville that the Slytherins had snitched on
them, that they had been helping Hagrid, but Neville had openly scoffed at them. When he had told
them that Hermione and Draco would never snitch on them because they wanted to be friends with
them, Ron had lunged for their friend. Harry had managed to pull him back at the last moment but
that didn’t mean that the whole house hadn’t seen their exchange. Neville had made sure to tell
everyone that Hermione Black and Draco Malfoy wouldn’t have snitched on Harry Potter. Since a
good portion of the Gryffindors were purebloods, none of them dared to believe the story that Ron
and Harry were telling. None of them wanted to cross the Malfoys and the Blacks.
This had soured Harry’s mood even further. Before, he had only been extremely angry. Now, he
was outraged. He knew that the pair had snitched on himself and Ron, they just didn’t want to lose
face with the rest of the school to admit it. Ron agreed with him, but the twins just shook their heads
at them and told them that they were being stupid. Even Parvati wanted no part in their accusations.
Harry wanted to do something to retaliate to the Slytherins, but he was unsure as to what. He didn’t
want to be caught and he was scared to death that if he was, he would lose even more credibility in
the school. First and foremost, he wanted to prove his innocence and make sure that the world knew
that the Slytherins were really at fault.
Harry tried to put it all out of his mind as he and Ron headed down to Hagrid’s hut. They had just
finished lunch and since it was a Sunday, they had the rest of the day free. They should probably be
doing homework, but Harry knew that he was too pissed off to concentrate. Therefore, he and Ron
had decided to go down to Hagrid’s hut and make sure that he knew that Norbert was sent off with
Charlie before they had been caught.
After Harry knocked on the door of the small hut, it swung open to reveal Hagrid wearing his usual
garb. He looked like he was getting ready to go out into the Forbidden Forest, but he ushered them in
like he had no other plans. After serving them tea, the half-giant started to cry.
“I’m so sorry, I neva’ meant fer ya ta get in trouble fer me.” Harry’s heart stopped for a moment.
How did anyone know that Hagrid had even been involved? This was just further proof that
Hermione and Malfoy had snitched on him. His voice was hard when he answered.
“It wasn’t your fault, it was the fault of those that turned us in. Or maybe mine and Ron’s for letting
them discover the truth.” Hagrid shook his head as he blew his nose.
“No, no, Perfessa’ Dumbledore said tha’ he didn’t discover abou’ the dragon ‘til afta’ you were
caught. Perfessa’ Snape tol’ ‘im.” Harry had to stop for a moment to process this. If Hermione and
Malfoy had snitched, wouldn’t they have told them about the dragon?
“We know they snitched, Hagrid. Don’t try to keep us from hating them for what they did.” Hagrid
looked perplexed at his words. After a few moments, he spoke.
“Who do ya think tol’ on ya?” Harry couldn’t keep the sneer from his expression.
“Hermione Black and Draco Malfoy. They knew when we were taking the dragon to the Astronomy
Tower. They clearly told McGonagall.” Hagrid shook his shaggy head.
“No, they din’t snitch. Perfessa’ McGonagall caught them outside the Astronomy Tower; she
thought tha they were spying on ya. They din’t say anythin’ abou’ the dragon ‘til they were already
caught.” Harry wasn’t sure that he believed this information and from the look on Ron’s face, it was
clear that he believed it even less. Harry wasn’t sure what to believe. Hermione Black would lie to
save her own skin (she was a Slytherin after all) and Hagrid would parrot anything that Dumbledore
told him. Rather than argue with his first friend, Harry changed the subject.
“Well, regardless of what happened, we only ended up with a points loss and one detention. It could
have been way worse.” Hagrid nodded.
“Yeah, the Headmaster did decide ta make your detention wi’ me.” Harry couldn’t believe how this
just kept getting better and better. He sputtered for a few moments before he finally asked his
question.
“How do you know the they didn’t tell on us all?” Hagrid cocked his head to the side.
“Perfessa Dumbledore wouldn’t lie ‘bout somethin’ li’ tha’.” Harry wanted to shake his head in
exasperation but decided to just let it drop. At least their detention wouldn’t be terrible since Hagrid
was overseeing it.
Harry and Ron left shortly after that, promising to see their large friend that evening. He told them
that their detention was scheduled to begin at six, right after dinner, and asked that the pair of them
pass on to Hermione and Malfoy the start time. Harry had grumbled about it but in the end agreed.
Since they still had a couple hours until dinner, Harry sighed and turned to head towards the castle.
He knew Ron wasn’t going to like his suggestion, hell, he didn’t like it, but it needed to be done.
“We better work on some homework before dinner. Snape and Flitwick will be pissed if our
homework isn’t done tomorrow.” Ron cursed under his breath for a full minute before finally
agreeing.
“Wish they were all like Quirrell. He never gives homework and when he does, it’s stuff we already
learned in class.” Harry didn’t quite agree but nodded anyways.
In truth, Professor Quirrell kind of freaked him out. He wasn’t mean or malicious like Snape, but he
definitely watched Harry with a level of fascination that he wasn’t comfortable with. He did his best
to pay the man no mind but sometimes it was difficult when he could feel his eyes boring holes in the
back of his head. Not to mention, Harry didn’t mind most homework; he loved learning about magic
and knew that he was going to miss it once he had to return to the Dursleys.
Once they were back in the castle, they made their way to Gryffindor Tower, so they could retrieve
their bags and their assignments. Nobody paid them any mind and he was unsure if it was because
they were all engrossed in their own activities or because none of them were speaking to them.
Nobody had been happy about the point loss.
The pair started for the library, dreading the Potion’s essay that was due the following day. Harry did
well in his essays and such, it was more his practical work that left something to be desired. After
they entered the library, Harry regretted deciding to come. Hermione Black and her gang of Slytherin
firsties were all sitting at an enormous table with Neville and the twins. They appeared to be working
on homework, though Hermione would lean over and correct one of the twins here and there. He
remembered that she was advanced in her studies, so he guessed that if someone needed free help
with their homework, she would be the one to ask. Harry tried to tell himself that that was the only
reason the twins hung out with her but deep down, he knew that was a lie.
Harry groaned. He remembered telling Hagrid that he would inform Black and Malfoy of their
detention time. He smacked Ron on the arm and gestured with his head that they needed to just get it
out of the way. Ron groaned now, and Harry couldn’t help but smirk at his reaction. They made their
way over to the table and waited patiently until he had the attention of everyone since Hermione was
the last one to realize that they were there. Harry cleared his throat.
“Our detention tonight is with Hagrid. He wants us out by his hut at six o’clock.” Malfoy groaned
now before leaning his head on his cousin’s shoulder.
“We should write a letter home before we go, make sure they know our final wishes if we die.” The
rest of the table laughed but Ron got angry.
“What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?” Harry laid a hand on his arm before Malfoy sat up
and turned his sneery gaze to the two of them. He spoke slowly as if Ron was stupid and wouldn’t
understand otherwise.
“Think about why we all got detention. Excuse me for thinking that I would be completely safe with
a person that can make decisions like that.” The sarcasm was heavy in his voice and even though he
wanted to disagree with the Slytherin, he couldn’t. Every day since they had discovered that Hagrid
had a dragon, he had questioned the sanity of not only himself and Ron for not telling someone but
Hagrid for keeping the thing.
“Hagrid is ten times the man that you are, Malfoy.” Malfoy nodded as he smirked their way.
“You’re right, he is ten times the man I am since he’s the size of a bloody giant.” Harry noticed that
Neville looked distinctly irritated with them and the twins didn’t look that thrilled either. He was
drawn out of his observations when Hermione Black spoke for the first time.
“We’re all working on Potions if you both want to join us. We wouldn’t mind at all.” It was said in
the sweetest voice that Harry had ever heard but he knew better. Those two had snitched on them
and Hagrid had misunderstood. Therefore, he sneered the Slytherin’s way before responding.
“No, we don’t want to join your bloody study group. I know that Neville and the twins think you
walk on water, that you’re just amazing, but you don’t fool me. You’re no different than your father.
For someone who wants to be my friend, you sure know how to backstab someone, just like your
father did to mine.”
Harry could tell that his words wounded her. Her eyes watered but she didn’t let any of the tears fall.
Her gaze fell from himself and Ron to stare at her book, embarrassed to be showing so much
emotion. None of the others seemed to realize it, but Harry saw the exact effect his words had on her.
Malfoy wrapped an arm around her shoulders before turning his glare their way. However, it was the
twins that stood and glared at them.
“You two need to leave. Hermione was kind enough to invite you to stay and learn when you’ve
been nothing but terrible to her. She doesn’t deserve this from either of you. If you can’t be nice, get
the fuck out of here.” Ron started to sputter in indignation, but Harry decided that none of it was
worth the fight. He pulled his friend away from the group until they were settled at a table far away
from the group.
The truth was, Harry felt terrible for his words. He had only been that mean to Hermione once
before, in Potion’s class, and he had felt guilty then as well. He hated knowing that he had been
mean enough to someone that he had almost made them cry. If they hadn’t been in front of a good
portion of their peers, he was quite sure that Black would have allowed her tears to spill. Weakness,
however, was one of the things that snakes weren’t allowed to show unless it was in front of
someone that they trusted.
Harry didn’t speak to Ron as they started their essays. All the redhead ever did was complain about
doing schoolwork and after the encounter with the Slytherins, Harry found that he wasn’t the most
talkative. The pair worked in relative silence until dinner; Harry had finished his Potion’s essay and
most of his Charms essay while Ron was still only a handful of paragraphs into his Potion’s
assignment. Harry wouldn’t be surprised if the boy ended up failing the class. He doubted that his
parents would be pleased but Harry was determined to stay out of it. The last thing he wanted was to
get in the middle of a family matter, especially when he knew so little of how a true family worked.
They adjourned to dinner, Harry starving since he hadn’t eaten well at breakfast or lunch. He was
still livid at the fact that he had detention because of two Slytherins but he was past letting it affect his
appetite. Ron seemed to agree with him since when they took their seats, the redhead piled more
food than Harry had eaten in a week at the Dursleys on his plate.
The pair ate quickly and quietly. Nobody seemed to be ignoring them on purpose, so Harry assumed
that they were done being angry about the points’ loss. The twins had told them that they had lost
more points for their house than they had made, and the anger always passed quickly. It had been the
only nice thing his house had said to them that day. Though after their encounter in the library, he
doubted that they would warrant anymore.
Harry let his mind wander to whether the Slytherins were catching any shite for losing a hundred
points. Nobody seemed angry at them, everyone had acted like they normally did. It made no sense,
though, so Harry decided to brave Neville and ask. The boy didn’t look none too pleased to be
interrupted by Harry but was polite nonetheless.
“Yes?” Harry took a deep breath.
“Are Black and Malfoy in hot water with their house? Are they angry like you all are?” Neville
snorted at his words before shaking his head.
“No, they aren’t angry at them.” Harry couldn’t believe it. Were they that popular that nobody would
say a single word to them in admonition?
“Why not?” Neville took a bite, chewed, swallowed, and wiped his mouth before he deigned to
answer him.
“First of all, Hermione wins her house a hundred points every three to four days by herself. Slytherin
house has no right to get angry at her. Second of all, they’re royalty and you two have been telling
everyone that you’re all in detention because they snitched on you. After the feud that has sprung up,
what Slytherin is going to be angry about a points loss when it landed the most famous Gryffindor
since Godric himself in detention?”
Harry hadn’t thought about it from that point of view. Maybe he and Ron shouldn’t have spread to
everyone that the Slytherin pair was the reason that they were being punished. Honestly, looking
back, it had been quite childish. Harry sighed in realization. Even if Hermione and Malfoy had
snitched, it wasn’t their fault that Harry and Ron had been out after curfew, carting an even more
illegal dragon between them to be smuggled off school grounds. It wasn’t even Hagrid’s fault
because they had had the right to refuse to help him. The blame lay with Harry and Ron themselves;
they had made the decision to help Hagrid and they had made the decision even after they knew it
was likely that they would be ratted out. Harry and Ron had done this to themselves.
For some reason, this realization didn’t make him feel any better. They had acted like spoiled
children once they learned they had been caught and had been trying to ruin the reputations of Black
and Malfoy since. Everyone had rolled their eyes at them but at the time, Harry hadn’t understood
why. Now, he did. While he wanted to tell Ron and clue him in, he knew that he couldn’t without a
huge argument on his hands and that was the last thing that he wanted. Therefore, he decided to be
decent to Hermione and Malfoy in detention that night.
Dinner passed quickly, Harry eating his fill. Ron was still eating when the food disappeared, and
everyone started to get up from their seats. The redhead looked affronted that his eating time had
been cut short, but Harry could only laugh at his expression. The redhead had eaten four times as
much as Harry and still acted as though he could eat more. It boggled his mind and made him
wonder where he stored so much food.
Harry went to his feet while Ron did the same and started for the door to the Entrance Hall. It was
detention time and they needed to be at Hagrid’s in only ten minutes. Harry had watched Hermione
and Malfoy leave five minutes before they had, probably so they could be early like they usually
were for classes. Harry supposed that he couldn’t blame them; it wouldn’t do to be late to detention
with someone that really wasn’t your biggest fan.
Even though Hagrid had never come out and badmouthed the pair, he had made sure to say plenty
about their fathers. Hagrid had told Harry that his mother and father had been best friends with Sirius
Black and he had betrayed them in the end and that if he were to cultivate a friendship between
himself and Hermione it would be a betrayal of their memory. Since that was the last thing that he
wanted, Harry had vowed to stay as far away from the girl as possible. Harry couldn’t help but
wonder if this was coming from the Headmaster since it was right after Christmas break ended; he
was scared that the Headmaster had seen what was really in the reflection of the Mirror of Erised.
Not that it mattered; he felt the same way, so it was really nothing new.
As predicted, the two Slytherins were waiting for them when they got there. Ron shot them dirty
glares, but Harry restrained himself, reminding himself of his epiphany at dinner. Both parties
remained on their own sides of the clearing; Hermione was shivering with a thick cloak wrapped
around her. Malfoy seemed to be completely warm and when he waved his wand at this cousin, she
stopped shivering too. Harry longed to ask them what spell they used but since he had flung hateful
words at them the last time they had spoken, he refrained.
The four of them waited together for a short period of time before Hagrid stepped out of his hut and
gestured for them to follow him.
“We’re going into the Forbidden Forest. Follow me.”
Harry gulped.
-O-
Hermione picked at her meal, wishing it would speed up and slow down simultaneously. She had
detention in just half an hour and it was the first of her life. Her father’s letter rang in her ears,
reminding her of his words.
*Flashback*
Hermione seated herself at the Slytherin table, so she could spoon up breakfast for herself and Draco.
Her cousin shot her a dirty look, irritated that she was serving him, but she paid it no mind. He
served her enough throughout the week that it wouldn’t make a difference if she did it once. The post
owls swooped down to the tables they needed to go to and Hermione caught sight of her father’s owl
amongst the crowd. Her heart dropped into her belly; what exactly had Severus told him?
When the owl landed before her, she pushed her plate towards the owl, indicating that it should take
whatever it wanted from it. After detaching the letter from the owl’s leg, she opened the letter and
leaned towards Draco, so he could read it while she did. The pair of them had no secrets and even if
he didn’t read the letter, he would know exactly what it said.
Poppet and Draco,
I hope this letter finds you well. Your godfather wrote to Lucius and I this morning and informed us
as to what you were doing on your late night excursion last night. While I commend you on your
rule-breaking, I really wish that you had chosen something else to break the rules for.
While I most assuredly want you both to have the full Hogwarts’ experience, I also want you two to
be smart. Hiding the fact that there is a dragon on the grounds in just foolhardy; the last thing I want
is for someone to get hurt. While I know that Severus scared you, Hermione, know that I agree with
his sentiment; if there is ever anymore talk of a dragon on the grounds, I expect the pair of you to
turn whoever it is in as quickly as you can. Dragons aren’t to be trifled with.
Draco, your father wishes me to tell you that he expects you to continue to look out for your cousin
and if she is injured by a dragon, you will get the flailing of a lifetime. Personally, I don’t believe
him, but he was quite put out when we read the letter from Severus. Seriously, though, please look
out for Hermione. She can be brash and reckless when it serves her; the last thing I need is bad news
from the Headmaster. Watch over her as I would.
I love you both and wish you well in your studies.
Dad (Sirius)
Hermione cringed at his words. He was disappointed, he just didn’t want to come out and say it. Her
heart clenched at the thought, but she took a deep breath and made herself rationalize it. She and
Draco had both admitted that keeping the dragon a secret had been a mistake; her father and Uncle
Luci were just reiterating it like Uncle Sev had. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling knowing that you had
fucked up but, in the end, it was what it was.
*End of Flashback*
Since the encounter in the library hadn’t gone too terribly bad, Hermione had decided that she would
extend an invitation to Harry and Weasley; it had been a huge mistake. While she normally expected
bile to fall from Weasley’s mouth, she didn’t have the same expectation from Harry. It had been
Harry that had lashed out about not only herself but her father and his traitor status.
Hermione had bore it well, refusing to let her tears fall in front of so many people. Draco had been
the only one to realize that she was close to tears and the arm around her shoulders had been much
appreciated. The rest of her friends had been appropriately outraged but at that point, Hermione
hadn’t wanted to hear anything about how she was right, and they were wrong.
Truthfully, her friends believed that she and Draco had turned Harry and Weasley in because of how
mean and nasty they were to them. They had tried to tell them the truth but, in the end, none of them
believed them. It ended up being easier to just let them believe what they wanted. Neville and the
twins were the only ones that seemed to believe the truth as Hermione told it. None of the Slytherins
would ever believe that they had put themselves on the line for the two ungrateful Gryffindors.
Not a single Slytherin had been angry with them; Hermione had expected to hear the worst about
herself when everyone realized that their house had lost a hundred points because of herself and
Draco. This hadn’t been the case, however. Everyone seemed to realize that Hermione netted them
the most amount of points and to piss her off by getting angry would only be detrimental to them in
the end.
Her thoughts were ended by the bell bringing dinner to an end. It always irritated her that the school
insisted on using the bells even on days when there was no classes. Not only was it irritating to
students that had no subjects to study like herself and Draco, it was nerve-wracking for the twins and
Neville. Not that it did any good since they were quick to hide any emotion that seemed to goad her
into action.
Hermione and Draco headed to their detention, Hermione noticing that Ron took longer than usual to
surrender his plate and move on. Maybe during his childhood, he had been starved and had to gain
as much weight as possible. Even as she thought of this, it was clear that wasn’t the cast of what
happened. It was more along the lines of being greedy and wanting to stuff as much food in as
humanly possible. It sickened Hermione, but she held her tongue; it would do no good to say
anything at this juncture.
She and Draco were forced to wait for a few minutes before Harry and the Weasel appeared. They
were there only moments before Hagrid appeared, bringing the detention to an official start.
The half-giant had just informed them that they were going to go into the Forbidden Forest and
Hermione could feel her cousin tense up. They had been told horror stories about creatures in the
Forbidden Forest and the last thing that he would be agreeable to was taking them in the Forest itself.
Hermione tried to soothe her cousin but at the moment, there was nothing for it.
“You can’t possibly think that we’re going to follow you into the Forbidden Forest. Sorry, but we
haven’t been imperioused anytime recently.” Hermione clutched at his arm when Hagrid spoke.
“This is my detention and you’re serving it because you were caught out after curfew. You will do as
I say, or you’ll suffer more detentions. The Headmaster will back me on this.” Hermione was sure
that the man wasn’t lying; the Headmaster would do whatever he could to further punish them.
Therefore, she grasped her cousin’s arm tightly and hoped that he understood the message to just let
it be. Even though Draco was glaring at the half-giant, he remained quiet. Hagrid turned his attention
back to the others before speaking.
“There is somethin’ ou’ there killin’ unicorns. We’re goin’ ta see if we can fin’ ou’ wha’ it is.”
Hermione felt her heart clench at his words. This detention didn’t sound safe at all. It seemed that the
Gryffindors were worried now too. Harry spoke tentatively.
“Are you sure this is safe, Hagrid?” The man nodded as they started for the edge of the forest.
“Yea, as long as yer wit’ me or Fang, nothin’ in the Forest will ‘arm ya.” Hermione didn’t feel better
after hearing his declaration. It was quite clear that Harry didn’t either. Once they were inside the
Forest a ways, Hagrid paused and turned to them once more.
“We’ll spli’ up so this search will go fasta. Ron, ya and Malfoy are going to come wit’ me. Harry, ya
an’ Black are goin’ to go wit’ Fang. Just follow whereva’ he takes ya.” Hermione felt her heart race
at the thoughts of being separated from the group. Draco saw the apprehension on her face and
spoke again.
“Doesn’t it seem dangerous to split up in a Forest that we’re searching because something that is
killing unicorns? I think we should all stay together.” Hagrid’s face hardened again before he spoke.
“Fang will keep ‘em safe.” Draco strode over to Hermione and pulled her into his arms. She tried to
hide the fact that she was trembling in fear, but she knew that she had failed when he kissed the side
of her head. Harry looked away, but Ron was gagging behind them. Draco whispered in her ear.
“If anything happens, you run. Don’t wait around for Potter to save the day.” Hermione nodded
against him. Once he moved away from her, he turned to Harry and glared at him.
“If you let anything happen to her out here, I will kill you.” Harry didn’t seem to know what to say
to his words, so he remained silent. Ron scoffed openly while Hagrid was speaking to Fang.
Hermione moved closer to Harry and took a deep steadying breath. If this is what she had to do, she
would do it to the best of her ability. Hagrid had one last bit of advice.
“If anyone runs inta problems, send sparks up inta the sky. The spell is periculum.” Hermione
nodded as she started to follow Fang. The boarhound was headed deeper into the Forest and she
could only hope that he knew exactly where he was going.
Harry followed after her, the pair of them leaving Ron and Draco behind with Hagrid. Hermione
clutched her wand in her hand tightly, held aloft at all times. She knew that she had lots of
knowledge, more than enough spells to protect herself in there, but she had never gotten the chance
to apply her knowledge. Her father and Uncle Luci had promised dueling practice this summer and
now more than ever, she felt that it was a wonderful idea.
They walked for over thirty minutes; Hermione wasn’t quite sure what Hagrid expected them to find,
let alone what they were supposed to do if they found something. She doubted that sparks from their
wand were going to keep them safe against whatever was killing unicorns. Harry had yet to say a
word and while she wanted to take the time to get closer to him if possible, she knew that it was
never going to happen. It was this reasoning that found her surprised when he did speak to her.
“Why would you keep the secret of the dragon all that time until you knew we were getting rid of it?
It doesn’t make any sense.” Hermione knew that this was her chance to plead her innocence. She
forced her voice to be steady.
“We didn’t snitch on you. We promised ourselves that we wouldn’t say anything as long as the
dragon didn’t hurt anyone. Then Draco saw Weasley in the Hospital Wing with a dragon bite; he
had already decided that we were going to tell Professor Snape. Then he found the letter and we
decided that we would follow you and make sure that the dragon was sent off. It was what we had to
do since we didn’t want to get anyone in trouble unless we had to. Dragons can kill you, their bites
are highly poisonous. Hagrid should have known better than to have two students help him with it
and then leave it on your shoulders to get it off the grounds. None of us would have been in trouble
if he had taken the dragon up to the Astronomy Tower on his own.” She could see that Harry was
mulling over her words. After several minutes, he spoke again.
“Why would you go out of your way to not get us in trouble?” Hermione wanted to tell him the truth
but was scared that he would reject her. However, it was never going to happen without taking a
chance.
“I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to be your friend. Draco too. I don’t want to give you reasons to
hate me.” Harry scoffed at her words before speaking.
“You know why we can’t be friends. Your father single-handedly made sure that my parents would
be murdered by his master. Dumbledore told me what really happened. No, I don’t hate you like I
should, but we will never be friends. I would never piss on the memory of my parents by becoming
friends with you.” Hermione felt her heart clench at his words. Rejectioned again and this time he
wasn’t angry when he said it. She was thankful that it was dark in the Forest because it hid the few
tears that trailed down her cheeks. She was just getting ready to open her mouth and tell him that her
father wasn’t guilty, that it had been Peter Pettigrew when Fang started barking like mad.
Hermione glanced around to see the boarhound running in the direction that they had come from.
Harry reached out and took her hand, pulling her after Fang. They made it only three steps before
Hermione caught sight of the brilliant white coat of a unicorn laying still and unmoving on the
ground. Hermione pulled Harry to a stop and gestured with her head to the unicorn. He started next
to her when they realized that there was a figure standing just behind the unicorn. It dropped to it’s
knees and cut a slice into the neck of the unicorn. Hermione watched on in horror as the figure began
to drink the blood of the unicorn.
Suddenly, Hermione was furious. She shook Harry’s hand out of hers and raised her wand again.
She wasn’t sure what spell to use against someone that wanted to drink the blood of a unicorn but
decided to go with the spell that Hagrid had bid them to use. Bright blue sparks shot out of her wand
and hit the figure directly in the back. With a snarl, the figure raised its head from the bleeding
unicorn and then rose to its feet. It started for the pair of them, wand raised.
An unknown spell shot from the wand, hurtling its way straight for Hermione. She was quick to use
a shield but, in the end, it wasn’t necessary since Harry tackled her to the ground before the spell
could even get close. Hermione struggled to catch her breath, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her
side. Harry rolled off her and rose in front of her, wand held up high. The figure continued to
advance, and Hermione struggled to get to her feet, sure that her ribs were cracked at the very least.
The figure, out of nowhere, stopped advancing and turned to flee. Hermione didn’t understand why
until there was a thundering of hooves from behind them. She finally made it to her feet, dirt and
leaves stuck in her curls and in her robes. Harry was still covering her, she wasn’t sure if he had
heard the hooves coming from behind them. Hermione was quick to turn and lift her wand, ready to
protect their backs if need be.
Two centaurs appeared before her very eyes. Harry spun around to see what her gasp was about;
Hermione was uncertain how he hadn’t their approach. When she realized that it was centaurs, she
was quick to lower her wand; it was well-known that centaurs didn’t believe in harming children.
She shot a smile a smile at them.
“Thank you so much for coming.” They nodded at her words, so Hermione left Harry to deal with
them. She hurried to the unicorn’s side, determined to save the creature if she could. She knew a few
basic healing spells but hoped that they would be enough to stop the bleeding that was now covering
the ground beneath it.
Hermione could hear the centaurs conversing with Harry. He asked them if they knew who the
person had been. Hermione really had no idea, but she was just as interested in knowing as Harry.
When the Gryffindor shrugged his shoulders, she plainly heard one of the centaurs reveal the answer.
“Voldemort.”
Hermione felt her heart stutter for a few moments. Was it possible? Could he be back already? She
knew that someone who drinks the blood of a unicorn had no other choice to live but it came with a
hefty price. The drinker would forever live a cursed life, a half-life as Madam Cambridge had told
herself and Draco during their studies.
Rather than listen further, they were now discussing where Hagrid could possibly be, Hermione
turned her attention to the unicorn. It was clearly coming around, she wondered if the figure had used
magic to make it fall unconscious. She could feel the muscles of it’s neck quivering in fear.
Hermione bent to the head of the unicorn as she started to softly pet it.
“Sshhh, nothing else is going to happen to you tonight. Calm down, I’m just trying to help you.”
Hermione knew that unicorns had advanced healing, but she inspected the wound anyways. It was
six inches long and was deep. She continued to pet the animal softly with her left hand while she laid
the tip of her wand to the wound. She whispered the basic healing spell that she knew, one that
would seal a wound, though not very prettily. If she didn’t do it, nobody else would. The only other
people out there at the time being was three other first years and Hagrid, who it was clear didn’t
practice magic.
The wound began to close, the blood that had been seeping from the wound being sealed back inside
the body. Hermione could feel the eyes of the centaurs and Harry on her, but she paid them no mind.
She was almost done when one of the centaurs decided to speak.
“You really shouldn’t heal her with magic. They regenerate on their own quite fast. If you aren’t
deemed worthy, your magic could harm her in the end.” Hermione had never heard this before, so
she wasn’t sure if she should believe it. Nodding her head at their words, she continued.
“She seems to be fine with my magic. She’s laying here calm and letting me do what I want. If she
didn’t like it, she would get up and run off.” It seemed as if this appeased the centaur and they
continued to watch in silence.
Hermione was covered in the silvery blood by the time she was finished. After she went to her feet,
the unicorn did the same. She expected the animal to run away as soon as she was able, so she was
pleasantly surprised when the unicorn nuzzled Hermione’s chest. Even though it hurt her ribs, she
rubbed the unicorn’s face before it stepped away and ran off into the forest.
When she turned to face Harry and the centaurs, Hermione found them staring at her in awe. She
wasn’t quite sure why but had no urge to ask. She was always stared at for one reason or another.
Before they could say anything, a figure crashed through the trees, followed by two other smaller
figures. Hermione instantly raised her wand since she wasn’t sure who it was yet, it was dark after
all. She realized after a few moments that it was Hagrid, Ronald, and Draco. Fang was following
behind them, baying loudly.
Hermione didn’t get to speak before Draco rushed her and pulled her into a tight hug. She
whimpered in pain and pulled away, clutching her side where she was sure that her ribs were at least
cracked. It was in this moment that Draco looked down at her and saw that she was covered in
unicorn blood. His hands began running over her body, a manic look in his eyes, feeling for further
injuries. Hagrid was now yelling but she wasn’t sure if he was angry or just riding an adrenaline
high.
“Wha’ tha’ bloody ‘ell ‘appened here?” Hermione didn’t want to tell the story, so she let Harry tell
everyone what happened. It took several minutes but when he was finished, Draco narrowed his
eyes at you.
“Why do you hurt?” Hermione shrugged.
“I cast a shield, but I don’t think Potter knew what it was. He tackled me to the ground, so the curse
wouldn’t hit me. He landed on me and I think some of my ribs are cracked.” Draco chuckled softly
at her words.
“You’re always getting into trouble, Miney.” She shrugged again but then watched with trepidation
as Draco started for Harry. Once he was standing in front of him, he stuck his hand out and waited
for Harry to take it. It was clear that the Gryffindor didn’t have any idea what to do but, in the end,
he took it. Draco shook his hand firmly as he spoke.
“Thank you for keeping her safe. If you ever have need of something, just let me know. I’ll do my
best to help you out.” Harry still looked confused and surprised, but he nodded his head. The rest of
them all watched in silence. Hermione could see Ron fuming, but he remained silent. Maybe he had
learned a lesson after all. Hagrid began yelling at them all, telling them that they needed to head back
to the castle.
Hermione let her cousin lead her back through the Forest, his hand firmly in her own. Since she had
no idea if the figure that attacked the unicorn was still out there, she kept her wand in her hand.
Draco did the same and it was only a few minutes into the trek that Harry and Ron seemed to come
to the same conclusion. It seemed as though the trip went faster but, she was sure that it hadn’t.
Once the castle came into view, Hermione didn’t give Hagrid the chance to keep them there. She just
continued to walk towards the castle, Draco right beside her. Hermione could hear the whispers of
the Gryffindors, so she wasn’t surprised when Hagrid yelled at them.
“Yer detention isn’ ova yet. Get back here.” Hermione was going to turn around and let the man
have a piece of her mind, but Draco was quicker. He turned and stalked back over to the man and
started yelling at him. She could tell that he wasn’t worried about further detentions.
“This detention is over! You drag four first years into the Forbidden Forest at night and send two of
them off on their own to find whatever is killing unicorns. In what world does that constitute as
keeping students safe? The centaurs think that the figure was Voldemort, but hey, let’s not worry
about the fact that two students could have been killed on your watch. What do you think my cousin
Sirius would have done to you if you had gotten his only daughter killed? What do you think my
father would have done to you for getting the light of his life murdered?” Draco’s chest was heaving,
and he appeared to just be getting started. Hermione walked over to him before he could start again
and laid a soft hand on his arm. He turned and realized that it was her.
“Don’t worry about him, it isn’t worth it. I just want to go get healed.” Realization dawned on
Hagrid’s face and the features twisted with shame.
“I’m sorry, Miss Black, I forgo’ that you needed healin’. Detention is ova.” Hermione nodded at the
half-giant, showing that she accepted his apology. Draco led her away from the other three and
started to walk her through the shadows and towards the castle. She could hear Harry and Ron
following them, but they remained quiet enough that she couldn’t hear what they were talking about.
Once they were safely inside the castle, Hermione let Draco pull her towards the staircase that would
lead them to the fourth floor where the Hospital Wing was located. There were still students
wandering the corridors and Hermione knew that she must look a fright. She was covered in blood
and had dirt, leaves, and other debris in her hair. Her robes were stained and ripped at the bottom.
Harry only looked marginally better than she did. Hermione was pulled from her thoughts by
meeting Professor McGonagall on the staircase from the third floor to the fourth.
“What has happened to you, Miss Black? Aren’t you supposed to be in detention at the moment?”
Draco glared at her, but Hermione decided to answer.
“Detention was cut short by the fact that Harry and I were attacked by whatever is in the Forest
killing unicorns. We’re headed to the Hospital Wing now.” Concern clouded her eyes, surprising
Hermione. The stern woman laid an arm around her shoulders and started to guide her up the stairs,
obviously escorting them. Once they reached the Hospital Wing doors, Professor McGonagall
produced her wand, waving it. A silvery cat leapt from the tip of her wand and rubbed on her legs.
The animagus leaned down and whispered a message to it. Hermione had seen her father cast the
patronus spell several times in her life. His large dog was much more intimidating than the little cat.
“I just sent for your Head of House and the Headmaster.” Hermione fought rolling her eyes. As if the
Headmaster was going to care that Hermione could have been killed. She wasn’t even certain if he
would care that Harry had been in danger. The older woman ushered them into the Hospital Wing
and settled Hermione into a bed. She started to protest but was cut off by a single look from the
animagus. Madam Pomfrey bustled out to see who had come to visit her and when her eyes landed
on Hermione on the bed, her hand flew to her chest in surprise.
“My dear child, whatever happened to you?” There was a silky voice from the doorway that
instantly made Hermione feel better.
“That is an answer that we are all interested in hearing.” Hermione wanted to grin at her godfather,
but she refrained. Nobody knew how close they were. She really didn’t want to explain it, not that
any of it would matter in the end. The Headmaster wasn’t going to do anything about Hagrid being
irresponsible and she wasn’t sure that he would even believe the centaur’s words about the figure
being Voldemort. Draco seemed to sense that she was reluctant, so he explained.
“We were informed that our detention was with Hagrid tonight. When we got there, he told us that
there was something in the Forbidden Forest that was attacking and killing unicorns. Our detention
was to go with him into the Forest and split up, sending Hermione and Potter with his dog. I stepped
in and told him that it wasn’t safe, that it was Forbidden for a reason, but he told me that this was
detention that I was serving, that if I wanted to back out I’d be serving more detentions and the
Headmaster would agree with him.” Draco stopped for a moment, so he could take a seat on the bed
next to Hermione. She glanced at their godfather and she could see the fury burning in his gaze.
“Potter said that the dog just took off and left them there. They started to follow but then they caught
sight of a unicorn on the ground with a figure bent over it, drinking its blood. Hermione shot sparks
at the whoever it was, and they fired a curse at her. She was tackled to the ground by Potter, barely
missing the spell. She had a shield in place, but I don’t think Potter knows what one does. The figure
ran off when the centaurs arrived. Potter asked them who did this, and they said Voldemort.
Hermione healed the unicorn, that’s why she’s covered in blood.” The whole room was silent when
Draco stopped talking. It was Madam Pomfrey that spoke first.
“Why are you here in the Hospital Wing?” Hermione blushed slightly at the question. How could he
have forgot to tell them that.
“When Harry tackled me to the ground, he landed on me. I think my ribs are cracked on one side. It
hurts to breathe and move quickly.” The Headmaster eyed her closely, but his voice was controlled
when he spoke.
“You’re not trying to say that Harry harmed you on purpose?” Hermione looked at him as if he was
stupid.
“I’m not a liar, Headmaster. I would never say that he meant to hurt me when he shoved me out of
the way of a spell.” He looked somewhat appeased. Hermione realized that both professors were
staring at the Headmaster in disbelief. It was Professor McGonagall that spoke first, fury evident in
her voice.
“Are you going to do anything about Hagrid taking four first years into the Forest at night? If that
was indeed Voldemort, all of them could have been killed.” Hermione watched as the Headmaster
held his hands up trying to placate his deputy. Hermione was drawn from the scene for a moment as
Madam Pomfrey ran her wand over her, using a diagnostic spell to see what exactly was wrong with
her. The conversation between the professors came to a halt when she spoke.
“You were right, Miss Black. One broken rib and two cracked ones. That boy must have landed
hard on you.” Draco snorted.
“That and she’s the tiniest thing ever.” Hermione stuck her tongue out at her cousin but he just
grinned. Madam Pomfrey bustled off and returned a minute later holding a potion vial.
“It’s going to taste terrible, but it will mend the bones. You’ll be good as new come morning.”
Hermione took the vial and downed it, grimacing at the terrible taste.
“Thank you, Madam. Are we free to go?” She nodded and as she stood, her godfather spoke.
“You need to take those clothes off and burn them, Miss Black. Throw them in the fireplace. It
would be dangerous to have unicorn blood on you in the quantity that you do. It could be siphoned
off at any point and the last thing we need is for some student to accidentally drink it.” Professor
McGonagall was nodding her head sagely at his words. Hermione nodded her agreement as Draco
stood and started to follow her out. Their godfather followed them before throwing a comment over
his shoulder.
“I’m escorting them back to the Slytherin common room. Might I suggest that you go see if Potter
and Weasley are both fine from their detention? Then we all need to meet in the Headmaster’s office
and discuss this further.” Her uncle laid a hand on both hers and Draco’s shoulders as he started to
propel them towards the door.
It didn’t take them long at all the make their way to the dungeons. Hermione received many odd
looks from students, but she tried not to pay them any mind. When they were only a single corridor
away from their common room, Uncle Sev pulled them into an alcove that they didn’t even know
existed. Once they were hidden in the shadows, he pulled them both into a hug.
“Thank Salazar that the two of you are alright. I can’t believe the stupidity of that brainless oaf. I
can’t even imagine what he was thinking.” Hermione snorted.
“I don’t think he was thinking, that was the problem.” Her uncle barked a laugh that reminded her of
her father when he was in his animagus form.
“Very true, little one. Trust me, I’m going to make sure that he makes sure this will never happen
again. Your father and Lucius are going to be furious when they find out.” Hermione knew that was
the truth. However, she didn’t think that they were going to do anything about it yet. She had heard
her father, Uncle Sev, and Uncle Luci talking in the library late one night over the holidays that if
they ever needed to get Dumbledore out of the castle, if they ever needed to get him fired, it would
be much easier if they could say that there had been more than one instance of them not being
informed their children had been in danger. This situation fit the bill nicely. This just made it clear
how much her father and Uncle Luci trusted Uncle Sev to keep them safe. Hermione grinned at him.
“I’m sure they will but we all know that they aren’t going to do anything about it.” Draco’s eyes
widened at her spilling that she had listened in. She had told him what she had heard, of course, but
he never expected her to rat herself out to one of the adults. Her uncle raised an eyebrow at her.
“You’re far more of a pest than I realized.” Hermione laughed out loud now before hugging him
again. He kissed the top of her head before speaking again.
“Are you sure that you’re fine?” Hermione nodded against him, inhaling the scent of potions
ingredients. He ran his hand over her hair before pulling away.
“To the common room then. I have to go make sure that this doesn’t happen again.” She and Draco
both nodded as they stepped out of the alcove after making sure that the coast was clear. Her uncle
started in the opposite direction before calling out after them.
“Don’t forget about your robes, Miss Black.” Hermione stifled a giggle as she allowed Draco to pull
her towards the common room.
A shower and bed were in order.
-O-
Harry sat on the couch in the common room, thankful that it was deserted due to the arrival of their
Head of House. She had looked extremely angry but thanked him for rising above his problems with
Hermione Black to push her out of the way.
McGonagall had told him that she had stopped the Slytherin pair on their way to the Hospital Wing.
Harry felt terrible for breaking Hermione’s ribs but was pleased to hear that she wasn’t angry or
trying to say that he did it maliciously. Their Head of House also informed them that the pair had
been completely honest in the nature of their detention and she had been disappointed that they
hadn’t stopped and told someone when they returned. After making sure that they would be fine for
the rest of the night, she took her leave, citing that she had a meeting to get to.
The common room was still empty, so Harry just sat there for a few moments enjoying the silence.
Ron was sitting next to him and for once he wasn’t running off at the mouth. He replayed the scene
with Hermione before Fang had left them; he had explained that he couldn’t be her friend because it
would be betraying his parent’s memory. She had looked heartbroken. It was clear that she had been
about to say something, but Fang had cut her off. Even though he wanted to know what she was
about to say, it was safer that he didn’t. Even though he felt bad for being mean to the girl, he still
believed that Dumbledore wouldn’t steer him wrong; he was the only person that had explained
anything to him. Therefore, holding her at arm’s length must continue. Just when Harry was on the
verge of dozing, Ron spoke.
“I can’t believe the snakes told on Hagrid like that. They were fine, what’s it matter if they were
scared? Malfoy did nothing but pace like a caged dog while we were off with Hagrid.” Harry sighed
and wiped a hand down his face, not really in the mood to have this conversation with his friend.
“I don’t blame them for telling on Hagrid. It was dangerous, and we could have been killed. He
threatened Malfoy with more detentions if he didn’t go. We should have had the courage to stand up
to Hagrid and tell him it was a terrible idea. He was probably pacing because he knew that his
cousin, who he seems ridiculously close to, was off with no protection aside from a dog that bailed
on us at the first sign of danger.” Ron was quiet for a while, letting his words sink in.
Harry realized that he didn’t think that the Slytherin pair snitched on them anymore. He did believe
her words about that; if they had wanted to snitch on them all about the dragon, they would have
done it that first night when they caught them bent over the dragon on Hagrid’s table. He was pulled
from his thoughts again by Ron speaking.
“I guess you’re right. It was dangerous, and we should have said something.” Harry nodded and
went to his feet. Ron was going to talk this to death if he didn’t go to bed.
“I’m exhausted. I’m going to call it a night.” Ron went to his feet as well, yawning widely.
“Yeah, me too. It’s been a long night.” Harry nodded and headed for the stairs.
Maybe a good night’s sleep would make him feel better about the hurt expression on Hermione’s
face when he told her they couldn’t be friends. Guilt was no fun for anyone.
A/N- Holy shit, y’all, this monster is done! It took me six hours to write and I still wanted to write
more. I decided to cut it off though, we all have other things to do besides read and write. Anyways,
everyone reading, and reviewing are the bomb. Thank you. Let me know what you guys think,
reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, Hermione discovers what’s under the trap door.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 20

A/N- Thank you, everyone, for your amazing feedback from the last chapter. Most of you were
happy with it which makes me smile. To everyone that dropped me a review that simply said, “good
chapter”, thank you. Even that is appreciated. To everyone else out there that are just reading, thanks
for taking the time to read my story. This chapter is going to be shorter but important to the plot.
Cheerio!
Side note: I’ve been having problems responding to reviews so if you don’t get a response, I’m not
ignoring you. Fanfiction hates me.
Disclaimer: Nothing in this story belongs to me except the way I’ve portrayed the plot and even then,
the original story from part one belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. It is she that has led me
down this dark and winding path. I continue to make no money off my stories.
Chapter 20
March 14, 1992
Harry poked at his breakfast, trying to ignore what was wrong with him. He had been in a slump for
a week now and it hadn’t gone unnoticed. Ron and Pav had both questioned him multiple times and
even though he knew why he was lying to them, why he was so out of sorts, he told them that it was
nothing.
It had been a week earlier that Harry finally couldn’t take the mystery that the three-headed dog
presented. He had a theory, especially since Hagrid had told them on numerous occasions that he
was very much into rare animals. Harry had begun to wonder if the dog belonged to him, it he knew
what the dog was guarding. He and Ron had decided to go down and talk with Hagrid, trying to
figure out if the half-giant would give them any information or not.
*Flashback*
Harry pulled Ron along with him as they skived off from Herbology and headed towards Hagrid’s
hut. Ron shot him a questioning glance but when he saw the determined look on Harry’s face, he
remained quiet and simply followed. Once they were at the door, Harry rapped on it sharply. The
door swung open to reveal Hagrid with a tea pot in his hand. When he realized it was them, he
stepped back and ushered them inside.
“Wha’ ya two doin’ here durin’ class?” Harry shrugged slightly as the man gestured for them to take
seats at the table.
“We wanted to come and talk to you.” Hagrid nodded his shaggy head before setting the tea pot on
the table.
“I owe ya both an apology. I shou’ ‘ave neva made ya go inta the Forbidden Forest. I’m not allowed
ta host detentions anymore. ‘Onestly, I’m lucky ta still have me job. Hermione Black ended up wit’
broken ribs because she wa’ injured in the Forest under my supervision.” Even though Harry felt
terrible that Hagrid had gotten in trouble, he couldn’t help but agree with the Headmaster’s decision.
Even if it had been any other student than Hermione, he couldn’t imagine the parents being too
thrilled. Not wanting to make his friend feel worse, he nodded his head.
“We understand, Hagrid. We all make mistakes.” Harry took a sip of the tea that his friend had just
poured for him.
“We actually came out here because we wanted to ask you about you past pets. Did you ever have a
three-headed dog?” His friend’s eyes widened in shock, obviously surprised that Harry was asking.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Wha’ do ya want to know abou’ Fluffy?” Harry burst out in laughter. Once he had himself under
control, he met the gaze of Hagrid again. Ron had stayed silent thus far.
“You named that massive beast Fluffy?” Hagrid nodded.
“When ‘e was a little puppy ‘e was the fluffies’ thin’ ya ever saw. Lovable too.” Harry shook his
head in amusement.
“He doesn’t look so lovable now. What is it that he’s guarding? We saw that he was on a trapdoor.”
Hagrid’s gaze hardened.
“Now that isn’ none of yer business. Wha’s under tha’ door is between Perfessa Dumbledore and
Nicholas Flamel.” Hagrid grimaced after the words left his lips and Harry cheered internally. It was
clear that the man didn’t mean to say those words, therefore, they were important. Harry was quick
to reassure his friend.
“It’s alright, Hagrid, we won’t breathe a word.” The half-giant looked grateful as he ushered them to
stand.
“Ya two better get going. Ya don’ want ta miss Defense.” Harry nodded, and Ron followed suit.
The pair left his hut and headed back up to the castle. There was one thing for sure; Harry was going
to have to start researching just who Nicholas Flamel was.
*End of Flashback*
Since that day a week ago, Harry had researched in the library every single day. Sometimes Ron
tried to help him but usually he was on his own. He wasn’t sure why this information was so
important to him but for some reason it was.
The bell rang, dismissing everyone from breakfast so they could head towards Transfiguration. Harry
had his assignment finished but he wasn’t sure how good he was going to be in class today. Ron
started for the staircase that took them to their Head of House’s class; just a corridor away, Ron and
Pav, who Harry didn’t even know was following them, pushed him into an alcove when nobody
was looking. Harry was just about to get indignant when Ron spoke.
“What is going on, Harry? We know that something is up, there has been for a week.” Harry raked a
hand through his messy hair before finally meeting the eyes of his closest friends.
“That information that we got from Hagrid? I’ve been researching who Nicholas Flamel is for a
week now and I can’t find a single thing about him other than he’s a famous alchemist. Definitely
nothing that would have him hiding something in Hogwarts under a three-headed dog named
Fluffy.” Ron seemed to understand his frustration, but Pav reached out and gripped his forearm
tightly. Her nails were digging into his skin and just as he started to hiss at the pain, she released him.
“Nicholas Flamel is on a chocolate frog card. After classes, we can run up and look at Ron’s
collection and see if it tells us anything.” Harry wasn’t all that optimistic, he had been searching the
library for a week now, but he nodded his head. It was better than nothing. Ron clapped him on the
shoulder as Pav threaded her arm through his much the same way that Hermione did with her cousin.
“Come on, mate, we’ll figure it out. For now, though, we have to get to class or McGonagall will
land us in detention again.” Harry nodded and allowed them to pull him to class.
-O-
Hermione and Draco slipped into an alcove when they heard the trio decide to go to class. When she
had seen them all slip into the alcove, she assumed that it would be because they didn’t all have their
homework done; never in a million years did she think that they had asked Hagrid what was beneath
the three-headed dog. Now that she knew it had something to do with Nicholas Flamel, she intended
to make sure that she discovered just what it was. Her father and uncles would be most interested if
they decided to share the information.
Draco hurried her out of the alcove and towards class. Since she was seated next to him, it was quite
easy to whisper to him until McGonagall showed up. Nobody was any wiser when she threw up
silencing charms.
“Can you believe that they asked Hagrid what was under that dog? I bet the damn dog belongs to
that idiot.” Draco’s tone was acerbic, and Hermione knew that he still harbored a grudge against the
man for getting Hermione hurt. He took his vow to her father and his to protect her very seriously.
Hermione couldn’t help but agree with him, however. It was clear that the man didn’t know when to
keep his mouth shut since he had clearly told Harry and Weasley the clue about Flamel.
“I have a book in my dorm about famous alchemists, Uncle Sev got it for me at the beginning of the
year. I think I remember reading about him. I’ll have to make sure that my suspicions are correct.”
Draco nodded.
“After dinner, bring it down to the common room and we’ll read it together. I want to know what’s
under there really bad.” Hermione couldn’t help but grin at her cousin. He had always been curious
and hated being left out of the loop.
When Professor McGonagall arrived, she bid them to turn to the chapter on turning tea cozies into a
hat. Hermione was bored, once again, and let her mind wander since her notes were already perfect.
She couldn’t help but see her Transfiguration professor in a new light after her godfather had allowed
herself and Draco to view his memory of the meeting he had held with the animagus and the
Headmaster regarding their detention with Hagrid.
*Flashback*
Uncle Sev pulled them into his office before closing the door behind them. After he gestured for
them to take seats before his desk, he waved his wand at the door, warding, locking, and silencing it.
He knew that if the wrong person came looking, they would suspect him of something but if it was
just a student they would just assume that he wasn’t in. After Hermione and Draco were in their
seats, their godfather produced a pensieve.
“I wanted to show you this, so you know exactly where we stand regarding the Headmaster and
Minerva. Your fathers have decided that they won’t act yet, they’re going to wait until they need
Dumbledore out of the castle permanently. Who knows when that will be but until that happens, I
expect the two of you to be diligent about your safety. I shall endeavor to make sure that the pair of
you and Potter remains as safe as possible.” Hermione and Draco both nodded, eager to watch the
memory they were about to see. Neither were strangers to using a pensieve; they had watched
numerous memories through the years, mostly memories of Sirius as he showed them how innocent
he was. Their uncle poured the memory into the stone bowl and they were both quick to dip their
head in together.
Severus was livid. Not only had his two godchildren been put in danger by being in the Forbidden
Forest after dark, Hermione very well may have gone against Voldemort. Her ribs had been broken,
granted, it was from Potter throwing her to the ground to keep her from being injured, but the fact
remained that if they hadn’t been in the bloody Forest, she would never have needed saving. Not that
she needed saving; she had cast a shield to defect whatever curse the figure had shot at her. Potter
was woefully ignorant to magic due to his upbringing and had no idea what it was.
He slammed the door open to the Headmaster’s office to see that the Albus and Minerva were
already there. Both were leaned over the desk and appeared to be breathing hard, though he hadn’t
heard what they had been saying. When they realized that he had entered, Minerva took the chair
before his desk while Severus conjured his own. Albus looked incredibly incensed but took his seat
as well.
“I take it that you’re here to complain as well, Severus?” Severus snorted at his words.
“I would call that an understatement. Not only was my godson placed in danger, the princess of the
wizarding world faced off with Voldemort and had to be saved by the Boy-Who-Lived. Might I
mention that if something truly terrible had happened in that Forest, you would be out of this castle
before you could say quidditch. Look at what happened to Dippet.” Albus rubbed his eyes for a few
moments before speaking more calmly.
“I don’t believe that it was Voldemort that they children faced. I think the centaurs wanted them to
think so so they would stay out of their Forest.” Severus snorted.
“We all know that the centaurs don’t have problems with children, it’s the adults that they hate. It’s
adults that take their land and treat them like beasts. I wouldn’t like men either if I were them. I don’t
think they’re lying at all.” Albus swung his gaze to his Potions Master.
“Have you felt anything lately? Anything from your Mark?” Severus shook his head, unsure of how
much he was supposed to say in front of Minerva.
“No, but if the Dark Lord is so weak that he needs unicorn blood, he wouldn’t be able to do
anything with his Mark.” Albus steepled his hands under his chin and was silent for a few moments.
“That very well may be, Severus, but I won’t be scaring the children and telling them that they
indeed saw Voldemort, not until I know that it’s a fact.” Severus nodded, agreeing with this one
statement. He didn’t get to speak again, however, because Minerva exploded in true Gryffindor
fashion. If it hadn’t been in defense of the children, he would have chuckled in amusement.
“You need to handle Hagrid, Albus. He put four first years in danger tonight and didn’t even stop to
think that Miss Black needed healing. It took her cousin to scream at him and lose his temper before
the man remembered. He took them out after dark in a place that the school rules explicitly say is out
of bounds. Whether they met Voldemort or not, he took them to help him find whatever is
slaughtering unicorns. You can’t possibly tell me that you agree with his choice of detention.” Her
chest was heaving again, and Severus hoped that she didn’t end up having a heart attack before his
eyes. The Headmaster began playing with the ends of his beard.
“No, I don’t agree with his choice of detention, but what do you expect me to do? He’s half-giant
and never finished Hogwarts. He would never find employment elsewhere.” Severus had had
enough of this.
“If those two children write home and tell their fathers what happened to them and you merely tell
Sirius Black and Lucius Malfoy that you did nothing about it because you felt sorry for Hagrid,
you’re going to be out on your arse with him. You need to figure this out or you won’t be at
Hogwarts any longer.” Albus’ eyes hardened at his words. Severus knew that he had him when his
tone came out as a command.
“You will not tell either parent, Severus. If the two brats say anything to their parents, then we’ll say
that the owl got lost. However, I doubt they will. I don’t think that they want to have their parents
fight their battles for them anymore than you ever did, Severus. You always took care of things
yourself.” Severus stood and made sure that everyone knew that he was dead serious.
“If you want to call anyone brats, make sure it is your Gryffindors. I wouldn’t suggest calling my
godson and his cousin brats to anyone ever again. You may have my loyalty, but you will quickly
lose it if you insult those I care about.” The Headmaster’s eye brows rose.
“Since when do you care about Hermione Black? Her father is your arch nemesis.” Severus sneered
his way.
“I care because she is a student under my protection. She is a Slytherin. She is also Draco’s cousin. If
anything were to happen to her, he would be devastated. That makes her very much my business. I
don’t even think that Black would complain about me keeping his daughter safe.” Minerva stood and
started to push Severus back from the desk, her hand lightly on his chest.
“We all need to calm down. Albus, you have no right to call any student names like that in this
school, no matter how much you don’t like them. Hermione Black and Draco Malfoy are your
students and you should treat them the same as you do young Harry.” The Headmaster sneered.
“Oh, and you’re so much better, Minerva?” The animagus bristled at his words before standing up
straighter and squaring her shoulders.
“I wasn’t any better, no, but I’m trying to be now. It isn’t fair to put the sins of the father on the
shoulders of a child.” Now Dumbledore was scrubbing his face with both hands.
“You’re both correct though it has to be this way. Young Harry can’t be allowed to get close to the
girl. We can’t take the chance that she isn’t doing her father’s bidding and luring him to her father, so
he can finish the job.” Severus snorted.
“Black was never able to not be impulsive. If he wanted Potter so badly he would have blazed
through the gates of Hogwarts and killed him already. His eyes were never on the end game.”
Severus took a deep breath and changed the subject. He could talk this subject to death and it
wouldn’t change a thing in the Headmaster’s mind.
“You need to figure something out for Hagrid.” The old man nodded, looking older than Severus
had ever remembered him looking.
“I’m going to revoke his right to supervise and give detention. Will that satisfy the wolves, Severus?”
The Potions Master nodded curtly.
“I believe so. Now that that is settled, I find myself exhausted.” Albus nodded and gestured that he
was free to leave.
“Have a good night, Severus.” He didn’t respond but nodded respectfully to his employer.
He swept out of the office without another word, hoping that Minerva continued to read him the riot
act after he was gone.
Both Hermione and Draco pulled their heads from the bowl, silently considering the memory. After a
few minutes, Hermione met her godfather’s gaze.
“McGonagall is really taking my words to heart. Maybe one of these day she’ll actually believe me
when I tell her that my father is innocent.” Her uncle bent and pressed a kiss to her head.
“Maybe, little one, but probably not. Even though she sees that Albus has faults, she still believes
him to be right about things such as your father. I do believe that she is going to treat you and most of
the snakes better now.” Hermione grinned. Her losing her temper had done something good after all.
*End of Flashback*
Hermione was pulled out of her thoughts by Draco nudging her with his elbow. It was time for them
to demonstrate their ability to perform the spell they had just learned about. Hermione wasted no time
in turning the tea cozy into a stylish women’s hat, earning her five points for Slytherin. Draco
quickly followed suit, also earning points. The rest of the class began practicing and Hermione stood
to move next to Millie, so she could help her. Draco went to Greg and Vince’s side, so he could help
them master it as well.
After most of the students had performed the spell to the standard that their professor wanted, the bell
rang, and class was dismissed. Professor McGonagall was quick to leave, citing that they all needed
to gather their belonging and head to Defense before they were late. Hermione wasn’t sure what she
was in such a hurry for, but it seemed important. Just as she had stuffed her belongings back into her
satchel and stood to leave, Ron Weasley came over and sneered at her.
“For someone so smart, you only seem to want to help your friends. Don’t you think that we’re all
deserving of your help?” Hermione couldn’t believe his words. Draco stepped forward, but she
spoke before he could say anything.
“Maybe if you didn’t treat me like I was scum, I would help you. I tried to be friends with all of you
and you all turned me away because you think you know who I am. The only Gryffindors that took
my hand in friendship was the twins. Well, Neville, but he’s been my friend since I was six. I help
the twins all the time. Maybe if the lot of you weren’t completely hateful arseholes, I would help
you.” Hermione knew that it was going to be bad. She should have just kept her mouth shut but she
was tired of Ron Weasley and his hateful remarks.
“A traitor like you doesn’t get to tell me that I’m a hateful arsehole. How do you think that I’m a
hateful arsehole when your dad is the one that ended up getting Harry’s parents murdered? That’s the
definition of hateful arsehole.” Hermione tried to control her magic, she really did, but she couldn’t
help her temper sometimes. Her father had warned her time and time again that this would happen
but when it did, it still managed to surprise her.
Ron’s bag not only ripped, it exploded, his items and books going everywhere. The force of her
magic hitting him threw not only him back against the wall but the rest of the class. Hermione felt
bad about catching Daphne and Pansy in the middle of it but there was nothing that she could do
about it now. The force of her magic was holding everyone to the wall, even though she could see
that they were struggling to life their wands and subdue her. She wanted to embarrass him in much
the same way he had embarrassed her but before she could, a hand in the middle of her shoulder
blades stopped her.
“Don’t do this, Mia. You’ll regret it and then you’ll be in detention. Right now, you haven’t hurt
anyone, and they can’t do anything to you, especially when all the Slytherins tell the professors the
things that he said to you. You know we have your back. Stop now before he pisses himself in fear.”
Hermione really wanted to continue with her plan of embarrassing him in the worst ways possible,
but she knew that Draco was right. She did her absolute best to reign in her magic, the ridiculous
output was hard to pull back into her. It took several minutes before the students stuck to the wall
were able to move. Pansy and Daphne were quick to cross over and join their friends behind
Hermione and Draco. Hermione stepped forward and met the eyes of every single Gryffindor aside
from Neville.
“You’re lucky Draco was here. I have a very even temper until I lose it. The way this works is
simple. I understand that none of you want to be friends with me. I haven’t continued to push it. If
you leave me alone, I’ll leave you alone, it really isn’t that hard to understand. By the way, you heard
Draco. You can go run and tell all the professors that you want but since the Slytherins are all going
to back my story, it won’t get you very far.” Hermione specifically looked at Harry now.
“You need to reign in your dog before he ends up making you all suffer for his stupidity.” Harry
seemed to understand her words and the hidden threat in them. He gave her a solemn nod, not
exactly what she had been expecting.
“I’ll do my best to get everyone to leave you alone.” She gave him a small smile before turning away
from them.
“Thanks, Potter.” She didn’t wait for an answer before stalking out of the classroom. The rest of the
Slytherins scurried after her, just a little bit fearful. Once they were just outside the Defense Against
the Dark Arts classroom, she turned to Pansy and Daphne with a contrite look on her face.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for the pair of you to get caught up in that. I try to keep from losing my
temper for that reason. Magic will just explode out of me and do whatever it is that I am thinking at
the moment.” Everyone was watching her and listening to her words as if they were gospel. Both
girls came forward and hugged her tight.
“We’re not mad, in fact, we think what you did was brilliant. Maybe the lions will quit being such
wankers now. This whole prank war is out of control.” Hermione laughed lightly and nodded as she
followed them into the classroom.
-O-
Harry had just finished dinner and was impatiently waiting for Ron and Pav to finish. He really
wanted to get up to the common room and look at the chocolate frog card and see if he could learn
anymore about Nicholas Flamel. However, since Ron was still shoveling his third plate of food into
his mouth, it was likely to be a few minutes.
The Gryffindor was still shocked at the scene in the Transfiguration classroom that morning. He
hadn’t been aware that Ron was going to be a prick to Hermione, he had been doing better as of late.
As soon as he heard the comment he had made to her about helping, he had wanted to scoff at his
friend. She had tried to help both of them and they had both spurned her and been mean to her. He
didn’t blame her for not offering her help to them again.
Even though he shouldn’t want to laugh about the girl he dreamt about almost every night insulting
all his friends, he had wanted to. The twins and Neville had all told everyone that if they left the
snakes alone, they would leave them alone. None of it ever sank in, though, and the prank war was
still going strong. Harry could admit now that it was beyond ridiculous but there was nothing else
that he could do about it at the moment.
Watching Hermione lose control had been a complete turn on. He could tell that she was
embarrassed afterwards but he didn’t care. His prick had been rock hard in his trousers and even
though he was able to admit that he had an obsession for the girl, he was unsure why her show of
power always got him so hot and bothered. He had asked Neville why she was so powerful, and he
had explained that since she already had the magic of two incredibly strong families flowing through
her veins due to her parents, her uncle had then adopted her by blood magic, adding his magic as
well. Neville told him that she was trying to control the magic of three contributors, unlike the two
that they managed.
Harry was interrupted from his ruminating by Ron shoving the plate away from him. Pav was
already waiting and sighed in relief when Ron finished. The three of them stood and started for their
common room. It took them a good ten minutes to get clear to the seventh floor from the Great Hall,
but Harry didn’t mind. It could have been worse. He would have hated to live in the dank and cold
dungeons like the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs.
Once they were safely ensconced in Harry’s dorm, Ron pulled out his chocolate frog cards and
began to rifle through them. After a few seconds, he let out a triumphant shout and thrust it at Harry
while he bound the remaining cards back together. Harry pulled the card closer to his face, so he
could read it.
Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone, an object capable of turning
metal into gold and granting immortality with its Elixir of Life.
Harry cursed when he realized that his was exactly what was hidden under Fluffy. He tried to think
of why they would be wanting the Philosopher’s Stone to be kept in Hogwarts, but he supposed that
there were things he just wasn’t going to figure out on his own. However, he remembered the
centaur’s words, telling him that Voldemort was the one feeding on the blood of the unicorns.
Suddenly, he knew exactly who would be desperate to have the Stone and break into Gringotts to try
to get it. His mind wandered to who could be helping him and the only person that he could think of
was Snape. The man was a Death Eater, the twins had told him so. He would want to get it from
where it was hidden to give to his master and bring him back. Maybe Hermione Black was in on it as
well, Malfoy too. Both their fathers were Death Eaters and would want Voldemort to return. Harry’s
voice was steel when he spoke.
“We need to watch the third-floor corridor anytime that Dumbledore leaves the school. I think that
Snape is trying to steal the Stone, so he can give it to Voldemort. Black and Malfoy might be in on it
too, both their fathers are Death Eaters too.” Ron instantly agreed.
“We have to. If You-Know-Who gets his hands on the Elixir, he would never die. We can’t allow
that to happen.” Harry nodded though Parvati looked a little frightened.
“We’ll remain quiet until Dumbledore leaves the school.” All three friends nodded their agreement
before Harry handed the card back to his friend.
-O-
Hermione had just gotten back to the common room, Draco hot on her heels, and made her way to
her dorm room. After retrieving the book that Uncle Sev had given her at the beginning of the year,
she went back down to find that Draco had gotten them a couch by the fire. She settled in next to
him and they laid the book in both their laps. Hermione flipped through the pages to find the chapter
on Nicholas Flamel.
Once they started to read, Hermione found what was hidden below the trapdoor rather quickly. She
waited until Draco looked up at her, trepidation in his eyes.
“You know that we can’t allow this to get into anyone’s hands. Who could they possibly be hiding
this from? Who would be stupid enough to break into Gringotts for it?” Hermione closed the book
and allowed her mind to drift. She went over all the events that year that had seemed strange from
finding the trap door, to the dragon, to Harry’s broom being cursed by Quirrell. When she finally
turned to Draco, she knew he wasn’t going to like her theory.
“I think Quirrell is helping Voldemort get the Stone. He was openly cursing Harry’s broom and I
truly believe that was Voldemort feeding off the unicorn. Who else would need to? Aside from
Quirrell’s actions this year, I can’t think of anyone else that has acted out of character.” Draco
considered her words for several minutes before nodding.
“I hate to say it, but I think you’re right. This means that we have to watch Quirrell and make sure
that he stays away from the third-floor corridor. I think we should tell Uncle Sev, so he can help us.”
Hermione nodded before standing and slipping her book into her robes. The pair left the common
room and headed for their godfather’s office. Since the light was on underneath the door, Hermione
reached out and knocked. Once he called for them to enter, they came in and took a seat before him.
She started when he lifted his brow at her, urging her to begin.
“We know that the Philosopher’s Stone is hidden under the trapdoor and the three-headed dog. We
also think that Professor Quirrell is trying to get the Stone, so he can give it to Voldemort. We’re
willing to help watch the professor, but we think we’re going to need your help.” Her uncle leaned
back in his chair and steepled his hands under his chin.
“You two have far too much time on your hands if you were able to figure this out.” Hermione
snorted at his words.
“Are you going to tell the Headmaster?” Severus shook his head.
“No, it wouldn’t do any good. Like you said, we’ll just watch the professor. If he starts for the third-
floor corridor while you two are watching, you get either me or Minerva. Scream and shout until she
is forced to act. The last thing that we can allow is for the Dark Lord to get the Stone.” Hermione
nodded, and Draco did as well. They stood again before Hermione spoke.
“We should go. Our friends gave us strange looks when we left so they’re going to question us when
we get back.” Uncle Sev stood as well and hugged her close for only a moment before shooing them
on their way. Once they were gone, Hermione sighed. They still had to face their friend’s inquisition.
The night was just going to get better.
-O-
Severus sat and pondered what his godchildren had told him. He couldn’t believe that they had
worked it out, he hadn’t even been aware that they knew about the dog. He really wanted to question
them about it, but he had told them that he didn’t want to know everything that they got up to. They
had come to him in the end and that was what mattered.
The worst part was that he knew they were right. In fact, he wondered if it hadn’t been Quirrell out
there with the unicorn, if he wasn’t possessed somehow by the megalomaniac. He couldn’t be sure
but there was no way to prove it now. He was just going to have to watch the man as closely as he
could. The children would help to the best of their ability and as long as they made sure to come get
him, it would be alright in the end.
It had to be.
A/N- Another chapter down, y’all. I’m so happy that you all are continuing to like this story. I know
it’s a slow burn but I’m trying to build the plot line too. Anyways, thanks for reading guys! Leave
me a message after the beep and let me know what you think. Reviews are love.
Next up, Easter break and discussions with parents.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 21

A/N- I finally got a day off, y’all and managed to get another chapter written. I’m still having
problems answering some reviews, fanfiction tells me that it’s an invalid message. Does anyone else
ever have this problem or does the site just hate me specifically? Thank you, though, to everyone
reviewing. You guys are the bomb. I’ll try to get the next update up soon, but I have my daughter’s
thirteenth birthday party and ten teenaged girls that are going to be staying the night. Help me now.
I’ll quit whining now and get on with the chapter.
**Shout out to roon0 for being my 500th reviewer. As my daughter says, you’re the shiznit.**
Disclaimer: Nothing about this story belongs to me. All hail our queen, J.K.R., for making this
wonderful world of Harry Potter possible. I haven’t made any money from my stories. If only.
Chapter 21
April 20, 1992
Sirius sighed happily. Hermione and Draco had arrived home last night for Easter break even though
most students stayed at Hogwarts for the holiday. The break was only a week long and most children
didn’t feel like the trip was worth taking since two of those days would be spent travelling on the
Express. His daughter and cousin, however, had wanted to come home since Sirius had passed on to
Severus to tell them the happenings of their detention would only be discussed in person. Sirius still
remembered reading the letter from Severus the night that his daughter had been injured.
*Flashback*
Sirius was already in his night clothes, sitting in the library before the fire. There was a tumbler of
fire whiskey on the table next to him and a book sitting in his hands. His thoughts were elsewhere,
however. The muggle that he had left in her bed earlier that night had cried and begged him not to
go, not to leave her. Never in a million years did he think that she was a stage five clinger, but
everyone made mistakes.
Sirius knew that he was pig. He was the very definition of a womanizer. He was always honest,
always made sure that the women knew that there would be no relationship attached to sleeping with
him, but he still felt terrible when the ones that grew attached cried. He may not want a relationship,
but he wasn’t heartless.
Truthfully, the hook-ups and one-night stands weren’t really doing anything for him anymore. They
had been occurring since his time in Hogwarts and the truth was, they just made him feel even more
lonely. He hadn’t had anyone but Lucius, Narcissa, Severus, and Andie for ten years now, no
friends, no close confidants. He wanted to settle down and have something meaningful with a witch
that didn’t just want him for his money and title.
It just wasn’t possible though. Not only was there Hermione to consider, there was the fact that he
had been spying on the pureblood circles for years. He would turn against them quicker than a snitch
when the time came but until that time came, he couldn’t be seen with a witch that wasn’t a
pureblood. He had to face the facts that until the war was over, he was stuck being lonely.
The animagus was pulled from his ruminations by a tapping on the window. Sirius frowned. It was
after ten o’clock, he had no idea who would be sending him a letter this late unless it was Severus.
He recalled the letter he had received the night before; he had been disappointed in his daughter and
cousin for not telling a teacher about something as dangerous as a dragon, but he didn’t want to give
her too hard a time since Severus had told him that she was already beating herself up over it more
than any of them could have done to her. He went to his feet and let the familiar black owl fly in
through the window. It was indeed Severus’. He was quick to remove the letter and wave the bird to
the bowl of treats near the windowsill. Sirius took a seat in his armchair once again before spelling
the letter open. What he read floored him.
Sirius and Lucius,
I write with a sense of urgency. There is nothing to be done now but I feel that the pair of you
deserve to know what has happened tonight even though the Headmaster has forbidden me to speak
of it. Your children had detention over the dragon incident tonight. Dumbledore assigned them to
serve it with Harry and the Weasley spawn, all under the supervision of Hagrid. Why this seemed
like a grand idea I’ll never know.
The brainless oaf informed them that they were going to go into the Forbidden Forest and find
whatever is hunting and killing unicorns; not only is this stupidest idea for a detention for first years
in the history of Hogwarts, he then informed them that they were going to split up and Hermione and
Harry were going to go with his dog for protection.
Lucius, you would be proud. Draco told him that it wasn’t safe and that it was a terrible idea, but he
was informed that if he didn’t participate he would get more detentions and that the Headmaster
would back him. Draco threatened Harry that if anything happened to Hermione he would kill him.
I’m sure you can guess what happens next. Hermione and Harry came face to face with whatever
was killing the unicorns; they found the figure bent over a body of a unicorn. The dog left the
children high and dry and you know Hermione. She can never stand to see people getting hurt. She
shot sparks at the figure, how she didn’t end up in Gryffindor I’ll never know. The figure stood and
shot a spell at her, she erected her shield, but Harry had no idea what it was. Rather than allow the
spell to hit her, he tackled her to the ground before the spell could land.
Apparently, the boy guarded her until centaurs arrived and drove the figure away. The centaurs are
under the impression that it was Voldemort. I can think of nobody else that would drink the blood of
a unicorn willingly; I fear they’re right. Once Hagrid reappeared, he led the children back to the
castle. When he told them that their detention wasn’t over because Hermione and Draco were headed
to the castle for Hermione to get healed, Draco screamed at him.
Once again, Lucius, I’d like to think that you would be proud, but you might be horrified at his total
loss of control. He told him that they were going to the castle to get Hermione healed and wanted to
know what the man would have done if Hermione would have been killed? He questioned him on
what he thought the two of you would do if she had been seriously hurt. I admit, I wish I could have
seen it.
The oaf apologized and told them that he forgot Hermione was injured. Merlin, we entrust our
children to this man. Minerva found the pair on the way to the Hospital Wing and she called for me
and Albus after escorting them there herself. After hearing the story, Albus only asked if Hermione
was going to try to say that Harry had harmed her on purpose. Minerva was quite put out and I was
able to witness myself her screaming at him after the children were safely in their common rooms.
Hermione was fine after a potion. Apparently, when Potter tackled her to the ground, he landed on
her. She ended up with one broken rib and two cracked ones. Madam Pomfrey had her healed in a
trice so no need to worry.
I’m going to pull the children aside before breakfast and let them know if you want them to send you
a letter about it or if you want to just wait to discuss it in person over the Easter holidays. I worry
about what could happen if the letter was intercepted, especially since they don’t know any spells to
protect their letters yet. Please advise me.
Severus
Sirius was furious. Livid. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react to something like this; his
daughter and godson had been in the presence of Lord Voldemort and Albus fucking Dumbledore
had done nothing about it, hadn’t even seemed concerned. He picked up the table next to his chair
and threw it against the wall, chest heaving as he willed himself to calm down. His magic was
stirring inside him and last thing that he wanted was for it to lash out.
Deciding that he needed a distraction, he clenched the letter in his hand and headed for the floo. It
most assuredly wasn’t common practice for him to floo to Malfoy Manor this late, let alone in his
pajamas, but the situation called for it. Candy appeared just as the floo sucked him away, ready to
clean up his mess he was sure. He would never hear the end of it when he returned home.
Once he landed in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor, Tinky appeared before him, wringing her
hands like she was in trouble. Sirius tried to calm himself once more but knew that he hadn’t
succeeded when he heard his tone of voice.
“Inform your master and mistress that I’m here and need to speak with them. I’ll wait for them in the
green room.” Tinky didn’t even nod, she just popped away and left Sirius to find his own way to the
green room in the dark. He didn’t have to wait long; Lucius and Narcissa both appeared only
minutes later, both in slippers and robes just like he was. They looked distinctly disheveled and this
thought calmed him further. It was clear that he had interrupted their private time. Lucius strode
forward, irritation shining on his pale skin, but Sirius didn’t give him a chance to speak before he
thrust the letter in his friend’s hands. Narcissa was quick to lean over and read it along with him. It
took several minutes but when Lucius finished he hissed so softly that Sirius almost didn’t hear him.
“Bloody fucking incompetent fools. We let these people take care of our children.” Sirius could see
that Lucius was working himself up and that was the last thing that they needed. Whereas Sirius got
angry and destroyed things, cooling down afterwards and able to think rationally, Lucius was the
complete opposite. His blond friend was in complete control always and quietly seethed, his anger
festering until he was able to wreak his revenge with nobody being the wiser. If there was anything
that would bring his friend to this state quicker than anything, it was threatening his wife, his son,
and his niece. Narcissa was quick to step in, laying a soft hand on her husband’s chest.
“You need to calm down, Lucius. We already discussed and agreed that we weren’t going to act like
we knew, that way we could hold this against Dumbledore later if we need to. I know you’re both
angry, I suspect there is broken furniture and destroyed books at Black Moor, but you both trust
Severus and he would never lie to you about the state of our children. If we were needed, he would
have sent a patronus. Do not fret.” Lucius glared at his wife and began pacing.
“How in the buggering hell can you say do not fret? Centaurs are other-worldly, they always have
been. They’re in tune with the Fates. If that was indeed the Dark Lord, they would know. Our niece
and Sirius’ godson faced him, a girl close enough to our hearts to be our daughter, fired a curse at
him and he attacked her. I’m not angry about her injury; Severus assured us that she’s healed and that
it wasn’t intentional; Potter should be commended for tackling her out of the way despite that she
received an injury. I’m livid that our children were in the Forbidden Forest at night with only an idiot
that never finished his magical schooling and a bloody dog. If it hadn’t been for the centaurs, who
knows what would have happened to Harry and Hermione.” Narcissa discreetly called for Tinky and
asked for a pot of tea. When she returned, she served them all and made sure to add a generous
helping to both Sirius and Lucius’ cups. Sirius was finally calm, and Lucius was on his way to being
that way.
“Lucius, I know that’s why you’re angry. Trust me, I’m livid that my son and niece were in danger.
However, it does no good to let our emotions run away with us to where we can’t make informed
decisions. Therefore, you both need to remain calm.” Lucius blew a breath out of his nose and
nodded.
“You’re right, Cissy, I apologize.” They sipped at the warm liquid and Sirius let it pool in his belly.
Once his cup was almost gone, he turned to his cousin and friend.
“I think that we should tell Severus to tell the kids we’ll discuss the situation when they get home for
Easter. It would be folly to put something like this in a letter and have the Headmaster intercept it. He
cannot suspect that we know anything.” Lucius was nodding his head.
“I agree. It’s a month until they’re home. We’ll take a day and discuss everything when they first get
back. I’m sure that they’ll both have plenty to report.” Narcissa also nodded.
“Let’s send Severus a letter now. If I know him as well as I do, he’s sitting up and waiting for our
reply, so he can act accordingly in the morning.” Lucius reached into the side table drawer and
pulled out everything he would need to send a reply. He and Narcissa watched him write it, call for
an elf, and have them send it off to Hogwarts. Sirius leaned back in the chair in relief.
“I hate this. That sick fuck is responsible for my entire life going to shit. Yeah, I made my mistakes
but he’s the one who destroyed everything. The last thing that I want if for him to be near Hermione
and Draco.” Lucius nodded his agreement but Narcissa arched a brow at him.
“You say that, but we all know that Hermione and Draco have been working as hard as they can to
learn anything they can that might help Harry in the end or protect him until then. This isn’t going to
be the only time they’re in danger. We need to make sure that they’re prepared. I definitely think that
dueling should be on the agenda for the summer.” Sirius hated to admit that his cousin was right, but
the truth was that she was. Hermione would throw herself into danger repeatedly if it kept Harry
alive; she knew what the boy meant to Sirius. Draco would surely follow her. Sirius sighed.
“I don’t even want to think about it, Cissy.”
*End of Flashback*
Hermione and Narcissa had just come in from their morning ride; Sirius hosted a great number of
horses on the property of Black Moor and since both girls enjoyed riding, they tried to make it a
weekly thing. They hadn’t been able to over the Christmas holidays due to the abundance of snow
fall on the ground. Come summer, they would resume their routine full-time. Draco and Lucius were
playing chess against each other; his friend was trying to teach his son the finer points of subtlety.
Sirius had to admit that the boy was already good; he was a Slytherin to the bone.
The five of them adjourned to the informal dining room just down the corridor for an early lunch.
They were going to have their talk that day and Sirius wanted to make sure that they were all well-
fed and fortified with tea before they broached difficult subjects. Hermione hadn’t come out and said
that she knew Sirius had been disappointed in her, but he knew that she knew. What she didn’t know
was that it likely hurt him more than it hurt her. He was always so proud of her that this one glaring
instance was like a slap in the face.
The elves kept the lunch light; vegetable soup with roast beef sandwiches spread across the table.
Hermione picked at her meal, much the same way that Cissy did, he imagined that that was where
she had gotten it. Lucius, Draco, and he all cleared their plates and looked satisfied. Once the women
stopped acting like they were eating, Sirius spoke.
“Let’s adjourn to the library for tea and this conversation.” Everyone nodded and rose, Lucius
escorting his wife and Draco holding his arm out to Hermione. His daughter rolled her eyes at the
tradition but held her tongue. He was sure that the last she wanted was a tongue lashing from
Narcissa. Once they were all settled in the library, tea in front of them and Candy stoking the fire,
Sirius opened the conversation.
“We wanted to wait to talk about this because if you had wrote us and the Headmaster intercepted it,
he would have known that there was something going on with all of us. Sure, he’s watchful now but
if that were to happen, he would never stop hounding your every move at school. We must all be
careful.” Both children nodded sagely. Lucius took over next.
“Tell us about the dragon and how you got detention.” Sirius listened carefully as his daughter and
cousin told them the tale of following Harry and Weasley to make sure that they weren’t going to
look under the three-headed dog. Once they had followed them outside, they had seen the dragon
through the window of the hut. Sirius wanted to shake his head in exasperation as they decided that
they weren’t going to tell anyone because they didn’t want to get Harry in trouble. They detailed the
bite they had seen on Ron’s hand and then sneaking out to follow and make sure that the letter was
legitimate, that it wasn’t just a ruse to throw them off their scents. When they fell silent, Sirius
hardened his gaze. He didn’t yell, and he didn’t throw things like Severus had; the man had already
informed Sirius that his daughter had shrank away in fear of him.
“I’ve never been more disappointed in the two of you. Somebody could have been seriously hurt or
killed. Dragons are not pets and shouldn’t be anywhere around children. We ought to send you to
bed without supper.” Lucius hadn’t even started.
“I was sure that the pair of you were smart, that you knew what could happen if you let things like
that go on without handling them. You two doing nothing about a bloody dragon on the grounds is
no different than Dumbledore doing nothing about the detention that you two could have been killed
at.” Hermione didn’t shrink into her cousin’s side like Severus had told them she had done. Instead,
she sat up straighter and wiped her face of emotion. Sirius like to call it her mask; she only wore it
when she felt like she couldn’t show weakness, or someone was attacking her. He wasn’t sure which
was the case today, but he didn’t like it. Narcissa met their eyes.
“What do you two have to say for yourselves?” Draco spoke first so Hermione just kept her spine
ramrod straight and her shoulders back. Her cousin was wearing much the same impassive mask as
she was.
“We didn’t think about the dangers that the dragon would pose to students; we figured that Hagrid
could take care of himself. We should have told Uncle Severus and we have promised him that we
will if anything of the like ever occurs again.” Lucius turned to his daughter.
“Hermione?” Her tone was neutral, but her eyes were shining.
“We were wrong and weren’t thinking. It was my idea to not tell anyone, you shouldn’t punish
Draco. It was also my idea to follow them. He wanted to do the right thing.” Draco turned angry
eyes to his cousin and began hissing so quickly Sirius couldn’t understand him. Hermione didn’t
meet his eyes, in fact, she stared ahead like she couldn’t even hear him. She simply kept her eyes
locked on Lucius. When his little cousin realized that she wasn’t paying attention to him in the least,
he took her hand in his and pleaded her with his eyes.
“It isn’t true, Miney. Don’t tell them that.” Hermione finally turned impassive eyes to her cousin.
“Are you saying that it wasn’t my idea?” Draco started to sputter at her words, trying to come up
with the correct answer.
“Yes, it was your idea, but I went along with it. I could have easily told Uncle Sev without you.”
Sirius wanted to stop the scene in front of him but wanted to see how it ended. He wasn’t sure if
Lucius intended to punish Draco, but he wasn’t going to punish her. He could see how sorry she
was. Lucius spoke again.
“Of course, I can’t punish Hermione, but I feel that an appropriate punishment for Draco would be
being confined to his room for two days’ time. The pair of you must think before you act, especially
in these coming days.” Sirius saw a calculating look on his friend’s face and wondered just why it
was there. When he turned back to face his daughter, she was waiting impassively for his
punishment of her.
“You will not be punished, sweetness. I know you’re sorry, I just wanted to implore how serious the
situation was and how wrong it could have gone.” Her eyes flashed but she remained silent. When
she turned back to look at her uncle, betrayal flashed across her features. Lucius spoke again and this
time, he was quite sure he knew what his friend was up to.
“I think we should also add that there will only be breakfast served to you, Draco. If you can’t figure
out wrong from right at age eleven, there is little help for you in years to come.” Draco bore his
punishment well. He gave a resolute nod to his father. Narcissa looked spitting mad but nothing
compared to Hermione. Her magic was dancing in her eyes and her curls were swaying slightly in a
wind that nobody could feel. Suddenly, her aunt and uncle were slammed into the couch behind
them and Lucius’ cup exploded in his hand, tea splashing down the front of him. He hissed in pain,
but it was almost unable to be heard over his daughter hissing at her favored uncle.
“You will not punish him in my stead. We made a mistake, we’re eleven and twelve for Merlin’s
sake. If you want us to make adult decisions, you can start treating us like adults right now. Holding
a mistake against us and treating us like this isn’t right and it isn’t fair. We have been the perfect
children up until this one mistake and suddenly, you’re punishing your son as if he burned down the
castle.” Tears were pooling in her eyes, but she didn’t release the magic holding them back until
Draco pulled her into his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“I’ll be fine, Miney. I swear it, as soon as I’m done, I’ll come over and show you just how fine I
am.” She sagged against him and let him comfort her. Her cousin was who she needed now, not
Sirius, even though he hated seeing her so upset. Sirius steepled his hands under his chin while he
watched Lucius kneel in front of his daughter and take her hand in his.
“Hermione, Draco isn’t going to be punished.” Sirius watched with thinly veiled amusement as his
cousin’s head spun to meet his father’s gaze. Hermione met her uncle’s eyes and waited for him to
continue.
“I only said that I was going to to get you to react. I hate seeing that mask on your face. I want to see
your happiness, your anger, your tears, all your emotions when it’s just us. I know you wear that
mask at school. We love you and I never want to see it on your face again, not when it’s just family.”
Hermione threw herself into her uncle’s arms and hugged him tightly around the neck.
“I’m sorry if I hurt you or Aunt Cissy.” Narcissa laughed softly behind her husband.
“Sweetie, I’m a Black and grew up with shows of power such as yours. I am perfectly fine, I assure
you, as is Lucius.” When she released Lucius, she wiped her eyes.
“I’m really sorry we disappointed you, we both are. Once we came up with a conclusion of what’s
underneath the trapdoor, we went straight to Uncle Sev.” Sirius opened his arms now and she floated
into them, hugging him close now.
“I know, poppet, you aren’t in trouble. The pair of you made us proud enough of you during the
detention to make up for it.” His daughter remained perched on his lap while Lucius answered.
“I want to know how you came to find this three-headed dog and how you came to the conclusion of
what was underneath it.” Sirius sat back and listened as the two children told the story of a wizard’s
duel gone wrong. They all laughed at the story until they found themselves in a room with Fluffy.
They enumerated the events that had happened and just how they had concluded that Professor
Quirrell was trying to get the Philosopher’s Stone for Voldemort. Sirius could see Lucius wracking
his brain, probably trying to remember if there was a Quirrell in the service of the Dark Lord. When
they finally fell silent, Sirius asked them in a serious tone.
“Is that everything? There’s nothing else that’s happened to you at school that we need to know
about?” Both teens scrunched up their faces before finally shaking their heads in the negative. Draco
vocalized it.
“We don’t think so.” Lucius took over.
“Very well. I understand that you two are going to help keep an eye on Quirrell; if he looks like he’s
heading for the third-floor corridor, immediately get Severus. Even Minerva at that point. The Dark
Lord must not be allowed to rise; it is going to happen eventually but the later, the better. Potter
needs to be more prepared to face him.” Both their faces were earnest as they nodded their
agreement. Narcissa grinned.
“Continue the current course of action if someone tries to tell you to go in the Forbidden Forest. I
don’t care if you get a hundred detentions for refusing, you don’t go. You write home and your
fathers will be there before you can say quidditch. I understand that you tried to say no, that you tried
to make the man see reason, but next time demand to see Severus. You will not be in trouble.” Both
children were now grinning as they nodded. Hermione was nearly bouncing in her seat.
“Are we finished with our talk now?” All the adult nodded in the affirmative.
“Oh good, I wanted to tell you about this book I read from the Hogwarts’ library.” Sirius groaned.
Some things would never change.
-O-
Harry came down from his dorm in time to make it to Easter dinner on time with the rest of
Gryffindor house. Almost all the students had stayed at school, only a handful travelling home to see
their parents. Harry was more than content to stay home and enjoy a week off to catch up on all his
homework. He didn’t have near as much as Ron did, but he was still loaded from the last week of
classes.
Most of the school had stayed at the castle. Harry, Ron, and Pav had gone down to watch all the
students that were leaving vacate the castle by means of carriages. He had been surprised to see that
Hermione and Malfoy were among their number. Both had been excited, laughing and shoving each
other good-naturedly as they shrunk their trunks and stuffed them in the pockets.
Harry had gotten over the Slytherins snitching. Ron still believed that they did but he didn’t. It just
didn’t make sense when you reasoned it out. He remained quiet about the matter; it wasn’t worth the
argument. Ron had gotten better towards Hermione since the day in Transfiguration when she had
immobilized the whole of Gryffindor house. Harry didn’t blame her; they had been terrible to her and
he wouldn’t have offered them help in her shoes.
Since it was time to head to the Easter meal, Harry found Ron, who was sitting on the couch next to
Parvati. She was crying into her hands and Ron was hugging her close, trying to comfort her. Harry
shot him a quizzical look.
“What’s wrong?” He growled out his answer, obviously frustrated and angry.
“Some Ravenclaw third year told Pav that she wasn’t pretty enough to ever find a proper husband,
that she would bring shame to her family.” Harry secretly wondered if Parvati had said something
first but knew better than to ask. Instead, he rubbed circles on her back as he spoke softly.
“No believing that, Pav, you’re beautiful. The girl was just jealous.” Her sobs were now reaching
embarrassing levels.
“It was a boy!!!” Ron shot him a “what did you do that for” look as he continued to rock their friend.
Harry started to speak again but Ron held up his hand.
“Let me handle this, mate. I have practice with my mum and my sister.” Harry couldn’t help but feel
insulted but knew that Ron hadn’t meant to. It wasn’t his fault that he didn’t have practice in dealing
with emotional females. Harry wandered off to walk next to Neville, leaving the pair alone. Neville
watched, amused, as the redhead began petting the girl’s hair.
“He’s really good at that. He’s a really good friend to her.” Harry nodded as they left the common
room.
“I know you haven’t seen much of it, but Ron is a really good friend. He just has an unnatural hatred
for Hermione Black and Draco Malfoy.” Neville snorted as the wound their way through the
corridors.
“That would be an understatement. Not that you’re much better.” Harry supposed that he deserved
that comment but remained silent the rest of the way.
Once they were seated, the meal appeared on the tables. Ron and Pav slipped in at the last moment,
taking seats on either side of him. Neither said anything, just dug straight into the food that Harry had
piled on their plates before they got there. He laughed as Ron seemed to inhale the food as fast as he
could, so he could fill the plate again before it all disappeared. Pav ate at a much more sedate pace,
eating her fill but not making a pig out of herself.
When the plates finally disappeared, Harry was full and happy. This had been the best Easter he had
ever had. Ron clapped him on the shoulder as they started back for the common room.
“Let’s go play some wizard’s chess and we’ll start our homework tonight.” Harry grinned and
nodded.
It was going to be a good day.
A/N- This chapter wasn’t nearly as long as the couple before, but I warned everyone that that was
how this story was going to be. Thanks again to everyone taking time out of their day to read and
review my story. Y’all are rock stars. Leave me a message after the beep and tell me what you think.
I do so love to hear your thoughts.
Next chapter, Harry and Ron fight and Harry takes it out on Hermione.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 22

A/N- The love you all show me after each and every chapter is just astounding. Thank you from the
bottom of my heart. You guys are seriously so awesome. I hope that you all continue to enjoy.
Enough for now, I’m going to get this new chapter out.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing in this story. I tried to make a deal with the devil, so I could own the
wonderful world that we all dabble in, but apparently there’s a restraining order? I haven’t made any
money off my stories, I’m still a broke bitch.
Chapter 22
May 26, 1992
Harry rolled his shoulders trying to lessen the tension in the muscles. There was only two weeks left
of school and the whole castle had gone study mad. He felt confident that he would pass all his
classes but the same couldn’t be said for Ron.
They had just left dinner and Ron was whining about having to return to the library to study. Several
hours before dinner had been spent in the library with Harry trying to help his friend study to make
sure that he passed his exams. The last thing that Ron would want is to have to repeat his first year,
but he wasn’t making the connection that he needed to study if he didn’t want that to happen.
Ron was still grumbling as Harry led him back to the library. Since they had left dinner late due to
Ron eating three plates of food, there were only a couple tables left clear in the back by the restricted
section. They were further from the books that the pair needed but they were also afforded more
privacy since nobody ever wanted to sit there. They took their seats at the one closest to the rest of
the tables, Harry instantly digging into his bag and pulling all his study material out. Ron sighed
loudly and did the same.
Harry pulled out Potions, the subject that he was the least confident about. He caught the sound of
familiar laughter and looked up. Hermione Black was seated at her usual table with Malfoy, Neville,
and the twins. He wasn’t sure where the rest of her Slytherin followers were but honestly, he didn’t
care. While he was interested in Hermione and didn’t mind Malfoy as much as he thought he would,
he could honestly say that he didn’t like the rest of the snakes. They were mean and hateful and
while he could admit that the Gryffindors had started the rivalry between the two houses, the snakes
now seemed to enjoy tormenting the lions.
He briefly considered going over there and asking if he could sit down and study with them.
Hermione was brilliant, and Malfoy wasn’t far behind her. While Harry knew that he wasn’t stupid,
he did well in all his classes, he wouldn’t mind learning more. He had even broached the subject
with Professor McGonagall; he wanted to be the best wizard that he could be and that meant learning
more. Ron had told him that he was barmy, but Harry didn’t care.
He had been sorely disappointed, however. His Head of House had told him that she would speak
with the Headmaster and see if there was any way that he could receive extra instruction. Three days
after his request, she had told him that the Headmaster had told him that he was learning magic at the
perfect rate, that he didn’t want to overload his magic by using it too often. It sounded like complete
bullshite to Harry and judging by the look on McGonagall’s face it was clear that she agreed with
Harry’s sentiment. When he had made a comment about Hermione and Malfoy having no problems
with extending their magic too far, the animagus had gritted her teeth and told him that they had been
doing it since they were toddlers, so they were used to it. Realizing that it was a lost cause, Harry had
let it go and vowed to study on his own.
Harry shot the idea of joining them down; he knew that he needed to keep his distance from the girl,
Dumbledore had been very specific in his talk with him. The man had even pulled him aside after
their disastrous detention and told him that while saving Hermione Black was commendable, he
needed to make sure that he didn’t fall to her charms. Keeping Harry safe was the priority and the
Headmaster was quite certain that befriending Hermione would jeopardize that. After remembering
this, his mood soured. Ron was still complaining that they had to have exams and Harry couldn’t
take it anymore. He had listened to it for a week now and was done.
“Ron, you’re just a tick away from failing all your classes. If you fail your exams, you’ll have to
repeat your first year, which means that not only will you no longer room with all of us, you’ll have
to take classes with kids a year younger than you. If you would just stop complaining and study, you
would pass and not be made fun of for the rest of your school career.” Ron fell silent for almost a
minute, clearly surprised at his friend’s outburst.
“I know exams are important, I’m sorry for complaining so much, I just can’t help but think that our
time would be better spent watching Snape. He might not wait for Dumbledore to leave the school.
Hell, Black and Malfoy could be telling him when we’re occupied so he can get down that trapdoor
when he knows we’re studying.” Harry scrubbed his face with his hands before taking a deep breath
to calm down before speaking.
“Ron, I’m pretty sure that Snape wouldn’t sneak down the door in the middle of the day. He has
duties in the school and if he went missing, it would be suspicious. I know I said that Black and
Malfoy could be involved, but I don’t think they are. Look at them over there. They’re studying with
our room mate and your brothers. They aren’t even paying attention to us.” Ron’s face clouded but
Harry didn’t understand why. Ron slammed his books closed and gritted his teeth as he spoke.
“Let me guess, you’re falling under her spell too. Dumbledore warned you about this, he told you
not to fall for her. Her father is the reason your parents were murdered. Malfoy’s father has raped and
murdered countless people under the name of You-Know-Who. Why would children raised by
rapists, murderers, and traitors be good people? What kind of good example would they have in their
life? You may think that she’s innocent because she’s a pretty face with lots of money, but I’m not
fooled. I know she’s hiding something and I’m going to laugh the day that you finally discover that
she’s been playing with your emotions all along.” Harry slammed his book shut now, fury painting
his features.
“I’m not falling for her charms, I’m trying to look at this logically. They’re twelve years old, how do
you think they’re going to help get past that dog? It doesn’t make any sense. They probably don’t
even remember about Fluffy.” Ron shouldered his bag and glared at him.
“Don’t count on that. I may hate the little bitch but even I can admit that she’s smart. She’s also a
snake so she’s sneaky. You believe what you want, Harry, but I’m going to continue to watch the
pair of them like a hawk. You too for that matter, your judgement can’t be trusted.” Without waiting
for a response, his best mate stalked out of the library leaving a furious Harry behind.
Harry could hardly believe that his friend had said the things that he had, all because he had a
different opinion than he did. He knew that studying at this point was useless, he would never be
able to concentrate on potions or anything else for that matter. He shoved his books back in his bag
and followed his friend out of the library. Deciding that there was no way that he could return to the
common room and deal with Ron while he was still this angry, he decided to just stroll the castle
corridors. He briefly considered going to visit Hagrid but since it was already after dinner, well past
seven o’clock, he decided that he would wait and visit the following day since it was a Sunday.
Harry had no idea how long he walked the castle. He was quite sure that curfew was nearing, and he
was only on the first floor. With a heavy sigh, he started for the staircase that would take him clear to
the seventh floor. He wasn’t paying attention so was not surprised when he bumped into someone on
the stairs, knocking them to the floor. He was getting ready to offer his hand and apologize when he
saw who it was.
Hermione Black.
-O-
Hermione wasn’t sure that she could study anymore. Studying held little to no interest for her,
especially since she and Draco were so far ahead in their studies. She still reviewed what would be
on her exams but there was no way that she was going to study for things that she had learned years
ago. Draco seemed to be of the same mind so after skimming their notes from that year, they moved
onto the advanced charms assignment from Madam Cambridge.
The rest of the Slytherins had decided to take the night off from studying; exams were due to start in
just a few days and they all claimed that they were burned out. Hermione could relate but she refused
to stop just because they were. Draco agreed and accompanied her to the library, citing that he
wanted to work on the assignment with her and then check out a book to read before bed.
Neville and the twins had joined them at their table in the library. They were all determined to do
their best on their exams, so Hermione didn’t grumble at all when they asked her for help. Neville
still struggled with Potions and the twins were always needing help with Transfiguration. They
couldn’t help much with the practical application of both subjects since they were in the library, but
she was more than happy to lend her knowledge in theory. She had even told them that if they
needed to practice any of the practicals, they could all meet in an empty classroom the next day for
them to get better.
Neville had instantly agreed, telling them that he needed help with Charms and Transfiguration. The
twins also decided to come and practice; they hoped to better their skills o they could start making
more complex prank items. Hermione still shook her head when she thought of them opening a joke
shop. It was an insane idea, but she knew that they would be great at it.
A half hour before curfew, their study group disbanded and headed to their own common rooms.
Hermione wanted to curl up in front of the fire and read one of the books that her father had sent
with her when they returned from Easter holidays. He had told her that he had very much enjoyed it
and hoped that she would to. It had appeared to be a text on Arithmancy, but she had only glanced at
it momentarily before stuffing it in her trunk.
Hermione and Draco had traveled from the fourth floor to the second when she realized that she had
left her student robes on the chair she had been sitting in. She screeched to a halt, hoping that she
could retrieve it and get back to the dungeons in time to beat curfew. Draco gave her a confused look
as she turned to head back the way they had come.
“What are you doing, Miney? You’ll be late and get another detention. We just finally took over first
place in points.” She urged him to continue to the common room.
“I left my robes in my chair. I’m going to run and get them, then I’ll be down. If I’m late, it’ll only be
me that’s late and punished. There’s no sense in you suffering too.” He gave her a doubtful look but
finally nodded.
“Alright, but hurry.” Hermione flashed him a smile and started off again to go back to the library.
While she wasn’t running, she was most certainly hurrying faster than she usually did.
Hermione reached the library and hurried back to he usual table to find that her robes were still
hanging there. She threw them on over her uniform but didn’t close them. They would only be on for
the time that it took her to return to her dormitory. With a quick wave to Madam Pince, she hurried
out of the library and through the corridors. There was only ten minutes left before curfew and she
was determined to make it. She was on the staircase that led to the first floor when she smacked into
something solid and fell backwards onto her bum. Her nose was stinging so she reached up to make
sure that it wasn’t bleeding. After she realized that her face was injury-free, she looked up to see
what she had run into.
Harry Potter.
For a moment, she thought that he was going to help her. His hand started to extend but he hurriedly
pulled it back. Hermione struggled to her feet, wincing at the pain in her backside. After she was
back on her feet, she gave him a small smile.
“I’m really sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going. I was trying to hurry and get to my common
room before curfew.” It made no sense to her since he had been almost pleasant since their detention
together. His lip curled into a sneer and his voice was laced with hatred.
“Why should I believe you? Ron’s right, you’re just trying to lure me in, so I’ll trust you. Let me tell
you, Black, it will never happen. I will never be your friend so just leave me alone. Your father is a
filthy traitor that deserves to suffer before he dies. With him as a role model, you’ll be no better. Just
a mini-Death Eater, learning everything she can from her murdering father. Why don’t you ask him
how many women he’s raped, how many people he’s killed? Ask your uncle, I’m sure he’s proud of
his loyalty to Voldemort. The sad part is that you could have been something great if you hadn’t
been raised by the lowest life forms our world can offer. One day, I promise you, your father and
uncle will die slowly, regretting their every move. You’ll be right there with them if you follow in
their footsteps. Heed my warning, Black.”
Hermione couldn’t believe the words that had just come from his mouth. How could he think those
things? Why would he say them? Why was he so sure that she was evil and going to kill people? She
steeled herself against his words and tried to bring her impassive mask forward.
“You know nothing about my father and uncle, you’ve been told lies. My father is innocent, he
never served Voldemort and he never will. He didn’t turn your parents in, your father was his best
mate. My father may have his faults but turning on his friends was never one of them.” Harry looked
at her as if he pitied her.
“I can’t help but wonder if you actually believe the words coming out of your mouth because all I
hear is bullshite. Run back to your common room and write him a letter, telling him I know the truth
and I won’t be falling for your lies any time soon.” She thought she saw a flash of guilt in his eyes,
but it was gone a second later. Hermione was trying to hold back the tears, determined to stay strong.
One tear managed to escape it’s confines and she was quick to brush it away.
“I can’t wait for the day that you discover that you’ve been lied to, that Dumbledore has told you
nothing but lies. My father loves you, he fought to get custody of you, so you didn’t have to live with
your awful relations. I just hope that by the time you learn the truth, it won’t be too late. From now
on, stay away from me. I’ve been nothing but pleasant and kind to you and you’ve done nothing but
throw insults in my face. I get it, you don’t want to be friends. Trust me, I no longer want to be your
friend either. You may think that they only reason I tried to befriend you is to get to you and bring
you to my father but really, it’s because we should have been raised together, we would have been if
not for the fucking Headmaster meddling in my father’s affairs. We would have been as close as
Draco and I are. We would have loved you. I know now that hope is dead. Thank you for clarifying
it. If you’ll excuse me, I must go.”
Hermione didn’t give him a chance to speak before hurrying past him on the stairs to make her way
to the Slytherin common room. She knew that he heard the first sob escape her mouth, only at the
end of the stairs. She didn’t care; she kept going as fast as her feet could carry her.
Hermione didn’t meet any professors or prefects in the corridors on her way to the common room.
The large room was almost empty, surprising since it was a Saturday night. She assumed that it was
because everyone was exhausted from studying all day, but she wasn’t sure. All she knew was that
she wanted to sleep next to her cousin and cry into his shoulder. Nobody got to see her cry except for
Draco.
The Slytherin left her bag next to the door leading to her dorm and waved her wand over her clothes.
Her uniform turned to pajamas and she turned to start towards the boy’s dorm. The few students that
were left awake paid her no mind; they were too engrossed in their studying. She tip-toed into
Draco’s dorm, a room she had only visited once before. Blaise appeared to be the only one still
awake and when he realized she was in there, he raised an eyebrow at her before pointing to the bed
where Draco slept. His curtains were closed so she assumed that he was asleep.
Hermione shot him a grateful smile before slowly pulling the curtains back to her cousin’s bed. To
her surprise, Draco was sitting up against the headboard, awake, and reading a book by wand light.
He raised his eyebrow at her now before pulling back the covers and letting her crawl in. Hermione
wasted no time in snuggling next to him. His arm came around her shoulders and hugged her to his
chest, so she let go.
Her sobs were muffled against his chest, but she was still scared that Blaise could hear them. She
hoped that her cousin cast a silencing charm. Both his arms wrapped around her and he stroked her
hair, much the same way her father and uncles did. It was oddly comforting. She was unsure how
long she stayed like that but when her back started to ache because of the angle she was leaning at,
she sat up and attempted to wipe her eyes. Her cousin watched her silently, knowing that she would
explain when she was ready. Once her face was close to normal again, she sighed.
“I don’t want to be friends with Harry anymore. We ran into each other on the stairs and he said
terrible things to me. I told him that he was stupid and that he would regret acting like this when he
learned the truth, but he didn’t care. I shouldn’t want to give up on him, Draco, but I do. I don’t want
to keep trying to be friends with someone that is so brainwashed they can’t see what’s right in front
of them. I just hope that he learns the truth before it’s too late for my father.” Draco pulled her against
him again, his hand still carding through her curls.
“Your father wouldn’t want you to put up with this. Just leave him alone. Quit being nice to him. Be
civil when you must be. We’ll still protect him if we need to but just forget that you should have
grown up together. It’s just going to make it harder to let go.” Hermione nodded at his words.
“Can I sleep here tonight? I’ll get up early and be gone before everyone leaves.” Draco kissed the
side of her head.
“Yeah, let me scoot over.” He rearranged himself in his bed and Hermione laid down next to him.
He was still seated, determined to continue reading.
“Will my light bother you?” Hermione shook her head, inhaling the scent that she associated with her
cousin.
“No, read as long as you want. I’m tired and just want to sleep.” She heard her cousin chuckle softly
before he returned to his book. Hermione snuggled deeper into the pillow and tried to put Harry’s
words out of her mind. She hadn’t had him in her life for this long, what was a few more years?
-O-
Harry felt like shite. He had seen the effect that his words had on Hermione. He had seen her brush a
tear away, hoping that he hadn’t seen it. He didn’t really mean most of what he said; he had been
angry because of Ron and had taken it all out on Hermione Black.
He decided to follow her example and hurry to Gryffindor Tower. It was after curfew now and he
really didn’t want to lose anymore points for his house. Slytherin had finally pulled ahead of them
and the last thing that he wanted was to broaden the gap. Once he reached the common room, he
realized that most of the students had already gone to bed. Ron was sitting by the fire, staring into the
flames, but the rest of the students that were still awake and studying were the older students.
Harry really didn’t want to deal with Ron at the moment but as soon as the red head noticed that he
had entered, he went to his feet. He moved to stand before Harry and he looked contrite. Harry just
waited though; if Ron had something to say that couldn’t wait until tomorrow, he was going to have
to open the conversation.
“I’m sorry, Harry, I shouldn’t have said any of that stuff. I do think that Black and Malfoy are shady,
I think they’re hiding something, but it doesn’t make sense to have two first years going after the
Stone. Please forgive me.” Harry couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was getting a full
apology from his best mate for starting an argument and then stalking off away from him. Even
though the words between himself and Hermione weighed on his mind, he smiled at his friend.
“Yes, I forgive you. If you promise to stop whinging about studying. I don’t want you to fail so you
must study. You’ve got to put more effort into school, how will you get a job after school if you
don’t know how to do anything?” Ron nodded his head enthusiastically.
“I’ll study with you until exams and I won’t whine a single time. I know I need to focus more on
school and I’m going to. I don’t want to go to classes with firsties again.” Harry clapped him on the
shoulder and started for their dorm.
He dropped his bag to the floor at the foot of his bed and hurriedly changed into his pajamas. After a
quick goodnight to Ron, he buried himself under the duvet and closed his curtains. Once he was
alone, he let his thoughts wander.
He regretted saying those things to Hermione. He had let his anger do the talking and now she hated
him. Harry shouldn’t care that she hated him but for some reason he did. He had never considered
that she would want to be friends because they should have been raised together. He couldn’t even
imagine being as close to someone as she seemed to be to Malfoy. Having someone care for you like
they cared for each other was something that Harry had never experienced and to be honest, it scared
the life out of him.
Harry decided that he would stay away from her like she had asked. It was the least that he could do
for her since he had hurt her so terribly. He had heard her sobs as she ran away, hurrying to her
common room. If the situation presented itself, he would apologize; he would eat a huge piece of
humble pie and hope that she forgave him. This wasn’t who he was, he didn’t want to be like
Dudley and his merry band of followers.
For now, he would keep his distance like she had asked him to. Harry wouldn’t start any problems
with her and he would do his best to keep the Gryffindors from starting shite with her too. He was
sure that he could get Neville on board to help him. Maybe he would be able to apologize before the
end of school.
Happy with his decision, Harry rolled over and let sleep pull him under.
-O-
Albus watched the two children interact from the alcove at the top of the stairs. He had been strolling
from the library to his office but when he saw the pair run into each other, he had quickly hidden
himself, so he could listen into their conversation without being seen.
While he hated that he was promoting Harry to hate Hermione Black and Draco Malfoy, Albus
couldn’t take the chance that they would lure Harry in and he would end up dead. He knew that
Voldemort would come back, it was only a matter of time, and Harry would need to be alive, so he
could defeat him. His words to the girl had been harsh but true all the same. Her father and uncle
were responsible for atrocious acts against humanity and they didn’t feel a smidgen of remorse.
The saddest part of the whole scene wasn’t that Hermione had told Harry that he was being lied to, it
was that she honestly believed that her father and uncle were innocent. It was clear that she didn’t
doubt their words a tiny bit. He almost felt sorry for her for being so naïve, but he tamped that down.
She would end up doing her father’s bidding by the time they resurrected Voldemort, that much he
was sure of. The further Harry stayed away from the Slytherin pair, the better.
He grinned to himself as he made his way to his office. Since the boy had just solidified where he
stood in the upcoming war, he was going to consider his request for extra studies. He hadn’t been
convinced that it would be a good idea when Minerva had brought the request to his attention but
after he had thought about it, it would probably be a great idea. The boy would be facing the most
evil wizard of their time and he would need to be much better prepared than he was. Maybe he
would personally assign extra homework for the summer and start extra classes with the boy next
term.
That’s what he would do. He would ensure a victory for their side of the war yet.
-O-
Severus wanted to laugh at the portrait in his quarters. It was a picture of Jackson Avery, a past
Slytherin from three hundred years ago, and its twin hung in the common room. Whenever there was
trouble, or the students were doing something particularly naughty, he would inform Severus that his
intervention was needed.
Jackson had just informed him that his goddaughter had sneaked into the boy’s dorm in her pajamas
looking quite upset.
Severus wasn’t worried. He knew that if she was upset, she would be sneaking in the boy’s dorm to
go sleep with Draco. They slept together all the time at home, they had since they were small
children. He knew that there were students that were determined that there was something
inappropriate between the pair, but Severus knew that there wasn’t. They had always acted only as
siblings.
He wasn’t worried. Draco would comfort her, and she would feel better, then sneak away in the
morning before everyone woke up. He was slightly curious as to why she was upset; she was his
charge after all. He knew that it had nothing to do with watching Quirrell. The pair had spent much
of their time watching his movements and when they were unable to, Severus kept an annoyingly
close eye on him. He hadn’t acted as of yet, but he knew that it was only a matter of time. The man
would make his move when they all least expected it. The children had promised him numerous
times that they would fetch himself or Minerva if they witnessed the man make his way for the third-
floor corridor.
Severus finished his glass of fire whiskey and decided to head for bed. Tomorrow would be a long
day of patrolling the corridors and the library, making sure that the little monsters were studying and
keeping the peace. He would corner his godchildren in the morning and figure out just what had
upset her so.
A/N- Thank you again to everyone for reading and reviewing. You guys are awesome. I know this
chapter makes Harry seem like a complete asshole, but Harry is going to start being nicer to her. The
question is if she’ll be receptive to it. Anyways, let me know what you think about it, reviews make
me smile.
Next chapter, Quirrell makes his move and some of our students decide to stop him.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 23

A/N- You guys and your feedback are just amazing. To those of you out there offering suggestions,
thank you. I appreciate it. Those of you out there that are telling me that I’m ruining Harry’s
character, that I’m ruining the story by making him weak, thank you for expressing your opinion.
However, telling me the same thing every single review just gets old. This is my story and I’m going
to write it the way I want. If you don’t like my portrayal of Harry, I apologize. I have a hundred
other stories on my favorites list that you can go read where his character isn’t ruined. I love
constructive criticism, for example, someone pointed out that Hermione has a close relationship with
Sirius, Lucius, and Severus but only seems to shop with Narcissa, coming across as shallow. I never
considered that and changed it up. Just badmouthing my story isn’t going to get you anywhere but
ignored.
On another separate note, fanfiction still hates me and won’t let me respond to every other review.
I’m not sure why or what I need to do to fix it. I’ve messaged the site but all they say is that they’ll
look at it. If you didn’t get a response, I apologize. I’m not ignoring you, I promise! Anyways, this is
longer than I had planned so I’m going to shut up and write now! Enjoy!!
Disclaimer: In my wettest dreams I own Harry Potter and Co. Reality is much more disappointing. I
own nothing and have made no money off my stories.
Chapter 23
June 5, 1992
Harry couldn’t put his finger on it, but he knew that there was something that was niggling at the
back of his mind, causing him to worry. He had gone through breakfast and lunch trying to ignore
the feeling but now that dinner was underway, he could ignore it no longer. Ron and Pav didn’t
seem to feel the same way but then again, neither were very observant. Just when he turned his
attention back to his meal, it dawned on him. His eyes flew to the High Table and realized that not
only was the Headmaster gone, so was Professor Snape.
Thinking back, Dumbledore had been gone all day long.
Harry cursed under his breath, drawing the attention of Ron. His eyes flew to the Slytherin table and
Harry could see that Hermione Black and Malfoy both looked worried as well. He wondered what
they could possibly be worried about but didn’t dwell on it long. He turned back to Ron and looked
at him grimly.
“Look who’s missing from the High Table.” Ron’s eyes flew to the dais of the Great Hall and
groaned.
“Dumbledore is gone, and Snape isn’t at dinner. He was here for lunch, he’s probably decided to go
down under the trap door to get the Stone.” Harry’s mind was whirring, trying to work out how best
to go about stopping a full-fledged wizard that served a madman. Realizing that this wasn’t the place
for a conversation such as this, he grabbed Ron and Parvati by the wrists and pulled them to their
feet, gesturing for them to follow him. The three of them left the Great Hall quickly, Pav looking
more confused than either of them since she hadn’t been included in their conversation. Once they
were in an abandoned classroom a corridor away from the Great Hall, Harry shut the door and
started speaking.
“The Headmaster is gone, and Snape isn’t here, even though he was here for lunch. He’s gone after
the Stone and we need to figure out a plan to keep it safe.” Parvati gave them another confused look.
“I think we should tell Professor McGonagall. She’d be more likely to stop Snape then we would.”
Ron nodded.
“I agree, mate. Yeah, we could go down there and fight him, but he’d likely just kill you. He serves
You-Know-Who, killing doesn’t mean a thing to him.” Harry wasn’t entirely sure that he agreed but
nodded in the end.
“Alright, let’s go wait at her office. When she’s done with dinner, she’ll find us there.” Harry swung
the door open and led the other two out of the classroom. He could have sworn that he heard a
scuffing sound behind him but when he turned around, there was nobody there. He hurried his
friends along through the corridors until they reached the seventh floor. It was purely luck that
Professor McGonagall was unlocking her door as they turned the corner. Harry broke into a jog, so
she couldn’t get the door shut behind her before he spoke to her.
“Professor, wait, we need to talk to you. It’s important.” She narrowed her eyes at him but gestured
for the three of them to follow her. Once the door was closed and silenced behind them, Harry took
the seat in front of her desk while the other two stayed on their feet on either side of him.
“What’s so important, Mr. Potter?” Harry took a deep breath and hoped that he could explain this
without her thinking that they were barmy.
“We found the three-headed dog on the third-floor ages ago and we worked out that he’s guarding
the Philosopher’s Stone. We’ve been waiting and watching because we know that Professor Snape is
trying to steal it, so he can give it to Voldemort, so he can come back to life. It’s the only thing that
makes sense. Now the Headmaster is gone, and Snape has disappeared. You have to do something
to make sure that he doesn’t get it.” Professor McGonagall didn’t look impressed with his
explanation. Her lips pursed together, and she folded her hands together in front of her.
“I have no idea how you know about the Stone, but I can assure you that it is safe. The Cerberus is
only one safeguard, there are several. I can also assure you that Severus is not trying to steal it to give
it to Voldemort. The three of you have let your imaginations get away with you.” Harry couldn’t
believe that she wasn’t going to help them. He sounded indignant when he spoke again.
“You’re really not going to do anything about this? I have a bad feeling about this whole thing,
Professor, you need to go check on the Stone.” Their Head of House stood and laid her hands flat on
her desk, so she could hunch over the furniture slightly.
“I am telling you right now, Mr. Potter, that the Stone is safe. You are not privy to all the information
and you will desist in this line of inquiry. I expect you all to get to your common rooms and stay
there. Exams have finished so you should be celebrating. Don’t think I haven’t heard about the party
that the seventh years are planning.” Harry couldn’t believe it. She didn’t believe them, and she was
shooing them away with promises of a forbidden party. Knowing that it wouldn’t do any good to
continue, Harry stiffly rose from the chair and headed for the door.
“Thank you for your help, Professor.” Her eyes flashed at his obvious jibe, but she remained silent as
they filed out of her office. Once they were several doors down, Harry pulled them into another
classroom and closed the door. His features were hard and his voice steel as he spoke.
“If she won’t help us, we have to go after it ourselves.” Parvati’s features twisted in fear, but Ron
looked determined.
“If we do that, we’ll lose all our points and our house will hate us. We’ll have detention clear into our
second year if we do this.” Harry could tell that she really didn’t want a part of this. Therefore, he
took pity on her and laid a hand on her shoulder.
“I don’t think you should come, Pav. We need someone to stay behind and make excuses for us. Tell
everyone that we told you that we were going to go flying. Something like that. We need time to get
down there and make sure that Snape can’t get the Stone.” Her eyes softened a little but then her face
blossomed in worry.
“What about the dog, how will you get past? What about the other protections that Professor
McGonagall talked about?” Harry hugged her close for a minute before he spoke.
“I think I can use that spell that Malfoy told me to use against the troll. If it worked on a massive troll,
it should work on a dog, right?” Both Pav and Ron nodded. It was Ron that put an arm around the
girl’s shoulders and comforted her. He really was better at it then Harry was.
“We’ll be fine, Pav. We’re already behind Snape. He probably has all the protections destroyed by
now. Truly, we’ll be back before you know it.” Harry seriously doubted that that was the truth, but
he didn’t say anything. Once the girl was calm enough to go sit in the common room without
everyone knowing that something was wrong, they sent her on her way.
Harry led the way to the third floor, Ron following closely behind. Harry couldn’t help the butterflies
in his gut; he was trying his hardest not to puke. Not only was he worried about facing whatever
obstacles were under that trap door, he was scared to death that he was going to get expelled. Staying
with the Dursleys year-round wasn’t really something that he looked forward to. Once they were
standing outside the door that housed Fluffy, Harry turned back to meet his friend’s eye.
“You don’t have to do this, Ron. You can turn back now like Pav.” His best mate snorted at his
words.
“You’re my best mate, we’re doing this together. Besides, you can’t do everything by yourself.”
Harry chuckled softly before waving his wand at the door and opening it with a spell.
“Let’s go.”
-O-
Hermione had noticed all day that the Headmaster was not in residence. Her godfather had pulled
them aside after lunch and told them the Dumbledore had sent for him, that he needed potion’s
expertise wherever it was that he had gone. He implored them both to watch the third floor and go
get Minerva the second they suspected that Quirrell had gone down the trap door. When the man
hadn’t shown up for dinner, she knew.
Hermione knew that the Gryffindors suspected her godfather. She had caught them talking about it in
the corridor one day. She had pretended that she hadn’t heard since doing otherwise would have just
ended in a fight. Therefore, when the three of them left the meal abruptly, she knew that she and
Draco were going to have to follow so they didn’t do anything stupid.
Sure enough, they were only a corridor away when they merely closed the door for privacy. She
shouldn’t complain, Hermione knew that. Silencing charms would have made it much more difficult
for her to discover their plans. They were going to go to McGonagall and have her go after her
godfather. Of course, they would be sorely disappointed when they discovered that her uncle was
innocent.
Hermione and Draco had followed them, silencing charms placed on their feet, to the seventh floor
and hid outside Professor McGonagall’s office. She had thrown up a silencing charm, so they could
do nothing more than wait. They didn’t have to wait long before the three of them left her office,
angry looks on their faces. Once they were in yet another classroom, Hermione discovered that the
older woman had refused to believe them and sent them on their way. Where she knew that they had
done the right thing first, they were now deciding to go after the Stone themselves. As much as
Hermione wanted to call them foolish, she didn’t see any other option. If McGonagall wouldn’t
listen, none of the professors would.
Hermione and Draco followed the boys down to the third floor and watched as they unlocked the
door. They were trying to be quiet, so they couldn’t discuss their plan until the boys were gone.
Since there wasn’t any barking or growling, she assumed that Quirrell had already handled the dog
but that didn’t mean that it would last. She turned to her cousin with steely resolve.
“I’m going to follow them down there and try to stay out of sight. I need you to go back to
McGonagall and try to convince her that the Stone is being stolen as we speak.” Draco’s eyes
hardened at her words and he gripped her shoulders tightly.
“I’ll go down there with them, you shouldn’t be putting yourself in danger like that for those two
idiots.” Hermione didn’t often fight with her cousin over him protecting her; she had been raised to
know that the men usually took control of situations and they always protected the females that they
cared about. Just because she didn’t often fight him didn’t mean that she wouldn’t. She squared her
shoulders, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at him.
“You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me and my loyalty to Harry. Besides, you’re a male.
Professor Cat is a pureblood. She’s going to be more likely to listen to the scion of a house than a girl
that’s smart. We both know it’s true. You can pull the ‘my father will storm the castle’ bit and she’ll
believe it.” It was a stretch since she could say the same thing. Her last name would guarantee that
somebody would listen. Draco knew it was a stretch too but said nothing to her defense. He nodded
grudgingly before pulling her into a rough hug.
“You be careful and get out of there at the first sign of trouble, Miney. I’m not playing around. Don’t
let Potter get you in trouble down there. For the love of Merlin, don’t let Weasel make any decisions,
he’s a fucking idiot.” Hermione hugged her cousin fiercely before kissing him on the cheek.
“I love you, Drake.” He tugged on one of her curls before smiling.
“Love you, Miney. Now get down there.” Hermione pulled away and nodded. She knew that her
cousin watched as she opened the door in front of her with the standard unlocking spell.
When she opened the door, it was clear why there hadn’t been any sounds from the dog. It was
asleep, snoring loudly as one of it’s heads lolled back and forth across the door. Hermione groaned to
herself. Her father was a dog animagus and while he was always lovable and playful, she
remembered encountering one such animal at Pansy’s house that hadn’t been. The dog had sniffed at
Hermione for ages before biting her on the leg out of nowhere. It had drawn blood and her father had
been furious. Without a single question or comment, he had cast a spell at the dog and left its body
there while he apparated her home. The Parkinson family had never said a word about it afterwards.
Hermione was going to have to forcibly move the head of the dog on the door if she wanted to get
through. She had been told that dogs could smell fear, so she hoped against hope that it stayed
asleep. Edging forward carefully, she tried to stay as far away as possible from its teeth. She moved
the massive head as gently as she could, the dog not waking. Once it was moved enough that she
could pull the door up, she let go of the head and lifted the door. It was completely dark beneath her.
However, she could hear Harry and the Weasel yelling at each other.
“Harry, I can’t hardly breathe! I can’t get out; these vines are squeezing the life out of me.” She
could hear them both struggling as she strained to hear their words. They sounded like they were far
below her. Harry’s voice came from the other side of the darkness.
“I know, it was squeezing me too. Stop struggling, it’s devil’s snare. I just can’t remember how to
counter it. It was clear back at the first of the year and it wasn’t on our exam.” Hermione rolled her
eyes. Devil’s snare? That was one of the great protections for the Philosopher’s Stone? Knowing that
if Harry didn’t remember what to do, Weasley never would. With a sigh, Hermione produced her
wand and cast her spell.
“Lumos solem.” Light erupted from her wand and when she pointed it below her, she could see the
plant physically pulling away from wherever the light touched. It released both boys, she could hear
it when they dropped to the floor.
“How did we get out of that, harry?” She could imagine the Gryffindor shrugging his shoulders.
They must have been deep enough in the plant that they hadn’t seen the light from her spell. Just as
she heard them walk away, Hermione sighed and decided to follow them. She grasped her wand
tightly, knowing that if she dropped it on the fall, she would be stuck there until one of the professors
arrived. Just as she was about to lower herself down, the harp music playing in the background
stopped and the snoring came to an abrupt halt.
Hermione was now face to face with three heads of dog that were growling and baring their teeth.
Knowing she couldn’t scream, she slid further to the edge of the door. Just as the closest head
snapped his teeth and caught her arm, she threw herself over the edge and fell at least ten feet to the
devil’s snare below. She could feel the blood seeping through her uniform shirt but overall, she was
fine. Her wand was still clutched tightly in her grip, so she was quick to cast the same spell over
again. She didn’t have to suffer the same squeezing that the boys did since the plant shrank from the
light. It was at least a five-foot drop to the floor beneath her. She landed wrong and rolled her ankle;
she was quick to stand and see if she could even walk on it.
Her ankle was already swelling and even though it was painful, she was able to bear weight on it.
Since it obviously wasn’t sprained, she continued on her way, following the boys. She cracked open
the door they had gone through to see that the room was full of flying keys. There was a locked door
on the other side and a broom in the middle of the room. Hermione understood right away that
someone was going to have to fly through the keys and find the right one to unlock the door. It really
was a clever protection, especially against someone like her that absolutely hated flying.
Hermione watched with trepidation as Harry mounted the broom and tried to figure out which key it
was that he wanted. After several minutes of trying to differentiate between the keys he pushed off
the ground and the chase began. Hermione had no idea how he managed it. As soon as his feet left
the floor, the keys all started flying erratically, some even chasing after him. She edged through the
door and stayed in the shadows, so she would be sure to get through the door while they did. The
last thing that she wanted to do was chase the bloody key herself.
It was several minutes before Harry caught the key that he wanted. Once his feet touched the ground,
the keys calmed and went back to fluttering aimlessly in the air. The key in his hand was still
struggling but that wasn’t a surprise. Whoever set this protection wouldn’t want to make it too easy.
He fit the key in the lock and the door swung open. Both boys went through confidently, not paying
the least bit of attention to the fact that she was behind them. She slipped in behind them and hid in
the shadows as they surveyed the largest chess set that Hermione had ever seen.
Hermione wasn’t particularly gifted at chess. She could play but she always lost. Her father and
Uncle Luci laughed at her all the time because it frustrated her to no end. Draco rarely played her
anymore because she got so upset. Therefore, she was happy when Harry turned to Weasley.
“We have to play our way across.” Hermione groaned to herself. If it was anything like wizard’s
chess, and she had a feeling that it was, it was going to be dangerous. Harry huffed and raked his
hand through his hair while he thought.
“Where do you want me?” Hermione could hear the dread in his voice and she wasn’t sure if it was
because he was going to have to play or he feared Weasley playing. Weasley’s voice was confident.
“I want you on that bishop. I’ll be the knight. Don’t worry, I won’t make you play.” The amusement
in the boy’s voice led Hermione to believe that Harry wasn’t very good at chess. At least they had
one thing in common.
Hermione watched from the shadows as the pair played their way across the board. This game was
very much like wizard’s chess, the pieces destroying the ones that they took. Hermione gained just a
little bit of respect for the redheaded git after watching him play. She would love to see who would
win if he played Draco or her Uncle Luci. Both were excellent at the game. Hermione couldn’t see
exactly what was happening on the board since she was in the dark, but she heard Harry speak and
his voice was full of anguish.
“Don’t do it, Ron, we’ll figure out another way through.” She watched them in the distance.
Weasley’s voice was determined.
“I have to do it, Harry, I have to sacrifice myself, so you’ll be free to check the queen. Make sure that
you get through the doors before the board resets. Once you stop Snape, come back and take me
back up top.” Hermione wasn’t quite sure how he thought that Harry was going to get him back
through the devil’s snare and around the three-headed dog, but she kept quiet. Harry started to protest
but was cut off by Ron’s command.
“Knight to H3.” Hermione watched as the knight moved in the position to be taken by the queen. A
stone sword flashed, and the knight was destroyed, Ron on the ground unconscious.
“Ron!” He started to leave his square but thought twice about it. He remembered that they were
playing a game and moved forward to put the queen in check.
Once the queen was defeated, Harry rushed from his square to check on Ron. She understood
wanting to make sure the boy was alive; he had sacrificed himself to get Harry across the board. Like
she said, a little bit of respect for the boy. After seeing that Harry looked relieved when he stood
back up, she assumed that the boy was still alive.
Hermione followed close behind him as Harry went through the doors on the other side of the
chamber. The door didn’t close completely so she was able to keep it open long enough to slip in and
hide in the shadows once more. She couldn’t believe that the professors had thought that these were
protections; first years were getting through them. Once the door shut behind her, she heard snorting
in the distance.
Hermione followed a little closer behind Harry now since she wasn’t sure if there was some sort of
animal in this chamber that would hurt Harry if he was caught unawares. He gasped softly just a little
bit ahead of her but from the sounds of his footsteps, he kept going and didn’t stop. Hermione
understood his gasp completely when she released that the snorting was a troll passed out cold on the
floor. She wasn’t sure how Quirrell had defeated it, but he had.
The next door didn’t have any protections on it and opened easily. Hermione assumed that the
challenge was more to get to the other side alive, not figure out a problem and solve it. She stole
through the door after Harry to find a small chamber with a long stone table lined up along one wall.
There were potion vials in a line on the table with a slip of parchment in the middle of them. Harry
picked up the parchment and read whatever was written on it before talking to himself aloud.
“How in the bloody fuck am I going to get past this?” Hermione knew that she had no choice but to
reveal herself now. It was clear that he was stumped, and it wouldn’t do for him to drink one of the
potions and die. Once Hermione stepped out of the shadows, flames appeared at both doors,
blocking entry or exit. She cleared her throat and Harry whirled around, wand held aloft and pointed
at her. She just stared at him, waiting for him to either cast or lower his wand. Finally, he lowered it
but appeared angry.
“What the fuck are you doing here? You were in on this weren’t you?” Hermione shook her head
and came a little closer.
“No, we didn’t want the Stone stolen either. It’s not Professor Snape though, it’s Professor Quirrell.”
Harry scoffed at her, but she could see that he was hooked. He wanted to know why she thought
that. She decided to tell him.
“I’ve known Professor Snape my whole life. He’s Draco’s godfather, he would never do anything
that would harm children. Professor Quirrell, however, was the one who cast the curse on your
broom during that quidditch match and I’m certain that it was Quirrell who got Voldemort into the
Forest. I’m quite sure that Professor Snape set up this challenge. Why would he try to protect the
Stone if he was just going to steal it?” She could see that his mind was considering what she said but
he didn’t appear to be believing it. His wand came up and pointed at her again.
“Why have you been following us? Do you want the Stone for yourself?’ Hermione couldn’t help
but be a little offended at his words. Her voice hardened.
“No, I don’t want the bloody Stone for myself. I want it destroyed. Voldemort ruins lives. I followed
to help you if you needed it. Who do you think cast the spell to get the devil’s snare to release you?”
Harry raised his eye brows in surprise. She could see that he wasn’t happy about having to rely on
her, but she could also tell that he was telling himself that he didn’t have a choice. When he lowered
his wand again and spoke, his voice was gruff.
“Well, come help me then. I’ll never figure this out.” Hermione stepped forward slowly to make sure
that he wasn’t going to use his wand on her after all. Once she was at his side, he handed her the slip
of parchment. She read it quickly and then reread it three more times to be sure that she was right.
Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine’s left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight
Hermione surveyed the vials of potion before picking up the one that take Harry to the other side of
the door and handed it to him. There was only enough potion there for one person, so she gave him a
small smile before picking up the one that would take her back. She urged him closer to the door.
“That potion will take you through the flames. I can’t come with you, so you’ll have to get through
everything else on your own. Mine will take me back through the doors and I’ll make sure that your
friend is alright. Hopefully, Professor McGonagall will be down here shortly. Draco was supposed to
do whatever it took to get her to come down here.” Harry gave her a strange look before he gulped
loudly.
“Thanks, I think.” She smiled his way before uncorking the vial and throwing the potion back.
Without any hesitation, she walked back through the flames that guarded the exit. It felt like walking
through ice, but she wasn’t complaining. Much better than burning.
Hermione sighed and started to make her way back through the chamber to where Ron Weasley lay
injured. She really didn’t want him to wake up with only her there, so she hoped that Professor
McGonagall came quickly.
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe that Hermione Black had followed and helped him. He had wondered if it
had been poison that she handed him but when he realized that he had no other choice but to trust
her, he threw the potion back and found himself pleasantly surprised when she had indeed given him
the correct potion.
Harry now found himself standing in a large chamber lit by numerous lanterns. A familiar professor
stood before the Mirror of Erised, hands clasped behind him and scrutinizing it closely. What
disturbed him the most was that the man had removed his turban and there was another face growing
out the back of his head. Professor Quirrell was having a conversation with the other face, pondering
how to get the Stone out of the Mirror. He tried to keep quiet, so they wouldn’t notice him but one of
the rocks on the floor fell off one of the steps when he tried to move into the shadows. Professor
Quirrell turned to stare at him, his gaze harsher than Harry could ever remember seeing. It appeared
that Hermione Black was right again.
“Harry Potter come over here and help me. I can see what I want, I can see the Stone, but I can’t get
it. You must be the key.” Harry had no plans of going anywhere near that mirror, but a wand
appeared in his professor’s hand and whatever spell he cast forced him to float forward. Once he was
standing before the mirror, Quirrell whispered silkily in his ear.
“Tell me what you see, young Potter.” Harry remembered the words from Dumbledore over the
Christmas holidays.
You see your heart’s desire.
Before it had been his family gathered around him, Sirius Black and his daughter friends with his
parents and Harry with his arms wrapped around her. Now, he wanted nothing more than to find the
Stone and keep it from Voldemort. He took a deep breath and peered into the Mirror.
Harry could see himself in the Mirror, holding the Stone in his hand pushing it in his pocket. To his
great surprise, he could feel the Stone being shoved in his real pocket. He wasn’t sure what kind of
magic this was, but he wasn’t going to complain. Now he just had to get away from professor.
“I see myself shaking the Headmaster’s hand, he’s handing me the quidditch cup. My house is
behind me cheering.” Quirrell reached out and backhanded him. Harry went flying to the ground,
blood dribbling out of his mouth.
“Lies, you tell me lies.” Harry decided that he was going to ask questions of his own.
“Was that you drinking the unicorn blood?” Quirrell grinned an almost feral grin.
“It was. My master needs sustenance to survive.” Harry struggled to his feet, never letting the man
out of his sight. Quirrell advanced and when he spoke, he could tell that the words came from
Voldemort in the back of his head.
“Help me, young Potter, give me the Stone and I can give you power. All the power you could ever
want.” Harry scoffed openly.
“I don’t need power and I would never give you the Stone. You murdered my parents, you’re the
reason I’m an orphan. I will never help you.” Quirrell rushed him, snarling, and gripped his shirt.
Harry felt him press against him and he knew the second that the professor realized that the Stone
was in his pocket. He instantly went to reach for it, but Harry struggled enough that the man dropped
him.
Harry wiggled out from between Quirrell and the Mirror and tried to make a run for it when he was
tackled from behind. His head smacked painfully off the stone floor and for a few moments, he saw
stars. He felt the professor sit on his back and slam his head into the floor again, this time making
Harry want to vomit. Quirrell reached down to roll him over, his hand touching the scar on his
forehead. Rather than being rolled over, Harry heard screaming. Screaming like he had never heard
before. He could hear Quirrell screaming that he was burning alive, but he could tell that it was
Voldemort’s voice.
The screams had disappeared by the time Harry’s world went dark.
-O-
Minerva was rubbing her temples, confused as to why the Malfoy boy was in her office going on
about the Stone. There was no possible way that anyone could get past their protections. Yet, not too
long after Potter and his friends departed with the story that the Stone was being stolen, here was
Draco Malfoy claiming the same thing.
“Listen, Professor, I know you don’t believe me. I know that you think I’m crazy. I do know that
whether the Stone is being stolen or not, Potter and Weasley went through that trap door. I also know
that Hermione followed them to keep them safe. If you think these protections are so great that
nobody can get past, then you have three students that are going to get hurt. I can tell you right now
that if my cousin gets hurt down there while you did nothing, my cousin Sirius and my father are
going to have your job. If you go check on them, you’ll be safe. You have to go down there,
Professor.” Minerva wanted to scream. She knew the boy was right. Why in the hell did Albus have
to leave and then make Severus follow him? She wearily rose to her feet and gestured for him to
follow.
Once outside the door, her wand appeared, locking her office. After that, she waved it and sent off
her patronus, the silvery cat carrying a message to both Albus and Severus, telling them that three
students had gone through the trap door and they needed to get back to the castle as soon as possible.
They reached the third-floor corridor and Draco gestured for her to open the door. She glared at him
and gestured for him to stand back. With a wave of her wand, the door unlocked and swung open.
To her absolute horror, not only was the Cerberus awake and barking at them, the trap door was
indeed open. She turned back to the Slytherin boy and laid her hands on his shoulders.
“I have to get down there. I need you to wait right here and tell the Headmaster and Severus that I’ve
gone down there alone. Can you do that?” Draco nodded his head seriously.
“Yes, ma’am.” Minerva wasted no time.
She waved her wand, stunning and binding the Cerberus where it stood. Without a second glance
back, she jumped through the trap door to the devil’s snare below.
-O-
Severus was livid. Albus had pulled him away from the school and Severus knew that Quirrell was
going to make his move once they were both gone. After hearing the message from Minerva, he
knew he was right.
Return to Hogwarts immediately. Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Black have gone
through the trap door and are determined that someone is trying to steal the Stone.
Severus knew he couldn’t get angry at his goddaughter. He didn’t know if Potter and Weasley had
gone to Minerva, but it was likely that when the students went to her with the story she hadn’t
believed them. After the incident with the dragon, Hermione would never throw herself into danger
like that for no good reason. He could only assume that they didn’t think they would get any help if
they didn’t go through the door themselves.
He was worried sick; Severus didn’t worry about Hermione when it came to the devil’s snare or the
logic puzzle. He knew that eventually she would catch the key even if she had to be terrified to do it.
What scared him was the chess set. She was truly terrible at the game and hoped against hope that if
they made it that far, one of the boys played. Otherwise they would all be doomed to death. The troll
didn’t worry him so much, though he assumed that it wouldn’t be a problem if Quirrell had already
gone through.
Albus was cursing next to him as they strode to the apparition point in the Ministry. Severus still had
no idea what the Headmaster was doing there; he had called Severus to come and identity a certain
potion that he had never seen before and perhaps tell him what it did. It had taken him all afternoon
and most of the evening to differentiate the different ingredients and try to decide what the brewer
had been aiming for. Once they reached the apparition point, Albus held out his arm. Severus took it,
understanding immediately that the Headmaster meant to apparate through the wards, something that
only a Headmaster could do. They appeared before the third-floor corridor to find Draco pacing
before their eyes. Once he realized they were there, the boy rushed over, fear in his eyes.
“Uncle Sev, Hermione went down there. We heard the boys tell Professor Cat that you were going
to steal the Stone and when she told them that you weren’t, they left. They decided to go down
themselves. Hermione didn’t trust them to get through the protections that the professor told them
about. She told me to go threaten the professor and get her to follow them down there since she was
going in after them to make sure they didn’t get themselves killed. Professor McGonagall went down
by herself about ten minutes ago.” Severus laid a hand on his godson’s shoulder and waited for him
to make eye contact with him. Draco understood immediately and lowered his shields in his mind.
Did Quirrell go down there?
Draco gave the barest of nods, obviously fearful for his cousin’s life. He gestured for him to go stand
by the wall.
“Wait here for us. Under no circumstances are you to follow us. We will bring Hermione back out to
you.” His godson seemed to settle a little at his words. Severus didn’t blame him for being worried.
He himself wanted to tan the hide of his goddaughter but he couldn’t in good conscience. They had
done everything they could to get adult help and she only followed Potter and Weasley, the former of
which their side of the upcoming war couldn’t afford to lose.
Severus saw that Minerva had stunned and bound the Cerberus, making it easier to get to the trap
door. He jumped through first, casting a cushioning charm on the ground. The devil’s snare was
gone, Minerva had blasted it away he was sure. He didn’t blame her; the plant gave him the creeps.
Albus followed him.
The pair went through the open door to find the door on the other side spelled open. He wondered if
Minerva did such quick wand work because her lions were down there, or she feared the fact that
Draco had surely threatened her with Sirius and Lucius. Regardless, the door was open, so the pair
breezed through to find the chess chamber. Severus wanted to shout in triumph when he saw his
goddaughter sitting on the ground next to an unconscious Weasley while Minerva ran a diagnostic
on him. Severus didn’t wait for Albus to speak.
“Miss Black how far did Mr. Potter get in the chamber?” She sniffed just a little before answering.
He wondered if Minerva had yelled at her.
“I got him through the logic puzzle. After that, I have no idea since I had to turn around and come
back.” Severus cursed and turned to follow the Headmaster. The troll was just starting to stir so he
sent a binding spell it’s way. After going through the door, he disabled the spells that he had set to
ensure that whoever came through drank a potion. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in
Hermione. Of course, she would be the one to solve his riddle.
When they went through the door and entered the next chamber, Severus had to hold back a gasp.
Potter was on the floor, face-down, with blood trickling from his head. Quirrell was laying next to
him, skin melted off his body, obviously dead. Severus rushed to the boy and cast a diagnostic on
him, hoping against hope that he was still alive. As the information flew by, he let out a sigh of relief.
“He’s alive, he’s just unconscious.” After rolling him over, Dumbledore reached down and fished
the Stone out of his pocket and put it in his own robes. He smiled at Severus before speaking.
“He kept the Stone safe from Voldemort. See the face on the back of Quirrell’s head? He was
possessed. I should have known better than to leave the school and the Stone unprotected. I never
suspected Quirrell.” Severus knew the man had to be lying. His two eleven-year-old godchildren had
figured it out.
“Take Harry to the Hospital Wing, along with Weasley. I’ll deal with this mess.” He noticed that the
man said nothing about Hermione but really, he wasn’t surprised. He bent down and picked the boy
up, surprised that he wasn’t heavier than he was. Without wasting any time, he strode through the
corridors until he was back in the chess chamber. Weasley was now awake and shooting glares at his
niece. Hermione was on her feet quicker than a snitch, sprinting his way. He noticed that her arm
was covered in blood.
“Is Harry alright?” Severus didn’t want to scare her, but he didn’t want to lie either.
“I think so but I’m not sure, Miss Black. He’s unconscious. We need to get all of you to the Hospital
Wing.” Weasley was asking loudly after his friend but Severus didn’t feel inclined to answer him.
Call him petty but the little bastard was terrible to Hermione. Hermione was quick to follow him,
favoring her arm. He gave her a sideways glance.
“What happened to your arm?” She sniffed a little again, probably readying herself to get yelled at.
“I had to save them from the devil’s snare and it woke the dog up. It bit my arm before I could
jump.” He knew how scared she must have been; since she had been bitten as a child, she had feared
most dogs aside from her father in his animagus form.
They traversed through the chambers, Weasley and Minerva following closely behind them. Once
they reached the trap door, Severus cast a strong lumos charm that hung above them. He turned to
Minerva and gestured for her to step forward.
“I’m going to levitate you up first. I’ll do the children next and you can help get them through the
door. Then you can levitate me last.” She nodded her head, readying herself to float through the air.
Severus cast the charm with ease, lifting his colleague up and through the trap door. Once she was
safely on the other side, he laid Harry down and cast the same spell on him. It was harder to control
with an unconscious person and even though it took a few minutes extra, he got him safely to
Minerva. He gestured for Hermione to move forward to go next when Weasley spoke.
“Why is she going next? I’m more injured.” Severus turned a cold gaze to the red head.
“You are fine. If you had any manners whatsoever, you would realize that after the most wounded,
it’s women and children that are next evacuated. For the love of Merlin, you sound dumber every
time you open your mouth.” The red head didn’t say anything else, so Severus levitated his
goddaughter to the top of the chamber and through the trap door. Finally, he turned to Weasley and
cast on him without warning. There was a startled gasp that he reveled in hearing but other than that,
he was just as quickly to the top as Hermione had been. After they were all safely on the top side,
Severus allowed Minerva to levitate himself to the trap door. He hated relying on her for something
like that, but he really had no choice. Loss of control had never been something that he enjoyed.
After they were all out of the room, Draco rushed forward and pulled his cousin into his arms. He
could hear him berating her but didn’t let go of her for a second. When he pulled away, he inspected
her arm through her torn shirt.
“What the bloody hell happened to your arm?” She snorted at his language.
“I had to save them from the devil’s snare and it woke the Cerberus. It got one bite in before I could
jump through the door.” He began chastising her quietly. Severus could tell that he was telling her
that she was never again to go into danger without him. He cleared his throat and picked Harry back
up again.
“Let’s get everyone to the Hospital Wing. There is no reason to stand out here in the corridor for no
good reason at all when there are people that need healed.” Draco didn’t need told twice. His arm
went around Hermione’s waist and started to pull her towards the staircase. She shot him a look that
said help me. Severus chuckled to himself.
Hermione had chose to go down there, she was on her own when it came to her cousin.
A/N- Holy balls, guys, this chapter took me ages to write. I’m not sure why either. I know that some
of the things weren’t canon, but they were made that way on purpose. The logic puzzle that
Hermione solved is word for word from Philosopher’s Stone. I had to keep that in there. Anyways, I
hope that you enjoyed my portrayal! Leave me a message after the beep and tell me what you
thought. Reviews are love.
Next chapter, the leaving feast.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 24

A/N- You guys are all so awesome. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing so much
love for this story. I know that slow-burns aren’t for everyone so those of you that have hung tough,
you da bomb! Anyways, enough for now, I want to get this chapter out before I fall asleep.
**Shout out to ZoeyOlivia, my fellow mean girl, for being my 600th reviewer. Love you girl!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing in this story except the personal twist on the plot. The original idea
belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to J.K.R. All hail our queen. I
haven’t made a single dime off any of my stories.
Chapter 24
June 9, 1992
Hermione glanced around her dorm room, making sure all her personal items were packed away in
her trunk. She would make the final check tomorrow, but she saw no reason to not be prepared
ahead of time. The other girls hadn’t started packing yet; they had all told her that they would start
packing their things away after the Leaving Feast.
The Slytherin girl had learned from her godfather that Harry had woke up that morning. The
Headmaster had been sequestered with the boy for well over an hour afterwards but there was
nothing that she could about it. It didn’t matter anymore how much Harry hated her, she had already
given up on being friends with him. After a year of trying and failing to get him to see her in a
positive light, she was done. Her mind wandered to four nights ago after they had arrived at the
Hospital Wing.
*Flashback*
Hermione had just settled into one of the beds, Draco besides her, in the Hospital Wing when
Professor McGonagall hurried past her to summon Madam Pomfrey. Ron was grumbling to himself
about having to sit in the bed next to Hermione’s. She rolled her eyes at him but kept quiet. Uncle
Sev laid Harry down in the bed next to her. Hermione shot him a worried glance, but he could do
nothing but brush against her mind softly in comfort. Madam Pomfrey bustled out of her office only
to start barking orders.
“Severus put the curtains up between the students, Minerva, make sure that Albus is notified that Mr.
Potter is in here. He told me that he always wanted to know if the boy was injured.” Hermione
wasn’t surprised at the mediwitch’s words; the Headmaster would want to make sure that Harry was
alright no matter what kind of injury he was being seen for. Her uncle was quick to obey and after he
had pulled the curtains separating them, he stepped away from the bed, so he could still see in
Hermione’s cubicle. He gestured for the mediwitch to come to Harry first.
“You should see Mr. Potter first; he’s unconscious and has yet to wake.” Hermione sat on the bed for
over thirty minutes waiting for the woman to finish working on Harry. She couldn’t hear anything
that was being said but she watched her uncle’s face and he didn’t seem worried in the least. Right
before Madam Pomfrey left Harry’s cubicle, she heard the Headmaster enter the Hospital Wing.
“How is Mr. Potter, Poppy?” Hermione audibly snorted. Her godfather’s lips tipped just the tiniest
fraction when he heard her. Who cared about the other two students that had been injured. It was
another ten minutes before the mediwitch made her way to Hermione’s side. Ron, however, saw her
enter Hermione’s cubicle and started complaining.
“Why does she get to go first again? She has a little cut, she can wait.” Her godfather pinched the
bridge of her nose and looked like he was about to explode. Hermione smiled softly at Madam
Pomfrey.
“You can help him first. I just have a dog bite and a hurt ankle, I’m not going to die. He was
knocked unconscious.” Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes at Ron’s words but gave Hermione a smile.
“Alright, dear, let me go make sure that he isn’t about to expire.” Hermione snickered under her
breath before leaning into her cousin. The adrenaline was beginning to leave her system and she was
suddenly exhausted. Draco wrapped his arm around her and pushed her head down on his shoulder.
“Miney, you can’t ever do that to me again. I was so scared that something happened to you.” She
nodded against his shoulder.
“I’m sorry I worried you. I really didn’t mean to. I will say, it’s a good thing that those two were
down there. If it had been just me I wouldn’t have gotten past the chess set. However, if you had
been down there, we would have been great.” He snorted as he started fingering the ends of her
curls.
“What did you have to get through down there?” Hermione closed her eyes as she spoke.
“When I first got through the trap door, I fell into devil’s snare. Easy to bypass. A door led me
through to a room that was full of flying keys with a broom on the ground. If you wanted to get
through, you had to catch the key in the air after it was traveling at the speed of a snitch. After that,
there was a life size wizard’s chess set that Harry and Weasley played their way across. That’s how
he got knocked out, he sacrificed himself, so Harry could continue. In the next chamber was a troll
but it was unconscious. I followed Harry through and there was a logic puzzle. I solved it for him but
since there was only enough potion for one person to pass, I went back, and he went on. I have no
idea what was beyond that chamber since I went back to Weasley.” Draco was now rubbing small
circles in her lower back, relaxing her even further.
“How did you get hurt?” She snorted again.
“The two idiots couldn’t remember how to get past devil’s snare. I cast a lumos spell at it, but the dog
heads woke up. I tried to jump down before I got bitten but one of the heads still caught me. I rolled
my ankle when I landed after freeing myself from the devil’s snare.” Draco chuckled softly.
“You don’t have very good luck with dogs which is odd considering your father’s animagus form.”
She laughed too though it was cut short when the mediwitch stepped around the curtain. Her
godfather followed her in, clearly not about to not hear how her medical state was. Madam Pomfrey,
however, turned to both Uncle Sev and Draco.
“Sorry, boys, you can’t stay. She’s going to have to remove her shirt.” Draco instantly became
indignant.
“She’s my cousin, I’m not leaving her. I’ll turn my back.” The mediwitch crossed her arms over her
chest and glared at Draco. Uncle Sev stepped forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Come, Draco, we can stand right outside the curtain. Miss Black will be just fine.” Draco huffed
angrily but followed their godfather out of the curtain. Once it was closed behind them, Madam
Pomfrey gestured for her to take her shirt off. Hermione was quick to comply. The sooner she was
healed, the sooner she could leave. The mediwitch clucked softly when she saw the wound; it was
large, swollen, and red. The blood had long since quit flowing and was dried down her arm.
Madam Pomfrey siphoned off the dried blood and began to knit the skin back together. When she
was finished, the wound was still raised and red. She turned her wand to her ankle next, clucking
again when her spells revealed that it was indeed rolled. With a quick wave of her wand, the
swelling disappeared, and the achiness was gone. The mediwitch left without a word so Hermione
took that to mean that she could put her shirt back on. She was buttoning the last button when the
curtain admitted Madam Pomfrey again, this time holding three potion vials in her hands. Seeing that
she was dressed, she left the curtain open, so her godfather and cousin could enter again.
“I want you to drink all three of these. One is to stave off infection, one is for the scars, and one is for
the pain. I don’t think you’ll need if after tonight, but the skin is pulled tight right now, not to
mention there can be some lingering pain with your ankle. You’ll thank me for it later.” Hermione
nodded and started to drink them down. Just as she handed the empty vials to the mediwitch, the
curtains around their beds disappeared and the Headmaster was standing before them.
“I think we all need to have a discussion.” Her godfather shot him a dirty look.
“These children have been injured and had a long night. I think this conversation should wait until
we have had a good night’s sleep.” The Headmaster huffed and stared from her godfather to herself
and Weasley. Finally, he stepped back.
“Very well. We’ll do this after Harry wakes up.” Hermione sighed in relief, she didn’t think that she
would be able to recount anything at this point. All she wanted to do was to go back to her dorm, fall
into bed, and sleep for twelve hours. Draco helped her up off the bed and Uncle Sev laid a hand on
both their shoulders, so he could steer them towards the door. She saw that Professor McGonagall
did the same to Weasley. Once they were out of the Hospital Wing, Hermione sighed in relief.
“I’m so glad that neither of them died.” Both her uncle and cousin snorted softly before her uncle
spoke.
“Me too.”
*End of Flashback*
Since Harry had woke that morning, she was just waiting for a summons from the Headmaster,
demanding to know how and why she was even involved in the retrieval of the Philosopher’s Stone.
Uncle Sev had told both Draco and her the morning after that Quirrell had indeed met Harry in the
chamber and they had fought over the Stone. He had been successful in keeping it from him, even
though their professor had perished in the ordeal. She couldn’t help but wonder how Harry was
taking it.
She headed down the stairs to the common room to see that Draco was waiting for her. Since Draco
was waiting, the rest of the boys were as well. The girls had gone on, however, citing that they
wanted to get good seats at the table. Hermione had no worries about getting a good seat; if there
was one good thing about being a Black and a cousin to a Malfoy, it was that everyone always
wanted her to sit by them.
Hermione usually didn’t take advantage of the situation; she hated the extra attention that her last
name afforded her. Boys still asked to escort her to class, they still offered to carry her bag for her,
and even though she always tried to be polite and not hurt anyone’s feelings, it overwhelmed her.
She tolerated Draco’s protective behavior at best most days but when he scared off the boys that
came onto her, she never minded.
Her cousin offered her his arm as they left the common room and started for the Leaving Feast. Greg,
Vince, Blaise, and Theo all followed behind them, chatting happily, laughing, and making plans to
get together over the summer. Hermione wasn’t sure if Draco had made plans with them, but she
didn’t plan on making too many plans. Her father had promised to teach them dueling this summer
and she was going to focus on that. Besides, she didn’t really have much in common with the girls in
her year. Daphne was the one she got along with the most but even she could get lost in gossip and
fashion talk for hours on end with Pansy.
They entered the Great Hall and headed for the Slytherin table. Everyone was quick to move down
and make room for them. Hermione ended up between Draco and Miles Bletchley, who made sure
to smile shyly at her. The Headmaster stood and raised his arms, bringing attention of the Great Hall
to himself.
-O-
Harry let out a sigh of relief as he took his usual seat at the Gryffindor table between Ron and
Parvati. Ron nudged his shoulder with his own, grinning widely. This was the first time that he had
seen his friends since he had gone down through the trapdoor. Everyone around him started
questioning where he had been the last few days, but he ignored them. Professor Dumbledore had
told him that he couldn’t tell everyone what had happened to him; under no circumstances could the
public learn about the Philosopher’s Stone. Harry understood but that wasn’t going to make
answering questions any easier.
Harry and Professor Dumbledore had had a long talk that morning after he had woke up. It was
illuminating and confusing, more confusing than he wanted to admit.
*Flashback*
Madam Pomfrey bustled away after casting all her diagnostic spells over him. She couldn’t believe
that he was completely healthy but after four nights under her care, was she really surprised? She had
promised him a meal and was going to send off for a late breakfast. Harry settled back into the
pillows and wondered how Ron and Parvati were doing. He was just wondering when he was going
to get released when the Hospital Wing doors opened, and the Headmaster strolled through, serene
expression on his face. He waved his wand and conjured a chair, so he could settle in it next to
Harry’s bedside.
“Madam Pomfrey has given you a clean bill of health, congratulations. I’m sure that you have
questions.” Harry nodded slowly and after a time, realized that the Headmaster was leaving the space
open for him to ask. Finally, he gathered his thoughts and spoke.
“Is Professor Quirrell dead?” The Headmaster started to stroke his beard.
“Yes, he is.” Harry felt a flash of guilt and bowed his head.
“Did I kill him? I don’t remember killing him.” Dumbledore shook his head
“No, Harry, you didn’t kill Professor Quirrell. Voldemort did. There’s a bit of a story involved if you
have the time.” Harry nodded his head, still confused as to how Voldemort killed his Defense
professor.
“When Sirius Black gave away your parent’s location, Voldemort came and killed your parents.
When he reached your nursery, he turned his wand on you. Your mother begged for your life. He
refused, and she cast herself in front of you, a sacrifice of pure love. Her sacrifice protected you.
In the case of Professor Quirrell, he was merged with Voldemort. He wasn’t always in control of
your professor. Since your mother’s sacrifice protected you when you were young, it continues to
protect you to this day, I explained that when I told you why you had to live with your aunt.
Specifically, it protects you from Voldemort. When Professor Quirrell hit you in the face, nothing
happened because he was in control. When you were fighting over the Stone, Voldemort was in
control. That’s why when he touched you, he started to burn alive. It wasn’t your fault that he died; it
was Voldemort’s.” It was completely confusing, but he supposed that if he considered it closely, it
made sense. Harry nodded.
“Why does he want to kill me so much?” Professor Dumbledore shook his head slightly.
“I can’t reveal that yet, Harry. The time isn’t right. I hope that you can trust in me to tell you the truth
at the right time.” Harry wasn’t happy about it but decided he probably didn’t have any other choice.
Therefore, he nodded his head. The Headmaster raised his eyebrows and pushed his glasses further
up on his nose.
“Do you have any other questions?” Harry fired off immediately.
“Did I keep Voldemort from getting the Stone?” His Headmaster nodded softly.
“You did indeed. However, I have some questions on my own?” Harry nodded, knowing exactly
where this was going. Hermione Black.
“Did you confide in Hermione Black or Draco Malfoy about the Philosopher’s Stone?” Harry shook
his head.
“No. Ron challenged Malfoy to a wizard’s duel months ago. We almost got caught and all of us
found Fluffy and the trap door. I had no idea that they even knew that there was anything under the
trap door, let alone what it was.” Harry watched as Dumbledore’s eyes flashed briefly.
“Did she say anything to you before she sent you on through the puzzle chamber?” Harry shook his
head in the negative.
“Nothing overly important, just that she didn’t want Voldemort to return either.” Dumbledore leaned
clear over in his chair, so he could get closer to Harry.
“Why do you think that is?” Harry wasn’t sure where his mentor was headed with this statement.
“I’m not sure.” His voice lowered even further.
“What do you think the evilest wizard of our time would do to the person whose information led to
him becoming little more than a spirit?” Harry couldn’t help but feel that it was a stretch, but he
supposed that he didn’t have much of a right to tell the Headmaster that.
“He probably wouldn’t be happy.” The Headmaster smiled softly as he leaned back in his seat.
“Precisely. That’s why they don’t want their master to return.” Harry nodded even though he wasn’t
sold.
“I’ll keep that in mind, sir.” Dumbledore smiled again and went to his feet.
“I’m happy that you’re feeling better, Harry. I’ll see you at the Feast.” Harry watched as the elderly
man left the Hospital Wing, shaking his head slightly at his ambiguity. Even though he didn’t agree
with the Headmaster’s theory, he would accept it for the time being. He still planned on apologizing
to Hermione Black, however. Nothing could keep him from doing that.
*End of Flashback*
The Headmaster’s voice cut through the Great Hall, bringing the entire room to silence.
“Another year comes to an end. You will all be headed home on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow to
see your families for the holidays. I would have to say that we’ve had a great year. All your minds
are full of learning and you’re well on your way to becoming full-fledged witches and wizards.”
Harry wished that he would just get on to the point, so he could eat. Sure, he had ate breakfast and
lunch but hadn’t ate a thing for the three days before that.
“I’m aware that the House Cup needs awarding. The house points stand as follows: Hufflepuff – 360
points, Ravenclaw – 395 points, Gryffindor – 450 points, and Slytherin at 525 points. However,
there are some last-minute points that need awarding.” He paused for effect and Harry took a
moment to see how the professors were reacting. Professor McGonagall looked suspicious,
Professors Sprout and Flitwick looked confused and Professor Snape looked extremely angry. The
Headmaster began speaking again and suddenly, he knew exactly what the Headmaster was doing.
“Ten points to Miss Parvati Patil for loyalty shown to her friends during a questionable moment.”
Gryffindor house started applauding. When it died down, the Headmaster continued.
“Fifty points to Mr. Ronald Weasley for the best played game of chess this school has seen in many
years.” Again, the lions went crazy, the twins were hooting and hollering like mad.
“Twenty points to Miss Hermione Black for thinking logically at all times.” This time Slytherin went
wild and Harry could see that her face was red with embarrassment. He could hear Ron hissing
angrily beside him, badmouthing Hermione. Harry was angry as well, more to the reasoning that she
wasn’t being awarded as equally as Ron. It was complete bullshite, but he wasn’t going to be able to
change the Headmaster’s mind, especially now. Harry watched as his Head of House elbowed
Professor Dumbledore with an angry look on her face. He shot her a hateful look before turning back
to the crowd of students.
“Ten points to Mr. Draco Malfoy for obtaining help when it was most required.” Again, the
Slytherins went crazy but there was a bad taste in Harry’s mouth. Dumbledore didn’t let the
Slytherins quiet before he spoke again.
“Sixty points to Mr. Harry Potter for showing bravery and nerve.” The Gryffindors all cheered but
the rest of the school was silent. Dumbledore didn’t seem to notice.
“That leaves the points as Gryffindor with 570 points and Slytherin with 555 points. Therefore,
Gryffindor wins the House Cup.” Harry was getting pounded on the back by people getting up and
rushing to his side congratulating him. Red banners fell from the ceiling, but Harry didn’t feel right
about it. When the Great Hall finally got quiet, Dumbledore spoke once more before sitting.
“Let us eat.”
-O-
Hermione was stewing by herself, picking at the food from the Leaving Feast. She had come to
Hogwarts knowing that the Headmaster would never be fair to her but the fact that he had been so
blatant about it hurt. She wanted to deny it, but she couldn’t, and she wouldn’t even try. Besides,
Uncle Sev and Draco would know she was lying in less than a moment. As if sensing her train of
thought, her cousin wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the side of her head.
“I know it sucks but we knew this was going to happen at some point.” Hermione nodded and poked
at her pasta.
“Still hurts though. He slapped us in the face publicly. I didn’t think that it would matter to me, but I
was wrong. It doesn’t feel good at all.” Draco rubbed circles between her shoulder blades.
“I know. Just think about when the truth comes out though, how we’re going to eventually blast the
truth to our whole world. Everyone is going to be looking at Dumbledore and not in a good way.”
Even though it made her feel like a terrible person, she brightened just a little. It would be nice to turn
the tables on the old man.
Dinner passed quickly and by the time they were being dismissed to head to bed, Hermione was
yawning and leaning into her cousin’s side. He was laughing at something that Blaise said, his arm
guiding her through the crowds of students. Pansy and Daphne were far ahead of them and they
were snickering about something in whispers. Hermione felt an arm on her elbow, pulling on it
gently. Draco felt the pressure against her and came to a stop. Hermione turned to see Harry standing
there looking extremely uncertain. Draco didn’t drop eye contact and Hermione looked from one to
the other.
“You guys go on ahead, Hermione and I will be down there in just a few minutes.” Hermione
couldn’t help but wonder how bad this was going to go. Harry didn’t look angry like he did the night
that he had spoken such harsh words to her, but she never could tell. Once they were alone, Harry
rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“I have a couple of things that I want to say before we all go home for the summer. First, I want to
thank you, Black, for helping me down under the trap door. I never would have got through it if it
wasn’t for you. Malfoy, I owe you a thank you for making McGonagall listen and come down after
us. Who knows how long I would have laid down there unconscious if you hadn’t.” Draco stuck his
hand out and offered to shake the boy’s hand. Harry grasped it, surprised.
“Anytime, Potter.” Harry started scuffing his shoe on the stone floor, his cheeks turning pink in
embarrassment.
“I wanted to apologize, Black, for the things I said to you that night. I should never have said them. I
don’t think you’re evil, but I also know that we can’t be friends. I had just had an argument with Ron
and I took it out on you. I regret the whole scene more than you know. I hope that you can forgive
me.” Hermione gave him a tight smile. She would give it to him that he was apologizing but that
didn’t change how she felt. He would be sorry until Ron got him going and he took it out on her
again.
“Thanks, Potter. I forgive you. Don’t worry, I won’t keep trying to be your friend.” Draco’s fingers
tightened around her arm, but she didn’t meet his eyes. Harry didn’t look like he was too pleased
with her words.
“I’m really sorry, Black, I’m not trying to offend.” She gave a quick nod, but Draco spoke next.
“It would be nice if we could all get along but it’s insulting that you keep telling her that her father is
a traitor, that he wants to kill you, that you can’t be friends because of her family. I get that the
Headmaster has told you things that you believe to be gospel but there are things that he doesn’t
know. When you’re ready to listen to us and not instantly tell us that our family is full of rapists and
murderers, come find us. We want to be friends with you, but we know that can never happen if you
keep saying things like that. We haven’t done anything to you and we deserve a chance. I understand
you can’t do that right now. When you can, find us.” Hermione was happy that Draco had taken
over for her. Harry gave a resolute nod, but she didn’t think that anything her cousin had said had
made a dent. Only time would tell.
After Harry walked off, hands shoved deep in his pockets, Hermione turned Draco towards the
dungeons.
“Come on, Drake, let’s go enjoy our last night in the castle.”
-O-
Harry was a little disappointed in how his apology went. He had expected Hermione to accept his
apology and be meek and mild about it like she usually was. She was, in a way, but her expression
had been expressive enough.
Sure, he could tell that she still wanted to be friends, but she had well and truly decided to stop trying
to be his friend. It was clear that both Hermione and Malfoy believed wholeheartedly that Sirius
Black and Lucius Malfoy were innocent. As much as Harry wanted to not count them as enemies, he
knew that he wouldn’t be able to believe that Hermione’s father and uncle were innocent.
Honestly, it was for the best. No, he didn’t believe that the pair was going to intentionally lead him to
his death, but he did think that the pair had been lied to and misled. If it had been a different situation,
he would have gladly befriended them. Eventually, the truth would come out and they would see that
Dumbledore was right about it. Yes, they would likely lash out, but Harry couldn’t fault them for
that. He had just apologized for lashing out.
Ron and Pav hadn’t been happy that he had broke away from them. When he had told them that he
had thanked the Slytherin pair, he had become almost apoplectic. Harry had rolled his eyes and made
his way up to his dorm, cutting off their complaints. It wasn’t like he was going to be befriending the
pair anytime soon, so he saw no point in arguing.
Harry snuggled down deeper into the duvet and closed his eyes. Tomorrow he would be leaving
Hogwarts and heading back to the Dursleys. The Dursleys. Complete hell on earth and he thought
for a moment that he would rather live with a murderous Sirius Black than his muggle relations. He
snorted to himself.
He would take Voldemort over his family any day of the week.
A/N- The end of the year is upon us! Lordy, it seems like this first year has taken forever but I guess
it’s only been fifteen chapters or so. Anyways, I hope you all liked it. Let me know what you think
and if I managed to pull it off. Reviews are love.
Next up, dueling and a robbery at Malfoy Manor.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 25

A/N- For all the love you show me with every chapter I write, thank you from the bottom of my
heart. You guys are awesome. I’m still having problems responding to reviews so don’t think for a
second that I’ve been ignoring you! Again, thank you.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing in this story except for the personal plot twist. The rest has all been
done before, there’s nothing new under the sun, or so my mama tells me. I’ve made no money from
any of my stories…maybe someday!
Chapter 25
July 17, 1992
Harry wasn’t sure how he had forgotten how terrible it was at the Dursleys, but it was clear that he
had. Doing all the chores, being fed only enough to keep him alive, being beaten to a pulp almost
daily by Dudley and his gang. It made him miss Hogwarts even more than he thought possible.
To his surprise, before the students had left school for the Hogwarts Express, Professor McGonagall
had pulled him aside. She had handed him a stack of parchment and several books, telling him that
the Headmaster had rethought his decision and decided to assign extra work to Harry after all. He
was instructed to finish them at his leisure and send them back, so she could send him more. He had
already returned assignments twice now; Hedwig had been thrilled with the work.
He had a feeling that he was just jumpstarting the second-year assignments but that was better than
nothing; he wanted to learn, and he wanted to do the best that he could. Voldemort was going to
come back, the Headmaster was sure of it, and Harry had a feeling that the wizard wasn’t going to
just let it go that a child had defeated him. He was going to come after Harry again and he wanted to
be as ready as he could be.
Life during the summer holidays was no different than life had been before school at Hogwarts.
Sure, his aunt and uncle refused to speak of magic, if he brought up something about Hogwarts they
grounded him or backhanded him. Harry had remembered his earlier life lessons quickly after
returning.
His family reveled in having their slave return; Dudley ordered him around and when he didn’t move
fast enough, he would chase after him and pound him. His aunt would assign him a ridiculous
number of chores and make him cook every meal. Harry didn’t remember going hungry being as
difficult as it was now that he had experienced eating his fill every single day. He supposed that he
had no choice other than to survive. There were only six more weeks before he returned to school.
He would survive.
Nights were the worst, especially when he was all out of assignments to work on. His mind would
wander to his friends; he would wonder what Ron was doing with all his brothers and if he was
getting his homework finished. He had stayed true to his word about not whinging anymore; Harry
could only hope that his words would last into the new school year. Parvati had told him that her
parents, herself, and her twin were going to make a trip back to India to see family; she seemed
excited and even though Harry was ridiculously jealous, he was happy for her.
It was his darkest secret that he wondered what Hermione Black and Malfoy were up to. He knew
that he wasn’t supposed to think about her, he had promised himself that he wouldn’t, but in the dark
of the night, Harry just couldn’t help it. Her words from that argument between the two of them
haunted him. He couldn’t imagine what life would have been like if he had been raised by a family
that loved him and wanted what was best for him.
Whenever his mind drifted to her, the next morning he would berate himself for his weakness. If he
had been raised by his godfather, he would have been dead. Harry had never told anyone, not even
Ron, but he had looked up the outcome of the ICW trial all those years ago. He had discovered that
the Headmaster had been correct. Sirius Black had attempted to get custody of him and the court had
failed to award it to him. The exact transcript wasn’t in the article of the Daily Prophet but the
charges and outcomes regarding his custody had been there for the world to see. It was more than
enough to solidify that the Headmaster was right regarding Lord Black, even though he felt he was
way off base when it came to his daughter.
More than anything, he wanted to just forget about the girl and concentrate elsewhere. Harry still felt
guilty for his treatment of her when she had never done anything to him to suggest that she wanted to
trick or harm him. However, her cousin had made things more than clear when he told them that they
were done listening to him badmouth their family. He supposed that he understood; if he had loved
his family he would never stand for someone to speak badly about them.
Harry sighed as he rolled over in bed, trying to shut his mind down so he could sleep. It was going to
be a long six weeks.
-O-
Sirius watched his cousin try to formulate a plan of attack against the dummy before him. True to his
word, he and Lucius had started teaching the children how to duel as often as they could. They still
took lessons with Madam Cambridge four days a week, Draco constantly had plans with his friends
playing quidditch and doing who knew what else. Sirius had played host to several overnight stays
for Draco’s friends. Those were the only nights that he spent away from Hermione.
The animagus couldn’t help but worry that his daughter was lonely. She showed no interest in any of
the girls that were her age that she went to school with; he wasn’t sure if it was because she wasn’t
interested or if the girls weren’t. His daughter was very studious, and he had always known that
many of her peers wouldn’t understand her ambitions. She still spent a lot of time with Narcissa,
shopping, riding, and doing girl things that Sirius didn’t ask about. Hermione still spent days reading
with Lucius and doing potions experiments with Severus. She wasn’t bored by any means, but he
worried about her well-being.
Draco had told him when they returned that Hermione hadn’t made friends like he had. Sure, all the
girls were nice to her and Hermione considered them all friends, but they never hung out outside of
study group in the library and meal times. Draco told him that she didn’t seem upset about it, had told
him that nobody understood her, but Sirius couldn’t help but worry. It seemed like all he did these
days was worry.
Severus had informed them what had happened when Harry and the Weasley spawn had gone after
the Stone; even though Sirius was proud of Hermione, more than he could express, he had been
scared to death and livid that the Headmaster had hid a stone that would make the Elixir of Life
inside a godforsaken school. It boggled the mind, thinking about what the Headmaster considered
appropriate to be around children.
Sirius, Lucius, Narcissa, and Severus had sat down with their children at the beginning of the
summer and discussed the events of the school year. Hermione had expressed disbelief at the fact that
the Headmaster had never gotten with herself and Draco and tried to figure out how they had known
about the Stone in the first place; Severus had volunteered that Harry had told the Headmaster that
they had discovered the Cerberus together. Knowing that Hermione was no idiot, he must have
assumed that she had made the connection and gone from there. Sirius wasn’t so sure that was what
had happened, but he decided that he wasn’t going to worry about it.
Lucius had started to give Draco a hard time about letting Hermione go through the trap door, but his
daughter had stood, hands on hips, and told her uncle that she had made him go to McGonagall.
Honestly, it had been funny to watch since Hermione rarely put her uncle in his place. Cissy had
stayed silent but hid a smile behind her hand, showing that she greatly enjoyed her niece’s show of
temper as well.
Their dueling training was going well, as well as could be expected. Draco was already excellent, he
employed the spells he knew with ease and almost without thinking; Hermione was different. While
she was good, she was an exceptionally strong witch after all, she seemed to hesitate too much. Not
that she was scared to throw a spell, that wasn’t it at all. She had confided in Sirius that she was
never sure which spells to use that would net her the best outcome. In short, she over thought it.
Sirius knew his daughter well and knew that this was going to continue to be a problem for her.
Therefore, he and Severus had devised an exercise that helped her in that respect. They threw spells
at her and she literally had two seconds to throw a spell in return. She wasn’t as quick as Draco, but
she was getting there. He had high hopes that by the end of summer, she would be just as far along
as her cousin. Sirius still struggled with the fact that she even had to learn dueling outside the
classroom; he knew that she would need it eventually but that didn’t mean that he had to like it.
The animagus watched as Draco stepped away from the dummy after disarming it. His daughter
stepped up to take her turn, determined look on her face. It really rubbed her the wrong way that she
wasn’t already accomplished at dueling, she was used to being exceptional at everything she did.
Lucius never stopped teasing her about it either which just made her scowl at him and give him the
silent treatment while she tried even harder.
Severus had come to stay with him over the summer. He had his own manor in Aberdeenshire, the
official Prince seat, but he rarely stayed there. The Slytherin told them that since he was the only one
that lived there, it was exceedingly lonely, and the elves drove him mad. The children had stayed
with him there several times when they were younger but since school had started, they kept their
company at Black Moor and Malfoy Manor. Severus also kept the home that he grew up in as a
second residence but refused to take the children to Cokeworth with him.
Sirius had never suspected that Severus was wealthy when they were growing up; he had never
worn fine clothing and seemed to have second-hand supplies and books for school. It wasn’t until
after they had become friends that he learned that his mother had been disowned for marrying a
muggle. Since his grandparents had nobody to leave their legacy to, they decided that a half-blood
heir was better than no heir. His mother had already been dead by that time, at the hands of the
muggle she had married when Severus was only eighteen years old. He still didn’t act like he was
wealthy, in fact, Sirius got the distinct impression that he hated the wealth he had, but he had no right
to comment or judge, therefore he kept his thoughts to himself. Hermione had just disarmed her
dummy and Sirius clapped for her, causing her to blush prettily.
“Well done, poppet, you’re getting better the more you practice.” Draco snickered softly at the glare
his daughter sent his way. He chuckled softly at her irritation. He was just getting ready to have
Draco start again when he heard Lucius calling through the house.
“Sirius? Where are you?” Sirius rolled his eyes. He knew for a fact that Candy would have told the
blond exactly where they were. Therefore, he remained quiet just to further irritate the man. It was
only moments later that he burst into the room, said irritation evident in his expression.
“We have a problem, Sirius.” The animagus called a halt to his daughter and cousin, dismissing them
to go shower. He knew that Draco had plans with Theo and Blaise and Hermione was going to go
shopping with Narcissa since the woman thought that she needed to start on her school robes
shopping. Sirius had rolled his eyes at his cousin; Cissy never thought that Hermione had enough
clothes. He never complained though, he was always terrified that if he did he would have to take
her.
Both children disappeared, and Sirius led his friend to his study. They usually spoke in the library but
since the children were home, they took their personal business to his study. It wasn’t accessible to
anyone but the Lord Black unless he gave express permission. Since he had no idea what the
problem Lucius spoke of was, it seemed like the best option. Once they were settled in chairs before
the fire, Candy appeared and poured them drinks. Lucius downed his and held his tumbler out for a
refill, only speaking once it was full once more.
“My wards were breached just a bit ago. I couldn’t figure out how or where, I searched the house
and grounds thoroughly. The elves did as well and found nothing. After I realized that I wasn’t going
to find the perpetrator, I decided to make sure that all our valuables were still in their proper place.
Everything was where it should be except for one item.” He took another healthy drink before Sirius
spoke.
“What is missing and why does it have you drinking like this?” Lucius glared at him for a few
moments before speaking.
“I couldn’t find an old book, a diary to be exact, that the Dark Lord entrusted to me many years ago
when I first took the Mark. I’m not sure what it is but it reeks of dark magic, you can’t even touch it
without it seeping inside you. It feels like it’s staining your soul.” Sirius’ mind was whirring, trying to
think of something that he had read in the family library that may have sounded like that. He was
sure that there was something in the back of his mind, but his family library was huge, the same size
as Hogwarts. It would take him forever to find something that described an item like that unless he
specifically remembered which book he had read it in.
“Do you know why Voldemort had you keep it for him and didn’t just keep it himself?” Lucius
shook his head.
“No, when the Dark Lord tells you to do something, you do it and you don’t question him.” Sirius
nodded.
“How did someone breach your wards?” Lucius raked a hand through his long hair, a rare show of
emotion.
“I have no idea. We have ancient wards, they protect against just about everything out there. I have
no idea how someone got through them, nobody has in a hundred years.” Sirius was worried about
the fact that someone had breached his wards; his daughter stayed half her summer there and if
Lucius’ wards were so easy to get through, his would be the same. The Black family wards were just
as ancient. In fact, when he considered his own wards, always fueled by his magic and reinforced by
the elves, he remembered adding one ward when he took over, insisting on adding it due to past
events in his life. He looked up at his friend sharply.
“Do you have a ward against animaguses that try to cross in their animal form? Black Moor didn’t
have one when I took over the family and made sure I added one because of my history with
Pettigrew.” The look of fury on Lucius’ face was enough to answer Sirius’ question.
“That fucking rat breached my wards and took something that the Dark Lord wanted kept safe
always. How did he even know it was there?” Sirius held his hands up, trying to slow his friend’s
train of thought.
“I’m not sure that it was Pettigrew, he hasn’t been seen since that night in Hogsmeade. I’m saying
that if you don’t have wards specifically for an animagus, it could be any of Voldemort’s followers
that are an animagus. The Order knew that there were several. As for how, I have no idea.” Lucius
cursed loudly.
“He would know that I have it and where it was kept if the Dark Lord told him. He instructed me as
to where he wanted it kept and it’s clear that he is trying to return, Hermione and Draco’s jaunt in the
Forbidden Forest proves that.” Sirius considered his words for several minutes before finally
nodding.
“I think that you’re right. If that diary somehow brings him back, that means that Harry will be in
danger at Hogwarts. As much as I hate to say it, the Headmaster doesn’t protect him like he should.
If Voldemort were to regain his body and storm the castle, he could kill Harry before he has the skill
set to beat him at anything. We need to hire the boy a tutor and convince him to stay out of
Hogwarts.” Lucius was nodding but looked skeptical.
“I don’t see that happening. The children told us that his home life isn’t good, that he showed up to
school in hand-me-down rags and half-starved. He isn’t going to agree to stay there year-round and
most muggles don’t like magic; it makes them nervous. I fear that his relatives would never let a tutor
in the house.” Sirius deflated; Lucius was right, of course. Petunia had hated magic when they were
small, called Lily a freak and told her that she was an anomaly because she was magical. There was
no way in hell that she would welcome magic into her house.
“There has to be something that we can do.” Lucius looked thoughtful and Sirius left him to his
thoughts. His friend did his best thinking when he was given the time to follow his thoughts in
silence. It was several minutes later when he finally spoke.
“How about we send an elf to warn him, tell him to stay out of Hogwarts? Maybe he’ll heed the
warning and stay home. If he does, we can just send a tutor and let the Headmaster fight the battle. If
he still returns to school, the elf can watch over him and try to protect him if need be.” Sirius
considered his words. It wasn’t ideal by any means, but it was all they had at the moment.
“Which elf will we use? I’m scared that if anyone catches a glimpse of my elves, they’ll be
recognized. All the pureblood children have been coming here since they were small. Do you have
any that aren’t well known?” Lucius nodded.
“Dobby, we’ll send Dobby. I’ll make sure to tell him to stay out of sight unless it’s necessary or
unless he can convince Harry to leave school. It will have to work.” Sirius nodded and rose when he
saw Lucius rise.
“I need to head home and erect an animagus ward. I’ll send Dobby to Potter tonight. Surely, it would
be better to have him appear at night when it’s less likely he’ll be spotted by the muggles.” Sirius
nodded and shook his friend’s hand.
“Thank you. I think we should keep this to ourselves; the children don’t need to be worrying about
this until we know for sure what the diary is or until we figure out if Voldemort has been
resurrected.” Lucius agreed and started out of the study. Sirius followed him to the floo and bid him a
good night; they would be meeting the following evening for dinner with friends.
After Lucius left, Sirius settled in the library and considered this new development. Harry could be in
danger and while he wasn’t the happiest with Harry at the moment, he still didn’t want anything to
happen to him. Draco had forced Hermione to tell them what Harry had said to her that night outside
the library; it had made his blood boil that his godson had made his daughter cry. However, the pair
had also told him that he had apologized after the Leaving Feast and seemed sincere. Sirius supposed
that while Harry was being a little git, it couldn’t be easy having your mind fucked with on a daily
basis.
Hermione had been terrified that he would be disappointed in her for giving up. She couldn’t have
been further from the truth and he made sure to tell her that he understood her reasons and didn’t
fault her for them. His daughter had thrown herself into his arms and thanked him, why he still
wasn’t sure, but he had kissed the top of her head and sent her on her way. He could only hope that
the truth came out sooner rather than later, especially if Pettigrew really was the person who had
breached the Malfoy wards.
Sirius threw back his drink and stood, intent of finding his daughter and spending some time with her
before she went shopping since Draco was going to be with his friends. He missed seeing her all the
time and planned to make the most out of the summer holidays with her. He pushed the last hour of
conversation out of his mind, trusting Lucius to handle his end without problem.
-O-
Minerva stepped outside onto the porch of her highland home, breathing in the Scottish air deeply,
letting it fill her lungs and clear her mind. She usually only stayed at her home for a couple weeks
through the summer, choosing to stay at Hogwarts for the rest of the time. This year, however, she
felt that she needed some space and time to think.
Albus had refused to let her give Hermione Black and Draco Malfoy advanced work; even though
she didn’t agree with him telling Harry Potter that he couldn’t learn anything advanced, it had at least
been consistent. Fair to both parties. Then, he had called her to his office the night of the Leaving
Feast and told her that he had decided to go ahead and let her send extra lessons to the boy, so he
could complete them at his leisure. While she agreed that he needed the extra tuition, it made her sick
that the Headmaster was alright with it as long as it was Harry.
It was true, she hadn’t been much better at the beginning of the year; she had disliked Hermione
Black on principle, just because of who her father was and his past actions. The detention that had
been cancelled still rang in her mind; the girl’s words were like a whip lashing at her proverbial back,
demanding attention and consideration.
Minerva most assuredly believed that Sirius Black was guilty; there was no way that James Potter
would have trusted anyone else with their secret-kept location, they had been best friends since their
first year after all. However, she could admit that the girl’s words made her nervous. Would the
Headmaster try to look in her mind with legilimency? Would he do something highly illegal just to
figure out what was going on in her mind when the girl hadn’t done anything wrong? Did he ransack
her mind and not tell her since he knew that she wasn’t skilled in that art?
Minerva hated to think it of her friend but after witnessing his suspect behavior regarding the
Slytherin pair after the Philosopher’s Stone incident, she started to wonder. As the Headmaster,
Albus should have been worried about the safety of all his students and he hadn’t cared a whit for
Black or Malfoy; that much had been obvious, there was no way to hide that. After witnessing his
behavior, Minerva had made the snap decision to return to her family home for the whole of the
summer holidays.
The day after returning, Minerva had contacted an old friend of her father’s, older than the hills now.
She had inquired as to whether he could put her in contact with someone that would teach her
occlumency. Though it had taken a few days, he had come through for her. Every day, she took
lessons with Bradley Ossenbaum and he was teaching her how to protect her mind.
It had been highly embarrassing; the man had seen all her private moments since she was essentially
terrible at the art. He had just laughed at her and told her that everyone was terrible at it at first. He
did warn her that since she was a Gryffindor and ruled by her emotions, it would be more difficult to
master. While this disheartened her a little, she was just more determined. Bradley told her that while
she still had a long way to go, she was doing much better than he had expected. The kicker was that
he had finally told her that since she was an animagus, the lessons weren’t needed unless she wanted
more control over her emotions. Minerva had felt a huge bout of thankfulness before deciding to
continue the lessons anyways. It was her hope to have become accomplished enough in the skill to
keep the Headmaster out of her mind when they returned to school and also keep her calmer when
she was angry. The best part of the lessons was that she could now tell when someone was trying to
enter her mind.
Severus had left school as well, leaving only Filius and Pomona in residence with the Headmaster.
He usually left for a few weeks but had informed them after the Express carted away the students
that he was going to be leaving for the whole of the holidays. It was odd to say the least, but she
didn’t blame him. He was still young and deserved to be happy. Given the brand on his arm,
Minerva wasn’t sure if he would find someone that would be so understanding but she knew that he
was a good man, despite the image he portrayed to the students.
Severus and Albus thought that they were sly, hiding the fact that the Slytherin wasn’t bigoted and
hateful. Sure, he was snarky and sarcastic, but he had loved Lily Potter when they were children,
everyone knew it. His school persona was an act and she had a feeling that it had to do with
Voldemort returning; he had spied during the first war, she imagined that the Headmaster wanted
him to spy for the next one too.
Even though she knew that someone needed to gather information from the other side, she wasn’t
sure that it was best if Severus did it. She didn’t think that he would turn on them, but she worried
about how he would withstand the legilimency skills of Voldemort. According to Bradley, they were
legendary. Minerva shook her head, trying to clear away the thoughts. It did no good to worry about
things that she had no control over.
Taking a seat in the chair in the sunshine, she closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. After all,
Minerva was determined to master occlumency by the time term resumed.
A/N- Another chapter is in the books, folks. Nothing too catastrophic happened, just a little insight as
to what summer is like for our characters. There is only one more summer chapter and then it’s on to
second year! Hope you all enjoyed and big thanks to everyone out there that is reading and
reviewing. Y’all rock. Let me know what you think, like or hate it, I appreciate the feedback.
Next chapter, trip to Diagon Alley.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 26

A/N- As always, you guys are just so awesome. Thank you so much for continuing to show such
amazing support for me and this story. I know this chapter wasn’t out as fast as usual but real life is
kicking my ass. Enrollment, school shopping, tags and taxes, upcoming surgery on my daughter’s
foot. Just one thing after another. Anyways, I’ll shut up and get started. Thanks again.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing except the personal plot twist in this story. I haven’t made any money
off this story or any others. My bank balance tells no lies.
Chapter 26
August 15, 1992
Harry laid awake in his camp bed in Ron’s room and just luxuriated in the fact that he wasn’t being
forced to get up early and make breakfast. He didn’t have a list of chores a mile long and he wasn’t
being physically or verbally abused if he did something wrong. It was heaven on earth, almost as
good as being at Hogwarts.
Harry’s summer had been eventful. He hadn’t even heard of a house elf when one suddenly
appeared in his room at 4 Privet Drive. His aunt and uncle were having an important business dinner
and he had been ordered to his room and told not to show his face under any circumstances. The
little creature had been loud even though Harry had warned him several times to be quiet, that he
would get him in trouble.
Even though he was irritated with the elf, he went by the name of Dobby, he had listened to what he
had come to say. Dobby hadn’t been able to say who he belonged to or anything else really, but he
had seen fit to warn Harry that if he returned to Hogwarts he would be in danger. Harry, who really
wanted to scoff at the creature’s warning, had instead tried to reason with the elf, telling him that he
had to return because life at the Dursleys was terrible.
Dobby had become distraught and started banging his head on the furniture and wailing. Harry had
tried to reason with him, but it wasn’t going to happen. The elf burst out of his bedroom and had
started for the kitchen where his aunt, uncle, and their guests were talking quietly. Dobby had
levitated a jello salad into the air and caught Harry’s eyes. He tried to get him to agree to stay away
from Hogwarts, but Harry hadn’t made that promise. The result was jello salad being dropped on the
wife of Uncle Vernon’s boss’ head.
Harry had been blamed of course, his aunt and uncle had refused to believe that it was a tiny elf that
came to warn him about his school. This had resulted in several knocks from Uncle Vernon and
being confined to his room with no food or water for several days. The room had been outfitted with
bars on the windows and a little kitty door that they eventually started to feed him gruel through.
Since Harry was locked inside his room, so was Hedwig. He couldn’t send for help like he would
have dared if he had had a way to do so. He felt terrible for his owl since she was suffering the same
fate as he. Harry had finally resigned himself to living the rest of his summer in his bedroom when
the Weasleys had made a daring rescue after they hadn’t heard from him in almost two weeks.
Ron, Fred, and George had arrived in the middle of the night in a flying car. After seeing the bars on
the windows, they had quickly tied them to the back of their car and ripped them from the house;
Uncle Vernon was going to be furious, but Harry didn’t care. He wanted out of 4 Privet Drive at any
cost.
George had come through the window and picked the lock to his room, allowing them to get through
the house to the cupboard under the stairs where his trunk and broom were locked away. George
made quick work of that lock as well and they were quick to gather his things and make their way
back up the stairs. While George shoved his things through the window to Ron, Harry gathered the
belongings still in his room and threw them in an old rucksack of Dudley’s. All his school books and
homework, his clothes, and his parents photo album were shoved in unceremoniously while George
grabbed Hedwig’s cage and shoved it through the window.
They had almost been scot free when Fred, who was behind the wheel, floated the car a little too
close to the house and bounced the fender off the siding. Harry heard his uncle let out a loud holler
from his room and he knew that they were going to have to hurry to make their escape. George had
jumped through the window and Ron helped him into the car. Harry had made it to the sill when his
uncle had burst through and lunged for him. Uncle Vernon had caught his ankle but with George
and Ron both tugging him further into the car, his uncle had let go. Harry had watched, trying his
hardest not to laugh, as the portly man lost his balance and fell out of the window into the bushes
below.
Of course, Mrs. Weasley had been livid when she had discovered that they had all sneaked out and
stolen the car to retrieve Harry. Her fury had softened when they informed her that Harry had been
locked in his room with bars on his windows, a small kitty door as the only access to his room. Mr.
Weasley had laughed at his son’s antics, that is, until Mrs. Weasley had smacked him in the back of
his head, reminding him that he was supposed to be scolding his children.
This had happened two weeks ago and since then, life had been wonderful. The Weasleys were a
loud and chaotic family, not even one of them was capable of sitting quietly and reading. Mrs.
Weasley was always in the kitchen cooking something. Her food was unlike any that Harry had ever
tasted, even better than Hogwarts’ meals. Mr. Weasley was fascinated by muggles and collected all
sorts of muggle items in the shed behind their house. Percy stayed to himself, usually in his room but
he was always polite to Harry when they spoke. The twins were insane, but they always were. Harry
couldn’t even count how many times they had blown something up in their room and rocked the
whole house. Ron was Ron, the same as he was at Hogwarts, maybe a bit more respectful than he
was at school. He attributed that to the fact that Mrs. Weasley wasn’t scared to take a spoon to her
children if she thought they were being disrespectful or rude.
Their sister Ginny was the only one that could be described as even remotely quiet, but Harry
noticed that it was just around him. At first, he had thought that she hated him, but Ron had finally
told him that she had had a crush on Harry Potter since she was six. To finally meet him and see him
in person was her dream come true. While he thought that Ginny was nice, her devotion to his image
was disconcerting. He didn’t like that people liked him for surviving the killing curse. He wanted
them to like him for who he was. Therefore, he just avoided her when he could to keep the
uncomfortable encounters to a minimum.
Life at the Burrow was amazing. Their days were spent playing quidditch in the orchard and
swimming in the pond. Harry still worked on his extra homework and sent it to Professor
McGonagall, though it wasn’t completed as quickly as he had done at Privet Drive. When Ron
found out, he had told Harry that he was crazy for asking for extra work but when Harry hadn’t
relented, Ron had buckled down and finally started his own holiday homework. It had taken him a
week but since there was no whinging, Harry was going to call it a win.
Harry was excited since today they were all going to be going to Diagon Alley to get their school
supplies. Their letters and lists had arrived the day before and Mrs. Weasley had insisted that her
husband take the day off work to help her get all their children and supplies to and from Diagon
Alley. He had happily agreed, citing that he had a few things that he needed to get himself.
Harry had read his book list several times over, trying to figure out why there were so many defense
books needed and they all seemed to be written by the same bloke. Judging by the titles, it seemed
like they were just stories, not anything instructive. After reading this, he was even happier that he
was doing extra lessons and could only hope that they would continue once he got to school. Mrs.
Weasley pulled him from his thoughts, shouting up the stairs that breakfast was ready and that she
wasn’t saving any back for those of her children that did not come down. Harry grinned as Ron
didn’t even stir. Harry went to his feet and shook his best mate’s shoulder.
“Ron, it’s time for breakfast. Your mum says she won’t save any back if we don’t get down there
now.” Ron sat up quickly and scrubbed his eyes before going to his feet.
“Well, come on. What are we waiting for?”
Harry laughed out loud and followed his friend out of their room and down to the kitchen. Nothing
came between Ron and his food.
-O-
Hermione had finished her breakfast and had gone back up to her room to retrieve her book and
supplies list. Draco had stayed at Malfoy Manor with his parents the night before and they would be
flooing over this morning, so they could all go shopping in Diagon Alley together. They had done it
last year and Hermione was glad that they were going to be making a tradition of it.
Her summer had gone well; she and Draco had started dueling and while Draco was very good,
well, as good as to be expected, she was terrible. Her father, Uncle Sev, and Uncle Luci had all told
her that her problem was that she over-thought her reactions; as much as she hated to admit it, she
knew they were right. For a month now, she had only been able to use a list of ten spells and only
take one second to decide which of them to use. It had been harder than anything she had done so far
except for occlumency. However, under their tutelage, she had gotten better. She still wasn’t as good
as Draco, but her father and uncles assured her that she dueled better than most fifth years. Now that
they knew what to do, she and Draco had promised each other that they would continue practicing
once they returned to Hogwarts.
The rest of her summer had been just like the summer before. She had done her assignments from
Madam Cambridge, worked on potions with Uncle Sev, who was staying with them this summer.
She had read books with Uncle Luci, went riding with Aunt Cissy, and gone on who knew how
many picnics with her father. She had even consented to go to the Ministry with him one day to
watch him work.
Draco had spent a lot of time with Theo and Blaise, having them over and playing quidditch and
other things. They always tried to include her, but she wasn’t interested in flying on brooms. She had
gone swimming with them several times in the lake at Malfoy Manor. Pansy and Daphne had sent
her numerous invitations to go shopping with them, but she had always turned them down. She had
consented to study with Daphne a few times but that was as far as her social activities went.
Her father had expressed worry that she was lonely. Hermione had wanted to laugh but when she
saw that he was being genuine, she refrained. She had told him that she wasn’t interested in
shopping, that she only went with Aunt Cissy because it made her aunt happy. She didn’t want to go
with other girls her age that cared about nothing else. Hermione would have been happy to go riding
with them if they had been interested but neither girl liked horses, quoting them as large beasts that
would surely kill them if they were to ride astride them.
Hermione had invited the two girls to go swimming with her at Malfoy Manor. Both had accepted
and since Draco had invited Theo and Blaise as well, it should have been fine. However, it ended up
being awkward and she wasn’t sure why. After it was over, and everyone had returned home except
for Hermione and Draco, he had told her that the girls were likely nervous about being seen in their
swimming outfits by boys. Hermione wasn’t sure if he was right, but she supposed that it made
sense. Pureblood girls were brought up to be modest and never show too much skin. Hermione
hadn’t worried because her aunt would never allow her to wear anything that wasn’t proper.
Hermione has assured her father that she wasn’t lonely, that when Draco was spending time with his
friends, she would search out himself or her uncles, even Aunt Cissy. She had told him that her goals
in life were much different than those of her female friends which made it hard for them to have
anything in common. He had accepted her answer and dropped it.
Hermione had dressed carefully that morning. She knew that her Aunt Cissy would expect her to
look the part of a proper pureblood girl. Her robes were an icy blue color that matched her eyes
perfectly. Her hair was styled into a messy bun that had her wand shoved through it. Even though
she couldn’t use magic in Diagon Alley, she didn’t want to be without her only protection now that
Voldemort was confirmed to have returned, at least on the spectral plane. Her father had approved of
her dress but had suggested that she cast a cooling charm on her robes since it was the middle of
August.
Hermione gathered her list and made her way back down to the library where her father was waiting
for her and the Malfoys. The Malfoys were already there, chatting quietly while they waited for her
to arrive. Once they all realized that she had entered, her father, uncle, and cousin all rose to their
feet, Uncle Luci holding his hand out to help Aunt Cissy to her feet. Her father came forward and
offered her his arm, something that Draco usually did. She wasn’t going to complain, however. She
didn’t get to see her father much anymore since she had started school and she only had a couple
more weeks with him before she started her second year.
They all made their way to the floo and one by one, flooed from Black Moor to the Leaky Cauldron.
Uncle Luci was on the other side to help Hermione and her aunt out of the fireplace. Her father came
through last and waved at Tom the barman before he offered her his arm again. The adults led them
out onto the Alley and through the streets. Her father smiled down at her, the sunshine highlighting
just how thick his eyelashes really were.
“Where do you want to go first, poppet?” She rolled her eyes, unbelieving that he even had to ask.
Draco broke in before she could answer.
“Absolutely not, we are not going to Flourish and Blotts first. We’ll never get the rest of our
supplies.” Hermione glared at her cousin since her aunt had instilled in her that it wasn’t ladylike to
stick her tongue out at him.
“I’ll have you know that I wasn’t going to say Flourish and Blotts. I was going to say Magical
Menagerie, so I could get more food and treats for Tenebris. I’m almost out.” Draco snorted until his
mother smacked him in the back of the head.
“Proper young men don’t snort, Draco, especially not at a girl.” Draco rubbed his head while Uncle
Luci and her father exchanged amused looks.
“She’s my cousin, she doesn’t count.” Now Uncle Luci smacked him in the back of the head.
“She counts more than anyone because she’s your cousin. We taught you better, as did Madam
Cambridge.” Hermione recalled all the etiquette lessons that they both had to endure and wondered
how Draco could have forgotten. Aunt Cissy smiled at her husband.
“Magical Menagerie, here we come.”
The five of them started down the Alley towards Magical Menagerie, all of them going inside so
Draco could get treats for his owl and her father could have some sent to Black Moor. Usually
Candy took care of it but occasionally, he would surprise the pushy little elf and help her out. Once
Hermione had enough food and treats to last her kneazle until Christmas, they left the pet store and
consulted their list of supplies that they needed. Uncle Luci peered at Draco’s as he spoke.
“Let’s go to Slug and Jigger’s Apothecary next. Both your potion’s kits must be empty after brewing
with Severus all summer long.” Nobody had any complaints, so they stopped in just three shops
down and ordered all the ingredients that were listed that they needed.
While Hermione never put much stock in having a lot of money and never judged a person if they
didn’t have as much money as her family did, she had to admit that it was much easier to shop when
you were wealthy. They didn’t have to worry about counting out money or anything of the sort. Her
father would simply sign the bottom of the sales slip, authorizing for the money to be taken from their
overflowing vaults. It was a luxury awarded to only the wealthiest.
Hermione had visited the family vaults just once before she started her first year at Hogwarts. It had
never interested her before so when her father had insisted that she come she had become confused.
It had turned into a conversation that she had never expected to have. Hermione knew that her father
saw women and had relations with them; she wasn’t stupid and while she could be described as
naïve, it was difficult for her to deny it when he reeked of perfume when he came home late at night.
He usually waited until she spent the night at Malfoy Manor, but it didn’t always work out like that.
Hermione didn’t mind that he sought physical release. Aunt Cissy had had a long talk with her just
months before about sex, her cycle, her growing and changing body and all the attention that she was
sure to garner from the boys not only because of her name and fortune but also because she was an
exquisite girl, beautiful inside and out. Hermione had been horribly embarrassed, but Aunt Cissy had
made the whole situation easier by telling her that Uncle Luci was talking to Draco about it as well.
Hermione understood about sex and that men thought they needed it often. Aunt Cissy had urged her
to save herself for her husband, that he would appreciate her gift to him. Hermione had argued that it
wasn’t fair for a woman to save herself but not a man. Aunt Cissy had agreed but reminded her just
what she thought her cousin would do if he thought that she was having sex with someone. Her aunt
had lamented that the double standard wasn’t fair, but it was how their world worked.
Draco had told her that his father had given him the talk as well. He didn’t go into details but had
made sure to tell her that he had been instructed that if he ever had sex with a girl before marriage
that he was clear that there was never going to be anything serious between them and that he would
only be marrying someone that he loved. It had made Hermione sick at the time but since she had no
plans to sleep with anyone anytime soon, it was pointless to complain.
Her father had insisted that she visit the vaults because as his heir it was mandatory that she know the
extent of their wealth and meet with their accounts manager, the same goblin that had bound her to
her father through blood magic so long ago. Hermione had finally gathered the courage to ask him
why he wouldn’t have any of his own children and he had been very frank when he told her that by
the time he was free to have a relationship, he would be too old to take care of a small child. She had
felt sorry for him until he had reassured her that she was more than enough for him to be happy for
the rest of her life, that when she did finally get married, her second son would take the last name of
Black and carry on the name.
The sheer size of her family’s vault was mind-blowing; Hermione had never seen something so
enormous in her life. When her father saw her dumbfounded expression, he had laughed at her as he
explained that the Malfoy family vaults were bigger but just by a little. She had been even more
surprised when she learned that Harry’s vault was just a little smaller than their own.
After refilling their potion’s kits, Aunt Cissy insisted that they stop at Twilfitt and Tattings before
they stopped for lunch. Hermione groaned inwardly, as did Draco, but both had learned long ago to
not complain, otherwise it took even longer. Agatha Tatting stepped away from the rest of the
customers as soon as she saw them, insisting on measuring Hermione and Draco first. This was the
kind of treatment that being wealthy that she hated. Draco didn’t seem to mind but she wasn’t
surprised. Draco never liked waiting.
After Aunt Cissy had chosen the fabric for their uniforms and ordered several for each of them, they
left the upscale clothing shop and started for a new restaurant that had opened in the Alley just the
month before. They had ate there once before and had been impressed so they decided to give it
another shot.
Once they stepped foot into the Wizard’s Trap, a maître d’ rushed forward to seat them at a table that
Hermione could have sworn had a reserved sign on. They were handed menus, so she started to
peruse her options. They served an array of different foods ranging from classic English dishes to
fancy French ones, even a few American dishes that Hermione had never tried. Everyone chose
carefully, hoping to enjoy their meal the second time around as well.
Hermione ended up choosing the coq au vin, her favorite French dish. Draco rolled his eyes at her
but said nothing, probably for fear of angering his mother again. The meal passed quickly, everyone
enjoying their food very much. Her father happily left a generous tip while Uncle Luci paid the bill.
After lunch, Draco begged to his father to let him get a new broom, so he could try out for the
quidditch team; her father was just as excited to go so Hermione and Aunt Cissy stayed outside on a
bench while they waited for the boys to finish their shopping.
They discussed her upcoming year at school. Her aunt warned her that while the boys had been
interested the year before, they were going to be even more so now. Hermione had started to grow
breasts, just small little nubs at the moment, but noticeable through her robes. Her aunt had spent a
small fortune buying her the finest lingerie that she could find in her fledgling size. When her father
had discovered the purchases, Hermione knew her face had been burning with embarrassment. She
couldn’t remember being as happy as she was when the three boys appeared out of Quality
Quidditch Supply, brand new broom in Draco’s hand.
Draco was bragging about his new broom to Hermione, going on and on about how it was a Nimbus
2001 and he was going to fly fast enough to get on the team. While she did try to pay attention to
him, her attention was riveted on Flourish and Blotts ahead. It was always her favorite stop and while
everyone gave her a hard time about whiling away her day in the bookshop, she was well-aware that
if they had visited there first, they would have had to drag her out kicking and screaming. Not really
behavior she wanted to exhibit in front of her aunt.
As they neared the book shop, the crowd was larger than normal. Hermione remembered how many
people had been in there last year when they had went shopping and the number was almost triple.
When they reached the windows, it was clear why. Gilderoy Lockhart, the man who had wrote all
the books they needed for their Defense class, was doing a book signing.
Hermione could admit that he was handsome. She had never read any of his books, so she had no
idea if he was as brilliant as he was always claiming to be, his quotes were all over that rag Witch
Weekly. She wasn’t anywhere near as enamored as the rest of the witches in the store, all swooning
and batting their eyes in his direction. Her uncle and father groaned when they saw just what they
were going to have to brave inside.
Hermione didn’t let them even get a chance at backing out. She took both their hands and dragged
them inside, both protesting under their breath. Once they were all inside, Hermione rushed to get a
basket, eager to find all her texts. Maybe she could talk her father into getting her the newest book on
Arithmancy and Runes as well.
When she grabbed her basket, Hermione caught sight of the last person that she had anticipated
seeing there. Harry Potter and the entire Weasley family. She knew that this situation had the
potential to go very wrong, but she was going to do her best to make sure that that didn’t happen.
She hurried back to her family and pulled them in the opposite direction of the redheads. The mother
seemed to be watching Lockhart closely, fanning herself when he looked in her direction. Her
husband seemed to be oblivious next to her. Hermione frowned at the display. Even if Aunt Cissy
had found the man handsome, she would never have demonstrated that she did, especially in front of
Uncle Luci. She would have deemed it as disrespectful to her husband.
When Hermione glanced over at Draco, she realized that he was watching the same scene that she
was. His lip was curled upwards in disgust, obviously unimpressed with the woman’s display. She
quickly averted her eye when her father reached out and handed her one of the books on her list. He
must have seen the Weasleys were with Harry because there was a sharp intake of air. His hand fell
to her shoulder as he whispered in her ear.
“There’s Harry, sweetness, Merlin, look how he’s grown. He’s so much bigger than he was last year
when I saw him.” She laid her hand over his and squeezed his fingers.
“I know, Daddy. He’s obviously staying with the Weasleys. It’s too bad that you can’t say anything
to him.” Before he could respond, Lockhart realized that Harry Potter was there buying his books.
Hermione watched with extreme distaste as the blond man pulled Harry over to his table of books
and threw an arm around him, claiming that he was giving him all his books for free since he was
going to be their new Defense professor. She was happy to see that there was a disgusted look on his
face. After being forcibly held to the man’s side for a series of photos, Sirius started towards the
table. Hermione rushed after him, scared that he was going to get into a fight with the man. Her
father was known for his volatile temper.
Uncle Luci, however, wasn’t above acting like the Slytherin he was. He drew his wand and cast at
her father’s back, freezing him on the spot. Since he was so close to the table, however, he was still
able to see Harry and the scene before him unfold. Her aunt and uncle approached together, Draco
and Hermione staying only a few steps behind. Lockhart caught sight of Aunt Cissy and removed his
arm from around Harry’s shoulders, so he could come forward and catch her aunt’s hand in his. He
bent over it to press a kiss to her knuckles before he spoke.
“My biggest fan has come to get my autograph today. You, my dear, are as lovely as a spring day.”
There was clear disgust on her aunt’s hand and she could hear Draco growling next to her. She laid a
hand on his arm, calming him. Aunt Cissy jerked her hand out of his while Uncle Luci spoke, his
voice low and dangerous. Most people assumed that Uncle Luci never got angry because he never
yelled. The truth of the matter was that the angrier he got, the quieter his voice got.
“I would advise you to never touch my wife again, Lockhart. I don’t believe in sharing.” Hermione
knew in this moment that Lockhart was a blithering idiot. Even people that didn’t know her uncle
were backing away.
“Nonsense, it’s just being friendly. Perhaps she would like a signed photo of myself and Mr. Potter?”
Lucius stepped further into the man’s space which caused him to back away.
“I suggest that you release Mr. Potter. I’ve been watching this whole time and he doesn’t look most
pleased at being your next claim to fame.” Lockhart was just now realizing that her uncle was
serious. He quickly backed away from Harry as well. Since it was clear that the confrontation was
over, Aunt Cissy reached behind her and waved her wand, releasing her father from his spell.
Hermione heard him growl angrily but lost it in the shouting that was now taking place between
Ronald Weasley and her cousin.
“Why would Death Eater scum like you and your family care about Harry? What do you want him
for? You’re trying to get him to trust you.” Draco stepped forward, angry sneer on his face.
“You don’t get to talk about my family like that. You are only bringing shame to your family, you
ignorant lout.” Arthur Weasley stepped forward and clamped down on his son’s shoulder.
“Ronald, shut the hell up. You have no idea what you’re doing.” Ronald glared at his father but
remained silent. The elder Weasley turned to Uncle Luci and looked like he was about to swallow
something highly unpleasant.
“I apologize, Lucius, it won’t happen again.” Draco snorted next to her but remained silent as well.
Her father was standing behind both of them, hands on both their shoulders, while Aunt Cissy was
watching with the hardest expression Hermione had ever seen on her face. Lucius’ voice was
dripping with disdain.
“See that it doesn’t. You might invest in an etiquette tutor. His manners are atrocious. If he continues
to insult my niece, he won’t like what happens. I have no problems allowing my son to defend her
honor. The traditional way, of course. From what I hear of your son’s school work, the duel
wouldn’t last long.” Hermione cringed. Her uncle always sounded pompous when things like this
happened; she knew for a fact that it was going to infuriate the Weasley family. While she didn’t care
about most of them, she could see the twins glaring at her uncle.
Rather than come back with a retort, Arthur lunged at Uncle Luci, his fist swinging and catching him
off-guard. His fist hit her uncle in the nose, which exploded in blood that poured down his chin and
stained his robes. It was clear that her uncle was going to try to spin this as badly as possible for
Arthur Weasley, but it wasn’t possible when the red-haired man started for him again. This time,
Lucius wasn’t caught unaware. He caught Weasley’s fist and threw his own, knocking Weasley to
the ground. It would have worked out great if it hadn’t been for the fact that Arthur had grabbed the
front of her uncle’s robes and dragged him down with him.
Hermione lunged forward, worried that her uncle was seriously injured since they were now rolling
on the ground. Aunt Cissy grabbed the back of her robes and held fast, refusing to let her go. Her
father stepped forward and pulled his friend off Weasley, throwing him behind him so he could
attempt to stem the blood still flowing from his nose. Hermione flew from her aunt’s grasp, so she
could hug her uncle close before instructing him to pinch his nose shut to stop the bleeding. Her
father was now glaring at Weasley, but the red-haired man didn’t seem to be quailing in the least.
“You don’t fuck with my family and your family has done nothing but. The only honorable ones
among you are your twins.” Arthur stepped forward proudly, head held high, so he could make sure
that everyone heard his words.
“It’s rich that someone who serves You-Know-Who and turns his best friend over to him is lecturing
me and my family about honor. The only reason you aren’t rotting in prison is because you were
lucky enough to have your brother die off, so you could adopt his child. Trust me, one day she’ll
realize that you’re just lying to her and that you and your friend hiding behind you are nothing but
murderers and rapists. Then where will you be?” Mrs. Weasley came forward and started pulling on
her husband, doing her best to rally her children at the same time.
Hermione left her uncle to rush into her father’s arms, uncaring that it wasn’t seemly or ladylike in
the least. He held her close and kissed the top of her head while Aunt Cissy started waving her wand
at Uncle Luci, getting the blood to stop. People were no longer staring since the Weasleys had just
departed. Hermione saw Harry cast a long glance behind him, almost like he wasn’t sure what he
had just seen. She met his gaze for just a moment before Ron grabbed ahold of his arm and pulled
him out of the shop.
Aunt Cissy decided that they were all to head back home to Black Moor while she finished shopping
for their books. Her father led her out of Flourish and Blotts as regally as he could; they were Blacks
after all. Draco and Lucius followed, Lucius trying to remove the blood stains from his robes.
Deciding that they didn’t want to walk the Alley all the way back to the Leaky Cauldron, her father
grabbed her, and Uncle Luci grabbed Draco. They apparated just outside the door, landing in the
entrance hall of Black Moor.
-O-
Sirius couldn’t believe that this had happened. Not only had he finally seen Harry clearly for the first
time since he was a year old, Lockhart had used him to further his career. While he always hated
admitting that Lucius was right, he would be the first to thank his friend for his actions today. The
last thing that he wanted to do was frighten his godson and make him think that he was coming after
him for unsavory reasons.
What surprised Sirius the most was the reaction of Arthur Weasley. The man had always been the
most laid-back person he knew aside from Remus, so his reaction was just over the top. Of course,
the fact that it was Lucius was probably the reason; the feud between their families was legendary.
Sirius would never doubt his daughter or cousin when they told him how horrid the Weasley boy
was. It was clear that the boy hadn’t been raised with manners; if he had, none of the knowledge had
stuck. After remembering that the twins had apologized in the formal manner, it was clear that they
had been taught; the boy just didn’t employ the knowledge bestowed upon him. Sirius had been
nasty when he was a child, that much was certain, but at that point in time, he hadn’t cared about
manners and making enemies.
Lucius had already been tended by Candy and shed his robes, so Dot could clean them. Hermione
was seated next to him, clearly still worried that he was hurt. Sirius chuckled to himself; his daughter
always worried even if it was clear that it wasn’t necessary. Finally, Lucius shooed her away good-
naturedly, so she came and sat down on his lap. Her head was laid on his shoulder when she finally
spoke.
“One of these days, Harry will know the truth and it will be everyone else that he’s angry at for lying
to him. I know it sucks but just keep telling yourself that it won’t be forever.” Sirius smiled above her
before he kissed her hairline.
“I know, sweetness. I’m being patient. You be patient as well.” She chuckled softly before she spoke
again.
“I don’t care about being his friend anymore. I’ll be nice to him and protect him if I need to, but I’ve
given up on being his friend. It doesn’t do to dwell on the impossible. I don’t want to be friends with
someone that can be nice one second and then say the worst things imaginable the next. I don’t like
feeling how he makes me feel.” Sirius wasn’t sure what to say to that. He was quite certain that his
daughter had a small crush on his godson but had never voiced it. The last thing he wanted to do was
embarrass her about something like that. He understood why his words had hurt his daughter so
deeply. She had grown up hearing about how great of a person he would be, how much Sirius loved
him, how powerful he was going to be when he was grown. He had always wondered if she hadn’t
been just a little bit jealous.
After that thought, Sirius held his daughter tighter, trying to show her that she was important to him.
He was just getting ready to tell her so when the floo activated and Cissa entered the library. Her face
was a thundercloud of fury and her back was ramrod straight. Sirius sighed.
This was going to be a long night for himself and Lucius.
-O-
Harry laid in bed that night, considering what had happened that day in Flourish and Blotts. The new
Defense professor seemed like a total ponce. He wasn’t sure that the man even knew how to hold his
wand, let alone cast with it. He had been unimpressed at best.
Harry couldn’t hide his surprise when Malfoy’s father had stepped forward and told the idiot man to
back off him. Most everyone talked about how evil the man was and there he was trying to protect
Harry. Of course, he supposed that it could be that the man was just trying to gain favor but that
wasn’t how it had seemed at the time.
Sirius Black had taken his breath away and not in a good way. He had been surprised to see the man,
even more surprised that he hadn’t approached him, especially after how hard Hermione had tried to
be his friend last year at school. The only time the man had spoken was when Mr. Weasley had
attacked Lucius Malfoy. Harry supposed that the traitor had reacted as normal people would,
protecting those they considered family. That was what Mr. Weasley had been doing though even
Harry had to admit that while Malfoy hadn’t made the problem better with his comment, Ron had
started it by opening his fat trap.
Harry had seen first hand Hermione’s care for her uncle; she had ran into his arms once Sirius Black
had separated Mr. Weasley and Malfoy. He had been cold and hard to everyone else, even kept that
expression on his face when his son had spoken, but with Hermione, he was all hugs, kisses on her
head, and soft words. She had gone to her father next, who hugged her close and kissed her head as
well. It was clear that the girl was adored.
Harry was jealous of that; he wanted a family that loved him like that. He hated that he only had the
Dursleys, who treated him no better than a slave. He remembered Hermione’s words to him the night
that he had been completely horrid to her.
You would have been my brother and we would have loved you like we love Draco.
Harry shoved the thought from his mind; these were dangerous waters. Dumbledore had been clear
when he told him the story of his parent’s deaths and how Hermione Black was involved. He had to
stay strong and not focus on the Slytherin girl. The last thing he needed now that he was finally
getting extra lessons was a distraction, especially a distraction that he wasn’t supposed to have.
Harry rolled over and tried not to pay attention to Mrs. Weasley screaming at her husband
downstairs. Ron was already snoring so there was no hope of conversation. Deciding that he was
going to put effort into falling asleep, he closed his eyes and focused on the future.
In just two weeks’ time they would be heading back to Hogwarts. Life would be good once again.
A/N- Boom, another chapter down, y’all. Thanks for reading and reviewing, you guys are the bomb.
I love the support you guys show me, it keeps me motivated! Anyways, leave me a message and tell
me what you think. Reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, everyone returns to Hogwarts for their second year.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 27

A/N- Once again, you guys are just so awesome. I can’t thank you enough for being so supportive
and spreading the love. Your reviews keep me motivated, as do your kind words. I just want to bang
out more chapters for you! Anyways, my daughter is getting ready to have surgery on her other foot
now, on Friday in fact, and I hope to be able to keep writing since she’ll be doped up for the first few
days, but we shall see. If it takes me a few days, thanks for being patient. Enough for now, this
chapter is just waiting to be written.
**Huge thanks to Lady Firemane for being my 700th reviewer. You’re awesome, girl!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing and I’ll never make any money off this story or any of my others.
Everything about this story belongs to someone else. All hail our queen J.K.R.
Chapter 27
September 1, 1992
Hermione was bouncing with excitement. She really wasn’t sure why since the school work wasn’t a
challenge and she really didn’t have any close friends to look forward to spending time with. She
supposed that it was just the thrill she got from the tradition of attending Hogwarts, something she
had wanted to do since she was as small as she could remember.
Draco was watching her with amusement as they readied themselves to apparate onto Platform 9 ¾.
They were waiting on her father to put his robes on; he had shed them at breakfast. Candy insisted
that he dress appropriately when he left the house after smacking him several times with a rolled-up
newspaper. The rest of them laughed at the display while her father scowled and hurried to get his
robes.
Once he appeared with his robes on, her father took her arm and threaded it through his elbow. She
grinned up at him while he waved his wand, lifting the apparition wards long enough for Uncle Luci
and Aunt Cissy to apparate out. Her uncle took hold of Draco’s arm and disappeared with a pop, her
aunt following them. Her father waved his wand, replacing the ward and smiling down at her.
“I’m going to miss you, poppet.” Hermione let go of his arm and hugged him close.
“I’m going to miss you too, daddy. Christmas seems like a long time away.” Her father carded his
fingers through her curls.
“It’ll be here before you know it. Promise me that you’ll be safe once you get to the castle. I know
that Severus will look after you, but I don’t want you taking unnecessary risks. We both know that
Dumbledore won’t care if you get hurt.” Hermione nodded against his chest.
“I promise, daddy. I won’t do anything stupid.” Her father chuckled as he released her, pulling her
hand back into his elbow.
“Let’s go before Lucius and Cissy start thinking that we’re not coming.” Hermione chuckled.
“Alright, let’s go.” Her father twisted on the spot and they reappeared on the Platform. There were
children and their parents bustling all over the platform, yelling at their friends and hauling their
trunks onto the train. Hermione wasn’t sure why the parents didn’t just shrink the trunks for their
children so they could stow them in their pockets but what did she know?
Hermione kept her eyes open for Harry and the Weasley family. Her father was deep in conversation
with Thoros Nott, Uncle Luci joining them. Draco had disappeared to talk to Theo and Blaise and
she had no idea where Aunt Cissy was. Hermione didn’t mind; it freed up her attention to make sure
that her would-be brother arrived safely. After several minutes of scanning the crowd, Hermione
finally caught sight of the Weasley matriarch, but she didn’t see Harry or Ronald anywhere. The
train whistle blew, alerting Hermione to the fact that it was time to board the train and start their
journey to Hogwarts.
Her father hugged her close, kissing the top of her head, before releasing her with a smile. He didn’t
say anything since they had exchanged their farewells before leaving Black Moor. Draco was
shaking his father’s hand, but he quickly moved on to comfort his mother and tell her that he would
miss her. Hermione floated into her uncle’s embrace, burying her face in his robes so she could
memorize the smell of his expensive cologne. His fingers ran through her curls much the same way
her fathers had before he kissed her forehead softly.
“Stay safe, Hermione, do well in class and don’t let the others bully you. I know that you’re different
than the other girls your age but don’t allow them to snub you.” Hermione squeezed her uncle
tightly.
“I won’t, Uncle Luci. The girls are nice to me, don’t worry about that. I’ll make you proud.” He
gave her an adoring smile before gesturing for her to hug her aunt while Draco moved to shake her
father’s hand. Her aunt hugged her close, smoothing her hair where the others had run their fingers
through it.
“Be good, Hermione, do well in class, and make us proud.” She nodded against her aunt’s chest, the
silk of her robes soft against her cheek. She could hear her father and uncle charging her cousin with
looking after her and keeping her safe. The whistle blew again, cutting the talk off short, which
meant that Hermione and Draco were now due to board or miss the train entirely.
Draco grabbed her hand and held it in his, pulling her onto the train. As the Express started to pull
away, Hermione stood at the window, waving at her family, knowing that she was going to miss
them dearly while she was gone. Once they could no longer see Platform 9 ¾, she let Draco lead her
through the train, so they could find a compartment.
Hermione really wasn’t in the mood to sit with all their friends; they would be loud and boisterous,
excited to see each other and to head back to Hogwarts. It was true, Hermione was excited as well,
but she wasn’t nearly as excited as her friends would be. However, when Draco pulled her into the
compartment that housed all their first-year friends, she didn’t argue about joining them. It made
Draco happy since he was a far more social being then she was.
While the others caught up with everyone, Hermione dug into her pocket and pulled out one of the
new books that her father had allowed her to order from Flourish and Blotts. It was over warding, a
subject that she had taken interest in over the summer. They had learned basic warding with Madam
Cambridge, but she was anxious to start trying the more difficult wards listed in the book she was
now trying to read.
Her friends all groaned when they saw her retrieve a book. Hermione did her best to ignore them; it
usually worked any other time they gave her a hard time about always reading or studying. Draco
was quick to shush them, informing them that Hermione was the reason that their house had so many
points last year and it was in their best interest to not keep her from her studying. Daphne was the
only one that showed any interest after his statement, asking her quietly what her book was about.
When she explained to the blond girl, Hermione could see that the girl was confused at her
explanation but seemed genuinely interested.
The train ride passed with little to no fanfare. The witch that pushed the trolley came around several
times, all her friends buying more sweets than they had sense. Hermione only shook her head in
wonder as she watched her fellow snakes devour obscene amounts of sugar. Hermione herself had
bought a single sugar quill, her favorite, but only for as long as it took her to eat only one. Greg and
Vince were trying to hurry and finish their holiday homework, something that Hermione and Draco
had finished within the first few days of returning home. She watched on in exasperation, knowing
that their grades were going to be terrible since the job was so rushed.
It was nearing dark when Draco stood and suggested that all the boys leave and allow the girls to get
into their school robes. They all took their own robes with them, citing that they would find another
compartment to change in. Hermione was quick to change, simply sliding her school robes over her
every day robes that she had worn to the Platform. Daphne followed her lead but Pansy, Millie, and
Tracey all changed completely, folding their robes and placing them in their stowed away trunks.
The boys returned as well, their school robes in place over their usual robes. They took their seats
again and everyone started complaining that they were starving, more than ready for the Welcoming
Feast at Hogwarts. Hermione’s mind once more returned to Harry and the Weasleys; had she just
missed the pair in the crush of people? Had they boarded the train before she caught sight of them?
She knew that she shouldn’t worry but she just couldn’t help herself. It was a habit formed many
years ago and it was hard to break now that she refused to continue to try to be his friend.
The whistle blew again, and the train rolled to a stop, much the same way that it had the year before.
Hermione stood with the others, tucking her book into her robes so she could read at dinner if she
needed to. They filed off the train together, excited chatter all you could hear in the dark of the late
summer night. Hagrid could be heard off in the distance, hollering to everyone as they approached.
“Al’ righ’, everone’ head ta the carriages. Firs’ years, come wit’ me.” Hermione knew that he
couldn’t help it, but his speech drove her half-mad. She had been brought up to enunciate her words
clearly and she sometimes had a hard time understanding the half-giant.
Hermione let Draco thread her arm through his and pull her towards where the carriages were
standing. As they neared them, Hermione remembered that the students always spoke of the
horseless carriages pulling them to Hogwarts. It was in this moment that she realized they weren’t
horseless at all. Her other hand found Draco’s forearm, clutching it tightly.
“They aren’t horseless. They’re pulled by thestrals.” Understanding dawned on her cousin’s face and
he patted her hand softly. Theo scrunched up his face and looked confused.
“What are thestrals? The carriages look horseless to me.” Hermione let go of her cousin, so she could
stroke one on the neck. When it whickered softly, the others startled. Hermione smiled softly as the
beast started to nuzzle her shoulder.
“Thestrals are kind of like horses but they look vastly different. You can’t see a thestral unless
you’ve seen someone die.” Hermione knew that the question was coming so she wasn’t surprised but
that didn’t mean that she wanted to answer it. It was Blaise that asked it of her.
“Who have you seen die?” Draco stepped forward, obviously aware that she really didn’t want to
talk about it. Hermione was quick to answer, however. She didn’t want her cousin to fight with his
friend over an innocently asked question.
“My mother. An organization called the Order of the Phoenix wanted information on my Uncle
Lucius, so they decided to raid my mother and I’s home when I was only two. They blasted in the
door and it hit her in the head. They didn’t mean to, but it killed her. At least, I don’t think they
meant to.” They were all looking at her with pity in their eyes, something she realized that she didn’t
care for in the least. Pansy was the next to speak.
“That’s how you ended up with your dad.” Hermione nodded as she gave the thestral one last pat on
the nose. Draco was there next to her instantly, helping her into the carriage. Once she was fully
ensconced inside, Hermione heard him hissing at the others. It was completely unnecessary, but she
appreciated it nonetheless.
“Nobody is to tease her about this or you’ll answer to me.” Theo was the one she heard respond,
probably because his mother had died when he was young as well, though it was in childbirth.
“Mate, we would never tease her about something like this. Even though some of our parents aren’t
the nicest, none of us can imagine losing them.” Draco entered next, taking the seat next to her. She
gave him a knowing look, but he didn’t meet her eyes. She wrapped his hand in hers and squeezed
it, showing that she appreciated his words.
The journey to the castle was relatively short, only ten minutes or so since they were coming from
Hogsmeade station. Hermione couldn’t help but think that it was less exciting than the trip across the
Black Lake. Conversation about quidditch and dread for their classes ensued but Hermione tuned
them out. She watched the scenery out of the window even though she couldn’t see much in the
dark.
They pulled up to the castle and everyone filed out of the carriage, the boys helping the girls out with
a hand down. Since Hermione had been the first in, she was the last out, only for Draco to hand her
down from the step like a proper gentleman. Hermione stopped for a few moments to survey the
castle in darkness of the night.
Her second year at Hogwarts had officially arrived.
-O-
Harry was beginning to panic. They had been running late to the Platform already due to something
going wrong with the car that Mr. Weasley had tinkered with, giving it the ability to fly. Mrs.
Weasley had insisted that she go through first since she had Ginny and it was her first year; she
wanted to get the young girl a spot on the train, so she wouldn’t have to worry about it. In the time
that he had spent with the Weasleys, it was clear that Ginny was spoiled and got most anything that
she wanted.
Harry and Ron had volunteered to come through the barrier to the Platform last since Percy was in a
rush to get to the prefect’s carriage and the twins were whinging about not getting a good
compartment. The pair had decided to run through together, a bad decision on their part since when
their trolleys hit the barrier, they bounced back and flipped both boys onto their arses.
There were several irritated looks shot their way from passing people; Harry had learned long ago to
not them bother him. Ron, however, wasn’t used to it and he also wasn’t used to remaining calm. He
had instantly started freaking out, telling Harry that they were never going to get through the barrier
and that they needed to do something to get to school or risk getting expelled.
“Let’s fly the car to Hogwarts, Mum and Dad can always apparate back home.” Harry considered
his friend’s words.
“Ron, that sounds like a terrible idea. Your parents have to come back to the car to take it home, we
should just wait for them there. They can send an owl to Professor Dumbledore and tell him what
happened.” Ron didn’t look convinced, but he nodded anyways. Harry reloaded his trolley and
started to push it towards the exit. Ron was following behind him, watching everything and everyone
around him. It was clear that he had never been to the muggle world before aside from last year
when they had come through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾. Harry called out for him to hurry up, citing
that they didn’t want to miss his parents.
Once outside, finding the car was easy enough. It was a baby blue Ford Anglia, a little beat up, but
nothing too terrible. Since the doors were unlocked (Mr. Weasley obviously didn’t know any better),
the pair loaded all their belongings into the back seat since they weren’t sure what the Weasley
parents were going to do with them.
Harry and Ron stood out in the hot sunlight for over an hour, waiting for the elder Weasleys to
return. Ron was growing agitated that they were still waiting, and Harry had to admit that he was
getting worried. Did the Weasleys meet friends on the Platform and decided to go somewhere for
lunch? Were they going to pick their car up after dark when less people would notice them flying
off? Different scenarios played out in his mind, making him even more worried when the two-hour
mark hit. Finally, Ron spoke again, anger evident in his voice.
“This was a stupid idea. Obviously, they had other plans and they aren’t coming back anytime soon.
I say we take the car before we’re late for the start of term. You know it begins when the Feast
starts.” Harry was torn; should he give in to Ron and take the car, probably earning him a tongue
lashing like he had never had before from the Weasleys or did he not take it and take the chance of
not getting to school on time? His decision was made for him when Ron crawled into the driver’s
seat of the car and started it up.
“Get in Harry. We’re going.” Harry heaved a sigh; there was no putting Ron off when he got like
this. He opened the door and crawled in, taking a seat in the passenger side. Neither one of them had
ever driven the car, let alone flown it, so the take off was jerky. However, Harry had to give it to
Ron; he mastered it quickly and got up to a good speed in the parking lot of King’s Cross station.
Once they were around back, Ron leaned over and hit the button that made them fly, the very button
that Mr. Weasley had fixed just that morning.
The car rose in the air without problem. Harry was surprised to be honest but quickly became
worried as they rose over the roof of King’s Cross.
“Make it invisible, Ron, otherwise the muggles will see.” Ron swore loudly as he reached over to hit
another button. The car shimmered slightly, indicating that the car was now indeed invisible.
Ron took the car in the direction that the Express usually went, hoping that they would eventually
see the train and be able to follow it. The train didn’t travel at such speeds that they wouldn’t be able
to catch up to it. It was over an hour later that Harry pointed off in the distance, catching sight of the
speeding red train in the distance.
“It’s over there, Ron, we need to veer left.” Ron obeyed, relief clear on his features that they had
finally figured out which way they needed to go.
They followed the train for several hours. Harry was getting hungry and thirsty, not to mention he
needed to use the loo. Ron was complaining of the same things but there was nothing that they could
do without losing valuable time. It was nearing dark when they finally caught sight of Hogwarts in
the distance. Rather than continue following the Hogwarts Express, Ron started in the direction of
the castle. Harry was unsure where they were going to land the car and just how much trouble they
were going to get into for doing so.
Darkness had fallen, and it was clear that they were very close to the castle when a loud clanking
noise was heard, and the car started to drop at a rapid pace. Ron was hitting the first button he had
pushed over and over, frantically trying to get the car to start flying again, but it was to no avail.
Finally, the car gave out entirely and started to plummet to the ground.
Harry was quite sure that he was going to die on Hogwarts grounds. The ground was rushing up at
them at an alarming pace and Ron was screaming. Harry could do nothing but focus on the heavy
thud of his heart in his chest. He had finally closed his eyes, prepared for the smashing into the
ground, when they landed hard on something and then slipped further down. When Harry opened
his eyes, he realized that they were in a tree.
The tree, however, wasn’t a typical tree that you would find anywhere else on the grounds. It was
angry and was whipping its branches back and forth, doing its best to dislodge them. When they got
stuck in the crotch of a rather large branch, a branch the size of a basketball came through the back
window of the car and then out through the windshield, grabbing ahold of the car and flinging it out
of its depths.
Harry slammed into the dash when the car landed, then the door when the car rolled over. It came to
a stop once it was on its wheels again and Harry had never been more grateful. However, he hadn’t
been expecting the car’s doors to open abruptly and throw them bodily from the car. Their trunks and
Harry’s owl cage followed after them, Harry thanking Merlin that he had sent Hedwig on the day
before, so she could get some air under her wings. He landed with a thud, Ron on the opposite side,
while the car started up again and drove off into the Forbidden Forest.
Harry sat there for a few moments, considering what had just happened to them. Truthfully, they
were lucky that they weren’t dead. That tree hadn’t wanted them in its branches and it had fought
back against them with a vengeance. They were surely going to be in deep trouble now. Despite the
ache in his back and side, the throbbing in his head, Harry stood carefully and gathered his
belongings while Ron did the same.
“Come on, Ron. Let’s get up to the castle.”
-O-
Severus was livid. He was standing in the Hospital Wing with Albus and Minerva, looking down
upon an injured Boy-Who-Lived and the Weasley spawn. They had flown and wrecked a flying car
on Hogwarts grounds after deciding that since they couldn’t get through the barrier that they would
take their transportation into their own hands.
In truth, the Weasley parents had been rabid with worry. When they hadn’t found the two boys on
the Platform, they had been sure that a Death Eater had taken them. They had immediately apparated
to the castle, alerting Dumbledore and calling for a search. Everyone had flown into action, hoping to
find the boys before the one hope for the light side of the war was dead.
Potter had informed them they hadn’t been able to get through the barrier and had decided to go wait
by the Weasley family car, so they could have them get ahold of the castle. They had told them that
they had waited for over two hours before deciding to take the car themselves, citing that the
Weasley couple must have had plans. Weasley admitted that taking the car had been his idea but
Potter had not stopped him.
Severus supposed that he couldn’t fault them for thinking that Arthur and Molly had had plans. They
had admitted to not returning to their car after they couldn’t find the boys. However, rather than
flying a piece of shite car that worked only half the time, they should have continued to wait until
someone returned. Then they wouldn’t be in the position they were in now, injured and in trouble in
the Hospital Wing.
“Do you have any idea how easily you could have been killed? Not only that, you damaged a
decades old tree on the grounds. Hopefully Professor Sprout can mend it. I don’t care that you would
have been waiting in that dingy parking lot all day; you should have waited and not been so reckless.
To think our bright and shining hope of the wizarding world doesn’t even have the sense to keep his
own hide safe.” Albus shot him a dirty look, silencing him with his eyes.
“Harry, Ron, what you did tonight was very reckless and very dangerous. Severus is right, you could
have been killed and you did injure the Whomping Willow. However, I understand that you did
make the right decision first, you waited for over two hours and nobody returned. While this
shouldn’t be a proud moment, I understand why it happened.” Severus couldn’t believe what he was
hearing. If that old bastard tried to award them points for such a stunt he was going to tender his
resignation and tell him to find someone else to protect the idiot boy.
Severus wasn’t used to being around such reckless behavior; he was the consummate Slytherin and
the two children that he dealt with on a regular basis would never have been stupid enough to fly an
enchanted car from London to Scotland just, so they wouldn’t be late for classes. The pair of them
both kept going on about the barrier not working for them and having no idea why. Albus seemed
just as stumped. Severus was not, however.
Sirius and Lucius had told him of their idea to use Dobby to try to dissuade the boy from returning to
the castle. House elves magic was a branch all on its own and since he doubted an everyday wizard
couldn’t confound the barrier, he assumed it was the elf’s last-ditch effort to keep him home. While
he knew that the attempt would never work, he had to give it to he elf that he had tried. Severus
couldn’t keep the bite out of his tone.
“I know you aren’t going to award these boys points, Albus. That disgusting display at the end of the
year didn’t win you any friends. This would do irreparable damage to your reputation.” The
Headmaster’s eyes flashed for several seconds before the anger was replaced with twinkling once
more.
“No, Severus, I think that detention is in order. Two nights a piece with Professor McGonagall to be
served starting tomorrow.” Both boys looked incredulous, completely surprised that they were
getting off so easily. Severus was still seething inside; if it had been Draco or Hermione, they would
have been expelled. He knew that it would do no good to say anything, however. Once the
Headmaster’s mind was made up, it was made up.
With a single look, Albus indicated that he wanted Severus to follow him. He knew that the
Headmaster was angry, and he was going to be scolded but he wasn’t going to lie down and take it.
The Weasley parents had already seen both boys and told Severus and Albus that they would
support whatever punishment they decided on; they weren’t looking to be lenient on the boys, why
should they? Severus followed him through the corridors until they were ensconced in the
Headmaster’s office behind closed doors. Albus spun around quicker than he remembered ever
seeing the man move, his eyes flashing once more.
“Don’t you ever talk to me like that in front of students again, Severus, or I’ll have your job.”
Severus took a step forward as he started to laugh.
“You can have my job. Find yourself someone else who will protect your precious Harry Potter like
I do and then spy for you on the Dark Lord. Good luck with that.” Severus didn’t wait around to
hear what the man had to say. He was only two steps from the door when the Headmaster spoke.
“I’m sorry, Severus, I never should have said that. Please stay and discuss this.” Severus pinched the
bridge of his nose before turning and facing Albus.
“You made no friends last year when you awarded 120 points to your old house and only 30 to
Slytherin when they were all involved in saving the Stone. The whole school saw your blatant
display of favoritism and it did you no favors. To do so again, coupled with the fact that the Malfoys
and Sirius Black would love to have you booted out of here, would be the final nail in your coffin.
Then who would guide the boy as he got older and strived to fulfill his destiny?” It made him sick to
say such things but there was no other way. While he didn’t approve of the methods, Harry Potter
was still being protected by Albus Dumbledore and that still carried weight in most circles. With the
Dark Lord trying to find a way to implant himself into a body again, it was imperative that the boy
was kept safe. The Headmaster sighed and flopped back into his chair looking older than Severus
could ever remember seeing him.
“You’re right, of course, Severus. I know the trials that the boy will face as he gets older and
awarding those points was a way to boost his confidence. I’ll take your words into consideration next
time.” Severus knew that this was likely a lie, but he didn’t voice it. He just nodded his head
respectfully before speaking again.
“Both boys are alive and well and have been punished. Let us not speak any further of it.” Albus
nodded gratefully. The Slytherin spoke again, this time to make his excuses. He had a letter to write
when he got back to his quarters, informing his friend just how reckless his godson had been.
“It’s late and I have much to prepare for class in the morning. I shall take my leave.” His one-time
friend gave him a small smile.
“Of course, Severus. I’ll see you at breakfast.”
Severus stood and swept out of the office, robes billowing behind him.
A/N- There you are, folks, yet another chapter. It wasn’t as long as most of my others but some of
them won’t be. Nothing catastrophic in this chapter, no interaction between our favorite pairing, but
it was needed for the plot. Who could forget the flying car? Thanks to everyone reading and
reviewing, you guys are rock starts. Ha-ha, anyways, let me know what you think of it, I do love
hearing your thoughts. Reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, an encounter between Harry and Hermione and a birthday.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 28

A/N- I’m back, guys! To everyone out there that wished my daughter well with her surgery, thank
you so much. It went well, and she is now home recovering. Hopefully, her skin graft will heal faster
than the last time. Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, and favorited this story,
you guys are just awesome. Enough for now, let’s get this chapter written!
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Harry Potter and Co. but no such luck. I’m sure this idea has been done
before by some of the thousands of fanfiction writers that came before me. I haven’t made any
money off my stories, if I had, I would have quit my job a long time ago.
Chapter 28
September 19, 1992
Hermione was seated in her usual seat by the window waiting on her cousin to meet up with her to
head to breakfast. The girls had all been sleeping still when she had come down; none of them were
early risers and took every second they could to sleep. The boys were better about getting up early,
though she was convinced that that was only the case because Draco was the one rising early.
Today was Hermione’s thirteenth birthday; her father, aunt and uncle had all sent their gifts to her the
night before, so she wouldn’t get embarrassed at the table that morning when the owls arrived,
something that she appreciated more than she could say. She already had enough admirers, the last
thing that she wanted was for them to discover when her birthday was, so she would never get a
moment’s peace on her special day. She was pulled from her thoughts by the stairs creaking slightly.
Draco appeared in the doorway, immaculate and as handsome as ever. He rushed her, pulling her to
her feet so he could spin her in a circle.
“Happy birthday, Miney! You’re the big 1-3, you’re getting so old!” Hermione couldn’t help but to
laugh at his antics. He rarely acted so carefree anymore. When he quit spinning her, she hugged him
tight.
“Thanks, Drake. It doesn’t seem like I’m thirteen; it seems like just yesterday that we were having tea
parties.” Draco glared at her and shushed her loudly.
“Shut it, Miney, nobody needs to know about those days.” Hermione grinned at him but mimed
locking her lips and throwing away the key. Once he was appeased, he offered her his arm.
“May I escort the birthday girl to breakfast?” She curtsied to him.
“Of course, fine sir. Lead on.” Now Draco grinned before threading her hand through the crook of
his elbow and pulling her towards the entrance to the common room.
They traversed the corridors quickly since there were hardly any people out and about yet. It was one
perk of being up early that they both enjoyed. The pair entered the Great Hall to find that there were
only a few Slytherins at their table, all deep into the texts before them, blindly spooning food into
their mouths. Since they were all the same age, Hermione had a feeling that one of the classes was
being given a test that day.
The pair took their usual seats and spooned themselves up breakfast. While Draco helped himself to
a full English breakfast like he usually did, Hermione only took a small portion of eggs, a bowl of
fruit, and a slice of toast. She had never been a big eater and when her father had consulted with a
healer because of her small size and stature, the man had informed him that she was perfectly
healthy, that she would just always naturally be smaller than others her age. Even though she was
teased here and there about it, Hermione didn’t let it bother her; Uncle Luci had told her that her
mother had been the same way.
Students began to trickle into the Great Hall, all ready to start their day with breakfast. Hermione
didn’t usually people watch since she was always reading or studying but today she made an
exception. Not that it lasted long since Neville, Fred, and George headed her way, only to plop down
on either side of her. Fred threw his arm around her shoulders before kissing her cheek loudly,
George following suit immediately after. Neville and Draco watched with thinly veiled amusement
as she wiped her cheeks.
“A little birdie told us that today is your birthday. Since we weren’t informed ahead of time, we
weren’t able to get you a gift, therefore, we gifted you with kisses from the most handsome men in
school. Birds are going to be jealous of you now.” Hermione couldn’t help but to laugh at the
ridiculousness of their statements. Sometimes she really couldn’t understand how they were from the
same family as Ronald Weasley.
“Thank you, but don’t tell anyone. I don’t want a huge deal made about it.” Both twins looked
horribly offended.
“You aren’t going to have a party? What kind of birthday is that?” Draco answered before she could.
“That’s right, now that they brought it up, Hermione’s birthday party is going to be tonight in the
Slytherin common room. The three of you are invited.” Hermione groaned and buried her face in her
arms while the four boys conversed over her head. When she finally picked her head back up, she
glared at all of them.
“I hate you all.” Both twins kissed her cheek again, laughing at her scowl.
“You love us, quit lying. Liars don’t make friends.” Before she could retort, the three of them stood
again.
“We’ll see you tonight, Hermione.” Feeling as though she had just lost an argument that had never
been started, she turned to her cousin.
“You know I hate parties.” He had a mischievous look in his eye as he answered.
“I know, but they’re good for you. Reminds you that there is more to life than learning and books.
You’re going to go and you’re going to have fun. No reading, no pretending that you’re sick, you’re
going to eat, drink, dance, and be happy.” Hermione, while annoyed, couldn’t help but to smile at
Draco. He was only doing what he thought was best for her and in the grand scheme of things, what
was one night of no studying?
Hermione gave him a nod in agreement before returning to her meal. Her friends had arrived and
were feeding themselves in a rush even though the bell was getting ready to ring; she didn’t feel bad
for them. If they had gotten up earlier, they wouldn’t have had to rush to get any food. Draco was
watching their friends in amusement as well, his plate clean in front of him.
The bell rang signaling that it was time for them to head to their first class of the day. History of
Magic was up first, one of the worst classes in Hogwarts. Hermione had always found the subject
fascinating and loved learning it when it was taught by Madam Cambridge; when it was taught by
Professor Binns, however, she couldn’t help but to want to fall back asleep. It was no wonder that
everyone dropped the class once they had their O.W.L.s.
Hermione took her customary seat next to Draco at the front of the room; it was all she could do to
try to stay awake through the lectures. The rest of the class didn’t even bother to try except for Harry.
Even though he struggled to focus on what the lecture was over, he always tried and appeared to
take a decent number of notes. It was better than Draco managed, she had to give him that. Draco
always fell asleep against her shoulder and when he would start to drool she would nudge him
roughly, causing him to snort himself awake. He would always glare at her but would always resume
his position once he couldn’t handle the lecture any more.
They were still covering the goblin wars; it had seemed like that was all they had learned the year
before. Her father had told her that the first five years of History of Magic would be spent learning
about conflicts through the ages; her Uncle Sev had told them that if they pursued N.E.W.T. level,
they would start to cover the government and how it was formed, not to mention the first blood war.
Even though the ghost bored her to tears, she planned on getting as many N.E.W.T.s as possible
when the time came which meant that she would be suffering through seven years of monotonous
lecture.
Class passed without anything catastrophic happening. Hermione had added nothing to her notes
from when she had learned the same things from Madam Cambridge, but she was proud of herself
for staying awake. It seemed that Harry was the only other person that could honestly make that
claim. The bell rang, dismissing them to their next class, in this case, Potions.
Hermione wasn’t excited for Potions either. While she loved Potions and had helped her uncle
experiment over the summer, the course work wasn’t going to be difficult for her; she had done it all
years ago. Her uncle had been forbidden by the Headmaster to give them advanced work, so she was
stuck with doing the bare minimum of thinking and doing the assigned work.
Draco escorted her to Potions and dropped her at her seat. Her uncle, during their very first class of
the year, had ordered them all to pair up with someone of the opposite house. Hermione had hoped
that Harry would consent to be her partner, but he had headed for Draco, refusing to meet her eye.
She had sighed, hoping that Neville would agree to partner her. However, Pansy had beat her to it
and they were seated together near the back of the room. None of the Gryffindors had wanted to be
her partner so she had been the last one standing there with Weasley. It was the first time that she had
ever dreaded Potion’s class but certainly not the last.
Weasley wasn’t nice to her in the least; in fact, he questioned everything she did and told her that she
didn’t know what she was doing, even though he had yet to receive a passing grade in the class. Her
uncle graded by the work they put into the potion, not the ending outcome, especially when the
potion was perfect. It would hardly have been fair for Weasley to receive an Outstanding when he
had done nothing but complain and criticize.
After that first class, her uncle had held her back and apologized profusely for her ending up with
Weasley; he knew the boy wasn’t nice to her in the least, he had docked points numerous times in
the past for being mean and hateful to her. She had assured him that it was fine, that she could deal
with him for just one class. Besides, it wasn’t like he was trying to harm her, he was just being his
usual idiot self.
They were brewing the hair-raising potion that day since they had lectured over it just the day before.
Weasley had told her that he knew they were going to fail it, but she had just rolled her eyes. She had
mastered this spell when she was eight years old and had no intentions of failing it today. When he
saw her rolling his eyes, he raised his hand in the air. The room went quiet as everyone realized that
a Gryffindor had his hand up in Potion’s class. Her uncle’s voice was silky and soft when he called
on him.
“What do you need, Mr. Weasley? You are supposed to be brewing a potion.” His arm came down
and a satisfied look spread across his face.
“I expressed the fear that we were going to fail this potion and Black rolled her eyes at me. She’s
going to fail us on purpose just so I won’t pass the class.” Hermione could see Harry bury his head in
his hands and Draco’s eyes were flashing. Her uncle clasped his hands together behind his back as
he ambled his way over to their table.
“I assure you, Mr. Weasley, Miss Black could brew this potion in her sleep. She has yet to turn in a
single potion that wasn’t perfect. As to your grades, they would be better if you would shut your trap
and attempt to help her. I suggest you do so now or you’ll find yourself in detention with me
tonight.” Hermione caught the barest wink from her uncle before walking back the way he came.
Weasley kept his mouth shut the rest of the period. As always, Hermione did most of the work, but
he had agreed to fetch ingredients for them. The potion was perfect and when they turned it in, Uncle
Sev had made it a point to inspect the vial of liquid and declare it perfect. Hermione wanted to laugh
at the expression on the redhead’s face but had decided against it in the end.
The bell rang again, and they were dismissed to lunch. Hermione let Draco go ahead with his friends
while she hung back to walk with Daphne. She suspected that there had been a slight falling out
between the two girls since the blond had started walking more with Hermione than her other friend.
Nobody had said anything as to what had happened between the two girls, but she supposed that if
they wanted others to know they would surely tell them. That was all Hermione needed to know to
keep out of it entirely.
After they reached the Great Hall, Hermione took a seat between Adrian Pucey and Daphne, the
former trying to start a conversation with her about quidditch and the latter watching with laughter in
her eyes. Hermione gently explained that she never watched much of the sport, but the boy wouldn’t
leave her be and let her read. He kept telling her that he couldn’t believe that since her cousin was
going to be trying out that very weekend for the Slytherin team. Hermione did her best to be polite
but swore that she would never sit by the boy again.
The others ate their meals while she pushed hers away. She had been hungry when they entered but
being hounded by Pucey had put her off her appetite. Deciding that she was going to have to be
rude, she pulled out her book despite the constant chatter aimed her way. It only took a couple
minutes for the boy to grow tired of being ignored and turn back to his own friends. When she finally
looked up, Draco was silently laughing at her. Rather than be mature, she stuck her tongue out at
him.
The bell rang again, signaling that lunch was over. Hermione sighed. That meant that it was time for
Defense Against the Dark Arts and the bumbling idiot Professor Lockhart.
-O-
Harry started to gather his belongings after the bell rang to head to their first afternoon class. They
had Defense next and he dreaded it. The professor from Flourish and Blotts was a complete ninny,
he had no idea what he was doing. Harry also strongly suspected that his books were all a lie too.
Professor Lockhart constantly tried to get him to come up to the front of the room and help him act
out scenes from his book. He had outright refused several times but that never stopped him from
trying. The worst part was that while the other blokes in the class were just as sickened as he was,
most of the girls had eyes only for him. They watched him with rapt attention and there were stars in
their eyes when they turned in their homework.
Parvati and Lavender were the worst. Harry had caught his friend doodling the words Mrs. Parvati
Lockhart in her planner, drawing little hearts around it. Lavender just stared awkwardly, making
Harry feel bad that she didn’t realize how stupid she looked. While the girls from Slytherin weren’t
nearly as obvious, they still watched him closely. Hermione Black was the one exception.
Hermione almost always pulled out a book from the depths of her bag and would read it instead of
listening to the lecture. Since the quizzes and tests were always about Lockhart, Harry longed to do
the same. He feared getting caught and in trouble, however, so he always tried his best to pay
attention. Once, when Hermione had been closing her book at the end of the class, he had caught the
title and wished that he could share the book with her. The Art of Dueling and Defensive Magic
sounded far more interesting than the acting abilities of an author that he suspected of lying.
While he usually tried to pay attention in class, today, Harry just couldn’t. He had been walking back
to the common room with Ron last night from the library when he could have sworn that he heard
someone whispering right behind him. When he had turned, there had been nobody. Ron had
questioned him and when Harry had told him that he could have sworn he had heard someone, the
redhead had laughed and told him that he was just tired.
Harry supposed that it was probably true. He hadn’t slept well the night before that, so he had blown
it off. Before lunch, however, he knew that it had happened again. He found nobody behind him but
when he mentioned it to Ron again, the redhead gaze him a worried look. Harry had dropped it
instantly, not liking the look that he was getting but it hadn’t left his mind. He was pulled from his
reverie by Professor Lockhart yelling.
“I will now release the pixies, it is your job to catch them.” The rest of the class looked terrified, but
Harry wasn’t sure why. The creatures inside the cage didn’t seem to be big enough to do any real
damage. With a wave of his wand, the door to the cage opened and twenty or so pixies flew out.
The tiny beasts instantly started to wreak havoc in the classroom. They grabbed hold of text books
and began tearing them to pieces, they were scattering parchment that everyone had on their desks.
One even took a quill and started chasing Seamus with it. The rest of the class was starting to bail,
covering their heads and fleeing through the door. With a grand wave of his wand, Professor
Lockhart shouted.
“Peskipiksi Pesternomi!” Harry wasn’t sure what this spell was supposed to do but it was clear that it
had failed. One of the pixies swooped through the air and snatched the man’s wand right out of his
hand and then hurtled it through a window. He turned to Harry, Hermione, and Malfoy, now the
only three students still left in the room.
“You three are in charge of cleaning up.” Harry couldn’t believe it when the man ran from the room,
hands over his head trying to protect his hair.
The pixies seemed to be enamored with Hermione’s hair; she had several nesting in her curls. Harry
couldn’t blame them, he thought that her hair was quite beautiful as well. Malfoy was doing his best
to try to knock them out of her hair without hitting her in the head. Harry didn’t understand why
since once they were caught in her curls they were calm and still. Suddenly, an idea came to him. He
rushed over to the pair, wand in his hand ready to curse the first pixie that tried to dive bomb him.
“Once they’re in her hair, they’re calm. Can either of you transfigure something that looks and feels
like her hair and hang in on the wall? Maybe they’ll all be calm then.” Draco met his cousin’s eyes
and turned back to Harry, brandishing his wand while he nodded. He waved it and murmured a
spell, one that Harry had never heard before.
Along the far wall, a net made of something that resembled rope appeared. After it had settled, he
stepped closer to it and began conjuring curly pieces of rope that hung from it, giving close to the
same appearance as Hermione’s hair. It took several minutes before the pixies started to land in the
net, burrowing into it much like they had in Hermione’s curls. Even the ones that had found refuge in
her hair had flown away to be with the others. Malfoy turned to meet Harry’s eyes.
“Good idea, Potter. Never would have thought of that myself.” Harry could feel his cheeks starting
to color and he willed them to stop. The last thing he wanted was for these two to see him blush.
Hermione was angrily gathering her things, red spots high on her cheeks. Merciful Merlin, she was
beautiful when she was angry.
“Blithering idiot. He’s nothing but a joke, I don’t know how this fact escaped the Headmaster’s
attention. I’m leaving those beasts right where they are and letting him deal with getting rid of them. I
don’t know how the Headmaster could possibly think that we’re learning defense from this moron.”
Harry had never heard her talk so negatively about a professor before. He was even more surprised
that she turned to him once her things were gathered.
“Thank you, Mr. Potter, for your help in subduing the pixies.” Harry rubbed the back of his neck
sheepishly, but she didn’t seem to notice. Instead, she took her cousin by the hand and started to pull
him towards the door.
“Come on, Drake, we need to go tell Professor Snape what a complete idiot we have teaching this
class. Maybe he can get through to the Headmaster.” In just a matter of a minute, the pair was gone.
Harry quickly gathered his things when he saw that the bell was getting ready to ring and he didn’t
want to be late for Transfiguration. Not to mention, it would be nice to tell his Head of House just
what had transpired during their lesson.
The rest of the students had dispersed so Harry was able to hurry to the Transfiguration classroom.
Most of the students were already there, hair still in disarray from the pixies. When Ron saw him, he
leapt to his feet and started his way. Harry couldn’t help but feel a tad bit annoyed. His friend hadn’t
even worried where he was when he had fled. Every man for himself it appeared.
“Harry, mate, where were you? I could have sworn that you were right behind me.” Harry glared at
him.
“No, I stayed and helped subdue whatever those little monsters were. The rest of you are supposed to
be Gryffindors and you all ran away, scared and screaming.” The shame on the faces of his
Gryffindor classmates was instant. Ron was blushing red and rubbing the back of his neck while the
others wouldn’t meet his eyes. When the redhead finally spoke, it was with regret.
“You’re right, mate. We should have stayed and helped. I never should have left you there. I’m
really sorry. That wasn’t being a very good friend, was it?” Harry felt his anger deflate. They were
only twelve, after all. Who was he to demand that they put their safety and health on the line because
their professor was a moron? He sighed and clapped Ron on the shoulder.
“It’s alright, mate. I shouldn’t have gotten so angry.” It was at this point that Professor McGonagall
entered, her robes billowing out behind her. Her eyes scanned the room, landing on the seats
belonging to the Slytherin pair that had been headed to speak with their Head of House.
“Anyone have any ideas where Mr. Malfoy and Miss Black are?” Harry raised his hand and Ron
narrowed his eyes at him. Their professor called on him and urged him to explain.
“They went to go speak with Professor Snape.” He further explained what had happened in Defense
Against the Dark Arts, including the things that Hermione had said about their professor and where
they were headed and why. Professor McGonagall looked furious but remained silent on the matter,
only saying that if the pair showed up later they could get their assignment with a signature from
Professor Snape.
The lesson progressed regardless of their last class. They were turning birds into goblets, something
that Harry mastered on the third try. He was quite proud of himself and turned to help Ron and
Parvati once he was sure that he could do it again and it wasn’t just an accident. Both his friends had
accomplished the spell by the end of class, missing out on homework for the first time since start of
term.
After class was dismissed, Harry let Ron usher him to the Great Hall for dinner. They were having
shepherds’ pie for dinner, one of Harry’s all-time favorites. Ron was discussing quidditch tryouts that
weekend with Dean and Seamus; they were all planning on trying out for various positions. Parvati
was discussing hair charms with Lavender, a topic that Harry was more than happy to leave them to.
It was almost the end of dinner when Harry excused himself just a little early, citing that he needed to
use the loo to Ron. In reality, he just needed away from the noise. His mind was still on the voices
that he had sworn that he had heard. Something was bothering him about it, but he wasn’t sure what.
He had just turned the corner to head to the staircase when he ran into something soft and small.
Hermione Black was once again on her arse on the floor after running into him. Her eyes were
squinted in pain, but it faded almost instantly. He wasn’t sure if the pain had faded or she just didn’t
want to show weakness. Completely unlike the last time this had happened, he held his hand out to
help her up. She took it slowly, almost as if she didn’t trust that he wanted to help her. He supposed
that he couldn’t blame her.
“I apologize, Miss Black. My mind was elsewhere, and I should have been paying attention to where
I was going.” She gave him a small smile as he pulled her to her feet.
“It’s alright, I was hiding from the twins and Neville.” He raised his eyebrows at that but refused to
ask. He wasn’t supposed to care.
“I see. Well, I’ll let you get on with it then. I wish you the best of luck.” She chuckled softly before
turning. However, at this moment, the twins and Neville rounded the corner and raced up next to her.
She sighed, and her shoulders hunched over.
“What would it take to get you three to just leave me alone?” The twins both laughed and threw an
arm around her shoulders.
“Hermione, you are the only girl we know that doesn’t want to celebrate her birthday. You’re
thirteen today, it’s time to party. Draco already told us where your commons is and we’re to fetch
you and deliver you. Be a good girl and come without a fight.” Her wand appeared in her hand
quicker than a snitch, stinging hexes catching both boys in their backside.
“I am not a slab of meat to fetch and deliver. I am a person who hates parties and doesn’t much care
to celebrate my birthday with a bunch of people who only like me because I’m Hermione Black.”
Even though both twins were rubbing their bums, their gaze turned softer, softer than Harry had ever
seen. Fred (or was it George?) tugged on one of her curls.
“That’s not why we want to celebrate with you. Come for us, not those snakes that only like you for
your money.” Hermione sighed and finally nodded, the twins whooping in triumph. Neville was
watching, clearly amused. All three boys waved to Harry as they led the tiny witch away from him
towards the stairs that led to the dungeons.
Harry contemplated what he had just witnessed. Hermione’s birthday was today and there was a
party for her that she didn’t want to attend. He remembered attending Ginny’s party at the beginning
of August. She had been terrible, demanding her gifts and cake like she was entitled to both. Harry
knew that nobody was entitled to such things, so it had been very off-putting. To see a girl that didn’t
like parties was refreshing. He had yet to see anything like it. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
It was Hermione’s birthday today. He was thankful that he had been nice to her and hadn’t ruined
her day.
-O-
Severus was waiting impatiently for Minerva to arrive. He was currently in the Headmaster’s office,
livid that his godchildren had been subjected to dangerous beasts such as pixies. While it was true
that they wouldn’t die from pixie bites, it was a fact that the side effects from such bites could be life
altering. The saliva found in the little blighter’s mouths were known for causing paralysis.
Albus was seated behind his desk, scanning some parchment that he held in his hand. Severus wasn’t
sure if he was actually reading it or just pretending so he wouldn’t have to talk but it didn’t matter;
once Minerva arrived, he was going to hear from the both of them.
Minerva had sat next to him at dinner and informed him that she had heard from Potter about the
incident in Defense class; she had been unaware of the issue concerning pixie bites. He had informed
her that his students were immediately sent to the Infirmary to be checked out by Madam Pomfrey,
the reason that they had not shown up for her class. Before dinner, he had insisted the rest of his
students get checked out as well. Minerva had promised him that after this meeting she would send
all her second years to get checked by the mediwitch as well.
At this moment, Minerva strolled in, her face calm and serene for once. There was something
different about her, he had noticed that at the start of the year; however, he couldn’t quite put his
finger on what it was. She had been much less volatile, more controlled, less emotional. It was almost
as if she had learned…he paused his thoughts. Was it possible that she had learned occlumency? She
couldn’t have her mind penetrated since she was an animagus but her actions since the beginning of
term pointed to occlumency. He would have to subtly ask her about it later. For now, they had a
matter to discuss.
“You need to find a new Defense professor immediately. Not only is Lockhart a blithering idiot, as
Miss Black so eloquently called him, he has put our students in danger. He released a cage full of
Cornish pixies in the classroom and left children to round them up. It was left to Mr. Potter, Mr.
Malfoy, and Miss Black to do so when the little beasts stole his wand.” The Headmaster just looked
at him, confused. It was Minerva that spoke next, obviously seeing the game that the Headmaster
was playing.
“Don’t play stupid, Albus, it doesn’t become you. I know you must be aware of the paralyzing effect
of pixie saliva. I wasn’t so I haven’t ordered my students to get examined, but Severus did and saw
fit to inform me. This is unacceptable. Pixies have never been covered in Defense, only Care of
Magical Creatures. You have to do something.” Albus steepled his hands under his chin and
considered their words.
“I can’t get rid of him now. I will talk to him, tell him that putting our students in danger is
unacceptable. I’m sure that he will agree.” Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and counted to
himself to remain calm.
“He’s a useless teacher. He lectures about himself and has the students acting out scenes from his
books. How is that teaching our students defense? If the Dark Lord returned today, I assure you,
your precious Potter would die a gruesome death because he was nowhere near prepared.” The
Headmaster’s eyes flashed but said nothing. Severus continued.
“Miss Black and Mr. Malfoy bring their own defense books and read in his class. Not only does he
not notice, they ace every single one of his tests and they aren’t even paying attention.” Albus finally
spoke.
“They are advanced students. Of course, they don’t find his class a challenge.” Severus hardened his
gaze.
“If you had allowed us to give them advanced assignments, we wouldn’t be having this
conversation.” Dumbledore’s voice was steel when he spoke.
“We can’t give advanced assignments, we’ve had this discussion.” Minerva’s face contorted in fury,
but she reverted to the cool calm after a few moments.
“Yet, you have given Mr. Potter several rounds of advanced assignments.” Severus couldn’t believe
what he was hearing. Even more favoritism and it made him sick. Suddenly, he couldn’t be in there
any longer.
“I agree that Mr. Potter needs extra tuition for what he is going to face but the fact that you refuse to
do so for students that are bored out of their minds is complete bullshite. I know that you think you’re
helping the dark side by teaching those children but therein remains the crux of the matter. They are
children. They aren’t evil, and they haven’t done anything wrong except learn. You’re a prejudiced
old bastard and I won’t stand here and listen to it any longer. Get a handle on Lockhart or I’ll go to
the Board of Governors and have him removed myself.” Severus didn’t wait to hear what the
Headmaster had to say. He swept out of his office, robes billowing behind him.
-O-
Albus knew that Severus wasn’t bluffing. He would most assuredly go to the Board if he didn’t do
anything about Lockhart. He was aware that the man wasn’t the brightest star in the sky but surely,
he was exaggerating just a little.
Minerva had just left, and it was clear that she was just as livid as Severus. He knew that it wasn’t
right to play favorites between students, but it had to be done. He couldn’t enable Black and Malfoy
just to send them on their merry way to help their master return. While he wasn’t sure that Voldemort
was their master yet, he would be eventually. He could, however, enable Harry to help him battle
Voldemort and win.
With a sigh, Albus made his decision. He would speak with Gilderoy in the morning and warn him
to not be so fucking stupid in the future. The pixies had been a mistake. He would inform him that
there were parents that were going to go to the Board of Governors if he didn’t start teaching them
skills that they would need. He could only hope that this appeased Severus. The last thing he needed
was his Potion’s Master to run to Lucius Malfoy and tell him of Lockhart’s folly.
He would meet with Severus in the morning and tell him his plans and implore him to keep his
mouth shut. While he knew that he had the Slytherin by the balls, he was also loathe to admit that
Severus had him by his as well. There was no way that he could afford to lose Severus in this
upcoming war; his role as spy was crucial. He would have to dance to the man’s tune just this once.
After all, it was for the greater good.
A/N- Lordy, this chapter just didn’t want me to write it. I struggled with it so much. If it’s terrible, I
apologize! Anyways, let me know what you think, I love your feedback.
Next up, the Chamber of Secrets is opened, and a fist fight ensues.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 29

A/N- Once again, the support you guys show me is humbling. Thank you so much, you have no
idea how much I appreciate it. Shout out to everyone out there following, favoriting, reading, and
reviewing, you guys keep me writing as much as I do. Lunch breaks used for eating are overrated,
right? Anyways, you guys are awesome, and I hope you like this chapter.
Disclaimer: Nothing about this story belongs to me. The idea behind part one of this story belongs to
Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle, I simply expanded on her idea. The characters belong to J.K.R.
Someday I’ll come up with my own original stories and make millions.
Chapter 29
October 31, 1992
Hermione shivered as she walked through the corridor next to Draco on their way to Defense
Against the Dark Arts. It was Halloween and the weather outside was unseasonably cold. The cold
air seeped through the castle walls and she struggled to keep warm. Draco would chuckle softly at
the end of each of their classes before whipping out his wand and casting a warming charm on her. It
usually lasted around a couple hours before it needed to be reapplied.
School had been in session for two months now. Hermione hadn’t learned a single thing aside from
the fact that children could be cruel. She usually didn’t have any problems with ignoring the taunts
but lately she was becoming more affected. She wasn’t sure why this was; in fact, knowing that she
was letting the words of people that didn’t matter to her bother her made her so angry she could cry.
Draco had noticed her sensitivity and had mentioned it to Uncle Sev. Her uncle had pulled her aside
after class just a week before to make sure that she was alright. Once he realized how mortified she
was, he had hugged her close and laughed deep in his chest. Her beloved uncle had further
embarrassed her by telling her that her sensitivity would pass, that it was merely her hormones
fluctuating. She had wanted to know more of what to expect but was far too self-conscious to ask
Uncle Sev. He had sensed her thoughts and urged her to either go to Madam Pomfrey or write to her
Aunt Cissy.
Hermione knew that she would never be able to discuss it with a stranger, for that’s what Madam
Pomfrey was, so she had taken his advice and written a confidential letter to her aunt. Her reply came
the next day, promising to keep the contents of her letter a complete secret. Her aunt had warned her
that she would likely be a little more emotional, irrationally angry about the strangest things, and
would possibly bloat. Frankly, it didn’t sound like anything that Hermione wanted any part of, but
she supposed that there was no way around it. She was a young lady and would someday be a
woman.
Even though her arm was threaded through her cousin’s arm, he wasn’t paying attention to her. He
was chattering back and forth with Theo and Blaise about quidditch practice the night before. True to
his word, Draco had tried out for the house team over a month before and was awarded the position
of seeker. Personally, Hermione thought that he was much more skilled at playing chaser but since
seeker was the only position up for grabs, he tried out anyways. It was a brilliant try out and he was
still very good at the position; however, Hermione just wasn’t sure that he was good enough at
playing seeker to beat Harry.
Since quidditch practices had started, Hermione would admit to feeling a little lonelier than usual.
Draco usually studied with her at night in the library, helping her tutor their friends. Now, four nights
a week he had quidditch practice, not to mention that quidditch was all he ever talked about with his
friends. Before, him having friends had never bothered her; now, she was feeling somewhat
abandoned.
Hermione knew that it wasn’t right of her to feel that way; she wanted her cousin to be happy and
enjoy his time at school. She was also aware that he wasn’t as educationally inclined as she was. The
Slytherin just wished that he had a little more time for her in his new schedule. She had confided her
feelings into a letter to her father, telling him how none of the children her age were interested in the
same things that she was and now Draco had very little time for her. Her father had urged her to
speak with Draco, but she had quickly decided against that. The last thing she wanted to do was
make him feel guilty for doing what made him happy.
The pair entered Defense and took their usual seats. Lockhart was still as useless as ever; Hermione
couldn’t even be sure how he still had a job. This whole week he had them copying text from the
Defense book from last year. It was completely absurd, but it was clear that nothing would get done
about it. Her uncle had told both herself and Draco that he and Professor McGonagall had told the
Headmaster just how dangerous pixies could be. Hermione had shivered since she had had the little
beasts nesting in her hair.
It had been leaked that when Professor McGonagall had finally told her second-year class to go to
the Hospital Wing, so they could be searched for bites, several were discovered on Seamus
Finnegan. He hadn’t been left paralyzed but he had had to spend two days in the Wing taking
purging potions and who knew what else. Her uncle had been livid and had confronted Lockhart
himself. Apparently, the famous man had been so startled at her uncle’s words that he had literally
pissed himself. While Hermione knew that her Uncle Severus could be an intimidating man, she felt
like pissing yourself was a rather extreme reaction. Since that day, he had all his classes copying text
from various books throughout the school.
Draco finally halted his conversation with his friends when Lockhart showed up, his robes a soft
lavender color, and ordered them to begin copying text once more. While Hermione detested this
class, she admitted that it was nice to have a class where she could finish the rest of her pointless
homework. Since she wasn’t supposed to know the copying spell, she could use it when Lockhart
wasn’t watching and finish the assignment twice as fast. It probably wasn’t the most ethical thing to
do but Hermione felt no guilt whatsoever. Why should she waste her time on an assignment that
would teach her nothing?
Once their professor turned his back to study himself in one of the many mirrors, Hermione quickly
copied the text, Draco following suit. Since Draco started doodling out plays for quidditch on a spare
bit of parchment, Hermione pulled out one of her Astronomy books. She tried to read it but learned
quickly that she wasn’t really in the frame of mind. She was unsure why she was too anxious to read
but figured that there was nothing to do for it but put the book away and try again later.
Hermione decided to people watch instead. Her fellow Slytherins were all scratching away quietly.
Where she hated copying text from the book from last year, they all liked it. There was never
homework and never any assignments to turn in; for children that really didn’t care about learning, it
was a dream come true. The Gryffindors appeared bored out of their minds, most of them passing
notes to each other rather than coping script. It appeared that Dean and Seamus were playing tic tac
toe while the girls all gossiped. Harry was the only one that was doing his best to complete the work.
Hermione was the first to admit surprise when the Gryffindor boy raised his hand and cleared his
throat, so the professor would see him. Lockhart smiled brightly at Harry as he spoke.
“Yes, Mr. Potter, is there something I can do for you?” It was clear that Harry was nervous about
what he was going to say this intrigued Hermione more.
“Well, er, professor, don’t you think we should learn something new? We learned all this last year.”
The other Gryffindors started hissing at their classmate but he refused to back down. Lockhart gave
him a winning smile before he answered his question.
“This is simply review, Harry my boy. We’ll get to the really exciting things after we review the text
from last year.” Hermione seriously doubted his words, but they seemed to appease the Gryffindor.
He didn’t look happy, but he didn’t enquire further.
Hermione let her thoughts drift to the dueling practice she and Draco had had two weeks days prior.
He was still better than she was but not by much anymore. She was progressing quickly, getting
quicker reflexes all the time. She no longer hesitated and tried to figure out which spell would be best
to throw; she had long since learned that any spell is better than no spell. Draco did all he could to
help her; he had even told her that if she was more fit that she would likely have better endurance.
She wasn’t sure if he was right or not, but she refused to let anything pass her by that could possibly
help her.
It was for this reason that Hermione had started running in the mornings. She hadn’t told Draco
about it, she didn’t want him laughing at her for looking silly in the work out clothes that Aunt Cissy
had sent her. She wasn’t sure if they were appropriate to be seen in since they were rather tight and
stretchy, but it was better for everyone involved if she kept her new hobby to herself.
At first, running had almost killed her. The first few days she had thrown up each time she ran. She
was now able to make it one lap around the Black Lake without wanting to die; she figured that she
would gradually up the distance the longer she ran. In true Hermione Black fashion, she had
consulted the library for information on how running would benefit her. Not only would it up her
endurance, it would help keep her fit and trim. While she never considered herself heavy, it was nice
to know that this would help keep that from happening. She wasn’t a vain witch, but every girl
wanted to think that they were pretty in some way. It was pounded in their heads from birth.
Hermione was pulled from her thoughts by the bell ringing. She placed her book and notes in her
bag carefully before following them with her ink and quill. Draco shoved his belongings in his bag
as well, barely remembering that he was supposed to be escorting her. When he turned back to see
what was keeping her, she waved him on. He grinned at her and followed his friends out of the
classroom.
Hermione had a free period next which she usually spent in the library doing her extra work from
Madam Cambridge. She wandered the corridors slowly, taking her time to get to the library since she
only had one more assignment until she could owl off her work. She heard a mewl behind her, only
to see Tenebris hopping behind her, intent on following her. A smile broke out on her face as she
bent to scoop him into her arms. She scratched his head as she entered the library and took her usual
seat.
Tenebris curled up on the table next to her book. Hermione shook her head fondly as she left to get
one of the books that she needed for her Advanced Charms assignment. Once she had retrieved it,
she settled back in at the table and started researching the substantative charm. It was an interesting
read, the chapter being quite long. After she had finished the required reading, Hermione put her
quill to parchment and began her essay.
It didn’t take her long to finish the assigned essay; Tenebris had moved from the table to her lap,
something that Hermione was thankful for since she had forgot to reapply the warming charm after
Defense. She had just decided that she should gather her things and start for the Great Hall when a
shadow fell over her. She glanced up to see Ginny Weasley, Ronald’s younger sister.
Ginny hadn’t been outright mean to her since she had started; in fact, she had seemed just a little shy.
However, Hermione wasn’t oblivious to the dark looks that the girl had sent her way. She wasn’t
sure if it was due to the altercation in Diagon Alley between Arthur Weasley and her Uncle Luci, but
Hermione had decided to just keep her distance.
“My twin brothers think you’re pretty nice.” Hermione narrowed her eyes in confusion, completely
unsure of how best to respond.
“I think they’re pretty nice too.” The girl’s face contorted into one of anger.
“Ron thinks you’re a traitorous slag that’s going to turn over Harry to your father, so he can kill him
and hand him over to Voldemort.” Hermione took a deep breath and tried her best to stay calm. The
last thing she wanted was another enemy in this school.
“I’m sorry he feels that way. All I ever wanted was to be friends with everyone. I’ve learned that
none of your house want to be friends and I’ve left them all alone.” Ginny snorted.
“You haven’t left my brothers and Neville alone.” Hermione wasn’t sure what she was supposed to
say. This was turning out to be the oddest conversation she had had to date.
“They seek me out just as much as I seek them. It’s mutual. I mean that I’m no longer trying to
befriend those that don’t want to be friends.” Hermione had thought that apparent but decided to be
nice rather than scathing like Draco would have been. Ginny leaned down, hands on the table next to
her bag, fury dancing in her eyes. It was the strangest sight since the girl was barely eleven years old.
“Stay away from my family and stay away from Harry. He doesn’t want to be your friend; your
father is the one who got his parents murdered. He would be better off if you were dead, we all
would be. Do us all a favor and leave everyone but your nasty little snakes alone.” Hermione felt
tears prick her eyes at the redhead’s vitriolic words but held them back ruthlessly. A bout of
hormones was the last thing she needed right now. Instead, Hermione kept eye contact with the girl
and went to her feet, slinging her bag over her shoulder and her kneazle in her arms.
“I will do as I please and you are in no position to do anything about it. Go complain to the
Headmaster or your Head of House, I don’t care. I’ve done nothing wrong and that means that they
can’t punish me. In fact, I beg you to go tell them. That way I can sit back and watch with a smile on
my face while you get in trouble for harassing an innocent student.” Ginny glared at her.
“Innocent is quite the stretch. Don’t worry, your secrets won’t stay that way forever. I’ll make sure
that Harry learns the truth about you. Then he won’t watch you when you aren’t looking.” Hermione
didn’t get to respond because the redhead whirled where she stood and stalked off.
Hermione wasn’t sure what to think about Ginny’s words. Harry watched her? She couldn’t for the
life of her figure out why. She got the impression that he no longer thought that she was going to
hand him over to her father even though he hadn’t come out and said it. Why else would he watch
her? She thought about asking Draco but quickly decided against it. The last thing that she wanted to
do was alert her cousin to a boy watching her.
She wasn’t quite sure why, but her belly felt fluttery inside when she thought about Harry watching
her. Hermione could admit that he was very handsome despite his small size. He would be quite
dashing once he was grown with his raven hair and emerald eyes, all the girls said so, even those in
Slytherin. She remembered how her aunt had described her very first crush and it sounded
remarkably alike to how Hermione was feeling right now.
She put a halt to those thoughts; it wouldn’t do for her to get caught up in a fantasy about Harry
Potter when he couldn’t even bring himself to be friends with her. Hermione had no idea why Ginny
thought that he watched her, but it wasn’t because he thought that she was pretty or because he was
interested in her. It was probably because he thought she was going to slip him poison or some other
fool idea. Surely, that was it.
Hermione tarried no longer, flouncing out of the library, Tenebris in hand, and headed for the Great
Hall for the Halloween Feast. A few corridors from the cavernous room, her kneazle leapt from her
arms and took off down the corridor, after what appeared to be a mouse. She chuckled softly at her
pet and entered, heading for the Slytherin table. Draco was already there, seated next to Theo with
Pansy on his other side.
Pansy had become even more enamored with Draco since he had joined the quidditch team though
she never laid it on in front of Hermione. Draco had confided in her that the dark-haired girl would
do everything she could to sit next to him in class and in the Great Hall, ask him the dumbest
questions about their school work just so she could get his attention. Since she wasn’t hanging off
her cousin, Hermione left it alone, citing that Draco could take care of himself.
Draco didn’t notice her enter so she took the seat across from him between Greg and Vince. Pansy
refused to meet her eyes, but Hermione didn’t care. If sitting next to the girl made Draco happy, who
was she to complain? Both boys looked pleased that she sat between them, something that wasn’t
lost on Draco. He glared at his friends before turning his gaze to Hermione. She could feel him
watching her, but she didn’t acknowledge it, instead spooning roast chicken and potatoes onto her
plate.
“How was studying, Mia?” She gave a small shrug as she smiled at him.
“It went well. I finished the assignments for Madam Cambridge and want to owl it away after dinner.
Are yours done?” A dull flush spread across his cheeks but Hermione pretended that she didn’t
notice. She didn’t want to embarrass her cousin.
“No, not yet.” Hermione nodded.
“Alright, I’ll wait to send mine off then. Let me know when you finish them.” Draco flushed further.
“No, go ahead and send them off. Mine will take awhile to finish.” Hermione gaped openly at him,
knowing exactly what he meant.
“You haven’t even started them, have you?” Draco gave a short shake of his head, confirming her
thoughts. For some reason, this irritated her more than him ignoring her for quidditch. Instead, she
heaved a sigh.
“Very well. I’ll stick a note in with mine and tell her that you got caught up with quidditch practice
and that you’ll send it at your earliest convenience.” Draco nodded but said nothing.
Hermione ate in silence after that, listening to the conversations around her. Pansy and Daphne were
discussing the latest gossip, Millie and Tracey were trying to figure out how to do their
Transfiguration assignment. All the boys were discussing the latest professional quidditch match
between Puddlemere United and the Ballycastle Bats, but Draco was quieter than usual.
Instead of participating, Hermione let her eyes drift over the hall. Despite telling herself that she was
certainly not checking on Harry. Even as she told herself that, her eyes scanned the lion’s table,
finding not only Harry, but Ron and Parvati missing. As much as she wanted to worry, she realized
that it wouldn’t do any good. Harry had made clear that he didn’t want her in his life and she needed
to accept that. She had accepted it until Ginny’s words. Even though her mind was awash with
thoughts of Harry, she was still determined to refrain from trying to befriend him. That time had
passed.
Hermione really didn’t eat much considering it was the Halloween Feast. She had never been a huge
eater, nowhere near Draco, but she usually managed to eat a little more than usual for special
occasions. Ginny’s words kept replaying in her mind, over and over, telling her how she was a
traitorous slag. Hermione knew that it wasn’t the truth but that didn’t mean that it didn’t bother her.
She didn’t like that people assumed she used her body to get things; her father, aunt, and uncle had
raised her better than that. Her eyes landed on Ginny, laughing gayly with her first-year friends;
Hermione watched her closely for a few minutes before Draco turned around to see what she was
looking at.
“Is there something wrong, Mia?” Hermione instantly dropped her eyes and took a nibble of her
treacle tart.
“No, nothing wrong.” He watched her suspiciously before turning back to Theo and Pansy.
Hermione raised her eyes again just in time to catch sight of Ginny leaving the Great Hall by herself.
She told herself that the whole confrontation in the library was in the past, that she wasn’t going to let
it bother her. Suddenly, she didn’t want to be there in the Great Hall any longer. She wanted to go
send off her assignments to Madam Cambridge and then she wanted to go visit her Uncle Sev.
Maybe he could pull her out of the funk that she was in. Hermione stood up and stepped out of the
bench seat.
“I’m off. I’ll see you all in the common room later.” Draco hurriedly wiped his mouth and stood as
well.
“I’ll come with you.” Hermione couldn’t help but snap at him.
“Don’t bother.” He eyed her for a moment before he continued to gather his things. Hermione
already regretted her tone. It wasn’t his fault she was emotional, bitchy, and lonely. Maybe she
needed to just suck it up and talk fashion with Daphne and Pansy; it would probably make her feel
less lonely. Everyone around them was silent, not quite sure what to make of the situation. No doubt
the scene from Transfiguration class last year was flashing through their minds. They were all aware
of what happened when Hermione lost her temper.
Hermione waited for her cousin even though she didn’t want to. It would have been exceedingly
rude to just leave him after he had already stated that he was going to go with her. Since she was a
little way ahead of him, he couldn’t offer her his arm; therefore, she wrapped her arms around
herself, trying to stave off the chill of the castle. Draco hurried to her side, wand in his hand, and she
felt a spell hit her. She was instantly warm all over, so she released her hold on herself. He offered
her his arm now and Hermione took it while giving him a small smile. They continued their way up
the seven flights of stairs in silence. Once they entered the Owlery, Draco stepped forward and
coaxed his owl down, so she could use it.
Hermione attached her stack of parchment to Nuntius and patted his head before stroking the soft
feathers down his back. Draco’s bird was extremely irritable but had never given Hermione a lick of
trouble with delivering post, though Draco whinged almost daily about having scars from his bird.
He accused her all the time of turning his familiar against him, but she would just laugh and tell him
that he was just wanting to blame her for the fact that his bird liked her better. After sending the bird
on his way with the instructions to go straight to Madam Cambridge, Hermione turned and started for
the exit to the Owlery. Draco caught her arm and pulled her to a stop.
“What are your plans for the evening?” Hermione smiled at him before pulling him to walk with her.
“I know you have plans so I think I’m going to go see Uncle Sev. It’s been a few days since I last
saw him.” His eyebrows turned downward as he considered her words.
“When did you see Uncle Sev? Why didn’t you have me go with you?” For some reason the tone of
his voice irritated her. Why was he questioning her when he was the one that was never around?
Was she not allowed to do anything unless he was there? Her tone was icy when she answered.
“Why does it matter? I would have asked you, but you were in a quidditch strategy session with the
team even though you had practice the night before. You’re not the only one who can do things
without the other.” Hermione instantly regretted her words. This was not the way to go if she wanted
him to not feel guilty for being outgoing and popular. His eyes hardened at her words.
“I was just asking, Hermione. Am I not allowed to wonder what my best friend has been doing?”
Hermione gestured for him to ask away.
“If you’re so interested, ask away. Just odd that you haven’t thought to ask before now.” Draco
stepped forward, probably to take her hands in his but she wasn’t in the mood to be coddled. She
folded her hands in front of her and kept her eyes on his. He realized that she wasn’t going to let him
calm her down or comfort her, so his features softened.
“I’m always interested in what you’ve been doing, Miney. You’re my best friend.” Hermione let her
gaze soften just a little. She was still irritated, but it was clear that he wasn’t lying. He could lie with
the best of them, but she knew him so well that she always knew the truth.
“I’ve been doing my school work, spending time with Uncle Sev, practicing dueling in one of the
empty classrooms, and I started running.” Hermione braced herself for his words, knowing that he
was going to tease her. Rather than tease her, his voice was a little harsh.
“When you did you start running?” Hermione was instantly incensed at his tone again.
“A week or so. What does it matter?” Draco raked his hand through his hair in agitation.
“Why haven’t you told me? I would have went with you.” This was the last straw for Hermione She
chuckled darkly.
“Aside from the fact that I didn’t want you to make fun of me, when would you have liked for me to
tell you?” Her cousin could tell that she was upset again.
“You see me every single day. You couldn’t have dropped that into the conversation?” Hermione
finally couldn’t stand it anymore. She reached out and shoved him in the chest, shoving him away
from her. She knew that she was acting irrationally but she didn’t care in that moment. She was hurt
and lonely and feeling ignored. She had done her best to hide it, but it was spilling out in the worst
way possible.
“I haven’t spent an evening with you in almost two weeks. When we’re together, you’re either
talking to your friends or in class. Every time we could have a conversation, you’ve got plans with
your friends or quidditch practice. I haven’t complained a single time. You don’t get to demand
answers from me and then get angry because you didn’t get told something.” He was shocked at her
words and tried to come forward again. Instead, Hermione shoved him back again, tears threatening.
Maybe she would go to Madam Pomfrey after all; she had read that there was a potion that stabilized
hormones. She would be far too embarrassed to ask her uncle for such a potion.
This didn’t deter her cousin, however. Draco stepped forward again and this time Hermione let him.
She had already broken her promise to herself and made him feel bad for having friends and a life.
His hands cupped her cheeks and she was surprised to find that they were wet with tears. His voice
was soft when he spoke to her.
“I’m so sorry, Miney. I wasn’t meaning to ignore you. I didn’t even realize that I was. You’re the
most important person in the world to me.” For some reason, his words made her cry harder. He
finally released her cheeks and wrapped his arms around her, burying her face in his chest. She
inhaled the familiar scent of his robes, he wore the same cologne as Uncle Luci, and it was
comforting. Her arms snaked around his waist and held him tightly.
“I’m so sorry I shoved you, I’m going to go see Madam Pomfrey in the morning. I didn’t mean to get
so angry.” His hand was going up and down her spine, shushing her softly in her ear.
“I’m not mad. Not at all. What are you going to go see Pomfrey for?” Hermione made sure that her
face was completely hidden in his robes before she squeaked out of an answer.
“My hormones are out of balance, that’s what Uncle Sev says. It will be until…there’s a potion to
make it all better.” His hands stilled for a moment and she could hear the wheels turning in his mind.
“Why would your hormones be out of balance?” Hermione sighed, really hating that she actually had
to say it.
“I’m going to start my cycle soon. Your mum said to expect this.” Hermione didn’t have to look to
see that her cousin was blushing. When he spoke, his voice was a little higher than normal.
“I understand. Let’s never bring up this problem again, for both our sakes.” Hermione nodded
emphatically before he continued.
“You might as well tell me everything. What had you upset when you were looking at the
Gryffindor table? Weasel giving you problems again?” Hermione chuckled lowly before she pulled
away and wiped her face.
“Ginny was just a hateful wench to me in the library. I was just watching her.” Draco took her hand
and held it tightly.
“What did she say?” Hermione shook her head, determined to not dwell on the scene in the library.
“Nothing important or worth repeating. Just chalk it up to the fact that she doesn’t like me anymore
than Ron does.” Draco chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Let’s go see Uncle Sev together. I haven’t seen him in ages except for in class.” Hermione gave him
a smile and let him pull her through the corridors.
“I really am sorry. I wasn’t trying to be a spoiled brat. I’ve been keeping quiet, so this wouldn’t
happen, so you wouldn’t feel terrible for having other friends aside from me.” Draco kissed her
temple as he steered her to the stairs.
“When the truth comes out, how many of those Slytherins do you think are going to remain our
friends? I shouldn’t have completely neglected you.” That thought sobered Hermione even more.
She had thought about it, of course, how could she not? She hadn’t dwelled on it, however, since she
knew how much Draco really did value his friendship with the rest of the snakes. She didn’t answer;
it was meant as a rhetorical question anyways.
The pair traversed the corridors quickly, both intent on visiting their godfather. Hermione personally
hoped for his own special recipe of hot chocolate; it was her all-time favorite, even better than the
cocoa that Candy served them at Black Moor. They were conversing quietly about how far her
dueling had come since they had last practiced together when they ran into a crowd in the middle of
the corridor on the second floor. Draco had no problems shoving people aside, so they could get to
the front.
Harry, Ron, and Parvati were standing next to Mrs. Norris, Filch’s cat, who was still and unmoving
in a puddle of water on the floor. Hermione would have assumed that the cat had died if not for the
whispers and stares from the children around them. Hermione finally realized that they were staring
at something other than the cat. Looking around, she saw what they were looking at and she nudged
Draco.
The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware.
Hermione felt her stomach drop to her feet. She had never heard of the Chamber of Secrets,
something completely strange for her. Draco was looking just as confused. Her breath hitched
slightly, causing her cousin to pull her to him just a little tighter. Suddenly, there were footsteps
approaching and then a wail. Filch had broken through the crowd of students and spotted his beloved
cat on the ground, still and silent. He turned to Harry and pointed a bony finger his way.
“This is your fault.” Hermione felt like this was a little unfair but kept quiet. The last thing she
needed was a detention with the caretaker. Filch started towards the Gryffindor, fury evident on his
features. Hermione stepped forward, wand in hand, to make sure that the old man didn’t attack
Harry. It was unnecessary, however, since the Headmaster’s voice brought Filch to a halt.
“Argus! Stay where you are.” Filch halted for a moment before turning back his cat and scooping her
into his arms. Dumbledore stepped forward and gave Mrs. Norris a quick examination.
“Mrs. Norris is not dead, she is merely petrified.” Hermione’s mind immediately went into overdrive.
What could petrify a cat and leave no marks? What was the Chamber of Secrets? Somebody further
back in the crowd called out.
“What’s the Chamber of Secrets?” Dumbledore acted like he didn’t even hear as he turned to
converse quietly with Uncle Sev, who had just walked up. Her godfather’s face was not impressed
with whatever the Headmaster was telling him. Since there was little supervision of the crowd,
Hermione was unsurprised when Weasley started taunting them.
“Well, if this is what happens to enemies of the heir, I could think of a few people I’d like to offer up.
Black would be number one, the traitor’s daughter. Maybe we’ll be lucky and whatever did this will
finish you off.” Hermione couldn’t believe that he had said those words. Sure, he was still a prat but
since Diagon Alley, he hadn’t said anything specific to her or Draco. The crowd around them fell
silent and Hermione knew that it was going to be bad when she felt her cousin tense up beside her.
Without a single moment’s hesitation, Draco released her and stalked past the other students. Ron
was looking rather proud of himself as he watched the fury on Draco’s face fully blossom. Even
Hermione wasn’t expecting her cousin to rear back his fist and slam it into Ron’s face. The force of
the blow knocked Ron to the ground, but he was up in just a few moments. Dumbledore had yet to
notice that there was a brawl going on just feet from him, but Hermione could see that Uncle Sev
was watching dispassionately. Harry was watching also, a look of horror on his face. She was unsure
if it was because Draco and his best mate were now fighting like muggles or if it was because of
what Ron had said. Either way, he was staying out of the fight completely. Ron swung wildly and
caught Draco in the chin, but it wasn’t hard enough to do anything but turn his head to the side.
Draco now tackled Ron to the ground, landing on top of him and hitting him again. The Headmaster
finally took notice since the whispers were only getting louder. It was Dumbledore that brandished
his wand and waved it at Draco. Not knowing what he was casting, Hermione rushed forward and
pulled her own wand on the Headmaster, her gaze hard. She knew that if it came down to it, she
would lose fantastically to the old man, but she wasn’t going to let him cast a spell on her cousin
without a fight.
“You cast on him, I’ll make sure that you regret it for the rest of your life.” Hermione could see the
cold fury on the Headmaster’s face, but he stayed his wand. Her godfather stepped forward and
pulled Draco off the ground and away from Weasley. Once the Headmaster lowered his wand,
Hermione did as well, rushing to her cousin’s side to make sure that he was alright. Draco slung an
arm around her, holding her tightly to him once more. She touched his face lightly while he winced
and tried to pull away. The Headmaster’s voice was cold as ice when he spoke.
“You ever pull your wand on me again, Miss Black, you’ll be expelled faster than you can say
Hogwarts. That’s fifty points from Slytherin and three detentions spent with Mr. Filch.” Hermione
kept her gaze on the Headmaster and didn’t acknowledge his words. Once Dumbledore had stopped
glaring at her, he turned to Draco.
“What is the meaning of attacking Mr. Weasley?” Draco didn’t have to answer. Hannah Abbott, a
Hufflepuff girl that had been coming to their birthday parties since they were six, spoke up.
“Ron said that he hoped Hermione was next, that it would kill her instead of petrify her.” Realizing
that he had the attention of the whole school on him, Dumbledore did something that he had never
done before.
“I’m very disappointed in both of you. Mr. Malfoy, that will be fifty points from Slytherin and three
detentions with Professor McGonagall. Mr. Weasley, that will be fifty points from Gryffindor and
three days detention with Professor Snape.” Hermione couldn’t believe that he had punished
Weasley the same as he had Draco. Her godfather had told them that he had strongly chastised the
Headmaster about his blatant favoritism. Draco didn’t outwardly show his surprise, but she could tell
that he was just as flabbergasted as she was.
“Everyone to your common rooms. Don’t let this worry you, we’re taking care of it.” Hermione
wasn’t sure how they were going to take care of it when they had no idea who had done it, but she
supposed that there was nothing she could do now but follow his instructions. As the crowd
dispersed, Draco pulled her towards the stairs that led to the dungeons. She touched his chin softly
and tried to examine it as they walked. She hated that he had gotten hurt, but she knew that it had to
be done. Pureblood customs didn’t allow for insults such as what Weasley had thrown at them.
“I’m fine, Miney, quit worrying.” She released his chin but frowned at him.
“Don’t tell me to quit worrying, you could have been hurt. You should have just hexed him.” Her
cousin chuckled darkly as he bent to whisper in her ear.
“I thought about it but decided that a muggle beating would be far more embarrassing for him.”
Hermione couldn’t hold back a giggle. Their friends fell around them, flanking them as they headed
to the common room. Hermione leaned her head on her cousin’s shoulder and spoke wistfully.
“Guess we won’t go see Uncle Sev now.” Draco squeezed her waist softly.
“No, but you can lay down on the couch with your head in my lap and I’ll read any book you want
to you.” It was something that he had done for her in the past when she had been upset. It hadn’t
happened since summer when she had been upset about her lack of skills in dueling. Hermione
reached up and kissed her cousin’s cheek.
“I’d like that. Do you think we’ll get in trouble from our family for getting detention?” Even though
Hermione didn’t regret making sure that the Headmaster didn’t hex her cousin, she couldn’t help but
worry if she would get in trouble at home for pulling her wand on a professor. He squeezed her
again.
“No, they’ll be proud of you. Let’s not worry about it until tomorrow. We’ll owl them together.”
Hermione wrapped an arm around his waist and nodded against her shoulder. They had just reached
the Slytherin common room.
“Alright. I’m happy I get to spend some time with you. I missed you.” He shooed her away towards
her dorm.
“I missed you too. Now go get dressed in your pajamas so I can start reading.” Hermione grinned up
at him for a moment before scampering off towards her room.
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe the events of his second Halloween at Hogwarts. The first had been action-
filled enough; helping Malfoy save Hermione from a troll was an incident that he would likely never
forget.
He, Ron, and Parvati had been invited to Sir Nick’s Deathday Party. He had been excited at first,
eager to see just how ghosts celebrated. After arriving, it was clear that it was a ghost-only event. All
the ghosts that had come were polite enough, there was no denying that they were all pleased to meet
the famous Harry Potter. What had turned his stomach about the whole ordeal, literally, was the
food.
The food was strung out on three different tables, covering three of the four walls of the room. They
were covered in trays and trays of food, all rotten and rancid. The smell was horrid, and the ghosts
were floating through the tables, commenting on how they could taste the flavors. It was completely
disgusting but Harry had done his best to keep his horror to himself, not wanting to offend Sir Nick
and his many friends.
After they had finally been able to beg off the party, the three of them had decided to head to the
Halloween Feast and see if they could at least get some pudding. It was at this point that Harry heard
the familiar voice speaking softly in his ear.
Kill.
Harry had worried that whoever was talking to him was going to kill someone. The voice that
usually spoke softly and faded away was clear, strong, and he could hear it retreating. Without a
second thought, Harry had chased after it, determined to make sure that nobody got hurt. Ron and
Parvati had followed him, yelling at him to slow down and explain. It had been a complete surprise
when they had ran into Mrs. Norris on the floor, seemingly dead.
The Headmaster had pulled Harry aside after he had dismissed the rest of the school to their common
rooms and questioned him as to what he had seen. Since he didn’t think that hearing voices was a
good thing no matter what world he was living it, he had simply told the Headmaster that he was on
his way to the Feast after leaving the Deathday party and had stumbled on Mrs. Norris and the
message written in blood. He really wanted to ask where the blood had come from but refrained
since he was a little afraid of the answer. The Headmaster had told him that he believed him before
sending him on his way, telling him not to tarry on his way to the common room.
Now, Harry was laying in his bed after a massive row with Ron. The redhead was angry at him for
not having his back when Malfoy had attacked him; maybe Harry should have pulled the blond off
his best mate, but Harry couldn’t help but think that Ron had gotten what he deserved.
Since he and Hermione had exchanged words in that argument towards the end of last year, she had
been true to her word and stayed away from him. She still sat next to him in some of their classes, but
she didn’t go out of her way to be nice to him. He had made clear that he wanted her to leave him
alone and she had respected his wishes. Ron was just being a bully by continuing to torment her.
Harry had thought that his friend had gotten over being a prat to Hermione Black. He still
complained about her in the privacy of their common room, he still whinged on and on about how
she was a know-it-all teacher’s pet, but he had kept his mouth shut in front of other people since the
altercation in Diagon Alley. Harry knew that his parents had threatened him within an inch of his life
if he insulted the Malfoy family again. He wasn’t sure if the Headmaster would owl Mrs. Weasley
about this last episode but if he did, Ron was going to be in more trouble that Harry could even
imagine.
Harry had simply told Ron that he deserved the detentions and the fifty points lost; needless to say, it
hadn’t gone over well. Most of the students in Gryffindor agreed with him. Since Hermione was
never involved in the pranks that went on between the houses, most of the students left her out of
their extreme animosity, although Harry was convinced it was because of her show of power that
day in the Transfiguration classroom last year. Honestly, it was the smart choice.
Lavender and Parvati were siding with Ron, saying that the whole situation was ridiculous. Harry
couldn’t help but be sickened at their attitude. No, he didn’t want to be friends with the girl, but he
didn’t want her dead either. He dreamed of her enough as it was. The only thing keeping Harry from
bailing on Ron as a friend was that he really was a good friend. He was great to all his friends, rarely
whined anymore about doing schoolwork, had even stopped commenting on Harry’s extra
assignments from McGonagall. He was the first one to help a friend, regardless of the favor. Harry
had tried telling him that he was going to end up losing friends if he kept up this atrocious behavior;
he had scoffed at him and told him that it would never happen.
Harry knew that the twins were livid, as was Neville. All three had ganged up on Ron and railed at
him for his horrid behavior. Ginny, in a show of temper, had started yelling at all of them for turning
on their own house for the daughter of a Death Eater. Harry had never heard her talk like that but
since she rarely talked around him period he supposed that he couldn’t judge. Either way, it seemed
to come out of nowhere. While Ron seemed to appreciate her show of support, he was just as
surprised as Neville and the twins.
Harry had gone to bed shortly after the row with Ron. His friend had muttered a good night to him,
so he doubted that the red head was going to hold a grudge, but Harry didn’t want to deal with the
drama any longer that night. Now that he was in bed, he found that couldn’t fall asleep. He kept
playing the shocked look on Hermione’s face over and over in his mind. He really wanted to be able
to not worry about the girl, but it just wasn’t possible, just like he couldn’t help but think that she was
the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
Harry rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. He should probably be worrying about the voice
he had heard but he wasn’t able to put anything else on his plate that night. He had told himself that
he would try to research it in the library the following day. Ron had looked at him like he was crazy
when he had told him, so he figured there had to be an explanation. He decided to try to clear his
mind of all thoughts and let sleep take him under.
If he couldn’t succeed, not only would tonight be a long night, tomorrow was going to be a long day.
-O-
Severus took a healthy swig of his fire whiskey as he sat before the fire. He had just a meeting with
the Headmaster and Minerva, neither of which were too pleased with the night’s events. They had
explained to him about the last time that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. He had never
realized that that was the event that led to the brainless oaf Hagrid being expelled from school.
Neither Albus or Minerva had any idea who could have opened it this time; this worried him slightly
since his godchildren were in residence and were known to traverse the corridors at night coming
from the library. The last thing he wanted was for them to be petrified or worse.
Severus had already sent off a letter to both Sirius and Lucius about the events of the evening. He
knew that neither man would be angry with their children; family was the first concern for both men.
Draco had been defending Hermione and their family honor while Hermione had been watching
Draco’s back. Severus didn’t think that the Headmaster was going to hurt Draco, but Hermione had
grown up being wary of the old man. He didn’t blame her in the least, especially since they had spent
the whole summer drilling into her head that she over thought things.
Sure, the Headmaster would have obliterated her if he had cast against her, but Severus believed
wholeheartedly that eventually, that wouldn’t be the case. Hermione was ridiculously powerful, so
much so that he feared she was going to outclass not only himself, but Sirius and Lucius in the next
few years. Already, she was stronger in her magic that her aunt. While Draco wasn’t near as
powerful as Hermione, Severus suspected that he would outclass all of them as well. Perhaps it was
starting their education so early, strengthening their cores from a tender age. He couldn’t be sure
without testing them and that was one thing he refused to do. They were his godchildren, not test
subjects.
The Slytherin was waiting quietly for a response to his letter. He wasn’t sure if he would get one
since it had been late when he sent it. Severus had vowed to wait up for an hour and if he hadn’t
received a letter by then, he would retire. He knew that Hermione and Draco would be worrying if
they were in trouble. Albus had made quite clear that he wasn’t going to tell either parent about the
events of the evening; if it got back to Sirius and Lucius, then he could simply say that they had been
punished and that was that. He really was trying to be magnanimous about the whole situation.
What floored him the most was that the man had taken points from Gryffindor and assigned
detentions. He must have realized that the whole school was watching, and he would lose even more
respect if he showed more favoritism towards his alma mater. While Severus wasn’t all that thrilled
about the hundred points lost from Slytherin, he didn’t blame Hermione and Draco. They had done
exactly as they should have and he refused to rebuke them for it, no matter how much the
Headmaster demanded that he do so. Severus was pulled out of his own thoughts by a tapping on the
window. As he stood, he set his whiskey on the table. After relieving the owl of his letter, Severus
settled down in his chair once more to read it.
Severus,
This whole situation sounds like a disaster in the making. Neither one of us had heard of the
Chamber of Secrets so it must have been buried deeply after the muggleborn girl had been killed. We
can only hope that this is either a clever joke or that the Headmaster can get a handle on this before
someone gets hurt. Please keep us informed. The last thing we want is for Hermione or Draco to get
injured or killed.
Please reassure the children that we aren’t angry, and they aren’t in trouble. The Weasley boy is
going to get what’s coming to him. It’s obviously not doing any good to threaten his family; we
aren’t sure what we’re going to do but we’ll think of something. As much as I hate to do it, we’re
considering bribing one of the other Slytherins to catch him alone and teach him a lesson muggle
style, much the same way Draco did. Hurting his family is having no effect, maybe hurting him is the
only way for him to learn. We haven’t decided, though, so we’ll let you know when we do.
Is Hermione alright after Weasley said that? Is Draco injured? We wish we could have seen
Hermione pulling her wand on the Headmaster; we’re betting that he was caught between
completely fury and shitting himself at the fact a second year dared to pull her wand on him. Three
detentions aren’t so bad, and they’ll have the hundred points caught back up in a week. The same
can’t be said about Weasley.
We’ll close for now. The Wizengamot is calling to order earlier than usual in the morning and we
need to get some sleep if we are to stay awake tomorrow. Let us know if you need anything and tell
the children we love them.
Regards,
Sirius and Lucius
Severus sighed in relief. He could tell the children they weren’t in trouble and that their parents
weren’t angry. It didn’t weight heavily on his mind, but he knew it would weigh heavily on theirs,
Hermione the most. Nobody could deny that she was tender-hearted and would be hurt if she had
disappointed her family again. He threw back the remainder of his fire whiskey and rose to his feet to
make his way to his bed room.
It had been a long day and he had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be even longer.
A/N- Lordy, a monster of a chapter, y’all. This one I banged out in four hours, believe it or not.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the Halloween Feast and opening of the Chamber. Leave me a
message after the beep and let me tell me what you think. Reviews are love.
Next chapter, Harry puts two and two together after a quidditch match.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 30

A/N- Here we are again, friends, with another chapter. I can’t believe I’m cranking chapters out this
quickly. I’m going to try to continue but don’t get angry if it slows just a little. My kiddos go back to
school in a week and life is going to get crazier! Anyways, thanks to everyone out there that is
reading and reviewing…you guys are the bomb. Your love for this story makes me smile.
**Special shout out to thoupetty for being my 800th reviewer. You’re a rock star!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing except the personal plot twist. I tried to sell my soul to own the
wonderful world of Harry Potter, but the devil was not receptive. We’ll just leave it at that. I’m a
broke bitch so obviously I haven’t made any money off any of my stories.
Chapter 30
November 16, 1992
Harry should have been used to his nerves before a match; he should have known that he always felt
better if he ate a little bit before going out to the pitch. However, this time was different. He had
played Slytherin last year and won but this year was different. He was playing against Malfoy and
rumor had it that he was extremely good.
While Harry was the first to admit that he would love some real competition, he was nervous about
what Hermione would think of him if he creamed her cousin. It was clear that Malfoy was very
important to her and even though he couldn’t say it aloud, he didn’t want her to hate him. It was his
guilty hope, that someday after the war he would be able to be her friend, that she wouldn’t turn out
to be as evil as her father.
The rest of the Gryffindors didn’t know about his inner turmoil though. They were all excited about
the match, kept pounding him on the back and telling him that he would be great against Malfoy, that
he would bring pride to their house once more. Harry hated the pressure; why couldn’t they just play
for fun and not put so much emphasis on who won? He shook his head angrily. He would never
have thought something like that if it wasn’t Malfoy that he was playing against. He had to stop
letting Hermione Black affect his thoughts so much to where he changed his whole outlook.
Harry managed to put away half his English breakfast. Ron was next to him, inhaling his third
helping while he told everyone around him that his best mate was going to be the hero of Gryffindor
after the match. Harry really hated it when his friend did this; the last thing that he wanted was for
more people to stare at him. He tried to ignore the irritation he felt at his friends’ words. Ron was just
trying to be supportive and a good mate and was going about it in the best way that he thought
possible.
Parvati and Lavender were seated on his other side, both picking at their breakfast while they
gossiped about the victory party later that day. Harry thought that it was a little presumptuous to
assume that it would be a victory party but remained silent on the matter. Any other time their show
of support would have made him smile. It was just today, this match, that had his stomach in knots
and it wasn’t fair to take that out on his friends.
Further down the table, the twins could be heard taking in bets on what the score would be at the end
of the game. Percy was scolding them, telling them that it wasn’t right that they were taking money
for bets on a school game. Other students were laughing at the altercation, most of them reassuring
Percy that they didn’t mind and that he needed to loosen up. That didn’t go over well since Percy
started deducting points shortly after that.
When Harry pushed his plate away, there was still a few minutes before they would all be released to
head to the pitch. Rather than dwell on his nerves, he watched the Slytherin table. Hermione was the
first person he found, and she was fussing over her cousin, urging him to drink more juice. Malfoy
didn’t look too pleased with her worry and mothering, but he bore it well. He didn’t lash out or tell
her to stop, just rolled his eyes at her which made her smack him in the back of the head.
Harry fought the urge to laugh at that. He wondered what it would be like to have someone fuss over
him like that, worried about him because it was his first quidditch match of the year. His mind
couldn’t help but to flash to Hermione’s words to him that dreadful night last year.
If you had grown up with us, we would have loved you like we love Draco.
Just thinking of those words physically hurt him. His stomach clenched, and it was hard to draw in a
full breath. He quickly made his mind focus on something else since the last thing he wanted was to
make a fool of himself on the pitch because he couldn’t get a grip on himself. Instead, he focused on
how attentive Malfoy was to Hermione. There had been awhile there that they had barely spoke, that
while he still escorted her to every class and meal, they didn’t talk. Hermione had looked miserable
though nobody ever seemed to notice. Harry really wanted to know what had happened but since he
figured they would laugh in his face if he asked, he had let it go.
The bell rang above them, signaling that it was time for them to adjourn to the pitch. Ron was talking
animatedly next to him while Parvati was whining about how cold it was going to be outside. He
watched as Draco waved his wand over Hermione’s clothing and he suspected that it was a warming
charm. He had learned about them in his extra assignments but hadn’t had a chance to practice them.
She laid her hands on his chest, smiled up at him briefly, before she went to her tip toes, kiss his
cheek, and appeared to wish him luck.
Harry heaved a deep breath and raised his chin. This match was going to be the most difficult of his
quidditch career to date.
-O-
Hermione wanted to feel excited, she really did. She was happy that Draco was excited, she was
thrilled that he was getting to fulfill his dream of playing quidditch. She, however, couldn’t help but
be worried about either Draco or Harry getting hurt, especially since they were playing against each
other.
This whole match could end up being a complete disaster. She would be devastated if either one of
them got hurt and there was a distinct possibility of that happening. Draco would never agree to just
sit back and let Harry win and she doubted that Harry would do the same; therefore, she knew that it
was going to be an all-out battle and she knew that one of them was going to get their feelings hurt.
Not that they would ever admit it.
Hermione felt like a terrible cousin because she really didn’t think that Draco could win against
Harry. Granted, she didn’t know the first thing about quidditch, but it was clear in just watching their
practices throughout the years and since they had started school that Draco was much more gifted at
chasing. It was true, Draco had been the best seeker to try out for the team, but his talents weren’t in
catching a tiny golden ball, it was in throwing the quaffle and scoring.
Hermione had made sure to tell Draco that if he didn’t win that he wouldn’t lose face in their house.
He had rolled his eyes at her before taking her hands in his, squeezing them softly. He had told her
that he knew that Harry was a better seeker than he was, that seeking wasn’t his talent, but that didn’t
mean that he was going to just let him win either. Since Hermione had never expected him to, his
words weren’t a huge surprise. Therefore, she just sighed and nodded, wishing him luck with a kiss
on the cheek.
Draco and the rest of the team had left the Great Hall to cheers, wishing them luck and telling them
that they were going to crush the lions. Hermione followed Greg and Daphne out onto the pitch,
thanking Merlin that Draco had cast a warming charm on her robes and cloak. The wind was frigid,
and it was going to be a miserable match for those that couldn’t use the charm. Theo, Blaise, and
Pansy were walking ahead of them, Vince, Millie, and Tracey following behind them, all of them
headed to the stands that surrounded the pitch.
Hermione settled in next to Daphne and Greg, both talking quietly to each other about how excited
they were to watch Draco play against Potter. Hermione remained silent, not wanting everyone to
realize just how much she didn’t know about quidditch. Sure, she had been to matches throughout
her whole childhood, but they had never interested her like they did the rest of the wizarding children
that she knew. She supposed that she truly was an anomaly like everyone said.
Uncle Sev was already seated in the stands set aside for the staff, the Headmaster sitting regally next
to Professor McGonagall. Professor Cat was looking quite pleased with herself, and Hermione
couldn’t help but hope that Draco won the match just to wipe the smug grin off her face. In general,
the woman had been one hundred percent better to Hermione and Draco, honestly, the Slytherins as
a whole, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t obnoxious when it came to quidditch.
Madam Hooch strode out onto the pitch, her wand in one hand and a whistle in the other. She waited
in the middle of the pitch as the Gryffindor team emerged first, flying in a circle around the pitch so
the crowd could cheer for them. Once they had landed on the ground off to the side of Madam
Hooch, the Slytherin team appeared, flying in a similar pattern as the lions. There were far less cheers
for the snakes, but Hermione didn’t let that bother her; it didn’t seem to bother the rest of her house
either. After they were on the opposite side of Madam Hooch, the familiar voice of Lee Jordan was
heard above them all.
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first quidditch match of the season. Slytherin versus
Gryffindor is the most popular match of the season and this one is promising to shape into a good
one.” The crowd went wild, but Jordan continued.
“Let’s hear it for the Slytherin team, Flint as acting captain and chaser, Montague and Warrington as
chasers, Derrick and Bole in the roles as beaters, Bletchley for his performance as keeper, and Draco
Malfoy as the new seeker.” The Slytherin stands were cheering, all on their feet and whooping
happily. Jordan waited a minute before he continued.
“The Gryffindor team needs some love too, let’s hear it for Wood as captain and keeper, Weasley
and Weasley as beaters, Bell, Spinnet, and Johnson for the performances as chasers, and Harry Potter
as their seeker.” The rest of the school went to their feet, cheering loudly for the lions. It saddened
Hermione that the rest of the school was so against the Slytherins, especially when they were evenly
matched for nastiness.
Madam Hooch released the snitch, followed by the bludgers. After waiting a full minute for the balls
to disperse, she put her whistle in her mouth and threw the quaffle into the air, leaving it up to the
chasers to see who took possession first. As it was, Warrington emerged victorious, a nasty grin on
his face as the females of Gryffindor did their best to take it from him.
The match was fast and furious, something that didn’t surprise Hermione in the least. If there was
one thing that both teams took seriously, it was winning. Harry and Draco were both flying through
the air, scanning the sky for the snitch but neither one seemed to have spotted it yet. Wood was
blocking half their attempts to score, quite the feat if Hermione could say so. The Slytherin chasers
were very good, even she could tell that.
The score was already 60-0 in favor of Slytherin. Jordan was cheering for Gryffindor, blatantly
favoring the lions while he commentated. Hermione could see Professor McGonagall chastising him,
but the dark-skinned boy seemed to not take notice. After several more goals made by Flint, Johnson
managed to take possession of the quaffle, instantly scoring several goals against Bletchley.
The crowd around them was groaning; it had been rumored that Bletchley was only still on the team
because nobody else had tried out for the position. Hermione wasn’t sure why; Blaise always seemed
to favor the position when he played at Malfoy Manor and Black Moor over the summer. It only
took another thirty minutes for the lions to catch up in points.
It was at this point that Hermione became scared to death. One of the bludgers kept returning to
Harry, no matter where the Weasley twins hit it. It was clear that the bludger had been tampered
with, though by who, Hermione had no idea. Fred and George were now flying at Harry’s side,
doing all they could to keep the ball from hitting Harry while he was unaware. Hermione saw the
exact moment that Professor McGonagall realized that her star seeker was the target of a bludger that
couldn’t be dissuaded. She clutched the Headmaster’s arm and pointed to the sky, fear on her
features as Harry started rolling and twisting in the air.
The Headmaster did nothing, however, something that Hermione somewhat understood even though
she didn’t agree with. He had given Ronald detention the same as herself and Draco because he
couldn’t afford to look like he was showing favoritism. This was much the same; he couldn’t stop the
game for Harry when he wasn’t injured. She didn’t like the decision, but she could see why it was
happening.
Hermione watched as Harry waved the twins away, and even though they looked unsure of the
decision, they listened. Some of the Slytherin chasers were laughing at Harry trying to stay ahead of
the bludger; truthfully, it made Hermione want to hex them off their brooms. Were they unaware
what would happen to Harry if he was hit by the bludger or did they simply not care?
The bludger was temporarily forgotten when Draco spotted the snitch; Harry realized right away
what was happening and even though the bludger was still following him at an alarming speed, he
sped off after Draco. Even though Draco had the better broom, it didn’t take Harry long to catch up
to him. Both were bouncing off each other as they spun and twisted through the sky, both trying to
catch the shimmering golden ball in their hands. Hermione was scared to death that the bludger that
was intent on harming Harry would hit her cousin as well, hurting him badly enough that he couldn’t
finish the match.
Everyone gathered in the stands all around the pitch was on their feet, cheering for either Harry or
Draco. Hermione could see that Draco was holding his own against Harry, but she had a feeling that
if the Gryffindor hadn’t been battling a bludger as well that he would have already caught the snitch.
The chasers were still scoring, Slytherin this time since the Gryffindor chasers had become distracted
at the fact that their seeker was being chased by a bludger. The score had ratcheted up, now in favor
of Slytherin at 200-60.
The single defining moment of the match came when Harry and Draco both reached for the snitch,
their fingers stretching as far as they could, so they could grab the ball first. The bludger, rather than
following them, took a new approach and came from the side, crashing into the handle of not only
Harry’s broom, but Draco’s as well. While it didn’t break the handles as she had originally thought, it
threw both off their brooms, forward and into each other. Both landed in a crash on the ground, a
series of groans that Hermione could hear from the stands.
The snitch was in Harry’s hand, though he was still laying on the ground next to Draco trying to
catch his breath. She wasn’t even sure if Draco realized that his opponent had caught the snitch.
Hermione went to her feet instantly, rushing down the stands towards the pitch. Out of nowhere, the
bludger reappeared high in the air and barreled toward the ground at an alarming speed. Hermione
drew her wand, determined to destroy the bludger but didn’t get the chance to. Only ten feet from
hitting Harry, Draco raised his wand and spell shot out of the end, colliding with the bludger and
blasting it into hundreds of tiny pieces.
The stadium was silent as they watched the Malfoy heir save the life of Harry Potter; nobody was
quite sure what to say or how to act. Hermione, however, didn’t care at all about how it would be
perceived. She rushed forward and dropped to the ground between the two boys, checking them
over as quickly as she could while Madam Pomfrey hurried to her side. Draco was in pain, he was
saying something about his shoulder feeling like it was out of socket. Harry was laying there still and
silent, a grimace of pain present on his features.
When Madam Pomfrey dropped to the ground, Draco waved her to check over Harry first. The
Headmaster, Uncle Sev, and Professor Cat were the next to arrive, though they spent most of their
time keeping the students back. Professors Flitwick and Sprout appeared next, ordering all the
students to head back to the castle for lunch in the Great Hall. Hermione refused to budge, however.
While they could have sent her away from Harry, there was no way in blue hell that they were
separating her from Draco. She listened carefully as the mediwitch spoke, though she appeared like
she was focused fully on her cousin.
“Mr. Potter needs to be brought to the Hospital Wing immediately. His spleen is lacerated from the
landing and it it’s left untreated, the internal bleeding will become too much after enough time has
passed. It must be healed.” Hermione hoped against hope that the mediwitch could save the boy that
was supposed to be her brother. Hopefully it would be as simple as drinking a potion and some rest.
Madam Pomfrey moved to Draco and Hermione allowed her to get closer. After waving her wand
over her cousin, the mediwitch sighed in relief.
“Mr. Malfoy has a dislocated shoulder and a broken bone in his hand. He’ll need go to the Hospital
Wing as well.” Draco gave Hermione a smile and squeezed her hand, knowing exactly how worried
she was.
“I’m fine, Mia. Who won?” Uncle Sev looked like he had swallowed lemons when Professor
McGonagall crowed happily.
“Gryffindor won, 210-200. Mr. Potter caught the snitch.” Her godfather turned on the woman, fury
clear on his features.
“That’s right, Minerva, rub it in that your team won while my seeker lays there injured after saving
the life of yours. Well done, indeed.” The woman had the decency to look abashed at his words, but
the Headmaster spoke.
“Now, now, enough of that. The match doesn’t matter right now. What matters is making sure that
Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy find their way to the Hospital Wing and get themselves healed.”
Hermione, for the first time in her life, agreed wholeheartedly with the Headmaster. Uncle Sev
stepped forward and helped Draco to his feet, and Hermione bit back a laugh at the sight of his
disheveled hair and robes. Knowing that it would bother him to be seen this way, Hermione reached
up and smoothed his hair and robes, making sure to be careful around his shoulder. He shot her a
grateful look while their Head of House rolled his eyes.
Hermione went to her cousin’s side, wrapping an arm around his waist so she could help him make
his way to the Hospital Wing. He tried to shoo her away and tell her that it wasn’t needed but it was
to no avail. Hermione wouldn’t be dissuaded. She grinned as he finally gave in and allowed her to
help him across the school grounds.
-O-
Harry really didn’t feel well. His stomach hurt, and his body ached from the collision with the
ground and Malfoy. As happy as he was that he had won, he was grateful that Malfoy had kept the
bludger from hitting him while he was incapacitated. Since he had internal injuries, Professor
McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey were levitating him across the grounds and towards the castle. It
was embarrassing to say the least but there was no way that he could have made it himself. The pain
was too great.
Harry caught sight of Malfoy and Hermione walking a good distance away from him. Hermione was
wrapped around her cousin, helping guide him towards the castle, while Professor Snape was
conversing quietly with them. The Headmaster was leading their party, spelling open the doors so the
others wouldn’t have to worry about opening them.
Thankfully, the corridors were empty; everyone had gone to the Great Hall, that much was clear.
Harry wasn’t surprised since the other professors had insisted that the students head to lunch. Since
there were no distractions, it didn’t take them long to make it to the Hospital Wing on the fourth
floor. Once they were ensconced in beds several feet away from each other, Harry heard the
Headmaster speak.
“Miss Black, you need to go to the Great Hall and eat lunch. Mr. Malfoy will be in perfectly capable
hands.” Harry could see the stubborn set of her jaw as she stepped closer to Malfoy, laying her hand
on his arm.
“I’m fine here, sir. Thank you.” The Headmaster looked none too pleased but seemed to realize that
it wasn’t going to a battle that he won without a lot of arguing that truly seemed pointless. Honestly,
Harry didn’t see why it was a big deal that she stayed with Malfoy. Malfoy had stayed with her
while she had been healed after going after the Stone, Ron had told him so.
Madam Pomfrey bustled around him first since he was the more seriously injured. As she was
readying the potions that he needed to drink, Harry realized that the other professors had
disappeared. Harry thought that they must have surely been sent away so the mediwitch could heal
them. Realizing that this was his moment, Harry cleared his throat, halting the soft chatter between
the two cousins.
“I want to thank you, Malfoy, for saving me from that bludger. I’m not sure what was wrong with it
or who cursed it, but it likely would have killed me. I’d shake your hand if I could get up off this
bed.” Malfoy didn’t answer for a few moments, but his voice was strained when he did.
“It was nothing, Potter, I’m sure you would have done the same for me.” Harry wasn’t sure why he
was being so formal, but he supposed that it must be because of the still thinking the worst of their
family. The pair went back to their whispering softly and Harry let his mind wander.
He could have died on the pitch. It was clear that something or someone had set that bludger on him.
Since Quirrell wasn’t there to curse him, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was Professor Snape. The
man made quite clear that he didn’t like Harry; he was unsure as the man’s allegiance. Ron had told
him over and over that he had been a Death Eater, that he had once served Voldemort. It was equally
clear that Dumbledore trusted the man. It was a conundrum that Harry really didn’t want to
contemplate.
Madam Pomfrey returned with three potions in hand, handing them to him in a certain order. The
first to repair the damage to his spleen, the second to vanish the leaky blood from his abdomen, and
the third for pain. After he had swallowed all three vile concoctions down, the mediwitch had
informed him that he would be staying the rest of the day and night there, so she could make sure
that the bleeding had indeed stopped. Harry sighed heavily after she had left to go check out Malfoy.
The last thing that he wanted to do was stay there and garner more attention from his peers.
Harry listened as Madam Pomfrey treated Malfoy and told him that he was free to go. He didn’t get a
chance to listen to them leave because there was a soft pop next to him. Harry’s eyes bugged out
slightly when he realized that it was Dobby and he looked guilty and apologetic all at the same time.
“Dobby is so sorrys, Harry Potter. All he wanted was for Harry Potter to be safes.” Harry instantly
knew exactly what had happened to the bludger.
“You cursed that bludger to kill me.” Dobby looked truly distressed and jumped onto the bed.
“Never kill, only hurts or maim. Dobby is trying to protect Harry Potter. Dobby tells him he
shouldn’t be returnings to school.” Harry say up angrily despite the pain in his midsection.
“You closed the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾, didn’t you?” Dobby started to tug on his large bat-like
ears.
“Dobby is only wanting Harry Potter to stay homes so he will be safes. His master would never
wants Harry Potter to be hurts.” The elf looked like he had just admitted to something. Harry
narrowed his eyes as he grabbed the small elf by the tea towel it wore.
“Who’s your master, Dobby?” Rather than answer, the elf snapped its fingers and disappeared.
Harry let out a groan of frustration as he gingerly laid back down on the bed.
Dobby had tried to keep him from coming to school. He had tried to injure Harry, so he would likely
have to be sent home. This coupled with the fact that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened didn’t
set well with him. Who was the elf’s master and just what were his true intentions for Harry? Did he
want Harry safe or was it a ruse to make him feel safe and protected so he would be easier to get rid
of? Harry shook his head as he contemplated the elf’s words. Things had just gotten far more
complicated.
-O-
Hermione had heard every single word that Dobby had said to Harry. She was livid that one of
Draco’s family elves had been sent to interfere in Harry’s life for seemingly no reason at all. Draco
looked livid next to her; neither one of them appreciated being in the dark and it was clear that
something was going on that they weren’t privy to. Hermione wanted to immediately write her father
and rage at him for keeping things from her; how was she supposed to properly make sure that Harry
was safe and protected unless she was aware of everything that was going on? If her father didn’t
want her to know everything, he shouldn’t have intimated that he wanted her to tell Harry the truth
all those years ago. Draco snatched her hand and pulled her out of the Hospital Wing before he
spoke.
“We’re not writing our fathers yet. We’re going to go see Severus.” Hermione huffed angrily but
realized that it was probably for the best. She could rail at her father later.
Draco pulled her through the corridors, neither one of them even considering that they could catch
the tail end of lunch in the Great Hall. He led her through the dungeons until they were in front of
their godfather’s office, the light clearly on underneath the door. Draco reached forward and rapped
on the door. After only moments, the door swung open to reveal their godfather, quill in hand. He
was obviously in the middle of writing a letter, probably to Lucius to tell him about Draco’s injury.
“I didn’t think that Madam Pomfrey would have released you yet. I was going to send this letter to
your father and then return to see you. He’s going to be proud of you, Draco.” Uncle Sev took his
seat behind his desk and resumed writing his letter. When he realized that neither she nor Draco had
spoken, he looked up and cocked an eyebrow at them. Hermione waved her wand at the door,
silencing and warding it.
“I want to know what you, Father, Uncle Luci, and Aunt Cissy are hiding from us.” Her godfather
didn’t like her tone, that much was clear, but he didn’t let his anger show. He set the quill down and
crossed his arms over his chest. His tone was even as he spoke.
“Why do you think we’re hiding anything from you?” Hermione didn’t even bother schooling her
tone. Draco remained silent, but she could feel his tense presence next to her.
“Dobby appeared to Harry in the Hospital Wing after they thought we had left. Turns out that his
master sent him to Harry to keep him from school. Dobby is who set the bludger on Harry, he’s also
the one who blocked the barrier at King’s Cross. Nobody has mentioned a word of this to us so it’s
clear that it’s a big secret. What, we can be trusted to chase after him when he goes after the
Philosopher’s Stone but not when it comes to whatever this is? Contrary to what others may think,
we aren’t stupid.” Her uncle stood quickly, leaning forward onto his hands as they rested on the
desk.
“You will watch your tone, young lady, and you will speak to me with respect. Just because you
think you need to be told everything doesn’t mean that you are entitled to know. There are things that
you don’t need to know, that you don’t need to worry yourself over. The adults are handling it and
you will respect the decision for us to do so.” Hermione was so angry that she couldn’t stop her eyes
from pricking with tears. She hated being chastised, she hated disappointing her family, but she hated
being kept in the dark as well. When a tear escaped her eye, she angrily swiped it away before
stepping back behind Draco. Her next words were harsh, but she was hurt that they hadn’t trusted
herself and Draco.
“If that’s the case, then the adults should have worried about befriending Harry Potter and they
should have made sure that they could save him when he went after the Philosopher’s Stone. They
should have been the ones that listened to him do nothing but talk about how they were a traitor
because of lies he had been told. The adults should have been the ones to cry in their cousin’s bed
because he was so horrible to them. That’s fine, the adults can handle it from here on out.” Even
though she was sure to get in trouble for it later, she waved her wand and released the spells on the
door. Without a single backward glance, Hermione left the same way she had come, tears still
tracking down her cheeks.
-O-
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched his goddaughter stalk from his office, tears
down her cheeks and anger in her eyes. He hated to see her so upset; she was the light of his life and
his true source of happiness. Sure, Lily had held that position for many years but once Regulus had
made him his daughter’s goddaughter, it had all changed.
Even though he truly believed that she and Draco didn’t need to be told everything, it was clear that
she had a point. A lot had been put on her shoulders, Draco’s as well, and it hadn’t been easy for her.
Potter had been cruel to her several times and he knew for a fact that she had cried herself to sleep in
Draco’s bed more than once. He would daresay that she had suffered more than any of the adults in
relation to keeping Potter safe. Severus looked up to see that Draco was glaring at him. He couldn’t
help snapping at his godson.
“You might as well say what you want. Then we can lump the clear disrespect of your cousin and
yourself into one instance.” Draco didn’t say anything for several seconds and Severus wasn’t
entirely sure that he was going to. Finally, the blond spoke.
“No, Hermione wasn’t the most respectful. She should have been. However, she’s hurt. Potter has
been terrible to her and you all just keep telling her to stick with it, to do her best. She’s been told
every detail about her parent’s deaths, the betrayal of Peter Pettigrew, the murder of an innocent
auror, the following trial with the ICW. Her father doesn’t tell her to leave well enough alone when it
comes to befriending Potter because he secretly wants her to try even though it’s hurting Hermione.
She’s soft-hearted and it’s easy to hurt her. Then, when we discover that something has been kept
from us, you get angry with her because she feels betrayed. She has cried herself to sleep in my bed
more than once because of words from Potter and Weasley. Then she finds out that this isn’t even
appreciated because you’ve all been keeping things from her anyways. I bet you ten to one that she’s
the angriest that she can’t keep Potter safe if she doesn’t know what she’s up against. I think that if
you weren’t going to share everything with us, the four of you shouldn’t have shared anything with
us. At least then, we could have hated him properly and she wouldn’t be running through the
corridors with tears down her face. If she’s done, I’m done. She’s the only reason I even helped
Potter; it sure hasn’t been because he’s my best mate.”
Severus wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say. He truly believed that the children shouldn’t be
told everything, but he also knew that they had been told everything up until that point. It wasn’t fair
to keep things from them now, especially since it was clear that they felt betrayed and mistrusted. He
pinched the bridge of his nose again. Just as he was getting ready to speak, Draco bowed slightly his
way.
“Thank you for your time, Professor. I’ll just go make sure that my cousin has found the common
room alright.” Severus couldn’t help but feel the sting at his words. Draco disappeared through the
door and Severus heaved a sigh as he took his seat again.
If he put himself in their shoes, he would have been livid too. As much as he hated it, Severus had to
admit that he needed them to keep an eye on Potter. Albus couldn’t be trusted and he himself wasn’t
a miracle worker. He couldn’t watch the boy at every moment. He scrubbed his eyes with the palm
of his hand. Severus hadn’t even gotten to ask if Draco was healed from the match. It really had been
above and beyond that he had saved the boy from the rogue bludger. Lucius would have to take the
idiot elf to task, there was nothing else for it. Not only had he put Potter’s life in danger, he had also
endangered Draco and that wasn’t something that Severus could overlook. Where Hermione was the
light of his life, Draco was just as important to him in a more hardened sort of way.
With a sigh, he pulled the parchment to him again, starting on a fresh letter that would hopefully fix
the problems that had come to light.
-O-
Sirius, Lucius and Cissy were all seated in the library at Malfoy Manor, doing their level best to wait
patiently for news about the quidditch match. They knew that Harry and Draco were facing off
against each other and that it could end disastrously. They were all hoping that it didn’t and were
waiting for word from Severus as to the outcome. Just as he was about to pour himself another glass
of whiskey, a tapping on the window brought him to attention. Lucius rose and relieved the owl of
its burden, waving the black owl towards the treats. He hurriedly ripped the parchment open and
began to read aloud.
“Lucius and Sirius,
The match was a disaster, as was expected. The two boys put on a jolly good show, unsurprisingly.
However, a bludger had apparently been cursed and wouldn’t leave Harry alone. He and Draco
battled for the snitch and in the end, the bludger caught the handle of both their brooms, sending
them flying. Harry ended up with the snitch and Gryffindor won. However, the bludger wasn’t to be
dissuaded. Draco ended up blasting it from the sky as it tried to pummel Harry while he was laying
injured on the pitch.
Both boys are well. Draco suffered a dislocated shoulder and broken bone in his hand; Potter has a
lacerated spleen that was causing internal bleeding. Both have been treated and are on the mend.
However, other problems have arisen.
Dobby appeared to Harry in the Hospital Wing and told him that he was responsible for the barrier at
King’s Cross and the bludger, that he was attempting to get Harry to stay away from Hogwarts. Of
course, the idiot elf didn’t make sure that they were alone, and your children heard everything.
Both came to see me after Draco was released. Hermione is livid, told me that she deserved to know
the truth when she’s the one who has suffered at the hands of Potter and Weasley. She wasn’t the
most respectful and when I told her to mind her tone, she started crying and told me that if they
couldn’t be trusted, then the adults in charge could handle watching after Potter and befriending him.
She stormed out of my office before I could tell her that we didn’t mistrust them at all.
Draco gave me a long-winded speech how they shouldn’t have been told anything at all if they
weren’t going to be trusted with everything. While I don’t think they need to know everything, I can
understand their feelings. Put in their position, I would feel betrayed as well.
I haven’t told them anything and won’t until you advise me as to your wishes. While they are my
godchildren, you are the parents and you must do what’s best for them. Just know that Draco told me
they should have been allowed to properly hate Potter rather than being taught to try to befriend him.
I await your wishes.
Respectfully,
Severus”
Sirius raked a hand through his hair. This wasn’t what he had planned when he and Lucius had
spoke over the summer after the diary had been stolen. It still hadn’t resurfaced but Sirius had a
sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the Chamber of Secrets. He couldn’t prove it,
and neither could Severus, however. Cissy reached out and took the letter, so she could read it
herself. Sirius met Lucius’ eyes as he spoke.
“Have we made a mistake? Should we have told them?” His blond friend leaned his head back on
the sofa as he contemplated Sirius’ words.
“I don’t think they need to know everything, but I don’t see a way around it. Severus can’t watch the
boy every second of the day and last year was proof enough that even when he was being watched
that wasn’t a guarantee that he would be safe. I don’t like it, not in the least, but I don’t see any way
around telling them. From what Severus says, they already feel betrayed. That was never my intent.”
Sirius was of the same mind, so he nodded his head.
“Should we tell Severus to tell them or should we send a letter to them?” Lucius started tapping his
fingers on his chin, the tell-tale sign that he was thinking deeply. At least he answered.
“I think that we should send a letter through the floo to Severus and let them read it. Then he can
answer any questions.” Sirius nodded before turning to Cissy.
“Your thoughts, Cissy?” His cousin sniffled slightly but nodded her head.
“I hate that any of this is necessary, but I think we have to tell them. If I were in their shoes, I’d feel
betrayed as well.” Sirius nodded as Lucius reached for parchment, ink and a quill.
“Let’s get this letter written so we can send it through tonight.” Sirius nodded and leaned forward,
intent on helping his friend.
This letter was either going to make or break them.
A/N- There you are, guys, another chapter. We’re moving right along in this story, that much is for
sure. I hope you’re all continuing to enjoy it. Thanks again for reading and reviewing, it keeps me
going. Let me know what you think, I do love hearing your opinions.
Next up, another victim of the Chamber of Secrets is discovered.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 31

A/N-I’m back, y’all. I hope this brings a smile to your face. I just wanted to let everyone know that I
appreciate all the reading a reviewing you’re doing, it makes me smile every time my email dings. A
side point is that my kids start school on Monday, so I hope to keep my updating schedule up, but I
can’t guarantee it. Be patient! Anyways, thanks again and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing. The characters belong to our queen and I’m sure that the plot has
been done a hundred times before. My mama always said there ain’t nothing new under the sun. By
the way, still poor here in my little corner of the world so I still haven’t made any money from my
stories.
Chapter 31
November 30, 1992
Hermione was seated in the common room waiting for Draco to appear. She had finished running
not twenty minutes before; she was now able to make almost three loops around the lake now. Draco
had laughed at her for taking his advice to the extreme, citing that no proper witch would dream of
running but the fact remained that she was already gaining in endurance and if she continued, she
would surpass him in just a few months. She couldn’t help but feel smug at the thought of lasting
longer in a duel than her cousin, especially since he was still better than her at the actual art of
dueling.
Hermione was just getting ready to pull out her potions book when she heard footsteps on the stairs
leading to the boy’s dorms. Just moments later, Draco appeared and held out his arm for her. Without
a single hesitation, Hermione rose and floated under his arm, wrapping her arm lightly around his
waist. He pressed a quick kiss to her temple as he led her through the portrait hole and out into the
corridor. Usually Draco had the other boys following him but today he was completely alone.
Her cousin had spent far more time with her since their argument in the Owlery. He was still in
practice three to four times a week but always managed to make time for her and his studies. The
boys complained, she had heard them once while they were on their way to Charms. Hermione had
told Draco that she wouldn’t be angry if he resumed his previous schedule since his friends
obviously missed him, but he wouldn’t hear anything of it. He had told her that she would always be
more important than Theo and Blaise and if they couldn’t understand that, they didn’t deserve to be
their friends.
Hermione felt guilty, of course. How could she not? When she had finally lost grip of her temper
regarding her cousin’s time (or lack thereof) spent with her, she had regretted it almost immediately.
The last thing that she had wanted was to make him feel guilty. She only wanted him to spend time
with her if he wanted to. However, since the occurrence (as she had come to call it), he had told her
time and time again that he had missed her and hadn’t even realized it until he realized that they
rarely talked. Rather than argue with him, it wouldn’t have done them any good in the end, she had
smiled at him and told him that she missed him as well.
The pair took their usual seats at the Slytherin table; Aunt Cissy hadn’t been lying when she told
Hermione that she would become more popular this year. Other boys were asking her almost daily
for the honor to escort her to her classes. While she always told them yes, Draco insisted on being
present as their chaperone. He didn’t quite meet the requirements as chaperone, but she supposed that
he would never allow her to become disgraced. Hermione couldn’t help but worry about what would
happen when she did date. While her aunt had drilled in her head the proper practices regarding
courting, Hermione wasn’t quite sure she could see herself following the ridiculous rules.
Draco spooned up her usual breakfast, a small pile of eggs, toast, and a bowl of fruit. Even though
Hermione wasn’t all that hungry, she knew that she needed to eat since she had ran that morning.
The last thing that she wanted to do was lose weight. Draco had assured her that she would lose a
little bit with running but if she kept eating at her usual pace she should be fine. While she wanted to
be healthy and up her endurance, the last thing she wanted was to lose weight and become weaker.
Breakfast passed with little incidence. Their friends joined them just as Hermione finished her meal.
Draco was drawn into a conversation about the upcoming match against Hufflepuff. Hermione
engaged Daphne in a quiet conversation about their Charms exam coming up at the end of the week.
The blond girl was nervous and even though Hermione couldn’t possibly fathom why, she did her
best to reassure her friend.
Neville and the twins dropped by their table for a few moments, telling them what classes they had
for the day and sharing what little gossip they had. Since the twins were quite popular, they had the
most information to offer. While Hermione hated gossip and what it could do to a person, she knew
that it was important to pay attention to it since gossip affected a great number of things.
Once their Gryffindor visitors were gone, Hermione rose and started for her first class, Draco right
next to her. History of Magic was never all that entertaining; in fact, everyone complained that it was
ridiculously dull. Once they were ensconced in their seats, Hermione let her mind drift. It could be a
dangerous practice but since things had just been worked out, she didn’t feel so bad.
*Flashback*
Hermione watched as her uncle’s owl swooped through the air, landing in front of Draco. He took
the letter from the owl before shoving his mostly empty plate of breakfast towards the bird. With a
single look from her cousin, Hermione realized that it was from their parents. Obviously, their
godfather had told them how angry they had been. Hermione was the first to admit that she hadn’t
handled the confrontation well at all but that didn’t diminish her feelings in the least. In fact, the
longer she considered it, the more betrayed she felt. In the end, she simply wished that she hadn’t
allowed her temper to flare as it had and make a fool of herself. Draco was quick to open the letter,
leaning towards her so they could read the letter together.
Draco and Hermione,
We hope this letter finds you well and in good spirits. Severus told us that you were both angry and
feeling rather betrayed. While this was never our intention, we figured that we should do all we can
to rectify the situation.
The reason we didn’t tell you these things was because your childhoods have already been ruined by
not only Voldemort, but by ourselves and Dumbledore as well. The last thing that we wanted to do
was to bring you down further, crushing any chance at the carefree childlike nature that is natural to
children your age. This being said, when we put ourselves in your shoes, we admit that we would
likely feel the same as you are. We aren’t happy with the decision to tell you but the two of you have
earned it.
Do the two of you recall the day that you were dueling at Black Moor and Lucius was calling for me
throughout the house? You were both dismissed from dueling to shower and I met with Lucius in the
study. He informed me that the wards at Malfoy Manor had been breached and a diary that the Dark
Lord had left under his care had been stolen. We determined that the only way a person could have
breached the wards was as an animagus; since Pettigrew is one of several animaguses that were in
the Dark Lord’s employ, we assumed that one of them had stolen the artefact.
Neither one of us know exactly what the diary is, though we both know that it is dark in nature.
Neither of you have ever been near it and would have no idea what we mean when we say that it
feels like it’s staining your very soul when you touch it. Fearing that this would be used against the
Boy-Who-Lived, we decided to send Dobby to warn young Harry.
Dobby took it further than needed, however. We told him to try to keep Harry from returning to
Hogwarts since we were sure that it would be used against him. Rather than convince him rationally,
he used magic at his home and the Ministry sent Harry a reminder to not use underage magic outside
of school. Dobby was also responsible for closing the barrier between King’s Cross Station and
Platform 9 ¾; we didn’t know it at the time and would never have allowed it to happen if we had.
It seems that Dobby is also to blame for the bludger from the Gryffindor/Slytherin game; his thought
process was that if he could injure Harry, he would be sent home. While completely daft, Dobby has
never been the smartest elf employed at Malfoy Manor. We should have realized this earlier andd
one what we could to stop these occurrences from happening. Trust me, he has been pulled from
anything involving Mr. Potter. It’s clear the boy is intent on staying at school and we can only hope
that between the two of you and Severus that you can keep him safe.
Once again, we apologize for making you think that we don’t trust you. Don’t abandon Harry now
just because you are angry. After the truth is out, he will be an excellent friend to the both of you, I
promise it. I can only hope that by the time that has happened that you both aren’t thoroughly
disgusted with him. Above all, we want all of us to be family as we would have been if Harry had
been raised like Hermione was.
For now, we have nothing else to share. We promise to send word if we discover anything else. For
now, though, if you have any questions, we implore you to seek out Severus. He knows everything,
and he is aware that we were going to tell the two of you the truth. He will answer all questions to
the best of his ability. Please accept this as our earnest apology.
We love you both til the end,
Uncle Sirius and Uncle Lucius
Hermione finished the letter before her cousin; once the words were burned in her memory, she
leaned away from her cousin’s shoulder and considered the words written. It seemed as if they had
two choices.
First, the pair of them could accept the apology of their adult figures and move on, trusting them to
tell them all pertinent information from then on. Hermione wasn’t sure how much they could count
on since they had already proven themselves able to keep things from them. Despite this thought, the
idea of mistrusting her father at all times wasn’t something that she wanted to do; she loved her father
and Uncle Luci more than life itself. The thought of throwing that away because they had tried to
protect them from something seemed a little ridiculous.
On the other hand, however, it was clear that they were willing to hide things from them if they
thought that it would protect them. Hermione understood that they wanted to protect them to a
degree. Her problem came with the fact that her father had never once discouraged her from
befriending Harry, despite knowing that the Headmaster was going to twist his mind. She had never
wanted to think that her father had wanted her to be abused by Harry, but the fact remained that she
had been. Her father had seemed to understand when she had told him that she was done but he
hadn’t discouraged her a single time before. In fact, he had encouraged her to keep trying.
Whereas Hermione seemed torn, Draco was sure of his thoughts. There were no emotions flickering
across his features as she was sure there were across hers. She knew that she had the innate Slytherin
tendencies, she had always struggled with hiding emotions; according to her Uncle Sev, that was
why she had had such a hard time with occlumency. He had constantly teased her about her
Gryffindor tendencies for months. Her cousin turned her way with hard eyes, his features frozen on
his face.
“They’re full of complete shite. They’re telling us what they want us to hear, the things that will
make us believe them. If you believe them, you’re stupid. I won’t believe them until they prove to me
that I can trust them again.” Hermione felt slightly affronted at his words until she remembered that
he was insulting her family as much as his own. If anyone had a right to judge her father and Uncle
Luci, it was Draco.
It was several days later that Hermione convinced her cousin to give their family a chance and speak
to her Uncle Sev about the situation. She assumed that he had been expecting them days earlier, but
this was just one more thing that kept him off-balance. Hermione was rather pleased with the
outcome of their conversation.
“I have promised to tell the both of you the truth, though not in front of anyone else. We’ve all
admitted that it’s important that the two of you be aware of everything no matter how trivial,
especially since it’s likely the pair of you that will turn Potter to our side in the end.” Hermione
wasn’t sure how her uncle could think that but decided to remain silent in the end; the last thing she
wanted to do was give another reason why they shouldn’t be told important things. Especially since
she had learned from her uncle that the rest of the school knew nothing of her cousin’s living
conditions aside from the Weasleys.
*End of Flashback*
Hermione managed to miss her whole History of Magic class. When the bell rang, she was quick to
look over and make sure that her cousin had copied down the assignment. It was a huge relief when
she saw that he had.
The pair stood and exited the classroom, making their way to Charms. The rest of the students in
their year followed them, doing their best to keep up. Hermione wasn’t sure why since most of the
students would normally not want to be associated with herself and Draco. Once they were safely
ensconced in Professor Flitwick’s classroom, Hermione was quick to begin ignoring her classmates.
The half-goblin was lecturing over the engorgement charm. It was something that Hermione had
personally learned quite a few years earlier but out of respect for her teacher, she gave him her rapt
attention. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Draco was doing the same.
After the lecture, the professor split them into groups, so they could practice. Unfortunately for
Hermione, she was put in the same group as Harry, Seamus, and the Weasel while Draco was put
with Pansy, Daphne, and Greg. She reluctantly moved from her seat to sit with the Gryffindors.
Once she was seated next to the Irishman, she studied her book in hopes that they wouldn’t speak to
her. Harry’s voice startled her out of her reverie.
“Have you done this before, Black?” Hermione’s eyes caught his, surprised as they were. Harry was
almost grinning, but she refrained from showing her surprise.
“Yes, I learned it ages ago. Have you?” Harry shook his head as he pulled his wand from his robes.
“Nope, I’ve never done it before. Read plenty about it but never performed it.” Hermione tried to
stifle her grin but barely succeeded. She gestured for him to go ahead and attempt the spell. When he
realized that she wasn’t going to attempt the spell first, Harry pointed it at the book on the desk in
front of them. He whispered the spell and she could tell that he was pleasantly surprised when the
book began to grow.
After Harry watched it reach epic proportions, he waved his wand and cast the counter. With a
triumphant look, he cast his eyes to Hermione, completely ignoring Weasley and Finnegan.
Hermione had never been one to back down from a challenge; she waved her wand and the book
grew once more. Weasley was glaring at her as the book reached an even bigger size than Harry’s
had. Once it was he size of small tree, she cancelled the spell and cast the counter. She turned to
Weasley, and though he didn’t look confident, he waved his wand anyways.
The spell didn’t work but Harry was quick to instruct him. Hermione left him to it, pulling her
assignment out from Potions. The other two boys seemed to enjoy that she didn’t force her tuition on
them, even though they had cast aspersions on her character before for not helping them. If she was
being honest with herself, it was one of the most relaxed lessons she had ever shared with the lions.
After class had dismissed, they headed to lunch. Draco was deep in a conversation with Theo about
the upcoming match so even though he was still escorting her, he wasn’t truly paying attention. They
took their usual seats at the Slytherin table and nothing out of the ordinary happened. The bell rang
forty-five minutes later, dismissing them to their next class.
Hermione and Draco led the way to Potions; it remained one of Hermione’s favorite classes. After
they were all seated, and her godfather appeared at the front of the class, she was quick to get to copy
down the facts on valerian root that she hadn’t copied down years before. Since it was a popular
ingredient, there was no time to brew anything with valerian, making their class even easier. Her
uncle dismissed class with a sneer on his face at the whispers around the classroom exuding
happiness at no homework. After they left the Potion’s classroom, Draco was quick to escort her to
Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Their farce of a professor assigned them more pages to copy from their last year’s text. Hermione
could only sigh as she cast the geminio spell, copying the text so she wouldn’t have to further waste
her time. She noticed that Draco was doing the same as she was. The other students looked irritated
as hell but since there was nothing they could do about it, they remained silent.
Professor Lockhart dismissed their class without assigning any homework. While Hermione
appreciated that there were no assignments to work on, it sickened her as well. They were supposed
to be learning and it wasn’t happening since their professor was a complete joke. The Headmaster
owed them a better professor, but it was clear that it wasn’t going to happen. Therefore, Hermione
could only appreciate the fact that she didn’t waste any of her time on homework for his class.
Draco waited for her to gather things before he offered her his arm once more. Hermione appreciated
it more than she could say; it was only proper that she let young men who asked to escort her.
However, if her cousin beat them to it, it would be rude to accept their invitation. While Hermione
wasn’t averse to attention from males, she wanted them to like her for herself, not her last name and
fortune.
Hermione sighed as they started for the Great Hall; dinner sounded amazing and there was plenty of
time to be spent in the library afterwards.
-O-
Harry was irritated; they had just been dismissed from Defense Against the Dark Arts and it had
been a complete waste of time. Professor Lockhart was so stuck on himself that he didn’t take the
time to teach them anything. They were learning absolutely nothing, and Harry hated it. If it hadn’t
been for the lessons from McGonagall, he would have been completely clueless as to what Defense
even was.
He, Ron, and Parvati traversed the corridors from the Defense classroom to the Great Hall. They
took their usual seats at the lion’s table and started spooning food onto their plates. His mind
wandered as he ate the turkey and stuffing. Charms class had been nice; working with Hermione, as
short as it had been, had been nice. These were dangerous thoughts since he wasn’t going to be her
friend, but it was still nice to work with the girl and have it not end in a fight. He had been most
surprised that Ron had kept his mouth shut. Although, that was probably only possible because
Hermione had made no effort to show off or try to help him.
Harry wished more than anything that they could all be friends. Life had really fucked him over
when Sirius Black had turned her parent’s over to Voldemort. He did his best to not think about what
life would have been like if his parents had lived. His imagination made it too painful.
Once they were finished with dinner, Harry waved Ron and Parvati on. He wanted to go to the
library and get one of the books that Professor McGonagall had recommended for learning Defense.
After their completely pointless lesson that afternoon, Harry was more than happy to do so. Ron had
just shaken his head at him, still disbelieving that he wanted to do extra lessons. He had to give it to
his friend; he no longer complained about the extra work that Harry did or the fact that he had to do
his homework, but Ron never expressed any wish to learn the extra lessons either.
Harry entered the library with confidence. Since he had been doing extra lessons, he had learned
where most of the sections were and had gained experience in using the wizarding cataloguing
system. He no longer had to ask Madam Pince for help in finding the books that he needed.
Harry saw Hermione sitting at her usual library table, Neville being the only one sitting with her.
There was a Slytherin quidditch practice that evening which explained why the rest of the snakes
were gone. It seemed like most of the house gathered to watch their practices, though Harry wasn’t
sure why. Hermione went here and there, quick to offer her cousin support but it was only once a
week or so. The rest of the evening was spent in the library though he wasn’t sure what she worked
on. It was more than clear that she was ahead in all her classes; maybe they were assignments sent to
her from her personal tutor. He still remembered Ron tearing her parchment in half in Transfiguration
class the year before.
It was clear that she was helping Neville with something, probably Potions. The Gryffindor wasn’t
the best at the subject and while he still passed the class, he still managed to melt cauldrons and blow
up his potions. He considered stopping for a few moments to exchange pleasantries but decided not
to. The more contact he had with her the harder it would be to remain indifferent to her. He quickly
found the book he needed and then also grabbed another book that looked promising. There were no
problems checking the books out and left only twenty minutes after he entered.
Harry meandered through the corridors on his way back up to the Tower. His mind was wandering
but to nothing too important. He was contemplating if he wanted to start his Transfiguration
homework when he returned to the common room when he stopped cold. Colin Creevey was laying
on the ground in front of him.
Harry dropped to his knees and felt for a pulse. There was nothing under his fingers and the small
boy’s skin was ice cold. Harry wasn’t sure if he was dead or if he was just petrified like Mrs. Norris.
Since there was nobody around, Harry wasn’t sure what to do. Should he leave Colin there and get
help or stay with him until someone else found them?
The decision was made for him when Professor Sprout rounded the corner and saw them. She
hurried to their side and dropped down next to them, her hands reaching out to feel for a pulse the
same as Harry’s had. He watched with trepidation as the woman whipped out her wand and gave it a
wave, a silver mole appearing. She whispered a message to it and it slunk away. She turned back to
Harry and laid a heavy hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, lad, I just sent for Poppy and the Headmaster.” Harry nodded but remained quiet. It
was several minutes later that there were echoing footsteps coming from down the corridor. Harry
looked up to see not only the Headmaster and mediwitch but his Head of House as well. The woman
was obviously distressed as she snapped at him.
“What are you doing out by yourself, Mr. Potter?” Harry stepped away from Colin while the
Headmaster bent and pried the camera out of Colin’s hand.
“I had gone to the library to get the book you recommended for Defense and found him on my way
back to the Tower.” He held up the book as evidence when something occurred to him. Were they
trying to blame this on him like Filch had? He felt the blood drain from his face as he began to
stammer.
“I didn’t do this, Professor, I swear. I would never hurt Colin.” The Headmaster stood and laid a
hand on his shoulder, calming Harry instantly.
“We know, Harry, Professor McGonagall was just trying to ascertain why you were alone in the
corridor.” Harry wasn’t quite sure that’s what she was implying but he nodded his head. Maybe he
was just being paranoid. Dumbledore squeezed his shoulder now.
“Harry, we need to take young Mr. Creevey to the Hospital Wing. Can we trust you to keep this
quiet until we can make an announcement to the school? Of course, I would never ask you to hide
something from Mr. Weasley and Miss Patil but please don’t say anything to anyone else.” Harry
decided that if he was going to promise to remain silent about this attack, he was going to get
something else out of it.
“Is this happening because the Chamber of Secrets has been opened? How is Colin an enemy of the
heir?” It looked as though Professors Sprout and McGonagall wanted to hear his answer as much as
he did. The Headmaster sighed deeply before he answered.
“I’m really not certain if this is a result of the Chamber being opened. The castle has been searched
hundreds of times over for the Chamber to no avail. As for Mr. Creevey being an enemy of the heir,
it’s hard to say. I feel as though we need more information before we can make an accurate guess as
to exactly what is happening.” Harry knew that he was being fobbed off, but he nodded his head.
They really did need to get Colin to the Hospital Wing and he knew that if he pressed he would just
end up in detention.
“Thank you, sir. I’ll head back to the common room and don’t worry. I’ll keep this to myself except
for Ron and Parvati.” Dumbledore favored him with an indulgent smile before he nodded.
“Thank you, Harry. Off with you now.”
Harry wasted no time in starting through the corridors again. He was only one flight of stairs away
from the seventh floor when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The now-familiar voice
whispered past him, sending Harry on high alert.
Kill.
Harry wasted no more time. He sprinted towards the stairs and took them two at a time. Once he was
on the seventh floor, he hurried to the end of the main corridor, so he could stand before the Fat Lady
and shout the password. Once he was safely ensconced in his common room, his heart slowed, and
he let out a sigh of relief.
Maybe he should consider telling someone about hearing voices. It was true, he would probably get
a few looks that told him he was barmy but if someone could help him, it would be great. Ron had
told him that he should just stay quiet, that he didn’t need any negative publicity or attention.
However, he wasn’t sure he could handle hearing voices for the rest of his life.
He had much to consider.
-O-
Albus ran his hands through his beard, considering the evenings events. Harry had stumbled on
Colin Creevey, clearly petrified in the same manner as Mrs. Norris. Minerva wanted to question him
further to know if he had seen anything but Albus had refused her. If he had seen something, he
would have volunteered it immediately.
The Headmaster knew that Harry was innocent. He had seen his loyalty to his friends and while it
was clear that the boy was annoyed by young Colin constantly taking his picture, he knew that he
wasn’t malicious enough to actually hurt the boy.
The Chamber of Secrets being opened was a worry. It was one thing when it was just the cat that
had been petrified; now that a student had been harmed, the situation became more precarious. The
students would have to be warned and that meant bad publicity. The last thing that he needed was for
the wizarding public to think that their children weren’t safe.
The one saving grace was that young Colin was a muggleborn. His parents wouldn’t have to be
notified since they couldn’t visit and while it was sad, the public wouldn’t be too worried about the
fact that a muggleborn was injured at school. For once, the situation was working in his favor
though. The less chance of him being removed for students not being safe meant Harry was that
much safer.
Albus was going to have to keep his eyes open until he solved this Chamber of Secrets problem.
A/N- Another short chapter but our first victim of the basilisk is now in the Hospital Wing. I hope
y’all enjoyed the chapter. Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Leave me a message after the
beep and let me know what you think. Reviews are love.
Next chapter, the dueling club meets.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 32

A/N- I just love you guys. Your support of this story is just overwhelming, I can’t thank you enough.
I’ve still been having problems with answering reviews so if you didn’t get a response, once again, I
apologize. For those that are offering constructive criticism, thank you. I love suggestions and ways
to make the story better. Anyways, I’ll leave you all to reading, we all know that way more fun that
listening to me ramble on and on about nothing.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing. The characters belong to J.K.R. and the original idea for part one
belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. I have made zero money from this story or any of my
others.
Chapter 32
December 3, 1992
Hermione sighed as she pushed her lunch around her plate. Her morning had consisted of Charms
and Transfiguration and even though neither were a challenge for her, both professors had assigned
an abnormally large amount of homework. While the work wouldn’t be all that difficult, it was the
time that it took to complete.
Pansy and Daphne were seated next to her, chattering quietly about the style of robes that they were
planning to wear for Christmas. Whatever had come between them earlier in the year had long since
passed; they were thick as thieves once more. As far as she knew, neither girl had divulged just what
they had been arguing over. Theo and Blaise were talking loudly of quidditch with Vince and Greg
and Draco was attempting to finish his Potions assignment before they were due in class in just ten
minutes. It seemed that quidditch practice was putting him further behind than usual.
After Potions was a free period, which Hermione knew that most all the students would be using to
do their homework since Professor Lockhart had finally gotten off his lazy arse and organized a
dueling club for the students. While she was determined to not go, after all the man was a complete
idiot, how was he going to teach them, Draco had insisted that she accompany him for no other
reason than they needed some entertainment. Hermione usually didn’t like watching people fail but
when her godfather had taken them aside and told them that the silly ponce had asked him to do a
demonstration with him, she had agreed. Her godfather was going to trounce the empty-headed
buffoon.
The bell rang, pulling her from her thoughts. The rest of the table groaned; even though Potions was
taught by their Head of House, nobody really enjoyed the subject aside from herself and Draco.
Daphne was decent at the subject but had no real love for it. Theo and Blaise were passable, but
Pansy, Millie, Greg, and Vince were terrible at it. Tracey only did as well as the person she copied
her assignments from, so it varied from class period to class period.
Draco escorted her to class, her arm tucked securely into the crook of his elbow. Hermione hadn’t
strayed far from him that day; just yesterday after breakfast, Thorfinn Rowle had attempted to get her
to agree to a betrothal contract; Hermione could only shake her head at how stupid he clearly was.
Hermione herself could never agree to a betrothal contract when she was only thirteen. Her father
was the only one that could, and she had informed him that that was never going to happen. Draco
had been appalled at the man’s actions but had behaved with decorum. Now, he was just escorting
her everywhere; he had even mortified her and walked with her to visit the loo after breakfast.
All their friends followed them once Hermione and Draco started for the door. Sometimes Hermione
couldn’t help but wonder if any of their friends had a mind of their own. They were constantly
following Hermione and Draco and doing whatever they did. While Hermione usually didn’t mind, it
also didn’t give her much hope for when their parents started pressuring them to join them under the
Dark Lord’s rule.
Hermione knew that when the truth came out about the true loyalty of her father and Uncle Luci,
they were going to lose their friends. They could hardly tell Hermione or Draco no, let alone their
own parents. While it didn’t bother her too terribly bad, the Slytherin knew that it was going to be
difficult for Draco. Theo and Blaise had been his friends for years; letting go was going to be hard.
They entered the Potions classroom and Draco dropped her off at her seat at the front of the room.
Since they had lectured over the shrinking solution yesterday in class, they would be brewing it
today. Since it was a partner project, Hermione was once again stuck with Weasley. Draco brushed
her hair behind her shoulder as the lions entered. Harry grinned their way before taking a seat at the
table he shared with Draco. Weasley glared at her before sneering at her cousin.
“I swear, Malfoy, the way you touch her is just creepy. It’s unnatural to be that close to your female
cousin.” Hermione felt the familiar lick of shame that always washed through her when he made
comments like that. His words always made her feel dirty and like she had something to hide. Draco
was always the opposite, though. He watched Weasley as he took his seat and then bent to kiss
Hermione on the top of her head.
“It’s no more unnatural then you watching after your sister. If she had boys after her at every turn,
would you not do the right thing and escort her where she needed to go?” Weasley sneered at her
cousin. While Hermione wanted to jump in and teach the idiot boy a lesson, she didn’t want to make
Draco look like he couldn’t take care of himself. In Slytherin house, that was a sign of weakness and
he would get eaten alive.
“I know that Ginny can take care of herself. I wouldn’t have to escort her anywhere because she
would have already handled the problem. Are you admitting that Black can’t take care of herself?”
Harry stepped forward and clapped a hand down on his friend’s shoulder.
“Ron, this is stupid. Why do you care how affectionate Malfoy is with his cousin? Just drop it, Snape
is going to be here soon and you’re just going to lose us points.” A voice sounded behind them and
Hermione couldn’t help but wonder just how long her godfather had been standing there.
“Too late, though your attempt at shutting up Mr. Weasley is admirable. That will be ten points from
Gryffindor for arguing over things that don’t concern you in the least. Everyone in their seats so we
can begin.”
Hermione felt Draco disappear from behind her and she turned to face forward. Her godfather started
his customary lecture they got every time they brewed. Hermione tuned it out since she had been
hearing it since she was six. After they were bid to gather their supplies and start brewing, she turned
to Weasley with a small smile. It wouldn’t do to antagonize him for no good reason.
“I’ll start banking the heat on the cauldron if you’ll get the ingredients.” He stared at her like she was
stupid or just spoke Russian. After a few moments, she realized that he wasn’t going to comply, so
she rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh before getting to her feet and gathering the ingredients herself.
It seemed that Harry was sent after ingredients too since they were in the supply cupboard at the
same time. He gave her a sheepish grin even though she acted like he wasn’t there.
“I’m sorry about Ron.” She shrugged her shoulders as she placed the last ingredient within the circle
of her arms.
“It’s not your place to apologize. It’s his. Don’t feel like you have to on his behalf.” He gave her a
jerky nod, but she smiled just a little at him as she left the cupboard and returned to her table.
Hermione did all the brewing that day in Potions. If she hadn’t previously brewed the potion, she
would have been livid at his obvious display of insubordination. She wasn’t going to tattle on him
since she wasn’t seven anymore, but she hoped that her uncle had realized that he had contributed
absolutely nothing to their lesson for the day.
Luck was on her side that day since her uncle had indeed seen the inaction of the Gryffindor. When
she had handed their potion in, he had berated Weasley in front of the whole class and insinuated that
he hadn’t helped brew it because he was too inept. He lost a further twenty points and earned himself
a detention as well. Since it was to be served with her godfather, there was a good possibility that he
would be rendering down the disgusting potions ingredients that nobody wanted to deal with.
Draco arrived at her side when class was dismissed; he offered her his arm once more and she took it
graciously. Weasley glared at the pair of them but she pointedly ignored him. Since they had a free
period, she urged her cousin to head to the library, so they could catch up their homework for the
day. He insisted on the pair of them going to the dueling club and she wasn’t going to go if they still
had assignments hanging over their heads.
The group laughed quietly at Weasley making a fool of himself in class as they traversed the
corridors. Hermione didn’t contribute since she didn’t want to contribute further to gossip. Pansy was
ruthless when she spread rumors and the last thing Hermione wanted was to be named for saying
something that she really didn’t agree with. Once they reached the fourth floor and entered the
enormous library, she knew that she had been right.
The library was packed full of students of all years, crowding into the tables so they could do their
best to get their homework done. Hermione couldn’t understand why the lure of a dueling club was
so great but since they had yet to have any decent instruction in the subject of Defense, she supposed
that she couldn’t blame them. The twins were seated at their usual table, having a free period after
Transfiguration, and were waving to the lot of them. Hermione shot them a smile, silently thanking
them for saving her favorite table.
Pansy, Millie, and Tracey begged off, telling them that they needed to retrieve assignments from their
dorm. Since they were going to have to take the time to walk all the way back down to the common
room, they decided that they would just do their homework later. Greg, Vince, Theo, Blaise, and
Daphne all took their usual seats at the table, Hermione sliding in between Fred and Neville. They
had just all pulled their assignments from their bags when Hermione realized that Harry and Weasley
had appeared at the door of the library. She had a sinking feeling when she realized that Fred and
George were waving them over. Fred threw an arm around her shoulder before kissing her loudly on
the side of her head.
“Don’t worry, Miss Mina, we won’t let them be mean to you. There aren’t any tables left and let’s
face it, Ron needs all the time he can get to do his homework.” None of the Slytherins looked
particularly thrilled but since Hermione nodded her head reluctantly, they remained silent. They
would bear their presence if the leaders of their group had no problems with it.
Truthfully, Hermione wanted to complain. She wanted to tell them that they could fuck off, that they
shouldn’t have messed around after class when they knew that the library was going to be full.
However, Harry needed to learn as much as he could and that was their only saving grace. Draco
reached out and rubbed her hand on top of the table, showing his support silently. She knew that he
would throw the Weasel a beating the second he was disrespectful if she wanted him to.
Hermione watched as Weasley threw a tantrum to his best mate. Harry tried to placate him and
gestured several times towards their table. As much as she wanted to believe that he wasn’t wanting
to join them, it was clear that he did. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that; in one hand she wanted
to assist him, so he would be a stronger wizard. It was the least that he deserved. On the other hand,
however, Hermione wanted to just ignore him since she didn’t trust his good will to last any longer
than as long as he needed her to be nice.
Ron stalked out of the library, letting the door slam behind him. Hermione cringed at the noise;
apparently the red head didn’t care that it was a library and there were people studying. He had to be
the most thoughtless person she knew, though she was sure that there were people out there that
would disagree. Harry, though, approached their table warily, almost as if he was sure that they
would turn him away. Hermione made sure to keep her eyes averted, not wanting to encourage or
discourage him either way. If he was going to sit with them, it was going to be because the twins had
invited him.
Neville reached out and gave her a side hug as Harry sat at the end of the table. None of the
Slytherins said anything but the twins kept up enough chatter for all of them. Hermione knew that
they were trying to make the whole scene less uncomfortable, which she appreciated. Neville was
also laughing and joking with the whole table; eventually the rest of the Slytherins loosened up when
they realized that Harry wasn’t going to attack them and started talking like they usually did as they
accomplished their homework.
Hermione wasn’t one to show off; the last thing she wanted to do was to make Harry think that she
was insufferable and liked making people feel inferior. While she didn’t want to try to befriend him
anymore, she wanted him to feel comfortable in coming to her and Draco if he needed help in the
future which was a distinct possibility. That would never happen if she did everything in her power
to avoid him and make their encounters uncomfortable. In the end, it wasn’t Harry that made things
uncomfortable; it was Theo.
“Since when are the snakes good enough to study with, Potter? Hermione asked you at the
beginning of first year to study with us and you turned us down rather rudely. Now here you sit. I
think we have a right to know the reason behind your change of heart.” Even though Hermione
secretly agreed with her Slytherin friend, this wasn’t the way to go about it. Harry would explode,
become irrational, and make mistakes that he later couldn’t take back. Harry set his quill down and
met the gaze of Theo, emerald green meeting chocolate brown.
“It was never a problem with Slytherins, it was a problem with Black’s father turning mine into
Voldemort. It was a betrayal that led to the death of my parents. Put yourself in my shoes, how
would you feel?” Hermione couldn’t bear to raise her eyes to meet those of the Gryffindor.
Therefore, she let Fred throw an arm around her shoulders again as he remained quiet to hear the
answer. Theo didn’t disappoint.
“I see how you would think that this would be the fault of Lord Black, but did you ever stop and
think that it was your father’s fault? This would have all been avoided if he had refrained from
marrying his mudblood whore. The Dark Lord was never against having mudblood mistresses. You
would have been illegitimate, but your family would have lived if your father had taken a proper
wife.” Hermione wanted to barf at his words, but she couldn’t. To do so would give away that her
father didn’t believe in the pureblood dogma and that would put an end to his spying days on the
purebloods. In the end, however, Hermione didn’t have to worry about it since Draco was a step
ahead of her.
“Enough. There will be none of that talk, it’s just disrespectful to the dead. Whether or not Potter’s
father should have taken his mother as a mistress is a matter of opinion that I’m sure none of us could
ever agree on. For the sake of keeping peace in the school and letting the house rivalry go, let’s agree
to put this conversation behind us and move forward in this tentative peace between us.” Hermione
shot her cousin a soft smile. His words were wise, and while everyone would assume that it meant
that he agreed with Theo’s words, it wouldn’t be true. Likely, he would find a way to take Potter
aside later and tell him his true feelings on the matter. Hermione knew that no matter what his
personal feelings towards the Gryffindor were, he would still do everything in his power to make
sure that they succeeded in their mission.
It seemed that the lions agreed with Draco’s words. They nodded and turned back to their
schoolwork. Hermione made sure at the earliest chance to reach over Fred and punch Theo square in
the shoulder, not pulling the punch at all. He had howled indignantly and glared at her but remained
silent in the end. All the lions at the table had smiled indulgently before turning their attention back to
their homework.
After Harry finally dismissed himself for favor of the Great Hall, the rest of them broke away from
the library to find their own ways to the Great Hall. Hermione found herself with her cousin, Theo,
and Blaise. Apparently, Vince and Greg had started out early for the Great Hall, citing their insane
hunger as the reason why. Daphne had wandered off with a girl from Ravenclaw, and since it looked
like a girl that was friends with her sister Astoria, she couldn’t blame the girl. It was Draco that
finally broke the silence.
“You’re a fucking idiot, Theo. We had Potter in the perfect position to pull him close, to learn his
plans, and you drove him away by insulting his mother. Are you fucking stupid? If you insulted my
dead mother, I would have killed you, not toddled on along to dinner.” Theo sneered at his friends.
“The fact that he just toddled away means he’s little more than a coward.” Hermione couldn’t stop
herself and afterwards, she would probably agree that it had been for the best.
“If you think Potter is a coward, I urge you to go face him yourself. He is not a coward and the only
way to keep tabs on him is to keep him close, not drive him away by insulting his family. When my
father and Uncle Lucius realize that the boy wants nothing to do with them, I’ll be sure to tell them
that it was your stupidity that drove him away. They’ll see you dead for your betrayal.” In a flash,
Theo had slammed Hermione into the wall behind her and held his wand to her throat. Draco was
yelling at his friend, but the only person Theo had eyes for was Hermione. She grinned maliciously
at her would-be friend as they both ignored Draco.
“Do it. Curse me, I fucking dare you. We both know that you’re no match for my power and you
will never be able to compete in terms of attention from the Dark Lord. I dare you to curse me. My
father and uncle would love nothing more than to kill you with their hands. The Dark Lord would
probably give them a reward for doing it since you’re so fucking stupid that you can’t even
accomplish simple strategy.” She saw a flash of fear in the young boys’ eyes and rather than ignore
it, she laughed in his face.
“I may play nice and act like I want nothing to do with Slytherin politics; never forget that I am far
more favorably placed than yourself, Theodore. Just one word to my father and you’ll be dead; don’t
for a second think that you’re safe just because my father has been nice to yours for all these years.
His daughter will always come first.” Hermione might have worried about her words if all her friends
hadn’t seen her father’s temper before in response to a threat against her.
It had been several years ago when Lavender Brown’s father had accompanied her to one of their
birthday parties. She was quite sure that the Gryffindor girl hadn’t told anyone that she had been
intimately involved with Hermione’s family. Once the man had seen that Hermione was garnering all
the male attention in the room, he had become angry that his daughter was going to receive
Hermione’s leftovers. He had taken the issue to her father, insulting not only Hermione but her
mother as well. She knew that her father hadn’t been a huge fan of her mother, but he would never
stand for the disrespect. He had called Uncle Luci over and the pair had faced off in a duel against
Brown’s father. While they didn’t kill the man, they had certainly left him with a limp for life.
Theo’s eyes widened at the obvious threat, the rest of their group falling silent in the corridor. Draco
didn’t step up next to her and she knew that it was because he was allowing her to stretch her wings
and show her strength. So far throughout both their school years, she hadn’t stood up for herself but
the once last year. The rest of their year fell back, clearly remembering four years ago and the result
of the duel between her father, uncle, and Martin Brown. Daphne stepped forward and laid a soft
hand on her arm, but Hermione shrugged it off. Draco reached out and pulled her back softly, clearly
not wanting her to get hurt in the argument. Theo didn’t take a step forward but instead turned angry
eyes to Draco.
“You’re going to let her treat your best mate like this? You’re going to let her disgrace me like this?”
Draco snorted his way, amusement dancing in his gaze.
“If you think for a second that you’re more important to me than Hermione, you’re crazy. Not only is
she my cousin, she’s my best friend. You drive her away, you drive me away. I will never choose
you over Hermione.” Hermione felt her heart clench just a little at his words. Theo was his best
friend, after all. This wasn’t what she had wanted. Hearing Draco’s words, however, made it all real
for Theo and he backed down immediately.
“I’m sorry, I apologize. I meant no offense, Miss Black. Please forgive the stain and dishonor on my
family due to my actions.” Hermione knew that it was folly to forgive him; he would only betray
them once he realized the truth about Potter but there was nothing she could do now but accept it.
She gave a resolute nod before she backed down slowly, casting a side-long glance in her cousin’s
direction.
“We’ll end this for now. Don’t let me catch you making the situation more difficult than it need be.”
Theo gave a quick shaky nod before he turned and headed in the opposite direction of herself. She
sighed as she watched Draco turn to face her.
This was going to be a long night.
-O-
Harry sat in the Great Hall around the stage provided, waiting anxiously for Professor Lockhart to
show up. He had seen the missive on the board in the common room just as everyone else; however,
he didn’t think that anyone else was nearly as excited as he was. He had been waiting for the man
start teaching them real defense. This was going to be the first hint of real lessons all year. He wished
that he could have been learning even more when he realized that their teacher was going to be as
useless as tits on a boar hog. The Defense Professor’s voice rang through the Great Hall since it was
uncharacteristically silent.
“Welcome, welcome. Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me?’ He didn’t seem to wait for an
answer before he clapped his hands together in the most ridiculous suede gloves Harry had ever seen
in his life.
“We’ve all gathered here tonight not only because you all wish to see your handsome defense
professor in action, but because you want to learn my techniques for yourselves. Helping me
demonstrate tonight is Professor Snape. Don’t worry, you’ll still have your potions professor when
we’re through here tonight.” Harry glanced at the darkly-clad man on the opposite end of the dais.
His eyes were glittering in amusement, an emotion he had never seen on the dour man’s features
before. One corner of his lips was turned up in the slightest smile; in this moment, Harry knew that
this wasn’t going to end well for Professor Lockhart. Professor Snape stepped closer to the blond
ponce and drew his wand, letting it hang from his fingers at his side.
“Alright, students, I’ll show you the spell that brought about the death of the werewolf in
Wanderings with Werewolves.” He started to flourish his wand in a way that Harry had never seen
before. Professor Snape didn’t both to raise his wand as a spell was sent his way. It went way to the
left, causing some fourth year Hufflepuffs to duck and dodge the purple flash of light. Snape’s face
could have been made of stone.
“Don’t you think it would be more beneficial to teach them how to disarm their enemy, Lockhart?”
The man’s face was a slight pink color, so he was quick to nod.
“Excellent idea, Severus. I’ll just show them how to cast it correctly.” Snape didn’t even act like he
heard his words. Lockhart raised his wand again and cast with the same ridiculous flourish. The spell
went wide again and struck one of the tables in the corner and it started to smoke. Professor Snape
seemed to grow tired of how pointless this demonstration was. His wand came up with just a little
flick.
“Expelliarmus.” The red spell left his wand and slammed into Lockhart’s chest, throwing him
backwards several feet while his cherrywood wand landed in Snape’s hand. The Slytherins all
applauded their Head and House and even though Harry couldn’t stand the man, he joined in. The
rest of his house cast him dirty looks, but he didn’t care. He wished that Snape would teach Defense,
so he would be ready when he had to face Voldemort again.
“That, children, is the correct way to perform the disarming spell. A short upward flick and confident
casting.” Lockhart was pulling himself to his feet, his hair mussed from landing on the ground.
“Excellent casting, Severus, of course I let you hit me, so you could demonstrate how the spell was
supposed to look.” Snape rolled his eyes at the blond before turning back to all the students.
“I want a pair of you up here to demonstrate. Potter, Malfoy, do your houses proud.” It was probably
the first time that Snape had said his name without contempt dripping from his voice. Harry stepped
forward, his blood pumping at an alarming rate. He knew that he was going to lose; Malfoy had been
receiving extra lessons for who knew how many years. Still, he wanted to try and if he failed, he’d
use it as motivation to master the spell.
The Gryffindor took the spot that Lockhart had been standing on while Malfoy took Snape’s. The
potion’s professor was bent at the waist and whispering something in the snake’s ear, but Harry
wasn’t worried. If it looked as though he wasn’t going be able to cast the spell, he would dodge.
Harry had always been quick on his feet and was even more so since playing quidditch.
The pair faced each other for what seemed like ages before Harry finally decided to start the duel.
His wand copied the movements of Professor Snape’s, flicking out a red spell from the tip of his
wand. It was aimed perfectly and would have hit Malfoy in the abdomen if he hadn’t been quick on
his feet as well. The Slytherin sidestepped just in time, the spell sailing past him to send Pansy
Parkinson’s wand flying through the air to him.
The room was silent as Harry looked at the wand in his hand in wonder. He had actually cast the
spell correctly, he couldn’t quite believe it. Finally, he could say that he was learning something from
Defense Against the Dark Arts, it was just too bad that it had to come from the potion’s master. After
he had stared at the wand in his hand for a few moments, Harry stepped closer to Malfoy, Pansy’s
wand held out in front of him, so he could return it to her.
When he was only a few feet from Malfoy, Harry heard someone from behind the Slytherin call out
a spell that he didn’t remember reading about or hearing before. A cobra flew through the air and
landed on the dais in front of Harry, poised to strike and hissing angrily. Malfoy took a step closer to
the edge, trying to get away from the snake. Harry looked up to see that Theo Nott was grinning at
the exchange, clearly enjoying the fact that Harry didn’t know what to do with it and that Malfoy
was backing away from it.
Malfoy stepped even further away from the huge snake; this only seemed to lock the snake’s
attention on him, however. It slithered closer to the blond, the hissing a dead giveaway that the reptile
was angry. Harry stepped forward now, determined to help Malfoy. Professor Snape started to walk
forward, wand in front of him.
“Back away, Potter, I’ll handle it.” As the professor drew closer the attention of the snake left Malfoy
and turned on the sour man. It struck when he was just a couple feet away. The snake’s head caught
Professor Snape on the arm, sinking its teeth into his flesh through the fabric of his robes. Hermione
cried out and started pushing to her Head of House’s side, wand held aloft so she could try to help
the man. Harry couldn’t allow her to be bitten either, so he stepped closer still.
“Releasssse him now. You will not attack anyone elsssse.” The snake released Snape’s arm
immediately and turned to Harry. It started to slither closer and closer, hissing the entire way.
“You are brother sssnake. I mussst attack, the man meansss me harm.” Harry shook his head.
“No, I won’t allow him to hurt you. You mussst not attack.” Harry never got to hear his response
because a flash of light sailed through the air and hit the snake, vanishing it instantly. Harry looked
up to see Hermione and Malfoy both with their wands held aloft, both with determined looks on their
faces. Malfoy jumped down from the dais and ran to his godfather’s side, worry clear on his features.
Harry and the rest of the students could do nothing but watch as Hermione pulled his sleeve up to
reveal to fang marks on the meaty part of his forearm.
“Come, Professor, you need the Hospital Wing and an anti-venin. Please don’t tarry, cobras are very
poisonous.” Lockhart was finally starting to move again but Professor Snape wasn’t about to be
chivvied away from the scene. His voice was still strong, and his anger was clear.
“Who cast that serpensortia?” The room was silent until finally Theo Nott stepped forward, his face
flaming with embarrassment and head hanging in shame.
“It was me, sir.” Snape gave him a curt nod.
“That will be fifty points from Slytherin for throwing a spell that wasn’t supposed to be used, not to
mention while Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter were dueling. You will serve three detentions with me, so
you will learn just how dangerous poisonous snakes can be.” Nott nodded his head, not arguing with
his punishment at all. Harry was just a little surprised. Snape turned to the rest of the students once
more.
“That’s all for tonight. The rest of you are dismissed. Make sure you don’t tarry and return to your
common rooms forthwith.” Harry jumped off the dais to see that everyone around him backed away
with fear in their eyes. He wasn’t sure what to say since he wasn’t sure what he had done so instead
ignored their actions. He found Ron and Pav waiting for him closer to the door.
Once the pair saw Harry, they took off at a fast pace. Harry did all he could to keep up, surprised that
they were travelling so quickly. They still had an hour until curfew so there was no reason for them
to hurry like this. Finally, on the sixth floor near the Arithmancy classroom, Ron found an empty
classroom and ushered the three of them inside. Once the door was locked behind them, he spun
around and glared at Harry.
“Why in the bloody hell did you never tell us? Don’t you think your best friends had a right to know
what they were going to be associating with?” Pav was nodding her head sagely, arms crossed over
her budding chest. Harry shook his head slightly, trying to understand what his friends were talking
about.
“What are you two talking about? I haven’t hidden anything from you.” Ron glared even harder and
Pav rolled her eyes. Ron’s voice was hard as steel when he answered.
“You’re a parselmouth and you used it to save a Death Eater. Everyone is going to think that you’re
a dark wizard.” Harry knew that Ron was miffed that he had sat with the twins at the Slytherin table
in the library that afternoon. He really hadn’t wanted to but once the twins had invited him in front of
everyone, it had seemed like bad manners to just snub them and sit on his own. Could this be
something to do with Ron being angry?
“I don’t even know what a parselmouth is, Ron.” Pav’s mouth dropped in disbelief.
“You mean, you don’t know?” Harry blew a frustrated breath out of his mouth before answering.
“No, I have no fucking idea what the two of you are talking about right now.” Ron raked a hand
through his hair, but his eyes were softer now. It was clear that he wasn’t as angry as he had been.
“You’re a parselmouth, Harry. It means that you speak snake language. I don’t know what you said
to that snake, but it released Snape. You saved a Death Eater’s life with a skill that only dark wizards
are rumored to have.” Harry wasn’t quite sure what to say to that.
“You mean I spoke a different language?” Ron and Pav both nodded. Harry raked a hand through
his hair now, clearly trying to piece everything together.
“What was I supposed to do, let it kill a professor? I just told it to release him.” Ron shrugged his
shoulders.
“One less Death Eater in the world. That’s not the problem though. Everyone knows that dark
wizards can sometimes talk to snakes. Everyone is going to think that you’re a dark wizard, Harry.”
Harry let his words sink in and it was hard to stave off the feeling of dread.
“You both know I’m not though, right?” Both his friends nodded, Pav hugging him close. Harry
couldn’t help but stiffen; he had never been comfortable with physical touch or affection. He
supposed that it had to do with his aunt, uncle, and cousin getting physical with him when he was a
small child. Ron laid a hand on Harry’s shoulder.
“We know you’re not dark, mate. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure that everyone knows you aren’t
dark too. Pav and I will have your back, I promise.” Since Ron had been mad as hell at him just two
hours ago, he felt like this was a dream come true. Harry grinned at his friend and awkwardly patted
Parvati on the back.
“Thanks, guys. You really are the best of friends.” Both his friends grinned back at him before Pav
gripped his hand and pulled him towards the door, gesturing for Ron to follow them.
“Come on, guys, its getting late and curfew will be here soon.” Harry allowed her to pull him
through the door and down the corridor, hoping that the common room wouldn’t be full of people
that though he was guilty of being a dark wizard.
Only time would tell.
-O-
Hermione couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed. Not the fact that Theo had conjured a snake,
so it would attack Harry and frighten Draco, not the fact that said snake had bitten her uncle. The fact
that Harry was a parselmouth left her trying to make sense of everything.
It was a fact that nobody had been born a parselmouth since the Dark Lord. Uncle Sev had told them
all years ago that he had the talent, telling everyone that it was his birthright. Salazar Slytherin had
also been a famous parselmouth, one that the whole world had feared. Harry being a parselmouth
threw her whole perspective out of whack since she was one hundred percent sure that he was not a
dark wizard.
They were currently sitting in the Hospital Wing keeping Uncle Sev company. She had Draco had
left for a little while when the Headmaster had shown up but had returned directly afterwards. Her
uncle didn’t look particularly pleased with being told that he was going to have to stay the night, but
she had bullied him into agreeing to stay. The last thing she wanted was for her godfather to drop
dead from the poison all because he was too stubborn to stay for a single night.
She was sitting on the bed next to her godfather, snuggled into his side with his good arm wrapped
around her shoulders. Draco was sitting in the chair next to the bed, watching them with an amused
look on his face. Her uncle’s head was tilted back, and his eyes were closed. It was clear that he was
tired, but Hermione didn’t want to leave him there quite yet. Rather than sit there in silence,
Hermione decided to discuss the situation at hand. After a wave of her wand to make sure that the
proper silencing charms were in place, she spoke.
“How did none of realize that he was a parselmouth?” Draco was rubbing his chin and her uncle
opened his eyes to watch her. When he answered her, he sounded tired.
“I told you both what I learned about the Chamber of Secrets. How we didn’t know isn’t important.
What is important is what people are going to think about the boy when they learn that the Chamber
belonged to Slytherin, a well-known parselmouth.” Hermione nodded slowly, piecing together her
uncle’s words.
“Everyone is going to think Harry is the heir and that he’s the one who has opened the Chamber.”
Her godfather nodded his head, his lank hair falling around his face like a curtain.
“Indeed. It has the potential of causing a great deal of hardship for us. If parents discover this
information, they could petition the Board of Governors to expel Potter claiming the school isn’t safe
with the Chamber open. It’s a precarious situation that we will have to monitor closely.” Hermione
threaded her fingers through her uncles.
“Does that mean that you won’t be able to use this situation against Dumbledore to get him thrown
out of the castle if we need to?” Uncle Sev shrugged his shoulders.
“It could still work but it’s something that we would have to discuss in depth.” He pressed a kiss to
Hermione’s forehead before removing his arm from around her.
“I thank you both for staying with me but it’s past curfew. You need to head for the common room.
If you are stopped by anyone, tell them to come find me for the reason you weren’t in by curfew. No
dallying either.” Hermione kissed her uncle’s cheek as she grinned.
“Yes, Uncle Sev. Straight to the common room, but only if you promise to get some rest.” Uncle Sev
snorted lightly but nodded. Draco leaned over to bestow a quick hug on his godfather before taking
Hermione’s hand and pulling her towards the door of the Hospital Wing.
“Goodnight, Uncle Sev. Love you.” Draco echoed her words beside her and her uncle nodded
tiredly.
“I love you both as well. Go now.”
Hermione let her cousin pull her into the corridor and began thinking through the situation on the
way to the common room. The whole situation could go terribly wrong, so they would have to be
careful. Harry getting expelled was the one thing that must be avoided at all costs.
Hermione was determined to make sure that that never happened.
A/N- Lordy, this chapter seemed like it took me days to write but I know that it didn’t. I hope you all
enjoyed it. Thanks again for supporting me in writing this fic, I really appreciate it. Leave me a
message after the beep and let me know what you think. Reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, more victims are discovered, and plans are laid to discover the heir of Slytherin.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 33

A/N- For reals, y’all, thank you. You guys have shown me so much support and it’s so appreciated,
you have no idea. Just…thank you. On with the show, as they say in show business.
Disclaimer: Nothing about this story belongs to me. The characters belong to our beloved queen and
the original plot line was gifted to me by a loyal reader. The personal twist, while belonging to me,
has surely been done before by numerous fanfiction authors that came before me. I haven’t made any
money from any of my stories including this one.
Chapter 33
December 21, 1992
Hermione pushed the food around her plate while she waited for Draco to finish eating. She was a
little in the dumps since receiving the letter from her father and Uncle Luci the night before; how was
she supposed to enjoy the holidays away from home?
Her father’s eagle owl had interrupted her hot chocolate before the fire the night before bearing a
letter from her family. Since it was addressed to Draco as well as herself, she had called him over. As
Hermione read through the letter, she couldn’t help but feel a little resentful of her family.
They were begging herself and Draco to stay at Hogwarts and keep an eye on Harry since they had
been forced to recall Dobby from his job. They had never thought that he would take the job of
protecting Harry to such extremes. While they had been reassured that the elf hadn’t been physically
punished (something Hermione would never stand for), he had been stuck in the Malfoy kitchen and
his end there would likely never come. It was depressing but Hermione understood. He could have
hurt or killed Harry and Draco with that bludger and his judgement was far too unreliable to send
him out to protect the Boy-Who-Lived again.
Hermione couldn’t help but feel as though her father was caring more for Harry in the moment than
he was her. Sure, if they had been friends, she could have understood that he wanted her to spend the
holiday with him, so he wouldn’t be alone. This, however, felt like she was being asked to stay so
she could do her job. While she understood their view point of it, it still hurt.
Draco didn’t seem to be bothered about staying behind. That didn’t mean that he didn’t realize that
she was. She had spent the rest of the night with her head in his lap while he read to her. Just before
she had adjourned to her dorm, her cousin had pulled her into a hug and reassured her in her ear that
they would still have a good Christmas even though they were going to be cooped up in Hogwarts.
Uncle Sev didn’t seem to be surprised when they signed up to stay at school for the holidays. No
other Slytherins had signed up to stay behind and while Hermione wasn’t upset about that, she
couldn’t help but wonder how lonely it would get for Draco. He was far more social than she was,
and he enjoyed spending time with their friends. He urged her not to worry about him, but she
couldn’t help it. She had always been a worry wart, as her father affectionately called her.
The bell rang throughout the Great Hall, telling all the students that they were dismissed from
breakfast and needed to head to their first class of the day. Since Potions was first, Hermione allowed
her cousin to pull her through the corridors until they were deep within the dungeons. Once they had
entered the classroom, Hermione was escorted to her seat and left to ready herself while Draco took
his own seat.
The Gryffindors entered not too long after and found their seats quickly; they all knew just what
would happen if they were caught unprepared in Potions class. Weasley took his usual seat next to
her but didn’t pay her any mind. Apparently, he had decided that the best policy in dealing with her
was acting as if she didn’t exist. Not that she minded. It made life easier for her in the long run. He
ignored her and let her do all the work in class and then got assigned detention and she received
praise in front of the whole class.
Uncle Sev arrived and quickly assigned them reading and an essay. After she had copied the
assignment down in her homework planner, she put her quill to parchment as she listened for little
tidbits of information that she hadn’t already copied down years ago when he had last lectured her on
bat spleens. It wasn’t the most illuminating lecture since she had heard it years before, but she paid
rapt attention nonetheless. Her godfather would be less than pleased if he caught her not paying
attention.
The class passed quickly, Hermione managing to add a single piece of information to her notes. The
bell rang so she was quick to gather her belongings and stick them back into her bag. Draco
appeared at her side as she stood, offering his arm to her. She threaded her arm through his and
allowed him to pull her out of their godfather’s classroom and through the corridors. Transfiguration
was next, so it took them several minutes to make their way through the castle to the appropriate
classroom.
They took their seats in Transfiguration, side by side at the front of the class. Hermione knew that
Draco hated sitting at the front, but he sat there with her to please her. They removed their things
from their bags and readied themselves for class. Just like always, the Gryffindors appeared only
minutes after the Slytherins did. Hermione noticed that Harry took a seat closer to the front and
although Weasley shot him a confused look, he followed him. It wasn’t long after they had settled
that Professor McGonagall had appeared, her tartan robes pressed and immaculate.
The animagus started lecturing on transfiguring different items into rabbit slippers. Hermione sighed
to herself and tried her best to pay attention, but it was difficult since the lesson was something she
had learned so long ago. Draco seemed to be having the same inattention problem she was. The rest
of the class, however, was paying rapt attention since they all knew that Professor McGonagall’s
class wasn’t one they wanted to get caught not paying attention in.
Professor Cat had just finished her lecture and asked if anyone had any questions. There were
usually a couple but today, nobody raised their hands. Hermione just wanted her to hurry and split
them up, so she could perform the spell and start on her homework for Madam Cambridge that was
supposed to be sent off in the next couple days. Just as she was about to pair them off, Faye Dunbar,
the shyest of the Gryffindor girls, raised her hand. Hermione groaned inwardly and tried to keep the
impatient look off her face.
“Yes, Miss Dunbar?” The girl turned a light shade of pink while the rest of the class turned their
attention to her. Her voice was soft when she finally asked.
“Can you tell us about the Chamber of Secrets? We can’t find any information on it in the library.” A
pin could have dropped and they all would have heard it. It seemed that everyone was on the edges
of their seats and fixated on the animagus at the front of the class. Professor McGonagall stared at the
girl for almost a full minute before she came to a decision. Her hands clasped in front of her and
Hermione could see that her fingers were knotted together so tightly that they were white. Her voice
was strained, and it was clear that she didn’t want to answer the question.
“I should have known that a lion would be the one to eventually ask the question that you’re all
wondering about.” She began to pace the length of her classroom as she spoke.
“Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago by the witches and wizards our houses are
named after: Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin, and Godric Gryffindor. They
built the school and got along for several years before they got into an argument that led to Salazar
splitting from the rest of the school.” Dean Thomas called out his question.
“What did they argue over?” Their professor sighed.
“The three founders wanted to let anyone that was magical in the school while Salazar thought that it
was an abomination to let in those of muggle descent. Since he was overridden, he left the school.
However, there was rumored to a Chamber, the Chamber of Secrets, that only direct descendants of
Salazar Slytherin could open. Inside was believed to be a great monster that would aide him in
cleansing the school and getting rid of the muggleborn students for good.” Silence reigned for several
minutes; Hermione knew that there were going to be questions. If she hadn’t already known the
answers to the questions the shy Gryffindor had asked, she would have been bombarding their
professor with questions. Finally, it was Harry that spoke.
“So, someone has opened this chamber that Salazar Slytherin left behind and released his monster.
Does anyone know what the monster is?” Professor McGonagall shook her head sadly.
“No, nobody has ever admitted to breaching the Chamber and therefore, nobody has any idea what
the monster could be. To be honest, the Chamber of Secrets was never found so it’s not even a fact
that it exists, only myth and legend.” Hermione knew that the woman was outright lying now. Her
uncle had told her and Draco that it had been opened fifty years before and that a muggleborn witch
had died. She remained silent on the matter, however, since she didn’t want to get Uncle Sev in
trouble. Everyone looked a little less scared at her words though, so she guessed that hiding the truth
was well done. It wouldn’t do to have the student population going mad with fear.
“Now let us begin.”
Hermione was quick to cast her spell once she was paired with Pansy. The other girl struggled with it
but after trying five times, mastered it. They were both awarded five points and allowed to take their
seats again. Where she had been itching to work on her homework from her tutor, now Hermione
was contemplative, staring off into space as she considered her professor’s words.
At the time that Uncle Sev had told them the story behind the Chamber, she hadn’t given in-depth
thought as to what was doing the actual petrifying, only that it was happening because of the
Chamber being opened. Now, she couldn’t help but wonder just what could move through the
school completely unseen and leave petrified people in its wake. She wasn’t sure if the Headmaster
was researching what the monster could be, but Hermione didn’t want to leave the information until
a student ended up dead. She vowed to start researching during her free period that afternoon.
It wasn’t long after her promise to herself that Professor Cat dismissed class. Draco gathered his
things while she did the same, the two of them leaving together to make their way to lunch. All their
friends followed them, talking quietly since it was clear that they didn’t want Hermione to hear what
they were talking about. Draco cast her a sidelong glance, telling her that he knew that their
housemates were avoiding her reaction as well.
The day after the dueling club had met and her godfather had handed Lockhart his arse, the whispers
had started. Harry’s standing in the light was called into question since he not only spoke
parseltongue, but he had done it to save the life of a known Death Eater. Hermione had lost her
temper and her magic had flared, her show of power astounding to those that weren’t involved. She
had berated them for gossiping and starting rumors, that their house was better than that, and her
friends had cowered in fear. It had taken Draco and her uncle to calm her down and bring her back
to her usual state of calm.
Even though the rest of the school talked shamelessly about Harry behind his back, the Slytherins
had learned their lesson. They didn’t even bring up the boy’s name in her presence. After the story
had spread to the rest of the Slytherins, they had all stopped talking about the young Gryffindor in
front of her. She was a little surprised that even the seventh years had refrained from gossiping.
They entered the Great Hall and found their seats. Draco was quick to spoon up the beef stew served
for lunch into her bowl and sliding it in front of her. While he spooned himself up a bowl, she cut off
a hunk of bread for them both and laid one on the plate next to his bowl. He flashed a smile her way
and immediately dug into his food; it was clear that breakfast hadn’t lasted him as long as it had
lasted her. Hermione ate at a much more sedate pace, relishing the warmth and delicious taste of the
beef stew.
Conversation flowed around her with ease, everyone either gossiping about students other than
Harry or talking about their classes and homework. Hermione still wanted to chuckle when she
considered the fact that her house had bent so easily to her will. If she had been more power-hungry,
she would have been able to have a lot more fun with the situation. However, she wasn’t that person
so that wasn’t an option.
Lunch ended much the same way that breakfast had, the bell ringing and everyone hurrying off to
their next class. Next for Hermione was History of Magic, the class she struggled with most. If only
they could have an interesting teacher, one made the subject come alive like Madam Cambridge did,
she wouldn’t have to do her level best to stay away through the class. Professor Binns just wasn’t
conducive to learning, that much was certifiable fact.
Draco once again led her through the corridors until they reached the classroom needed. They
entered and took their seats in the middle of the classroom. Hermione usually insisted on sitting at the
front but since this class was a complete and total bore, she strayed to the middle of the class, so she
could pursue other school work if she so chose with little to no fear of being discovered.
It was no surprise when the ghost professor started teaching them of yet another goblin battle.
Hermione couldn’t help but roll her eyes and wonder if the goblins put as much stock in learning
these battles at wizards did. Her father’s account manager, Furybolt, was always pleasant and never
seemed to hold anything against them. Whether it was because he didn’t dwell on the past or because
he was paid rather handsomely by her father was unclear. Maybe that was something that she could
question him on the next time she visited the bank with her father…maybe over the summer holidays
since it was clear that she wasn’t going to return home for Christmas.
Hermione copied down the assignment just before the bell rang. Draco smirked her way, knowing
full well that she hadn’t paid full attention to the class. He escorted her from the classroom and
grinned fully at her as they started for the library. His voice was soft when he spoke.
“It’s getting harder and harder to pay attention in class. Just once, I want to do an assignment that we
haven’t done before, one that we aren’t owling off to a private tutor.” Hermione couldn’t help but
agree with him but instead of answering, she laid her head on his shoulder as they made their way
into the library.
After taking seats at their usual table, Hermione was surprised to find that they were alone. It wasn’t
often that this happened though in this instance, she was glad. She didn’t want questions asked as to
why she was looking at books about all manners of creatures when she wasn’t old enough to study
Care of Magical Creatures. Truthfully, life would be so much better if they could get passes into the
Restricted Section of the library; after all, it couldn’t be any worse than the libraries at Black Moor
and Malfoy Manor. Hermione had studied all sorts of subjects that were covered in the two libraries:
all her core subjects at Hogwarts but also Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures,
Muggle Studies, Warding, Spell Theory and Creation, Occlumency, and just recently, healing. To
have a pass to the Restricted Section would make the time she wasted on attending classes and doing
classwork worthwhile.
Once they were settled, Hermione found her way to the Care of Magical Creatures section and
picked several books from the shelves that would surely help her start her search. She retook her seat
and opened the first book. Draco reached out and lifted the cover only to cast her a questioning
glance. She gave him a small smile before speaking in a low voice, so she could be sure that nobody
heard her.
“I can’t help but wonder what the Slytherin monster is and how it’s getting around unseen. I decided
to do a little research. There’s no way in blue hell that I’m leaving it up to Dumbledore to solve.” He
held her eyes for several seconds before nodding her way.
“You’re right, that would be a sure way to disaster. Just be careful, Miney, I don’t want you to get
hurt.” She snuggled into his side for a few moments before pulling away with a smile on her face.
“I won’t. I have no intentions of hunting the monster down, just passing what it is to Uncle Sev if I
can figure it out. From there, it’s the Headmaster’s problem.” He pressed a quick kiss to the side of
her head before nodding and turning back to the homework that he was working on, so they could
send it off to Madam Cambridge.
Hermione found nothing of consequence in the first few books, but she didn’t let it discourage her.
Soon, the bell was ringing again to signal dinner and she was quick to re-shelve the books that
weren’t helpful. The two that she hadn’t gotten to read yet were stuffed into her bag after filling out
the appropriate paperwork to check them out. After she was finished, Draco held his arm out like he
always did and started to escort her to dinner. Hermione frowned a little as she spoke.
“I know you have to get tired of escorting me everywhere, Drake. You can escort Pansy or whoever
any time you want.” He snorted next to her before patting her hand.
“I’m sure that I’ll escort Pansy plenty in the coming years. Not to mention Daphne. This doesn’t
mean that I’ll throw you over for her. You’re my family and my best friend, there is no way that I
would every just leave you with no escort because Pansy wanted my attention.” Hermione frowned
at his words.
“You don’t want her attention?” He looked at her as if she was completely stupid.
“Pansy annoys the fuck out of me. However, I see her wanting to give herself up to me at the first
convenience. I’m a guy and I’m not about to turn that down. Father just made sure to tell me that I’m
to always be safe and never promise anything more than a good time.” Hermione was sickened by
his words but in her heart of hearts, she knew that he was right. Pansy had made clear that Draco
was what she wanted, and it was likely that she would do anything in her power to get it. Still, she
shoved him away from her with a scowl on her face.
“How is that alright for boys but not girls? What would you do if I slept with Theo?” Draco growled
next to her, forcing her hand through his arm again. Once it was in place, she pinched the skin of his
inner arm, causing him to hiss in pain.
“I would kill him where he stood and make sure that everyone was watching so they would know
what happened to someone that messed with my cousin.” Hermione was now shrieking.
“How can you say that when you plan to treat Pansy in the same manner?” Draco reached up and
tugged her errant curl, enough to make her wince and meet his gaze. His tone was serious but not
angry.
“I can say that because Pansy’s father is pushing her to do these things. He doesn’t care that she’s
going to lose value to other wizards because there’s a chance she’ll snag me. My fortune means more
to him than his daughter’s virtue and she’s stupid enough to either not see it or to not care. I’m
leaning towards the latter. You, on the other hand, are not being pushed to sleep with people. Your
family wants you to save yourself for someone that you love, not just throwing the gift of your
virginity to someone that only wants your money. When the time comes, and you want to sleep with
someone that you truly care for and that cares for you in return, I won’t say a thing. I won’t even care
if you’re married. I just don’t want you to be stupid about it.” Hermione felt tears prick her eyes at his
words and she suddenly felt terrible for pinching him like she had. She wrapped herself around him,
hugging him close as she hid her stray tears in his robes.
“I’m sorry. I know you’re right, I know that you would never take advantage of anyone if they really
didn’t know what they were doing. I just hate the double standard that our world demonstrates. It’s
perfectly acceptable for men to sleep around but not women. I don’t think that I would like to be
compared to a dozen other women, knowing that nothing I shared with the man I loved was special
for the both of us. I wouldn’t want to be one of a crowd. Maybe that isn’t how I’d feel since I’m only
thirteen but it’s complete arsed bullshite that what’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander.”
Draco rubbed a hand up and down her spine, soothing her more than she cared to admit.
“I know, Miney, but it’s different for men. I’m only twelve so I’m not about to speculate but even the
two of us are very different in how we feel about things. Truthfully, none of it matters right now.
You aren’t about to go sleep with anyone and I’m not anywhere near ready to sleep with anyone
either. For now, just trust me when I say that I’m not going to ditch you for Pansy, not now and not
ever.” Hermione knew when she was beat, and Draco made sense. They were still too young to even
worry about the subject they were discussing so there was no point in making it an argument now.
She nodded her head against his chest before pulling away and giving him a smile.
“Alright, we won’t worry about this today or any day soon.” He kissed her forehead before releasing
her and threading her hand through his arm again. With a grin, he started for the staircase that would
lead him to the Great Hall.
“Our dinner awaits, my lady.” Hermione giggled as she let him lead her towards the Great Hall.
-O-
Harry poked at his dinner, pushing it around his plate since he had already ate his fill. That didn’t
take him long these days; the quicker he ate, the quicker he could escape the Great Hall and the
whispers that echoed through the cavernous room.
Nobody could stop talking about the fact that he was a parselmouth. After Ron and Pav had warned
him what people would think of him, he shouldn’t have been surprised but he was the first to admit
that he was. He thought that he had had more friends than he did, that there were more people loyal
to him. That didn’t seem to be the case, however, since the only ones that didn’t seem to be talking
about him were Ron, Pav, the twins, and Neville. The fact that his own house was speaking ill of
him made him want to get sick. So much for loyalty to your family.
Ron was shoveling food into his mouth at an alarming rate next to him. Parvati watched with a
mixture of disgust and fondness on her face. Harry could only shake his head at the sight; his friend
was undoubtedly disgusting but since he was his friend, he dealt with it. Parvati seemed to be of a
like mind judging by the look on her face.
McGonagall’s words were still playing over and over in his mind; he didn’t think that he would ever
forget her words about Slytherin’s monster. It made him wonder just who in the school was
descended from Salazar Slytherin; surely, it had to be one of the Slytherins. As much as he hoped
that he was wrong, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was Malfoy. He was from a family full of
Slytherins for generations, he embodied the very qualities that the snakes found admirable. He was
quite clearly the leader of their group, the other followed no matter what he told them to do. It fit the
image that he was sure that Slytherin would have held for his heir.
Ron had told him that he suspected Hermione as the heir, but he just couldn’t picture it. Sure, she
was Slytherin, but she was constantly demonstrating traits from other houses as well. She was loyal
to a fault, clearly Hufflepuff. Her intelligence was unmatched, Harry could admit that. Obviously
Ravenclaw. She had thrown herself into danger to follow him under the school to protect the
Philosopher’s Stone, the Gryffindor trait standing out in his mind. It was insanely clear that she was
ambitious, otherwise she would never have made Slytherin house hers to call home. For these
reasons, he doubted that she was the heir. That and the fact that she seemed to genuinely be a nice
person to everyone that was nice to her in turn.
The rest of their house started to float away from the table, obviously ready to get their evening
started. For Harry, it meant homework with Ron and Pav in the common room. He hadn’t been in
the library for an extended period since he had sat with the Slytherins. While it wasn’t a terrible
experience, aside from Nott insulting his mother, he had been uncomfortable, and it wasn’t
something that he really wanted to do again; therefore, he checked out his books and then made his
way to the common room, the one place that he was certain he wouldn’t be asked to study with
people that could possibly want him dead. By now, he no longer included Hermione in this category,
but it was clear in the actions of the rest of her house that he was not welcome and the only reason he
hadn’t been run off the last time was because Hermione had allowed it.
Since Ron had felt the urge to stuff another full plate of food down his throat, Harry, Ron, and
Parvati were among the last to leave the Great Hall. Once they were on their way, they started
discussing just what subjects they were going to work on in the common room. Harry let his
thoughts drift to staying at Hogwarts for Christmas while Pav waxed on about the assignment from
History of Magic.
He was thrilled to be staying at Hogwarts for Christmas; it was much better than returning home to
the Dursleys where he would be treated like a common slave. Ron had magnanimously volunteered
to stay with him, and even though Harry had assured him that it wasn’t necessary, he was still
thankful that he had a friend that was willing to give up his holiday at home to spend time with him.
Even though there hadn’t been an invitation to Christmas, Molly Weasley had written him and told
him that he would most certainly be welcome for summer holidays again. That in and of itself was
more than he had dreamed of.
Harry was pulled from his thoughts by a scream from Parvati. Her hands were covering her mouth
and eyes wide; Ron was staring dumbly at the scene before them. After seeing their reactions, Harry
was quick to turn his eye to what lay ahead of him. Sir Nick was floating aimlessly through the air,
face up, but wasn’t responding to anything. Justin Finch-Fletchley was laying face up on the ground,
his hands held out like he was trying to block something from hitting him. He was still, and his eyes
were unseeing; it was unsettling to say the least.
Harry threw himself to the ground and checked for a pulse as he ordered Parvati to go find a
professor. She disappeared around the bend of the corridor while Harry tried to ascertain if Justin
was dead or merely petrified. Since both had a common factor of having no pulse it was truly hard to
say. Ron remained speechless off in the distance, clearly not sure what he was supposed to say or do.
His hapless best mate was saved from reaction by Professor McGonagall appearing around the
corner and Parvati trailing after her. Once she had bent at the knees to feel for a pulse at Justin’s
neck, her wand appeared, and a small silvery cat appeared. She seemed to converse with it quietly
before it ran off and left them all standing there as if nothing had happened. After she watched it
disappear, she turned her attention back to them.
“I want to know exactly what happened.” Harry nodded nervously before launching into his story.
He remembered well that it hadn’t been received very well when he had found Colin Creevey.
“We were on our way back from the Great Hall and found Justin like this, with Sir Nick floating
face-up nearby. I sent Pav after a professor and I checked Justin’s neck for a pulse. I didn’t find one
but couldn’t decide if he was dead or petrified like the others.” She met his gaze for several moments,
almost as if trying to gauge his sincerity, but turned away in the end. Professor Snape and the
Headmaster were approaching at a brisk pace.
“Return to your common room. I will tell the Headmaster everything you told me and if he needs to
see you further, he will alert you. Speak of this to no one.” Harry was quick to nod his
understanding. He stood from Justin’s side and ushered Ron and Pav down the corridor. They had
only made it three floors up when Ron pulled them into an alcove that Harry had never seen before.
His voice was low and sounded like a hiss as he spoke.
“I know this heir business is either Malfoy or Black. There’s nobody else that it could be.” Harry
hated to defend the girl in front of Ron, but he felt that it was necessary.
“Black can’t be the heir. Her father was a Gryffindor. No heir of Slytherin’s would end up in
Gryffindor.” He snorted at Harry.
“Her real father was a Slytherin and so was her mother. She could be the heir to Slytherin just as
easily as Malfoy could.” Harry had forgotten that point and could only nod his agreement. It was
possible though it still didn’t seem likely. Ron was clearly in planning mode since his eyes were
gleaming the same way they did when they played chess. In that moment, Harry was sure that his
friend was going to get them in big trouble.
“The pair of them are staying behind for the holidays. They’re the only Slytherins on the list so I
think that we should use your cloak and sneak into their common room and spy on them. One of
them, fuck, both of them, could admit to being the heir and we could go tell Dumbledore. We could
finally be rid of them forever.” Harry didn’t want to tell his friend that he didn’t hate the pair with the
same level of hatred that he did; it really wouldn’t accomplish anything. In fact, it would do his friend
a world of good to see that after spying on the pair that they weren’t planning anything sinister.
Harry turned to Parvati.
“I’m in, what about you?” Parvati gave them a peeved look.
“I hadn’t had the chance to tell you. Padma complained that I wasn’t going to come home to my
parents, told them it’s a family holiday and such. They’re making me come home for Christmas, so
it’ll just be the two of you spying. I want to hear about every second though, I want to hear about
how you discovered that they were guilty.” Harry had to fight the urge to roll his eyes but refrained
in the end. However, he couldn’t help just one comment.
“What are you guys going to do if they aren’t the heirs of Slytherin? Then you’re just going to sound
stupid and nobody will ever take us seriously again.” Ron turned disbelieving eyes to his friend.
“Trust me, one of them is guilty. The truth will come out eventually. No worries, though, if we don’t
get proof, we won’t say a word to anyone that we suspected them unless asked.” Harry sighed
deeply, knowing that this was the best that he could ask for. Knowing that he was going to have to
help plan, he raked his hand through his hair before he spoke.
“I think we should shoot for Christmas then. Maybe they’ll contact their parents from the floo access
in their common room.” Ron nodded enthusiastically.
“That’s a great idea. We’ll follow them down after Christmas dinner. Since it’s just the two of them I
doubt they’ll leave the common room again after that.” Parvati was nodding now even though she
wasn’t going to be there. Harry held his hands up to stop their excited chatter.
“Let’s get back to the common room and talk further. This isn’t the time, especially after McGonagall
told us to get back to the common room.” Both his friends nodded amiably, setting off through the
corridors towards the seventh floor.
Harry wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do or how he was supposed to act with this idea. He
thought that it was complete rubbish but the other two weren’t going to believe him unless they were
clearly proven wrong. As they clambered through the portrait hole that led to their common room,
Harry made the resolution to do all he could to make sure that Ron believed that the pair was
innocent. The first order in proving that would be to follow them and prove to him that they weren’t
discussing killing off all the muggleborns in the castle.
It was his plan and he was going to make it work.
A/N- There you are, guys, another chapter finished. This one felt like it took forever but I guess it
really didn’t. I hope it met all y’alls expectations. Thanks to everyone out there for reading and
reviewing, you guys are the bomb. Let me know what you guys thought, I like to hear your
opinions. Reviews are love
Next up, Christmas and some spying time.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 34

A/N- You guys are just so awesome, I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate the reviews you
leave and the love you send my way. It keeps me going and keeps me writing no matter how much
writers block I get and how discouraged I get. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you
all enjoy this story and it lives up to your expectations. Anyways, enough from me, I’ll let you get to
reading!
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing. It’s all been done before and I haven’t made any money from this
story or any other. If I had, I would have quit my job and taken up writing full time.
Chapter 34
December 25, 1992
Hermione lazily rolled to her side to cast a tempus charm. Her dorm was freezing cold but since she
had cast a warming charm on her bedding the night before, she was nice and toasty under the duvet.
When the time appeared on her curtain, she sat up in bed, smile wide across her features, the warmth
of her bed forgotten. It was after eight on Christmas morning.
Draco was probably ready to kill her. He had told her that he was setting an alarm for six, implored
her to do the same, so they could open their gifts early. She had completely forgotten, however, and
he wasn’t able to get through the girl dormitory door. The Slytherin hurried and shoved her feet in
her slippers before rushing to the door and flinging it open. Draco was perched on the sofa closest to
the fire, arms crossed over his chest, and scowl on his face. She had to fight the urge to giggle at the
picture he made but figured that it wouldn’t do to anger him further. She stepped out into the
common room and put a sheepish smile on her face.
“I’m really sorry, I forgot to set my alarm.” He glared at her for a few moments before he responded.
“You better have got me a really good present to make up for making me wait over two hours on
you. I should have just opened presents without you.” Hermione plopped down on the couch next to
him, so she could lean over and press and noisy, wet kiss to his cheek. He grimaced and wiped his
cheek and this time she couldn’t keep the laughter in. It just made him glare harder.
“You’re going to love my present and you know you would never open presents without me. I’m
really sorry.” Draco seemed to relent in his glaring and his face softened just a little.
“I forgive you this once. Next time, I’m going to brave the hex that Uncle Sev put on your doors and
pour water over your head.” Hermione laughed again but nodded her head.
“Fair enough. Are you ready to open presents now?” His eyes lit up now and he stood, pulling her
after him so they could settle on the floor in front of the fire.
The pair of them had sent the presents for their family with Nuntius two days ago; when he returned,
he was loaded down with gifts from their parents. Uncle Sev had left his presents with them the night
before, offering them the choice of when they wanted him to spend time with them. Both had
decided that they would rather spend the evening with him which freed him up to spend time with
their parents that morning. It wasn’t perfect but at least they were going to get to spend some time
with one of their family members.
Hermione was still peeved that they were having to stay behind at all. As far as she could tell, Harry
was in the most danger because of Dobby, not some diary that had once belonged to the Dark Lord.
Uncle Luci had already recalled Dobby back to the Manor so there was that problem solved. She
heaved a sigh. Even though she would rather be with her family, riding her horse with Aunt Cissy
and spending time with her father and Uncle Luci, she understood why they had asked them to stay
behind. Harry’s protection was paramount and if something happened to him because she had gone
home, she would have felt terrible.
Draco was already ripping into his gifts. Hermione delved into hers at a much more sedate pace.
Aunt Cissy had spent a ridiculous amount of money on more clothes and lingerie; she wasn’t sure
how the woman could think that she needed an additional ten bra and knickers sets but she didn’t
complain. They were a size bigger than what she had gone to school with, something that pleased
Hermione greatly. She had been trying to hold out until the end of the school year to go get a bigger
size, but it wasn’t necessary now.
Uncle Luci had gotten her tickets to go to a horse show in France over the summer. Not just any
horse show, but a special show where the horses were bred with magic and could perform
remarkable feats that normal horses couldn’t. He had bought her aunt a ticket too and she was sure
that the woman would turn it into a girl’s weekend. Not that she was complaining. She never
complained about massages and pedicures.
Uncle Sev had gotten her very own subscription to Potion’s Quarterly, probably because he always
got tired of her stealing his. Along with it came a subscription for Transfiguration Today and Charms
Monthly. She couldn’t help but squeal in delight, hugging the subscription papers to her chest. Draco
rolled his eyes at her before smiling good-naturedly at her.
Her father’s gift was by the far the simplest and it was her favorite so far. He had put together a
photo album that mainly featured her mother and father. Photos of Regulus playing quidditch, trying
to learn how to dance, marrying her mother. The pictures of her mother were just as wonderful;
brewing potions in the lab at Malfoy Manor, sitting under Hermione’s favorite tree in the garden and
reading a book, dressed formally for a ball. Towards the end, there were photos of the pair of them
holding her as an infant, not even hours old. The smiles on their faces were broad and even though
they both looked exhausted, happiness was shining in their eyes.
Tears pricked at her eyes, but she held them back ruthlessly. Draco seemed to realize that something
was wrong, leaning over to throw an arm around her shoulders. He took album from her and flipped
through it, studying every single picture inside. She leaned her head on his shoulder and watched
him, smiling a little when he burst out laughing at the photo of her father with a black eye, one that
he had received after getting in a fight with his brother. When he was finished, he handed it back to
her and squeezed her shoulders before he spoke.
“Well, now my present is going to suck compared to that. How am I supposed to compete with
that?” Hermione couldn’t help but to laugh, thankful that her cousin always knew what to say to
make her feel better. She picked up the letter that came with the album and the pair of them read it
together.
Poppet,
I should have done this for you years ago, but I have only my cowardice to blame. I didn’t want to
dredge up bad memories regarding my brother. We didn’t part on the best of terms and it’s something
that I regret every single day.
The photos of Regulus came from me, but your aunt and uncle provided the ones or Erise and when
you were born. I offered to put their name on the gift but they both refused. I’m sorry this took me so
long to make for you and I hope that it brightens your day when you’re feeling lonely at school. I
think this summer we should sit down together and make an album for you to take to school next
year, one that has pictures of all of us and your years growing up. We can start a new tradition and
add to it every summer, so it’s always updated. I know your aunt and uncles would love knowing
that you take a part of them to school with you every year.
I love you, sweetness.
Daddy
Hermione sniffed again, touched by his words and the idea of making an album together. She bet
that she could even convince Uncle Luci and Uncle Sev to sit down and help them. It would
probably take her full-power puppy-dog eyes but she didn’t mind breaking them out for special
occasions. It would be nice to make more than one copy, so they could all have one to look at.
Draco, who knew her better than anyone, snorted.
“You’re going to make me help with this, aren’t you?” She burst into laughter before tickling his
ribs.
“I’m going to break out the big guns and make everyone help with this. It would be nice if we all had
an album.” Draco groaned and rolled his eyes.
“Miney, you know that it isn’t manly for a bloke to have a photo album that he carries around with
him. Besides, if I get nostalgic, I can just come steal yours.” She pinched his side now. He hissed in
pain and twisted away from her before glaring at her again.
“Don’t you ever get tired about worrying what other people think?” He sighed and picked up the
album again, running his fingers over the cover.
“Of course, I do, Miney. I hate it. You know as well as I do that I have to do it anyways. For one, it
doesn’t fit the image of a Malfoy and for two, it would look like weakness to the others. It shows
emotion and there is always going to be someone that finds emotions such as love a weakness. My
father would be pissed if I showed that kind of weakness.” Hermione leaned over and hugged him
from the side, locking her hands together around his ribs. His arms came around her too.
“I know, I just hate that so much is expected of you. You show emotion for me; how do people not
see that as a weakness?” Draco sighed, and she knew that it was probably in exasperation.
“You’re family, it’s expected of me to protect you and keep you safe. You’re also Hermione Black,
only daughter and heir to the Black fortune and legacy. Nobody is stupid enough to think protecting
you is a weakness.” As much as she hated his words, she knew they were true. She released the hug
and sat back, smiling at him.
“Fine, you don’t have to have an album but you’re still going to help. We’ll be at home and there
won’t be anyone to know that the lot of you are doing something so effeminate as putting together a
photo album.” He grinned now before handing her her next gift.
“Enough of this talk. Open my gift and tell me how wonderful I am.” Hermione grinned at him and
ripped through the paper. Inside was a simple book bag, green and silver in color, with her name
stitched on the front. He bumped her shoulder with his and she could see a faint blush on his cheeks
when he spoke.
“I had to order it special. It has an undetectable extension charm on it, so you can put the whole
Hogwarts library in there and it’ll still look like it’s almost empty. Plus, I added a featherlight charm
of my own so no matter how much you put in there, it won’t ever feel heavy.” Hermione threw her
arms around her cousin and kissed him on the cheek before sitting back and inspecting the bag
closer.
“It’s brilliant, Drake, thank you so much. I love it.” He grinned at her again and she wished that he
did that more often. He was always schooling his face and minding his expressions; to see him grin
in such a free way made her happy.
“You’re welcome. I love my gift too, I’m going to rub it in Theo and Blaise’s face that I already have
tickets to the World Cup.” She smiled at him, thrilled that he liked her gift.
“I bought you four tickets, you can just rub it in even more and take them with you.” Draco laughed.
Hermione opened the rest of her gifts, small tokens from her friends there at Hogwarts. The twins
had gone in together and bought her one of the new books on potions that she had been eyeing for a
few weeks. Neville had given her a gift certificate to Flourish and Blotts, Pansy a book on makeup
charms, Daphne a trinket made of crystal in the shape of a ballet dancer. All in all, she had several
new books to read and couldn’t wait to start them, especially the one from the twins.
After their gifts were all opened and put away, Hermione climbed in the shower while Draco was
doing the same. Since it was Christmas, rather than serving breakfast, a huge Christmas dinner would
be served in early afternoon. As the only Slytherins in house, Hermione would have loved to get a
start on the books she had gotten but Draco had put his foot down. They were going to go outside
and have a snow ball fight before they ate. Her belly was rumbling so she supposed that it would
distract her to go outside and take in a bit of fresh air.
The Slytherin made sure to dress warmly; she cast a warming charm on her trousers and boots,
hoping that it would be enough to keep her feet warm. No matter how warm the rest of her stayed,
her feet always managed to get cold. She put on one of her new blouses and the cloak that her aunt
had bought her because the shade matched her eyes perfectly. She left her hair down since she was
going to put a hat on.
Draco was waiting for her by the door to the common room. When he saw her, he grinned at her
before pulling his wand out and waving it over her whole body. She cast him a questioning glance
and he was quick to tell her that it was an impervious charm to keep them dry. He then led her out of
the common room and through the corridors until they reached the main doors to the castle.
It seemed as though they weren’t the only ones to have the idea of a snow ball fight. There was only
fifteen students or so that had stayed at the castle over the holiday and most of them were already
outside playing in the snow. All the Weasleys had stayed and she wasn’t sure why. Neville had said
something about visiting one of their sons, but she hadn’t paid much attention. The Weasley’s
holiday plans were not something that she wondered about. As far as she knew, the redheads and
Harry were the only ones staying in the castle from Gryffindor. The other seven students were split
between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw
They were all splitting into teams, it seemed, making a formal game out of something that she really
didn’t want to play. She had come out to appease Draco and since she had missed her morning run in
favor of present-opening, she figured that a little exercise was better than none. However, this didn’t
mean that she wanted to play with a dozen other students. One of the older Ravenclaw students was
trying his best to make the teams fair.
“Malfoy and Black can be on Percy’s team -.” He didn’t get to finish the statement since Ron spoke.
“I won’t be on the same team as Malfoy and Black.” Hermione felt her cheeks color slightly at his
words. Draco put a hand on her arm, clearly warning her to stay calm. Ragby (she thought that was
the Ravenclaw’s name?) sighed and raked a hand through his hair. Fred stepped forward and with a
grin, started telling everyone what teams they were going to be on.
“We’ll have two captains, me and Ron since he’s the one with the problem. I’ll take Georgie as my
first team mate.” Ron smirked at his brother.
“I want Harry.” Fred nodded.
“Black and Malfoy are with me.” The choosing continued, Hermione ending up on a team with
Draco, the twins, Ragby, Summers, and Mitchell. Ron’s team consisted of himself, Harry, Ginny,
Percy, Campbell, Abbott, and Winters. They appeared to be pretty evenly matched. Fred spoke
again, and she had to admit that she was surprised that he was inquiring about rules.
“Is this a good old-fashioned snow ball fight or is there magic allowed?” Hermione didn’t really care
either way, so she left it to everyone else to decide. After several minutes of listening to them discuss
it, it was finally decided that they could use magic if they wanted but it wasn’t required. Hermione
rolled her eyes. Who knew that a snow ball fight had become such a big deal?
They were given five minutes to make as many snowballs as they could manage. Hermione wasn’t
very good at it so she didn’t get near as many made as Draco or the twins had. The three of them
were laughing and talking quietly about something but she couldn’t hear what they were saying.
After their five minutes, Fred hollered for everyone to begin.
Hermione wasn’t very good at making snow balls, let alone throwing them. She did her best, though,
and was even successful at hitting some of the other team’s players. However, she was hit far more
times than she cared to admit and was thankful that Draco had thought ahead to cast the impervious
charm on her clothing. It seemed that everyone was using magic to make their snowballs fly faster
than they would have normally. It did sting a bit more than it would have if they had been thrown
naturally but she supposed that it didn’t matter.
They all played for over an hour before Fred called for them all to stop and make more snowballs.
Hermione wanted to bow out and just watch but after a look from Draco, she knew that she
wouldn’t. He was having a blast and if he thought that she wasn’t having a good time, he would stop
playing and escort her back inside. It was Christmas and he deserved to have fun. One day of
playing in the snow was worth that.
Hermione did notice that the other students hadn’t been smart enough to charm their clothing. The
rest of her team mates were soaking wet and shivering though they were all determined to carry on
with the game. Deciding that since it was Christmas, she would be nice to the others. She pulled
George aside first, drying his clothes with a wave of his wand. After he was dry, she cast warming
charms on all his clothing and then followed it with an impervious. Once she was finished, he pulled
her into an exuberant hug, spinning her around through the air and kissed her sloppily on the cheek.
She was starting Fred when she saw Draco doing the same on Ragby. It took several minutes but
once they were done, her team mates were much happier.
The game commenced again. Hermione was half-heartedly participating, watching Harry out of the
corner of her eyes. His cheeks were rosy from the cold and his clothes were soaked. Even though he
had to be freezing, he appeared to be having the time of his life. He was full of laughter and smiles,
high-fiving Ronald when his snowball hit George in the face.
Hermione had just about been ready to tell everyone that Christmas dinner would be starting in just
ten minutes time when something rock hard and freezing cold hit her right below her left eye. Even
though she hated to show weakness, she couldn’t help the small cry of pain as she dropped for her
knees in the snow. Her hand covered the area and she could already feel it swelling. Draco was at
her side instantly, trying to pull her hand away from her face so he could see it. The twins stood
behind him, serious looks on their faces and the rest of the players halted the game.
“Mia, tell me what’s wrong. You have to let me see it.” She couldn’t keep her eye from watering, but
she made sure that her expression revealed nothing. The Slytherin let Draco pull her hand away from
her face and there were gasps around them.
“I got hit in the face.” Draco had a look of rage on his face and he began to feel around on the
ground. After several seconds of wondering what he was doing, his hands closed around a snowball.
It was rock hard, clearly frozen.
“Somebody froze the snowball and then used to magic to make it go faster. Who the fuck did this to
her?” Everyone turned to Ron, even the twins, but he held his hands up and was frantically shaking
his head.
“It wasn’t me, check my pile. None of them are hard and I haven’t had my wand out since we started
the second time.” As much as Hermione would love to blame him for it, she knew that he wasn’t
lying. He hadn’t had his wand out since they started the second time, though everyone else had. That
only left one other person that would have resorted to this and she refused to say anything because
she was going to look barmy. Turning water, or snow for that matter, into ice was a charm more
advanced than a normal first year would know. Hermione looked over to Ginny and saw a small
smirk of satisfaction. Hermione acted like she hadn’t seen anything.
“It doesn’t matter now. What’s done is done. Let’s just go back to the castle; I’m starving, and dinner
is about to start.” Draco helped her to her feet and examined her face more closely. His hands were
gentle, but she still winced in pain as his fingers brushed the area under her eye.
“It’s already starting to bruise. You have a little cut where it hit you and your eye may close. I
suppose we should get you to Madam Pomfrey first.” Hermione knew that there were people still
listening, so she made sure to keep her tone respectful.
“She isn’t there, remember? She told us at dinner last night that she was going to her son’s for the
day and that she would return tonight. She told us that the Headmaster would fill in for her until she
returned.” Draco growled as he laced her arm through his and started to pull her towards the castle.
“The Headmaster isn’t touching you, let alone casting a spell on you. I guess we’ll have to wait for
Uncle Severus to come back and heal you.” Hermione nodded, knowing full well that it could be
hours before he returned. The last thing that she wanted to do was spend the rest of the day sporting
a shiner.
They entered the castle, the rest of the students behind them. Since there wasn’t time to take their
cloaks back to their common rooms, Hermione and Draco took theirs off and placed them on the
Ravenclaw house table just a few feet from where they would all be eating at the Hufflepuff table.
The rest of the students followed their example before taking their seats. The professors watched
them silently until they were all seated. Hermione found herself with Draco on her left and George
on her right and facing Harry. The food had just appeared, the table digging into the food with gusto
when Professor Cat gasped.
“Miss Black, what happened to your face?” She set her fork down and met her professor’s gaze.
“We were having a snowball fight, and someone froze their snowball and hit me in the face.” After a
few moments of silence, Hermione turned her attention to her food again.
“I insist that you allow Professor Dumbledore to heal that, it looks to be very painful.” Hermione
wanted to snap at the woman and tell her that it was very painful, what had been her first clue, but
she refrained.
“No thank you, Professor. I wouldn’t want to take the Headmaster’s time. I’ll just wait until
Professor Snape returns to the school and have him heal me.” The table had fallen silent and
Hermione could feel Draco squeezing her leg under the table. Professor Cat didn’t look too pleased.
However, she probably guessed as to the reason why she didn’t want the Headmaster to heal her.
“Are you sure that you wouldn’t like me to try to heal you? It’s far from my area of expertise but I
would attempt it if you would like.” Hermione gave her a genuine smile. She was trying to be nice,
she seemed to genuinely care that she was injured, and was willing to do what she could to make it
easier on Hermione.
“Thank you, Professor, but I’ll just wait for Professor Snape. I’ve seen him heal Draco enough times
through the years that I know he’s very good at it.” The professor didn’t look too sure of letting this
decision slide but in the end decided to let it stand. She gave Hermione a small smile.
“Very well, Miss Black. If you should change your mind, I’ll be in my office for the remainder of the
afternoon.” Hermione gave her a quick nod and turned back to her plate.
The meal passed without incident. The food was delicious, evidenced by everyone putting away a
ridiculous amount of it. Hermione didn’t eat seconds, but she did manage to eat almost everything on
her plate, a rarity when Draco was the one who served her. He was always worried that she never
ate enough and thought that piling her plate high would make her want to eat it.
Weasley put away four plates of food before pudding was served, Harry ate three. The twins were
next to her and were staring at their brother with disgust. He wasn’t employing any manners
whatsoever and didn’t seem to care that half the table was sickened at his display. Finally, Fred
aimed a swift kick at his youngest brother, catching him in the shin by the sounds of it.
“Oww! What was that for?” George just shook his head at how thick his brother was.
“We know Mum taught you manners. Use them for Merlin’s sake. Watching you eat is disgusting.
You are not a hog at trough.” Hermione wanted to giggle at their words but decided not to. Ron was
glaring at his brothers.
“It isn’t that bad, besides, I’m a growing boy. I’m starving.” Fred kicked him again.
“Mum would be horrified if she was watching you right now. Chew with your mouth closed and use
your bloody napkin.” Ron was getting ready to retort, yet again with a full mouth, but was kept from
speaking by the Gryffindor Head of House.
“Language, Mr. Weasley and he’s correct, Ronald. Manners should always be used when eating.
Nobody wants half-chewed food spewed at them when you decide to speak.” Harry was clearly
trying to hide his smile behind his hand. When Ronald saw him, he shoved his shoulder into his
friends, but this just caused Harry to outright laugh now. After a few moments, the whole table
joined in. It was the strangest thing, but it hadn’t ended in a fight and Hermione hadn’t been blamed.
It was a good end to a great meal.
Once the pudding disappeared from the table, Hermione rose to her feet, Draco following suit. They
gathered their cloaks and started for the dungeons after giving the twins a quick farewell. They made
their way through the corridors until they reached their common room. Once inside, Hermione was
quick to retreat to her dorm room and replace her cloak in her wardrobe. She removed her boots and
put them in the bottom of her wardrobe as well, sliding into her slippers. They still had a few hours
before dinner would be served, and after that Uncle Sev was going to spend time with them.
Draco was already on the couch in front of the fire, sprawled out on his back with his hands behind
his head like a pillow. He was still in the same clothes as before, but he had kicked his boots off and
shoved them to the side of the couch. Hermione sat down next to his head and it was only moments
before Draco scooted closer and put his head in her lap. She couldn’t help but be surprised. It had
been ages since he had laid like this with her. Almost as if it happened every day, she began to play
with his hair, baby soft and fine. His eyes slid closed but Hermione knew that he wasn’t asleep.
“Tell me who threw that rock at you.” Hermione sighed as she leaned her head back against the
couch.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I think it was Ginny. Yeah, the spell is advanced but nobody else had
any reason to do that. She’s already proven that she doesn’t like me. I knew that if I said anything
then they all would have been pissed and it would have ruined Christmas.” Draco opened an eye, so
he could glare at her.
“What about your Christmas? Now you have to sit around all day with a black eye the size of a
dragon.” Hermione snorted at his exaggeration.
“It’s fine, Drake. I can’t prove that it was her so there’s no reason to make a big deal out of it. Uncle
Sev will be here tonight and he’ll fix me up.” Draco reached up and tugged one of her curls. Before
they could say anything else, Nuntius was at the charmed window, tapping it quietly with something
clearly clutched in his foot. Draco rose and let his familiar in, taking the letter from him and waving
him towards the bowl of treats at the window sill. He resumed his position and broke the seal on the
parchment.
“It’s a letter from the family. I’ll read it since you probably can’t bloody see with your eye like that.”
Hermione rolled her eyes but nodded her agreement.
Draco and Hermione,
We hope this letter finds you both well and enjoying your Christmas. We know that neither of you
really wanted to stay over the holidays and we don’t blame you. This is the only time that we have to
see you as well. It’s a long ten months to not see you at all.
We don’t want you to feel like we didn’t want you here; in fact, it’s killing us that you aren’t here to
share in the Christmas cheer with us. We had to pass our own gifts out since Hermione wasn’t here
to do it. We didn’t get to here you two bickering about who gave the better gift. We know that it’s
hard for you to stay but we appreciate it all the same.
We all loved our gifts, thank you very much. The three of us can only hope that you enjoyed your
gifts as well. We really have nothing of import to share; this letter was more to let you know that we
were thinking of you both and missing your presence. We’ll close for now and can’t wait for summer
to come.
We love you both.
Sirius, Lucius, and Narcissa
Hermione sniffed and watched as Draco folded the parchment back the way it had been before he
opened it. He glanced up at Hermione and when he saw that she was upset, tugged one of her curls
again.
“We’re the only ones here. We should just sleep out here tonight. Make a pallet on the floor and stay
up reading to each other, Uncle Sev won’t care. We may not have the rest of our family right now,
but we still have each other.” Hermione bent down and kissed her cousin on the forehead before
settling back comfortably against the couch.
“That’s a great idea. For now, though, I want a nap. My head hurts and maybe sleep will help.”
Draco nodded against her legs.
“That’s a great idea.”
-O-
Harry watched from the table in the Great Hall as Hermione pushed food around her plate in an
attempt to make it look like she was eating. Her eye looked positively horrid now. It was purple
underneath her eye and clear down her cheek, her eye was swollen shut, and the cut was oozy. It
was clear that she had tried to clean it up, but it was probably too tender to do a very good job of it.
Seeing her like this was a stark contrast to how she had looked before her injury. She had looked
beautiful in her icy blue cloak and feminine trousers. Her boots had gone to her knees, ensuring that
her feet would remain dry and warm, her hair had been heavy down her back with snowflakes
catching in the ebony curls. He could tell that she really didn’t want to play but she was a good sport
about it even after Ron had been a prat and refused to play on her team. Harry really had no idea
who had thrown that snowball at her, but he supposed that if she was letting it drop, then he should
as well.
He and Ron had decided that tonight was going to be the night that they spied on the Slytherin pair
to disprove Ron’s theory about one of them being the heir to Slytherin. Harry had brought his dad’s
cloak with him and they were going to follow the pair back to their common room underneath it after
dinner. It had the potential to bite them in arse but if it would shut Ron up, it was worth it. They
would just have to wait until the pair went to bed before they sneaked out.
Ron was still wolfing down food, how Harry wasn’t sure. It looked as if he hadn’t just put away five
plates of food just a few hours before. However, he nudged Ron in the leg and gestured for him to
get up and leave with him. They were going to have to lay in wait and then follow after them; they
risked being seen otherwise. With a sigh of displeasure, Ron set his fork down and took one last
drink of pumpkin juice before he stood and followed Harry out of the Great Hall.
When he was sure that nobody was watching them, Harry pulled his invisibility cloak out and threw
it over them. They shimmered out of sight and settled against the wall to wait for the Slytherin pair.
They didn’t have to wait long, not even five minutes before they appeared. They were laughing
quietly about something as they strolled past them.
Harry and Ron were quick to follow, trying to be as quiet as possible. Since the only common room
that Harry had entered was Gryffindor, he was more than a little surprised when the entrance to
Slytherin was a long expanse of wall. He couldn’t hear the password but after they uttered it, the wall
seemed to vibrate slightly before it became a door. Malfoy held the door open for Hermione,
allowing her to enter before him. Harry and Ron were quick to slip in after the blond before the door
shut behind him.
The room was so different from Gryffindors that it wasn’t even funny. Where the lion’s den was
warm and full of bright colors, squashy couches and chairs with a million pillows, Slytherin was the
opposite. It was on the cool side, and while it had several couches and chairs, they were black and
leather, screaming of class and wealth. The room wasn’t green but very muted colors that made
Harry feel like he had just stepped into a magazine.
Malfoy released his cousin and walked over to the fireplace, lighting it with ease. The room seemed
to warm immediately, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was charmed differently than the one in
the Tower. Both disappeared to opposite ends of the room and went through doors; Harry could only
assume that they were the doors to their dormitories. He and Ron settled against the wall closest to
the fire, hoping that they would still be able to hear their conversations over the crackling of the fire.
Malfoy reappeared first; clearly, he had been changing clothes. He was now in a pair of sleep pants
in navy blue with Puddlemere United’s logo down the leg. A plain white tee shirt completed his
ensemble since his feet were bare. In his arms were all the blankets off not only his bed but probably
those of his friends. He threw them on the floor before the fire and started laying them out like he
was going to sleep on them. It was several minutes later that Hermione emerged, blankets in her arms
as well. When she dropped the on the ground next to Draco, Harry felt his heart stop.
Hermione Black was wearing next to no clothing, at least compared to what she wore during the
day. Her feet were bare, and she had on the tiniest pair of shorts he had ever seen coupled with a
tank top and no bra. The tank top hugged her body and had the word “witch” across her breasts in
rhinestones. Harry never would have guessed that her breasts were already as big as they were since
she kept them appropriately covered in public. Even though she was extremely petite and tiny, her
legs seemed impossibly long and pale. In short, even though she was only a thirteen-year-old witch,
Harry now couldn’t deny that his cock had jumped to life in his trousers. A hairbrush was clutched in
her hand and while Malfoy spread the blankets out like he had his, she attempted to brush a knot out
of the hair at the back of her head. She cursed lightly as she sat on pallet. Malfoy sighed and held his
hand out.
“Give it here or you’ll end up with no hair left. Mother was so mad at you the last time you ripped
that hunk of hair out of your head because you couldn’t get the knot out.” Malfoy settled behind her
started to brush her curls, gently detangling the knot that she had been caught on. Her eyes were
closed and looked as though she was enjoying his attention. Harry couldn’t believe that they were
witnessing Malfoy helping his cousin brush her hair. Her voice was soft when she broke the silence.
“When do you think Uncle Sev will be here? My face really hurts.” Malfoy finished with her hair
and turned her to look more closely at her face. His fingers reached out and tested the skin around
her eye.
“I don’t know but I know that cut looks disgusting. You’re lucky that snowball didn’t hit you in the
eye and blind you.” She nodded her head and laid down, her hands folding underneath her head like
a pillow.
“I know. It didn’t though so there’s no sense in dwelling on it.” Malfoy laid down next to her,
mirroring her actions.
“You still should have told Professor Cat who did it. No, there was no proof but if you’re sure that
the Weasel didn’t do it, that leaves nobody else who would want to hurt you. As clueless as Potter is
about life in general, I don’t think he would be malicious enough to hurt you on the sly. If he was
going to hurt you, he would have done it openly and then admitted to it afterwards.” Harry couldn’t
help but feel irritated with that statement. Hermione sighed.
“I would have just landed in detention for false accusations. That was a spell that most first years
don’t know. Let’s face it, Ginny is a Weasley. She’s on Dumbledore’s favorites list because her
parents were part of the Order and they take every single word he says as gospel. Merlin, he was
found guilty of cursing me when I was two years old. You would think that people would stop
idolizing him. It’s ridiculous.” Harry wasn’t sure what to think about the things she was saying. She
thought that Ginny had thrown the rock at her? Ginny, while spoiled rotten, was a sweet girl that
didn’t seem to have a mean bone in her body. Why would she want to hurt Hermione? He recalled
Dumbledore telling him that he had cursed Hermione by accident but not that he had been found
guilty of it by a court. He supposed that in the end it didn’t matter but he could see why the girl
didn’t want the Headmaster to heal her.
Their conversation was cut off by the door opening and Professor Snape striding through the door,
two vials in one hand and a box in the other. Both Hermione and Malfoy sat up quickly and grinned
at the surly man, only to be even more surprised when he ginned back at them. The professor toed
off shoes before he sat on the pallet next to them, so he could gently turn Hermione’s face back and
forth.
“I’m glad you waited for me to heal this. Minerva only told me that you had been injured in a
snowball fight. What happened?” While Hermione told him the story, the Potions Master pulled
every strand of hair out of the wound and away from her eyes.
“Why do you think Ginny Weasley did this?” Hermione sighed.
“She found me in the library one day and basically threatened me. She said that she sees Harry
watching me and that he deserves better than the daughter of the man who betrayed his parents. After
I was hurt, I looked up at her and she was smirking. Like I told Draco, I have no proof, so it would
have been pointless to name her.” Harry felt terror race through his veins at her words. He had been
caught staring at the girl, which meant that it was obvious to anyone who was paying attention. He
needed to be more careful or his secret obsession wouldn’t be secret anymore. Professor Snape
pulled his wand from his frock coat and pointed it at her face. She didn’t so much as flinch at the
sight. He started to cast on her, his eyes not leaving the spot on her face that he was healing.
“Keep this to yourself. It wouldn’t do for you to accuse the girl without proof.” His wand trailed over
the wounded area, the swelling disappearing and the bruise reverting back to the pale perfection her
skin usually was. After her face was restored, Professor Snape reached into one of his pockets and
pulled a tub of cream out. He scooped some out onto his fingers and began dabbing it on the cut.
Harry watched it close before his eyes. When he was finished, he handed the two vials to her, urging
her to drink them down.
“The first is for infection since it went untreated for so long. The second is for the pain. While you
appear to be healed completely, the area will still be sore and tender, like the bruise is still there. If
you need more potion for the pain, come find me.” She nodded at him and grinned before she
hugged him close. She whispered something in his ear, but Harry couldn’t quite make out her words.
Ron was next to him, vibrating with rage. Harry put a hand on his friend’s shoulder to calm him
down; the last thing they needed was for the pair of them to be discovered because Ron had lost his
temper. Snape sat back, his back against the couch and legs stretched out in front of him. He pulled
the box to himself and opened it.
“I figured that the two of you would want some of Candy’s treacle tart. I know it’s your favorite. I
also brought along some of my hot chocolate.” Hermione squealed her happiness and reached into
the box to find the hot chocolate.
“Yours in the best in the world but I will deny I ever said that if you dare tell Candy or Dot. It would
hurt their feelings.” Snape chuckled, and Harry watched as Hermione handed cups to Malfoy and
himself. After she had taken a long drink, she settled against the couch next to him.
“We decided to sleep out here in front of the fire. Will the elves report it to the Headmaster?” Snape
shook his head as he set his cup on the couch behind him.
“No, they’ll report it to me. I’m not worried, you two have been sleeping together since Draco was
born.” Malfoy’s cheeks tinged pink, but Hermione just shrugged her shoulders.
“Sleeping with Drake makes me feel safer.” Snape reached out and ran a hand down the length of
her curls but didn’t say anything else.
“How long can you stay with us?” Snape tugged one of her curls.
“As long as you like. What would you like to do?” Hermione set her cup down and bolted into what
Harry assumed was her room, only to reappear seconds later with a huge book in her hands.
“The twins got me the new potions book that we were talking about last week. Will you read it to
us?” Their professor chuckled at her eagerness but nodded nonetheless. He shrugged out of his robes
and settled back against the couch with the book in one hand. Hermione laid down next to him and
put her head in his lap while Malfoy settled at their feet. He poked Hermione in the foot.
“Calm down or you’re never going to sleep tonight.” She nudged his side with her foot before
sticking her tongue out at him.
“I’ll sleep just fine, you wait and see.” Professor Snape shushed them both and began reading.
Harry wasn’t sure how long the man read for, he had long since lost his sense of time passing, but it
had to have been at least a couple hours. They were only halfway through the book when the man
finally stopped reading. Harry sighed in relief; potions was his least favorite subject, mostly because
of the man who taught it, but he didn’t think that listening to someone read you a book on potions
was an ideal way to spend an evening. Malfoy was still awake and looked over at his uncle when he
had stopped reading.
“Hermione is asleep. What are your thoughts on the Weasley girl being the one to throw that ball of
ice at her?” Malfoy sat up and watched his professor card his fingers through the girl’s hair.
“I know she did threaten Hermione awhile back but I’m not sure the girl could pull it off. It’s way
too advanced for a first year, a normal one anyways. I’ve learned though that Miney is rarely wrong.
I really don’t know what to think about it.” Snape raked his hand through his hair.
“Those are my thoughts exactly. The girl isn’t stupid by any means but not exceptional either. I
suppose we’ll just have to watch things and hope that neither of you get hurt again. How has your
dueling practice been going?” Draco scowled at dour man.
“I hope you’re all happy. Since Sirius and Father told her she could only use ten different spells and
had only a split second to choose, she’s gotten better. I’m still better at it then she is but only just. Her
running has also given her an edge. Her endurance is much better.” Snape looked surprised.
“She’s running?” Malfoy snorted, an inelegant sound from someone so refined.
“Yeah, I made a comment in passing about it and she started running every morning. I didn’t know
about it for the first two weeks; that was when we weren’t really talking much.” Harry recalled that
time period but didn’t think that they would discuss it further.
“Have you been running with her?” Malfoy shrugged.
“Here and there but not religiously like she does. If I want to be able to say that I can keep beating
her at dueling, I’m going to have to start going more often.” Snape burst out in laughter before
quieting when Hermione stirred. Malfoy met the gaze of the potions master.
“Has anyone come any closer to figuring out who the heir of Slytherin is? It’s hard to try to be safe
when it could literally be anyone in this school. You know how Hermione is; I’m scared to death that
she’s going to research it and when she discovers the answer, confront the person.”
“You’ll do just fine, Draco. I’m proud of you for how good of care you take of her. I know that she’s
the most powerful witch to grace these halls in quite some time but she’s still able to get hurt, as
proven today. Not to mention she’s the most tender-hearted witch I’ve ever met. You’ve done well.
To answer your question, however, it’s no. Nobody has any idea who the heir could be.” Malfoy
snorted again.
“You can say that again. It drives me mad some days, the things that she lets bother her.” Snape
chuckled.
“You love it so don’t even try denying it, Draco.” Malfoy stood and help shift his cousin fully onto
the floor, so Snape could stand. The man bent and pressed a kiss to Hermione’s forehead before
covering her up with one of the many duvets.
“I love that girl more than anything. She drives me mad every single day, but I wouldn’t change her
for anything. Thanks for coming to heal her so quickly, Uncle Sev. She had been complaining of a
headache since it happened.” Snape pulled the blond in for a quick hug. Malfoy returned it but was
quick to step back out of his embrace.
“I’d do anything for the pair of you, you know that. If you have need of me, you know where to find
me. For now, I must go. I still have three stacks of essays to mark before the students return.” The
potions master turned and left, leaving Malfoy to settle back on the pallet next to Hermione. He
picked up the book that the man had abandoned and continued to read in the silence of the room.
Harry couldn’t believe the things that he had heard tonight. It was probably a good thing that Ron
had fallen asleep long ago, somewhere during the first chapter of the book they had been listening to.
Not only were they not the heirs of Slytherin, they were worried about who was. Hermione ran in
the mornings and they were dueling already. He couldn’t help but be a little jealous. He wanted to be
dueling already.
What he could do, however, was also run. It was an excellent idea and it was a proven fact that
running increased stamina and endurance, two important facets of many things in life. Maybe that
would be his New Year’s Resolution, to start running every night. While he would rather have ran in
the mornings, the last thing he wanted to do was run into Hermione Black and make her think that he
was stalking her, especially after Ginny telling her that he watched her.
Malfoy read for another hour and it was the longest hour ever. Not only was he ready to go to bed
himself but he needed the loo desperately. After what seemed like ages, Malfoy set the book aside
and crawled into the pallet next to his cousin. She was still sleeping peacefully, and Harry didn’t
think that he would ever forget the sight of her so open and happy. After the blond had fallen asleep,
he waited another thirty minutes to make sure that the sound of the door opening, and closing
wouldn’t wake him up.
Finally, Harry shook Ron awake and nudged him towards the door. Harry could see the look of
disgust on his face when he realized that they were sleeping on the floor together. Harry didn’t think
that it was inappropriate; it was clear that they had no romantic feelings for each other and they
weren’t all over each other. It was just two cousins falling asleep together, something that Harry used
to wish for with Dudley when he had been small.
They stole out of the common room as quietly as they could. They were well on their way to their
own common room when Harry made the decision to keep much of what he had seen to himself. It
wasn’t anyone’s business how close the potions professor was to two of his Slytherins. It was clear
that the relationship wasn’t inappropriate, so it wasn’t anyone’s place to judge. As far as Harry was
concerned, they had gotten the answer to the reason for spying on them in the first place.
Hermione Black and Draco Malfoy weren’t the heirs of Slytherin and neither one of them had
opened the Chamber of Secrets.
A/N- Holy balls, this chapter is long! It took me ages to write, I’ll have you all know. I kept going
back and forth between sharing more at the end or less. Hope this conversation doesn’t come back
and bite me in the ass, ha-ha. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave me thoughts and tell
me what you think. Reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, an appearance from the diary.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 35

A/N-I’m back, y’all, and I couldn’t be more excited. Thank you so much for the love and support
you guys have shown me. This story wouldn’t be possibly without you. My daughter is getting
better, for those that have asked, and is down to having her dressings changed only once a day. She
dreams of the day she’s out of the boot completely. I hate to say it, but you guys probably won’t get
another chapter until Tuesday at the earliest. It’s Labor Day weekend here in the states and not only
do I work all weekend, I have plans with the family. Thanks for understanding and knowing that I’ll
get a chapter to you as soon as possible. Enough of that, though, let’s keep going!
**I forgot to send a shout out last chapter to Cecily Mitchell for being my 900th reviewer. You’re
awesome!**
Disclaimer: Still don’t own anything to do with this story. The characters belong to our queen, J.K.R.
and the plot has been done a thousand times before, probably by better writers than me, lol. I haven’t
made a single dime off this story or any other. I’m still a broke bitch.
Chapter 35
January 21, 1993
Harry finally pushed his plate away from him, his second helping of breakfast gone completely. He
was uncomfortably full but knew that this would be the result. French toast was rarely served at
Hogwarts and it was his all-time favorite. Before Hogwarts, he had never tried it. Therefore, when it
was served, only once a month or so, he ate as much of it as he could. It was probably piggish of
him, but he didn’t care; it was French toast, after all.
Ron was still eating which was no big surprise. While he claimed that waffles were far better, he still
managed to put away three helpings of not only French toast but sausage, eggs, kippers, and a rasher
of bacon. Parvati just shook her head at him in disbelief; it was clear she didn’t know where he put it
all either.
The bell rang shortly after, dismissing them to class. Harry let his mind wander on their way to
Herbology. Of course, his thoughts were never far from Hermione Black. He had sworn that he
would keep the things he saw and heard after Ron fell asleep that night in the Slytherin common
room to himself and he didn’t regret it. It was clear that neither of the pair was the heir of Slytherin.
When Harry had told Ron that they were searching for the heir as hard as they were, he had been
disbelieving.
This, of course, led to an enormous row. Harry had told Ron that he wouldn’t lie about something
like that and Ron had responded with the insulting “you would if she was snogging you”. Even
though the thought made his prick twitch in his pants, he sighed and banished the thoughts before
telling Ron that he was just searching for a reason to think the worst of the Slytherins. Then he had
told Harry that he must have misheard their words, that they really meant that they knew who the
heir was.
Harry had exploded, his anger getting the best of him in the worst of ways. Ron’s mouth had glued
shut and no matter what spell any of the students cast, it remained closed. It finally took them going
to Professor McGonagall and explaining that an argument had led to a bout of accidental magic to
get it remedied. After Ron saw just how Harry was going to react to his accusations, he was quick to
abandon them. Harry knew that he still thought the pair was guilty, but he no longer voiced his
concerns in front of him.
Harry took his seat in Herbology next to Hermione; it was the only class that he sat beside her in and
that was only because Professor Sprout insisted on promoting house-unity. Whereas he had hated
sitting next to her last year, this year he found he didn’t much mind. She was always helpful if he
asked her a question and she never bothered him unless he spoke to her first. While this hurt
sometimes, Harry had to remind himself that he had been the one to tell her that he had no urge to be
friends with her.
Harry had noticed a marked absence of friendship between the girl seated next to him and Theodore
Nott. While Hermione never seemed aware of the glares sent her way, Theo made no effort to hide
them. Harry wasn’t sure what had happened but the falling out seemed to occur after the encounter in
the library where Theo had insulted his mother. He wasn’t sure if that had anything to do with the
argument, but he had a sneaking suspicion that it did. Not that it really mattered because neither party
would ever confide in him over the incident.
Professor Sprout entered the greenhouse and immediately called the class to attention. Her face was
bright as she started her lecture over lavender. They had already covered lavender and it’s uses in
potions, so this was like a review lesson for Harry. He noticed that Hermione had her notes in front
of her and even though she didn’t write a single thing over the whole of class, she still gave her full
attention to Professor Sprout.
He couldn’t help but wonder about the relationship between herself and Professor Snape. It was clear
that they knew each other well and that they cared for each other. The man had acted softer than he
could have thought possible with the girl; she had fallen asleep with her head in his lap for Merlin’s
sake. He knew that the snarky professor was Malfoy’s godfather, hell, the whole school knew that.
Harry supposed that he had gotten to know Hermione as well since the pair had grown up together.
He didn’t dare tell Ron about the extent of their relationship because he would make it out to be
something dirty and tawdry when it clearly wasn’t.
Harry still chuckled to himself at the thought of Malfoy and Hermione sharing a bed since they were
little. It was clear to everyone in school that the blond was attentive to his cousin, that he protected
her at every turn. He supposed that sleeping in bed with her shouldn’t have been something that had
surprised him, but it had. He had watched the pair after they fell asleep; they had stayed to their own
sides of the pallet and hadn’t touched each other at all that he had seen. It was clearly just
companionship and for some reason, Harry was glad.
The Gryffindor was brought back to Herbology class by Professor Sprout assigning them an essay
over lavender and it’s many uses. Harry jotted it down on his notes and started to gather his things.
Hermione was doing the same next to him. She finished first and rose to her feet before flouncing
away to Malfoy without a single look back at him. This made him wonder what exactly was going
on with her; he could have sworn that he had caught a brief look of resentment in her gaze at the
beginning of class. He had no idea if that’s what it really was or if he was seeing things, but he
couldn’t think of anything that he done to her recently to make her resent him.
Ron was at Harry’s side, urging him to hurry so they wouldn’t be late to History of Magic. Harry
had always loved history in muggle school but since their professor was now a ghost and had no idea
how to teach to where people loved the subject, it was so hard to stay awake. He had taken to
checking out books in the library to read about the subject matter, so he could get a better
understanding of what was being taught. His extra lessons given to him by McGonagall also helped
him to realize that while he hated Professor Binns, he loved History of Magic.
The pair slid into their seats and pulled their supplies out of their bags. Harry was ready to take notes
by the time that Professor Binns floated up through the floor and stopped in front of the chalkboard.
Harry was still uncertain how the professor was a ghost but could still manage to get things written
on the board. He could only imagine that it was a spell cast by Dumbledore or McGonagall to copy
everything the professor said. Ingenious, really, but he would have much preferred to have an actual
professor.
Professor Binns started their lesson on the International Warlock Convention of 1289. It wasn’t
interesting to say the least, but Harry still took diligent notes and did his best to get interested. Ron sat
next to him, quill posed in his hand to take notes but wasn’t actually taking any. He had a dazed look
in his eye and was staring at the wall behind the chalkboard. Harry could only shake his head. While
Ron had quit complaining about studying and doing homework, he was still terrible at taking notes
and paying attention in class. Harry hoped that he would get better about it as their classes got harder
but so far there was no luck.
After the lecture, Professor Binns assigned them another essay over what he had lectured on. The
bell rang, dismissing them to lunch, so Harry was quick to shove all his belongings in his bag. He
really wasn’t hungry after eating all that French toast but knew that if he didn’t eat anything he
would be starving at the end of his next class.
After traversing the corridors to the Great Hall, they took their usual seats at the Gryffindor table.
Ron and Pav instantly started to serve themselves the French onion soup and sandwiches. Harry
followed suit at a much slower pace but decided to people watch instead. The Slytherin table was
always the most interesting to watch, especially when Neville or the twins were over there. He still
couldn’t believe the easy acceptance they received over there; Harry wasn’t sure if it was because
they were nice to the snakes or if it was because they were pureblood and in Neville’s case, had
grown up with them. Either way, he supposed that it didn’t matter.
As he ate his soup and sandwich, he watched a sixth year Slytherin approach Hermione. She turned
to face him, wary look on her face. It was clear that she was nervous about facing the boy. Malfoy
was watching carefully; Harry saw him speak before Hermione could. Hermione nodded her head
and the boy went back to his seat. Harry wasn’t entirely sure what just happened, but Neville
chuckled next to him. Harry turned to face him only to realize that the boy was laughing at him.
“What’s so funny?” Neville held his hands up to show that he wasn’t trying to anger him.
“You, watching them. I can’t figure out if you want to be their friends and think it’s morally wrong
or if you’re planning something sinister. I’m leaning towards the former.” Harry snorted at his friend.
“Not even close. I don’t want to be friends with them, otherwise I would have accepted their
friendship at the beginning of last year. I was just wondering what was going on over there.” Neville
gave him a look that clearly said he didn’t believe him, but he didn’t call him out on it.
“Vaisey just asked if he could escort her to class. Draco told him that if she agreed he would be
accompanying them as a proper chaperone.” Harry turned an incredulous gaze to him.
“How can you possibly know that?” Neville laughed now.
“It happens all the time. Hermione is a very sought-after witch. Not only is she beautiful, she’s
incredibly intelligent, her father is a Lord of an Ancient and Noble House, she has close ties to the
Malfoy family, and she’s richer than anyone in the school except for Malfoy. I guarantee you that all
the pureblood boys from most of the houses have been ordered to try to get on her good side so there
might someday be a betrothal contract. None of them stand a chance if she isn’t on board since Lord
Black has said from day one that he won’t contract her out to anyone unless it’s for love.” Harry
couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“You’re telling me that they don’t care if they like her, they’re going to try to marry her just because
of who her father is and how much money she stands to inherit?” Neville nodded.
“My own gran told me to see how open Hermione would be to us someday becoming married. Of
course, I’ve never told Hermione that, but I guarantee you she already knows. I don’t feel for her that
way, she’s more like a sister to me. My gran will understand. My parents married for love and she
won’t force me into something that wouldn’t make me happy.” Harry was unsure just how much to
believe of what Neville was telling him. Would he lie to him about something like this?
“It’s the pureblood way, Harry. I can see you don’t believe me and that’s fine. I know that Ron is
your best mate and he’s a pureblood and while I consider Ron my friend, I also know that he doesn’t
observe any of the teachings his parents gave him. Even the twins, after they pranked Hermione,
observed tradition and apologized to her publicly and in a formal manner. The Weasleys were taught
these things but they don’t put much stock into them. I’m not saying that they’re right or wrong since
we were obviously raised differently but they are the exception, not the rule.” Harry remembered the
twins apologizing and figured that Neville wasn’t lying about that. Ron didn’t put much stock in
rules at school, so he could only imagine that he wouldn’t want to observe rules about etiquette.
Neville continued.
“This will continue to happen to Hermione until she finally agrees on seeing someone and her father
draws up a betrothal contract. Until then, she’s up for grabs and anyone with half a brain is going to
try to snatch her up.” It appeared that that was all Neville was going to say on the subject since he
turned back to his meal and left Harry to his thoughts.
He decided that the swooping feeling in his belly at the thought of every boy in school wanting
Hermione wasn’t something that he wanted to dwell on, he turned his attention to the other tables.
The Hufflepuffs were all laughing about something, one of the boys was standing at the end of the
table and appeared to be singing. Harry wondered if it was a dare since everyone seemed to be
laughing hysterically. Predictably, the Ravenclaws were all studying, books open in front of them
while they blindly fed themselves. Harry wondered why they were so determined to study all the
time. Yes, he valued his education, he wanted to learn as much as he could, but he also knew that if
he did nothing but study he would burn out. Quickly.
The bell rang again, and Ron groaned next to him. He had been conversing with Parvati, Dean, and
Seamus, about what Harry had no idea. He shoved his plate and bowl away, so he could stand and
grab his bag. They were headed for Charms next, a class that Harry thoroughly enjoyed. Hagrid had
told him that his mother had been especially gifted in Charms and Potions and he wondered if he had
inherited a bit of her talent. Charms never seemed to trouble him.
After walking the corridors, Harry and Ron took their seats in Charms. He was excited for class to
start so they could start the practical part of the ascendio charm. They had lectured on it just two days
before and he was eager to see if he could propel someone up into the air. It was going to be a
partner project and he just hoped that he didn’t hurt someone by getting them halfway up in the air
and then losing concentration and dropping them.
Professor Flitwick entered the classroom, his robes billowing just a tiny bit on his diminutive form. It
would never be as intimidating as it was on Professor Snape. He tapped the board at the front of the
class with his wand and names appeared on it, clearing splitting them into pairs. Harry scanned the
board for his name and found that he was paired with Nott. Harry groaned inwardly. Of all the
people he would get paired with, it had to be the one Slytherin that had badmouthed his mother.
Harry grabbed his wand and moved over to where Nott was seated next to Parkinson. He saw that
Hermione was next to them and she was paired with Goyle and even though he was one of the
thickest students in class, she was smiling. Nott smirked at him before going to his feet and moving
just a little bit away from Hermione and Goyle. Harry decided to try to act like he liked the boy and
spoke.
“Have you ever done this spell before?” Nott shook his head.
“No, I wasn’t lucky enough like Malfoy and Black to get private tutors from the time they could talk.
I’m just as stupid as everyone else in this class.” Harry narrowed his eyes in confusion.
“You knew how to cast that spell during the dueling club; I’d never heard of it before. You aren’t
stupid.” Nott rolled his eyes at him.
“There are things about me and the rest of the Slytherins that you can never understand because you
didn’t grow up in the pureblood environment that we did. I don’t need your Gryffindor
sentimentalities. Just cast the fucking spell so we can go back to not speaking to each other.” Even
though Harry had no idea what the boy was referring to, he nodded his head. Going back to normal
sounded amazing to him. With a wave of his wand, he cast the spell.
“Ascendio.”
Nott started to rise in the air, his arms and legs flailing about. Harry was grinning, he knew that.
Once Nott was six feet or so in the air, Harry slowly cast the counter curse to make sure that he came
down slowly and didn’t get hurt. Professor Flitwick approached them and clapped Harry on the
shoulder.
“Nicely done, my boy. Only Miss Black and Mr. Malfoy have accomplished that so far. They
always are my best students though.” Harry nodded, happy to have achieved something that the
smartest kids in school had. Their professor turned to Nott and nodded his head, a sign that he
wanted him to try. Nott raised his wand and waved it, sending Harry in the air a couple feet before
he lost concentration and Harry fell to the ground. Professor Flitwick started to correct Nott on the
proper wand movement and pronunciation and in just a few more moments, he was trying again.
This time, Nott had been as successful as Harry had.
Professor Flitwick awarded them both five points apiece and then wandered off to go help another
struggling pair. Harry didn’t bother to stick around and have another conversation with the Slytherin,
instead, he grabbed his wand and started back to his own desk where Ron and Daphne Greengrass
were working. Daphne had already mastered the spell and she was trying to help Ron, but he wasn’t
taking it well. Finally, Professor Flitwick appeared and took over instructing the redhead. He was
one of the last to master it, but he had indeed made Daphne float in the air by the end of class.
The bell rang, dismissing them from Charms so Harry threw his bag over his shoulder and followed
Ron into the corridor, Pav following closely behind him. His best mate was still grumbling about
being the last one to master the spell, but Harry tuned him out. It did no good to tell his friend that if
he paid more attention than he would do better in class. Frankly, it wasn’t worth the argument that
would surely ensue.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was next and Harry dreaded it. Ever since the failed dueling club,
Lockhart wanted to bring him up in front of the class and have him show everyone his parselmouth
abilities. Harry had always been called a freak and made to feel like he wasn’t normal so being
showcased this way didn’t do much for his confidence. He noticed that Hermione’s mouth always
tightened and thinned when the man asked it of him but had so far said nothing to intervene.
They all took their seats and Harry hoped that they wouldn’t be doing anything too demanding of
brain power today. It was the last class of the day and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with the silly
ponce that taught the class. He and Ron took seats next to each other while Pav sat next to Lavender.
They were giggling about something behind him, so he turned to see Hermione take her usual seat
next to Malfoy. They removed their belongings from their bag and while he was sure that nobody
else noticed, they both took out other assignments. Professor Lockhart entered through a side door in
lurid pink robes, making him look absolutely ridiculous.
“Alright, class, remove your text from last year and copy chapter 30. Since this is the last chapter of
the book, we’ll begin working on the disarming spell next class.” As much as Harry wanted to get
excited about finally learning something, he didn’t hold his breath. The idiot had shown the whole
school how completely inept he was at the dueling club. He clearly couldn’t cast the disarming spell
to save his own life.
Harry began to copy the chapter but looked up to see what Hermione was doing. She produced her
wand and waved it at her parchment, the entire chapter appearing on the blank sheaf. She then pulled
her other assignment closer and began working on it; he wasn’t sure what it was but by the level on
concentration she was putting into it, it probably wasn’t anything that they had to do for classes here.
He wished that he knew that spell, so he wouldn’t have to waste his time like this.
The realization hit him, however, that Lockhart never asked for their parchments, he always just
assumed that they did it. Deciding that he was going to take a chance, Harry put his parchment away
and pulled the extra assignment for Defense from McGonagall out and started the reading. It was
over the different levels of shields and how they were used. It was during this reading that Harry
remembered the Forbidden Forest and Hermione casting something like they were describing when
Quirrell had shot a spell at her. Harry hadn’t really saved her after all, just injured her when he
landed on her. However, he couldn’t say anything now since he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone
about his lessons aside from Ron and Parvati.
Class dismissed, and Harry was quick to gather his things. Ron shot him a glare as he shoved
everything into his bag.
“You give me grief for not taking notes and such in class and then you don’t even do the
assignment.” Harry shrugged his shoulders.
“We already know this stuff and I was working on the Defense lesson from McGonagall. I’m sure
she wouldn’t complain even if Lockhart had asked for our assignment. This is just his way to hide
that he’s a complete idiot.” Ron nodded his head, clearly in agreement. He clapped Harry on the
shoulder.
“Let’s get to dinner, mate. I’m starving.” Harry couldn’t help bursting out in laughter. Some things
would never change.
-O-
Hermione pushed her food around her plate, not really hungry but not wanting to have Draco nag at
her to eat more. The day had been tiring, mostly because she was forcing herself to pay attention to
things that held no interest for her. Sprout had assigned the same essay to them as her godfather had
just two weeks before, Binns waxed on about his Confederation even though most of his class was
asleep, and Lockhart had them copying their text from last year. It was a complete and utter joke and
she was so tired of it. If it weren’t for making sure that Harry stay safe, she would have asked if she
could have just been homeschooled by Madam Cambridge.
They usually went to the library after dinner but tonight she had no urge to do so. She just wanted to
curl up in front of the fire in the common room and read something for pleasure, not because she had
to learn something. She had been in a funk since Christmas and it didn’t seem like it was getting any
better.
Hermione knew that she was becoming resentful about Harry needing her there. She understood that
he needed protection and that nobody wanted him to get hurt or die because he was the key to
beating Voldemort when he returned, but she didn’t think that it was too much to ask to let her come
home for Christmas either. Dumbledore was there at the castle, as was McGonagall, and they surely
wouldn’t allow anything to hurt Harry or his idiot weasel friend.
While Hermione didn’t doubt that her father loved her completely, she was also aware that he had
only adopted her because he wanted to stay out of Azkaban and raise Harry. It didn’t diminish his
love for her, but it hurt sometimes when she realized that he hadn’t taken her in because he wanted to
but because he had had to. Draco was the only person she had confided her feelings in and he told
her that she was wrong, but she knew that deep down she wasn’t. Her father asking her to stay for
the holidays just compounded that feeling.
However, she acted as though nothing was wrong. Hermione knew in her heart of hearts that her
father loved her and if he knew how she was feeling he would feel terrible. She didn’t want him to
feel guilty or be unhappy because of how she was feeling. All she wanted was for once to feel as
though she was his priority rather than Harry Potter or something to do with him. As if Draco sensed
where her thoughts were taking her, he nudged her softly.
“Let’s skip the library tonight and just read by the fire.” Hermione grinned at him, amazed at how he
always knew just what she needed.
“I’d like that.” Draco turned to pass the information down the line so none of their friends would
show up looking for them and get angry.
Hermione stood and grabbed her bag while Draco did the same. Some of their friends followed them
but most stayed at the table to work on their pudding. Daphne and Blaise followed them out of the
Great Hall and through the corridors that led them towards the dungeons. It was in the last corridor
that Hermione remembered she needed a book from the library that was on hold for her. She came to
a halt and shot Draco a look.
“I forgot that there’s a book on hold for me at the library. If I don’t get it today, I’ll get skipped and
have to wait who knows how long to get it again.” Draco nodded and released her.
“Just hurry back, you want a good seat by the fire.” Hermione grinned at him and hurried in the
direction of the library. She took the staircases quickly and reached the library only five minutes later.
Madam Pince was quick to hand over the book and gave her a surprised look when she didn’t head
for her usual table by the entrance to the restricted section. Hermione smiled at the older woman.
“We’re going to take a break tonight. We’ll be back tomorrow.” The woman gave her a soft smile
then a nod, gesturing for her to leave. Hermione complied and started through the corridors once
more.
When she reached the second floor, she passed the bathroom that Filch’s cat had been discovered by
only to discover that the bathroom had flooded, and the water was leaking out into the corridor.
Deciding that she wanted just a peek, she stepped into the bathroom that she refused to use. All the
toilets were spewing water and the sinks were all on full blast with the drains plugged with who
knew what. The water was threatening to rise up over her shoes, but she stepped further in anyways.
There was a keening sound in the back that Hermione knew was Moaning Myrtle.
“Excuse me, Myrtle, what happened? Why are you so upset?” The ghost flew over and glared at the
Slytherin. Hermione would have laughed if she hadn’t cared how upset the ghost obviously was.
“Why do you care? You’ve never come to see me or talk with me. Nobody cares about ugly,
moping, whiny, moaning Myrtle.” She burst into tears again and Hermione fought the urge to roll her
eyes. It was clear that the ghost was looking for sympathy, but Hermione struggled with people that
felt sorry for themselves. That was why she was so irritated with herself for being so touchy about
the Christmas thing.
“I’m sure that people care about you, Myrtle, we’re just busy with classes and such. All my free time
is spent in the library, that’s why I’ve never been in here before.” Complete lie but the ghost didn’t
know that. After realizing how this conversation was going, she regretted even asking the ghost.
Myrtle sniffed before staring at Hermione for a few moments and speaking.
“I was sitting in the u-bend, thinking about death, and there was a girl in here trying to flush a book
down the toilet. She kept chanting something about a stupid diary. When it wouldn’t go down, she
hurtled the book through my head and then left.” Hermione felt her heart stop. Could it be the diary
that Uncle Luci had had stolen from him? Could it really be in Hogwarts? Could an animagus Death
Eater be in the school at this moment without anyone realizing it? Her thoughts refused to slow.
Finally, she forced herself to take a deep breath and try to remain calm.
“Where is the diary now, Myrtle? I want to make sure there’s nothing in it that could hurt you.” The
ghost burst into tears again and Hermione had to grit her teeth not to lash out at the stupid apparition.
“A boy came in and found it. He took it with him. He asked me what happened and since he was
nice I told him. After he found the diary, he told me that he hoped I wasn’t hurt and that he would
come visit me again. I don’t know who it was.” Hermione cursed inwardly. This was not a good
development and it needed to be shared with Uncle Sev immediately. She plastered a smile on her
face and nodded to the ghost.
“Thank you, Myrtle, I’ll see if I can find it on my own to check it for spells. I really do hope that
you’re alright.” The ghost didn’t reply, just managed to sniffle a few more times.
Hermione didn’t wait for a reply. She took off through the corridors at a pace just short of a run. It
wouldn’t do to get caught running in the corridors and land herself in detention. Dinner was still in
session so there weren’t many students in the corridors and those that she did past were headed
upstairs, probably towards the library. Hermione couldn’t judge; that was usually her destination after
dinner.
She offered the password to get into the common room quickly, only to find that it was empty. She
groaned inwardly yet again. Deciding that Draco was most likely in his dorm room, probably
changing, she hurried to his door. After a quick knock, she waltzed in, much to the surprise of not
only her cousin but Blaise as well. Thank Merlin they were both dressed. Draco could tell that
something was wrong, however, and was at her side in a moment.
“What’s wrong?” Hermione tried to calm herself, so she wouldn’t alert Blaise to anything that was
going on.
“We need to talk about family business. Come with me.” Draco gave her a sharp nod before turning
to Blaise and offering him a small wave. Nobody would question family business, it usually wasn’t
done in the pureblood world.
Hermione led her cousin back into the common room and towards the door. Even though he was in
his pajamas, he didn’t complain. It was likely that nobody outside of their house would be in the
dungeons at this time anyways. She pulled him down a few corridors until they were at their
godfather’s quarters. After a quick knock, the door was swung open angrily to reveal their uncle in
his own pajamas, obviously calling it an early night. Hermione pulled Draco into the sitting room
when her uncle stepped back. Once the door was closed and the wards fell into place, Hermione
started pacing. Her uncle and cousin sat on the couch before the fire and waited for her to start.
“I went to the library to get a book on hold and on my way back, I passed Moaning Myrtle’s
bathroom. It was flooded, the water was spilling into the corridor. I don’t know what possessed me
to go inside but all the toilets were overflowing, and the sinks were all blasting water out of them.
Myrtle was bawling her eyes out. I finally got her to tell me that a girl had been in there, trying to
flush a book, chanting something about a stupid diary. When she couldn’t get it to flush, she threw it
further into the room and left. Then a boy came in and picked it up after being nice to Myrtle. I think
it might be the book that was stolen from Malfoy Manor.” Draco had his hands buried in his hair, his
eyes unfocused as he processed what she said. Her godfather was on his feet, pacing before the fire,
hands clasped behind him. He stopped at looked her in the eye.
“Does anyone else know this?” She shook her head.
“No, when I learned it wasn’t there anymore, I left and went to the common room, retrieved Draco
from his room and then came here. I didn’t even speak to anyone until I told Draco we had family
business to discuss.” Her uncle kissed the top of her head distractedly.
“Good cover, nobody will question your odd behavior and the reason for it.” He continued his
pacing.
“The ghost had no idea who had taken it?” Hermione shook her head.
“If she did, she didn’t tell me. Maybe you could get more out of her since you’re a professor.” Her
uncle shrugged his shoulders.
“Perhaps but I bet not. I need to write your fathers and inform them of this development. That diary
being here isn’t a good thing, it reeked of dark magic. We have no idea what it was or what it could
do to a person. You both need to be as safe as possible, no traveling the corridors alone. Always
have someone with you, even if it’s Weasley. Keep an eye on Potter because I can almost guarantee
you that if an object belonging to the Dark Lord is here in Hogwarts, it’s going to want Potter’s
blood on principle.” Hermione suddenly felt terrible for being angry about being stuck at Hogwarts
for Christmas. Clearly, there was true danger there for Harry and she had been incredibly selfish.
Vowing to let it all go, she nodded as did Draco.
“We promise, we’ll do everything we can to make sure we aren’t alone in the corridors. We need to
let the other students know somehow.” Uncle Sev nodded and gestured for them to stand.
“I hate to kick you out but I’m going to go speak with the Headmaster. See if I can get him to see
sense.” Hermione nodded.
“Are the ones that have been petrified ever going to get better?” Her godfather nodded.
“The restorative draught is being brewed at this very moment. It’s very complicated and has a long
brew time so there really is nothing that we can do about it until it’s done.” Hermione gave him a
brittle smile.
“Alright. Good luck with the Headmaster.”
Hermione let herself and Draco be ushered through the door, so her uncle could change again. They
started down the corridor, Draco’s arm wrapped around her waist.
“You still want to read by the fire?” She sighed.
“Yes, I just hope that Uncle Sev can convince the old fool.” Draco squeezed her side softly.
“I know, Miney, me too.”
-O-
Harry lay in bed, his curtains drawn around his bed, with his wand lit while he examined the odd-
looking diary. On the inside cover, it said it was the property of Tom Marvolo Riddle, but there was
nothing on the pages. He wasn’t sure who would save a diary for what looked to be decades when
there was nothing written in it.
The diary made him feel funny, that was the only reason he had picked it up and taken it with him in
the first place. Something inside it called to him, beckoned him closer, begged him to touch it. Once
it was in his hand, he felt dirty and like something dark was crawling all over and through him. It
was disconcerting to say the least and he didn’t understand why it made him feel that way.
Therefore, after flipping through every single page, he thrust it under his pillow and left it there.
Maybe he would figure out its secrets another day.
-O-
Sirius was laughing at his cousin’s story about the horrid Mrs. Goyle busting through a dress at
Twilfitt and Tattings. Lucius was chuckling next to him and Cissy looked positively horrified. If
there was anything that would make his cousin horrified, it was making a spectacle out of yourself in
public. Sirius was sure that the woman hadn’t meant to try on a dress that was far too small for her,
who would, but the result was still funny. After the day he had had, he needed a good laugh.
The Wizengamot was just as boring as it always was. Sirius struggled every single day to not fall
asleep, telling himself that this charade was what it took to keep the purebloods believing his story.
His mind was distracted with thoughts of his daughter. He knew that she was angry at them for
having them stay at Hogwarts for Christmas and he didn’t blame her. He was sure that it felt like he
was choosing Harry’s safety over her but that wasn’t the truth. Even with Severus at the school, it
was likely that he wouldn’t be able to protect the boy if anything happened. Harry at least had a
modicum of trust for the Slytherin pair and absolutely none in his friend.
Draco didn’t seem to mind staying behind, but he had always been less feeling than Hermione had.
He didn’t let things bother him the way she did. He wished that Hermione could be just a little like
her cousin sometimes, so she wouldn’t hurt so much but in truth, her being tender-hearted was part of
her charm. He loved her for it even though he wished it was different from time to time.
Nothing had changed in their correspondence, she replied to him just as often as she once had.
Hermione didn’t keep anything from him and was quick to tell him that the boys showering attention
on her were getting out of control. Sirius wished more than anything that there was something that he
could do short of making a betrothal contract but there wasn’t. Until she decided for herself, she and
Draco would have to fend the boys off themselves while they were in school. Come summer
holidays, he would be the first to send boys running if they bothered her.
Sirius and Lucius both had been less than thrilled to hear about the altercation between Harry and
Theo Nott when he had finally got up the nerve to sit with them. Even though they decided that they
wouldn’t do anything to the boy personally, they had contacted his father and made sure that he was
aware of what his son had done and how it was going to hinder learning anything from the Boy-
Who-Lived. It didn’t take a genius to realize that Thoros Nott was livid. Sirius was just about the
excuse himself and go home when Severus’ owl tapped on the window of the library. Sirius sighed
as Lucius got up to retrieve it. Owls this late at night were usually full of nothing but bad news. Once
the owl was eating treats, Lucius returned to his seat, opened the letter, and began to read.
Sirius, Lucius, and Cissy,
I wish I had good news for you, but I don’t. Tonight, the bathroom housing Moaning Myrtle
flooded, and Hermione stepped inside to see what was happening. The ghost told her that a girl had
been in, trying to flush a book down the toilet and chanting something about a stupid diary. When it
wouldn’t flush, she threw it across the room and left. However, a boy came in after her and picked it
up and took it with him.
You now see why I’m concerned.
I think this was the diary stolen out from under you, Lucius. How it got to Hogwarts, I have no idea
but nothing else makes any sense. What worries me the most is that if something dark in nature
belonging to the Dark Lord has come to Hogwarts, it is going to want to end Potter. Some dark
magic is sentient and from what you’ve told me of the feel of that diary, it almost must be.
I’ve warned the children to go nowhere alone and to look after each other. They’ve promised me
they would stay safe but implored me to go to the Headmaster, so they could warn the other students
since nobody even knows that there continues to be victims of whatever the monster is that is
terrorizing the castle. I just left a meeting with him and I’m sure you can guess that it didn’t go well.
Albus told me that since the restorative draught is being brewed as we speak, there is no need to tell
the students about the monster or the other victims, that it will just cause undue panic since nothing
more than petrifying has happened. I can tell he truly believes his words; I can’t imagine why he
hasn’t been trying to search for whatever this monster is and then seeking to eradicate it from the
castle. However, until it gets out that he’s hiding these petrifications, there is nothing that either you
three or I can do about it.
The children have agreed to watch after young Potter and try to keep him safe if I am unable.
Truthfully, we all should be ashamed of ourselves asking children to do the work of adults. The more
time that passes, the guiltier I feel about involving them. We need to consider pulling them out of the
situation at hand. I know it can’t happen until the end of the year, but we must discuss it then. I know
none of you like the idea any better than I do.
I must close for now, it’s late and I have an early class in the morning.
Severus
Lucius cursed loudly, surprising Sirius enough to drop his tumbler of whiskey. He was on his feet in
a second, pacing, completely out of character for his friend. Cissy watched, a worried look on her
face, while Sirius considered what words would calm his friend down the fastest. It wasn’t often that
he was the voice of reason. However, Lucius spoke first.
“I can’t believe that fucking diary found it’s way to Hogwarts. I kept that thing warded behind wards
that the Dark Lord taught me, Draco and Hermione would never have been able to get anywhere
near it. Now, they’re in school with whoever the idiot is who has it, in who knows how much
danger. Bloody, buggering, fucking hell.” Sirius couldn’t agree more. He remembered the feel of the
wards that kept the diary safe and had never been stupid enough to try to break through them. Cissy
had her fingers knotted nervously in her lap.
“What can we do?” Sirius didn’t think there was anything that they could do but didn’t say it.
Lucius, however, had no such qualms.
“There is nothing we can do at this time. The second that anyone gets a whiff of Dumbledore hiding
those children being petrified, we strike. The Board of Governors will surely suspend him after this.”
Sirius nodded, liking that they at least had the bare bones of a plan. He hated feeling inept and unable
to do anything to help. He bent to pick up the tumbler that he had dropped.
“Until then, we send letters to the kids and tell them to be careful above anything else. At this point, I
don’t care if they get expelled; it would probably be safer.” Lucius nodded. Narcissa spoke one last
time.
“Are we going to talk about the last part of Severus’ letter?” Lucius shook his head and Sirius
agreed.
“We’ll discuss it with them at the end of the schoolyear. We can’t take back what they already know
and they’re both going to want to do to protect Harry now that they know what’s in the school.
Severus telling them to stay out of it won’t do anything, they’ll just do what they want anyways.
They’re the most stubborn children we know.” Sirius barked a laugh.
“True enough. For now, I’m going to call it a night and see if I can come up with a way that the
diary could have made it to Hogwarts. We should all think on it.” His cousin and his friend both
nodded as Sirius stood.
“I’ll see you both tomorrow. I’ll owl Hermione and you owl Draco so they’re getting it from both
ends.” The pair nodded again, and Sirius took his leave, striding towards the entrance hall where the
main floo was located.
His night had just gotten far worse and he had no idea how to make it better.
A/N- Lordy, another chapter finished. This one just wrote itself, in just three hours too. I couldn’t
believe it. Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed it. There aren’t many chapters of their second year left
so hang on tight because it’s going to be a wild ride! Leave me a message after the beep and let me
know what you think. Reviews are love.
Next chapter, Hermione discovers what Slytherin’s monster is and gets petrified.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 36

A/N-You guys are just so good to me, showing me all your love in your reviews. I know I said I
wouldn’t give you the next chapter until Tuesday but since it’s been a long ass weekend and I’m
going to want to sleep some tomorrow, I decided to give it to you early despite how tired I am. I
really hope it meets y’alls expectations. Big thanks to everyone out there that are reading and
reviewing, you guys are seriously the bomb.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing. The original story line stemming from Part One belongs to
Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to our queen. I make no money off these
stories; my bank account tells no lies.
Chapter 36
February 24, 1993
Hermione’s eyes hurt. She had been in the library since breakfast had ended, determined to discover
what the monster was that was plaguing the school. Uncle Sev had told them that the Headmaster
wasn’t even trying to figure it out, he was just hoping that they could make it through until the end of
the year without any more becoming petrified. She didn’t even want to think about how irresponsible
that was but she wasn’t the Headmaster so there wasn’t much that she could do about it.
It was now after dinner. Draco had left her in the library with Madam Pince since she flat-out refused
to leave. Harry was in the library with her, though at a table across the cavernous room. She wasn’t
sure why he had voluntarily missed a meal but noticed that he was working on something. Maybe he
had just got caught up in whatever assignment he was doing; she was guilty of that herself more
times than she could count. Draco had promised her that he would be back to retrieve her an hour
before curfew and that she had better be ready to go when he did. She had scowled at him for being
high-handed, but she couldn’t complain. He was trying to do what was best for her.
She had searched through all the books on creatures that the library had on its shelves and had gotten
nowhere. They all spoke of crups, unicorns, and creatures of the like. Not a single dark animal was
found, not acromantulas, manticores, or lethifolds. It was frustrating since she had a feeling that
Salazar Slytherin would most certainly have used a dark creature. She chewed her quill as she
considered her options. The silence in the library was almost deafening as her mind worked through
the possibilities.
After several minutes of contemplating the consequences if she were to get caught, Hermione stood
and looked around her. There were only a few students in the library and they were all buried in their
work. Madam Pince was deep in what appeared to be a wizarding romance novel behind her large
desk, also not paying attention. Remembering a spell that she had read about in one of the obscure
books in Black Moor’s library, she cast the spell.
“Senectus mae.”
Hermione felt herself grow taller, her hair longer, her breasts bigger. Her clothing was uncomfortably
tight, but she didn’t let that bother her. She was now closer to sixteen and would have no problem
getting past the age line that kept her from the restricted section. Hermione stepped past the wards
triumphantly and hurried to the Creatures section. She quickly grabbed two books off the shelve that
had the words dark creatures in their titles. She could feel the spell wearing off, it didn’t last long,
only long enough to get a person past lines such as this. After making sure that nobody was watching
the entrance, she stepped out of the restricted section and took her seat once more, shrinking the
whole way.
Since nobody seemed the wiser, Hermione hurried to open the first book titled Dark Creatures of the
World and Where to Find Them. Inside, there was an index of animals ranging from hydras to
acromantulas to dragons to lethifolds. Hermione started to devour the book, doing her best to work
through the information as quickly as she could. It was imperative that they discovered what the
monster was before Harry or anyone else was hurt.
It took her over an hour to discover the information she needed. Her finger followed the words along
the page, making sure she kept her place and understood the words correctly. She whispered them to
herself, the fact that she could hear them made the situation more real.
“Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more
deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic
size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken’s egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its
methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk
has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death.
Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the
crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.”
Hermione knew instantly that she had found her answer. If a basilisk’s eye was meant to kill with its
stare, it stood to reason that if someone looked at it’s eye indirectly, they would become petrified.
She thought back to everyone that had been a victim so far. Mrs. Norris had seen it through the water
on the ground outside Myrtle’s bathroom. Colin had seen it through the lens of his camera. Justin had
seen it through Sir Nick and since Sir Nick was a ghost, he couldn’t die. It all made perfect sense.
However, basilisks were the largest snakes in the world, measuring hundreds of feet, depending on
the age of the serpent. Since it was from Salazar’s time, it stood to say that it was probably massive.
How was it getting through the school unseen? How had nobody seen it before they were petrified?
Suddenly, it hit Hermione.
The pipes.
Every victim had been found near a bathroom, somewhere where the snake could come up through a
toilet or who knew where. It made no sense to her when she really thought about it, but the pipes
were the only thing that did make sense. But she wasn’t going to discount other methods. Therefore,
she scribbled the word “pipes” into the margin of the page and ripped it from the book. Not
bothering to take the chance of getting caught putting them back, she slipped the books into her bag
and would have Uncle Sev return them for her later.
The crumpled piece of paper was still clenched in her left hand as she threw her bag over her
shoulder, wand in her right hand. She was doing everything her uncle had begged her not to, leaving
the library by herself, but it was imperative that she got the information to her godfather. Draco was
going to yell and scream at her later, but she could take it. However, she never got the chance since
just outside the doors of the library, she ran into Lavender Brown.
Hermione had never cared for Lavender, not even when she had been coming to her house for
birthdays since they were six. There had been an altercation between her father, Uncle Luci, and
Martin Brown; at the time, Hermione hadn’t understood it, but she was still aware that the man
walked with a limp today because of her family. The blond girl usually stayed quiet when the rest of
her house was being mean to her, but it seemed that that had ended today.
“In the library learning more curses to ruin people with, Black? You’re going to end up just like your
father and uncle, bound to a mad man and licking his boots. It serves you right.” Hermione had no
idea where this attack had come from until she remembered seeing an owl swoop down and land in
front of the girl that morning at breakfast. After reading it, Lavender had burst into tears and ran off.
While she wasn’t sure what was in the letter, she knew that the girl must be retaliating. Therefore,
she tried to stay calm and not take offense to the insult to her family.
“Lavender, I don’t know what your problem is, but you know that your father must have done
something that my father didn’t approve of. They don’t just randomly attack people, I’m sure that it
would have been made public knowledge if that was the truth.” Lavender’s face screwed up into a
grimace and she looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“My father had to have his leg amputated yesterday because of the curse your family hit him with. I
hope every single last one of you suffers before you die, I hope that you all are humiliated before it
happens too.” Hermione couldn’t stand for that. She had pride and honor in her family and name and
there was no way that she was going to let Lavender fucking Brown wish things such as suffering
and death on her family.
A wave of power washed over the blond girl, knocking her on her arse. She scrambled away from
Hermione but that didn’t stop her from casting, even with her wand lowered. Her magic was on the
verge of out of control. She tried to remember her father’s words, telling her that it was important to
use anchors when she lost her temper. She had always used Draco but when she pictured him in her
mind now, he was stripped naked in humiliation, being tortured by wizards she didn’t recognize. Her
magic flared again and this time, Lavender was flat on her back, holding her chest, and gasping for
air.
Hermione could distantly hear someone yelling at her, but she didn’t really care. All that mattered
was making sure that her family was safe and that the little twit in front of her was never able to
make sure her wish came true. Suddenly, she was pulled from her haze of fury by a hand yanking
her back. She lost her focus and she could hear Lavender gasping for breath. She turned to see that
Harry was behind her, hand wrapped around her elbow, awe and something she couldn’t decipher in
his eyes. She turned back to Lavender and bent close, her voice soft but discernible to those around
her.
“If you ever, and I mean ever, talk about my family like that again, if you ever wish them
humiliation, pain, and suffering again, I will kill you. Nothing is more important than my family. If
you’re smart, you’ll stay away from me and mine.” She stood up just in time to hear another voice
calling to her from down the corridor. Hermione put her impassive mask on her face and turned to
face whoever was yelling at her. It was the sixth-year prefect, muggleborn Penelope Clearwater.
“What is the meaning of this, Black?” Hermione had no intentions of answering her questions. She
was muggleborn and wouldn’t understand how purebloods were raised. Therefore, she raised an
eyebrow at her.
“I’m not answering your questions. Take me to either Professor Snape or Professor McGonagall.
They’ll understand why I did what I did.” The prefect started to sputter before she turned to
Lavender to order her to go see the Hospital Wing. Hermione took this moment to turn to Harry and
give him a slight nod. She didn’t want to be a murderer and the truth of the matter was that she had
come close to becoming just that. Harry was the only reason she hadn’t.
“Thank you for stopping me.” He gave her a bewildered look, but she didn’t stay to decipher it.
Instead, she turned to follow Clearwater, who was clearly fuming.
“I’m taking you to Professor Flitwick. He can deal out your punishment. Don’t think for a second
that I’m not going to tell him that you almost killed that girl. No matter what she did, murder isn’t the
answer.” Hermione felt a lick of shame shoot through her. She was about to be expelled and then
there would only be Draco to keep Harry safe with that diary in the castle. She had failed not only
Harry but her family as well.
Her head lowered, tears clouding her eyes, but she held them back ruthlessly. They traversed the
corridors quickly, but Hermione wasn’t paying attention to where she was going. Out of nowhere,
there was a gasp and a thud. Hermione suddenly remembered that she was traveling the corridors
with a muggleborn and there was a murderous snake loose in the castle that wanted to eradicate
muggleborns. Penelope was on the ground next to her, her eyes wide and staring, her mouth open in
a gasp.
Hermione knew that this wasn’t going to end well for her. If she looked up, she would die because
the eye would mean death. If she ran, the snake would surely attack, sinking its teeth in her and
killing her slowly with its highly poisonous venom. She was unsure as to what the best choice would
be.
However, the choice was taken from her when the snake came forward and the image of the most
enormous snake she’s ever imagined came into view in the water on the ground at her feet. In the
moment that she realized they were outside of Myrtle’s bathroom, Hermione felt her body seize, she
dropped to the ground, and she knew no more.
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed outside the library. Hermione Black hadn’t even
lifted her wand and she had almost killed Lavender. He wasn’t sure what had been said but from the
sounds of it, she had insulted the Slytherin’s family. After last year in Transfiguration, Harry thought
she would have learned.
He knew that he couldn’t let her kill the blond girl. Even though he didn’t know her, he knew her
well enough to know that she would have felt terrible about it and she would have landed in
Azkaban. She was too bright, beautiful, and caring to land in a place like that. Ron had told him
horror stories about it when he had explained why his godfather had adopted Hermione to escape
there.
Harry watched her disappear around the bend of the corridor with Clearwater and he had to take a
moment to adjust his pants. His cock was rock hard in his pants, just like it was every time she had a
show of power. He couldn’t help but wonder if there was something wrong with him; he shouldn’t
get off on watching her threaten and hurt people.
Ron was supposed to be meeting him at the library but after seeing what he just did, he figured that
he would just meet him along the way since he was likely still in the Great Hall pigging out. He had
made it down to the second floor when he heard shouts. Harry recognized Ron’s voice so started to
run even though if he was caught he would get a detention. After rounding the bend of a corner, he
came to full stop at what he saw.
Hermione and Penelope Clearwater were on the ground, neither one moving and both stiff as boards.
Malfoy was at Hermione’s side, one hand clutching the hand she held her wand in and the other
smoothing her hair back from her face. He was muttering under his breath, but Harry couldn’t
distinguish the words. Ron was laughing, sneering at the scene.
“Hopefully she’s dead and not like Mrs. Norris.” Harry couldn’t believe those words came out of his
mouth. It was worse than when they had discovered the cat petrified and the horrific message on the
wall. He couldn’t help but think that this was Ron’s revenge for them thinking that Ginny had
thrown that ice ball at Hermione on Christmas.
Harry could see the blind fury on Malfoy’s face. He flew to his feet faster than he could even
imagine, his wand appearing in his hand and shooting spell after spell at Ron. Harry watched as his
friend’s skin turned green, boils appeared on his face and then burst, his mouth closed to where he
couldn’t scream, and his fingers started to grow webbing between them. Harry rushed forward and
grabbed Malfoy’s arm in the same way that he had Hermione’s. Even though the rage didn’t leave
his features, he turned to face Harry.
“Don’t. Detention isn’t going to help her.” Malfoy’s chest was heaving but, in the end, he nodded
and lowered his wand. He dropped back to the floor next to Hermione and started running his fingers
through her curls once more. Harry thought about going after a professor but didn’t trust Ron to keep
his mouth shut or Malfoy not to kill him. Thankfully, Professor McGonagall rounded the corner and
gasped when she saw them, hurrying over to drop down next to Clearwater.
“What happened?” Malfoy’s voice was thick as he answered.
“I was going to get Hermione from the library and found them like this. It must be whatever hurt
Filch’s cat.” Harry wasn’t sure if he believed what Malfoy said but he remained silent. Malfoy
continued.
“Weasley said that she should be dead, and I cursed him several times.” His voice was matter-of-fact,
devoid of emotion. Harry thought it would be best if Ron stayed quiet, so he volunteered his
knowledge.
“Black was confronted by Lavender just outside the library. From what I gathered, she insulted her
family and told them they should be humiliated, and to suffer before they all died. Black didn’t even
lift her wand, she threw her across the corridor and when Lavender kept going, I think there was
pressure on her chest. She was gasping for air. I grabbed Black by the arm and she stopped. She told
Clearwater that she wanted to be brought to you or Professor Snape and then she thanked me. They
left only minutes before me.” He wasn’t about to volunteer that he hadn’t followed right behind
because he needed to duck into an alcove and adjust his cock. Professor McGonagall produced her
wand and waved it, the same silvery cat appearing before them. While she gave it a message, Malfoy
turned to Harry.
“You keep your house away from Hermione and me. I don’t think I could keep myself from hurting
them seriously if they fuck with me now.” Harry nodded. He certainly intended on telling his
housemates to steer clear. He knew that both Hermione and Malfoy were powerful and far more
knowledgeable than himself and his peers. Before he could comment further, Professor Snape and
the Headmaster appeared. Knowing what he knew about the relationship between the potions master
and Hermione, he was surprised when he didn’t show more emotion.
Professor Snape dropped to his knees beside her, reaching out to feel for a pulse. His other hand
wrapped around Draco’s shoulders, offering steady and silent support. Snape whispered something
in his ear, but Harry couldn’t hear what he said. The Headmaster started speaking but Harry wanted
to tune him out. He was getting tired of keeping these petrifications secret.
“We must get them to the Hospital Wing quickly. Clearly, they are petrified but the rest of the school
doesn’t need to see them like this.” Harry couldn’t believe that the Headmaster was going to stay
quiet again. Especially when one of the victims was Hermione Black; Neville had told him how
much power Lord Black and Lord Malfoy had in their world. Would he contact their families? The
Headmaster waved his wand, levitating Clearwater while McGonagall lifted Hermione and they
started for the staircase. Dumbledore turned around to the Gryffindor pair and called out to them.
“Don’t tell anyone what you saw tonight.” Malfoy’s head snapped up, but Snape urged him to his
feet and he followed them. Harry turned to Ron and just shook his head.
“One of these days, one of them is going to kill you and they’re going to get away with it because of
who they are. You’ve got to stop. How would you feel if that was Ginny on the ground? You saw
that Black is like Malfoy’s sister.” Ron shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.
“I rarely get to hold something over him, that’s all. They’re both so smart and rich that everyone
thinks they’re better than me. It just gets old.” Harry sighed deeply before clapping his friend on the
back.
“I have a feeling that you’re going to be the last of their worries right now. Let’s go see if Percy will
fix you up.” Ron nodded.
They headed through the corridors and Harry couldn’t quite believe how his Saturday night had
gone to complete shite in a matter of an hour.
-O-
Draco was seated on the bed next to his cousin and Severus could do nothing but watch them. His
goddaughter was petrified, and his godson appeared to be in shock. They had been training for
difficult situations, but Severus couldn’t hold this against his godson. Hermione was his sister in
every way, his best friend, and she had almost died. After they laid her in the bed, Dumbledore had
tried to take her bag, but Draco had jumped to his feet and snatched it from the Headmaster’s hand,
yelling at him not to touch Hermione’s things. The Headmaster hadn’t been pleased but Minerva had
stepped forward and laid a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder. He had calmed instantly and had
been snuggled up to his cousin since.
Since nobody knew of the true relationship between Hermione and himself, Severus could only act
as her Head of House, not her beloved uncle that had taught her potions and occlumency since she
was six years old. Not like he knew her inside and out since she hadn’t mastered the art of keeping
him from her mind from nearly four years. She was his family just as much as Draco was and it was
eating him alive that he couldn’t show any emotion to reveal that.
He could only imagine how Sirius and Lucius were going to take it.
The Headmaster was talking quietly to Poppy and Minerva and they seemed to be arguing about
something. Severus was determined to make the Headmaster reveal the other children if it was the
last thing he did. Therefore, he took hold of Draco’s arm and pulled him to a sitting position.
“We must go. You’re going to sleep in my quarters tonight.” He could see that Draco was going to
protest, demand to stay with Hermione until she was well again. Severus cut him off.
“You can’t stay with her all the time. You must sleep, and you must attend classes. Hermione would
never want you to fall behind on your assignments to Madam Cambridge and she would be mortified
if you failed to get a perfect score in class. You can visit as often as you want as long as you do
what’s best for yourself.” Draco slid his impassive mask on and gave a shaky nod. He stood after
pressing a kiss to his cousin’s forehead and brushing his hand through her curls.
“I love you, Miney. I’ll be back before breakfast.” Severus gave him an approving nod, unaware that
he still called Hermione by her childhood nickname. He put his hands on his godson’s shoulders and
walked him to the Headmaster and stopped.
“Headmaster, we need to have a word. I’m going to take Draco to my quarters and he’ll stay the
night there. If you deem this inappropriate, owl his father, he’ll tell you it’s alright. After discovering
his cousin like that, he could use some Dreamless Sleep.” Poppy jumped to gather a vial, but Severus
just shook his head.
“I’ll give him one from my private stores, Poppy. I’ll be up directly, Albus.” The look in the
Headmaster’s eyes told him that he knew exactly what he wanted to discuss but he left it at that.
Severus led Draco from the fourth floor down to the dungeons, meeting only a few people in the
corridor since it was so close to curfew. Once they were safely ensconced in his quarters, Severus let
his own impassive mask drop. He pulled his godson into a hug and allowed several tears to fall.
Draco’s hair hid them, and he refused to show weakness, especially when Draco started sobbing.
“Why her, Uncle Sev? She’s a pureblood, she wasn’t supposed to get hurt.” The tears didn’t last
long but Draco remained hidden in his chest for several minutes. When he finally stepped back, he
was embarrassed but Severus acted like nothing was out of the norm. Draco relaxed immediately.
“She was attacked because she was with a muggleborn. When I warned the pair of you to never be
alone, I didn’t think to specify that.” Draco wiped a hand across his nose and Severus was suddenly
reminded that his godson was only twelve. This was a lot to put on a twelve-year-old.
“It wasn’t your fault, Uncle Sev. It’s the Headmaster’s for keeping everything quiet, it’s for whoever
stole that fucking diary from Malfoy Manor, and it’s Slytherin’s for having a monster hidden in the
school in the first place.” Severus nodded; though he felt responsible, he couldn’t find fault in
Draco’s words. He pulled his wand from his sleeve and waved them over Draco, transfiguring his
clothes to pajamas like what he wore at home. He found him a pillow and blanket and gestured for
him to get settled on the couch. Once his nephew was all tucked in, surprisingly he had allowed
Severus to do so, he crouched down and spoke as he handed the boy a vial.
“It’s Dreamless Sleep. Take it all. I’m going to go meet with the Headmaster and get him to tell the
school about how idiotic it is to keep this from everyone. I have no idea when I’ll return but it will be
by morning. When you get up, send a letter to both your father and Sirius telling them of Hermione’s
fate. I’m going to send one tonight but we need to have you send one, so it’ll be truthful when
everyone finds out because you owled home.” Draco nodded and tipped the vial, drinking every
drop. His eyes grew heavy and once they were closed, Severus kissed his forehead, something he
hadn’t done in years to Draco, and left him asleep in his quarters.
It didn’t take him long to reach the Headmaster’s office; the griffin leapt out of the way, so he knew
that he was expected. Once he reached the door, he didn’t bother knocking, especially since it was
clear that they wouldn’t have heard him. Minerva was standing at the desk, yelling at the
Headmaster, and Albus was seated, looking serenely on as his Deputy called him a buggering, dog-
fucking, whore monger. Severus couldn’t help but stumble; he had never heard such language from
Minerva.
Once they were aware of his presence, Minerva calmed instantly. It was odd to see, especially since
she had gone out of her way to be calmer and more reserved. He had suspected occlumency but
there was no need since she was an animagus. He let that mystery go for the time being in favor of
taking the bull by the horns.
“We have to inform the Governors and the parents, Albus. There is no way around it now. When it
was just the muggleborns, it was possible to keep it quiet. Their friends believed their professors and
their parents can’t do anything since they’re muggles. While a complete breach of trust, it’s fact that
as Headmaster, it was your decision to keep it from them. However, Hermione Black changes
things.” Albus shook his head, his fingers still stroking his beard.
“No, Severus, it changes nothing. I refuse to terrify the students. The muggleborns are the only ones
at risk and while I don’t like it, the last thing we need is for the school to close. If that happens,
where will young Harry go? Back to his muggles where he learns no magic? You know what he’s
going to face again, he has to be ready.” Severus wanted to shout now; he understood why the
Deputy was calling him names. He pinched the bridge of his nose instead.
“I’m telling you right now, Albus, this is going to get out whether you want it to or not. You might
have Potter and Weasley under your spell, so they won’t say anything, but Draco Malfoy has no
illusions of you. His family has warned him about you since day one, since you cast that spell and hit
little two-year-old Hermione. He is going to owl his father and his cousin the second he wakes up
and realizes that what he saw tonight wasn’t a nightmare but in fact, reality.” Minerva spat at them
both, but he could tell that it wasn’t aimed at him.
“As he should. Purebloods are taught from the cradle to care for family, to make family your priority.
As a pureblood, I value the same things. He should owl his family and tell them what is happening
here.” Severus knew that she stepped over the line when fury flashed in Albus’ eyes. He was on his
feet, wand extended, but no curse on his lips. Minerva flew to the wall and was held there, still and
unmoving. A sudden blast broke her free and before Severus realized it, her wand was pointed at the
Headmaster and they were both panting. The desk between them was charred and still flaming near
the floor. Minerva’s voice was cold as ice.
“If you ever cast on me again, Albus, not only will I wipe the floor with you, I’ll make sure that
every secret I’ve hidden for you in the last forty years is made public. Obviously, I can’t change your
mind if you don’t want to tell the parents. I’m bound in my role as Deputy to support you in all
decisions. However, when you go down for this, I’m going to make damn sure that everyone knows
I was against it from the start.” She didn’t wait for a response; she didn’t need to. Albus was
speechless as she turned on her heel and left the office. The Headmaster sunk back into his chair and
wiped a hand down his face.
“I shouldn’t have done that. I know that I should tell everyone but if the school is closed, Harry
won’t be learning. We can’t afford for that to happen. A few students getting petrified for half a year
is worth him getting the education he needs to defeat Voldemort once he has returned.” As much as
he wanted to say that he didn’t understand his reasoning, he couldn’t. It was imperative that Harry
learn how to defeat the Dark Lord and he wouldn’t learn anything at the home of his muggle
relatives. Still, if Albus had let the boy go to Sirius in the beginning, this wouldn’t have been a
problem. In the end, though, that didn’t matter. The safety of all the students didn’t outweigh the
education of one student no matter how special he was.
“Regardless, Albus, you have to tell them. Draco is going to tell his parents and it’s going to explode
in your face.” Albus shook his head.
“I can’t do that. Leaving them all here is for the greater good.” Severus shook his head and went to
his feet.
“Very well, Albus, be it on your head.” He left in a swirl of robes before the man could say another
word.
He supposed that he should probably feel bad, but he didn’t. After all, he had a letter to write.
-O-
Sirius was just about to crawl into bed when Candy appeared in his bedchamber, her ears raised high
and her eyes wide.
“Master, Mister Malfoys be heres wanting to sees you. He says its importants.” Sirius raked a hand
through his hair. Of all nights to need to see him; he had just left the first muggle girl he had seen in
three months crying in her bed because he refused to stay with her. He was going to have to stop
seeing them. It was just getting too hard to deal with.
Sirius slid his feet into his slippers and hurried downstairs. Rather than find his old friend in the
library, Lucius and Narcissa were both at the foot of the stairs in their pajamas. Sensing that there
was something wrong, he hurried down the long set of stairs until they were face to face.
“What’s wrong? What’s happened?” Lucius held open a letter that he had just received. Candy
appeared at his side, letter in her hand as well.
“This just comes for yous, Master.” His cousin and friend had somber looks on their faces as he
ripped into the letter that was clearly in Severus’ script.
Sirius,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I hope you know that. I wish this wasn’t necessary at all but alas,
it is.
Tonight, Hermione got angry at Martin Brown’s daughter and almost killed her. Harry stopped it
from happening, but she was discovered by a muggleborn prefect and was going to be escorted to
either myself or Minerva. Draco found the pair of them petrified in the corridor just outside the
bathroom that Filch’s cat was discovered by.
Hermione is alive, but she is most certainly petrified. Draco isn’t handling it well and I don’t blame
him. Keeping my cover was more difficult than anything else I’ve ever done. He is currently sleeping
in my quarters because I dosed him with Dreamless Sleep. I have instructed him to write the both of
you when he wakes so you can then start whatever process you need to to get the Board involved so
the parents can be notified as well as the school.
I tried to get Albus to agree to telling you, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He pulled his wand on Minerva
because she demanded that he inform you and it didn’t end well for him. His desk is probably still
smoldering. I’m leaving this in your capable hands and want you to know that I will place wards
around her in the Hospital Wing so only certain people can get through to her without my presence. I
will protect her this time; I’m so sorry that I’ve let you down in that regard.
If you have further instructions or wishes, let me know.
Severus
Sirius couldn’t keep the magic in, probably just like his daughter had been earlier that night.
Hermione was his anchor but when he pictured her now, she was silent and still with no pulse. His
magic burst outward, shattering every piece of glass in the room, spraying not only himself but
Lucius and Narcissa as well. Lucius stepped back, clearly unsure as to how to deal with this situation
but Narcissa knew exactly what to do.
His tiny cousin pushed through the force of his magic, her eyes squinted and her hair almost straight
out behind her and slammed into his chest, hugging him close. Sirius wasn’t sure how to react, his
cousin wasn’t the hugging type unless it was Draco or Hermione. Her eyes were watering and he
was unsure if it was due to the force of his magic or because she was just as upset as he was.
“Sirius, you have to stop. You’ll tear the house down and you can’t do that. Hermione is going to be
fine, Severus is going to keep her safe and she will be awoken. You and Lucius are going to get
Dumbledore and throw him out on his arse. You’ve got to stop.” Sirius could hear her and was doing
his best to will his magic to listen. He hated when this happened, he could only recall a time or two
in his lifetime that he had had a reaction this strong. Even the death of James and Lily hadn’t gotten
this reaction.
The magic sucked back inside him and when the room was silent again, he was heaving, his chest
hurting from the exertion. Narcissa didn’t release him until his hands found her shoulders and gently
pushed her away. He was still panting when he spoke.
“Thank you. I hate it when I lose control like that.” She laughed weakly as she went back to her
husband’s side.
“Don’t worry, I do too.” After a few more minutes, Sirius had recovered though he felt exhausted
now.
“I apologize for that outburst. I shall endeavor to control my magic in the future.” Lucius finally let
out a chuckle.
“I swear, man, between you and your daughter, you could take the Dark Lord down with just
threatening the other.” Sirius finally laughed before he turned a serious gaze to his friend.
“Tomorrow, we make this happen. If Dumbledore isn’t going to protect the students, he’s out. I’ll
help you in any way I can with the Board.” Lucius gave him a nod.
“It might come to that. Tomorrow, we’ll visit them together.” Sirius felt a dark grin spread across his
features. He saw Lucius shiver and it was clear the man was reminded that while Sirius didn’t
believe in his family’s previous beliefs, he was still very much a Black.
“Dumbledore better watch his arse because we’re coming for it.”
A/N- Wow, I really pictured this chapter being longer, but I suppose this will do. I hope you all
approve! I’ve been dying to write this chapter since the middle of first year, I’ll admit it. Thanks
again to everyone reading and reviewing, you guys are rock stars. Let me know what you think,
reviews make me smile.
*Excerpt from the library book is taken directly from Chamber of Secrets.
Next chapter, a trip to Hagrid’s ends badly.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 37

A/N- Your love for my story is humbling, thank you so much. I appreciate it more than you know. It
was pointed out to me by a reviewer that somewhere along the way I said that Snape was a
pureblood. I don’t recall it but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t. I am most capable of making a mistake.
In this story, Snape is not a pureblood, but a half-blood, like canon. To those that got confused from
my mix-up, I apologize. Thank you to zargOn for pointing that out.
** Huge thank you to StarDxst for being my 1000th reviewer. You’re awesome! **
Disclaimer: As always, I don’t own a thing. This story has been done before, I’m almost positive.
The characters belong to J.K.R. I have made no money from this story or any of my others
evidenced by the fact that I’m a broke bitch.
Chapter 37
March 30, 1993
Severus knew what was coming even though nobody else in the room did. Well, he supposed that
Minerva had guessed but the others seemed blissfully ignorant. There were seventeen men in their
seats in the room that was used specifically for Board meetings at Hogwarts. Lucius was standing tall
behind the podium in the middle of the room, his seat with the rest empty.
Albus was sitting behind a desk all by himself while he, Minerva, Pomona, and Filius sat behind
him. Minerva shot him a questioning look, but he pointedly ignored it. There was no way in hell that
he was going to admit to knowing what was about to happen beforehand and keeping it from Albus.
Even though the Deputy Headmistress was on the outs with the Headmaster, that didn’t mean that
she could be trusted with his secrets.
Not that it was much of a secret. The day after Hermione had been petrified, Draco had sent a letter
to both his father and Sirius, informing them of his cousin’s condition. After visiting Hermione in the
Hospital Wing before classes, he had then told the entire Slytherin table just what had happened to
Hermione. Since Hermione was viewed quite literally as their princess, most of the students were
outraged.
Letters went out to parents before lunch was through. If there was any hope of containing the secret,
it was far too late at that point. The rest of the school had gradually discovered the truth throughout
the day and by curfew that night, the rest of the students were questioning their professors as to what
really had happened to their friends that had been missing.
Severus was thrilled. He had warned Albus exactly what was going to happen, but he had sat back
and done nothing. When Sirius sent a howler to the castle, it arrived during dinner that evening. It
had been priceless to watch, and Severus doubted that he would forget a second of that meal.
*Flashback*
The Great Hall was rather subdued; Severus knew that it was because the word had spread about
Hermione. It wouldn’t be long before the students put two and two together and started asking after
their friends that had been missing for quite a while. He doubted that it would even take until the
following morning.
Draco was seated in his usual spot, but he was just pushing his food around his plate. It was easy to
see that his friends were trying to cheer him up, trying to include him in the conversation but his
godson clearly wanted no part in it. When Pansy scooted close to him and laid her head on his
shoulder while wrapping her arms around his arm, he had exploded.
“Get the fuck off me, Pansy! I don’t give a shite about your hair or the dress you wore for Christmas.
My cousin is laying in the Hospital Wing, petrified, and all you want to do is hang on me. You know
Hermione would hex you blue if she saw you acting like a cheap tart!” Pansy burst into tears and
Draco’s chest was heaving. Severus knew that he was going to have to handle the situation,
otherwise his godson was going to end up in detention for a month. He wiped his mouth and stood,
leaving the High Table to go wrap an arm around Draco’s shoulders. He turned his eyes to Pansy
and did his best to try to be nice.
“Miss Parkinson, calm yourself. Draco is upset about his cousin, surely you can see that. I’m not
condoning his behavior at all, but you must realize that he doesn’t feel like socializing. What
punishment would you like me to give him?” It wasn’t normal practice to have other students decide
someone’s punishment, but in this situation, he felt like it was the only way. Draco tried to wrench
away from him, but his hand clamped down hard on his shoulder and kept him in place. Pansy’s
eyes went wide and she started to stutter.
“Ohh, n-no, Prof-ffessor, I d-don’t w-want him pun-punished.” It would have been comical if they
had been in a much more private setting. Draco instantly relaxed in his grip. Severus gave Pansy a
brief incline of his head before an owl swooped down and dropped a red envelope in front of Albus.
Since Severus was there with all the students in the Great Hall, he was well-aware of how loud
Sirius sounded at the High Table. Albus’ face was slightly stricken but was able to quickly hide it.
“HOW DARE YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH KEEPING MY DAUGHTER’S
CONDITION FROM ME? WERE YOU REALLY STUPID ENOUGH TO THINK THAT MY
COUSIN WOULDN’T INFORM ME ABOUT HERMIONE BEING ATTACKED? THIS IS
NEGLIGENCE AND CHILD ENDANGERMENT; AFTER THE CHARGE YOU ALREADY
HAVE AGAINST YOU FOR HARMING HERMIONE WHEN SHE WAS SMALL, WHAT
DO YOU THINK THE AUTHORITIES WOULD THINK OF THIS?! WATCH YOUR BACK,
DUMBLEDORE, YOUR JOB ISN’T SAFE.”
Severus could have heard a pin drop it was so quiet in the Great Hall. Everyone was staring at the
Headmaster except for Draco. His godson had his hand clapped over his mouth, his shoulders
shaking with suppressed laughter. Severus tightened his grip on Draco, urging him to keep his mouth
shut. The last thing they needed was the added complication of Draco laughing hysterically at the
Headmaster.
Albus’ face went ashen but kept a serene little smile on his face before incinerating the howler. When
he turned his attention back to the students before him, he called out.
“No need to worry, children, all will be well. Return to your meal.”
*End of Flashback*
All twenty- three of them turned to watch as the door opened, and Lord Sirius Black stepped
through. Severus knew him well enough to know that Sirius was left at home; he was goofy,
temperamental, and loved to turn into Padfoot, so he could make Hermione squeal happily. Lord
Black was in the house, the very proper and proud pureblood lord. In a nutshell, the Black family
name and legacy was his armor today and he was going to do everything he could to take Albus
down, not only for Hermione but the other muggleborns who nobody there to do battle for them.
Lucius gestured for Sirius to take a seat across the room from Albus. Once he was seated, the blond
began.
“Ladies, and gentlemen, we’re gathered here today to either prove or disprove the notion that Albus
Dumbledore has willingly and knowingly taken the safety of every child within these hallowed halls
and compromised it. As Head of the Governors, I shall lead this meeting.” Lucius gave his
politician’s smirk before continuing. Severus could practically feel the glares coming his way from
the other three Heads of House.
“Before we begin, I’m going to dissolve the oaths that all four Heads of House have taken to follow
and support the Headmaster’s decisions, the same goes for the Deputy Headmistress’. We won’t be
using veritiserum here today but remember to be truthful; the lives of our world’s children are
entrusted to you five and the parents count on you to keep their children safe.” Severus wanted to
snort; his old friend was laying it on thick. He shouldn’t be surprised, Lucius had always had a bit of
flair for the dramatic. Hermione always laughed at him when she realized he was doing it.
Severus’ heart clenched at the thought of Hermione laying in the bed in the Hospital Wing all by
herself. Her eyes were open and unmoving, her hands clenched in what he assumed was fear. He
had visited her as often as he was able, usually with Draco, but it wasn’t enough. He felt truly terrible
for Sirius; the man had been denied access to not only the castle, but to his daughter as well. Lucius’
voice pulled him from his thoughts of his goddaughter.
“Lord Black, please explain your claim.” Sirius stood again and smoothed his robes. His voice was
even and commanding, causing the others to take instant notice.
“My claim is that Albus Dumbledore has put the health and safety of every child in this school in
danger. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened and Slytherin’s monster released. As far as
everyone else knew, only the caretaker’s cat was petrified. My daughter was petrified on her way to
we assume to be Minerva McGonagall’s office with another student over a month ago and was
petrified as well. After my cousin, Draco Malfoy, scion to House Malfoy, had rested from the shock
of the evening, he owled not only myself but Lord Malfoy. Since then, we’ve discovered that two
other students and a house ghost were petrified before my daughter and the prefect escorting her. It
was hidden by Albus Dumbledore, though why I can’t imagine.” There were murmurs through the
crowd of seventeen wizards and none of them looked too pleased. Severus knew that several of them
had students in his own house. Lucius gave him a curt nod before turning to Albus.
“We will hear your side of the matter.” Albus stood and smoothed his robes much the same way that
Sirius had. However, he looked ridiculous since he was dressed in bright yellow robes.
“I didn’t alert anyone to the Chamber of Secrets being opened because I didn’t want to cause
widespread panic. The students have never heard of the legend and the last thing I wanted to do was
frighten them. As for not notifying the parents of those petrified, every single one of them is
muggleborn. It would have only caused their parents undue worry and frustration because they
wouldn’t be able to visit their children since they’re muggles. As for not informing Lord Black, he
was aware the next morning. It seemed redundant to send another letter.” Severus couldn’t believe
the outright blatant lie falling from the Headmaster’s lips. He knew that he was going to get
questioned and even though he hated what he had to do, he was counting on Minerva to finish the
old bastard off. Lucius nodded his head slightly before turning to the Heads of House.
“Professor Flitwick, it’s so nice to see you. My son and niece have only good things to say about
your class.” The half-goblin preened under Lucius’ praise.
“What can you tell us about this situation?” Filius shook his head slightly.
“Not much. We were instructed by the Headmaster to not mention the other missing students to the
rest of the student body, so we could keep panic from spreading. We were told the names of all
students, but I wasn’t personally updated on their condition until my sixth-year prefect was petrified
at the same time as Miss Black. Before that, the victims had been from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.”
Lucius gestured for him to take his seat again for a hand gesture.
“Thank you. Professor Sprout, I would like to say that your gardens are looking quite lovely on the
grounds.” Pomona blushed; Severus wanted to barf.
“Please tell us what you know about the situation.” She met his gaze, her cheeks still rosy.
“The same as Filius, really, except I was given weekly updates on Mr. Finch-Fletchley’s condition.”
Lucius gave her a small smile before gesturing for her to sit as he had Filius. Severus knew that he
was next; even though he had discussed his answers and how to give them with both Lucius and
Sirius, he still felt terrible about it. It felt like he was betraying Hermione, even though he knew that
she was going to understand.
“Professor Snape, my old friend. Draco has told me how much he enjoys having his godfather at
school in case he has problems. I’d like to thank you for watching after him after Hermione was
discovered, the two are closer than siblings.” Severus couldn’t help but think that he was laying it on
a bit thick but refrained from speaking.
“What can you tell us about the situation that led us to the situation we’re in today?” Severus rose to
his feet and clasped his hands behind his back, his face impassive. He was occluding for all he was
worth.
“We were all told that the children had been petrified and that if we were to spread the knowledge, it
would become a mass panic. That is the last thing that anyone needed. I urged the Headmaster to
write the parents of the children but when he pointed out that the parents wouldn’t be able to visit, I
agreed. It would just cause worry and distress that the parents couldn’t do anything about. I never
inquired further since none of my students were personally involved. After Hermione Black was
petrified, Draco told me that he was going to write not only his father but Lord Black. I told the
Headmaster in a meeting afterwards and he decided that it would be pointless to send the same
information as young Mr. Malfoy was going to do so.” Severus could see Minerva clench her hands
into fists next to him. Lucius only asked one question of him.
“Did you urge the Headmaster to owl Lord Black anyways?” Severus made sure that his tone was
even.
“Absolutely not. I’m not the Headmaster or the Deputy, I would never dream of telling either one of
them how to do their jobs. Minerva did, however.” There was a hiss next to him and he knew that
the witch would be fuming by the time they were done. He was going to have to make sure she
didn’t hex him. Even though he considered himself to be a highly-trained wizard, Minerva was
certainly very formidable and had decades of experience on him. Lucius gave him a respectful nod
before turning to Minerva. Severus took this as his sign to take his seat.
“Professor McGonagall, how wonderful to see you. My son and my niece love your subject; they
would never ask but I know they would rather have more advanced work.” Severus wanted to laugh
at the clenching of her jaw. Lucius knew full well that she had tried to give them advanced work and
it had been Dumbledore that had stopped her.
“Please tell us about the situation at hand.” She glanced over and caught Severus’ eye; it was clearly
questioning, and he was surprised that she was trusting him enough to ask what to do. He gave the
most infinitesimal nod before turning his eye forward again. Minerva cleared her throat slightly
before starting.
“After the original message on the wall telling us that they Chamber of Secrets had been opened,
there were two other students petrified. Colin Creevey from my own house and Justin Finch-
Fletchley of Hufflepuff. We were instructed to keep their whereabouts and condition a secret,
mentioning it to nobody if they were to ask. Throughout this time, I urged the Headmaster to notify
their parents numerous times but he always told me that it would be cruel to do since the parents
couldn’t visit anyways. Since I am honor-bound to support the Headmaster in all he does, there was
little I could do aside from voice my opinion.” She stopped and paused before she glanced at Severus
again. It was so quick that he wasn’t sure if anyone else saw it. However, the question in her eyes
was clear.
Do I tell them you sided with me?
Severus shook his head slightly as he glanced to his lap, hoping that the action would hide his nod.
“I came across Miss Black and Miss Clearwater in their petrified state after they had been coming to
see me, according to witnesses, and Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Potter were at their sides.
The Headmaster asked them to stay quiet about the matter, but I don’t think that Mr. Malfoy was
comprehending much of anything at that point. After Severus delivered Mr. Malfoy to his quarters so
he could give him Dreamless Sleep, we met in Albus’ office. Once there, I argued quite vehemently
with the Headmaster, telling him that it would be folly to keep the secret any longer. It could have
been believable if they were just the muggleborn parents he didn’t notify but the fact of who Miss
Black is would just be stupid. He refused. We argued more, both of us said and did some things that
we regret, but the argument ended in him deciding to keep information to himself and put the rest of
the students in danger. We all know what happened the last time that the Chamber was opened.”
Minerva remained standing and Severus wanted to cheer inwardly. She couldn’t have done any
better if he had coached her himself. However, her words sparked a question from Lucius.
“As far as we all know, the Chamber of Secrets is just a myth. How do you know about the
Chamber and what happened when it was opened before?” Severus wanted to grin at his oldest
friend. He was playing his part perfectly.
“I started Hogwarts in 1947, four years after the Chamber was opened the first time. Armando
Dippet was the Headmaster and Albus held my position at the time. I was told by the older students
in Gryffindor, those that remembered it being opened. They remembered that a young girl named
Myrtle Warren, a ghost you all know as Moaning Myrtle, was murdered by the beast rumored to be
housed in the Chamber.” The governors were all sitting straighter than they had been and looked
quite angry. Lucius held up a hand to stay the questions.
“How did the Chamber close? Was there ever anyone implicated in this matter?” Even Severus
didn’t know the answer to the question, so he assumed that this was a question that Lucius didn’t
know the answer to either.
“I’m not sure, I never learned that bit of information. It hasn’t come up since it’s been opened this last
time.” Lucius bowed slightly, gesturing for Minerva to take her seat. Once she was sitting again, he
turned to Albus.
“Who was implicated in the opening of the Chamber of Secrets the first time?” Dumbledore wiped a
hand down his face, his first sign of distress since the meeting had begun.
“Rubeus Hagrid. He was expelled and there were no more problems from the Chamber of Secrets.”
Lucius was more livid than Severus had ever seen him. His voice was soft and menacing and it was
clear that he was out for blood to everyone present.
“You’re telling me that you knew that Slytherin’s monster had killed before but you kept the
information hidden from not only the children and their parents but the Board of Governors as well?
My niece could have died, and my son is at her side ninety-five percent of the time. Greengrass,
Pucey, Bletchley, Nott, and Parkinson all sit on this board and they all have children in school. Your
actions have been a blatant act of ignoring the danger that our children were put in and a breach in
the trust that we as parents put in you as Headmaster.” Albus looked older than Severus could ever
remember seeing him. He didn’t get to think for long, however, because Lucius turned to the Board
and spoke, his voice still soft.
“We’ll vote now. All in favor of suspending Albus Dumbledore from his position of Headmaster
until further notice and placing Minerva McGonagall as interim Headmistress, please raise your
hands now.” Severus wasn’t surprised when every single governor raised his hand. Lucius turned to
Albus, his face could have been carved from stone.
“You have an hour to gather your belongings and leave the premises. As the Head of the Board, I
move to allow Lord Black to visit his daughter whenever he deems fit. I also must insist that letters to
all parents go out, explaining the situation, assuring them that the culprit from before is going to be
arrested before the day is out. Thank you, Headmistress, for being honest.” It was clear that Minerva
didn’t know what to say since she was the reason that her mentor had just been suspended. Lucius
wasn’t finished though.
“I also must insist that Minerva appoint an interim Deputy to help serve her in her new duties. I’m
sure that either of the three people before us will do just fine.” Lucius seemed to be waiting for her to
do so. She cleared her throat again.
“I appoint Severus. We’ll begin right away.” Severus knew what that meant. She wanted to know
what the fuck was going on and just what she was getting herself into. Lucius turned back to the
Board.
“We’re all dismissed. Lord Black go visit your daughter. I’ll be along to visit her myself shortly.”
Sirius nodded gratefully, though nobody else could see the blind emotion on his face. He turned on
his heel and left quickly, the rest of the governors following him. Lucius smirked his way, knowing
exactly what Minerva was wanting. Once the room was empty, Minerva waved her wand, silencing
and warding the room. Her eyes were dancing with rage and her voice was hard as stone.
“What the fucking buggering hell was that? Albus has been suspended and now I’m stuck with a job
I don’t want!” Severus raked a hand through his hair, trying to figure out how best to go about
explaining. After several seconds, he blew a breath out of his cheeks and met her eyes.
“We both know that Albus not telling anyone was going to bite him in the arse. Today, it has. I
warned him that Draco was going to write home and tell both Lucius and Black. He had to know
that he was going to tell anyone that would listen. Now, think about what I did during the last war
and what Albus believes is going to happen still.” Minerva looked thoughtful.
“You spied for the Order and he believes that Voldemort will return.” Severus nodded stiffly.
“If the Dark Lord returns, who will Albus send to spy again? Me. How do you think the Dark Lord
is going to take me not getting rid of Dumbledore when I had the perfect chance?” Minerva looked
confused.
“He’s going to be angry.” Severus half nodded but ended in a shrug.
“Possibly. Or he’ll believe me when I tell him that I kept him at Hogwarts, so I could always be
aware of his plans? That I could keep spying on the man the Dark Lord fears most.” It finally made
sense to the woman before him and she smirked.
“You devious bastard.” Severus snorted.
“Slytherin, it’s our forte.” He rolled his shoulders.
“I wanted you to be the one to tell the truth to ensure that you would inherit control of the school. An
Order member that understands what is needed and someone that cares deeply for the student’s
safety. For that to happen, you had to be the one to turn on Albus, not lie for him. They would never
have trusted you.” Minerva narrowed her eyes at him.
“Albus had no idea of your plans?” Severus shook his head.
“He was being a fucking idiot. I had to do something to protect Potter and the school. Once he’s far
enough from the situation, he’ll realize what I did and know it was for the best.” Minerva nodded
reluctantly.
“I suppose I’ll get with you later tonight and we can start trying to figure this whole charade out
together.” Severus nodded, ready to be done with the conversation so he could go visit his niece and
friends.
“Until then, Minerva. I fear Lucius will need my support.” She waved him away with a smile.
“Go, tell them I’m sorry.” Severus cast her a glance that she caught. She rolled her eyes at him.
“I don’t want to be their bloody friends, Severus, in fact, I think Sirius Black is the biggest
disappointment from my house in decades. However, I know all too well what it’s like to lose a child
and it doesn’t feel good.” Severus gave her a jerky nod, hoping against hope that they would be able
to steer clear of tears.
“I’ll relay the message.” Without a second glance, he turned and stalked away, robes billowing
behind him.
-O-
Draco was laying in the bed next to Hermione, reading aloud from one of the magazines that Uncle
Sev had gotten her for Christmas. It was almost dinner time and he didn’t want to leave; not having
Hermione with him for the last month was like having a hole in his chest. He remembered that last
day with her all too well; he had been impatient with her because she had been in the library all day
and refused to leave. He had finally done exactly what his godfather had told him not to and left her
alone. All because he didn’t want to help her research what the monster belonging to his house’s
namesake was.
Draco stopped his train of thought instantly. Hermione had been researching what Slytherin’s
monster could be. He hadn’t ever got the chance to find out if she had learned anything. He cursed
himself again; if only he had stayed with her and helped her then she wouldn’t be laying in a bed like
a slab of rock. His mind wandered again, this time to a plan of action. He was going to figure out
what Slytherin’s monster is, maybe if they knew what it was, they could reverse the effects more
quickly. It wasn’t likely, but it was possible. Draco had to believe that it was possible.
He was going to start right after dinner and he was going to get the twins and Neville to go with him.
Draco wouldn’t tell them just what he was doing but he was going to tell them that it could possibly
help Hermione. They would stay with him for sure. All three of them were devastated after learning
that she was in the Hospital Wing and they were livid at learning that Dumbledore had kept the other
petrifications to himself. The curtain jostled and was moved aside. Draco had his wand in his hand
quicker than a snitch, pointing it at whoever was entering without permission. His godfather had
erected wards that only allowed people he approved of to visit. His father and Sirius stepped in and
looked pleased at his actions. Lucius came forward and in a rare show of affection, hugged Draco for
a few moments before releasing him.
“Son, I’m happy to see that you’re well and keeping your cousin company as well as you can.”
Draco swiped his eyes angrily, but he knew that his father and cousin had seen the few tears leak
from his eyes. They pretended not to notice, and Draco was grateful. Sirius sat down next to
Hermione on her other side while Draco crossed his legs, so his father could sit next to her hip.
“I should be the one laying there, it was my fault this happened. Uncle Severus told us not to go
anywhere by ourselves and I got irritated with her because she spent all day in the library
researching. I left her there to go to dinner and when I was on my way to pick her up, she was laying
in the middle of the corridor with no pulse, looking dead. Then Weasley was gloating, saying she
should have died. I used my wand on him, the only reason I stopped was Potter.” Sirius reached out
and grasped his hand in his, squeezing it until Draco met his eyes.
“This isn’t your fault, Draco. You should be able to walk through the corridors of a school and not
have to worry about being petrified. You didn’t leave Hermione alone, you left her in the library with
a member of the staff. This is the fault of whoever opened the Chamber and Dumbledore.” Draco let
his head hang but nodded anyways.
“I know that, but it still feels like this is my fault.” His father laid a hand on his knee but they all
remained silent.
Draco couldn’t be sure how much time passed in silence, but it was only broken by the arrival of his
godfather. He conjured a chair and took a seat. The silence continued for another ten minutes while
Sirius petted Hermione’s hair away from her face and stroked her cheek. He looked tormented.
Draco knew that Hermione had been doubting her father’s love as of late; she hadn’t voiced it, but he
knew her better than anyone else in the world. What he saw in front of him was a man devastated
because his daughter was injured. Severus cleared his throat and spoke.
“Dumbledore is out. Minerva understands why she had to be the one to send Albus packing. I rather
think she’s excited to work with me.” His father snorted as he smirked his way.
“Funny, that wasn’t the impression I got. I floo-called the aurors. I’m not sure if Hagrid is the one
responsible for opening the Chamber this time but I will see him arrested. Draco’s safety and that of
the rest of the schools is worth one man being incarcerated for a few months until we know for sure.
It’s harsh but it is what it is. Dumbledore should never have hired him here with something like this
hanging over his head. It was only a matter of time.” Draco smiled, the first real one in a month’s
time.
“The old man is out? Merlin, I wish Hermione could be awake to see this. He didn’t even act like he
wanted to heal her on Christmas; not that she would have let him, but it would have been nice to get
a genuine offer. I’m sure that having Dumbledore as a Headmaster is good for publicity but when it
comes down to it, he’s terrible. We’d be better off with Filch.” His father patted his knee again.
“We’re doing everything we can to make sure that he doesn’t come back. We know he’s important
to the Order, but he doesn’t have to run the school to be head of the Order.” He paused for a
moment.
“Would you like us to stay and eat with you, Draco? It would help lend credence to the story that is
sure to be circulating already.” However, Draco wasn’t really hearing his father. Something had
occurred to him that hadn’t in the entire month since his cousin had been a resident there. He turned
to his Uncle Sev, panic in his eyes.
“Is it possible to legilimize a person if they’re petrified? Can they just not move or does their brain
shut down also? Miney doesn’t employ her shields all the time like we do, she only uses them when
she goes before someone that could look into her thoughts. Could Dumbledore have read her mind
while she lay here helpless?” Suddenly, Sirius stood and grabbed the tray off the table next to
Hermione and threw it against the wall. Uncle Sev was instantly on his feet, his arms wrapped
around Sirius from behind, holding him tight to his chest, while the Gryffindor broke down into sobs.
“She’s my daughter, I vowed to protect her when I adopted her. I promised to love her. She’s laying
here defenseless and DumbleBOOR has kept me from her this whole time while he tries to rape her
mind. He tried it once before, why wouldn’t he again?” He was thrashing around and suddenly
Draco felt better about his show of emotion. Hermione was the single-most important person in his
life, she always would be he suspected, and to consider that she wasn’t safe did things to him inside
that he didn’t like. His godfather’s voice was harsh as he hissed in his best friend’s ear.
“I have wards up around her, remember? Yes, her thoughts can be read but nobody has entered this
cubicle except for myself, Draco, Poppy once a day, and the friends that visit with Draco. Albus
hasn’t been here once. She’s safe, I promise. The second my wards are breached, I’ll be down here
faster than you can say quidditch. I love her too.” Sirius calmed, and Draco was surprised to see that
even his father looked affected. His eyes were shiny, and their gaze never left Hermione’s face. He
reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead and smoothing it back. Sirius settled back
into his chair while his Uncle Sev took his seat again. Draco wasn’t sure what to say so he couldn’t
stifle the laugh that erupted from him when his cousin spoke.
“How about those Cannons?” The rest of the room seemed to find it as funny as he did.
-O-
Harry was seated on his bed, tucked away in his dormitory. The diary was open before him and he
was feeling a little lightheaded. He had finally gotten tired of trying spell after spell to get the diary to
work. Rather than use his wand, he had decided to write an entry himself. The entry had been
simple: Hi, my name is Harry Potter. What had surprised him more than anything else had in several
years was that the diary had answered back.
He had questioned the book about the Chamber of Secrets and if he knew who had opened it; the
diary had assured him that it did. Rather than just tell him, it had sucked him into a memory (he
thought?) that showed him what he wanted to know. To his complete surprise and horror, he was
shown a memory of the last time that the Chamber was opened. Harry chuckled under his breath at
how young the Headmaster looked fifty years before.
Harry had watched the confrontation between a young Tom Riddle and Hagrid, arguing over the
monster in the castle. Hagrid swore that his pet spider wasn’t the monster but when young Tom had
attacked the spider, it fled and was never found again. He wasn’t sure what happened after that
scene, but he knew that he needed to figure it out. Word had spread throughout the school that
Dumbledore had been suspended by the Board of Governors, so he supposed that the only thing left
for him to do was go out to Hagrid’s hut himself and ask after the real story.
Ron was seated next to him, clearly trying to figure out just what his best mate wanted from him.
Ron had had nothing good to say about Dumbledore being cast from the school. While it was true
that he didn’t feel like it was the best idea either, he wasn’t going to dwell on it either. The
Headmaster should never have hidden all the people being petrified; the only reason it wasn’t
currently a secret was because Hermione hadn’t been a muggleborn but a pureblood princess. When
he thought about it, he couldn’t say that be blamed the school for being angry that he had put all the
other students in danger for Merlin only knew what reason.
Harry hated that Hermione wasn’t awake and doing her schoolwork in classes anymore; Malfoy did
his work and made sure he took perfect notes for her, but it wasn’t the same. He knew that she was
tucked away in the Hospital Wing and there was never anyone watching her after curfew. He
couldn’t count how many times he had almost used his dad’s cloak to sneak away and go visit her,
just to make sure that she was alright there by herself. He knew that Malfoy visited her several times
a day, but he didn’t like not seeing her. His day had been held together by exchanging one-liners
with her and watching her from afar. This wasn’t a way he liked to feel, and he was doing his best to
ignore the implications. Suddenly, he turned to Ron.
“I can’t not know. We need to go visit Hagrid and ask him. I don’t think he would ever want
somebody to die but I know what I saw. I need to be sure.” Ron sighed and raked a hand through his
shaggy red hair.
“It’s getting late, mate, are you sure you want to go tonight?” Harry nodded before standing and
digging through his trunk to find his father’s invisibility cloak. Once it was in his grasp, Harry turned
to ask Ron his opinion.
“Should we just go, or do you think we should ask Parvati?” Ron snorted.
“Merlin love the girl but she’s not going to want to sneak out and possibly get in trouble. The sooner
we go, the sooner we can get back.” That had been Harry’s assessment, but he didn’t want to be
guilty of being a dick to her since he wasn’t the most emotional person in the world.
Harry threw the cloak over himself and held it up so Ron could climb underneath as well. Once his
best mate was situated under there with him, they started down the stairs to the common room and
then out the portrait hole door. It was a little difficult to work out what movements they needed to
make together and just how much leeway they had before the cloak threatened to slip off them. In
truth, it took well over twenty minutes for them to sneak clear out to the hut that Hagrid lived in.
Once they were finally in front of his door, Harry threw the cloak off him and knocked. He could
hear Hagrid moving around inside and it was only a second later that he threw the door open.
“Who’s ‘der?” His eyes landed on Harry and Ron and was quick to step backward, allowing them to
pass by him into his cottage. Once they were fully ensconced inside, Harry threw the cloak off
completely and whirled to face his first friend.
“Hagrid, we just found this diary and it showed us what happened fifty years ago. It said you opened
the Chamber of Secrets, that you killed that girl in the bathroom.” Hagrid’s eyes grew even bigger.
He had just opened his mouth to speak when there was a knock at the door. Hagrid quickly gestured
for them to throw the cloak back over themselves and move to the corner. Once they were
successfully hidden, Hagrid opened the door.
“Why, Minista, it’s nice ta see ya dis fine evenin’. Wha can I help ya wit’ tonight?” The Minister was
flanked by four other men and none of them looked very nice. They pushed into his hut and Harry
could tell that they weren’t messing around.
“Rubeus Hagrid, Dumbledore was suspended this afternoon and once we discovered that you were
implicated in the first time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, we were ordered to remand you to
Azkaban prison. There’s no need to gather your things, you won’t be allowed them anyways.”
Hagrid seemed to be struck dumb and it took several seconds and all the aurors stepping forward to
snap his friend out of it. He glanced toward Harry and Ron and cleared his throat as he rolled his
shoulders, clearly readying himself for the horrors to come.
“Fer dose tha want ta know tha truth, all yous needin’ ta be doin’ is ta follow the spiders.” Harry
wasn’t sure what that meant in the least but since the monster was supposedly a large spider, he
supposed that it made sense to go after the beast. However, finding said spiders was going to be a
problem.
Hagrid didn’t fight the aurors; if anything, he went willingly. Harry hated to see him go and hated to
believe that his friend was capable of doing something that could kill someone else but there was
nothing else he could do about it now. It was clear that Hagrid was gone, and he wasn’t coming
back. The only help he was going to receive was a cryptic phrase that told him to follow the spiders.
Ron looked quite pale when he checked on him; Harry had forgotten that Ron was deathly afraid of
spiders. After it had been silent for several minutes, Harry sighed.
“Well that got us nowhere. Let’s get back to the castle. I suppose we keep our eyes open for spiders,
so we can follow them.” It sounded completely stupid when he listened to himself say it so he didn’t
bother to cringe when Ron did. His best mate smoothed his hair and nodded.
“Let’s go, mate. There are a thousand other places in the castle I would rather be than here with no
Hagrid.” Harry grinned.
He couldn’t agree more.
-O-
Albus knew he had been foolish, that much was fact. He had hunkered down in his family home, the
place he had grown up over a century ago. It was true he hadn’t been there in many, many years but
he had assumed that his house elves had taken better care of the place.
Severus had saved the day, that much was sure. Albus should have realized that his trusted spy was
right, that the Malfoy boy would tell instantly. He should have taken steps to assure that that would
never happen. However, he had been so blinded by keeping Harry safe that he hadn’t been able to
see the forest for the trees.
Severus really had pulled this one out of the bag. Having Minerva take the task of bringing him
down, securing his place as a spy, ensuring the safety of all the students at the same time, it was clear
that he had underestimated the Slytherin. Truthfully, he was glad that he had. If he hadn’t, who
knows where they would have ended up.
The aurors would surely go after Rubeus. As much as Albus hated to do it, he knew that his
groundskeeper was going to have to suffer just a bit before the Chamber struck again; this would
clear him of all charges. He couldn’t command the monster of the Chamber if he was in wizarding
prison. While he didn’t like making the decision to throw Hagrid to the wolves, it ultimately had to
be done to prove his innocence.
What bothered Albus was that he had absolutely no idea who the heir could be. It was true, for a few
weeks’ time, he had considered the idea that Hermione Black or Draco Malfoy would hold this title;
they fit all the requirements. Both children were thorns in his side and they likely weren’t going to
stop being one either.
Now, his problem was trying to find a way to get back into the good graces of the Governors. He
needed something major to happen, so they would beg him to return but he had no idea how to go
about getting this reaction. The governors, hell, pretty much the entire school, was livid about him
keeping things from them. Why couldn’t they see that it was for the greater good, that it was
necessary?
Albus watched as his oldest family elf disappeared from his sight; it was clear that he was going to
have to play the waiting game, making sure that the heir of Slytherin felt comfortable enough to
move forward with his plans. He would owl Minerva later with an apology and tell her what she
needed to be watching for. This was going to be a cake walk in the end. It had to be.
Albus was going to end up on top and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure it
happened.
A/N- Boom, another chapter down, y’all. The chapter so many of you have been waiting for for
weeks, I really hope that it meets your expectations. I did so enjoy writing this chapter even if it was
a little more emotional than I’m used to. Anyways, thanks for your support, guys, you’re seriously
the best. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think. Reviews are love.
Next chapter, our beloved characters follow those spiders. Ugh, I hate spiders.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 38

A/N- The love you guys show my story is just amazing. You have no idea how much I appreciate it,
truly. Thank you to everyone out there that is reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting, it means
so much to me. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well. Fair warning to everyone, I’m going to head
to Texas for Rednecks with Paychecks this coming Thursday through Sunday. Not sure I’ll have
time to upload chapters or write for that matter. I hope to get one more chapter up before I leave so
you’re not left so long with no chapter. We’ll see if I get that done. Anyways, enough of that for
now, on with the show.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing…everything has been done before and I’m sure that there are those
out there that have done it better than me. I’ve made no money from this story or any other.
Chapter 38
April 27, 1993
Draco scrubbed a hand down his face, frustrated beyond measure. He had been trying to research
what Slytherin’s monster could be for a month to no avail. If anything, the only thing he had gained
from the endeavor was a permanent headache. He gathered his books into his bag, determined to
push past the headache that had developed days ago.
After his books were in his bag, Draco stood and headed out of the library, not caring a whit about
the fact that he was alone in the corridors. He was headed to the Hospital Wing; not really a place
that warranted much company considering the wards that his godfather had put up. He sat with
Hermione every single day, regardless of quidditch practice or assignments. He felt completely lost
without her, something he had never had to experience before. If there was one thing this experience
had taught him, it was that he valued his cousin’s presence more than he had ever realized.
Draco strode through the wards left by his godfather and cousin Sirius; they had told him that only
certain people were allowed through so there would be no chance of her getting further injured. He
was glad, the last thing he wanted was for something else to happen to his best friend. It was bad
enough that she had been petrified after he left her in the library on her own. The Slytherin took his
usual seat on the bed next to Hermione so he could stroke her hair and talk quietly to her.
He told her of his day, how his research was coming along. It really wasn’t anything she hadn’t
heard for two months now. Draco wondered just how long he was going to have to wait to get his
cousin back. He had asked Uncle Severus, but he had been unsure. From what he had been told, it
was still going to be awhile. After all the school work Hermione was missing, it was a good thing
that she was so far ahead. She would have been having kittens otherwise.
Draco spent almost two hours in the Hospital Wing, doing his homework and spending time with his
cousin even though she couldn’t move or speak. Briefly, he wondered if she could hear what was
going on or if she was in somewhat of a coma; truthfully, it was hard telling. He supposed that he
was just going to have to ask her when she woke up. He had to believe that she was going to wake
up because frankly, the other option scared the living fuck out of him.
Madam Pomfrey showed up just as he was putting the finishing touches on his essay for Professor
Cat; he had outright refused to do any work from Madam Cambridge until Hermione was better.
They had always worked together, and he refused to work ahead of her now when they were already
working on the curriculum of the fifth and sixth year. She smiled at him indulgently, reminding him
that curfew was in half an hour. Draco gathered his things and quickly headed out of the Hospital
Wing and towards the dungeons.
Once he was on the first floor, close to the staircase that led down into the dungeons, he rounded a
corner and found Potter and Weasley hissing back and forth to each other. Potter seemed determined
while Weasley looked terrified. Draco wanted to laugh at first but decided that it would probably be
more fun to hide and see what he could learn about Weasley’s fears. After all, he had wished
Hermione dead more than once.
It wasn’t hard to sneak up on them; in fact, it was far easier than it should have been. No Slytherin in
the history of magic would have allowed themselves to be that vulnerable, especially in a place that
housed people that weren’t all that fond of them. While Potter had enemies in the school because of
his “killing” the Dark Lord, Weasley was hated all the way around by everyone in Slytherin house
because he was a complete moron. Slytherin house did it’s best to not suffer fools. As he was in the
alcove right behind them, Draco could hear every word they were saying. Potter was looking quite
indignant.
“Ron, you can’t tell me that you aren’t going to go with me to help me prove that Hagrid is innocent.
I know that he’s innocent, he told us that if we wanted answers we were going to have to follow the
spiders. You can clearly see the line of them and they’re heading outside.” Weasley shuddered.
“I would do anything to help Hagrid, but I hate spiders, I hate them more than anything. They’re
disgusting. Please don’t ask me to go after a bunch of insects that scare the life out of me.” Potter
sighed and raked his hand through his hair. His voice was resigned, and Draco couldn’t help but
wonder just how much following a hundred little spiders was going to do for the half-giant.
“Fine, I’ll go with you but you’re getting near the little beasts. I’m there for moral support only.”
Potter grinned and clapped his friend on the shoulder.
“Thanks, Ron, now let’s hurry and get outside. The last thing we want to do is let them get away.”
Draco shook his head in exasperation. The one night that he was thoroughly exhausted, he was
going to end up having to follow idiot one and idiot two outside into who knew where. Since it was
the end of April, the air was no longer frigid, but the wind still had a bite to it. Therefore, once their
backs were turned, Draco conjured a heavy wool cloak to help him brace against the wind.
Draco followed behind them at a much slower pace then they were travelling at. It wouldn’t do for
them to realize that he was following them. Both Gryffindors were still bickering about going outside
after curfew and then about freezing their tales off. It was certainly an occasion where Draco thanked
Merlin that he knew how to conjure, otherwise he would have been in a terrible mood.
The wind was just as cold as he remembered it from quidditch practice just before dinner. The sky
was pitch black, the moon wasn’t visible at all. Even from this distance, he could hear the wind
whistling through the trees of the Forbidden Forest. Since he was allowing Potter and his pet weasel
to lead this expedition, he had to move at their pace, which unfortunately, was excruciatingly slow.
After what seemed like an hour of traversing slowly across the grounds, it was clear that they were
headed to the Forbidden Forest. He wasn’t sure how he felt about visiting somewhere that was
clearly known to be dangerous; however, he couldn’t exactly just leave the two idiots ahead of him
to their fate. Draco was far better equipped to fight the beasts in the Forest than they were. He had no
way to send his godfather a message to warn him that not only were they out after curfew, they were
so far out of bounds that it wasn’t even funny. Weasley was whining again and Draco wanted to hex
him from behind, if only it would shut him the fuck up.
“We can’t go in the Forbidden Forest, mate, who knows what’s out there. Hagrid isn’t worth dying
for.” Draco couldn’t believe that he agreed with the moron.
“You remember what we found in there the last time. Voldemort stuck on the back of our professor’s
head. Nothing good can come of going in there.” Potter was either the very embodiment of a
Gryffindor or he really was a fucking idiot.
“We can’t leave Hagrid to rot in Azkaban, you told me yourself that criminals that have been there
even short times can go completely mad. We can’t let that happen to Hagrid.” Weasley raked his
hand through his hair and gave a reluctant nod.
“Fine, mate, but if I die out there because something huge and hairy eats me, I’m coming back to
haunt you.” Potter laughed lightly and started leading the way again.
Draco knew that on a night as dark as this one, it would be ridiculously easy to lose your way in the
even darker forest. Therefore, he decided to make use of a glitter spell that he and Hermione learned
when they were children and their fathers had played hide and go seek with them. Once cast, the
path would light up with sparkling glitter. It would be easy enough to hold the spell until they
reached their destination; then they would only have to follow the glitter when they decided to go
back to the castle. However, this meant that he was going to have to reveal his presence to them no
matter what. They would know that the other hadn’t cast the spell.
-O-
Harry would be the first to admit that he was scared to death. The last time he had been in the
Forbidden Forest, it hadn’t ended well. His professor had had Voldemort stuck on the back of his
head and had been drinking the blood of a unicorn. It really wasn’t something that he wanted to
replay but there was no way that he could leave Hagrid to his fate in Azkaban.
This past week hadn’t gone well for Harry; not only had Hermione been missing from classes for
two months now, Hagrid had been gone for the last month. His first friend who loved to invite him
over for tea was sitting a dark and dank cell with dementors sucking every happy memory out of him
each time they passed. It wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t right and he was going to do his best to rectify the
situation.
To make matters worse, Harry had returned to his dorm the week before to find it destroyed. His
belongings had been strewn across the room and his truck emptied. It was clear that the person who
had done it had been looking for something and it didn’t take Harry long to figure out just which of
his belongings were missing.
Tom Riddle’s diary.
It had been stashed in his pillow case under the pillow and it was the only belonging of his that
wasn’t there. It was also clear that the person who had trashed his dorm was a Gryffindor. Myrtle
had told him that whoever threw the diary out had been a girl. For the life of him, however, he
couldn’t imagine any girl he knew going to these lengths to get a book back just because it wrote
back to you.
Since that first night that he had discovered how to communicate with the diary, he hadn’t wrote in it
since. The diary had told him that Hagrid was guilty, and Harry just refused to believe that.
Therefore, out of protest, he hadn’t written in the diary again. This didn’t mean that the book didn’t
call to him because it did. It woke him up at night, making him feel as if he would never be complete
if he didn’t hold the diary close and keep it with him always. When he touched it, however, he got
such a sense of wrongness that he refused to hold it for long.
It was pitch black in the Forest though it was a bit warmer. The trees were so thick that the wind
couldn’t get through them to whip around their robes. It was almost pleasant temperature-wise. The
darkness unnerved him. He had never liked the dark, though he couldn’t say that he feared it. His
wand, as well as Ron’s, was lit to full power as they followed the trail of spiders on the forest floor.
He couldn’t say just how long they walked through the dense forest. He knew that he was getting
tired but if he was serious about clearing Hagrid’s name, he was going to have to push through. As
they got further into the woods, the spiders became thicker on the ground next to them and it worried
Harry. They really had no idea what they were getting into and he was sure that the forest wasn’t
named Forbidden for no good reason.
Rustling in the trees all around them alerted him to the fact that they may have walked into a
dangerous situation. The wind was rustling the tops of the trees and there were howls in the distance.
He wasn’t sure what could be in the woods that howled but he assumed that he didn’t want to know.
Ron was whimpering next to him, clearly terrified at whatever was lurking in the night.
The spiders led them into a cave, a cave large enough to fit a car through. Harry hadn’t even been
aware that there were caves in the Forbidden Forest although he guessed that the Headmaster wasn’t
going to just volunteer that information to underage students. Their wands were still lit, casting
shadows all around them. He could see something skittering on the walls of the cave but he wasn’t
close enough to discern what exactly it was. Ron was close behind him, still making soft noises in his
throat. When they finally reached the back of the cave, the combined light between Harry and Ron
both illuminated the small space. What they saw had Ron cowering in fear.
An enormous spider was at the very back, sitting on what appeared to be a nest of bones. There were
smaller spiders all over the walls, webs hanging from the ceiling of the cave. Harry felt his heart
stutter in fear but Hagrid had sent them there. He had to know something that Harry didn’t; he
wouldn’t have sent them if it wasn’t safe. The largest spider spoke, his voice low and gravelly.
“How dare you, human, wander into my lair?” Harry was proud that he didn’t let his fear show in his
voice.
“Hagrid sent us. He’s been arrested and taken to the wizard prison. Others are saying that you’re the
monster Salazar Slytherin released in the school.” He could hear the disdain in the spider’s voice. He
wondered how such a beast could speak; he hadn’t heart of any other animals that could speak.
“I never harmed a single human while I resided in the castle. Hagrid found me and raised me in the
castle. I was discovered by a man I had seen before; he spoke to snakes. As for the monster in the
castle, it was born there, raised there as well. We spiders do not speak of it and we flee before it.
Make no mistake, Hagrid is innocent.” Harry wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with this
information. It didn’t seem as important to discover what the monster was, rather who had unleashed
it.
“If you aren’t the monster and Hagrid didn’t unleash it, can you tell me who did?” The spider began
to laugh, and the other spiders began to advance.
“It won’t matter who released the monster into the castle. My sons and daughters don’t attack Hagrid
on my command. I can’t deny them when such fresh meat wanders so freely into our home.” Harry
couldn’t be hearing what he thought he was hearing. Hagrid wouldn’t send them into a cave where
they would come to harm. However, the trip through the Forbidden Forest the year before flashed in
his mind.
“Farewell, friends of Hagrid.” Ron’s voice, heard for the first time since they arrived, was small. The
spiders from the walls were starting to descend and Harry had no idea what to do next.
“Do you know any spells that work on acromantulas?” Harry shook his head, moving into position
of back to back with his best mate. Just as the spiders had landed and had started to rush them, a
large flash of flame erupted from the entrance.
The spiders all screamed an inhuman sound and scurried to the far side of the cave, doing their best
to get away from the scorching heat. Harry could smell burnt hair and realized that it was probably
his and Ron’s. He still couldn’t tell who was casting the flame, but he wasn’t going to complain
about who it was. There was no way that they would have gotten through all the spiders. After a few
more moments, the flames disappeared, and their savior was revealed.
Draco Malfoy.
Harry didn’t give two fucks that it was the Malfoy heir who had saved their skin. The spiders were
rallying quickly, hurrying towards Harry and Ron again. Malfoy yelled at them, uncaring about
anything but getting them out of there. His face was fierce as he gestured for them to hurry up. He
wasted no time in running to the blond, dragging Ron along behind him. Malfoy covered them until
they were clear, then cast again into the cave. Harry was unsure if any of the spiders survived and
frankly, he didn’t care. He was sure that Hagrid would forgive them for roasting his pets when he
told them that they were going to turn him and Ron into their next meal.
They followed the cave until they were in the night air again. Harry wasn’t sure how he had missed
it before but there was a glowing trail of glitter through the forest, clearly the path they had taken
from the castle. Now was not the time to discuss it, however, since they could still hear the spiders
scurrying after them. There was still howling coming from the further in the forest and after the
experience they were currently having, Harry wanted no part of it.
“Follow the path I marked!” Harry didn’t have to be told twice. He and Ron took off at a sprint, their
wands in their hands and at the ready. Malfoy was following them, covering them from the rear.
There were now a dozen spiders on the forest floor, following them as quickly as their eight legs
could carry them. Out of nowhere, they were flanked from the side by half a dozen spiders. Harry
could see the blind fear on Ron’s face and he couldn’t help but feel sorry for his best friend. Spiders
were his greatest fear and he was being chased by huge ones through a dark forest at night. Harry
figured that he would owe his best friend when and if they made it back to the castle safely.
Harry cast the incendio spell at the spiders coming at them from the side. He was able to hit most of
them, sending them flying backwards from the force of the flames. As soon as they were no longer
visible, he sent more flames towards the spiders still chasing them. For a split second, he cast a look
over his shoulder to see that Malfoy’s flame was three times the size of his and he was fighting off
more than two dozen spiders.
Where the trip to the cave had taken what seemed like hours, the trip back to the castle was fast and
furious. Harry had no problems admitting the leaving the glowing trail in the darkness of the forest
was brilliant. As they got further through the forest, the spiders were falling back, both from the
flames and exhaustion. This didn’t slow the three of them; they were still running full speed through
the forest, doing their best to get back to the castle safely. Harry had never been more grateful that he
had started running every other day after quidditch practice. Ron was panting heavily next to him.
Malfoy was obviously the most fit of them all; he was breathing hard but nowhere near as hard as
Harry or Ron. When they finally cleared the forest, none of them slowed; they continued to run as
fast as they could to the castle doors. Once they had wrenched the doors open and fallen inside,
panting, Malfoy turned to them both.
“What the bloody fuck were you two thinking? You could have been killed! Fuck, I could have been
killed! Hermione is going to kill me when she wakes up and hears.” Ron couldn’t just be grateful for
Malfoy saving his arse and had to make the situation worse.
“Hopefully your precious Hermione won’t wake up at all.” Harry really couldn’t figure out why Ron
had to make every situation with Slytherins worse than they were. They owed Malfoy their lives and
he continued to heckle the boy. Harry knew that Malfoy had served detention for hexing Ron after
they had found Hermione, even though he wasn’t quite sure that it had been deserved. Ron had been
a complete wanker to Malfoy and Harry couldn’t say that he would have reacted any differently if
someone he cared deeply for had been found petrified. Harry was quick to interject.
“We can’t thank you enough, Malfoy, you really saved our arses back there.” Malfoy nodded his
way and started to stand from where he was leaning against the door.
“What the hell were you doing out there? That was complete insanity. I hope you had a good
reason.” Harry was just getting ready to answer him when Ron spoke again.
“It’s none of your bloody business, Malfoy. We wouldn’t have been out there if your traitor cousin
and daddy dearest hadn’t suspended Dumbledore and sent Hagrid to Azkaban.” Harry could see that
Malfoy was livid now. He stepped forward menacingly, but Ron didn’t know what was good for
him. He stepped forward as well.
“My family wouldn’t have had to step in and suspend the great and esteemed Headmaster if he had
been doing his bloody job, not letting a great bloody beast roam the castle to continue petrifying
muggleborns along the way. One could even say that he wanted Slytherin’s monster to attack
muggleborns because he’s a blood supremacist.” Even Harry bristled slightly at that. His eyes
narrowed and his voice chilled.
“Take that back. Dumbledore should have told everyone, but he didn’t keep it quiet because he
wanted muggleborns to be attacked.” Malfoy crossed his arm over his chest sneered at him.
“How can you possibly say that, Potter? What reason could he possibly have for endangering
students? Hermione was only petrified because she was with a muggleborn. You’re friends with
Thomas, he’s a muggleborn. Hermione’s fate could have been yours or Weasley’s.” Harry knew that
there were other factors in place that he didn’t know about; he knew that Dumbledore wouldn’t put
people in danger unless it was for a very good reason. Ron and his big, fat mouth had to strike again.
“Black was petrified because she deserved it. She almost killed Lav and she deserves to die. That’s
why your cousin was petrified…fate.” Harry didn’t blame Malfoy for lunging at Ron and socking
him right in the face.
The pair were wailing on each other, rolling around on the ground and cursing loudly. Harry knew
that it was just a matter of time before a professor or prefect heard them. He tried to pull Malfoy off
his best mate, but he was like a man possessed. Harry finally wrapped his arms around his shoulders
and pulled as hard as he could, landing square on his arse with Malfoy on top of him. Ron’s face was
already starting to bruise on his cheekbone and he had blood smeared on his chin. Harry rolled
Malfoy off him and saw that he had a split lip. Harry couldn’t help but yell at them both.
“You both are fucking ridiculous! Grow the fuck up.” He didn’t get to lecture them any further
before Professor Flitwick and Profess Snape caught sight of them during their rounds. They rushed
over and Harry could see the fury in the potion master’s gaze. His voice was cold as ice when he
spoke.
“Explain yourself, Mr. Malfoy.” Harry could tell that he was going to get in the worst trouble just
because he had personally let down his godfather. As irritated as he was with Malfoy for the things
he had said about Dumbledore, he couldn’t let him take most of the blame when it was their own
faults that he had been out of the castle in the first place.
“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know what came over me.” Harry had to give him credit; he didn’t look down
or turn red with embarrassment. He me his godfather’s gaze and clasped his hands behind his back.
Snape was sneering his way now.
“You would dare defy me and be out after curfew, fighting no less?” Harry didn’t give Malfoy the
chance to speak again.
“Excuse me, sir, Ron and I sneaked outside and went to the Forbidden Forest. Malfoy followed us
and saved us from the acromantulas. If he hadn’t been there, we would have died. As for the
fighting, it was a dispute over family.” Harry knew that Ron was going to kill him, but he didn’t
care. The Slytherin had saved their lives and he wasn’t going to let him get in trouble over it if he
could help it. Malfoy rolled his eyes, probably at his show of honesty, but remained silent. Snape
turned to his godson.
“Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?” Malfoy didn’t say anything, just stared stoically straight ahead of him.
However, Snape took his silence as an admission of guilt. Professor Flitwick seemed to realize that
his colleague was going to handle this situation and remained silent.
“Mr. Malfoy, that will be fifty points from Slytherin for your reckless behavior of going to the
Forbidden Forest and three days detention for fighting. Get to the dungeons and don’t let me catch
you out of your dorm before breakfast tomorrow, not even to visit Miss Black.” Malfoy bowed his
head slightly to his Head of House and hurried along to the dungeons. Harry almost felt bad for him
for having to deal with Snape being angry at him. Now, the potions master turned to him and Ron.
“Why were you two going into the Forbidden Forest?” Harry knew that he wasn’t going to get away
with not answering like Malfoy had. He opted for honestly since he wasn’t good at lying and he
could never think of a lie fast enough.
“Hagrid told us that we would find information on the monster belonging to Slytherin if we followed
the spiders. We did, and they took us to the acromantulas in the forest. We just want to clear Hagrid’s
name.” Harry hadn’t expected the man to explode like he did but explode he most assuredly did.
“You went to the Forbidden Forest to follow the spiders on Hagrid’s instructions? Do you not recall
your first year, Mr. Potter? Your little foray into the Forest ended up catching something feeding on a
unicorn.” Harry lowered his head and did his best to look contrite.
“We’re sorry, sir, we didn’t realize where the spiders would take us. Malfoy really did save our
lives.” Ron snorted softly beside him while Harry awaited their punishment.
“That will be seventy-five points apiece from Gryffindor for your little foray into the Forest and Mr.
Weasley will serve three days detention for fighting. Do I make myself clear?” Harry was a little
affronted that he had asked if he was clear when he hadn’t to Malfoy but decided to not say
anything. No sense in pouring gasoline on a fire. They both nodded quickly.
“Make your way to your Tower poste haste. I will know if you deviate from your destination.” Harry
was quick to start in the direction of the staircase. Once they were three floors away from the
professors, Ron hissed at Harry.
“I can’t believe you told him that shite. We would have only gotten in trouble for being out after
curfew and fighting. Now we lost a hundred and fifty points for going to the Forest.” Harry shrugged
his shoulders dismissively.
“I know but it wasn’t fair to let Malfoy get in trouble when it was our fault he was out there and your
fault that you were fighting. You must stop provoking him, one day he’s going to snap and really
hurt you. He didn’t have to save our lives, you know.” Ron huffed angrily next to him.
“Yeah, I know but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it.” Harry could only shake his head at the
immaturity his friend displayed sometimes. Even though he was his best mate, it got old. However, it
did no good to talk to Ron about these things unless he was willing to listen.
“Come on, lets get to bed before he takes away more points for taking longer than necessary to reach
the Tower.” Ron grumbled in response but picked up the pace. Harry sighed.
Tomorrow was going to be a shite day when everyone realized that they were a hundred and fifty
points down from where they had ended the day.
-O-
Severus couldn’t believe the level of idiocy young children displayed most days. Who in their right
fucking mind would trek out into the Forbidden Forest on that brainless oaf Hagrid’s orders? Did
they all three have a death wish? They must because there was no other explanation that he could
come up with.
He knew that Draco would be waiting for him in his office; he had slipped into his godson’s mind
and made sure to tell him that he wanted to speak with him. However, he had to finish the set of
rounds with Filius before he could do that. The last floor before calling it a night went rather quickly,
Filius only catching one student out of bed after trying to get into the library after hours.
Severus strode through the corridors towards the dungeons, trying to figure out how he wanted to
handle the confrontation with Draco. He had no right to get angry with him, he was only doing what
they had asked of him after all, but he wanted to question him as to why he didn’t just come for help.
He still couldn’t fathom the idea of going into the Forbidden Forest for no other reason than to follow
the idiot duo that had started the whole disaster.
He didn’t bother to knock on the door to his office. Severus merely let himself inside to find his
godson seated in front of his desk, dozing. When he heard the door open, he was quick to jump to
his feet and look attentive. Severus gave him a small smile so he would relax. He wasn’t going to
yell at him for doing what he had been told to do.
“Sit down, Draco. I’m not going to yell at you.” He snorted softly.
“Well that’s good since Hermione is going to do enough of it for everyone.” Severus laughed
openly.
“You are quite right, she most certainly is. I understand that you followed them to keep them safe.
Why didn’t you just let them go and come get me?” Draco raked a hand through his hair, a sure sign
that he was nervous.
“I didn’t know that they were going to the Forest, I don’t think they did either. Once it was clear that
we were being led into the Forest, it would have taken me ages to double back and find you. I wasn’t
sure if something would have ate them by the time you got out there and managed to find them.”
Severus supposed that he could see his point, however, that didn’t make him feel any better about the
situation. He sighed again, this time because he was frustrated.
“I won’t lie, I was worried more than angry. The last thing I want is for something to happen to you,
especially when Hermione lies petrified in the Hospital Wing. I don’t know what I’d do if something
were to happen to both of you. However, we asked you both to protect Potter and tonight you did
just that. I can’t say that I like it but I understand. However, next time, please come get me. You
really could have died, acromantula are not something to play around with. How did you even
manage to escape?” Draco heaved a deep breath.
“They went straight into the acromantula nest, the heart of it. They spoke and learned that the spider
wasn’t the monster, then it set it’s young on them. I lit them on fire and covered our tracks as we ran
through the forest. Potter actually helped, he took out about a dozen that were flanking us. We didn’t
stop running until we were inside the castle again.” Severus could only shake his head at the pure,
unadulterated luck the trio had had.
“You were fighting why?” Draco snorted now.
“Weasley said that hopefully Hermione wouldn’t wake up and then told me that she was petrified
because she attacked Lavender Brown. I couldn’t stand for that obvious lie and made sure to cast
doubt on their precious Dumbledore. Potter just got angry, though, defensive. I don’t think he’ll ever
wise up until the old man leads him straight to slaughter.” Severus secretly agreed but didn’t voice it.
Instead, he stood and gestured for Draco to do the same.
“Get to your bed. We won’t speak of this any further and your detentions will be scheduled
sometime tomorrow. If Potter had kept his mouth shut there would have only been a points loss for
the fighting. He was trying to be noble, however, so I guess he gets points for intent.” He paused for
dramatic purposes.
“Remember what I said, Draco. Unless you have a damned good reason, come get me next time
they’re fucking stupid.” Draco gave him a nod and hurried out of his office.
Severus stood and locked his office before making his way to his quarters. It had been a long night
and there was a bottle of fire whiskey calling his name. Even though he was only thirty-three years
old, it was days like this that made him feel much older than his years.
His family and the charges he had sworn to protect were going to be the death of him.
A/N- Boom, another one bites the dust! I didn’t think that this chapter would ever come together, I
kept getting distracted with other things. Hate it when that happens! Anyways, thanks again to all
that are reading and reviewing, I love you all. Leave me a message after the beep and tell me what
you think. Reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, Harry and Draco both make an important discovery.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 39

A/N- You guys are just so awesome. Your support is overwhelming and the fact that you bestow it
upon my story is just mind-blowing. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope that you all
enjoy this chapter and keep me in your happy thoughts. I’ve had a couple assholes send me PMs and
frankly, I’m over it. Therefore, make me smile guys! Anyways, enough of all this…let me know
what you think!
**Shout out to Roon0 for being my 1100th reviewer. You da bomb!!**
Disclaimer: Once upon a time, I dreamed I owned Harry Potter and Co. It was a wonderful dream,
but then harsh reality sunk in and I remembered that I don’t own shit. I haven’t made any money
from this story or any other; if I had, I would have quit my job long ago.
Chapter 39
May 16, 1993
Draco sighed; once again, he was in the library trying to figure out just what the monster Slytherin
set loose on the castle was. He was getting increasingly more irritated with not only himself but the
lack of adults trying to help him. It seemed that they were more focused on just who was setting the
monster loose, not how to prevent attacks.
Uncle Sev had finally given him a date on when they were going to be able to unpetrify Hermione.
As if three months wasn’t long enough for her to lay in that state in the Hospital Wing, he was going
to have to wait another three weeks. In short, she would be awake just in time for the end of the year
and to return home. Whereas it wasn’t going to hurt Hermione academically, it was going to put the
rest of the muggleborns that had been petrified extremely far behind. He hoped that they offered the
students extra tutoring through the summer, so they wouldn’t be behind the rest of their school
career.
It was still early but the Slytherin slammed his book shut anyways. He couldn’t stomach anymore of
the library tonight. He had pored through every single book in the library that wasn’t located in the
restricted section that covered magical creatures and had found absolutely nothing. For once in his
life, the Hogwarts library had failed him. He wondered if Hermione had run into the same problem
while she was searching or if she had actually found a reference book that gave her the answers she
sought.
Draco wanted to smack himself in the face. How could he have been so stupid? Hermione was seen
leaving the library the night she had been petrified, leaving without Draco. She would never have
done something like that, against her godfather’s wishes, without an extremely good reason. Had she
found the answer and went running off to tell Uncle Sev? Had she been waylaid by Brown along the
way with her complaints about her family?
Draco couldn’t believe that he hadn’t considered looking in Hermione’s bag when she had first been
petrified. Since he could find no books whatsoever on the subject, it stood to reason that Hermione
had books in her bag that could possibly have the answers in them. Where she found them, he
couldn’t say, but there was at least a chance that she had found the answer and it was stowed in the
bag where all her books were kept.
The problem was that he couldn’t remember if he had left the bag in the Hospital Wing or taken it
back to common room with him. He remembered wrenching it away from the Headmaster when he
tried to take it but he honestly couldn’t say that he had remembered to take it back to the common
room once Uncle Sev put his wards up. He needed to get to the Hospital Wing and see for himself if
her bag was there with her.
His cousin and father had just been in to see her the night before, his mother the night before that.
They all visited at least twice a week and it was heart wrenching to watch. Sirius was wracked with
guilt and would spend the whole time whispering softly in Hermione’s ear, begging her forgiveness
for putting her in the situation to get harmed in the first place. His father wasn’t much better, though
he managed to keep that forlorn tone out of his voice. They had both been thrilled the night before to
hear that it would only be three more weeks before she would be ready to be awoken.
Draco travelled the corridors as quickly as he dared; the last thing he needed was more detention.
After his last run-in with Weasley, he had vowed to take a more Slytherin approach to getting his
revenge. His peers had understood and hadn’t been angry in the least at the points loss, though the
same couldn’t be said for the Gryffindors. After Neville and the twins had sat down with Draco to
eat breakfast a few days later and the real truth had come out, they had been livid and just why they
were in trouble. Draco didn’t blame them; not only was it disgraceful behavior in general to be
caught up in, the fact that it reflected poorly on the Weasley family would be embarrassing as well.
His father and Sirius hadn’t been angry, per se, just disappointed that he hadn’t handled the situation
in a more Slytherin manner. There were sneakier ways of giving the Weasel his comeuppance
without brawling in the corridors after curfew. He hadn’t received a lecture, but it was clear that his
father first and foremost wanted him to think and act more like a Slytherin. The last thing they
needed now was negative publicity, especially when they were the ones who had pushed for
Dumbledore to be tossed out on his ear. It made sense to Draco and he simply wished he had
considered it before they had been caught in the corridor.
The Slytherin slowed as he reached the corridor of the Hospital Wing. He had his own bag thrown
over his shoulder and he hoped that nobody realized that he was earlier than usual. While he didn’t
think that it would matter in the long run, the less attention he drew to himself the better. This was
blown out of the water the second he stepped inside. Madam Pomfrey was checking on Colin
Creevey and she gave him a small smile.
“Mr. Malfoy, how nice to see you. You’re early tonight.” He didn’t smile back but gave her a
respectful nod. She had always been kind to not only himself but Hermione as well. She didn’t let
house affiliations keep her from doing her job.
“Yes, ma’am. I couldn’t concentrate anymore so I thought I’d come by early tonight.” The smile was
still on her face as she gestured for him to go ahead and sit with his cousin. Where the other students
that had been petrified were laying there with no curtains around them to protect their privacy,
Hermione was hidden behind not only curtains but wards. Severus and Sirius both had laid wards
that wouldn’t allow certain people in to see her, or most students for that matter. If anyone wanted to
come see her, Draco had to accompany them. He wasn’t sure if his friends realized that or not, but he
did. However, they had only come by a few times since she had been petrified so it really wasn’t
much of a problem.
Draco stepped through the curtains and felt the familiar wash of the wards embrace him. He hadn’t
needed a security blanket in years but he could admit that feeling the familiar magic of his family
around his best friend gave him comfort and peace of mind. Once inside the curtains, he drew them
closed and turned his gaze to the floor.
He about jumped in joy when he saw the familiar green and silver bag with her name stitched across
the front sitting there on the floor. His Christmas present to her had been used before its owner had
been petrified. For the most part, the wear was minimal, only the straps showing signs of use. She
kept it clean which made him proud. He remembered when he had given it to her and how much she
had loved it.
Hating that he was getting ready to invade her privacy, he pulled the bag to him and unzipped it
slowly. Once it was open, he peered inside to see that she had so many books stuffed in there that it
would be near impossible to search through them all before curfew. As a general rule, he hated to use
magic on books but in this instance, he was going to forgive himself and hope that Hermione would
as well.
“Accio books on creatures.”
Only two books flew from the depths of her bag, both of them titled about dark creatures in the
wizarding world. Draco wanted to laugh out loud. His little wench of a cousin had sneaked into the
restricted section and stolen books from the library, probably so she could have Uncle Sev return
them from her. It had to have happened that last night in the library, otherwise she would have told
him about it. Clever little minx! He climbed onto the bed next to her and opened the first one, the one
that had come flying out first. He bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“You’re bloody brilliant, Miney, I should have known that you had solved the creature problem
months ago.”
It took him an hour of skimming the book to find what he was looking for. Draco had learned about
manticores, dragons, lethifolds, hydras, and the like but none of them stood out until he reached the
beast called a basilisk. It was an enormous snake that was hatched from an egg sat upon by a toad.
Spiders fled before it and their only fear was the crowing of a rooster. It was highly venomous and
had a murderous stare, though it had been proven that if the person only saw a reflection of the eye,
they would become petrified.
Draco let out a whoop and stood quickly, shoving the books into his own bag. After they were
secure inside, he turned and brushed hair back from Hermione’s forehead and kissed her cheek
again.
“You’re the bloody best, Miney. I wish I could stay but I must go tell Uncle Sev. Maybe they can
find a way to get rid of the basilisk.” Hermione’s eyes didn’t move, and she didn’t speak. Draco
sighed; he couldn’t even express how much he missed having her boss him around and nag him to
do his school work. Without another thought, he left the privacy of the curtain and headed for the
entrance of the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey smiled his way again.
“I know it’s hard, Mr. Malfoy, but she’ll be awake before you know it. Hang in there.” He grinned at
the mediwitch, though not because of her kind words. She seemed to realize that he wasn’t going to
say anything else and turned her attention back to a fourth year Hufflepuff that looked ill.
Draco wasn’t sure where he would find Uncle Severus but decided that his office was the first
logical choice. He knew that he had rounds most nights, but it usually wasn’t until much later, after
the prefects had patrolled after curfew. Therefore, it was a good chance that he would be there
marking essays. It didn’t take him long to get from the fourth floor to the dungeons, especially at the
accelerated speed he was travelling at. As he rounded the final corner, he saw the light on underneath
his uncle’s door and rapped on it harshly. He didn’t even bother to wait for his godfather to beckon
him inside, Draco just flung the door open and rushed inside. His godfather gave him a bewildered
look but allowed him to shut the door and then lock and silence it. When he turned back around, his
uncle had an eyebrow raised in his direction.
“Thank Merlin, you’re here. I came as quickly as I could. Miney figured out what the monster is,
she’s had the books in her bag this whole time. I think she figured out what it was the night that she
was petrified, that’s why she was trying to leave the library by herself; she was coming to you.”
Draco saw the incredulous look on his godfather’s face and thrust the two books into his lap, the
book with the answer in it opened to the page on basilisks.
His godfather read the page several times over and then met his eyes excitedly. He flipped open the
book that was on the bottom and found the chapter on basilisks, only to chuckle softly.
“That clever little minx. She ripped the page out of this book on basilisks. Who knows where she
dropped it but she’s right, she’s one hundred percent right. This explains so much. I have no idea
how to go about killing a basilisk but at least we know what we’re up against. That means that there
has to be someone in the school that can speak parseltongue aside from Potter. A female
parseltongue, which are even more rare. I can’t think of a single person that would fit the criteria.”
Draco shook his head.
“I can’t either, it’s not a common gift. That’s why the school lost their minds that Potter could speak
it.” Uncle Sev rubbed his chin for a few moments.
“This complicates matters. Not only is the diary belonging to the Dark Lord somewhere in the
school, there is now a basilisk on the loose. I was so sure that the two had to be related but I suppose
not. No matter. Well done, Draco. I must go and inform the Headmistress that the monster has been
named. If there is anything that we can do to eradicate the beast from the school, it has to start with
her.” Draco nodded and rose to his feet again. He felt so much lighter than he had in months, not
only was the end of Hermione’s petrification in sight, they had finally discovered the identity of
Slytherin’s monster.
“Make sure you remember to write Father and Sirius. They’ll want to know.” Uncle Sev gave him a
sharp nod and he put a lid on his ink and stood.
Draco watched his godfather stride through the corridor on his way back up to the second floor. With
a relieved sigh, he started for the common room. Maybe he would be able to get a good night’s sleep
for the first time in months.
-O-
It was almost curfew and Harry wasn’t entirely sure why he was doing what he was about to do. It
just felt right, and he had been fighting the urge to visit Hermione Black for months. He had finally
lost Ron and Pav, they had been arguing over some assignment that was due the next day. He had
told them that he had forgotten a book in the library and that he would catch back up with them as
quickly as he could. They hadn’t stopped arguing but had waved him on.
There didn’t appear to be anybody in the Hospital Wing. He was sure that Madam Pomfrey was
around somewhere, but she wasn’t in the main part of the Hospital Wing. Those who had been
petrified were out in the open which Harry found to be a little messed up. Were they not allowed a
bit of privacy in their frozen state? He would have wanted some for himself. However, there was one
bed that had curtains around it and he instantly knew that Hermione was inside. There was no way
that Malfoy or Snape would allow just anyone in to gawk at her in such a vulnerable state.
Harry slipped into the curtains before anyone was any wiser. He found Hermione Black in the same
position that he had seen her in the night she had been petrified. Academically, he knew that she
wasn’t going to move, it was the very definition of being petrified but to see it was a completely
different story. She was still in the same clothes she had been in from that night and for the life of
him he couldn’t figure out why they hadn’t changed her clothes. He supposed that they must be
casting cleansing spells on not only her clothes but her hair and body as well. He wasn’t sure if a
person could still sweat while they were petrified but either way, it made sense to him.
He saw the chair perched next to the bed and wondered just who had sat in it. There had been
whispers through the school that her father, aunt, and uncle had visited her, that they continued to
visit her several times a week. Harry assumed that Snape would go see her; what he recalled from
Christmas showed that they were close. He couldn’t picture Malfoy in the chair, however, he
pictured him curled on the bed next to her much the same way he had been curled up next to her the
night she had been petrified. He would never forget the sight of Malfoy hunkered by her side in the
corridor, whispering who knew what in her ear while he smoothed back her hair.
Harry sat there for several minutes but it didn’t feel right. He didn’t feel right climbing in the bed
with her either, so he opted to stand. Her wand was still clutched in her outstretched hand while the
other was still at her side. Tentatively, he reached out and fingered her curls much the same way he
had seen Malfoy and Snape do. Her lock of hair was soft and shiny and sprung back when he
released it. He could see why they played with her curls.
Harry played with her hair for several minutes, finally getting it out of his system since he had
wanted to feel those ringlets since he had first seen her on the train to Hogwarts last year. His fingers
finally left them alone to brush against her lips, feeling how soft and plump they were. Harry didn’t
allow his fingers to linger there, feeling a little dirty for touching her that way while she couldn’t
curse him or tell him no. Rather than sit back down, he reached down and wrapped his hands around
her tiny one resting at her side.
“I’m not sure why I’m here, Hermione. I’ve been fighting the urge to come for months; it’s been
three months since you were petrified. I know we aren’t friends and really, I know that we can’t be.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t worry about you. I don’t want anyone to get hurt and while I feel as
though I should have been able to stop this from happening to everyone, I feel the worst for you
because I had seen you just minutes before this happened to you.” He took another breath, unsure as
to what he was supposed to be saying and why he was even there.
“I wish that things were different between us. I wish that your father hadn’t betrayed my family and I
wish that we could have grown up as close as you and Malfoy. I wish that I had a family that loved
me like you do. You don’t know how lucky you are. Voldemort isn’t going to come for you and kill
you. Your father is his servant and you’re a pureblood. He’s going to place you on a pedestal and
hold you high for everyone to see, proud that you serve him. Neville has told me that you’re
wizarding royalty. I would have never believed it by the way you act but I don’t think that Neville
would lie to me. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I wish things were different.” Harry was glad
that there wasn’t anyone around because he sounded like an idiot.
Her hand was soft and warm in his, her fingers much daintier than his own large ones. His fingers
felt something sharp and when he tried to pull his hand back, he felt it slice through the skin of his
fingers. He hissed as he pulled his hand back completely and stuck his finger in his mouth for a
minute. When he pulled it out, he clearly had a paper cut. Curiosity piqued, he reached back down
underneath her hand and felt a slip of parchment in her grasp. As gently as he could, he worked it out
of her grip. Once it was out, he uncrumpled it and held it under the light so he could read it.
“Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more
deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic
size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken’s egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its
methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk
has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death.
Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the
crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.”
Harry suddenly understood. A basilisk was the monster Slytherin released in the school and
Hermione had figured it out. It was why he heard voices at random times; the basilisk was speaking
parseltongue. She had even written in how she thought they were getting around. The pipes. He
supposed that it made sense. He wasn’t sure what to do with the information but he knew that he had
been given a gift beyond measure. Maybe he could keep other students from getting hurt by speaking
to the snake and telling it to stop attacking muggleborns. His heart was suddenly racing, excited to
get back to the common room so he could tell Ron. He was as tired of seeing people petrified as he
was.
At the very last second, he bent in half and pressed a kiss to Hermione’s forehead, much the same
way that he had seen Malfoy and Snape do. Harry had to admit that it felt nice, protective and caring.
With one last tug on her curls, he spoke.
“You’re the smartest witch I’ve ever met, Hermione. I hope that we end up on the same side of this
war. Thank you.” Without another look back, he feared he wouldn’t leave if he did, he stole out of
her cubicle and out of the Hospital Wing, headed back to the Tower. He needed to get to Ron and
they needed to come up with a plan so he could speak to the snake.
He was determined that nobody else was going to get hurt this year.
-O-
Hermione was in pain. Her muscles were screaming, stiff and unmoving. There wasn’t much that she
was aware of in the state that she was in but she could feel the all-encompassing pain from being stiff
and the gut-gnawing hunger. She had never been a big eater but this hunger was from deep in her
bones and she couldn’t figure out why she was hungry. It couldn’t have been that long since she had
ate, she had only skipped two meals.
She knew that she couldn’t move and her mind reasoned that she had been petrified. Being trapped
inside her mind, Hermione was well-aware that she had come face to face with a basilisk. The
parchment proving what the beast was was still clenched tightly in her hand. She wished that she had
been able to throw it so someone would find it. Maybe she could have prevented others from
suffering her fate.
Since she was trapped in her own mind and sensations, she wasn’t aware of anyone that came to see
her or words that they spoke to her. Hermione could tell when someone was with her because she
would get a warm feeling all over and didn’t feel alone. The presences, though she couldn’t identify
them exactly, felt familiar. Of all of them, she was quite certain that she had identified Draco’s; it was
there the most. It held her close and she felt safe when he was there. She missed him more than
anything.
Hermione was sure that her family had come to visit; surely, they wouldn’t have just forgotten about
her once she had been petrified. All the presences made her smile inwardly and reminded her of
home. Until the last one, the one that had been there for such a short time and then left. She couldn’t
remember ever feeling it before and though it was new and a little scary to encounter in her
vulnerable state, she found she wasn’t afraid.
As quickly as the presence came, it left.
Hermione settled further into her mind, hoping against hope that sooner rather than later she would
be released from her frozen prison. Her muscles needed to stretch and she wanted a huge meal. More
than anything, she wanted to see Draco, Uncle Sev, her father, Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy. She
wanted her family.
She supposed that she would just have to make due with their visits until they deemed fit to wake
her. There was nothing else she could do but wait.
-O-
Severus strode down the stairs that led to the second floor, eager to find his way before Minerva. For
someone that had staunchly swore she didn’t want the job of Headmistress, she was doing a bloody
fine job of doing it. He just hoped that she could help him figure out a way to eradicate the great
bloody snake from their school.
The griffin didn’t ask for a password, though he supposed that ‘tabby cat’ really wasn’t all that
embarrassing to say. It leapt out of his way and allowed him entrance. He knocked for just a moment
on the door to her office but opened it without a word. She was inside sitting at the desk and
attempting go over paperwork. She glanced up at him and he was sure that his expression threw her.
Her eyes narrowed and she laid the parchment down.
“What is it, Severus?” He laid the book before her, open to the page that detailed basilisks. Her eyes
widened when she realized what he was showing her. Her fingers buried themselves in her hair,
pulling wisps out of her severe bun.
“How long have you been trying to figure this out, Severus? This is something that we can work
with.” He took a seat in the chair in front of her desk.
“Draco just brought this to me. He found this book in Miss Black’s bag. The brilliant girl discovered
the monster before any of us. How she got the book, I’ll never know but it doesn’t matter. Now that
we know what it is, we can get the Governors to hire someone that will help eradicate the great
beast. No, we won’t have the heir but their monster will be gone.” Minerva laid the book down
before her and looked contemplative. Severus hoped that she wasn’t going to pull an Albus and
ignore the information. After several minutes, she met his gaze.
“I think that we’re going to have to call Albus back, the Governors will surely agree. There is
nobody aside from young Potter that can speak parseltongue aside from Albus. If there is any hope in
commanding the beast long enough to kill it, it is going to have to be done by someone that speaks
the language. We can’t ask young Potter to take that risk, he’s only twelve.” Severus cursed inwardly
because he knew that she was right. He wanted Albus out but they were stuck between a rock and a
hard place. They needed to get the snake out of the school and the only person alive that they had the
identity of that could speak the language was Albus Dumbledore and the twelve-year-old Boy-Who-
Lived. He raked a hand through his lank hair but nodded.
“You’re right, of course. I don’t like it, that old goat takes far too many risks with the lives of
children, but I don’t think we have any other choice. You write the Governors in a professional
capacity and I’ll send a letter to Lucius. He won’t be happy but if it means killing the monster that
harmed his beloved niece, he’ll be on board.” He hoped.
Minerva was nodding, already pulling parchment in front of her. Severus stood and bid her a quick
farewell. He needed to make sure that he got to Lucius first and prepared him. Therefore, he didn’t
bother to write a letter. Once he reached his quarters, he grabbed a handful of floo powder, called out
Malfoy Manor, and stepped into the flames. As soon as he stepped out into the entrance hall, Snitch
appeared.
“Masters and Mistress in the library.” Severus nodded, not needing instruction on how to get there.
He wasted no time in finding not only Lucius and Narcissa, but Sirius as well, sipping drinks in the
library and laughing softly at whatever subject they had been discussing. All three went to their feet
when they realized he was there. Sirius had a fearful look on his face.
“Is everything alright? Hermione is still okay?” Severus nodded impatiently though he couldn’t
blame the man for worrying. He took a seat and leaned forward, his elbows propped on his knees.
“Your children are too smart for their own good. The night Hermione was petrified, she discovered
what Slytherin’s monster was. Draco finally put it together and checked her bag. It’s a basilisk. I just
went to Minerva and told her that we needed to get the Governors on board in eradicating the great
bloody snake from the school when she pointed out a problem. Only a parselmouth will be able to
communicate with the beast. Aside from young Harry, that leaves only one known parselmouth.”
Sirius cursed out loud and slammed his tumbler down on the table next to him.
“Albus fucking Dumbledore.” Severus nodded.
“I see no other option but to bring him on board. We can’t put the other students at risk now that we
have a way to get rid of the monster. Minerva is writing Lucius as we speak, the letter will be
arriving shortly I’m sure. I wanted to warn you all what was going to be in that letter. I don’t like it
any better than you do but it’s our chance to keep the school safe.” Lucius watched Sirius closely,
Narcissa following suit. It was clear that they were going to do whatever he wanted them to do.
Severus, however, wasn’t worried. Sirius wanted revenge on the old man but not at the cost of
children’s lives, especially when his own was already a victim. Finally, he looked up and met all
their gazes.
“I don’t like it, in fact, I fucking hate it, but I can’t allow this to happen to any other parents out there.
It wouldn’t be right. Get the old bastard back and get rid of the fucking snake.” Severus snorted
when another thought occurred to him.
“I still think it’s going to be harder than we all thought. Before we can find the basilisk, we have to
find the Chamber of Secrets.” Sirius groaned as Lucius closed his eyes briefly.
“We’ll send out letters to the parents from the Board, explaining the situation and how we’re
handling it. There will be an imposed curfew and students will always have to be escorted by a
teacher. We will get this solved, I promise you.” Severus nodded and rose to his feet.
“Very well. I must go before I’m missed. I leave this in your capable hands. Send word if you need
anything of me.” His family nodded before they started planning. Severus didn’t bother to hang
around; he really did need to get back.
It was going to be a long rest of the school year, that much was certain.
-O-
Albus was seated before the fire in his favorite armchair in his family home. Nobody had lived there
for decades, himself and Aberforth having not been home since they were young men. The
Dumbledore family elves kept it up, however, so it wasn’t crumbling and there was always food in
the larder.
He was still trying to figure out what he was going to do to get back into the castle. It was true that
he had been foolish and Severus and Minerva had saved his arse but that didn’t mean that he didn’t
want his position back. He needed to be there to watch over young Harry. Nobody else could
possibly know just how important he was to their cause.
An owl flew through the open window and landed next to him on the table by his armchair. After a
moment, Albus took the parchment clutched in its claws and opened it quickly. Once he started to
read it, his eyes widened. Once he was through, he read it three more times through. A smile spread
across his face and he knew that this was what he had been waiting for. Another chance, a way to
look after Harry. He turned to see that Dumpling was watching him carefully.
“Dumpling, please gather my things and have them ready within the hour.” The elf bowed low and
hurried off to start his task.
Albus was going back to Hogwarts.
A/N- Lordy, another chapter down, y’all. I literally banged this out in three hours. Pretty proud of
myself, ha-ha. Anyways, a huge thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing, you guys are
seriously awesome. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and it met your expectations. Let me know what
you think, I do so love to hear what you have to say. Reviews are love.
Next chapter, our Savior braves the Chamber of Secrets and the basilisk within.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 40

A/N- I am back from vacay, y’all! Thank you all for being so patient, it means so much to me. Saint
Jo, Texas treated me well. If y’all are redneck and looking for a good time, give it a try. Enough
about that though. You have all given me so much love I find it hard to believe sometimes, ha-ha. A
huge thank you to those of you that have read and reviewed, it makes me smile when I read what
you think. Also, to those of you out there that have asked about my daughter and her foot since
surgery, thank you. It’s doing great, though a long way from healing. Who knew that skin grafts took
so effing long to heal? Her pain in mostly gone though, so that’s a good thing! Enough from me
now, I know you all want this chapter badly (:
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing in this story. The original story line belongs to Hermione Lyra
Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to our queen. I haven’t made any money off this story or
any other. I freaking wish.
Chapter 40
June 1, 1993
It was the last class of the day and Severus was exhausted. He had been escorting students to and
from classes for over two weeks along with his usual marking and helping search for the Chamber of
Secrets.
Albus had returned that very night after Lucius had sent him a letter, beseeching him to return and
help hunt the basilisk. Every day since then he had spent his days searching the school far and wide
for the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. This had been done dozens of times before throughout
the last century and it had never been discovered. He had confided in Draco while they visited
Hermione together that he really had no idea where to look and they were all at a loss as to how to
find it.
His godson had had no insight to give; now that he had passed his knowledge onto his godfather, he
turned his attention back to his cousin. He still visited Hermione twice a day, every day. It was taking
its toll on him, especially when they were so close to reanimating her. His schoolwork hadn’t slipped
at all but he still hadn’t turned in a single assignment to Madam Cambridge, saying that he wasn’t
going to move on without Hermione there with him. It was frustrating but he supposed that he
understood it. They had been raised together, closer than siblings, and they couldn’t expect him to act
like nothing was wrong.
He was taking all the students from the dungeons up to the Great Hall for dinner. The other
professors would be bringing their own students, and they usually met up right at the entrance if
nothing catastrophic happened. There had been a few students that had been pulled from school and
Severus couldn’t say that he blamed the parents. Basilisks were deadly and the danger was very real.
To act otherwise would have been beyond foolish.
Severus was escorting all the children from the Slytherin common room, all the children from the
Hufflepuff common room, and the students from his second year Slytherin and Gryffindor potions
class. They rounded the final bend of the corridor, only to collide with three other groups of students
and Minerva, Filius, and Septima. The blood on the wall just proved that the heir to Slytherin was
still very active and had no intentions of going down without a fight.
Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.
There were whispers all through the crowd of students and Minerva and Septima couldn’t hide the
fear in their expressions. Filius was wringing his hands, clearly unsure of what to do next. Just as he
was getting ready to speak, Gilderoy led his students into the crowd, Albus not far behind him. It
was clear that they weren’t expecting to see a message on the wall on their way to dinner either.
Finally, Albus took the situation into his own hands.
“Silence!”
The whole corridor fell silent and all that could be heard was breathing. The old man could be quite
commanding when he wanted to be.
“Your teachers will escort you all to your common rooms. You will dine there and remain there until
one of your professors comes and tells you that you are free to leave.” He turned to all the professors
that were present.
“Severus, escort your Slytherins. Minerva, the lions. Filius, your Ravenclaws, and Septima, the
Hufflepuffs. I will send a message to the other groups of students to make sure that they return the
students to their common rooms rather than the Great Hall.” Severus instantly moved to the far side
of the corridor that would take them back down to the dungeons. His Slytherin students moved to
follow him, eager to be in their common rooms where they would be safe. He waited several minutes
for the snakes from the other classes to make their way to his group. Once he thought they were all
gathered, he started for the dungeons once more.
Since all the students were properly motivated, it didn’t take long for them to get to reach their
common room. Septima wasn’t far behind him with the group of Hufflepuffs and where he came to a
stop, they kept on going. She was hurrying them along as quickly as they could go but they didn’t
need much motivation either. He was too busy to pay much attention to his students past the point of
getting them all safely in the common room. Once the door was closed behind them, he turned on his
heel and returned to the corridor where the message was written on the wall.
When he arrived, everyone but Septima was there, the other students having been combined and
delivered to their common rooms. Albus was trying to calm down the professors and take control of
the situation.
“Were there any absences is your classes in the last couple of hours? This would help us to figure out
who the monster has taken.” Poppy had been summoned and she rattled off the list of the students in
the Hospital Wing. Once she was finished, Pomona spoke.
“Ginny Weasley wasn’t in my Herbology class. I assumed that she had gone to the Hospital Wing.”
Albus wiped a hand down his face.
“Alright, at least we know who the ‘her’ in the message is. I’ve been searching for the Chamber of
the Secrets for over two weeks, does anyone else have any ideas as to its location?” Severus really
didn’t, he had exhausted every single idea he had had since the Headmaster had returned. Minerva
had been alongside them every step of the way and was fresh out of ideas as well. Surprisingly, it
was Gilderoy Lockhart that spoke next.
“I’ve known where the entrance to the Chamber is since the first message on the wall. Nobody
thought to ask me?” Severus couldn’t hold back the eye roll. Of course, this idiot didn’t have a clue
as to where the entrance was, he just wanted to have the chance at another book deal. Albus, though,
was desperate.
“Very well. I must go send owls to the Governors, make sure that they’re aware of the situation. I
also need to notify Arthur and Molly Weasley, they need to know that their daughter is in danger. I
ask that Minerva and Severus accompany me at this time. We’ll reconvene in thirty minutes time and
allow Gilderoy to gather whatever supplies he needs to lead this expedition.” Severus wanted to
scream at the Headmaster for believing that Lockhart, of all people, was going to lead an expedition
into the Chamber of Secrets. However, that was going to be a conversation for the privacy of Albus’
office. The rest of the professors wandered off to the Great Hall, he assumed so they could get a
small bite to eat before going wherever it was that Lockhart was going to lead them. Severus stalked
after the Headmaster, appalled at how everyone was just taking orders so easily. Once they were
ensconced in the Headmaster’s office, Albus took his seat and pulled parchment in front of him.
Severus couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I can’t believe that you’re actually believing that Gilderoy Lockhart, complete idiotic ponce that he
is, is going to lead you to the Chamber of Secrets.” Albus lifted his head even thought he continued
to write his letters.
“I don’t think he’s going to lead us anywhere. I think this is all just for the attention, however, I have
nothing else to give until we locate the entrance. I can’t turn away any ideas, no matter how foolish.”
Severus sank into the chair, knowing that Albus was right no matter how much he hated it. Minerva
sat next to him.
“The Weasleys are going to show up here and I think that I should be the one to field them. They
were both in my house and I’m their children’s Head of House. Molly is a fiery woman and it would
be best if a woman of the same caliber met her. She’ll be fraught with worry and I know what it’s
like to lose a child. I’ll be able to keep her the calmest.” Albus nodded absentmindedly. Severus was
curious as to her words but didn’t dare ask. Questions like that likely ended in tears and he hadn’t
dealt with a female’s tears aside from Hermione’s in over a decade. This meant that Severus was
most likely going to be the one to accompany Albus and Gilderoy down into the Chamber if the idiot
was lucky enough to find the entrance.
After Albus had sent the letters off, he stood and gestured for them both to follow him. They once
again found themselves under the message on the wall. The other professors were just starting to
arrive and Severus was itching to get started. As much as he didn’t like the Weasley girl, he knew
she had hurt Hermione after all, he didn’t want her to die. Even on his worst day, he wasn’t that
vindictive. Albus raised his hands and caught the attention of everyone still in the corridor.
“We’re waiting on Gilderoy. Once he arrives, Severus and I shall follow him into the Chamber.
Minerva is going to stay behind to intercept the Weasleys and keep them calm. I want the rest of you
to patrol the corridors for students out walking about, looking for a bit of action. If we need help, I
will contact you via patronus.” Pomona and Filius, who were standing closest to them, were quick to
head off together, clearly thinking that the buddy system was the best defense against a murderous
basilisk. He hoped that there were no students stupid enough to leave their common rooms.
He was just getting ready to lean against the wall and get comfortable while they waited when
Septima came running down the corridor. She had a note in her hand and was calling his name.
Once she was close enough for him to take the note, he grasped it while Septima panted next to him.
“I found this on the Headmaster’s griffin. I went looking for Albus to tell him that I have my doubts
about Gilderoy. I can’t read it but it must be important.” Severus was quick to tear it open.
Uncle Severus,
I tried to come to you, I swear it. I caught sight of Potter and Weasley sneaking away from their
group, whispering about how the Weasley girl was gone. I think they know where the entrance is. I
came as quickly as I could but the griffin wouldn’t let me in. I’m following them to make sure they
don’t die. They were saying something about the entrance being in a girl’s bathroom, that someone
had already died there. Since I’m throwing my lot in with theirs, I hope you know what the bloody
hell they’re talking about. If I don’t make it, tell Miney that I love her and will watch out for her
always.
Draco
Severus cursed and crumpled the letter from his foolish godson. He had tried to come to Severus that
much was true, but he had also followed Idiot One and Idiot Two with little thought for himself.
“Bloody, buggering, fucking hell! These fucking kids are going to be the death of me!” The rest of
the professors turned his way. He paid them no mind but met Albus’ eyes.
“Draco tried to come to me while we were in your office. He followed Potter and Weasley and they
know where the entrance in. They said it’s in a girl’s bathroom where a girl died already. It’s been
right here this whole time and we’ve missed it. We aren’t waiting for Gilderoy any longer, we need
to get through the entrance and make sure those fools don’t get themselves killed.” Albus appeared to
be furious but refrained from speaking.
Severus followed the Headmaster into the loo right behind them. It all made perfect sense when he
considered it. There was plenty of plumbing in the bathroom, perfect for the snake to travel the
school. It was constantly flooding after all. Most of the petrifications had taken place in this very
spot. Myrtle Warren had been killed by Slytherin’s monster in this very bathroom. Honestly, they
should have figured it out sooner. Albus didn’t even bother to look around, he just beckoned
Moaning Myrtle from her place high by the window.
“Myrtle tell me. Did three boys come through here and enter the Chamber of Secrets?” She nodded
sagely as she pointed to the sinks.
“The boy who took the diary spoke a hissy language at the sink and it opened up. They asked me
how I died and I told them the sound came from there. They said something about going after a
weasel. They had a man with them. After they were gone, the blond boy came and jumped down the
hole just before it closed back up.” Severus cursed. The two idiots must have gone to Lockhart and
then made him go with them. Then Draco had stupidly followed. He was going to cast so many
stinging hexes at that boy’s arse once he was safe again.
Albus turned and inspected the sinks, quickly yelling out that he had found the one marked with a
snake. He hissed at it, Severus assumed commanding it to open, but nothing happened. Albus cursed
now and tried again. Still, nothing. He sighed and lowered his head for a moment before turning to
Severus.
“They’re already down there, the Chamber must be spelled to not let anyone in while it’s master is in
house. It must think that Harry is Slytherin.” Severus couldn’t believe that the man was just going to
give up. He reached out and shoved the old man back out of the way before he yelled as loudly as he
could.
“Bombarda!”
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe the complete waste of space that Lockhart was. They had sneaked away and
hidden in an alcove as McGonagall led the rest of their house back to the Tower. They had heard
their Defense professor tell everyone that he knew where the entrance was. Since Dumbledore
seemed to believe him, Harry thought this this time he might be for real.
He had questioned Myrtle the day before when he had sneaked away from his group. She had told
him that she had died there in the bathroom when he recalled that Tom Riddle had said a mudblood
had already died. Once it was confirmed that it came from that bathroom, it wasn’t difficult to find
the entrance. Harry hadn’t told anyone mostly because he knew that nobody would believe him.
Instead, he had been keeping watch on the entrance to make sure that the snake stayed in the
Chamber. It must have sneaked out and taken Ginny while he was in potions class.
Ron was the only person he had told about the entrance. When they learned that Ginny was the girl
lying in the Chamber, he had insisted that they go tell Lockhart where the entrance really was so all
the professors could go find her before she was killed. However, that was blown out of the water
when the professor had pulled his wand on them and told them that all his stories were fake and not
even one belonged to himself. It sickened Harry to think about how many people had been obliviated
by the conniving man.
It wasn’t going to happen this time, however. Harry and Ron had quickly drawn their wands and
when they had shot curses at their professor, rather than cast a shield like Harry knew he should
have, he had cried out and ducked, hiding his head in his arms. He had quickly disarmed the Defense
professor and ordered him to go along with them.
The original plan had been to have found Dumbledore, Snape, or McGonagall and tell them where
the entrance was. However, when they had returned from Lockhart’s office with him in tow, the
corridor had been empty. Lockhart had told him that they were going to be quite a while, probably
thinking that it would save him from having to go down into the Chamber, but Harry couldn’t have
that. Ginny wasn’t going to die down there if he had anything to do about it.
He and Ron, towing Lockhart along without a wand, had stood before the sink with a snake on the
faucet. Harry turned to meet Ron’s eyes one last time, make sure that he really wanted to go along
for this adventure. There was no Hermione Black to go with them and keep them alive. He gave a
resolute nod, of course he did, it was his sister, and Harry hissed out the phrase he hoped would open
the Chamber of Secrets.
“’Open”’.
The hissing sounded odd coming from his lips but he could understand it perfectly fine. The sinks
started to shift in and around each other, opening a large hold in the floor that appeared to be a tube.
Myrtle was floating near his shoulder and she tried to peer down the hole but eventually gave it up.
“I remember the hole closing up quickly after the other boy jumped down. If you die, Harry, you can
share my toilet.” Harry wasn’t sure if he should take that as a good thing but since the ghost giggled,
he gave a shaky smile her way and thanked her. Deciding that he wasn’t going to be the first one to
go down, he shoved Lockhart to the hole and held his wand on him.
“You’re going first. You’re the professor after all.” Lockhart started to sputter and argue but Harry
was in no mood. The longer they took, the more likely it was that Ginny would die, if she hadn’t
already. Therefore, he gestured for the man to turn around and face the hole. Once he was turned
fully away, Harry reached out and kicked him into the hole. Harry felt a little bad as the man
screamed the whole way down. There was an ooomf at the bottom and he could hear Lockhart
talking to himself at the bottom of the slide. Deciding that he would go next, he sat on the edge of the
floor and looked to Ron.
“You heard Myrtle, don’t waste any time following.” Ron gave him a serious nod and Harry shoved
off, sliding down who knew how many floors rather quickly. Once he reached the end, he was quick
to roll and jump to his feet so the professor wouldn’t get the drop on him. Ron followed just
moments later and once he was upright, they wasted no time in picking their way through the bones
of dead animals and the discarded skin of the snake over the decades. It was the sound behind them
that alerted Harry to the fact that they weren’t alone.
Draco Malfoy was picking himself up off the ground and brushing at his robes, wand held tightly
aloft in his hand. Even though Harry didn’t want to include him in this since it was clear that he
didn’t like Weasleys, he was a little relieved that he was here. Ron was his best mate, nothing would
ever change that, but Malfoy was smart and knew more spells than most of the students in Hogwarts.
Ron, however, exploded.
“What the bloody fuck are you doing following us?” Malfoy shot him a disdainful look.
“Hopefully nothing. However, the last time you two decided to go off on your own, a bloody nest of
acromantulas almost killed you both.” Harry felt a flare of irritation at the reminder but decided to let
it go. He really didn’t think that Malfoy meant them harm, not the way that Ron did, but that didn’t
mean that Ron was going to let it go. Malfoy kept walking, unafraid of whatever was in the cavern
underneath the school. He reached Harry’s side and looked at him square in the eye.
“You know what the beast is, don’t you? A bloody basilisk.” Harry nodded.
“That’s why I’m the only one that can stop it. I can talk to snakes.” This seemed to be the perfect
moment that Lockhart was looking for.
He lunged to the side and caught Ron with his elbow in the side, jerking his wand from his hand as
he gasped for breath. Harry raised his wand but Draco already had his up. His face was impassive as
he was considering cursing their professor. However, Lockhart didn’t seem to realize this and started
monologuing.
“This will be my best book yet, boys. I was too late to save the girl from the giant basilisk and rather
than kill the snake, I chose to save three boys who followed me down into the serpent’s lair. They
were so distraught at seeing the girl’s body that they were a gibbering mess.” Just as Lockhart
pointed the wand at Ron and cast a spell, Malfoy cast as well. He couldn’t hear the spell but the
second that it hit Lockhart, his spell was sent up into the rocks above them.
As Lockhart dropped, the rock ceiling above them started to shudder and groan. There wasn’t time
for them to do anything when the rocks started to fall. Harry felt something sharp hit him in the chest,
throwing him back on his arse. Malfoy was on the ground next to him, hands over his head to protect
it from falling rocks. Deciding that he had the right idea, Harry followed suit. It took several minutes
for the rocks to stop falling around them and when Harry uncovered his head, a wall of rocks
separated him and Malfoy from Ron and Lockhart. Harry jumped to his feet and ran to the wall,
hollering over the top.
“Ron, can you hear me? Are you alright?” There was coughing coming from the other side.
“Yeah, I’m alright. Lockhart’s out cold though.” Malfoy snorted next to him.
“Of course, he is, I stunned him.” Harry rubbed his temples a few times before he hollered over to
Ron again.
“I have to go after Ginny. See if you can shift some of this rock around and find us a way out.”
Ron’s voice was still scratchy.
“I can’t, a rock fell on my wand. It’s snapped in half. There’s no way I can lift these boulders by
hand.” Harry cursed softly and thought for a moment. Before he could answer, Malfoy yelled across
the rock wall to him.
“Do the best you can. Lockhart will be out for an hour or so but since neither of you have a wand,
you should be fine. Potter and I will go save your sister. When we come back through, we’ll start
using our wands from this side.” He could hear Ron grumbling on the other side but he finally
shouted a fine over. Malfoy looked to Harry, determination on his face.
“Let’s get this over with. I better not die; my cousin will kill me.” Harry chuckled at his words but
wisely remained silent. Once they had picked their way through the rest of the bones and shed skin,
they met another door guarded by six steel snakes. They pushed and pulled but nothing budged it.
Finally, Harry pulled Malfoy back and gestured for him to wait. He had to concentrate with no
snakes in sight but in the end, he managed parseltongue.
“’Open.”’
The snakes on the door starting slithering across the steel and the door sprung open. The room
revealed to them was enormous, a stone pathway led him to a large open expanse of stone. After
that, there was what appeared to be a pool of water that was fed by a waterfall. There were statues
that lined the pathway, similar to something he imagined in a dark wizard’s castle. Off in the
distance, right next to the pool of water, was a slight figure laying on the floor. It was unrecognizable
from this distance except for the brilliant red color of her hair.
“Ginny!” Harry didn’t stand around and wait for the basilisk. If he could get Ginny out without
dealing with it, all the better. Malfoy cursed behind him but followed him. Once they were in the
open, Harry threw himself down to kneel by Ginny’s body. His hand reached out and felt for a
pulse. It was there, but it was weak. He turned to Malfoy.
“She’s alive but I don’t think she has long. We have to hurry.” Malfoy, however, wasn’t paying
attention to Ginny at all. His eyes were on the diary laying beside Ginny, the same diary that had
been stolen from Harry over a month ago. There was a voice behind both of them, startling them
both to pull their wands up in a fighting stance.
“She won’t wake.” Harry dropped his wand and turned his attention to Ginny again. Malfoy,
however, kept his wand up.
“Who are you and how did you get down here?” The boy that made no noises as he walked smiled
at the pair of them.
“I am Tom Riddle. Ginny has had my diary and has been writing to me since before school even
started. We’ve become quite good friends.” Harry remembered how the diary wanted him to pick it
up and hold it. He remembered that it had tried to help him. Malfoy, however, had a wild look on his
face. He obviously knew something that he wasn’t telling Harry. He didn’t have time to worry about
it now, though, he needed to get Ginny out of the Chamber before the basilisk arrived.
“Help me, Tom, we need to get Ginny out of here before the basilisk arrives.” Tom smiled a
charismatic smile.
“It won’t come until it’s called.” Malfoy rushed forward and kicked Harry’s wand into the pool of
water just as Tom lunged for it. Harry cursed and went to his feet.
“What the fucking hell is going on here? Why are you doing this, Tom?” The boy glared at Malfoy
but turned back to Harry so he could laugh.
“I knew that I had to meet you. Making young Ginny sacrifice herself was a sure way to make sure
that happened.” Harry was confused.
“Why would you want to meet me? I don’t understand what Ginny has to do with any of this.”
Tom’s voice was getting more menacing and Malfoy stepped closer to Harry, his wand still held
aloft.
“I had to meet the boy who vanquished the most powerful wizard in the world when he was a mere
baby. I had to know how you did it.” Harry was growing exasperated. Malfoy, however, shook his
head.
“Don’t answer him, Potter.” Harry saw that Malfoy was very much on edge.
“That was Lord Voldemort, he was after your time.” Tom started laughing, full belly-laughter
coming from his handsome lips. When he gained control of himself, he waved his hand in the air and
the words I AM LORD VOLDEMORT appeared. They then moved around to spell out Tom
Marvolo Riddle. Suddenly, Harry understood.
“You see, young Harry, I am Lord Voldemort. The sixteen-year-old memory preserved in a diary
found by young Ginny. Who do you think poured her heart and soul into writing me, telling me how
much she loved the Boy-Who-Lived and how much she hated Hermione Black for garnering your
attention. She was more than happy to fall under my spell and open the Chamber of Secrets after
writing the message on the wall. She released the basilisk, set it on the mudbloods in school, and then
had no memory of it happening afterwards. Then, she realized that the diary was making her lose
hours at a time and she suspected that she was behind the attacks. She threw the diary away and who
found it but the very person I wanted to speak to. It was easy to lead you to that idiot Hagrid and
blame the whole mess on him. Did you really think that half-giant who was as stupid as they came
could be the heir of Salazar Slytherin?” Harry couldn’t believe that he hadn’t seen this coming. Of
course, Voldemort was the heir. It made sense when he considered it. However, that understanding
wasn’t going to do anything for him now. Tom continued.
“Little Ginny has poured enough of herself into the diary that as she grows weaker, I grow stronger.
Soon young Ginny will be dead and I will have returned, more powerful than before.” Harry didn’t
get a chance to continue the conversation because Tom Riddle stepped forward and held his hand
out above the water. His parseltongue was much more practiced than Harry’s but he could
understand it just the same.
“’Come, my pet, and attack young Potter.”’ The basilisk appeared from behind the waterfall and
started to bear down on him.
It was in this moment that he realized he was in way over his head.
-O-
The sinks exploded before Severus’ eyes. Albus looked scandalized as the tube appearing behind the
sinks appeared.
“Severus, you just destroyed school property, you just destroyed the entrance to the Chamber of
Secrets.” Severus didn’t give two fucks. He turned his cold gaze to the Headmaster.
“My godson is down there and could by dying. You should be similarly worried for young Potter.”
This seemed to remind Albus just what was at stake. Severus didn’t bother waiting for the man; he
sat on the edge of the tube and slid down. The room was lit by torches and the floor was covered in
bones of various animals and the largest snake skin he had ever seen in his life. Lockhart was lying
on the ground, his robes askew and Weasley was trying to shift a rock wall by hand. Albus landed
next to him and seemed to take in the same scenery he was. He sneered at Weasley.
“Where is Draco and Potter?” His voice was weak as he answered, clearly terrified.
“Lockhart attacked me and took my wand. He was going to obliviate me and take credit for finding
the basilisk. Malfoy stunned him but it caused the spell aimed at me to hit the rocks above us. It
caved in between us. They’re on the other side and said that they were going to go rescue Ginny.
I’ve been trying to shift the rock by hand since my wand was snapped.” Severus cursed loudly.
Draco was on the side with the bloody basilisk. He was going to beat that boy senseless; maybe, he
would just let Hermione have him. Albus was now calm.
“Very well, Mr. Weasley, let us shift it with our wands. Stand back.” Weasley was quick to move
out of the way and Severus had to admit that he was impressed with how far he had gotten in
moving the boulders.
Severus and Albus made quick work of the rocks that had fallen before them. Severus made sure to
bind Lockhart so when he woke he wouldn’t be able to try to flee. Once all the rocks were out of the
way, they were met with another door that was made up of six snakes. Albus stepped forward and
tried to open it with parseltongue again. When it didn’t budge, Severus stepped forward again. This
time, however, his bombarda spell did nothing. The door was spelled, probably by Salazar himself,
and they could go no further without having it opened from the other side. Severus was seething
inside, furious that he was in this position but knowing that he couldn’t truly be angry. They had
asked Draco and Hermione to try to protect Potter and it was proving to be a job that nobody would
want. He had tried to come get Severus and tell him but he hadn’t been able to reach him so instead
he had left a note. It was so frustrating that everything was so fucked up when Draco had done
everything that had been asked of him. Albus laid a hand on his shoulder.
“We have to wait. Even together we don’t match the power of Salazar Slytherin.” Severus nodded,
his head hanging and his hair a curtain around his face. Albus spoke again, though not to him.
“Fawkes.” The phoenix appeared and landed on the Headmaster’s shoulder.
“Go to Harry. Take him the sorting hat. If I know him, he’ll pull off the save of the century.” Severus
wanted to punch the Headmaster is his fucking mouth. He whirled on the man, the rage clear on his
face.
“How in the fuck is the sorting hat going to save Potter now against a fucking basilisk?” Albus
smiled one of his serene smiles.
“He’s a Gryffindor. What do you think he’ll pull from the hat?”
-O-
Draco couldn’t believe what the fuck he was seeing. A phoenix had just appeared in front of Potter
and dropped what appeared to be the sorting hat in front of him. After his gift was on the ground, the
beautiful bird attacked the basilisk, his sharp claws tearing out it’s eyes. Next to him, Tom Riddle
was seething in anger.
“Don’t worry, Potter, just because the basilisk can’t see you doesn’t mean he still can’t hear you!”
Harry took off a run, somewhere through the tunnels under the school. He then turned to Draco and
spoke pleasantly.
“You must be Lucius’ boy. You were but a babe when I was vanquished.” Draco wasn’t sure how
he was supposed to answer that. However, it was clear that Riddle was gaining strength since he felt
someone trying to gain entrance to his mind. Every single occlumency shield he had built over the
years was slammed into place and the boy before him laughed.
“You’re definitely related to Lucius, paranoid bastard. It’s nice to see that some things haven’t
changed.” Draco refused to let his shields down for a second.
“Does your father know you’re here, with Potter?” Draco refused to answer, mostly because he
wasn’t sure what they wanted the Dark Lord to know. Again, the boy laughed.
“It’s alright, I understand all too well. Most people fear talking in front of me. Don’t worry, your
blood is precious to me, I wouldn’t dream of spilling it.” Draco knew that was a fucking lie; his
father and Severus had told them numerous times exactly what service to the Dark Lord consisted of.
He was saved from answering by Harry reappearing and climbing the rocks that led to the waterfall.
Tom continued his talk.
“You’ll be part of my new world, you’ll take your father’s place one day. I’ll make sure that your
lovely cousin Hermione finds a husband befitting her station. Her father will be raised above all even
though he isn’t the one who handed me the Potters. His blood is precious and shall be celebrated.”
Draco lifted his wand and cast. He shot spell after spell at Tom Riddle but he wasn’t quite alive
enough for anything to hit him. They sailed through his image and he chuckled at Draco’s rage.
“You won’t go near Hermione or I’ll kill you.” The chuckle turned to a laugh now.
“Maybe I’ll let you have her. I know how the purebloods intermarry to keep their blood pure. Serve
me well and she shall be your reward.” Draco calmed. While he had no urge to marry Hermione, if
the worst-case scenario came true, he would marry her to keep her safe. If he was forced to serve the
Dark Lord, he would do his best to keep his cousin safe. They would never have children and never
be physical; most pureblood marriages weren’t loyal to each other anyways. Draco shook his head;
Tom Riddle was getting into his head and he couldn’t let that happen.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harry grab the sorting that had been clutched in his hand. He put
it on his head and there was a shining length of steel that fell out of it. Suddenly, Potter had a sword
in his hand was trying to fight the basilisk off. Draco could see that he needed help distracting the
beast so he could get a clear shot. He stood and started shooting every spell he could think of at the
giant snake. Riddle was laughing behind him as he watched them struggle.
A spell hit Draco from behind, causing him to struggle to breathe. It was clear that Ginny was almost
dead since Tom had summoned Harry’s wand from the pool of water. He wasn’t sure what spell had
hit him but it felt as if there was a house sitting on his chest. Just as he turned back to help Harry, the
basilisk turned the wrong way and gave Harry an opening. The sword, held strong in Harry’s hand,
plunged up through the basilisk’s mouth and through his brain.
With a great flop, the basilisk fell on its side in the water, clearly dead. Harry wasted no time in
jumping down and making his way over to where Draco was struggling to breathe next to Ginny. He
had a basilisk fang sticking out of his arm and Draco knew that he didn’t have long. Tom was now
laughing.
“You may have beaten the basilisk but Ginny is almost gone. This whole scenario will be but a
memory.” Harry lifted his good arm and threw the sword to Draco. Understanding immediately,
Draco stood and caught it, despite the pain in his chest, and thrust the blade through the diary on the
ground.
Tom started screaming and light began to pour from his fingertips and his feet. Draco pulled the
sword out and thrust it through the diary again. This time the image of Tom Riddle exploded into a
million little balls of light. Harry dropped to his knees next to Ginny as she slowly started to come to.
Draco found that it was getting harder to breathe but needed to stay awake long enough to get out of
the fucking Chamber of Secrets. The phoenix landed on Harry’s knee and tilted his head so his
pearly tears could land in Harry’s wound. The puncture wound started to sizzle and smoke before
finally closing. Harry grinned at the phoenix.
“Thanks, Fawkes.” Ginny was sitting up and started crying.
“Harry, I’m so sorry, I couldn’t stop myself from doing any of it. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
Draco wanted to barf at her tears; she had known exactly what she was doing when she had thrown
that ice ball at Hermione, she had known exactly what she was doing when she had been mean to
Hermione in the library that day. Therefore, he couldn’t keep the contempt out of his voice when he
spoke.
“This is really sweet and touching but I’m about to barf. Let’s get the fuck out of here before I pass
out.” Concern crossed Harry’s features and he stood to help Draco to his feet; he hadn’t even been
aware that he had fallen again.
“What did he do to you?” Draco shook his head. It was growing increasingly difficult to breathe and
he wasn’t about to waste precious air by telling potter what happened.
Draco still had the sword clutched in his hand as they started for the door that led them there. Harry
had picked up the diary and the sorting hat, thrusting the latter into Ginny’s hands. She followed
closely behind, still sniffling. Draco refused to lean on Potter but he allowed him to guide him by a
hand on his elbow. When they reached the door with the snakes, Harry hissed at it again, sending it
back open.
Draco saw not only Weasley and Lockhart but his godfather and the Headmaster. He had never been
more thrilled to see them before in his life. Uncle Sev rushed forward and wrapped an arm around
Draco’s waist, pulling him close so he could help bear his weight. Once they were all clear of the
door, Dumbledore reached down and plucked the sword from his hands.
“Surprising that the Sword of Gryffindor allowed the touch of a Slytherin.” Draco couldn’t give two
fucks less at that point. He was struggling to get every breath in. Uncle Sev made him lay down in
the bones and produced his wand. He cast over him, a diagnostic spell he was sure, only to hear him
curse softly. A few moments later, there was a warmth that spread through his body and it felt as if
the house had been lifted from his chest. He sucked in a deep breath, then another, and then another
one for good measure. After he felt as though he wasn’t going to pass out, he turned to his godfather.
“Thank you.” Uncle Sev looked livid.
“I haven’t seen that spell since the Dark Lord was alive. I think we need to have a very long
conversation.” Draco nodded and allowed his godfather to help him stand. He gestured for him to
check over Potter.
“He got a basilisk fang in the arm. The phoenix healed him but make sure it took.” Dumbledore was
quick to check the wound and announced that as far as he could tell he was perfectly fine. Ginny
was still crying in the background but nobody was paying her any mind except for her brother.
Draco looked at his godfather.
“I just want to go see Hermione. It’s been days since I’ve been allowed to.” He rolled his eyes but
nodded. Draco, even though he was feeling better, allowed his godfather to lead him through the
rubble on the floor and towards the tube leading them out. He heaved a sigh of relief.
Draco had faced down Tom Riddle and had survived.
-O-
Severus insisted on making Draco stay the night in the Hospital Wing. Lucius, Narcissa, and Sirius
were with him now, fawning over him and making sure that he was alright despite the boy’s words
telling them that he was. Potter had already been released, the Weasley girl as well. Dumbledore had
just left to go deal with the Weasley parents and Severus could admit that he wasn’t the least bit
jealous of that job. Once everyone else was gone, Severus took the seat left for him and waved his
wand around the space to silence it. Once the rest of them felt the spell wash over them, they spoke
freely. Draco opened the conversation since it was clear that they weren’t going to be invited to
speak of what had happened with the Headmaster.
“The Weasley girl had the diary the whole time. The Dark Lord was controlling her with it, he made
her open the Chamber of Secrets. Then Potter found it when she threw it away. You were right, it
was seriously dark magic. He was alive, his sixteen-year-old self. If the Weasley girl had died, he
would have been fully alive again, he told us so.” He continued.
“He was still strong, he tried to legilimize me. He promised me Hermione as my bride if I served him
well. He was toying with my mind while Potter was fighting the basilisk. Once I realized what was
happening, I started shooting spells at the basilisk to help distract it so Harry could kill it. He was
getting stronger by the minute. I had kicked Potters wand into the water so he couldn’t get it since he
was a complete fool and dropped it. He summoned it and cast that spell at me. Once Potter killed the
basilisk, he threw me the sword and I stabbed the diary with it. After the second time, he disappeared
and the Weasley girl woke up.” Lucius looked contemplative.
“How did the Weasley girl get the diary?” Draco shook his head.
“She said she didn’t remember but Riddle said that she had been writing in it since before school
started. Whoever took it from the Manor took it directly to the Weasleys.” Narcissa was clutching her
son’s hand and had a soft waterfall of tears down her cheeks. Lucius was rubbing small circles into
her back, trying to calm her. Sirius was left trying to lighten the mood.
“This means that you’re an honorary Gryffindor, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to wield the
Sword of Gryffindor. It only presents itself to true Gryffindors. In my book, that means you’re pretty
badarse.” Lucius chuckled as Draco glared at his cousin. Severus was still trying to realize that his
family was safe and nothing too terrible had gone wrong. Draco seemed to realize it too.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Sev, I couldn’t let them go off by themselves. I tried to find you and tell you but if
I had waited for you, they would have been gone. Lockhart probably would have obliviated them
both and Lord Voldemort would have returned. I know you were worried but I really am sorry.”
Severus sighed and raked a hand through his hair. Draco was right, of course. He didn’t like to think
about it but it was the truth. He blew a breath out and tried to follow in Sirius’ footsteps.
“I need a fucking raise if I’m going to have to deal with this shite year after year.” All of them
laughed now, the sound lightening his heart already.
There was still much to discuss and they weren’t anywhere near finished with the subject but for
now, everything was fine. All was well that ended well. They could sort the rest out tomorrow.
A/N- Holy balls, guys, this chapter was crazy! I wanted to keep going but decided to just get a
chapter out for the next day. Bonus chapter (: Anyways, I hope it made y’all happy and it was worth
the wait. Thanks again to everyone out there showing this story love. Leave me a message after the
beep, reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, the aftermath.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 41

A/N- You guys are just so awesome, thank you so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites.
They mean the world. I know that everyone wanted this to be the chapter that Hermione woke up in
but I’m cruel. This one isn’t as long though so the other one should hopefully be out in a few days.
Thanks again, guys. Enough for now.
Disclaimer: In my wettest dreams I own Harry Potter and Co. However, since I’m awake right now,
I can’t claim they’re mine. I haven’t made a dime off this story or any others, my bank account only
has six dollars in it.
Chapter 41
June 2, 1992
Harry was still exhausted when he trudged his way down to breakfast. Unlike Draco, he had been
released to go to his dorm the night before but that didn’t mean that he got to go bed at a decent time.
Ron had told everyone about the foray into the Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny and they had all
wanted to hear the story numerous times. McGonagall had finally come up around midnight and
shooed them all to bed.
He could hear the whispers at all four house tables when he entered the Great Hall. The worst part,
however, was the stares and the pointing. He felt as if he was an exhibit at the zoo, not that many of
the people in this room knew what the fuck a zoo was. Ginny was sitting at the Gryffindor table
giggling softly with her friends, shooting him furtive smiles.
Harry groaned inwardly; he knew what those looks meant and he wanted no part of them. Ron had
told him that Ginny had been in love with the Boy-Who-Lived since she was six but to see it clear on
her face turned his stomach. She was a sweet girl but he just wasn’t interested in girls like that, not
yet anyways. However, in the farthest recesses of his mind, he couldn’t help but remind himself that
Ginny would never be like Hermione Black.
Harry supposed that what he felt for Hermione was a crush, by definition anyways. He wasn’t sure if
it was truly since there was no way that it could be allowed to happen. Her father had caused his
family to be murdered; that wasn’t a good basis for a relationship to begin on. He was sure that
everyone would agree with him that the relationship just wouldn’t work out.
Harry took his usual seat at the Gryffindor table and began to spoon himself up breakfast. There had
been a school owl waiting for him when he had woke up, a note from the Headmaster asking him to
meet with him after breakfast. He wasn’t sure why this needed to happen since he had already told
the Headmaster what had happened the night before. He knew that the Weasleys had wanted to
speak with him, probably to thank him if Ron was to be believed, but he hadn’t seen them last night.
He assumed that the meeting was for this to occur.
Ron took a seat next to him and seemed to be eating up the attention they were getting for going
down into the Chamber. Harry didn’t understand how he could want to be the center of attention but
he supposed that it was better Ron than him. Malfoy was still missing from breakfast, probably being
forced to eat in the Hospital Wing. Harry still couldn’t believe that the boy had come down into the
Chamber with them. Not only had he not turned on Harry and tried to get him killed, he had done his
best to help distract the basilisk so Harry could kill it. He had known that Malfoy wasn’t as bad as
everyone had told him he was but Harry hadn’t expected that level of helpfulness.
Harry felt that Hermione and Hagrid were owed a certain amount of due, though he really wasn’t
sure if he should mention it in front of everyone. He already caught enough shit from Ron about
being nice to Hermione as it was. If Dumbledore knew he had visited her in the Hospital Wing, it
was likely that he would catch another lecture. He knew that the Headmaster meant well but he
really didn’t want to hear the same old speech again. As for Hagrid, everyone already knew that they
had sneaked out to see the acromantula but it had been the first concrete sign that the spiders weren’t
what was kept inside the castle.
Harry put away a full English breakfast while Ron chattered away next to him to everyone in the
vicinity. Neville was the only one that didn’t seem all that interested in what he had to say; Harry
wasn’t sure why but he found that he enjoyed having one person around him that wasn’t enamored
with a story of intrigue and danger.
Once breakfast was over, Harry and Ron excused themselves from their friends so they could attend
whatever was happening in the Headmaster’s office. Ron seemed excited for this to happen; he
probably thought that it was going to be more attention. If so, Harry wanted no part of it. However,
since the Headmaster himself had ordered them there he was going to attend, if begrudgingly. Ron
couldn’t stop talking about what had happened and suddenly, a few corridors from the griffin that
guarded Dumbledore’s office, he lost his temper.
“Ron, just shut up! I was there, I know exactly what happened last night. Frankly, I don’t want to
keep re-living it, repeatedly. For Merlin’s sake, save the story for the girls you want to impress, not
me.” Ron looked at him sheepishly.
“Sorry, mate, I just never get to be a part of anything awesome like this.” Harry sighed and raked a
hand through his hair.
“I know, but I don’t want to hear about it anymore. Tell everyone you want, just leave me out of it.”
Ron nodded and remained silent for the rest of the trek to the Headmaster’s office. Once they were
standing before the griffin, it slid open without them having to give it the password. They took the
stairs together, surprised that they could hear other voices from behind the door. They didn’t have to
knock at that door either, it just swung open when they were on the last stair. Harry was surprised at
everyone that he saw in the Headmaster’s office.
-O-
Draco was irritated that he even had to be at this sham of a meeting; his time would be much better
spent with Hermione in the Hospital Wing. It appeared that Potter and Weasley were the last ones to
get the memo that there was a meeting at all. He was sandwiched between his father and godfather
while they glared at the Weasleys that were sitting across from them. The Weasley parents didn’t
look very happy to be there either. Professor Cat was also there, though she was seated next to
Dumbledore.
Once Potter and Weasley showed up, he heard his father surreptitiously call for what sounded like an
elf. Draco had no idea which one or for what reason but he supposed that he would find out shortly.
Potter and Weasley were ushered in by Professor McGonagall and they found seats next to the
weasel parents. Before the Headmaster called the meeting to order, Draco shot his father a
questioning glance. He ignored him, of course, but it was just proof that there was something else
happening. The Headmaster’s voice was pleasant when he spoke.
“We’re all meeting today because the Board of Governors needs an explanation as to why three
children found their way into the Chamber of Secrets. I’m sure that the parents of everyone involved
would like that answer as well.” Draco wanted to scrub his hands down his face but knew that he
couldn’t. He had been taught from a young age to show no emotion in high-pressure situations.
“Mr. Potter, can you tell us how you knew where the Chamber of Secrets was located?” Potter raked
a hand through his hair and leaned forward.
“I found a diary in the girl’s bathroom and figured out how to write in it. When I did, it wrote back
and showed me that a girl had been killed by the monster. I put two and two together and asked
Moaning Myrtle how she died. She explained and told me that she had heard a boy speaking in
hisses near the sinks. I went and looked at them and saw snakes on the faucet of one of them. I knew
then that I had found the entrance.” Professor McGonagall looked flabbergasted. Her voice was
disbelieving.
“Why in the name of Merlin would you not tell anyone?” Harry just kind of shrugged at her words.
“I wasn’t aware that everyone was looking for it. I was more worried about catching the heir of
Slytherin, the one who was setting the monster on the muggleborns. Not to mention, I knew that I
was the only one that would have a chance at stopping the basilisk since I speak parseltongue.”
Draco had to admit curiosity to that. Harry had told him that he knew what the monster was but he
didn’t have a clue how he knew. Professor Dumbledore caught on it as well.
“How did you know what the monster was? I’m sure that you were unaware that I speak
parseltongue as well, though nowhere near to the ability of a natural parselmouth.” Draco wanted to
roll his eyes; it seemed like the Headmaster was tooting his own horn. Potter looked distinctly
uncomfortable.
“Um, well, I…IwentandvisitedBlackintheHospitalWing.” Draco couldn’t be sure what he said but it
sounded like Black was mentioned. Dumbledore just waited patiently for Harry to say it again. After
a deep breath, Potter tried again.
“I went and visited Hermione Black in the Hospital Wing and found a crumpled-up piece of
parchment in her hand. It looked like it was from a book and was talking about basilisks. She had
inked in the word ‘pipes’, which is what clued me into the opening being in a bathroom.” Draco
could have cursed himself. How many times had he visited Hermione in the Hospital Wing and held
her hand? How many times had he poured his heart out to her about how he couldn’t figure out what
the monster was? The answer had been in her hand the whole time, more proof that she had
discovered the answer the night that she had been petrified. His father sat up even straighter in his
chair, his godfather following suit, while Dumbledore just glared. The Headmaster couldn’t keep the
bite out of his tone.
“Why were you visiting Hermione Black in the Hospital Wing?” Potter looked uncomfortable and
Draco could tell by the way that Dumbledore was staring at him that he was trying to read his
thoughts. Draco knew that he had to do something, what the Headmaster was doing wasn’t right.
“I know what you’re doing, Headmaster, and it isn’t legal. Hermione knew too and I believe she
warned you last year about it.” Dumbledore turned his gaze to Draco and his eyes burned with
hatred. His father and Uncle Sev seemed to realize exactly what he was referring to and shifted
closer to him. Lucius’ voice was cold as ice.
“I recognized what you were doing as well, Headmaster. Let me warn you that if I thought the boy
could give testimony that he knew what was happening, I would have you out on your arse before
you could say Hogwarts. Keep your eyes to yourself or suffer the consequences.” Potter seemed
confused, as did the Weasleys. McGonagall looked as if she suspected but was going to remain silent
in this power struggle. Molly Weasley, a frumpy, plump woman with thinning, vibrant red hair, had
an indignant look on her face and her voice was close to shrieking when she spoke.
“Don’t threaten the Headmaster, he didn’t do anything wrong. He saved our children and you should
show him gratitude.” It was Draco that snorted now, saving his father from the effort.
“Actually, Potter and I saved your daughter and then we walked out to the chamber where the
Headmaster was waiting. Fawkes, the phoenix, saved Potter from death, and Professor Snape saved
me. The Headmaster did nothing.” Her eyes narrowed at him and Draco wanted to continue but his
father laid a hand on his shoulder, signaling for him to say nothing more. His voice was amused
when he replied.
“Mrs. Weasley, you’re here for answers as well. Don’t assume you know what happened in the
Chamber of Secrets. I’ve already heard Draco’s side of the story and I assure you, the Headmaster
did nothing. He was content to wait in the bathroom from what Severus told me. It was Severus that
blasted through the sinks and made it possible for them to find your son.” It was clear that both the
Weasleys were fuming mad, evidenced by the tell-tale red coloring on their necks and ears. Lucius
continued.
“It’s been given as evidence that Potter learned of the Slytherin monster from my niece. Draco, how
did you learn? Potter told the Headmaster last night that you tried to tell him before you met the
basilisk.” Draco hadn’t been expecting this question but didn’t mind answering.
“Once Hermione was petrified, I was determined to discover what had petrified her. I researched,
pure and simple.” The Headmaster swung his gaze to Draco.
“There are no books in the library that detail basilisks, only the restricted section. Did you cross the
age line?” Draco shook his head.
“No, I sent a letter to my mother and asked her to send me books from our library. I found the
answer there. It took me forever to find them because they were in Hermione’s school bag.
Apparently, she had taken them from me at some point.” Draco couldn’t let her get in trouble for
being in the restricted section; he still wasn’t sure if she was going to be punished for her treatment of
Brown. He kept eye contact with Draco and he made sure that every single barrier he had erected in
his mind was strong.
“How did you know that Messrs. Weasley and Potter were going after Miss Weasley in the
Chamber?” Draco scoffed.
“Weasley has a big mouth and neither one of them can sneak very good. It was easy to hear their
plans. I tried to go to Professor Snape and tell him but he was locked away in this office. There was
no way that I could let them enter that Chamber on their own so I followed them. Turns out it’s a
good thing I did.” Draco didn’t break eye contact and the Headmaster was the first to look away.
“Tell us about Professor Lockhart.” Draco decided to let Potter field this one.
“We heard him tell the professors that he knew where the entrance was. We followed him to his
office to tell him that the monster was a basilisk but he was packing his things. He confessed to us
that his books were all lies, stories that belonged to other people that he had just obliviated. He raised
his wand to us but I disarmed him. We decided to make him go with us. Once we were under the
school, he elbowed Ron in the side and stole his wand. Just as he was getting ready to cast the
obliviate curse on him, Malfoy cast a spell at him, sending the obliviate spell into the rocks above us.
That’s when the Chamber caved in and we were all separated.” His father knew that Draco was
wondering so he volunteered the information.
“Gilderoy Lockhart was remanded to Azkaban prison last night to await trial for casting memory
charms on numerous people and attempting to assault children.” Draco gave a satisfied smirk. Served
the poncey git right. Dumbledore didn’t like having the show stolen from him so he was quick to
begin again.
“Arthur, Molly, Ginny turned out to be the culprit behind opening the Chamber and releasing the
basilisk through way of a cursed diary belonging to Lord Voldemort. He possessed her the entire
time that she wrote in it. The image of Voldemort told Harry that she had had it since before school
started. Do you have any idea how or when she got it? From where?” Both parents were shaking
their heads, disbelief in their eyes. Draco knew that they had to have been told about her involvement
the night before but doubted that they had been informed as to how long she had had the diary in her
possession. Dumbledore gave them a sad smile before continuing.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter at this juncture. It’s destroyed now and that’s what matters.” Lucius
nodded, probably to make the Weasleys feel better.
“How was it destroyed? Draco was too tired to speak of it last night and there have been no details
given since.” Lies, all lies, but Draco wasn’t about to say anything. Potter’s voice was stronger now.
“I had been fighting the basilisk, trying to kill it. Malfoy started shooting spells at it, I think he was
trying to distract it. I had the Sword of Gryffindor but I couldn’t get a clear shot. Finally, one of his
spells hit it. I took the opening to stab the beast with the Sword. Once it was dead, I turned and saw
Voldemort standing over Malfoy and he was clutching his chest, clearly in pain. My wand was in
Voldemort’s hand. I realized that he was almost human again and Ginny was almost dead. I had a
basilisk fang in my arm and knew that I wouldn’t be able to get there in time so I threw the Sword of
Gryffindor to Draco. He caught it and stabbed the diary. It started spewing this black ooze and he
stabbed it again. Voldemort disappeared and Ginny woke up.” Arthur Weasley looked confused.
“If Mr. Malfoy is a Slytherin, how was he able to handle the Sword of Gryffindor? It makes no
sense.” Dumbledore favored his past student with a smile.
“At the time, his inner Gryffindor was forefront in his mind.” Draco visibly gagged and Potter
laughed at him. Once he had himself under control, Harry asked a question that he had clearly been
wondering about.
“What spell was Malfoy hit with? I didn’t think that we were going to get out of the Chamber with
him alive.” Uncle Sev eyed Potter and spoke imperiously.
“He almost didn’t. It was a specialty curse used during the first war; it slowly crushed the organs of
the person afflicted. Just a few more minutes and Mr. Malfoy would have had mush for lungs.”
Potter visibly gulped and Draco thanked Merlin above once more that his godfather had come down
into the Chamber with the Headmaster. His father, however, just looked angry.
“I want to know why it was even necessary for my son and two other young children to go into the
Chamber of Secrets when the Headmaster was brought back for that very reason?” Arthur sneered
his way.
“What, Malfoy, get upset when your son is injured? I suppose it makes no never mind that you used
that curse on who knows how many innocent people before your master disappeared.” Draco felt his
temper flare but did his best to look at the Weasleys impassively. It was difficult, more difficult than
just about anything else he had ever done. He decided that Hermione would have been proud. His
father, however, smirked at the red head.
“Is that really the best you can do, Weasley? Insult me and then make insinuations about my past
affiliations? Come now, you can do better.” The Weasleys were both getting red in the face and
Draco could tell that Potter didn’t know what to think about it. Arthur was just getting ready to speak
again when Ronald finally spoke for the first time.
“He doesn’t need to say anything else because it’s the truth. You were a bloody Death Eater as was
Professor Snape and Sirius Black. Malfoy and Black are going to follow in their daddy’s footsteps
and try to bring their master back to the top. It’s all just a matter of time.” Draco couldn’t help but to
snort loudly this time.
“Is that really the best YOU can do, Weasley? You’ve been spewing that bile since last year. Come
up with new material.” Contrary to popular belief, Draco knew exactly what his father had been, the
things he had done. Before he had left for Hogwarts last year, his father had taken him aside on one
of the few nights he hadn’t been spending with Hermione and told him everything. He knew that his
father had willingly served the Dark Lord, he knew that he had been loyal up until Sirius had told
him that Hermione wouldn’t be in his life if he continued down that path. He had murdered, tortured,
and pillaged; the only thing that he was innocent of was rape and that was because it was the one
thing he had outright refused to do. While he wasn’t proud of his father’s actions, he was proud that
he had turned his back on it and never regretted his decision. After all, Draco knew one hundred
percent that Hermione was worth it. Seeing that the situation was about to devolve into something he
didn’t want, Dumbledore held up his hands.
“Enough, gentlemen. To answer your question, Lord Malfoy, we weren’t aware that the heir was
even still in-house. You had Hagrid arrested, after all. Minerva and Severus can both attest to the fact
that I searched the school over several times in an attempt to find the Chamber of Secrets. Once we
received the note from young Mr. Malfoy telling us where they were going, we followed and tried
our best to get to them in the Chamber itself. As much as I hate that it was necessary, it’s quite clear
that if they had waited any longer to go down, Miss Weasley would have died and Lord Voldemort
would have returned.” Molly Weasley choked back a sob and Potter looked uncomfortable yet again.
Her arms pulled him and Ronald in close so she could choke them in an embrace that looked like a
vice. Draco smirked their way and they glared at him. Lucius had just one more question.
“How much longer until my niece and the other victims of the basilisk can be awoken?” Uncle Sev
examined his nails as he spoke, looking as if he couldn’t give two shites. It was a good thing that
Draco knew differently.
“Eleven more days for the potion to mature. It will be administered on the thirteenth, the same day as
the Leaving Feast. It was the best we could do.” Ronald spoke again.
“All you’re worried about is your bloody niece. Trust me, she’s enough of a swot to not have less
than perfect grades even though she’s been a slab of stone since February.” Draco couldn’t help
himself. He went to his feet and his wand was pointed at the redhead. His eyes were hard and his
voice stone.
“I think you owe my cousin a huge thank you, Weasley. After all, it was her hard work and research
that told Potter what the beast was and what to expect. If we had gone in blind, your sister would
have been dead. None of us have made disparaging comments about the fact that your sister is
responsible for this whole situation because she couldn’t help but want to cry to her diary about how
terrible her life was.” His father stood and laid a hand on his shoulder, clearly trying to calm him
down. Nobody else said anything but judging by the pale expressions on the redheads’ faces, it was
clear they hadn’t made that mental leap. Draco let his father pull him back into his chair.
“This concludes our meeting. Be warned, Dumbledore, the Board will be watching you and we
expect excellence.” Dumbledore’s eyes were chips of ice but he nodded his head respectfully. Draco
took this as his cue to leave but was cut off by a soft pop. Dobby appeared in the middle of the room,
wringing his hands and looking quite nervous. On his head was a hat, something that Draco had
never seen before in his life. The implications were severe.
“Mr. Harry Potter, sirs, I’s been sets free and I’s wants to serve you. Please let Dobby bond with
Master Harry.” Draco suddenly understood. Since his time spent near Potter, Dobby had lamented
his service to the Malfoys, his mother had wrote and told him so. His father would only have elves
that served their family happily; he said they were more loyal. By setting him free, he was also
allowing Potter to secure the elf to himself, an added bit of protection for when he wasn’t at school. It
was ingenious really. The Malfoy family wouldn’t miss the loss of one elf’s service. Harry tried to
sputter.
“What? What, I… how do…I don’t understand.” Dumbledore turned sharp eyes to his father but his
father gave no indication of knowing what was going on. Dobby started again.
“Dobby has been gived clothes. He’s free and he wants to serve Master Harry, please say yes.”
Harry just shook his head side to side, clearly confused.
“I don’t know the first thing about having an elf, I only know what they are because of Ron.” Draco
decided to throw the boy a bone.
“Weasley wouldn’t have the first idea about elves. We have numerous elves and they are wonderful
little creatures. They will serve you and take care of your needs. They will protect you and obey you
even if it results in their death. They serve you but they become your responsibility. It’s a symbiotic
relationship, one that both wizard and elf reap the benefits of.” He still looked confused so Draco
rolled his eyes.
“Elves have to be bonded to a wizard or witch, a family line, or an institution or they die. Their life
force is tied to the bond. If you don’t let him bond to you, his magic will wither away to nothing and
he will eventually die.” Potter looked stricken as it finally sank in what the elf was asking of him. He
turned his gaze to Dumbledore and the Headmaster seemed contemplative.
“It is your choice, Mr. Potter. I’m sure that Mr. Malfoy has elves bonded to him so it would be no
different.” Draco snorted, an inelegant sound that sounded funny in the environment they were in.
“I have my personal elf, Snitch. He’s served me since I was an infant, he raised me. In turn, I protect
him and my magic feeds his bond. However, we have almost a hundred elves that are bound to the
Malfoy family line and they pull their magic from the ancient blood wards around our home. It
would be no different from this elf pulling from your magic.” Potter couldn’t keep the look of distaste
off his face.
“It seems barbaric, enslaving other beings to our magic.” Draco rolled his eyes again.
“It’s only enslaving if that’s how you treat it. Hermione has two elves bound to her, Sipsy and Dot.
She treats them both like royalty and they argue with her constantly. They just happen to do her
laundry, clean her room, and take care of anything she asks of them. Much like a parent would.”
Ronald snorted now.
“She needs elves to be her parents because her father is too busy being a traitor.” Draco rolled his
eyes at the redhead.
“Seriously, you need better material. I’m simply explaining that elves are only enslaved to us if we
do so. That’s entirely up to you.” Potter nodded, finally understanding. He looked back to Dobby
and nodded.
“Alright, you can bond with me. You’ll have to stay out of sight if you go home with me, my
relatives don’t like magic.” Dobby was vibrating with happiness and was bouncing up and down on
his heels, nodding his head in agreement. Without warning, he reached out and touched his hand to
Potter’s chest, the resulting glow burning bright enough for everyone in the room to shield their eyes.
When the light had faded, Draco turned to see a look of complete contentment on Dobby’s face.
Potter cocked his head to the side and asked the one question Draco had hoped that he wouldn’t.
“Who were your masters that set you free?” Draco held his breath but he needn’t have worried.
“Dobby is not remembering who his masters were.” He released a breath that he didn’t know he was
holding. His father had obliviated the elf, thank Merlin. The last thing they needed was for Potter to
be suspicious and not take Dobby. He really would afford him protection while he was away from
school. Dumbledore seemed to realize that the meeting was well and truly over.
“Thank you all for coming and enjoy the rest of your day.” Draco had no problem getting up and
leaving quickly. After all, Hermione was waiting for him in the Hospital Wing.
-O-
Albus couldn’t believe the level of sniping between the Weasleys and Malfoys, it truly was
ridiculous. The pettiness of the parents had been passed on to their children, starting a whole new
generation of rivalries.
Albus was back, Headmaster, and on top of the world again. He had done his best to find the
Chamber but it had been pointless. Harry had stepped up and done what needed to be done
anyways. He considered it practice and training for the things that he was going to have to face later
in life. It was harsh but true.
The elf bothered him; who would set a house elf free and obliviate him? He had originally suspected
Lucius Malfoy of putting the elf with the boy to spy on him but once the bond was in place, it would
have been impossible. He also couldn’t see the man letting go of an elf when the Malfoy family saw
elves as a status symbol. He had feared Sirius Black second but when young Malfoy hadn’t acted
like he knew the elf at all, he doubted it was true. He supposed that it didn’t matter now, especially
since the elf was now bound to Harry. It would only serve Harry and keep him safe when Albus
couldn’t. A genius idea, really.
He sat back in his chair and contemplated the end of the school year. There really wasn’t anything
left to do aside from end of school exams and waking up the petrified students. Then it would be a
few months of rest and relaxation, something he found he desired after the events of this year.
One thing he vowed to himself, he wouldn’t be as naïve and stupid next year.
A/N- A shorter chapter, but one I thought needed to be had. Mostly so the Weasleys could see that
Draco had a hand in saving their daughter. They probably wouldn’t have believed it otherwise.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think, reviews make me smile.
*For those that are reading this on A03, thank you for all your comments and kudos. I’m not on the
site too often but I do read the comments when I upload chapters and I appreciate them all. You guys
are just awesome! If you ever have a question that you want answered, PM me on ffn.
Next chapter, Hermione wakes up and the Leaving Feast.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 42

A/N- You guys are just so awesome, thank you so much for the love you show me every single
chapter. It keeps me writing, guys! Here’s the chapter everyone has been waiting for, Hermione
returns! Promise not to kill me at the end though…
**Shout out to Komorebi for being my 1200th reviewer. You da bomb!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story as it’s all been done before. This is merely J.K.R.’s
sandbox and I’m just playing around in it. I haven’t made any money from this story or any others…
maybe someday I’ll make millions off my stories but that day is not today.
Chapter 42
June 13, 1993
It was too good to be true, that’s all there was to it. Whereas before, her muscles had been stiff and
unmoving, they were loosening and becoming more fluid. Her eyes blinked for the first time in she
didn’t even know. Her wand was still clenched in her hand but it was slowly lowering to her side.
She could hear gasps off to the side of her, gasps that sounded very much like Draco and her father.
Hermione closed her mouth and tried to swallow; her throat felt like it was raw from being so dry,
she couldn’t even gather enough saliva to wet her tongue. Blinking her eyes felt like sandpaper, her
free hand went to rub them. There was a soft clucking at her head and it took her several seconds to
realize that it was Madam Pomfrey.
“Hold on, Miss Black, let me put eye drops in your eyes. It’ll help with the dryness.” Hermione
nodded her head softly and allowed the woman’s gentle hands to hold her eyes open and flood them
with a fluid that slightly stung. After she blinked the fluid away, her eyes felt as if they were brand
new.
“Water.” Her voice was hoarse and raspy, clearly from disuse. Her throat felt like it was going to
crack open it was so dry. Madam Pomfrey was at her side again, holding a vial to her lips.
“Drink this, Miss Black. It will help with your throat.” It took her several minutes to get the potion
down but the mediwitch was right; her throat felt a thousand times better. The woman held out one
last potion vial.
“Last one, dear. This is going to help your stiff muscles. You’re going to need to take them for a few
days.” Hermione was able to get this one down much faster since her throat was no longer raw.
Once it was gone, the stiffness and soreness lessened considerably. The mediwitch stepped back and
her father and Draco leaned over the top of her, smiles wide on their faces.
“Are you ready to sit up? We’ll help you.” Hermione tried to smile back at them as she nodded her
head. Madam Pomfrey was in the background, cautioning them.
“Slowly, boys. The potions help but she’s still going to be very sore. No sudden movements.” Draco
reached out and took both her hands while her father moved behind her. Draco pulled her to a sitting
position and her father sat down behind her to make sure that she didn’t fall backwards. Once she
was completely upright, Draco moved closer so he could wrap his arms around her. He was much
gentler than he usually was but considering how much her muscles were still protesting, she was
thankful.
“Miney, I missed you so much. You have no idea how terrible life was without you.” She leaned
back against her father and she felt him drop a kiss on the top of her head. She grasped his hand in
hers, holding it tight.
“I’m sorry. I tried to get away from the basilisk but I couldn’t look up or I would have died and knew
that if I ran it would bite me. I really didn’t have too many options.” Her father wrapped an arm
around her from behind and held her tightly.
“Sweetness, you were perfect. You did the right thing, I promise.” The curtain around her bed
twitched and her Uncle Luci, Aunt Cissy, and Uncle Sev stepped in. Her eyes brightened at the sight
of them; it felt like forever since she had seen them. Uncle Luci stepped forward first and wrapped
her in his arms, holding her close and whispering to her how worried he had been. Aunt Cissy was
next, hugging her tightly and smoothing her hair. After she stepped back, Uncle Sev came forward
and hugged her as well, kissing the side of her head before pulling away. Hermione had to stretch
out and touch her toes, her back was killing her it was so stiff. Her family watched her in
understanding and when her back felt better, she turned her attention to them again.
“How long was I petrified?” Draco reached out and took hold of her hand. None of them really
wanted to answer her but it was Uncle Sev that finally answered.
“You were petrified on February 24th and today is June 13th. The potion just finished brewing two
hours ago.” Hermione felt all the color drain from her face.
“I’ve been laying here for almost four months? I’ve missed everything, I’m going to fail all my
exams.” Draco laughed out loud as he shook his head.
“Only you, Miney. Today is the Leaving Feast. Exams were cancelled and it isn’t like you didn’t
know everything already.” Hermione shoved him weakly before she settled against his side. She
wrapped her arms around his waist and just hugged him close. She had missed him.
“It doesn’t matter if I already know everything. Besides, you must tell me everything. Did you figure
out what the monster was? Did someone stop the basilisk?” Draco chuckled before he kissed the side
of her head. The rest of the adults laughed while Sirius re-situated himself since she was leaning on
Draco. He looked to the adults in the room.
“You guys should tell the first part.” Her father and Uncle Luci sighed as they began.
“After you were found by Draco, the Headmaster tried to cover up the fact that you had been
petrified. I told him that it wasn’t going to work because Draco was going to inform not only his
father but yours as well. He didn’t believe me and was surprised when he received a howler from
your father the next day. He banned your father from entering the castle so the Board of Governors
stepped in. Dumbledore was suspended and Minerva was appointed in his place.” Draco looked a
little nervous as he picked up the story.
“I had decided to start researching to see if I could discover what Slytherin’s monster was since you
weren’t able to. I hadn’t figured it out yet and hadn’t realized that you had. I found Potter and
Weasley leaving the castle one night, following a trail of spiders into the Forbidden Forest. I couldn’t
just let them go out there by themselves at night so I followed them. They were saying that Hagrid
told them to follow the spiders since he was the person who everyone suspected had opened the
Chamber the first time fifty years ago.” He heaved a sigh before he lowered his eyes and continued.
“The two idiots followed the spiders into an acromantula nest. All they learned was that the monster
in the school wasn’t a spider and that Hagrid was innocent. Then the spiders all decided that Potter
and Weasley would make a great meal. When I realized that they were about to get attacked and
eaten, I jumped in and started setting the bastards on fire. We literally ran for our lives through the
Forbidden Forest, me shooting fire at the ones behind us and Potter doing the same to the ones that
were trying to flank us.” Hermione couldn’t believe what he was telling her. How could they have
been so stupid?! She didn’t get to yell at him because he hurried on.
“When we reached the castle, we were discovered because Weasley and I were fighting. Potter told
Uncle Sev the truth, that they were out in the Forest and that’s why we were fighting. I lost fifty
points for Slytherin that night.” Hermione started whacking him over and over in the arm, eventually
moving to aim for his head. He ducked and cursed but didn’t once move.
“Are you really that stupid? How could you just follow them, don’t you remember the run-in I had
with Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest last year? Merciful Merlin, how did I ever think you were
smart?” Draco was still defending himself and the adults were all laughing behind their hands. He
finally reached out and snatched her hands in his to stop her. Even though he pulled her back into his
side, she still glared at him.
“It wasn’t my finest hour, alright? However, none of us died and we didn’t run into the Dark Lord.
We’re going to consider it a win.” Hermione couldn’t help grumbling under her breath as they
continued.
“Eventually, I realized that you had to have found out what the monster was even though I couldn’t
find a single book in the library to tell me what it was. Then I realized I should look through your
bag. Apparently, at some point, you got books from the restricted section and stuffed them into your
bag. After I figured out that it was a basilisk, I went and told Uncle Sev.” Her Uncle Luci picked the
story up now.
“When Severus realized that the monster was a basilisk, he went to Minerva and they contacted the
Board of Governors, which in this case was me. Since we knew that we needed someone that spoke
parseltongue, we had to get Dumbledore back in the school even though nobody really wanted him
back. However, we had to do what we had to do to make the school safe again. He was there for
around two weeks and didn’t find a thing. Around this time, Potter apparently visited you and found
a piece of parchment crumpled in your hand, detailing what a basilisk was. He assumed that that was
what Slytherin’s monster was. He said that he had been hearing voices all year and only at the end
did he realize that he had been hearing the basilisk from within the walls.” Draco continued again,
holding her closer.
“Just shy of two weeks ago, we all found a message on the wall outside of Myrtle’s bathroom. It
said, ‘Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever’. Dumbledore told everyone that they needed to
go back to their common rooms. When I realized that Potter and Weasley were scheming, I moved
closer and realized that they knew where the entrance to the Chamber was already. Moaning Myrtle
was the girl that died when the Chamber was opened the first time and she said that the hissing sound
had originated from over by the sinks in her bathroom.” He paused for a breath and Hermione knew
that she wasn’t going to like what she heard next.
“They discovered that Ginny Weasley was the girl that was missing and they decided to go down
after her and save her. I tried to tell Uncle Sev but he was locked away in Dumbledore’s office. I left
him a note and followed Potter and Weasley. They had coerced Lockhart into going with them.
Potter opened the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets with parseltongue and I followed them down a
slide that went deep beneath the school. Once we were down there, Lockhart stole Weasleys wand
and tried to obliviate him. I don’t think it would have made much difference but I couldn’t let that
happen. I stunned him but his spell went up into rock ceiling and it caved in, blocking Potter and I
off from Weasley and Lockhart.” Hermione threaded her fingers through his and urged him on with
a nod of her head. He raked a hand through his hair, a rare show of nervousness.
“Weasley’s wand was broken so he agreed to try moving the rock by hand. Potter and I continued so
we could keep Weaselette from dying. We found her almost dead in the main part of the Chamber;
her pulse was barely there and her skin was cold as ice. The diary from home was next to her and I
learned that Potter found it after Weaselette tried to get rid of it. She had been writing in it since
before school started and it was stealing her life force. The image of Tom Riddle was there. He
wanted to know how Harry had beaten him and we learned that Tom Riddle was actually
Voldemort.
He set the basilisk on Harry and Dumbledore’s phoenix appeared before us. It blinded the basilisk
and dropped the sorting hat down for Harry. He ran away, leading it away from myself and the
female Weasley. The image of Tom Riddle started messing with my head, he knew who I was
because I look so much like Father. He told me that if I served him well I would be allowed to marry
you when he said that he would find you a proper husband. It was fucking scary and I had no idea
what to do.” Aunt Cissy, who had been silent until now, spoke.
“Language, Draco.” He snorted softly but continued.
“Potter ended up pulling Gryffindor’s Sword out of the sorting hat and killed the basilisk. Weaselette
was almost dead, the proof that Riddle could pick up Potter’s wand. I was shooting spells at the
basilisk trying to distract it so Harry could kill it. Riddle cursed me with a curse that made me feel
like I had a house sitting on my chest; it was horrible and I hope I never have to live through it again.
When Potter realized that I was in trouble, he threw me Gryffindor’s Sword and I stabbed the diary
twice. Tom Riddle exploded into a million tiny little pieces and we were able to make our way back
through the Chamber. Weaselette woke up and began to cry, said she hadn’t meant to open the
Chamber or set the basilisk on all the muggleborns.” Uncle Sev picked up where he left off.
“When I got Draco’s note, the Headmaster and I went after them. I blasted apart the sink that led
down into the Chamber. We found Weasley and Lockhart and moved the cave in. We couldn’t pass
the other door into the Chamber, however, and were forced to wait until they came to us. I healed
Draco then and there and it’s a good thing. He wouldn’t have lasted much longer. Once we were all
topside again, we made Draco spend the night next to you, recovering from the curse the Dark Lord
had cast on him.”
Hermione couldn’t help it; she burst into tears.
Draco held her close and let her cry into his chest. Her father rubbed soothing circles on her back and
kissing the back of her head every so often. She felt stupid for crying, she was supposed to be tough
after all, but her cousin, her best friend in the whole world, had almost died. He had been cursed by
Tom Riddle, by Voldemort, and if their godfather hadn’t been there he would have died. She did her
best to get herself under control but it was several minutes before her tears subsided. Hermione
hugged her cousin tightly and spoke into his chest. It was muffled but she knew that he understood
her.
“You almost died. You could have died while I was petrified and I wouldn’t have been able to say
goodbye, I wouldn’t have gotten to see you ever again. Why didn’t Harry tell someone, why did he
have to go after the great bloody snake by himself?” Draco carded his fingers through his hair but
before he could speak, Aunt Cissy did.
“Thank you, Hermione, that’s exactly what I said. He just told me to stop babying him.” She
couldn’t help the snort of amusement. She reached out and pinched his side. He jumped and yelped
in pain but didn’t pull away.
“You should be nicer to your mother. I’m still waiting for an answer. It better be a bloody good
reason or I’m going to curse him.” Her father chuckled behind her as he answered her question.
“He thought that he would have the best chance at stopping it since he speaks parseltongue. He
didn’t know that Dumbledore does as well.” Hermione knew that her eyes were flashing.
“I’m going to curse him. What a bloody idiot! If he had gotten you killed I’m pretty sure I would
have killed him.” Draco chuckled at her words.
“When you curse him, I want to watch. Serves the bugger right.” The whole room laughed now and
Hermione tried to get herself under control. Her motor control was just a little off, probably from not
moving for four months.
Hermione pushed off her cousin and laid back into her father. He wrapped his arms around her and
held her tight, kissing the side of her head yet again. Since nobody else was saying anything,
Hermione closed her eyes and spoke.
“Am I still going to get in trouble for cursing Lavender Brown? I was being delivered to a professor
because I cursed her in front of the library.” Uncle Sev shook his head.
“Nobody has said anything about it. However, you must know that what you were doing to that girl
would have killed her. Hermione, you don’t want to become a murderer, they will put you in
Azkaban no matter the reason.” Hermione let her eyes fall to her lap and she nodded her head.
“I know, it was stupid and I let my temper get away from me. As soon as Harry stopped me, I
regretted it. Draco is my anchor and when I pictured him, all I could see was him being tortured and
dying.” Her father, the one most likely to understand her plight, nodded.
“I understand exactly what you mean, poppet. I know how hard it is. I’m just saying that you can’t
lose control like that, I couldn’t bear to lose you to the dementors.” She nodded and raised her head.
“What will my punishment be?” Her father looked contemplative behind her. Her uncles and aunt
were trying to hide their smirks; she suspected that they had already discussed what her punishment
would be.
“You’re grounded from the library and reading in general for a week. That means no school work
and no reading for pleasure. You’re a very difficult child to punish, Hermione.” Her mouth dropped
open and her eyes widened. A week with no reading? How was she going to survive that? Then she
remembered that she had almost killed someone and decided that even though it was a horrid
punishment, she deserved it.
“Alright. That sounds fair.” Her father kissed the back of her head again.
“Good, it starts tomorrow once you’re home. Just think though, you can still work on your dueling
and running since it’s been four months since you last practiced.” Hermione chuckled softly. She
hadn’t thought of that and it did indeed sound like a good plan. Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy both
stood, smiles on their faces.
“We have to go, Hermione. We were only allowed to come and be with you while you woke up.
You still have to attend the Leaving Feast. We’ll see you both on the platform tomorrow when the
Express arrives.” Hermione nodded and happily accepted the hugs from her family. Her father stood
behind her and hugged her again as well.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetness. Have a good time at the Feast.” She smiled and nodded. Once
only her godfather and cousin remained, Uncle Sev tugged on one of her curls and gave her a soft
smile.
“I’m happy you’re back with us, love. Draco isn’t near as fun to talk to.” The side of his mouth
twitched upward and Draco scowled at him. He bent over and kissed her head again before he
spoke.
“I took the liberty of having the elves bring you another set of uniforms. Go take a shower in the one
just off the Hospital Wing. Draco and I will wait for you and escort you down to the Great Hall in
case you have any residual muscle weakness.” She beamed at him. A shower sounded wonderful; it
made her wonder if she had been bathed at all in the four months she had resided in the Hospital
Wing.
It didn’t take her long to shower off; she really wanted to take her time and let the hot water work out
the kinks in her muscles. Hermione decided that she would take another shower that night after the
Leaving Feast and she would take her time then. She took care with her uniform and made sure that
her hair was dried and looked decent. It wouldn’t do for her to be out of commission for four months
and then suddenly appear looking like complete shite.
After she was dressed and looked proper, Hermione exited the shower and found her cousin and
godfather waiting patiently for her. Both smiled when they saw her and Hermione couldn’t help but
smile back. Draco offered her his arm and she gladly took it. While her motor control was improving
with every passing minute, she still found that there was a little muscle weakness. Their Head of
House walked in front of them, escorting them properly. On their way out, Hermione noticed that all
the other students that had been petrified had already left; she wasn’t sure when that had happened
but who was she to complain?
As they traversed the corridors, Hermione felt herself getting more nervous about facing everyone.
She was the only pureblood to be petrified, the only Slytherin as well. Her friends were sure to
welcome her back enthusiastically and while Hermione appreciated the sentiment, she hated being
the center of attention. She could only hope that Draco would stay with her and tell people to back
off if it became too much.
Just in front of the Great Hall door, the three of them stopped and Draco squeezed her arm. She gave
him a smile and a nod, showing that she was ready. Her godfather nodded as well and he threw the
doors open wide. The whole Great Hall came to a halt, everyone falling silent when they realized
who was entering. Hermione gulped as Draco led her forward towards the Slytherin table. She
managed to catch sight of Neville and the twins waving at her from the lion’s table.
Hermione had never been happier to take her seat at the Slytherin table in all her life.
-O-
Harry was dreading the end of the school year. The last thing he wanted to do was board the train
and go back to the Dursleys so he could spend the summer slaving away for them. He wished more
than anything that he didn’t have to return there, that he could go somewhere else for the summer.
He would even stay at Hogwarts and study.
The Feast was getting ready to start and while he dreaded the end of the year, he was excited for the
Feast. Ron had finally stopped telling everyone the story about the Chamber of Secrets so the
attention that went with it was starting to die away as well. He knew that the victims of the basilisk
were going to be woke up today and he was more than a little excited to see Hermione Black alive
and moving once more. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone, especially since Ginny had
noticed ages ago that he always watched her.
Therefore, he did his absolute best to keep his attention off her when she entered the Great Hall on
Malfoy’s arm, Professor Snape striding ahead of them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that
she didn’t look very happy with the attention she was receiving. Her friends were all smiling at her
and the girls were hugging her. She bore it well but looked ecstatic when the Headmaster stood and
started to speak.
“Another year has come and gone. It’s been a learning experience for us all. I want to welcome back
all those students that have been petrified. Everyone has missed you.” There was a smattering of
applause but the loudest was at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was laughing at his cousin and
Hermione’s face was scarlet. Before the Headmaster could continue, the doors to the Great Hall flew
open again and this time, Hagrid lumbered inside. He started for the High Table but stopped when he
reached where Harry was seated at the Gryffindor table.
“I want ta thank ya, Harry, and Ron, fer believin’ in me and doin’ yer best ta prove me innocence. It
means more than ya kno’.” Harry grinned at him widely. He stood and wrapped his arms around
Hagrid as far as they would go.
“It’s not Hogwarts without you, Hagrid. We’re glad you’re back.” Hagrid hugged him back and the
Great Hall exploded in applause. After Harry pulled away from his friend, he began clapping for him
as well. Hagrid turned a scarlet color much the same as Hermione had. He started for the High Table
again, this time the applause dying off when he took his usual seat. The Headmaster smiled out at all
the students and continued.
“Hagrid has returned where he belongs. May we never lose him again. Now, I believe I have some
last-minute points to award and deduct and then we’ll announce the quidditch and house cup
winners.” He paused and Harry couldn’t help but worry if this was going to be like last year.
“The quidditch house cup is awarded to Gryffindor.” The Gryffindor table went wild, cheering and
hollering. The house cup trophy was handed to McGonagall and she rose to walk over to the
Gryffindor table and hand it to Oliver Wood, the team captain. They let the cheering go on for a few
minutes before Dumbledore hushed them.
“For arguing with another student in the corridors, Gryffindor will lose twenty points.” Harry had no
idea what this was for since the student hadn’t been named. It appeared everyone else was just as
confused, including the professors.
“For cursing another student and almost killing them, Slytherin will lose one hundred and fifty
points.” The whole of the Great Hall went silent and Harry instantly knew what the Headmaster was
talking about. He couldn’t help a glance at Hermione. Her face was ashen and she had her impassive
mask on her features. Malfoy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and was whispering in her ear.
She nodded silently but refused to drop her eyes in shame. Harry didn’t get to contemplate it further
because the Headmaster continued.
“For helping a friend in need and knowing that family is everything, Ronald Weasley will be
awarded one hundred points.” The Gryffindor table went wild, the twins and Percy clapping Ron on
the shoulders and back.
“For doing something distasteful because it was the right thing to do, Draco Malfoy will be awarded
one hundred points.” Harry couldn’t hide the grin on his face. At last, he had been awarded equally
to Ron. Hermione was smiling at her cousin, hugging him close, but he could still see the tightness
around her eyes.
“For going above and beyond to save the school from a great hazard, Harry Potter will be awarded
two hundred points. This puts Gryffindor in the lead against Slytherin, 450-350. Gryffindor wins the
house cup.” Harry was happy that they won but he couldn’t help but realize that the difference
between the two teams was exactly how many points that Slytherin had lost between Hermione and
Malfoy. It seemed that she realized it too because her eyes had fallen to her lap while everyone
cheered. Her friends seemed to be trying to cheer her up, unknowing of why she was upset.
Dumbledore bid them to begin eating, the food appearing before them all. Dobby had promised him
that he would make the treacle tart special for him and put it directly in front of him when it was time
for pudding. Harry ate happily, enjoying his last good meal before returning home. Sure, Dobby
would be going with him but he was still going to have to remain hidden so the Dursleys didn’t see
him. It did mean, however, that Harry would no longer have to starve.
The Feast lasted for ages, everyone laughing and joking while they said their goodbyes. The day
they left was always filled with everyone trying to cram their belongings in their trunks before
leaving on the Express at eleven. They would have the ride back to King’s Cross but there was
always so many people to bid farewell to that it was best to get some of them out of the way at the
Feast.
When the Feast was finally over, Harry was ready to get back to the common room so he could start
packing. Dobby had begged him to do it but Harry hadn’t been comfortable with letting him. They
were still getting to know each other and Harry knew that he was slow to trust, especially after the elf
had almost killed him. Even though he swore to himself that he wouldn’t seek Hermione out, he
found that he couldn’t not thank her for cluing him into what he would be facing in the Chamber of
Secrets. He told Ron that he would meet him in the common room and then silently followed the
Slytherin pair. He was surprised when they broke off from the main crowd and hid away in a corner.
Professor Snape was there waiting for them. Harry knew it was wrong but couldn’t help sneaking
close enough to listen in. Hermione’s voice was wavering and it was clear that she was close to tears.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Sev, I never meant to lose the cup for you, for us. I know you’re disappointed in
me but I swear it’ll never happen again.” He watched as Professor Snape pulled Hermione into his
arms and kiss the top of her head.
“I’m not angry, I’m not even disappointed. While you deserved to be punished, Albus did that on
purpose so the lions would win. You couldn’t have missed the fact that Gryffindor won by a
hundred points, the exact amount we lost. I suppose that we should be lucky enough that he didn’t
see fit to name you, even though I doubt your house mates would have minded. They understand
about family honor. You just took it a little far.” She snorted, an inelegant sound that he wouldn’t
have pictured coming from her.
“I took it way too far. I just wish that I could take it back so Slytherin wouldn’t have to suffer.” He
tugged one of her curls with a smile.
“Slytherin has been getting a raw deal for decades, this year would have been no different. Enough
now, head to the common room so you can get your things packed.” Hermione hugged Professor
Snape and then turned around so she and Malfoy could head back to the main corridor that led to the
dungeons. Snape disappeared, to where he had no idea, but he was gone nonetheless.
Harry let them get several corridors away from where they spoke to Professor Snape and finally
called out to them. Both stopped and turned and when Hermione saw that it was him, her eyes
flashed. He was unsure what that was about but figured that he was about to find out.
“I just wanted to say that I’m glad you’re awake again. I also owe you a thank you for the parchment
in your hand, telling me what the Slytherin monster was. I probably would have died without that.”
Hermione launched herself at him, smacking him everywhere that she could reach. Harry tried to
defend himself, tried to fend her off, but she was quick and had a surprisingly hard hit.
“What the bloody fuck?! What is your problem?” With every word she spoke, she punctuated it with
a smack to his arms or chest.
“You almost got Draco killed twice, bloody idiot! What were you thinking, going down into the
Chamber by yourself without telling a teacher? Were you wanting it to kill you with its murderous
stare?” Malfoy looked highly amused but Harry wasn’t. If it had been any other day, he probably
wouldn’t have said what he did. As soon as he did, he regretted it.
“You almost killed Lavender. What’s the bloody difference? At least I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Where her eyes had been expressive and her hair sparking at the ends, making her look lovelier than
he had ever seen her, now her face was blank and she backed away from him quickly. In truth, it
looked like he had slapped her right across the face. Malfoy pulled her back and Harry could tell that
he was no longer amused. Her voice was flat when she finally spoke.
“You’re right. I did almost kill Lavender. I suppose the only difference is that I was punished for it
and you were rewarded. Not a surprise really.” She turned her attention to her cousin.
“I’m ready to go to the common room now, Drake.” Malfoy was glaring at him and Harry couldn’t
leave it like that. He hadn’t meant to throw that in her face, it had been anger at her being angry at
him. Rightfully angry to be honest.
“Wait, Black, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I could tell when I stopped you that you didn’t
want to kill her. To answer your question, I didn’t want to get anyone killed, I didn’t want to get
anyone hurt. I wasn’t thinking, I was just telling myself that nobody could stop the snake but me.”
While her face remained impassive, she nodded in his direction, accepting his apology.
“I’m sorry too, I should have kept my anger to myself. It won’t happen again.” He wanted her to
curse at him, to hit him again. It would be better than her feeling nothing when she thought of him.
Knowing that he wasn’t going to get any further with her tonight, he nodded his acceptance of her
apology and turned to head back to his common room.
Harry couldn’t work out why her coldness bothered him so much. Sure, he thought that she was
beautiful, that she was brilliant, but that didn’t mean that her feelings towards him should matter. Yet,
the look on her face cut him deep, the sight of her visibly recoiling from his words had made him
instantly regret his reaction. He supposed that there was nothing for it now, he was just going to have
to let it pass. Hopefully, she would forget his words by next year. Harry cursed to himself again.
He wasn’t supposed to care.
A/N- Another one bites the dust, y’all. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I had fun writing this one.
Anyways, let me know what you guys think, I do enjoy hearing your opinions. Leave me a message
after the beep, reviews are love.
Next chapter, family moments and an Azkaban breakout.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 43

A/N- You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for the follows, favorites, and reviews, they all
made me smile. Chapter 45 will be the beginning of third year for those of you that have been
chomping at the bit for it to start. Don’t worry, I’m excited for it too! Anyways, enough for now, just
know that I appreciate all of you.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story. Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle gave me the idea for
Part One of this story and the rest belongs to our queen. I merely play with her characters and her
world. I haven’t made any money from this story or any other, evidenced by the fact that I’m a broke
bitch.
Chapter 43
July 1, 1993
Hermione was breathless after her ride with her aunt. Her horse, Bluebell, had been full of energy
and Hermione had taken her for a run over the whole of the grounds of Black Moor. This wasn’t
something new for the two of them but it was the first time that Hermione had had time to do so that
summer.
Her summer plans had been crazy so far. While her grounding had indeed occurred when she
returned home, she hadn’t let it deter her from learning. Instead, Hermione had focused on her
dueling skills since she was a bit rusty from her four-month sleep. She had started running again and
while she didn’t feel like she had missed any time at all, it was fact that her body had. It had been like
starting over from square one and it had been complete hell. However, since Draco had stopped
doing everything that Hermione had done when she had gotten petrified, he was just as bad when he
had started running with her again. After almost a month at home, the pair were finally back in shape
and could run the perimeter of the grounds and not want to throw their guts up.
Dueling had been difficult to pick up again. It had taken almost two weeks for her to completely lose
the stiffness in her muscles and joints, even with the help of the potions that her godfather had given
her. She felt terrible for the muggleborn students that had had to go home without those extra
potions. They would have suffered far worse than she did. This didn’t mean that her father and
uncles had taken it easy on her either; if anything, they had pushed her harder and told her that she
wouldn’t always be in peak condition and she would have to improvise. While she understood their
point, it was still painful and there were nights that she was in so much pain that she had to have
Draco rub her muscles just so she could sleep.
Hermione had also been working in the potions lab with her godfather. He was working on an
experimental potion that he was trying to create that would help cure werewolves. He wouldn’t tell
her why, just told her that the world would be safer with fewer slavering beasts. While she could
understand his point, she knew that all werewolves couldn’t be bad. There had to be some decent
ones out there somewhere. Her father had told her of his best friend in Hogwarts, Remus Lupin, and
how he had been a decent person up until he had turned on him without letting him explain a thing.
Surely there were more like him.
Draco helped them sometimes in the lab but he always had social engagements with his friends.
Where Theo had always come around before, he showed his face less and less around Black Moor.
Hermione knew that it was because of the conversation that she had had with him, threatening him
for his outrageous treatment of Harry when he had gathered the nerve to sit with them in the library.
He still went to Malfoy Manor and even though he saw Hermione there just as much as he would
have at her family home, it was somehow different. Truthfully, Hermione wasn’t bothered by it. She
knew that Draco didn’t trust him completely and that wasn’t likely to change.
Vince, Greg, and Blaise still came over whenever Draco got bored with dueling practice and they all
played quidditch on the pitch at the back of their property. Hermione would go watch them
sometimes, always with a book in her hand, and they always tried to show off for her. Draco would
just shake his head at their behavior since he knew that she wasn’t interested in any of them.
Her Aunt Cissy had started planning a birthday party for the pair of them. Rather than throwing two
parties for them, they had begged her to have only one party at the beginning of August, that way
they could still celebrate their birthdays and see their friends but they wouldn’t be subjected to the
down side of attending two parties. If there was one thing that Aunt Cissy went all out for, it was a
party.
Hermione and her Aunt Cissy had just returned the week before from the horse show that her Uncle
Luci had bought them tickets for. As she had predicted, it had turned into a week-long trip that had
become a girl’s week; it had been full of shopping, spa days, and taking in shows. While Hermione
had enjoyed herself, she had never been happier to be home.
Hermione and Draco had also been sat down by her father, both her uncles and her aunt when they
had returned home. They had implored to both herself and Draco that they no longer had to protect
Harry, that they weren’t to put themselves in danger for him any longer. Apparently, they had
realized that after Hermione being petrified, it wasn’t fair to ask them to put themselves in danger for
a boy that clearly had no sense of self-preservation. While Hermione had promised to be smarter
about protecting Harry, she couldn’t just turn that protective instinct off; she had been raised with it
and it would be hard to lose. Since she had said she wouldn’t stop but would be smarter, Draco had
of course said the same thing. The adults weren’t the happiest but they were aware that there was
nothing they could do about the situation when they were away at school.
Hermione still couldn’t get Harry’s words after the Leaving Feast out of her mind. He had been right,
she didn’t have a right to get angry with him for almost killing Draco when she had done the same to
Lavender. However, hers had been done in the heat of the moment while his had been done on
purpose, he had meant to go into the Chamber of Secrets on his own and without a teacher. It didn’t
change the fact, however, and Hermione couldn’t help that he spoke the truth.
That didn’t mean that it hadn’t been like a slap to the face. After she had reached the Slytherin
common room, she had wanted to cry again but had staunchly refused. Draco had hugged her close
and told her that it wasn’t the same thing but she knew that he was just trying to make her feel better.
It was the same thing and Harry had every right to throw it in her face after she had assaulted him.
She had decided to just let it go if he spoke to her again. Holding the truth against him would have
been hypocritical since she was constantly angry that he believed lies regarding her family.
Bluebell nickered at the sight of her stall in the stable. The rest of the horses neighed their greeting to
her and Hermione had to smile. She had just finished rubbing down Bluebell and she had earned her
grain today. After putting her in her stall, Hermione saw her aunt putting her mare Star away as well.
Together, the pair smiled at their horses and started for Black Moor.
Everyone was supposed to meeting them there since they were finally going to work on their family
album project. Hermione had guilted both her uncles into helping with the project and Draco really
hadn’t had a choice in the matter. He had rolled his eyes when Hermione told him that he was going
to help but hadn’t voiced any real objections. Since his father was helping with little grumbling, she
supposed that he was going to be able to help without looking too wimpy as well.
Once they were inside, Hermione headed up the stairs to her room. Since there would be less than
manly projects going on today, Draco had made sure to make no plans whatsoever with any of their
friends. Just to be a brat, Hermione had briefly considered inviting Pansy and Daphne over but in the
end decided that that was just too cruel to do to her cousin. She had chuckled to herself over it
though, much to Draco’s surprise.
She quickly showered off, washing the scent of horse and stables off her. She knew that her aunt
was downstairs in one of the spare rooms doing the same thing. She was busy fighting a tangle in her
curls when Draco opened her door and waltzed in. He flopped down on her bed and sighed.
“I can’t believe you’re making us do this, Miney. It’s not distinguished at all. If everyone found out,
I’d never live it down.” Hermione stood and walked to her bed so she could bend down over her
cousin and kiss him on the cheek.
“I won’t ever tell a soul, I swear. Now help me get this tangle out.” He stuck his tongue out at her.
“I should make you suffer since you’re making me do this.” She huffed at him and glared. He rolled
his eyes at her and held his hand out for her brush. She couldn’t hold back her grin as she slapped it
into his hand. After plopping down in front of him, he went to work on her curls. Hermione could
never understand how he untangled them so easily and she struggled with it.
Several minutes later, Draco had unknotted her hair and she thanked him sweetly. He stuck his
tongue out at her again before following her down the stairs into the library. Her father, aunt, and
both uncles were already present, sipping on wine it appeared. There were numerous boxes of
photos in the middle of them and there was a large album on the table next to them. Hermione
clapped her hands together and almost squealed in excitement. Of all the adults present, Aunt Cissy
was the only one that looked remotely happy about the situation they found themselves in. Hermione
frowned and put her hands on her hips.
“Why is everyone frowning? This is supposed to be fun.” Uncle Luci gave her an indulgent smile.
“Lovey, this isn’t something that we would do for fun; we’re doing this for you. Give us a bit to get
into the project.” Hermione felt terrible. Were they not wanting to help with this at all? The last thing
she wanted to do was force them despite what she had told Draco. She had genuinely thought that it
was something they would enjoy doing as a family but that wasn’t the case. Her face fell and she
flopped down next to her aunt on the couch.
“You guys don’t have to help. I thought you secretly wanted to help and just had to complain
because it wasn’t manly.” Uncle Sev looked like he wanted to bolt at the second her words left her
mouth but to his credit, he didn’t. Her father smiled her way.
“Poppet, they want to do this with you. Don’t get all sullen teenager on us now.” She stuck her
tongue out at him but was serious when she spoke.
“Truly, I don’t want to force you to help. Aunt Cissy and I can do this on our own.” Her father
shook his head.
“I’m definitely in. I started drinking wine for a reason.” Hermione couldn’t keep her chuckle in. Both
her uncles looked pained but stayed where they were. Even Draco looked resigned. Uncle Sev spoke
softly.
“I’m doing this for you, love. If you ever tell a soul, I’ll grind you up and use your body parts as
potion ingredients.” Hermione laughed and threw herself into his arms and hugged him around the
neck.
“You’re the best, Uncle Sev, I won’t tell anyone.” He rolled his eyes but hugged her back. Uncle
Luci rolled his eyes now.
“You know I’m going to do this because you have me wrapped around your finger. We’re not going
to dwell on it, we’re just going to do it. As for Draco, if the rest of us have to do this, he does too.”
Draco looked offended at the fact that everyone else got the choice but he didn’t look too unhappy.
The six of them dug into the boxes of photos, going through the earlier ones first. There were so
many that Hermione didn’t even remember seeing. Her father and her two uncles were featured in
many of the ones teaching them how to fly, there were photos of their first etiquette lessons with
Aunt Cissy, photos of them learning potions with Uncle Sev. Hermione laughed at the ones where
she was on top of Draco and they were tickling each other and he laughed at the ones where he had
thrown mud in her hair on the grounds of Malfoy Manor.
Her all-time favorite photo was the one of her and Draco together at around age six. They were
seated in the window seat of her room, reading a book together. She was in robes the color of a
sapphire and her curls were long down her back. Draco looked like a miniature Lucius with his hair
longer in the back and all-black robes. It was ridiculously adorable and she insisted that it had a page
all to itself.
The best thing about the album was that it enlarged as you went. The more photos you added, the
bigger it got. Hermione loved the concept and liked the idea that she could take all her fondest
memories to school with her. There were photos of Aunt Cissy and Uncle Luci together, photos from
their many trips to France or Italy. Birthday photos, photos of her Uncle Sev dancing with Hermione
at her eighth birthday, her father running around her in his Padfoot form. They all found their way
into her album.
By the time they were finished, everyone was laughing and having a great time. The adults were still
drinking their wine, which she assumed played a part in their laughter, but even Draco appeared to
be having a good time. When they finally cleared away the photos, Hermione gave them all a smug
look.
“Who wants an album for themselves?” Aunt Cissy instantly raised her hand while Uncle Sev glared
at her for a moment before giving her a nod. Draco shook his head vehemently but she just glared at
him.
“You really don’t want one, even to keep at home? You can look through mine if you get the urge at
school.” He rolled his eyes.
“You don’t think I can borrow Mother’s?” Hermione sighed and conceded. Just as she turned away
from him, he sighed.
“Make me one too.” Hermione grinned at him, thrilled that he wanted one as well.
She had just made copies of the album, one for her father included, when an owl pecked at the
window. Her father stood and let it in, waving it towards the bowl of owl treats. He ripped open the
envelope and groaned.
“We have to go, Lucius. Emergency Wizengamot meeting. It says something about a breakout in
Azkaban.” Hermione wasn’t sure how that was even possible but couldn’t help but let a little worry
make its way into her expression. Her father saw it and bent to kiss the top of her head.
“Don’t worry, sweetness, we’re going to handle this. There is nothing for you to worry about.
You’re safe here and at the Manor.” Her frown deepened.
“Do you think whoever it is would come after you?” It was clear that he wanted to be honest but
didn’t want to scare her further.
“It’s all a possibility but it’s not likely, poppet. I don’t want you to worry about it though. I’m going
to be safe always, same as Lucius. We’re going to go see what’s going on and we’ll return later.”
Hermione nodded and gave him a smile. Uncle Luci followed him to the floo and they disappeared
in a flash of green flames. Hermione sighed before turning back to Draco.
“Let’s go practice dueling some more. I’m determined to beat you before we go back to school.”
Draco barked out a laugh and jumped to his feet.
“Never going to happen, Miney.” She shot a stinging hex at his backside as he rushed ahead of her.
He yelped and she laughed, Aunt Cissy chuckling as she followed to watch.
-O-
Sirius scrubbed a hand down his face. The Wizengamot meeting had been a complete shit show,
especially since most of the members weren’t all that worried about Augustus Rookwood escaping
Azkaban prison. Of course, this was because half the members were marked Death Eaters,
supporters at the very least, but that was beside the point.
Nobody had been able to speak freely while in session since the Minister was present but afterwards,
those that followed the Dark Lord had gathered together and spoke. It seemed that while it wasn’t a
proven fact, some claimed that Rookwood had been an animagus back in the day. Nobody was
certain what his form was or if that was even how he had escaped, but it seemed plausible to both
Sirius and Lucius.
It was a proven fact that most animaguses couldn’t transform without their wands. Sirius could,
mostly because he had learned at an extremely young age to become an animagus. Minerva was
capable, as had James been able to. Peter had never mastered the ability. Sirius wasn’t sure if
Rookwood was capable but it seemed plausible. What worried him was what the guards had
reported before he had escaped.
It seemed that the week before Rookwood had escaped, he had clearly been heard muttering, while
asleep and awake, about going to Hogwarts to find Harry and kill him. The guards hadn’t been
worried at the time since the wizard prison was supposed to be inescapable but now that he had
accomplished it, they were worried for their savior. Sirius didn’t blame them; he was worried more
than anyone else in the world.
Sirius knew that neither he nor Lucius had anything to worry about from Rookwood; if he did seek
out Lucius, he would vouch for Sirius and all would be well. Lucius still carried a lot of clout within
the Dark Lord’s circles and he would easily be believed, especially since everyone knew how good
of friends the two men were these days. The fact Severus was also friends with him was just another
added protection; besides, his blood was working for him. Everyone knew that Blacks were dark by
nature and even though Sirius had staunchly followed the light, he was no different. He had always
been darker than all his friends and he tended to see the darker side to just about anything. He hated
the cop out of it being in his DNA but facts were facts.
Now, Sirius dreaded finding his daughter to tell her that it wasn’t himself or their family that she
needed to worry about, but the boy that should have been her brother, the boy that had mean and
terrible to her from the start. Sure, he had been better since the beginning of her second year but there
was no erasing the fact that he had hurt her more than once. Hermione had always been especially
tender-hearted and it would take moving mountains for her to trust him again. Sirius didn’t blame
her; he had taught her from the very start to never stay friends with people that didn’t wish you well.
It had panned out well for her until Harry.
Sirius found himself in a quandary when it came to his godson and his daughter. She wanted to help
protect him and keep him safe until he was able to do it himself but that didn’t mean that she wanted
to be his friend any longer. She had made quite clear last summer that she was done trying to be his
friend and she would do what needed to be done and nothing more. He had applauded her at the
time but now that he considered what was going to happen when Harry finally realized the truth, he
was torn.
On one hand, he loved his daughter more than life itself. He would literally die for her. While he
knew that he loved her and that she loved him too, she was also aware that she had only been
adopted to save him from going to prison so he could care for Harry. While she hadn’t understood
that when she was younger, he knew that she did now. She hadn’t brought it up to him yet but he
knew without a doubt that some day soon she would. Even more recently, since her petrification in
fact, he realized that as a parent, he had failed. Rather than protect his daughter, he had asked her to
put herself in danger to protect his godson, something that was completely horrible when he thought
about it now. Now, she was so used to doing so that she had outright refused to stop doing it.
On the other hand, his love for his godson was absolute. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure how his godson
was able to be so terrible to his daughter when she was such a wonderful person, when she had gone
out of her way to be so nice to him. It hurt him to know that Harry had been mean to Hermione,
especially when she had done nothing but do as Sirius asked her to. When Harry finally learned the
truth and wanted to a part of his life, he really wasn’t sure how Hermione would take it. Loyalty was
everything to her and she would surely view him taking Harry in after everything he had said and
done to her as a betrayal. While he hoped that he would be surprised, he really wasn’t holding his
breath on it. After all, Hermione was a teenaged girl and they were known to be volatile at times.
However, until the truth did come out, it was all a moot point. Harry and Hermione weren’t friends,
in fact, he was quite sure that something had occurred between them at the end of the year,
something that he wasn’t made aware of. She refused to speak of him unless she was asked directly
about him and Draco wasn’t much better. Neither one said anything but that meant nothing. The two
cousins were thick as thieves and likely would be for the rest of their lives. He was under no illusion
that Draco wasn’t her absolute favorite person in the world. It was quite clear that Draco reciprocated
her feelings.
Sirius and Lucius strode through Black Moor, doing his best to find Hermione and Draco. Since
Draco had been so embarrassed about doing the photo album, he had begged off any plans with his
friends which meant that he was guaranteed to be with Hermione no matter what she was doing. It
warmed his heart to see the two of them as close as they were; he had known that Draco had been
lost while she had been petrified. He finally gave up on searching and called on his personal elf.
“Candy.” The small elf appeared before him, a smirk on her face. Lucius rolled his eyes at the sight.
He still swore that Sirius allowed his elves more liberty than they needed.
“Candy, please tell me where my daughter and young cousin are. I don’t have the time it takes to
search for them.” Candy snickered into her hand and for a moment it looked as though she was
going to refuse his request. She had been known to do that when he was being especially lazy.
“Young miss and Master Dracos is in the gym together, practicing with theys wands.” Sirius nodded
at the elf.
“Thank you, Candy. We’ll make our way there momentarily.” The elf nodded and disappeared with
a snap of her fingers. Lucius chuckled.
“I didn’t think the little beast was going to tell you. I was going to laugh too.” Sirius glared at him as
they continued towards the dueling area.
“Shut it, you bastard. My elf minds when she knows I need her to.” Lucius laughed openly at him
now.
“Not true. You needed a hangover potion just a month ago and she refused to fetch it for you. You
whined about it for a bloody week.” Sirius couldn’t help but grumble under his breath as they finally
entered the gym. Hermione and Draco were both facing each other, Narcissa watching from the
sidelines and cheering Hermione on.
“Come on, Hermione, finish him off!” Sirius got to watch his daughter crow in happiness when she
finally cast the disarming spell on her cousin and watched his wand fly through to the air to land in
her outstretched hand. She was doing a little victory dance while Draco glared at her.
“You were cheating, that last move wasn’t legal. I want a rematch.” Sirius and Lucius were both
laughing now since it had been Draco winning for months. Lucius spoke before Sirius had regained
his breath.
“Now, Draco, don’t be a poor loser. Your cousin has been losing to you since last summer and she
has borne it well. Give her her dues in this case and admit that she beat you fair and square.”
Hermione laughed as she rushed forward to hug her uncle.
“Actually, Uncle Luci, I did cheat. However, life isn’t fair and I decided that I would be no sort of
Slytherin if I wasn’t at least capable of cheating if I had to.” Sirius couldn’t help but laugh harder
now, Lucius joining him. Finally, his friend calmed himself and spoke.
“She has a point, Draco. She still gets the win, especially since she always plays fair and never wins.
Don’t be a sore loser.” Draco huffed and nodded before holding out his hand. Hermione laughed
once more and slapped his wand back into his hand.
“Sorry, Drake, I just wanted to feel what winning was like just once.” He pulled her into a hug
before he tugged on her curl hard. She yelped in indignation as she shoved him away.
“Don’t get used to it, you know I’m always going to be better than you.” Hermione reached out and
pinched his side. Now Draco yelped and started for his cousin again. Rather than watch them go
after each other, a past time that afforded him much entertainment in years past, he held up his hands.
“We wanted to update everyone on the breakout.” Everyone fell silent and paid them full attention.
Sirius hated to put this on the children, Hermione particularly, but there was nothing else that he
could do. They needed to be notified so they would stay as safe as Hogwarts as possible.
“Augustus Rookwood is the Death Eater that escaped. While nobody can prove it, its possible that
escaped in an animagus form. Nobody could think of any other way it would be possible. If he is an
animagus, nobody knows what his form is. Basically, it means that there is nothing certain about
how he escaped or what form he would be in.” Sirius sighed and raked a hand through his unruly
curls.
“He was also heard in the week leading up to his escape by the guards talking about going to
Hogwarts and killing Harry. We aren’t sure that it’s even possible considering the precautions they’re
putting in place but I’m a strong believer that anything is possible with enough determination.”
Hermione’s eyes narrowed.
“What precautions?” Sirius sighed but it was Lucius that answered.
“The Ministry is insisted on placing dementors at the school entrances so they can keep Rookwood
out. They’re hoping to keep their savior safe but we’re not sure that it’s going to work. If he was able
to escape past the dementors, he could just do it again.” Hermione had a stricken look on her face
and Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
“We’re not going to let them near Harry, Miney, Rookwood either. We’re going to keep him safe.”
Sirius sighed. As much as he appreciated their sentiment, he didn’t want either one of them getting
hurt trying to protect Harry. As much as he loved Harry, both Hermione and Draco were parts of his
family and he loved them both dearly.
“You’re going to do no such thing. I don’t want either of you trying to protect Harry this year. It’s
too dangerous and the last thing I want is for the two of you to get hurt.” Hermione turned her glare
to him.
“Then teach us the patronus charm, I’ve read all about it. It can save you against dementors. We
could even help protect Harry if he got caught up with them.” While Sirius didn’t want to think about
his daughter and little cousin going up against dementors, he had to admit that it would almost be
foolish to not prepare them to meet a dementor just in case.
“I don’t want you to do anything with dementors, they’re horrible beings and will not hesitate to suck
out your souls. Especially you, Hermione, since you have true horrors in your life. Even though you
don’t remember it, you did watch your mother be murdered.” Hermione’s eyes teared up, much as
they always did when her mother’s death was brought up. Lucius’ expression went blank and
Narcissa sniffed in the background. After she had control of herself, Hermione looked more
determined than ever.
“That just means that I have more of a reason to learn how to defend myself against them. I have to
keep them away from me.” Sirius raked a hand through his hair and sighed. The patronus charm was
ridiculously advanced and only extremely strong wizards that weren’t dark of nature could cast them.
In fact, Severus was the only one he knew of that was Marked that could actually cast one. Lucius
had only managed one in the last year and that was with private tuition with Sirius himself. However,
he knew that he was going to capitulate when he considered what the other option was and there was
no way in hell that having his daughter’s soul sucked out was an option.
“Fine, we’ll work on teaching you the patronus charm but I can’t guarantee that it will be possible.
There aren’t many people that can accomplish it. Narcissa still can’t and Lucius has only been
capable for a year or so. If you can’t do it, don’t get discouraged, especially since you’re only third
years.” Hermione beamed at him and threw herself into his arms. Sirius was never one to turn down
a hug from his daughter so he kissed the top of her head and smiled.
“We’ll start your training tomorrow. I think someone was going to inform Dumbledore of the new
development so he could tell Harry. I hope that it’s enough to keep him safe until school starts.”
Hermione nodded into his chest but didn’t release him. When she did, finally, she beamed up at him
with a smile.
“I’m so excited to learn how to do the patronus charm. It’s going to be great, you’ll see.” Draco
laughed in the background and she scowled in his direction.
“Shut it or I’ll tell Pansy you want to snog her.” Draco sneered in her direction.
“I do not, take it back. I can’t hardly stand her.” Hermione laughed and floated from his arms to her
cousin’s.
“Thank Merlin for small favors. I’ll keep my mouth shut as long as you promise to never marry the
girl.” Draco hugged her tight and lifted her in the air.
“I promise.” Sirius and Lucius laughed at their children.
This was why they looked forward to the summers after all.
-O-
Harry was ready for school to start. He was so sick of being at the Dursleys that it wasn’t even
funny. Not that he found it funny; in fact, he found it quite the opposite.
Even though it was horrid being a slave to the Dursleys, life had been better if only for Dobby’s
presence. While the elf couldn’t help him with his daily tasks, he was able to sneak back to Hogwarts
and get him extra food. The elf has assured him that Dumbledore had told him at the end of the year
that it would be permitted. Harry wasn’t sure what to think of this; it was clear that the Headmaster
knew that Harry’s relatives starved him otherwise he wouldn’t have told Dobby that taking food
from Hogwarts was permissible.
Harry wasn’t quite sure what to think of this. He didn’t think that the Headmaster of a school would
be alright with a student being starved by their guardians. However, he wasn’t sure how the magical
world worked in comparison to the muggle one. There were things that were important in the
magical world that wasn’t in the muggle and vice versa. Therefore, he didn’t make a big deal out of
the fact that Dumbledore was basically alright with him being mistreated.
Even though Harry felt a little sick at the fact that Dumbledore was alright with this, he knew that it
wasn’t his fault. There were probably limitations as to what the Headmaster of a magical school
could do in the muggle world; Harry could see terrible things happening if the Headmaster wanted to
steal the child away from their muggle parents. It wouldn’t be right and leaving them with no power
whatsoever would be understandable in that instance.
Even though Harry was still treated as little more than a servant, life was better. Dobby got him extra
food when the Dursleys felt that he deserved punishment, which was every night incidentally, and
Harry was no worse for the wear. He had only been beaten twice since he had returned home, once
when he let dinner burn and the other when he spoke in front of company. Both seemed ridiculous to
Harry but the Dursleys felt that it was a capital offence. There had been only bruises both times an no
welts or open wounds to deal with like there usually was.
Ron had written several times since the end of the year and told him that his family had won some
sort of raffle and would be travelling to visit their brother Bill in Egypt. While Harry was horribly
jealous, he was also thrilled that Ron would get to go somewhere exciting for his summer holidays.
The Weasleys didn’t have much money so this was a once in a lifetime chance for them. Ron had
reported that he was having a grand time exploring mummies’ tombs and such.
Harry couldn’t help but let his thoughts drift at night to Hermione Black. He never could get her face
out of his mind when he had fired off at her that she was no better because she had almost killed
Lavender. Even though he could admit that he was right, he still felt terrible for throwing that in her
face like that. It had been cruel, especially since she had only been hitting him because she had been
petrified and worried to death that her cousin could have been killed. After witnessing hers and
Malfoy’s Christmas together, he couldn’t blame her for worrying and being anxious. He could only
hope that she would forgive and forget in the upcoming school year.
Harry still dreamt of her at night. He couldn’t help but to wrap his fist around his ever-growing cock
and wank off to the sight of her from so long ago in only her knickers. Her small breasts that were
blossoming as they spoke teased him in his dreams and even though he did his best to ignore the
thoughts of her, the fact remained that the thoughts just wouldn’t leave him. It was heaven and hell at
the same time.
Harry lay in his bed and thought about the upcoming year. They were going to be in their third year,
almost halfway through their Hogwarts career. He really wished he knew that Hermione would
choose the right side in the end. If he knew that she would end up on the light side he would be the
first one lined up to ask her out despite the warnings about her father. He was past thinking that he
could ignore her just because of her father’s betrayal.
However, there was no way that he could have anything to do with her if she wasn’t willing to
renounce her father in every way. He wouldn’t have anything to do with his parents’ killer, if only
inadvertently. He had just decided to roll over and wank himself off so he could sleep when there
was a tapping on the window. Since Hedwig was in her cage, he couldn’t imagine who was writing
him since Ron had just sent him a letter back with Hedwig that morning. He stood and went to the
window so he could retrieve the letter from the unknown owl. Once it was in his hand, he ripped it
open to read.
Harry,
I know that I’ve never sent you a letter at home but I felt the occasion called for it. There was an
emergency Wizengamot meeting today and it was discovered that a Death Eater escaped from the
wizarding prison, Azkaban. They aren’t sure how it happened but the one thing that everyone agreed
on was that he would likely come for you.
Since Augustus Rookwood is wizarding world criminal, there is no way that the muggle world will
be notified. They think he may be able to turn himself into an animal so be wary of any animal that
you see that you don’t recognize. I know that magic outside of school is prohibited but if it’s an
emergency, don’t hesitate. If this happens and you’re forced to use magic, send your owl to me as
soon as possible and I’ll do what I can to take care of the situation.
Yours,
Albus Dumbledore
Harry wasn’t quite sure what to think after reading the letter from the Headmaster. An escaped
prisoner out to get him? Why would that even be? Was it what Ron would call a Death Eater? He
hated that none of his questions were being answered but he hoped that once he returned to his true
home, to Hogwarts, that all his questions would be answered. It was only fair, however, that if he
was at the center of things that he know exactly what was going on with the situation. He couldn’t
help but worry that this wouldn’t be the case.
With a sigh, Harry rolled over and forgot about wanking his willy. There were obviously more
important things in life than thinking about girls and a need for revenge. Dobby, after popping in one
last time to make sure that he didn’t need anything, popped away and left Harry to the darkness.
It was going to be a long night.
A/N- And she’s done, folks, thank God. It seemed like this chapter took ages! Anyways, I hope that
you all enjoyed it and stick with me yet another chapter. Leave me your thoughts after this chapter
and let me know what you think. Reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, Harry blows up his aunt and a birthday party. Yay.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 44

A/N- Hello all, sorry it’s been awhile since I last updated. I really have no good reason except that I
got caught up in a story that you should all read. I’m still not done with the second of the series but I
was feeling guilty for leaving you all hanging. The stories are on fanficauthors. Net by Bobmin,
Sunset over Britain and Sunrise over Britain. Holy hell, y’all hang on for the ride. You won’t be able
to stop reading. Puts my story to shame! Anyways, enough for now, I’ll get started so you guys can
get reading.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing since everything about this story belongs to someone else. J.K.R. and
others deserve the credit that goes to this story. I haven’t made any money off the stories either.
Chapter 44
August 1, 1993
Hermione let out a whoop of joy at the silvery animal that had poured from her wand. The fox
sniffed the ground delicately before scampering across the ground, tail bushy and held high. Draco
was grinning fit to burst at her and her father was cheering her on. Even Uncle Sev had a grin on his
face. Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy were the only ones to miss it.
She and Draco had been practicing the patronus charm for an entire month now. It had been
frustrating that she couldn’t accomplish it the first few times like every other spell she tried but after
seeing the little fox leap from the end of her wand, it was well worth the wait. Draco hadn’t
produced an animal yet but it wouldn’t be long for him either. His silver mist was getting stronger by
the day.
Her father and Uncle Sev had been coaching them relentlessly. Uncle Luci had only recently
produced his own patronus so he didn’t have much to do with helping teach them this particular
charm. Aunt Cissy had no idea how to do so but she enjoyed watching them practice. Her father’s
patronus was the same as his animagus form, a large black dog. It looked exactly like a grim but
Hermione knew better. There was nothing about her father that was dark and foreboding. Well,
nothing much.
Uncle Sev’s patronus was a doe and Hermione was the first to admit that it was beautiful. She had
asked to see it repeatedly, loving how it looked so dainty. Draco had finally pointed out to her that
every time he cast it, their uncle looked sad so eventually she quit asking. The last thing she wanted
was to make her godfather sad. Uncle Luci was proud to show off his patronus knowing that it took
the form that fit him best. His stallion was large and held his head high, pride emanating from its
silvery body. Hermione loved it as well and rather than look sad when she asked him to cast it over
and over, he was thrilled.
Draco hugged her after her little fox disappeared. She could tell that even though he was
disappointed that he had yet to produce one, he was proud of her that she had finally managed it. Her
father and godfather were clearly proud of her and to be truthful, Hermione was proud of herself.
She had worked long and hard to see the little fox appear before her and now that she had
accomplished it, she couldn’t wait to see Draco’s spectral animal.
“Amazing job, poppet! You did wonderfully and in such a short time too.” Hermione snorted as she
allowed her father to hug her close.
“That seemed like it took ages to master. Short time my foot.” Uncle Sev chuckled at her words.
“Most wizards can’t accomplish that when they’re fully grown. You accomplished it in a month at
the age of thirteen. That’s pretty amazing if you ask me. Draco isn’t far behind you either.”
Hermione felt her cheeks color slightly.
“I suppose you’re right.” Her father pressed a kiss to the top of her head before swatting her backside
lightly.
“You’ve accomplished it. Now get upstairs and get cleaned up. Your party starts in an hour and your
aunt will have both our hides if you aren’t looking absolutely perfect for it.” Hermione groaned at his
words but nodded her head anyways. Draco laughed at her so she stuck her tongue out at him.
“What are you laughing at? You have to look just as perfect as I do. It’s your party too.” Draco
scowled at her words but didn’t say anything. Instead he laughed at her as they headed for the stairs
that would take them to their rooms.
“You have to hang out with all the girls and talk about fashion. I get to talk about quidditch.”
Hermione cast a stinging hex that caught her cousin in the backside. He yelped and rubbed his bum
while he glared at her.
“What the bloody hell was that for?” Hermione smirked at him.
“That’s what happens to braggarts.” Draco continued to glare but she didn’t have to endure it long
since he reached his room. After he disappeared behind the closed door, Hermione entered her own
room. Her party clothes were laying out on the bed, Aunt Cissy had picked them out for her earlier.
She wasted no time in stripping off her clothing and making her way into her enormous bathroom.
After jumping into the shower, Hermione was quick to wash off and make sure that her legs were
soft and smooth. She had just recently learned the charm to remove her leg hair and she had to admit
that they felt better after using it. Her aunt had told her that it was a sign that she was a young woman
but she didn’t like to think about that. Her aunt had gone out of her way that summer to explain
certain things to Hermione; not about her cycle and such, Hermione had already experienced that.
Aunt Cissy had told her all the things that she would need to know when she got old enough to be
courted. It was no secret that Hermione was a princess in the pureblood world, that not only was she
beautiful, she was brilliant to boot. Aunt Cissy assured her that every eligible young man would want
to have their chance with her. Even though it was the last thing she wanted to talk about, she had
humored her aunt. They went over courting rituals and the way young women were supposed to act.
It all seemed rather over done and fake to Hermione but there wasn’t much she could do about it.
It was true, the boys did stop and take notice of her more now. Her breasts had grown bigger, this
was evidenced in the fact that she needed new lingerie again. When she had been fitted for her
summer wardrobe, Agatha Tatting had told her that her waist measurement was slimming while her
hips were starting to flare slightly. Hermione wasn’t sure what all this meant but her Aunt Cissy had
assured her that it just meant that she was growing into a woman’s body. It would be several years
yet before she was done growing but the boys were going to stop and take notice until then.
Hermione had groaned at the time; the last thing she wanted was more attention.
In truth, there were no pureblood boys that interested her. Her father had assured her that he didn’t
care if she ended up with a pureblood or a muggleborn. While she thought that her aunt and uncle
might care just a little, if she fell in love with a muggle, they would eventually accept it. She had no
plans to fall in love with a muggle, especially since she had never met one before, but it was nice to
know that if it ever happened she wouldn’t lose her family because of it. The same couldn’t be said
for the female friends she had within the pureblood circle.
The only boy she had caught herself thinking was handsome was Harry. She wasn’t sure if that
constituted as a crush since she didn’t want to be friends with him at all but the fact remained that he
was the only boy that occupied her thoughts at any time aside from Draco. While she loved Neville
and the twins, none of them plagued her thoughts or caused her to worry for them. Draco would
probably have a fit if he knew but she didn’t plan on him ever knowing, especially since Harry
wanted nothing to do with her anyways. No sense in starting an argument when the reason was
likely to never happen.
Hermione toweled off and dried her hair with her wand. She wrapped up in her robe and went back
out into her robe to sit in front of her vanity. Once her hair was dried, she called for her personal elf
Sipsy. The elf had taken care of her since her father had picked her up from St. Mungo’s when she
was only two years old and it was likely that she would take care of Hermione and her children
throughout the rest of her life. Sipsy adored her and Hermione could admit that the feeling was
mutual.
Sipsy appeared and styled Hermione’s hair. Rather than wear it down like she always did, Sipsy did
it in an elegant updo that she had learned when Hermione first started appearing in front of others.
After her hair was done and had the appropriate charms cast on it to keep it in place, the diminutive
elf did her makeup next. Not makeup in a muggle sense but cast charms on her face that made her
appear just a little more grown up. Her father would have never let her be seen with the same
makeup as a full-grown woman. Aunt Cissy had instructed the elf a couple years ago on what was
appropriate and what wasn’t.
Once her makeup was completed, Sipsy held up her dress robes and Hermione slipped them on.
They were a beautiful icy blue color that matched her eyes perfectly. Aunt Cissy seemed to pick out
a lot of clothes for her in this color since she was a huge fan of showcasing the fact that Hermione
was also a Malfoy. She was proud of her Black heritage, Aunt Cissy was as well, but Hermione
liked that she still carried one of her mother’s traits with her all the time. Nobody could deny that she
was a Black through and through.
Just as Sipsy appeared out of her massive closet holding her shoes in hand, Draco knocked for a
moment and then breezed through her door. He looked very debonair in his all black robes with his
hair slicked back. While her aunt approved of his hair this way, Hermione hated it. It looked too fake
and she didn’t like that he looked unapproachable.
“I hate your hair like that, Drake. Why do you keep doing it?” He rolled his eyes at her.
“You keep saying that but you never tell me why.” Hermione felt a faint blush on her cheeks.
“It just makes you look unapproachable, like I couldn’t come up and give you a hug whenever I
wanted to. It’s like you look like nobody can touch you.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms
around her.
“You can always hug me, no matter how I look. My hair has nothing to do with that. Besides,
Daphne told me that my hair looks quite dashing like this.” Hermione grinned at him.
“Do you have a crush on Daphne now instead of Pansy?” His cheeks colored slightly.
“No, I never said that.” Hermione pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before turning to look at herself
in the mirror.
“I would feel much better about your liking Daphne than if you liked Pansy.” He looked
dumbfounded.
“Really?” Hermione nodded as she turned to make sure that the robes were laying right in the back.
“I really like Daphne and even though she likes fashion and those kind of things as well, she isn’t
afraid to be smart too. Pansy is just out to marry you while I think Daphne would turn you down if
she really didn’t like you.” Draco gave her a contemplative look.
“Well, we’re only going to be in third year so it won’t matter. I just think she’s pretty is all.”
Hermione smirked his way, knowing that this was just a cop-out.
“It’s fine, Drake, I was just saying.” He rolled his eyes at her inspection and held out his arm for her.
“You look stunning, Miney. Let’s head down there, Dot said that we already had guests arriving.”
Hermione got a startled look on her face before she turned and took his arm.
They left her room and descended the stairs looking like a proper couple. Her father, Uncle Sev, and
Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy were at the door, greeting the guests that arrived. Since they were now
young teens, they could have parties by themselves, but it was still closely chaperoned by the parents
of the children. Therefore, the adults greeted the adults while Draco and Hermione were responsible
for greeting their friends.
Hermione lost track of how many people she had welcomed into her home. Since their party had
been held at Malfoy Manor the year before, it was held at Black Moor this year. All their Slytherin
friends were there, as well as most of the upper years as well. Purebloods from the other houses at
school had been invited and Hermione had to say that most of them had come. It would have been
considered rude to ignore an invitation from the Black and Malfoy families. Neville was one of the
last to arrive, looking quite dashing in his dress robes. His grandmother was exchanging greetings
with her aunt and he flashed them a smile. After he greeted them properly, he held out an envelope.
“It’s from Fred and George. They sent this to me and asked me to give it to you.” Hermione
frowned. She had to admit that she was surprised to not see them there since she had been sure to
send them an invite but she figured that something had come up. Without a second thought,
Hermione ripped the envelope open and read the note within silently before handing it to Draco.
Hermione and Draco,
We really wanted to come to your party but we just weren’t able. Our mother told us that you were
too proper for us and that we would never fit in at one of your parties. We assured her that we got
along with you and most of the Slytherins as well but she refused to let us come. We’re really sorry
we couldn’t make it and we hope that you don’t hold it against us. We really think that she didn’t
want to have to listen to Ronnikins whine that he wasn’t invited but we have no proof.
I hope you don’t mind us having Neville give this to you rather than send it to you directly. We were
afraid that our mum wouldn’t let us send it to you if she had known that’s who it was going to. Once
again, we’re sorry and hope you like the enclosed presents.
Fred and George
Hermione frowned at what the letter meant. Ron Weasley had ruined the chances of the twins
coming to their party. While she knew that life wasn’t fair in the least, it still made her feel bad that
they weren’t allowed to come because their little brother would whine that he wasn’t invited. Little
did he know that if he hadn’t been such a prat to her at the beginning of first year, she would have
invited him too. Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the side of her head.
“Leave it to the redheaded prat to ruin everyone else’s plans. It’s complete and utter tripe that they
aren’t allowed to come because of him. Everyone else thinks it’s wonderful to be invited.” Hermione
rolled her eyes at them.
“Don’t be so stuck-up. Just because they received an invitation doesn’t mean that it’s the best thing to
ever happen to them.” Draco snorted but didn’t anything else. After all their guests disappeared into
the parlor, Hermione sent her father and the rest of her family a smile before following them in.
It was going to be an interesting party, that much was for sure.
-O-
Harry hated his Aunt Marge. He had hated her for as long as he could remember. She always let her
dogs attack him and chase him whenever they pleased. His aunt and uncle never said anything and
Dudley always pointed and laughed at him. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with her when
she came to visit.
However, there was nothing that he could do about it. As his uncle’s sister, she came to visit three
times a year. Christmas and spring break, he was able to pass on but during the summer there was no
escaping her and her devil dogs. He was certain that nobody thought that bull dogs were cute and
adorable but her. Even Uncle Vernon only tolerated them.
She had just arrived a few hours earlier, two of her dogs in tow. Harry had been sent to his room so
he wouldn’t annoy her and he couldn’t have been happier. He would much rather study his hidden
magical texts than deal with his horrible Aunt Marge. Dobby was always there as well and while he
was most assuredly an excitable fellow, he was better company than the rest of his family.
Harry could say that this summer had been better than one’s past. He wasn’t starving, he had gained
weight. His Aunt Petunia had accused him of stealing food but since he was locked in his room
every single night, there was no way that they could prove that he was stealing food from them. In
fact, the extra food he had been eating had come from Hogwarts. Dobby made the trip three times a
day and always had cheer to spread when he returned.
Hagrid sent his well-wishes, as did Professor McGonagall. He also brought Harry his extra school
work assignments and the books that he needed to complete them. It wasn’t the perfect set up but he
supposed that it worked. It was better than not getting to do them at all. He had had a brief meeting
with Professor McGonagall at the end of the year and she had determined that he was halfway
through his third year when it came to his studies. He hoped to be at the fourth-year level by the end
of the summer. Eventually, he hoped to be caught up to Hermione Black and Malfoy.
Just as he finished his latest Transfiguration assignment, he heard his aunt calling him down to help
serve dinner. Harry sighed and laid aside his charms work. He couldn’t wait until he returned to
Hogwarts so he could practice the practical side of his assignments. He tromped down the stairs and
made his way to the kitchen to see that the rest of the family was seated at the table. The food was
waiting on the stove for him to serve it to them like he was their fucking servant.
Knowing what they wanted without even asking, Harry served the main dish first. He made his way
around the table and served a portion to all of them, overly large ones to everyone aside from his
Aunt Petunia. He figured that she must eat as little as possible so she could weigh so little since the
rest of her family weighed so much. Harry knew that the other kids made fun of Dudley for being fat
but Harry didn’t feel bad for him. Not only did Dudley get his revenge, all the kids in school feared
him.
Harry remained silent as he served the meal to his family followed by dessert. No mention was made
of saving Harry any of the meal that he had cooked but that was par for the course. He was only
allowed a small amount when Aunt Marge wasn’t around; when she was visiting, he was allowed
none. Therefore, he served them without any words and without complaint. No matter what he said,
it would get him nowhere, he had learned that by the age of six. It was during dessert, he had served
them triple fudge cake, that everything went to complete shite.
“It’s just as well you sent him to a school for criminals. He isn’t worth much more. Not that you can
blame him, it falls to bad breeding for that. I mean no offence, Petunia, but if there’s something
wrong with the bitch, there’s something wrong with the pup. Bad blood will out, I always say.”
Harry threw the towel down that he had been drying the dishes with. He stalked back into dining
room to see Aunt Marge smirking at him.
“You have a problem with my opinion of you, boy?” Harry glared at her and even though he could
see that his aunt and uncle were glaring at him, urging him to keep his mouth shut, he couldn’t.
“I couldn’t give a shite less about what you think of me. My mother had good blood, the best blood.
My father too. You wouldn’t know since you’re just a muggle. My world thinks they’re heroes.”
Confusion crossed her features but only for a second.
“You can believe what you want, boy, that doesn’t mean you’re right. The facts are that my brother
and his wife took you in after your parents were complete failures at life and killed themselves in a
drunk driving accident. They took you in out of the kindness of their heart while they should have let
you rot in an orphanage. It’s no more than you deserve.” Harry whipped his wand out and pointed it
in her face. While the rest of his family tensed up and looked fearful, Aunt Marge just laughed in his
face.
“What are you going to do with that, spank me with it?” Harry whispered the swelling spell and he
smirked at her when she realized exactly what was wrong.
“What the fuck did you just do to me?” Harry was laughing at her now, completely uncaring that he
was going to get in trouble for not only using underage magic but casting it in front of a muggle.
“You see, your brother lied to you. I’m not a criminal, I’m a wizard. I go to a school for wizards
where I learn magic. My parents were murdered by the most evil wizard in ages when they tried to
protect me from him. My parents were better people than you could ever dream of being, that much
is fact. Trust me, I wish your brother had let me go to the orphanage. At least there I would have
been around people that were kind.” Aunt Marge’s eyes bulged out as the buttons on her blouse
were straining.
“That isn’t true, Vernon, tell me it isn’t true.” Uncle Vernon looked livid but saw no way out of
telling the truth since she was swelling before his eyes.
“It’s true, Marge, he’s a freak and can do magic. Don’t worry, we’re going to get help.” This wasn’t
possible, however, since Aunt Marge had swollen to the size of a cow by now. Since she was filling
with air, she seemed to float as well. She had just popped out of the balcony window when his Aunt
Petunia scowled at him.
“You just had to make things worse, didn’t you, you little cretin?” Harry grinned her way.
“Absolutely. That bitch can die for all I care.” Even though it was a harsh and horrible thing to say,
Harry found that he couldn’t dispute the truth of it. He didn’t care if Aunt Marge died, probably if the
rest of his family died either. He knew that he was about to be expelled from Hogwarts since he had
performed underage magic in front of a muggle so there was no time to waste.
Harry rushed up the stairs and yelled for Dobby. When the elf appeared before him, he ordered him
to gather all his belongings and pack them away in his trunk. This took only a few minutes for the elf
since he was able to use elf magic to do so. Harry was in the process of pulling his trunk down the
stairs when his Uncle Vernon appeared at the bottom, his face purple with rage.
“You bring her back, bring her back or I’ll beat you so badly you won’t be able to return to school at
the end of the month.” Harry brought his wand up and shoved it into the fleshy jowls of his uncle.
His expression was hard as he faced down his abuser.
“I won’t bring her back, in fact, I hope she floats away for forever. She deserves all she’s gotten.”
His uncle was starting to sputter but Harry pressed the wand into his throat harder.
“I’m leaving and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.” His uncle backed away, his hands up in the
air. Harry passed him but not before he was caught in the back of the head with one last cuff of his
uncle’s fist. Harry couldn’t keep back the release of accidental magic. After he felt the magic leave
his body, he turned to see what had happened and was stunned to see his uncle on the floor behind
him. He didn’t even stop to make sure that he was still breathing before he continued down the stairs
and out of the house.
Harry couldn’t have said how long he walked before he finally sat down on the sidewalk just outside
of a local park. There were howls all around him but there were no dogs in sight except for a feral
looking yellow lab. While Harry couldn’t say that he feared the beast, it unnerved him and when it
pushed off away from where he was waiting, he couldn’t have been happier.
Harry reached his wand hand out and rubbed his scar; while it wasn’t aching, it didn’t feel good. He
was sure that the headache he now had was directly from the altercation with his family. It would
have served him right, especially since he was probably expelled from school now. To his great
surprise, a massive bus in the shade of bright purple sped towards him and came to a screeching halt
in front of him. The doors opened and Harry could see that a mutant of some sort was driving. A
young man stepped out and gestured for him to climb aboard.
“Welcome to the Knight Bus. We travel anywhere you need us to and in a timely manner.” Harry
couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He warily climbed aboard, his eyes never leaving the
conductor. Once he was on board and seated, the pimply young man turned his way.
“You’re Harry Potter, you are. We’ll drop you off wherever you be needing to go.” Harry nodded
and even though he hated capitalizing on his name, he was grateful.
“I’d like to go to the Leaky Cauldron. That’s in London.” Stan, the man who had introduced himself
to Harry laughed.
“Harry Potter wants to go to the Leaky Cauldron. That’s in London.” The driver laughed
wholeheartedly.
“Leaky Cauldron, here we come.”
Harry wasn’t prepared for the burst of speed from the Knight Bus. They were speeding through
traffic, even though Harry wasn’t sure how it worked since they were in muggle London. It took
several minutes for Harry to realize that they muggles couldn’t see them and that he was perfectly
safe to converse with the other passengers. He turned to the old woman next to him and tried to make
conversation.
“It’s a lovely night, don’t you think so?” The old woman sneered his way and glared.
“It’s the furthest thing from a lovely night because you can’t keep your trap shut. Move on and leave
the rest of us alone.” Since he realized that the woman was actually meaning him, he nodded and
turned away from her.
The ride continued in silence, though it was only ten minutes or so long. When the Knight Bus came
to as stop, Harry stood and began to grapple at his trunk. Once he had manhandled it to the front, he
stepped off the bus to find that there was a hunched over man waiting on him.
“Harry Potter, bless my soul, staying in my pub.” Harry had no idea who the man was but figured
that he owned the Leaky Cauldron. He only recalled seeing him in passing last year and the year
before as they passed through the Cauldron. He nodded his head and tried to placate the bar keep.
“I may be a hero but I don’t require special treatment. I just want a room to stay in until school starts,
that is, unless I’m expelled from school.” The hunched-over man, who identified himself as Tom,
nodded.
“After I figure out where I’m staying, I’ll be around to pay you for my stay.” The barkeep nodded at
him but Harry got the sense that he would never accept payment. It was so frustrating since he didn’t
want to make any assumptions on someone else’s account.
Harry traversed the stairs and found his room on the top floor. Once he was safely inside, Dobby
appeared before him and started to put his belongings away. Harry sighed and flopped down on the
bed.
“What the fuck am I going to do, Dobby? Surely by now I’ve been expelled.” There was a knock at
the door that surprised the hell out of him. After he rose to answer it, he was surprised to find the
Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. He grinned at Harry and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Harry, my boy, nice to finally meet you. How has your summer been thus far?” Harry gave him an
incredulous look before answering.
“Horrid, sir. Muggles hate magic and it makes no sense to send those that live in the magic world
back their magic-hating relatives.” The Minister nodded but didn’t seem too caught up in the idea.
“Very good, Harry, very good. I’m going to send someone to fix the spell where you blew up your
aunt. I’m sure you’re very sorry but this can’t stand. You must repent and see the wrong turned right.
Therefore, you’ll have to stay here until the Weasleys have returned and you feel a bit guilty.” Harry
wanted to snort at his words but just barely refrained. After all, he couldn’t disrespect the Minster of
Magic.
Once Harry had properly sent his elf off to the kitchen, he turned his attention to his surroundings.
They were quite nice, if a little plain. Harry didn’t care though since it meant that he was away from
his family. Dobby appeared next to him and smiled.
“It’s much better than before, Harry Potter sir.” Harry nodded and grinned.
“Too right you are, Dobby, too right you are.”
A/N- That’s it, folks, I hope that this has kept ya happy and met your expectations. Let me know
what ya think, your thoughts make me smile. Sorry again for making you guys wait so long. Make
sure you check those stories out. Anyways, leave me a message after the beep. Reviews are love.
Next chapter, returning to Hogwarts.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 45

A/N- You guys humble me with me with the love you show for my story. Thank you from the
bottom of my heart. This chapter marks the first of third year, the year you’ve all been waiting for.
I’m so excited to write this year, you have no idea. You think it’s torture for you guys to have to wait
to read it, it’s torture for me to have to wait to write it. Anyways, hope you all enjoy.
**Shout out to alicenne15 for being my 1300th reviewer. Thanks a bunch!!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story except my personal twist on the story line. Even
then, I’m quite sure it’s been done before. One of these days, I’ll publish my own original story.
Hopefully. I haven’t made any money off this story or any others.
Chapter 45
September 1, 1993
Hermione was torn. She was saddened to be leaving her father and her aunt and uncle but she was
also thrilled to be returning to Hogwarts. Last year had been a complete wash with being petrified
and this year was going to be better, this year she was going to do all her schoolwork no matter how
boring it was and she wouldn’t complain a bit since she knew all too well what it felt like to not do it.
It was true that if had been material she didn’t know already, it would have been completely horrid
rather than just terrible.
They were standing on Platform 9 ¾ and saying their goodbyes. Draco was being pulled into Aunt
Cissy’s arms and fawned over, an exasperated look on his face. Uncle Luci was smirking at his son
and the sour look on his face while her father openly laughed. Draco turned to glare at him so
Hermione made sure to hide the small smile she couldn’t hold back behind her hand. After Aunt
Cissy had embarrassed Draco enough and let him move on to his father, Hermione stepped forward
into the embrace of her aunt’s arms.
“Promise me you’ll be good this year, Hermione. Tell me that you’re going to be safe and leave
protecting the Potter boy to Severus.” Hermione chuckled at her but hugged her back fiercely.
“I promise to be good and I promise to be as safe as I can be. I’m going to continue protecting Harry
though. I can’t just stop.” Draco sighed next to her before rolling his eyes.
“Don’t worry, mother, we’ll both stay as safe as possible. I swear, Miney, you should know by now
that she’ll keep you here for ages if you don’t promise her.” Hermione chuckled softly while her aunt
glared at her son. She stepped back from Aunt Cissy and moved to her uncle. He smiled softly at her
before he drew her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and let him run his fingers through
her curls. Her hands wouldn’t quite meet behind his back but she hugged him as tightly as she could.
“Promise you’ll do well, Princess, that you’ll be good and stay out of as much trouble as you can. I
realize Potter is a trouble magnet but be smart about it and make sure you get Severus.” Hermione
laughed at her uncle for his mothering.
“I promise, Uncle Luci, I won’t take any unnecessary risks. Uncle Sev will be there, you know he’ll
be the first to snitch on us if we do something stupid.” He laughed and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Yes, he will, don’t forget that if you have any problems whatsoever, you’re to go to him. Try to stay
away from the Headmaster. He won’t be so stupid to get kicked out of the school again.” Hermione
went on her tip toes and pressed a kiss to her uncle’s cheek.
“I know, Uncle Luci, you’re getting as bad as an old hen with your worrying. All will be well. We’ll
be back for Christmas before you know it.” He chuckled as he tugged on one of her curls.
“You haven’t seen old hen, Princess.” She laughed outright before releasing him and moving onto
her father. His eyes, however, were trained on a man that was boarding the train. Hermione couldn’t
see his face but she was surprised. She had never seen an adult ride the Hogwarts Express before.
The look on her father’s face was one that she couldn’t decipher; there was sadness in his eyes but
his body language screamed that he was uncomfortable. The other adults followed his gaze and she
saw her Uncle Luci tense up. Hermione laid a hand on her father’s arm and watched him carefully.
“Are you alright, daddy? You don’t look well.” Her father watched the man until he had boarded the
train before he turned to meet her worried gaze. His hands reached out and cupped her cheeks,
making sure that she met his gaze.
“That man was Remus Lupin. If he’s boarding the train, he’s going to Hogwarts. I’m not sure why
but I want you to promise me that you’ll be careful around him. I haven’t spoken to him since you
were two years old when he bid me to never speak to him again for my role in James and Lily’s
deaths. I don’t think that he would hurt you, he just wasn’t that kind of person, I do think that he
would try to weasel information on me out of you just to try to use against me later. Promise me that
you’ll be careful around him.” Hermione felt her heart clench for her father’s pain.
Her father had always spoken fondly of Remus, had told her that they had been the best of friends, as
close as brothers. Hermione had always suspected that there had been more between them, that
perhaps they had been lovers, but she had never gathered the courage to ask. The fact remained,
however, that her father had been deeply hurt by Remus not only for not giving him a chance to
explain, but for believing the absolute worst of him. Hermione reached out and tugged her father’s
long hair until he was bent down far enough to lean his forehead against hers.
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me. I promise to be careful but I want you to take care of yourself. I
know what you do while I’m gone to school, Candy tells me everything. Says it’s my job to know as
the future mistress of our house. Quit drinking so much. It isn’t healthy and I don’t want to have to
bury my father before I even graduate from Hogwarts.” It seemed as though her words had come
from nowhere but she hadn’t seen an opportunity before now. She was still a Slytherin and if her
father was going to extract a promise from her, she was going to get one in return. Her father’s eyes
widened slightly before narrowing.
“You sneaky little snake. I will promise to take better care of myself but you better make good on
your promise. I have people that will tell me things too.” Hermione released his hair and laughed.
“Daddy, Draco doesn’t count. You wouldn’t believe him anyways because you would think he was
lying for me.” Her cousin burst out in laughter and her aunt and uncle’s eyes were dancing with
mirth. Her father tugged one of her curls as well.
“Alright, you Slytherin, enough duping your old man for being a trusting Gryffindor. Now give me a
hug so you don’t miss the train.” Hermione laughed and wrapped her arms around her father as far as
they would go. She inhaled his scent deeply, trying to store it in her mind for the three and a half
months that she would be away at school. She went to her tip toes again and kissed his cheek when
he released her.
“I love you, daddy. I’ll see you at Christmas.” He smiled her way and kissed her temple.
“Love you too, sweetness. Get on the train, Draco looks like he’s going to have a hippogriff if he has
to wait another second.” Hermione laughed at Draco rolling his eyes, but he held his hand out to her.
She took it and allowed him to pull her away their family, right up to the train.
Draco allowed her to board first, handing her up the stairs like a proper gentleman. Once they were
both on board, he offered her his arm and escorted her to their usual compartment. The rest of their
friends were already seated inside, laughing at each other and eating sweets. Hermione exchanged
pleasantries with the lot of them before pulling a book out of her robes and settling in next to her
cousin to read.
The thing was, she felt herself growing further apart from the rest of her friends. Sure, they still
talked at school and she did enjoy studying with Daphne but aside from that, they had nothing in
common. Pansy was already a socialite in training, she had been bragging about it to her and Daphne
the few times that they had met up over the summer. Hermione had congratulated her but didn’t think
it was near the big deal that Pansy did. Hermione had been started two years before by her Aunt
Cissy, the woman had demanded that Hermione know how to act when she became the mistress of
the house, especially since her father was staunchly against settling down. She hadn’t told anyone
because she just didn’t deem it that important.
Daphne made over her, congratulated her several times but Hermione could see that she was holding
back her amusement at her friend. Draco squeezed her elbow on the sly when he heard Pansy
bragging; he knew Hermione was almost finished with the proper training a young lady of good
breeding received. He just knew that it didn’t mean that much to Hermione since she really didn’t see
herself as better than anyone else. While it was true that she would use her position if she needed to,
it didn’t mean that she thought she was better than anyone else, though she supposed that many
would agree. It was simply a tool for her.
Hermione had agreed to stay over one night at Daphne’s over the summer for her birthday. Pansy,
Tracey, and Millie were also invited and while it was nice to get out of the house for a little while,
she mostly just wondered when it was going to be time for her to go home. She had accepted long
ago that she would likely never fit in with her peers and she was alright with it.
Draco had been the opposite; his summer had been filled with plans with all his friends. He still made
time for Hermione, still stayed with her almost every night, but after their lessons he disappeared with
his friends to go fly, play quidditch, or just cause trouble. Theo still kept his distance while at Black
Moor but Hermione understood that. She never encroached on Draco’s time with his friends if Theo
was there. She really didn’t want it to come down to having to choose between Hermione and Theo.
Hermione read for hours. She finished the book she had started the night before and then started a
second one on advanced runes and warding. Since they were going to be third years, they were able
to take elective classes now. Hermione and Draco had disagreed just a tiny bit on what to take and it
had resulted in them having a different schedule for the first time ever. Since they were both so
advanced in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, they had both agreed that the classes were a must.
They both wanted to take Care of Magical Creatures and Divination but Hermione also wanted to
take Muggle Studies and Magical Theory. Draco had been incredulous when she told him about
Muggle Studies but when she had pulled her wand on him, he had quickly dropped the subject.
Since she was determined to take every elective the school offered, Hermione had been pulled in for
a special meeting with Uncle Sev over the summer. The Ministry had agreed to let her use a time
turner, not only because of her perfect grades and exam scores but because she was Hermione Black.
She had hated that her name had gotten her something that most others wouldn’t be allowed but
since it was helping her learn all she could for the upcoming war, she considered it a fair trade.
Hermione had been instructed to tell no one. Of course, her godfather knew that she would tell
Draco, had even told her later at home that he had expected it. As long as Draco kept his mouth shut,
nobody would be the wiser and she could continue with her insane schedule. She simply hoped that
she would get to learn something new this year, even if it was only in Divination. It was the only
subject that Madam Cambridge refused to teach.
The train lurched, still at least an hour from Hogwarts, stuttered on the tracks several times before
coming to a stop. Hermione put her book down after marking the page, leaning over Draco to look
out the window and see what was happening. Draco stood and opened the door to the compartment
and then stepped out into the corridor. Hermione followed him but the rest of their friends seemed
unworried about their unscheduled stop. Suddenly, Hermione felt a chill brush past her, sending
goose bumps over her body.
Draco turned when he saw his breath puffing out before him, looking the opposite direction.
Hermione was still watching the other students step out into the corridor, some laughing and some
sporting worried looks. The glass in the windows started to frost over and Hermione had a bad
feeling about what was about to happen. She reached out and grabbed hold of Draco’s wrist, her
wand sliding from its holster on her arm and into her hand. Draco did the same, his arm wrapping
around her waist instinctively.
Hermione was the first one to see them. They were floating above the ground, she could almost see
through them they were so hazy. Their hoods were pulled up over their heads and while she thought
that she could just barely make out a mouth, she couldn’t be sure. However, she knew exactly what
they were and what they needed to do. Hermione pushed Draco away from her and she knew that
her eyes were wild.
“Go, lock everyone in their compartments. They’re dementors!” Draco tried to protest but Hermione
didn’t let him. She rushed the compartment next to her and shoved the little first year into the
compartment. Hermione just caught sight of her smashing into the window before she slammed the
door closed and locked it with a permanent locking charm. She caught sight of Draco doing the same
but in the other direction.
Once the dementors were spotted, children began hurrying into their compartments on their own.
Hermione was doing her best to shoot locking charms at the doors without getting any closer but
once the dementors were only three compartments away, she could feel the utter despair wash over
her. She felt like she was never going to be cheerful again and that she would never want to be.
Hermione turned to catch sight of her cousin, still hurrying children into the compartments until he
came face to face with his own dementors, obviously having entered the train at the front. Hermione
saw him wave his wand and she knew what she needed to do. Despite feeling as though happiness
had fled her forever, she raised her wand and gave it a wave.
“Expecto patronum!” Hermione yelled the charm, knowing that it was going to have to be stronger
that her usual charm since there were several dementors in front of her. She held the image of her
family sitting together and putting together their photo album at the front of her mind and let her
magic do the rest.
Her fox leapt from the end of her wand, bigger and brighter than she remembered seeing it. The
dementors stayed where they were but they didn’t disappear and she wasn’t sure that she could cast
the spell any stronger than she already had. She could see faces watching out of the windows of the
compartments and she prayed that none of them were able to open the doors. She heard Draco groan
and hit the floor and forgetting that she had her own battle with dementors, she turned and ran to her
cousin.
Draco was on one knee, still holding his dragon patronus but it was fading. Hermione wasn’t sure
what had happened to him but she knew that she had to help her cousin, the one person that she
would do absolutely anything for. Letting her fox fade, she ran to her cousin’s side just as his dragon
faded away to nothing. Her wand extended over his head and she yelled again, this time her fox
brighter than she had ever seen.
Her fox was usually a playful animal, her guardian was always the first to chase Draco and Padfoot,
eager to play with them and show his affection. This time, however, when the silvery fox emerged,
there was rage on it’s face and it attacked with a vengeance. This time, the dementors fell back and
away, floating off the train at the entrance. Her energy was waning though. No matter how strong
her magic was, she was still a thirteen-year-old girl whose magic wasn’t even at half the power it
would be by the time she was done maturing., not to mention that the patronus charm was such an
advanced spell that most wizards and witches couldn’t cast it. Aunt Cissy couldn’t. Once the
dementors in front of her were gone, she allowed her fox to flicker and fade away until there was
nothing left.
However, this did nothing for the dementors behind her. They were getting closer now that her
guardian had faded away to nothing. Hermione felt the same despair overtake her again. She
dropped to her knees behind Draco and did her best to raise her wand. Draco’s arm slipped around
her again but it didn’t help this time. The dementors had gotten just a few feet from them when
Hermione heard someone else yell out.
“Expecto patronum!” A huge wolf appeared before them and started to attack the dementors in front
of her. Since the patronus was behind them, the dementors had to float over them to exit the train. It
didn’t matter that Draco had ahold of her or that she knew that her cousin would never abandon her,
complete and utter unhappiness settled in her heart and in her soul. She slumped to the ground,
Draco behind her, slumped as well.
Once the dementors had passed, Hermione felt a little better but she still stayed where she lay on the
ground. Her chest was heaving from the energy she had exerted and the sheer amount of power that
she let flow from her body. Draco was still next to her and reached out to grasp her hand in his,
letting her know that he was still there beside her. His voice was breathy when he spoke.
“Thanks, Miney. Love you.” She squeezed his hand and rolled her head over to gaze at him.
“Love you too, Drake.” Doors were opening up and down the corridor and children were sticking
their heads out to see if the crisis was over. Hermione struggled to sit up, helping Draco once she
was upright. She glanced in the direction that the wolf had come from and saw that Remus Lupin
was bearing down on them, fury dancing across his features. Once he was close enough to see her,
he stopped in his tracks. It was clear that he recognized her by her signature ebony curls, the very
ones that she had inherited from her father. The fact that her true father and her adopted father could
have been twins just cemented the information. After a moment’s pause, he continued his way to
their side.
“What are your names?” Hermione grimaced slightly at the fact his voice was cold as ice and there
was only a steely look in his eyes.
“I’m Hermione Black and this is Draco Malfoy. Thank you, sir, for helping us.” He sneered in her
direction and Hermione was startled that he was so terrible in the wake of her politeness.
“You have to be the most foolish children I’ve ever seen. Are you aware of what would have
happened if you had been caught by those dementors? You’re aware that they would have sucked
your soul right out of your mouth and left you a shell of a person. Explain yourselves.” Hermione felt
tears prick her eyes but she ruthlessly tamped them back. She would not show weakness to this man
who had hurt her father so much so very long ago. If he was going to be an arse, she supposed that
there was nothing that she could do about it.
“Since we are fully capable of being able to cast a corporeal patronus, it would make perfect sense to
assume that we are aware of what dementors are and what they do. Since we are trained against
these beings, it was our duty to protect the other students. How would the Headmaster have felt if he
had to tell any of their parents that their souls were gone?” It was clear that the werewolf hadn’t been
expecting her cheek. He paused for a moment before he pulled the little first year that Hermione had
shoved into the window into the corridor and pointed to the blood running down her face.
“How is giving this young girl a head injury protecting her? These injuries have to be reported as
well, to the school and the parents.” Hermione snorted and felt Draco lay a hand between her
shoulder blades. It was a warning but she was past the point of caring. This man hated her on sight
because of her father. Not even for a good reason since he hadn’t even let her father explain.
“That’s rich, the Headmaster contacting the parents when their child is injured. I was petrified for
over four months last year and the Headmaster didn’t see fit to inform my father, Draco had to. He
didn’t inform the other parents either.” Hermione turned her attention to the little girl he held in his
hands.
“I’m really sorry that I pushed you into the window. I never meant to hurt you and I can only hope
that you’ll forgive me. I just wanted to keep you safe.” The girl nodded her head shakily, her eyes
watery.
“Do those things really suck out your souls?” Hermione nodded.
“They’re called dementors, they guard the wizard prison Azkaban.” The little girl burst into tears and
Hermione watched as Lupin knelt before the little girl and handed her a piece of chocolate.
“There, there, no tears. They’re gone now and they won’t be returning. We’re going to get this train
rolling again and we’ll be at Hogwarts momentarily.” The little girl nodded before she hugged Lupin
tightly. After she released him and had went back into her compartment, Lupin turned cold eyes to
Hermione and Draco.
“That will be ten points from Slytherin for harming another child and a detention with me tomorrow
night for your cheek. Your professors deserve respect.” Hermione was just about to retort something
not respectful when Draco pinched the back of her arm. She hissed in pain but remained silent, his
message clear. When it was clear that she wasn’t going to say anything else, Lupin gave her a fake
smile.
“Please find your way off the floor and into your compartments so we can get this train going.”
Hermione glared at the professor and watched his turn his back and walk back to the other end of the
train, going inside a compartment at the very end. In fact, she sighed unhappily. It was the
compartment that Harry always sat in, the very one that he had turned down her hand of friendship
the very first time. Draco stood and held his hand out to her, helping her up off the floor. He helped
her brush off her robes and straighten her curls before he met her gaze and spoke.
“A great fucking start to our third year at Hogwarts. Another teacher that hates us, already ten points
down, and you’re already going to be serving a detention with the professor that hates you more than
anything except for your father. A great fucking start indeed.” Hermione met his eyes grimly.
A great fucking start didn’t even begin to cover it. Just wait until Uncle Sev found out.
-O-
Harry was still recovering from his run-in with whatever those black things had been that had opened
their compartment door. He wasn’t sure what had happened, just that he had found himself on the
floor and had heard a woman screaming. He had a feeling that it was the sound of his mother trying
to protect him before she died but he wouldn’t be able to know for sure. What he did know was that
the man who had been sleeping in their compartment had flown up out of his seat and yelled a spell,
a wolf leaping from his wand and chasing away the black things.
Harry had crawled his way up into the seat, only for the man to return a few minutes later. He looked
angry and agitated but he supposed that he couldn’t blame him. He wondered if there were more of
those floating things on the train and had made anyone else collapse. Ron and Pav were both wide-
eyed and silent when he took his seat once more. After reaching into his robes, he pulled out an
enormous bar of chocolate and broke it into three different pieces, handing one to each of them.
“Eat it, it’ll help I promise.” Harry nibbled on a corner and was surprised when he did feel better.
Warmth returned to his limbs and he didn’t feel that settled feeling of despair in his chest. He
gathered his courage and asked the man his questions.
“What were those things?” The man slid his wand back up his sleeve.
“Those were dementors, they guard Azkaban. I’m sure they’re looking for Augustus Rookwood, the
prisoner who escaped in July.” Harry’s eyes widened. Ron’s family had told him of the breakout but
he had just assumed that the Death Eater had been caught again. He narrowed his eyes at the man for
a moment.
“Why would he be going to Hogwarts? That makes no sense.” The man reached out and offered his
hand. Harry shook it without qualms and looked the man in the eyes.
“My name is Remus Lupin. I was best friends with your dad and Sirius Black when we were in
school. We don’t have time to reminisce now but everyone believes that Rookwood is headed to
Hogwarts to kill you, Harry. You’re the reason for Voldemort’s downfall and getting revenge would
be high on his list.” Harry gulped audibly. Not exactly what he wanted to hear.
“Why would those dementors attack school children?” Lupin raked a hand through his hair.
“Dementors feed off your memories, both good and bad. I’m sure that the air of excitement in the air
at seeing old friends and going back to school was just too much for them to resist.” Harry nodded
his head before he turned to Ron and Pav.
“Did anyone else hear a woman screaming?” Pav gave him a worried look before laying a hand on
his arm. Harry tensed slightly; he still didn’t like to be touched.
“Nobody was screaming, Harry.” He didn’t say anything about the screaming, he didn’t want
everyone to think that he was barmy. Instead, he turned back to Lupin.
“You were friends with my parents and Black?” Lupin nodded again, this time looking out the
window.
“We were all best friends, the three of us and Peter. Then the war happened and life went to shite.”
He turned a sheepish eye to Harry.
“Sorry. We’ll discuss it all later, I promise. I’ll tell you all the stories you could ever want to hear
about your parents. Now isn’t the time, not when Hogwarts is there in the distance.” Harry smiled at
the man, already liking him immensely.
“Alright.” He paused for a second before continuing.
“I’m assuming you’re the new Defense professor since Lockhart went to Azkaban?” Lupin barked
out a laugh.
“You would be correct. You’re stuck with me all year.” Harry grinned widely at the thought.
“Wicked.” Lupin grinned at him too.
Maybe this wouldn’t be a bad year after all.
-O-
Severus was livid. Dementors had attacked the Express while it was full of children. His godson and
goddaughter could have been kissed, leaving behind shells of their bodies for their family. For him.
He only half-listened to Albus as he gave the opening speech for the Welcome Feast. However, the
end of his speech caught his attention and he was burning with fury once again.
“Due to the breakout of an Azkaban prisoner, Hogwarts will be playing host to the dementors. Make
no mistake, if you are seen trying to sneak into or out of Hogwarts, they will attack. I have no say in
this, the Ministry is forcing my hand. I beg of all of you to stay within the grounds for your own
safety.” Severus couldn’t believe that Albus had agreed to this. How, in good conscience, could he
tell the Ministry that staking dementors at the entrances of the school would be a good idea? After he
sat down, Severus cast a silencing charm around himself and the Headmaster and possibly Lupin.
Severus still couldn’t believe that he had invited the werewolf to come and teach, the very werewolf
that had almost killed him when he was only sixteen years old.
“I know you had to agree to this, Albus. You can’t seriously think that the dementors are a good
idea. You’re quite mad if you do.” It turned out that Lupin could hear after all since he turned kind
eyes to the Headmaster.
“As much as I hate to do it, I agree with Severus. I watched a swarm of them, fifty or so, board the
Hogwarts Express.” Severus stumbled on his words for a moment. Before he could ask his question,
Minerva chimed in.
“This is madness, Albus. We can’t put our students at risk like that.” Albus held his hand up and
forestall any further discussion.
“I had to agree, the Ministry was leaning quite heavily on me. Not to mention, if Rookwood is really
after Harry as the guards say, then they’re added protection for him. He must survive.” Severus
couldn’t believe the Headmaster’s words. He sneered his way, uncaring if the students saw him or
not.
“Aside from the fact that Rookwood slipped past the dementors once already, I don’t see how the
dementors provide anything other than a danger.” Minerva was nodding sagely on the other side of
Albus. Albus’ eyes flashed but the anger disappeared as quickly as it came.
“There is nothing I can do, Severus. I wish there was. All we can do is implore to the children to stay
within the grounds. The Ministry is backing this and there is nothing else we can do about it.”
Minerva glared at him.
“When one of our idiot students is kissed, it will be on your head, Albus.” He gave her a solemn
nod.
“I know, Minerva.” Severus couldn’t hold back the question any longer.
“If there were fifty dementors on board that train, how did nobody get kissed? There is no way
you’re powerful enough to drive away fifty dementors. Not many could.” Severus had a sneaking
suspicion he knew exactly what happened when he saw the werewolf’s eyes flash in anger. His
voice was dripping in disdain.
“Black’s daughter and the Malfoy brat started shoving kids into the compartments and locking them
in. They can both cast a patronus. The Malfoy boy tired first, he was against fifteen or so. When his
dragon started to fade, Black dropped her spell against twenty or so and turned to help him. Once the
ones he was fighting had fled, the ones she had turned her back on came for them. She had banished
some of them the first time but there were still quite a few left. Once her patronus flickered out, I sent
mine after them. It’s a good thing I did too because they were both laying on the floor by the time I
got there. They would have been kissed for sure, the little fools.” Severus couldn’t believe what he
was hearing. He hadn’t expected the man to seek out Hermione but he had expected more than cold
disdain for a mere child. Even Minerva liked the girl now that she had been set straight.
“Did you send them to the Infirmary when you arrived here? Did you give them chocolate?” Remus
scoffed.
“No, I gave my chocolate to the little first year girl that Black shoved so hard into her compartment
that she cut her head open on the window. She burst into tears.” Severus was trying to keep his
temper in check.
“Is there anything else we need to know about the train ride and the dementors?” Lupin shook his
head.
“Your house is already ten points in the negative. I deducted them from Black for harming another
student. She is also serving detention with me tomorrow night for her cheek.” Severus let out a growl
that would rival any werewolf. Minerva and Albus both turned to watch the proceedings closely.
“You’re telling me that my godson fought fifteen dementors and saved children from having their
souls sucked out and you did nothing but order him up off the floor? You didn’t send him to the
Infirmary, you didn’t offer him chocolate, the standard treatment of being exposed to dementors?
You also berated the daughter of Lord Black and gave her detention for driving off how many
dementors at the tender age of thirteen?” Lupin looked affronted before his gaze turned sheepish.
“Why do you care, Severus? You hated Sirius and I doubt that’s changed just because his world
views have.” Severus wanted to laugh in the man’s face but knew that it wasn’t possible. Instead, he
leaned closer so he could sound more menacing. There was no way in blue hell that Lupin was
going to be a prick to his goddaughter and get away with it.
“Just remember that Hermione Black is the niece of Lucius Malfoy. Last year, the Headmaster was
removed from this school because the pair of them got together and complained to the Board of
Governors. Trust me, it would be even easier to do to you since you’re considered a dangerous
creature. If I were you, I would watch how I treat those two very closely. Minerva and Albus have
no love for the girl but they treat her well. She isn’t a troublemaker and you’ll find no fault with
either of their marks.” Minerva nodded happily.
“You’ll love them, Remus, they’re both very accomplished. I know for a fact that they have a private
tutor and she has done a wonderful job.” Lupin’s eyebrows raised into his hair line.
“That much was obvious in the fact that they could cast a patronus at thirteen. We shall see, I’ve
already had to deal with her mouth once. She clearly belongs to Sirius.” Severus couldn’t help but
shine with pride at his statement. Hermione was a perfect lady most of the time, thanks to Narcissa of
course, but nobody walked all over her. Not for long anyways. It was how they had raised her,
himself, Sirius and Lucius. Narcissa had just told them that as long as she could act properly when
needed, she would keep quiet. Quite the endorsement from the Lady Malfoy. Instead of beaming
openly, he snorted.
“You think you have it bad, I’ve been dealing with her her whole life. That girl has been mouthy
since she was in nappies.” Just a little bit of information to let Lupin know that he had a history with
the girl. His eyebrows raised in surprise.
“You and Sirius hate each other. Why would you know her?” Severus arched one brow at him.
“She looks to Narcissa and Lucius as second parents to her. Who do you think their daughter they
weren’t able to have is? She and Draco were raised together, you should keep that in mind when it
comes to Draco as well. Black will protect him as he does his daughter.” Lupin snorted now.
“At least he protects someone.” Severus had to fight the urge to hex the man. He considered Sirius
one of his closest friends now, family, and this man had hurt him. He was quite sure they had been
lovers but had never felt the urge to ask. Sirius was a slag now, had been in the past also, but he had
always thought there was more between the two than met the eye. Instead, his voice was cold when
he spoke.
“He protects those two children with everything he has, especially his daughter. I don’t like the man
but I know that it has been hard for him. He never expected to have a daughter, any children from
what I understand, but he’s done the best he can. Even if I don’t like the man, I can say that his
daughter, though strong-willed and quite vindictive when she needs to be, is a wonderful girl that is
brilliant and treats others with respect. You would do well to judge her for herself and not her father.
That’s your last warning, Lupin. Black and Lucius will stop at nothing if you hurt their baby girl.”
Lupin’s eyes flashed amber, the wolf inside probably didn’t enjoy being threatened, but that didn’t
matter. As long as he treated Hermione and Draco well, he wouldn’t care. Lupin nodded quickly and
changed the subject.
“I owe you many thanks, Severus, for agreeing to brew my wolfsbane.” He gave a single nod in
answer, choosing to focus on his meal now. Minerva just couldn’t leave well enough alone.
“I have to say, Remus, you would have been impressed with Hermione’s behavior last year. Mr.
Malfoy got into a fight with Mr. Weasley and Albus pulled his wand and pointed it at them. Her
wand was out and, in her hand, pointing at Albus in less than a second. She lost points and got
detention but she didn’t care. She’s as loyal as any Gryffindor.” Severus snorted and decided to
lighten the mood.
“Now, now, Minerva, you can’t act as though your lions are the only loyal ones. Snakes are quite
loyal too, only to those that matter to them.” He could tell that the old tabby cat wanted to stick her
tongue out at him but decided on arching a brow.
“As you say, Severus.”
The rest of the meal passed smoothly. Once he had finished his meal, he surreptitiously called his elf
to his side.
“Castor.” The elf appeared, wearing his customary tea towel with the Prince family crest. He bowed
before Severus.
“Master?” He spoke quietly.
“I want you to bring me the two largest chocolate bars that Honeydukes has to offer.” The elf
nodded happily and disappeared. He couldn’t have been gone more than three minutes before he
appeared again, this time holding out chocolate.
“Heres you go, Master.” He nodded at the elf.
“Thank you, Castor. You may go.” The elf snapped his fingers and was gone. He rose from his seat
and started to make his way from the High Table to his Slytherins’ table. Once he was stopped
behind his godchildren, he set the chocolate down in front of them. They both turned to look at him
with large eyes. Severus couldn’t help but notice that they both looked exhausted. Exerting the
amount of power to fight off that many dementors at such a young age was quite the feat.
“I heard about the train. You will both eat every bite of this chocolate bar, no arguments. Your
fathers would have my hide if I didn’t. Fifty points to the both of you for not only displaying
extraordinary magic at the tender age of thirteen, but for making sure that your fellow students were
safe as well.” Slytherin students started applauding them and Hermione smiled softly while she
started to unwrap her chocolate. When she turned her attention to him again, she was smiling softly
at him.
“You know I can’t eat all this, Professor. How about half of it?” He smirked at her, just enough that
she could see but nobody else could.
“Alright, poppet. I’m proud of you both. Don’t stop in to see me, straight to bed with you.” Both
nodded happily and Severus strode out of the Great Hall. Lupin looked furious but Minerva was
beaming. Maybe someday soon she could be persuaded to believe the truth after all.
Now that that was taken care of, Severus had a letter to two fathers to write.
-O-
Harry watched the commotion at the Slytherin table with interest. Snape was always the first one to
assign Slytherin points but it was usually only five at a time unless it was something truly amazing.
The whispers up and down the table said he had given Hermione and Malfoy fifty a piece. Neville
saw where his attention was aimed and grinned.
“I couldn’t believe it either. I mean, Hermione and Draco are amazing at magic, don’t get me wrong,
but doing what they did was beyond compare.” Harry frowned in confusion.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What happened?” Ron leaned over to listen too. Neville
shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“You knew there were dementors on the train, right?” Harry nodded.
“Yeah, one tried to come into our compartment. Professor Lupin chased it away with a silver wolf.”
Neville nodded.
“There were almost fifty dementors on the train. Hermione and Draco cast the patronus charm and
chased most of them away. Professor Lupin saved them in the end but he couldn’t have fought off
fifty of them, not even as an adult wizard. Dumbledore is probably the only person who could.”
Harry still didn’t understand what his friend was trying to say but Ron did.
“So, they were just showing off again and got the snakes a hundred points. Why am I not surprised?”
Neville glared at the redhead but when he saw that Harry was confused, he grinned again.
“Dementors are really foul and not many people can cast the patronus spell, the spell that creates the
silver animals. They drive them away. That spell is ridiculously difficult and most people can’t even
cast it until they’ve reached their full power, something that happens around their seventeenth
birthday. Yet, Hermione and Draco both cast them at age thirteen and they both drove away over
thirty dementors. It’s insane. Not to mention, they were running the corridors and shoving students
into compartments and locking them in so the dementors couldn’t get to them. They saved lives.” His
gaze turned darker.
“Then our new professor came and drove the remaining ones away from Hermione and Draco and
then punished Hermione because she pushed a little girl too hard and she hit the window in the
compartment. He told them both that they were foolish for doing what they did.” Harry frowned.
“How did he punish them?” Neville snorted.
“I guarantee you that’s why Snape just gave them points. He took ten from Slytherin for hurting the
little girl and then gave her detention because she smarted back at him. Hermione will take so much
up until a point but once she’s at that point, she’s done. You don’t stand a chance against her. Look
at first year in Transfiguration. She had finally had enough.” Harry laughed openly now. He would
never forget that day.
“Well, if they really saved everyone from those horrid dementors, they deserve the points. I won’t
begrudge them that. Jealous that they’re already ahead but let’s be honest. We have the Weasley
twins and they have Hermione Black.” The twins, who were shamelessly listening in, howled in
indignation.
“Not nice, Potter, we’re good lads.” He snorted again.
“Sure, you are.”
Conversation faded next to him and everyone started talking around him. He was lost in the thought
about what Neville had told him. Obviously, it was clear that a strongly magical child could cast the
patronus charm. Dumbledore kept telling him how bloody powerful he was, telling him that he
needed to learn as much as he could. Even though Remus had been kind of an arse about it, he
wanted to ask the man if he would teach him how to cast one. Maybe he could figure out why he
had been so terrible to Hermione.
However, when he considered it, it was probably for the same reason that Harry had hated her at first
too. Her father was responsible for the deaths of his family and while he realized now that it wasn’t
her fault, he doubted he would ever be able to look past it. It was clear that she loved her father and
Harry would never be able to have him in his life knowing what he did. He would still question
Professor Lupin but if he was best friends with his father and Black, it was most assuredly over
Black being a traitor. Harry shrugged mentally.
Maybe he would get to learn something that he could use this time. Not that he would never use
what he was learning in his lessons but the dementors affected him more than anyone, that much was
clear. If he could cast that spell and drive them away, it would be dead useful. Harry decided to
ponder it a while longer before he approached their new professor. He wanted to try to get a handle
on their relationship first.
Harry smiled to himself. Maybe this year would turn out to be a good one after all.
A/N- There she is, kids, another chapter down. The year you’ve all been waiting for has arrived. Just
have to wait until the end of third year. Anyways, thanks for the love you constantly show my story,
I appreciate it so much. Leave me a message after the beep and tell me what you think. Reviews are
love.
Next chapter, our favorite characters face a boggart.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 46

A/N- Alright, y’all, I’m back!! It’s only been a couple days so I don’t feel too bad. I made a mistake
last chapter and while this chapter is going to be exciting, they won’t face the boggarts yet. I looked
at the wrong page of my rough outline. I apologize to everyone out there that was so excited! I do
believe the boggart lesson is chapter 48. Hope you guys can hang tough until then.
I also want to put a short note in here about people that want to leave me insulting reviews. I won’t
name the person here but I haven’t removed the review, if you want to read it, go for it. I want to
remind everyone that while I love hearing about spelling errors, tense errors, plot holes, and even
your opinions, don’t leave me a review telling me that I’m a pedophile and that because I hinted at
Remus and Sirius being lovers that they’re pederasts. Don’t be fucking assholes, people. If you think
my story sucks, great. Tell me so and I’ll send you a message telling you that I understand, my story
isn’t for everyone. This individual received a not-so-nice response where I basically told them that
they were fucking stupid and needed to do some research. For those of you out there, a pederast is a
man who has a sexual relationship with a boy. Not two men or two boys having a sexual
relationship. I’ve also stated that I googled average ages that teens went through puberty and when
they started masturbating. Several people have backed up what I read. I hope this clears the matter up
in anyone else’s mind that was wondering and didn’t want to ask.
I’m going to get off my soap box now since most of you are so wonderful. You guys are seriously
the bomb and I can’t tell you how much I love the support you show my story.
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, same as every other chapter. I don’t own this story or the characters and
I haven’t made any money off this story or any of my others.
Chapter 46
September 8, 1993
Harry waited for Ron to finish his breakfast with a fond expression on his face. He really didn’t have
any manners and he wasn’t sure how since he knew that Molly chastised him constantly to remember
his lessons and eat properly. Harry couldn’t help but find this funny since he always had foul things
to say about the Slytherins being taught useless things such as etiquette but it was clear that he had
been taught them too. He just never used them.
Parvati was deep in a conversation with Lavender about who only knew what. The girl had spread
all over the school about how the end of year points loss for Slytherin was because of Hermione
cursing her. Harry had tried to tell her that it was bad taste to say anything this long after it had
happened but the rest of the school had run with it. Lavender and Parvati were on cloud nine and
Harry was pissed that he even had a part in their story. He didn’t want Hermione to think that he had
any part of the story getting spread.
Where Hermione had been extremely well-liked before the incident with Lavender, now she was one
of the most avoided. Nobody dared to say anything to her face, or to Malfoy’s for that matter, but he
knew that she heard the whispers. Neville and the twins were still her staunch supporters, as were
most of her house, but the rest of the purebloods at Hogwarts were scared that she would take her
anger too far. It was horrible to see the impassive mask slide over her features when she realized that
she was a topic of conversation. Harry loved to see her fire and the life in her eyes.
Ron was just reveling in the newfound hatred for Hermione. Harry kept quiet about it because there
wasn’t much that he could do about it. He couldn’t deny what Hermione had done and while he
knew that she was sorry she had done it, the fact remained that this would have happened last year if
she hadn’t been petrified. He just hoped that things ran their course quickly and people forgot about
her actions sooner rather than later.
Ron finally pushed away from the table and belched loudly. Lavender and Pav turned and grimaced
his way, clearly disgusted at his lack of manners. Ron paid them no mind and gathered his bag so
they could make their way to their first class. Charms class was first, one of Harry’s favorites.
Professor Flitwick was pleased with how far ahead Harry had gotten through the summer, he was
now halfway through his fourth year in almost all his core subjects. He had spent the first three days
with free time practicing every spell he had learned over the course of the summer. Ron still thought
that he was insane but that was alright. Harry was determined to be prepared for whatever was
coming in the future.
They entered Charms together and took their usual seats. Thus far, classes had been good and Harry
had enjoyed the extra classes that he was able to take. Ron had bitched and moaned about it but he
had agreed to take Ancient Runes with Harry. He wasn’t going to complain that his friend took the
class with him but he didn’t want to hear how much the boy hated it for the rest of the year. Care of
Magical Creatures and Divination were also on his schedule and with just three more classes, his
schedule was full. In fact, he had Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid after lunch for the first time
and he couldn’t wait.
The rest of the students entered and took their seats as they waited for Professor Flitwick. Like
always, they were with the Slytherins so Harry got to see Hermione. He hadn’t had a chance to
speak with her yet this year but he was going to try to do so today. He wanted to apologize again for
his callous comment at the end of last year. He could never tell Ron that but it was the truth. He
hadn’t liked how she had shuttered her eyes and slid her mask over her features while looking at him.
It was cold and impersonal and he didn’t like how it made him feel.
Hermione was sitting with Malfoy who seemed more attentive than normal. Since they sat at tables,
he had his arm propped up on the chair Hermione was sitting on and he was listlessly twirling one of
her curls in his fingers. She clearly refused to look down at her text while she could hear the
whispers so instead she kept her eyes trained forward. Harry felt terrible for her but had a feeling that
she would never want him to feel sorry for her.
Professor Flitwick flounced in the room and welcomed them back enthusiastically. He jumped right
into the lesson, going over the review from last chapter since there were a few children that had been
petrified. Of course, Hermione had been one of those students and Harry had a feeling that even
though she had missed four months of school, she really hadn’t missed a thing.
Once they were dismissed from Charms, Harry started towards the North Tower where Divination
was being held. Harry wasn’t sure who would all be taking the class with him and Ron so he was
surprised to see that Hermione and Malfoy had been leading the way. Ron scowled when he saw
them but Harry wasn’t surprised. Both seemed like people that would take as many classes as they
could.
They were forced to take their seats around small tables for two and sit on something that resembled
a bean bag. There was incense burning at one end of the room and there were odd looking curtains
hanging over the windows, throwing strange shadows around the room. It didn’t take long for
everyone to take their seats, Hermione and Malfoy together clear on the other side of the room while
Pav and Lavender took the table next to him and Ron.
Professor Trelawney entered the tower wearing silk scarfs and bangles up both arms. She looked
quite ridiculous but Harry had a feeling she wouldn’t be receptive to someone telling her so. She
went over the syllabus to their course, speaking in a mystical voice. Harry could tell that Lavender
and Parvati were enthralled with her words even though he thought it sounded like the whole subject
was a hoax. He glanced over to see what Hermione thought and he almost burst out in laughter at the
absolutely horrified look on her face. It was clear that she wasn’t impressed with Professor
Trelawney or her course aims.
After Professor Trelawney dismissed their class, Harry felt Ron clamp onto his elbow and pull him to
the door first. They climbed down the stairs first, Ron whispering to him that they had to be first so
they wouldn’t have to wait for ages to eat lunch. There were several students coming down after
them so Harry decided that it would be rude to go ahead without Parvati. Even though she hadn’t
been included in their adventures last year, she was still their friend.
Hermione was following Malfoy down the stairs. He refused to let her go first since she was wearing
a skirt and anyone that looked up would get a full view of her knickers. Harry had watched her roll
her eyes at her cousin but had done as he wished. Seamus was following Hermione and Dean after
him. Parvati was just now at the top of the ladder so Harry watched her descend.
Hermione couldn’t have been more than five or six feet from the ground when she let out a soft cry
in pain. Malfoy had just reached the ground and his gaze flew upwards. Seamus had stepped on one
of her hands and by the looks of it, he had ground his heel into her flesh. Harry started forward but
stopped when Ron stepped in front of him. It appeared that Seamus either didn’t hear her whimper of
pain or clearly didn’t care. Malfoy was already climbing the ladder and Harry had a feeling it was
going to be bad. However, Hermione’s voice was only shaking a tiny bit when she spoke.
“Can you please move your foot, Finnegan?” Harry saw Seamus shift his weight to put more weight
on her hand before he looked down and got an apologetic look on his face.
“Oh, sorry Black. I didn’t see it.” Harry knew that was a bullshite lie and planned on having words
with the Irishmen later. He moved his foot and Harry could already see a bruise blooming on the top
of her hand. Malfoy wrapped an arm around her waist and whispered something in her ear and she
wrapped an arm around his neck so he could help her down the ladder with only one hand. Harry
moved under them to take Hermione’s bag from her.
Harry caught a sight of her knickers as he stepped under them, red lace covering the curve of her
bum. He lowered his eyes almost immediately, not wanting to take advantage of the position that
Hermione was in. However, he felt his cock harden in his pants and was grateful for the robes that
covered him. Her bag was in his hand and he was standing back when Malfoy finally had her on the
ground. Hermione cradled her hand to her chest, her eyes bright with unshed tears. It was clear that
she was holding them back to be strong in front of the others. Seamus jumped down behind them, a
smirk on his face. Malfoy stepped up and grabbed his shirt front, shoving him against the wall.
“You think it’s funny, crushing my cousin’s hand on purpose? Maybe I should show you what I do
to fucking pricks who hurt my cousin.” Fear flitted across Seamus’ eyes but he smirked again.
“It wasn’t on purpose, mate. Like I told her, I didn’t realize I had stepped on it.” Malfoy pulled his
wand and held it up to Seamus’ face. Harry knew that he should intervene but he didn’t. Seamus
deserved whatever he had coming for hurting her on purpose. Hermione, however, had other ideas.
She stepped forward and laid a soft hand on her cousin’s arm.
“Please, Drake, don’t. He isn’t worth it. I don’t want you to get detention for fighting again. We’ll
just go tell Professor Snape and let him handle it.” Malfoy glanced back and stared at her for several
seconds before he sheathed his wand and shoved Seamus to the side away from them. He wrapped
an arm around Hermione’s shoulders and kissed the side of her head.
“Only if you promise to go to the Hospital Wing and let Madam Pomfrey look at your hand.”
Hermione still had her hand cradled but she nodded. Truthfully, with the bruise that had already
started to form, it wouldn’t surprise Harry if she had a broken bone. He had had enough of them to
recognize the symptoms. Malfoy turned her towards Harry and held his hand out for her bag. Harry
handed it over immediately, without a word, hoping that his eyes conveyed how sorry he was. She
gave him a small smile before she was led away. Once they were out of sight, Harry turned around
and raged at Seamus.
“What the fuck were you thinking? I know you did that on purpose.” Seamus chuckled.
“Of course, I did. She almost killed Lavender, she deserved a little payback. Nobody can disprove
that I didn’t do it on purpose. Let ‘em run to Snape, I really don’t care.” Harry gave him an
incredulous look.
“Don’t you think the fact that she was petrified for four months to be punishment enough? She lost
points for her house, she was still punished. All of that aside, do you really want the Malfoy and
Black families after you for hurting her? Not to mention the feud that will surely start again between
our two houses again?” Seamus just shrugged his shoulders.
“No, she needed to pay in pain for what she did. She hurt Lav, I hurt her. Not nearly as badly as she
hurt Lav so she should count herself lucky.” Harry wasn’t sure why he was letting this bother him as
much as it was. Therefore, he did the best he could to stop the retaliation without making it a huge
deal.
“She’s even then, no more retaliation against Hermione Black. We’re already a hundred points
behind them in points because of what they did on the train. We can’t afford for you arseholes to lose
us anymore. It’s already hard as fuck to win against them because she wins them so many points.”
Seamus grinned and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Not with you killing basilisks, mate.” Harry felt his cheeks redden so he was quick to leave his
friends in the corridor. Ron was the only one to follow him. It took them almost ten minutes to make
it from the North Tower to the Great Hall and when they arrived, lunch was half over. Harry was
quick to take his seat and spoon his lunch of roast beef sandwiches and vegetable soup up. Ron
followed suit and the pair began to eat, Ron muttering under his breath about Hermione Black
keeping him from his food. Since he didn’t have a single word to say about Harry’s words or actions,
it was clear that he had no problems with them.
Malfoy and Hermione hadn’t arrived by the time the bell rang. Harry and Ron were quick to dart
from the Great Hall to the door outside. They wanted to up at the front of the class to give Hagrid as
much support as they could. They found the half-giant outside waiting for them and even though
there were several students behind them, Harry grinned at his first friend. Hagrid grinned back before
turning his attention to the rest of the class.
He started the lesson, going over the syllabus and the things that they would be learning that year in
Care of Magical Creatures. Halfway through the class, Hermione and Malfoy arrived, note in hand to
hand to Hagrid. Hermione had a splint on her hand but appeared to be in no pain. There were
snickers that broke out when the rest of the class saw her hand. She didn’t acknowledge them and
kept her chin high. Since it was her wand hand that Seamus had stomped on, she wasn’t able to take
notes like she normally would but Malfoy seemed to be reassuring her.
After Hagrid sent them on their way just a little bit before class ended, Harry grinned at him one last
time and hurried to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He had heard all week long how
brilliant Professor Lupin was, how all the students already loved him. He was eager to experience it
himself but he wanted a word with the man first. Since he was the first one in the classroom, he
knocked on the door that led to the man’s office. To his delight, the man answered the door and he
smiled happily.
“Harry, how wonderful to see you. You’re a bit early for class.” Harry nodded and entered the office
when Professor Lupin waved him in.
“I wanted to stop and talk to you since I don’t have much free time. I know this isn’t the best time to
talk about my parents, I’d rather save that conversation for another day. However, I wanted to ask
you a question.” Lupin nodded at him.
“Why did you punish Black for what she did on the train? They saved a bunch of kids.” Lupin raked
his hand through his hair and threw himself into the chair behind his desk.
“Harry, I used to be friends with her father. I’ll admit that I wasn’t the fairest to her but what she and
Mr. Malfoy did was exceedingly stupid. They could have been kissed by those dementors if their
patronuses hadn’t worked. They should have just stayed in their compartment and locked it. She did
hurt Miss Farmington, she had a concussion from hitting that window so hard. What would have
happened if she had pushed Miss Farmington any harder? She could have been seriously injured or
killed. I could have handled it better, I’ll admit that, but they deserved to be punished. I should have
been the one to take the risks, not two thirteen-year-old kids.” Harry frowned as he considered the
man’s words. He didn’t believe that he was lying to him, rather that he was telling the truth, but it
didn’t seem fair that when Hermione did stupid things she was punished and when he did stupid
things he was awarded points and house cups. However, that wasn’t Lupin’s doing so he would
keep quiet about it for now.
“I understand, Professor. I suppose student’s safety should come first.” Lupin smiled at him softly.
“You like so much like your father, Harry. But with Lily’s eyes, exactly the same.” Harry grinned.
He had heard people tell him this before but he never tired of it. Even though it wasn’t new
information to him, he loved being reminded that they weren’t gone from him completely. His
thoughts flashed to the Mirror of Erised and wondered if Lupin would appear in it now. Lord Black
and his daughter had.
“I like knowing that, Professor. It makes me feel closer to them knowing that I look like them.”
Lupin nodded his head and looked at his watch.
“We’ll have that conversation soon, Harry, I promise. For now, your students have gathered in the
classroom and seem quite eager to begin.” Harry nodded and rose to his feet, preceding his professor
out into the classroom. He took the open seat next to Ron and noticed that Hermione was seated by
Malfoy on the other side of the room.
-O-
Hermione would never admit it, not to anyone aside from Draco anyways, that she was nervous for
Defense Against the Dark Arts. She knew that Lupin already hated her and would likely make her
life hell. On top of her hand, it would just be icing on the cake, that much was certain.
Madam Pomfrey had given her a pain potion for the broken bone in her hand and had forced a splint
on her to keep it in place while the skele-gro did its work. She hadn’t wanted to wear it, knew that it
would bring even more attention to her hand but the woman was persistent. With Draco nattering in
her ear that she needed to wear it, it was easier to just give in. Care of Magical Creatures had been
horrid, everyone pointing at her and laughing under their breath. She knew that it had been done as
revenge for what she had done to Lavender but there wasn’t anything she could do about it.
Draco had left her there in the Hospital Wing while she took her skele-gro to go and tell Uncle Sev.
He said that their godfather hadn’t been happy but that he would handle it. She wasn’t sure what that
meant but she doubted that Finnegan would like it. It really didn’t make her feel any better. She
deserved some of their treatment of her; she had hurt and almost killed their friend and she had only
lost points, no real punishment.
Sure, the rest of the school wasn’t too keen on her right now. Slytherin was mostly behind her,
though there were a few that agreed that she had taken it too far. Hermione agreed completely so she
didn’t hold it against them that they felt the same way. Draco knew exactly what she had been
thinking and had pulled her hair harshly, yanking her head a little, and lit into her. After drilling it in
her head that she didn’t deserve what was happening to her for ten minutes, she had finally agreed
just to shut him up.
Now, rather than go to class with the one man that probably hated her more than Dumbledore, she
wanted to go run. After running for as long as she had, she felt a certain amount of peace when she
did it. Draco usually accompanied her now, though not always. Her endurance was at its best and
she could admit that she felt good. Her baby fat was disappearing quickly, leaving behind long and
lean muscles. Her aunt had been so impressed that she swore she needed to start running so she
could shed a few pounds.
Hermione allowed her cousin to guide her into the seat next to him. Harry came out of the
professor’s office and she wanted to groan. As if he didn’t already want to not be friends with her,
now he was going to have Lupin nattering away in his ear, turning him against her fully. He took the
seat next to Weasley and Lupin smiled at the class.
“We aren’t going to waste our time going over things that you learned last year as a review since you
didn’t learn anything last year. I was informed as to Lockhart’s way of doing things and I want to
make sure that every one of you is aware that that will not be happening this year. Now, we have
two whole years’ worth of defense to fit into a single year. Let us begin.” Hermione listened to him
lecture on the revulsion jinx. She found it odd that he started with a third-year spell when they had
learned nothing in second but it was his class.
Since she had her notes from Madam Cambridge, there was no need to despair that she couldn’t take
notes with her hand in a splint. So far this week, it had been going over syllabuses and review so she
wasn’t worried since her hand would be better by nightfall. Since the professor liked to wander while
he lectured, the chalk writing on the board by itself, he stopped next to her and she could feel his
eyes on her.
“Miss Black, is there a reason that you aren’t taking notes? You are aware that you will be tested on
this information.” Hermione had to bite her tongue. Since the professor was so close, Draco couldn’t
pinch her like he had last time.
“Yes, sir, I’m aware.” He spoke again and this time there was a bite to his tone.
“You must think that you’re much better prepared than your classmates.” Hermione was gritting her
teeth now.
“I couldn’t say since I don’t know how prepared my classmates are, sir.” Lupin’s gaze hardened
even more.
“Perform the revulsion jinx, Miss Black, if you think you’re capable. Otherwise, take notes.”
Hermione knew that her eyes were flashing. Never had a student been called out on not taking notes,
not even her godfather did it. He felt that it was the responsibility of every student to worry about
their grades on their own. Hermione rose to her feet and held her wand awkwardly in her hand.
Draco was trying to furiously communicate with his eyes but she ignored him.
“What would you like me to cast it on?” Lupin smirked at her.
“Me. Push me away from you.” Hermione couldn’t believe he was telling her to hurt him. She knew
that it was a set up so she aimed her wand at the empty desk in front of her.
“Relashio.” The desk was sent flying across the room, even though her aim was just slightly off from
the damned splint. Hermione met his gaze with an impassive mask.
“You may doubt my skills but I don’t. I won’t harm someone in a simple class demonstration. For
the record, I learned this spell when I was seven years old. I have all my old notes from my tutor so I
won’t be taking notes in this class unless you tell me something I don’t already have written down.
Sir.” There was fury dancing in his eyes now. The rest of the class was silent and Hermione took her
seat once more and turned her attention to her notes. She thought that he was going to drop it but
instead, his voice rang out again.
“How advanced are you, Miss Black?” Hermione shrugged, not really wanting to show off her
skills.
“Draco and I study during the summers. I really have no idea how far advanced you would consider
us.” She realized that she probably shouldn’t be pulling Draco down this road with her but she knew
him well enough to know that if she didn’t, he throw himself down the road. Lupin grinned at her in
a feral way and she wondered just how much of his inner wolf was bleeding through.
“Let us duel then, Miss Black. If you are as advanced as you claim, you deserve a curriculum that
would challenge you.” Hermione wanted to laugh. He was going to duel her, injured, so he could
win and prove a point. She knew that Dumbledore would never allow them to have an advanced
curriculum so it wasn’t worth her time. However, she wasn’t one to back away from a challenge.
Before she could speak, however, Draco cut in.
“Professor, she can’t duel right now. Her wand hand is in a splint because it’s broken.” Hermione
held her hand up to Draco and nodded at her professor. She unstrapped the splint and stood.
“Very well, Professor.” Her hand felt achy still but she refused to back out and let everyone call her a
coward on top of what they were already saying about her. She may be a Slytherin but was most
assuredly not a coward. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw worry cross Harry’s features but he
remained quiet. As she walked to the front of the room after Lupin, she flexed her hand softly. She
had a feeling that this was going to hurt, especially since she knew that she wasn’t going to win.
Sure, she was good, but she was still only thirteen. She didn’t have the power to pour into her spells
that would match an adult werewolf no matter how powerful she was. Once they were in front of the
class, they faced each other and raised their wands.
“Begin.”
Lupin threw the first spell and she wasn’t sure what it was since he cast silently. Hermione instantly
erected a shield and deflected the spell, sending it through the room. Everyone ducked except for
Draco, who cast a shield around himself so he could watch. The look in his eyes was murderous and,
in his place, hers would be as well.
Hermione cast another revulsion jinx, under her breath so he couldn’t hear her casting. She was
powerful enough that the spell still worked, thank Merlin. Due to her being trained in magic from a
very young age, her magical core, already strong from being adopted, was well used to her asking
the impossible from it.
The spells flew between the two of them, Hermione getting a single cutting curse through his shield
to catch his bicep. This seemed to incense him further and his spells became more furious. After a
while, Hermione wasn’t able to do anything but flicker her shield in and out of existence, blocking
herself from his spells. Her hand was aching more than it had been and she knew that it was only a
matter of time before she couldn’t get past the cramping.
It happened several minutes later. A cramp seized her hand and she was unable to hold her wand at
the correct angle to get her shield to appear. As if the fates hated her, it was a revulsion jinx that hit
her. Hermione felt the spell collide with her chest and her feet lift from the floor. Moments later, she
slammed into the wall behind her and slid down, reaching both hands out to catch herself. Pain shot
through her hand again and she suspected that it was broken again. Her head was ringing from
where it had hit the wall and her vision was spotty. Draco was instantly at her side, pulling her to him
so he could feel her for injuries. She heard a growl of fury come from him when he felt the back of
her head and pulled his hand away bloody. He pointed his wand at the wall and muttered a spell,
vanishing the blood on the wall. There was no way that Draco would leave her blood behind.
“What is wrong with you, Lupin? She had a broken hand and you were casting silently. The least
you could have done against a thirteen-year-old injured girl was cast verbally. You were so worried
about her giving a concussion to that girl on the train and now you’ve given her one. I hope you
consider yourself a great role model now.” Hermione clutched at Draco’s arm, trying to shut him up.
The last thing she wanted was for him to end up in detention.
“It’s fine, Draco. He wouldn’t even get in trouble since it was a classroom demonstration that I
agreed to. However, I’ll console myself that a thirteen-year-old girl with a broken hand managed to
draw his blood too.” Hermione knew she shouldn’t. She knew that she would regret it more than
anything but she just couldn’t help herself.
“My father would be disappointed in you.” It really was a growl that escaped his lips now. Hermione
could see that Harry’s face went pale as if he couldn’t believe that she would say something like that.
She felt a twinge of guilt but not much.
“You will serve three detentions with me, Miss Black, for your cheek and your antagonistic
comments. Trust me, no decent person would want your father to be proud of them. What’s that say
for you?” Hermione didn’t let that comment hurt her. She knew that he would fire back with
something mean.
“Twenty points from Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy, for your tone.” Draco just glared at him but said
nothing. Lupin walked away from the pair on the floor.
“Class is dismissed.” Hermione allowed Draco to help her off the floor and held tight to him as the
world spun. He wrapped an arm around her waist tightly and guided her so they could get their
things. Once he had shouldered both their bags, he pulled her to the door and started down the
corridor to the Hospital Wing. Hermione’s hand was throbbing as they turned the corner that headed
to the Hospital Wing. She wasn’t expecting Harry to step out of the shadows in front of her and glare
at her.
“Why would you ever say something like that after what your father did?” Hermione sighed. The last
thing she wanted to deal with while her hand and head were throbbing was Harry in a snit.
“Because I know the truth of what happened to your parents. Not Dumbledore, not Lupin, not
McGonagall. My father was best friends with both your father and Lupin and it’s a fact that if he saw
how he dueled against a young girl, the daughter of his friend no less, he would be disappointed as
fuck. It was a cheap move and you know it. I may the most powerful witch in ages but I’m still a
child. Against a full-grown man casting silently, did I really stand any chance? He did that to put me
in my place, to embarrass me so I’ll dance his tune. It’s going to be a long year because that will
never happen. You can call me a stuck-up pureblood snob but I’ll bow to no one. I won’t dance for
anyone unless I want to.” Harry sneered her way.
“Yet you’ll dance to your master’s tune as soon as he returns. You’ll bow before him and kill for
him, just like your father and uncle. I really hope you don’t, that you’re serious, but after that
comment, I seriously doubt it.” Hermione felt as though someone had slapped her. She visibly
recoiled and Draco took her weight for her. She drew in a stuttering breath before she met his gaze
again.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Harry. I thought that my actions would surely speak louder than my
words, that Draco and I have gone out of our way to help you in your insanely stupid adventures.
Draco almost died to help you. I could have lost the most important person in my life because he was
helping you against Voldemort. I understand that we aren’t friends and I don’t expect you to embrace
me or my family but you should know that my father never turned your parents in to Dark Lord. He
was never marked. He never supported the dark. He loved your parents and he loved you and he
was so devastated when he found them dead, that he handed you to Hagrid and went after the man
who did hand them over. Peter Pettigrew. If he wanted you dead so badly, why would he have given
you to Hagrid so readily? Ask yourself that.” She paused for just a moment to try to stop her chest
from heaving.
“You want to judge me for things you think my father has done when you haven’t heard his side of
it? That’s fine. Just know that I’m going to judge you on your actions and right now, it isn’t looking
favorable. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about your parents it’s that they were honorable people.
Make sure you’re someone they would be proud of.” Hermione felt bad for stooping that low but she
was done. She was tired of having a tenuous relationship with the boy only for him to throw things
in her face the first time his beliefs didn’t match hers. Pain crossed Harry’s face and Hermione
stepped forward to continue her way to the Hospital Wing. Harry reached out and grabbed her arm
softly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to say all those things to you. If things were different I think we would have
made great friends. I know that you think your father is innocent and maybe he is. The fact remains
that one of us is being lied to. You’re right though, I haven’t heard your father’s side of it. I can’t say
that I’ll agree to meeting with him but I’ll consider it. I really didn’t want to hurt you. I hope you can
forgive me.” Hermione wasn’t sure what to think about his words. She knew without a doubt that
Dumbledore would never allow Harry to meet with her father no matter when it was. All he would
have to do is read it in his mind and he would stop it. The thought that he would consider it though
meant the world to her. Therefore, she nodded her head.
“I forgive you. I appreciate that you’re willing to listen to him, it means a lot. Never in a million years
do I think that Dumbledore will let that happen. Thank you though. I’m sorry as well, I shouldn’t
have brought your parents into it.” Harry grinned at her, clearly happy that they had cleared that up.
He spoke again.
“I still owe you an apology for last year. I should never have said what I did about you almost killing
Lavender. I’m also sorry that I put Malfoy in danger, that was never my intent.” Hermione grinned at
him just a little.
“I forgive you. I know that your words are true, however. I deserved it.” Harry frowned but
Hermione didn’t give him the chance to refute her words.
“I really need to get to the Hospital Wing and get my hand fixed again. I shouldn’t have agreed to
duel the bastard.” Hermione refused to be nice about Lupin for Harry’s sake. Harry nodded.
“I understand, I won’t keep you anymore. We’re not friends but I like that we aren’t enemies.”
Hermione nodded his way. If he managed to speak with her father maybe they wouldn’t have to be
enemies ever again. Draco pulled her into the Hospital Wing and once they were away from Harry,
he spoke, warning her.
“Don’t get your hopes up. It’s clear that Lupin hasn’t got ahold of him yet. Even if he does decide to
talk to Sirius, Dumbledore won’t let him talk to him.” Hermione nodded sadly as she settled into the
nearest bed.
“I know but the sentiment means a lot. I don’t think it’s going to last though. Lupin is going to turn
him against me even more.” Draco nodded and watched Madam Pomfrey bustle over. Hermione
leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed.
“After last year I really hate the Hospital Wing.” Draco chuckled and kissed the side of her head.
“Wanna sleep with me tonight?” Hermione nodded against him.
“I thought you would never ask. Will Theo snitch on us?” Draco rubbed her back between her
shoulder blades.
“Not if he knows what’s good for him.” Hermione chuckled again and groaned as Madam Pomfrey
put her hands on her hips and started in on her.
Thank goodness she was going to sleep with Draco tonight because it was going to be a long night.
Now all that was left to do was to convince Draco to keep his mouth shut about everything that had
happened and she would consider it a win.
-O-
Severus sat in his quarters and sipped his fire whiskey. His goddaughter was determined to make his
life hell because she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. Lupin had made sure to gloat to him that she had
lost a duel against him in class and had earned herself three nights of detention. After asking Nott
what had happened, he had gotten the story and he was none to happy about it. However, there was
nothing that he could do about it since it was a classroom demonstration that she had fully agreed to.
On the other side, there was extreme pride that Hermione had lasted as long as she could against a
fully-grown werewolf. She had even gotten a cutting curse through his shield and drew blood, quite
the feat for a thirteen-year-old. However, he dreaded having to tell her father. There was nothing he
could do, of course, but he would have to hear him rage regardless. Not that Severus blamed him; he
had wanted to rage when Lupin had rubbed it in his face.
After he had heard about the dementor attack on the train and Lupin’s treatment of his daughter,
Sirius had wanted to come straight to Hogwarts and blast the man to smithereens. Between Lucius
and himself, they had convinced him otherwise, but it hadn’t been easy. In fact, it had been difficult
as fuck but it was what it was. Sirius couldn’t throw everything away now when he had worked so
hard to convince everyone in their world that he was truly a follower of the Dark Lord.
Lucius had promised retribution but he had convinced the man to stay his hand and let his children
handle it. It wasn’t something that he liked doing but he was afraid of the kind of retaliation that
would occur when the werewolf learned of their actions. His friend had reluctantly agreed but
Severus didn’t think that he would stick by his word for long. Hermione was the light of his life and
he would always do whatever he could to protect her. Draco being protected went without saying.
Severus had taken a sick sense of pleasure out of berating Finnegan in front of the whole of the Great
Hall. He had lost fifty points for Gryffindor and been assigned three days of detention with himself.
He was well-aware of what was going on in the school regarding his goddaughter. He felt terrible,
his heart hurt for her being shunned, but there was nothing he could do about it. She had only cried
into his robes once since the information had come out so he figured that Draco was taking excellent
care of her.
The portrait in the Slytherin common room that watched the students to make sure they were
behaving had just visited to tell him that Hermione had sneaked into the boy’s dormitory. Severus
couldn’t help but smile. He wondered if the pair would ever grow out of sleeping together. He had
wondered if Draco telling himself that he would marry Hermione to protect her if the Dark Lord won
would make things awkward between them but it hadn’t. If anything, it had made them closer.
Almost losing Draco had made them both realize just how precious they were to each other.
Severus sighed. He supposed that he should just get the letter written and send it off. Nothing the pair
did would do any good and Lucius would hopefully realize that since he was the Head of he Board
of Governors. He wished that he could get away with not telling them since they would only feel
worse about Lupin being there but that wasn’t an option.
Therefore, he stood and went to his desk, pulling out a quill, parchment, and ink. He settled in next
to the fire and refilled his whiskey. With another deep sigh, he put quill to parchment and started.
Hopefully, they would realize that he was doing the best he could to keep their children safe.
A/N- Another one bites the dust! Dang, I’m on a roll, look at me go. I hope you all liked this chapter,
don’t worry, things aren’t going to settle down anytime soon. Thanks to all those that continue to
show so much love to my story, you guys are the bomb. Leave me a review and tell me what you
thought, they make me smile.
Next chapter, an interesting Care of Magical Creatures lesson and Lucius visits Hogwarts.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 47

A/N-Wow, guys, sixty-three reviews on the last chapter. I have never had that many of any chapter
I’ve written before, this story or any others. Thank you so much, the love you show me is just
astounding. I know that Remus is being horrid and I apologize. However, when the truth comes out,
he’s going to grovel and it’s going to take a long time for him to be forgiven. Hang tight…please?
Anyways, I know you really want the chapter so I’ll go for now. Thanks again!
**Shout out to Fraulein Takoor on being my 1400th reviewer. You’re freaking awesome!**
Disclaimer: Someday I’ll have my own original story but until then you’re going to have to make due
with me writing stories about characters that don’t belong to me. Trust me, I’ve made no money from
this story or any other. If I had, I would have quit my job to take up writing full time already. My
bank account balance tells no lies.
Chapter 47
September 21, 1993
Hermione had already ate all she was going to eat of her chicken salad sandwich and broccoli and
cheese soup. The meal was good, quite tasty, but it would never compare to the meals that Dip and
Dot made at Black Moor. Dot especially always made sure to make Hermione’s favorites. She
supposed that made her a bit spoiled but Hermione didn’t care. She loved her elves and they loved
her so there was nothing else for it.
Draco was laughing about a joke that Blaise had told that none of the girls could listen to. She was
quite sure that it had been dirty in nature by the volume of their guffaws. She rolled her eyes at them
and opened her book but she didn’t really read. It was so much easier to think when everyone
assumed that she was enthralled in a book.
Hermione hadn’t talked to Harry since the day she had dueled Professor Lupin. She knew that he
was being honest in saying that he would consider speaking to her father but she also knew that it
would never happen. Dumbledore would never allow it and he would see in Harry’s mind before it
ever happened if he tried to keep it from him. Therefore, she hadn’t seen fit to inform her father. It
would only get his hopes up for them to be dashed later.
Truthfully, Hermione felt as if she was back in the same rut as she had been her first year. Harry
would be terrible to her and then he would be nice. She would start to trust him and then he would
dash it with a cruel comment. She swore to herself that she wasn’t going to go out of her way to
befriend him at all unless he made a move to speak with her father. Frankly, she was tired of being
the rug that he could wipe his feet on and then try to clean up later.
The school in general was still being horrid to her. Most of the Slytherins that had been against her
had come around and started acknowledging her again but the rest of the houses were a no-go. Even
the Hufflepuffs, they were usually as loyal as they came, had turned their backs on her. The
Gryffindors were the worse, however.
Since Hermione was almost always with Draco, he knew about most of the incidents. She had
noticed that while most of the lions were in on the incidents, Harry was never around when they
were performed. There were a couple that had landed her in the Hospital Wing and truth be told, she
had had just about her fill of it.
Hermione had been out running one early September day, one of the days without Draco. Whereas
she ran every morning, he joined her only four days a week, citing that he needed his rest for
quidditch practice too. She usually didn’t mind. However, just the week before she had been out on a
Tuesday morning, running in the brisk air in the first rays of light around the Black Lake. There was
a path that she ran every single day that twisted and turned between the trees and bushes along the
shore. She had been on her third time around the lake when someone had stepped away from a tree
behind her and blasted her into the Black Lake.
At home, this wouldn’t have bothered her. Black Moor and Malfoy Manor had a pool and she was
perfectly fine in the water there. However, when it came to swimming in the lakes on their lands, it
was a different story. Hermione would go only as far as she could reach and no further. Not being
able to see the bottom was a fear of hers since she was a kid and she had never gotten over it.
When she landed in the lake, her feet weren’t touching the bottom. Hermione had never been the
strongest swimmer, one of the reasons she preferred the shallower water. She had started to panic but
her heart hadn’t exploded out of her chest until the grindylows appeared and tried to pull her further
under. Hermione wasn’t sure how much water she had sucked in when the giant squid had appeared
and caught her in one of his tentacles and lifted her high above the water and started to pull her
towards the shore.
Hermione had been gasping for air and it had been hard to breathe. However, she refused to show
weakness. After thanking the giant squid, she had dragged herself back into the castle and to the
Hospital Wing. Draco had found her an hour later when she didn’t show up for breakfast. He had
been livid, Madam Pomfrey had shoved a calming draught down his throat, but Hermione didn’t
blame him. She would have been the same. Since she hadn’t seen who had cursed her, there was
nothing that they could do about it.
It had taken the better part of the day but Draco had finally agreed to not say anything to their parents
about the bullying that she was receiving from both the students and Lupin. He made it quite clear
that he wasn’t happy with the situation and had also told her that he would begin running with her
every morning when she had refused to stop. She didn’t mind, per se, but she hated that coddled
feeling she got when Draco did things he really didn’t want to to protect her.
Her godfather knew about half her visits to the Hospital Wing. He had told her that if she wanted
him to step in that he would but she didn’t want that. She wanted to stand tall and proud on her own
two feet, just like any Slytherin would. After each incident that he knew of, she cried into his robes
and he held her close, kissed her head, and promised her that someday things would change.
However, she would instruct him not to step in, that she wanted to handle things on her own. She
was a proud Slytherin and when she finally reached her limit, things were going to get ugly. It was
only a matter of time. Hermione just hoped that when it happened, she didn’t end up almost killing
someone.
Lupin hadn’t gotten any better to her in class but he also hadn’t gotten any worse. Outside of class,
he ignored her as if she didn’t exist in the corridors and Great Hall, which was perfectly fine with
her. In class, he glared at her and refused to call on her for answers to his questions but he didn’t
challenge her to anymore duels. Even though she hated being ignored, she considered the way things
were as a win since she hadn’t had any further point losses or detentions. Draco treated him as if he
was a servant, which she was just waiting for the werewolf to snap but he hadn’t yet so she wasn’t
going to complain.
The bell rang in the distance so Hermione shoved her book into her bag and stood, throwing it over
her shoulder as she did so. Her shoulder was still a little sore since she had been blasted into a wall
the day before coming out of the library while Draco wasn’t with her. She had been quite sure that
nothing was hurt so she hadn’t said anything and she hadn’t gone to the Hospital Wing. Frankly, she
was tired of the pitying looks from Madam Pomfrey and she was tired of being lectured by Draco to
stay close.
Draco stood and offered her his arm, kissing the side of her head quickly as they headed towards the
dungeons for Potions. Once inside the dungeon classroom, the pair quickly took their seats. Unlike
last year, where Hermione had been paired with Weasley, this year she was paired with Parvati. It
was still awkward but the girl wasn’t stupid enough to say anything to start an argument, especially
since she knew that she would never win. Hermione played nice and kept her mouth shut and in
return, the Gryffindor did the same.
Today’s lecture was over chizpurfle, something that Hermione had learned ages ago. She once again
thanked Merlin that she had saved all her notes so she didn’t have to waste her time taking more.
Everyone else in class was scratching away dutifully at their parchment, which made Hermione
smile. Even though her godfather was a prickly bastard, he could still get the student population at
large to do whatever he told them to.
After her godfather assigned them to write an eighteen-inch essay over the subject, they were
dismissed. Hermione gathered her things quickly since she had to make her way clear out to Hagrid’s
hut for Care of Magical Creatures. So far, the class hadn’t necessarily been enlightening for
Hermione but it had been interesting. Madam Cambridge had taught them everything they needed to
know about most animals but she had never seen half of them and would kill for the opportunity.
Hagrid had told them in the last class that this class would prove to be their most exciting yet.
Hermione couldn’t wait to get there and see what he had in store but Draco would have been content
to skip it. It was no surprise that Draco didn’t care for the half-giant and he wasn’t one to hide it.
Hermione didn’t blame him.
The rest of the students in their class seemed to have the same idea as Hermione since they all
followed them straight out into cool air. Draco kept hold of her arm and was shooting looks at
anyone that got too close to her. She supposed that she couldn’t blame him since she still wasn’t
quite sure who had sent her sailing into the lake.
Hagrid appeared from the Forbidden Forest and greeted them happily. The rest of the students,
Gryffindors mainly, greeted him back eagerly. Slytherins were always more reserved. Once they
were all gathered around, he began his lesson.
“Today, we’re goin’ ta learn ‘bout hippogriffs.” Hermione grinned even though she was supposed to
be reserved. She had loved learning about hippogriffs when Madam Cambridge had went over them.
She had begged her father to take her to a hippogriff reserve but he would never agree because they
were such flighty animals and they perceived the slightest negativity as an insult. She supposed that
she understood from a parental point of view but that didn’t mean that she didn’t want to see a
hippogriff.
Hagrid lectured for almost an hour on the beautiful beasts. Hermione double checked her notes and
was happy to see that she had several facts that she could add to her already perfect notes. Hagrid
had his flaws but nobody could deny that he was a magical creature’s genius. Draco was jotting
down notes next to her so she figured that even though he would never admit it out loud that he
agreed with her too. After the lecture, Hagrid waved for them to follow him and Hermione was
horrified to see that he was going to lead them into the Forbidden Forest. She tentatively raised her
hand and when he called on her, she did her best to make her voice sound strong.
“You want us to go into the Forbidden Forest? Isn’t it dangerous in there?” It seemed as thought the
Slytherins hadn’t considered that and now had leery looks on their faces. The Gryffindors looked as
though they were still ready to charge in head first though and she supposed that she shouldn’t have
been surprised. Hagrid’s features flashed with annoyance but it was gone before Hermione had even
fully registered that that was what it was.
“The forest is perfectly safe when I’m wit’ ya. We aren’ goin’ in too deep.” Hermione supposed that
there was nothing she could do but follow so she slid her wand down from inside her sleeve into her
hand. There was no way she was entering the Forest unprepared.
It really was a short walk, just about ten minutes or so. They reached a large paddock and found ten
or so hippogriffs, all ranging in colors and sizes. Hagrid whistled and one of the larger hippogriffs
came when he was called. He trotted up to the fence and watched the group of students warily.
Hagrid patted his head merrily and addressed the class.
“Dis here is Buckbeak. He’s one of tha oldes’ males in tha herd and loves humans. Who wan’s to
volunteer ta come greet Buckbeak and tell ‘im how perfect ‘e is?” Hermione really wanted to be the
first but refrained from volunteering. It was Care of Magical Creatures and even though she had a
perfect score in the class, it was clear that Harry and his friends were the favorites. Everyone in the
class stepped back as a whole except for Hermione and Harry. Hagrid beamed, completely ignoring
her.
“Harry, ‘ow nice of ya ta volunteer like dat. You’ll love Beaky.” Hermione had to hide the grin that
threatened to blossom at the sight of Harry’s expression. It was clear that he didn’t want to go first
more than she wanted to be thrown in to the lake again. However, as a true Gryffindor, he gulped his
fears back and stepped forward.
Hermione watched as he bowed to the hippogriff and after several minutes, the hippogriff bowed
back. Once he had done so, Harry looked quite content to pat his beak and scratch his feathers
behind his ear. Truth be told, Buckbeak looked quite content as well. It all changed when Hagrid
went behind Harry and lifted him on the hippogriff’s back and spoke quite loudly.
“He’ll let ya ride ‘im. Mind ‘is feathers, don’ pull ‘em out.” Hagrid then slapped the beast on the
rump and sent him off flying.
Hermione could hear the screams of Harry as they climbed through the air. They quieted once he
was completely level and then there were whoops of joy. Hermione shuddered. There was no way in
blue hell that she could ride the hippogriff but she imagined that she could well-handle petting the
beast. The other students talked quietly amongst themselves for almost ten minutes before Buckbeak
came swooping down once again, Harry clinging to his back and grinning. Hagrid helped him slide
off and she could see them speaking softly to one another. After seeing his experience, Hermione
was so excited to greet of them on her own. Hagrid finally turned his attention to the class.
“Alrigh’, Harry has showed us how ta get it don’. I’m gonna call all tha others and let ya meet ‘em.”
He gave a sharp whistle and several others came trotting forward. Hagrid turned to them and
shouted.
“Ok, ya kno’ the rules, make yer friends.” Hermione grabbed Draco’s hand and quickly stepped up
to the nearest hippogriff, Buckbeak as it was. She watched Draco bow to the beast and make friends,
her cousin patting him softly on the nose before he finally stepped back. Theo went next and bowed
low enough that the hippogriff bowed back. Hermione was almost vibrating in excitement at getting
to go next. When it was finally her turn, she bowed low before the shiny grey hippogriff and waited
until he followed suit. Once he had, she stepped forward and began to stroke his face much the same
as she did her Abraxan horse, Bluebell.
“You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen aside from my horse, Bluebell. He’s an Abraxan
horse and I ride him every chance I get. Do you like to be ridden?” Out of nowhere, the beast that
had been allowing her to caress his nose and face flipped on a knut. His eyes went wild and his head
started to twist through the air. He reared up on his back feet, his front hooves kicking wildly.
Hermione knew what was coming before anyone else did but there was no way to move out of the
way in time. Therefore, she closed her eyes and hoped that Draco wouldn’t be too angry with her.
However, rather than feel the grip and bite of the hippogriff’s hooves, Hermione felt nothing. When
she opened her eyes, Draco was on the ground at her feet, blood blooming all over the sleeve of his
arm. Instant anger erupted and her wand was in her hand, ready to cast. Draco was on the ground
next to her, softly whimpering because of the pain. Just before she could cast on the filthy beast,
Hagrid ran out in between them and started waving the hippogriff away.
“Off wit’ ya, ya great bloody beast.” While Hermione was pleased that the hippogriff was no longer
a danger, she was livid that Draco had had to step in in the first place. Hagrid was clearly panicking
as he approached Draco.
“Yer jus’ fine, Malfoy, ye’ll be good as new in no time.” Hermione stepped between them and held
her wand on him.
“Don’t you take another step towards him, you great fucking idiot. I bowed to that beast and then
told him that he was as beautiful as my Abraxan horse. Then he rears up and attacks. Telling him that
he’s fine isn’t going to make that so.” Her wand didn’t waver as she knelt next to her cousin and
helped him stand. Greg appeared on his other side while Hermione cradled his injured arm. Her
voice was ice cold as she spoke to the half-giant.
“My father and uncle are going to hear of this. Year after year you just keep putting students in
danger. I won’t stand for it. First with me in the Forest during our first-year detention. Second year,
you sent Potter, Weasley and my cousin to the acromantula nest. This year, a hippogriff. You aren’t
fit to be a teacher no matter what the Headmaster thinks and no matter how knowledgeable you are.”
Hermione could feel her magic bubbling right near the surface and she was doing her absolute best to
keep in under control. The last thing she needed was to have her magic take care of things just like it
had when it had been faced with Lavender Brown. She could see that the Gryffindors weren’t happy
with her words but at this point, she could give two fucks less. She turned to Greg and gave him a
determined smile.
“Help me take him to the Hospital Wing. I’ll contact my uncle from there.” He gave her a nod and
shifted his massive weight under Draco’s shoulder. On her own side, she cast a spell that would
levitate and support him the whole way. It seemed the easiest way to go about it. Hagrid looked as
though he were destroyed and for a moment, Hermione felt sorry for him. There was no way that
anybody else was going to stand up for Hagrid after what happened the year before.
Draco would probably have been able to walk if he had to but Hermione knew that he would never
admit that letting the others get him there via magical transport was so much easier. She knew his
arm hurt like mad but she doubted he regreted it, not a single little bit. The hippogriff had been going
to attack his cousin for whatever reason and the attack would have been bad against her slight frame.
As much as it pained her to admit, his injury was nothing compared to what hers would have been.
She knew that he was bleeding quite profusely and she and Greg tried to get him out of the
Forbidden Forest as quickly as possible. Hermione was cursing under her breath, a sure way to
realize that she was pissed beyond measure. Greg kept quiet, a good choice since Hermione was sure
to have hexed his lips shut for a year. Hermione clutched her cousin’s hand tight to her chest and did
her best to stay calm.
“We’re almost there. Once we’re in the Hospital Wing, you may go, Greg. Thank you for helping
me.” Goyle beamed at her and she felt a tiny bit guilty for having him aide a person who would
likely become his enemy once the truth about her father came out.
They finally reached the castle and started to make their way to the fourth floor. Once they had
entered the Hospital Wing, she was quick to put her cousin in the nearest bed. Hermione drew the
blankets up around him. Madam Pomfrey had seen them come in and would be over the second that
she was able. She bent and ripped a strip of fabric from her skirt, making it six inches shorter than it
usually was so she could wrap it around the wound on Draco’s arm. She pulled his tattered sleeve up
to reveal a ten-inch long gash deep enough to see his bone. Her stomach flopped uncomfortably at
the sight of his bone but she swallowed it down so she could do what needed to be done. Madam
Pomfrey finally appeared at her side and was surprised to her skirt wrapped around his arm.
“What happened here? What am I dealing with?” Hermione snarled at her, the anger she felt clear on
her face and in her magic dancing on the very edge.
“That idiot Hagrid introduced us to hippogriffs. The hippogriff that slashed him was bowing to me at
the time. I told him that he was as beautiful as my Abraxan horse and he reared up and went after
me. Draco took the punishment, not me. You have to fix him, Madam Pomfrey.” The mediwitch
reached out and squeezed her shoulder tightly.
“I’ll fix him right up, Miss Black, I promise.” Hermione gave her a grateful smile. However, she felt
she owed the mediwitch a warning.
“I’m calling my uncle. He won’t be angry at you but things are going to get ugly.” Madam Pomfrey
didn’t seem too worried so Hermione produced her wand and waved it, her fox appearing before
them. She gave the message to her Uncle Luci that Draco was injured and needed him to come right
away.
Draco whimpered a few times during the treatment but refused to cry. She knew that he wanted to
during the cleansing of the wound but he had held strong and she was proud of him. After the
mediwitch had stepped away for a second, she told him so. Draco did his best to smirk at her but his
attempt was pathetic. Madam Pomfrey returned and continued to work on his arm. The mediwitch
placed the last bandage in place before turning to Hermione.
“He’s going to be just fine, I promise. No scars since he got here soon enough. He’ll just be a little
uncomfortable for a day or two.” Hermione grinned at her before she stepped forward. Impulsively,
she hugged her for just a moment. When she pulled away, Madam Pomfrey was smiling softly at her.
“Thank you, Madam Pomfrey.” Nobody else got to speak because the doors of the Hospital Wing
were flung open wide and her Uncle Luci strolled in, a thundercloud of fury on his face.
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe what he had just seen. Hagrid was crying as he shooed the hippogriffs off and
Ron was clearly plotting with Seamus and Dean. He was still confused as to what had happened.
Buckbeak had been perfectly fine when he had bowed to him and had seemed to be doing just fine
for the others in their group. He supposed that something must have happened because there was no
way that Buckbeak would have attacked for no reason.
Harry couldn’t believe the amount of blood covering the ground where Malfoy had fallen. It was
clear that he had really been hurt and that he had taken the hit from Buckbeak’s hooves for
Hermione. Since she was usually perfectly lovely, he couldn’t understand why the hippogriff would
attack her. Hagrid was quick to dismiss all the students and head for his hut, tears still streaming
down his cheeks. However badly he felt for Hagrid, however, he also hoped that Malfoy would be
alright. Anyone who took an injury like that for someone else couldn’t be that bad of a person. He
tuned back into he conversation that Ron was having with Seamus and growled at them.
“You’re not doing anything to them. Malfoy’s arm is pretty fucked up. If your brothers had been
attacked, Ron, you would be just as angry as she is.” Ron narrowed his eyes at Harry and spoke
softly so nobody else could hear.
“Are you going soft on this girl? Her father turned your family over to You-Know-Who. You can’t
let her fuck with your mind.” Harry raked a hand through his hair as he sighed. Ron was probably
never going to change and it was going to drive him spare.
“I’m not going soft for anybody. I’m just saying that if you guys go messing with her, what do you
think her father and uncle are going to do to your families? It’s going to be bad and your parents
shouldn’t have to pay the price of you being stupid, Ron.” Ron stopped and thought for a second
before he finally nodded his head.
“Alright, yeah, you’re right. I won’t do anything to the little bitch.” Harry wanted to tell him not to
call her names but he had just agreed to leave her alone. He was going to take what he could get and
be thankful for it.
“Thank you. Now, let’s get up to the castle, I bet dinner is going to be served soon.” Ron’s eyes lit
up like it was Christmas and Harry could only chuckle. His friend was so predictable.
The pair made their way to castle, neither one talking. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable though. As
they entered through the side door, Harry caught sight of Professor Lupin coming down the corridor,
clearly on his way to dinner. He smacked Ron on the arm.
“You go on it, I want to speak to Professor Lupin really quick before I eat.” Ron nodded his way
and cut over to enter the Great Hall without him. Harry approached Professor Lupin, who as soon as
he saw him, gave him a warm smile.
“Hello there, Harry. You’re out of class. Did you get out early or did you skip?” Harry grinned at his
words.
“No skipping, promise. Malfoy got hurt in Care of Magical Creatures so we were dismissed early.
I’m glad that I caught you though, I was wanting to ask you a question.” Professor Lupin smiled at
him again and nodded.
“Ask away.” Harry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“I heard the stories about Malfoy and Black casting a patronus on the Express and I saw you cast it. I
was wondering if you could teach me.” Professor Lupin frowned slightly.
“It’s a ridiculously advanced spell, Harry. I’m not even sure how the others cast it, only my theory
about their cores, let alone for the length of time they held it. I’ll teach you but I don’t want you to
get discouraged if you can’t do it.” Harry nodded his head slowly.
“I do want to learn it so thank you. Why is it, you think, that Malfoy and Black can cast it? Malfoy is
only a couple months older than me.” Professor Lupin laid a hand on his shoulder and started to steer
him towards the Great Hall since there were far more students heading that way now.
“From what I’ve been told, they’ve been learning magic since they were born. They’re ridiculously
advanced. Your magical core is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Not that you’ll
gain more power but it will last longer and you’ll understand it better. Their magical cores are out of
this world because they’ve been using them since they were tiny. Yours is just now starting to
strengthen.” Harry frowned.
“How did they use their magical cores if underage magic use is illegal?” Lupin sighed and pinched
the bridge of his nose, an act reminiscent of Snape.
“Both Malfoy and Black live in their family seats, manors hundreds of years old with ancient blood
wards. The wards are strong, some maybe stronger than Hogwarts’ wards since every generation
pours their blood and magic into them. It blocks the Trace. I’m not saying that they’ve been using
wands because they won’t be sold to a child before they go to Hogwarts, but they’ve been taught to
channel their magic and direct it how and where they want to.” Harry nodded. He understood a little
about wards since he had read a book on them over the summer.
“That makes sense. Just seems unfair that they get an advantage like that.” Lupin nodded.
“I agree but there is nothing that we can do about it. They’re Slytherins so they’re going to use every
advantage they have regardless if it’s fair or not.” Harry nodded glumly.
“I’m never going to catch up to them, am I?” Lupin looked at him sharply.
“It isn’t a competition. Yes, though, you will. You’re already advanced for your age, Minerva told
me that you’re at the end of the fourth-year curriculum. I heard tell that they’re on their sixth Just
keep working like you are, your dedication is going to get you there. Make sure that you practice
magic as much as possible so you exercise your core. It won’t make you more powerful but it will
give you more control.” Harry nodded and asked one last question.
“How are they so powerful? I’m supposed to face Voldemort and I don’t feel as powerful as they
are.” Lupin sighed again, this time a hint of irritation at his question.
“Malfoy is powerful, he came from the Blacks and Malfoys, both very powerful families. Since the
two families haven’t been related in a couple hundred years, there wasn’t any inbreeding. Therefore,
the strength of his magic is more so than many of the other purebloods who are related more closely.
As for Black, the same applies. Her mother is Malfoy’s aunt and she was sired by Lord Black’s
brother. You get magic from both your parents so she had the same strength as Malfoy. Well, when
Lord Black adopted her, he did so with blood magic, an extremely dangerous thing. It added a third
component to her magic, Sirius’ magic. Whereas you have two donors of magic, the same as Malfoy,
she has three. That’s why she has so much power. As for you, Harry, you’re just as powerful as she
is, if not more so. I can feel the power just bleeding off you, you just don’t notice.” Harry thought he
understood so he nodded.
“I don’t feel powerful, that much is true. I suppose I’ll just have to take your word for it.” Lupin
smiled again and laid his hand on Harry’s shoulder again.
“Get in there and eat before you miss dinner. Don’t worry about your power levels and how they
compare, it won’t matter in the end. I’ll let you know when we’re able to start our patronus lessons.”
Harry grinned at him and followed his advice. His belly rumbled and he hoped that Ron had saved
him some food.
You never knew when it came to Ron and his food.
-O-
Lucius was furious. If Draco had been injured in Defense Against the Dark Arts, he could have
understood it. There were always injuries in that class because you were learning to defend
yourselves. He had lost count of how many injuries Hermione and Draco had given each other just
last summer as they learned to duel.
This, however, had occurred in Care of Magical Creatures. Hermione had told him what had
happened, what she had told the hippogriff. As much as he hated to see his son in pain and looking
as pale as a ghost, he was glad that his boy had stepped in to protect Hermione. If the hippogriff had
attacked her, the injuries would have been more severe. Draco already towered over her and she
weighed next to nothing. She clearly took after her mother in that regard.
Lucius still missed his sister every single day. He had watched out for her much the same way that
Draco watched after Hermione. She had been the light of his life until he had fallen in love with
Cissy but he had never stopped loving and protecting her. It had been his fault she had been killed,
even though it was indirectly. The Order had burst into her modest home with the intent of taking her
to question her about his actions and his role in the on-going war. Lucius knew that she never would
have told them anything but the fact remained that they wanted her because they wanted him. His
guilt for that would never fade.
After he had lost Erise, he knew that he had to have Hermione in his life. When Sirius had given him
the ultimatum of abandoning his beliefs and way of life or losing Hermione, he had let everything
else go. Sure, he still felt that most purebloods were better than muggleborns but there was always an
exception to the rule. Potter’s mother had been one of them; ridiculously powerful and had no
problems using that power to protect those that she loved.
Now, however, he didn’t let his personal feelings make him a prejudiced berk. He could be civil to
muggleborns, had been since Hermione was two and he had promised that he would never utter the
word mudblood again. He had kept his word too and would continue to keep it. Honestly, it was too
much work to actively hate someone just because of who they were born to. His feelings of
superiority would likely never change but he would never spew it as propaganda again. Hermione
was more important.
He was currently waiting on the Headmaster to arrive. Madam Pomfrey had unbandaged his son’s
arm and let him inspect the wound before it healed. It was clear down to the bone, almost a foot long.
Seeing the gash had made him want to lose his temper but he had kept a tight leash on it. He wanted
to make changes, not get kicked out of the castle because he tried to hex the Headmaster.
Draco was now sleeping, thanks to a draught from Madam Pomfrey. Lucius had always liked the
woman, she had never shown Slytherins any less care despite their bad reputations and house. His
son and niece seemed to like her as well. Hermione was seated on the bed next to his son, softly
brushing his hair back off his face. Her words were soft when she finally spoke.
“It was all my fault, Uncle Luci. The hippogriff wanted to attack me, not Draco. He stepped in and
was attacked because of me and I don’t even know what I did wrong.” He moved to her side so he
could drop a kiss on the top of her head and rub his hands up and down her arms in comfort.
“What did you say to the beast?” She sniffled softly but there were no tears. He smiled softly.
Always so strong, only allowing herself to show weakness in front of family.
“I told Buckbeak that he was as beautiful as my Abraxan horse. He is too, he’s just as beautiful as
Bluebell.” He dropped another kiss on her head.
“Hippogriffs are very proud animals, poppet. They don’t like to be compared to any animals, not
even ones as beautiful as Bluebell. That’s why he attacked. It wasn’t your fault, there was no way
that you could know he would react that way. You’re only third years, you shouldn’t have even been
learning about hippogriffs yet, it’s usually a sixth-year subject.” He watched a single tear slide down
her cheek before she brushed it away angrily.
“I should have known that, I should have known what to say and what not to. I’m just so mad that he
stepped in and got hurt because of me.” Lucius chuckled at her words. She was such a little ball of
fire.
“No, I’m sure you don’t like it. However, we both know that you would have done the same for him
so you can’t get angry at him for doing just as you would have. That would be hypocritical.”
Hermione hissed softly.
“I can do as I please. He’s not going to get out of a lecture that easily.” Lucius chuckled and kissed
the top of her head again. He didn’t get to reply because the door to the Hospital Wing opened and
the Headmaster and Severus entered. His friend looked more irritated than usual so he supposed that
his chat with the Headmaster hadn’t gone well. The Headmaster looked pissed, that was a sure thing.
Lucius, however, wasn’t in the mood for the run-around talk that Dumbledore was famous for.
“I want to know what you’re going to do about that complete idiot teaching Care of Magical
Creatures. Letting third year students approach hippogriffs is complete folly.” Dumbledore raised his
eyebrows.
“Well, it’s funny. None of the other students had any problems with their beast, only your niece.
Maybe you should ask her what she did.” He heard Hermione’s soft intake of air at his words and it
made Lucius even more angry. His eyes hardened at the old man in front of him.
“I have asked her what happened. She told the beast that he was as beautiful as her Abraxan horse,
quite the compliment if you ask me. Her horse is one of a kind. She’s aware now that the beast
perceived it as an insult but that doesn’t make this her fault. Not when she shouldn’t have even been
out there with hippogriffs in the first place. Do you even know how injured she would have been if
Draco hadn’t jumped between them? I guarantee you, after last year, you do not want a pissed off
Lord Black up here.” There was a tiny flash of something in Dumbledore’s eyes but it was gone
before he could decipher what it was.
“Well, it seems as though your niece is as much at fault as Hagrid is. Perhaps if I am to be made to
punish Hagrid, she needs to serve detention for not paying attention in class and causing her cousin’s
injuries.” He could feel his niece’s body tense at the Headmaster’s words and he was suddenly even
more enraged than he was.
“You want to punish my niece because she gave the beast a compliment?” The Headmaster
shrugged his shoulders.
“You want me to do something to Hagrid about the incident when he was very clear that hippogriffs
were proud creatures and don’t react well to insults. He had no other problems in the class, only with
Miss Black. It’s sad that young Draco had to pay the price but there is no going back now. Miss
Black was just as much at fault. If you take this to the Board of Governors, they will do nothing
except demand that the hippogriff be put down which is always an option I suppose. I’m willing to
put a note in Hagrid’s permanent file but your niece should be punished for her part in the scenario as
well.” Lucius knew exactly what this was. It was a power play and he had just lost when he
mentioned putting down the creature. Hermione would never stand for that, she had always loved
animals. Her kneazle Tenebris followed her everywhere and her horse loved her more than anything.
She would gladly take any punishment as long as the beast wasn’t harmed. Just as he had suspected,
her head came up quickly and she had panicked eyes.
“No, Uncle Luci, I’ll serve the detentions. Don’t take this to the Board, it isn’t right for Buckbeak to
be put down. He shouldn’t even be corralled. Please, I’ll help Draco do all his homework and I’ll
make sure that he gets better, I promise.” Lucius wanted to avada the Headmaster right then and
there but he couldn’t. He bent down and pressed another kiss to his niece, her forehead this time.
“Relax, princess, we’re not going to put the hippogriff down. You’re right, he’s a wild animal and
it’s completely asinine that he’s being kept in a cage.” He went to his full height and glared at the
Headmaster. The almost smirk on his face made Lucius want to curse it right off.
“Since it was my son that was injured, and I’m the head of the Board of Governors, I’m going to
propose a solution. Hagrid gets a permanent note in his file and the school is to remove all
hippogriffs from the grounds. They should be in a reserve. In turn, Hermione will serve two
detentions with her Head of House and I won’t take the school to the Wizengamot for the injuries my
son received as a result of his poor teaching choices.” Lucius could see Severus’ lips twitching just
slightly, giving away his amusement. The Headmaster shook his head.
“Absolutely not. I won’t force Hagrid to get rid of animals he has cared for for decades.” Lucius
shrugged his shoulders.
“Very well. No detentions for Hermione then and I will see you before the Wizengamot. I’m sure
you know how many of those men and women are my friends. I’ll be pushing for Hagrid to lose his
job, however. We have nothing left to discuss so you may go now.” Hermione was now squeezing
his hand tightly in apprehension. Lucius turned his back on the Headmaster and smirked at his niece.
Dumbledore’s voice was strained when he finally spoke.
“Very well, I’ll agree to get rid of the hippogriffs from the grounds. There is a reserve in Ireland that
I’m sure will take them. Miss Black’s detentions will begin tonight.” Lucius smirked the
Headmaster’s way.
“You write up the reprimand that will go in Hagrid’s file. I want my signature on it.” If it was
possible for Dumbledore to hate him more, he wasn’t sure. However, he didn’t care. His voice was
tight when he responded.
“Very well. Come with me to my office and we’ll get it handled.” Lucius nodded and kissed the
head of his niece again.
“I’ll be back soon, poppet. Don’t leave, I’ll make sure that the elves send up some dinner for both
you and Draco.” She smiled at him and nodded.
“I’ll be right here waiting for you, Uncle Luci.” He smiled softly at her. She really was the light of
his life. After giving one of her curls a gentle tug, he motioned for the Headmaster to lead the way.
He had a feeling that they weren’t going to agree on what was to be written on the reprimand for
Hagrid. He had a feeling that it was going to get ugly and he didn’t want Hermione to witness that.
Lucius caught Severus’ eye and nodded. His friend fell back and remained with his children and
Lucius squared his shoulders.
This wasn’t going to end up being a pleasant conversation, of that he was sure.
A/N- Yay, another chapter down, y’all. I can’t believe we’re already almost to chapter fifty. Time
flies, I suppose. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks again to everyone out there
showing this story so much love. You guys are just awesome. Leave me a message after the beep
and tell me what you think.
Next chapter, boggart lesson and a long talk.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 48

A/N- You guys are just awesome, thank you so much for showing this story so much love. I can’t
tell you how much I appreciate it, it keeps me motivated to keep writing. I’ll end this now since I
know you all would rather read the chapter
Disclaimer: I don’t own a darn thing in this story. The original idea for Part One belongs to
Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to our queen. I haven’t made any money
off this fic or any others. I’m a broke bitch as evidenced by the balance of my bank account.
Chapter 48
November 11, 1993
Hermione pushed the roasted chicken around on her plate. She really wasn’t too hungry to be
entirely truthful. She ate a little, however, to keep Draco from worrying. He wasn’t paying her any
attention; he was busy talking quidditch strategy for their upcoming game against Ravenclaw. As
much as she hated him playing a game that he could get hurt in, it made him happy and she would
never begrudge him that. Her mind drifted to the incident just a few days ago.
*Flashback*
She was still suffering from bullying but not to the extent that it had been. Apparently, it wasn’t as
much fun anymore since Draco wouldn’t let her go anywhere by herself after he had seen what
happened to her the last time. She had been leaving the library by herself, she had been doing some
extra reading for her warding homework for Madam Cambridge. From somewhere behind her, a
piece of stone had soared through the air and hit her directly in the back of the head.
Her vision had swam and she had fallen to her knees. Once she had pulled herself together,
Hermione had searched for the culprit, determined to make sure that they paid for hurting her. She
had had just about enough of being on the receiving end of the bullying and her magic was going to
respond eventually. She had a feeling that when it happened, it wasn’t going to be pretty.
All she had seen was a flash of vibrant red hair and what sounded like a giggle. Hermione had her
suspicions that it was Ginny Weasley that had thrown the stone at her but she would never be able to
prove it since there were other red heads in the castle. She had brushed off her robes and continued
to make her way down to the dungeons so she could go to bed.
Once she entered the common room, Draco was there holding court. Pansy was plastered to his side
and was stroking his arm, her hand coming up to brush hair from his face occasionally. Theo, Greg,
and Vince were sitting across from him and were laughing at whatever he was saying. Daphne was
sitting with Blaise, Millie, and Tracey and she appeared to be quite pleased that Blaise had his arm
around her shoulders. They were talking softly and Draco had his eye on them. Hermione wanted to
roll her eyes at how obvious he was being but she didn’t. Rather than stick around and have to watch
the scene play out, she headed towards her dorm. Draco’s voice was almost shrill when he spoke.
“Hermione Alula Black, you get back here and tell me what’s wrong with you.” Hermione spun
around and glared at him. There was worry on his face but she wasn’t about to be ordered around.
“Piss off, Draco, keep holding your court and just let me go to bed.” He shoved Pansy off him and
stood, crossing the room in only five strides. She didn’t turn and leave but she glared at him. When
he reached her side, her voice was ice.
“You don’t get to order me around. I may be your cousin and I may be a girl but I will wipe the floor
with you if you try to order me around. You do it all the time and I usually let it go. However, I’m
tired of you doing it in front of everyone. I’m not your girlfriend and you’re not my father. I’m my
own person and I will do as I please.” She knew that she was being a bitch but she was so tired of
people taking pot shots at her and treating her like complete shite. She realized that she had made a
mistake in treating Brown as she had but hadn’t she paid enough? Draco’s eyes widened for a
second before he stepped into her personal space and hugged her close.
“What happened to you? There is blood down your back.” Hermione cursed inwardly. She hadn’t
been aware that she had been bleeding, otherwise she would have cleaned it off and nobody would
have been the wiser. Her voice was still icy when she answered him.
“It doesn’t matter. Just know that next time something happens to me, I’m going to end it. I’ve paid
my dues for hurting Brown. Just warn everyone you care about that when it happens they better not
get in my way.” Draco’s face was a mixture between anger and fear. He gripped her biceps in his
hands and squeezed, almost tight enough to bruise.
“You’re not going to do anything. You’re going to report it and let Uncle Sev handle it. You can’t
get in trouble because you fight back, you know you won’t be able to control it.” That one line hit
her like a slap in the face. Her impassive mask fell into place as she tried to appear unaffected. Draco,
however, knew her better than anyone else in the whole world. He could see that his words had hurt
her but he didn’t look contrite at all. She stepped back from him and out of his arms. Her voice was
monotone as she spoke.
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me. I’m not hurt. Your fans are missing you though, you should
probably get back to them. Pansy especially looks bereft without your company.” He scowled at her
words but didn’t acknowledge them. He stepped forward once more but she stepped further back
and turned to flee to her room.
Once she was in her dorm, she quickly showered and changed into her pajamas. Just as she settled
into the bed with a book and her kneazle, there was a brief knock at the door. She didn’t answer it
but the door opened anyways, revealing her godfather. He gave her a concerned look as he sat next
to her on the bed.
“What happened, princess?” Hermione shook her head. Telling someone wasn’t going to make it
any better, especially if it really was Ginny Weasley that had thrown the stone. She knew that she
had been a bitch to Draco but he clearly had no faith in her and knowing that hurt.
“It doesn’t matter. It won’t change anything.” His hands reached out and snagged one of her hands
and pulled her into him. He hugged her close and she breathed in the scent of potions on his robes. It
still managed to calm her after all these years.
“Maybe not, but you’ll feel better if you tell me.” Hermione sighed since she knew that her godfather
wasn’t going to leave her alone until she told him.
“I came out of the library and someone threw a stone at the back of my head. I thought I saw Ginny
Weasley but I can’t be sure.” He pulled her closer so he could make her bend her neck and inspect
the back of her head. Hermione let him but when he released her, she explained.
“I healed it myself when I took a shower. I’m done, Uncle Sev, I’m done with the bullying. I made a
mistake, I get that, but this is too much. The next time something happens, I’m going to fight back.
I’m sure you probably agree with Draco and think I can’t keep my control but you’re both wrong.”
His hands reached out and cupped her cheeks.
“Is that what he told you?” She nodded, tears pricking her eyes. She refused to let them fall though.
“Yes, that’s exactly what he said. Not that it matters, he believes it. I can’t be mad at him for
speaking what he believes to be true. I just thought that he had more faith in me.” He pulled her in
for another hug and held her tight.
“He believes in you, Hermione, he just doesn’t want you to get hurt. He loves you and wants to
protect you.” She snorted.
“He wants to protect me but he was too busy letting Pansy hang off him to protect me when I
actually needed it. I don’t expect him to stop living his life but he doesn’t get to pick and choose
when he’s going to protect me. If his protection is just a lecture, I’m not interested. I’ve been
protecting myself just fine so far.” He glared at her.
“Not just fine, you’ve been in the Hospital Wing how many times? Let your cousin help you.”
Hermione wanted to scream in frustration but realized that this was going to be a never-ending
argument and nodded. Her godfather clearly knew that she was just giving in to shut him up but it
didn’t stop him from kissing her forehead anyways.
“Get some rest, princess. All will be better in the morning.” Hermione had nodded and snuggled
back down into her bed. On his way out, Uncle Sev put the light out.
*End of Flashback*
The following day, Draco had apologized to her for hurting her and she had apologized for being a
bitch and taking her frustration out on him. His apology didn’t take away the hurt of knowing that he
didn’t have any faith in her but she supposed that she hadn’t done anything to make him believe that
she could do it. The last time she had retaliated, she had almost killed someone. For some reason,
though, the fact that Draco doubted her hurt more than every single incident of bullying since the
beginning of the year.
The bell rang and she gathered her things quickly. Draco didn’t leave her side now and as much as
she would never say so, she was grateful. She hated having to rely on someone to help keep her safe,
especially when that someone wanted to go do their own thing and spend time with their friends. He
followed her to Ancient Runes and they took their usual seats together. Hardly any time at all passed
before Professor Babbling entered and pointed her wand at the chalkboard and gave them their
assignment.
Hermione worked quietly on her own, even though they could help each other. She wasn’t angry at
her cousin but being around him and being reminded that he didn’t trust her to control her magic
hurt. He seemed to realize that she wanted time to herself and seemed content to work on his own as
well.
Once her assignment was done and she had handed it in, she could hear the whispers around the
room, saying that she had driven her own cousin away and that they were fighting. Hermione
wanted to scream in frustration. Nobody had a clue about what was going on and it was beginning to
piss her off. The bell rang shortly after, cutting off all talk and speculation.
Hermione rose, Draco next to her, and started for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She
dreaded this class today because Professor Lupin had warned them that they would be facing a
boggart. She had faced one already, during the summer between first and second year, but it wasn’t
something that she really wanted to relive. Draco wrapped an arm around her waist, she was sure
that he knew just how nervous she was about this class. He didn’t seem too excited either.
They entered the classroom and took their usual seats. Harry slinked in and took his seat next to
Weasley. She still hadn’t spoken to him since he had told her that he would consider meeting with
her father. It wasn’t really a good sign that he was avoiding her like he was. She sighed to herself; he
was probably going to decide against it and nothing would ever change. More than anything, she
wished that they could just find Peter Pettigrew and prove to the world that he was the guilty one, not
her father.
Professor Lupin strode in, his face happy and his step springy. It was the new moon, the best time of
the month for a werewolf since there was little pull from the moon. She supposed that she should be
happy; maybe he would just ignore her today and leave well enough alone. Once he was at the front
of the class, he waved his wand and a large wardrobe floated to the center of the room. It was
shaking and moving, clearly holding the boggart inside.
“Alright, class, I warned you last time that today we would be facing a boggart. I’m a man of my
word and you will all be taking turns facing down the creature that turns into your greatest fear.
Please stand and push your desks to the side of the room so there will be plenty of space.” Hermione
left her bag on her desk and helped Draco shove it to the side. After everyone’s desk was out of the
middle of the floor, he stood behind her and started to massage her shoulders. Even though he had
hurt her, she leaned into his hands and let her body rest against his. She felt him kiss the side of her
head but he remained quiet.
Lupin was waving them forward, one by one, first a Slytherin, then a Gryffindor. Greg went first,
fearing vampires. After several tries, he was able to turn it to something funny. Same for Parvati,
who feared hags. Blaise was next and he feared mummies while Seamus feared the water. On and on
it went until Lupin called for Draco. Her cousin squeezed her hand and stepped forward to meet the
boggart.
It started to morph before their eyes, just like it had with everyone else. The form finally settled on a
replica of Hermione, in raggedy clothes that prisoners of Azkaban wore. Her face was hollowed out
and haggard, her hair stringy and filthy. Hermione froze because she didn’t know what she was
supposed to do with this information. With a wave of his wand, the boggart Hermione was wearing a
princess costume and looked to be around the age of eight.
She could feel the tension in her body; her back was ramrod straight and her shoulders were pulled
back. Her chin was parallel with the ground and she refused to show weakness. Lupin was watching
her and it was clear that he was considering what he had just seen. Draco returned to his spot behind
her so he could continue rubbing her shoulders. She didn’t say a single word to him about his
greatest fear. She didn’t think that she could bear to.
Ron was called up next and she was unsurprised to see that his greatest fear were spiders. After
freaking out for a few moments, he waved his wand and skates appeared on all eight legs of the
spider and it started to fall. The class burst out in laughter but Weasley looked pretty proud of
himself. Hermione gulped when Lupin sneered her name, telling her that she was next in line.
Hermione walked away from her cousin and faced the boggart. It was still a spider struggling to
stand but when it realized that a new threat had stepped forward, it began to morph again. The
creature became a mirror image of Draco, laying on the floor with a knife plunged in his heart. He
then changed to her father laying at an awkward angle with his throat sliced all the way across. Aunt
Cissy and Uncle Luci followed, all dead in a horrible fashion. Before her boggart gave away how
close she was to her Uncle Sev, she raised her wand and whispered the spell.
“Riddikulus.” Her Aunt Cissy, the current dead body on the floor, rose in the air and started bowing
before them, like she had been acting in a play and then bowing before the crowd. Whereas most of
the other students had laughed at all the other changes made to the fears, everyone remained silent at
hers. Lupin finally nodded at her, waving her back. It was clear that her fear had astounded everyone
in the classroom, more so than even Draco’s had.
Lupin didn’t say anything, which surprised her immensely. Instead, he waved Harry up and she
watched as he warily made his way up to the front of the room. Draco had wrapped his arms around
her waist and was hugging her from behind. She patted his hand clumsily but remained silent. As the
image of her Aunt Cissy bowing before a crowd realized that there was someone new before it, it
began to morph.
Hermione had wondered if he would most scared of Voldemort. It would make sense since he was
the wizard that had murdered his parents. However, Hermione couldn’t have been more horrified at
what she saw. When the boggart finally settled, it was as though her father was standing before him.
She could only cover her mouth at the fact that his greatest fear was her father, her sweet, loving,
kind father. He had been so warped that he feared the one person that would never hurt him no
matter what.
Harry waved his wand and spoke the spell and Hermione watched as her father was turned into a
court jester, complete with the uniform and everything. The image was clear. He had made her father
into a joke. It pissed her off completely but she wouldn’t retaliate against him. He had been
thoroughly turned against her and her father and he was only scared of what the others had told him
to fear. After the image of her father was chivvied back into the wardrobe, Harry took his spot back
in the crowd while Lupin spoke.
“Well done, class, you all took on a boggart and won. Write me a six-inch essay on the experience
and what you could have done better.” Hermione noted the assignment in her planner and stuffed it
back into her bag. Draco was doing the same next to her so he was ready when she was to leave.
She had just about escaped when Lupin met her gaze and he sneered at her.
“Your fears are valid, Miss Black. Someday, they’ll come true, when this war blows open and
everyone realizes what side they’re really on.” Hermione wanted to lash out but she knew that she
couldn’t. Attacking a teacher would surely get her expelled. Therefore, she stared at him as though
he meant nothing and then walked out of the room.
Draco was hot on her tail but Hermione didn’t meet his gaze. She watched out the windows as she
traveled the corridor, on her way to the Great Hall for dinner. Just on the edge of the Forbidden
Forest, she caught sight of a yellow lab that looked as though it was starving. She vowed to gather
some food and go out there and feed it in the next day or so even though she feared dogs as she did.
The last thing she wanted on her conscience was a starving animal that she had done nothing to help.
Draco pulled her close to him and kept her at his side. They were only a few corridors away from the
Great Hall now and while she wasn’t hungry, she could hear her cousin’s belly rumbling. Out of
nowhere, another bit of stone came rushing at her. It caught her directly in the chest, her right breast
to be precise. Even though it was smarting enough to make her eyes water, Hermione turned and
caught sight of Ginny Weasley sauntering away.
Before the little redhead could escape, Hermione drew her wand and summoned her back to her.
Ginny was flabbergasted and clearly didn’t know what to do once she was standing in front of
Hermione. Her magic shoved her against the stone wall of the castle, hard. She was shaking her head
as if to clear it when Hermione walked up and slapped her across the face. There were several gasps
around her but nobody stepped in. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Weasleys and Harry
watching with trepidation. Her voice was clear and didn’t waver a bit when she spoke.
“You throw one more rock at me, you little bitch, I’ll make sure that you regret it. I’ve put up with
this shite for months now and I’m done now. From now on, anyone fucks with me, they’re going to
meet the business end of my wand. If you all are too scared because I’ll kill you like I almost did
Brown, I suggest you leave me the fuck alone. All of you, run and tell the Headmaster and your
other professors. I don’t care. What are they going to do, put me in detention? Heed my warning.”
Ginny fell to the ground and stayed there. There was a bright red handprint on her face and
Hermione felt a sick sense of satisfaction at seeing it. It was about time that she got some of what she
deserved for being mean to her. It just so happened that at that very moment, her Head of House
strolled by and saw the commotion.
“What is going on here?” Hermione turned her calm gaze to her godfather and told him the truth.
“Ginny Weasley threw another stone at me. I summoned her to me, threw her against the wall and
slapped her. I just warned everyone that I am done being their doormat. I’m done letting them bully
me. From now on, I’ll be fighting back and they aren’t going to like what that consists of.” Her
godfather pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
“You both need to go to the Hospital Wing and have Madam Pomfrey heal you. Miss Weasley, three
detentions with your Head of House starting tonight for throwing a stone at Miss Black. Miss Black,
three detentions with me for fighting back.” Hermione wanted to grin inwardly. Her detention was
going to consist of doing extra brewing with her godfather, something that she enjoyed immensely.
Who knew what Ginny Weasley was going to get stuck doing. After her godfather had strode away
in the direction of the Great Hall, Harry approached her looking furious.
“I can’t believe you slapped her. You could have just told a professor you know.” Hermione let her
face go impassive when she realized that he was going to berate her too.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to the Hospital Wing since school started because people
won’t leave me alone. I don’t mess with anyone, I don’t start any fights. I just want to be left alone so
I can learn. I’m done being everyone’s rug. If she’s going to throw stones at me and hit me again,
I’m going to slap her. She’s lucky that’s all I did; I did far more to Brown if you don’t recall.”
Hermione figured that she might as well throw that out there since it was the cause of the bullying.
She threw out one last parting shot.
“What would you do in my shoes, continue to take it or put a stop to it?” She didn’t wait for an
answer, she just walked off. Besides, she didn’t think she had it in her to be nice to him right at that
moment, not after seeing her father as his greatest fear. She understood why he was but that didn’t
mean that she had to like it. Just before she turned into the Great Hall, completely forgoing the
Hospital Wing since it was likely her breast was only bruised, she met the gaze of her cousin who
had remained silent until now.
“Maybe now you can put some faith in me. That you didn’t believe in me hurt more than every
incident of bullying so far. I hope this proved to you that I’m not going to lose control.” Hermione
knew that her words hurt him but he had hurt her too. She needed him to believe in her, she needed
him to know that she was going to do everything in her power to stay right where she was, not
locked up in Azkaban. Before she could walk away, he pulled her into a tight hug and buried his
face in her shoulder.
“I’m so sorry.” It was the hint of a whisper in her ear but she knew he meant it. Therefore, she
wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back. Maybe now things would start getting
better.
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe that he had seen Hermione slap Ginny. Sweet, little, innocent Ginny. Sure,
she was spoiled and could be a little brat but she had never been mean before. She was halfway in
love with him and didn’t hide it at all but Hermione had taken it too far. Ron was next to him,
muttering under his breath even though he was eating dinner.
“I hope her tit bruises black and blue. I think one of us should throw another one at her tomorrow, hit
her in the same place. It’ll hurt more then.” Harry slammed his fist down on the table, catching the
attention of everyone around him. While he didn’t think that Ginny was the one who threw the stone
at her, it was clear that someone had and Hermione had every right to protect herself.
“I don’t believe that Ginny threw the stone at her but someone did. That means that she’s just
protecting herself. You can’t blame her for that. You were all supposed to leave her alone and it’s
clear you haven’t been. No more fucking with Black, you’re going to lose us house points and we
aren’t going to win the cup this year. Remember our first year Transfiguration class, none of us want
a repeat of that. Just leave her the fuck alone.” There was grumbling under breaths but everyone
finally nodded at him. Ron looked as though he wanted to protest but even he remained silent on the
matter. Ginny was teary-eyed down the table, Percy trying to comfort her. Neville and the twins
were eating together, talking in whispers. Harry shoved his plate away.
“I have to go, I have a lesson with Professor Lupin.” Nobody said a word but Harry wasn’t worried.
He really hoped that the whole of his house wouldn’t go against his wishes, especially when they
revered him as a god. He grabbed his bag and headed back to the DADA classroom. Once there, he
knocked on the door and was pleased to immediately be beckoned to enter. He set down his things
and sat in one of the desks at the front of the classroom.
“I’m ready, Professor. Do your worst.” Professor Lupin chuckled and took the desk next to him.
“A patronus is basically a guardian that comes forth to protect you. Later, once you’ve mastered it,
I’ll teach you how to send messages with one. The wand movement is a small counter-clockwise
circle and the incantation is ‘expecto patronum’. However, the words aren’t enough. You must focus
on the happiest memory you can and let it fill you up. You have to focus on that happiness when you
cast.” Lupin produced his wand and demonstrated.
A large wolf appeared before them and wandered around the room, sniffing at just about everything.
Harry watched in in wonder until it finally disappeared. He turned to his parents’ old friend and
asked his question.
“Is everyone’s patronus different? What were Malfoy and Black’s?” Lupin looked only a little
irritated.
“Everyone’s is different. Sure, some might share the same animal because the same things represent
them but that doesn’t mean that the animal itself is the same. They’ll look different and it will be
completely unique to you. Miss Black’s patronus was a fox and Mr. Malfoy’s was a dragon. What
traits of those animals do you think fit them best?” Harry pondered it for a moment.
“Foxes are known for their wisdom and cunning, their quick thinking and adaptability. I suppose that
fits Black pretty good. Black in a nutshell, actually. Dragons represent dominance, ambition, they’re
protective of things they care about and they live as they please. Sounds a lot like Malfoy.” Lupin
grinned at him.
“Yes, now mine is a wolf. What does that say about me?” Harry thought about it and smiled.
“Wolves are highly intelligent, loyal, and instinctive. That sounds a lot like you, sir.” Lupin nodded.
“Thank you, Harry. How about you give it a try? Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t happen the first
time. It’s a very difficult spell that most adults can’t master.” Harry nodded and waved his wand in
the exact same way that Lupin had taught him. He spoke the incantation clearly.
“Expecto patronum.” There wasn’t an animal but there was a wisp of silver mist that he hadn’t seen
before. He grinned at his professor, who smiled back before patting him on the shoulder.
“Great job, Harry. It took me a week to get that much when I decided to learn how.” Harry nodded
happily and tried again with the same result.
He tried almost ten times before he had to give up because he was exhausted. Lupin was smiling at
him before he handed him a load of chocolate.
“Eat this, it’ll help you regain your energy. No more practicing tonight.” Harry nodded and ate his
chocolate with gusto. Once it was all gone, he really did feel better and decided to ask his professor
about his parents.
“Tell me about my parents, sir. Now is as good a time as any.” Lupin chuckled sadly.
“I met your dad on the Hogwarts Express our first year. Of course, he was already friends with Sirius
Black, they had grown up in the same circles, but they pulled me in right away. It was like we all fit
together. After we were all sorted into Gryffindor, we picked up Peter. The rest of the first years
were picking on him so we stepped in and he became a part of our group. We were the best of
friends.” Harry smiled at the story. Hagrid had told him a couple but nothing like what he was
hearing.
“What about my mum?” Lupin laughed now.
“Your mum was a pistol from day one. She used to be friends with Severus, you know, Professor
Snape. Your dad and Sirius couldn’t stand him so they were constantly picking on him. Your mum
would get right in your dad’s face and tell him he was a complete toerag before she threatened to hex
him blue. From day one, though, he was in love with her. I bet he asked her out a thousand times
before she finally said yes in their seventh year.” Harry laughed softly at the image. His mum had
been friends with Snape? How did that ever happen? Lupin saw the question in his eyes.
“Your mum and Snape grew up together, on the same street. They still managed to stay friends even
though she was a Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin.” Harry nodded, still floored that they had been
friends. He urged Professor Lupin on.
“Tell me more.” Lupin laughed and settled back in his chair.
Harry listened as he enumerated pranks and time spent together, the girl they had both dated and
fought over, how they had made up afterwards. His favorite were the stories where his dad would
propose marriage to his mum and she would hex him for being an arrogant and egotistical prat. He
learned that they had been married in June of 1979 and their wedding had been held at Potter Manor.
He hadn’t even been aware that his family had a manor but Lupin had just nodded his head.
“I doubt you’ll get to see it before you’re seventeen. Black was left in charge of the estate since he’s
your godfather and your father named him as your guardian. Once you’re seventeen, you can claim
your rightful inheritance and take back your ancestral home. It’s beautiful, by the way. It’s been a
very long time since I’ve been there but I’m sure it’s been well-taken care of by the elves.” Harry felt
his blood run cold. His godfather was in charge of his fortune until he was of age? He could do
whatever he wanted with it and Harry would have nothing left of his parents. He didn’t care about
the money but he wanted his family’s home. The next question was extremely hard to ask.
“When did it all fall apart? From what you’ve told me, you were all four very close. How did it come
about that Black betrayed my parents?” Lupin raked a hand through his hair and sighed.
“I really couldn’t tell you, Harry. I was out with werewolf packs at the time, trying to sway them to
our side of the war. I knew that Dumbledore had convinced your parents to move to their cottage in
Godric’s Hollow, said that they would never be expected to live there. Sirius took on the role of
secret keeper. Do you know about the fidelius charm?” Harry nodded. He remembered when the
Headmaster had explained it.
“I know that Sirius was their secret keeper and on Halloween in 1981, Voldemort came and killed
your dad first. Your mum rushed up the stairs and tried to protect you but died in the process. Sirius
found you there but he handed you to Hagrid and went after Peter. Nobody knows why since he was
always at home taking care of his sick mother. Peter hasn’t been seen since that night and it’s
believed that Black killed him. He then killed an auror in Hogsmeade. Before he could be arrested,
he apparated to St. Mungo’s and picked up a little girl that had been left there since she was an
orphan. That little girl was Hermione Black, the daughter of Sirius’ brother Regulus.
He adopted her with blood magic, knowing that there was an obscure law that protected purebloods
from going to Azkaban if it would leave their children an orphan. He went before the Wizengamot,
was charged a fine for killing that young man, and he was free. Sirius and Hermione came to see him
the very next day but I wouldn’t see him. I couldn’t hardly look at him. I wanted to kill him myself
for what he had done to your parents but he was a pureblood lord. There was no way that I would
have gotten away with it.
He went to see Dumbledore next, Minerva was there from what I was told. He refused to give up
your location and he was very angry. They argued and they began fighting. Dumbledore was trying
to curse Black but hit little Hermione instead. Her magic went wild and I heard that she won. Sirius
was injured and had to seek treatment but it wasn’t anything serious. The next month, they were in
the ICW court.
Black tried to pin Dumbledore with illegally taking money from your parents’ vault and in the end,
he won. I don’t believe it though, I think he bribed the goblins. Albus was charged with accidentally
cursing little Hermione even though he didn’t mean to. It was also determined that you be kept from
him, until you went to him on your own.” Lupin moved closer and grabbed both of Harry’s arms and
held him tight.
“You need to be careful around Hermione Black, Harry. I know that she’s nice to you but Sirius was
our best friend. We thought that he would die before handing us all over and you know how that
turned out. Don’t make your parents’ mistake and trust her because she is a Slytherin at heart and can
be just as sneaky as her father. I’m not saying you have to be mean to her or hate her. I’m just
warning you what she’s capable of. You know she’s powerful and she can also twist your mind to
believing things that aren’t true. Just promise me that you’ll be careful.” Harry wondered if that was
what she had been doing to him all along. He realized that he had a crush on her but he also didn’t
trust her, even before. Now, after hearing the stories about how much his parents had trust Sirius
Black, he really didn’t trust her. Now, he wanted no part in giving her father a chance to explain. If
what Lupin said was true, he had to stay away from Harry until he went to him first. That wasn’t
ever going to be happening, that much was fact. There was no way in hell that he was going to hand
himself over to the man that had handed his parents to a madman. Lupin smiled gently at him.
“I think that’s enough for tonight. We can get together later in the week and practice again. More
stories also if you’d like. Merlin knows I have enough of them to tell you.” Harry smiled at the man
even though his insides felt like ash. Was Hermione Black playing him? Could he even take the
chance that she wasn’t? It was all so confusing and he hated it, he hated it more than anything. Harry
nodded and gathered his bag once more, readying himself for he trek to the seventh floor. After a
jaunty wave to his professor, he set out with the Gryffindor common room as his destination.
It seemed that he had a lot of thinking to do that night.
-O-
Remus had enjoyed the talk he had had with Harry. He was a wonderful boy and the perfect blend
of his parents. He could be James’ lookalike but he had Lily’s compassion. He wished that he had
been able to meet him before now but Dumbledore had convinced him that staying away was for the
best. He couldn’t know about the magical world until Hogwarts, not to mention that his aunt and
uncle would never have let someone magical in the house at all.
He supposed that he should feel ashamed of himself for how he treated Hermione Black but he
didn’t. It was true that the girl was brilliant, with power to spare, but just the knowledge of who her
father was turned him off her completely. However, he could find no fault with her work so she was
passing his class with a perfect grade. That didn’t mean that he wasn’t taking out his anger for her
father on her anyways.
It was wrong, he knew that. He couldn’t help it, however, since Sirius had been allowed to see his
niece grow up and James and Lily had to miss their boy getting bigger. It wasn’t fair and Remus
struggled with playing nice when it came to the girl. He was sure that eventually it would bite him in
the arse, especially since he was just a poor lowly werewolf and Sirius was a noble lord, but at the
moment he didn’t care. He wanted justice for James and Lily and being rude to Hermione Black was
all he had at the moment.
It was odd to see Severus backing up the daughter of Sirius Black. He wasn’t sure who Severus had
hated more, Sirius or James but it had been close. However, the man had done exactly that. He knew
that he was friends with the Malfoys and had seen the girl grow up. Was there an affection for the
girl there? Was he just doing his duty as Head of House? Was he trying to stay on the good side of
the Malfoys by watching out for their niece? It was all so confusing that sometimes Remus wished
that he hadn’t agreed to come teach. The only reason he had was because he had wanted to meet
Harry and get to know him. He had missed him all the long years that he had been secreted away in
the muggle world.
If Remus could be honest with only himself, he missed Sirius. Where James had been both their best
friends, Sirius had always been more. Neither one of them had acted on it until they were well out of
school. One drunken night in Sirius’ flat had changed their lives forever. They had been lovers for
six months before everything went to complete shit. Remus had been sure that he had loved Sirius,
that he wanted to make a life with him but then Sirius had to rip his heart from his chest and stomp
on it.
Remus had always been dirt-poor because of his condition and not being able to work but he had
always had charm and a handsome face. Once the truth was out about his lover, he had gone crazy,
shagging every girl or witch out there that would have him. There were a few men but after a while,
he had stopped seeing the men. None of them were Sirius and they never would be. It had taken
almost a decade for him to finally realize that shagging whoever he found at the moment wasn’t the
way to go. In the end, he just felt lonelier. It was in these low moments that he wondered where
Sirius was and what he was doing. Then he would curse his name for ruining everything they had.
Telling Harry about it all had brought it all to the forefront of his mind again. James, Lily, and Peter
were dead. Sirius was a traitor that served Voldemort. His daughter was living the life of a princess
and was trying get Harry to meet with her father. He had heard the conversation they had the night
he had fought Hermione in a duel. He had been terrified since, hoping and praying to whatever god
would listen that Harry would pull his head out of his arse and see reason. Therefore, he had just
taken matters into his own hands.
Remus poured himself four fingers of whiskey and sighed. Talking about everything made it all real
again. That meant that he was going to be nursing a hangover in the morning because he knew
Severus would never give him a sober-up potion, not after how he had treated his special little snake.
He shrugged his shoulders to himself. Oh well. He threw back all four fingers at once.
The whiskey wasn’t going to drink itself.
A/N- Boom, another one bites the dust! More mind-fuckery in this chapter, hope y’all don’t mind.
Before anyone asks me how Remus could spread those lies, Remus truly believes that Sirius is
guilty, just as Dumbles and Minerva do. He is being a douche to Hermione but he’s trying to protect
Harry. Doesn’t excuse it, but it’s a valid reason. Anyways, enough of that business. Thanks to
everyone out there reading and reviewing, I love you all. Let me know what you think, reviews are
love.
Next chapter, a quidditch match goes wrong.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 49

A/N- You guys are amazing, thank you so much for the support you continue to show me and this
story. I love you all for it. First off, however, I want to tell everyone that once again, FFN hates me.
It has been telling me intermittently that a review is invalid and it won’t let me reply. If you did not
get a response to your review, I apologize. I’ll hope for the best and catch you next time. Secondly, I
have told a few people because everyone is asking me when the truth comes out. It will all come out
at the end of their third year, chapter 57 to be precise. I figured my guest readers would like an
answer to their questions as well. I will make a side not that if you want questions answered from
your reviews, you’ll have to log in. I detest those authors that answer reviews in their A/Ns. Not
hating on you if you do it, but when I see a huge word count on a story, I want it to be the story not
review responses. I don’t have any other points to make but I want to tell everyone thank you for
reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. It means so much.
**Shout out to Bibbity88 for being my 1500th reviewer. You’re freaking awesome!!**
Disclaimer: None of this story is mine. It is J.K.R.’s sandbox and I’m just playing with my toys in it.
I haven’t made any money off this story or any other. Let’s face it. I’m a broke bitch and if I was
making money off my stories, I would have quit my job a long time ago.
Chapter 49
November 30, 1993
Harry could feel the butterflies in his stomach as he tried to eat a little bit of breakfast. It was their
first quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor’s first anyone. Slytherin had already played
Ravenclaw and the snakes had stomped them. It was clear that Malfoy had practiced a lot over the
summer. Once again, Harry lamented the fact he had nowhere to practice until he went to the
Weasleys a couple weeks before term began.
Harry still wasn’t worried about facing the snakes. While Malfoy had indeed gotten better, he still
wasn’t any match for Harry. He wasn’t the one saying it but Oliver, who had no problems spying on
the snakes during their practices. Harry thought it was just a bit too much like cheating but Oliver
had snorted at him and asked him what he thought the Slytherins did while they practiced. There was
a reason he didn’t call out his plays in the air. After learning that, Harry had just shrugged and let it
go.
He was still taking lessons with Professor Lupin to learn how to cast a patronus. All he continued to
produce was a silver mist. It was extremely disheartening but he was determined to succeed at this.
All of the times he had met with Lupin, he had reassured him that it had taken him the better part of a
year to master the spell so really, he wasn’t doing so badly.
Things with Hermione Black had gotten tenser. After being re-told everything by Lupin from a
different point of view, it was like the reality of everything had reached out and slapped him in the
face. He had told her that he would consider meeting with her father, he had apologized to her for
making her feel bad. What had he been thinking? Now more than ever he needed to keep his
distance and make sure he learned as much as he could. Meeting with Lord Sirius Black wasn’t
important and frankly, he didn’t have a death wish.
No matter how much he believed this, however, he couldn’t get the image of Hermione’s boggart out
of her mind. Her family dead and dying was her greatest fear; that would never happen unless the
Dark Lord returned and they didn’t hand him Harry. It made sense when he thought about it.
Malfoy’s didn’t make near as much sense since it was Hermione clearly in Azkaban robes. Why
would she be in Azkaban?
At first, Harry had been embarrassed about his greatest fear. He had thought that it was going to be
Voldemort, had even considered that it would be dementors. Then when he had stepped in front of
the boggart, Lord Black had appeared. Harry had only seen him at a distance but it was enough to
know exactly what he looked like. After he considered why Lord Black had appeared, he figured
that it made sense. That was the man that was responsible for his parents being murdered, the same
man who wanted Harry dead. Why shouldn’t he fear him?
Harry and Neville had gotten into a terrible row over it. Neville refused to believe that Lord Black
had sold out his friends and Harry was determined that he had. Neither one of them would back
down and it had ended in the two of them having to be separated. Once he had calmed down, Harry
knew that he would have done the same if Ron had been accused of something that he didn’t do.
Ginny had been mortified at being slapped in full view of the public. She had sworn to the twins and
Ron that she hadn’t thrown the piece of stone either time Hermione had been hit. He was fairly sure
that the twins thought that she was lying but they never came out and said it. Ron stood staunchly
behind his baby sister, which meant that Harry was expected too as well. Percy didn’t seem all too
fussed about any of it, to be truthful. He was far more worried about Penelope and being Head Boy.
Therefore, any time that Ginny was in public and Hermione was going to be there, Ron and Harry
shadowed her. While Ginny had seemed annoyed at first, she quickly got over it when she realized
that she was closer to Harry that way. It made his stomach turn a little, her clear hero-worship, but
there was nothing for it. Ron was his best mate and if he wanted to protect his baby sister, he would
most certainly help him.
Molly Weasley had come to the school once she had heard about Hermione slapping Ginny while
she held her against a wall with magic. He had heard that it was a full-blown meeting between
Dumbledore, Hermione, Ginny, the Weasleys and Lord Black. Since Hermione had already been
punished, by her own Head of House, it seemed as though there wasn’t much to complain about.
Whether any of it was true, he couldn’t say. He thought that Ginny might be prone to storytelling just
like Ron was.
Harry had quit eating completely and was just staring at what was left of his English breakfast.
Everyone was laughing around him, all charged up and excited for the upcoming match. It was
bright and sunny outside, with only a few clouds up high in the air. Even though it was a little brisk
outside, he wasn’t going to complain. It could be freezing outside and when it was, it made quidditch
a terrible sport to play. Ron clapped him on the shoulder and grinned at him in excitement.
“You ready for the match, mate? You’re going to do great, I don’t know why you get all nervous
and broody before them.” Harry shrugged and picked at the toast still left on his plate.
“I get nervous because I can. Everyone expects me to win and it’s a lot to put on my shoulders
sometimes.” Ron looked as if he didn’t understand at all. Harry just shook his head in wonder at his
best mate. So on point about some things, then completely clueless when it came to others.
The bell rang above them and the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor quidditch teams rose from their seats on
the benches and started for the door that led to the pitch. The rest of the student body was cheering
loudly, whistling and cat-calling. This was normal behavior so Harry wasn’t too thrown by that. His
eyes caught on Hermione holding the elbow of her cousin while she allowed him to escort her
towards the door at a slower pace. He was firmly against the girl now but he couldn’t help but still
think she was the most gorgeous thing he had ever seen. He still wanked off to her, especially to the
glimpse he had caught of her bum and knickers when she had been coming down the ladder from
Divination that day.
His attraction to her hadn’t waned with his newfound attitude towards her, if anything it had gotten
worse. Harry had no idea what he was supposed to do about that but he was really out of ideas.
There was nothing for it, he supposed, just to remind himself that her family was poison and she
would never abandon them to join his side.
Once he reached the locker room for the Gryffindor team, he stepped inside and found his locker,
going ahead to take the time to change. The three girls had a partition across half the room so once
they were through changing, they came around and sat next to the boys. Fred and George threw their
arms around Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson while Alicia Spinnet took a seat next to Harry. Oliver
was standing in front of them with no shirt on yet but he was already lecturing them about how they
needed to win the match.
Harry knew that it would all come down to him to end the match but that was nothing new. He
didn’t know why he was always so nervous since once he was out in the air, everything else fell
away and nothing else mattered. While he was nervous now, he would be utterly confident in the air.
Oliver was still waxing on about what plays they were going to use when and how the beaters were
going to aim for the chasers and Diggory more than anyone. Harry just leaned against the lockers
and listened. Oliver finally turned his speech to Harry, he had apparently saved him for last.
“Harry, watch out for bludgers and make sure you outfly Diggory. He’s good but not as good as
you. However, since he’s a sixth year, he’s got a little more experience than you.” Harry gave him a
serious nod and watched with thinly veiled amusement as he finished dressing. Once they were all
kitted out in their quidditch gear, Oliver gave one last yell that sounded suspiciously like ‘lions’.
Harry followed the rest of them out of the locker room to mount their brooms. Oliver led them
around the pitch in a lap so they could be introduced. Since the game wasn’t in progress, Harry could
hear what Lee Jordan was saying.
“Here comes the Gryffindor team, led by Captain and keeper Oliver Wood! Following Wood are the
trio of beautiful chasers, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell. Nobody can forget the
human bludgers themselves, beaters Fred and George Weasley! Last but most certainly not least is
Harry Potter, our star seeker and the youngest member of the team.” Harry could see signs in the
audience that had his name on them, some proclaiming the owner to be the future Mrs. Harry Potter.
It really was rather embarrassing.
Since the Hufflepuff team had already been introduced, they faced off with Madam Hooch in the
middle. She opened the case holding the match balls and released the snitch. Harry didn’t bother to
see which way it went since it wouldn’t take long for it to disappear anyways. The bludgers went
next and Harry caught sight of Fred and George grinning maliciously. They really were dangerous
on the pitch. Finally, Madam Hooch put her whistle in her mouth and blew as she threw the quaffle
in the air.
Angelina was the first to reach it and she reached out and snagged it for herself. Harry could honestly
say that the three girls worked seamlessly together and they were by far the best chasers in school.
Before the Hufflepuff keeper was even in place, they had scored two goals. Harry turned his broom
to the clouds, always managing to spot the snitch while it was in the clouds. However, Diggory was
good so he needed to be on the lookout.
Harry couldn’t tell you how long he flew, searching for the snitch. It seemed like it had been forever
but he knew that wasn’t right. Diggory was just off to the side of him, scanning the sky like he was.
The sky was clouding up and it was making it increasingly hard to spot the small fluttering ball. It
was even ages later when he finally caught a glint of gold just in front of him. However, Diggory
seemed to spot it at the same time as he did and they both took off like a shot.
Harry was completely focused now, his eyes on the prize, and he was determined to win. Diggory
had the same expression on his face and harry knew that this was going to be a close call. They flew
through a cloud that was darker than the others and Harry fully expected to get wet from the rain.
When he and Diggory came out on the other side, however, Harry seized up in fear at what he saw.
Dementors.
Several of them, swarming him and rushing him, trying to get close enough to his mouth to suck out
his soul. Diggory chased on as if he hadn’t seen them and Harry figured that he probably hadn’t.
Diggory was a pretty boy to the nth degree but he was fair and would never abandon someone to a
fate like dementors. Harry pulled his wand and tried his best to call upon his happy memory,
determined to cast the patronus charm perfectly now that he really needed it. He heard the crowd go
wild so Harry assumed that Diggory caught the snitch.
His spell failed.
Silver mist appeared but didn’t do much repelling. One of the dementors got close enough to start
sucking the essence of who he was away from him. He couldn’t explain it any better than that but
that was exactly what it felt like. There were screams in his mind since he knew that they weren’t
real. He heard a woman’s voice begging for someone to spare her baby, to kill her instead. There
was maniacal laughter and Harry instinctively knew that it was Voldemort and his mother, her last
moments on this Earth.
As two more dementors swooped closer and started to pull from him as well, Harry couldn’t stop
what happened next. His eyes slid closed, his grip on his broom fell away, and he plunged two
hundred feet towards the ground, a sure death for anyone.
-O-
Hermione had her nails dug into Draco’s arms, watching as Harry fell from high in the sky towards
the ground like a limp rag doll. Draco had a fearful look on his face as well but he hid it better than
Hermione did. The Headmaster rose as if there was nothing wrong, pulled his wand, and waved it.
When Harry rushed into the ground, it was as if he had hit a huge pillow. He bounced a few times
and though he would still have a few injuries due to the fall itself and the reason why, he was going
to live.
Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her tight. She clung to his side and watched as
Madam Pomfrey rushed out onto the pitch and began to work on Harry. The Gryffindor team
gathered around them so it was hard to see anything else. It was several minutes before the team
parted and Madam Pomfrey had Harry on a stretcher and was floating him alongside her towards the
castle. Dumbledore’s voice rang out above them all.
“Cedric Diggory caught the snitch, Hufflepuff wins, 350 to 330 points. Harry Potter is going to be
fine, please don’t all rush to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey will kick you out. You shall see
him once he is dismissed from the Wing.” Hermione out a breath that she hadn’t been aware that she
had been holding. Draco pressed a kiss to the side of her head and waited a few moments for the
crowd to thin before he started to pull her towards the castle.
Hermione let her mind drift to other things as they walked. If she thought about Harry in the Hospital
Wing, she would surely worry herself to death. Her mind turned to when she and Draco had finally
talked.
*Flashback*
Hermione was seated by herself in one of the chairs in front of the fire in the common room.
Everyone had seen how volatile she had been lately and had no problems leaving her alone. She had
just returned from serving her detention and Uncle Sev had brewed beside her, making potions for
the Hospital Wing. It was punishment to everyone else but to her it was how she and her godfather
spent time together. Potions was her most advanced subject. Even though she was on the verge of
dozing, she didn’t want to go to her dorm room since all the other girls were in there. They all acted
like they were scared to death of her and she hated it.
Someone approached from behind and tugged softly on one of her curls. She turned to see that it was
Draco, though she had already knew that. Nobody dared to tug her curls except for her family and
she had just left her godfather in his lab. She didn’t say anything but she watched him curiously
while he enlarged the chair she was sitting in until it was big enough for the both of them. After he
sat down next to her, he took her hand in his and stroked his thumb over her knuckles.
“I know you aren’t very happy with me and I don’t blame you. Uncle Sev talked to me and told me
that you felt like you were being targeted while I was enjoying my friends. That’s mostly true.”
Hermione stopped him with a quick shake of her head.
“No, that isn’t what I was angry about. I want you to have your own life and friends, I don’t want
you to have to babysit me all the time. I was angry because you are always telling me to tell you
something so you can protect me but that night you hadn’t been there to protect me. Mostly it was
because I was being a bitch and I took it out on you. I usually don’t mind when you act that way but
that night I had had a rock slam into my head hard enough to make my vision go spotty. My head
hurt, I was tired of getting bullied and I was tired of feeling weak.” Draco pulled her head down to
his shoulder and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“You aren’t weak and I want to be there to protect you. You’re the most important person in the
world to me, Miney, even more than my mum. I just get caught up with the attention the others give
me and I forget that you’re there and need help. Not a good excuse but it’s all I have.” Hermione
shook her head.
“You have nothing to apologize for. I know who you are and I accepted it years and years ago. I
love you the way you are, Drake. Like I said, I was just being a bitch.” He chuckled softly and
kissed her forehead.
“I’m sorry for what I said about you not being able to control yourself.” Hermione tried to hide the
shuddering breath she took at his words. That had been what truly hurt her, that he had no faith in
her whatsoever. Followed up by his boggart, it had been heart-wrenching for her.
“You can’t help how you feel and I suppose that I deserved it. I haven’t given anyone reason to have
any faith in me.” Now he pulled her down so she would lay her head in his lap. His fingers carded
through her curls and he sounded so guilty.
“I should have had faith in you, you would have had it in me. You have always believed in me no
matter what I wasn’t able to do and I’ve always pulled through. I feel like this time around, with
Weaselette, you had to do it on your own because I wasn’t there cheering you on and telling you you
could do it. I should have been.” Hermione shook her head even though it was hard to do with her
head in his lap.
“No, I needed to do it on my own to prove to not only you but myself that I could do it. You won’t
always be there, Drake, some day you’re going to get a girl friend and she’ll become your wife.
You’ll be her rock. I need to know that I can do things on my own too.” Draco gave her hair a sharp
tug, forcing her to look up at him. His face was serious as he spoke.
“I will always be there for you. It doesn’t matter if we’re both married, I will always be your rock
and you’ll always be mine. If you need me, I’ll be there. You’re my best friend, my sister, the most
important person in the world, I would never abandon you. Do you plan to abandon me when you
get married?” Hermione shook her head and tried to banish the pricking of tears behind her eyes.
“No, I would never. I just know that it’s harder for boys to focus on more than one thing at a time.
You’ll be getting sex from your wife so she’ll be more important.” He reached down flicked her
nose. She was just starting to get indignant when he spoke again.
“You just can that complete and utter tripe. You’re always going to be important so stop feeling sorry
for yourself. This isn’t you and I don’t want to hear it. You’re going to listen to me and you’re going
to believe me. I care about you and I’m going to be there for you no matter what, no matter who I
marry, no matter how many kids I have. Fuck, if Voldyshorts wins, I’ll be marrying you so you
won’t be sold to the highest bidder. I won’t let someone who isn’t going to treat you like the princess
you are have you.” Hermione felt a tear break free and she smiled at him. He thumbed the tear off
her cheek and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. She fisted her hair in his platinum locks
and met his gaze.
“I love you, Drake.” He chuckled softly before pulling away.
“I love you too, Miney. Now that we’re done here, lets get to bed. You want to sleep with me
tonight?” Hermione grinned at him.
“Absolutely.”
*End of Flashback*
Once they were inside, they headed for the Great Hall. It was the middle of the afternoon so they
were still serving lunch but Hermione really wasn’t that hungry. However, since Draco was starving,
she followed him. They took their usual seats and rather than pay attention to the conversation
around her, she focused on the dueling technique’s that she had gone over with her godfather just the
night before. She really wanted to try them out with Draco but since it had been a quidditch night,
she had doubted that it was going to happen that night. She might be able to convince him tomorrow
night, however.
After they had eaten their fill, Hermione had insisted that they make their way to the library to work
on some homework. Draco had rolled his eyes at her but had gone with her anyways. She knew that
he had homework from Madam Cambridge to work on so she knew that it was all a show. To her
surprise, Neville appeared to work on his potion’s assignment. The rest of their friends bailed, saying
that it was a Saturday and it was too late in the afternoon to focus on schoolwork.
Hermione hadn’t been avoiding Neville or the twins after the incident with Ginny, per se, but she
hadn’t sought them out like she usually did. The twins especially couldn’t have any charitable
thoughts for her at the moment and she didn’t blame them. She would stand behind Draco no matter
what he had done so she understood completely that family was family and friends were just that.
Not as important. She hoped that it wouldn’t come between them but if it did, she wasn’t going to be
angry. It would be the choice she would make too. Neville grinned at her, completely unaware of her
inner turmoil.
“I’m surprised the twins aren’t here leeching off your potions expertise.” Draco eyed the Gryffindor
boy and Hermione just shrugged her shoulders slightly.
“I’m sure they have other things to do than spend time with me.” Neville narrowed his eyes at her.
“Is this about the Ginny incident? Is that why you’ve been avoiding us?” Hermione met his eyes
sharply.
“I’m not avoiding you, I’m just letting things cool off. It was their sister that I threw against a wall
and slapped in front of large group of people. I don’t want them to have to choose when they’re
angry.” Neville smiled softly at her.
“You don’t have to worry about that. They love her, sure, but I don’t think they really believe that
she didn’t do it like the rest of Gryffindor. They’re staying away because they’re afraid you’re going
to be mad at them because she’s their sister.” Hermione just rolled her eyes. The whole situation was
just ridiculous. She nodded eventually.
“Alright, I’ll try to talk to them tomorrow.” Neville smiled at her and turned back to his assignment.
The time they spent in the library went fast, but then again, for Hermione it always did. Even though
she was thoroughly concentrating on her assignments, she couldn’t help but worry about Harry in the
Hospital Wing. She was sure that the quidditch team had already been in to see him but she doubted
that anyone else had tried to sneak in to see him. Maybe Weasley but he wouldn’t be in there during
dinner. Since it was nearing that time, she made a snap decision and closed her book.
“It’s almost dinner time, we should go if we want to get good seats in the Great Hall.” Draco
narrowed his eyes at her, knowing full well that she wasn’t worried about food. He said nothing,
however, and gathered his things dutifully. Once they were all packed up, Hermione followed them
from the library. However, at the bend in the corridor that would take her to the Hospital Wing, she
pressed a kiss to Draco’s cheek.
“I have to go, I forgot a book I need for one of my assignments from Madam Cambridge.” Draco
narrowed his eyes at her so she cut her gaze towards the Hospital Wing. He rolled his eyes but
nodded his head.
“Alright, we’ll see you down there.” Hermione watched Neville and Draco make their way to the
staircase and travel down. Once they were out of sight, she started for the Hospital Wing.
Once she was outside the doors, she took a deep steadying breath to calm herself. Hopefully, he
would be asleep and she wouldn’t have to say anything. All she wanted to do was reassure herself
that he was fine, that he hadn’t died or suffered a permanent injury. She could have asked Neville but
she didn’t want attention drawn to the fact that she was curious. She pushed the door open and crept
in as quietly as she could, noticing that there was only one bed that had the curtains around it drawn.
Just one peek was all she needed and then she would be on her way, happy that she had stopped by.
However, when she peered around the edge of the curtain, the voice that greeted her was cold as ice.
“Is there a reason you’re sneaking into the Hospital Wing and seeing me while everyone else in the
school is at dinner in the Great Hall?” Hermione sighed and stepped in the rest of the way. She tried
to give him a soft smile but it fell flat when she realized that he looked furious.
“I was worried about you but didn’t want your other friends to know that I had come to see you. I
was just going to make sure that you weren’t hurt or anything, I needed to know. I wasn’t even
planning on you being awake.” Somewhere along the way, he had mastered raising only one
eyebrow. It arched perfectly.
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. No reason for you to be here, no reason for you to care.”
Hermione wasn’t sure where this animosity was coming from.
“I worry about you, you were supposed to be my brother. I’ve worried about you since I was four
years old and was first told who you were.” Harry scoffed at her words and the sound was like a
dagger in her heart.
“You don’t worry about me, you just worry you won’t get me to come to your father, your father
that handed my parents over to the Dark Lord. I’m probably your initiation, aren’t I? If you can catch
me in your spell, pull me in, you’ll be treasured above all others in his new regime?” Hermione
wasn’t sure where any of this was coming from, she hadn’t even talked to him in days. She knew
that her voice was shaky when she spoke.
“I don’t understand, I thought -.” He cut her off before she could finish.
“You thought what, you could whore yourself out to me and I’d jump on the chance to fuck the
perfect daughter of the traitorous Lord Black? You thought your pussy would lead me right into the
hands of the enemy? You’re beautiful, sweetie, but not that beautiful. I won’t ever want you, you’ll
never be good enough for me. All you’ll ever be is the daughter of a family of traitors. You will
never be more than Voldemort’s whore, Ron’s told me what he uses the women for. When he
returns, you’ll whore for him or you’ll die. Nobody deserves someone like you.” Hermione couldn’t
stop the tears that were tracking down her cheeks. His words were harsh and stabbed through her
like a knife. Her voice was weak when she spoke.
“I never thought you wanted me, I wasn’t going to try to have sex with you. I want to wait for
someone who loves me. I just thought that we could be friends, that we could -.” Harry’s words were
still like ice and his face was cut in stone.
“You thought wrong. I don’t want you and I won’t ever want you. Not as a sister, not as lover, not
as anything. I would love for you to be dead, that way your father would feel the same pain that I’ve
had to feel since he stole my parents from me.” Hermione didn’t understand any of this, not in the
least. It was in this very moment that she realized that she did have a crush on Harry, she did think
that he was handsome and wouldn’t mind getting to know him better. She had been in denial before
then. Not only was her self-confidence, her self-worth, and self-image in tatters, her crush had just
spit in her face and told her to fuck off.
Suddenly, she didn’t want to ever see Harry again. She had let him pull her back in and he had done
just as he had done in first year. Hermione cursed herself for falling for it. She couldn’t hold back the
sob that escaped from her lips. She grasped the curtain in her hand but before she left, she had one
last thing to say.
“All I ever wanted to do was be your friend.” Without another word, she fled.
Hermione didn’t remember much of getting back to the dungeons. She met nobody in the corridors
and the common room was empty. The Slytherin didn’t even bother going to her dorm, she would
never be able to sleep anyways. She entered the boy’s dorm and grimaced at how absolutely
disgusting it was. She shucked off her shoes and climbed into Draco’s bed, snuggling under his
duvet and into his pillow.
It took awhile but her sobs finally subsided. It was clear how Harry truly felt about her and she
wouldn’t be stupid enough to forget that ever again. If he truly felt the things he had said to her, she
deserved better than that. It wasn’t his fault that she harbored a little bit of a crush on him; she would
just have to bury it and forget that it had ever existed at all.
What puzzled her the most was how he had flipped so thoroughly. There was no reason for him to
have said those things to her, none that she could think of anyways. However, she supposed that
something else could have happened that she wasn’t aware of. When she considered it, she realized
that the problem probably went by the name of Remus Lupin. It was several hours later when Draco
finally came in after quidditch practice, frantic, only to find her snuggled into his bed. He let out a
deep breath and sat down next to her. His hand brushed hair back from her face as he spoke.
“What happened, Miney? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Hermione didn’t want to have to
talk about so just shook her head. Her cousin wiped the remnants of her tears away and met her eyes.
“Show me then.” Hermione closed her eyes for a brief moment before nodding. She replayed the
whole scenario in her head again, every single detail, and let him watch. When it was finally
finished, he laid down and crawled into the bed next to her. He pulled her close and she snuggled
into his side.
“I was so stupid, Drake. How could I have had a crush on a boy that thinks those things of me? I
don’t understand what I did.” Draco ran his fingers through her hair and murmured soft nothings in
her ear until she calmed down.
“You can’t help who you like, Hermione. He said he deserves better than you but I disagree. You
deserve better than him. Even if he kills the Dark Lord, he won’t deserve you. If he says just one
single word to you after this that isn’t as fucking polite as it gets, I’m going to pound his face in. I
don’t give two fucks about detention and sure don’t give a fuck about the house cup.” Hermione
buried her face further in his shirt and inhaled his comforting scent. Finally, she shook her head.
“No, Drake, he isn’t worth it. You’re right, I can’t help who I like, but I can help how they treat me.
I deserve better. No more Harry Potter unless he tries to kill himself again. Like it or not, he’s still the
one who has to end this.” Draco nodded and kissed her head.
“Go to sleep, Miney. Tomorrow will be better.” Hermione did as she was told. She wasn’t quite sure
how getting your heart crushed by the boy you liked would get better but she had to believe her
cousin because the alternative wasn’t something that she wanted to consider.
-O-
Harry couldn’t get the sight of Hermione Black openly crying in front of him out of his head. He had
to make her leave him alone, he had to make sure that he kept his distance from her but he had done
it in the most cruel way possible. He wasn’t sure what to believe when it came to her motives but he
knew that she didn’t deserve the truly terrible things he had said. It was likely the sight her icy blue
eyes wet with tears would haunt his dreams for ages.
Ron had come by directly after Hermione had left, full of chatter from dinner and plans for what they
were going to do the next day when he got out of the Hospital Wing. Harry had just nodded and
went along with the conversation since he wasn’t really much in the mood to talk. He knew that he
had hurt the girl, probably beyond repair, but he had hurt himself too. He didn’t like knowing that he
had hurt someone that seemed as good and kind-hearted as Hermione. However, it had to be done so
he could keep his objectives in sight.
With a sigh, Harry turned his head and watched the rain fall through the window. It matched his
mood perfectly. He could only hope that Malfoy didn’t come after him once he was out of the
Hospital Wing. It wouldn’t surprise him if he did and he would fully deserve it. Harry sighed again
and closed his eyes.
Sleep was going to be a long time coming tonight.
A/N- Oh maaaa gerrrd! I hated writing this chapter, I really did. However, it had to be done. Don’t
kill me, please? Anyways, thanks again to everyone out there showing this story love, you’re all the
bomb. Leave me a message after the beep and tell me what you think. To those of you that read on
A03, if you have any serious questions or anything, please message me on ffn. I'm rarely on this site
since I literally copy and paste on here. It's for one specific friend. Thank you!!
Next chapter, Hogsmeade weekend and a trip to the Three Broomsticks doesn’t go as planned.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 50

A/N- Wow, you guys are just awesome. Even most of you that hated the chapter and couldn’t see
how I’m ever going to redeem Harry cheered me on and told me that they would stay tuned.
However, on that note, I’m going to say a few words.
I knew that I was going to lose a few readers over that last chapter. I don’t blame anyone. However,
for those that are telling me that Harry is completely irredeemable, let me remind you that Harry and
Hermione don’t get together until sixth year. There will be two full years between this and that,
plenty of time for Harry to change and redeem himself in Hermione’s eyes. No, he won’t be perfect,
but he will be much better. After all, nobody is perfect.
With that said, thank you to all that have read and reviewed this story, the follows and faves are
appreciated too. I won’t drag this one, but thanks for keeping me motivated, y’all.
Disclaimer: I don’t know why I bother with these things. If you don’t know after fifty chapters that
this story and characters aren’t mine, you have worse problems than I thought. Oh yeah, haven’t
made any money off my stories either.
Chapter 50
December 2, 1993
Harry was pissed off. When he had blown his aunt up over the summer, he hadn’t taken into
consideration that Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia hadn’t signed his Hogsmeade permission form. He
had already gone to see McGonagall to see if she would sign for him as his Head of House but she
had told him no, that it wouldn’t be proper. Ron was going to go with Seamus and Dean since he
couldn’t go and he had decided at first to just stay at the school and do some extra school work.
However, the more he thought about it, he realized that he had his dad’s cloak and he would be able
to get past everyone without them noticing. The only thing that worried him was getting past the
dementors on the edge of the grounds since the rest of the students were going in the carriages and he
would be on foot.
Harry figured that he could sneak past them while they floated past him. They didn’t have eyes so
they wouldn’t be able to see him. While some would consider his actions foolhardy, and he knew
they were, they were also something that he had to do. He was tired of not getting to do things
because of his shitty relatives.
Harry had just thrown his cloak over himself and watched the door since it was snowing outside and
his footprints would be visible. However, before he could venture outside, two arms grabbed him
under his armpits and pulled him into an empty classroom. He struggled until he realized that it was
the twins who had ahold of him. Once they had closed and locked the door behind them, he pulled
the cloak off of him to scowl at them.
“We know what you’re getting ready to do and even we think it’s stupid. Therefore, we’re going to
give you a present that we’re sure you can use.” Harry narrowed his eyes at the twins. They were
great friends but they never did anything out of the kindness of their hearts. Truthfully, he was
surprised that they weren’t Slytherins.
“What are you going to give me and what do you want in return?” The twins glanced at each other
with amused looks. He thought that it was Fred that answered but he wasn’t sure. According to the
twins, the only person who could tell them apart at school was Hermione Black.
“It’s a map that shows every single person in the castle and on the grounds, every single day. You
won’t ever have to run from Filch again. There is a secret passage that takes you from Hogwarts to
the cellar in Honeydukes, then you don’t have to worry about the dementors seeing you.” Harry felt
a sliver of excitement at their words. A magical map would be amazing when it came to sneaking
around the castle on their adventures. However, he knew the twins well.
“What do you want in return?” The twins faces turned sour and George glared at him.
“We want to know what happened between you and Hermione. She used to smile when your name
got brought up, she laughed at our stories that included you. Now, she ignores us whenever you’re
brought up. We can see that you hurt her and we want to know how.” Harry felt a lick of shame at
their words. He didn’t regret what he had done but he regretted that he had had to hurt her to get it
done. He raked a hand through his unruly hair and started to pace.
“This goes no further. Do I have your words?” Both twins nodded. Harry sighed.
“Professor Lupin told me everything and I realized that I was leading her on by letting her think that
some day we could be friends. I was even stupid enough to tell her that I would consider speaking
with her father. I know you two are friends with her and you don’t believe that her father is evil but
you two aren’t the ones with dead parents. I was really mean to her, made her cry, so she would
leave me alone and not have false hope. I hate that it hurt her but I don’t regret what I did.” The
twins shook their head from side to side slightly as if they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
George thrust the map in his hands.
“There’s your map. I hope you get lots of use out of it. For the record, if you would have told her
nicely to leave you alone, she would have. She tried doing that the last time you were a prick to her
but you were the one that started being nice again. Do us a favor, Harry, and just leave her alone. For
real this time. Don’t start feeling guilty about what you did and pull her back in again because you
know all she wants is to be your friend. Her father may be a traitor, we don’t know, but she’s the
best girl we know. She deserves better.” Harry felt another lick of shame but nodded.
“I can do that. I won’t seek her out, I promise.” He just hoped that he would be able to keep that
promise. Life always seemed to get in the way for him and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt
her more. The twins didn’t say anything else, just turned around and left him standing there alone,
with the map in his hand. There was a slip of parchment on top of it with instructions.
To activate, tap your wand on the map and say, “I solemnly swear that I’m up to no good.”
To deactivate, tap with your wand and say, “Mischief managed.”
Harry pulled out his wand and tapped the parchment, whispering the code phrase. Lines began to
appear all over the parchment, the stories of the castle being drawn slowly, the names of its
inhabitants following. It took several minutes for him to locate the passage that the twins had told him
about. He was only a few corridors away so he was quick to abandon the classroom he was in for
the statue of the one-eyed witch. Once he was in front of her, he pulled his wand and whispered the
pass phrase he found written next to it.
“Dissendium.” The stone witch moved to the side and he slipped in behind it. After making sure that
it closed behind him, he started off through the passage by the light of his wand. It seemed like it
took forever for him to reach the cellar of Honeydukes but he eventually did. It took several more
minutes before someone came down into the cellar, leaving the door wide open for him to get out.
Hopefully, he could sneak into a carriage with Ron on the way back.
He crept up the stairs as quietly as he could only to find himself in the biggest candy store he had
ever seen in his life. Candy was on every shelf he could see, stacked ten feet high. It was every kid’s
version of heaven. Ron was off in the corner, talking to Seamus and Dean, trying to decide what
kind of candy he would like best. Even though he wanted to tell his best mate that he was there, he
didn’t dare reveal to the other boys that he had an invisibility cloak. Therefore, he set out on his own.
He really didn’t need to buy anything but he wanted to explore, he wanted to see what was out in the
wizarding world aside from Diagon Alley.
Harry always tried to stay close to groups of students so is footsteps wouldn’t be noticed. He visited
the apothecary, Zonko’s, the twins were always on about it, the owl post office, the book shop, the
robes shop, and even the writing supplies store. Deciding that he wanted to see the Shrieking Shack
before he ventured into the Three Broomsticks, he set off on his own to look at the haunted shack
that had half of Britain scared out of their minds.
However, it wasn’t quite the experience that he thought it was going to be. Hermione and Malfoy
were there, his arms around her shoulders and hers around his waist with her head leaning on his
shoulder. They were gazing at the Shack, their gaze’s contemplative. Every so often, Malfoy would
run his fingers through her ebony curls and he couldn’t help but feel just the tiniest bit jealous of the
fact. Hermione’s voice was wistful.
“Isn’t it sad to think that it was his pain and suffering that made everyone thing the Shrieking Shack
is haunted? That’s not a life I would wish on anyone. It would be terrible to feel that alone through
something so terrible.” Harry had no idea what she was talking about. Malfoy kissed her temple and
tugged one of her curls softly.
“It would be. I’m glad we have each other, Miney. We’d probably be alone if we didn’t. Nobody
likes your father because they think he’s a traitor and nobody likes mine because he was a Death
Eater. Everyone thinks that we’re stupid and don’t know anything. What would they think if we told
them that we knew everything?” Hermione snorted at his words.
“I don’t know. They probably wouldn’t believe us. I suppose that it doesn’t matter, they don’t
believe us anyways.” Malfoy chuckled as he leaned his cheek against the top of her head.
“I suppose you’re right. We know we’re right though and that’s all that matters.” He smiled softly at
her and Harry still couldn’t get over the fact that Malfoy the arrogant prick had a completely different
side that he showed only his cousin.
“I’m sorry you’re hurting, Miney. If I could take it for you, I would.” Her other hand patted him on
the chest.
“I wouldn’t let you and you know it.” She paused for a moment before she gave him a contemplative
look.
“Do you think they were lovers, you know, Daddy and…” Her voice trailed off but it was clear that
Malfoy knew who she was talking about. He looked into her eyes for a moment before he turned his
gaze back to the Shack.
“I do but I would never ask. Some things just aren’t our business.” Hermione nodded.
“I agree, I just didn’t know if I was the only one who thought so.” He smiled down at her again.
“Father thinks so too. I heard him and Mother a few years ago talking about it after they thought we
had went to bed. You were busy sneaking ice cream from Snitch in the kitchen and I was keeping
look out.” Hermione laughed at his words.
“Merlin, it’s been a minute since we sneaked around like that. We should do that this Christmas. I
miss how easy things were when we were little. I miss being close to you all the time like we were
back then.” He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her head again.
“I miss it too. Life was definitely easier, much less complicated when you were my queen and I was
your king and there wasn’t anyone else to worry about.” She playfully pinched his side.
“Well, my Lord, would you escort your queen to the Three Broomsticks so I may have a warm
butterbeer? I can no longer feel my toes despite the warming charms.” He laughed at her words and
waved his wand at her, clearly casting the warming charm again.
“Allow me to escort you, fair maiden.” He took her hand and started to pull her back the way they
had come. Harry watched them go, listening to them laugh the whole way.
He couldn’t help but wonder if he really would have been raised as their sibling, as Malfoy’s cousin.
He couldn’t see himself being a part of their closeness, the fact that they would have been a trio. He
probably would have made it into Slytherin with them since he barely became a Gryffindor as it was.
It made him wistful to think about so he tried to shake the thoughts from his head.
Harry stood at the Shrieking Shack for almost half an hour, just admiring the countryside and the
rickety shack in the distance. He heard Ron in the distance and he considered revealing himself when
he didn’t hear Seamus or Dean. However, when he appeared, Parvati and Lavender were with him
and they were giggling about something. Harry sighed. It looked as though he was going to have to
sneak back down into the cellar to get back to the castle. Later that evening he would tell Ron what
he had done.
He had surprised himself when he hadn’t told Ron what he had said to Hermione Black. Harry had
fully intended to, knowing that Ron would rub her face in it. It would just be more incentive for her
to stay away. However, when he tried to tell him, he found that he couldn’t. Seeing her face crumple
and the tears down her cheeks had been more than he could take and he couldn’t bear to heap more
pain on that. Deciding that the Slytherin pair had the right idea, he headed for the Three Broomsticks.
He had just shoved the door open, hoping it would look like a phantom breeze, when Hermione
brushed past him, fury painted on her features. Malfoy was right behind her, throwing angry glances
back at whoever had caused his cousin’s ire. Harry had no right to follow and eavesdrop, he’s done
enough of that, so he just let it go.
After watching the pretty barkeep deliver a bottle of something that smelled delicious, he left money
on the table and swiped the drink, hiding it quickly before anyone saw where it disappeared to. He
hid under a table and couldn’t help but think that the warm beverage in his hand was a drink of the
gods. It was warm and smooth, a sort of butterscotch flavor that made him remember one of his
teachers handing him a candy in primary school.
From his place under the table, he observed the others that were around him. Seamus and Dean were
sitting with a fourth year Ravenclaw and they were guffawing quite loudly about something. Hagrid
was sitting at the far end of the bar, a tankard in front of him that looked like a watering trough.
There were several upper classmen sitting around the pub and they were all joyous and happy.
What caught his attention was the sight of the Minister, Fudge if he remembered his name correctly.
He looked worried and Professor McGonagall was standing next to him, hand on his shoulder
looking quite contrite about something. The barkeep, the woman the older students had told him was
named Rosmerta looked saddened but was going about her job as though nothing was wrong. Not
quite sure what to think, he decided that he had better leave if he didn’t want to get caught.
Harry slipped out of the front door with a group of fifth years and followed them to Honeydukes. He
only had to wait a few minutes before the cellar door was opened and the owner’s wife went down
to retrieve extra stock. He followed her as silently as he could and waited until she was gone to open
the secret passage again.
It wasn’t quite as long going back as it had been coming to Hogsmeade. It had definitely been worth
the trip. He would continue to do his Christmas shopping by owl order so nobody would be the
wiser except for Ron and now that he knew what it was about, he didn’t think that he would have to
brave the risks of sneaking out again. Maybe this summer he could do extra chores to convince his
aunt to sign his permission form. Otherwise, maybe he could get away with forging it. He supposed
that he would have to cross that bridge when he got there.
Once he was outside the one-eyed witch, he pulled his cloak from over his head and stuffed it in his
robe. He made his way to the library to make sure he put in an appearance in case someone realized
that he had been missing. He spent a lovely two hours there researching the history of Hogsmeade
rather than working on his assignments. Reading for pleasure wasn’t something he did all that often
but today he had enjoyed it.
The bell rang for dinner and he was quick to abandon his book by placing it back on the shelf. With
a smile and wave to Madam Pince, he left the library and headed for the Great Hall. All in all, it had
been a great day.
-O-
Hermione allowed Draco to pull her into Zonko’s after they left the Shrieking Shack. After all, she
had made him spend two hours at the book store. He didn’t mind of course but she supposed that she
could suffer for half an hour. Of course, Draco found Blaise and Greg inside and they had gotten
together to make plans about their purchases. Finally, at the end of thirty minutes, she had told Draco
that he was welcome to stay for as long as he wanted and she would meet him at Three Broomsticks.
Hogsmeade wasn’t a new experience for the pair of them. They had been coming since they were
little, mostly because her father insisted that there wasn’t anywhere better for chocolate than
Honeydukes. Over the years, she had visited just about every store in the tiny town. It wasn’t as
diverse as Diagon Alley but it definitely had a better atmosphere.
Draco had waved her away and she had gone onto the Three Broomsticks. After finding a small
table, she had taken her seat and waited for Rosmerta to come take her order. The woman waved her
way to let her know that she had seen her but she seemed to be deep in a conversation with the
Minister for Magic and Professor Cat. Almost ten minutes passed of her waiting patiently before she
finally decided to just go to the bar and place her order. Since Rosmerta was still speaking to the
Minister, a man she had met and conversed with several times, and her Transfiguration professor, she
just approached them from behind. Their conversation was quite enlightening once she started
paying attention. The Minister sounded uncertain when he spoke.
“Are you sure that is Black’s daughter? She doesn’t look like I remember.” McGonagall nodded.
“I’m positive. She’s the brightest girl I’ve ever met, quite powerful too. I just wish that I could stand
her father. The biggest disappointment from my own house. Just tragic, and the girl was only
adopted to keep him out of Azkaban. Sad, but true. Not that she knows, poor dear.” Hermione felt
her temper ignite but she stayed quiet. Rosmerta spoke next.
“I remember Sirius and James coming in here together all through school, I never would have
thought the man would turn on one who was closer than his own brother. Makes you wonder why
little Regulus wanted nothing to do with his older brother. Did he know something we didn’t?”
Hermione felt tears prick her eyes but she held them back ruthlessly. She was not going to show
weakness. The Minister just couldn’t leave well enough alone.
“Her father is shrewd, most certainly a follower of the Dark Lord. There are those in the Ministry
that are too scared of him to even ride in the same lift. The only one who dares is Lucius Malfoy and
that’s because they were cut from the same cloth.” Hermione knew the things that her uncle had
done; he had told Draco everything before Hogwarts and he had shared it all with her. While it
sickened her to the highest degree, he had left it all behind so he could keep her in his life. She had
been worth it for him and she loved him even more for it. McGonagall took a sip of her whiskey
before she spoke again.
“Lucius Malfoy is the worst sort, not one I’d like to meet in a dark alley. He seems gaga for his niece
but I’m sure she’s the only one. All his victims have seen his darker side, I’m sure.” Rosmerta spoke
one more time before Hermione finally lost her temper.
“I don’t know how poor Narcissa copes. She’s such a lovely woman and her husband has dragged
her name through the mud. I wonder if she thinks about all the women he’s raped. His son won’t be
much better, I’m sure.” That was well and truly the last straw. Nobody talked badly about Draco
without getting a reaction from her. She cleared her throat and enjoyed the startled look on all three
of their faces. She raised her chin as her aunt had taught her, reigned in her temper like her father had
taught her, and sounded as haughty as her Uncle Luci.
“I’m so happy to hear the wonderful opinions you have of my family and I. I just have to wonder if a
single one of you would have the bravery to actually say them to their faces.” She paused for a
moment before she addressed Rosmerta first.
“You’ve seen my family in here more times than I can count. You know exactly how my Uncle Luci
treats my aunt and you can see how much he loves her. Don’t presume to know things that you are
completely clueless about. As for my father, you knew him as boy. Not as a man. Keep your
uneducated mouth shut.” She turned to McGonagall next.
“Just when I start to respect you, you do this. I never expected you to believe that my father was
innocent, however, I did expect for you to comport yourself with enough propriety to realize that
gossiping about a student’s family while said student is in the establishment is bad form and bad
manners. As for my father adopting me, how would you know his reasons? You never listened to a
word from him after the Potters died, only your precious Saint Dumbledore’s. If you don’t know
something for a fact, keep your mouth shut as a proper pureblood should.” Finally, her gaze turned to
Fudge. However, at this moment, Draco entered and saw her at the bar, instantly knowing that
something was wrong. He hurried to her side and laid an arm around her shoulders. However, she
didn’t acknowledge him.
“I’ll be sure to inform my Uncle Luci just what our esteemed Minister really thinks of him, I’m sure
my father would love to know too. Especially since that bill is coming up in the Wizengamot, the one
you’ve been angling for all of them to pass. Since they’re the two most influential votes in the
Wizengamot, who do you think everyone will follow in voting after?” She leaned forward and
smirked at the three of them.
“I may be a sweet little girl ninety-eight percent of the time but never forget that I have learned how
politics and pureblood society works at my father’s and uncle’s knee. Throw in my aunt’s tutoring in
how to properly comport yourself and I’m the result. I’m not someone you want to fuck with. You
want to hate my family, that’s fine. Do so. Don’t talk about it in my presence ever again. I will burn
you to the ground if I catch any of you doing it again.” The three of them were silent and wide-eyed.
Hermione realized that she had just threatened her professor and the Deputy Headmistress but she
didn’t care. She didn’t expect everyone to like her family, in fact, most didn’t. However, she
expected respect and what she had just heard in her presence was a distinct lack of it. After all, she
had been raised to know that she was wizarding royalty. As much as she hated it at times, there were
times when she was pompous enough to expect it. This was one of those times.
When they all remained silent, Hermione turned to Draco and offered him a smile.
“Escort me back to the carriages, Drake, I feel no more urge to be here. I think I’d rather prefer the
swill they serve in the kitchen at Hogwarts.” She could tell that Draco was trying not to laugh, he
always had to bite it back when she brought out her haughty and stuck up side. He offered her his
arm and led her to the door. She could have sworn that she brushed against something solid and she
walked out the door but once they were outside, her face relaxed and Draco began to laugh.
“You have to tell me what that was about because I feel like I missed one fuck of a performance.”
Hermione laughed softly as he guided her to the carriages. Once they were ensconced inside, she
told him the whole story. By the end of it, he was shaking in rage.
“I can’t believe they would say those things knowing that you were close enough to possibly hear.
Don’t get me wrong, I hate that they said them at all but you’re a student. They should have been
more respectful.” She snorted in a most unladylike manner. She still felt like she was going to snap
from the tension but Draco’s arm around her shoulders helped her in that aspect. She finally relaxed
against him and sighed.
“We have to go tell Uncle Sev. You know Professor Cat is going to run to the Headmaster and tell
on me. Better he not be blindsided.” Draco kissed her temple and nodded.
“He won’t be angry, I promise.” Hermione nodded. Out of all the things she had done in the last
year, this one still ranked up there with one of the dumber ones.
“I hope not. I hate disappointing him. I do it far more often than you do.” Draco smirked at her.
“That’s because I’m better than you in almost every way. Except that you’re more beautiful. And
smarter. And sneakier. And the one that everyone always wants to talk to. Alright, I give up, you’re
definitely the better choice.” She chuckled at his words and laid her head on his shoulder. She really
did love Draco.
The ride to the castle was shorter than she had imagined it would be. After considering it, it was
probably because she was dreading her godfather’s reaction to her outrageous behavior. The ever-
present chill from the dementors was heavy on her chest until they passed the line of the Hogwarts
wards. Once they were at the castle, they dismounted quickly and headed for the dungeons. They
found their godfather in his personal lab, working on what appeared to be wolfsbane. Hermione
instantly jumped in to help him, mincing the fresh ginger root. He gave her a grateful smile as he
spoke.
“Something happened. You might as well tell me so I don’t have to be surprised at the High Table.”
Hermione sighed and put down the knife after the ginger was finished. It took her almost ten minutes
to explain but at the end, she felt lighter even though her uncle looked livid. She lowered her head
and stared at her lap.
“I’m sorry, Uncle Sev. I shouldn’t have said most of what I said.” Since he couldn’t use his hands,
he leaned over and kissed the side of her head.
“I’m not angry at you, poppet. You did as any proper Slytherin would. I expected this from
Rosmerta and Fudge but I’m livid at Minerva. I thought that she had changed her way of thinking
just a little and to gossip about a student’s family is horrid, especially to do so while said student is in
the establishment. Truthfully, she should have held her tongue entirely. I will be speaking to her, I
promise you. Don’t worry, sweet, you won’t get in trouble.” Hermione shook her head worriedly.
“No, she was angry. She’s going to tell Dumbledore. I swear, at the rate I’m going, I’m going to
have spent more time in detention than out of it. Like father, like daughter I suppose.” Uncle Sev
broke out in laughter at her words before leaning down to kiss her again.
“No, sweetness, no detentions for you. I’m going to take care of it. Truthfully, I’m betting that
Minerva is far too ashamed of herself to tell Albus.” Hermione chuckled softly, still worried.
“Alright. If I do get detention, could you at least try to get them with you?” Her uncle looked at her
sharply.
“Do you not trust me, Hermione?” She met his gaze, startled.
“I trust you with my life. I just know how much the Headmaster hates me, even more so than Draco.
He would never pass up a chance to punish me.” How could her uncle even think that she didn’t
trust him? He must have seen her thoughts because he gestured for Draco to take over so he could
wrap his arms around her and hold her tight. She breathed in his scent and let it comfort her.
“I’m sorry, baby. I never meant to make you feel like I thought you didn’t trust me. Just know that in
this, I will make sure that you are unpunished. Trust me.” She smiled softly and nodded against his
chest.
“Alright, thank you Uncle Sev.” He kissed the top of her head and took over for Draco once more.
His tone was more businesslike now that the hard conversation was over with.
“Go on and head towards the Great Hall. Dinner is in ten minutes and we wouldn’t want the pair of
you to miss a meal.” Since Draco seemed to agree with his sentiment wholeheartedly, she smiled and
nodded.
“Don’t forget to eat, Uncle Sev.” He grinned at her.
“There is only twenty minutes left until this goes under stasis. I will see you there.”
Hermione allowed her cousin to pull her out of their godfather’s personal lab and towards the Great
Hall. The slight rumble in her belly told them both that she was hungry, if not just a little. Draco
grinned at her.
“Good thing it’s dinner time.” She laughed and shoved at him, both of them taking turns shoving
each other as they made their way to dinner.
-O-
Severus sat at the High Table next to Minerva and did his best to keep his mouth shut so Albus
wouldn’t figure out what had happened in Hogsmeade. She was uncharacteristically quiet and she
was only picking at her food while she usually dug in with gusto. He bided his time and waited until
she finally excused herself from the table. Since he knew that she always adjourned to her office after
dinner, he waited ten minutes or so and then followed her.
It was irritating having to trek clear to the seventh floor to get to her office but Hermione was worth
it. After a brief knock, he let himself in her office only to meet her appalled expression. He didn’t
give her a chance to berate him for his rudeness. He launched into his lecture without even giving her
the chance to speak.
“I’m going to go out on a limb and trust you just a little, Minerva, not that you deserve it. I know
you’ve learned occlumency. You didn’t need it since you’re an animagus so I’m assuming you
learned it to help soften your temper. Am I correct?” She gave him a sharp nod.
“I did, almost two years ago.” He gave her a grim nod.
“If you reveal what I’m about to tell you to Dumbledore, they won’t ever find your body. Don’t
doubt me, woman, I learned many things in my service to the Dark Lord.” Her eyes widened but she
nodded, understanding completely.
“Hermione Black is my goddaughter, just as much as Draco is my godson. Regulus named me but
Sirius has allowed me the chance to continue in that capacity. We have become friends, best friends
even, Sirius, Lucius, and I. I’m not going to convince you to believe that Black is innocent because
I’m not stupid enough to believe that you would ever be that forward thinking without the
Headmaster’s approval. However, I’m going to warn you that if you ever upset my goddaughter, the
only female that has ever held my heart, again, I will end you. She doesn’t ask that you believe her
father, although it would be nice if you would listen to him, but she asks that you don’t gossip about
him in front of her. She showed up in my lab with Draco to confess, sure that she was going to face
punishment. I don’t like to see Hermione cry and I will hurt anyone who does. Don’t put yourself on
that list, Minerva. She had started to respect you, to think that you weren’t like Dumbledore since
you were decent to her. That’s all gone now because of your gossiping. You had to know that she
would hear, that she would find out.” It was clear that his words had surprised her. It took her almost
a full minute to formulate her answer.
“I didn’t think she would hear, I had seen her sit down halfway across the pub. I never meant to hurt
her like that. I’ve never been threatened by a thirteen-year-old child and actually felt fear until today.
I regret it more than anything.” Severus regarded her with a shrewd look. He decided to embark on a
conversation he really didn’t want to have.
“Why have you never listened to Sirius’ side of the story? You’ve just accepted Dumbledore’s story
as gospel and never asked questions. How can you be certain he’s guilty when you’ve never spoken
to him?” Her eyes went downward and her chin trembled. Severus prayed that she wasn’t going to
cry. Deciding to head it off, even if it made him sound like a prick, he spoke.
“Don’t cry, Minerva. The only female who will receive comfort from me for their tears is Hermione.
Even Narcissa is left in the cold.” She chuckled wetly before she met his gaze with wet eyes.
“When my son was killed, Dumbledore was there for me. After my husband left me for another
woman, saying that I wasn’t woman enough to keep a child alive, Albus was there for me and gave
me something else to work for. I later found love in another man and we were engaged to be
married. However, he was killed in the first blood war and Albus was there for me then too. I felt he
was owed a certain amount of loyalty.” Severus wiped a hand down his face. He hated hearing such
personal things that made him feel things he didn’t want to. However, he was going to follow
through as he had planned.
“If I can put everything aside and become friends with Sirius Black, the man who made my life a
living hell, you should be able to listen to a simple story. You weren’t even at the trial in the ICW,
you know only what he told you. Did you ever research it and what happened?” She shook her head
and wiped her nose and her wrist.
“No, like I said, I felt he deserved a certain amount of loyalty at the time.” Severus raised an eyebrow
at her.
“And now?” She raised her head to meet his eyes. After several seconds passed, she smiled softly at
him.
“I’ll listen to what Sirius has to say as long as you promise to be there.” Severus nodded.
“How does Christmas sound? The Headmaster can’t begrudge you for leaving on a holiday such as
Christmas.” Her eyebrows raised in surprise.
“You spend Christmas with Hermione every year?” He gave her a smirk and a nod.
“Every year since she was two. Rather than spend summer in my own family manor, I take turns
every year spending it with Sirius and Lucius. The children come see me all the time. Who do you
think has tutored them in Potions since they were six years old?” Minerva broke out in laughter that
took almost a minute to get under control.
“I bet that just eats you alive, not being able to take credit for Hermione’s amazing potions abilities.”
He gave her a soft nod.
“It does put a cramp in my style, especially since she enjoys potions more than Draco.” Minerva
winked at him.
“Tell me, what’s that girl’s favorite subject?” He glared at her but responded with a dry answer.
“You’ll have to ask her yourself over Christmas. You’ll arrive after Christmas dinner. Remember
what I say, Minerva. If Albus hears of this before he is meant to, I’ll know where the information
came from and they won’t find your body. I’ll do anything to protect my godchildren and that
includes killing you.” She gave him a bright smile and nodded.
“I understand. Can I say that being a guardian suits you?” There was trace of laughter in her tone so
he raised an eyebrow.
“I’d rather you wouldn’t. By the by, an apology to both children wouldn’t go amiss.” She gave a nod
to show that she understood. Severus rose and exited her office and prayed to Merlin that he hadn’t
just made a huge mistake. He supposed that if he had, he could obliviate her as easily as just about
anything. With a superior smirk, he headed back to the dungeons. He had happy news to relate to his
godchildren.
-O-
Minerva sat her desk with a tumbler full of fire whiskey. She never would have thought that Severus
would turn her whole world on a knut but that was exactly what had happened. Who would have
ever thought that he had let the past go and become best friends with Sirius Black?
Albus would have a canary if he ever found out. However, Minerva knew that Severus was not
known for bluffing. He had killed before and would not hesitate to kill again if he thought that it was
protecting his godchildren, especially Hermione. It was clear that the girl was the light of his life and
she wasn’t quite sure how she hadn’t seen it before. It was clear in everything he did that she was
important to him. He had always taken being Head of House seriously but Hermione Black had been
a special case from the start.
Minerva was so ashamed of herself. Hermione Black had been right in putting her in her place. She
was a pureblood and had been raised as such. She knew that they were a fickle bunch but they
always had the propriety to not say such things where they could be heard out of respect. That was a
golden rule that Minerva had forgotten today and she had hurt a young witch in the process.
Minerva would apologize, of course. She was capable of admitting when she was wrong. Wrong,
she most assuredly was. After hearing what Hermione had to say to her, Rosmerta, and Fudge, she
realized that she had deserved it. She just hoped that girl would forgive her. She had quickly become
one of her favorite students after she had quit being so prejudiced against her because of her house.
The fact that she was Sirius’ daughter was a little harder to swallow. She still wasn’t ready to just
believe Sirius after whatever he said but she supposed that he was owed the right to explain. Severus
was right, she hadn’t let him explain, had just instantly believed every single word out of Albus’
mouth because of their past history.
Her life hadn’t been happy or content, that much was fact. In fact, the only pleasure she seemed to
get from life was from being Head of Gryffindor House and helping the students cope with their
problems. Her own son had died in her arms and she would never feel whole again. However,
helping her students was a close second.
It was for this reason that she vowed to give her ex-student the chance to explain himself. She wasn’t
sure if she was being foolish for letting Severus talk her into visiting their home over the holidays but
she supposed that her disappearance wouldn’t go unnoticed if it came to that. Now, she just had to
keep quiet in front of Albus and act like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Throwing her glass of whiskey back, she grimaced slightly at the burn. This was going to be her
most interesting holiday for quite some years.
A/N- There ya go, folks, another chapter finished. Hope you all enjoyed it. Maybe things are going
to start looking up? I’m not going to promise anything but we can always hope. Thanks to everyone
for reading and reviewing, y’all are the bomb diggity. Leave me your thoughts in a message after the
beep. They make me smile.
Next chapter, Christmas and all sorts of truths being revealed and the reactions to all of it.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 51

A/N- The amount of love you guys show this story after every single chapter is amazing. Thank you
all so much. I won’t say much since we all know you really want to read the chapter. Just…thanks.
**Shout out to Lonelywicked for being my 1600th reviewer and Jamie Theobald for being my
1700th reviewer. You guys review every single chapter and you’re just awesome.**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story, maybe the personal twist but that’s about all I can
claim. I haven’t made any money from this story or any others, my bank account tells no lies.
Chapter 51
December 25, 1993
Harry smiled at the sounds around him, the complete and utter chaos that was the Burrow on a
normal day, not to mention Christmas. It was brilliant though and he wouldn’t trade it for the world.
In fact, he would go so far as to say that it had been the best Christmas of his life.
They had been home for five days now and they had been filled with lazy mornings, huge meals,
and quidditch in the orchard behind the house. Dobby was in his element, buzzing around the
kitchen helping Mrs. Weasley with whatever she needed done. Harry was thrilled to see the little elf
so excited, something he usually wasn’t when he was at Privet Drive with the Dursleys during the
summer.
Harry loved how the Weasley siblings all banded together and played Christmas pranks and begged
for hot chocolate and helped their mother make cookies. It was so blessedly normal that it made him
want to cry and laugh at the same time. He would have killed to have something like this growing
up; the redheads didn’t know how good they had it.
The older two Weasleys, Bill and Charlie were going to be unable to make it home for the holiday.
Though all the redheads were saddened at this, they did their best to not let it bother them too badly.
Harry still struggled to see a family that cared about each other as deeply as the Weasleys did. It
made him long to be a part of it, to be accepted as a member.
They had just finished opening their presents, as evidenced by the wrapping paper still scattered
across the floor. Molly had went to the kitchen to start Christmas breakfast, apparently a big deal in
the Weasley household. Ron had told him that it was so huge because it had to last you clear through
the day until Christmas dinner, that his mum refused to cook in between. Harry could understand
that; who had time to cook lunch when they were trying to cook a fantastic Christmas dinner?
Since all his gifts were put away already, he had been quick to clear up, he sidled into the kitchen
and watched as Molly kneaded dough and Dobby fried sausages. Molly grinned at him when she
saw him and poured him a steaming cup of hot chocolate and set it on the table, gesturing for him to
take a seat. Harry did so quietly, still a little unnerved about being a part of this household.
“What’s the matter, dear? You’re not out there roughhousing with the other heathens.” Harry grinned
just a little at her. He had never been one to roughhouse, his family would have beaten him senseless
if he had ever considered it.
“Roughhousing isn’t really my thing. I thought I’d come see if you needed any help with breakfast.”
Molly cocked her head to the side and smiled at him.
“Now, dear, you aren’t here to work. You’re here on vacation so just sit back and relax. Enjoy your
hot chocolate. Just don’t tell the others, they’ll be in here in point five seconds bleating that they want
some as well.” Harry chuckled as Fred (or was it George?) stuck his head in and wailed.
“No fair, Harry gets hot chocolate before breakfast! We want some too!” Harry openly laughed at
the expression on Molly’s face. She poured enough cups for the rest of the siblings to come in and
take their seats around the table. Arthur stayed behind in the living room, probably to clear up the
mess, Harry was sure. Ginny, who still couldn’t manage to look at Harry without blushing, looked in
his direction.
“What are Christmases at your house like, Harry? Is it different in the muggle world?” Harry felt a
lick of shame pass through him. How was he supposed to know what a normal muggle Christmas
was like? He lowered his head and played with his cup, his voice soft.
“I wouldn’t know really. My relatives aren’t big on the holiday.” It fell silent around him and he was
sure that they were going to start asking more curious questions but when he glanced up, Ron was
glaring at Ginny and his gaze was daring everyone else to ask him. It was clear that nobody was
going to take him up on it. Harry was grateful, once more happy that Ron could be such a good mate
despite his other failings. Molly watched him carefully and seemed to realize that he was
uncomfortable when she spoke.
“Ginny, dear, come help with breakfast.” The young girl groaned but dragged herself out of the chair
and stood at her mother’s side to do whatever she asked. Harry didn’t understand why it was such a
big deal; he would have loved to help in some way. The twins were whispering to each other softly,
probably planning something if he didn’t know any better. Things with the twin terrors had been a
little tense since they had gifted him with the map but none of them acknowledged it. Harry figured
that it would either get worse or better, depending on the situation. Ron smiled his way.
“I’m really glad you got to come home with us for the hols, mate. Nobody should have to stay at
Hogwarts if they don’t have to. I know Mum and Dad were happy to have you.” Harry grinned at
him.
“It’s been great, much better than Hogwarts. I didn’t realize that Christmas could be this fun.” A
shadow passed over Ron’s face and Harry feared that he had said too much. He had never come out
and said that his relatives were abusive, it really wouldn’t get him anywhere since he had nowhere
else to go. However, he had a feeling that Ron suspected. It really wasn’t something that Harry
wanted to talk about so he was quick to change the subject.
“What do you say we gather everyone after breakfast and play a pick-up game? You should try out
for the team next year, mate. If you do, you should get some practice in.” Ron’s face lit up. Harry
knew that his friend loved the game and his biggest dream was to play professionally. It wasn’t that
Ron was bad at quidditch but he didn’t have very good focus. If he could work on that, he would be
so much better.
“That, mate, is a great idea.” Harry grinned as Ron waved a hand in front of the other Weasley
children’s faces. The twins glared at him and Percy still seemed caught up in his own thoughts.
“We’re gonna play quidditch after breakfast. Who’s in?” The sour look on the twins’ faces
disappeared and they looked excited. Truthfully, Harry wasn’t surprised. Ginny started jumping up
and down in excitement. Percy was the only one that didn’t look like he was about to wet himself.
“I don’t know, I still have some homework to do.” Ron rolled his eyes at his brother and then stuck
out his tongue.
“Don’t be such a stick in the mud, Perce. Come play for a little while and you can do all the
homework you want after dinner and tomorrow.” The twins were nodding in agreement. Percy
sighed as if he was suffering.
“Fine, fine, we’ll play bloody quidditch. Don’t you people realize that there is more to the world than
quidditch?” Harry grinned at the most imperious of the Weasley children.
“We know, we just love quidditch best.” The twins burst out in laughter and Harry could see Molly
hiding a smile behind her hand. Percy looked down his nose at Harry but there was glint of
amusement in his eyes.
“Very well, as long as you know.”
The rest of the Weasleys burst out in laughter and Harry couldn’t help but confirm it in him mind.
This was definitely the best Christmas of his life.
-O-
Hermione stretched languidly in her bed, Tenebris warm at her side. Her room was toasty, proof that
Dot or Sipsy had been in and stoked the fire around an hour ago. Draco was snoring softly on the
other side of her bed and she reached out with her cold feet and planted them right in the middle of
his back. His eyes flew open and he started berating her.
“What the fuck, Miney, your feet are always bloody freezing. Why would you do that to me?”
Hermione grinned unrepentantly at him.
“Because it’s Christmas morning and I’m pretty sure that our parents are already waiting on us.”
Draco sat up in bed, goose bumps sprinkling his shoulders as the blankets fell away. Hermione didn’t
understand why he slept with no shirt on but he said that he was more comfortable. She smirked to
herself, just easier access if she wanted to put her ice-cold feet on him.
He beat her out and bed and slipped his shirt on over his head and his feet into his slippers. When he
turned around, he was glaring at her. Hermione just smirked at him and got out of the bed at a
leisurely pace that she knew would piss him off. He sighed irritatedly and started to tap his foot.
Hermione burst out in laughter and hurried up before he had an aneurysm. Once her feet were in her
favorite unicorn slippers, Draco grabbed her hand and started to pull her down the stairs.
Her father, aunt, and uncle were all waiting for them in the library. Candy was passing out hot
chocolate to everyone so Hermione bounded over to her father happily and planted herself in his lap.
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close.
“Happy Christmas, daddy.” He kissed her temple and chuckled.
“Happy Christmas, poppet.” She repeated the same procedure with her aunt and uncle, though she
just bent over and hugged her aunt close. They had gone on a day long ride the day before,
something that Hermione had been missing greatly since she had returned to school. If only she
could take her horse with her to Hogwarts. Draco just watched her with an indulgent smirk before he
settled into his own chair in front to the fire. Her father grinned at her.
“Alright, sweetness, we missed you passing out gifts last year. Hit us with ‘em.” Hermione
considered being a smartarse and throwing his gifts at him but decided that it wasn’t worth the
argument that would surely ensue.
Hermione passed the gifts out quickly, more than excited to open her gifts and see if everyone loved
her gifts. It took only ten minutes or so to get through them all, but once they were finished,
Hermione was pleased with her haul. Uncle Sev had gotten her her own solid gold cauldron, used to
make the most difficult of brews, and a handwritten note that told her that he would be meeting with
her in two days’ time to start teaching her the seventh-year potions. As much as Draco loved potions,
he didn’t have the love for it that Hermione did and would therefore not be joining them. She was
sure that he could easily make plans with Theo or Blaise to play quidditch or something.
Her aunt had gotten her all new tack for her Abraxan horse, Bluebell. Even if it was overdone with
gemstones stitched into the leather, it was beautiful and she loved it. There was also a ridiculous
amount of clothing but Hermione vowed to go through all of it at a later time. Uncle Luci had gotten
her a front row seat to the book reading of her most favorite wizarding author for when his new book
came out in just over a week. After she had squealed her happiness, he had told her that he would be
attending with her.
Her father, knowing that he couldn’t possibly compete with the gift he had sent her last year for their
Christmas at Hogwarts, handed her a small package that she suspected was jewelry. Since she was
still a child, only fourteen, she doubted that it was anything too extravagant. Daughters used their
mother’s jewelry and family jewels until they were of age to court. She ripped into it eagerly and
almost passed out at what she saw nestled inside the small box.
The tiniest chain she had ever seen, housing the Malfoy family crest littered with diamonds and
emeralds as a pendant, sat there unobtrusively. Underneath the necklace was a small ring that had the
Black family crest on it. Hermione felt her breath catch.
“You didn’t have to, I could have waited, you never know, daddy, you could -.” She was rambling
and she knew it but she couldn’t help herself. She put herself back in his lap while he took the
necklace out and fastened it around her throat.
“That necklace is from Lucius. It’s the very same necklace that your mother wore. He removed it
from her neck himself after she was killed. Nobody has worn it since. It’s to show the world that
you’re as much a Malfoy as Draco and that you bear their protection.” Hermione knew how the
spells worked.
Necklaces like this were almost always placed on the women of the family, laced with spells that
would protect them against mind magic and poisons. It did nothing for spells but it was a layer of
protection that most purebloods wanted their women to have. After all, there was no continuing the
line without women. The thought behind it sickened Hermione but the fact that her mother had been
the last to wear it made her feel closer to the woman she couldn’t really remember at all. Her father
took the ring and placed it on the fourth finger of her right hand and it glowed brightly before sizing
down to her finger. It would grow with her now and would never be able to be removed unless her
father did so as her paterfamilias.
“I know that there won’t ever be another child born to the Black family, Hermione. You are perfect
and you will be my heir. If something happens by accident, well, you will still be my heir. Any
brothers or sisters you end up with, though hopefully none, will fall second in line. This is your
family ring, wear it with pride.” Hermione felt happy tears sliding down her cheeks as she hugged
her father close. This ring told her that she was officially his heir, that he wasn’t going to try to have
a son. He had just told her in a single gift that she would be responsible for continuing the Black line
and passing on its legacy.
“I love you, daddy.” He squeezed her tightly and chuckled.
“I love you too, poppet. Enough tears though, this is a happy day.” She chuckled wetly before rising
and putting herself in her uncle’s lap like she was still seven years old. She hugged him tightly
around the neck.
“I love you, Uncle Luci, thank you for this. It makes me feel closer to her even though I can’t
remember her.” He kissed the top of her head and smoothed a hand down her curls.
“Just remember, princess, you’re as much a Malfoy as you are a Black. That necklace will give you
our family protection, officially, even though you’ve had it from the start. Nobody but myself or
Draco can remove it so I hope you like it.” She laughed as she wiped happy tears from her cheeks.
“I love it, I think it’s beautiful.” Her Aunt Cissy clapped her hands happily.
“Now that you’re wearing your own family ring, you’re old enough to get jewels of your own. Oh,
this is going to be so much fun!” Hermione choked out another wet chuckle at her aunt’s exuberance
at shopping. Her uncle rubbed his hand down her aunt’s thigh warmly and she was reminded that
she wanted a love like they had. She wanted her father to have a love like they had.
Her thoughts then instantly went to Harry and her crush on him. It was horribly stupid, she knew that
now but it refused to disappear. Her uncle’s hand was massaging the back of her head, something he
had done to her since she was a child. It relaxed her and would usually put her to sleep if she let it.
She leaned into his ministrations and sighed happily. She caught Draco rolling his eyes at her.
“You’re like Tenebris when he does that, Mia. Like you could curl up and take a nap in his lap.”
Hermione chuckled at completely true that statement was.
“Don’t judge me, you like to have your hair played with. You’re no better.” She cracked an eye to
see that there was the slightest tinge of pink to his cheeks.
“You’re a horrible hag, Hermione. You weren’t supposed to tell anyone.” She stuck her tongue out
at him.
“Did you really think they didn’t know when you put your head in my lap all the time and then place
my hands in your hair?” He glared at her playfully. However, the hand rubbing her head stopped for
a moment before they focused on something that Hermione had forgotten was there. The inch-long
scar from the stone thrown at the back of her head. She cursed inwardly. She should have just gone
to Madam Pomfrey and there would have been nothing left.
“What is that, Hermione? Is that a scar?” She pulled his hands away quickly and sat up straight even
though she was still perched on her uncle’s knee.
“I’m not sure what it was.” His hands reached out again to feel it but she pulled away.
“It’s fine, it’s nothing. Let’s just call one of the elves to start cleaning up.” Her uncle was glaring at
her now but it was her aunt that spoke softly.
“You can tell us, Hermione. We won’t get angry.” She reached out and took Hermione’s hand,
worry clear in her gaze. Hermione knew then that her cousin was going to cave. As much as he
loved Hermione, he hated when his mother was scared or worried. Her father had his eyes narrowed
at her and if she hadn’t known any better, would have guessed that he was trying to peer into her
mind. However, after she had finally mastered occlumency, her family had sworn that they would
never delve into her mind again without permission. Hermione leapt from her uncle’s lap and started
gathering the wrapping paper and putting it in a pile.
“It’s nothing, alright. Nothing. I’ve already handled it and it’s not a big deal.” Now all the adults
were glaring at her and when Aunt Cissy turned her gaze to Draco, she knew that her secret was
about to be out.
“What’s been happening, Draco?” Hermione knew that her Uncle Sev had told them some of what
had been happening to her at school, she would never ask him to keep secrets from his best friends.
However, there was plenty that he didn’t know for that very reason. Draco sighed and met her gaze.
She shook her head no, trying to tell him not to say anything. He had promised her, after all. He
looked torn but in the end, he capitulated.
“Everyone found out about what Hermione did to Brown last year. The whole school turned on her,
even some of the Slytherins. They’ve mostly gotten over it but the rest of the school has been
bullying her, playing pranks and such on her. Uncle Sev knows about some of it but she made me
promise not to tell you. She wanted to handle it on her own.” It was to her great shame that Draco
then enumerated every single incident that he knew about and the injuries that she had sustained. She
could only thank Merlin that she hadn’t told him all of them.
To her even greater horror, Draco spilled the beans about her last conversation with Harry and what
had been said between them. He told them about how Professor Lupin was mean to her and what he
had said to her about her boggart’s form. She could see her family getting more and more angry and
she had never felt so betrayed. There were angry tears shining in her eyes as she glared at her cousin.
She had trusted him to keep her secrets and he had just told them to all the adults. However, she
didn’t want to act like an adult, she wanted to hex him. She slid her impassive mask in place and met
her cousin’s gaze. Hermione could tell that her cousin knew exactly what that look meant.
“I trusted you.” She said nothing else to him but turned her attention to the adults in the room.
“There’s a reason I didn’t tell Uncle Sev about everything. I wanted to take care of this myself, not
rely on my father and uncle to fight my battles for me. I was the one that almost killed Brown, it was
me that deserved everything they did. I put a stop to it myself too, I didn’t need anyone to rescue me.
As for Harry, don’t worry, I’ll make sure the complete wanker doesn’t get himself killed since there’s
an Azkaban escapee after him but there is nothing else for us. He’s burned the last bridge between
us. Lupin isn’t a bother, I already know why he does the things he does, he doesn’t bother me
anymore.” Hermione couldn’t help but to reach up and fiddle with the necklace at the hollow of her
throat.
“I think I’d like to go put my things away while we wait for Christmas dinner.” She hadn’t even
opened the gifts from her friends at school but she didn’t let that bother her. She would open them
later and enjoy them just as much. Her father allowed her to wave her wand and levitate her gifts so
they would follow closely after her.
Once she was in her room, she started to put her gifts away, though she did call Sipsy to put her new
tack out in the stable with the rest of the tack. After her gifts were in their new homes, she decided
that a proper shower was in order. It didn’t last long enough, however, and only an hour had passed.
She dressed quickly, in simple robes that her father must have bought for her because they didn’t
look near extravagant enough to be from her aunt.
Hermione knew that she was acting like a child but Draco had hurt her feelings by betraying her trust
like that. If he had sat down and had a serious talk with her about telling their parents, she would
have considered it. It wasn’t likely that she would have told them but she would have listened to his
argument. Now, he had just blurted it all out and there was no going back. She snuggled underneath
a lap blanket in an arm chair in front of her fire with one of her favorite books when there was a
knock on the door.
“I’m not ready for company, just leave me alone.” The door opened anyways and Draco stepped in,
sheepish look on his face. She stared at him, impassive as ever.
“Please leave. I really don’t want to talk about it right now.” Now there was anger on his features.
She had clearly just pissed him off. He reached out and grabbed one of her figurines off her shelf and
threw it at the mantle, exploding it into a thousand different pieces. Hermione couldn’t hide her flinch
and his clear anger. She hated when Draco got like this; he was always so calm and collected so it
was just a tad scary when he lost control and threw things. His features were lined with rage.
“I’m not going to leave, you’re going to stop being a drama queen and you’re going to get over it.
They deserved to know, they needed to know that people were hurting you. It isn’t fair to keep them
in the dark when you demanded complete honestly from them when they kept the diary from us.
Don’t be a fucking hypocrite, Hermione.” She could admit that he had a point but now it was a
matter of principal.
“You know that I handled the problem, nothing has happened since I threw that little bitch against
the wall. Yet you told them anyways. What good did that do except to worry them, make them feel
impotent because they can’t do anything while we’re at school and they’re here. Telling them what
happened between Harry and I was going too far. I could have forgave all of it except for that. That
was my most mortifying moment and I ran to you. I showed you because I trusted that my pain
would be safe with you. But it wasn’t.” Draco sighed and raked a hand through his hair before
dropping to his knees in front of her.
“I’m sorry, Miney, I am. There are things I don’t like to see though, and you hurting is one of them. I
know how much Potter hurt you and I know that your father is going to hope that you’re going to be
friends after the truth comes out. He’s going to push you and not even know that what he’s asking of
you is hurting you too. He deserves to know how much that idiot is making you hurt.” Hermione
allowed him to pull her into a gentle hug. She buried her face in his shoulder before she choked out
the words that she feared most.
“I’m scared that it won’t matter, that when Harry comes around again, I won’t mean shite. I know
that he only adopted me to stay out of prison for Harry. I’m scared that if Harry comes around, I’m
not going to matter like I do now. If he knows what Harry has done to me and he still welcomes him
with open arms, it’s going to be a thousand times harder than if he’s clueless. I’m trying to protect my
heart.” Draco made her stand so he could sit in her chair and settled her on his lap. She wasn’t crying
but she wanted to. She knew that when Harry learned the truth, her father was going to do exactly as
she said and she was afraid that her heart couldn’t bear it. Draco’s arms tightened around her and
held her close.
“This is why you’re really mad, isn’t it?” Hermione nodded. Everything else she could forgive.
Draco kissed her hairline.
“I’m sorry, Miney, you should have told me. I would never have told them if I had known. I thought
that it was because of your pride.” Hermione shook her head in the negative.
“No, I’m trying to keep my heart from breaking in the end.” He rocked her softly for what seemed
like ages. She had almost dozed off when her cousin spoke again.
“Even if he welcomes Potter back with open arms, that won’t mean that you don’t matter. He hasn’t
seen the boy in years, he’s going to be a little punch-drunk. You’re still going to matter to him.”
Hermione nodded.
“I know but how am I going to not see that as a betrayal? I would never be friends with someone that
had been horrible to you, that had hurt you like that. Maybe if it was away from the house where I
didn’t have to see it but you know he’s going to bring Harry here and want him to live with us. How
is that going to be for me.? Harry ripped my heart from my chest, threw it on the ground, and
stomped it to death. I’ve done so many things for him and for him to think those horrid things of me,
it was like something in my world shifted. I feel disconnected and I don’t like it. It’ll only be worse if
he comes here and my father loves him like nothing happened.” Draco clearly had nothing else to
say to that for several minutes.
“If that happens and it’s too hard, we’ll go to the Manor. You know Father and Mother would love
to have you there full time.” She nodded but said nothing. There really wasn’t anything to say. He
gave her one last squeeze.
“I am sorry, Miney. Forgive me?” She nodded against his chest and didn’t move for another hour
until Candy appeared in front of her.
“Missy and Master is needed downstairs. Dip and Dot has finished the meals.” Hermione smiled at
her father’s elf and thanked her quietly.
Hermione crawled out of Draco’s lap and allowed him to pull her down the stairs to the dining room.
Once inside, he led her to her seat and pulled out her chair just like a proper gentleman would. After
he was seated, she turned to the adults in the room, now including her Uncle Severus.
“I don’t want to talk about it. It’s over and done with and I’ve handled the problem. I’ll keep watch
over Harry, don’t worry about that. As for Lupin, he doesn’t matter so neither do his words. If I stay
away from him, he stays away from me.” Her father gave her a small smile.
“Alright, sweetness, we won’t talk about it but if the bullying starts again, I want you to go to
Severus. Promise me.” She nodded her head, not missing that he hadn’t commented on the
confrontation with Harry.
“I promise.” Her Uncle Luci was not about to let it go though.
“All you need to do is make sure that Severus knows if something happens. Potter isn’t your
responsibility, Hermione, especially since he said those things. You deserve better, princess.” She
gave him a small smile.
“I’ll do what my conscience can live with.” After that, the matter was dropped.
Uncle Sev was full of chatter about the school, how calm and peaceful it was with Potter and the
Weasley brood out of the castle and not causing any trouble. He was cursing the twins and how they
never seemed to get caught doing anything wrong but he was determined to catch them in the new
year. Hermione chuckled at his dilemma to which he promptly glared at her for.
The meal was merry, much merrier than she had figured that it would be. They adjourned to the
library again and she caught Draco talking softly with his father. Lucius laid a hand on his shoulder
and nodded earnestly but they broke it up quickly. Suddenly, Hermione felt something press against
the wards and watched as her father flew to his feet. Uncle Sev was there next to him, hand on his
arm.
“Calm down, Sirius, I know who it is. I invited them.” Hermione wasn’t sure what he was talking
about but she was very keen on finding out. Her father raised an eyebrow at him and the potions
master sighed.
“It’s Minerva. She’s willing to listen to you, Sirius, mostly thanks to your daughter and her dressing
down in the Three Broomsticks.”
Hermione couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Professor Cat had pulled her aside two days after
that day in the pub and gave her a very perfunctory apology and went about her way. Hermione had
accepted it but told herself that she would never delude herself into trusting the woman again. Her
father’s eyes blazed but said nothing. Instead, he went to the fireplace and tapped his wand on the
mantle. Minerva shot out of fireplace, coughing with a hand over her mouth. Once she had quieted,
her father held out his arm for her to precede him.
“Why don’t you take a seat, Minerva.” She watched him warily and then gave the same treatment to
her uncle. After she was seated on a loveseat all by herself, she turned to Hermione in proper
pureblood etiquette.
“You have a lovely home, Miss Black.” Even though she was seated on the floor in front of her
Uncle Sev, she gave the woman a nod.
“Thank you, professor.” Her father was quick to call for Candy and have her bring them tea and
brandy with chocolate biscuits. Draco looked excited for the biscuits but Hermione was more than
ready for the tea. Uncle Sev had a lock of her hair in his hand, twirling it around his fingers while he
surveyed the older woman.
“Well, Minerva, you’re here. You’ll get your answers as long as you keep your mouth shut. I’ve
already warned you what will happen if you don’t. Ask your questions.” The Gryffindor swirled her
tea around in her cup for a few seconds before she finally voiced her first question.
“What happened the night that the Potters were killed? The full story, the truth.” Her father raised an
eyebrow at her and looked to her godfather. He nodded and pulled a vial from his robes and threw it
to him.
“Veritiserum, my own brew. Only three drops, Sirius.” Her father nodded and dropped three drops
on his tongue. After it had taken effect, he looked to her professor.
The story poured out of him, how he had found James and Lily, how he had found Harry and taken
him to Hagrid. Going to Peter’s house because he knew that he had been the secret keeper and how
he had followed him through apparition to Hogsmeade. Hearing how her father had killed an
innocent auror on accident was hard to hear and when he revealed that Pettigrew had disappeared,
she was filled with righteous anger. McGonagall looked dumbfounded at his words and took a few
moments to gather herself when he had finished.
“Are you really a pureblood bigot now? Have you left all your ideals behind?” Her father snorted but
answered anyways.
“It’s an act, to get into the pureblood circles. If I couldn’t help the Order, I was determined to help in
my own way and that was getting the information first as only a follower of the Dark Lord could.
I’ve never believed in blood purity and I don’t plan on starting.” Her eyes widened at his words.
“What about the Malfoys, how do they factor in? How does Severus factor in?” Her father met her
gaze directly to show that he was still under the effects of the potion.
“When I adopted Hermione, they were all Hermione knew. She thought I was Regulus when I first
got her. I told Lucius and Narcissa that if they were to be a part of her life they were going to have to
leave it all behind, no more mudbloods, no more torturing, no more blood purity. They chose to keep
their niece in their lives and have never looked back. As for Severus, he followed me that day I came
to Hogwarts and told me that he was Hermione’s godfather. I allowed him to see her and we’ve
grown to become as good of friends as James and I were. A few nights before we sent the kids to
Hogwarts for their first year, Lucius and Narcissa came over and told me that they knew what I was
doing and that they wanted in. They wanted to bring the Dark Lord down and I agreed to let them.”
McGonagall scrubbed a hand down her face and was clearly having a hard time coping with his
words.
“Did you lie about anything? Does Dumbledore know that this is the truth or is he just mistaken?”
Her father shrugged.
“I lied about nothing. Albus really did try to pull money from the Potter vaults without permission,
you saw him curse Hermione, and I tried to testify under veritiserum at the ICW. He had the
Mugwump in his pocket. As for if he knows what the truth is, I can’t be certain. However, I believe
that he is so certain that he’s correct that the possibility of something like this just isn’t in the realm of
reality for him. I’m not sure if he’ll believe the truth until I catch that traitorous bastard Pettigrew and
string him up for the world to see.” McGonagall looked devastated as though her whole world had
just changed in the blink of an eye. After several minutes, she turned her eyes to Hermione and
Draco.
“How did they get pulled into this?” Her father chuckled.
“I’ve never lied to Hermione, she knows the truth about everything, even the bad parts. She was
determined to help me. She then told Draco because she tells him everything and vice versa. He was
just as dedicated as she was. They’ve been watching out for Harry and making sure that he doesn’t
die. Dumbledore isn’t a wizard that believes in safety.” It was clear that the woman wasn’t going to
dispute that. She turned sorrowful eyes to her father.
“I’m so sorry, Sirius, I should have given you a chance to explain and not just assumed that Albus
was right. I should have known that you would never turn James over to Voldemort.” Her father’s
eyes looked suspiciously wet but nobody commented on it. She then turned to Hermione.
“I truly am sorry for the other day, dear girl. I apologize most sincerely.” Hermione nodded and
smiled softly at her. Finally, someone believed her father’s story.
“Have you tried to tell Potter?” Hermione looked down into her lap and let her father explain how
Harry and Weasley had spurned all her offers of friendship and how there would be no more.
McGonagall looked saddened when he was done explaining but was nodding softly.
“Yes, I’m sure that’s exactly what happened. The boy is loyal as they come so he’s going to take
everything that Weasley says as gospel, Dumbledore too.” Hermione realized that nothing was said
about Remus Lupin but supposed that was probably for the best. It was a sore subject with her father
and they didn’t need anymore strife.
Hermione let the conversation fade into the background and leaned back against her godfather. His
hand was still playing with her curl but it made her cherished and safe. Her eyes slid closed and even
though she wasn’t completely asleep, she felt someone drop a blanket around her even though she
was leaned against her godfather’s legs.
After a while, the world just fell away and she let sleep claim her, high on the fact that somebody
finally believed them.
A/N- Yay, Minerva believes them! I almost didn’t include this but decided to go ahead and do it.
Hope you all enjoyed it (: Thanks to everyone out there that is reading and reviewing, you guys are
my heroes. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think.
Next chapter, a short chapter about a New Year’s Ball.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 52

A/N- I can’t tell you guys how much I appreciate your level of support. The love you show my story
is astounding. This chapter is purely fluff, except for Harry’s POV. It’s going to get the ball rolling to
something that we all are going to hate seeing. Anyways, thanks to everyone out there reading,
reviewing, following and favoriting this story. You guys are my heroes.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story. The original idea for Part One belongs to Hermione
Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to J.K.R. We all bow before the queen. I haven’t
made any money off this story or any others especially since I struggle to find enough money to put
fuel in my gas tank. Adulting suck, y’all.
Chapter 52
December 31, 1993
Harry had never celebrated a New Years with wizards before. Sure, he had been at Hogwarts and
there had been a feast but he hadn’t participated in anything that would make the day special.
At the Burrow, it was different. He was still unsure if they were actual traditions or if they were just
something that the Weasleys did on their own. First, they had all been ordered to sleep in, stating that
if they were going to be expected to stay up until midnight, they would need a little extra sleep. Once
they were all up, Molly had insisted on the largest brunch Harry had ever seen before and it had all
been delicious.
After eating, all the children had been ushered outside to entertain themselves, Percy included. He
hadn’t been the most pleased but wasn’t surprised so Harry assumed that this was something that
happened every year. All the Weasley children lamented the fact that Bill and Charlie weren’t there
this year so they weren’t able to play the last quidditch game of the year as a family. After Ginny had
gone in the wheedle her father, Arthur had even come out to play with them.
Once they were finished playing quidditch, Molly had ushered them inside and had them sit around
the table for tea and biscuits. They were dismissed to the living room where the twins talked quietly
in the corner, Percy read a book, and Harry, Ron, and Ginny played wizard’s chess. After several
games, Ron was still the undisputed champion of the family. According to the rest of the family, Bill
was the only one that could give Ron a run for his money when it came to the game.
Dinner came next, a huge meal that put Hogwarts’ meals to shame. Dobby seemed to be enjoying
the holiday as much as Harry was and helped Molly with everything. He seemed to love working in
the kitchen and Harry refused to pull him from something that he clearly enjoyed. They feasted as a
family, Dobby even taking a seat at the table after Harry and Molly had insisted for almost ten
minutes.
The family had played more games together after dinner; exploding snap was one of the favorites.
The twins won every game and Ron accused them of cheating. Ginny had laughed at them and
promised to get even, that she would expose their sneaky ways. It was homey and fun, making Harry
feel as though he belonged. To say that it had been his best New Years ever would have been an
understatement.
Arthur had told them that the residents of Ottery St. Catchpole, the nearby muggle town, had a
firework show every year at just a few minutes before midnight. Since it would be the first fireworks
show that Harry had ever seen before, he was more than excited to see it. Molly had poured
everyone glasses of sparkling cider that they had splurged on. Harry instantly felt guilty, that he
should contribute to the celebration somehow. However, Molly had seen his thought instantly and
told him that they wouldn’t allow him to pay for anything. The twins grumbled as they were handed
their cider.
“Merlin, Mum, don’t you think that Percy and us are old enough for just a little fire whiskey? We’re
not babies anymore.” Molly put her hands on her hips and started to berate them loudly.
“No, you’re not going to get fire whiskey. You’re only fifth year students, not near old enough to be
given liquor. Don’t even think about sneaking any or I’ll make sure to tan your hide good.” The
twins cowered for only a moment before laughing off her threat.
“We’ll just wait until we’re back at school, I bet we can get Mia to help us with the lucky potion and
we can get a taste off of McLaggen.” Arthur, normally quiet and laid-back, narrowed his eyes at his
sons.
“You will not be getting any fire whiskey from anyone at school, don’t think I won’t be owling
Minerva and having her check the dorms. You probably would have gotten away with it if you had
kept your mouths shut.” Harry couldn’t help but wonder if he was giving the twins a clue to keep
quiet so they could get their taste of liquor. From the look on Molly’s face, it was clear that she
would be doing everything in her power to make sure that they remained alcohol-free. However,
before she commented on it, their words struck her.
“Who is Mia?” Fred grinned at his mother before answering.
“Mia is Draco’s pet name for Hermione so we kind of picked it up. She doesn’t seem to mind when
it’s her friends but boy does that girl get mad when other people use it. We watched her hex a sixth
year Slytherin because he used the name Mia to ask her out on a date. We never thought about
turning someone’s mouth into a toilet but after watching her do it, we’ll definitely be using that one.”
Molly narrowed her eyes at their words.
“It isn’t proper for young women to do such things. Surely, she was taught better than that.” Fred
and George laughed while Ron and Ginny scowled.
“Mum, you would like Hermione. She’s really nice and she doesn’t think that she’s better than
anyone. She gets really annoyed that all the older boys ask to escort her everywhere. Draco always
insists on being her chaperone even though he doesn’t really count but it’s better than sending her on
her way on her own. It’s clear that most of the boys only like her because she’s a Black.” Ron
snapped at his brothers.
“Don’t let them lie to you, Mum. Hermione Black is horrid, she thinks she’s better than everyone
because of her last name and her fortune. Not to mention, she threw Ginny up against the wall and
slapped her at school.” Ginny lowered her eyes quickly and before Harry knew it, the Weasley
parents’ eyes were flashing. Molly’s voice was low as she spoke.
“What do you mean that she threw your sister up against the wall and slapped her?” It seemed as
though Ron wasn’t going to do the rest of cluing his parents in so George (at least, he thought it was
George) broke the silence.
“Hermione was punished, Mum. She did it because Ginny threw something at her and it wasn’t the
first time. This was just the first time that Hermione finally fought back.” Molly swung her gaze to
meet her daughters. Harry was just confused because he had thought that the Weasleys had been told
by the school.
“Were you throwing things at her?” Ginny looked hurt that she had to even be asked.
“No, Mum, I didn’t throw anything at her. I know that the rest of the school hates her though.”
Arthur spoke for the first time.
“As much as I can’t stand her father and uncle, even her cousin, I’ve heard nothing bad about the
girl. Everyone at the ministry gushes about what a beautiful, polite, and intelligent young woman she
is.” Ron snickered.
“Yeah, she was all those things while she almost killed Lavender in February. There’s a reason that
the rest of the school doesn’t like her. Her father and uncle have been teaching her and Malfoy their
Death Eater ways.” Harry finally spoke up.
“I’m not saying that Ginny did throw something at her and I’m not saying that what she did was
right. However, the school has been terrible to her and I don’t blame her for fighting back. She’s
taken more than I would have.” Molly’s eyes softened just a little bit.
“Regardless of how wonderful everyone thinks the girl is, I want you all to keep your distance from
her. If she almost killed Lavender Brown, she’s dangerous. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because
she mistakenly thinks that you’re being mean to her.” The twins gaped at her but Harry was unsure if
it was because she had said something nice about a Black or because they had just been told to stay
away from her. Fred (he thought?) narrowed his eyes at her.
“You’re telling me that we have to stop talking to her just because she smacked Ginny for being a
bully? That is unfair and we won’t stand by it.” Harry could only shake his head; did the twins not
realize that their parents would only watch them closer after a comment like that? Molly’s face turned
red and she started to glare at them.
“You will do as I tell you and leave the girl alone. I have nothing against her personally except for
what she did to Ginny. If she’s dangerous enough to have almost killed a student, she’s dangerous
enough to hurt you. Do as you’re told and keep your distance.” The twins put a cowed look on their
faces but Harry knew that they wouldn’t be abandoning their Slytherin friend anytime soon.
“Yes, Mum.” It was a chorus and Molly seemed appeased.
After they had dropped the subject well and truly, she started to usher them outside to watch the
fireworks. Since they all had a glass of cider in their hands, Harry hated cider truth be told, but he
kept it to keep his hands warm, they lined up along the fence of the garden. Harry was sandwiched
in between Ron and Ginny, with everyone lining up on either side of them.
The fireworks were beautiful. Harry had never seen them before and it was truly a sight to behold.
They started only ten minutes before the new year so it was no surprise when he heard Molly call out
that there was only a minute remaining. Once the time had whittled down far enough, everyone
began counting down aloud.
“Ten.”
“Nine.”
Harry smiled as he listened to everyone count. Ron had told him that the muggles always did the
most amazing fireworks right at the stroke of midnight and he couldn’t wait to see what they shot off
that topped what he had already seen. The faces of the Weasleys were lit with excitement and
happiness, something that he wished he could have felt every year before now.
“Three.”
“Two.”
“One.”
The loudest firework that Harry had ever heard shot into the air and it exploded into a thousand
different colored lights. It seemed to explode at least ten more times, giving them the same show. For
the last one, the sparks turned into numbers, spelling out “1994” in the sky. Harry was just about to
comment on how wonderful it was when he felt someone tug on his arm. He turned to see Ginny
smiling brightly at him so he bent down, figuring that she had something to tell him.
Rather than a secret, Harry received his first ever kiss. Ginny fisted her hands in his hair and pulled
him close, her lips pressing to his. They were cold and chapped, probably from all the time they had
spent in the air playing quidditch. Harry wasn’t sure what to do next and froze, his hands on her
shoulders but unsure if he wanted to pull her closer or push her away. He felt a brazen lick to his lips
and opened them in surprise. Before he could react, her tongue slipped into his mouth and sucked his
into her mouth.
It was his first kiss and while he was thrilled that it had happened, he was mortified that she had done
it in front of her parents. Harry finally pushed her away from him to see his best mate glaring at him
but he seemed to be the only one who had noticed. Ginny licked her lips and grinned at him before
turning her attention back to the sky. Ron punched him in the arm hard enough to bruise.
“What the fuck, mate!? That’s my sister!” Harry glared at him while he rubbed his arm.
“I didn’t kiss her, she kissed me! Merlin, she sucked my tongue right into her mouth.” Ron looked
faintly sick but leaned forward to glare at his sister. She just laughed at him so Ron turned his
attention to Harry again.
“Don’t even think about it, Potter.” Harry held his hands up.
“I’m not thinking about anything.” Ron relented a little.
“Good. She’s only twelve, she doesn’t need to be thinking about boys.” Harry nodded and turned his
attention back to the sky.
His prick was hard in his pants but not uncomfortably so. It would go away on its own in just a few
minutes. While he hadn’t been too thrilled about who his first kiss was with, he couldn’t say that he
had hated it. There was a small voice in the back of his mind that whispered that she wasn’t
Hermione, that she would never be as good as Hermione Black, but Harry did his best to ignore it.
He had effectively driven her away for both their good. There was no way in hell that she would
ever give him a chance, even if her father wasn’t a traitor.
Harry blinked his eyes several times, trying to get the picture of kissing Hermione out of his mind.
He caught Ginny watching him out of the corner of her eye and he wanted to groan. Sure, the kiss
had been nice but now she wouldn’t leave him alone for anything. It would prove to be a long year,
that much he was certain of.
Honestly though, he had to get through the rest of the night before he worried about the rest of the
year, especially with the hungry expression on Ginny’s face.
-O-
Hermione surveyed herself in the mirror one last time before she turned to face her cousin. It was
New Years Eve and there was the annual Malfoy Ball going on just down the stairs. This would be
the first year that Hermione and Draco would be allowed to attend since before they hadn’t been old
enough. Most of their friends would also be in attendance, something that Hermione didn’t find
much comfort in. Since they would be out in society, Hermione would have to follow the rules of
etiquette that her aunt and Madam Cambridge had taught her so long ago.
Draco was dressed quite dashingly in a set of robes colored charcoal grey. His hair was still slicked
back, which Hermione still hated, but she had to admit that he looked handsome. Her uncle was
dressed similarly while her father and Uncle Sev were going to go with the standard black robes. Her
Aunt Cissy had helped her choose her dress robes and was quite thrilled to see her in them.
Hermione had rolled her eyes once her aunt had left her, only showing her personal elf Sipsy how
trivial she found such things.
Her robes were a striking burgundy, quite the statement for a Slytherin to wear. Hermione had been
unsure if it would be appropriate since it was such a bold color and she was only fourteen but her
aunt had assured her that it would be completely proper. Her father had gifted her with a diamond
bracelet to wear along with her Malfoy family necklace and the Black family ring. The earrings
hanging from her ears were ruby teardrops, sparkling through her curtain of ebony curls. Draco had
been sure that her robes had been too tight, showing off too much of her figure, but his mother had
assured him that she would never allow Hermione to wear something in public that wasn’t entirely
proper. Draco offered her his arm and she took it with a smile.
“May I escort you to the grand New Year’s ball, Miss Black?” Hermione laughed and leaned her
head against his shoulder.
“Of course, kind sir.”
Draco led her out of her room and down the stairs towards the ball room. Her room, just like in
Black Moor, was next to Draco’s not that she ever used it. She always stayed with him in his room
and much to his horror, she had left her slippers next to his bed for his friends to see this afternoon.
He had complained for almost an hour but she had just laughed at him. When he had complained to
Snitch, his elf, the elf has told him to hush and quit complaining, that it wasn’t becoming for a young
man to whine.
The elves were greeting everyone and showing them into the ball room. Since this was a Malfoy
tradition, her aunt and uncle always entered together from the staircase that led from the top floor.
Since it was their first time attending, they would enter behind the Lord and Lady of the house,
Draco escorting her as was proper since neither one of them had dates. Neither one of them were old
enough for dates anyways.
They found Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy just outside the door that led to the stairs they would enter at.
Her aunt pulled Draco away from her so she could hug him close and fuss over how grown up and
handsome he looked. Since it was Draco and he was just a little conceited, he looked torn between
being horrified at his mother’s affections and pleased that he was netting so many compliments.
Hermione was about to poke fun at him when her uncle bowed to her before extending his hand to
her. Hermione took it in hers and curtsied to him.
“You look stunning, Miss Black, a true vision. Only my wife outshines you.” Hermione wanted to
giggle since her uncle was being so proper, something that he usually wasn’t around her but she
refrained since they would be playing their parts tonight.
“Thank you, Lord Malfoy, you are quite handsome yourself.” He kissed her knuckles and then
grinned at her.
“You haven’t forgotten your lessons. Let’s just hope that Draco does as well as you do.” Hermione
covered her mouth so her cousin wouldn’t hear her giggle. It didn’t work since he turned her way
and glared at her while he tried to fend his mother off from fussing with his hair. Tippy appeared at
the door and gave them all an anxious look.
“Is you readys? It being time for masters and mistresses to enters.” Hermione took a deep breath and
nodded. It was her first ball and as much as she told herself that she didn’t care, she didn’t want to
make a fool of herself either. Uncle Luci bent down and kissed the top of her head and smiled.
“You’ll be fine, my heart. You’re ready and you look a vision. Draco won’t lead you astray.”
Hermione went to her tip toes and kissed his cheek since she wouldn’t be able to in front of the
crowd.
“Draco and I will be fine, don’t worry about us. However, I’d put money on me saving him from a
faux pas, not the other way around.” Draco pinched the back of her arm through her gown and
laughed when she pulled her arm out of his grip.
“Dirty wanker.” He laughed again and pulled her hand through his arm.
“Don’t be like that, Miney. I had bruises for weeks after you woke up from being petrified and beat
me up. One tiny bruise when you’re being a hag is nothing.” Her Uncle Luci sniffed imperiously at
his son.
“Do behave, Draco. Assaulting the cousin that knows you better than you know yourself, who also
happens to know more spells that you, just isn’t a smart move.” Now Hermione laughed but it was
cut off by Tobby opening the door and gesturing for them to enter. Hermione watched as her aunt
and uncle entered and started down the stairs. She could hear Tobby announcing them and Hermione
couldn’t help but think how pretentious the whole scene was.
“Happily announcing Lord and Lady Malfoy.” Hermione noticed her aunt holding her head high and
shoulders back, perfect posture if she had to judge. Once they were at the bottom of the stairs,
everyone applauded loudly. As soon as it quieted, Tobby pulled Hermione and Draco through the
door and gave them a shove.
“Proudly announcing for the first time, the heirs of House Malfoy, Draco Malfoy and Hermione
Black.” Hermione paused for a second, surprised at Tobby’s words. Heir of House Malfoy? Draco
was the heir, not herself. Draco didn’t seem to catch the wording and led her down the stairs.
Hermione emulated her aunt and held her head high, shoulders back, and back ramrod straight.
Draco had a haughty look on his face that made her want to laugh since they had just been arguing.
Hermione caught sight of her father and Uncle Sev in the crowd and they were both beaming at her.
Knowing that she couldn’t grin at them like she normally would, she winked just a tiny bit and kept
her façade in place. Her father burst out in laughter as the applause started.
Hermione knew that she was blushing by the time she made it to the bottom of the stairs. Her aunt
and uncle gave them small smiles before they headed off into the crowd to mingle and socialize.
Since Draco was her escort for the evening, Hermione allowed Draco to pull her through the crowd
of people to where they were offering refreshments. Once they were alone, he grinned at her to
where the crowd couldn’t see him.
“That went well, I’d say.” Hermione grinned back and nodded. After just a few drinks of her
refreshment, she set it down at her cousin’s insistence.
“Let’s get this dance out of the way, that way you can dance with who you want and I can go ask
Daphne.” Hermione smirked at him.
“It’s not obvious you’re crushing on her at all. Just don’t make it obvious to her.” Draco reached up
and tugged one of her curls hard.
“Don’t be a hag, like I said earlier. It isn’t fair to make me blush when my complexion shows
everything, especially at a ball.” Hermione felt a little chastened and nodded.
“Sorry, Drake.” He nodded and waited until the song was a few bars in to lead her out on the dance
floor.
It was a standard waltz and she and Draco danced it perfectly.
He held her the perfect distance away from himself, their posture was exact. Hermione would even
admit to having fun during the dance even though she knew that Draco hated dancing. There were
several flashes from a camera and Hermione had a bad feeling that it was from the Daily Prophet.
She could only hope that they were photographing her aunt and uncle since they were the Lord and
Lady of the ball.
Once the dance was over, Draco led Hermione back to the sidelines of the dance floor so he could
find their friends. Pansy, Daphne, Theo, Blaise, and Greg were watching them with smirks on their
faces. She couldn’t help but wonder where Vince, Tracey, and Millie were but she wasn’t going to
brave the crowd to find them. Pansy and Daphne rushed her, both exclaiming over her dress robes.
Draco smirked at her when he saw the look on her face and she vowed to get even.
After they had exclaimed over each other’s robes for the appropriate amount of time, Pansy moved
on to Draco’s group, going on about how handsome her cousin looked. It was still quite clear that
she wanted him but when Hermione wasn’t around, she wasn’t overt. Daphne watched them for a
few moments before turning back to Hermione and smiling at her.
“Have you finished your homework yet? I got stuck on the Arithmancy assignment. I tried to ask
Daddy for help but he was late to the Wizengamot so I had to ask my mother. She’s terrible at it!
Would you mind looking it over for me once we get back to school?” Hermione gave her a genuine
smile and nodded.
They conversed for several minutes about their homework and what they had done on their break
from school. Hermione had invited Daphne and Pansy to go riding with her several times but neither
one ever took her up on the offer. For some reason, they were under the impression that the horses
her father raised were large, stupid beasts that they would have to ride astride on. Hermione had went
on to inform them that they were highly intelligent and she had been taught to ride both astride and
sidesaddle. Still, neither one was interested but Hermione didn’t mind. It was the one thing that her
and her aunt shared together that nobody else cared for. Before they could change the subject, a
throat cleared behind her. Hermione saw Draco narrow his eyes so she knew that it wasn’t going to
be anyone she wanted to see.
Miles Bletchley stood before her, looking quite debonair in his white dress robes, his blond hair
pulled back in a queue. Hermione could admit that he was very handsome and most would consider
him a catch. However, he wasn’t interested in learning new things and she was nothing more than a
good political move for the Bletchley family. He bowed before her and with a small sigh, she
extended her hand so she could curtsy. After a brief kiss to her knuckles, he raised his eyes to hers.
They were dancing merrily and Hermione was quite sure that it had to do with the fact that he had
just come from the shadows of the ball room. Whoever he had been in there with had clearly pleased
him.
“Would you care to dance, Miss Black?” Hermione knew that it would be exceedingly rude for her
to turn him down so she gave him a small smile and nodded.
“I’d love to, Mr. Bletchley.”
Miles pulled her out onto the floor and held her close, closer than was proper, but she didn’t say
anything. He was humming softly to the music and she could smell someone’s perfume on him.
There was fire whiskey on his breath and Hermione hoped that this would pass without a scene. The
song was almost over when his hand sat on the top of her bum, clearly out of bounds since it wasn’t
proper for him to put his hands lower than her waist.
“Mr. Bletchley, please put your hands back on my waist. It isn’t proper.” Miles scoffed at her words.
“I could show you things, Hermione. I want to marry you, I’m sure your father would agree. I have a
pedigree that goes back hundreds of years.” She glared at him and started to pull away.
“I’m fourteen. This isn’t proper. If you’re so eager to show someone something, go find the girl you
were just hiding away with. I’m sure she’s quite put out that you left her to come dance with me.”
Miles’ hands tightened around her and he gave her a lascivious smile.
“Now, love, don’t be like that. You can’t expect me to be celibate until we marry.” Hermione
couldn’t hide the downturn of her lips at his words. She knew the distaste was clear in her
expression.
“I don’t expect anything from you, Mr. Bletchley, because I won’t be marrying you. Surely you’re
smart enough to remember that my father won’t be accepting any betrothal contracts unless I agree to
them.” Anger flitted across his features and he was just getting ready to open his mouth when she felt
someone come up behind her. She turned slightly to see her father and Uncle Luci behind her,
expressionless. Her father raised a single eyebrow at Miles.
“Is there a problem, sweetness?” Hermione bowed slightly to her father before she answered.
“No, Father, Miles was just going to go ask one of the Fawley sisters to dance.” Her father looked to
Miles and it was clear that her fellow student was intimidated. Her father glared at the boy before he
spoke.
“Don’t let me catch you harassing her, Mr. Bletchley. Run along and find another girl to dance
with.” He gave a quick nod and disappeared almost instantly. Uncle Luci searched her face.
“Did he harm you, princess?” Hermione shook her head and smiled, trying to keep the mood light so
they wouldn’t draw attention.
“No, his hands just went lower than was proper. That was what started our disagreement.” Her father
held out his hand and bowed to her.
“Dance with me, poppet.” She grinned at him now and curtsied.
“Of course, Lord Black.” Her father gave her a roguish grin and pulled her onto the floor.
They shared two dances before her Uncle Luci cut in and kept her occupied for another two dances.
After he released her, Neville stepped in and danced with her, sharing stories of their holidays so far.
The twins weren’t there even though she had sent them an invitation but after her birthday party, she
wasn’t surprised.
There were numerous boys after Neville. Hermione couldn’t keep them all straight and if the look on
Pansy’s face was anything to go by, she was the most popular girl on the floor. She wasn’t sure how
many boys had danced with her when her Uncle Sev finally stepped in and swept her into his arms
for a single dance. Since he hadn’t danced with anyone else, not even her aunt, she decided to take
what she could get and be happy with it.
Finally, the last dance was called and Hermione waited for Draco to find her. Since he was her
escort, he would open and close the ball with her. She had caught sight of him dancing with Pansy
and Daphne both several times, even with Millie and Tracey after they had met up. Aunt Cissy had
demanded that he dance with her and Draco, and the ever-dutiful son that he was, hadn’t complained
once. Her father had danced with almost every woman present, even the married ones. She knew
that while he was a naturally charming person, all the women were hoping that he would someday
make them Lady Black. According to her father, however, she would be Lady Black since he had no
plans to marry any time soon.
Draco found her and bowed to her so she curtsied in turn. He pulled her in for the last waltz and
filled her in on everyone that he had danced with. When he was finished, she told him about Miles
and how her father and uncle had come to save her. Draco wanted to go after their classmate then but
Hermione stopped him. It would only cause a scene and she was quite sure that their fathers had put
the fear of Merlin in him. When the dance ended, Hermione could hear Tobby over the chatter
around the room.
“The countdown begins now.” Hermione didn’t realize that the countdown to the new year would be
announced. She listened as the Malfoy elf counted down from ten and when he reached zero, a loud
bang went off and confetti exploded all over the ball room. Since nobody could see through the
cloud of confetti, Draco pulled her close and hugged her.
“Happy New Year’s, Miney.” She kissed his cheek before she grinned back at him.
“Happy New Year’s, Drake.”
The cheering continued for another minute or so. Once it had quieted again, Hermione let Draco lead
her to the staircase they had entered on. He escorted her back up, signaling the end of the ball. Her
aunt and uncle followed them and after both pairs were out of sight, Tobby announced to the guests
that they were grateful they had come and that the ball had ended. From the staircase, far out of sight
from their guests, Hermione and Draco watched all the guests leave. Snitch finally appeared before
them and spoke.
“All guestses is gone. Masters and mistresses made good party.” Hermione grinned at Draco’s
personal elf.
“Thank you, Snitch.” There were heavy footsteps on the steps and Hermione looked around the
corner to see her Uncle Sev and father coming up the stairs. When he saw Hermione watching them,
he grinned at her.
“Well, poppet, you and Draco were a success.” Hermione grinned and nodded.
“I thought we did well.” Aunt Cissy smiled at them and Hermione could see the pride shining in her
eyes.
“You were both a success. I’m proud of you both. You did the Malfoy and Black families proud.”
Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close.
“It was all Hermione. I’d be hopeless without her.” She felt her cheeks color as she tried to pinch his
side. He danced out of reach, laughing loudly. Her father held up his hands and sighed.
“You’re going to make the Daily Prophet. The photographer that was there took pictures of the pair
of you during the opening dance and then asked my permission to print it since my daughter was a
minor. I told them that I wanted to preview the photo before they printed but if it was acceptable I’d
allow it.” Lucius nodded.
“I was asked permission as well. This will solidify our image as pureblood elite that is wanting to
uphold the ideals of the Dark Lord.” Hermione sighed. Everything always came back to the war,
their efforts to stop it, and how their actions affected it. Uncle Sev seemed to realize that she was a
little melancholy and pulled her into a hug.
“You were beautiful, love. Surpassed by none. I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed yourself.” His
eyes twinkled in hidden amusement.
“I suppose Draco was alright.” Draco let out an indignant squawk and narrowed his eyes at his
godfather.
“Hermione is everyone’s favorite. It isn’t fair.” Hermione could hear the petulant whine in his voice
that always tipped her off that he was playing. Aunt Cissy stepped forward and wrapped her arms
around him, smothering him in kisses.
“You’ll always be my favorite, Draco, you’re my baby boy.” He started to struggle to get away but
when he couldn’t escape her grip, he gave up and just endured. Hermione reached out and poked his
side with a grin.
“I’m only the favorite because I’m so much better looking.” He lunged for her but she was ready for
him. Hermione lifted her robes and started to run from him, skirts in hand, hair streaming behind her.
Draco laughed and gave chase, the adults laughing behind them. After two corridors, Hermione
slowed just enough to let her cousin catch her. He swung her up in the air, spinning her in a circle,
and she laughed. Draco set her down and hugged her from behind, the adults finding them laughing
softly together.
Hermione wasn’t going to complain. It had been one of the best New Year’s Eves ever.
-O-
Sirius settled into the armchair in the library at Malfoy Manor. His daughter had convinced both
himself and Severus to stay the night and return to their homes the next day. Since Severus stayed at
the castle during the holidays, he wasn’t going to complain. It was only during the summer holidays
that he left and even then, he usually stayed at either Malfoy Manor or Black Moor. He complained
that his own family manor was too big for just one man.
Lucius had taken Cissy to bed an hour before; she had agreed to have just one drink of fire whiskey
with them for the holiday. It had resulted in her blatantly asking her husband to take her to bed and
remind her that she was still a young woman. They had all chuckled at her, knowing full well that
she would be mortified in the morning. However, Lucius didn’t appear to be all that upset when he
had escorted her to bed.
Severus had just retired; they had shared another couple drinks after the happy couple had went to
bed. Mostly, they had discussed the ball and people they had seen and talked to. Sirius filled his
friend in on what had happened between Hermione and Bletchley. It was a good thing that they had
been paying enough attention to know that she was in trouble. They had both wanted to throttle
Draco for not paying attention to her but Sirius had decided to let it go. His daughter was more than
capable of taking care of herself usually and Draco had earned the right to have a little fun on his
own without looking after his cousin. Besides, he was her father and he rarely had the opportunity to
take care of her anymore.
Severus had promised him that he would watch after her when they went back to school to make
sure that there wouldn’t be any backlash after he and Lucius stepping in. Sirius had a feeling that the
boy had been drunk; he could have sworn that he could smell fire whiskey on his breath but since he
wasn’t his child, it wasn’t his place to say anything.
His mind turned to the meeting with Minerva on Christmas. Sirius knew that she had treated his
daughter terribly a few times but in general had tried to make it up to her after Hermione had pointed
out her actions. The last time, however, the incident in the Three Broomsticks, was unacceptable.
Minerva had embarrassed her in public, to people that knew her and knew of her. She had
apologized more than once and if it was good enough for Hermione, he supposed that it would be
good enough for him.
What bothered him was Remus’ treatment of his daughter. Sirius understood that his ex-lover was
angry at him, that he had been hurt by Sirius’ supposed betrayal, but it was out of line to take that
anger out on his daughter. As much as Sirius loved Remus and missed him, Hermione was his
daughter, his blood, and he owed her far more than he owed Remus. When the truth finally came
out, there would have to be so many apologies from the man to his daughter before he would even
consider forgiving him.
This train of thought led him to the next touchy topic for his daughter. Her argument with Harry had
hurt her deeply, deeper than he thought that even he understood. Draco seemed to understand but he
remained silent on the matter. If he didn’t know any better, he would think that his daughter had had
a crush on Harry and he had broken her heart. However, his daughter was nothing if not practical
and he really didn’t think that she would allow herself to like someone that didn’t like her at all in
return.
Sirius couldn’t help but grin to himself. If Harry was anything like James had been, he would have
the girls flocking to him before he made it to his fourth year. The Potter fortune was vast, the third
wealthiest family in Britain. The Malfoy and Black fortunes were the only ones that were larger.
Even with his half-blood status, he would be quite the catch in the wizarding world. There would be
plenty of families that would happily shove their daughters in his face in hopes that they would
marry. His fame for defeating the Dark Lord only added to his appeal.
Sirius wanted it all for him; he wanted him to play the field like James had. Yes, James had been in
love with Lily from the first day he saw her but she had spurned him until they were seventh years.
James had been far from celibate and he sometimes thought that that was part of the reason Lily had
held him off for so long. She didn’t like that he had experience while she had had little. He chuckled
to himself when he remembered the night James had spent with two sixth year girls when he was
only a fifth-year because they were both determined to be the next Lady Potter.
Sirius wanted all that for Harry; he wanted him to live life to the fullest, be young and have fun, do
his best to forget that Voldemort would eventually come for him once he returned to his body.
Eventually, after his wild oats were sown and he had had all the fun he wanted, he would find a
good woman that would love him for who he was, not his money or name. Frankly, it was the same
thing he wanted for himself. He was tired of being sought after for his money and title; for once, he
wanted just one of the women he escorted or danced with to care about his life and daughter, not just
how they could manipulate those things to get what they wanted.
With a sigh, Sirius threw the rest of his drink back and set the tumbler on the table next to him. It had
been a long night; Hermione and Draco had retired almost three hours ago. He was proud of them;
even though Draco was his cousin, he was his surrogate son. He had been there for every step of
Draco’s childhood and he had spent more than half of it under his roof and at his knee. He loved that
he and Hermione were as close as they were; Draco loved her as much as Sirius did and would
always do his best to keep her happy.
Sirius heaved himself to his feet and started for the door. He waved his wand, calling out a ‘nox’,
and left the library for his room. He had a feeling that Hermione would wake him up early and it was
already late enough. After all, the holidays were almost over and he needed to spend as much time
with his daughter as he could. Six more months without her would be hell.
A/N- Alrighty, folks, another one finished. Nothing too crazy happening but Ginny totally laid the
smack down on Harry. He seemed to enjoy it too. I was informed by my hubby that even if a man
doesn’t like someone, it is still possible for him to get turned on by them. Since I’m a woman, I have
to bow to his expertise. If that’s not the case, forgive me. Thanks to everyone out there for reading
and reviewing, you guys are just awesome. Let me know what you think.
Next chapter, Hogsmeade trip and a little action.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 53

A/N- Thank you so much, y’all, your support astounds me. You have no idea how much your
reviews, follows, and favorites keep me writing. If I could crank one out every day I would.
However, my children like to eat and unfortunately, I’m not wealthy so I must go to work. Thank
you, though, it means so much.
I want to say a few things here and only because I have so many people asking the same things. I try
my best to answer everyone but sometimes ffn works against me, people review as guests, or it’s in
another language. I only speak English, guys, I wish I could understand and reply to your reviews
but that isn’t possible when they aren’t in English.
First off, this is a Harmony story. I’ve had a few people ask if I would put Hermione with Draco,
Neville or the twins. Dramione is my all-time fave but it won’t be happening this time around. Not to
mention, Hermione and Draco are first and second cousins in this story. Ewww. As for Sirius, I
haven’t decided what I’m going to do in regard to Remus. Originally, he wasn’t even supposed to
have had a past relationship with the man, I just threw that in there to cover my ass if I decided to
make this story into a wolfstar down the road.
Secondly, I know that Sirius has his priorities skewed right now. He is thinking that Harry is going to
be just like James and he can’t wait to have him in his life. Not only is Hermione going to lose it on
the pair of them, he’s going to realize that Harry is very much his own person.
Third, I’m aware that Harry is a little prick right now. I know that he’s being a follower. Think about
it, Harry was a follower in canon. It was several years before he stepped back and started to think for
himself. It’s going to happen much quicker in my story, I think.
Fourth and lastly, I know that Sirius’ words were sexist. Yeah, he wants Harry to play the field but
he wants Hermione to remain a virgin. Well, actually, it was Narcissa that told her that women were
expected to remain pure. However, I’ve made perfectly clear that my version of the wizarding world
is BEHIND, like wayyy behind, the times. There is still sexism and all that going on there. Why
would you not expect boys to be encouraged to mess around while girls weren’t?
Now that I’ve made an enormous author’s note, something I hate to do because it bloats my word
count with shit that doesn’t matter, I’m going to close and tell you all that I love hearing what you
love about my story and I enjoy hearing what you don’t to see if I could make it better in some way.
For those that leave me constructive criticism, I appreciate it so much! I’m not trying to sound bitchy
here but when you have fifty people messaging you the same thing, it’s much easier to answer here
** Shout out to Mycrookshanks1222111 for being my 1800th reviewer! You’re awesome! **
Disclaimer: Nothing in this story belongs to me. I’ve played with and tweaked the characters that
belong to J.K.R. and used a story line that has been done before. Still a broke bitch so I haven’t made
any money off this story or any other. Maybe someday…
Chapter 53
January 15, 1994
Hermione pushed her eggs around her plate, waiting patiently for her cousin to finish his meal so
they could make their way to Hogsmeade. They had been back in school for just over a week when
the Headmaster decided to give them a surprise Hogsmeade visit. Hermione wasn’t going to
complain; it meant an impromptu visit to the bookstore where she would be allowed to purchase
more books. While the library at school had just about every book she wanted to read, if she bought
her own books, she could make notations on the pages much the same way that Uncle Sev did. She
would never dream of vandalizing a library book so that left purchasing her own.
Her father made sure that she had a generous allowance even though he knew that she spent most of
it on books. He had once told her that it could be worse; she could spend it all on clothing like most
other witches her age. Hermione had laughed at him and reminded him that with Aunt Cissy
shopping for her, she would never have to spend a knut of her allowance on clothing. Draco would
go with her and he would whinge the entire time but he would secretly purchase several books of his
own and slip them into his robes after shrinking them so she wouldn’t notice. It was a game they had
been playing for years.
Pansy and Daphne were making plans to visit the Hogsmeade branch of Twilfitt and Tattings. Pansy
was loudly telling Daphne that she needed to get new lingerie because she had outgrown what she
had bought at the beginning of the year. Hermione thought that it was a little trashy since she could
have gone with her mother on holiday but it wasn’t her business since she wasn’t included in the
conversation. Hermione knew that she was just looking for attention from the boys and much to her
distaste, it seemed to be working. All the boys had their eyes glued to her breasts and she was
reveling in it. Hermione dug a sharp elbow in her cousin’s ribs and when he glared at her, she glared
right back. He finally broke eye contact with her and focused on his meal again.
Truthfully, it was a plight that Hermione sympathized with. Her use of the time turner meant that she
was reliving numerous hours a day over again. Then she had to turn her time back after classes were
over so she could get all her homework done along with the assignments that she had gotten from
Madam Cambridge. While she admitted that Madam Cambridge’s assignments were more important,
she also wanted to keep her perfect score in school. It was a trivial thing that was fed completely by
her pride but since it was herself that she was tiring out every day of the week, she didn’t feel that
anyone could complain about it. Well, except maybe her Uncle Sev, but she hadn’t told him about
her extra usage. If he asked, she wouldn’t lie but there was no way that she would volunteer
information like that.
Due to reliving several hours over a day, she had aged more than her schoolmates. Not much, that
much was true, but enough for Hermione to notice that she was developing faster than her aunt had
warned her about. In fact, there had been a shopping trip over the Christmas holidays since her aunt
had told her that receiving lingerie as a Christmas gift in front of men wasn’t appropriate in the least.
Her attention was pulled from pushing her eggs around by Theo, remarking low, but not low
enough.
“Pansy doesn’t have shite compared to Hermione. That girl has grown overnight.” She felt her
cheeks flush and turned her gaze back to her plate. Pansy was glaring, she was sure, but she felt
better when she caught sight of Draco punching their friend pretty hard in the shoulder out of the
corner of her eye. His voice was low and menacing when he spoke.
“Don’t ever let me hear that shite come out of your mouth again, Nott. Hermione is my cousin, my
sister, and you won’t stare at her like a piece of meat. She isn’t Pansy.” Pansy screeched in anger,
threw down her fork, huffed as she went to her feet and stormed off. Daphne was trying her hardest
not to burst out laughing and Hermione had to admit that she was in the same boat. She knew that it
made her a terrible person but Pansy really brought some of it on herself. As young women, they
were brought up to be proper and Pansy was far from proper in almost every way. The worst part
was that her parents seemed to encourage her outrageous behavior. Theo dropped his eyes after he
winced.
“Sorry, mate. It won’t happen again.” Draco still glared at him.
“Apologize to Hermione. She’s the one that’s embarrassed.” Hermione reached out and pinched her
cousin’s arm. Did he think that this made her less embarrassed? He hissed a little in pain but showed
nothing. Theo nodded and met Hermione’s gaze.
“I’m sorry, Hermione, forgive me for objectifying and embarrassing you.” She gave him a small
smile and nodded.
“Forgiven. Please tell me that everyone is ready to go to Hogsmeade. I want to make sure I have
plenty of time in the bookstore.” Daphne snorted at her, a very unladylike sound that made Hermione
want to laugh.
“Trust me, there will be plenty of time at the bookstore. For me, there has to be a stop at
Honeydukes.” Everyone else was nodding and started enumerating the places they wanted to be sure
and visit.
Pansy eventually returned and after making sure that everyone was finished, they started for the
doors of the Entrance Hall. Hermione saw Ginny and her friends watching jealously as others piled
into the carriages. Hermione frowned when she saw her. Only a couple days after returning to
school, Hermione had heard Ginny bragging to her friends that she had shared a New Year’s kiss
with Harry and that it had been amazing. She was biding her time, waiting for him to ask to court
her. Hermione had snorted when she heard that since Harry had no idea what courting even was.
However amused as she was at Ginny’s hopes of courting, it had been a dagger to her heart. No
matter how much Harry hated her, Hermione still liked him, she still wanted to get to know him
better and had hoped for more. After he had told her what he really thought of her, she did her best to
avoid thinking of him because it was too painful. Now that she knew he had kissed Ginny, it was
like pouring acid on her already broken heart.
Draco had listened to her that very same night, held her close while she had been upset but refused to
cry. He told her over and over how Hermione deserved much better than Harry, that she would
someday meet the perfect man and he would be her perfect match. Since she didn’t believe in the
concept of perfect, she had taken his words with a grain of salt but the fact that he was trying to make
her feel better lifted her spirits in the end.
Ronald was in the carriage ahead of them, packed in tight with all the other Gryffindor boys and both
the girls. Harry wasn’t included in their group and Hermione assumed that it was because he didn’t
have a signed permission slip. If his muggle relatives were as terrible as she suspected, there was no
way that they would do anything that would make his life better.
Even though it was an extremely tight fit, all the third year Slytherins squeezed into one carriage.
Pansy somehow finagled herself into Draco’s lap and her cousin looked pained as Pansy ground into
him. Knowing that she was purposely trying to excite her cousin, Hermione reached out and pinched
the back of her arm as hard as she could. Pansy squealed in pain and turned a glare to Hermione.
“What the bloody hell was that for?” Hermione frowned at her language. Her language wasn’t
always perfect but she didn’t curse near as much as Pansy did. She wondered if the girl thought it
made her sound appealing. Hermione glared at her as she explained.
“I know exactly what you’re doing on my cousin’s lap and I made myself quite clear what I thought
of you doing things like that. If he wants to carry on with you in private, that’s your business. In
public, you will conduct yourself as a proper young woman should. It’s my cousin and my family
name that will have shame brought upon it if the pair of you were to be caught.” Pansy’s face flushed
and while Hermione felt a little like a bitch, she wasn’t going to apologize. In no way was she telling
Pansy not to do what she wanted with her cousin but it had better be in private. They had been raised
from birth that the family name was everything. Draco shot her a thankful look and shoved on Pansy.
She moved instantly and scooted over to Theo’s lap, though Hermione noticed that she kept her
wiggling to a minimum.
The trip to Hogsmeade wasn’t a long one. Hermione watched the scenery through the window of the
carriage. Once they reached the drop off point, the ten of them left the warmth of the carriage to
brave the blustery wind and flurries. They were all arguing over where to go first since nobody could
agree. Draco and the boys wanted to go to Zonkos for more jokes and pranks, Pansy and Daphne
wanted to go shopping at Twilfitt and Tattings, Millie and Tracey wanted to go to Honeydukes, and
Hermione was going to Flourish and Blotts. Since she had no plans to go anywhere else, she grinned
at the rest of them.
“Well, I don’t need to stop anywhere else so I’ll just go to the bookstore. You guys can go wherever
you need to and if I leave in time, I’ll meet you for a butterbeer.” She really wasn’t too excited about
going to the Three Broomsticks after her last visit but she supposed that she wouldn’t be able to
avoid it forever. She would put on her pureblood façade and let it do its work. Most people couldn’t
last out against her Uncle Luci’s imperious glare and she had learned from the best. Draco narrowed
his eyes at her.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Mia. I mean, what if -.” Hermione cut him off before he could say
anything about Rookwood or anything else he always worried about.
“I will be fine, Drake, I promise. What kind of trouble can I get into at Flourish and Blotts?” He
crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. It was clear he wasn’t happy about her going on her
own but really, there was nothing he could do about it if he wanted to go to his stops as well. He
finally sighed and nodded his head.
“Fine, Mia, you go to the book store and we’ll go to Zonkos. The girls can go where they want and
we’ll all meet at Three Broomsticks in four hours.” Hermione smiled at him and leaned over to kiss
his cheek.
“Bye, Drake, have fun.” He chuckled at her and tugged a curl before releasing her to find the
bookstore. As she walked away, she heard Pansy mutter to someone that she was boring and would
never get a boyfriend. She sighed since she knew that it was likely the truth. She understood she was
pretty, she had been told that for as long as she could remember. However, Hermione was more than
aware that none of the boys her age would ever like her because they wanted girls that were more
interested in fashion and being a proper wife while she wanted to learn all she could. As much as she
understood it, it also hurt.
Hermione heard a sharp retort from her cousin and what sounded like a yelp but she didn’t turn
around and let everyone know that she had heard. Pansy was angry that she had embarrassed her on
the carriage ride so she supposed that she could let her have the one comment. It wasn’t in her nature
but since Draco had done something about it, she didn’t think that she needed to handle it also.
It didn’t take her long to find Flourish and Blotts; she had been there numerous times through the
years. While Gerald Flourish ran the shop in Diagon Alley, Barney Blott ran the shop in
Hogsmeade. Hermione tended to favor the one in Diagon Alley since it was bigger and had more of
a selection but she still found interesting books in Hogsmeade. After travelling the three streets over
to where Flourish and Blotts was, she went inside to get out of the cold. Even though her cloak had a
warming charm cast on it, it still wore off after so long and it made for a miserably cold walk. Mr.
Blott smiled at her as he wiped off the counter.
“Morning, Miss Black. Are you staying warm out there?” She gave the older gentleman a soft smile
as she swept her cloak from around her shoulders.
“Warming charms can only do so much. It’s reminding me that it’s Scotland out there today. How’s
business been?” The older man laughed softly and came around the counter to lay his arm around her
shoulder.
“Business is good, but never as good as when you’re here. I do believe you are my single best
customer.” Hermione felt her cheeks stain so she cast her gaze to her feet. He chuckled at her
obvious embarrassment.
“Do you want to see my new releases?” Hermione, forgetting her earlier embarrassment, looked up
and nodded eagerly. Mr. Blott guided her to the shelf closest to the desk.
“Here’s all the newest releases. There may be a couple you don’t have already.” She grinned at him
happily and started thumbing through the first book she picked up. It happened to be on dragons
found in Wales.
“Thank you, Mr. Blott. I appreciate it.” The old man chuckled and went back behind his counter to
work on whatever he was doing when she came in.
Hermione wasn’t sure how long she browsed through the shop. After she picked out the new
releases that she wanted, she went from subject to subject, choosing books that she wanted. Since
she was studying a fair number of subjects at Hogwarts and even more through Madam Cambridge,
it was a rare occasion when she left a book store with less than six or seven books. Her father usually
shook his head and laughed at her, telling her that she was just making sure their library stayed up to
date. She would usually scowl at him and he would tug one of her errant curls and they would both
laugh.
It was much later that she realized that she was late in meeting Draco at the Three Broomsticks. Only
by fifteen minutes or so but it was enough that he would worry and she would never hear the end of
it. She purchased the ten books she had picked out, put her cloak back on after slipping her
purchases into the inner pocket after shrinking them, bid Mr. Blott goodbye and struck back out into
the cold.
Hermione cursed inwardly as she slid her wand out of her holster and into her hand so she could cast
another warming charm on herself. The cold air was silent and the fog that her breath was creating
was stark in the picturesque landscape of the tiny village. After the warming charm had been cast,
Hermione frowned. She was still ice cold and it seemed to have no effect on her. Her eyebrows drew
inward as she contemplated the problem and what she could do about it.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione caught sight of a black cloak. It was so quick that it reminded
her of her Uncle Luci’s Death Eater robes. When she and Draco had been eight years old, they had
been snooping in her aunt and uncle’s closet looking for Christmas presents. Rather than gifts, they
had found her uncle’s Death Eater robes. It was that night that her uncle had told her cousin the harsh
truth about being a follower of the Dark Lord. Of course, he had told Hermione and even though she
had cried at the thought of her uncle doing those horrid things, she was proud that he had left it all
behind. There were times that she was sure he had to know that she knew of his past deeds but they
had never discussed it and likely never would. She loved her uncle for the man he was, not the man
he had been.
Hermione turned her attention to the cloak she had seen. It was no longer in sight but she could see
students just down the street dropping to their knees. She cocked her head to the side and tried to see
what they were doing. The same black cloak came into sight again and she knew instantly. It all
made sense, the black cloaks, the freezing cold, the failed warming charm.
Dementors.
Hermione took off running as fast as she could. The dementors were getting closer to the students,
close enough that they were feeling the effects of the proximity. She could feel the overwhelming
sense of despair wash over her as she passed the kneeling students. As she passed the corner of the
stationary shop, she caught sight of a bedraggled man in the thinnest of robes. It was clear by the
number on the front of his robes that it was Rookwood. Knowing that she couldn’t acknowledge him
in any way without putting her loved ones in danger, she kept her eyes forward. He too had fallen to
his knees. It sickened her that her casting her patronus to save the students was going to save him as
well, especially since he was after Harry. She took a strong stance in front of the students and slid her
wand into her hand. After a wave, she yelled as loud as she could, knowing it would give power to
her spell.
“EXPECTO PATRONUM!”
She didn’t have Draco casting with her this time and it was clear that there was nobody out there that
was going to help her save the students. The streets were empty aside from the half dozen students
and the dozens of dementors chasing after Rookwood. She couldn’t even really get mad this time
since the dementors were clearly after their target, not the students. Not that it mattered since their
presence affected everyone in the area.
Another group of students rounded the corner of a shop and Hermione could hear them laughing
about something as her fox burst from her wand. Rather than sniff the ground delicately like it
usually did, it ran after the dementors and attacked. The dementors, enraged that they were being
driven from their target, fell back. Only a little, however, just enough for more to somehow show up.
She wondered to herself if they had ways to summon each other or if it was just luck, the draw of
their target.
The students that had been kneeling behind her went to their feet but they looked traumatized, their
eyes empty. She knew they hadn’t been kissed but it was clear that they had been affected. What she
needed was chocolate, not only for them but for herself as well. The dementors, after receiving
reinforcements, started to move forward again. She wished more than anything that she could move
back behind where Rookwood was hiding but with the students not moving, there was no way that
she could do that and keep them from getting kissed. She braced herself by moving a foot slightly
behind the other and waved her wand again. Hermione knew that this spell was going to have to take
all her strength to fight off as many dementors as there were all by herself.
“EXPECTO PATRONUM!”
The amount of power she put into the spell left her feeling empty and she knew that her magical
reserves were draining quickly. Never had she put this much power into a spell before. Hermione
knew that she was an extremely powerful witch, there hadn’t been an equal to her in decades, but
she was only fourteen, nowhere near her magical maturity or having her full power available to her.
After several minutes of watching her fox chase the dementors and attack them ruthlessly, Hermione
dropped to her knees. Watching the dementors flee was the most welcome sight of her life since she
couldn’t hold the spell any longer. Her fox disappeared along with the dementors and Hermione was
fighting to stay conscious.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Rookwood staring at her, a contemplative look on
his face. This frightened her more than facing the dementors; Rookwood had worked for the
Department of Mysteries before Igor Karkaroff had snitched on him. He was extremely smart, even
her Uncle Luci had been unable to deny that. Her eyes focused on him and he seemed to realize that
she was watching him. He turned around and disappeared behind a building, clearly escaping
however he had entered the town.
Hermione was still on her knees when she heard someone yelling in the distance. The students
behind her were starting to move again, probably because the dementors had vanished, their effects
with them. Somebody dropped to their knees next to her, throwing another cloak around her. It was
Mr. Blott and he was casting his own warming spells on her. Without the effects of the dementors,
they were working and warmth slowly started to return to her numb limbs. His hands came up and
cupped her cheeks, searching her gaze.
“Sweet girl, you drove those dementors off by yourself. Merlin, you saved a dozen students.”
Hermione couldn’t help the tear that squeezed out of one of her eyes and as much as she wanted to
speak, she literally didn’t have the energy. Mr. Blott produced his wand and gave it a wave, his own
patronus appearing. It was a parakeet of some sort and she could hear him speaking to it but for the
life of her, she couldn’t focus on what he was saying. Just as he stopped speaking, Hermione
watched as Draco turned the corner with their friends in tow. Pansy was hanging off his arm again
and even though she felt a flare of annoyance, she let it go. Eventually, he would date her or get rid
of her for good. All of them were laughing, Draco reaching out to poke Daphne in the ribs. She
blushed and pulled away from him, clearly unsure what to do with his flirting.
Draco turned from teasing Daphne to look forward and saw Hermione kneeling in the snow with
Mr. Blott hovering over her protectively. She watched him shove Pansy off him and he started
running, clearly not caring about his image and what others were going to think. He skidded to a halt
in front of her and dropped to his knees in front of her to cup her face in his hands in much the same
way Mr. Blott had. He sounded frantic when he spoke.
“What the fuck is wrong with her?” Mr. Blott laid a hand on her cousin’s shoulder to try to calm him
down.
“Calm down, son, she’s exhausted but fine. Dementors attacked, dozens of them. She drove them all
off on her own. Saved more than a dozen students.” Draco flashed him a grateful look and handed
his cloak back the shop owner. He took his own cloak off and wrapped it around her tightly. Mr.
Blott put his cloak back on as he spoke.
“Keep her warm, son, the dementors will pull the warmth right out of you, especially as close as she
was to them.” Draco nodded again and stood before bending over to sweep her into his arms. She
snuggled close to his chest and he was whispering softly in her ear about holding on, that he would
get her to the castle quickly. Mr. Blott was quick to offer up that he had sent a patronus.
“I sent a patronus to the Headmaster and the Ministry as well. They should be here soon.” Hermione
groaned inwardly. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with the Headmaster and his shite. There
was a soft popping noise next to them and Draco turned to see who had arrived. Much to her dismay,
it was Professor Lupin. Draco sneered in his direction.
“Don’t worry, the Ministry has been alerted. We’ll wait here until they get here.” They didn’t have to
wait long since there were popping noises all along the street. Hermione could see what appeared to
be aurors approaching when she heard a familiar and welcome voice.
“Hermione!! Sweet Merlin, baby, what’s wrong?” Her father was bounding to her side and taking
her from Draco. He gave her over quickly but didn’t stray far. After several seconds, Uncle Luci
came into view as well. Hermione decided to try to get this show taken somewhere warm since she
was freezing. The warming charms weren’t working as well as they had been.
“So cold.” Her father brushed her curls back from her face and kissed her forehead.
“We’re going to get you to the castle, sweetness. Hang on.” She closed her eyes since it was clear
that he was going to apparate. Not closing her eyes would have guaranteed that she puked up her
breakfast on his fine black Wizengamot robes. With a squeezing feeling, they disappeared and then
reappeared at the castle gates.
Apparently, Dumbledore had learned his lesson last year about keeping her father out of the castle.
The gates swung open and allowed him entrance. She heard another pop behind them and she could
just barely see two blond heads behind her father. It was a ten-minute walk on foot across the
grounds but she swore that her father made it in five. By the time they reached the castle, Hermione
could no longer feel her feet or hands and her father was huffing loudly. She felt terrible for making
him haul her weight around but there was no way that she could have walked. She couldn’t even
stand while they were in Hogsmeade.
Professor McGonagall and Uncle Sev were waiting at the front door of the castle, holding it open so
they could usher them in faster. Both looked confused so Hermione was happy to hear her Uncle
Luci explaining it. There was a sharp intake of breath from the Deputy Headmistress and she could
feel the fury emanating from her godfather. Her father wasted no time in getting her to the Hospital
Wing and calling out for Madam Pomfrey as they breezed through the door. Her father set her down
on the nearest bed and instantly started casting warming charms on her. However, her clothing was
soaked from being in the snow and the charms were having little effect. Madam Pomfrey bustled out
and saw who was in her wing and hurried her way.
“What happened?” Her father answered her.
“She won’t hardly talk. A message was sent to the Ministry stating that there was a dementor attack
in Hogsmeade. I have no idea other than that.” Draco stepped forward and sat on the bed next to her.
“Mr. Blott told me that she held off dozens of dementors, driving them away. She saved over a
dozen students from being kissed.” Madam Pomfrey gasped and hurried off, only to return a minute
later. A huge bar of chocolate was clenched tightly in her hand.
“We need to get this down her but first, I need you all to let me put curtains up. She has to be
changed out of these wet clothes. She’s freezing from the cold and the dementors and the warming
charms aren’t going to work as long as she’s wet.”
Hermione watched as everyone in the room turned their back and allowed Madam Pomfrey to
conjure a curtain around them. Once they were out of sight, she waved her wand and her robes
vanished. In their place were warm flannel pants and a long-sleeved shirt, woolen socks covering her
feet. She was still shaking but she already felt warmer. She waved the curtains away and gestured for
Draco to come forward. She handed him the whole bar of chocolate and smiled kindly at him.
“Feed her this whole bar. It may take a bit at first because she’s physically and magically exhausted,
but she’ll get better the more she has.” Draco nodded at her and started to break the chocolate into
pieces.
Hermione let him feed her while the adults were off to the side, discussing something quietly. Draco
was quiet and she could see that he was blaming himself for her predicament. She had eaten half the
chocolate bar and had regained some of her strength. She reached out and grasped his hand tightly.
He met her gaze so she gave him a stern look.
“Stop it. I see what you’re doing and it’s shite. Stop it now.” Draco didn’t even deny it, he knew
exactly what she was talking about. He lowered his eyes and started to rub his thumb over her
knuckles.
“I shouldn’t have left you, I should have -.” Hermione cut him off before he could get any further.
“You shouldn’t have done anything. You were having fun in Hogsmeade. You did exactly as I
asked you to do. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. So, stop it. I don’t blame you and I’ll have words
with anyone who does.” She could see that he was truly upset so she squeezed his hands.
“Please.” He met her eyes again and he finally nodded. She gave him a small smile and nodded
towards the chocolate.
“There’s no way I can eat anymore without throwing up.” He laughed softly and called out to the
adults.
“She won’t eat anymore, said she’s going to throw up.” Madam Pomfrey buried her face in her
hands and started muttering about the only child who didn’t eat loads of chocolate. Hermione turned
back to Draco and whispered.
“I saw Rookwood, the dementors were after him. I couldn’t let them get him without letting them get
the other students too.” He curled up into her side to help keep her warm.
“You did the right thing. We’ll tell them after everyone leaves. Not sure if they want you putting
yourself out there like that.” Hermione nodded and just waited. Before anything else could be said,
the doors banged open and the Headmaster and Professor Lupin came through. Hermione flicked her
eyes to her father and wasn’t surprised when she saw the old flare-up of pain at the sight of his old
friend. Dumbledore didn’t bother going to the adults, he came straight to Hermione.
“Two of the students reported seeing Rookwood in the same area that you fought off the dementors.
Did you see him?” Hermione caught sight of her godfather and Uncle barely shaking their heads
from side to side. She tried to sit up a little more before she answered.
“No, I saw nothing. I didn’t even realize that there were dementors until I was almost on the students
kneeling in the snow. I was focused elsewhere.” The Headmaster gave her one of those smiles that
are supposed to make you feel better but just made her skin crawl.
“You did the right thing, dear. You were superb out there, Mr. Blott has already told the aurors how
you drove them all away by yourself. He got there too late to help but was duly impressed with your
actions.” Hermione gave him a thin smile.
“Thank you, Headmaster.” Professor Lupin stayed surprisingly silent. The two of them joined the
other adults and it appeared to be getting quite heated but Hermione could barely keep her eyes open.
Draco snuggled down under the blankets with her and she was grateful that he was willing to share
his body heart. He kissed the side of her head as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in
close.
“I’ll keep you warm, Miney. Go to sleep, you need rest.” She nodded sleepily and took his advice,
sleep pulling her under almost instantly.
-O-
Harry had waited all evening for the adults to leave the Hospital Wing. He had been having patronus
lessons with Professor Lupin when the silvery phoenix had appeared before his teacher and told him
that he was needed immediately in Hogsmeade because there had been a dementor attack. Harry had
walked around on pins and needles the rest of the day, hoping for students to return and tell him what
had happened.
It was at dinner that a fourth year Gryffindor had told him the story. Fred, George and Neville looked
like they wanted to vomit at what they heard. Hermione Black had drove off dozens of dementors
who had almost kissed students. It was reported that Rookwood had been spotted in the area but it
hadn’t been confirmed. Regardless, it still made him feel sick inside knowing that Hermione was
now in the Hospital Wing for magical exhaustion because of the situation.
Harry’s patronus lessons were coming along nicely. While he still hadn’t produced an animal, he
could get a fair amount of silver mist. Lupin told him all the time that he was doing great since they
didn’t practice every day, that most adult wizards couldn’t cast the spell. He knew that he was doing
the best he could and while he was proud of himself for what he had accomplished so far, it felt like
too little too late when he heard about things like what had happened in Hogsmeade today.
Now, against his better judgement, he was going to sneak into the Hospital Wing to make sure that
Hermione was alright. Ron thought that he was in the library and he had even stopped by there to get
a book to make his visit look legit. He had watched his godfather and Malfoy’s father leave the hour
before. He couldn’t confirm it but he had heard that little Malfoy had returned to his common room
when they left.
Harry was under his father’s cloak, using the invisibility to help him get in without alerting anyone to
his presence. It wasn’t curfew yet but it was getting close and he didn’t want to get another detention.
Lately, Professor Snape’s detentions had been horrid and he had no wish to repeat them if he didn’t
have to. He wished that he could recommend that the man get laid but knew that would just lose
Gryffindor every single point they had and land him in detention for the rest of the year. However, if
Harry was truthful, he thought it might be because how much he had hurt Hermione after that
quidditch match that day.
Harry wasn’t going to try to talk to Hermione, he had promised the twins that he would leave her
alone. However, he couldn’t forget how jealous he had been when he had returned to school only to
see an issue of the Daily Prophet floating around the tables featuring Hermione and Malfoy on the
front page, for their first debut in wizarding society. Harry wasn’t quite sure what that meant but he
knew that he thought she was beautiful and had wanted to be in Malfoy’s spot dancing with her.
This problem was only made worse by the fact that Ginny was telling everyone that he had kissed
her, not the other way around. Pav had already asked him about it and confirmed that Ginny was
spreading rumors. He understood that she wanted to be in the spot light but he wasn’t alright with her
using him to do it. He had taken her aside and told her that he didn’t appreciate her lies about who
had kissed who. Harry knew that he hadn’t even kissed her back, he had been far too shocked, but
the whole school believed the opposite was true.
While Harry would be the first to admit that he had enjoyed the kiss, he had no urge to repeat it
again. He had other things to focus on, more magic to learn, and he wasn’t about to get caught up in
a drama-filled romance with a girl that was twelve years old when he was only thirteen. It screamed
of madness and he wanted no part in the scenario or the fact that Ginny was likely to start stalking
him if her actions so far indicated anything.
Ron had pulled her aside and chewed her out, threatened to tell their parents if she didn’t stop
following Harry and telling everyone they had kissed. Once again, Harry was reminded why Ron
really was a good mate. After that initial reaction, he had believed that Harry hadn’t kissed Ginny
and didn’t plan to kiss her back any time soon.
Once the Hospital Wing door closed behind him, Harry crept forward, pulling his father’s cloak off
of him. If he was going to get caught, he wanted to make sure he didn’t get his cloak confiscated. He
peeked around the curtain to see Hermione resting quietly against her pillows and her cousin sitting
next to her, reading a book and softly stroking her hair. She appeared to be sleeping but Malfoy’s
eyes snapped to his and blazed in fury. He bent and kissed her forehead and eased out of the bed,
Hermione seeming undisturbed. Harry knew that he was about to get chewed out so he braced
himself. Once they were away from the bed, Malfoy hissed at him angrily.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Harry raked a hand through his hair and sighed.
“I just wanted to make sure that she was alright. I wasn’t going to talk to her, I swear.” Malfoy
reached out and pushed him back several inches. Harry couldn’t help but get angry but after the
blond spoke, his anger deflated quickly.
“You broke her fucking heart. She cried for days over the shite you told her. Don’t worry, she might
believe everything you said but I’m not stupid. I’m far enough away from the situation to know that
Lupin is feeding you bullshite and you’re buying it. You don’t believe those things you said about
her but you said them to make sure that she wouldn’t come back around you. You wanted to make
sure that you wouldn’t be the weak one by actually taking a chance and trusting her. I’m going to tell
you now, Potter, you lost the best thing in my life. She could have been the best thing in yours too.”
Harry couldn’t believe that the Slytherin had seen through him so completely. He started to flounder,
hoping to find words that would deny the truth. Malfoy just sneered at him.
“Don’t try denying it, I’m not stupid like your best pal Weasel.” Harry started to get angry at him for
insulting Ron. Malfoy cut him off though.
“It’s really simple. You wanted her to stay away from you. You got what you wanted. She believed
you when you said all those terrible things to her. She’ll probably always believe them. Why don’t
you do the both of you a favor and leave her the fuck alone. Haven’t you done enough to her? I
know you don’t care but that girl is my whole world. I love her more than my parents and I want her
to be happy. Watching you pull her in and get her to trust you only for you to slap her down over
and over isn’t making her happy, she’s miserable. So, do the best thing for both of you and get the
fuck out of here. Your conscience can be clear, she’s not dying, in fact, once her magical stores are
built up again, she’ll be back to kicking your arse in class. You know how she is now so bugger
off.”
Harry knew that he was right, he had no right to be there worrying for the girl that he had so
thoroughly hurt. It made him feel like Dudley, but worse. Dudley usually just hit you and hurt you.
Harry knew better than anyone that words usually hurt far longer than injuries. He nodded at the
Slytherin and started to back away. He threw the cloak back over himself and watched as Malfoy
went back to the bed and crawled in next to her. It was only after several whispered words later that
he realized that Hermione was awake and had heard everything. She was crying softly and Harry
could just barely make out his words.
“I don’t know why he hates me, I’ve only just been nice to him. I don’t understand, Drake. Why am
I not good enough?” He could hear the utter heartbreak in her voice and he left before he could hear
her cousin’s response.
Malfoy was right, he didn’t deserve to know that she was well. He deserved to suffer for what he
had done to her. Even if her father was a traitor and had been responsible for what happened to his
family, she wasn’t. She had only been two at the time. Still, as much as he hated what he had done,
he couldn’t fix it. He had given his word to the twins that he would leave her alone and stop hurting
her. Harry vowed in that moment to do just that.
He was going to do his best to forget about Hermione Black, he was going to do whatever he could
to get her out of his head. He really wasn’t sure what he could do to do that, he thought about her all
the time now and he studied as hard as he could. It was going to take something else to get his mind
off how he had hurt her and keep it from entering his mind again.
Suddenly, his mind flitted to Lavender and how she had openly flirted with him since everyone had
heard that he had kissed Ginny. Harry had just blown it off but now it had merit. Ginny had
definitely made him forget about Hermione if only for a few minutes. He figured that it was better
than nothing.
With a plan in mind, he set off to find Lavender. It was time that he learned to snog and he was sure
that Lavender would be just the girl to learn from. Seamus already boasted about snogging her. He
hated his decision, he really just wanted to fix things with Hermione, but he wouldn’t. It wouldn’t be
fair to her and she deserved better than him fucking with her head. Harry heaved a sigh and entered
his common room, his eyes open for a blond who had eyes only for him.
A/N- Omg, guys, don’t kill me. I warned you that our pair aren’t going to get together until their
sixth year. Harry is going to do everything he can to forget about Hermione, then later, to forget that
he likes/is in love with her. You guys know I dig some angst. Just keep telling yourself that all will
end with the two of them together. Anyways, leave me your thoughts after the beep, they make me
smile.
Next chapter, a certain bad boy gets into the castle.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 54

A/N- Here we are again, my friends. After thanking you guys for your continued support, I want to
let those that read this story on AO3 know that I’m well aware that my formatting on that site sucks. I
really don’t care. I haven’t started posting on that site until recently and that’s only because my friend
begged me to. Since I simply copy and paste, I don’t have the time to go through and make sure the
line breaks are all there. If you want chapters as quickly as you’ve been getting them, something has
to give. I also rarely check my comments on that site either so if you really want an answer, you’ll
have to review on ffn. Sorry if this inconveniences anyone but I try to answer every review, pump
out a 7000-word chapter every other day and still take care of my family around having a full-time
job that I work overtime at. I would literally get nothing done if I checked and replied to those
comments as well. I wish I had more time but right now in my life, it just isn’t possible. To those that
didn’t get responses to their reviews, I apologize. I wish that just once fanfiction would let me reply
to every single review.
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything about this story. I have just manipulated J.K.R.’s characters into a
story I wanted to write. I have made no money from this story or any others. Trust me, I’m far too
broke for anyone to try to say differently.
Chapter 54
February 21, 1994
Hermione waited impatiently for Draco to finish his meal. Lunch had been shepherd’s pie today and
she knew that it was one of her cousin’s favorites. However, since he was now finishing up his
second helping, he had had enough. She nudged him with her elbow and glanced at the permanent
tempus on the wall. He rolled his eyes at her and sighed.
“Alright, alright, I get it. Hurry up and quit feeding my face because you’re ready to go to class.” She
grinned at him unrepentantly. It was clear he knew her well. Pansy scowled at her but Hermione
acted like she couldn’t see her. She understood that she was still angry about Hermione telling her to
get off her cousin’s lap but she needed to get over it.
Pansy was still almost scandalous in her actions to Draco. Hermione said nothing as long as it was in
a semi-private setting, especially since her cousin didn’t seem to mind most of the time. However, if
she put the image her family tried to uphold in danger, Hermione was quick to put her in her place
and that was never anywhere near Draco.
Hermione had had a talk with her cousin just two days before regarding his behavior. He had agreed
that while he did enjoy Pansy flirting with him, he let it get out of hand in public and he wouldn’t
allow that anymore. She did believe that he meant it at the time but she was sure that he would slip
up again. The interesting thing was that since Draco and Pansy had been getting closer, Pansy and
Daphne had been growing further apart.
Daphne had finally confessed to Hermione that she had a crush on Draco, that she thought he was
handsome and very intelligent. However, she was confused by Draco’s blatant flirting with her and
then inviting Pansy to sit on his lap and keep him company on the couches in the common room
before they retired to bed. Hermione couldn’t blame her; she would have been confused as well.
Hermione had also told her cousin that if he was going to take up with Pansy then he needed to start
leaving Daphne alone because it wasn’t fair to her. He had looked genuinely confused at her words
but had agreed that he wouldn’t flirt with Daphne anymore. Hermione didn’t understand it; he had
told her that he thought Daphne was pretty and he seemed to like her but he kept Pansy around,
flirting with her shamelessly. However, it was his life and she wasn’t going to dictate his life as long
as he wasn’t embarrassing himself or her aunt and uncle.
Hermione knew all about getting mixed signals. She couldn’t forget that Harry had come to check on
her while she had been in the Hospital Wing following the dementor attack on Hogsmeade. Her
heart had soared at the thought that he might care but had quickly been dashed the next day when
she had seen him snogging Brown sloppily outside the Transfiguration classroom. It was just another
knife in the heart that she did her best to ignore and distract herself from. Draco had steered her away
from the scene quickly and then told her over and over how Harry didn’t deserve her and she was
going to find someone so much better than Potter.
Honestly, it was easy enough to ignore as long as she didn’t have to witness it. She merely tuned the
students that were talking about it out and got caught up in a book. When she was confronted with
seeing it herself, however, it was a very real pain. Hermione really didn’t understand why it was so
hard since she knew that she was only fourteen and had plenty of time to find someone that would
love her. Honestly, she had never been in a rush to find love. While Harry was acting like this,
though, it was easier on her that they weren’t friends. Then she wouldn’t have to stand next to him
and watch him with other girls, pretending not to care.
If it was possible, since she was distracting herself with schoolwork and reading, her grades had
improved. Most of her teachers had taken to giving her extra assignments since they weren’t able to
give her more advanced ones. She always did them even though she knew she didn’t need to; she
told herself that it was more practice and that it would pay off in the end.
The Slytherin had heard through the grape vine that Harry was getting extra lessons from Professor
McGonagall. It made her so angry that he was trying to cram as much information in his head as
quickly as he could because her father had been denied his right to care for his godson. If Harry had
been allowed to go to her father, he would have been at the same place in his education as she and
Draco were.
She was also happily surprised with how Professor McGonagall fit into the dynamic. Yes, she gave
Harry his assignments and made sure they were graded. Dumbledore had asked it of her and who
was she to refuse a task that would help the savior of their world? However, she had joined
Hermione, Draco, and Uncle Sev several times since returning to school in her uncle’s quarters. As
nervous as it made Hermione to be herself in front of the Transfiguration professor, it was getting
easier. In time, she could see Professor Cat as someone that she could go to if she needed someone to
talk to. Once that layer of prejudice against her father had been removed, McGonagall really was a
wonderful person to talk to.
Hermione stood and followed her cousin out of the Great Hall, heading to Ancient Runes. It was a
class that they didn’t share with Pansy so she was grateful she wouldn’t have to listen to the girl
simper on her cousin’s arm. She had to admit at first that it was difficult for her watch Draco shower
Pansy with attention but she had quickly gotten over it. He would drop the girl in a heartbeat if
Hermione needed him and she believed that one hundred percent. However, it was still nice to have
her cousin to herself for just a little while each day. She wondered if he would feel the same way if
she ever started courting someone.
They took their usual seats in Ancient Runes and pulled out their texts, parchment, and quill. Today
was supposed to be a lecture with an assignment at the end. Once this class was over, Hermione was
supposed to use the time turner and go back to attend her Magical Theory class. Draco would go on
to Potions and she would meet him there. The time turner had been getting to her, she was constantly
exhausted. Reliving the hours for class and then several more to make sure all her homework for
school and Madam Cambridge was finished made for a long day that she couldn’t hardly stay awake
for.
Draco had urged her to give it up, to drop some of her classes but Hermione couldn’t even imagine
quitting like that. Sure, she planned on dropping Divination and Muggle Studies at the end of the
year but there was no way that she would just quit. Between Magical Theory, Ancient Runes,
Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures, she would still be busy but wouldn’t require a time
turner. In the privacy of her own mind, she could admit that she wished she could quit the other two
classes.
It wasn’t that she hated Muggle Studies; actually, she found it quite fascinating. What got to her was
that they learned the subject in theory only. She knew how electricity worked but she had never seen
it. She doubted that she ever would. If it would be possible to go the muggle world and see these
things for herself, she would love to continue the class but the truth of the matter was that as long as
they had to keep the image of being pureblood bigots, it was never going to happen. There was no
point in losing sleep over a class she couldn’t truly enjoy to the fullest extent.
Divination, however, was a joke. While she knew that prophecies were real, that they usually did
play out, Professor Trelawney clearly had no idea how to teach the subject. Hermione was quite sure
that the woman was a fraud but since there was no proof, she had to hold her tongue. If she had to
hear the woman predict Harry’s death one more time in class, she might just scream. Dropping her
class at the end of the year would be a wondrous occasion, though Draco said he planned to continue
it. Why, she wasn’t sure but she supposed that it was his choice and she wasn’t his parent, even if
she sometimes forgot that while bossing him around.
Professor Babbling started her lecture, over Greek runes. Hermione checked her notes against the
words her professor had spoken. She was thrilled to add several new things to her existing notes,
always something she enjoyed doing. Once they were given their assignment, Hermione started it
since she was sure to have plenty that night to take care of. When the bell rang, she gave her cousin a
hug and stepped into an alcove while nobody was watching. With a quick turn of the dial, she
vanished.
Hermione reappeared in the same alcove but the people around her were different. She caught sight
of herself and Draco heading into the classroom and once they were past, she hurried out so she
could make it to the Magical Theory classroom just two corridors away. She was the last one to enter
but it was still before the professor so she was safe from detention.
Magical Theory was a class that wasn’t overly popular. It was only a two-year class, then Spell
Crafting usually came after. Most people couldn’t handle two years of what they called a “boring”
class but Hermione loved it. She had always been stronger in theory and couldn’t wait until she got
through it so she could learn the basics of crafting her own spells. She knew that her father and
uncles had made their own spells here and there but they weren’t anything too special. She wanted to
make spells that would be taught for decades to come.
Since there were only two classes all week in the subject, Professor McGonagall taught Magical
Theory. She recommended the class before anyone attempted to become an animagus, something
that Hermione wanted to try to do later in her school career. She wasn’t quite sure that her magic was
powerful enough at the moment. Her father assured her that it was but she didn’t want to take the
chance of harming herself or her core because she couldn’t wait a couple years.
After listening to her lecture for the whole hour, Hermione wrote down her assignment and left with
a wave to Professor Cat. She had accidentally slipped up with the name that the Slytherins called her
and to her great surprise, the stern professor had laughed. She said she didn’t mind the name as long
as they weren’t disrespectful. Hermione could only agree to her terms and breathe a deep sigh of
relief.
Once she had left the classroom, Hermione started for the dungeons. Potions was next, her all-time
favorite subject. They were brewing Confusing Concoctions today and while Hermione hadn’t
brewed one in quite some time, she wasn’t worried. Since Draco had told their family about what
Harry had said to her that day in the Hospital Wing, her godfather had done all he could to keep
them apart. To her knowledge, he hadn’t told anyone that they Boy-Who-Lived had visited after her
run-in with the dementors but it didn’t matter. The less everyone knew about her feelings regarding
Harry, the better.
Since they had already lectured over the potion, they would go straight to brewing. While Hermione
was thrilled that she wasn’t paired with a Gryffindor, she still groaned inwardly when she realized
that Pansy was her partner. She was downright terrible at potions and she was still angry at her for
her actions over a month ago. Hermione just sighed and straightened her spine. She was going to get
through it no matter what Pansy said to her.
To make a point, Hermione refused to move from her seat. Draco knew exactly what she was doing
and chuckled softly before kissing the side of her head and moving to his spot by Parvati. Pansy
glared at her as she slid into the seat he vacated but Hermione pretended that she didn’t notice.
Getting into an argument in Potions class with her godfather present was not something that she
wanted to add to her “survived through” list.
Hermione told the girl to ready the cauldron and bank the heat while she gathered the supplies,
mostly because she didn’t trust the girl to get the right ingredients. Draco had had the same idea and
was getting ingredients as well. Hermione noticed that Harry had followed suit, leaving Millie to
ready their cauldron. A decent idea since potions was Millie’s best subject. She still wasn’t great, but
she was certainly passable.
Once she had gathered her ingredients, Hermione went back to the table and started readying them.
Pansy just watched her until she finally snapped at her and told that if she didn’t start helping, she
was going to get a failing grade. Pansy realized she was right and began mincing the daisy root.
The hour passed by better than Hermione had expected. Pansy remained mostly silent, followed
directions, and they had turned in a perfect potion. Sure, Hermione had caught the glares coming her
way but she hadn’t commented on them. As her aunt had told her during her training, there would
always be people who hated her because of her wealth, family, and station. Her job was to be the
best woman she could and ignore those that sought to bring her down. Unless they took it a step too
far, of course. Then she was to strike back hard and fast, leaving no proof that she had done so. Just
before the class dismissed, Pansy asked her a question, completely sullen.
“Why do you hate the idea of me with Drakey so much?” Hermione turned her expressionless mask
to her friend and cocked her head to the side. This was a one-time situation and she didn’t want to
waste it.
“I’m not against Draco being with you. I’m against the image you portray. You come across like a
tart, like you’re trying to sell yourself to him because he’s rich and influential. Whoever becomes
Lady Malfoy is going to have to have a better image than throwing herself at a man because he was
rich. Lady Malfoy is supposed to be respected, not a mockery. You grinding yourself on him just to
excite and embarrass him is crass and trashy. If you decide to be intimate together, it should be in
private and certainly shouldn’t be flaunted. Sure, hold hands and exchange small kisses, but you
don’t excite him like that and leave him that way for your entertainment. Not only is it cruel, it’s far
less than he deserves.” Pansy sputtered for a few moments, searching for words. Her eyes narrowed
dangerously.
“You just don’t him to spend time away from you.” Hermione rolled her eyes.
“Oh yes, that’s been an issue so far, hasn’t it? Think before you speak, Pansy. Even though Draco
likes quidditch and being social doesn’t mean he’s going to be happy with a girl that either is stupid
or plays that way.” Pansy looked ready to smart back but, in the end,+- her face fell.
“You’re right. It’s just hard because my parents are pushing me so hard.” Hermione reached out and
laid her hand over her friends.
“I know, but you have to do what’s best for you. I know you genuinely like Draco. I’m not saying
don’t go after him but keep it classy. If you act cheaply, he’ll treat you that way.” Pansy nodded
miserably. Hermione had a feeling that this would help for a little bit but Pansy would be right back
to her old tricks within a month. That’s how it usually went. She did decide to address her attitude
towards herself before they were dismissed.
“For the record, Pansy, you should keep your looks of disdain in my direction to a minimum. Do you
think Draco is going to be serious about you if you show your hatred for me so openly?” Her eyes
widened and Hermione wanted to laugh but didn’t. It was clear that the girl thought her hatred was
well-disguised.
“How did you…I don’t hate you…I’m not… -.” Hermione waved her hand, silencing her.
“I know you don’t like me, Pansy. It’s no secret. Just a word to the wise. Hide it better if you want
my cousin.” She narrowed her eyes at Hermione.
“Why are you helping me?” Hermione stared at the girl as she gathered her things.
“Frankly, I don’t really care how you feel about me. Aunt Cissy told me ages ago that girls wouldn’t
like me. Your obvious hatred, however, is creating tension within our group of friends. Either hide it
better or get over it. We’ll never be best friends and I’m alright with that.” Hermione didn’t give her a
chance to speak before she threw her bag over her shoulder and flounced from the room.
Hermione had only made it to the staircases when Draco caught up with her. He was grinning at her
unabashedly and she wondered just how much of their conversation had been heard. He wrapped an
arm around her shoulders and hugged her close.
“That was brilliant, Miney.” She felt color flush her cheeks.
“You heard that?” He laughed.
“I think the whole class did. You know I don’t want to end up with her, right? If I do anything with
her, it’ll just be fun.” Hermione could only shake her shoulders since she really didn’t want to get
into an argument over equality between sexes with her cousin.
“I think you can do better and deserve the same but it’s your life. If Pansy makes you happy, who am
I to tell you she’s terrible for you?” Draco chuckled at her words.
“You don’t have to, I can tell you can’t stand her. Whoever I end up with will have to love you as
much as I do.” She smiled at him and leaned her head down on his shoulder. He really could be quite
sweet when he wanted to be.
They made their way to the Great Hall for dinner together. Their friends trailed behind them, nobody
willing to interrupt them in the time they spent together. They took their usual seats and Hermione
rolled her eyes as Draco served her a large helping of roast beef on her plate. She waved him off as
he started to serve her potatoes. Hermione lost herself in a book while Draco started talking quidditch
with his teammates.
Since Draco had quidditch practice that night, Hermione was planning to go to the library and work
on her heaps of homework. Neville had made plans to meet her there so she could help him with his
potions. She was sure that the twins would show up at some point since they were always looking
for tips when it came to potions. Daphne had asked if she could tag along and Hermione had happily
agreed.
After the meal was over, Draco hugged her close for a brief moment before he took off towards the
pitch. Hermione rolled her eyes, gathered her bag, and started for the library. The night was going to
be full of laughter if the twins had anything to say about it.
-O-
Harry really needed to get to the library to work on his homework. He had blown it all off the night
before in order to spend the evening snogging Lisa Turpin but tonight he really needed to get his
work finished. He was supposed to have his extra school work handed in by the morning and he had
an assignment in Transfiguration that needed to be finished for the day after tomorrow.
He had had Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures that morning, though Professor
McGonagall was the only one to give them an assignment. Even Professor Snape hadn’t given them
homework after brewing their potion. There would be no way to work on his homework the next
day after class because he would have quidditch practice. It really was maddening trying to find time
to fit everything into his schedule this year.
Harry couldn’t seem to get away from Hermione Black these days. It seemed as though she was in
all his classes, which he supposed that she was. However, where they hardly had interactions before,
now it seemed as though they were constantly running into each other. They had tried to leave
Transfiguration at the same time and had run into each other, literally. After Care of Magical
Creatures, he had caught her feeding what looked like raw meat to a feral looking dog just outside
the Forbidden Forest. During Potions, they had gone to retrieve their ingredients at the same time. He
knew for a fact that she would be in the library tonight as well. It was torture.
Harry hadn’t said a word to her, he had kept his word to the twins and done exactly as Malfoy had
asked of him. He snogged a new girl each week, Ginny being one of them, though he had no plans
to tell Ron that. He hadn’t initiated it but he wasn’t going to complain, that much was for sure.
Besides, he knew for a fact that he wasn’t the only boy Ginny was snogging. He had personally
caught her with one of the boys in her own class just four days ago. Ron likely wouldn’t believe him
even if he had told him; he seemed to think that Ginny was a little angel.
Snogging girls helped him forget about Hermione. She fled from his mind almost instantly, until he
ran into her of course. Seeing her in person was always hard. Guilt assaulted him every time he
remembered her crying after they thought he had left the Hospital Wing. He had hurt her and he
deserved to have thoughts of her torturing him.
Harry entered the library and found a table to himself. Ron had been doing good keeping up with his
homework so if he didn’t have to work on an assignment, he always begged off going to the library
in favor of playing Seamus or Dean a game of wizard’s chess. Pav usually stayed to watch him
which left Harry to work in peace and quiet. He usually didn’t complain about it.
Across the room, he caught sight of Hermione sitting with Greengrass, Neville, and the twins. Harry
couldn’t believe that the twins had been crazy enough to defy their mother; Molly was a frightening
woman and Harry wasn’t sure that he would want to willingly defy her. However, they did and they
didn’t seem to care that they would likely be grounded for the whole summer when they returned
from school.
Harry tried to concentrate on his assignments, he had already retrieved the books he needed from the
shelves. However, his attention kept fleeing to the girl he was doing his best to forget. The twins sat
on each side of her while Daphne and Greengrass sat across from them, both working on something
together. Hermione had a small smile playing across her lips while she listened to them. When she
turned her attention to the twins, she quickly had to hide a full-blown smile. Both Fred and George
threw an arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek at the same time. She flamed red and
started to hit them, clearly embarrassed at their show of affection.
Harry was happy to see her smiling and laughing. She usually looked so serious and he knew that
she needed to let loose just a little. He turned back to his work to finish his Transfiguration
assignment. He was unsure why he had to do his regular assignments when he was doing extra work
as well but he supposed that it would just have to work for now. After he finished his assignment, he
needed a potions book to work on his extra assignment. He rose to his feet and went to the shelf
closest to Hermione and started to search the shelf on the other side for the book he needed. Just as
he located the book he needed, he heard Greengrass speak.
“Putting Pansy in her place earlier was priceless! Her agreeing with you was the best part though.
She does come across trashy when she throws herself at Draco like she does.” Harry slid a book out
of the shelf so he could watch them. Neville nudged her with his shoulder and grinned at her.
“You’re only saying that because you have a crush on Draco. Everyone can see it, especially since
you don’t hang out with Pansy anymore.” Harry grinned at the bright flush of her cheeks. Harry
could admit that she was a beautiful girl; nothing compared to Hermione but he would snog her if
she wanted to. Fred and George started howling laughter and the girl put her head down on the table.
“Please promise me you guys won’t tell him. He doesn’t like me that way and I don’t want to lose
him as a friend if he were to find out. Besides, we’re only thirteen. Nobody makes life decisions at
thirteen.” Hermione gave her a soft look before she patted her friend’s hand.
“The twins won’t tell a soul, right boys? I wouldn’t want to have to try one of my experimental
potions on them.” Fear crossed both their faces before they began shaking their heads in the negative
quite vehemently.
“Your secret is safe with us, Daph. Weasley’s word of honor.” Daphne raised her head and smiled at
them.
“Thanks boys.” They all fell quiet again and Harry had just decided to go back to his seat when
Neville spoke.
“There aren’t many girls here that are private about their personal life. If I have to catch Harry
snogging Lavender one more time, I’m going to hex him. Ginny too for that matter. I don’t really
care if he does it but I don’t want to see it. I’m just waiting for Ron to find out. Ginny is snogging
three or four boys right now and Ron doesn’t know about any of them.” Harry watched the
amusement on Hermione’s face disappear and she concentrated on the book in front of her. It hurt
knowing that just the mention of his name brought her to that but he supposed that he had done it to
himself. Not wanting to hear anymore, he found his way back to his seat.
Perhaps he should be more circumspect about his snogging. He wouldn’t want to watch anyone else
so he supposed that it probably went the same way. Vowing to do his best to keep his activities more
private, he gathered his things and left the library, casting one last glance to the other table.
Harry let his mind wander as he walked through the school’s corridors. His lessons with Professor
Lupin were going well. He had finally managed a corporeal patronus, a stag just like his father’s had
been. It wasn’t the strongest and he couldn’t hold it for long but his professor was thrilled. He still
needed more practice calling upon it whenever he needed to but he was pleased with his progress.
Harry never made it to the Tower; he was met by the Headmaster and a sea of Gryffindors on the
sixth floor. The expression on the Headmaster’s face was grave as he laid a hand on his shoulder.
“All students are to return to the Great Hall. Immediately.” Harry nodded and fell in step behind the
man but shot Ron a questioning look. Ron was nearly bouncing in his shoes as he gave him a grave
look. It was definitely sending him mixed signals.
“What happened, mate?” Ron spoke low as he answered.
“I was heading to the Tower and found Rookwood standing in front of the Fat Lady. He was using a
knife on her portrait, she’s ruined. Dumbledore reckons she can be fixed but it isn’t good. She told
Dumbledore that the loon was asking after you, wanting to know if you were in there.” Harry
couldn’t believe what his best mate was telling him.
“Before curfew and in plain sight, he was trying to get through the Fat Lady?” Ron gave a restrained
nod.
“Yeah, mate, I couldn’t believe it. He heard me and took off down the corridor. They aren’t sure
where he is, that’s why we’re all traveling together. He sent one of those patronuses to all the
teachers and told them to bring us all to the Great Hall while they searched the castle. I think the
aurors are going to come too.” Harry nodded and watched the floor as they walked. It was nearing
curfew and he couldn’t help but wonder how long this search was going to take.
Once the Headmaster had them to the Great Hall, he gestured for all the students to take their usual
seats. Harry slid into his spot and waited for someone to say something helpful. Dumbledore made a
quick search of the Great Hall and shot sparks out of his wand. Everyone quieted and turned their
attention to him.
“You’re all to stay here until you are told otherwise. The castle must be searched and I have to go
meet with the aurors. I want the Head Boy and Girl to assume order of the Great Hall. Prefects, you
will help patrol your house and make sure that there is no trouble and no students sneak off. If you
are found out of the Great Hall, you will be expelled. This is no game, children. Rookwood is a
Death Eater and will not have a problem hurting or killing you to get what he wants.” There were
fearful looks on all the students faces but Harry kept his face neutral. He knew that he was the target
of Rookwood. Likely the man wouldn’t bother with anyone else unless he thought it would get him
closer to Harry.
Harry caught sight of Hermione being hugged by her cousin. Malfoy was still in his practice
quidditch robes so neither one of them had made it to their common rooms. Neville came up behind
him and smiled.
“Alright, Harry?” Harry nodded and was happy that someone had asked him how he was handling
the knowledge that an escaped killer was after him. Neville smiled again.
“You want to come over to the Slytherins with me?” Harry shook his head instantly. He wasn’t
going to go back on his word.
“No, I don’t want to cause problems in this mess.” Neville nodded and clapped him on the shoulder.
“I understand. Just remember, Ron isn’t your only friend.” Harry knew what he was trying to tell
him but at the moment, he didn’t care. Rookwood was in the castle and he wasn’t allowed to go find
the man. All he wanted was to keep the students safe and he couldn’t.
“Thanks, Nev.” His friend clapped him on the shoulder again and returned to his Slytherin friends.
Harry listened to Ron for almost an hour, telling his story repeatedly, bragging that he had come
close to death. He was getting more and more irritated as the time went on to where he was just
sitting there silently and scowling. He didn’t get to tell Ron to stuff it because the Headmaster
appeared on the dais that they High Table was located on and spot off sparks again.
“Everyone, the search continues. Since it is now after curfew, we will all be bunking down here for
the night while the aurors and I continue to search. Your Heads of House will stay here with you and
make sure that there aren’t any problems. I’m going to vanish the tables and I expect you to spread
out and use the sleeping bags that have been provided. Trouble makers will be punished heavily.
That means you, Messrs. Weasley.” The twins guffawed in laughter and there were several others
that chuckled along with them. Causing trouble to earn laughter sounded like something they would
do.
Harry stood and picked up on of the sleeping bags and walked to one of the empty corners of the
Great Hall. Everyone else followed suit, Ron, Ginny, Pav, and the twins settling down next to him.
Prefects were moving down the line and transfiguring school clothes into pajamas. Harry’s flannel
pants and tee shirt were much more comfortable. He looked over and caught sight of Hermione and
Malfoy about ten feet away from them. He wasn’t sure if they had moved so close on purpose but
they didn’t pay him any mind.
The sixth-year prefect, Miles Bletchley, came through and swished his wand, changing the clothes of
the Slytherins to night clothes. Malfoy glared at him when he put him in boxer shorts and an
undershirt. He waved his own wand and changed it to pants and a tee shirt. Bletchley moved on and
waved his wand at Hermione, changing her uniform to the shortest shorts that Harry had ever seen
and a low-cut skin-tight tank top. His cock hardened in his pants at the sight of her but he sat down
quickly to hide his condition.
There were several whistles around her but Hermione waved her wand, not only giving herself pants
and a looser tank top, but a robe as well. Malfoy stepped forward, hands clenched into fists, only to
be separated by Professor Snape. Harry couldn’t hear what was said but he was quite sure that it
ended in Bletchley getting detention. Hermione settled into her sleeping bag and her cousin crawled
into his next to her. Since everyone else seemed to be doing the same thing, Harry decided to follow
suit and get some extra sleep. It was earlier than he usually went to bed but there was nothing for it
now. There was no way he could concentrate enough to get his homework done in this environment.
Trying to ignore the thoughts he had of Hermione in next to nothing just a few feet from him, Harry
rolled away from her, closed his eyes, and let himself fall to sleep.
-O-
Lupin hated being used. If it were for anything aside from keeping Harry safe, he would have told
the Headmaster to piss off. However, even he could admit that his werewolf senses could help him
find someone even in his human form.
Therefore, he was left to escort the aurors until the Headmaster returned. He knew that Albus wanted
to keep the children together in the Great Hall, but he was sure that the Death Eater had already left
the school. He had found Rookwood’s scent and followed it to one of the side doors of the school
where it had become so faint, he wasn’t sure what had happened. He couldn’t help but wonder if the
man had cast a scent-deadening spell on himself, knowing that Remus was a werewolf. It wasn’t a
huge secret after all.
He listened to the aurors squabble about nothing while they waited for Albus to return. He let his
mind wander to once again to seeing Sirius up close for the first time in forever just a month ago.
Remus could admit that he looked fine as fuck. However, he couldn’t allow those old feelings to
resurface since the man had single-handedly killed their best friends.
Watching him have such strong emotions for his daughter was hard to take. That should have been
Harry that he loved and cared for, not Hermione. Yes, he could admit the girl was powerful and
smarter than anyone he knew, but he couldn’t help but resent the girl for her place in his ex-lover’s
life. Harry should have been the most important person in his life, not his Death Eater brother’s
bastard spawn. Oh, he had heard the rumors that Regulus had married Erise Malfoy after their deaths
but he wasn’t sure that he believed it.
Remus tried to distract himself again with thoughts of Harry and his triumph in casting the patronus.
He knew that the boy was only putting half his power into the charm; once he learned to channel all
of it, he would be unstoppable, even stronger than Hermione Black. He grinned. Harry would show
Sirius exactly what he had missed sooner or later. He was certain of it.
Lupin sighed as the Headmaster approached and barked out orders for them to continue searching. It
was going to be a long night.
A/N- Another chapter, guys, look at me go. Nothing too terribly action-packed in this chapter but
moving the story right along. Hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone out there that has been
showing my story love. You guys are just awesome. Let me know what you think, your reviews
make me smile.
Next chapter, Pansy’s birthday and a chance encounter.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 55

A/N- Here we are with another chapter, guys. We’re getting closer and closer to the reveal. I only
hope it doesn’t disappoint. Anyways, thanks to everyone out there reading and reviewing, you guys
keep me motivated, hence why I crank out a chapter every other day. Just a warning, as the holidays
get closer, the chapters will slow down. Life in insane for me around the holidays.
** Shout out to jacktank10 for being my 1900th reviewer. You are da bomb!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing except the twist on the plot line. Pureblood Hermione has been done
before, daughter of Regulus and Sirius has been done before, angsty Harmony has certainly been
done before. The idea for Part One was gifted to me by Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. I merely
twisted it and used it to draw me down this dark and winding road.
Chapter 55
March 18, 1994
Hermione felt the familiar worry rise up in her chest as she watched her cousin rise from the
breakfast table in his quidditch robes. They were playing Ravenclaw today and while Ravenclaw
was the one favored, Draco was pumped and thriving on the happy energy his table was creating.
As one, the team rose and started for the door leading them to the pitch. As if he had just
remembered, Draco turned and jogged back to the table to press a kiss to the top of her head and tug
a curl. She grinned at him and hugged him close.
“Don’t do anything stupid. If you get hurt, I’ll be very angry.” He laughed out loud and pulled her
curl again.
“I’ll be fine, Mia, just you watch.” She smoothed his robes before he could run away.
“Good luck. I’ll be watching.” He didn’t say anything else but she knew that he appreciated it. She
could feel Pansy glaring at her but she refused to give her the satisfaction of turning around meeting
her gaze. Instead, she turned and met Daphne’s gaze. The girl loved watching quidditch and
Hermione could see the excitement on her features.
They made small talk for another half hour before the bell rang, dismissing them to the quidditch
pitch. Hermione wrapped her cloak around her tightly, recasting the warming charm. It was decent in
the middle of the afternoon but it was still pretty chilly in the mornings since it was only mid-March.
Daphne was smiling next to her and Hermione couldn’t resist just a little bit of light teasing.
“So, are you so happy because it’s quidditch or because Draco is playing?” Daphne’s cheeks flushed
prettily and Hermione wanted to grin at her friend. Since she had had a falling out with Pansy, they
had really grown close. Of course, it had come with the promise of never telling Draco that she had a
crush on him but that was easy enough. Hermione would be the first one to admit that it was nice
having a female friend. The pair had even made tentative plans to go shopping over the holidays,
even though Hermione wasn’t the biggest fan. She wanted to have other things to do with her friend
other than study.
“I do like watching Draco play but I know he doesn’t like me like that. He wants Pansy. That’s ok,
I’d rather be with a boy that likes me for more than being pretty.” Since Hermione understood
completely, she hooked her arm through Daphne’s and smiled.
“If Draco doesn’t realize that you’re better than Pansy, he doesn’t deserve you. Besides, you’re only
thirteen. You’ll meet plenty of boys that will like you for yourself. I caught Blaise eying you just the
other day.” Daphne blushed again.
“I know. It just hurts that he doesn’t notice me but he pays attention to Pansy. I know I’m pretty, I
have eyes. Like you said, one day I’ll find a boy that only has eyes for me. As for Blaise, he’s no
better than Draco. I caught him snogging a Hufflepuff the other day. When did snogging become so
important?” Hermione chuckled and leaned her head on her friend’s shoulder.
“I don’t know but I don’t plan on rushing into it. Besides, my Aunt Cissy might kill me if I disgraced
the family. My father would probably understand, he’s a bit of a rebel after all, but Aunt Cissy would
be so disappointed.” Daphne laughed.
“I guarantee you she wouldn’t. I bet you she was messing around with Lord Malfoy before they
were married. My mum told me that almost everyone does, it’s just nobody talks about it.” Hermione
could almost bet that her blonde friend was right. Her aunt and uncle were far too in love to wait
until it was proper. They barely waited now. Hermione smiled at her.
“Enough of this depressing talk. Let’s concentrate on quidditch.” It just so happened that at that
moment, Harry walked past her with his arm around Mandy Brocklehurst. He pulled her into the
dark shadows under the stands, disappearing from sight. Hermione felt her face fall and Daphne
didn’t miss it either. Since Daphne had several inches on her, when she leaned her head down, her
neck was at an odd angle. Hermione smiled softly at her friend.
“How long have you liked him?” Hermione shrugged her shoulders since she really didn’t know for
sure when she started liking Harry as more than her would-be brother.
“I’m really not sure. I didn’t even realize I did until recently.” Daphne smiled at her.
“Seems we’re in the same boat. The boys we like don’t see us at all. I don’t understand it either since
you’re bloody beautiful.” Hermione pinched her arm.
“So are you. My cousin’s just an idiot.” Daphne laughed but started pulling her up the stands.
“Oh well, we can be spinsters together then. Boys be damned.” Hermione started laughing now,
feeling genuinely better after Daphne’s words. As nervous as she had been about Daphne finding
out, she really did feel better.
“Let’s get settled.”
Hermione pulled her friend to the top of the stands so they would have the best view. The boys that
were seated there already were happy to move and then offered them the use of their cloaks if they
found themselves cold. Hermione thanked them for their offer but told them they were fine at the
moment. After they settled in, Hermione couldn’t help but start to worry again.
However, she didn’t have to worry for long. Only ten minutes later, the Ravenclaw team emerged
and Lee Jordan announced them. They took their lap around the pitch and the school cheered for
them. Hermione wasn’t under any illusions that the rest of the school wanted Slytherin to win. If it
came down to it, the whole school would rather Slytherin lost every single match. She didn’t take it
personally.
The Slytherin team emerged next, to the same introduction as the Ravenclaw team. All the Slytherin
stands cheered and when Draco’s name was announced, Hermione and Daphne went to their feet
and started applauding him. Since nobody else had gone to their feet, they were easy to pick out and
Draco waved at them with a smile. After they landed on the ground in the middle of the pitch,
Madam Hooch started the game by releasing the balls and throwing the quaffle in the air.
Hermione always struggled watching quidditch. She knew what each player did and what their
purpose was but she had a hard time following the quaffle at the speeds that it was passed. She
wasn’t sure why but it had always been like that. Her father and uncles made fun of her all the time
but she had learned to ignore them years ago. Even though they teased her, they still dragged her to
all the professional matches they attended.
The match lasted over two hours and even though Hermione knew that they were behind in points, it
all came down to Draco doing his job as seeker. While he was a much better chaser, he was still a
decent seeker. Slytherin was down by eighty points and even though she couldn’t follow the quaffle,
she was pretty sure that they wouldn’t come back eighty points by the end of the match. She knew
that Draco was going to have to end the match before Ravenclaw got more than a hundred- and fifty-
point lead.
Another twenty minutes passed before Draco leaned forward on his broom and shot through the sky.
Cho Chang, the seeker for Ravenclaw, leaned forward and shot off after him. Hermione couldn’t see
the snitch but judging by how Draco was focused, he could. It wasn’t a feint and she thought that
Cho realized that. Hermione had never been a huge fan of Cho Chang. While she was a pureblood,
she always acted like she was better than everyone else because of it. Hermione was more than
capable of using her pedigree when she needed to but she didn’t think that others were beneath her
just because of her “pure blood”.
Slytherin and Ravenclaw were all cheering loudly, some people jumping up and down in the stands,
urging their seeker to get the snitch first. Hermione was gripping Daphne’s hand tightly, scared to
death that Draco would hurt himself or fall off his broom. Granted, he hadn’t fallen from his broom
in probably eight years but that was beside the point. The two seekers ended up bouncing off each
other in the race to the snitch.
The race came to an end near the hoops at the Ravenclaw end of the pitch. Draco feinted left but
went right, closing his hand around the tiny golden ball. Ravenclaw seemed to sag in disappointment
and the whole of the Slytherin stands went to their feet and cheered, chanting Draco’s name.
Hermione was bursting with pride for her cousin and his accomplishment. Daphne was cheering as
loudly as everyone else and Hermione was unsure if it was because of Draco specifically or the fact
that Slytherin had won against the odds. Either way, Hermione didn’t care.
As a whole, the Slytherin stands rose and rushed the pitch. Hermione took her time picking her way
down the bleachers since the last thing she needed was a broken neck. She had faith in Madam
Pomfrey but it wasn’t something that she really wanted to experience. Daphne was nice enough to
stay with her. Once they reached the pitch, Hermione realized that Pansy had thrown herself into
Draco’s arms and was hugging him tightly around the neck. Before Hermione could even step in,
Pansy had kissed him. Not just a peck but a full-on snog that had everyone around them cheering.
Her cousin’s arms wrapped around the girl hanging on him and Hermione sighed. This was only
going to get ugly by the time her cousin finally tired of Pansy.
Daphne wilted next to her but Hermione shot her a look that told her to stay strong and not show
weakness. When she stepped into sight, Hermione waited for her cousin to separate himself from
Pansy. He finally pulled away and had a stupid grin on his face. However, his expression fell when
he caught sight of Hermione. He shoved Pansy away from him and made his way to her side. He
wrapped Hermione in his arms and started to kiss her cheek but Hermione squawked in protest.
“Please, Drake, I know you’re going to kiss girls but when you kiss her, please keep your lips to
yourself.” He laughed at her words and kissed the side of her head anyways. She pinched his side
but smiled at him when he released her. However, she couldn’t stay angry at him for long.
“You’re lucky you stayed safe, now I don’t have to kill you.” He laughed out loud and several others
around them chuckled at her words as well. Daphne grinned softly but stayed behind Hermione. It
seemed that as soon as Hermione moved just a tiny bit, Draco caught sight of her. He stepped to her
and grinned a roguish grin. He reached out and took her hand in his so he could bend at the waist
and kiss her knuckles like a proper gentleman.
“Did you enjoy the match, my lady?” Daphne blushed but curtsied in response.
“Of course, my lord. You were wonderful.” Draco released her hand but kept his eyes on her for a
few moments more. Pansy came to his side and wrapped an arm around his waist, laying her hand on
his chest.
“Now we can turn my birthday party into a celebration for winning. It’ll be great.” Hermione smiled
thinly at the girl but said nothing. Draco raised his eyebrows at her in question. Hermione
straightened her robes.
“Feel free to do so. I think I’ll find the twins and Neville instead. I find that I have other things to do
besides mingle with those undeserving of my attention. Have fun though, Drake. I’ll find you before
I go to bed and we’ll talk.” It was a slap in the face for Pansy and everyone around them had heard
it. Hermione didn’t make a habit of wielding the power that her family had but she had warned
Pansy time and time again about making a spectacle of her cousin. If she had to publicly shame her,
she would. Most of the girls took a step back, completely aware of what she had just done. Draco
smirked at her but waved to the boys he usually spent time with.
“Let’s go, boys. I suppose Pansy’s birthday has become a quidditch celebration.” He was well-aware
what she had just done and he found it amusing. While he might find it amusing, he would never
work against her. Pansy’s eyes lit up at his words but all the girls started making excuses to not
attend. Pansy’s party was originally planned for that night and everyone had been happy to attend.
Now, none of the girls dared attend unless they wanted to commit social suicide.
Her cousin kissed her head one last time before he allowed Pansy to wrap herself around him once
again. Hermione wrapped her arm through Daphne’s and pulled her back towards the castle. Since it
was close to lunch time, she figured that they could eat lunch first. The other girls of Slytherin
dispersed and Hermione leaned towards Daphne.
“I figured we could go eat lunch before we find the boys. You are going to stay with me, right?”
Daphne burst out in laughter, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Of course, I’m going with you. You think I’m going to attend that party after what you said? I may
be blonde but I’m not stupid.” Hermione grinned at her but said nothing. Daphne finally calmed to
just chuckles as they entered the castle.
“You know, it really is amusing to watch you sometimes. You are the last person to use the power
you have just by being the Black heir and niece to Lord Malfoy. When you do decide to use it,
though, it’s hilarious. You cut down whoever you need to and leave them bleeding like the vicious
socialite that trained you. I know Lady Malfoy taught you everything she knows.” Hermione
laughed now as they took their seat at the table.
“You’re right, she did. She started teaching me a few years back. I’m almost ready for my role as
Lady Black. I don’t like to ruin people but I will do anything I have to make sure nothing happens to
my family. Like it or not, Draco is the most important person in the world to me. Whoever he ends
up marrying is going to end up dealing with me for the rest of their lives.” Daphne’s eyes sparkled at
her words.
“I pity Pansy if she ever takes her place at his side.” Hermione started to spoon food onto her plate.
“You should. If she can’t be a proper Lady Malfoy, I’ll make her regret ever taking her vows. Draco
deserves the best and if he’s stupid enough to choose her, I’ll do my best to make sure that she fits
the requirements.” Daphne’s face fell but Hermione squeezed her hand.
“Stop worrying about Draco. He’s just being young and stupid. In case you haven’t realized it yet,
boys are stupid. One of these days, he’ll pull his head out of his arse. He might not choose you, but I
can almost guarantee you that it won’t be Pansy.” Daphne nodded but changed the subject.
They passed lunch with small talk about classes and homework. Hermione really wasn’t sure what
they could do with the twins and Neville but for once, she didn’t want to study. Maybe later she
would visit her Uncle Sev. It had been a couple weeks since she had spent time with him in his
quarters. Once Daphne finished eating, Hermione pulled her over to the Gryffindor table where their
friends were still eating. Harry was sitting between Ron and Ginny and she could feel his eyes on her
as she crossed the Great Hall. The twins were grinning widely at her and Daphne when they got
there. Hermione smirked at them.
“We were wondering if you three wanted to do something fun with us this afternoon.” Neville
cocked his head to the side and looked contemplative.
“Don’t you two have a victory party to get to?” Daphne burst out laughing at his words. Hermione
kept her smirk in place but nothing more. All the attention of the lion’s table was on them when
Daphne finally spoke.
“Only the boys will be attending the victory party. Hermione made sure to make it clear that
attending the party would be social suicide.” The twins started laughing and even Neville looked
amused. Hermione could tell that Harry was confused. However, she didn’t feel like explaining for
him. Neville instead asked her reasoning.
“You finally wielded your power as Hermione Black, princess of the wizarding world. What made
this happen?” Hermione just raised an eyebrow at him but Daphne burst out laughing before
laughing.
“She warned Pansy a month ago to quit making a spectacle of Draco, that it wasn’t dignified. She
even gave them dispensation to do whatever they wanted in private but to keep it discreet. Pansy
leapt into Draco’s arms on the pitch and snogged him in front of everyone. Pansy declared that her
birthday party was going to be a victory party. Hermione then informed her that she had better things
to do than mingle with those undeserving of her time.” Neville and the twins burst out in laughter.
The twins leapt from their seats and dragged Hermione to sit between them while Neville gestured
for Daphne to sit as well. Fred spoke once she was settled.
“Vicious little Slytherin, aren’t you?” Hermione shrugged with one shoulder.
“I learned everything I know from my Aunt Cissy. Do you think she would approve of Pansy’s
behavior?” All three boys laughed again and then she heard a voice she hadn’t heard directed to her
in quite some time.
“So, you ruined Pansy socially because you didn’t like her snogging your cousin?” He sounded
genuinely confused so Hermione tried not to take offense. Ron, however, knew exactly what she had
done. She knew that he had been taught the pureblood way of thinking just the twins had been.
“She ruined her socially because she was jealous that her precious cousin moved on from her to
Parkinson.” Hermione didn’t have to say anything. Neville pulled his wand and hexed Weasley’s
mouth shut.
“Shut up, Ron. You don’t even know what you’re talking about. She cast aspersions on Pansy’s
character publicly because she refuses to keep their private life private. The main reason is because
she’s hoping to trap Draco into a betrothal contract.” The twins were nodding and Harry still looked
confused. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to Neville.
“If he’s going to survive in this world, you have to educate him.” She gestured to Harry and Neville
nodded.
“I try but he’s resistant to learning.” It wasn’t her place and it wasn’t her problem. Therefore, she
turned back to her friends.
“What do you guys want to do? Daphne and I are yours until dinner.” George grinned.
“Let’s go skip rocks on the Black Lake.” Hermione nodded amiably. She wasn’t very good at it but
she was down to do anything as long as it wasn’t attending Pansy’s party.
The five of them finished quickly and started for the doors that led outside. Hermione allowed the
twins to formally escort her while Neville offered Daphne his arm. If Daphne didn’t have such a
crush on her cousin, she would be hopeful for Neville. He was a great friend and a nice boy. Sure,
he was probably no better than any other boy in private but he didn’t make spectacles of himself.
They spent several hours competing against each other, skipping rocks as far as they could around
the lake. Fred ended up challenging Hermione to a race around the lake and she had basked in the
glory of winning after she beat him by several minutes. Of course, he was unaware that she made
four to five rounds around the lake every morning. Conversation did turn to schoolwork briefly,
mostly because the twins were despairing that they couldn’t figure out a potion for one of their
pranks.
The evening drew closer and found Hermione laying on the blanket between the twins, her head on
one of their legs while the other one rubbed one of her feet. She usually didn’t allow such familiarity
between them but she knew they wanted nothing from her but friendship. Neville had long ago
draped his cloak around Daphne’s shoulders and they were all talking about what they wanted to do
after they graduated from Hogwarts. The twins wanted to open their own joke shop, something that
she was quite sure they would excel at. Neville wanted to gain a mastery in Herbology and breed
new and exciting plants. Daphne didn’t really have academic plans but knew that she wanted to start
a new wing of St. Mungo’s for creatures that weren’t allowed to be treated, like werewolves.
Nobody was surprised when Hermione waxed on that while she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do,
she enjoyed potions, transfiguration, and creating spells.
The five of them finally headed back to the castle at dinner time. Hermione had had an enjoyable
afternoon even though she hadn’t been studying. It was a reminder that learning wasn’t everything
and she needed to remember to have fun here and there as well. The boys convinced the pair of
Slytherins to dine with them that evening since all the boys were still celebrating. Just about every
girl in Slytherin turned up for dinner and looked quite pleased that Hermione noticed their presence.
Hermione could feel the eyes on her from up and down the Gryffindor table. She glanced up to the
High Table and while her godfather looked worried, Professor Cat looked quite pleased. She knew
that she was happy that they were trying to house rivalries but until the mouth of Ronald Weasley
and Seamus Finnegan were contained, that would likely never happen.
Hermione bid her friends farewell at the end of dinner. Daphne said that she was going to go to the
library and find a book to read in bed that night. The twins were going to go put her advice to use
while Neville was going to hang out in the common room and play chess. Hermione didn’t announce
her plans but she was heading to her godfather’s quarters. She missed seeing him all the time and
maybe they would be able to brew something together that night. With a merry wave to her friends,
Hermione started off towards the dungeon, determined to forget all about Harry and Pansy. She was
going to see her godfather, after all, one of her favorite people in the world.
-O-
Harry watched Hermione all through dinner, completely surprised that the twins and Neville had
been able to convince her to stay and eat with them. Ron hadn’t noticed him watching the Slytherin
girl but he was quite sure that Ginny had. He couldn’t help himself, however. In fact, he had
followed them to the Black Lake and watched them, curious as to what they would do to spend their
afternoon. He realized that this was probably considered stalkerish but he was truly curious what the
girl did for fun. All he ever saw her do was study.
He supposed that he should feel ashamed that he listened in on their conversations but he heard
nothing that was important or life threatening. He had been quite surprised to hear that such a society
witch planned on having a career that dealt with potions, transfiguration, and spell creation. It made
him respect her and that was more than he could say for most girls these days.
He really had been confused how and why she had ruined Pansy Parkinson socially. Sure, he wasn’t
going to cry over it but the thought process that went behind it eluded him. After it was explained, it
made him feel a flush of embarrassment. Did his actions embarrass the name Potter? Would his
parents be disappointed if they had been alive? Again, he vowed to keep private business private.
He had snogged so many girls as of late that he wasn’t sure that there were any girls with morals left.
Sure, they had to exist, they just had to, but he hadn’t met one yet. One of them had to see that he
was just using them to remove Hermione from his mind and demand better treatment, see past his
eventual place as Lord Potter, his fame, and his money. However, so far, that hadn’t been the case.
In fact, he had met with Mandy earlier that day and spent half the match snogging and lightly petting
her breasts but tonight, Ginny had begged him to meet her. He was on his way to the alcove just
outside the dungeons. Nobody ever checked there during rounds and he had yet to be caught there.
He stepped into the darkness of the alcove and found that Ginny was already waiting for him. She
bunched his robes in her hand and pulled him closer, her mouth slanting over his, thrusting her
tongue into his mouth. Harry no longer held back, lightly massaging her tongue back. His hand fisted
in her hair and jerked her head back roughly. It should have hurt but instead Ginny moaned. It went
straight to his cock and he ground his hips into hers.
Ginny reached down and opened his trousers, pulling his cock out. Only Lisa had dared to give him
a handy so far but Ginny surprised him completely by sinking to her knees and putting his length in
her mouth. It was clumsy and it was clear she wasn’t experienced but as his first blow job, he wasn’t
going to complain. His hands buried in her hair and he thrust into her mouth roughly, completely
uncaring that he could be hurting her. Women had become a tool for him to forget, to cope, and he
now treated them as such. He knew they deserved better but at the moment, he didn’t care.
It didn’t take him long to spill himself inside her mouth, his seed trickling out of the corners of her
mouth. Her tongue snaked out and caressed his softening cock, cleaning him. Just before he could
get aroused again, he pushed her away. She stood and kissed him again, something he really wasn’t
too keen on but allowed. She pushed his hand to her pants and urged him to slide into her knickers.
Harry had never done this but he knew the general idea of what he was supposed to do.
Harry couldn’t help but feel just a bit disgusted at the overgrown hair of her pussy. She was only
twelve! Did she take some sort of potion to appear older? He knew that most witches didn’t believe
in shaving, very few did, but muggles were firm believers in being hygienic. However, he tried to
ignore it and focus on the task at hand. Ginny was sopping wet, something he really didn’t find
surprising. Ginny was rumored to have fun with three to four boys so he was probably not the first
one to do this for her. He really wasn’t that interested but since she had made him orgasm so
spectacularly, he felt he owed her. His finger found her nub and started to rub circles around it, just
like the books had told him.
It didn’t take her long to orgasm. At least, he thought she did. She moaned loud enough in his ear
that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to hear until the next day. Her pussy didn’t spasm like he had read
and it didn’t gush fluid. He hoped that she was just different rather than faking it. If he was going to
do something, he was going to do it right. He pulled his hand from her pants and sniffed his fingers.
She wasn’t paying attention so he didn’t feel bad that the smell wasn’t what he had expected. He
vowed to cast a cleansing charm as quickly as he could after he left. Ginny turned mischievous eyes
to his and Harry was reminded in that moment that she was exceedingly young. He should probably
feel guilty but the one time he had tried to deny her, she had been even more forceful.
“You were great, lover. I hope I was as good as you were.” Harry couldn’t keep back the grin at her
words. She had definitely been good.
“You were amazing.” Ginny grinned now.
“Shall I tell my mum we’re exclusive?” Harry frowned at her and stepped back.
“Gin, we aren’t exclusive. I shouldn’t even be messing around with you, you’re twelve. This is
wrong. I don’t want to be exclusive with anyone.” Ginny seemed to realize that he was retreating
and stepped forward to grab his hand and lay it on her cheek.
“That’s fine. You have your fun and when we’re both old enough, we’ll deal with it then. Just don’t
stop letting me make you happy.” Harry knew he should get out now while he could but he couldn’t
help it. As soon as they had separated, his miserable life came flooding back, the look on Hermione’s
face when she had ran from him and the guilt that refused to leave him. Hoping for another chance to
forget it all, he nodded. Ginny grinned and went to her tip toes to kiss him before she stole from the
alcove as silently as he had come. When Harry had tucked himself back in his pants and left the
alcove, he stepped out right in front of Hermione Black. She ran right into him and he wanted to
catch her but knew that it would be wrong to catch her with the hand that smelled of Ginny’s pussy.
Therefore, she fell to the ground and cried out as she landed on her tail bone. Harry stepped forward
and offered her the hand that wasn’t soiled. She refused to take it, however, and kept her eyes
downward and she tried to slip past him.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you.” Harry reached out and caught her elbow but she shook him
off as if his touch burned.
“It was my fault, not yours. I’m sorry I didn’t catch you.” Hermione nodded slightly and tried to
move forward again. He hadn’t released her yet so she sighed and turned towards him fully.
“Please let me go. I’m trying to do as you asked and leave you alone and stay away from you. I can’t
do that when you’re holding onto me.” Harry knew that he had no right to hold her there but he kept
hold for just a moment later.
“I am sorry. For everything.” She finally raised her eyes to meet his and Harry could see the pain
there.
“Please, if you want me to leave you alone, allow me to do so. Don’t apologize when you’re just
going to do something hurtful again. We both know you feel guilty but your feelings haven’t
changed. You don’t have to feel guilty about me. Just consider me someone who tried to be your
friend but decided it wasn’t a good idea. You don’t have to be sorry. I got the message and I’ll leave
you alone. What more do you want?” Harry had a mountain of things that he wanted to say but he
remained silent. It wouldn’t be fair to her so he released her as she had asked. Instead, he muttered
the words again.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” She smiled at him sadly now.
“You don’t have to be.” Without another word, she was gone and he felt even worse about himself,
mostly because she was right. Nothing had changed except that he felt bad about hurting her. She
was doing as he had asked and he had no right to make things harder for her. He watched her scurry
away and hated himself even more than before. Without another word, he turned and headed
towards the Tower.
He would do anything to forget tonight but he didn’t think that he could that lucky.
-O-
Severus grinned at his goddaughter as she explained what she had done to Pansy. He hadn’t
expected any less; everyone in the school had seen Pansy’s kiss. They had both been raised to enjoy
attentions from their other half but to keep it private. Pansy was truly not showing herself well and he
had truly thought that his ruthless niece would have done something about it earlier.
They were laying on the couch together; or rather, he was sitting in the corner while she took up the
rest of the couch with her feet in his lap. He was rubbing one absentmindedly while he listened to her
prattle on. He could tell that something was bothering her but wasn’t sure what it could be since
putting Pansy in her place should have made her day. When her dialogue finally ended, he arched an
eyebrow at her.
“Tell me what’s bothering you, dearheart.” She rolled to her side but didn’t pull her foot from his
grasp. She sighed and seemed to be contemplating what to tell him. Finally, after several minutes, she
met his gaze.
“Can I trust you not to tell my father?” Severus glared at her. He would never betray her trust unless
she was in danger.
“Unless you’re in danger, I won’t say a word.” She sighed again and began.
“I realized that when Harry told me all those horrible things that I liked him. Not just as someone
who should have been my brother, but I liked him, liked him. Now, he’s snogging everyone he
comes across and he just tried to apologize to me this evening. I saw Ginny Weasley leaving the
alcove he was in and then he tried to tell me how sorry he is after he’s the one who drove me away.
It’s just very confusing and it hurts even though I want to forget so badly. I want to forget Harry
Potter but that won’t ever be possible because of who he is to my dad. He’ll always be there rubbing
it in my face that I’m not good enough for him and it hurts.” Severus reached down and pulled her
hand until she was leaning against him. He hated teenaged drama more than anything but his
goddaughter was in pain and he hated to see that.
“I’m sure I’m telling you what Draco has already told you. If Potter is too fucking stupid to realize
how wonderful you are, he doesn’t deserve you. You’ll find someone who cherishes you for the
treasure you are.” His goddaughter nodded against his chest.
“I know, that’s what I keep telling myself. It doesn’t make it hurt any less though. How do you get
past your first heartbreak?” Severus wanted to groan at her words but he didn’t.
“You just cope as best you can and distract yourself until you’re over it. Sometimes you won’t ever
be totally over it but it will hurt far less. As for Potter, he’s a young boy. He’s not going to get
smarter, he’s going to get dumber, just as Draco will. Don’t sit around and wait for him. Don’t give
him the satisfaction. If the chance for happiness comes along, you grasp it with both hands and to
hell with Potter. If you two are meant to be together, he has to pull his head from his arse first.” He
knew that she knew this but sometimes hearing it helped. She grinned against him and nodded.
“Thanks, Uncle Sev. I love you.” He kissed the top of her head and grinned even though she
couldn’t see him.
“Love you too, princess.” She pulled out of his grip and laid back down before grinning
mischievously at him.
“You didn’t finish my foot massage.” He picked up his wand and sent a mild stinging hex at her
backside. She yelped loudly and scowled at him before grinning unrepentantly.
“Brat.” Even though she grinned at him, he still picked her foot back up and started massaging it
again. The only female in his life laughed and started to regale him with tales from her afternoon,
reminding him there were still good things in her life.
Severus grinned as he listened to his goddaughter enlighten him with the story of her day. He loved
her more than anything and listened with a smile.
After all, she was worth it.
A/N- Just a little teenaged drama and angst. My daughter is thirteen and it’s horrid. I don’t know
how I ever survived, I’m surprised my mother didn’t murder me. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
Thanks to everyone out there reading and reviewing, you guys are awesome! Leave me a message
after the beep and leave me your thoughts.
Next chapter, Hermione shows up Ron in class and things explode.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 56

A/N- You guys are just amazing, thank you so much for supporting me through chapters that you
don’t necessarily agree with. I hope that this chapter sits better with you but I’m not going to hold my
breath. Ron douchery up ahead! You guys can all thank SugarQueen93 for getting this chapter
today. I came from work, threw my laundry in and took advantage of the children being at their
grandparent’s house.
**Shout out to Moonsong78 for being my 2000th reviewer. Seriously, you’re awesome!**
Disclaimer: As always, I don’t own a thing about this story. I have taken J.K.R.’s characters and
twisted them into a story extremely different from her version. I tell myself she would approve but
really, she probably wouldn’t. Doesn’t stop me from hoping! Still a broke bitch so I still haven’t
made any money from these stories.
Chapter 56
April 25, 1994
Hermione watched her cousin fondly as he started on his third helping of beef stew. She wasn’t sure
what he had done to work up such an appetite but she had an inkling that it had to do with Pansy.
They had disappeared together just before lunch and had been thirty minutes late getting to the Great
Hall. All Hermione had done was glare at her cousin and tell him that he had better have been more
discreet than Pansy had been. He had told her that he had and left it at that.
Hermione didn’t like thinking about what Draco got up to with Pansy, mostly because he was closer
than a sibling and she couldn’t stand Pansy. However, since Hermione had made clear that hanging
around with Pansy would be suicide, the girl had only gotten worse, not better. She had spoken to
Draco about it, only for it to turn into a row where she ended up hexing him for doing everything in
his power to make Aunt Cissy cry. He had relented and admitted that she was right. After that day,
she knew that the pair were still seeing each other but she hadn’t seen proof of it. Therefore, she kept
her mouth shut on the matter.
Hermione and Daphne had only grown closer in the month that Pansy had been on her own. It was
nice having a girl friend that understood you, to a point at least, and didn’t mind being smart and
studying. As a result, Hermione found herself doing more fun things than she usually did, much to
the twin’s and Neville’s delight. She would have spent more of this free time with Draco but he was
always with Pansy or practicing quidditch. Truthfully, she missed her cousin but they were going to
have to grow apart at some point and she had a feeling that that time was now.
The bell rang, signaling that lunch was over. Hermione did her best to hide her sigh. Next was
Defense Against the Dark Arts and she was dreading it. Lupin no longer singled her out or sneered
in her direction; now, he just acted like the she wasn’t there, like she didn’t exist. While it was an
improvement from the beginning of the year, it was still frustrating.
Hermione knew that the werewolf was still seeing Harry after classes, she had walked past his
classroom one evening and had seen them together. While she was happy that the Gryffindor had
someone to rely on, it hurt because she knew that her father was getting the raw end of the deal. This
whole conflict between her father and just about everyone in his life was because of Peter Pettigrew
and his traitorous ways. She did her best not to dwell on it but it was hard sometimes to do that. Her
father had been deeply hurt by Lupin believing him capable of selling their best friend out to the
Dark Lord.
Hermione gathered her things and started for the door. She no longer waited for her cousin to escort
her anywhere. He was rarely at her side anymore. Neville had done his best to step into the void but
it just wasn’t the same. Therefore, she no longer had chaperones when the other boys asked to escort
her. While it hadn’t become a problem yet, she a feeling that it would since she was getting older and
a more reasonable age to sneak into alcoves. However, she refused to rely on her cousin when he
had done all he could in the years past for her. He deserved time to make himself happy as well, even
if it was in the arms of Pansy Parkinson, as sick as the thought made her. Hermione heard her cousin
calling out to her, telling her to wait for him. She slowed but didn’t stop. Draco was out of breath
when he caught up to her, probably due to the fact that he hadn’t been running with her in over a
month.
“What’s the deal? Why were you leaving without me?” Hermione couldn’t believe what had just
come out of his mouth. She turned to meet his gaze, her eyes flashing.
“Please tell me you’re kidding.” Draco glared at her.
“No, I wasn’t.” Hermione shook her head at him as she turned and started for class again. When he
caught up to her, she whirled around to glare at him.
“If I waited for you, I would never make it to class. You haven’t walked with me to class in a week.
Last week, you walked with me one time. Why in the world would I wait for you? I’m just doing as
you are, growing up and doing my own thing. It was bound to happen sometime.” Understanding
dawned on his features and he reached for her arm. She turned and started walking again, putting
herself just out of reach.
“Miney, I didn’t mean -.” Hermione met his gaze with her impassive mask on.
“It doesn’t matter. This was bound to happen and I haven’t complained. I’ve made my own way,
found escorts elsewhere. You deserve to make yourself happy and I won’t begrudge you that.
However, don’t ask me why I don’t wait for you anymore when you haven’t bothered to see if I was
actually alive for a month or more. I know you don’t think its true, but I can take care of myself.” He
looked bereft but she wasn’t in the mood to deal with it at the moment. They were at the door to
Defense and she entered without another word.
Draco looked heartbroken when she took her now customary seat next to Daphne. He had left her
table to sit next to Pansy three weeks ago and left her with nobody else at her table. Daphne had
taken the seat and while it wasn’t the same as being with her cousin, it was better than sitting with
nobody. Daphne looked up and got a confused look on her face.
“Why does Draco look like he’s about to cry?” Hermione kept her eyes on her bag as she pulled her
things out to ready herself for class.
“Probably because he just realized that he’s made himself scarce enough over the last month that I
realized I don’t need him to make sure I’m safe. It’s called growing up and while I hate it, it’s what is
happening.” Daphne nodded knowingly but didn’t say anything else.
Professor Lupin breezed through the doorway of his office and shot sparks in the air. The class fell
silent and paid attention; as much as Hermione didn’t like the man, he was a good professor, a far
better one than the professors they had had so far. He was well-liked by almost everyone, even the
Slytherins though they would never admit it. He smiled pleasantly to the room before he started
lecturing.
“Today’s lesson is going to be over werewolves.”
Hermione couldn’t help but want to snicker. A werewolf was going to lecture a bunch of third year
students on werewolves. She found the irony of it amusing. The Slytherin flipped through her notes
and found her section on werewolves and started to pay attention to his words. To her great surprise,
she added numerous little facts that he told them about that Madam Cambridge hadn’t told her. She
supposed that being one meant he had the inside scoop.
The whole class was spent in lecture with Professor Lupin assigning them an eighteen-inch essay
over the differences between a wolf and a werewolf. Hermione couldn’t help but grin to herself. She
had done this exact assignment years ago when Madam Cambridge had assigned it; if only she had
kept it. After the bell rang and Lupin dismissed their class, Hermione began to gather her things so
she could put them back in her bag. Charms class was next and it was only two corridors away,
meaning she had a few minutes to make sure that her things were orderly.
When Hermione looked up, she realized that Daphne had fled. Draco was standing at the door
waiting on her. She sighed because she knew that Draco wasn’t sure how to act but she wasn’t sure
what she was supposed to do. She had been cast to the wayside for Pansy Parkinson and had been
forced to do things on her own. She had already accepted that they were growing apart but her
cousin hadn’t. She started for the door and even though he probably thought she would refuse his
arm, Draco offered it. Without a word, she took it and they left Defense and started for Charms.
Draco’s voice was soft when he finally spoke.
“I’m sorry, Miney. I didn’t realize how bad I had let it get. You’re right though, I’ve totally blown
you off for Pansy when I was the one to tell you that I would always have time for you. Can you
ever forgive me?” Hermione sighed and rubbed her temple with her free hand.
“It’s fine, Draco. I knew it was going to happen at some point. I warned you of that, remember? I
knew that it was just a matter of time. Really, I’ve learned how live without you around all the time. I
just want you to be happy. If Pansy is what makes you happy, I’ll deal with it. I mean, I can’t stand
her but if she’s your choice I’ll live with it.” Draco pulled her to a stop and she could tell that he felt
horrid. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it with a small smile.
“I promise, it’s alright.” He shook his head no and she sighed. His eyes met hers and he sighed.
“I don’t like Pansy like that, Miney. She’s giving me blow jobs and they feel amazing. She annoys
me most of the time.” This made Hermione feel even worse. He hadn’t ditched her for Pansy, he had
ditched her for sexual favors. Her eyebrows drew inward and she couldn’t help the hurt that bled
through in her voice.
“You’ve completely ignored me for a month because she’s sucking your dick? That makes me feel
even worse. I thought that you genuinely liked her, that she meant something to you. I could
understand coming after a girl you liked but coming after sexual favors? Glad to know that I mean so
much to you.” Hermione held back her tears and stomped past him. He called her name but she
ignored it. She would try to talk to him after dinner but now, she was hurt, more so than she had
been before talking to him. Why hadn’t he just left well enough alone?
Hermione threw herself in her seat in the Charms classroom. Daphne had anticipated them making
up and had sat next to Tracey. She started to get her things out of her bag when Draco slunk into the
classroom and slid into the seat next to her. Pansy smiled and waved at him, gesturing for him to
come sit with her but he ignored her. Hermione glared at him.
“Don’t ignore her on my account.” He didn’t look at her but continued to ignore Pansy. She had just
gotten her things situated when Professor Flitwick came in and grinned widely.
“Alright class, we’re going to be learning the full body bind. I’m going to split you up into pairs and
you’re going to practice on each other.” Hermione wanted to groan. Professor Flitwick was famous
for pairing her with the worst students so she could help them. While she didn’t mind helping Millie
or Greg, she detested having to help Ron Weasley.
Sure enough, the Slytherin found herself paired with the hateful red head. Draco was paired with
Pansy and even Hermione had to admit that he looked miserable. She fawned over him and patted
his hair several times before he finally swatted her hand away. Daphne shot her a questioning look
when she moved to sit next to Weasley since he would never move to sit next to her. Weasley glared
at her while she settled herself next to him and set out her things again.
Professor Flitwick lectured for half the class period, teaching them the wand movement and the
incantation. After he was sure that they had it down, their tiny professor bid them to spread out and
start practicing. Hermione sighed and went to her feet, beckoning for Ronald to go first. He sneered
her way.
“Why do I always have to go first?” Hermione sighed and rubbed her temples.
“Because I’ve been able to do this spell for years. Would you like me to show you?” She didn’t give
him a chance to answer; she whipped out her wand and gave it a wave.
“Petrificus totalus.” Ron’s legs and arms snapped to his body and he fell over backwards, landing on
the hard floor. She winced, reminding herself to cast a cushioning charm on the floor behind her. She
released the spell quickly and Ron was grumbling under his breath. She rolled her eyes.
“Would you like to try now?” He waved his wand without warning, much the same way she had.
Hermione, however, didn’t snap together and fall backwards. She sighed.
“Your wand movements are sloppy, you need to make the circle tighter.” Ron sneered her way
again.
“You really think you’re something special, don’t you? Let me tell you, Black, even your cousin has
wised up and moved on. I mean, I hate Parkinson but she’s better than you.” Hermione didn’t have
anything to say in response and she was saved from having to by Professor Flitwick speaking.
“Well, we didn’t get near the practice that I had hoped but we’ll pick it up again next class. The bell
is getting ready to ring, go ahead and gather your things and you may go early.” Hermione praised
Merlin under her breath and moved back to the desk to get her things together. She had stuffed her
things back into her bag and stood to leave when she heard Draco’s voice above all the others.
“Fuck, Pansy, you’re not my girlfriend. I don’t have to carry your bag, in fact, don’t count on me
ever doing that for you.” Pansy looked dumbstruck but Hermione paid it no mind. What happened
between Draco and Pansy was their business. She had just left the Charms classroom when a voice
called out to her. She could only grit her teeth when she realized that it was Weasley.
“So, Black, how does it feel knowing that your cousin has left you behind for Parkinson? She must
be a better shag.” She knew that she should walk on and ignore him but the things he was implying
weren’t proper and there was no way that she could pretend she hadn’t heard it. When Weasley
realized that she was going to say something, he grinned at her.
“Truth hurts, doesn’t it? She must suck better dick than you do.” Hermione raised an eyebrow at
him, aware that they were gathering a crowd. Draco hadn’t emerged from the classroom yet.
Hermione raised one eyebrow at him, doing her best to impersonate her Uncle Luci.
“First of all, the things you’re implying are disgusting and not true. Second, if I was ever in
competition with Parkinson, I would win hands down. Third, you’re only spouting this complete
trash because you know you’re a second-rate wizard with a first-rate best friend. You’ll never be able
to compete with Harry Potter. He’s everything you’re not and the world is going to see you for the
sidekick you are.” She knew it was a low-blow but she was tired of him spouting complete shite. She
was tired of seeing Harry with other girls and acting like it didn’t hurt. She was tired of Draco
ignoring her for the sexual favors of Pansy Parkinson. She supposed that Weasley’s words were true
to an extent. After all, Draco had ditched her for Parkinson. Well, her blow jobs.
Weasley, however, was turning a shade of scarlet. She wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or anger
but she guessed that it was a little bit of both. The students around them were snickering, a mixture of
Slytherin and Gryffindor alike. Hermione watched as Draco came out of the classroom and tried to
make it to her side. She glared at him, silently telling him to stay back, that she was handling the
problem herself. However, she never would have guessed how Weasley would react.
Hermione’s attention was on her cousin, that was her mistake. Weasley’s hand raised and he swung,
Hermione not realizing until it was too late. The back of his hand caught her cheek like the Hogwarts
Express. She had always been tiny, her mother’s genes she was told. While she was strong, she still
wasn’t a match for Weasley physically. She was knocked to the floor and she could hear the crowd
gasp. Her cheek was throbbing and she could taste blood.
Draco was yelling but Hermione didn’t pay attention to what he was saying. Hermione rose to her
feet, her magic swirling around her like a tornado that nobody could see. She could see Harry
standing next to his friend, his jaw hanging open at what he had just seen. The Slytherin didn’t even
try to rein in her magic; she let it flow from her freely. Weasley slammed against the stone wall with
a heavy thud and he began to rise. Nobody stepped in and she could see fear in most of her
classmate’s eyes. Draco came up behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders. However, since she
was angry with him too she just threw his hands off of her.
“Don’t try to calm me down, this waste of air deserves whatever he gets.” Draco put his hands back
on her shoulders and whispered in her ear.
“I know you’re pissed, you have every right to be. However, if you hurt him, you’ll get expelled.”
Hermione started laughing. She turned to face her cousin with mirth in her eyes.
“Why would I care about that? That just means that I’ll get to take my N.E.W.T.s earlier, I won’t
have to deal with bullshite from anyone here, our illustrious defense professor won’t have to deal
with me, and you won’t have to feel guilty for doing what you want.” Draco cupped her cheeks with
his hands.
“Miney, you promised everyone that you wouldn’t hurt anyone.” She felt a stab of guilt at his words.
She had only promised not to take it as far as she had with Lavender again. She had no plans to do
that, she was in control. However, she felt that Weasley deserved something in return for her black
eye and bloody lip. She shook her head at her cousin.
“I’m in control. I’m not going to kill him. I swore I would never take it that far again. Why doesn’t
anyone trust me?” She let Weasley fall with a thud but since he was only a few feet above the
ground, he was able to keep his feet when he landed. Hermione stepped forward until she was right
in front of him.
“If you ever touch me again, I’ll let my father and uncle have you. We’ll see how you fare against
the traitor and the Death Eater. That’s how you describe them after all.” She didn’t get to say
anything else since Lupin walked around the corner and spotted them. He shot sparks from his wand
and everyone backed away. Hermione stayed in Weasley’s space for another few seconds before
stepping back. She turned to her father’s ex-best friend and spoke in monotone.
“I’ll just see myself to my Head of House for punishment.” Lupin narrowed his eyes but Draco
spoke before he could.
“You didn’t do anything, you shouldn’t be punished.” Parvati stepped forward.
“She had him up against the wall and was going to drop him. She did drop him. She did plenty.”
Hermione turned her impassive gaze to Parvati and raised an eyebrow at her. The girl shrank away
and into Harry’s side. She couldn’t help but notice that Harry didn’t look like he knew what to think.
Draco glared at the Indian girl and spoke again.
“Weasley backhanded her. Look at her face.” Hermione didn’t like feeling like she was on display
but refused to back down. Her chin raised, mask still firmly on her features. Lupin stared at her for
almost a minute before sighing and raking a hand through his sandy hair. With a wave of his wand, a
wolf appeared and he gave it a message. Lupin sighed again and spoke.
“Mr. Weasley, who saw everything that happened?” He grinned.
“Harry, sir.” Lupin nodded.
“I want Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, and Miss Black to head to the Headmaster’s office
with me. Everyone else head to the Great Hall for dinner.” Hermione knew that this wasn’t going to
end well. Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and started to pull her after Lupin. Hermione
glared at him, not in the mood for his babying. She had gone without it for a month and she was still
hurt that it had happened because of sexual favors. However, when she saw his face, she left his arm
where it was. He knew she was pissed and there was no point in making him feel worse.
They had to go down two floors to get to the Headmaster’s office. Lupin led them through the griffin
and into the large office. Professor McGonagall and her godfather were already there, as was the
Headmaster. Both professors gasped at the sight of her face but only her godfather rushed forward to
cup her face.
“I demand to know what happened.” Draco glared at everyone in the room.
“I want Lord Black summoned at once.” The Headmaster held up his hands.
“Now, now, this is simple case of a childhood argument. There is no need to get parents involved.”
Draco glared at the Headmaster and produced his wand. He waved it with a whispered spell, his
dragon appearing. After giving it a whispered message, he turned back to the room.
“My cousin will be here momentarily. If you won’t summon him, I will. I suggest you open your
floo.” Professor Cat came over and started to examine Hermione’s face. While she wanted to pull
away from her, she didn’t. Her cheek was tender and she could feel her eye swelling. Professor
McGonagall narrowed her eyes.
“Did nobody at least clean the blood from her face before walking her through the castle?” Hermione
reached up and felt the corner of her mouth. Indeed, there was a trickle of blood there. She was
getting ready to wipe it away when Draco grasped her wrist and shook his head no.
“I want your father to see your face.” The Headmaster sighed and produced his own wand. The
phoenix appeared and he gave it a message. When it had soared out of the room, he spoke.
“Arthur will be here as well. If we’re going to do this with one parent, we may as well have both.”
Hermione didn’t give a shite who he had come watch. She’s take her punishment willingly. All she
wanted to do was go back to her dorm and go to sleep.
The floo activated and Arthur Weasley stepped out, shaking soot from his robes. He turned to see
who was gathered in the office and glared at his son. Ron was staring at the floor, completely
unaware that his father didn’t appear to be happy. Harry stood quietly at his friends’ side though he
appeared to be very nervous. Hermione supposed she couldn’t blame him; he was going to come
face to face with her father for the first time ever. Before anyone could speak, the floo activated again
and her father stepped out, still in his Wizengamot robes. It was clear he had been called from the
Ministry. He caught sight of her face and rushed to her side. His hands found her face and he cradled
it gently.
“Sweetness, what happened? How did this happen to your face?” She said nothing, not sure she
could answer without tearing up. She didn’t want her father to be disappointed in her. Draco had no
such problems, however.
“Weasley backhanded her. Her magic threw him against the wall and he started to rise up the wall.
He only went up two or three feet when she released him.” Hermione watched as her father’s eyes
clouded over and he started to lose control. A wind blew through the office and everyone looked
confused. The Headmaster glared at her father.
“You need to control yourself, Sirius.” Her father’s head whipped around, fury dancing in his gaze.
“You may address me as Lord Black. Don’t tell me to calm down when my daughter was struck in
your school, somewhere she’s supposed to be safe.” Hermione stepped forward and wrapped her
arms around her father, burying her face in his chest. His arms went around her and he buried his
face in her hair.
“Calm down, Daddy. Don’t give him a reason to throw you out.” Her father sighed and the breeze
disappeared. Her Uncle Sev was glaring at Weasley and she had a feeling that he was going to
demand the pleasure of having him in detention. The Headmaster held up his hands again, trying to
calm everyone.
“Why did Mr. Weasley strike Miss Black?” Hermione remained silent but Draco tried to help her.
“I’m not sure. I hadn’t made it out of the classroom yet.” Weasley snickered.
“Yeah, he was too caught up in Parkinson’s spell.” Hermione watched Draco glare at the redhead.
Harry just shook his head as if he couldn’t understand how his friend was that stupid. Dumbledore
shook his head, exasperated.
“Miss Black, your side please.” Hermione raised her chin again and met the Headmaster’s gaze, her
occlumency shields all in place.
“Weasley made a distasteful comment about how Draco and I were intimate and he had thrown me
over for Pansy Parkinson. He then made another one about sexual acts that he thought we had taken
part in. I told him that he was a second-rate wizard just trying to ride the coattails of Potter, that he
was nothing more than a sidekick. It made him angry so he backhanded me. My magic threw him
against the wall and started to pick him up. Draco tried to calm me down and I let him down.” Her
father smoothed her curls with one hand and glared at the redhead silently. The Headmaster turned to
Ronald and raised an eyebrow.
“Are her words true, Mr. Weasley?” He sputtered for a moment and burst out, almost shouting.
“She was complete bitch in Charms, rubbing it in my face that I couldn’t do the body-bind.”
Hermione raised her eyebrow imperiously.
“That’s true if you consider instructing him how to do it properly as rubbing it in his face.” The
Headmaster sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. He turned to Harry.
“How much of what has been said here is true, Harry?” He didn’t seem to realize that he was being
spoken to since his eyes were fixed on her father. Once the Headmaster cleared his throat, Harry
flushed.
“It’s all true. She did tell him how to cast the spell correctly but she was clearly irritated because he
couldn’t cast it. Ron said those things, she said those things and he hit her. Her magic lashed out and
threw him into the wall.” Her Head of House turned his attention to her. He raised an eyebrow and
she could see the amusement in his gaze.
“Why were you irritated that he couldn’t cast the spell?” Hermione wanted to grin but she didn’t.
“How would you feel if you were always partnered with someone that the teacher wanted you to
help? Sure, Millie and Greg want my help so I don’t mind. Weasley hates me and he doesn’t want
my help. I detest having to help him because he doesn’t want it. He would rather struggle than have
someone who has been able to cast the spell for years help him.” Draco smirked but remained silent.
Her father snorted and Arthur glared at him. The Headmaster help up his hands again to stave off
comments.
“I am going to give Mr. Weasley a month of detention. Who oversees it will change from day to day
with whoever is available. Miss Black will serve a week of detention under the same stipulations.
Mr. Weasley will lose fifty points for Gryffindor and Miss Black will lose twenty-five.” Her
godfather glared at the Headmaster.
“That’s hardly fair, Headmaster. You took a hundred and fifty points from Miss Black last year for
something she did against another student. You only take fifty from a Gryffindor?” Dumbledore
glared at her uncle.
“Last year, neither student received detention.” Uncle Sev snorted.
“No, because Miss Black was petrified for over four months. Miss Brown was never punished with
detention either, yet she only lost twenty points. By that reasoning, it would only be fair for Mr.
Weasley to lose more points while Miss Black serves no detention.” Hermione could feel her father
shaking with laughter but he didn’t look like he was laughing at all. Dumbledore glared.
“I am assigning him a month of detention and taking less points. That seems fair since Miss Black
served none last year. As for the witch in question, she will lose her points and serve only one
detention.” Professor McGonagall smiled at the room.
“That sounds fair to me. I want to say that as Head of Gryffindor house, I am deeply disappointed in
your actions, Mr. Weasley.” Ron dropped his head and stared at the ground. Arthur spoke for the
first time.
“Trust me, this will be handled once the summer arrives. His mother and I will figure out an
appropriate punishment.” Sirius glared at the man and Hermione could tell that he wanted to be an
arse to the man. Before he could, however, Arthur squeezed his son’s shoulder and spoke with a
hard voice.
“You will apologize to Miss Black this very moment. You will do it sincerely or you won’t touch
your broom for the whole summer.” Ron paled and turned to Hermione. He bowed his head
formally, showing that he had indeed been taught the proper ways.
“I apologize for hitting you, Miss Black. I hope that you can someday forgive my atrocious
behavior.” Hermione wanted to remain silent, she wanted to leave him hanging but she couldn’t. Her
aunt had taught her that even if she had no plans of forgiving something, you accepted it and kept
that person close. Friends close and enemies closer, she always told her. She curtsied just a tiny bit.
“I accept your apology, Mr. Weasley.” Harry looked confused but didn’t say anything. Arthur
stepped forward and offered his hand to her father. He looked dumbfounded but shook the redhead’s
hand.
“On behalf of the Weasley family, I formally apologize for my son Ronald’s behavior. We will do
our best to remedy the situation in the coming months.” Her father looked like he wanted to rip
Arthur’s head off for a few moments before he nodded imperiously.
“Please do. I would hate to have to act against him formally. Believe it or not, I don’t like dealing
with this unpleasantness.” Arthur nodded his head.
“I understand. I’m not really a fan of it either.” Her father nodded and turned his attention back to
Hermione. He kissed her forehead and brushed her hair back from her face.
“I want you to go straight to the Hospital Wing and get Poppy to fix you up. I’d do it myself but you
don’t want donkey ears.” Hermione laughed softly and she could tell that he wanted to say
something to Harry. However, by law, he couldn’t. Not until Harry came to him first.
“You aren’t disappointed in me?” She knew that everyone could hear her but they were kind enough
to act like they couldn’t. He smiled cupped her cheeks softly again.
“I am most certainly not disappointed in you. You’re the light of my life, poppet.” Hermione smiled
at him while he turned to Draco.
“You are to take her to the Hospital Wing right now.” Hermione bristled and glared at her father.
“I don’t need Draco to escort me everywhere. I’m perfectly capable of walking two floors on my
own.” Her father stared at her for a few moments and she could have sworn that he could see right
into her mind. However, she felt no pricks against her shields. Finally, he looked back and forth
between Draco and herself.
“I don’t know what has happened between you two. Fix it. You are each other’s best friend and you
will never meet someone else that will know you like you know each other. Don’t piss that away on
something stupid.” Hermione sighed, exasperated. She wasn’t going to rat Draco out to her father but
he couldn’t possibly understood how she felt. Draco nodded and looked to the ground.
“Yes, sir.” Her father clapped Draco on the shoulder.
“No need for sirs right now. I’m not angry. Just don’t throw this away. You’ll regret it the rest of
your lives.” Hermione felt just a little bit bad for her part in their argument. She really hadn’t been
angry about any of it until she discovered that he had thrown her over for blow jobs. Hermione
sighed and nodded.
“Yes, daddy.” He kissed her on the head and hugged her one last time.
“I must go inform Lucius what happened. He was frantic when I left.” She laughed softly.
“I love you. Tell Aunt Cissy and Uncle Luci I love them too.” Her father nodded.
“I love you as well, sweetness.” He turned to Draco and shook his hand.
“I thank you for calling for me. I’ll tell your mother you love her.” Draco nodded and stepped back
to Hermione’s side. Her father turned and stepped back through the floo, calling out for Malfoy
Manor rather than the Ministry. Arthur was having words with Ron and Harry appeared to be
waiting on him. Professor McGonagall was standing next to them, adding her own two sense into the
conversation. Their godfather stepped forward and laid a hand on both their shoulders and walked
them through the door. Once they were down in the corridor again, he glared at them and crossed his
arms over his chest.
“What’s going on between the two of you? You’re usually never apart and now you’re never
together. Draco, you haven’t practiced dueling with us in ages and I know you aren’t running
anymore.” Hermione glanced at her cousin before she spoke first.
“Just kid’s stuff. Don’t worry, there won’t be any problems.” Uncle Sev snorted at her words.
“For a Slytherin, you’re really terrible at lying. I won’t push, it’s really not my business, but I want
this fixed. Especially now. You can’t possibly think that there won’t by any retaliation. You need to
look after each other.” Hermione growled at her godfather.
“I can take care of myself. I’ve proven for the last month that I don’t need anyone to care for me.”
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Really? Why is that we’re in this predicament then? How close were you to really hurting that
boy?” Hermione felt like she had been slapped in the face. Did her word mean nothing to those she
loved? She took a step back from her godfather and slid her mask back into place.
“We’re in this predicament because Ronald Weasley thinks it’s hilarious that Draco has thrown me
over for Pansy Parkinson. We’re in this situation because he’s a fucking prick who can’t control his
temper. As for how close I was to hurting him, I was nowhere near as angry as you all think I was.
Yes, I wanted to hurt him but I was crushing Lavender’s chest. I threw him against a wall. Big
difference. You know, if I can’t be trusted around other people, maybe I should just go home and
study there. I’ll be less of a danger. Why would it ever make sense that my magic would protect me
against someone who had caused me harm?” She dashed a tear from her cheek and stepped further
away.
“I’ll just head to the Hospital Wing now. Don’t worry, an escort isn’t needed.” Before either one of
them could speak again, she turned and fled. She was doing her absolute best to keep her emotions in
check.
Hermione found her own way to the Hospital Wing and was led to a bed by Madam Pomfrey. She
fetched her a potion for pain and one for bruising. With a couple waves of her wand, her eye was
healed and the swelling was gone. The cut on her mouth was healed and she felt better. After the
mediwitch reminded her to get plenty of rest and drink lots of water, Hermione gathered her bag
once more and left the Hospital Wing. However, once she was a corridor down, her cousin and
godfather came up on either side of her and pulled her into the empty classroom on their right. Her
godfather silenced and warded the room before he turned back to her, eyes flashing in anger.
“Don’t you ever walk away from me like that again, young lady.” She could hear the fury in his
voice and she dropped her eyes to the floor. Her mask appeared again and she clasped her hands in
front of her, trying not to cry. Draco was silent next to her.
“I don’t know what your problem is today but don’t take your problems with Draco out on me.
Don’t lie to me either, I know that you took that anger at Draco out on Weasley. Sure, he was a little
cretin but you were already angry and wanting to fight. You forget, little girl, it took you years to
master occlumency. I know your mind better than you do.” Draco stepped closer to her and wrapped
his arm around her shoulders. She wanted to burrow into his side but she refused. She wanted to be
taken seriously and that would never happen if she cowered behind her cousin every time someone
was angry at her. Finally, she took a deep breath and raised her eyes to meet her godfather’s. He was
still furious but she wasn’t going to crumble in front of him.
“I apologize, sir. My actions were reprehensible and they won’t happen again.” Uncle Sev snorted.
“That’s what you said the last time. Your father may be fine with this behavior, but I expected better,
Hermione.” Hermione felt like she had just been punched in the gut. Her eyes went back to her feet
and she tried her best not to fidget. Draco spoke softly.
“That’s harsh, Uncle Sev.” Hermione shook her head.
“Don’t Draco, he isn’t lying. I should be better. I’ll work on fixing the problem.” Her godfather still
glared but he waved them away.
“Get back to the common room. I don’t want to hear of any problems either.” Hermione nodded
before she turned and fled. With a wave of her wand, she dispelled the spells her godfather had
placed on the door. Draco was right behind her the whole way. It wasn’t until they were one corridor
away from the common room that he grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her into an alcove. He
pulled her close and while she didn’t fight him, she stiffened. Draco wrapped his arms around her
and held her tight. Hermione let a few tears release while her face was hidden but she held the rest of
them back ruthlessly.
“Miney, he was wrong. He’s angry and he was scared. He was scared that you were hurt and he
hadn’t done anything to protect you.” Hermione shook her head and laughed wetly.
“He has a fucked-up way of showing he cares. It doesn’t matter, he’s right. I should be better.”
Draco pulled her head up so he could cradle her face in his hands.
“He’s going to feel terrible once he calms down. Mark my words.” She shook her head.
“He won’t. He said exactly what he was thinking, whether he wanted to or not. You know he
doesn’t say things he doesn’t mean. He might regret hurting me but that won’t mean it’s not the
truth.” Draco started to run his fingers through her curls and Hermione stepped back.
“We better get back to the common room before he realizes we aren’t there. You know that portrait
spies for him.” Draco’s eyebrows raised.
“I didn’t know that actually. I still want to talk to you.” He sighed and looked extremely guilty.
“I know that I hurt you and I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have just ditched you. You took it well, you
never complained and you were never a bitch about it. I didn’t realize I was doing it as much as I
was, not until you pointed out that I hadn’t walked you to class in ages. I haven’t been doing my
school work from Madam Cambridge and I haven’t been running or dueling. I’ve let a lot of things
fall to the wayside because Pansy has distracted me.” Hermione shook her head.
“It’s your life, Draco. You can do as you please, I’m not angry you’re spending time with her. I just
thought that you genuinely liked her. I feel like I’m not shite to you either when you choose blow
jobs over spending time with me. I don’t even ask for all your time, just to remember that I’m alive
and living in the castle with you. That you remember that even if you don’t miss me, I do miss you. I
just want a little time, not all of it.” He pulled her in close again and hugged her tight. He kissed the
top of her head over and over again.
“I told Pansy to fuck off. I can’t say that I won’t ever mess around with her but she was making me
forget about my family. You’re my best friend, like Sirius said. You’ll always be more important
than a girl who gives me sexual favors.” Hermione sniffled softly.
“It didn’t feel like I was.” He held her silently for almost a minute.
“I know. I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that either. Let me prove to you that you are.” She
smiled a little and shook her head.
“No, that won’t be necessary. Just walk me to class a couple times a week and I’ll be good.” He
wiped her tears away and smiled.
“Until I have a girlfriend to walk to class, you’ll be the one I’m walking with. I know that I’m just
using Pansy but it isn’t fair to make her think that we’re a couple by doing things like that. If she’s
going to do things with me, she needs to know what she’s getting into.” Hermione really didn’t want
to talk about Pansy and what she was giving Draco so she just nodded.
“Want to sleep in my bed tonight?” She glared at him.
“Have your sheets been washed since Pansy has been there?” He grinned at her.
“Pansy has never been in my bed. Only you, Miney.” She leaned against him and giggled softly.
“Alright. I’ll go get changed and meet you in there.” He tugged a curl and released her.
“Get moving then, I’m exhausted. Too much drama for one day.”
Hermione hurried in front of him before she started jogging ahead.
“Catch me if you can. You’re the one who’s out of shape.” He broke out into a run after her, smile
bright on his face.
He chased her all the way to the common room, Hermione laughing the whole way.
-O-
Harry wasn’t sure what to think about being so close to Lord Black. He had seemed so different
compared to what he had been led to believe about him. Everyone made him sound like a cold
monster that didn’t care about anyone but himself. However, it was clear that he loved his daughter
very much. Harry could tell that he cared about Malfoy as well.
Harry couldn’t help but notice that Professor Lupin had stared at Lord Black. His eyes had never left
him and while there was hatred abound there, there was also something else there that he couldn’t
quite place. There had been no words exchanged between the two but the tension had been palpable.
The most surprising thing of the entire evening was that Lord Black had accepted the apology of
Arthur and shaken his hand. Neville had explained months before that he would have the power to
punish the Weasleys for any slight to his family but he hadn’t seen evidence of him wanting to do
that tonight. Sure, he had basically said that he would bring formal charges against Ron is something
like this had happened again but that had been all.
Not that Harry was stupid enough to think that the man hadn’t been angry. It had been obvious that
the phantom breeze had come from Lord Black. Dumbledore had even told him that he needed to
calm down. Harry didn’t think that the man would have calmed as quickly as he did if it hadn’t been
for Hermione stepping forward.
He and Ron had just returned to Gryffindor Tower and the redhead was silent. Nobody in the
common room said a word, just watched the pair warily. Fred and George openly glared at their
brother while Ginny looked triumphant. Harry wasn’t sure why she looked so happy but he
supposed it didn’t matter. Ron went up to their dorm room and Harry followed, furious at his friend.
Once they were alone in the empty dorm room, Harry turned on his friend and let his anger out.
“I can’t believe you hit Black! Not only did you hit someone that could fuck your family up, you hit
a girl! You didn’t play hit her, you backhanded her and put your weight into it. You gave her a black
eye and cut her lip. Is that acceptable behavior in the wizarding world? Have I missed that this is
okay?” Ron started to speak but Fred, George, and Neville entered. They were all glaring and the
twins looked as though they were going to murder Ron. Neville’s voice was cold as ice.
“It’s been known to happen in pureblood circles, though it’s usually a husband hitting his wife. It’s
still frowned upon but it does happen. However, for a man to just randomly strike a female doesn’t
happen all that often.” Harry raked a hand through his unruly hair.
“I can’t believe that I watched you hit a girl. You insinuated that she was fucking her cousin, did you
really think she wouldn’t retaliate?” Ron started to pace.
“I really didn’t think at all. She makes me feel so fucking stupid and I couldn’t let her go without
giving her hell about Malfoy ditching her for Parkinson. Everyone knows she’s sucking his dick. She
tells everyone that will listen. When she said those things about me, playing on my insecurities, I lost
it. I didn’t set out to hurt her, I didn’t plan on hitting her. I just lost my temper.” Harry was still livid
but he felt better knowing that his friend hadn’t set out to hit Hermione Black. He growled at his
friend.
“I can’t be friends with someone that thinks it’s acceptable to hit women. It isn’t. It’s so fucked up.
You are three times bigger than she is and probably three times stronger. She’s tiny! You’re big for
your age. If you wanted to fight her, you should have challenged her to a duel so it would have been
equal.” Ron started to sputter.
“That wouldn’t have been equal, she’s stupid smart. She would kill me in a duel.” Harry glared at his
friend.
“It’s magic against magic, not five foot, ninety pounds against five six, a hundred and fifty pounds.
It’s not her fault you don’t apply yourself to learning.” Ron was glaring now.
“It sounds like you want her, mate. You’re awfully bent out of shape over Hermione Black getting
hurt. Don’t you remember what her father did?” Harry waved his hand, not even meaning to throw
Ron against the wall silently and wandlessly.
“It has nothing to do with her father, it has to with you being a cowardly piece of shite. I can’t talk to
you anymore until you can make me believe you when you say you’re sorry you hurt her. No, I
don’t want to be friends with her but what you did isn’t right. You provoked her and then you hit her
when she fought back. That’s cowardly and you’re supposed to be a Gryffindor. Get your shit
together before you talk to me again.” Harry didn’t wait for Ron to say anything else. He grabbed his
pajamas and headed for the bathroom, determined to take a shower and hope that it calmed him
down.
After all, he didn’t think it was possible for him to get angrier.
-O-
Severus sat in front of his fire, a tumbler of fire whiskey in his hand. He was going to get ridiculously
drunk after his confrontation with his goddaughter. He probably didn’t deserve it but he was going to
do it regardless.
Albus was livid at his intervention. He had returned to the Headmaster’s office after receiving a
summons. He had berated him for half an hour over sticking his nose in business that wasn’t his.
Severus had finally lost his temper and told the man that he was sick and tired of his blatant
favoritism of his lions. He promised him that he would always strive for equality in punishments,
especially when it was against someone that was rarely in trouble.
He had overreacted when he had confronted Hermione. It was true, he knew that she had taken her
anger for Draco out on Weasley but how was he any different than what she had done? He had
taken his anger and fear of her being hurt and crushed his goddaughter. He knew she had been
fighting tears ruthlessly; like he had told her, he knew her mind better than she did.
Another thing he would have to apologize, truth be told. Hermione had had the hardest time learning
occlumency. Where Draco had learned it in just over six months, it had taken Hermione years. Four
to be exact. She struggled with her emotions and she did her best to hide them. Draco had always
been better at that than her. Truthfully, he didn’t think that anyone saw Draco’s true emotions but
Hermione. Severus had throw the one thing she struggled with in her face.
All in all, he had hurt her terribly.
He was going to apologize first thing in the morning. He had watched his godchildren enter the dorm
room and later, Hermione sneaking into her cousin’s dorm. He was sure that she was going to sleep
with him. The falling out the two of them had had hurt her a lot but she never complained. He
assumed that it had something to do with Miss Parkinson. Severus wasn’t so blind that he didn’t
know that his godson was involved with the chit. It was quite clear that it was sexual in nature and
that he had no attachment to the girl at all. Hermione must have gotten hurt and jealous at the fact that
he was more interested in Pansy than herself.
The fact remained that Severus should have been there to protect her. His guilt sat heavy on his
chest. It just added to him reprimanding Hermione so harshly. He should have been there and he
hadn’t. It had been heart-wrenching to see Hermione’s face bruised and bleeding. He couldn’t lie and
say that he didn’t want to murder Weasley on the spot. He knew that he wasn’t a good man but he
had accepted it long ago. His family accepted it as well. Hell, Lucius and Sirius were just as bad
when it came to Hermione.
He threw back the rest of his whiskey. Sirius had come face to face with not only Harry Potter but
Remus Lupin as well. No words had been exchanged but Severus could tell that it affected his
friend. He wished that the truth would come out sooner rather than later since it was getting tedious
trying to keep his relationship with Hermione to himself. She really was the light of his life, he loved
her more than anything.
Severus wiped a hand down his face. The whiskey’s effect had hit him and he was ready for bed. He
would have to be somewhat sober by the time he faced Hermione in the morning. He would
apologize and tell her that she hadn’t disappointed him, that he had been disappointed in himself. Of
course, she would tell him that it wasn’t his fault, that he couldn’t protect her single moment of the
day. However, while he knew that her words were the truth, he couldn’t help but feel that it was part
of his duty as her godfather. He had given an oath to protect both her and Draco with everything he
had.
He sighed one last time and went to his feet. It had been a long day and an even longer night.
Tomorrow was going to come bright and early in the morning. He departed for his quarters, vowing
to head straight to bed. He needed sleep after all.
A/N- Wow, this chapter is a monster and I wrote it in four hours. Thank Jesus it’s done. Thanks to
everyone out there reading and reviewing once again. Without you guys, this story wouldn’t be as
far along as it is. Anyways, leave me a message after the beep, reviews are love.
Next chapter, the truth comes out. Finally.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 57

A/N- You guys are just amazing. Just short of 75 reviews to the last chapter. I don’t even know how
to respond to that. I can’t thank you enough for the reviews and support I get from each chapter
posted. I want to say that I wrote this chapter as fast as I could in order to get it to you. If there are
more mistakes than usual, that’s why. I also couldn’t answer about a third of my reviews…ffn kept
saying invalid message. If you didn’t get a response, I humbly apologize.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story. Everything about it has been done before from
pureblood Hermione to idiot Ron to manipulative Dumbledore. There is nothing new under the sun
as my mama likes to say. I haven’t made any money from this story or any of my others. I’m a broke
bitch, I wouldn’t lie.
Chapter 57
May 30, 1994
Hermione sighed happily. Arithmancy had just dismissed and it was her last class of the day. While
she usually didn’t mind going to class, today was a Friday close to the end of school year. There was
only two more weeks of school and they would be full of exams. As much as she loved learning and
Hogwarts in general, this had been a long year.
Draco had promised to go with her out on the grounds after dinner to help her feed the poor yellow
lab that had been hanging around most of the year. The beast was always starving and looked quite
feral but it had always been perfectly lovely to her, going so far as to lick her hands after she petted
and fed it. He had even learned how to play fetch with a stick that she had gotten from the edge of
the Forbidden Forest.
Things had gotten better between herself and her cousin. He still occasionally spent time with Pansy
but it was only a couple times a week now. The rest of his time was spent with his friends and
Hermione, doing his schoolwork and dueling. He had even started rising early again so he could run
with her. She had had quite the time running circles around him and laughing when he had thrown
up after being determined to match her distance. Now, however, he had gained his stamina back and
she could no longer gloat.
Draco had even taken to paying attention to Daphne and giving her small compliments. There were
times that she suspected he liked her more than he claimed but she couldn’t be sure since he was still
receiving certain favors from Pansy. He hadn’t told her so but Pansy didn’t know how to keep a
secret. Things were decidedly frosty in their dorm room but Hermione didn’t let it bother her. Of
course, Pansy wasn’t going to like her after everything that had been said and done between them.
Hermione was sure that the Slytherin girl knew that she didn’t like her as well.
Her cousin escorted her to the Great Hall and took her bag from her to lay it on the ground. After
taking her usual seat at the Slytherin table, Hermione turned her attention to the rest of the Hall.
Harry was already seated at the Gryffindor table, Weasley sitting next to him. They hadn’t been
sitting together or speaking for the last month, the whole school had been talking about it. It had only
been in the last few days that they had begun to do so again. She was unsure as to what had
happened between them but she would likely never discover what it was. Both boys hated her and
would never share information like that with her or anyone that would tell her.
Fred and George were sitting with Neville, further down the table from Harry. Harry had joined
them quite a bit over the past month that he hadn’t been sitting with Ronald. Now that they weren’t
needed, however, they were sitting with a couple of the girls that played on the quidditch team.
Hermione couldn’t remember their names but since she had never had any interaction with them, she
couldn’t find any reason to dislike them.
Lupin was sitting at the High Table next to Professor McGonagall, a severe look on his face. He
didn’t look well and Hermione attributed that to it being the night of the full moon. She had helped
her godfather brew his wolfsbane the last couple months so she was well-aware of what the side
effects of the potion could be. She was just unsure if his general look of unhealthiness was due to the
upcoming moon or the potion.
Her godfather was seated on the other side of Professor Cat. He paid nobody any attention until the
Headmaster said something to him. He then glared at the older man until he laughed, turning his
attention away from her uncle. Uncle Sev turned back to his meal but not before catching her eye for
a brief moment.
*Flashback*
Draco took her bag from her and threw it over his shoulder before wrapping his arm around her
waist and smiling down at her. She remembered a time when her cousin had been smaller than she
was, especially since she was almost a full year older than he was. Now, though, she had to look up
to him and he outweighed her by quite a bit. Hermione had always been on the small side, her Uncle
Luci told her that her mother had been exactly the same. While it was sometimes annoying that she
had to be so little compared to everyone else, she liked having something in common with her
mother aside from her icy blue eyes.
He guided her from the common room and towards the stairs that led out of the dungeons. The pair
didn’t make it far when their Head of House stepped around a corner and stood in front of them.
Hermione lowered her eyes at once and remained silent. Draco squeezed her waist just a little before
he spoke.
“Professor Snape, how can we help you today? We’re just heading to breakfast together.” Hermione
couldn’t see her godfather’s expression since her eyes were cast downward. She hated that her
godfather intimidated her so much but she didn’t like that he knew her so well. Not when he used her
weaknesses and insecurities against her.
“When do the pair of you plan to practice together?” Hermione knew that he was talking about
dueling and she didn’t know the answer. She and Draco hadn’t discussed it since he had gotten up
early and went running with her. The Slytherin could feel the tension in her cousin’s frame but he
sounded completely at ease. It was a talent she was insanely jealous of.
“We haven’t really discussed it but I’m sure that it will be either tonight or tomorrow evening since I
have quidditch practice Thursday night.” Uncle Sev made a sound that made her think he was
agreeable. Hermione, however, didn’t want to practice at the moment. The last thing she wanted was
another person that was angry with her or hated her throwing spells at her. She had learned from
experience that it usually didn’t go well for her, as evidenced by the rebroken hand Lupin had given
her. Not that her Uncle Sev was anything like Lupin but she knew that he could volatile when he
was angry.
Her train of thought derailed when she felt the lightest brush against her mind. It didn’t feel as though
someone was trying to break through her shields; more like, someone was trying to get a feel for her
emotions. Either way, she knew that Draco would never violate her in that way, just as she would
never do it to him. Her eyes flew upward and her magic pushed her godfather away from her. Draco
looked startled but understood completely at her words.
“It might have taken me years to learn occlumency but make no mistake. You won’t get through my
shields without me letting you in now. You have no right.” Her godfather nodded and held his hand
out, beckoning them to enter the door on his left.
“Come with me.” Hermione glared at him but did as he asked. Once the door was closed, locked,
silenced, and warded, he turned and met her gaze.
“I wasn’t trying to break through your shields, Hermione, you know that. I brushed against your
mind, trying to see what your emotional state was so I would know how best to handle this
situation.” Hermione continued to glare.
“What situation?” He stepped forward and cupped her face in his hands. She knew that her features
were still hard but she couldn’t help but soften inside just a little.
“Me apologizing to you for being an absolute horror.” Hermione knew her eyes widened but she
refused to speak. There was no way that she was going to muck things up and earn herself more
censure from her uncle. He seemed to know exactly what she was thinking because he smiled at her
softly.
“I was horrid to you and I really have no good excuse. I should have never said those things to you
and I can’t tell you how sorry I am.” Hermione wanted to accept it immediately but she couldn’t in
good conscience do that. Her uncle had been right, sure, he had been hurtful but his opinion had
been right. She shook her head and looked down to her feet again.
“No, you have nothing to apologize for. You were right, I should be better. I acted in anger and I
shouldn’t have.” Her godfather released her face and lifted her chin.
“I wasn’t right. I felt so guilty because I hadn’t been there to protect you from the Weasley spawn
and I took it out on you. I took my anger at Weasley out on you just like you did to Weasley. I did
the same thing. I should have acted better but I didn’t. I am so sorry and I hope that you can someday
forgive me.” Hermione could only remember one occurrence where her godfather had had to
apologize for something. It would be rather churlish of her to not accept his apology. She smiled just
a tiny bit.
“I forgive you, Uncle Sev. I really am sorry, though. I never meant to take my anger out on
someone.” His eyes clouded over.
“You shouldn’t have but he deserved it. He’s lucky that we were in school, otherwise I would have
showed him a new hex or two.” She chuckled softly. She really wanted to hug him but didn’t know
if he would be alright with that since he had been angry with her just the night before. As if he knew
exactly what she wanted, he opened his arms. She rushed at him, slamming into his chest and
hugging him as tightly as she could. He pressed several kisses to the top of her head before he ran his
hand down the length of her curls.
“I love you, princess.” She nodded against his chest.
“I love you too, Uncle Sev.” She finally stepped away from him and smiled.
“We’ll both be better.” He chuckled under his breath before he shooed her to the door.
“Get to breakfast, impertinent child.” Hermione laughed as Draco led her out of the classroom and
up the stairs to the Great Hall.
*End of Flashback*
Hermione turned to the meal that her cousin had spooned up for her and started to eat. Draco had
already started and was almost finished with his first plate of chicken and dumplings. She caught
sight of Pansy glaring at her but she didn’t let it bother her. Daphne was sitting a couple people down
from Pansy, between Theo and Tracey. Even though she was being quite sneaky, Hermione saw her
watching Draco several times through the meal.
After her meal was finished, she banished her bag back to her dorm room. Draco had another serving
of dinner but he followed her lead when he pushed his plate away. She smiled brightly at him which
made him roll his eyes at her. While she had always adored animals, just about any kind of animal,
Draco wasn’t usually too fond of them. He was going along solely to make her happy and to make
sure that she wasn’t alone while Rookwood was still at large.
Hermione threaded her arm through his and pulled him to the door that led out to the quidditch pitch,
even though they wouldn’t be going near it. The lab had been hanging out by the Forbidden Forest
closer to Hagrid’s hut. Truthfully, she wondered how the large man hadn’t caught the dog and made
it his pet already. For all she knew though, he had tried and the dog had tried to eat him. The poor
beast hadn’t seemed to like Ginny Weasley when she had tried to feed him last week.
Since they weren’t working on a deadline, it was a Friday after all, Hermione set their pace at
leisurely. She and Draco made small talk between them, mostly what their plans were for the
upcoming summer. Her cousin had laughed at her when she confided in him that she was going to
convince both her Uncle Luci and Uncle Sev to take her to the library in Alexandria to see the
ancient scrolls. Her father would have no problems telling her no, he wasn’t the intellectual that she
and her uncles were, but she knew that they would want to take her badly. She had wanted to go for
years and had just met the age requirement this year. Draco planned to go to the quidditch world cup
and told Hermione that if she would accompany him, he would go with her to Alexandria if she
could get her way.
It seemed as though the yellow lab had been waiting for them. He whined when Hermione went to
her knees in front of him and pulled the enormous bag of food from the kitchen out of her robe
pocket and enlarged it. Once it was all laid out, the dog began to gulp it down quickly. It was clear
that even with the food that she brought out every few days, it was still starving. She wondered if she
could convince her father to just let her bring it home as a pet. While she knew that Tenebris would
get along with a dog, he had no problems with her father after all, but she wasn’t sure that Padfoot
would handle it well.
After the dog had inhaled all the food she had brought, she scratched him behind the ears for a few
minutes. Out of nowhere, the dog growled and then backed away, his ears laid back. Hermione was
stunned since this wasn’t his normal behavior. She crawled backwards quickly, her fear of dogs
returning full-fledged. It had taken her the whole school year to get past her fear of this dog and now
he was growling and looked as though he wanted to eat her. Draco helped her to stand and pulled
her back, clearly wanting her out of reach of the dog.
As quickly as the dog had shown up was as quickly as he disappeared back into the Forest.
Hermione wasn’t sure what had happened or if he was going off to hunt something but she counted
herself lucky that he hadn’t gone after her. Maybe feeding a feral dog hadn’t been such a good idea
after all. Draco wrapped his arm around her shoulder and smiled at her as he started to guide her
back towards the castle.
“I’m sure he went off to hunt something.” She nodded and let him pull her away from the line of the
Forbidden Forest. While Hermione was confident that she could handle the beasts only a little way
into the Forest, her first year flashed in her mind and she couldn’t help but admit that being near it
made her nervous. Once her eyes had focused on the horizon, she caught sight of Harry, Ron, and
Parvati headed their way. Parvati was in the lead and the boys seemed like they were trying to stop
her from whatever she was doing.
Hermione watched as the Indian girl drew nearer and nearer, her eyes dancing with anger. She had a
feeling that this wasn’t going to end well and she wanted to groan. Hadn’t this year been horrid
enough? Harry looked apologetic but Weasley was now smirking at them. Hermione was stunned
when Parvati launched herself at Draco, her hand coming out to slap him right across his cheek. His
face only turned a little bit but the handprint on his cheek looked like it was scarlet against his
alabaster coloring. The Indian girl was yelling at him.
“Your family needs to fall from grace now, Malfoy, Black with you. Your father levied ridiculous
fines against my family for bringing a flying carpet into the country when we relocated. Do you
know how long we’ve lived here? This is clearly retaliation and the Wizengamot is going to hear
about how your father and Lord Black are showing favoritism to Voldemort’s followers.” Hermione
reined in her fury and stepped forward. Rather than reach for her wand, she reached up and grabbed
the girl’s hair, jerking it hard enough to bring her to her knees. Weasley started to step forward but
Harry held an arm out in front of his chest, keeping him from getting in the middle of it. Hermione
balled up her fist and hit the girl in the face, the first punch she had ever thrown. It wasn’t great but
she didn’t think it was too terrible either. Her hand throbbed and she belatedly remembered her
father’s advice to keep her thumb on the outside of her fist. Parvati had a hand over her face, clearly
surprised that Hermione had hit her. Her voice was ice cold when she spoke.
“You will never strike my cousin again. If he needs someone to hit him, it will be me. I warned you
once before that you would be sorry if you kept fucking with my family. As for your father, we don’t
give a shite. We aren’t in the Wizengamot, our fathers are. If they levied fines against your father for
breaking the law, then he deserved it. Everyone knows that flying carpets aren’t allowed to be used
in this country. To have, no, but it seems that nobody would have known about it if it had been
moldering away in your attic.” Hermione felt her cousin lay a hand between her shoulders and she
pulled back slightly.
“I really don’t care if your father takes it to the Wizengamot. As stupid as that is, since it would be
convincing the body of Wizengamot members to admit to using favoritism of their fellow friends and
members. Not very ethical, I agree, but that’s the way our world works. Perhaps your father should
hide his illegal activities better, if he doesn’t want fines. From now on, know that if you move against
my family again, I won’t punch you. I’ll use my wand. We both know that I’m much better with it.”
Her cousin pulled on the back of her robes so she was out of reach of everyone. Harry was staring at
her as if he couldn’t believe that she had hit his friend. Weasley looked livid. His face was turning
red and his hands were clenched into fists.
“You can’t just hit her like that. We’re going to report you.” Hermione snorted at him and raised her
chin.
“I’ll report myself. She attacked my cousin without any provocation. I defended him with one single
blow and then desisted. I didn’t use magic at all so good luck telling everyone that I almost killed her.
You Gryffindors won’t get away with that one again.” Draco stepped forward protectively, the
handprint standing out even more now that his skin was starting to swell slightly. She hoped that the
welt wouldn’t bruise. Harry got in the middle of them and held his hands out to each side to keep
them from advancing on each other again.
“Nobody is going to snitch to anyone about any of this. Parvati shouldn’t have hit Malfoy and Black
shouldn’t have hit her. Honestly, both girls will get in trouble if we got to the professors. We’ll heal
Parvati and you heal Malfoy and we’ll forget this encounter happened.” Hermione crossed her arms
in front of her chest even though her aunt would be berating her if she could see.
“Why should I agree to that? I did nothing wrong. I defended my cousin from an attacker that he
would never fight back against. Patil came out of nowhere and hit him, much the same as Weasley
did to me. I have a feeling that she would fare far worse than I would.” While she knew that it was
true, Hermione knew that she was being petulant. She was tired of having to deal with the unfairness
that came with being herself and a Black. She was tired of bigots and prejudice from everyone and
just wanted the world to get along. Harry’s eyes flared for a second, with what emotion she wasn’t
sure, but he seemed to understand her reasoning. Draco laid an arm around her shoulders and kissed
her temple.
“I really don’t care, Mia. She doesn’t matter and you hurt her pride more than detention would have.
Now she knows that you don’t need magic to make her respect you.” Parvati stood and glared at his
words but she didn’t say anything. Harry pulled her back and behind him and Hermione felt her
heart clench at his actions. She had done everything in her power to protect him and he protected one
of the girls that hated her more than anything. He hadn’t stepped in and protected her from Weasley
when he had backhanded her in the face. It brought everything front and center and she didn’t like
the way it made her feel. Weasley grabbed Patil’s arm and pulled her towards Hagrid’s hut.
Hermione let the pair of them pass, Harry following after them just moments later. He tried to smile
at her but she couldn’t return it. Not only was her heart hurting, her hand was too.
Once they were all past, Draco pulled her towards the tree just a few paces off. He kept his hand
iron-tight on her elbow and she knew that she was about to get a lecture. Was she ever going to be
able to do something without somebody not liking how she handled it? He sat her down on the
ground before taking a seat in front of her. His hand came out and cradled hers, the light purple
bruising just beginning to show.
“Don’t do that again. I don’t like knowing that you just hurt yourself to keep her off me. I wouldn’t
have hit her but I could have cast a full body bind. Yes, this was a much more poignant reminder to
behave but now you’re hurt.” Her eyes came to meet his.
“You’re not angry I hit her?” He shook his head.
“No, I’m angry you hurt yourself. I bet you cracked a knuckle.” She pulled her wand from her robes
and waved it at her cousin’s face. She muttered the incantation that her godfather had showed her last
summer and the swelling and redness in his face disappeared. He grinned at her and started to stand
when there was a shout from behind them.
Hermione turned to face the shout, Parvati’s as it turned out. The yellow lab she had just got done
feeding bolted from the Forbidden Forest and ploughed into Harry, hitting him square in the chest.
Once he was one the ground, the dog grabbed him by his shoulder, tearing his shirt a little, and
started to bound away with him. Hermione couldn’t understand how the dog could be so strong as to
pull a thirteen-year-old boy behind him as though he was nothing. Ron took off after him, yelling for
the Indian girl to go get help from the castle. Parvati dashed past them, not even seeing that they were
watching the whole scene unfold. Hermione finally understood and clutched Draco’s hand in hers.
“Draco, that’s Rookwood. He’s an animagus. I’ve been feeding a fucking Death Eater.”
Before her cousin could stop her, Hermione released his hand and started running towards the
Forbidden Forest, determined to save her father’s godson. She didn’t know what Rookwood had
planned for Harry but she knew that it wasn’t good. While Harry had been studying on his own and
was well-ahead of Weasley, it wasn’t going to be enough to take down a full-fledged Death Eater
hell-bent on revenge.
Draco’s footsteps pounded behind her and she never thanked Merlin more than in that moment that
she had taken up running for endurance. While the run would have winded her before she began
exercising, it was just a little warm up now. She could hear the thundering through the trees and
underbrush so it was easy to hear Weasley following after Rookwood and Harry. While she was
certain that they were by no means quiet, they were much quieter than Weasley was.
All of a sudden, the thrashing in the trees ahead of them stopped. Draco reached out and pulled her
to a stop and gestured for her to go slowly and quietly. They crept through the brush until they were
hiding behind a rather large pile of limbs that looked as though they were home to a beaver. After
peering around the pile, Hermione could see that Harry was on the ground, nursing a bleeding dog
bite while Rookwood was standing above him. His wand was trained on the Gryffindor and he was
laughing. Weasley was just standing there, his hands in the air to show that he wasn’t going to do
anything, probably thinking it would save his best mate. Draco pulled his wand and made sure that
he was well hidden before he gave it a wave. His whispered spell brought forth his dragon and it
kept close to the ground while Draco gave it a message.
“Go to Severus Snape and tell him that Potter and Weasley are in the Forbidden Forest with
Rookwood. Hermione and I are watching from a distance and won’t step in unless he goes to harm
Potter. Use the locating spell he put on us when we were three.” Hermione wanted to laugh out loud.
Her godfather had been put in charge of babysitting one day while their parents went to a fundraiser
together. He had gone to the loo and returned to the library to find them gone. It had taken all the
Prince elves searching for them for almost twenty minutes before they had been found in the kitchen
with the nanny elf that had raised their godfather. That very day he had put a locating spell on them.
He hadn’t used it in eight years or so but it seemed that he would be doing so again.
Hermione heard someone thundering through the trees and she knew that it couldn’t possibly be her
godfather already. Rather than assume that it was someone friendly, she had Draco crawled into the
pile of limbs, hoping that it would hide them from sight. After just a few minutes, Lupin appeared
through the brush and didn’t even stop to see them. It made sense she supposed. Parvati had been
sent for help and Lupin would be able to find them quickly since he had his advanced sense of smell
to rely on. Especially this close to the full moon.
Fuck. The full moon. Hermione could only hope against hope that he had taken his wolfsbane as
instructed. Draco seemed to be realizing the same truth beside her, gripping her hand tightly. They
emerged from their hiding place to watch the events unfold. Once they were free to watch again,
they couldn’t look away. Rookwood was pacing but had a maniacal grin on his face. Hermione had
heard how brilliant he had once been back in the days of the first war so while he looked crazed, she
wasn’t willing to bet that he was stupid.
“I caught you, this is a once in a lifetime chance for me to bring greatness to the Rookwood name.
Your furry friend has told me all about Harry Potter and how to go about finding my master. He will
return and he will reward me above all others for killing the boy who sent him into exile.” Hermione
had no idea what the man was talking about but she would ponder his words later. She was watching
those around her, making sure that nothing happened to any of them.
Harry was still on the ground, his wand nowhere in sight. She wasn’t sure if Rookwood had
disarmed him but she didn’t see any wands in the man’s hands. He was now bleeding quite freely
from the wound on his shoulder and he looked disheveled in general from his trip through the
underbrush of the Forbidden Forest. Lupin was standing on the fringe, his wand in his hand but
down at his side. He looked quite wild around his eyes but she had never seen him transform before
she couldn’t judge if he had taken his potion or not. Ronald was standing just to the side of Lupin,
his hands still held out in front of him like an idiot. She wanted to laugh out loud but the oddest sight
caught her attention. There was a rat climbing out of his front robe pocket and was running down his
arm. Hermione instantly knew what furry friend Rookwood had been speaking of.
Peter Pettigrew.
The rat landed on the ground with a squeak and it caught Lupin’s attention. Hermione watched as
complete and utter disbelief crossed his features. It was clear that he hadn’t expected to ever see his
friend again. He lunged for the rat, completely forgetting that Harry was being held at wand point.
Peter dodged his grasp and Rookwood started yelling.
“Pettigrew, you fucking idiot. Get back here!” His wand was waving through the air and Hermione
was scared to death that he was going to cast something on someone there inadvertently. Lupin
lunged again but missed the rat once more. Hermione decided that there was no time like the present
to reveal herself since she wanted to capture Pettigrew more than anything.
Draco followed behind her as she stood and showed herself, her wand appearing as quick as a
snitch. Both their wands came up to cast on the rat, only feet in front of them. Their voices were loud
since neither had ever cast the spell. Neither wanted it to be weak and let Pettigrew escape.
“Animalis autem homo.”
The skinny and balding rat grew slowly, a human form left after the spell had worked. He had a
wand in his hand but was still on the ground. Hermione didn’t think for more than half a second
before she disarmed him and snapped his wand in half. He let out a piteous yell but started to scurry
back. Hermione’s attention, however, was pulled from Pettigrew in front of her to Rookwood
starting to cast. His aim wasn’t very good, probably from years without practice, but it gave Harry
time to draw his wand from his robes. The Gryffindor aimed his wand and shot off one spell, a
cutting curse. It caught Rookwood in the thigh and he screamed in pain.
The Death Eater must have realized that it would be a lost cause to hang around. He disappeared just
a few moments later, the yellow lab before them again. He turned tail and flew as fast as his legs
could carry him. Lupin chased after him, wand out and spells flying. Just as Hermione turned her
attention back to Pettigrew, she heard a drawling voice. Her godfather had arrived.
“Why Pettigrew, you didn’t think that you were going to flee from my godchildren, did you? You’re
lucky I caught you. Hermione would have been ruthless for what you’ve done to her father.” Uncle
Sev was standing over Pettigrew, his wand shooting ropes out of it to bind him. Pettigrew began
sobbing but Hermione felt no pity for him. Draco stepped forward to come between Hermione and
the rat but she shook her head. She raised her head high and looked down at him imperiously. It was
the best impression of her Uncle Luci that she could do.
“You are going to rot in Azkaban for what you’ve done to my father and the Potters. I hope you try
to escape as Rookwood did and the dementors suck out your soul. In fact, I bet I could get them to
follow me here. They’re just outside the gate, you know.” She could see the fear in the man’s eyes
but she didn’t care. This man had betrayed her father and their friends, making Harry an orphan. He
deserved to suffer. However, she wasn’t going to go get the dementors. She did believe in justice and
letting the courts do their job. With her uncle and father on the Wizengamot during the trial, he
would be convicted for sure. Instead, she stepped closer and smiled sweetly at the man. It was clear
that he thought she wasn’t going to do anything since the fear eased. Without warning, she brought
her foot down as hard as she could on the man’s groin.
Pettigrew screamed and rolled to the side, trying to hold his balls while bound. He wretched and then
rolled into the pile of his own sick. Hermione smiled at him again before bending closer.
“Be lucky there are witnesses. Professor Snape was right. You’re better off with him than me.”
Pettigrew was still in pain but he spit at her.
“You little fucking bitch! When my master returns, he’ll set me free from my prison cell and you’re
going to be the one that I’ll enjoy hurting. I’m going to fuck you until you’re a shell of yourself and
then I’m going to skin you alive before I return your mangled body to your father.” Hermione
laughed softly and she could hear the boys moving closer behind.
“I’d like to see you try, Death Eater scum. I’ll be waiting for you.” Draco reached out and pulled her
away from Pettigrew and fit her under his arm. She turned to hug him and caught sight of Harry and
Weasley’s faces. They were still disbelieving and she didn’t care. They had made their choices just
as she had made hers. Everything wasn’t all better because now they knew she had been telling the
truth all along. Weasley seemed to realize that she was watching them and he grimaced in her
direction. He met her eyes for only a moment.
“May I say how much I appreciate that you just threw me against a wall? Much better than puking
up my balls.” Hermione couldn’t hold back a soft chuckle. However, it died in her throat when she
caught sight of a full-grown werewolf loping towards them.
“It’s Lupin!” Uncle Sev rushed past them, putting himself between the werewolf and the rest of
them. Hermione tried to hurry to his side so she could help him; out of all the other wizards in the
Forest, she was the most powerful. Draco snarled at her, his eyes dancing with fury.
“Stay where the fuck you are. He will put you in his lap and spank you bare-arsed in front of
everyone if you run over there. I’ll let him.” Hermione felt her face flush in embarrassment at his
words. She had never been struck before Weasley; the elves had used stinging hexes on her when
she had misbehaved but that was all she recalled as a child. Then she realized that he was trying to
distract her. Her uncle would never show her off getting reprimanded like that and Draco would
never allow someone to see her naked without her permission. She elbowed him sharply in the belly
and glared at him. Rather than say anything, he glared at her. Her godfather was waiting for the wolf
to make a move. Lupin had stopped ten feet away from him and seemed to be judging the situation.
“If you’re in control of yourself, lay down on the ground and cover your snout with your paws.”
Hermione watched as the enormous werewolf dropped to his belly and hid his face in his paws. Her
godfather sighed in relief but didn’t let his wand fall. He backed away from the wolf and spoke
softly.
“We’re going to go back to the castle. You’ll have to stay out here tonight since you’ve already
transformed. There will be clothes waiting for you just inside the Forest by Hagrid’s hut. Come find
us once you’ve recovered.” The werewolf nodded its massive head and her godfather gestured for
them to retreat. Harry and Weasley looked as though they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Hermione rolled her eyes at them as Draco started to pull her away from them.
“Lupin is a werewolf, has been since he was a child. Honestly, if you had paid attention to the signs,
you would have realized it.” Both Gryffindors were silent but started to follow them. Pettigrew
flinched when he saw her approaching but she was content to allow Draco to levitate him out of the
Forest. They led, followed the Harry and Weasley, with her godfather bringing up the rear, covering
them just in case Lupin decided to attack. Once they were out of the trees, Hermione knew what she
needed to do. Her wand raised and she waved it, muttering her spell. Her fox appeared and started to
prance around happily. She bent to speak to it, her hand throbbing from holding her wand so tightly
for so long.
“Go to my father and Uncle Luci, tell them to get to Hogwarts as quick as they can, the gates will
work. Bring aurors. We’ve caught Pettigrew.” Her fox bound away from her, disappearing at the line
of the wards surrounding Hogwarts. Draco reached out and threaded his hand in her curls so he
could hug her close. His voice was soft in her ear.
“We did it. Everyone is going to know the truth and nobody can say your father is a traitor any
longer.” Hermione nodded her headed against his chest before she pulled away from him to smile at
him. Her uncle broke the line of the trees and waved for them to continue.
Rather than head to the castle, Draco and Hermione started them towards the gate of Hogwarts. Her
uncle rolled his eyes at their actions but followed behind without a word. Harry and Weasley seemed
to be along for the ride, following them even though they weren’t sure where they were heading.
Hermione heard her uncle cast his own patronus, though she doubted that anyone else had. His doe
went rushing to the castle, alerting the Headmaster and possibly Professor McGonagall.
Hermione let Draco lead them all to the gates. Once they reached them, not only were her father and
uncle there, there were eight aurors, the Head of the D.M.L.E., the Headmaster and Professor
McGonagall. Hermione snickered when Draco cancelled the spell and Pettigrew fell to the ground
with a thud. Pettigrew started yelling at Hermione again after hearing her laughter.
“You little bitch, you’re going to pay in pain!” Her father stepped forward, fury clear on his features,
but Uncle Luci held him back.
“Not now, the last thing we need is for you to join him in Azkaban.” Her father took a deep breath
and made to step over his ex-friend but stepped on him instead.
“Oh, pardon me, I was in a hurry to get to my daughter. She just made my decade.” Everyone else
was quiet when Professor McGonagall asked the question that everyone wanted answered. Her
voice was hard but Hermione could see that her eyes were wet.
“Why would you turn James and Lily in to that monster?” Pettigrew’s eyes went wide and he just
glared. Uncle Sev stepped forward, imperious mask in place.
“You might as well answer it now. Once you get to the Ministry, there will be many different
techniques of questioning used.” Hermione wanted to snort. They hadn’t used those techniques on
her father. Pettigrew’s eyes grew impossibly wider before he scowled.
“I did what I had to to finally gain power. I was nothing but a laughingstock while a part of the
Marauders. When they didn’t have Snivellus to torture and torment, it was me. I didn’t set out to turn
the Potters over to the Dark Lord but when that was what he had demanded, I gave it to him. If it
weren’t for that brat of theirs, I would be rewarded above all others.” Hermione stepped forward and
stomped on his balls again. Everyone grimaced, including the aurors, but her father and Uncle Luci
grinned.
“That’s for being a coward and don’t call him Snivellus. His name is Severus.” Hermione knew that
she was the only one that could have gotten away with what she just did. Well, maybe Harry, but she
was just a tiny little girl that was indignant about him being a coward. Everyone would just chuckle
and think she was cute. She had planned on it. She wasn’t a Slytherin for nothing. The Head of the
D.M.L.E. stepped forward and slapped a button on Pettigrew’s chest. She laid her hand over the top
of it. The rat was still curled up in pain while everyone else ignored him.
“We’re going to go ahead and take him in. It’s late, it’s a full moon, and there’s bound to be
werewolf attacks tonight. There always is. We’ll send someone back here in the morning to get
statements on how this happened. However, Lord Black, I would say that your name is cleared when
it comes to the betrayal of James and Lily Potter.” Her father was now playing the esteemed lord and
he nodded imperiously. After they had port keyed away, there was only Hermione, Draco, Ronald,
Harry, her father and Uncle, Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster. Her godfather stepped
forward.
“While Lupin is running off his time in wolf form in the Forbidden Forest, might I suggest that we
adjourn this meeting until morning when he can join us?” Her father and uncle nodded before
clapping their friend on the shoulder. Dumbledore’s eyes widened at the sight. He stepped forward
and cleared his throat.
“I know you want to save conversation for tomorrow so I want to offer you both rooms in the castle.
Your children would be able to stay with you if that was your wish.” They both glared at the man
but finally nodded.
“That would be acceptable. Anywhere is fine as long as the children are welcome to stay. We see
them precious little during the school year.” Her father turned to put his arm around her shoulders
when the Headmaster spoke again.
“Sirius, I want to apologize -.” He didn’t get to finish his sentence since her father had moved his
hand from around her shoulders and balled his fist. Lord Black slammed his fist into the
Headmaster’s face. Blood spurted everywhere and Hermione feared that his nose was broken. Her
father shook his hand for a moment before he spoke.
“You will address me as Lord Black, I made that clear last time. You don’t get to apologize to me
and think that all will be well. We’ll discuss everything tomorrow. Keep your sorries to yourself.”
Hermione wrapped her arm around her father’s waist. His hand came down on hers and she
whimpered. He stopped so he could pull it into his hands and inspect it.
“What did you do, poppet?” Hermione grimaced since she knew that she was likely going to get in
trouble.
“Parvati Patil was angry at Draco because Uncle Luci got her father fined for a flying carpet. She
slapped him without any warning. I punched her once, in the face, and told her I didn’t need my
wand to protect my family. I think I hurt it though, I forgot to leave my thumb out.” Her father sighed
as her godfather and Uncle Luci chuckled behind her.
“Sweetness, you’re going to be the death of me. You’re supposed to be a lady.” Hermione snorted
now and her uncles were almost howling in laughter.
“I’m only required to be a lady in public and in front of Aunt Cissy. None of you are going to tattle
because you know she’ll hex you for letting me brawl.” Her father buried his head in his hands and
sighed. He knew that her words were true. Her Uncle Luci kissed the back of her head before
starting for the castle.
“Never change, princess. You keep things interesting.” She heard Weasley snort behind her and she
turned to glare. He held his hands up in surrender and she saw Professor McGonagall try to hide her
grin. Her father slung his arm around her shoulders again while Draco walked closely at her side.
The Headmaster was trailing behind, blood flowing freely from his nose and down his lavender
robes.
“Let’s go sit in front of the fire for a bit before we sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a great day.”
Hermione could only grin at her father’s words.
-O-
Harry wasn’t sure what to think of any of it. He had gone through the gamut of emotions that night,
none of which he was overly comfortable with.
The Gryffindor had watched his friend assault Malfoy in her fury. It hadn’t been smart but there had
been no dissuading her. He had then witnessed the tiniest girl he had ever seen punch his friend in
the face and drop her to her knees. He wasn’t sure if she had ever done it before but by this point in
his life, he didn’t think anything about Hermione Black would surprise him.
Rookwood had appeared and dragged him through the Forbidden Forest and his best mate had
chased them down. Professor Lupin had appeared and changed into a werewolf. Scabbers, Ron’s
trusty old rat, had been Peter Pettigrew all along and had tried to escape. Hermione and Malfoy had
stopped him and Professor Snape had bound him to make sure he couldn’t sneak away.
His whole world had shifted when he realized that his godfather was innocent and he had made a
colossal mistake by trusting Dumbledore. Professor Lupin it seemed like, as well. Not only had he
just gone three years of the Dursleys when he hadn’t needed to, he had gone his whole life. Sirius
Black should have had him from the day his parents were murdered but Dumbledore had prevented
that. He had assured everyone that the fidelius spell couldn’t be fooled and there was no way that his
mother would have been able to alter it. His life had been complete shite since he was year old
because of the Headmaster.
On top of it all, he had told Hermione that she was a liar more times than he could count. He had said
unforgivable things to her and none of them had been deserved. She hadn’t lied a single time and she
had done nothing wrong. In fact, Harry had been the one to ruin things between them before they
could even get started. He didn’t think that she would ever forgive him and he wouldn’t blame her.
Harry had just crawled into bed in his dorm. He had been escorted to the Hospital Wing by Professor
McGonagall and she had been oddly silent about the whole situation. After the wound from
Rookwood’s teeth had been healed, she had walked him to the portrait of the Fat Lady. There, she
had stopped him and given him as serious a look as he could remember.
“Potter, I know you have feelings for the girl. I don’t know what you did to hurt her but if you were
smart, you would grovel to her for as long as it takes for her to forgive you. Girls like Hermione
Black don’t come around very often. You’ll likely never meet another like her.”
Harry hadn’t know how to take her words so he had just nodded. He hadn’t realized that his feelings
were that obvious but really, that was the least of his worries. Ginny had accosted him once he was
inside the common room, begging him to go somewhere and snog her. He had tried to be nice, tried
to tell her that he was exhausted, but it hadn’t worked. He had ended up yelling at her, telling her that
one of her other boyfriends could fill in for the night. Ron had looked pretty pissed at him but by the
time they had crawled in bed, he appeared to have forgotten about it.
Now, he lay there trying to figure out what he wanted to do about everything. Did he want to try to
make things up to Hermione and her father? Did he want to just act like he knew nothing and let
them approach him? Should he say fuck it all and go back to the Dursleys? His head was starting to
ache with the thoughts that refused to quiet. He should have asked Madam Pomfrey for a vial of
Dreamless Sleep.
Harry finally rolled over and buried his head under his pillow. He refused to think about the situation
until morning. He needed sleep and if he was going to follow his Head of House’s advice, he was
going to need his rest. With a huff of irritation, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind, doing his
best to convince sleep to take him.
-O-
Sirius couldn’t sleep. He was so bloody happy that he couldn’t hardly keep his heart from beating
out of his chest and he owed it all to his daughter, young cousin, and his best friend. They had really
come through for him and it was something that he would never forget.
Now, though, he had to consider how this was going to affect his image. Right now, the
Wizengamot and pure bloods respected him because they thought that he was a traitor, that he had
supported the Dark Lord all along. Sending Pettigrew to prison after trial was going to blow the truth
wide open. He didn’t really care because spying had been useless so far but he wasn’t sure what it
meant for his cousin and friend. Would Lucius and Cissy come out with their true affiliations or
would they continue the farce? If they did, it would mean separating Hermione and Draco and that
wasn’t something that he really wanted to do. In fact, he was quite sure that they would do whatever
the fuck they wanted and to hell with what they were told. His friend was seated in the couch across
from him and he was also watching the fire. Hermione was stretched out with her head in his lap and
her feet in Severus’ lap. Draco was sleeping in a chair next to Lucius, his head leaned forward so his
chin touched his chest. Lucius’ voice was soft when he spoke.
“I can’t continue to publicly follow the Dark Lord. It would have to cause a rift between these two
for it to be believable and it would break their hearts. As nice as it would be to gather information, I
can’t do that to them. Draco would soldier on as much as he hated it but Hermione would be lost
without him.” Sirius nodded; his friend’s thoughts had mirrored his exactly.
“We’ll all get out now. He’s going to come back eventually but he won’t gain as many followers if
all three of us work against him. Black, Malfoy, and Prince working for the light would surely
change some minds.” Lucius nodded.
“I agree. Help where we can, keep laws from passing, keep fellow members of the Wizengamot
from being bought off.” Severus finally spoke, his voice hard but his hands gentle around his
goddaughter’s foot and ankle.
“I won’t quit. You two have to, the children would make it quite unbelievable. I, however, can
continue and not be too conspicuous. The world only knows that Draco is my godchild, not
Hermione. Sure, Pettigrew heard it but nobody is going to believe him after being in Azkaban,
especially when it comes out how much Sirius and myself still hate each other. It’s going to get crazy
but it’s what has to be done.” Sirius knew that his friend wanted out, he wanted it more than
anything. He had realized quite quickly after being branded that it wasn’t all that it was cracked up to
be. He shook his head.
“Sev, you have to quit. If you’re ever suspected of treachery because of your relationship to Lucius
and Draco, you will die. You know what that will do to Hermione and Draco, especially her. She
loves you so much and it will kill her to lose you.” Severus nodded his head.
“I know but it is for her that I do this. We need an insider that we can trust in order to kill this psycho
bastard. It has to happen. Better it be me and know that you can trust the spy than someone else and
be betrayed.” Sirius was silent. He regretted every single time he had ever called his friend a coward
in his youth. He wanted to tell him but knew that Severus wouldn’t appreciate it. Instead, he smiled
softly.
“You know that once this comes out, Hermione is going to do everything in her power to convince
you otherwise.” His friend snorted and threw back the rest of his fire whiskey.
“While I do generally give her whatever her heart desires, I am capable of telling he no. I will make
her understand that it is necessary.” Sirius nodded again.
“Alright. It’s your life and I can’t make that decision for you.”
The three of them lapsed into silence again and Sirius let his mind wander to his godson. Would he
want anything to do with him? Would he want to come visit him? Live with him? Would Hermione
forgive him and become his friend? He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t but he really hoped that it
would all work out in the end. Sirius threw back the rest of his fire whiskey just like Severus had.
He supposed that tomorrow would tell.
-O-
Albus knew that he was fucked. His nose had been healed, he had done that on his own as soon as
he had returned to the castle. He had sent one of the elves to show their visitors to rooms that were
suitable for them. The wards informed him that Severus, Hermione Black, and Draco Malfoy were in
their rooms with them. It made him nervous, he wasn’t going to lie.
He had made an enormous mistake in not believing Sirius way back in 1981. He should have looked
into it, not just been reassured that Lily Potter couldn’t overthrow his spell and modify it without him
knowing. She had been a brilliant witch, after all. He should have considered it.
Now, he knew that he was going to have to grovel. Not only had he ruined Harry’s life by sticking
him with the Dursleys, he had publicly called the Lord Black a liar. He had cursed his daughter,
granted it truly had been accidental, but the whole confrontation shouldn’t have happened at all. All
along, both Black and Malfoy had been supporting Harry in their own way and he had been so sure
of himself that he had assumed it was because they were angling to get close to Harry and have him
killed.
Remus was sure to turn from him in this, as was Harry. Remus had always been close to Sirius and
to have him so convinced of the man’s guilt only for it to be wrong would surely turn him against
Albus. He didn’t blame the man, he would have felt the same way.
While Remus was going to tough to take, Harry turning from him was going to be the worst. He had
cultivated a relationship with the boy that had made him feel safe and loved. To find that Albus had
been wrong was going to devastate that. He understood. Harry had had little to believe in growing
up so when something he did believe in turned out to be a farce, it was understandable for him to
turn against him. With Black and Malfoy whispering in his ear that Albus had known all along, it
was surely the end.
Minerva turning on him was almost as bad as Harry. He had been there for the woman during some
of the toughest times of her life and she had trusted him implicitly. She hadn’t seemed surprised at the
truth so he wondered if she had guessed the truth long ago or just recently. Either way, she refused to
speak to him and he wasn’t brave enough to try to force her. Yes, he was more powerful but
Minerva could be quite mean and vindictive if she wanted to be. Much like he had witnessed from
Hermione Black that very evening.
He sighed to himself. Albus was just going to have to do his best to earn the forgiveness he needed
to make sure that this war was won. Sure, he had been misguided in ways of going about things but
he had never faltered from the light and the need to bring Voldemort down for good. He was going
to make it work.
Everyone would forgive him eventually. He would make sure of it.
-O-
Rookwood was now freezing cold after swimming across the Black Lake to leave Hogwarts
grounds. He knew that Pettigrew was caught, that he wasn’t going to be following him. Severus had
showed up and bound him, making quite certain that Black’s daughter could hand him over.
The worst part of failing was that he had liked Black’s kid. She had been sweet and she had cared
for him. She had fed him, showed him affection, and played with him. It made him wonder if that
could ever carry over, if she could feel the same for the man as she had for the dog. Once his master
was returned, he would have to make it a point to try to catch her and see. While he knew that her
father wasn’t a traitor and was probably trying to spy, Rookwood knew that she was powerful and
she would be a boon to the Dark Lord if he could convince her to join. It would be worth the effort
and if it led to more between them, all the better.
Potter, however, was going to die. Rookwood was determined to make sure that he was dead before
his master returned but he wasn’t sure how he was going to get close now that the boy knew what he
looked like. His chance had been blown by Pettigrew trying to escape. Not that it mattered now; the
man had shared the whispered words to him from their master and the instructions they needed to
follow to resurrect him.
Rookwood was going to resurrect his master if it was the last thing he did and nobody was going to
stand in his way.
A/N- Holy fucking balls, y’all, this chapter is massive! I can’t believe it’s this long. However, I
promised you all an epic chapter when the truth came out and I hope that I came through on that
promise. Thanks to everyone out there that has stuck through this story for this moment alone. You
guys are seriously awesome. Let me know how I did, reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, meeting of the minds as the truth is explained.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 58

A/N- Wow. You guys are just so awesome, thank you so much for the love you show this story. It
wouldn’t be happening without you. I’m still having issues with replying to reviews so I apologize if
you didn’t get one. I always try to reply back (: Now that this chapter is being posted, I’m going to
take a couple days off. I lost a few hours of sleep getting this chapter to you after only one day.
Thanks for understanding!
**Shout out to Midnight Little One for being my 2100th reviewer and Jamie Theobold for being my
2200th reviewer. Y’all rock!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing in this story or any of my others. The original idea for Part One came
from Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to our queen. Nothing y’all didn’t
know already. I’m still broke so I haven’t made any money from this story or any other. Someday,
I’ll make millions.
Chapter 58
May 31, 1994
Hermione pushed her curls out of her face as she stepped into her dormitory to change clothes. She
had fallen asleep on the couch in her father’s room, her head in his lap and her feet in Uncle Sev’s.
She was quite sure that she had been the most comfortable of everyone since they had all fallen
asleep sitting upright, even Draco. However, that didn’t mean that the couch had been comfortable. It
most assuredly had not been, though she wouldn’t trade her bed for being able to spend time with her
family. Aunt Cissy had been the only one missing and she would be arriving early this morning.
The other girls were awake, some of them dressing lazily since it was a Saturday and others still
lazing away in bed. Daphne was still laying under her duvet with a book curled up next to her. Pansy
was fiddling with make up charms, changing the color of her lip color over and over again.
Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. However, the girl looked over to Hermione and sneered.
“You’ve been whinging this whole time about Drakey spending time with me and then you spend
the whole night out with a boy. I wonder what your daddy dearest would think of that. I might just
post a letter to him myself and inform him of your scandalous behavior.” Hermione stared at her for
only a moment before bursting out in laughter. Pansy looked quite startled and the others looked like
they were confused. Hermione brought herself under control.
“You do that, Pansy, see where it gets you. You know, since my father was the boy I was out with
all night. I’m sure he’ll see fit to inform your father of how you’re trying to get his daughter in
trouble and spreading lies about her.” Pansy’s mouth fell open and Daphne started laughing. She
abandoned her book and sat up, her eyes dancing with mirth. Hermione decided she didn’t want to
leave it at that either.
“For the record, I told both you and Draco that I didn’t care what you got up to as long as you were
discreet. That was never the case since the whole school knows you’ve been performing fellatio for
him, as told by you. I wonder what Lord and Lady Malfoy would think of you making their only son
and heir a laughingstock in school?” Hermione didn’t wait for the girl to respond. Instead, she left
her threat open-ended and flounced into the bathroom to shower.
Hermione showered off quickly, drying herself and her hair with a quick charm. Her Aunt Cissy was
going to be there in just a little bit and she knew that she would have to look perfect. While in the
comfort of her home, her aunt didn’t mind if she wasn’t one hundred percent put together, in public,
she was expected to look as a proper young woman should at all times. Granted, there were very few
times that Hermione hadn’t looked proper but with her aunt coming to the school, she wanted to be
extra sure she wouldn’t disappoint her. Hermione didn’t buy into all the customs and rules the
pureblood society held to but she loved her aunt dearly and would never want to disappoint her.
Hermione went back out into the dorm to find that only Daphne remained. She watched Hermione
silently and it was clear that she was considering her words. The Slytherin left her to it while she dug
through her wardrobe to find a set of robes. She quickly slid into ivory bra and knickers set, one of
her favorites. She had always loved how silk felt against her skin. A set of form-fitting witch’s robes
in the color of royal purple followed. Daphne stepped forward and gestured to let her do her hair so
Hermione sat and let the blond witch twirl her wand around her curls, making them impossibly
shinier. Once she was finished, she drew the top half of her hair back and clipped it with one of her
many hair clips while the rest hung heavy down her back. Hermione didn’t bother with make up; her
aunt had told her that for everyday use, she didn’t need any since she had inherited her mother’s
perfect skin. Daphne smiled at her.
“I don’t know what’s going on but you put those robes on like they’re armor. Is everything about to
change?” Hermione stood and pulled her friend into a hug.
“Yes. Things are certainly going to change. I must take the path before me. Your path will lie in your
choice once nothing is a secret anymore.” Her friend looked uncertain and Hermione felt bad for her.
“Will I lose you as a friend?” Hermione smiled softly at her and squeezed her hand.
“I truly hope not.” She hugged her one last time and then turned, exiting the dorm room. Hermione
heard her friend following her and smiled to herself. She hoped that Daphne would choose to follow
the light rather than her Death Eater father. However, she couldn’t even imagine how hard it would
be to go against your family. That was one thing that Hermione had never had to worry about.
Hermione turned her attention towards the common room when she came to the bottom of the stairs
and was surprised to see that her father, her aunt and uncle, her godfather, and Draco were waiting.
She felt her cheeks flush slightly when she realized that they had been waiting on her.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize that everyone was waiting on me. I would have hurried.” Aunt Cissy
stepped forward and hugged her close before pulling away and cupping her cheeks with a smile.
“Nonsense. A witch can never take too long getting ready. That’s what fire whiskey was made for,
to entertain our men while we ready ourselves.” Draco snorted.
“What am I supposed to do then? You won’t let me have fire whiskey yet.” Hermione laughed as her
aunt waved her wand and smacked her son in the back of the head. He howled in indignation.
“What was that for?” Her aunt lifted an eyebrow in his direction.
“Proper gentlemen don’t snort and they don’t comment on the amount of time it takes their witch to
ready herself. I swear, Draco, you will learn manners.” Hermione could hear him grumbling under
his breath. Daphne giggled softly behind her. Her aunt realized that she was behind her and she
smiled at her friend.
“Miss Greengrass, it’s been awhile. May I say that you’re looking quite lovely?” Daphne curtsied
and blushed.
“Thank you, Lady Malfoy. You always look very beautiful.” Her aunt moved forward and slid an
arm around the girl’s shoulders. Daphne looked startled but relaxed when she saw the small smile on
her aunt’s face.
“I hear Draco is quite the handful at school. Would you happen to have any good stories for me?”
Hermione knew that her aunt was teasing but her cousin looked decidedly uncomfortable. Daphne
flushed again and tried her best not to stammer.
“Well, m-most everyone thinks he’s amazing at qu-quidittch. He’s the most well-liked boy in
Slytherin. Hermione too, well, everyone except Pansy. You’ve raised wonderful children.” Her aunt
cocked her head to the side for just a moment before she patted the girl’s hand.
“Thank you, dear. I’ll be sure to tell your mother I saw you and you were looking well. We really
must be going though. Will you keep an eye on my two wayward children while they’re here?”
Daphne beamed and nodded.
“Of course, Lady Malfoy. I love Hermione. Draco’s very kind as well.” Hermione knew that
Daphne was flustered trying to speak to her aunt. Aunt Cissy, for as transparent as she may have
been to Hermione, left everyone else clueless. It was clear that she was interested in this girl and by
having her look out for her children, it would guarantee that she would be close to Draco. She was
hoping for a match there and nobody knew but Hermione. Well, probably Uncle Luci, but he didn’t
count. Daphne hurried out of the common room and her aunt threaded her arm through Hermione’s
and led her to the door. After passing through it, her father started to lead them towards the Great
Hall. Hermione couldn’t believe that they were all going to dine there but who was she to complain?
“Tell me, Hermione, why does everyone in Slytherin like you but Pansy?” She could tell that her
cousin was on edge and she didn’t feel bad. He had known better than to let himself become a
spectacle and that’s exactly what he had done.
“I killed her social life in just one sentence. Just like you taught me, Aunt Cissy. I let many things get
by me but when you push me too far, don’t think I won’t push back.” Her aunt’s eyes narrowed as
they climbed the stairs to the ground floor.
“What did you say to her, darling?” Hermione leaned her head on her aunt’s shoulders. She could
hear the men behind her chuckling at Draco’s obvious unease.
“I told her that I had better things to do than spend time with someone that was undeserving of it.”
Her aunt laughed, a musical tinkling sound that Hermione was sure she had to have practiced.
“Oh, darling, you’ve made me so proud. Now tell me why.” Hermione grinned. The one incident
she would let loose was in no way Draco’s fault so he wouldn’t get in trouble for it. The rest of his
behavior, however, was on him.
“Draco won the quidditch match and everyone was congratulating him. He deserved it, he was
amazing. As Daphne and I were walking up to wish him well, Pansy threw herself into his arms and
snogged him there in front of the whole school. Draco froze, it was clear he hadn’t been expecting it.
I had warned her before about fawning over him and making a spectacle of him but then she did that.
It was time for action since she wasn’t listening. She said she was turning her birthday party into a
victory party and I told her that I wouldn’t be attending, that I had better things to do then spend time
with her. Daphne and I spent the afternoon with Fred and George Weasley and Neville Longbottom
down by the lake. None of the other girls attended.” Her aunt gasped and then grinned.
“You managed to get every girl to refrain from attending? That really is social suicide. You will do
well as Lady Black someday, darling.” Hermione laughed softly, knowing that her aunt would be
proud of her for finally wielding her power socially. Aunt Cissy, however, turned to glare at Draco
as they entered the Great Hall.
“You and I will be having a conversation later about that girl. Don’t think I don’t know the ways of
young boys. That girl won’t be my daughter-in-law.” Hermione knew that if Draco told her aunt that
he loved her, she would capitulate but it was clear she knew all too well about boys and their
distractions. Her cousin scoffed at her words.
“Please, as if I would marry someone that hated Hermione.” Her aunt looked quite pleased so she
dropped the subject for the time being as they took seats at the Slytherin table.
Hermione was nestled in between her father and her Uncle Luci at the table. It was amazing to have
her family around her but she could feel the stares from the rest of the Great Hall. She was well-
aware that everyone thought her family was stuck-up and they would be right. They were all entitled,
arrogant, and stuck-up. However, they weren’t so stuck up that they couldn’t sit at the table that they
had dined at for seven years. Well, she supposed that her father was technically at the wrong table
but that was beside the point.
As her family made small talk, the other Slytherins were too nervous to speak to them, Hermione
watched Professor Lupin slink in and take the seat next to Professor McGonagall. He looked
exhausted but there was an overall air of self-loathing around him. Hermione wondered if he would
throw himself at her father’s mercy today or if he would wait and try to do it in privacy. While she
didn’t like the man at all, she knew that her father missed him. She would accept the man if her father
asked her to, though she was quite certain that he deserved better. She was still convinced that they
had been lovers once upon a time but she still hadn’t gathered the courage to ask.
Theo was finally the one to muster the courage to ask why they were all there dining with them that
morning. Her father had looked down at the boy, clearly unhappy since he knew about the words
Theo had had for Harry the year before and told him that it was business with the Headmaster. Uncle
Luci had corroborated the story and that was the end of that.
The family unit rose as one and started to leave the Great Hall. Hermione watched in amusement as
her aunt bent at Pansy’s shoulder and whispered in her ear. Since the girl paled and then nodded
weakly, she was quite sure that her aunt had just issued a warning about her behavior and perhaps a
threat to tell her parents. Hermione would have to tell her that the girl’s parents were pushing her to
act this way even though it wasn’t proper. Once they were in the corridor again, her godfather spoke.
“Let’s make our way to the Headmaster’s office. I’m sure that’s where we’ll meet. It has the best
wards in the school.” Hermione snorted, earning herself a warning look from her aunt.
“Aside from your quarters, you mean.” Her father and uncle laughed while she thought there was a
slight tinge of red on her godfather’s cheeks. Draco offered her his arm and escorted her towards the
stairs. When they were all pairing up, he whispered down at her.
“Thanks for telling her that it wasn’t my fault.” Hermione laid her head on her cousin’s shoulder and
smiled at him. After that encounter, he and Pansy had never been caught but the girl had told
everyone she came into contact with. She couldn’t wait for the day that he realized he wanted
nothing to do with the girl.
Once they found their way to the second floor, the griffin that guarded the Headmaster’s office was
before them. Before Uncle Sev could offer the password, it leapt out of the way and Draco led the
way into the office. Hermione should have paid more attention to those in the Great Hall since she
realized in that moment that they were the last to arrive.
Rather than sitting behind his desk like he usually did, Dumbledore was seated in front of the fire in
an armchair. Amelia Bones, the Head of the D.M.L.E., and two of her aurors were seated on a sofa
close to Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall and Professor Lupin were together on a loveseat. Harry
and Weasley were both together on a couch with Arthur Weasley next to his son. Her godfather took
an armchair so when her aunt, uncle, and father took the last couch, Hermione pulled Draco to the
other loveseat. An elf appeared and served them tea even though they had just finished breakfast.
Hermione wasn’t sure who was going to break the silence but it was clear that it wasn’t going to be
anyone from her family. In the end, it was Madam Bones that spoke.
“I’m sure that there are several personal conversations that need to take place and we don’t need to
be here for that. Peter Pettigrew was identified last night and then questioned. Legilimency was
performed on him to discover that it wasn’t possible since he is an illegal animagus. However, he
didn’t seem to be aware of the fact that we wouldn’t be using veritiserum so he confessed to
everything.” The woman adjusted her glasses and sighed.
“He confessed to Lily Potter changing the Headmaster’s fidelius spell and making the secret keeper
himself rather than Lord Black. He told us that he had been branded by the Dark Lord just weeks
after graduation. The Dark Lord had demanded he discover where the Potters were staying and he
then started telling everyone how he thought that one Remus Lupin was a traitor because he was
spying with the werewolf packs. He then put forth the idea that Lord Black would be the obvious
choice in secret keeper. Once he had been named secret keeper, he had told his master everything.”
Hermione watched impassively as Lupin buried his head in his hands and refused to meet the eyes of
anyone in the room.
“Pettigrew told us that Lord Black knew who had sold them out immediately but he hadn’t expected
such quick retaliation. When he had shown up at his mother’s, he had to make sure that she wouldn’t
be harmed. He apparated to Hogsmeade and Lord Black followed him. They were going to duel;
Lord Black gave him every chance to pick up his wand and fight. Then two aurors came upon the
scene and one of them tackled Lord Black, which sent his freshly fired killing curse into her partner.
Pettigrew stated that Black was mortified and he took that moment to disappear.” Hermione stood up
from her seat next to Draco and went and plopped herself in her father’s lap no matter how improper
it was. His arms came around her and she squeezed him tight. Madam Bones, however, continued.
“Pettigrew didn’t return home. He traveled the countryside for ages in his animagus form and was
found by a little boy. He later learned that the boy was Percy Weasley. He decided that it was the
safest place he could find and allowed himself to become a pet to the Weasley family. Nothing
changed until he came to Hogwarts with Ronald Weasley, his new owner when Percy passed him
down.
He never showed himself but he always kept track of Harry Potter since he was the best friend of his
owner. Nothing out of the ordinary happened until after their first year, he learned his master had
returned through Quirrell. The following summer, he disappeared from the Weasley home to search
for his master. He found a trace of his existence just outside of Godric’s Hollow. He was somehow
able to communicate with his master, he couldn’t explain how, and he learned that he needed to
break into Malfoy Manor and retrieve his master’s old diary. Once he had it in his possession, he
returned to the Weasley home and planted it in Ginny Weasley’s things. He didn’t learn that his plan
had failed until Harry had killed the basilisk and Ginny was freed from the hold of the diary.”
Hermione could feel her father’s heart thumping underneath her and she didn’t blame him.
“After Rookwood escaped, he followed them to Hogwarts. Pettigrew sneaked out and found the
man and told him everything that he knew, all his directions for resurrecting his master. There was
some sort of spell cast on him so he couldn’t speak of it but it was clear that Pettigrew had shared his
information. He said that when Rookwood played his hand and outed his involvement, he tried to
escape. Hermione Black and Draco Malfoy forcibly changed him to his human form and then
Severus Snape prevented him from leaving. He also reported some abuse from Miss Black but the
auror department isn’t planning on following up on these claims at this time.” Hermione wanted to
laugh. Bones had seen her stomp his balls the last time and she was leaving it alone. Overall,
Hermione was pleased and there wasn’t a thing that she would change. Bones turned to meet her
eyes.
“Now that I have his side of the story, I need the story of everyone else involved.” Hermione stood
and returned to Draco’s side so they would present a united front. Her uncle gave her a look of
approval before she started speaking. Draco’s arm fell around her shoulders as she spoke.
“Draco and I had gotten into an altercation with Parvati Patil and we had just parted from that. I had
just healed his face when we heard a shout. I had been feeding a yellow lab on the edge of the
Forest, had been all year. When we turned, we saw said lab maul Potter and haul him into the
Forbidden Forest. Weasley followed after him but Patil headed for the castle. We had hoped that she
was going for help.” Weasley nodded.
“I told her to go get help and that I would follow Harry and try to help him.” She gave him a polite
nod.
“We followed after them. We’ve spent two years protecting Potter because we knew that my father
wasn’t guilty. We’ve been trying to keep him safe since day one. After we reached the place where
they were stopped, Rookwood had transformed and he was monologuing. Draco took that time to
send his patronus to Professor Snape and beg him to come help us.” Madam Bones goggled at them.
“You can cast patronuses?” Hermione nodded.
“Yes, Draco and I learned how when our fathers learned that there would be dementors stationed at
Hogwarts.” Ron broke in.
“Harry can cast one too. Professor Lupin taught him how.” Hermione wanted to roll her eyes but she
refrained.
“After we sent off the patronus, Lupin came running through the forest. Once he realized what was
happening, he was trying to keep Harry safe. I noticed the rat coming out of Weasley’s pocket. I
knew instantly who it was so Draco and I stood and cast the spell that force animaguses into their
human forms. He was trying to crawl away but my attention was forced from him to Rookwood,
who was then trying to curse Potter while he was unarmed on the ground. Harry was able to cast a
cutting curse at his leg before he transformed to his animagus form and ran off. Professor Lupin
chased after him and my Head of House arrived and bound Pettigrew to make sure that he couldn’t
escape. I may have stomped his reproductive parts for the pain he had caused my father through the
years and he may have threatened me back.” Her aunt laughed that tinkling laugh again and the
others were smiling. Aunt Cissy sounded quite fond of her when she spoke.
“I do adore you, Hermione. In addition to riding this summer, we’re going to start running together.”
Hermione grinned at her aunt but remained silent. Her work was done and all that was left was that
of the adults.
Her godfather detailed how he had made sure that Lupin had been under the influence of his potion
and then guarded their backs as they left the Forest. He had told them about the confrontation at the
front gates between Hermione and Pettigrew again but left out the fact that her father had socked the
Headmaster right in the nose. After all fell silent, Madam Bones turned to Harry.
“Has everything that has been said here today been true? Would you stand behind their words in a
court of law?” Harry gave a resolute nod.
“Absolutely, Madam Bones. They haven’t lied about a single thing.” Hermione wanted to scoff.
Now he wanted to let them speak for him but not once in the past had he believed them so staunchly.
Madam Bones and her two aurors rose and started for the floo.
“We have all we need. When his trial comes up, we’ll let everyone here know and some of you may
have to testify.” Hermione gave a silent nod to the woman who seemed to take no shite from anyone.
She couldn’t help but wonder if she would someday command the level of respect that woman did.
The three of them left in a whoosh of flame and the room fell silent once again. It was nearing on
five minutes of silence when she finally couldn’t take it any longer. Hermione rose to her feet and
brushed her hand down the length of her robes and spoke, her chin held high.
“Well, if nobody has a single thing to say here, I’m going to go. I have studying to do for our
upcoming exams.” Draco took this as his cue and stood as well, offering his arm. Professor
McGonagall stood and gestured for them to please take their seats again. Hermione gave the woman
a respectful bow before allowing Draco to seat her once again.
“I know that there has been a lot of anger and hurt in this circle. I understand that. However, now is
the time to try to begin healing, if you can. I already began this process at Christmas. I want to tell
my story so you all know exactly where I stand in this.” Hermione wanted to smile at the woman’s
decidedly Slytherin approach.
“I had been at the Three Broomsticks before Christmas and I was gossiping with Madam Rosmerta
and Minister Fudge. I said some things about Sirius that I now regret. Hermione heard me and quite
soundly put me in my place. Even though I later apologized, nothing prepared me for the
conversation I was about to have with Severus. Actually, Headmaster, are you sure that Arthur can
be trusted with this information?” Her Uncle Sev leaned forward and glared at the redhead.
“How’s your occlumency?” Arthur sputtered for only a moment.
“It isn’t wonderful but it’s passable.” Her godfather glared at him.
“I’ll check it later. If I find you wanting, you will be having lessons with me.” Hermione watched as
the Headmaster’s eyes widened at his words. Professor McGonagall continued.
“I visited Black Moor over Christmas once Severus told me that Hermione Black was his
goddaughter and that Sirius had become his best friend. I went even though I was sure that I would
regret it. To my absolute horror and surprise, he dosed himself with veritiserum and told me that he
was innocent, that he had never betrayed the Potters. I’ve been in on their secret since then and
watching the events at this school, it’s sickened me. The things that I have seen students and
professors alike levy at these two children has been astounding.” Hermione wasn’t sure if she was
going to enumerate them but she apparently was.
“Albus, you have been against them from the start. Yes, they have done wrong but you have always
made them pay for it. You tried to read the thoughts of Miss Black in her first year and showed you
that she had benefited from Severus’ teaching early on. You punished the girl publicly at the end of
her second year for cursing Miss Brown. Sure, she deserved punishment but not the bullying that she
suffered this year. You made her serve detention over Hagrid having hippogriffs here, totally
inappropriate. You have done everything you can to cut Miss Black and Mr. Malfoy down since
they walked through the gates.” She turned to Lupin.
“Remus Lupin, you’re just as bad as the Headmaster. Yes, you were brainwashed to believe that he
was right but you were atrocious. You punished a young girl for saving students on the Express, you
dueled an injured girl because you needed to prove yourself. You rubbed her boggart in her face.
What young child of war doesn’t fear the deaths of those she loves? Not only did you do these
things, you told Harry that he couldn’t trust them, that they were going to lure him away.
Inexcusable.” Hermione didn’t know how the woman knew half of those things but she couldn’t
deny that she was right. This didn’t stop her.
“Mr. Weasley, you have done nothing but bully a young girl for a mistake she made when she was
faced with a threat to her family. You have been bullying her all year and it has been inexcusable.
Everyone has turned over your name for the person who threw Miss Black into the Black Lake and I
really don’t doubt it. You’ve struck her, why wouldn’t you try to kill her?” Hermione watched
impassively as Weasley started to sputter and argue. As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t
help but believe his words.
“I’ve done more than my fair share to Black but I never threw her into the lake. You have the wrong
person.” His Head of House glared at him but she didn’t tarry. She turned to Harry next.
“I understand that you have had Dumbledore telling you how evil those two are in your ear. I get that
you have been led astray. However, I know that you hurt that girl desperately and I’m not sure if she
will ever forgive you. She’s done nothing but try to protect you so I can’t help but wonder if you’re
really as gullible as you seem or just willfully stupid. I really hope the answer is gullible so you have
a chance at repairing the rifts you’ve helped make worse.” Hermione lowered her head and let her
cousin pull her into his chest. She hugged him close and said nothing until the Headmaster spoke.
“I tried to apologize last night but understandably, Lord Black is angry. I thwarted his attempts at
getting Harry because I truly believed that he was guilty. I never considered that Lily would be able
to override my spell without my knowing. I have done my best to make the lives of Miss Black and
Mr. Malfoy complete hell and there’s nothing I can say in defense of myself. I should have
considered all outcomes but I didn’t. I’d like to say that I’m perfect but it’s clear that I’m not. You
can’t blame Harry or Remus for believing me when I clearly manipulated them into believing me
over other people.” Hermione wanted to stand up and scream at him but she didn’t. It wasn’t her
place, even though he had done her wrong too. It was her father’s and she was counting on him to
come through. Rather than scream at the man, his Lord persona came out.
“Oh, so now you’re willing to admit that you were wrong and you’ve done my daughter and cousin
wrong. You have done everything you could to make sure that Harry believed the worst of me when
I never wanted anything more than to keep him my self and love and protect him? Try telling him
that.” Hermione could tell that Harry wanted to say something so he didn’t back down when the
opportunity arose.
“Why would you keep me from him when you knew that my aunt and uncle would hate me?
They’ve told me from day one that they couldn’t stand my kind. It wasn’t until I got my letter that I
realized that they meant people with magic. My aunt hated her sister because she was unnatural.
Why wouldn’t she think the same thing of me? Hermione has told me more than once that I would
have been loved if I had been raised with her and Draco. Now I can’t help but wonder what my life
would have been like, strong and magically powerful because I had been studying from the time I
could talk. Lupin told me I’m powerful but power is nothing if you can’t use it. Not to mention, I
hurt her more than anyone should ever have to suffer because I believed not only Dumbledore’s
words, but Lupin’s as well. I’ve been so completely wrong and I have nobody to blame but myself.”
Hermione was surprised to see her Headmaster rise to his feet and bow.
“I offer my most sincere apologies. I have made the life of his loved ones more difficult and I was
wrong. They deserved so much better. I offer my humblest apologies and hope that one day I will be
good enough for forgivingness.” Hermione wanted to scream. Why should he be granted forgiveness
when she had been paying the price of her father’s perceived sins since day one? However, it was
clear that he had truly believed that her father had been guilty. His actions were almost relatable
when she considered that he thought her father a traitor. This, however, didn’t mean that she was
ready and willing for forgive him. He was far from that. Her father rose and used his most put-upon
voice for his display.
“I understand that you thought I was guilty. I understand your reasoning. If it had only affected me, I
would have accepted your apology with little to no fanfare. However, my daughter has suffered at
your hands. You’re going to have to work for every bit of acceptance and trust you receive from us.
Now you know that while you’ve betrayed your allies, we never have.” Hermione wanted to cheer
when she saw the crestfallen face of the Headmaster. However, he deserved it so she did her best to
keep that customary feeling of pity well up in her. Lupin stood next and Hermione was astounded to
see him kneel at the floor in front of her father, laying his head in his lap.
“Sirius, I’m not sure how you can ever forgive me. We were lovers, we loved each other and I
believed his word against yours. I can’t blame him for my failings. I should have known and
believed that no matter what you were innocent, that you wouldn’t turn on James like that. I’ve
believed the worst of you for twelve years, I’ve done my best to forget you and curse your name.
Now, having the truth smack in the face, I can do that no longer. I have loved you for over a decade
and I can only grovel at your feet and pray that you someday forgive me.” Hermione watched her
father shove Lupin off him in disgust and rise to his feet. He beckoned for the werewolf to rise and
when he did, Hermione knew what was going to happen. She was sure that she should feel terrible
but in truth, she didn’t.
Her father reared back his fist and let it fly. Numerous times. Hermione flinched every single time he
landed a blow on his ex-lover, knowing that it was hurting him as well. The werewolf didn’t even
attempt to fight back. Hermione stepped forward after three or four blows and wrapped her arm
around his. She smiled gently at him.
“No more, daddy. I know you love him and this isn’t doing any good but making him feel better.
You deserve more.” Her father met her eye and nodded slightly. Lupin was on the ground in front of
him but wouldn’t raise his head to meet anyone else’s eyes.
“I’ll prove to you in time how sorry I am. If it takes me letting this happen every day for the rest of
my life, I’m going to earn your forgiveness.” Hermione didn’t let her father answer since she wasn’t
sure that he deserved the words he would surely spit out. Instead, she knelt at his side and whispered
in his ear.
“It isn’t him you have to convince, it’s me. I’m the one who will keep him from accepting your
pathetic apology. My father has been miserable for over a decade because of you. You deserve to rot
with only your disease to accompany you. You deserve to know he deserves better. You have to
convince me you’re sorry before he’ll ever consider you again.” Hermione knew that her words were
the truth too. Where he might forgive Harry with no repercussions, he would never forgive Remus
Lupin if he thought Hermione hated him. Dumbledore stood at this point and nodded his head, quick
to assure them that while he knew they were in control, there was nothing he could do.
“I think this meeting has come to an end. We’ll all need to atone for our mistakes and only time can
tell if we’ll be successful.” Hermione knew this was a cop out but said nothing. This had to happen
and at this point, she wanted out of this whole situation.
After everyone stood and started for the door, Hermione hugged her father close. She had a feeling
that he was going to forgive Harry readily and she needed one last hug that wasn’t overshadowed by
that. Once he pressed a kiss to her head, she backed away and stepped to her aunt. They exchanged
hugs like they usually would and she smiled at her words or well-wishing.
Her Uncle Luci had hugged her close and told her that there was nothing in the world that meant
more than her and Draco. She had hugged him tight and kept him close for several minutes as though
she didn’t want to remember that once he left, the one staunch supporter she had in her corner was
going to be gone. Hermione wasn’t stupid. While her father loved her, he was going to forgive Harry
and welcome him with warm arms. Her godfather would do the same since he had loved his mother.
No matter how much it hurt her, it was going to happen and Uncle Luci was the only one that would
keep her as their number one. It hurt her but she wasn’t stupid enough to believe any different.
After their goodbyes were said, Hermione started for the entrance with a grimace on her face. She
knew that Draco was reminded of her words at Christmas and wouldn’t leave her anytime soon
because of them. She supposed that she should be grateful. It had been a long time coming and there
was so much more to come. With a sigh, she let her cousin lead her to the Great Hall. After all,
nothing about their meeting really affected her after all. She wasn’t required to let her father’s
feelings overrule her own. Thank Merlin.
It was going to be a long rest of the year.
-O-
Harry knew he should have apologized to Hermione at the very least before the meeting broke up.
He hadn’t been able to believe that his godfather had pounded on Lupin like that. However, if his
words were to be believed, they had been lovers and truthfully, that made the whole situation even
worse. He should have given Lord Black a chance to explain at the very least.
Harry sent Ron on, telling him that he needed to try to mend fences with his godfather. Now that the
truth was out, he wondered what his boggart would be now. The Malfoys seemed to realize that he
wanted to speak to Lord Black alone because Lucius shook the man’s hand and his wife pressed a
kiss to his cheek. Professor Snape shot him a look that he was sure he should have understood but, in
the end, he watched him leave. Once they were alone, Lord Black smiled at him.
“Shall we take this out on the grounds?” Harry nodded, unsure of exactly what to say. They left the
privacy of the Headmaster’s office and Harry let the older man lead him out of the castle to walk
around the lake. Incidentally, it was the same path that he took when he ran in the evenings. After
they were far enough out that they could hear the giant squid splashing, Harry decided to open the
conversation.
“I’m so sorry, sir, for believing the worst of you. I had told Hermione that I would consider talking to
you about everything and then I talked to Professor Lupin. I should have went with my gut, not my
head after hearing what he had to tell me. I should have trusted Hermione and Malfoy all along.
Instead, I -.” Lord Black cut him off with a smile.
“First off, I’m your godfather, not your teacher. I’m Sirius, not sir or Lord Black. Draco calls me
Sirius, or sometimes cousin, so I don’t see any reason for you to be so formal.” Harry shuffled his
feet.
“Draco hasn’t thought that you were evil for the last three years.” Sirius laughed out loud now.
“I most certainly can be evil. I was raised in a family of Slytherins and when my loved ones are
threatened, I can be as ruthless as any Slytherin. However, I’m a Gryffindor at heart, the only one in
my family. I’m hoping that you’ll join me in that regard.” Harry felt his heart soar at his words. He
wanted him to come to his house and be part of his family. Suddenly, he remembered that Hermione
wasn’t going to be so happy with that development. His voice was tentative.
“I’m not sure that would be a good idea. I was really mean to Hermione, I know I hurt her. She isn’t
going to want me anywhere near her.” Sirius nodded and clasped his hands behind his back.
“I know, Draco told us what happened at Christmas. He didn’t go into detail about what happened
but he found Hermione in his bed sobbing her eyes out. Did you mean those things?” There was a
slight bite to his tone but Harry didn’t blame him.
“No, I didn’t mean any of it. I wanted to hurt her so she would stay away from me. I knew that if she
kept coming around I would give in and after my talk with Professor Lupin, it didn’t seem like a
good idea. It wasn’t fair to lead her on and make her think that there was a chance at us being
friends.” Sirius nodded his head as if he understood but Harry wasn’t sure he did. Harry decided he
needed to know what he told her.
“I told her that I thought she was trying to whore herself out to me and then that I wished she was
dead so you would know what it felt like to be me. She cried in front of me, something I’ve never
seen her do in the three years I’ve known her.” Sirius looked angry but he wasn’t exploding so he
hoped that he wasn’t about to die.
“I want you to know that I love Hermione more than life itself. No, I didn’t adopt her for the right
reasons. I adopted her to keep myself out of Azkaban so I could raise you. However, she’s my
daughter and I love her. You ever hurt her like that again and I’ll kill you.” Harry gave a shaky nod.
He knew that something along those lines was coming, he wouldn’t be a good parent if it didn’t.
Harry took a deep breath before speaking.
“I would do anything to take it back. She told me more than once that she should have been my sister
and that she was looking out for me. I want to apologize but I really don’t think that it’s going to
work. I don’t deserve for it to work. Frankly, you talking to me like this is likely going to piss her off.
I think you’re nuts, I would much rather keep her on my side than talk to a kid that has held you in
contempt for three years because he listened to lies.” Sirius chuckled softly before he laid his arm
around his shoulders.
“You’re right, she’s going to be pissed. However, I loved your dad like he was my brother. The
same way that she loves Draco, hell she might love him more. I owe it to your dad to bring you into
my life and offer you my protection and love. Once she gets past the hurt, she’ll realize that she
would do anything in the world for her cousin. She really would too. I know that she would kill for
him, they’ve been together since Draco was born. Did you know they sleep almost every night in the
same bed when they’re home for the holidays?” Harry nodded his head and Sirius barked a laugh.
“Ron and me, we sneaked into the Slytherin common room last year over Christmas. They made a
pallet on the floor and slept there together. That was when I realized how much they loved each
other.” Sirius nodded.
“They kind of fell apart this year, why I’m not sure, but they’re better now. It’s good to see since I
know it was hurting Hermione terribly.” Harry snorted.
“It was over Pansy Parkinson. She’s been sucking his dick and telling the world. Malfoy forgot that
Hermione existed for a month or so. The day it all blew up, though, I could tell that he felt bad. It
was clear he didn’t realize that he had been ignoring her. It’s been better since then.” His godfather
burst out laughing. It took him several minutes to get himself under control.
“I bet she eviscerated him too. Good girl.” Harry didn’t understand his thought process so he just
nodded. His godfather smirked at him.
“In Slytherin, showing weakness is the ultimate sin. Yes, Hermione shows her cousin weakness
because she trusts him. If he had ditched her, however, she wouldn’t have showed him anything but
ruthlessness. I bet she eviscerated him. Her aunt has coached her for years on how to handle her
position socially. I bet she would be thrilled.” Harry snorted now that he understood.
“I bet her aunt would have loved watching her put Parkinson in her place after the quidditch match
then.” Sirius laughed loudly.
“Probably. You need to apologize. I doubt she’ll accept it, and I don’t blame her, but keep doing it.
Show her that your words aren’t true and eventually she’ll forgive you.” Harry wondered what
Hermione would think of her father giving away her secrets but he supposed it wasn’t his place to
worry about it. He nodded instead.
“I’m going to grovel for as long as it takes.” His godfather smirked at him sideways.
“I know you like her as more than a sister. If you decide to pursue that, don’t even think about
hurting her. I will kill you, son of my best friend or not.” Harry didn’t speak. What was he supposed
to say? That he constantly thought of the man’s daughter and wanked to her at night and in the
shower? It was better to remain silent. Thankfully, Sirius seemed to accept that nothing else was
needed.
“I’m going to see if I can get custody of you. I don’t want you returning to the Dursleys.” Harry
grimaced.
“According to the Headmaster, I have to go back. Something about my mother’s sacrifice protecting
me. However, if you could get me out of there as soon as possible, it would be appreciated. They
really do hate me.” Sirius nodded.
“I’ll get with Dumbledore another day. Probably a few days from now since I know he’s still pretty
pissed I broke his nose.” Harry laughed.
“That was a good hit.” Sirius nodded.
“A hit he deserved for sending you to Petunia. I only met her once and she was horrid.” Harry
snorted again.
“She’s still horrid.” Nothing more was said as they finished their circuit around the Black Lake.
Once they had reached the starting point, Sirius turned to Harry.
“I have to go. I’m going to owl the Headmaster about you coming to Black Moor and when we meet
again, I’ll tell you every story about your parents I can think of. I hope you end up with a love like
theirs. I’ll be in touch now that it’s possible. If you have need of anything, I mean anything, you
write me. Have Hermione teach you to send a patronus message so if it’s urgent I’ll get it. Even if
she hates you currently, she’ll teach you. What is your patronus, by the way?” Harry grinned.
“A stag.” Sirius laughed again.
“Just like your father. Not only was that his patronus, it was his animagus form.” Harry grinned now.
“Maybe I’m more like him than I know.” Sirius clapped him on the shoulder.
“You should know, then, that he chased your mum for seven long years. You better hope you don’t
end up with that part of his legacy.” Harry couldn’t help but agree since he couldn’t get Hermione
out of his mind. Considering their current situation, he supposed that he would probably end up more
like his father than he wanted to admit. Therefore, he remained silent. Sirius reached out and cupped
his face in his hands.
“I’ve dreamed of you for over a decade. I’m glad that you’re finally in my life.” Harry nodded. He
would definitely return the favor. Therefore, he grinned.
“I’m glad I finally know the truth.” Sirius smiled softly at him and ruffled his hair.
“I must go. Remember what I said. I’ll be in touch.” Harry nodded and then watched as his godfather
strode away from him, his strides purposeful and determined.
Harry really wasn’t sure what to think of his first encounter with his godfather. It had gone well, that
much was sure, but he still couldn’t help but think that he was going to cause a rift between
Hermione and her father. The things he had said to her weren’t going to be easily overcome and for
her father to welcome him with open arms, it was going to end badly. It was just a matter of time. He
kept telling himself that that wasn’t his business but he couldn’t help but worry about the girl that he
couldn’t get out of his mind. The last thing he wanted was to cause her more pain. He had enough to
atone for already.
Harry considered going back into the castle and finding Ron. However, he didn’t want to hear about
how Slytherins were evil and this changed nothing. While he loved Ron as a friend, he knew his
faults. He was prejudiced and this would change nothing in the scheme of things. However, as much
as he loved Ron, things were going to have to change and he needed to have the conversation with
him. Therefore, he headed towards the castle and mentally prepared himself for the confrontation.
Harry entered the castle and started for the Gryffindor common room. He knew that Arthur was
required to be there since his son had been involved but he doubted that he had hung around.
Therefore, he would bet his vault that his friend was in the common room playing chess. He climbed
to the seventh floor and entered Gryffindor Tower to find that everyone was staring at him. Since he
wasn’t in the mood to answer questions, he went straight to Ron, who was playing against Neville.
Harry sighed, remembering the argument he had had with his friend over Sirius’ innocence.
“I owe you an apology, Nev. You were right about Sirius, though let’s keep it quiet until I know
what they’re doing with the information.” Neville beamed at him and nodded.
“I know nothing, Harry. Glad you finally realized that you have more people in your corner than you
thought.” Harry nodded before he turned to his best mate.
“Ron, can we talk for a minute? You can come back right after.” Ron nodded and Neville didn’t
seem too irritated. He just picked up a book from the table next to him, something about Egyptian
plants. He led Ron over to the side of the common room that nobody was occupying. Ron opened
the conversation.
“I can’t believe that Black was innocent, though I guess it should have been obvious. He was a
Gryffindor after all, loyal til the end. If only his daughter could be trusted.” Harry reached out and
shoved his shoulders hard, pushing him back just a little. His voice was hard.
“Yes, Sirius was innocent but Pettigrew wasn’t. He was a Gryffindor too. House makes no
difference and if you think it does, you’re stupid.” He could tell by the dumbfounded look on his
friend’s face that he didn’t’ know what to think at his words.
“I’m here to tell you that you are no longer to make comments about Hermione and Malfoy. I don’t
care if they’re Slytherins, they’re family. I will always consider you and your family my family as
well but they are too now. No more comments or we are going to butt heads.” Ron stared at the floor
for a moment before he spoke.
“I think you’re making a mistake trusting those two but I’ll keep my mouth shut. I’m not going to be
their friends, I’d rather shoot myself, but I won’t say anything about your family. Not so much that
I’m scared of you but I’m scared Black will stomp my nuts like she did Pettigrew’s.” Harry couldn’t
help the burst of laughter at his best mate’s words.
“That was brutal. She didn’t get in trouble either, which is even better. I’m pretty sure that right now,
that girl is my hero.” Ron laughed and nodded.
“Yeah, Pettigrew had it coming. Like I said, I consider myself lucky she only threw me against a
wall.” Harry nodded before he gestured that they were finished.
“I’m going to apologize and try to be her friend. I don’t expect you to be their friend but I want you
to keep your comments to yourself.” Ron nodded, smile playing on his lips.
“I can do that.” Harry grinned back
“Thanks, mate.”
While Ron returned back to his game of chess, he made his way up to his room so he could take a
nap. It hadn’t been long since he had woke but he hadn’t slept well. Needless to say, he felt much
better in the light of the day then he had last night.
Things could only get better from here.
-O-
Sirius settled into his chair before the fire in the library. Lucius and Cissy had just left and to say that
he was ready for bed would have been an understatement. While he had enjoyed spending the night
with his daughter the night before, it hadn’t been restful or comfortable. Candy had already brought
him a potion to help him with his stiff neck.
He swirled the fire whiskey around in his tumbler. Sirius had spoken with Dumbledore before he left
about having Harry come to Black Moor that summer but he had been told about the blood ward that
had been erected when he had been placed with Lily’s sister. As much shit as it was, he would have
to continue returning to his aunt and uncles until the wards weren’t needed anymore.
Sirius was doing his best to drown his sorrows. As excited as he was about having Harry in his life
and having him come stay the better part of the summer with him, it had been arranged that he would
arrive for his birthday, he knew that it was going to cause a rift between him and his daughter. He
knew that she was going to think that he had chosen his godson over her and he supposed that he
couldn’t blame her. He was choosing to have Harry around and he knew that Hermione wasn’t
going to like it. However, it needed to be done.
Sirius hated to hurt his daughter like he was going to but Harry needed to be brought into the fold. It
was past time and he deserved to be loved as much as Hermione did. Yes, his godson had hurt her
terribly but he knew that she would forgive him in the long run. It would happen quicker the more he
was around.
Sirius knew that what he was doing was fucked up. He knew that his daughter was going to view it
as betrayal. However, he also knew that once she had forgiven his godson, she would agree with
every decision he made. As terrible as it sounded, he had to make decisions for the world at large, for
the war, and they didn’t always revolve around his daughter’s feelings.
He knew that Severus was just as thrilled that Lily’s son was finally in the fold. While he didn’t
necessarily like the boy, he was bound to protect him. He had loved Lily and there was nothing he
could do to change his vows to the Order. Having him close would make his life easier and he hoped
that his daughter would remember that before she lambasted him for taking Harry’s side.
Lucius would likely be the favorite this summer. Sirius expected it. As much as he hated hurting his
daughter, he had to do right by Harry as well. He hadn’t done right by him since he had been born
and it was high time that it happened. Hermione had had twelve years of being his sole focus and
now she was going to have to share him. It would be quite the shock to her but it was a shock she
was going to have to get used to.
Truthfully, the whole situation made Sirius feel like a complete bastard. He knew that his daughter
deserved his loyalty but on the other hand, so did Harry. It wasn’t his fault that the Headmaster and
Lupin had done their level best to turn him against him. His godson deserved to be first to someone
and not because of what he could offer to the war effort. Yes, he had done wrong, especially to his
daughter, but he deserved the right to repent.
While Sirius had easily accepted Harry’s apology, he was unsure of what to do with Remus’
apology. It had felt good pummeling his face, much better than it should have, but he couldn’t deny
the facts. He had loved Remus, they had been lovers for six months when things had gone south. His
lover hadn’t even given him the chance to explain, he had just cast him from his life without a single
explanation. It had been heartbreaking, that much was sure.
Sirius had had more than his fair share of lovers through the years. Numerous, numerous women had
experienced his cock but only a handful of men. He had been bisexual from the start but had never
been attracted to anyone until Remus. They hadn’t gotten together until a drunken night after they
had graduated and from there, it had become a relationship. To say that he had loved Remus more
than anyone else in his life would have been an understatement.
To watch his last love, go to his knees before him, it gave him dirty thoughts. However, he couldn’t
forget the things that he had done to Hermione. He had dueled her while she had a broken hand. He
had gave her a concussion and rebroken her hand. Ultimately, it was unforgivable. If it had been just
himself that had been hurt, he would have forgiven the man already. However, Hermione was his
daughter and he wouldn’t stand for someone that bullied her. He would never start a relationship
with someone that had hurt her. He was going to have to have to gain her forgiveness before Sirius
would ever consider forgiving him.
Lucius had warned him that things were going to get tricky now that the truth had come out. He
knew that the man was telling the truth but there was nothing he could do to tell the man that he was
wrong. He just hoped that when things went wrong between himself and Hermione that Lucius
would be her support and help her realize that he had to help his godson.
Sirius threw the rest of his whiskey back and swallowed hard. He went to his feet and started for his
room. Life was only going to get harder and he needed to prepare himself. After all, he was going to
have to go against his daughter eventually. It had been a long time in the making.
This was going to be an interesting summer.
A/N- Another huge chapter down, guys. Damn, I can’t believe it. I know that Sirius is coming across
as a douche right now. He is being one, that’s for sure. However, things are going to escalate before
they blow up. Hang tight. Thanks to everyone out there that who’s showing my story love, you guys
are awesome. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think.
Next chapter, Hermione receives some apologies.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 59

A/N- My laws, you guys are just awesome. Thank you so much, once again, for the love you show
my story. I know I say it every chapter but that’s because I mean it more than you know. I would
have quit a long time ago if it weren’t for you. Sorry y’all had to wait a few extra days for this
chapter but truly, I had no clean laundry, no food in my house, and my living room looked like it had
thrown up on itself. I don’t even want to discuss the kitchen. Thanks for your patience.
**Shout out to Ms-Fleur for being my 2300th reviewer! Thanks for being awesome!**
Disclaimer: You guys have heard it all before, I don’t own a thing. Everything about this story
belongs to someone else. Our queen, J.K.R., gets all the credit for the characters and while I have
spun my own story after Part One, the original idea that snowballed belongs to Hermione Lyra
Malfoy-Riddle, a loyal reader who gifted me this idea.
Chapter 59
June 6, 1994
Hermione made her way to Transfiguration alongside Draco. Her cousin rarely left her side now that
the truth was out. He wasn’t so much worried about the bullying now, but Harry finding her and
accosting her with apologies.
The Slytherin wasn’t stupid. She knew that her father was going to forgive Harry, she had warned
Draco of it at Christmas. Therefore, she hadn’t been surprised when her father had written her two
days after the truth had been revealed and told her that he and Harry had made their peace and while
he knew that she was angry at him, he hoped that she would eventually forgive him.
As angry as his letter made her, she didn’t blame her father. Even Hermione knew that Harry hadn’t
meant most of the words that he had said to her that night in the Hospital Wing. If he had, he
wouldn’t have tried to check on her after the dementor attack on Hogsmeade. She knew that he felt
guilty; the crux of the matter, however, was that Hermione didn’t think that she had any more
forgiveness left in her. Harry had been mean more times than she could count and thus far she had
forgiven him. Her Uncle Luci had always told her “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice,
shame on me”. She found that it was quite fitting in this instance.
Harry had been trying to pin her down for just under a week now. A part of her felt guilty but Draco
quickly reminded her that she owed him nothing. She had gone above and beyond to protect him for
three years, had given up not only her Christmas their second year, but most of her childhood, and
Harry had thrown in back in her face. It made her heart clench in hurt when she realized that she was
in love with a boy that only wanted to be her friend now because the truth had finally come to light.
Hermione would be the first to admit that she wanted more than that, that she deserved more than
that.
Draco steered her into the classroom and into her seat. Pansy was looking quite sure of herself at the
table she used to share with Draco but Hermione paid her no mind. It was no secret that her cousin
had spent time with the girl the night before. While Draco had spent time with the girl doing she
didn’t want to know what, Hermione had spent a pleasurable evening with Daphne, studying for
their exams. There was only one more week of school and today was their last day of exams. The
next week would be spent in leisure as the professors graded exams and got them back to students.
Hermione was excited because it meant that she would be able to devote all her time to her
assignments from Madam Cambridge.
Hermione had wanted to throw a fit when her father had told her that Madam Cambridge had agreed
to pick up Harry as a student this summer. She was quite sure that her father would find a way for
the boy to come stay with them over the summer no matter how she felt about it. While she wanted
to be happy for her father since he was finally able to have a relationship with his godson, she knew
that when it happened she was going to be mortified and hurt that her father would invite him into
her home after what he had done and said to her without even discussing it with her. She really
wanted to be grown up and not view it as a betrayal but she really wasn’t sure that she could.
Hermione had gone to her Transfiguration professor just a few days ago to see if the Headmaster
would now lift the ridiculous rule that they couldn’t have more advanced work. The Gryffindor had
checked, Hermione believed that she had, but was told that the rule still stood, especially now that
Harry would receive private tutoring as well. She thought that it was complete tripe but there was
nothing she could do about it, therefore, she left it alone. She had known all along that what was
good for the Boy-Who-Lived wasn’t good for everyone else.
Perhaps the most disturbing event since the truth came out was that Albus Dumbledore had called
Hermione and Draco into his office three days after her father had left the school. He had openly
apologized, profusely actually, and then begged her to get her father onboard with fighting the war
the way the Headmaster wanted to. While Hermione did believe that at least a part of him was sorry
for fucking everything up with his opinions and actions, she wasn’t about to convince her father to
follow the man to war. When war came, they were going to make decisions as a family and go from
there. That had been decided years ago.
Professor McGonagall passed out the exam and bid them to begin. Hermione hadn’t wanted to study
since everything they had learned that year had been pure review. However, the perfectionist inside
her wouldn’t allow her to get anything less than a perfect score. Draco and Daphne had rolled their
eyes at her but she had just continued on her way, doing what she wanted.
The exam was just as easy as she had feared that it would be. There wasn’t a single question that she
didn’t’ know the answer to and she was quite sure that it was the same for Draco. After she had filled
in her exam and then turned it in, Professor McGonagall had told them that they were free to leave.
Harry was still working on his exam but appeared to be on his last page. That meant that Hermione
had to hurry so they wouldn’t meet in the corridor.
Draco flanked her as she left and she flashed him a grateful smile. Even though she was sure that
there were still people that wanted to bully or prank her, they hadn’t in quite a while. Truthfully, she
wasn’t sure if it was because of her threat to Ginny Weasley or Harry threatening them. Word had
trickled into the snake’s house by way of Neville and the twins to inform her that Harry had told the
whole of Gryffindor house to treat her like the princess she was.
However, this would all have also been explained in the newspaper article that came out following
the confession of Peter Pettigrew. Every major newspaper, and most of the minor ones, had printed a
story on the clearing of the name of Sirius Black. The whole story had been rehashed and then retold
from Pettigrew’s point of view. While Hermione was grateful to the papers for letting the truth be
known, for publicly clearing her father’s name, she couldn’t help but be irritated at the articles.
Where everyone had hated her before, most were now chummy and more than willing to be friends.
What they weren’t aware of was that Hermione had no room in her life for fake friends.
What astounded her the most was that people assumed she was now loyal to the light but Draco was
still dreaming to serve the Dark Lord. Theo had been one of these people. There had been a
confrontation two days before where Theo had told her cousin that he was sure that he could keep
him away from her so he didn’t get tainted with her outlook on life. Draco had pushed the boy away
from them and told him that if he ever spoke such tripe again, he would pay in blood. While Draco
wasn’t usually a vengeful wizard, she believed his words. He was his father’s son after all.
Blaise didn’t seem perturbed at all and neither did Tracey or Millie. They just took it in stride.
Daphne had been astounded, quite surprised at the fact that Lord Black had been innocent of most of
the crimes levied against him. However, she refused to lose Hermione’s friendship and told her that
she was going to talk to her father over the summer holidays. Hermione had urged her not to but if
there was one word that described Daphne, it was stubborn.
Greg and Vince had been standoffish at first, probably since both their fathers were Death Eaters that
had claimed the Imperious Curse in the first war as well. However, after a day, it was like nothing
had changed. Hermione wasn’t sure that it would last but for the moment, all was well with them.
Theo was the only fly in the ointment. Even though Pansy had turned up her nose at Hermione when
she realized that her father was indeed on the light side of the war, it was undeniable that she was still
the Black heir and there was nothing to be gained politically by turning against Hermione even
though she had publicly shamed her. Theo, however, had no problems screaming at the pair of them
in the common room in front of Merlin and everyone that they were traitors to the Dark Lord and that
his father would rescind the betrothal contract for Hermione poste haste.
Draco had went to his feet and drawn his wand. The whole situation had been ridiculous and when
Hermione had tried to say so, Daphne had pinched her arm until she had remained quiet. Draco had
told him that not only would his suit never be seriously considered, he would duel him right there for
the slight to their family name. Theo had quickly backed down, knowing that he was no match for
Draco. Her cousin had demanded an apology from the boy to herself and then told him to instruct his
father to withdraw his suit. Theo had agreed quickly but ever since, he had glared at the pair with
undisguised hatred. It had been one thing to deal with bullying from other houses but a completely
different thing to worry about watching your back from someone in your own house.
Since they were released only a few minutes early, Hermione aimed her cousin towards the door
leading outside. Herbology was next and even though she was confident in her abilities, she
wouldn’t mind studying for the few extra minutes before class started. Her cousin, of course, rolled
his eyes at her since he knew exactly what she was up to. However, he allowed her to lead him and
she smirked at him.
The grounds were lush and green after the spring rains. Now that summer was upon them, the wind
was warm and the sky was blue. The clouds were large and puffy and Hermione wished that she had
time to lay out on the grounds at night before she left so she could stargaze. It used to be something
that she, Draco, and her aunt used to do together, usually with her aunt telling them over and over
again through the years why they had named the Black family after the stars. They rarely did it now
and she wished that they could do it more often since she missed it.
Hermione stripped her robes as they entered the greenhouse. She shrunk them down and put them in
her bag, Draco following suit right away. Professor Sprout smiled at them and Hermione
acknowledged it was a nod of her head. They settled into their seats and Hermione leaned her head
against her cousin’s shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders before kissing the side of
her head.
“Last day of exams. Thank Merlin.” Hermione chuckled.
“You act like you aren’t going to be doing Madam Cambridge’s assignments for the next week.”
Draco snorted and closed his eyes. She could tell that he was starting to doze so she nudged him
softly.
“You can’t sleep yet. You need to stay alert for this exam.” Draco nodded before he kissed her head
again and released her.
“It’s your fault for being so warm. Distract me.”
It turned out that the distraction wasn’t needed. Hermione had just opened her mouth when the doors
opened and students poured in. Pansy was the first one to come to Draco’s side and give him a
pleading look.
“I thought that you were going to sit with me in class today. We talked about it last night.” Draco
snorted at her.
“You talked about it, I was a little busy. I never agreed. Frankly, I won’t be sitting with you in class.
Hermione is my sister in every way but blood and I won’t be leaving her to sit with who knows
who.” Pansy sneered at him while Hermione clutched his hand tightly.
“You had no problems with it earlier in the year.” Hermione smiled sweetly at her.
“Do I need to call my Aunt Cissy?” Pansy paled before turning on her heel and finding her seat.
Once she was gone, Hermione turned to her cousin.
“You know I don’t care if you sit with her here and there. I just don’t want to be ignored like I was
before.” Draco shook his head.
“She means nothing to me and while you’ll say it’s horrible of me to use her like that, I don’t care.
She’s a horrid human being, you should hear the things she tells me in private. I don’t want her
thinking that there is a chance with me in the long run.” As much as Hermione didn’t like his
attitude, she supposed that she understood. Pansy deserved to not be led on. Instead, she nodded.
“You’re right, I don’t like it. However, I won’t say anything. It’s your life and I won’t interfere.”
Draco smiled at her.
“Someday I’ll find a girl that will fit perfectly into my life. My family will love her, she’ll adore you,
my mother will approve. I just have to wait for her to show up.” Hermione nodded against him. She
already thought that Daphne fit his words perfectly but she wasn’t going to jinx it and speak too
soon.
“You’ll find an amazing girl that will make you happy.” He kissed the top of her head against.
“You will too, Miney. I’m pretty sure Potter fits this description, he just needs to grow up.”
Hermione sat up abruptly and refused to meet his eyes.
“Potter would never like me. He made that quite clear. While I don’t believe that he thought I was a
whore or whoring myself out for the Dark Lord, I do believe wholeheartedly that he believes I am
undeserving of his attention or love. To make me believe otherwise, especially after his words, is
cruel.” Draco seemed to be warring with himself when he finally lowered his eyes and nodded.
“Forgive me. I don’t agree with your words but I won’t push you. I want you to stay away from him.
He doesn’t deserve you and I’m not quite sure he ever will. All I was saying is that he could
someday if he ever changed.” Hermione was spared a response by Professor Sprout calling them to
order. After passing out the exams for the end of the year, all the students got down to business.
Hermione was one of the first to finish. The class didn’t challenge her, just like the others in her
schedule. Draco followed afterwards, completely assured in the fact that he passed with flying colors.
Since they weren’t dismissed early like they had been in Transfiguration, Hermione had been forced
to entertain herself and then come up with ways to avoid Harry. When the bell finally rang, she had
come up with nothing, no additional ways to keep away from the Gryffindor boy. She knew that she
would have to face him eventually but she wouldn’t feel bad about putting it off for as long as she
could.
In the end, she didn’t need a reason to keep away from him. Parvati did that all on her own. She
hung off Harry’s arm and grinned at him shamelessly all while slowing him down so there would be
no chance and catching up with her. As much as this stung, she thanked Merlin for the advantage
and then sped off to the Great Hall at Draco’s side. Just outside the door to the Great Hall, the
familiar form of Remus Lupin stepped in front of her. She wondered if he had been waiting there for
her but she quickly reminded herself that she had better things to do than worry about a werewolf
that had caused her father such pain. His hand laid on her shoulder and when she turned cold eyes to
him, he removed it quickly.
“May I please speak with you after the meal, Miss Black?” Hermione wanted to snort at him but she
refrained. As much as she disliked the man, she understood that he had been misled and lied to.
However, it didn’t excuse the numerous years of pain her father had suffered because his ex-lover
hadn’t believed him or given him the benefit of the doubt enough to listen to his side of the story.
“Why should I?’ She felt her question was valid but after it was out, it sounded so petty. While
Hermione knew that she could be petty at times, she didn’t like to appear that way to anyone but her
family. Lupin lowered his eyes.
“I fear it will be the last time we speak.” Hermione started just a little. Sure, there was the rumor of
the curse on the position of the Defense professor but she had never believed it. Why would she
when every professor had been a complete joke until Lupin? Hermione finally gave him a consenting
nod.
“Alright, I’ll meet you in the classroom next to the Charms classroom after dinner.” Once he gave
her a blinding smile, he hurried away and Hermione let her cousin lead her to the table. Once they
were seated, eh glared at her.
“Why would you agree to that when you know we have a meeting for the quidditch team after
dinner to discuss next year?” Hermione grinned at him.
“I’ll be fine. You can’t stop living your life. I’ll meet you in the common room after and you’ll see
how great I am afterwards.” Draco hesitated for a few moments but finally nodded.
They continued with their meal, excited chatter all around them. Everyone was thrilled that classes
were finished for the year and they had a whole week to spend with their friends and relax.
Hermione didn’t blame them. This year felt like it had been her most emotional yet and she couldn’t
wait for the summer holidays.
Dinner passed by without incident and once the food disappeared, Draco leaned over and tugged one
of her curls. She smiled at him to reassure him that all would be well but she wasn’t sure that he
believed her. He helped her up from the bench and handed her her school bag.
“Promise me that you won’t let him anger you. He isn’t worth it.” Hermione nodded and smiled.
“I promise. Now go before you’re late to your meeting. I swear I don’t understand why you need to
have a meeting about next year when that won’t happen for a few months yet.” Draco laughed but
didn’t answer, just sauntered off towards the door. She assumed that they were having their meeting
in the locker rooms judging by his direction. Hermione watched as Pansy followed behind, smile on
her face as she approached her cousin. She turned away from the scene since she really didn’t want
to know exactly what their relationship consisted of.
Hermione quickly made her way to the Charms corridor, locating the classroom with ease. Just
outside the door, she stopped and took a deep breath, calming and centering herself so she didn’t lose
her temper. Before she lost her courage, she pushed the door open to see that Lupin was already
there waiting on her. Once the door was closed, she met his gaze and she could see sorrow there.
However, the sorrow in her father’s eyes for years now far outweighed the werewolf’s. He had
conjured a couch and he gestured for her to take a seat. Once she was seated primly on the couch,
she turned his way. He raked a hand through his hair and sighed.
“I’ve been sacked. Someone leaked my condition to the Board of Governors; your uncle thinks it
was Rookwood owling Pansy Parkinson’s father. Since they hadn’t been informed of my condition
from the start, I’ve lost my job. Not the first one, however, it was the best one of my life. I just
wanted to speak with you one last time before I leave in the morning.” Hermione wasn’t sure what
she was supposed to say so she remained quiet. He didn’t seem to mind.
“I know you hate me and I don’t blame you one bit. I’ve been completely horrid to you and you
didn’t deserve it, not even a little. Even if your father had been guilty, I should have been better.”
Hermione held up her hand to stall his words.
“I know that I deserve better. However, I really don’t care about what you’ve done to me. Sure, it
was complete tripe but I let it go. I understand that you were hurting because you thought your friend
had betrayed you. I understand your motive. I know myself well enough to say that I’m not sure I
could treat the child of someone who did that as though there was no history there. However, I really
don’t like you because of what you did to my father. You weren’t the one that saw him miserable for
years. You weren’t the one who would wake up as he brought all the girl’s home, trying to forget
about you for just a little while. You weren’t the one who saw how horrid he felt that he couldn’t
bring Harry home and give him the home he deserved. That was me. I was the one there for all of
that, Draco too. Both my uncles and my aunt were the only ones he had. This being said, I won’t be
forgiving you anytime soon. My father deserves to have someone in his life that is there because they
trust each other, not because the truth comes out and suddenly all is well. I’m not even touching on
the fact that you were lovers. That isn’t for me to have an opinion on.” Lupin had kept eye contact
the whole time and nodded when she had finished.
“I don’t want you to forgive me, not yet. Your dad either. He deserves for me to grovel and show all
vulnerability. I loved your dad more than anything once upon a time and I still do. If he were to
forgive me straight away we would both know it was a lie. Your dad is a passionate man and he acts
on his emotions. We would grow to resent each other is he forgave me too quickly.” Hermione
wanted to puke in reality. While she was alright with her father having male lovers, she didn’t want
to hear about his relationships and such.
“If that’s the case, what is the point of having this conversation with me?” Lupin gave her a soft
smile.
“I want your permission to reach out to your dad and start the process of mending fences. I know
your words from that night were true. If you’re against me, he won’t ever let me in. I want you to let
me prove to him that I can be better, I will be better.” Hermione cocked her head to the side and
stared at him.
“What would you do if I told you no?” He lowered his eyes and sighed.
“I would respect your wishes. These days you know your dad better than I do.” Hermione knew that
she couldn’t refuse him. If her father had refused something like this on her account trying to protect
her, she would have been livid. Therefore, she heaved a sigh.
“You have my permission. I won’t help you and I haven’t forgiven you. That will take a very long
time. I shall let my father make his own decisions in that regard.” Lupin broke out in a grin and she
could see how her father had been attracted to him. He was quite handsome when he was happy and
unencumbered.
“Thank you, Miss Black, you have no idea how happy you just made me.” Hermione scrunched her
nose just a tiny bit at the formality but lifted her chin anyways.
“You’re welcome. Just know that you have to convince him to talk to you because I won’t be.” He
gave an enthusiastic nod.
“I want to tell you again how sorry I am for being so childish and petty. I should have been better
and I’m going to strive to do better.” He paused for a moment.
“Have you talked to Harry yet?” Hermione stood up and brushed off her skirt. Her robes were still
shrunk in her bag and she suddenly felt like she needed armor.
“No, I haven’t. I see no need to. I will continue to protect him as I have but he’s made quite clear his
feeling about me. I refuse to put myself out there again. He will just have to be happy with my
protection.” Lupin looked sad but she didn’t acknowledge it. He started to rake his hand through his
hair again.
“I know you’re angry, Hermione, but he didn’t know any better. He had Dumbledore and I telling
him how evil you were.” Hermione spun, skirt flaring around her. Her magic created a breeze that
lifted her ebony curls but she quickly got a hold of herself so she could speak.
“He didn’t know better at the beginning. After first year and the Philosopher’s Stone, he should have
used his own mind. I have given him three years of showing him I was on his side and he still
disbelieved me for the words of you and the Headmaster. Don’t tell me I should forgive him. He
doesn’t deserve it.” Lupin held up his hands in surrender and spoke softly.
“He should have, yes. However, nobody is perfect. I’m not asking you to forgive him but give him
the chance to be better. I know he can be.” Hermione glared at the man and crossed her arms over
her chest.
“I don’t see how it’s any of your business. We both know my father will forgive him and that’s what
matters most, right? Therefore, drop the subject and don’t touch it again.” Lupin gave her a quick
nod and smiled at her again.
“Thank you again. I won’t take up the rest of your evening and perhaps I’ll see you over the
summer.” Hermione gave him a nod and watched the man put his robes back on before leaving, the
door wide open as he left. With a deep breath, she threw herself back on the couch and let her mind
drift. However, only a minute passed before Harry stepped out of the shadows just outside the door
and came in, closing the door behind him. Hermione flew to her feet, not wanting to be at a
disadvantage. Her hands threw her bag up on her shoulder and she started for the door. Harry
stepped in front of it and beseeched her with his eyes.
“Please, just listen to me. You don’t have to talk, just let me get what I need to say out. Then I’ll
move and let you out without a fuss.” Hermione put her arms at her side and raised her chin, more
than ready to launch her wand into her hand if she needed to. Harry pushed his glasses up his nose
and met her eyes.
“You have no idea how fucking horrible I feel knowing that I said those things to you. I never meant
them, not any of them. I had just talked to Lupin and he had warned me about getting close to you,
told me that he had been pulled in by Sirius and betrayed. I didn’t want you anywhere near me
because I’m always tempted to be your friend no matter what anyone tells me.” Hermione didn’t
miss the fact that he called her father by his first name. She decided not to comment since she didn’t
want to start yet another argument between them.
“I wish that I could show you how terrible I feel but I know it won’t matter. I’m going to have to
prove myself and I want you to know that I’m up for the challenge. You deserve better from me than
you’ve gotten and I am going to change that. I’m also going to change how Gryffindor house as a
whole treat you.” Hermione snorted; she couldn’t help it. He certainly had high hopes.
“Your house hates me, starting with your best mate and his sister. I don’t expect any loyalty from
you or anyone else.” Harry nodded and raked his hand through his hair.
“I know you don’t, you’re strong like that. However, you’re still owed an apology and I want you
know that I will never regret anything more than the words I said to you that day in the hospital wing
and how I’ve treated you the last three years. I should have listened to you and not the Headmaster.”
Hermione nodded, ready to escape.
“Yes, I understand. You’re sorry and I deserve better. I don’t know what you want me to say to
this.” Harry deflated, his shoulders sagging and Hermione felt just a tiny bit bad. However, she
remained silent.
“Nothing, I suppose. I just want you to know that I feel horrid and I’m going to do everything that I
can to make you believe me too.” Hermione nodded. She needed to get out before she let her heart
soften and forgive the idiot boy.
“Maybe someday you’ll make me believe you.” Harry nodded and stepped away from the door,
allowing her to pass. She hurried out of the room and down the corridors. Once she was two floors
way, she stopped and leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath.
Hermione had faced Harry and survived. She hadn’t given in to his apology and she let him know
that they were most assuredly not okay. She hoped that it would be enough. With another sigh, she
headed for the common room to wait for Draco. She was sure that he would find her story
entertaining and give her stellar advice.
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe that he had actually cornered Hermione Black and got her to listen. Of course,
it had meant that he followed her when she met with Lupin but that made no difference to him. In the
end, she had listened and that was all that mattered.
Of course, he had hoped that she would forgive him and welcome him back with open arms.
However, he knew that that would never happen. Therefore, when she had even deigned to speak to
him, he couldn’t have been happier. To say that she had made his week would have been an
understatement.
In truth, Harry had already been working her cause and her side since he learned the truth. He knew
that she would likely never hear about it but that was alright with him. He didn’t want her to forgive
him just because he did the right thing where she could see. He wanted to do the right thing because
it was right.
After stewing in the fact that he had indeed been led astray by those that were supposed to be right,
Harry realized that he was going to have to do more than just believe Hermione and think that she
would have his back from here on out. He was going to have to change things, prove that he had
committed to the change in his behavior wholeheartedly. It wasn’t going to be easy but he was going
to do whatever needed done, that much was sure.
Ron had balked, of course. He didn’t want to embrace the girl as a friend and Harry wasn’t going to
make him. However, he had almost made it known to the whole of his house that he was going to be
friends with Hermione Black and if they didn’t like it, they would be cut from his circle. Since he
was the Boy-Who-Lived, this wasn’t in their realm of social abilities, so they all promised to be better
in the upcoming year. Nobody had been stupid enough to drastically change their behavior this year
since they were aware that it would likely end in them being hexed by the witch in question. If there
was one thing she didn’t fear, it was standing up for what she believed in whether you liked it or not.
Harry had expected Neville and the twins to be onboard with his declarations. All three had taken to
his words like a duck to water and promised to back him in any way that he needed as long as he
was promoting inner house unity. Harry had high hopes after all; he wanted to get all the houses
working together so when they time came, they could band together and destroy Voldemort. It
hadn’t been received well but he was going to keep working on it. He refused to give up.
Ginny had been the most surprising. Where Hermione swore that Ginny had gone out of her way to
bully her and throw stones at her, she had been the first to step forward and pledge to help him create
house unity and peace. He hadn’t believed her at first, after all, Hermione swore she was a bully and
she hadn’t lied to him yet. However, her actions spoke louder than words. Since she had backed him
completely and publicly, Harry had met with her in the quidditch locker rooms and performed oral
sex on her. It hadn’t been an experience that he particularly loved, but Ginny had seemed to. She had
sucked his cock for almost an hour and he had been begging by the end of it.
Harry still kept his distance any other time, however. He was sure that Ron knew what was going on
between him and his sister but he kept quiet. He was thankful since the last thing he wanted to deal
with was more drama. Ginny had told people, of course, but he wasn’t surprised. He had known
from the start that Ginny was only showing him attention because she wanted a part of his fame. As
much as the girl wanted to date him, it would never happen.
All the girls were the same in truth. None of them wanted Harry for himself, only for the fame that
came along with being the Boy-Who-Lived. He knew this and wasn’t interested in a girl that would
only try to shag him because of his name. He knew now that this was a common occurrence in the
wizarding world but this was something that he wouldn’t budge on.
Not to mention that Harry he knew he wasn’t the only guy that Ginny was messing around with. It
helped with his guilt immensely since there were rumors that she was also seeing Dean and Seamus,
along with two guys from Hufflepuff. He wasn’t sure if she was going as far with them as she was
with him but he supposed that it was none of his business. As long as she didn’t bring them up, he
wouldn’t either.
He breezed back through the common room door and spotted Ron playing chess against Percy.
Rather than bother them, he started for his dorm. Ginny, however, stepped in front of him, shrewd
look on her face. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and she slightly glared at him.
“What are you so happy about?” Harry smiled at her.
“I finally spoke to Hermione tonight and even though she hasn’t forgiven me for being a complete
prat, she let me speak. It’s an improvement.” Ginny rolled her eyes and laid both her hands on his
abdomen and massaged the muscles there. While running wasn’t great for building muscle, quidditch
was. He knew that his stomach was gaining a six-pack and he couldn’t wait until it was fully
developed.
“Harry, I know you want to make things right with her but she isn’t ever going to let you. She’s
already made up her mind that you’re evil, that you don’t want her friendship. She’s never going to
forgive you.” Harry sighed, fearful that her words were true. He gripped her elbows and squeezed
softly.
“I hope you’re wrong but if you’re not, I’ll live. I just want to do the right thing.” Ginny smiled at
him and reached up to brush hair off his forehead, exposing his scar. He hated this gesture more than
anything. Her voice was soft though so he let it go.
“I know. I’ll help you. How about we go meet in a classroom in thirty?” Harry shook his head.
“No, I’m tired. We can meet up tomorrow, alright?” Her eyes clouded over for a moment but it
cleared almost instantly.
“Alright, tomorrow evening in the locker rooms right after dinner.” He gave her a smile and nod and
headed up the stairs.
After showering off and dressing for bed, he fell into his four-poster and allowed his mind to drift
once more. It was over all the same information but he couldn’t help but feel as though this was the
beginning of Hermione forgiving him. He was well-aware that it would take a good long time but he
was willing to put in the effort to have the girl in his life. She had been a phenomenal friend when he
hadn’t even realized it. He longed to see how amazing she would be when he was aware of it.
He closed his eyes and tried to divert his attention to his upcoming encounter with Ginny. The girl
got him hard and he surely came to her but the fact remained that he couldn’t masturbate to her
image. Ginny wasn’t what he would call attractive. Sure, she was pretty but she had never caught his
fancy, not until she had kissed him and distracted him. The distraction is what he craved, not her
body.
Harry closed his eyes and banished all thought from his mind. He was going to get a good night’s
sleep if it was the last thing he did.
-O-
Severus had just bid his goddaughter farewell and sent her back to the common room. There was
only a week left of school and they were surely going to be busy with social engagements. While he
didn’t think they were important, Narcissa had taught the both of them that they were.
He knew that Hermione was going to be disappointed in him come this summer. She wanted
someone in her corner after her father had so quickly forgive Harry Potter. While Severus wished
that he could tell her that he was her man, he knew that he wasn’t. It hurt him deeply but there were
others that deserved his loyalty as well.
The boy was Lily’s son and he deserved Severus’ loyalty. Even though there was no love lost
between the two of them, they would never likely be friends after all, but he knew that when Harry
was kept close, there was less chance of him coming to harm. He had already suffered enough at the
hands o the Dursleys and he didn’t want to prolong that. He was well aware that the truth was going
to come out over the summer but he couldn’t help that. Harry deserved the truth, the same truth that
the rest of his family knew. He only hoped that it didn’t destroy the relationship he had with his
godchildren.
Severus knew that between himself and Sirius, Lucius was going to be the favorite this summer. The
man could give two shits less about Harry, especially after the truth had come out about his words to
Hermione. While he knew that his friend was right, he still couldn’t forget his loyalty to his best
friend in the whole wide world. He guessed that it wasn’t going to end well for him but there was
nothing that he could do. As much as he disliked Harry at the moment, he still deserved a decent
home.
Hermione had just stopped by since Draco was at quidditch practice or some such. She hadn’t gone
into detail as to where he was. She had spoken with Lupin and then Harry and wanted his opinion
on the matter. While he knew that Hermione had every right to be angry, he also hoped that she
would forgive him quickly. Yes, they had been at odds all the years past but now, he wanted nothing
more than to put the conflict behind him. He knew he shouldn’t hurry her but it was extremely
difficult.
Hermione had left clearly confused as to how he could advocate for Potter when he had hurt her so
deeply. Severus didn’t blame her. For years, he had been her staunchest supporter and this was the
first time that he was suggesting that she move on and not let things bother her. It was very out of
character but there was nothing for it. He wanted peace and this was the only road to it.
Severus threw his fire whiskey back before he climbed to his feet and started towards his quarters. It
could prove to be a long summer, that much he was sure of. He only hoped that his goddaughter
could be reasonable and make things easier for everyone involved.
A/N- Another one finished, y’all. Lordy, this story is just getting more and more complicated.
Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read my story. You guys make me smile. Leave me a
message after the beep and let me know what you think.
Next chapter, a short leaving feast chapter.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 60

A/N-You guys are just awesome, thank you so much for the continued love and support of this story.
I do want to say that there might be a few more days between chapters now, but I’m still hoping to
update at least once a week, more likely twice a week. Life is just getting crazier and my work load
is getting out of control. Can’t lie, my kids like to eat too. I’m also having problems replying to
reviews so if you didn’t get one, I apologize. Fanfiction hates me, y’all. Thanks to everyone out there
reading and reviewing, y’all are so awesome.
Also, I can’t remember who recommended I read The Arithmancer by White Squirrel, you’re the
devil. I stay up later and later to read these stories. I deleted all my messages and can’t remember
who did it but thank you. Excellent story. For all those that need a good Hermione-centric story, give
this one a shot.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and Co. belong to our queen and the original idea for Part
One came from Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. Since I still shop using coupons, it’s clear I have
made no money from this story or any others. One of these days, I’ll have my own original idea and
I’ll be rich and famous. Then y’all can claim that you read my work long before I was famous (don’t
burst my bubble!).
Chapter 60
June 15, 1994
Hermione sat on an armchair in the common room while Daphne was brushing her hair. It wasn’t
something that she usually allowed but Daphne had begged to brush her hair. She was insanely
jealous of her curls and while Hermione was unsure why, she agreed. Draco was smirking at her
from across the room where he was speaking with Greg and Vince while Pansy hung on his every
word.
“Do you think Harry is going to come stay with you from now on? I can’t imagine that he would
want to stay with the muggles. I heard Weasley one day telling Finnegan and Thomas that they were
mean to Harry and didn’t feed him.” Hermione had to grit her teeth at the thought of Harry coming
home with her. However, she knew that wouldn’t be the case.
In truth, her father had sent her a letter and told her that Harry would indeed be returning to his
muggle relatives but only until his birthday. They would see him for Pettigrew’s trial but since it was
scheduled for the end of June, Harry would be returning to his aunt and uncle’s house. She was sure
that her father would make a stop at their house to threaten them but she hadn’t asked.
Hermione dreaded him coming to Black Moor. She would never be able to escape him and his
apologies. Was it too much to ask everyone to understand that she wanted nothing to do with him
anymore? However, when she thought about it, it made her heart speed up too. While she knew that
she would never date Harry and he would never court her, she knew that a small piece of her heart
would always wonder what it was like. She refused to be a distraction for him, like all the other girls
he had been seen with. Even she could admit, though, that she hadn’t heard of him being seen with
girls in quite some time. There was no way that she thought it had ended though.
Draco had been suitably outraged when she had shown him the letter from her father regarding
Harry. He had wanted to send his cousin a letter and tell him what an idiot he was being but
Hermione stopped him. The last thing they needed was for Draco to be arguing with her father over
something that didn’t directly affect him. Hermione was going to have to discuss it with him but she
wasn’t sure when. Right now, it wasn’t high on her list of things to do since it was almost certainly
not going to end the way she hoped.
“He’s going home to the muggles until his birthday and then he’s coming to Black Moor.” Daphne
grinned at her.
“That must make you happy. He should have been your brother and now that can finally happen.”
Hermione shook her head slightly.
“No, he’s made quite clear that he doesn’t like me. I’m not going to go out of my way to have
anything to do with him. Hopefully, he’ll do his own thing and I can do mine.” Daphne frowned at
her for a moment before she spoke again.
“I thought this would make you happy. You’ve been trying to be his friend for a long time.”
Hermione knew that her voice was a little shrill and far snappier than she intended.
“I did want to be friends with him. I wanted him to be friends with me before it was acceptable to.
No, he threw it in my face more than once that my father was a traitor and we could never be friends.
This feels fake and I’m not interested.” Draco heard her voice and broke away from his friends.
Daphne’s eyes dropped to her hands, comb still in hand, while Hermione went to her feet. Draco
glared at the blonde girl.
“What the fuck is going on here? What are you saying to upset her, Greengrass?” Hermione hadn’t
heard him call Daphne “Greengrass” in years so this showed her that things were about to get nasty
if she didn’t head it off. Daphne’s cheeks colored and she was staring at her shoes. Hermione
reached out and took her cousin’s arms and shook her head slightly when he looked her way.
“It’s fine, Draco. She didn’t do anything to upset me. She was asking about Harry and I got a little
defensive.” Draco searched her face for a lie, she was sure, but when he found none, he bowed
slightly to Daphne.
“I apologize, Daphne. I hate it when my cousin is upset, I’m sorry to have jumped to the wrong
conclusion.” Daphne raised her head warily and nodded softly.
“I accept your apology.” Hermione knew that this probably hurt Daphne’s feelings since she had
such a huge crush on her cousin. Draco seemed to sense it and stepped forward, snagging her hand
in his so he could bow over hand and kiss her knuckles. Her friend’s cheeks colored as she curtsied
in turn. Hermione chanced a glance at Pansy and she could see her fuming, her arms crossed over
her chest. Draco rose up and smirked at the reddish tint to her cheeks. It was Blaise that broke up the
scene.
“Draco, Pansy is trying to get your attention.” The spell between the both of them was broken and
Daphne lowered her eyes again while Draco let go of her hand. Her cousin kissed the side of her
head while he went over to Pansy and his two friends. Hermione could see that they were arguing
but she couldn’t hear what they were saying. She sighed as she turned to her friend.
“I’m sorry, Daph, I didn’t mean to get snappy. I just want people to like me for who I am, not my
money, my name, and not whether my father has finally been proven to be innocent in handing over
the Potters to the Dark Lord.” Her friend nodded her head before speaking.
“I understand. I’m sorry I didn’t understand.” Hermione cast a glance at the tempus charm on the
wall and saw that they were in danger of being late to the Leaving Feast. She smiled at her friend and
started to pull her towards the door.
“The Leaving Feast is about to start and I want to make sure we get good seats.” Daphne laughed as
she followed.
“I’m not sure why. You rarely eat more than a few bites and you’ll just get bored waiting on Draco
to finish.” Hermione laughed now and waved at her cousin.
“True, I do get bored but this also signals our last night in the castle. I love Hogwarts but I’m ready
to go home for the summer. I want to spend time with my family.” Draco appeared at her side and
offered her his arm. Hermione threaded her arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder.
“Get things straightened out with Pansy?” Draco shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know. Frankly, I don’t care. She’ll get over it or she won’t. I’m really not bothered either
way.” Hermione pinched his side and even though he hissed in pain, he didn’t pull away.
“I love you more than anything, Drake, but try to not be a complete arse that I’ll have to end up
hexing.” He laughed at her and kissed her head again. Daphne watched with a smirk on her face as
the rest of the third years fell in behind them and headed for the Great Hall.
The snakes were the last ones to arrive, always wanting to make a dramatic entrance. Hermione
could feel the eyes on her and she made sure to hold her chin high. Once she was in her seat, she felt
better and Draco tugged one of her curls.
“It will be better next year. The staring will be better.” She gave him a small smile and nodded.
Draco turned his attention to Blaise and his plans for the summer. Apparently, the dark-skinned boy
was going to spend all his holidays in Italy this year so he wouldn’t be available to come around
unless it was a special circumstance. He thought he would probably be able to wrangle coming for
their birthday party but only time would tell. Pansy started to gush at this, going on about how she
couldn’t wait to come for his birthday party. Hermione leaned forward and met the girl’s eyes.
“Do you really think my aunt is going to invite you when all she’s going to worry about is you
making a fool out of her son?” Pansy went silent but Draco frowned at her. He leaned over and
whispered in her ear.
“Miney, come on. I know she has no tact and she doesn’t listen but it’s cruel to single her out and not
invite her. She’s only doing as her parents have instructed her.” Hermione was pretty sure that
Daphne heard his words but she was quite sure that nobody else did. Her face went expressionless as
she stared at her cousin.
“If you want to advocate for that girl, you’re on your own. I won’t help you. Everyone knows that
boys play the field before they marry, sometimes afterwards, but it isn’t usually talked about. She’s
making it quite clear that she’s telling everyone. What proper girl is going to want to go into a
marriage with you scared that you’re going to betray her with Pansy fucking Parkinson? Maybe it
isn’t my business, feel free to tell me so. If that’s the case, fine. Don’t ask me to help you with getting
your mother to agree.” His eyes hardened and he didn’t say a word, just turned his back on her to
give all his attention to Pansy. Hermione felt her heart clench just a little before she turned to
Daphne. Her friend gave her a sad smile and squeezed her hand.
“I think you’re right, Mia. Her parents should be ashamed of themselves asking her to act like that.”
Hermione tried to smile at her friend but knew that she fell short. She was just getting ready to
change the subject when the Headmaster stood and cleared his throat. Hermione turned her attention
to the man even though she really just wanted to go back to her dorm and go to bed.
“Another year has come and gone at Hogwarts. There have been many changes and most of them
for the better. I think we can all agree that we’ll miss Professor Lupin.” All the houses cheered, even
parts of Slytherin. The man really had been a brilliant teacher but she wasn’t going to miss him. After
the applause died away, the Headmaster continued.
“The time has come to award the quidditch and house cups. I’m sure Professor McGonagall is
pleased to hear that her lions have once again won the quidditch cup.” The Gryffindor table went
wild, smacking their fists on the table and cheering loudly. Hermione had to smile inwardly at their
display. The cup was passed from McGonagall to Oliver Wood and he looked to be close to tears.
She wondered if it was because of it being his last year or losing just wasn’t in his realm of
possibilities. After the cheering finally stopped, Dumbledore started again.
“The house points stand as follows. Hufflepuff, 320. Ravenclaw, 380. Slytherin, 400. Gryffindor,
450.” It still pissed Hermione off the level of bias the Slytherins were shown. Most of the professors
only gave small amounts of points to snakes where they would usually hand out more to the other
houses. The Headmaster had a twinkly grin on his face, however.
“I have last minute points to hand out.” Hermione laid her head on the table since it was clear that
they were going to go to his precious lions. Therefore, she was surprised when he spoke and her
head came flying off the table.
“To Mr. Draco Malfoy, twenty-five points for successfully sending a message patronus and calling
for adult assistance.” Slytherin went wild and Hermione rolled her eyes. They were still losing and
those were likely the only points they would be awarded.
“To Miss Hermione Black, fifty points for keeping a calm head during an emotional encounter and
exposing the truth and innocence of someone wronged for many years.” Daphne hugged her tight
from the side and the rest of their friends were all chanting her name. Theo and her cousin were the
only glaring exceptions. Even Pansy looked happy.
“That means that the house cup is going to Slytherin house this year. Everyone give them a round of
applause.” Her godfather looked thrilled so Hermione smiled for him.
She still wasn’t sure how to take the last private conversation she had had with him. He had always
been her staunchest supporter and to hear him advocate for Harry had made her world shift.
Hermione wasn’t denying that Harry needed to get away from the muggles but it wasn’t right that
her father was just acting as though her pain was nothing. He had invited the boy to come stay with
them with no thought to her feelings. She understood that he was the parent but he had always told
her that big decisions would be made by them all together, as a family. This had been just her father,
and apparently her godfather. Now Draco was angry at her, which meant that she would likely be
miserable this summer.
Her godfather took the cup and set it down in front of Hermione, letting her admire it first. However,
it stayed there for only seconds before it was swept down the table and hefted high in the air. After
the commotion died, the Headmaster spoke again.
“Let us feast, as tomorrow will be full of goodbyes.”
Hermione wasn’t particularly hungry but she put food on her plate anyways. Daphne tried to hold
conversation with her, mostly about the trip to France that was in her future that summer. Hermione
was still going to try to convince her Uncle Luci to take her to the library of Alexandria but she
hadn’t asked yet. With all the excitement of the last couple weeks, she had completely forgot. At
least one of her uncles was standing fully behind her. Draco had told her over and over that she
could come to Malfoy Manor but she wasn’t sure that she wanted to cause problems with her father
and uncle. The last thing the family needed was more drama.
Hermione ate her fill and everyone else did as well. There was laughter up and down the table,
friends telling each other goodbye and promising to write and visit. Daphne had told her that she
would visit several times over the course of the summer so Hermione had a little hope for her
summer being somewhat exciting. However, she missed her horse most of all. Bluebell was one of
her shining points in her holidays.
Once they were all dismissed, her belly was full and Daphne wrapped an arm around hers since
Draco was still clearly ignoring her. Hermione kept her head up and wondered if she was being too
much of a bitch. Should she just let Draco do what he wanted and embrace the stupid girl? Should
she tell her aunt that all was well, that she had learned her lesson? Even though her mind screamed
no, her heart was beginning to wonder. Draco was behind her, escorting Pansy on his arm and
Hermione had to bite her tongue to keep her mouth shut. Just two corridors away from the common
room, Uncle Sev stepped out of the shadows and smirked at her.
“Job well done, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Black. I wanted to speak with the pair of you before you retire for
the evening.” Hermione knew what this was. Her godfather had noticed her cousin ignoring her and
wanted to know what was going on. They detached from the rest of the group and followed him to
his office. Once ensconced inside, he gestured for them to take the seats in front of his desk.
“I noticed that the two of you aren’t speaking. Do I need to intervene?” Draco hissed angrily.
“She wants to keep excluding Pansy from everything just because she doesn’t like that I spend time
with her. She’s using the power she has because of her family and name to be petty. I can’t deal with
that right now.” Hermione frowned at his words. How many times had she told him that she didn’t
care what he did with the girl as long as it was discreet? Her uncle turned his gaze to her and raised
an eyebrow.
“I refuse to bring you into our argument, Uncle Sev. It’s for Draco and I to work out, not you.” Her
godfather frowned at her, in surprise probably. She had never denied him information before.
“Princess, I only want to help you. I hate seeing you unhappy.” Hermione laughed bitterly.
“You hate to see me unhappy yet here we are. You and my father are all about whisking Harry away
to Black Moor no matter how I feel about it. It’s like now that Harry Potter is in the picture, I’m
nothing. I know that I have my faults but I’m still worth the time of being number one to someone.
Uncle Luci is the only one who doesn’t think the boy pisses excellence and I can’t be number one to
him either because he has his own son. Sure, I’m a close second but I have no illusions. The one
person I should be number one to has tossed me over and invited the one boy that has hurt me more
than anything in the world into our home and you’re supporting him. I don’t want him to go to the
muggles but why not the Weasleys? He’s obviously friends with them and they care for him.” She
tried to control her breathing and went quiet for only a moment.
“I’m really done with the whole situation. I can’t stop him from coming to Black Moor and I can’t
stop you and my father from being happy about it and embracing him fully. I can’t stop Draco from
not speaking to me because I’m trying to look out for him. I’m so done with caring because all that
does is hurt. So, if Draco wants to believe that, fine. I really don’t care anymore. Message that it’s not
my business is received loud and clear.” Her godfather sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Hermione, you know that nobody can ever replace you. You have to understand, though, I made a
promise to myself many years ago to protect the boy and make sure he is well. This is the first time
that’s been possible.” Hermione felt her heart soften just a little.
“I understand that, Uncle Sev. I’m not telling you that you can’t. I’m telling you that every action has
a reaction and the reaction is that I feel like you’re betraying me. Maybe you’re not but that’s how I
feel. Maybe time will change that but I can’t say. I want someone to care about me for more than
what I can contribute to getting Harry Potter onside.” Draco cast an angry glance her way and his
tone was derisive.
“That’s a bunch of bullshite, Hermione. For years, I’ve had to watch you be the apple of not only
your father’s eye, but my father’s, our godfather’s, and my mother’s. You don’t want to be second,
well, that’s what I’ve been my whole life. Second to you because you’re the Black princess. To hear
you whining about this makes me want to sick up.” Hermione felt her heart freeze inside her and her
face lost all expression.
“I loved you more than anyone, Draco. I still do. Harry has done everything in his power to hurt me
and make me cry. I never asked for your parents to take me into their home and hearts. If you can’t
see that you’ve been number one to me since you were born, you can fuck off too. Let’s be honest, if
it ever came down to me or you, your parents would choose you. You’re their son and heir; I’m just
the niece.” She turned to her godfather.
“I don’t have anything else to say. I hope that we can meet this summer and brew. It wouldn’t be
summer holidays without that.” Her godfather smiled for only a moment. He bowed his head to her,
indicating that she could leave. Once she was out of his office, the door banged open and Draco was
bearing down on her and looked pissed. She stopped to let him catch up and she was surprised when
he grabbed her arms and shoved her up against the wall. Her head banged painfully off the stone and
her vision swam for just a moment.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do with my life. I may be your cousin but I can do what I want. I
don’t need you to mother me, I already have a mother who does that enough as it is. Excluding
Pansy is just you being a bitch and jealous of the time I spend with her. News flash, Hermione, I will
eventually end up with another girl. You’re going to have to share me.” Hermione felt her magic
swirl around her and she let it blow her cousin away from her. She felt the back of her head and felt a
small trickle of blood. However, she didn’t let this distract her.
“You ever touch me like that again, you won’t be able to pick up your wand to cast at me.” He saw
the blood on her fingers and she could see the remorse on his face.
“I’m sorry, Miney, I wasn’t trying to hurt you. Please forgive me.” She responded like she didn’t
hear him.
“It’s good to hear that I don’t get to tell you what to do with your life. That means it goes the other
way around too. No more chaperoning other boys escorting me, no more you playing the protective
cousin. If I was being a bitch, I would have told you from the start that I didn’t want you seeing the
little slag. No, instead I told you to be discreet, that I didn’t care as long as that restriction was met.
Don’t worry, though, you want to play that, you don’t get to say a word if I decide to start sleeping
with any boy I want. After all, it’s appropriate for Pansy, why not me?” He growled in her direction
but she didn’t care.
“Maybe if I go throw myself at Harry, I can suck his cock. It’ll be completely acceptable since that’s
what you’re saying about Pansy. Just think, you won’t be able to say a word.” She didn’t care what
he had to say about it since she turned and started walking towards the common room. She had
almost made it there when she felt a hand clamp down on her elbow. She blasted her cousin away
from her.
“Don’t bother with me. Just go on ignoring me and go spend time with Pansy. She’s more important
anyways, I mean, I won’t suck your cock.” Her words stopped him in his tracks and she took the
opportunity to leave him behind.
Hermione didn’t pause in the common room, just headed straight for her dorm. She went to the
bathroom and showered off quickly before dressing in her pajamas and climbing into bed, not even
bothering with her wet hair. It was only a few minutes later that the rest of the girls entered the dorm
and Daphne approached her bed and petted Tenebris softly.
“Draco asked me to see if you would come down and talk to him.” Hermione buried her face in her
pillow for a few moments before making her decision.
“I have nothing else to say.” Daphne sat on the edge of her bed and bit her lip softly.
“It isn’t my place to get in the middle of it but he looks pretty miserable. At least go down there and
tell him to piss off. Otherwise, he’s going to stay out there all night waiting on you.” Hermione
groaned loudly and Pansy grinned at her.
“What, is poor Miss Black jealous that he wants to talk to me more than you?” Hermione snatched
her wand and cast at the girl, boils erupting all over her face.
“Open your stupid mouth one more time, Pansy, and I’ll hex it closed. Go ahead, go run to Professor
Snape. Since he probably agrees with my sentiment, he’ll probably laugh.” The rest of the girls were
snickering as Hermione climbed out of bed, Tenebris held close to her chest. He purred and rubbed
his face on hers, giving her a small amount of comfort. She descended the stairs and found the
common room empty save for her cousin. She stopped at the end of the stairs and stared at him
impassively. He lowered his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before he stepped forward
and held his hand out to her. When she didn’t take it, he reached forward and grabbed her wrist,
gently pulling her to the couch. Once she was seated, he sat next to her, took another deep breath,
and began.
“I’m so sorry for pushing you against that wall so hard. I feel so bloody bad, I should have never
touched you like that. You’re half my size and my father would curse me to the moon and back if he
ever knew.” Hermione arched a single eyebrow at him, something that had taken her the better part
of a month to accomplish.
“Of all the things said and done, hitting the wall was the one that hurt the least. You’re forgiven and I
won’t tell your father.” He pulled her down towards his lap and while she fought him for a moment,
she let him win in the end. She could feel his wand sliding down the length of her hair, drying and
detangling it. Once he was finished, his fingers were carding through her length while she remained
silent. She really didn’t have anything further to say.
“I know you’re right, Miney. I know that I don’t want to end up with Pansy but she is rather
indiscreet. I don’t like it but I don’t like the constant reminder. I’m not sure what to do.” Hermione
remained silent for a moment.
“I don’t know. Only you can handle the situation. However, I’m going to do as Aunt Cissy
instructed me and cast anyone away that brings embarrassment or shame to the family. Your parents
have told me time and time again that I’m a Malfoy too. If you want me to stay quiet, I will but I
won’t invite her and I won’t lie for her. If the invitation goes to her, I won’t have my name on it. All
I asked was that she keep her trap shut and she tells everyone. After rebuffing me so completely, I
won’t ever be friends with her. However, you’re right. It’s your life and you can do with it as you
wish. I’ll step back and keep my mouth shut.” Her cousin leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“I don’t want that. I want you in my life and that means your constant bitching too. I know that it’s
only for my good but sometimes it’s hard to take.” Hermione stared straight ahead and shrugged her
shoulders.
“I received the message loud and clear. I won’t say a word to Pansy anymore but I won’t be her
friend and I’m not going to feel bad about excluding her.” Draco sighed, clearly frustrated, and
decided to take another approach.
“Were you lying when you said that I was your number one?” Hermione was silent for a few
moments, surprised that he even had to ask.
“You’ve been my number one since you were born. I love you more than I love anyone else. I
would die for you.” Draco hitched a deep breath and kissed her head again, his fingers tangling in
her curls.
“You’re my number one too, Miney.” She snorted.
“Yeah, I could tell when you ignored me for Pansy Parkinson and then told me that I should just
suck it up. It doesn’t matter, Draco, just let it drop. I’ve gotten used to the idea and I’m resigned to
it.” She could tell that her cousin wanted to say more but he refrained. Instead, he threw a blanket
over her and rubbed his finger down her cheek.
“You can still come to Malfoy Manor.” Hermione shook her head.
“I’ll just stay home. I don’t want to make things worse between us. Uncle Luci and I will grow apart
if I spend less time with him.” He leaned forward and gave her an alarmed look.
“You can’t do that, he would be heartbroken.” She shrugged.
“You’re heartbroken now and you’re more important. I don’t like you feeling like I come before
you.” He sighed and leaned his forehead down to rest on hers.
“I’m just being a brat, Miney. Don’t stay away.” She snorted again.
“I suppose you think I’m just being a brat then?” He chuckled a little before answering.
“No, Potter has gone out of his way to hurt you and like you said, I’m the most important person in
the world to you. Two completely different scenarios.” She didn’t say anything for the longest time.
Draco was finally the one to break the silence.
“Are we okay, Miney?” She smiled softy.
“We’ll always be okay, even if we’re fighting. I told you, you’re my number one.” He bent down
and kissed her forehead again.
“Close your eyes. Let’s sleep out here tonight.” She didn’t say anything, just did as he asked.
She felt him shift underneath her and get comfortable. Only a few minutes went by before she felt
him go slack and fall to sleep. Even though they weren’t completely okay again, they were better.
Hopefully this summer would see them back to new.
-O-
Harry followed after his friends from the Leaving Feast. He had paid close attention to Hermione and
saw the slight color on her cheeks from her last-minute award of points. He supposed that in
comparison to last year, it was quite a change. It almost made him sick since he knew that if her
father hadn’t turned out to be innocent, those points would never have been awarded.
Ron was chattering next to him about plans over the summer. Harry had told him that he would be
going to Black Moor on his birthday but his friend still talked like they were going to spend a whole
month together. While he wasn’t against spending time with his friend, he was also ready to get to
know his godfather better, even though Hermione was sure to hate him even more for coming to her
home.
Harry had tried to warn Sirius that she would be livid. He had told him to let him handle Hermione.
He had a feeling that it wasn’t going to go well and he fully expected the young witch to lose her
temper more than once. Not that he blamed her; he had hurt her terribly. He hadn’t seen her tears
since the day he had been so completely horrid to her in the Hospital Wing. Even when in pain, she
had done her best to keep her tears hidden. He was sure that it wasn’t going to end well but he had
no other choice but to trust his godfather. Just as they were about to enter the common room,
Dumbledore, stepped from an alcove and smiled at Harry.
“Would you accompany me for a short talk, Harry?” Harry knew exactly what this was. Dumbledore
had yet to apologize for filling his head full of lies and since he would be spending half his summer
with Sirius, he was afraid that he would lose Harry completely.
“Yes, sir.” He waved his friends on and followed the Headmaster into a room that appeared to be
somewhat like a tavern. They took a seat and Dumbledore spoke aloud to order them butterbeer.
Once they popped into existence, Harry cocked his head to the side.
“What is this room?” Dumbledore smiled.
“It’s known as the Room of Requirement. You pace in front of the tapestry out front and think about
what you need three times and the room appears. Just food for thought for later years.” Harry knew
that the Headmaster was trying to bribe him.
“I know you’re only telling me this since you think Sirius is going to turn me against you.” The
Headmaster sighed, fiddling with his beard for a moment before speaking.
“I can apologize to Sirius all day for the rest of my life and never come close to the amount of
apology you deserve, Harry. You trusted me to lead you down the right path and I was wrong. I
warned you against not only Sirius but Hermione and Draco as well. They were all innocent and the
things I told you did untold damage to your relationships. I regret it more than I can say.” Harry
raked a hand through his hair angrily. He had been expecting this conversation since the truth came
out and had been surprised that the Headmaster had left it to the last minute.
“I don’t understand how you could have kept me from him when I was a baby when it was only a
hunch that he was guilty. Do you know what life was like for me with the Dursleys? Do you know
how many times I was starved, how many broken bones I suffered at their hands? My life has been
horrid, up until last summer with Dobby, I starved the whole time I was gone. All that could have
been avoided if you had just trusted in my mother’s abilities in Charms.” Dumbledore sighed and met
Harry’s eyes.
“I know this makes nothing good between us and I don’t blame you. I’m going to do my best to
prove to you how bloody sorry I am for leading you astray. I’ve told Sirius as long as you stay until
your birthday, you can go to Black Moor. I don’t want to deprive you of family and love, Harry.
Now, you have to return because of the blood wards that were erected because of your mother’s
sacrifice. They protect you and with Voldemort returning, you need all the protection you can get.”
Harry nodded and understood that the Headmaster had made a mistake. However, it was a mistake
that had cost Harry greatly.
“I can’t forgive you now, Headmaster, but maybe in time. I need to know that I can get the rest of
my family on board and have them forgive me before that can extend outward.” Dumbledore nodded
and when he didn’t ask, Harry grew suspicious.
“Have you really been reading my mind like they’ve said?” Dumbledore looked to his hands and
shame was written on his face.
“Only three times in three years. I don’t like to do it but at the time I felt that it was imperative to
make sure that you were protecting yourself against Hermione Black and her father.” Harry felt his
magic explode from him and there was no hope of containing it. It knocked the Headmaster back
from his seat and he landed on his arse. However, he didn’t fight back. It was the first time that Harry
had seen his magic strong enough to rival that of Hermione’s.
“I’m going to have them teach me how to protect my mind. If you ever do it again, you’ll pay the
consequences.” Dumbledore nodded meekly.
“I’m sorry, Harry. I can only say it so many times.” Harry nodded since he understood completely.
He was in the exact same position with Hermione.
“I can’t say that I forgive you or that I will anytime soon. Maybe with time, that will change.”
Dumbledore smiled softly and nodded.
“Thank you, Harry. I won’t keep you from your friends and packing any longer. I wish you the best
summer possible.” Harry nodded and stood, making his way to the door leading into the room. After
exiting, he headed for the common room. He hadn’t even made it three steps inside when Ginny
accosted him.
“Lavender just said that she spent time with you yesterday. Is this true?” Harry sighed, not in the
mood at all the deal with Ginny.
“So, what if I did? You told me that I was free to spend my time wherever. Not to mention, I’ve
heard you spend time with Seamus, Dean, and two Hufflepuffs. If you don’t like our arrangement,
we can always stop.” Ginny changed her tune really quick and gave him a sultry smile.
“No, you can spend time with her. I just like knowing who I’m sharing you with.” Harry glared at
her.
“It’s really none of your business. You don’t tell me and we aren’t dating.” She pouted visibly but
gave him another smile.
“Think about the time we’ll be able to spend together this summer.” Harry just looked at her, clearly
aware of her manipulations.
“I won’t be there this summer. I’m going to Black Moor on my birthday and spending the rest of the
summer with my godfather.” Ginny’s tone was flat and monotone when she answered.
“With Hermione Black.” He nodded.
“Yes, if she’ll even speak to me.” Ginny looked angry and her tone told her that he was correct in his
assumptions.
“You know she isn’t going to forgive you. She isn’t going to give you the time of day.” Harry
nodded.
“Yes, I know. I’m going to have to work for any trust I get from her.” Ginny stepped forward and
wrapped her arms around his middle to lay her head on his chest.
“I know this sounds ridiculous but you shouldn’t have to work for her forgiveness. You’ve done
nothing wrong to her except believe the Headmaster.” Harry shoved her away from him, anger on
his face.
“You don’t know shite, Ginny. You’re fun to mess around with but you don’t get to influence my
life.” She seemed taken aback of course before she nodded.
“Of course, I was just trying to warn you.” He sighed and raked a hand through his hair.
“I know, I just don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m going to go finish my packing and head to
bed. I’ll see you tomorrow on the train.” She gave him a disappointed nod but let him go.
After finishing his packing and showering, he climbed into bed and laid there in the dark by himself.
It was clear that he was going to have to go out of his way to earn Hermione’s forgiveness. That, he
didn’t mind. It was that Ginny was so against it. Was she really bullying Hermione like she said? He
just couldn’t see it but he supposed that she hadn’t lied to him yet. He would keep a closer eye on
things in the future.
With a deep sigh, he turned over in bed, burrowed deeper in his pillow, and let sleep take him under.
-O-
Severus swirled his fire whiskey in his glass, considering the words of his goddaughter. He hated to
see her hurting like she was. In truth, he was sure that she could handle it until he saw Draco openly
shunning her at dinner. He still wasn’t quite sure what the problem was but he had a feeling that it
had to do with Miss Parkinson. Hermione had already taken a stand against her and Draco was
clearly spending time with her.
Not for a second did he think that his godson was in love with the chit. He had been young and even
though he had been desperately in love with Lily, he had spent plenty of time with other girls.
Granted, most of it was because she wouldn’t give him the time of day but the fact remained that he
had done the same things as Draco.
The worst part of it all was that he could see that Hermione liked Potter as more than just brother and
sister. It was painfully clear that she had had a crush on him and he had stomped on her heart. He
understood how much this had hurt her but he also knew that he had made vows to Lily Potter after
she had died to protect her only son. It was killing him to have to make the choice but Hermione had
been his choice for almost fourteen years. Why was she holding it against him that he finally wanted
to make things better for his best friend in the world’s son?
He had known that she would feel betrayed; he had seen that coming from a mile away and he didn’t
blame her. However, he hadn’t expected to be so clearly rebuffed in his approach to speaking with
her. He was aware that his goddaughter was a bit spoiled in thinking that she was number one in
everything but he also knew that they had all had a hand in making her that way. However, as much
as it hurt her, he needed to keep his vow to Lily and make sure that her son received the best. Sirius
would provide that. He had no plans to be best friends with the boy but he wanted him to be among
family and be safe from the muggle’s abuse.
Severus was currently spying on his godchildren while they slumbered in the common room.
Hermione was asleep stretched out across the sofa with her head in Draco’s lap and his hands were
buried in her hair. He had heard the whole conversation between the pair and while he didn’t think
that things were back to normal between the two, they were better. Otherwise, Hermione would have
told him to fuck off.
Draco’s words about throwing her into a wall had scared him. He had no idea if she was hurt or if
she needed help other than her words to Draco. However, he was loathing to interfere since he was
clearly on the list against her at the moment. He hoped that as summer wore on it would get better
but he really wasn’t holding his breath. However, he understood her feelings. Her father was clearly
putting Harry before her as was her godfather. While Lucius would come next, she didn’t want to
encroach especially after Draco’s words about her taking the number one spot from him. She felt
important to nobody even though it was the furthest from the truth.
Severus would inform the rest of his family of their interactions in the morning. He was due to stay at
Black Moor this summer since last year had been spent at Malfoy Manor. He would tell his best
friend his daughter’s words. Once he had a chance to inform Lucius, he would. They both deserved
to know how both children felt because it was unlikely that they would ever hear from the children
themselves. Honestly, he hoped that all would iron itself out in time.
Severus threw back the rest of his whiskey and rose to head to his chambers. It was his last night in
the castle and he couldn’t wait to get to his room at Black Moor. No matter what, the castle never felt
like home. He kicked his shoes off and fell into his bed still fully clothed. Hopefully, everything
would look better in the morning.
A/N- You guys are just so awesome, showing me such love for this story. This summer is going to a
few more chapters that usual but that’s to expected. I hope you all enjoy! Leave me a message after
the beep and tell me what you think, I do love hearing your thoughts.
Next chapter, Pettigrew’s trial and Lupin makes an appearance.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 61

A/N- Thank y’all so much for the continued support for this story. I love that you love this story.
Anyways, it’s summer time now and it’s going to get rough so hold on tight, it’s going to be a wild
ride! Enough for now, we all know you want to read the chapter and not my ramblings.
**Shout out to Fanny Bennet for being my 2400th reviewer. You da bomb, girl!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing in this story. I have borrowed the story idea from a reader and the
characters from our queen. I’m still broke, I literally have forty-three dollars to my name, so it’s pretty
clear I haven’t made any money from this story or any other.
Chapter 61
June 30, 1994
Harry was pacing in the living room of the Dursleys. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were all in the
kitchen eating a breakfast that he had made for them while he waited for Sirius to pick him up.
Today was Pettigrew’s trial and it would be the first time that he had seen anyone in two weeks that
weren’t his family.
Dobby still hid in his room, fetching food from Hogwarts every day so Harry could eat. His aunt had
already accused him of stealing their food in the middle of the night since he wasn’t losing weight
and Harry had only suffered a few bruised ribs from his uncle for the argument. Dudley had tried to
beat on him and resurrect the old game of “Harry Hunting” but had quickly abandoned it once he
realized that Harry was now much faster and had more endurance than he had before he was eleven
years old.
Harry had gotten up at 3 a.m. to get all his chores finished so he could go with his godfather today. It
made no never mind to his relatives that the Ministry of Magic had sent him an official subpoena,
demanding his testimony for the traitor who had handed his parents over to Voldemort. Harry had
hoped that his aunt would care just a little that there would be justice for her sister but she didn’t
seem to be moved in the slightest. They had barely given their permission for him to attend the trial
today so he had been quick to agree to their compromise.
Harry was pulled from his thoughts as a knock sounded on the door. He had just started in that
direction when his uncle came thundering down the hall to reach the door first. It was hilarious to see
since he was usually the first one to order Harry to answer the door when he was home. Uncle
Vernon wrenched the door open and spoke harshly.
“Just who do your government of freaks think we are? We aren’t required to bend over backwards to
accommodate them. They can just make do without the freak, he’s staying here.” Harry felt his heart
clench. Not only would he get into trouble for not showing, he would likely spend the next month or
more in his room. Sure, he wouldn’t starve but who wanted to spend their summer holidays like that?
Harry watched as his uncle was suddenly blown inwards, landing on his back a few feet from the
door. His godfather stepped in and slammed the door behind him. Uncle Vernon was rolling back
and forth, trying to flip himself over so he could crawl to his feet. Harry couldn’t help but compare
him to a turtle stuck upside down on his shell.
“How dare you use your freak magic on me, you filthy excuse for a man!?” Sirius gestured for Harry
to step behind him. He complied quickly while Aunt Petunia and Dudley rushed into the corridor to
help Uncle Vernon. His godfather’s voice was cold as ice.
“Here’s what I think of that.” With a wave of his wand, a pig’s snout appeared on Uncle Vernon’s
face, complete with grain and food stuck to the end. His godfather turned and winked at him,
completely unaware that he was making things with the Dursley’s worse. He then turned back to his
family.
“I’m going to leave you like this until we return. Once I bring Harry back, you’re going to tell me
that you’re done making him be your slave, you’re done touching him at all, and you’re done calling
him names. You aren’t going to starve him and you aren’t going to lock him in his room. If I come to
find any of these things to happen after I return, I’ll make this change permanent to anyone who
disobeys me.” Sirius turned just a little.
“Dobby?” Dobby appeared and was confused as to why he had been called.
“I want you to make sure that Harry is treated well here. If he isn’t, you’re to come to me at once and
alert me so I can come and remedy the situation.” Dobby gave him an enthusiastic nod before turning
to make sure that Harry agreed. He gave the elf a nod and Dobby started clapping his hands.
“Bad muggles is going to be pigs if they’s mean to Master Harry.” His godfather turned back to his
muggle relatives.
“Dobby here lives with Harry. You can’t make him leave and if you think that you can keep him
from his master, you’ll find yourself in much worse shape than you are now. Elves will protect their
masters with their lives. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?” His aunt and cousin were
already nodding but Uncle Vernon was sputtering mad.
“You change me back right now, I demand for you to change me back!” Sirius chuckled darkly.
“You can demand all you want, that doesn’t mean that I’m going to do it. I told you, you wear that
nose and see if you can live with wearing it the rest of your life. If you give me the right answer
when I return, I’ll change you back to normal. Honestly though, you should be grateful it’s me and
not my daughter; she’s ruthless.” Harry couldn’t help but feel a lick of shame. He didn’t deserve for
Hermione to be there defending him. He didn’t even deserve for Sirius to be there defending him.
His godfather held out his wand and pointed it at Harry’s enormous clothes. With a quick wave, they
had been transfigured into a set of formal robes, the charcoal color looking quite good on him. He
now held his hand out, which Harry took warily.
“We’re going to apparate straight to the Ministry. Since I’m a member of the Wizengamot, I have the
wards set to allow me. It’s going to feel horrid and you’re going to want to vomit.” Harry gave a
jerky nod before his godfather turned on the spot and he felt as though he was going through a small
tube. It was only an instant later that he was normal again, though this time his stomach was rolling.
“Just give it a few seconds, it’ll pass. Everyone feels like that when they aren’t used to side-long
apparating. After a while, you’ll get used to it.” Harry nodded and already felt his stomach settling.
“Won’t you get in trouble for doing that to Uncle Vernon?” His godfather chuckled.
“Probably. Not that anyone will ever find out. He’ll tell me whatever I want to hear when I take you
back and I’ll change him back. Besides, who does he know to complain to? If he shows people, he’ll
be a freak just like he calls you.” Harry couldn’t hold back the smile that stretched across his lips. He
shouldn’t laugh, he had learned his lesson on being cruel, but he couldn’t help it.
Harry turned his attention to his surroundings to find that he was in Sirius’ office. There was a large
desk in the center of the room with a few chairs in front of it for others to sit in. Carpet covered the
floor, a soft cream color that looked warm and cozy. Pictures dotted the walls, numerous of
Hermione and Draco, some of himself with three other boys in it. It only took him a moment to
realize that the other boys in the photos were his father, Lupin, and Pettigrew. The one that he
couldn’t tear his eyes from, however, was one of Sirius as a young man holding a small infant with
black hair. Harry scrunched his nose in thought before he asked his question.
“Is that Hermione?” Sirius shook his head.
“No, Harry, that’s you. I didn’t get Hermione until she was two years old. That was the day your
parents asked me to be your godfather.” Harry felt something tighten inside his chest and he wasn’t
sure how to deal with it. He gave a quick nod and a brief smile before he changed the subject.
“Where is this trial taking place?” This seemed to bring his godfather back to point and he
straightened his already perfect robes.
“They’re down the corridor. You’ll have to wait with the others that are testifying.” Harry nodded
and started to follow Sirius.
“Who are the other witnesses?” He grinned at Harry.
“Hermione and Draco, Remus and Severus, your best mate.” Harry nodded. At least Ron would be
there. He was well-aware that the others didn’t like him and he didn’t want to be completely alone
for the whole of this experience.
Sirius led him into a small room that housed the aforementioned people and a tiny woman that had to
be around the age of sixty, maybe sixty-five. He wasn’t sure who she was since she was there on her
own. The look on her face was sour until she caught sight of Sirius. Her face morphed into a picture
of rage and she lunged at him. Snape was quick enough with his wand to immobilize her but that
didn’t stop her from screaming.
“It’s all your fault he’s going to go to Azkaban!” Harry assumed that this woman must be Pettigrew’s
mother. He supposed that it made sense since Remus had told him that all Peter had had back when
they were young was his mother. Sirius just glared at her, remaining silent. It was Hermione that
spoke, her voice soft and clear.
“This isn’t my father’s fault. Your son chose to follow Voldemort. He handed his best friend over to
the Dark Lord who promptly killed him. I know you’re hurting right now but you can’t lay this
blame at my father’s feet.” Sirius waved his wand and released the woman from the spell before
kissing his daughter’s head and running his hand down the length of her curls.
“Unnecessary but much appreciated, poppet.” She huffed and Harry couldn’t help but notice how
the action made her chest jiggle just a little bit inside her lavender robes. He averted his eyes quickly
as Sirius turned to the woman.
“I can only tell you how sorry I am, Mrs. Pettigrew. I never wanted things to end this way. I wanted
us all to live, make families together and grow old as best friends. However, Voldemort came and
that never happened. We’re all paying the price now. Your son is going to go to Azkaban and I lost
my best friends in the world. Hermione lost her parents, and Harry lost his. You’re not the only one
who has experienced losing someone they care about.” The woman melted back into her seat and
started crying softly. Sirius turned to everyone, his voice clear.
“I have to go. I’ll be out there in the crowd. If you get nervous or freeze up, just find me or Lucius.”
Hermione nodded and hugged her father quickly. Draco gave him a quick nod so Harry followed
suit. Ron started gesturing for him to come sit next to him so Harry complied.
“Did Lord Black bring you, mate? My dad brought me just a little bit ago. He doesn’t sit on the
Wizengamot but he and my mum are going to be in the audience section. Mum reckons we’re heroes
for helping catch Pettigrew.” Harry was only half-arsed listening and almost burst out laughing when
Snape snorted and rolled his eyes.
“Mate, we didn’t do shite. Black, Malfoy and Snape did way more than we did.” Ron screwed up
his face for a moment before smiling.
“Yeah, I know but it means Mum will give us extra pudding when you get to the Burrow.” Harry
wasn’t even sure that he was going to go to the Burrow this year, he had told Ginny that he wasn’t,
but rather than bring it up now, he just nodded his head.
Mrs. Pettigrew was still crying softly and Hermione pulled one of her handkerchiefs from her robe
pocket and stepped closer to the woman. She sat next to her and handed it to her, the woman smiling
softly at her. Harry couldn’t hear what Hermione was whispering to her but all seemed fine until the
woman’s face morphed into anger. The older woman pulled her wand and pointed it at Hermione
before she could do anything else. Her wand was at her throat and her hair wrapped in her hand.
Snape and Lupin jumped to their feet, wands out and at the ready. Snape’s voice was cold as ice.
“You will release her now, madam, or you will discover why the Death Eaters feared me.” Harry
couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Draco was clearly burning with anger, his wand coming out
much slower. Harry could see that he was working something out in his head but for the life of him,
he couldn’t think of what. Ron started for the door when the woman turned and fired a curse at him.
“Nobody is going anywhere. We’re all going to walk out there and they’re going to release my baby
boy in exchange for the Black princess. Lord Black will choose letting my boy go over losing his
daughter.” Hermione gave a scornful laugh.
“I’m not near as important as you seem to think I am.” The woman laughed now, slightly maniacal.
Honestly, Harry couldn’t blame her. Sure, Pettigrew deserved to be punished but he couldn’t picture
any woman losing their child and not losing it at least a little bit.
“You’re important enough, love. Come, let’s do this.” Her wand dug deeper into Hermione’s throat,
sure to leave a bruise. Harry could tell that her eyes were moving, clearly communicating with either
her godfather or her cousin. Suddenly, Hermione spoke and her tone changed completely.
“I hope your son rots in prison, I hope the dementors suck his soul out and he can’t manage to do
anything other than drool. For hurting my father the way he has, he deserves it and so much more.
I’d kill him myself if I wouldn’t get caught.” The older woman screamed in rage and threw
Hermione to the ground, kicking her right in the face with her dragonhide boot. Before she could get
anymore than that done, a bright red spell hit Mrs. Pettigrew and dropped her to the ground. Draco
was instantly at his cousin’s side while Snape and Lupin bound the woman and called for an auror.
Two aurors, one a young woman with honey blonde hair and the other a middle-aged black man
with a bald head, rushed in to find the scene of disarray before them. Hermione was bleeding freely
from her nose and mouth, running down her chin and throat to stain her robes. Draco was helping
her to a sitting position so she wouldn’t choke while Snape stepped in front of the aurors. Lupin
hurried to Harry and Ron’s side to assure himself that they were fine. Harry grinned at him.
“We’re fine, go make sure that Black is alright.” Ron was watching the scene unfold silently until he
laughed softly.
“Man, that girl did that to herself. Bloody brilliant is what it was. Don’t get me wrong, I still can’t
stand the girl but I have to admit she has guts.” Harry narrowed his eyes in confusion.
“What the bloody hell are you talking about?” Ron rolled his eyes at him.
“The woman had a wand to her throat. She had no chances of getting to her own so she had to count
on Snape and Lupin. Therefore, she had to distract Mrs. Pettigrew. She said those things to enrage
her so she would make a mistake and react rashly. It worked but she’s probably got a broken nose
and a split lip to show for it.” Harry thought for a second before he realized that his friend had to be
right. Hermione wasn’t the type of person to say those things to someone for no good reason. Sirius
and Lucius rushed into the room and bent to help her to her feet so she could take a seat again.
Someone handed over a hanky and she started to mop her face free of blood. The auror, Shacklebolt
he said his name was, started to question her.
Harry listened to her explain how the woman had gotten upset at seeing her father and how she had
been crying when he left. After handing her a handkerchief, she started whispering soft words of
comfort in her ear until the woman snapped. Both aurors were writing their words down on small
pieces of parchment. A few moments later, Miller raised an eyebrow.
“What was the last thing you said to her?” Hermione wracked her brain for a few moments before
turning embarrassed eyes to everyone in the room. Harry could see that underneath her eyes were
starting to darken with smudge-like bruises.
“I told her that she would meet her son again someday and they would be happy.” Harry didn’t
understand why this was bad but everyone else groaned. Hermione lowered her eyes, clearly
embarrassed. Remus could see his confusion so he stepped closer so he could speak softly, even
though everyone could still hear his words.
“He’s going to Azkaban at the very least. He might even be subjected to the dementor’s kiss. While
not proven, it’s widely believed that a soul is what takes you to what’s beyond, or heaven as muggles
call it. With no soul, people believe that they’re doomed to not exist in any sense any longer. Even
now, you can say and believe that your parents are looking down on you and watching over you. If
someone has their soul sucked out, they wouldn’t have the chance to meet others that have passed on
already. So, on and so forth. None of it is proven, of course, but that means nothing if it’s believed
wholeheartedly. By Hermione saying that they would meet again someday, he wasn’t going to get
kissed when we all know that it is a very likely possibility. It was false hope and it triggered Mrs.
Pettigrew. Who knows what she was capable of doing.” Harry nodded, understanding a little bit
better. Ron was nodding sagely next to him.
Hermione was still seated on the bench, her eyes cast to the floor. Sirius was sitting next to her, his
hand brushing hair back behind her shoulders while the aurors glared at her. Shacklebolt waved his
wand and Mrs. Pettigrew floated into he air, likely to be levitated out of the room to who knew
where.
“Did you say that on purpose, Miss Black?” Hermione’s eyes flew to the auror’s before shaking her
head emphatically.
“No, I would never, I didn’t mean it like that, I just wanted to make her feel better. She was crying
and so upset.” Miller stepped forward, suspicious look in her eye.
“You’re certain you didn’t mean for this outcome to make Pettigrew’s family look worse, get him a
harsher sentence?” Harry could see the hurt in her eyes so he decided to step in and speak the first
words since the whole event had happened.
“Hermione would never do that. She was being genuine, all of us could see that.” Shacklebolt glared
at Harry for a moment before realizing just who he was.
“We all heard about the stomping on bollocks by her. Why not inflict the most amount of pain
possible?” Finally, Sirius stood and advanced on both aurors.
“My daughter was attacked, not the other way around. I want to press charges and I am done hearing
how she caused this on purpose. My daughter would never do something so despicable.” Both
aurors realized that they were clearly stepping over a line and backtracked.
“Very good, sir. We’re going to get her processed and give Miss Black a few moments to clean
herself up before taking the stand. We’ll have Mr. Malfoy go first.” Hermione gave a quick nod to
show that she understood while her father and uncle both kissed her head before leaving the room
with the aurors. It was only a few moments later that a short rotund man stuck his head in and called
for Malfoy. He stood quickly and tugged one of her curls before following after him. Snape was
shaking his head in anger as he fished through his robe pockets.
“Bloody beasts is what they are. Go through all that and don’t bother to see if the victim needs
healing. Merciful Merlin, they’re bumbling idiots.” Hermione huffed a small laugh as she took the
potion he had just handed to her.
“Actually, Kingsley Shacklebolt is said to be in line for Head Auror this year. Daddy told me a few
weeks ago.” Snape just shook his head, exasperated. Harry could tell that there was a little bit of
tension there but he had no idea as to the cause.
Hermione stopped bleeding and once the replenishing potion had done its work, her godfather
stepped forward and healed her face. Her face was back to being as beautiful as it had been when he
had first walked in and her robes were clean when the man stepped in again to call her name.
Harry sat there in silence with Ron, Remus, and Snape. It was an awkward silence but none of them
seemed to eager to fill it. Therefore, Harry closed his eyes and decided to just wait patiently for his
name to be called. After all, it couldn’t take forever, could it?
-O-
Having her face stomped in wasn’t what she had pictured for herself this morning when she and
Draco had started for the Ministry with Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy. Uncle Sev had met them there
since he wasn’t supposed to be close to Hermione or Sirius and they weren’t sure that they could pull
him off arriving with them just because of Draco.
Aunt Cissy was sitting in the gallery all be herself while her father and uncle were seated with the
other members of the Wizengamot that would be hearing the case today. Apparently, Pettigrew’s
counsel had argued that having her father on the panel wasn’t fair but when the prosecuting counsel
had pointed out that the whole body of the Wizengamot had been affected by what Pettigrew had
done, one way or the other, it had been dropped.
Hermione hadn’t enjoyed her summer so far. Sure, she had spent time dueling with Draco, reading
with her uncle, brewing with Uncle Sev, and riding with her Aunt Cissy, but there hadn’t been much
time for her to spend with her father. He was constantly gone, doing something with somebody, and
it was beginning to wear on her. She knew that he needed to get his affairs in line now that the truth
was out, after all, for all she knew, Harry was taking her place as the Black heir now. When they did
speak, he always seemed preoccupied though she wasn’t sure with what.
Draco had stayed with her every single night she had stayed at home, though finally staying in his
own room. Hermione missed him a little but knew that eventually this would have to happen. They
were getting older and the last thing she wanted to do was wake up and see Draco sporting an
erection from whatever happy dream he had been having. They made waking each other up a game,
the winner of the week getting a chocolate sundae while the other didn’t. Childish, she knew, but it
made her smile.
They had split their time between Black Moor and Malfoy Manor, her aunt and uncle welcoming
them warmly when they switched to their ancestral home. While they were there, Hermione missed
Bluebell though and could only bear to be apart from her horse for a couple days before she would
return. Their godfather would visit often since he too seemed lonely at Black Moor with her father
gone all the time.
Hermione had broached the subject with her uncle one night just a week ago. Uncle Sev had been
there, along with Aunt Cissy and Draco, and they had all been paying close attention to her even
though her words had been quiet. After asking why her father wasn’t around this summer, her uncle
had tried to be diplomatic. He had tried to tell her that there were matters that only he could handle.
Hermione instantly knew what that meant. Matters that dealt with Harry.
Hermione hadn’t made her displeasure a secret and her uncle had finally capitulated and told him that
he was going out of his way to set it up so Harry could access his family home and accounts if he
wanted, though her father would have to stay on as the official caretaker of the account. There had
been tears in her eyes when she had asked if her father had made the Boy-Who-Lived his official
heir and her uncle had hugged her close when he had told her that he didn’t know, that they usually
didn’t discuss things like that since they were close family matters.
Hermione and Uncle Sev had been strained since he had first told her that he was supporting Harry
coming to Black Moor on his birthday. She understood that her godfather had made promises to Lily
Potter after she had died but didn’t she count for anything? She wanted to talk to Draco about it
desperately but in the end, kept her mouth shut. She wasn’t sure where he really stood on the whole
situation since their last argument at the end of the year. Sure, they had apologized and made up, but
she couldn’t say for sure that he wasn’t just telling her what she wanted to hear just to keep her from
complaining.
This was also the main reason that she didn’t stay long at the Malfoy Manor. Draco seemed
genuinely upset that his parents “favored” her over him. She supposed that it could be true depending
on how it looked. She was also aware that her uncle was confused why she kept him at arm’s length
but he hadn’t asked her about it yet. Not that she held her breath for that to last the rest of the
summer.
Having Harry be there while she was kicked in the face was humiliating. She wanted to appear
strong and like she could stand on her own in front of him, only for it to be shattered the first moment
they were together over the summer. Though she would admit to surprise to hear him rise to her
defense against the aurors that had tried to pin her making that comment on purpose to make the
Pettigrew family look worse. While she would have been appreciative any other time, she wasn’t this
time. The last thing she needed was his help because once again someone wanted to think she was
evil and self-serving.
Hermione was pulled from her thoughts as the rotund little man called her name and gestured for her
to follow him. Draco was already seated away from the witness stand and she felt a small shiver of
nervousness run through her and the sheer number of people that were staring at her now. It was
nothing compared to the New Year’s Ball they had had at Malfoy Manor. She took her seat and
waited for the prosecutor to begin. Mr. Neebil smiled at her softly.
“Miss Black, thank you for coming today. We’re here to discuss Peter Pettigrew and his capture the
night of May 30, 1994.” She didn’t respond, just sat demurely as she had been coached by her aunt
and uncle. Once again, her father hadn’t been around to help her.
“Please tell us your version of the events that night.” Hermione heaved a sigh and started.
The Slytherin enumerated how she had been outside with her cousin and had seen Harry be attacked
by Rookwood. They had followed after to help keep him safe and then watched and listened as
Rookwood had given away the fact that Peter Pettigrew, an illegal animagus, had been living as the
pet rat of Ronald Weasley and how they had stopped him from fleeing. There had been a brief
question about the abuse that the defendant’s balls had taken from her temper tantrum but she had
told them that nobody who got away with hurting her father was going to get away with no pain at
all. The crowd had chuckled softly at her words and even though it had made her look a bit
immature, she could live with that. The truth was the truth.
Hermione had finally been dismissed after almost forty-five minutes on the stand. She was helped to
her feet by the prosecutor and taken to a seat next to Draco. He wrapped an arm around her
shoulders and they watched together as Ronald Weasley was put on the stand. Truthfully, he had
done better than Hermione had figured he would but she was far from giving him a glowing review.
This was still the same arsehole that had backhanded her in a corridor in front of all their classmates.
Harry came next and reiterated all their points, though pointing out that he had been held at wand
point by Rookwood. Hermione had assumed that they were going to try to gloss over the fact that
Rookwood was involved and she had been right. The defense had jumped on the matter and it had
been discussed at length. Hermione knew that it was important but not near as important as making
sure that Pettigrew was brought to justice today. Besides, everyone had to know that the Ministry
wanted to keep Rookwood quiet because they were still embarrassed that someone had escaped their
fabled “unbreakable prison”.
Her godfather and Remus took the stand one right after the other, the most valuable witnesses since
they were the adults that had been present. While Hermione didn’t necessarily agree with that, Lupin
had been a werewolf half the time after all, she had remained quiet. As long as the case ended up
with Pettigrew punished, she wasn’t going to complain. Lupin’s werewolf status was brought up
during interrogation and while normally it would be a bad thing, it turned out quite well since he was
able to testify that Pettigrew was indeed the rat and so forth due to his advanced sense of smell.
Once they were all seated in crowd. Hermione was sitting between Draco and Weasley. She leaned
to her cousin since Weasley was still abhorrent to her. Sure, she knew that he had cooled off a bit
since the truth came out but she had no illusions that he wanted to be her friend. Everyone down the
line sat in tense silence, waiting for the Wizengamot to deliberate.
After almost an hour of deliberation behind a silencing charm, the smallest witch on the esteemed
board stepped forward and handed the slip of parchment to Minister Fudge. His face betrayed
nothing as he read the verdict. After calling for silence in the chamber, he went to his feet and read
the verdict.
“Peter Pettigrew, the Wizengamot as a whole has listened to your case and came to an unbiased
verdict. We, the Wizengamot, find you guilty of treason and being an accomplice to the murders of
James and Lily Potter, and being an accomplice to the attempted murder of Harry James Potter.”
Hermione wanted to stand and cheer at the Minister’s words. Pettigrew was finally going to pay for
his crimes and her father’s crimes were officially cleared. Down the line, everyone seemed to have
varying reactions.
While her father and Uncle Luci were both stoic and silent in the Wizengamot crowd, her aunt was
openly crying. Uncle Sev had wet eyes but was holding back the tears ruthlessly. Lupin was openly
crying just like her aunt, a small smile on his face. Ron seemed bewildered, as if he wasn’t entirely
sure what he had just witnessed while Harry was openly sobbing his relief. Lupin wrapped him in a
hug and held him close. Draco was holding her close and she could admit that there were a few tears
that wended their way down her cheek.
Justice had finally been served, a long twelve years after the fact, but served nonetheless. It was
certainly an occasion to celebrate. She could tell that her father was happy, as was her Uncle Luci
but she couldn’t tell anything else from their expressions. She was just about to ask Draco what he
thought when the Minister started speaking again.
“The Wizengamot has recommended Mr. Pettigrew receive the kiss for his crimes against humanity.
As Minister of Magic, I agree. The punishment of the dementor’s kiss will be brought to fruition
tomorrow at noon so he has time to say his goodbyes with his family.” Hermione couldn’t help but
wonder if his mother would be allowed to see him now that she was now to be charged with crimes
herself. Therefore, she couldn’t help going to her feet and speaking on the behalf of the distraught
woman.
“Minister Fudge, I humbly beg that Madam Pettigrew get to meet with her son one last time before
his sentence is carried out. Since she stands against charges of her own, it would be cruel to deny her
that.” Pettigrew saw this as his opening and started to shout.
“Dear girl, sweet girl, tell them that I’m not deserving of such a punishment. I regret my actions more
than anyone can know.” Hermione turned a cold eye to James and Lily’s betrayer.
“I have nothing to say about you. You’re the worst. You betrayed the people that would have died
for you. This is for your mother, she deserves to be able to say goodbye.” She could see that her
father was softly smiling at her in the Wizengamot crown as Minister Fudge contemplated her
request.
“Very well, Miss Black, your request shall be granted. The pair will meet in the morning and will
have an hour to say their goodbyes. After that, he will face the Kiss and she will face the judgement
awaiting her for her rash actions.” Hermione curtsied to the Minister even though she wanted to barf
on him. Especially after his words just before Christmas. Once the last sound of the court was heard,
Hermione was on her feet to hug her father. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled.
“You were amazing, Poppet.” She smiled into his chest and watched as everyone else approached
them. She pulled away slightly and felt that this called for a celebration, even if Harry had to attend.
“We should go back to Black Moor and celebrate. We’ve been working for this for twelve years.”
Her father kissed the top of head before speaking.
“I have to get Harry back and then we have to discuss terms for his summer with his aunt and uncle.”
Hermione felt her heart deflate and she could tell that everyone saw it.
“We’ve been waiting for this for twelve years, though, we have to celebrate. We’ve all been working
so hard.” Her father reached down and kissed the top of her head again and smiled indulgently at
her.
“I know, poppet, nobody is happier than I am. You’ve done so well, Draco too. For now, though,
head back to Black Moor and I’ll meet you there in a few hours.” Hermione felt her heart sink. Not
only had she been rebuffed, she had been rebuffed in front of a crowd of people. Her cheeks colored
in shame and she nodded quickly. Her father strode over and spoke softly to Harry before taking his
wrist and disappearing with a pop. Silence reigned for a few moments before Uncle Sev stepped
forward.
“He’ll be back shortly, this isn’t any reason to not celebrate.” Hermione knew that she wasn’t going
to be able to fake it so just kept her eyes to the ground before gravitating to her Uncle Luci.
“I know you think that, Uncle Sev, but it isn’t true. I haven’t seen him for more than a few hours
total since summer started. I just want to go to Malfoy Manor and forget about everything. I’m tired
of caring who I hurt anymore.” Draco pulled her into his arms and kissed the side of her head.
“I told you that staying with me wasn’t going to hurt anything.” Hermione just shook her head.
“No, that’s one relationship I won’t broach. You need your parents and I refuse to take them away.”
Hermione didn’t wait for anyone else to say anything, just took off to her father’s office since she
knew that it would admit her.
Once inside, she found the floo powder and grabbed a handful before throwing it into the flames.
“Malfoy Manor.” Hermione stepped into the green flames and let it take her from there. All she
wanted was to visit her room, read one of her new books, and maybe take a nap. After all, nothing
else going on was clearly her business.
-O-
Lucius followed after his niece, his heart thumping in his chest. He had no idea what the blazes had
just happened and he narrowed his eyes at the one person that he knew would. His hand clamped
around Draco’s elbow and he hauled him to the office that his name on the door, pushing him
towards the floo.
“Back home, no funny tricks.” His son looked slightly fearful but Lucius wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t
like he had ever been beaten, he’d never been severely punished. It was truly disconcerting to realize
that his son feared him with no prior reason. Once they were all standing in the foyer, his niece was
long gone and he was becoming livid. Severus had followed them through, thankfully, since he
hoped that the man had an idea what was going on.
“I want to know what the fuck is going on right now.” Lucius knew that his voice was hard and cold
but he wasn’t surprised to see that nobody else was surprised. He had been a Death Eater of his own
volition for a few years and this was nothing in comparison to what he had done way back then.
Draco was the first to lower his eyes but Severus wasn’t far behind him. It was his long-time friend
that spoke first.
“When the truth came out, Hermione was upset that her father was going to take Potter under his
wing and into their home without a word about it. I basically told her that I agreed since the vows I
made to Lily demanded that I see him in a home where he was safe and happy. I don’t think that’s
possible at the Weasleys since they don’t have blood wards, apparently Molly has decided that blood
wards are dark and mean you serve Voldemort.” Lucius started to rub his temples, still completely
confused. Draco sighed and went to his feet so he could pace.
“Hermione didn’t tell anyone, she said that it wasn’t our problem. We quit talking for a month or so
because I started to pay more attention to Pansy Parkinson than her. She wasn’t mad, just told me
that I needed to be more circumspect. It didn’t go over well and we ended up having a fight in front
of Uncle Sev. She told me that she was tired of feeling like she wasn’t shit compared to Potter. I
threw back in her face that I was tired of my own parents choosing her over me.” Lucius wasn’t even
sure how his son could say that so he remained silent. Eventually Draco got the hint that he was
supposed to continue.
“I told her that my words weren’t true but after I told her that she could come stay at Malfoy Manor if
things got bad, she said that she wasn’t going to. She wasn’t going to get any closer to Father
because she didn’t want to hurt me since she loved me more than life itself. I told her that it wasn’t
necessary, that I was being a brat, but here we are. She hasn’t wanted to spend shite for time here,
trying to figure out how every single little thing worked out. Since then, she’s been holding herself
differently and she isn’t really connecting with me.” Lucius’ gaze darkened further he glared at not
only his son but his best friend. They were supposed to make Hermione feel better, not worst.
“How could the two of you do this?” Lucius noticed how Severus flashed a hint of guilt through his
eyes but it was gone before he could even fully register it.
“You don’t get to depict everything that happens in our families. You are the one who has made
Draco feel like he was worth nothing, prompting him to say something in the first place. Speaking as
someone that was never been loved as they should have been, I understand your son’ sentiment. You
and Sirius just push it under the rug and hope that Draco forgets how he feels.” Draco couldn’t
believe what he was hearing; it was going to de-evolve into a hexing match if someone didn’t say
something. When he started yelling, he could tell that his family was dumbstruck.
“No more arguing! How do you think Hermione is going to feel about all this?” Lucius stepped back
and took a deep breath, stabilizing himself. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that Severus had
just done the same. Lucius decided to start since the others were the ones wanting to yell.
“Sirius has found his godson and while Hermione is still his daughter, he has forgotten that she even
exists. How do you expect her to feel? She has made his goals her own until he hurt her so
completely. Even after that, he welcomes the boy into his house, to live alongside Hermione. Who in
the world is going to be alright with that? For the love of Merlin, she has taken it better than the rest
of us would have.” Lucius felt his heart clench at the pain his niece must have felt but the words of
his friend had merit.
“You both think I love Draco less so when he blew up at Hermione, she’s doing the best she can to
stay away from me so I won’t come between her and Draco?” Draco clearly didn’t want to answer
but Severus had no problems answering.
“He’s jealous of the attention you shower on her while you do nothing but yell at him.” Lucius
bowed his head and couldn’t help but wonder how this had de-evolved so quickly. He didn’t even
get to speak before the sweetest voice in the world cut him off.
“This isn’t what I wanted. I wanted to avoid all of this. Please, I’m so sick of feeling like shite, let me
have the illusion that this didn’t start because of me.” Lucius sighed before stepping forward. He was
entirely surprised when Hermione stepped back away from him. She saw the pain in his eyes and her
eyes teared up.
“Don’t look at me like that, Uncle. I love Draco more than anything and there isn’t anything I
wouldn’t do for him. Please don’t look at me as though I just killed your favorite puppy.” Draco
stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his cousin.
“Hermione, please stop. I don’t want you to keep yourself from my parents. They love you and I
know they love me too. I was being a complete arsehole wanker that day and I didn’t mean it. Please
stop holding yourself away from us.” In a rare show of emotion, Lucius stepped forward and hugged
not only his niece but his son as well. Draco’s form stiffened but eventually it bled out of him and he
leaned against his father’s chest. He could tell that Hermione was crying softly when he spoke.
“Both of you should know better. I love Draco more than anything. I would die for him, he’s my
only son and heir. The only reason I don’t show it like I do with Hermione is because it’s different
between men and their sons than it is with men and their daughters.” He could tell that his words had
a positive effect on Draco and Lucius was unsure how he had missed son’s feelings for so long.
“Where Draco is my heart, Hermione is my soul. Both are equally important but different in their
own way. You’re both the most important things in the world to me and I can’t imagine life without
either of you.” Lucius felt distinctly uncomfortable saying these things to his son but could instantly
see the effect his words were having. Hermione let one of her arms wrap around his waist and even
though her face was buried in Draco’s chest, she leaned them heavily into him. Severus watched
them all silently until the two children pulled away. Knowing that Hermione needed him more than
Draco, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and met her gaze.
“Princess, I know you’re feeling very unwanted. Your father will get better once he realizes that
Harry isn’t you.” She gave him a half smile but if fell away quickly.
“I wasn’t kidding, I have only seen him a total of a few hours since summer started. I’ve dedicated
everything in my life to getting Harry back for him only for him to forget that I even exist.” Lucius
had no idea what he was supposed to say to that. Severus looked as though he wanted to comment
but he raised his eyebrow at the man, warning him to keep quiet. The last thing she needed a
reminder of was that Severus sided with her father. Instead, he pulled her to the sofa and sat down,
pulling her so her head would rest in his lap. Draco seemed to understand immediately and fetched a
book that Hermione hadn’t read before. Lucius knew that Hermione was aware she was being
handled but she was allowing it for now. Draco sat at the other end, pulling her feet into his lap.
Lucius bent and kissed her head before he began reading.
“You will always be welcome here, poppet.” She buried her face into his abdomen and nodded.
Lucius started to read, knowing that it would soothe Hermione more than anything else.
Lucius couldn’t tell how long he read but it was over an hour later before he looked down and
realized that Hermione was asleep. Draco was also asleep with her feet in his lap, his hands wrapped
around her tiny ankles. Severus was still awake in the chair across from the couch and he stood to lay
a blanket over the top of Hermione and Draco.
“Sirius is fucking up. Will it even do any good to tell him?” Severus shook his head.
“No, he’s punch drunk with the thought of having Harry in his life. It’s going to come crashing
down around him if he isn’t careful.” Lucius nodded, hoping against hope that that wouldn’t happen.
“I hope he pulls his head out of his arse before he loses her.” Severus nodded.
“I’ll try to talk to him tonight.” Lucius nodded and set the book aside.
“I’m going to take the opportunity for a nap. They don’t come often but I find that I don’t want to
wake Hermione.” Severus flashed him a smile before standing himself.
“I understand. I’ll send you an owl later with his response.” Lucius nodded and set the book aside,
letting his head fall back. His fingers stroked the hair of his niece and he smiled softly to himself. She
really was the best of Erise and Regulus.
Closing his eyes, he let sleep pull him under in hopes that all would be brighter when he woke.
A/N- Yes, I know, Sirius is being a compete ass. Trust me, Hermione is going to put him in his
place. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it ended up much more angsty than I had planned. Thanks
to everyone out there for reading and reviewing, you guys are the bomb.
Next chapter, Harry comes to Black Moor and Hermione loses her temper.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 62

A/N- The support you guys show me chapter after chapter just astounds me. Thank you so much. I
know for a fact that you wouldn’t get near as many chapters if I didn’t get so much love. I pounded
this chapter out as fast as I could, mostly because I’ve couldn’t wait to write it. Anyways, enough for
now; I hope you enjoy this one.
**Shout out to Gaerven for being my 2500th reviewer. You’re freaking awesome!**
Disclaimer: Nothing in this story belongs to me. Pureblood Hermione has been done, teenage angst
has been done, idiot Harry has been done, and Slytherin Hermione has certainly been done. The
characters all belong to J.K.R. and the original plot line belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. I
haven’t made any money from this fic or any other.
Chapter 62
July 31, 1994
Harry couldn’t remember being this happy in all his life. Sure, he had enjoyed his time at the
Weasleys but it hadn’t been home. While Black Moor wasn’t home yet, he hoped that eventually it
would be. Sirius had told him that he wanted it to be his home but only time would tell.
Frankly, what had Harry the most worried about staying with his godfather wasn’t that it would be a
new place or that he would be around people he didn’t know very well. It was that Hermione hated
him and that he would be making her upset by being there. He was no fool; he had seen how
heartbroken and hurt she had looked after Sirius had told her that they would celebrate later since he
had things to do with Harry. He just hoped that she didn’t blame him for her father’s actions. He
remembered telling Sirius that Hermione wasn’t going to like that they were friends and getting
closer.
His family had been quick to agree with his godfather’s terms that day after the trial. True to his
word, Sirius had removed the pig’s snout from his uncle. There had been no mistreatment since that
day but that didn’t mean that life was good. While Harry was free to do whatever he wanted, it was
also as if he didn’t exist. None of the Dursleys spoke to him or even looked at him when he entered a
room. It was almost as though he was a nonentity.
He had informed them the night before that he would be leaving this morning. Uncle Vernon spoke
to him for the first time in a month and told him to make sure he took all his belongings with him and
to not return until the following summer. Sirius had been quite clear to his family when he explained
that Harry would have to return every summer for a certain time period so he would continue to be
protected by his mother’s blood wards. Harry didn’t care how happy the Dursleys would be to see
him gone, he was just thrilled to be going anywhere but there.
Harry had asked his godfather about his plans for the summer. While he would enjoy spending time
with the Weasleys, he knew that he needed time to get to know his new family better. After Sirius
had told him that he would prefer him to spend the entire month of August there, getting to know
everyone better, working with Madam Cambridge, and enjoying himself, Harry had readily agreed.
The note to Ron informing him of his plans that summer had seen a little tiff between the friends.
Nothing long-lasting since they really hadn’t quit speaking but it had gotten back a short and almost
bitchy letter back in response. Ron felt as though Harry was ditching him for his new Slytherin
family. Harry had reassured him that this wasn’t the case and though Ron was better after that letter,
he wasn’t sure if all was well or not.
Sirius was picking him up in just a few moments. It was almost noon and the Dursleys had left the
house entirely to keep from facing his godfather again. Harry could say that he didn’t blame them.
While what Sirius had done wasn’t nice in the least, he would be the first to admit that they had
deserved it.
A pop pulled him from his contemplation, alerting him to the fact that his godfather had just
apparated directly into the living room of his relative’s house. Harry grinned at him when he realized
that he was in the same room and the rest of the family seemed to be missing.
“The others run off and hide?” Harry nodded.
“Yeah, they refused to be here while you were here. Apparently, they’re scared that you’re going to
turn them all into pigs.” Sirius laughed loudly.
“Happy to see they’ve gotten smarter. Do you have your things? Do I need to shrink them?” Harry
shook his head no.
“No, Dobby shrunk it and went on to Black Moor. Will your elves get along with him?” Sirius
grimaced slightly.
“I think it’s time a little bit of truth is told here. Dobby was Lucius’ elf. He sent him to warn you
away from Hogwarts to keep you safe. When you didn’t stay home, Dobby took things into his own
hands. When he freed him and sent him in your direction, it was mostly for protection for you.
However, it was also because Dobby doesn’t work well with other elves. He wants freedom and
such but it isn’t possible for a house elf. Our magic keeps them alive through the bond. The elves at
Black Moor are no different. They think he’s different.” Harry took a moment to consider his words.
His godfather and his family had been looking out for him his whole life and had gifted him an elf to
look after him.
“I’ll have to be sure to thank Mr. Malfoy.” Sirius nodded and smiled.
“Just do your best to keep Dobby away from Sipsy and Dot. They’re Hermione’s personal elves and
they think that Dobby wanting a paying job is a disgrace, that he should be as happy to serve his
master as they are to serve my daughter.” Harry knew that his eyebrows had drawn inward at his
comment.
“Hermione has two elves bonded to her? I just never thought that she would allow something to act
as her servant without fair compensation.” Sirius laughed openly now.
“My daughter loves those elves. They’re family. They’ve looked after her since she first came to
Black Moor. Since she’s the Black heir, they will serve her happily for the rest of her life. They’ve
shot more stinging hexes at her backside than I have and I know that she loves them like she does
me. Nobody will ever convince her that elves should be free because her elves are thrilled to serve
her. That’s all she’s ever known.” Harry couldn’t help but be confused.
“Did the Malfoys not treat Dobby well?” Sirius shook his head to dispel that notion.
“No, he was treated great. He just wanted more.” Harry nodded before smiling.
“Shall we get on our way then?” His godfather grinned and held out his arm. Harry grasped it
around the elbow and held on for dear life. It took less than a moment for them to disappear and
reappear in a room that Harry had never seen before. The rolling of his stomach was still present but
far less than the last time he had traveled by side-along apparition. He supposed that the more he
participated in it, the better it would get.
Harry studied the room they had appeared in. It seemed to be the family library and he would be the
first to say that while it was larger than the Hogwarts library, it was quite cozy. He could picture
family meetings and laughing memories taking place in this room. Before he could turn to say
anything to Sirius, Hermione and Draco filed into the room, fake smiles on their faces. Hermione
heaved a sigh before she spoke.
“We welcome you to Black Moor. We hope that you feel welcome here.” Harry could tell that they
were being forced to say these words so he just nodded at them. If they had been heartfelt he would
have been more gracious. This all felt wrong and he hated that he had done this.
“Thank you very much.” Sirius spoke up.
“Poppet, will you show Harry his room?” If it was possible for her body to stiffen anymore, it did.
“We have elves, Father.” He wasn’t sure what it was about her response that had her father glaring at
her.
“I want you to show him, poppet. Please and thank you.” Hermione waited almost a full minute
before nodding.
“Very well, follow me.” Harry knew that she likely had nothing else to say so he just nodded.
Hermione and Malfoy led him through the house, a huge house that Harry never would have
dreamed of living in. It was the third floor that they finally stopped at, the third room from the stairs
on the left. Hermione’s voice was flat.
“This is your room. The third floor is the family floor so my father, my aunt and uncle, my godfather,
and Draco all have rooms on this floor. If you need anything, you need only knock on a door and
ask.” Harry could see how much this was killing her so he remained silent. Hermione continued.
“You should go inside, call for your elf and unpack. The guests will be arriving within the hour.”
Harry narrowed his eyes.
“Guests?” She gave him a nod though refrained from meeting his eyes.
“Guests for your birthday party. Father didn’t want you to have to share a party with Draco and I so
he threw one for you. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to be see you so surprised.” Harry could see that these
words hurt her and he decided to be nice.
“I’m sorry, I never asked for this.” Hermione gave him a cold look.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He couldn’t help but sneer at her for thinking that he was
stupid.
“I never asked to come here and have your dad fawn over me. Yeah, I’m thrilled to have him in my
life but I’m not going to just move in with him without a single thought about it.” Harry could see the
flare of pain in her eyes but she remained silent.
“Your party begins in an hour so be ready by then.” Harry drew his eyebrows downward in
confusion.
“Why do I get a separate party from you two?” It was Draco that answered.
“Your godfather seems to think you’re special. If you’ll excuse us, we need to go see to the party
plans.” Harry finally nodded, knowing full well that he likely wasn’t going to get any further
answers from them.
They left him in his room and he took a few moments to admire it. The walls were a soft cream color
with blue accents, the bed queen-sized with a royal blue duvet. It was furnished, with a vanity and
mirror along with a desk and chair by the window. There were two doors and after a few moments,
Harry learned that they led to his own bathroom and a walk-in closet. Harry couldn’t help but snort.
He had four changes of clothing and they were all five sizes too big for him since they were
Dudley’s cast offs. He wondered briefly which of his outfits to wear to his party when Dobby
popped into the room next to him.
“Master Harrys, yous must hurry and bathe. Yous party begins in less than an hours.” Harry
chuckled softly at his small friend.
“I was just trying to figure out what to wear.” Dobby gave him a strange look before gesturing to the
closet again.
“Candy has been telling Dobby that Master Black has buyed Master Harry all new clothes.” Harry
knew that his mouth dropped open before he turned to look in the closet again. Sure enough, he had
been so focused on where the door led that he hadn’t realized that it was brimming with clothing.
Harry shuffled through what was hanging up, finally settling on a set of blue jeans that looked a few
steps above casual. He chose a button-up shirt in an emerald green color, matching his eyes perfectly.
Since he was in a pureblood home and he wasn’t sure what climate he was going to be in, he threw a
set of robes over the top. He was quite surprised to find that they fit him perfectly and he wondered
just how this had been managed. He was surprised when Malfoy’s voice sounded behind him. Harry
did his best not to jump but judging by the smirk on the blond’s face, he had been unsuccessful.
“My mother went shopping for you. I told her that you were roughly my size, maybe just a bit
broader. Sirius gave her his vault card and told her to get everything that you would need. She even
tried to get some muggle items for you.” Harry felt his cheeks color slightly.
“I would have been happy with something that fit. I’m not picky, I don’t need expensive clothes.”
Malfoy leaned against the door frame and watched him for a few moments before he spoke.
“The thing is, Sirius has made himself comfortable in the pureblood circle. Sure, they all know now
that he wasn’t really a servant of the Dark Lord but not a single one of them can dispute his place in
society now. Now, he hopes to change the minds of Voldemort’s followers. However, that can’t be
done if those around him don’t fit in the mold that society has cast for them. There’s a reason why
Hermione always looks proper and perfect. She loves wearing casual clothes but rarely can. This is
something you’re going to have to live with too.” Harry considered his words carefully.
“You’re saying I now have an image to uphold?” Malfoy nodded.
“Hole in one.” He shifted again and his arms came down to his side.
“I came to issue you a warning. Hermione is my world and I love her more than anything. If you hurt
her while she’s here, being the savior of the wizarding world isn’t going to save you. Nobody fucks
with my cousin and gets away with it.” Harry raked a hand through his already wild hair.
“I don’t want to hurt her, you have no idea how absolutely horrid I feel about hurting her before. I
know she’ll likely never forgive me but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop trying.” Malfoy’s
eyes flashed but he kept his temper under control.
“Why should I trust you when you tell me that you don’t want to hurt her?” Harry took a deep breath
while he considered his words.
“Before, I was constantly trying to find a balance when it came to Hermione. I wanted to be her
friend more than anything but her father was responsible for my parent’s deaths. I tried to stay away
from her because it felt like I was betraying my parent’s memory. I had Dumbledore whispering in
one ear and Lupin in the other, telling me that she was evil and trying to brainwash me. I’m not
saying that she has no right to feel like she does. She has every reason to hate me. I’m just saying that
I believed the wrong people at age eleven through thirteen. All I can do is change.” Malfoy seemed
to be considering his words. Several minutes passed before he finally spoke.
“I do understand but Hermione is my cousin and she will always come before you. I won’t stop you
from trying to make things right but I’m not going to help you. I will never choose to help you over
sticking on her side. All hats are off if you get her to trust you and you hurt her again.” Harry started
forward until he was standing directly in front of Draco. He stuck out his hand and waited for the
blond to take it.
“I swear on my magic that I won’t go out of my way to hurt her again. I can’t say that I won’t hurt
her, I’m only human after all, but I won’t do it on purpose.” Malfoy nodded and shook his hand
before stepping back out of his room.
“You better get downstairs. Your guests are already arriving.” Harry gave him a brief nod and
checked himself over in the mirror once more before turning to Dobby. Draco was gone and he had
no idea how to get to where the party was being held.
“Dobby, I have no idea where the party is being held. Can you take me there?” Dobby gave an
enthusiastic nod and grasped his hand.
“Yes, Master Harry, takes my hand and I will takes you.” Harry nodded and in less than a moment,
Harry felt himself squeeze into a tight tube and then reappear in what appeared to be a ballroom.
Guests were already milling all over the room. Harry had already spotted all the Weasleys and
Parvati and Padma. Neville was there, as were Seamus and Dean. Lavender was skulking around the
edges, talking to the those that belonged to Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Harry recognized Terry Boot,
Lisa Turpin, Susan Bones, Mandy Brocklehurst, Hannah Abbott, Ernie McMillian, and Michael
Corner. Harry couldn’t believe that all these people had showed up just for him. Molly Weasley was
the first one to see him arrive and hurried forward to pull him into a tight hug.
“Harry, dear, happy birthday! We’re going to miss you this summer at the Burrow.” Harry was still
flabbergasted that the Weasleys had been invited, especially Ron. They had all been terrible to
Hermione aside from the twins.
“Thanks for coming, Mrs. Weasley.” Hermione appeared at his side and gave the red head a sickly-
sweet smile.
“Yes, isn’t it miraculous that when I invited the twins to our birthday party and New Year’s Ball,
they weren’t allowed to come. However, the whole family is able to draw upon my family’s
generosity when it’s for the Boy-Who-Lived.” Harry could see that Mrs. Weasley was livid but she
kept a smile screwed in place as she laid an arm around Harry’s shoulders.
“Things have changed since then. Come, Harry, Ginny has been waiting to wish you happy birthday
since she first woke.” Harry wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to say to that so he allowed the
woman to pull him away and lead him towards the youngest Weasley. However, he had still caught
a glimpse of Hermione’s pained expression. Rather than stay behind and discover what had caused
the look, he let Mrs. Weasley pull him across the ball room to mingle with her children. Ginny threw
herself into his arms, mindless of who was watching.
“Happy birthday, Harry. How does it feel to be fourteen?” Harry awkwardly patted Ginny on her
shoulder before pushing her off him.
“It feels just like thirteen.” She smiled at him lasciviously.
“What does the birthday boy want for his birthday?” Harry couldn’t believe she was being this bold
and therefore ignored her.
“Thank you all for coming.” Mrs. Weasley smiled at him and ruffled his hair.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world. A young man only turns fourteen once.” Harry smiled at the
woman before Ron slid in next to him.
“Mate, the food is here is better than Hogwarts. I can’t blame you for staying here.” Molly clucked
disapprovingly.
“You must tell me if there is anything inappropriate going on here, Harry. I don’t want you to have
that sort of influence in your life.” Harry didn’t get a chance to answer since Sirius swept in.
“I assure you, Madam, there is nothing inappropriate going on in my house.” Harry could hear the
steel in Sirius’ voice but he remained quiet. Molly, however, couldn’t hold her tongue.
“Ron has told us about the unnatural relationship between your daughter and her cousin. I know that
the purebloods encourage marrying family but never first cousins.” Harry couldn’t believe that she
was that bold. His godfather just sneered in her direction.
“Trust me, Madam, your son has brought far more dishonor to your family than my daughter and
cousin have. He openly struck a female, a female of higher standing than he. I could have brought
him forth on formal charges but I decided not to. You’re making me regret my decision.” Harry
could tell that this was going to get ugly fast. He shot his godfather a look before grasping hold of
Molly and pulling her to the dance floor. Once they were alone, he hissed at her.
“Are you mad? Sirius would feel nothing if he was forced to take your family down. He genuinely
likes the twins but the rest of you haven’t been the nicest to his daughter. What makes you think that
he won’t ruin you? Ron is on his last chance with the man, your husband realized that when he
offered him his hand when the truth came out. Besides, he’s my godfather and my family. You will
show him respect or I won’t be able to see you anymore. Ron has already agreed. Will the rest of
you?” Molly couldn’t seem to decide if she was affronted or angry at his words. It seemed as though
his words were completely unexpected and Harry couldn’t help but worry that they were. Was he so
predictable that everyone thought he would continue to be a doormat once he knew they had all been
lying to him? Molly lowered her eyes and nodded.
“Yes, Harry, we’ll get along. We have no urge to lose you from our lives. While your words hurt, I
understand. Blood is thicker than water.” Harry gave her a semblance of a grin.
After they parted, Harry found himself a small corner away from everyone that allowed him to watch
the crowd. Draco and Hermione were the only Slytherins in attendance unless you counted Lucius
and Narcissa Malfoy sitting at a table speaking with his godfather. He was still disconcerted to think
about his godfather being part of a family that was believed to be so deeply embroiled with the Dark
Lord it wasn’t funny.
Harry watched as Neville stepped forward first to ask Hermione to dance. Both swept across the
dance floor like professionals and Harry couldn’t help but be jealous. Just when he thought the
torture was through, Fred and George stepped in and begged her to join them on the dance floor.
After she did, they pulled her across the ball room to a waltz, dancing with her flamboyantly as they
waltzed through the steps.
Harry watched her take turns with her father, uncle, and cousin, most of the time looking quite
happy. It was only when an Ernie McMillian stepped forward to ask her to dance that she started to
look guarded. Harry lost track of her then, finding himself dancing with every girl he had snogged,
all of them wanting to sneak off with him so they could have another go at it. He had decided that he
wouldn’t let it happen until Lisa Turpin asked him to sneak off with her, that she wanted to show
him her appreciation for the invitation with her mouth. It was bold and reckless, not something he
expected from house of the brains but he had grinned at her and allowed her to pull him into an
alcove.
Harry smiled as he considered his last birthday compared to this one. It was already better in the fact
that he was able to celebrate with people he cared about and considered friends. To hear that his
godfather wanted him in his life had been astounding. With a wide grin, Harry let Lisa wish him
happy birthday in her own special way.
-O-
Hermione had never had a worse time at a party. Not only were she and Draco the only Slytherins
there, everyone was staring at her as though she was going to jump out and murder them right there.
Truly, if she was so smart and evil, wouldn’t she hide her nature and then hide her evil dastardly
plans?
While most of the adults seemed to leave her alone, Hermione couldn’t help but bring up the fact that
twins hadn’t been allowed to attend her birthday or the New Year’s Ball. In what world was it not
allowed that her friends would be allowed to attend her parties under direct supervision but could
attend a party where Ron and Ginny were allowed to attend because Harry was going to be there. It
was bias and bigotry but there was nothing she could do except disagree with it quite vocally.
So far, nobody had asked her to dance except her family, Neville, the twins and Ernie McMillian.
Neville and the twins seemed to be the most upset about the matter, evidenced by the fact that they
asked her to dance over and over again. After a few hours, Hermione had had enough and decided
that enough was enough.
Once Hermione had rebuffed her last partner’s advances, she saw exactly why they were asking her
to dance. Not a single other person asked her to dance, though Draco received several offers. After
the rest of the people were out on the floor, Hermione couldn’t disguise the implications. She was
unwanted at a party being held in her own home. Deciding that her father would probably give two
fucks less, she stood and went to her aunt and uncle’s side.
“I find that I’m too tired to continue with the party. I’m just going to see myself out and find
everyone in the morning.” They hadn’t had dinner yet but that was hardly a problem. Elves could do
just about anything after all. Uncle Luci seemed to realize that this was going deeper and took her
hand before bowing over it to kiss her knuckles.
“As you wish, Miss Black. May you sleep well tonight.” Seamus must have been passing by since
he had clearly heard their words. His words were ice as they were spoken.
“What, daddy’s little girl isn’t the favorite anymore so she’s going to go to her room and sulk like
she’s five?” Hermione wanted to be angry at his words but to a point, they were true. Before she
could say anything, Uncle Luci had his wand out and pointed in Finnegan’s face.
“I would watch how you speak to ladies, you ignorant wretch. Especially when you’re a guest in
their home.” Seamus was quick to scarper off and Hermione gave her uncle a forced smile.
“Thanks, Uncle Luci. You didn’t have to though. It’s true. I’m invisible and it kills me. I’d rather be
invisible in my room, though, so I don’t have to have it rubbed in my face.” Aunt Cissy came
forward and wrapped her arms around her and held her close, regardless of what people would think.
“Get some rest, darling. You can come see us tomorrow and stay for a few days. Maybe things will
be better when you return, allow your father to miss you.” Hermione gave her aunt a grateful
squeeze but in no way did she think that her father was going to miss her. He hadn’t missed her yet
and they were six weeks into their holiday.
Hermione gave her uncle a hug before moving onto Draco, the twins, and Neville. They didn’t hug
her but they all bowed and kissed her hand, telling her that they would see her later. Hermione didn’t
bother telling her father that she was leaving; he was caught up talking to Harry and Ron about who
knew what.
Once she was ensconced in her room, she called for Dot and begged him to bring her a plate of
whatever they were serving for dinner. He instantly worried that she wasn’t feeling well and begged
her to let him bring her a potion but she told him that she was fine, only tired. After bringing her a
tray and watching her eat almost all of it, Dot finally left since he was satisfied that she was fine. She
then changed out of her robes and into something more comfortable. Shorts that hit her mid-thigh and
tank top were her ensemble, black and pink in color. Aunt Cissy had had a friend tell her about these
muggle clothes and she wanted Hermione to try them. She had given them a glowing review, telling
her that they were the most comfortable things that she had ever worn.
It was almost eight o’clock when Candy appeared in her room and looked distraught. Hermione was
on her feet instantly, afraid that something had happened since she had left the party. The elf
wouldn’t meet her eyes and was shuffling from foot to foot. Finally, Hermione couldn’t stand there
any longer in silence.
“What’s wrong, Candy?” The elf finally lifted her head, almost meek. Hermione had never seen the
elf be meek; her favorite past time was ordering her father around and withholding sober up potion
when he had drank too much.
“Master has told Candy to come gets you. He wants to speak to yous now that the partys is over.”
Hermione shook her head.
“No, Candy, just tell him I’m not feeling well. I don’t want to face him tonight.” Candy sighed
loudly before she reached out and grasped her wrist.
“Master said yous had no choice.” With that, Hermione felt herself compress into a tube and then
return to normal in the ballroom. Her aunt and uncle were still there, as was Draco and Harry. Uncle
Sev had showed up at some point and appeared to be smoking a cigar. Hermione realized belatedly
that she was barely clothed. Her father seemed to realize this at the same time.
“What the fuck do you think you’re wearing? You’re to be properly clothed at all times in this
house.” Hermione couldn’t believe his tone and couldn’t help but drop her gaze in embarrassment.
Not only from her clothing but from the scene her father was making in front of everyone. Her father
never acted like this with her and she couldn’t understand now why he was. Aunt Cissy stepped
forward, her beautiful face in a frown.
“I bought them for her, Sirius. They’re pajamas. Nobody is supposed to see them and you’re the one
that ordered Candy to bring her down here with no delay.” Her father sighed and pinched the bridge
of his nose.
“Regardless, you’re not to wear those under this roof again. I called you down here for a specific
reason.” Hermione finally raised her eyes and held steady since there was nothing else she could do.
Never before had she faced her father’s ire like this. Her father seemed to be waiting for her to speak
but she wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear. When she remained silent, her father growled at her.
“You are to apologize to Harry for ruining his birthday party. I told you that I expected you to put
everything aside to make sure he enjoyed himself for his first party in our home. He deserves to have
a family that loves him.” Hermione could see that Harry looked as stunned as she did but that did
nothing to curb her temper. Uncle Luci and Uncle Sev stepped back but her aunt was walking
towards her.
Hermione felt her magic release and did her best to rein it in. She wanted to be in control but at this
point, there was no way that was ever going to happen. Draco had a concerned look on his face but
made no move to calm her down. He probably knew that it would be a futile endeavor. Hermione
couldn’t help but start screaming at her father.
“I will not apologize! I have already done more than I wanted to to welcome him into this home.
Besides, Lisa Turpin did all she could to make sure that he enjoyed himself on his birthday. I didn’t
get asked if I was alright with him being here, I just got told to accept it. I haven’t seen you for more
than a few days total since school let out because you’ve been so caught up in Harry and all things to
do with Harry. You used to take half the summer holidays off! I get that you’re excited but don’t
expect me to be!” Hermione took a deep breath trying to pacify her magic but to no avail. This time
her words were aimed at both Harry and her father.
“You have hurt me more than I even like to think about. I don’t know how or why I became
absolutely nothing to you, Father, but that’s what’s happened. I’m not shite compared to the great
Harry Potter. I know that I only live here because I kept you out of prison so you could take care of
the child that really mattered but I thought that I meant more than that to you now. I suppose that I
should thank you for making sure I didn’t go to the orphanage since you clearly hated your brother
and there was no love lost between yourself and my mother.” Her father’s temper was building and
she could see that he was about to explode as well. Aunt Cissy reached Hermione and laid a hand on
her shoulder before gently pulling her back. She brushed her off of her and met her father head-on.
Her father, however, picked up his tumbler of whiskey and threw it towards her, shattering on the
floor right in front of her. She could feel little shards of glass cut her face, arms, chest, and legs but
she paid them no mind when her father started screaming at her.
“You ungrateful little brat! You were taken in by me and I made you my heir. I told you that I
wanted no other child but you and still you say such things to me. Is there no room for anyone in
your life that doesn’t treat you like some spoiled little princess? It’s time to grow up, honey, there are
more people out there that matter to me than just you.” Hermione felt her heart grow cold at his
words. Tears pricked her eyes and when one fell down her cheek into the tiny cuts from the glass, it
stung. Hermione turned to Harry first.
“You are despicable. I only ever wanted to be your friend and paid me back by hurting me and
insulting me. I will never trust you again. You made me trust you more than once only for you to cast
me aside and hurt me each time. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. You
can have my father, you deserve each other.” Hermione knew what she needed to do and faced her
father.
“I’m spoiled because you made me that way. Before the truth came out, you loved me just fine the
way I was. Now, compared to Harry, I can’t compete. I wish my real father was alive; he would
want me and ask me my opinion before he did something like invite the one person who hurt me the
most into his house and tell me I had to make life grand for him. That would never happen with my
real dad.” Hermione saw a flash of pain cross her father’s face but he hid it quickly. Everyone else
was still silent as the two raged at each other. Her father strode forward and fisted his hand in her hair
tightly, making her whimper softly. Draco started forward but Aunt Cissy held him back.
“No, princess, life with your dad would have been worse. He was a Death Eater and he didn’t care
who he hurt or what he had to do to get what he wanted. You would have been a piece on a
chessboard, I knew my brother. He would have already sold you off to the highest bidder, hoping it
would get him more favor with his master.” Her tears ran freely now and she couldn’t stop them. Her
father released her and Harry was still silent, completely horrified and confused as to what was going
on. She took a step back from her father and pulled at the ring on her right hand. The Black family
ring was in her palm for only a second before she threw it at her father. Everyone gasped in surprise
and she knew why. Only her father could remove the ring unless she was renouncing her family. He
missed it and it bounced off the marble floor and skittered away to Merlin only knew where.
“If you can’t love me like you did, if I can’t compare to Harry, then take your ring and shove it up
your arse. I don’t need to be the Black heir, I never did. I needed you. Don’t worry, I can take care
of myself. Fuck, I could probably take better care of myself than you do.” Her father was standing
there looking quite stricken. As she turned to head towards the floo, her father called out after her.
“You are my daughter by blood magic; you can’t go anywhere without my permission.” Hermione
knew her magic was going to react; it threw him back several feet and he landed on his arse. She
started to step forward again but her aunt took her elbow. Uncle Luci stepped forward and glared at
her father.
“You’ve done enough. I have warned you and so has Severus. We understand that you’re happy
Potter is in your life, we’re happy for you. However, Hermione was your life for twelve years. You
cast her off and then expected her to just forget how much hurt this boy has done her. She deserves
better than that. I am taking her to Malfoy Manor right now and you can’t stop me. You may have
made her your daughter by blood magic but you signed the proper paperwork for me to make her my
heir as well.” Hermione couldn’t quiet her gasp. It was almost unheard of, making someone that
wasn’t of your name your heir. However, she wasn’t allowed to speak again, Draco took her arm
and pulled her towards the floo. Her father watched her with burning eyes and she wasn’t sure if
they were burning with hatred, anger, or pain.
Hermione didn’t cast a second glance at her father while she let her cousin lead her towards the floo.
Her father called out as she started out of the floo.
“You’ll be back, you can’t live without Bluebell.” Hermione stopped and turned just slightly.
“Sipsy, Dot.” Both elves popped into existence and were instantly trying to mother her due to her
injuries she was sure.
“I need you to gather Tenebris and his things and bring him to Malfoy Manor. I suppose if my father
wants to keep my one joy this summer from me, he has that right since Bluebell is legally his
property. I suppose that will make him happy, to make me more miserable. I only hope that Bluebell
will understand.” Sipsy’s lip quivered.
“What abouts us, Miss? When will we’s get to see yous?” Hermione knelt down and wrapped her
arms around both elves. After several moments, she pulled away and spoke softly.
“I love you both more than you know. I just renounced my last name and you are both Black elves.
My father needs you to carry on your service and make his family strong. Promise me you’ll treat
him well.” Dot shook his head angrily.
“No, Dots will not treats him well. Hims is taking away our Miss.” Hermione shook her head.
“No, I threw the Black ring at him, not the other way around. It’s my fault.” Hermione felt her cousin
lay a hand on her shoulder.
“Promise you’ll take care of him.” Both elves nodded sadly.
“Can’t we comes with you, Mistress?” Hermione shook her head.
“No, you’re bound to the Black family and I just effectively removed myself from the family tree.
I’m more Malfoy than Black now.” Both elves nodded and hugged her tight one last time. Her father
had since taken his feet and stepped forward and Hermione found herself taking a step back.
“Hermione, I love you. Please don’t do this.” Hermione wanted to bawl her eyes out but held strong.
“You left me with no choice. I would probably have let him stay but you never talked to me. You
were gone all summer. I haven’t seen you because you’re so caught up in him. I get that you were
happy but I still deserve love and attention considering that I’ve made your cause my own since I
was tiny.” Her father nodded before speaking.
“I’ll change Bluebell’s papers and send her to you. I know you love her more than anything.”
Hermione nodded but had nothing else to say. Her uncle put his arm around her and started her
towards the floo again. This time her father said nothing and she was allowed to step into the
fireplace even though she was barefoot.
Hermione flooed to Malfoy Manor and found herself in the entrance hall, the same place that
everyone flooed into and out of when they were traveling. Uncle Luci occasionally used his office
but not very often. Draco followed her, followed by Aunt Cissy and then Uncle Luci. Aunt Cissy
kissed her head and hugged her close before bidding her farewell. Draco held her tight and
whispered to her that he loved her and all would look better in the morning. He had hopes that she
and her father would make up in the morning. Finally, it was just her and Uncle Luci left and he
wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her into the library. He sat her on the couch and took
out his wand so he could remove the glass that had stuck in her skin. A charm later saw all her tiny
cuts healed. He took the seat next to her, only for her to lean to the side and bury her face in his lap.
“Why wasn’t I enough? I don’t understand.” Her uncle was stroking her curls as he answered.
“You are enough, sweetness. He’s blind right now because of his excitement to have Harry around. I
think tonight just gave him quite the eye-opening. Things will be well with time.” She remained
silent for several minutes.
“He’ll never forgive me for throwing that ring at him. I just took the gift he gave me and threw it in
his face. I suppose I don’t blame him.” Luci snorted.
“I promise you, he’s going to forgive you and he’s going to have you reinstated the second you tell
him you want him to.” Hermione wasn’t so sure but didn’t disagree. Instead, she asked a question
she was dying to hear the answer to.
“When did you make me your heir? I didn’t even know and it’s so unheard of.” Her uncle chuckled
as he twirled one of her curls around his fingers.
“It was before the holidays. I sent a letter to Draco for his opinion and he said that nothing would
make him happier. I changed all the paperwork the day before Christmas Eve. You’re officially my
heir now, the same as Draco. While you won’t carry on the line, you’ll still inherit half the Malfoy
holdings.” Hermione couldn’t believe his words or the fact that Draco hadn’t told her. A few tears
leaked down the side of her face and into her ears before she controlled herself. Her voice was shaky
when she spoke.
“Thank you for making me feel like I’m important.” Her uncle chuckled again and smiled at her.
“Anything to make you happy, sweetling.” Hermione knew this was her moment.
“It would make me very happy if you took me to the library at Alexandria. I’m old enough now.”
Her uncle burst out in laughter.
“Let me check my schedule, poppet. If I can take the time off from the Wizengamot, we’ll go, just
the two of us.” Hermione reached out and squeezed his hand.
“Draco wants to go too.” Her uncle kissed the side of her head.
“Of course, he does and so he shall.” Hermione settled further into her uncle’s lap as he draped a
blanket over body. It had been a horrid night but maybe it didn’t have to end that way. After all, her
father had made his choice, it was up to him to bring her back into the fold if that was what he
wanted. Otherwise, she would remember him fondly and leave him to his peace.
-O-
Harry couldn’t believe what he had been witness to. Hermione Black had lost her temper at her
father and he had been the cause. Truthfully, he had seen it coming but Sirius had been in denial and
still couldn’t believe that she had thrown something at him. Sirius was still standing there,
dumbstruck, after everyone else had left except for Professor Snape. He came forward and laid a
hand on his godfather’s shoulder.
“What just happened?” His eyes were full of pain when he answered.
“I drove my daughter too far and she threw her family ring at me. She’s renounced the name of
Black and could legally drop it now. Lucius made her one of his heirs in the middle of December
and she could legally take his name, especially since her mother was Lucius’ sister. I no longer have
any rights to her; the only way she could have removed that ring was to mean her words.” Harry felt
terrible for his part in this. None of this would be happening if he hadn’t let Lupin’s words sway him.
“This is all my fault.” Sirius’ head shook vehemently.
“No, this isn’t your fault. I should have made her more of a priority. Now I’ve lost her forever.”
Harry scoffed softly.
“No, you haven’t. She’s the most forgiving person I’ve ever met. Just show her you love her and you
still care for her and she’ll come back to you. However, I think to make things better, I need to go
back to the Dursleys.” Sirius shook his head again.
“No, you’re not going back there. I’ll work things out with Hermione, that isn’t your problem. I’ll
talk to her and make her realize that she’s my world.” Harry smiled softly.
“She doesn’t know how lucky she is to have you.” Sirius shook his head.
“No, she isn’t lucky. I’m the lucky one. I just need to tell her that and pray to Merlin she believes it.”
Harry smiled at his godfather before calling for Dobby. Once the elf was beside him, he spoke.
“I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning and we’ll figure out how to make this right.” Sirius
nodded while his elf started to clear things away from the numerous tables. Harry let Dobby lead him
back to his rooms, hand held in his, hoping he would learn the way. Once he was in the safety of his
own room, he quickly showered off and climbed into bed. His mind played over the events of the
evening.
Hopefully, god willing, eh could help Sirius convince Hermione to return to Black Moor. Even
though they weren’t friends, he knew that he would feel her absence quite keenly. Harry closed his
eyes and hoped that sleep would pull him under. It had been a long fucking day.
-O-
After Harry retired to his room, Sirius sat up in the library and contemplated life. He had fucked
things up beyond repair, he was quite sure. Harry’s words gave him hope but he knew that his
daughter had been deeply hurt before his awful words to her that night. After she had made him
angry, things had just gotten worse. Nothing compared to him cutting her face, body, arms, and legs
open with the glass that flew from his broken tumbler. Where she might eventually forgive him, he
would never forgive himself.
Sirius still wasn’t sure how to balance out his attentions between the two teens but he now realized
that he had owed Hermione the right to have a say in inviting Harry to their home. He hadn’t
because he had been scared to death that she would tell him no. As much as he hated to consider that
reality, it might have to happen for Hermione to come home again. While he hated to have Harry
leave, he knew that he couldn’t lose his daughter. He had to do everything he could to make sure that
she returned.
Severus had remained behind, probably because he was feeling especially guilty after Hermione’s
outburst. He hadn’t been named specifically but it was clear that everyone that wanted Harry was
against her. After Harry had gone to bed, he had allowed his long-time friend to berate him for
almost an hour. Finally, he could take no more and assured his friend that he wanted to see Hermione
come back as much as anyone. Needless to say, Severus had returned to his rooms in a huff since he
had denied him the right to continue to berate him.
Sirius dragged himself up the stairs to his room, finding it cold and the fire unlit. He knew this was
the elves’ revenge and he couldn’t blame them. Every elf in the manor adored Hermione and he had
just driven her away. However, her words hadn’t gone by and not left a mark.
Her telling him that she wished for her real father was both painful and an eye-opener. It showed him
just how she felt but also slapped him in the face at the same time. He knew she loved him, probably
not more than Draco but he was a close second. To hear that she wanted her father before him was
heart-wrenching.
Sirius changed his clothes quickly, falling into bed and leaving his last tumbler of whiskey on the
table beside his bed. He knew that Candy would whisk it away as soon as he fell asleep but it made
him feel better to know that it was there as he fell asleep. After all, making him forget everything was
number one in his book. Tomorrow would surely bring different priorities but for now, sleeping and
forgetting would have to do.
A/N- Holy balls, y’all, this chapter is done. One of my longer ones. I hope you enjoyed it and that
Hermione didn’t let you down in her tirade. Anyways, thanks again for being awesome. Leave me a
message after the beep and tell me what you think.
Next chapter, Hermione and Draco’s birthday party and the return to Black Moor.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 63

A/N- Wow. All I have is wow, y’all. I received over a hundred reviews on the last chapter and it
made me so happy. Fanfiction is still giving me problems so there were a few that I wasn’t able to
respond to. If you were one of them, please forgive me. I love the interaction with my readers and
always do my best to respond to reviews. Please just know how much I appreciate you guys.
**Shout out to trouvaille for being my 2600th reviewer. You’re the bomb!**
Disclaimer: I own nothing about this story and I haven’t made a single dime from it or any others.
My bank balance it literally eighteen dollars.
Chapter 63
August 11, 1994
Harry was sitting in the library by himself, contemplating everything that had happened in the time
he had been at Black Moor while he waited on Sirius to get ready for the birthday party for
Hermione and Malfoy at Malfoy Manor. He was the first to admit that he wasn’t that excited about
going but he would never further disrespect the Malfoys by effectively spitting on their invitation.
The fact that he had received one still astounded him considering how they felt about him.
The truth of the matter was that Harry loved Black Moor, he could easily see himself considering the
place home. However, he didn’t want that to happen at the expense of driving Hermione from her
father; he could see how much Sirius was hurting and even though Harry had to admit that he
deserved it, he still felt bad. It had been this that caused him to tell his godfather that he would be
returning to the Dursleys the day after the party. He wanted father and daughter to make up before
they returned to school and he would do everything in his power to get Hermione to forgive him,
even if it took him years.
The only matter that he thought about as much as Hermione ripping Sirius’ heart out was the
conversation he had had with Professor Snape two days after he had come to Black Moor. It had
been heart-wrenching and disgusting, all at the same time.
*Flashback*
Harry was seated in the library doing homework from Madam Cambridge. Sirius had also started
him in lessons about etiquette and pureblood customs. It was sad to say that the first lesson he learned
was of courting and just what young girls would do to net the heir of an Ancient and Noble House.
Sirius had plenty of examples from when he was in school and Harry could see a startling
resemblance to how things were shaping up in his life. He had assumed that it had been because of
his fame but now he knew better. He had already sent off to an apothecary for a contraceptive potion
that males could use. It would show up in just two days and he would take it until he married. Sirius
had warned him how disappointed his parents would be if he got a girl pregnant before he married
her.
Harry was startled out of his thoughts by someone clearing their throat. He looked up to see
Professor Snape standing before him, a nervous look on his face. It was so out of place that Harry
wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.
“May I sit?” Harry raised his eyebrows.
“Sure, who am I to tell someone they can’t enjoy the library?” Professor Snape nodded and took the
seat across from him while Harry turned back to his school work.
“I was hoping that we could talk. I have some things that need to be said and here and now is as
good as it’s going to get.” Harry pushed his school work away from him and frowned. This didn’t
bode well and he really couldn’t handle any more life shattering news.
“Sure, we can talk.” Snape raked a hand through his lank hair and took a deep breath.
“First, I want to tell you that I’m thrilled you’re here. I knew your mother when we were young, in
fact, we grew up on the same street. When I saw her do magic, we became best friends. After she
died, I swore to her that I would protect you and make sure that you were always safe.” Harry
couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How was this even possible?
“You were best friends? What made you stop being friends?” Snape sighed.
“I want to start this out saying that I never meant any of this to happen. It has been eating me alive
for thirteen years. What I am about to tell you, you can’t tell anyone outside of this family. Not even
the Weasleys can know.” Harry frowned again before nodding his head.
“Alright, I won’t say a word.” Snape stared at him for several seconds.
“Not even Dumbledore can know that you know. Sure, he knows but he wouldn’t want you to
know. I’m going to teach you occlumency this summer and through the school year so he can’t just
take a stroll through your mind and see whatever it is he wants to at the time.” Harry nodded again.
Snape took another deep breath and started.
“Your mother and I were best friends before Hogwarts, like I said. When we went to Hogwarts, we
were sorted into enemy houses, me a Slytherin and her a Gryffindor. We didn’t let it bother us for the
most part. Your father and Sirius, along with Pettigrew and Lupin tormented me endlessly because I
was brought up poor, with only a nanny elf to show for my mother’s proud heritage. My mother was
a pureblood and my father was a muggle.
Your mother would stand up for me, tell them that they were bullies and they would laugh and just
make sure they caught me when she wasn’t looking. Don’t think I was innocent though. Even
though they started it, I gave back just as good as I got. It became a Hogwarts tradition between the
five of you, to torment and curse each other.” Snape sighed and Harry had a feeling this was where
things were going to turn south.
“If our fifth year, I had started hanging out with people that are now Death Eaters. Lily wasn’t
around as much and I wanted friends. I took what I could get. However, right after our Defense
O.W.L. that year, your father and his friends cast a spell that turned me upside down and showed off
my underwear to everyone sitting around the lake that day. It was my most embarrassing moment.
Your mother rushed over, fire in her eyes and her wand trained on your dad. She told him to release
me and he agreed as long as she promised him a date. She cursed at him and told him that she would
never date him. Me, in all my idiotic glory, told her I didn’t need help from a mudblood.” Harry
wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say. However, he was just a little confused.
“What’s a mudblood?” Snape chuckled darkly.
“It’s a derogatory slang word for a muggleborn. Muggle blood equals dirty blood. Voldemort’s entire
selling point during his pureblood propaganda.” Harry just stared at his professor.
“You called my mother something the equivalent of dirty blood, like she wasn’t good enough?”
Snape nodded.
“I did. She walked away and never looked back. I tried to apologize a million different ways, I even
slept in the corridor outside of Gryffindor Tower, determined to apologize to her when she came out.
She never listened to me and she never forgave me.
After a few months, I gave up on trying. I was making a complete fool of myself and she had moved
on. Not that I blame her but at the time it was devastating. I threw myself into my other friendships.
During our seventh year at Hogwarts, your mother started dating your father and I was branded with
the Dark Mark.” Harry couldn’t help but feel sorry for Snape. His mother hadn’t forgiven him after
several months of him showing her how sorry he was. It reminded him of Hermione and himself,
though the things he had said to her were so much worse than calling her a derogatory term.
“I was always gifted in potions so it didn’t take me long to obtain my mastery. Once I had, the Dark
Lord ordered me to apply at Hogwarts. Dumbledore asked me to meet him at the Hog’s Head for my
interview. He interviewed me first but told me that he had another spot to fill and would be
interviewing another. Just out of curiosity, I stuck around and spied on them through the keyhole.
The old fool didn’t even bother to cast a silencing spell.” Harry had a feeling that this was going to
get worse.
“The person he was interviewing was Sybil Trelawney, your current Divination professor. However,
in the middle of her interview, she gave an actual prophecy. Of course, I only heard part of it but I
ran straight to the Dark Lord with it. Would you like to hear what I heard?” Harry nodded, eager to
hear what had his professor so distressed.
“The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those that have thrice
defied him, born as the seventh month dies.” Harry’s gut feeling was telling him to put his fingers in
his ears and block out Snape’s words but it wasn’t in his nature.
“I reported it to the Dark Lord and when he considered the words, there were only two candidates
that fit both requirements. James and Lily Potter and Alice and Frank Longbottom. Your parents and
Neville’s parents.
As soon as I realized what I had done, I went to Dumbledore and told him to protect all of them, you
and Neville included. He wouldn’t do it for nothing though so I promised him that I would spy for
the Order of the Phoenix. I’ve kept my word ever since and have protected you as best I could
because I still love your mother to this day.” Harry was about to start hyperventilating. Snape was the
reason his parents were dead; the reason Voldemort had tried to kill him. Suddenly, he had to know.
“What did the rest of the prophecy say?” Snape shook his head sadly.
“I don’t know, Dumbledore never would tell me. I can only beg your forgiveness, Harry, I really
can’t tell you how sorry I am. I never wanted your mother dead, nor you for that matter. I won’t lie
and say I cared for your father but I begged Dumbledore to protect him just the same.” Harry was
trying to stay calm even though he wanted to rage at the older man and tell him he was a lying
murderer.
“Does Sirius know all this?” Snape nodded.
“After Sirius turned up at Hogwarts after your parents were killed, I witnessed their confrontation.
He had Hermione with him and he had been injured. I sent him a patronus and asked him to meet me
at the local tavern. I informed him that I was Hermione’s godfather, that her real father had made me
so. It took a while for us to bury the hatchet but we did eventually. We now consider ourselves best
friends, a friendship just as good as the one he shared with your father. He’s had years to process this
so I don’t blame you if you hate me. I just wanted you to know the truth and my part in it. You
deserve that now that you’re privy to the other truths.” Harry wasn’t sure what he was supposed to
say. He could tell that his professor was sorry, that he felt bad for his part in his parent’s deaths.
However, he was still partly responsible.
This didn’t mean that he didn’t understand why he had run to the Death Eaters. His mother had been
his only true friend and when he had said one bad thing, she refused to speak to him and refused to
forgive him. One mistake and their whole friendship was in the shitter. Really, it sounded as though
his mother was just looking for a reason to be rid of him. Therefore, Harry did his best to temper his
reply.
“Thank you for telling me. I forgive you for your part in their deaths though I likely won’t forget any
time soon. My mother played her part in sending you to the dark, though the final decision was
yours. I need time to process this, I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around this
information. Now I can’t even find out the other part of the prophecy because Dumbledore can’t
know that you told me.” Snape raked his hand through his hair again.
“I shouldn’t have told you. He isn’t going to tell you yet, he thinks you need to have a real
childhood. While I agree to an extent, I think it’s folly to be caught unawares.” Harry nodded and
met the man’s eyes.
“I think you’d get farther forgiving yourself, professor. I’d really like you to do that. I know my
forgiveness isn’t as good as my mother’s but it’s the closest you’re going to get. This being said, I
think I should retire for the evening, I really need to consider your words.” Professor Snape smiled at
him, not a smirk, not a half smile, not even a crooked smile, but a full watt smile. Harry could admit
that it made him look ten years younger.
“Do Hermione and Draco know?” Snape rose to his feet and met his eyes.
“All of our family knows. There aren’t any secrets between us when it comes to you, the truth, the
past, and the war.” Harry nodded and gathered his things.
“Thank you, professor, for trusting me with the truth.” Snape bowed his head low before he spoke.
“You’re most welcome, Harry. If you have any further questions, feel free to find me and ask.”
Without another word, Snape took off towards the door and Harry followed suit, going to his room.
There was much to consider and he didn’t even want to think how long it would take him to get used
to the facts that Snape had just told him.
*End of Flashback*
Sirius entered the library in a flourish of robes, expensive and charcoal grey that matched his eyes
perfectly. His godfather had told him that his tailor did that on purpose, that it got more compliments
from the witches. He had then stupidly asked what about Remus. Sirius had given him a tight smile
and told him that he and Remus hadn’t been an item in many years and they wouldn’t be anytime
soon. Harry had taken the hint and left well enough alone.
“You ready to go, pup?” Harry nodded, ready to experience his first society party. While it wasn’t a
true society party, it was closer than he had ever come. It was mostly going to be a party of their
peers but Sirius, the Malfoys, and McGonagall would be there to chaperone. It was bound to get
interesting, even if nobody spoke to him.
Sirius had warned him that while his own party had been all his friends, leaving Hermione and
Malfoy friendless, the same would go for him. Only their friends would be in attendance and he was
just going to have to adapt. It was going to be an experience, that much was sure. His godfather
gestured for him to follow him to the floo and when he reached it, he reached out and grabbed some
floo powder. After stepping into the fireplace and calling out Malfoy Manor, he spun for only a few
moments before he landed in the most ornate room he had ever seen. No wonder people raved on
and on about how rich the Malfoys were; it was clearly the truth.
Sirius appeared behind him and an elf appeared before them. Harry didn’t know what he was
supposed to do or say; his lessons with Sirius hadn’t progressed that far yet. His godfather laid a
hand on his shoulder before reaching into his pockets and pulling out a speck. With his wand, he
enlarged it and handed it to the elf.
“Here, Snitch, gifts for Hermione and Draco.” The elf grinned and nodded, popping out of existence
as quickly as he had come.
Sirius took his arm and led him towards the music that was playing. After leading him through a
huge, ostentatious door way, Harry gasped. The ball room was even bigger than the one at Black
Moor, but only by a little. There were students all over the place, dancing to the music and laughing
at each other. Instantly, Harry felt completely out of place.
Hermione was being led around the dance floor by Neville, laughing about something he had said.
Harry felt a flare of jealousy but tamped it down ruthlessly. She deserved to enjoy her party and he
had no claim to her. In fact, he had came to Lisa’s hand in an alcove at Black Moor. If she were to
do the same, he would have no right to say anything. Hermione was wearing witch’s robes the color
of a summer sunset, her hair highlighting the beautiful colors. Malfoy was dancing with Tracey
Davis not far off, a smirk on his features.
Harry wasn’t sure what to do or what to say. He noticed that the twins weren’t in attendance; he
could only assume that Molly had kept them home to rub in Hermione’s face that they weren’t going
to be allowed to be her friends regardless of where her loyalties lie. Harry thought that it was petty,
especially since the twins had clearly made the decision to not obey their mother when it came to
Hermione.
Lucius and Narcissa approached and kept their eyes on Sirius; Harry could take a hint. They wanted
him to disappear so they could talk to Sirius about his daughter. Harry decided to help them along
and took a deep breath, knowing it would take all his considerable courage to go through with this.
The song ended and he strode over to where Neville had dropped off Hermione. She was caught up
in Greengrass’ words but he waited until she realized he was there. Her face instantly flickered
emotionless, showing him instantly that she didn’t trust him or his intentions.
“I was wondering if I may have this dance, Miss Black.” Hermione just stared at him for several
seconds. Greengrass melted away, giving them privacy.
“I thought you were there to witness that I am now Miss Malfoy.” Harry couldn’t believe that she
was going to go through with it. He took her hand in his and pulled her to the dance floor despite her
many protests. He pulled her in close even though he had no idea what he was doing. Sirius had
promised those lessons later in the summer. Hermione allowed it even though she was clearly
unhappy.
“I don’t know why you dragged me out here but it isn’t going to work. My father made his choice
and I’ve made mine.” Harry stopped in the middle of the dance floor and released her hand. It came
up to brush against the skin of her cheek. He could admit that it was the softest skin he had ever felt
and at this juncture in his life, he had felt several girl’s skin by now.
“Your father has nothing to do with this. I was scared this was going to happen and it’s the last thing
I wanted. I’m here to tell you that I’m going back to the Dursleys tomorrow morning. I never wanted
to come between you and your father. He’s finally agreed to let me go.” He could see the many
emotions pass over her features before they settled on disbelief.
“My father would never allow you to go back. I’ve known since I was four years old that he adopted
me so he could stay out of prison to take care of you. Not me, I didn’t matter. I only mattered in the
capacity that I provided a safe home for you. It matters not that you return. Stay for all I care. He has
made his choice time and time again that you’re more important than someone he adopted through
blood magic. I was already a Black, that’s no lie. He took the chance to make me go mad by adding
in another Black family strand of magic. The goblins warned him and he still did it. You’re all that
mattered then and he only feels guilty now. You both have that in common so I’m not surprised
you’re helping him.”
Harry hadn’t been aware that her father had risked her going mad. Everyone knew that the Blacks
were known for their streak of insanity but he never considered what having two-thirds of your
magic from that branch would do to a person. It suddenly made sense why she lost her control on her
magic that day with Lavender.
“Black, Hermione, I’m begging you. Give him another chance. Your father has been miserable since
you’ve been gone. He’s done nothing but drink and ride his horse. He misses you, Hermione.” The
girl lowered her head until it was almost on his chest. It stayed there for several seconds before she
raised her eyes.
“I’ll listen to him. If he can’t convince me, I’m done and I’ll be a Malfoy from here on out.” Harry
grinned at her, ecstatic that he had gotten his way.
“Just promise you’ll talk to him after I leave.” She gave him an odd look but since it was the end of
the song, he let her go and she traveled back to her friends.
Overall, it had been quite the success of his evening and he could rest tonight happy that she had
agreed to listen to him.
-O-
Hermione had just separated from Harry on the dance floor. She wasn’t quite sure what to think of
his words but it was hard to believe that he was willing to go home to his muggle relatives just to
make her happy. Whatever his reasons were, Hermione felt even more terrible at his words, not
better.
The problem had never been with Harry staying at Black Moor. Sure, she wasn’t happy about it but
she could have overlooked it and avoided him. It was the fact that her father made the decision by
himself, without asking her since he knew that the boy had hurt her, that hurt her. She wanted to
mean something to someone other than her aunt, uncle, and cousin. She wanted her father to love her
and she wanted her godfather to realize that he had hurt her too.
This wasn’t mean to be, however. She had waited several days after going to Malfoy Manor for her
father to contact her; it had all been in vain. Finally, after a week, she had went to the stables and
found Bluebell in a stall. It had given her hope that her father would eventually come around but, in
the end, it hadn’t meant shit.
Sure, she rode Bluebell every chance she could get. Every single day since she and her father had
split ways. She drew strength from her horse and even though she couldn’t be sure of it, she was sure
it was the opposite as well. Aunt Cissy tried to ride with her but since the blow up with her father,
she wanted nothing but solitude. Draco respected her wishes, as did Uncle Luci but it was hard for
Aunt Cissy. She wanted to nurture her but it was hard to do when you weren’t allowed the person
you wanted to nurture.
Hermione had been gone the last two weeks to Alexandria. Her uncle had been more than amenable
to taking her, even reveling in the fact that his son wanted to go. She had spent two weeks within the
stacks of the great library, researching and learning all she could. Her uncle had been in heaven,
being quite the scholar himself, while Draco had been right at her side. To say that it had been more
enjoyable than anything in her life would be an understatement. The only piece that had missing was
Uncle Sev and she couldn’t help but feel just a little betrayed. He hadn’t been to see her once since
she had fled Black Moor. She guessed that due to their past, Harry was more important anyways.
Draco found that he couldn’t help worrying about her.
“What did Potter want? I know you didn’t want to dance with him.” Honestly, Hermione was
surprised that he wasn’t speaking with her either. After all, she had told him that she wouldn’t be
advocating for Pansy to attend their party. She had supposed that Aunt Cissy had capitulated when
she learned of Draco’s interest in the girl. After all, the new Lady Malfoy would surely be more
important than a shoo-in niece of the heir. However, Pansy had never showed and according to
Daphne, the Parkinson girl had been devastated at her lack of invite.
“He wanted to tell me that my father was miserable without me and he was going back to his muggle
relatives in the morning because of the problems he had caused.” Draco snorted.
“Does he even realize that he isn’t the problem, your father is?” Hermione shook her head as Draco
pulled her onto the dance floor.
“No, he has no idea. I’m not going to bend until he gets the nerve to face me. We’ll see if that
actually happens.” No sooner had she spoke those words when she saw Daphne taking Harry by the
hand to lead him out on the floor. After a few moments’ speculations, she realized that the girl was
warning him what to expect from the Black family. She and Draco waltzed quite nicely until a tap on
Draco’s shoulder pulled him away from her.
“May I cut in?” Her father was standing behind her cousin and looked as debonair as he always did.
The girls in Slytherin house weren’t quiet when they talked about how sexy and sophisticated he
was. Rather than tell her father to fuck off, Draco stepped back and gestured for him to dance with
her. She glared at her cousin but remained quiet. Her father pulled her into his arms and started to
waltz to the music with her. They were silent for several moments before he finally broke the silence.
“I’ve missed you, poppet.” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“I find that hard to believe since you had barely seen me before that day and you weren’t professing
to miss me then.” Her father tightened his hold on her and his eyes were shining.
“I was stupid, Hermione, I have no other explanation. I was a fucking idiot and you deserve so much
better than me.” Hermione could feel herself weakening but was determined to stay strong.
“I do deserve better. I deserve to be more than your way out of Azkaban, I deserve to have someone
who loves me just because, not for what I can offer to your life plan. You only took me in because
you wanted Harry. I feel like a fucking tool and it was compounded by you suddenly forgetting that I
was alive.” Her father stopped dancing with her so he could cup her cheeks in his hands. His eyes
were boring into hers and she could see the sincerity shining back at her.
“I was always going to take you. No, I wouldn’t have risked you going mad by using blood adoption
but I never would have left you to an orphanage. I had issues with my brother’s life choices but I still
loved him. You not being raised by me was never in my plans. I shouldn’t have taken the chances
when it came to blood adoption but I can only apologize for that now. Your temper and magical
surges are worse than mine and I’m sure it’s scary. Please don’t ever think that I wouldn’t have loved
you.” Hermione felt her eyes growing wet. Her father realized it too and he threaded her arm through
his and escorted her off the dance floor. He led her into a room just off the ball room and closed,
locked, and silenced the door. He held open his arms and Hermione threw herself into them. She
couldn’t hold her sobs in any longer.
“I’m so sorry, daddy, I should have never said I wanted my real dad, I was just so hurt that you
hadn’t spent any time with me and Harry was your favorite.” His hands were smoothing her curls
and he was shushing her softly.
“No, sweetness, you don’t have to be sorry. I was the reason any of this happened. I should have
told you what I was doing and let you be a part of it. I knew that Harry had hurt you and I didn’t care
because I just was so excited for him to be in my life. It doesn’t matter, he’s going back to the
Dursleys in the morning, he’s insisting. Maybe with another year under our belts, we can try this
again next summer.” Hermione sniffled, knowing her face was tearstained and she was about to start
dripping snot.
“I don’t want Harry to go back to the muggles. That was never what I wanted. I wanted to have a
say in the matter, I wanted to feel as though I was still a part of the family, not that it was just you
and him. We’ve always made decisions as a family and it suddenly wasn’t that way because it was
Harry and you were scared of what I was going to say.” Her father was wiping the tears from her
cheeks as he searched her face.
“You really don’t want him to leave?” Hermione wiped her nose on the handkerchief her father
handed her.
“I don’t particularly want him there, he’s been horrid to me from the start. However, I’m not so cruel
that I would send him back to muggles that mistreat him and hate him for what he is.” Sirius pulled
her in for another hug.
“He won’t go then. I’m sure he will understand how you feel and do his best to respect it.” Hermione
nodded against his chest and relished the way her father’s arms felt around her.
“Severus told him, you know.” Hermione raised her head and lifted an eyebrow.
“Everything?” He nodded.
“How did it go?” Her father sighed.
“He forgave him but told him that he wasn’t going to be forgetting for a very long time.” Hermione
sniffed again.
“Understandable.” He was brushing hair back from her face.
“Will you put your ring back on, become a Black again? You’re still my heir.” Hermione smiled
softly.
“You found it?” He nodded.
“Dot and Sipsy found it and told me that if I didn’t get you to put it back on, they were going to
make my life complete hell until I died.” Hermione burst out in laughter.
“I did pass on my attitude, didn’t I?” He laughed openly now before fishing the familiar ring from his
robe pocket. Hermione didn’t hesitate in sticking her right hand out. Her father slipped the ring on it
again and she felt it size to her hand once more. Before she could speak, there were two pops behind
her. Sipsy and Dot threw themselves at her, hugging her around her legs while sobbing.
“Miss is back, Miss is back! We’s keeped your room just like you likes it. Is you coming home
tonight?” Hermione laughed before going to her knees to hug her elves tightly.
“Yes, I’ll come back. What am I going to do about Bluebell though? I haven’t had the chance to ride
her in two weeks.” Her father frowned at her words.
“Why not?” Hermione stared at him, confused.
“I know Uncle Luci had to tell you that he took Draco and I to Alexandria for the past two weeks.”
Her father snorted before hugging her again.
“I shouldn’t be surprised, you did always have that man wrapped around your fingers.” There was a
throat clearing behind them and the man in question was leaned against the door frame, imperious
look on his face.
“Don’t hate me because I’m the favorite. My girl wanted to go read scrolls, I took her to go read
scrolls. Beat that, Black.” Her father laughed heartily.
“All I have up my sleeve is the Quidditch World Cup. I couldn’t dream of comparing.” Uncle Luci
grinned.
“I know, Draco won’t shut up about it and he’s convinced your daughter to attend as well.” Her
father kissed the top of her head and made a shooing motion.
“I’ll take care of Bluebell. Go back to your party, Draco is probably wondering where you are. I’m
sure he’ll be thrilled to see your ring back on your finger.” Hermione wanted to clarify things one last
time.
“You aren’t going to ignore me again? You aren’t going to try to make me forgive Harry?” He
shook his head and cupped her chin.
“You have my word as a Black that you aren’t going to be ignored or unloved. What your
relationship is with Harry is your choosing. I won’t push you and I doubt he will either. He seems
sorry but I don’t blame you for keeping your distance.” Hermione grinned.
“Alright, thank you.” After one last smile to her father and uncle, she left the room and went to find
Draco, excited to tell him that good news.
-O-
Severus hoped that Sirius was going to be able to convince Hermione to return to Black Moor
tonight. He had her birthday present, Draco’s too for that matter, and since he could no longer be
seen with them due to “dark leanings”, he had to be content to wait until after their party. He hated it
but there was nothing else he could do about it without renouncing the Dark Lord and when he
returned, they would need a spy.
Truth be told, he felt terrible for abandoning Hermione and Draco this summer. Sure, he had started a
fledgling relationship with Harry but it was nowhere near as meaningful to him as the ones he shared
with his godchildren. He should have tried to contact them during their month long stay at Malfoy
Manor but he didn’t want to step in while tempers were still hot. He was also aware that Hermione,
Draco and Lucius had been gone for two weeks. Narcissa had told him that they had gone to
Alexandria and he almost regretted not going. Yes, he wanted to go more than anything but the
forgiveness he had been given by Potter had already lifted his soul. He hadn’t forgiven himself but it
was a start.
Severus had stayed busy, working with Harry on his occlumency and helping Sirius teach him
wizarding culture and etiquette. Severus hated to admit that he was taking to occlumency like a duck
to water, much the same way Draco had. However, when he considered the reason why, he wanted
to curse the muggle relatives that kept him every summer.
There were studies that showed that abused children picked up the skill much quicker than others.
They were used to compartmentalizing and turning off emotions, a vital skill when you were
continuously mistreated. Case in point was Hermione; she struggled for years to learn the skill and he
didn’t think that she had ever been struck in her life. She was well-loved and knew that she was
important to others. Harry was the complete opposite, much like Severus himself. He had picked the
skill up quicker than Harry and it was all due to the oh-so-loving treatment he had received from his
father once he learned that his mother was magical and so was he.
Draco was the exception to the rule; he had never been abused but Lucius had been harder on him
than he was on Hermione. He just had an easier time compartmentalizing. Severus wished that this
was the case for Harry but since he had spent a fair amount of time inside his mind, he knew it
wasn’t.
Severus had seen the horrid things the Dursleys had done to him, the things they had made him do.
Nothing sexual, thank Merlin, but was beaten with belts, knocked around, made to do all the chores,
starved, and locked in a cupboard. There had been a few instances of broken bones but to his
relative’s horror, they had healed overnight. Severus could only figure that it was his magic taking
care of him, him instinctively guiding it to heal him because he knew that he would likely find no
treatment elsewhere.
He was pulled from his thoughts by the floo activating. He rose to his feet and left the library to wait
in the entrance hall, where the floo was. Harry stepped through first, followed closely by Draco. His
godson smiled his way as the fire flared again, leaving Hermione to step through next. His friend
came last, a wide smile on his face. Sirius really hadn’t been in a good place this past month. Sure, he
gave Harry his lessons, as did Madam Cambridge, but other than that, he drank and rode his horse.
Severus couldn’t convince him to do otherwise.
Severus stepped forward and handed Draco his gift. He grinned boyishly at him as he ripped the
paper, revealing a broom servicing kit. His godson grinned at him and thanked him profusely. He
pulled Hermione’s present from his robes, hoping that she liked it.
“I wish I could have came to your party but I can’t be seen consorting with you any longer if the
Dark Lord is to believe that I’m still loyal to him.” Draco clapped him on the shoulder and smirked.
“Sure, you just didn’t want to have to dance with anyone.” He snorted.
“You know full well the only person I ever dance with is Hermione. It annoys your mother to no
end.” He didn’t wait to hear Draco’s response before he stepped in front of Hermione and held out
her gift.
“I’ve missed you, princess.” She smiled softly at him as she took her gift.
“I missed too, Uncle Sev.” Without any hesitation, she ripped through the paper and gasped softly.
“You can’t possibly mean to give these to me.” He smiled at her before tugging an errant curl. He
noticed that her Black family ring was back on her hand.
“They’re all yours with the stipulation that you don’t cast any of the spells in them until you ask me
about them. There are some in there that are very dangerous.” He had gifted her all his old potions
books from when he went to Hogwarts, books that he had printed all his shortcuts and potions
discoveries in, along with spells that he had created along the way. She had been begging to read
them for years but he had always been leery because of the spells. Hermione threw herself into his
arms and hugged him close.
“Thank you so much!” Harry looked confused while Draco was rolling his eyes. When he saw
Harry’s reaction, he smirked again.
“Miney’s been trying to get Uncle Sev’s old potions books for years now. The secrets to his success
are located in those pages.” Harry gave a knowing nod, apparently, he had picked up on his
goddaughter’s penchant for learning. Severus looked up when Harry spoke.
“I better go get Dobby to get me packed up. I’ll see everyone in the morning.” Hermione pulled
away from him and glanced at her father. When Sirius remained silent, Hermione sighed.
“You don’t have to go, Harry. The problem wasn’t that you were here, well, it was, but what I was
upset about was that I wasn’t consulted about anything and that’s not how we do things in this
family. My father and I spoke and he’s going to be better. I’m not particularly thrilled you’re here but
I’m not going to send you back to those horrid muggles.” Harry grinned at her and stepped forward
so he could catch her hand. Her eyebrows rose and stayed in her hairline as Harry bowed over her
hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
“Thank you, Hermione. I really appreciate it. I’ll try to stay out of your way. I would really like a
chance to prove to you how sorry I am though.” Her gaze darkened just a little.
“Don’t push it, Potter. We’ll see plenty of each other regardless of staying out of my way. Black
Moor isn’t that big.” Severus was happy to see that Harry nodded and grinned, happy with what he
had gotten. He released her hand and started for the stairs anyways.
“I’m still going to head to bed. It’s been a long day.” Severus knew that this was his opening to
apologize and took it. His hand carded through her curls until she met his gaze, her hands lovingly
caressing her new books.
“I’m sorry for hurting you, sweetling. I never meant to. I’ve missed you so much.” She drew her
eyebrows downward in thought.
“Why didn’t you come see me?” He started to twirl one curl around his finger.
“First I stayed away because everyone’s tempers were so hot. I didn’t want to make things worse and
I didn’t want to argue with you. Then I learned that you were in Alexandria with Lucius and knew
there was no chance of reaching you there.” She nodded before she hugged him again.
“Don’t do it again, I don’t like feeling like I don’t matter.” He could hear the petulant whine to her
voice and smiled.
“Don’t whinge, darling, it’s unbecoming of a lady of your upbringing.” She pinched his side and he
hissed in pain but smiled down at her.
“I won’t. Let’s go to the library. While Draco tells us about the party, I can start reading your books.”
She took his hand and practically dragged him into the library. His goddaughter plopped herself in
the middle of the long couch while he sat on one end and Sirius took the other. She laid down with
her head in Sirius’ lap and thrust her feet in his lap. Severus just chuckled. Hermione once told him
that he gave the best foot massages, hence why she always thrust them into his lap. He dutifully
started to rub her ankles while Draco started to tell him all about the party. Sirius remained quiet but
listened closely, nodding in the appropriate places.
Severus sat there, completely happy, for the first time in a month. Hermione soon dropped off to
sleep, his book open on her chest. Draco continued with his story and he and Sirius sipped whiskey.
It was a great night.
-O-
Sirius was getting ready for bed when an owl tapped on the window. After opening it, he recognized
the bird as belonging to Remus. He had sent him more than several letters, begging his forgiveness,
begging him to give him the chance to show him how sorry he was. They had spoke briefly at
Pettigrew’s trial but he hadn’t contacted the man since. Honestly, he was scared of what it would
bring.
Sure, he missed his friend. He missed the companionship they had shared when they were lovers. He
had connected with Remus on a level that nobody else had been able to achieve. While Sirius knew
that he had made mistakes in his life, that he was no better than anyone else, he would also be the
first to admit that he deserved better from someone that he was in a relationship with. Remus had
hinted more than once that eventually he would like to rekindle things.
The other factor was Hermione. Sure, she told him that Remus didn’t matter, that she didn’t take his
abuse to heart but he knew that was a lie. She was the most tender-hearted person he knew and
despite her assurances that anything he started up with her would be fine, he knew that she would
never forget the man’s treatment of her. She deserved better than to have her father’s other half be
someone who had abused her in the past.
While he was leaning towards speaking to Remus to see if they could begin the slow process of
becoming friends again, he wasn’t very inclined to start anything more serious. Granted, things could
always change but he knew what he wanted. He wanted someone that trusted him, that knew him
and what he was capable of, that believed in him. Not to mention that while he did consider himself
to be bisexual, he hadn’t been attracted to man in quite a few years.
Sirius threw back the whiskey and started to change into the pajamas that Candy had left out for him.
He decided to answer Remus in the morning and see if they could meet somewhere other than Black
Moor and begin repairing the rift in their friendship. It would never be what it was before, it would
likely never be close to what he shared with Severus and Lucius but that was life. They could
salvage what they could and make it work.
Decision made, he crawled into bed after casting a breath-freshening charm and smiled to himself.
His daughter was home, she still loved him, and she had accepted her name once more. He swore to
himself that he would never fuck up so badly again when it came to her. With these promises
swirling in his head, he let sleep pull him under.
-O-
Rookwood had followed every step according to plan. While he wasn’t the strongest wizard, he
knew that he was quite intelligent, evidenced by his employment in the Department of Mysteries.
The ritual had went perfectly and he was now holding an infant-sized Dark Lord.
Pettigrew had confided in him that he had gone to Malfoy Manor on a whim, just to see if he could
find any news on his master. Surprisingly, he had sensed dark magic that reeked of his master and
had taken the book. After returning to the Weasleys, he had written in it and found that it was a direct
line to their master. The Dark Lord had given him every step needed to bring his spirit out of exile
before he had passed the book to the Weasley girl to continue his master’s noble work inside
Hogwarts.
It had required a dark magic ritual that called for the body of an innocent. Since there was nothing
more innocent than a baby, it was decided that Rookwood would steal a baby from Diagon Alley.
He wasn’t sure who the little boy had belonged to but it had been splashed all over the Daily
Prophet. The soul switching ritual had left the little boys in exile and his master’s inside the baby.
The next ritual would prove to be more difficult, the one that would bring his master to his former
glory. Now that the Dark Lord was flesh and blood, he was more than happy to help figure out what
would be needed to make sure that he looked as he once did, back when he was young. Rookwood
knew that his master was almost seventy years old and he couldn’t blame the man for wanting to be
young again. He claimed that he wanted an heir but Rookwood wasn’t sure he believed that.
However, it made him even happier that he hadn’t mentioned Hermione Black to him. It would kill
him if his master were to choose her and not let him have her for being his most faithful follower, if
not his most powerful.
Knowing that he would need Harry Potter for the ritual that would bring his master back to his
former glory, he was stumped as to how to get to him. Then a stroke of luck had happened upon
him. A ministry witch had been drunk, bragging to her friends down Knockturn Alley about some
tournament being held at Hogwarts next year. This had prompted him to go to his master with a plan.
He had seen what happened to Barty Crouch, Jr. all those years ago. He had been in the cell across
from him in Azkaban and knew full well that his mother had died in his place.
The Quidditch World Cup was coming and he knew that Barty Crouch, Sr. would be in attendance,
which meant that his son probably would be as well. He planned to find him during the scuffle he
had organized, free him from whatever was holding him back, most likely the Imperious Curse, and
bring him back to their master. He would be undercover in Hogwarts and ensure that they received
Harry Potter’s blood so they could bring his master back.
It was a brilliant plan and he couldn’t wait to get started. Just ten more days and his plan would be
underway. He would bring his master back to greatness, that much he knew as fact. Hermione Black
would be his reward and he would revel in the honor his master would bestow upon him.
Just ten more days.
A/N- Hot damn, y’all, another chapter done. This seemed to take me ages but I guess it really wasn’t
that long. I hope you all liked it. Thanks again for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting, you
guys rock. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think.
Next chapter, Quidditch World Cup.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 64

A/N- Wow. Apparently, I have let a lot of you down in the last chapter. Everyone was disappointed
in the apology scene which I can only apologize for. I hope to make up for it in the coming chapters.
To everyone out there reading and reviewing, thanks a bunch. You’re freaking awesome. I hope you
enjoy this chapter more than the last one.
**Shout out to annieharp84 for being my 2700th reviewer. You’re freaking awesome!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing, it has all been done before me. The characters belong to J.K.R. and I
haven’t made any money from this story or any others. Maybe someday (:
Chapter 64
August 21, 1994
Harry woke with a start, his dream still fresh in his mind. It had unsettled him and he felt a cold sense
of dread in the pit of his stomach. He sat up quickly, determined to tell Sirius before he could forget
it. He didn’t bother to throw on a shirt as he bolted through his door and into the room across the
hall. However, it wasn’t Sirius’ room. Hermione had just thrown a robe on, open in the front, her
legs and feet bare. She squealed in outrage.
“What the fuck are you doing bursting in here?” Harry clenched his eyes tight, trying to keep the
images in his mind.
“I’m sorry, I was going to Sirius’ room. I need to tell him this dream before I forget.” She was silent
for a moment before she sighed.
“Alright. He’s the next one over. You got the wrong door.” He nodded quickly before he left and
closed the door behind him. Draco was standing in the corridor, clearly confused as to why Harry
was in Hermione’s room. Before he could say anything, he beat on the door that belonged to Sirius.
It opened quickly, his godfather similar to his undressed state.
“I just had a dream and it felt real. It felt like I was watching it play out in my head.” Sirius ushered
him into his room and had him sit in front of the fire. He called for Candy and ordered tea before
sitting next to him.
“Tell me.” Harry took a deep breath.
“I was slithering on the floor, I couldn’t get any higher. I saw Rookwood there, in a house that was
old and rickety, it looked like it was about to fall down. I could hear him talking to someone, telling
him that their plans were finalized and that it would be put into play soon. I could see him holding a
baby, but not like a baby I’ve ever seen before. It looked deformed or something. He didn’t go into
detail about what they were planning but it sounded important.” Sirius was watching him closely.
“Can you replay the dream in your mind?” Harry thought for a few moments and nodded. Sirius
gave him a serious look.
“I know you’re learning occlumency but has Severus taught you how to push memories forward so
others can view it?” Harry shook his head. Sirius nodded.
“You focus on the dream, play it over and over in your mind, make sure that you don’t think of
anything else. I’m going to enter your mind and hopefully see what you’re thinking of. Don’t put up
any barriers. As soon as I watch it in entirety, I’ll retreat. Now mind, I’m not the best at this but
Severus has returned to the school to work on his lesson plans. He won’t be back until tomorrow.”
Harry took a deep breath and nodded.
He played the dream over and over again in his mind, now fully aware of when Sirius entered his
mind. Dumbledore would never be able to sneak a peek again, that much was sure. Severus had told
him that while he hadn’t mastered the art yet, he would get it in just a couple more months, that he
had learned as quickly as Draco had. When he felt Sirius pull out of his mind, he heaved a deep
breath.
“Did you see it?” His godfather nodded, a concerned look on his face.
“You’re right, it did feel real. I think that I’m going to owl Severus and tell him that we need to hurry
your occlumency along. If that was real, it wasn’t a vision. Most visions don’t occur when you’re
asleep. I think there’s a connection between yourself and something in that room. Not to mention,
that baby isn’t right at all. I think it’s Voldemort.” Harry buried his hands in his hair for a moment
before he lowered his hands.
“So, he has returned.” Sirius shook his head.
“I don’t know. If that was Voldemort, he’s not going to be problem for a few years yet. However, I
wouldn’t guarantee anything. Rookwood is a genius, he worked for the Department of Mysteries. If
there’s a way to bring Voldemort back to an adult body permanently, not just by means of an aging
potion, he’ll find it.” Harry nodded and sighed.
“What do we do?” Sirius reached out and ruffled his hair.
“For now, we forget about it. I’ll send a letter to Severus and ask him to have Dumbledore floo call
me. I hate to involve him but when it comes to Voldemort, he’s the expert. Severus will step up your
lessons and hopefully by the time Halloween comes, your mind will be protected.” Harry nodded.
Sirius smiled at him.
“Now, go get changed, we have the Cup today.” Harry grinned now.
“I have to apologize to Hermione first. I thought it was your room and burst in hers.” Sirius chuckled
as he stood.
“Good luck with that, that girl can be bear in the mornings.” Harry chuckled a little and let himself
out of his godfather’s room. He went back to Hermione’s door and knocked. When she answered,
she raised an eyebrow at her.
“I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to burst in on you like that. Your dad thinks my dream was of
Voldemort. Rookwood was in it.” Her head cocked to the side as she contemplated his words.
“I really hope not. I don’t want him back, I just wish he would stay dead. But if Rookwood was
involved, you’re probably right. What’s he going to do about it?” Harry couldn’t believe it. They
were having a civil conversation, the first one since her birthday party. Sure, they had gotten along,
but they hadn’t spoken. They hadn’t become friends. If he could say anything, it was that they co-
existed together. She spent time with her family and riding her horse while he played catch the snitch
and did his homework.
“He’s going to owl Severus and have him tell Dumbledore to floo him, that he’s the Voldemort
expert.” She scrunched up her nose cutely and he couldn’t help but notice she filled out her dress
quite nicely.
“That makes me want to barf. I suppose there’s nothing for it.” He nodded, finally realizing that he
was still shirtless. For some reason, this made color appear on his cheeks.
“Well, I just wanted to say sorry. I’ll let you finish getting ready.” She nodded and gave him a slight
smile before turning and going back into her room.
Harry quickly went back inside his room and started to shower off, the warmth of the hot water
feeling good on his stiff neck. His prick was starting to rise as he thought about Hermione standing in
her room, her robe open to show him she wasn’t wearing a bra, her legs long and bare. Even her feet
were cute, tiny with pink toenails. He took himself in hand and began to pump his cock under the hot
water, leaning on the cool tile as he got closer and closer to climax. He remembered the flash of
knickers and the roundness of Hermione’s bum from the beginning of last year and he felt himself
explode, his release hitting the tile floor and washing down the drain.
As he regained his breath, Harry had a sobering thought. How much of his fantasies had Severus
seen? Had he seen the dirty thoughts he had about his goddaughter, how sexy he thought she was?
Now that his lessons were going to be stepped up, he would have to try harder than ever to make
sure that the man never glimpsed the things that he did to himself while thinking of Hermione.
He toweled off quickly when he got out of the shower, dressing in the clothes that Dobby had laid
out for him. Harry was slowly getting used to wearing robes every day, though he did still wear
muggle clothes underneath. Sirius never seemed to mind so when Draco would nag at him about his
image, he paid him no mind. Today, however, he knew that he would be being seen by the public
and didn’t want to hurt that image; therefore, he put on trousers and a shirt, much like what Draco
wore on a daily basis. While he wasn’t fond of the clothing, he could admit that he looked pretty
good in them.
Breakfast was a crowded affair; not only had Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco stayed the night the night
before to leave early with them, Remus had planned to arrive this morning to attend as well. The
only one missing would be Severus and that was more due to the fact that he couldn’t be seen in their
company very often.
Hermione was talking happily to her aunt while Draco and Lucius were going on about the
upcoming match. Sirius would interject here and there while Remus stayed mostly silent. Harry
knew that they were trying to work things out, trying to be friends, but he had a feeling they still
have a very long way to go. He knew for a fact that Sirius hadn’t forgiven Remus for how he had
treated Hermione. Finally, Harry was pulled out of his thoughts by Draco speaking to him.
“What about you, Harry? Ireland or Bulgaria for the win?” Harry shrugged.
“Well, the Irish chasers are fantastic, I’ve listened to the commentary on the wireless. But Bulgaria
has Krum, the greatest seeker ever, or so they say. It could go either way really.” Draco nodded.
“Well, chasers are what’s going to save Ireland from Bulgaria. Their seeker is rubbish but if they can
jack up the points before Krum gets the points, they’ll still win.” Harry nodded, surprised that he was
being included at all. The blond boy hadn’t gone out of his way to make friends with him, merely
tolerating much the same as Hermione did. Both Hermione and Narcissa were rolling their eyes at
them good-naturedly.
After breakfast, they gathered in the entrance hall of Black Moor. Sirius held out a hair brush and
they all stepped forward to grasp ahold of it. Sirius had told them that he had a magical tent in his
pocket in case the match went on for days and Candy would be more than happy to come assemble
it. The port key activated and they were whisked away.
-O-
Hermione could feel the excitement in the air; it had been palpable from the moment they had arrived
at the Quidditch World Cup. Draco and Harry were like small children in a sweet shop, her father
and uncle not much better. Her aunt was watching them with undisguised amusement, rolling her
eyes at Hermione when she caught her watching her. Remus was still subdued, though she could see
that he couldn’t believe the things that he was seeing. It was no secret that he was dirt poor since he
was unable to work so this was probably something that he had never imagined himself being able to
do.
Her father had just set up their magical tent in the field adjacent to the stadium that they would all be
seated at. Hermione had brought a change of clothes and the barest number of toiletries, things she
would only need to freshen up. If the match went too long, she would simply call for Sipsy or Dot
and have them apparate her home. While the boys wouldn’t dream of missing a single second of the
match, she couldn’t really be bothered by it.
Tents dotted the field, numbering in the hundreds. There were people everywhere and vendors were
selling their wares. It was chaotic and Hermione got a headache just watching it. The noise was out
of this world and she wished more than anything she had just stayed home by herself with a good
book out by the lake.
Their friends were spotted all over, Neville with Amelia Bones and her niece Susan. Seeing her
friend with the Head of the D.M.L.E. made her a little more cautious to approach him so she figured
that she would meet up with him later. The Weasleys were spotted heading for the Minister’s box, an
odd place to see such a poor family. All their children were in attendance and when the twins caught
sight of her, they left their father to rush to her side and pull her into a double hug. Highly improper,
but she laughed nonetheless.
“Mia, we can’t believe you came! You hate quidditch.” Fred was laughing as she pinched his side to
get him to release her.
“I don’t hate quidditch, I just don’t place the level of importance on it like everyone else does.” She
could see that the twin’s older siblings were watching them warily. George followed her gaze and
stepped back immediately.
“Lord Black, Lord Malfoy, Lady Malfoy, let me introduce you to our family. The members you
don’t know already at least.” Her aunt chuckled warmly and laid a hand on both their shoulders.
“You two should be more circumspect in public. Such exuberance could be taken the wrong way.”
Hermione wanted to scoff at her aunt but would never disrespect her that way. George was the one
that grinned at her before taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles.
“Madam, I assure you that there is nothing to take the wrong way. While we do adore Hermione like
we would a little sister, we have no interest in her like that. We’re currently trying to get two of
Gryffindor chasers to honor us with a date to Hogsmeade.” Hermione nodded.
“Really, Aunt Cissy, we’re just friends.” Her aunt brushed a hand down the length of her hair and
smiled at the twins.
“Introduce us, boys.” Fred waved his family over and they approached quickly. Arthur looked
nervous but the rest of them didn’t seem to be impressed with who they were meeting.
“You know our father, Arthur. This long-haired chap with the earring is our oldest brother Bill, he’s
a curse breaker for Gringotts. Charlie’s the next in line, the one with all the muscles. He’s a dragon
tamer in Romania. Percy is next, he’s was a Hogwarts’ prefect, Head Boy, and received eight
N.E.W.T.s. You all know the pair of us, we’re the best looking of course. Ron is next, he’s best
mates with Harry and this is our sister, Ginny. She’s going to be a third year when we head back to
Hogwarts.” Hermione curtsied to their family, her aunt following her lead. All the boys, even Remus
bowed their heads.
“My father, Lord Black and his friend, Remus Lupin. Lord and Lady Malfoy, along with Draco and
Harry have all accompanied me today. We’re pleased to make your acquaintance.” By the look of
distaste of her uncle’s face, it was clear that he didn’t agree with her. Bill, however, stepped forward
and offered both her father and uncle his hand to shake.
“It’s a pleasure meeting you. We heard about Pettigrew and are happy to hear that things were
cleared up for the pair of you. Can’t imagine it was easy to take knowing that you knew you were
innocent but the world believed otherwise. Lord Malfoy’s loyalty must be legendary.”
Hermione tuned out the conversation between her father and uncle and Bill Weasley. It didn’t last
long and by the time it ended, she could tell that her family genuinely liked him. Once she realized
that their conversation was over, she waved goodbye to the twins after their tugged one of her curls,
one on each side of her head. She rolled her eyes at them and was slightly embarrassed when her
father and uncle were laughing at her. She elbowed her uncle in the hip, the closest thing she could
reach.
“Don’t laugh, it’s not funny. They’re like that to everyone, it doesn’t mean they want to court me.”
Her father leaned over and kissed the top of her head as they found their seats.
“I know, poppet, that’s why it’s so funny. They treat you just like everyone else and it’s refreshing to
see that you enjoy their company. Can’t have you following Lucius’ lead too much by making you
too stuck up.” Her uncle mock glared at her father as they settled into their seats and turned their
attention to the pitch. Before anyone else could say anything, Fudge stood from his seat and held his
wand to his throat, casting a sonorous charm.
“Welcome, witches and wizards, to the 422nd edition of the Quidditch World Cup. Our finalists for
the match are Ireland.” There was a pause with thunderous applause. Once it died down a little,
Fudge continued.
“And Bulgaria.” The applause was ground-shaking now, the spectators now chanting the words
“Krum” over and over.
Hermione tuned the rest of the introduction out, wishing she had brought a book. The veela came out
on the pitch, dancing in their human form before transforming to avian. Their fireballs were
legendary and she was happy to say that she had witnessed one. A dancing leprechaun exploded into
the air, showering the crowd with leprechaun’s gold. There were people scrambling to gather it but
Hermione wasn’t among them. It would disappear in a few hours, after all.
The teams flew through the air, their members doing flips and somersaults to put on a show. The
crowd was deafening when Krum was announced, which made Hermione want to roll her eyes. Just
as the match was starting, Hermione caught sight of a vendor that sold her favorite flavor of ice
cream. Hermione reached over and tapped her father on the arm, waiting patiently until he gave her
his attention.
“I’m going to go get some ice cream, they have my favorite flavor.” He reached into his robe pocket
and handed her a handful of galleons.
“Get one for everyone.” She nodded, pocketing the money in her own emerald green robes.
Hermione made her way to the vendor; it wasn’t far but there were so many people that it took her a
bit to get there. Once there, she smiled at the young woman behind the counter. Rather than pay
attention to the match, she gave the Slytherin her full attention.
“I’d like seven raspberry ripples.” The girl nodded and smiled before she began dishing them up. A
boy came up behind her, clearly Bulgarian. With his dark hair and eyes, with aquiline features, he
was quite handsome. He appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen though, much too old for
Hermione. He smiled at her brightly.
“Vhat is such pretty vitch doing by herself?” She smiled at him but was careful not to encourage him.
“Trust me, I can take care of myself. Besides, I’m here with my family, they watch after me close
enough.” The boy held his hands out, clearly wanting her to hand the ice cream to him.
“Come, ve deliver their treats. Your father vill let you come sit vith me.” Hermione shook her head.
“He won’t, believe me. Thank you though, I wish your team luck.” The boy’s features darkened and
he was about to say something else when an arm wrapped around her waist. Hermione was surprised
to see that it was Harry. He didn’t look at her but she could feel how he was fraught with tension.
“Hermione, your father sent me to help you carry the ice cream back.” She flashed him a small smile.
While she was irritated that he had stepped in, she really hadn’t wanted to deal with an overzealous
boy wanting her to sit with him. The boy scowled but melted away, leaving Harry to release her and
take the ice cream from the woman who had dished them up. He looked back to make sure that she
was following, clearly not willing to let her lag behind. She glared at him but he just grinned.
“He wasn’t going to leave you alone. Just admit I did you a favor and I won’t bring it up again.” She
could tell that he was teasing her, trying to make her feel better about him intervening. She decided to
give him just a tiny bit.
“You did keep me from having to be mean.” He snorted.
“More like blasting him with your magic. Or your foot. You are one scary witch, Hermione.” She
could tell that he wasn’t being insulting so she let his words go. After he allowed her to go first to
take her seat, he let her hand out the ice cream before handing her father back his change. Draco
narrowed his eyes at her but said nothing, clearly not willing to question her during the match.
The match dragged on for hours. Hermione didn’t care who won and her family didn’t either; they
were mostly there for the show. Even Remus’ eyes were lit up with excitement as the snitch was
spotted. Bulgaria was behind by 180 points so for Krum to catch it would mean that they still lost.
However, Draco had explained to her time and time again that when faced with that scenario, he
would just catch the snitch. It was likely the Irish chasers would widen the gap between scores
anyways.
Therefore, she wasn’t surprised when her cousin’s prediction came true and the Bulgarian seeker
caught the snitch, making them the losers by thirty points. Even though they lost, the crowd was still
going mad. Green confetti was falling everywhere, shot from some sort of blasting charm and the
Irish team was dancing to a merry tune on the pitch. Hermione met her aunt’s eyes and couldn’t hold
back her laughter when she saw her poking her husband in the side, making him jump and bite back
a laugh. Hermione leaned over and grinned at her uncle.
“Do you want to go dance with them, Uncle Luci?” Now everyone was laughing at him and he
glared at Hermione briefly before kissing his wife’s head.
“There will be no dancing. In fact, I think we should try to get out of here before everyone else
realizes they can go celebrate. Otherwise, it could be hours before we get out.” Hermione nodded
quickly, allowing her father to take the lead. Draco and Harry were both in the middle with her while
her aunt and uncle brought up the rear. Remus was still on cloud nine, matching her father’s pace
and helping him pick a path through the crowd.
They had almost reached the bottom of the stadium, just two more floors until they were on the
ground and well on their way to the portkey point. Hermione was getting angrier and angrier the
closer they got to the ground, people were bumping into her and sloshing fire whiskey down her
robes. Draco had already pushed one drunk off of her, the man’s fingers catching in her curls and
pulling them painfully. Harry reached out and helped untangle them before her father shot some sort
of spell at him, causing the man to yelp and scurry away. Screams began, not laughing screams or
anything of the sort. Terrified screams. She looked around to see what the cause was and was
horrified at what she saw.
The Dark Mark.
The sickly green skull had a snake twisting and rolling out of its mouth and just looking at it gave
Hermione the shivers. Draco was instantly at her side, his arm wrapped tightly around her. Harry
reached out and grabbed her arm, though he looked confused. Her father turned back to them.
“Wands out everyone. If you see a Death Eater coming for you, use whatever spells necessary to
keep yourself safe.” They paused for just a moment for everyone to produce their wands. Hermione
could see Harry panicking, feeling through all his robe pockets before he looked to her father.
“My wand is gone. I had it in my pocket when we got here.” Her father cursed loudly but reassured
him with a hand on his shoulder.
“We’ll deal with a lost wand after this is over. For now, I want Narcissa to take all the children and
head for the portkey site. Lucius, give her the portkey. We can apparate home.” He waited until
Narcissa had the portkey home in her hand, a hand-held mirror. She slipped it in her robes as her
father addressed her uncle and Remus.
“I think we need to go and see if we can help the aurors. Sure, everyone knows I’m not guilty and
that Lucius is renouncing the Dark Lord, but they need to see it in action.” Her uncle groaned but
nodded his head before kissing his wife’s cheek and pulling Hermione into a hug.
“Nothing dangerous, sweetling. Keep yourself safe.” She nodded as he turned to Draco.
“Keep her safe.” Draco didn’t get to answer since Harry beat him to it.
“We will, sir.” Uncle Luci gave them a nod before shooing them away.
Draco took the lead, Hermione and Harry following after him while Aunt Cissy watched their backs.
The crowds were massive and the panic was widespread. Hermione could hear people screaming off
to her right, a different kind of screams from the rest. The crowd parted slightly and she could see
there were several people on the ground, thrashing about and screaming as though they were already
mad. Hermione instantly knew it was the Cruciatus Curse. When Harry turned and saw the same
sight she did, nobody could stop him from bolting away from their group. Hermione couldn’t believe
she was going to have to chase him through this madness.
-O-
Harry knew what that curse was; Neville had told him about it when he had once questioned where
his parents were. He had been stunned to learn that Hermione’s cousin had been responsible for
torturing his parents into madness. Even though it in no way made up for not having his parents,
Sirius had done all he could to make it right. His godfather had paid for all seven years of Neville’s
schooling amongst other things that the boy wouldn’t talk about.
Seeing these random people under the curse had caused him to spring into action, wanting to spare
another family from losing their loved one. Just shy of the clearing where the masked men were
having their fun, Hermione caught up to him and took his arm, nearly jerking it out of socket as she
pulled him to a stop.
“Are you fucking mad? Those men serve the Dark Lord and you’re Harry Potter. A Harry Potter
with no bloody wand.” It was odd to hear Hermione curse like that; sure, she slipped here and there
but never very often. He gritted his teeth so he wouldn’t yell at her when she was just trying to keep
him safe.
“I can’t let them keep torturing those people. They’ll end up like Neville’s parents.” She looked as
though he had struck her. He realized that he probably shouldn’t have brought up the fact that her
cousin was in Azkaban for being a follower of Lord Voldemort.
“I didn’t mean it like that, I’m not trying to judge you. I just don’t want their families to lose them.”
She began to tug him away.
“I know but we have to keep you safe.” Harry growled in frustration. He didn’t get to retaliate when
the masked men turned their attention to the pair of them and the approaching Draco and Narcissa.
“Well now, what do we have here? The esteemed Lady Malfoy and her precious heir. I’m betting
that’s Black’s kid.” Harry wasn’t sure what to think about not being recognized himself. Hermione
stepped in front of him and he reached out and pinched her.
“Get behind me, it’s me they want.” She ignored him, her wand coming up to point at them. Draco
stepped up next to her, showing they were a solidified front. Before they could say anything,
Narcissa stepped up and smiled at the men.
“Now gentlemen, this is no way to act in front of children. Perhaps I can answer any questions you
have.” Harry heard Hermione hiss in anger but stayed back. One of the men spat on the ground at
Narcissa’s feet.
“I need nothing from a blood traitor. You were once so loyal, only to throw it all away for that half-
blood brat.” Her aunt was going to speak but Hermione stepped forward, glaring at all the men.
“That half-blood brat is family. You threaten my family, you hurt my aunt, I’ll kill you.” Harry could
see that she meant it. It was in this moment that he could see the glimmer of insanity she had told him
about running in the Black line. One of them stepped forward, his stance threatening, his voice low.
“You’re all mine, princess. I’m going to show you just what happens to little blood traitors like
yourself.” Hermione scoffed and Harry had to admire her nerve.
“You couldn’t take me.” Before anyone could do anything, aurors were upon them, shouting at the
Death Eaters to stand down and desist. They refused, three of them reaching out and grasping each
other’s forearms so they could disapparated together. After they were gone, the same dark-skinned
auror from Pettigrew’s trial stepped forward to check on the victims.
“They’re all alive but they need to go to St. Mungo’s.” He reached out and picked something up,
holding it to the fading light so he could examine it. Harry saw it and knew exactly what it was.
“My wand!” Harry ran forward and snatched it out of Auror Shacklebolt’s hand, warming in his
hand instantly. The auror narrowed his eyes.
“How did a Death Eater get hold of your wand, Mr. Potter?” He shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know. I had it in my pocket when we went to watch the match and it was gone afterwards.
You can ask Lord Black, he’ll back up my story.” Hermione gave the auror an imperious look as she
glared at him.
“Have you controlled the situation or are you taking a break to chat? My father and uncle are out
there trying to help you. The least you could do is make sure you help them too.” He stepped
forward but Narcissa held her hands up in a conciliatory manner.
“Now children, your fathers wanted you to go back home. If Auror Shacklebolt needs to ask any
more questions, your fathers can bring him there.” Hermione instantly deferred to her aunt while
Draco was still glaring at Shacklebolt. Finally, he started to step back when Shacklebolt smirked at
him.
“That’s right, boy, head on home with your mother.” Hermione reached out and snagged Draco’s
arm as he lunged, hugging him forcefully, forcing him to hug her back. Harry could tell that she was
whispering something to him but he couldn’t hear it. After a few moments of silence, Shacklebolt
turned his back on them and his attention to the wounded on the ground.
Narcissa wrapped an arm around Harry’s shoulders and started to pull him towards the portkey site.
He kept turning and looking to make sure that Hermione and Draco were following until Lady
Malfoy chuckled.
“Trust me, she isn’t going to let him do anything stupid. She can get him to cooperate where I would
have to stun him.” Harry drew his eyebrows inward.
“All because the auror was rude and hateful to him?” She smiled at him softly.
“Draco is a very proud boy with a very proud father. He’s been taught to never accept
condescension. The auror’s words were meant as an insult. In fact, Lucius would probably be angry
he did nothing if it wasn’t for Hermione being there. While he would die for Draco, he loves
Hermione like she’s a precious treasure. She reminds him of his own beloved sister, murdered by the
Order of the Phoenix because they wanted information on him.” Harry didn’t say anything, just
nodded and considered her words as they made the last leg of their journey.
Draco seemed calm once they reached the portkey site; Narcissa pulled out the hand mirror and made
sure that they all had a hold of it good and tight before she activated it. With a whoosh, they were
gone from the Quidditch World Cup.
-O-
Sirius was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep for fourteen hours straight.
He, Remus, and Lucius had just apparated into the entrance hall of Black Moor, Sirius holding
Remus’ arm since he couldn’t get through the blood wards.
Things with Remus were still strained. Very strained. They had met a few times for lunch, both of
them wanting to try to get past the last twelve years of their lives. He was struggling with the
forgiveness part of it though. He knew that Remus was going to continue doing whatever he could to
gain it but it was tiring. The constant tension, the longing looks, it all wore on him by the time Remus
would leave.
It would be so easy to go back to how it was before James and Lily died. He had caught himself a
few times acting that way. Then he would catch himself, reminding himself that Hermione deserved
better, that he deserved better, and the cold persona would emerge again. He needed to know that
Remus was well and truly sorry for how he had treated Hermione, not just because she wasn’t a
traitor but because she was an innocent girl who had deserved his protection, not his scorn.
Lucius still thought that he was crazy for trying to make this friendship work but he had expected
that. Hermione would always be more important to his blond friend, not that he minded. While
Lucius made clear that he would kill the man for another mistake like Remus had made during the
year, he had let it go, not wanting to make decisions for Sirius. Even though he would never admit it
out loud, Lucius wanted Sirius to be happy.
He had no sooner gotten his feet underneath him when something small slammed into his chest,
holding him close. Hermione had her face buried in his chest, trying her hardest to rein in her
emotions he was sure. He smoothed her hair down her back to see that Harry, Draco, and Narcissa
were watching, worried expressions on their faces. Narcissa waited a few moments before speaking.
“Did Shacklebolt find you and say if he had any more questions for Harry?” Sirius cocked his head
to the side while Hermione switched from him to Lucius. His friend carded his fingers through her
mussed hair and rocked her ever so slightly.
“I was so worried for you all.” Lucius kissed the top of her head while Sirius answered her.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Harry looked sheepish as he spoke.
“We were on our way to the portkey point when we heard screams. There were Death Eaters
holding people under the Cruciatus. I didn’t think, I just ran to help them. Hermione stopped me but
they noticed us, recognized Draco and Narcissa. They guessed who Hermione was. Narcissa tried to
distract them but it didn’t work. The aurors showed up but they disapparated away. Shacklebolt
found my wand, he wanted to know how my wand made it into the hands of a Death Eater. I
explained what happened but he was being a complete prick. Narcissa told him that you could bring
him here if he had more questions, that she was taking all of us home.” Sirius raked his hand through
his hair and stepped forward, kissing Narcissa on the cheek.
“You’re amazing, Cissy. I knew I could count on you.” She blushed slightly, making her even more
beautiful.
They all found their way into the library, clearly the most popular room in the manor. Hermione
plopped herself down on her uncle’s lap while Harry took an armchair next to Sirius, Draco,
Narcissa, and Remus sharing the soft. Lucius was twirling one her curls at the ends of her hair
around his fingers when she finally broke the silence.
“Well don’t keep us hanging, what happened?” Lucius chuckled but it was Sirius that answered her.
“Well, the Ministry is looking pretty inept right now. They managed to catch one Death Eater,
Jugson. We watched as they questioned him. He was silent until he saw Lucius; apparently, his
reputation is still something to behold in those circles. He told them that Rookwood had found him
and told him that he was organizing this little raid and was working on bringing their master back.
He had no other information, just to spread fear and panic.” Harry sighed, raking his hands through
his hair now.
“These arseholes really know how to make my first professional quidditch match a disaster, don’t
they?” This seemed to break the tension as Draco and Sirius started to laugh. Hermione had a small
smile on her face while Lucius, Narcissa, and Remus were smirking. Harry watched as Hermione
snuggled deeper into her uncle and as the conversation switched to what the aurors were going to do
about the attack, she slipped off to sleep. Harry wanted to smile at the sight, asleep in her favorite
uncle’s lap like she was six. He was brought out of these thoughts by his godfather.
“Well, I’m sure we haven’t heard the end of the Death Eaters having your wand. I’m betting we’ll
hear more tomorrow once they’ve had a chance to gather their information. They’ll send a message
to get through the wards then.” Harry drew his eyebrows downward.
“Will I get in trouble for them having it? They were casting the Cruciatus.” Remus spoke this time.
“There is nothing they can do to you, Harry. You didn’t cast the curse, obviously, and nobody is
going to believe that the Boy-Who-Lived gave his wand to Death Eaters.” Harry waited a few
moments, unsure if he should say it.
“What if they suspect Hermione or Draco?” Sirius literally growled at his words.
“They’ll find themselves wrapped up in litigation if they so much as try to pin this on my daughter
and cousin. Lucius and I are not two people you want to fuck with, with wands or in the
Wizengamot chambers.” Harry couldn’t help the shiver of fear at his godfather’s words. If Severus
was able to be a part of them being scary, it would double the effect. Lucius stood, holding
Hermione close to his chest.
“I’m taking her to bed so I can head there myself. This day feels like it was three times longer than it
should have been. I must be getting old.” Sirius chuckled and stood as well.
“You’re all welcome to stay if you want. You know where your rooms are. Remus, I can show you
a guest room if you want to stay.” Harry could tell that his godfather and his ex-best friend were still
at odds. Not that he blamed Sirius for keeping him at a distance. The werewolf nodded, indicating he
would stay. Lucius and Narcissa begged off, saying they would return home. Draco decided to
return with them, a rare occurrence since he and Hermione rarely stayed apart from each other over
the summer.
Harry watched the blond pair deliver Hermione to her room, bidding her elf to dress her for bed. He
went to his own room, now decorated exactly like he wanted, and started to change in to his
pajamas. It had been a long day and he couldn’t help but let his mind linger on wrapping an arm
around Hermione’s waist while that boy was trying to flirt with her. Sirius had pointed out to him
that she would need help carrying the ice cream but had been unaware that she needed saving from a
boy. While he doubted that she couldn’t handle the Bulgarian boy, he wasn’t going to let her do it
alone. He had vowed that he was going to apologize and make things right and standing behind her
when she needed it was the first step.
Maybe one day, it would pay off and they could be friends.
A/N- Dang, y’all another decent sized chapter down. Look at me go. Hope you liked my version of
the Quidditch World Cup. Anyways, let me know what you think, I love hearing your thoughts.
Reviews are love.
Next chapter, return to Hogwarts and a few sparks fly.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 65

A/N- You guys are just so awesome, thank you very much. Everyone seemed pleased with the
Quidditch World Cup which made me smile. To those out there leaving me negative reviews about
how my story is written (not really a problem with my regulars), it’s rude when you comment about
the gist of the story. If you want to criticize my plot, my character portrayal, or my punctuation and
grammar, feel free. However, if it’s to tell me that I’m telling the story wrong, keep it to yourself. Not
only do I not read the review, I just ignore the good points I could have gotten from it. It’s my story
and I’ll tell it how I want to. Thanks to those who understand this.
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story. While I have definitely expounded on the original
story idea, Sirius adopting a baby to keep him from Azkaban was given to me by Hermione Lyra
Malfoy-Riddle. Everything else you see belongs to J.K.R. and fanfiction writers that came before
me.
Chapter 65
September 1, 1994
Hermione hugged her aunt close, her familiar perfume enveloping her. It was almost time for the
Hogwarts Express to leave, just ten more minutes. They had been running a little later this year since
the elves all wanted to wish Harry a good year at school.
Truthfully, the rest of the summer hadn’t been horrid. Harry had kept his distance but was always
nice to her when they were in the same room or met up outside. He had apologized to her one more
time since she had returned but she had told him that while she believed that he was sorry, she
couldn’t trust him because he had done this to her more than once before. He had nodded at her
sadly, just telling her that he would prove her wrong in the end. Truthfully, she hoped that he did. It
would make her life easier in the long run if she could trust him.
Aunt Cissy made her promise to be good and do her best at classes before passing her off to Uncle
Luci. He pulled her in close and smoothed his hand down her curls, kissing her forehead. Their two
weeks spent in Alexandria had made them grow impossibly closer, not that she was complaining.
While they had been gone, he had told her all that being a Malfoy heir consisted of.
Since she was a female heir, something that was extremely rare, even her mother hadn’t been an heir,
she wasn’t required to produce an heir for the Malfoy name. Draco would be responsible for carrying
on the line unless something happened to him, meaning that Hermione would have to give her third
born son the Malfoy name. Uncle Luci had explained that while he loved her more than anything, he
had made her his heir for security reasons. If anything, ever happened to her father or anything of the
sort, she would fall under his protection and he would legally take custody of her. Since she had
thought this was originally how it would happen anyways, she had been very confused. In the end,
she just waved his explanations away since they weren’t important. She had always been half
Malfoy and she would continue to be so.
“Promise you’ll do your best.” She lifted her head and stuck her tongue out at her uncle.
“You know I do, it drives me crazy to not do my best.” He chuckled at her before tugging a curl.
“I know. If things get to be too much for you, you can write me at any time. As a governor, I can
visit whenever I want.” She went to her tip toes to kiss his cheek.
“Thank you, Uncle Luci. For everything. This summer would have been completely horrid without
you. Rather than staying at Black Moor to be completely miserable, you took me to Alexandria and it
was amazing. I love you.” His hand found her cheek and stroked the skin there for a moment before
he smiled at her.
“Your mother would be so proud of you. I will always be here for you, sweetling. Don’t forget,
you’re a Malfoy now. Stand tall, be proud, and keep your cousin in line. I know exactly what he gets
up to. Don’t let him make a fool of himself.” Hermione couldn’t hold back a laugh.
“I promise. I’ll make you and Daddy proud.” He kissed her forehead one last time while Draco
received one last hug from his mother. Moving on, Hermione found herself wrapped up in her
father’s embrace.
“I’m sorry, poppet, that we missed so much time together this summer.” She frowned slightly. It did
feel as though they hadn’t spent any time together this year.
“Me too. I wish things had been different. Now I won’t see you for almost four months.” He kissed
her head and pulled her back to meet her eyes.
“It’s going to get better, I promise. Severus will watch over all three of you.” She nodded her head
again and hugged him again.
“I love you, daddy.” He tightened his arms around her.
“I love you too, sweetness. You’re always going to be important to me.” She smiled at him and
nodded as she stepped back out of his embrace.
“Write me and let me know how things are going between you and Lupin.” He chuckled softly
before agreeing. Remus had been coming around a few times a week, doing his best to mend the
friendship he had once shared with her father. While a lot of the time he was in Black Moor was
indeed spent with her father, Remus also made it a point to see Harry, and even Hermione. He had
even trained with them a few times as part of the defense training.
Madam Cambridge was pleased with their successes. While they were starting to focus less on theory
and more on practicals, Hermione still felt that she was doing well. More stress was being put on
dueling, probably because they all feared that Voldemort was going to return sooner rather than later.
Hermione hated to agree that she thought they were right.
Whereas she had Draco were in their sixth year with Madam Cambridge, Harry was catching up fast.
He was only a year behind them, working through his fifth-year material. Being able to do the magic
at Black Moor had sped up his learning process and it scared Hermione to see how powerful he was.
Hermione had always been a powerful witch; powerful shows of magic didn’t frighten her since she
was capable of performing them herself. However, during dueling just the week before, Uncle Sev
had split them into teams, Hermione with Harry and her father while he had been paired with Draco
and Uncle Luci. It was a given that none of them would ever dream to hurt Hermione and everyone
had taken that for granted. Uncle Sev had used that weakness, attacking her with a cutting curse that
went right through her robes to slice open her thigh. She gave a startled cry, alerting her teammates to
her predicament. Her father rushed to her side while Harry’s eyes had blazed with fury.
Harry hadn’t even raised his wand when he blasted Uncle Sev fifty feet from where he stood to slam
into a wall hard enough to knock him unconscious. It was only after Harry realized that she was fine,
that her leg had been healed with dittany that he realized what he had done. It had taken him several
minutes to apologize to Uncle Sev, telling him time and time again that he wasn’t sure what had
gotten into him.
Hermione had always known that Harry was going to be powerful but she hadn’t seen proof of it
until that day. Sure, he was able to cast the patronus charm, even send messages with it now, but she
had never seen him do anything else other than what they did in class. There was a newfound respect
there that hadn’t been before and Hermione wasn’t scared to admit that she was impressed. She had
power like that but only because she had three strands of magic weaved into her core; Harry still had
only two, much more amazing than her own power.
Harry was shaking the hands of her aunt and uncle, telling them that he appreciated their hospitality
over the summer. He had stayed at Malfoy Manor a few times when Sirius had things to do and
wouldn’t be home. He usually tried to stay out of Hermione and Draco’s business but it didn’t
always happen. Actually, it had been nice to see Harry living and learning as he should have been all
along.
The whistle blew and Hermione hurriedly grabbed Harry and Draco’s arms, ushering them along.
The adults all laughed at them, waving merrily as she herded them onto the Express. Ron and Ginny
were waiting just inside the door, waiting for Harry to board, snatching his arm as soon as he was
fully in the train.
“We’ll take him from here, Black, no need for you to drag him along everywhere.” Ron sneered
slightly but nowhere near as lethally as he usually did. Hermione couldn’t help but blush slightly,
however, causing her to release Harry instantly. Draco wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled
her in the opposite direction, flashing a smirk at the Weasleys before he spoke.
“Just remember, Harry, you’re welcome in our compartment any time.” Hermione pinched his side
viciously. Just because she was glad that he had taken his proper place in life didn’t mean that she
wanted him hanging around her all day at school. Draco hissed in pain but waited until they were
almost out of sight before speaking.
“You had to have seen how unhappy the Weasleys were with him. I guarantee you he’s going to
catch shite for being with us all summer. Nobody would dare say anything at your home on his
birthday but now that they’re on familiar territory, they’re going to be pricks. As much as I don’t like
how he’s treated you, he doesn’t deserve that and you know you agree with me.” Hermione sighed
heavily before nodding.
“I know. Part of me wants to just forgive him, I know he’s really sorry. The other part of me is telling
me that I’m barmy, that I can’t trust him since he’s done this before. I’m afraid that the more time I
spend with him, the quicker I’ll forgive him. Let’s face it, he deserves to suffer a little.” Draco
snorted at her words.
“I agree completely. However, you have to admit that he spent his whole summer with us, two
people that wouldn’t hardly give him the time of day. He worked on occlumency and his studies,
played quidditch by himself, and didn’t complain at all. We both saw plenty of our friends, did fun
things and laughed. He didn’t. You can’t tell me he hasn’t suffered a little.” Hermione smiled just a
little at him.
“I suppose you’re right. If he comes and sits with us, I won’t be a complete bitch. I’m still going to
make him wait a good long time before I forgive him but I’ll quit reminding him every second with
my actions how horribly he fucked up.” Draco pressed a kiss to the side of her head as they stepped
into their usual compartment.
However, it didn’t seem like their usual compartment. They were all bigger so it should have seemed
smaller than usual but instead it looked quite roomy. Hermione settled in between Draco and
Daphne, greeting their friends warmly. Theo was still sitting with them but remained quiet since he
still didn’t think that Hermione and Draco could be trusted now that the truth had come out.
Truthfully, Hermione was blessed in how many of their friends didn’t seem to care about her father
really not being dark. Greg and Vince had seemed offish for a day but since it had sank in, they were
now fine. Their parents hadn’t kept them from Black Moor or Malfoy Manor, quite surprising since
both their fathers were Death Eaters. Daphne’s father was as well and he happily sent her to both
homes over the summer. Daphne had confided in her that he was considering changing his
allegiances, not wanting to go against the Malfoy and the Black family names and fortunes.
Tracey’s father was neutral so it made no never mind to her. Millie’s father supported the Dark Lord
but wasn’t marked so he saw no problems with her visiting Hermione. Blaise had always been
neutral and after discovering the true loyalties of the Malfoy and Black families, his mother was
leaning towards supporting the light. All in all, it was promising. As for the older students and their
families, she didn’t know either way.
Small talk went on around Hermione for the first few hours though she paid it little attention. She had
brought a book from home over warding objects rather than space and it was quite fascinating.
Daphne was sitting next to her going over their Transfiguration text for the upcoming year. The boys
were talking quidditch while Pansy was trying to get Millie and Tracey to join her in a discussion
about the upcoming winter fashions.
The compartment door opened and four people piled in, most of them met with smiles. Neville was
the first one through, waving to everyone and enjoying the greetings from the snakes. Fred and
George were next, the twin redheads grinning widely and plopping themselves into seats by Pansy.
Harry came last, a little slower than the others, a sheepish look on his face. The compartment fell
silent when they realized he was there.
“Hey, guys. I decided to come sit with you for the rest of the trip.” Hermione flicked her eyes to the
twins and Neville and judging by the looks on their faces, things hadn’t gone well for the newest
member of her family. Draco smirked at him, gesturing for him to take a seat, the only one remaining
by Daphne.
“Come on in, we don’t bite.” Pansy snorted.
“Hard.” The boys snickered at her words while Harry took a seat. Silence fell and just as Hermione
was getting ready to say something, Theo spoke, his tone harsh.
“Are we really going to accept Potter in our compartment? He killed the Dark Lord, he deserves to
suffer with the Gryffindorks.” Harry’s face flushed slightly but Hermione raised her eye brow at
Theo.
“You’re the only one who seems to have a problem with Harry and his allegiances. Everyone else
seems to pay it no mind that he rid the world of a psychotic megalomaniac.” Theo went to his feet
and his wand flew into his hand to point at Hermione. The compartment was silent and still,
watching the scene play out before them. Draco started to rise, fury dancing in his eyes but Hermione
shook her head at him. She turned back to Theo and laughed.
“Go ahead, Nott, if you think you have the balls. You know I don’t need my wand to cast when I’m
angry. You have to know that not only will Draco bury you if you hurt me, my father and uncle will
bury your family name. If you don’t like who we invite into this compartment, feel free to go sit in
another one.” Nott glared at her but slowly lowered his wand. With a huff and swish of his robes, he
opened the door, stalked through it, and slammed the door closed. There was a collective sigh of
relief once he was gone. Harry broke the silence.
“Don’t alienate your friends for me.” Hermione swung her gaze to meet his.
“I may not get along with you the best right now but you’re still family. If there’s one thing that
Blacks believe in, it’s sticking by family.” Draco grinned.
“Malfoys too, don’t forget. You’re officially a Malfoy too.” Hermione smiled just a little at her
cousin.
“Malfoys too.” She then turned to the rest of their friends.
“Is there anyone else that has a problem with Harry being here?” She didn’t think that they did but
figured she would give them a chance to voice it if they did. All of them shook their heads and
Hermione finally gave them a full smile.
“Have no fear, Harry is well aware that if he starts problems, my anger will turn his way full force.
The same goes for you all.” They nodded and Hermione made a show of returning to her book. Soft
chatter started up around her, mostly about quidditch. After almost ten minutes of it being just Draco,
Greg, Vince, and Blaise, Harry finally joined in the debate of what qualities were most desirable in a
keeper.
The rest of the trip to Hogwarts passed with no problems. Hermione was quick to don her robes a
half hour from school, urging everyone else to do so as well. It was dark and dreary outside when
they arrived at Hogwarts, drizzle starting to come down as they walked for the carriages. Since there
were so many of them, they were forced to split into two of them, Fred, George, Neville, Harry,
Daphne and Millie accompanying Hermione while Pansy, Tracey, Blaise, Greg, and Vince got in the
second one with Draco. They had just entered the school and started for the Great Hall when Harry
tugged on Hermione’s elbow.
“Can I sit with you guys at the Feast?” Hermione raised her eyebrows at him.
“What exactly happened this afternoon?” Harry raked a hand through his already mussed hair.
“Ron was actually good this time. Everyone else in our compartment was going on about how they
couldn’t believe I had spent my entire summer with Slytherins, that I had thrown them to the wolves
to be with you. I tried to explain that you couldn’t stand me, that it wasn’t the best situation but they
didn’t believe me. I finally couldn’t take it anymore and just left.” Hermione sighed as they entered
the Great Hall.
“Yes, you can sit with us as long as the professors allow it. For the record, I don’t hate you. You’ve
hurt me deeply and I don’t trust you not to do it again. It’s going to take a long time for you to gain
that back, probably long enough that you’re going to give up. I don’t want you miserable and I don’t
want you mistreated. I just want to protect myself.” She knew that she was taking a gamble, telling
him something so personal, but she figured that he already knew these things anyways. She was
merely confirming them. He grinned at her.
“I won’t give up, I’m going to prove to you that I won’t hurt you like that again, that I mean what I
say when I tell you I’m going to be better.” She smiled at him again.
“I hope you do.” She turned her attention back to Daphne now, clearly indicating that the
conversation was over. After all, she couldn’t give him too much too fast.
-O-
Harry couldn’t have been happier after speaking to Hermione. Not only was he being allowed to sit
with them for dinner, she had claimed him as family and showed just the slightest amount of
vulnerability to him. That was most certainly not something that she would have done at the end of
their last year. He meant what he vowed to her; he was going to prove to her that he wouldn’t hurt
her like that again and he was going to show her that he would have her back from here on out.
Family was always there for family.
Silence fell over the Great Hall as he made his way to the Slytherin table and sat between Hermione
and Draco. The rest of the fourth year Slytherins didn’t blink an eye at him joining them but even the
rest of the snakes were staring. Hermione lifted her head and stared down at the older students,
arching one eyebrow.
“Do you have a problem?” Bletchley sneered at her.
“I think your little lion lost his way to the den.” Draco stood and leaned forward, staring the boy
down.
“That lion is family and we’ll protect him as such. If you have a problem with it, take it to Professor
Snape.” Harry hated that they were fighting because of them so he opened his mouth to intervene.
Hermione pinched the inside of his knee viciously, causing him to hiss in pain.
“Keep your lion to yourself then.” Hermione arched an eyebrow at him.
“What makes you think Harry wants to see you? Do you have a crush?” Bletchley flushed and
glared but remained quiet. After the rest of the table went back to their conversation, Hermione
turned to hiss at him.
“You haven’t been trained in surviving Slytherin yet. Until that happens, you’ll keep your mouth
shut. You’ll be fine around us and our year mates but the older students will eat you alive.” Harry
wanted to argue with her but he could see Draco nodding out of the corner of his eye. He sighed,
well aware that he still hadn’t completed all his lessons with Sirius. Even if he had, it was likely that
he still wouldn’t be able to handle the older snakes for quite some time. After all, Hermione and
Draco had been doing it for years now. Harry was pulled from her warning by Dumbledore standing
at his podium and beginning his speech.
“Here we are, yet again. Another year begins and more children join us. Let us not delay, let the
sorting begin.”
Harry didn’t pay attention to the sorting; he probably should have felt bad but he didn’t. He was
watching the Gryffindor table closely, trying to gauge just how angry his house mates were that he
had sat with the snakes. He had done exactly what they had accused him of, not feeling bad about it
at the time. Now that he thought about it, however, he wondered if he wasn’t setting himself up to be
pranked and bullied by his own house. It wasn’t a thought he was fond of but if that was the result,
he would deal with it. There was no way that he was going to let the lions tell him that he couldn’t
befriend any snakes, especially since Neville and the twins were regulars at the Slytherin table.
The sorting had just concluded when the side door leading up to the High Table banged open and a
grizzled man stumped through with a staff in one hand. He had a wooden leg on the right-hand side
and an eye that was spinning, taking in the whole room full of students. The calm sky featured on the
enchanted ceiling turned stormy and shot lightning out of the “sky”, striking the ground at the man’s
feet. Another bolt followed, closer to the student tables, making Hermione cringe. Draco wrapped an
arm around her waist as Dumbledore stood and pointed his wand at the ceiling, turning it clear once
more. Harry met Draco’s eyes, questioning. The words in response were mouthed to him.
“She’s been scared of storms since she was tiny.” He gave the blond a nod and turned back to the
front. The handicapped man was scowling at everyone while Dumbledore beckoned him forward.
“Gods-be-damned castle hates me, Albus, I can’t believe I agreed to come back here.” Dumbledore
was making motions with his hand to have him sit. Once the man was seated at the High Table, the
Headmaster turned back to the students.
“This is Master Auror Alastor Moody. He’s going to be our defense professor this year. Please give
him a warm welcome.” Harry had never heard of him so clapped politely. Most of the Slytherin table
refrained, however. Hermione turned at the sound of his clapping and slightly shook her head in the
negative. As Dumbledore started speaking once more, the usual warning about the Forbidden Forest
and such, Hermione leaned his way. Her voice was soft enough that he had to lean further in her
direction to hear her.
“That’s Mad-Eye Moody. He was an auror during the first war, he put most Death Eaters either in
Azkaban or the grave. That’s why he’s got a wooden leg, a fake eye, and pieces missing out of his
face. He can’t serve in the auror ranks so he trains the new ones coming into the department. Daddy
says that he’s ruthless and if he sees a Dark Mark, he’d much rather kill the owner than take him to
trial.” Harry nodded, a little in awe at the man’s legacy.
“Why am I not supposed to clap?” She sighed, clearly frustrated.
“Where are you sitting? A table full of students that have parents for Death Eaters. Children that have
parents in Azkaban because of this man. Don’t paint a target on your back.” Harry finally understood
and nodded.
Hermione turned back to Daphne and Harry spooned food onto his plate. He made sure to put all his
new etiquette into play, showing the rest of the snakes that he did indeed have manners. He even
joined in the conversation between Draco and Blaise about what Moody’s classes were going to be
like.
When the Feast was dismissed, Harry was full and content. He realized that he had actually had a
good time with the snakes and wouldn’t mind doing it again. Hermione gave him a small smile as he
bid them goodnight but didn’t speak. Draco gave him a genial wave before offering his arm to his
cousin and leading her off in the direction of the dungeons. Harry had gone three floors before Ron
caught up to him, an angry look on his face.
“I can’t believe you ditched up for the snakes.” Harry glared at him.
“I’ll address it once we’re back in the Tower.” Ron gave him a jerky nod before following him up
the stairs.
Harry wasn’t quite sure how he was going to handle the situation but he knew that he was going to
have to address it before it ended in full-on bullying like it had for Hermione last year. Ron was silent
beside him and he could feel the eyes of his classmates on his back. Since he wasn’t sure what the
password was, he was forced to wait for the older students before he could enter. Katie Bell opened
the Tower with the password “fairy lights” and Harry was one of the first ones through. After he was
inside the Tower, he waited for everyone to file in and notice that he was standing there. Seamus
barged through the crowd and faced him, furious expression on his face.
“I can’t believe ya threw us over to go hang with the snakes. We ought to shun you right now.
Traitor.” Harry knew that he wasn’t going to be able to just sit back and play nice or his house was
going to walk all over him. Therefore, he planted his hands-on Seamus’ shoulders and shoved him
backwards, hard enough to make him stumble. Harry advanced even though his insides were jelly.
“You have yourself to thank for me ditching you. If you had just kept your trap shut, I would have
been happy to stay in our compartment. I’m not going to take your shite this year and I’m not going
to let you bully Hermione Black. She has done nothing to any of you without provocation and she
has only tried to be our friends. Well, guess what? Now, she’s family. You fuck with my family, you
fuck with me. Malfoy is included in that too.” Seamus looked at him, completely bewildered.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, mate? This chick is a Slytherin, her cousin too. Her whole family
are dirty snakes.” Harry couldn’t help himself. He reared back his fist and let it fly, catching Seamus
right in the nose. Blood exploded everywhere and everyone stepped back except the twins. Each
stepped forward and took one of Harry’s arms, making sure that he couldn’t do anything else. He
was breathing hard in anger, his chest heaving in his heavy student robes.
“Her father is my godfather and he was a Gryffindor. Innocent too. I guess that means nothing.
Hermione hasn’t done anything without you starting shite with her first. I don’t want to choose
between you all but if you make me, it will be her and the rest of my family. You let me know what
your move is.” Neville stepped forward and glared at everyone.
“We aren’t going to make you choose, Harry. None of us want to lose the Boy-Who-Lived as a
friend.” Harry inwardly grimaced at the reference but he understood what Neville was trying to do. It
was actually quite Slytherin. The rest of their house was nodding at the boy’s words even though
Seamus still looked mutinous.
“You keep her away from me, Potter. As long as you do that, I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Harry
nodded and squared his shoulders.
“Not a problem. Believe it or not, she isn’t your greatest fan either.” Ron stepped up and clapped a
hand on his shoulder.
“Enough excitement for the first night back. Everyone get to unpacking or we’ll never hear the end
of it from McGonagall.” Harry let his friend pull him back, surprised that he hadn’t been the first one
to complain. Once they were off to the side, Ron sighed.
“I understand what you’re doing and I understand why. I don’t like it, not even a little, but I can’t
talk you out of it. Therefore, be careful.” Harry knew that that was as good as it was going to get
with Ron so he nodded. He turned to make his way up to his dorm but was stopped by Ginny. While
she looked furious, her voice was surgary sweet.
“Harry, how was the rest of your summer? You never answered my letters.” Harry sighed, now
completely aware that she was hoping to trap him in a betrothal contract by getting pregnant. He took
his potion monthly, determined to not have any children until he was quite sure that he was with the
right woman.
“I was busy, Ginny. I had to take a crash course in wizarding culture since I had never been taught.
I’m trying to get caught up to Hermione and Draco in my studies and it didn’t leave much free time. I
barely had time to practice flying.” She pouted.
“You could have invited me, I would have played with you, studied even.” He rolled his eyes at her.
“Look, Ginny, we aren’t dating. I told you that. I have other things going on in my life, things more
important than messing around with you. If you’re going to hound me about how I spend my time
and who I spend it with, I can just drop this. It doesn’t bother me. I’m not trying to be a dick here but
I have other things that need concentrating on. You choose.” Her face cleared instantly and Harry
knew that she was going to play like she wasn’t angry. However, he just didn’t care.
“Oh, I understand Harry, I just thought that I could help.” He gave her a small smile before side
stepping around her.
“Goodnight, Ginny.” Without waiting for a response, he climbed the stairs to his dorm.
All the boys were already in there, putting away their things. Since Harry had agreed to take Dobby,
he had handled his packing and unpacking. He could fully admit that he was thrilled he wasn’t going
to have to take the time to put all his things away. Instead, he picked up the pajamas that Dobby had
laid out for him and headed for the loo.
Harry showered off quickly, deciding to go to bed early since it would be the first day of classes the
next day. After all, he was going to be receiving extra assignments from Madam Cambridge now as
well and he wasn’t going to have much free time. Ron had told him that he was crazy for taking on
the extra assignments but he had just shaken his head at his best mate. Ambitious, he was not.
Harry crawled in bed, curled up under the duvet after pulling the curtain and casting the privacy
charm his godfather had taught him. He tried to take his mind off the events of the day but it was
difficult. Finally deciding that he had to get some much-needed sleep, he practiced his occlumency as
Severus had taught him. His next lesson was the next night and he was told that he was progressing
nicely. He hadn’t had any more dreams since the World Cup and he intended to keep it that way.
Once his mind was clear, his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.
-O-
Severus watched the students in the Slytherin common room milling about and re-acquainting
themselves with their friends. It was always a good idea to watch the first night back so there
wouldn’t be any summer problems carrying over.
He had been surprised that Harry had sat with his snakes at the feast. Of course, due to his
occlumency lessons, he had learned that Harry had almost been a Slytherin himself. Severus couldn’t
help but think that he would have done well in his house. While he wasn’t as adept at the politics of
the snake pit, he was well on his way to learning how to be Lord Potter, master of his own house.
Due to his fame, wealth, and political standing, he would be respected if he could just learn the ins
and outs of Slytherin.
His godchildren had stood up for the boy, the older children were whispering softly about it once
they had retired to bed. It was surprising to Severus, considering how much Hermione still disliked
the boy. He knew that Harry was sweet on Hermione; his fantasies of her were at the forefront in
their earlier days of occlumency. While he hated the thought of a young boy lusting after Hermione,
he knew that it was inevitable.
On the other hand, though, he could also see that while Harry played the field and used other girls,
the feelings he harbored for Hermione were nothing like those. They were of tenderness, admiration,
respect, and a little bit of lust. If he had to want someone for Hermione, it would definitely be
someone that respected and admired her.
Once the common room was empty and silent, he threw back his fire whiskey and decided to head to
bed early. He had already had to deal with Mad-Eye and he was going to have to tomorrow as well.
The man still suspected Severus’ real loyalties no matter what Albus told him, shadowing and
eavesdropping on him constantly. The Slytherin had had a private word with Minerva regarding
Harry and his developing friendships with Hermione and Draco and Severus had spotted the man
trying to listen in. It unnerved him and he planned to complain to Albus in the morning.
With a soft sigh, he retired to his bedroom and stripped to his boxers before falling into bed. With the
plans that he had just been made aware of after the Feast, he would be the first to admit that this was
going to be his longest year at Hogwarts yet.
A/N- One of my shorter chapters, I know. However, it gets the ball rolling for fourth year! Hope you
all enjoyed it. I know I thank you every chapter, but I do appreciate it. You’re all the best for the love
and support you show my story. Leave me your thoughts on the chapter, they’re like chocolate and
whiskey shots (:
Next chapter, Moody demonstrates the Unforgivable Curses and Hermione learns devastating news.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 66

A/N- A huge thank you to everyone out there reading and reviewing, you guys are seriously the
bomb. I just want you all to know that the idea for this little addition to my story comes from
AnaWayne. She gave me the idea just in time to get it in here. I hope you all enjoy it! If you don’t,
well so sorry Charlie! Hope you enjoy!!
**Shout out to thoupetty for being my 2800th reviewer…you da bomb girl! Thanks for being
awesome and reviewing every chapter, you have no idea what that means to me!**
Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing, I feel like y’all know this already. While I have certainly made this
story my own, the original idea came from Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong
to our queen. Trust me, I haven’t made any money from this story or any other.
Chapter 61
September 19, 1994
Harry was seated at the Gryffindor table between Ron and Fred, spooning food onto his plate as
quickly as he could. He had overslept and was trying to get as much food on his plate as he could
before it all disappeared. Ron was laughing at him but Harry tuned him out in favor of his bacon.
Things had been rough the first week of school. The tension in Gryffindor house had been thick,
nobody willing to cast Harry to the wolves but none of them really comfortable with him befriending
the fourth year Slytherins. Ron had his back, he only grumbled a little bit much to his surprise. Ginny
acted like she was happy for him but he suspected that she was lying. The twins and Neville were
the only ones that seemed completely at ease around Harry and it had worn on him.
Now that he was completely receptive to it, Neville was helping him with studying wizard culture
and furthering his lessons on pureblood politics. Harry still questioned why he needed to know these
things since he was a half-blood but Neville had kindly told him that there was a chance he would
marry a pureblood girl and he was still the head of House Potter. Not to mention he would someday
sit on the Wizengamot next to his godfather. After this detailed explanation, Harry had to admit that
what Neville was teaching him was important.
The twins had even came forward and offered to help Harry with the funnier aspects of wizard
culture, namely dance lessons. While he was sure that he would never need to know how to dance,
they assured him that it would be useful to know to impress any young witch. Since the pair
genuinely enjoyed dancing, they felt it was their duty to contribute to the Boy-Who-Lived’s
education. Sirius had told him that they would work on the task towards the end of the summer but
they had gotten sidetracked on other things, making him promise to work on it with him at
Christmas. While he wasn’t the most excited about it, learning that he was going to go home to
family for the holidays brightened his day.
Relations between the two houses weren’t great but they were getting better. While they all snipped
at each other in classes, there wasn’t any open warfare like before. The one confrontation between
Gryffindor and Slytherin had occurred in Potions before Severus had arrived. Seamus and Dean
were laughing at Daphne, making fun of her for her father being a Death Eater. While the girl had
held her head high and acted as though nothing bothered her, he knew better. He didn’t know her
well by any means but he knew her enough to know that she was a sweet girl that was quite
sensitive.
Harry had been livid, stepping in before Hermione could. Draco and Blaise seemed ready to jump
right in after her. He had raised his voice, something he rarely did since he hated to bring attention to
himself. Once all the attention was on him, he told Seamus and Dean that they found her Death Eater
father offensive and she grew up finding their muggle parents offensive. The only difference was that
she wasn’t holding it against them and wasn’t teasing them mercilessly. After he had taken his seat
again, the room was silent and he could see the tiniest sliver of admiration in Hermione’s eyes.
His lessons with Severus were going well. He still wasn’t where he needed to be but he was
improving quickly. The potions master told him that the only person he had seen master the art this
quickly was Draco. Harry knew that Hermione had taken an extremely long time to master it and it
made him feel just a tiny bit better to know that there was one thing that he was better at than her.
Things between himself and the cousins weren’t good but they were getting better. Hermione still
kept him at a distance, understandably so, but she didn’t shun him and she didn’t get angry with him
for sitting with them at meals and such. He did that every other day or so, doing his best to make
friends with the snakes closest to Hermione and Draco. Neville and the twins were always quick to
join him and he would be the first to admit that he had a great time when he sat there.
Harry knew that today was Hermione’s fifteenth birthday; Draco had made sure to mention it two
nights before. He had made sure to owl order something from Flourish and Blotts, a book about soul
mates and how to find them. It was a book he had never seen her read about; he wasn’t sure if Black
Moor had no books on the subject or if it just didn’t interest her but he took a chance on sending it to
her. He hoped that she enjoyed it.
As far as he knew, there were no plans for her birthday in the school. Her friends had all given her
their gifts for her at the day of their party so he was left to assume that she would receive no actual
presents on her birthday. It made him sad to think about since he had recently discovered how much
he loved getting gifts on his birthday.
Harry was pulled from his breakfast by the final bell ringing, dismissing them to class. Dumbledore
was watching from his usual spot at the High Table, eyes twinkling like mad. The Headmaster
hadn’t gone out of his way to speak to Harry yet this year but he knew that it wouldn’t last. It was
only a matter of time before he insisted to speak with Harry, wanting to know any information he
had. While Harry believed that he did indeed want to defeat Voldemort, it was hard for him to
swallow acting as though nothing was wrong around the man that knew the whole prophecy
regarding him and his parents.
Ron was pulling him up by his armpits, determined to make sure that he made it to class on time.
Harry had been working hard on his assignments from Madam Cambridge, which meant that his
regular classes had fallen in quality just a little. Not enough to drop him a grade point but enough for
him to get talked to from Professor McGonagall. When he had explained his reasoning, she had
agreed, off the record of course, that his reasoning was sound and she didn’t blame him.
Charms was first on the list for the day. They were still in the revision part of the class so it was
boring, especially since Harry had done these spells sometime last year. He understood now why
Hermione and Draco always seemed so bored in classes. Since Charms was with Slytherins, much
like most of their classes, Harry took the table next to Hermione and Draco. To his great surprise,
Daphne took the seat next to him. She saw the surprise on his face and smiled slightly.
“Trust me, I have no urge to be part of your “personal fan club”. I just want to help with the relations
between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Most of us don’t like how we always fight.” Harry nodded, his
respect for the shy girl growing. Hermione was watching them closely, an emotion he couldn’t quite
figure out what was in her eyes. Draco tugged one of her tendrils of hair and she turned her attention
back to Professor Flitwick who was calling the class to order.
They were going over the repairing charm, something that Harry could remember doing at the
beginning of last year. He took notes like he always did, having perfected the technique halfway
through his first year. They all demonstrated that they could still perform the charm and Professor
Flitwick let them out early. Since Potions were next, Harry rose from his seat and joined his Slytherin
friends, Neville falling in behind him. Draco smiled at him, urging him to come walk with them but
Hermione was unusually silent, especially with Daphne.
Harry was pulled into a conversation with Draco about their upcoming assignment in Potions. While
he was further along than their peers, he was nowhere near the level of Hermione and Draco,
especially Hermione. He had watched her help Severus brew Remus’ wolfsbane and it was crazy
how good she was at potions. Daphne fell back to speak to Hermione, the dark-headed girl letting
her eyes fall to the floor. After several minutes of them speaking softly to each other, Hermione
finally sighed, smiled at her friend and linked arms with her.
Potions class was still horrid. Severus had explained to him over the summer that he was still going
to play the part of a spy, therefore, he couldn’t have anything to do with Hermione or Harry outside
of the privacy of his quarters or their homes. Even relations with Draco was going to have to be
strained since they were all supporters of the light and Severus was still going to be a Death Eater.
While it was far from a fun class, he kept his head down and did his best. His grades were great so
he counted the class as a win.
Of course, Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors still hated him; Harry didn’t blame them. He couldn’t
tell any of them what the man was really like. While he really was sour and snarky, he was also kind
and understanding. It was clear that he loved Hermione and Draco more than anything and Harry
hoped that someday he could be as close to the man as they were. The more he spent time with the
Slytherins of his new family, the more he found that he wanted to be a part of their family unit.
Even Lucius and Narcissa were wonderful people; sure, the man scared the life out of him sometimes
but the only time that had happened was when he had pulled Harry aside and warned him what
would happen if he ever hurt Hermione again. His Death Eater persona was enough to scare anyone
straight.
Since Potions had tables for four this year, he didn’t feel bad for taking the table with Hermione,
Draco, and Daphne. Ron was shooting him dirty looks as he took a table with Neville, Seamus, and
Dean. It wasn’t like it was a permanent seat and he sat with the Gryffindors in all his other classes. It
wouldn’t kill them for him to sit with his Slytherin friends for just one class.
It was a lecture class so Harry took notes on scarab beetles and there many uses. He noticed that
Hermione and Draco still didn’t take notes, just referenced the ones that they already had. Harry
really wished he had a set of those, vowing to speak to Severus about helping him make a set for
himself.
Class passed quickly, Severus dismissing them with an essay due next class period. Since he had sat
with the snakes during class, he bid them farewell and started for his friends from Gryffindor.
Seamus and Dean still glared at him but no longer said anything about it. Ron was silent for a few
minutes but Neville chatted with him about looking up more information in the library that evening
for their essay.
Once they entered the Great Hall, Ron huffed as he took the seat next to Harry and started spooning
food onto his plate. Harry could tell that he wanted to say something but was biting his tongue so he
wouldn’t start an argument. He sighed, knowing that if he let it continue, it would likely explode.
“Just say it, Ron. You’re going to end up biting your tongue off and then you won’t be able to eat
anymore.” He slammed his fork down on the table, drawing the attention of those sitting around
them.
“I just don’t understand how you can go be friends with all of them. I understand Black and Malfoy,
well kind of, but the rest of them? They’re all horrid people, they hate muggleborns and half-bloods.
How can they think that they’re better than everyone just because of their blood?” Harry raked a
hand through his already-messy hair and sighed.
“They don’t all think that. Granted, Nott seems like a real prick but the others don’t act like that at all.
I’m a half-blood and they don’t hate me. Most of them are pretty nice to me. They’ve just never met
muggleborns before, how are they supposed to act towards them? Remember, we were the ones that
started the war between us and them first year. They had left us all alone until then.” Harry watched
as Ron just shook his head in exasperation.
“You’re seeing what they want you to see.” Harry growled in frustration.
“You know, Ron, I don’t know what else to tell you. I’m going to be friends with them and I want to
stay friends with you. I can’t handle always arguing with you about it though. Decide what you want
and let me know.” Ron sighed and raked a hand through his hair.
“Yeah, mate, I know. I just worry about you.” Harry didn’t say anything, just nodded and started on
his lunch. After all, they still had two more classes and he was a growing boy. After cleaning his
plate, he pushed away from the table, gathered his things while the rest of the lions followed suit.
With a small sigh, he started for Transfiguration.
-O-
Hermione was having an off day and she wasn’t sure why. It was her birthday, she was officially
fifteen years old now even though she didn’t feel any different. Her cousin had given her a gift, a
ruby bracelet he had had made for her, but he was the only one. Not that she minded; they usually
received their gifts at their party in the summer. She wasn’t sure why she was down in the dumps
today but she was.
It had started before she had seen her best friend sit with the one boy she had a crush on in Charms.
Daphne knew that Hermione liked Harry as more than a friend, why would she go and sit next to
him when she knew that she had caught the boy watching her blond friend. It broke her heart every
time she saw him looking her friend up and down but she hardened her heart every time and acted
like it meant nothing. Draco told her that she was imagining things, that he had only stared at Daphne
one time but she wasn’t sure she believed him.
Her friend had realized what was wrong as soon as class ended, pulling her aside to tell her that she
would never try to be with Harry. Hermione had told her that while her words did make her feel
better, she knew that Harry was attracted to her and just knowing that hurt. For some reason, the fact
that he found her best friend attractive hurt worse than knowing he was seeing other girls in his free
time.
Draco nudging her pulled her from her thoughts. Lunch was over and they were due in
Transfiguration. She sighed and went to her feet, taking hold of Draco’s arm once he offered it. He
smiled at her softly before squeezing her fingers.
“It’s your birthday, you’re not allowed to be upset. Smile.” She smiled at him, knowing that he was
trying to cheer her up without bringing up the problem.
They started for Transfiguration, the rest of their friends trailing behind them. She could see Harry
walking with Ron and Parvati but they weren’t speaking. She didn’t think that they were fighting but
she couldn’t be sure. Three corridors from the Transfiguration classroom, a small girl barreled out of
a classroom, tears down her cheeks. She ran right into Hermione and nearly knocked her over.
Hermione was quick to reach out and take hold of the small first year, keeping her from landing on
her backside. She still let out a squeal that drew the attention of all the students behind them. The
Slytherin smiled at her softly before speaking.
“Are you alright? I didn’t mean to almost knock you over.” The girl raised her eyes and Hermione
took a startled step back. The girl had short black hair, shiny and silky but it was her eyes that made
her gasp.
They were stormy grey.
Her eyes matched those of her father’s, those of Aunt Cissy’s. Was it possible that this child
belonged to the Black family? It wasn’t a common trait outside of the Black line; she was one of the
first ones in years to not have the grey eyes, taking the Malfoy blue instead. The little girl didn’t seem
to notice that she was staring incredulously. Draco wrapped an arm around her waist tightly,
grounding her. The little girl sniffled softly.
“I’m sorry, it was my fault I ran into you. My friend told me that she was going to meet me in that
classroom but she wasn’t there. I don’t know if something happened to her or if she was playing a
trick on me.” Hermione reached out and tipped the girl’s chin up so she could stare into her eyes.
“I’m sure she’s fine, she probably just got held up at lunch. What’s your name? I see you’re a
Gryffindor.” As if the girl had just now noticed she was talking to Slytherins, she shrunk back from
Hermione. Even though she couldn’t stop looking at the girl, Hermione smiled.
“We won’t hurt you.” The girl nodded and pulled away.
“My name is Juliet. I’m a first year.” Hermione nodded at her.
“What’s your last name?” Juliet wiped the tears off her cheeks.
“Bardon.” Hermione gave her one of her handkerchiefs.
“You’re French.” The girl nodded.
“It’s nice to meet you, Juliet. Maybe you’d like to have dinner with us today at the Slytherin table.”
She could hear the whispers behind her but nobody said anything. Harry and the rest of the
Gryffindors caught up to the them and Harry narrowed his eyes.
“Juliet, what’s wrong?” Hermione turned to Harry and raised an eyebrow.
“I just invited her to eat with us tonight. You’re welcome to join to make sure that we snakes don’t
eat her alive.” Harry laughed out loud and put his hand on the small girl’s shoulders.
“You’ll have fun, Juliet. I’ll be there with you the whole time.” Juliet looked to Hermione and
smiled.
“Alright. I’ll meet you there.” Hermione patted the girl on the head and sent her off to class, then
found herself hurried along by Draco so they wouldn’t be late to class. They pulled away from
everyone else and Hermione caught his eye.
“Do you think it’s possible?” Draco shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know. I know Sirius saw a lot of girls for years. At this point, I think anything is possible.
All I know is that that girl looks exactly like a Black.” Hermione nodded her agreement.
“I thought so too. We need to get her mother’s name and write daddy.” Draco nodded as they took
seats in Transfiguration.
Professor McGonagall started her class and Hermione looked over her notes on how to transfigure a
hedgehog into a pin cushion. After listening to the Deputy Headmistress lecture for almost an hour,
they were split up to practice the spell. Hermione wanted to sigh in boredom but decided against it.
She was in her sixth year of schooling now, this was a simple spell.
By the time class dismissed, everyone had managed the spell. It was Defense Against the Dark Arts
next and Hermione needed to gather herself before she went. Professor Moody seemed to hate her,
Draco too, and she was determined to not get into any trouble with the man. He seemed deranged,
even more so than her father had told her about in his letters to her. Harry, however, seemed to be his
favorite student. He fixated on him in an almost creepy way.
Draco was talking to Blaise and Greg about something, probably quidditch, so Hermione was joined
by Daphne. The blonde girl chattered on about the little first year girl that was going to be joining
them. Hermione knew that she was fishing for information so she smiled at her friend.
“I can’t say anything right now, Daph, but as soon as I can, you’ll be the first person I tell.” Daphne
smiled and nodded.
Since the Defense classroom was only a few corridors from Transfiguration, all the students went
together. None of the Slytherins were too fond of the class but almost all the Gryffindors seemed to
think that Moody was brilliant. Hermione supposed that he was brilliant, he would have to be to be a
Master Auror, but he was as prejudiced as they came. They had just barely taken their seats when the
side door banged open and Moody stormed in. The bell hadn’t even rang when he began his lesson.
“We’ve gone over what you’ve learned in the past. While you’re up to date on dark creatures, you’re
woefully behind in curses. Today, we begin fixing that.” He paused and waved his wand, chalk
floating up in front of the board.
“We’re going to learn about the Unforgivable Curses. Miss Black, tell me why they’re called such.”
Hermione kept her eyes forward.
“They are exactly that. Unforgivable.” Moody smirked at her as he continued.
“The use of any one of them will win you a one-way trip to Azkaban. Unless you’re Lord Black.”
Hermione heard the snickers from the lions but she kept her face impassive. It would do no good to
react and lose her house points.
“Weasley, tell me one of the Unforgivable Curses.” Ron stammered a little when he answered.
“M-my dad told m-me about one. The Imperious C-curse.” Moody gave a triumphant shout.
“The Imperious Curse. A curse mean to control another person, witch, wizard, or muggle. Many of
the Death Eaters from the first war escaped from Azkaban because they claimed they were under the
influence of the Imperious Curse. Your father being one of them, Mr. Malfoy.” Hermione reached
out and squeezed her cousin’s knee, her nails digging in to keep him grounded. Draco’s face was
like stone, and she could see that he was about to explode. Moody levitated a spider out of a large jar
and jabbed his wand at it.
“Imperio.”
The spider bounced from person to person while Moody went on about how poisonous it was and
that it would bite whoever he told it to. Hermione noticed that while he clearly hated herself and her
cousin, he never once made the spider dance on their heads. Daphne, however, wasn’t spared. She
wasn’t scared of spiders normally but even she wasn’t immune to the fear of having a poisonous
spider on her head. Moody let the spider come to a rest on his desk again before turning to the class
again.
“Longbottom, give me another curse.” Hermione couldn’t believe that a professor was doing this.
There was no way that Neville was going to get through this class without losing it and she wouldn’t
blame him, especially if the man was intent on demonstrating each and every one. His voice was
strong, however, stronger than she figured it would be.
“The Cruciatus Curse.” Moody laughed.
“Correct, dear boy. A curse designed to do nothing but bring pain. So much pain that it can render a
person insane if they are held under it for too long.” He turned his wand to the spider again.
“Crucio.”
Hermione didn’t know that it was possible for a spider to scream. However, it was unmistakable that
the spider was screaming in pain. Everyone had horrified expressions on their faces and not a single
person said a word. It went on for what seemed like forever before Moody broke out in a smile.
“Avada kedavra.” A green light shot from his wand, hitting the spider straight on, putting it out of its
misery.
“That, students, is the third Unforgivable Curse. The killing curse, it kills instantly and is more
merciful than anything else. Those killed with the killing curse are the lucky ones.” Hermione
glanced at Neville to see that he was shaking, probably trying to keep the level of emotion inside
him. Finally, Hermione couldn’t stand anymore. She flew to her feet and she could feel her anger
bubbling under the surface.
“How dare you?! How dare you show those curses to children? What kind of fucking professor are
you? You think you can get away with treating children like complete shite, I wonder what the
Board of Governors would think of your teaching methods.” Her chest was heaving in an attempt to
control her magic. Moody met her eyes and didn’t look away once.
“Everyone get out except Miss Black. Class dismissed.” Draco stood and made to stand by her side,
Harry was coming her way quickly. Moody waved his wand and both boys were propelled to the
door and thrown through it. After the door slammed, she knew that Draco and Harry were going to
be doing their best to break back in. Moody stalked over to her, maniacal grin on his face.
“Miss Black, I have to admit that I like your fire. You’re not the regular run of the mill Slytherin. Are
you sure you’re in the right house?” Hermione was still trying to restrain her magic.
“I’m right where I need to be.” Moody advanced closer and Hermione was the first to admit that he
looked quite mad.
“You fit the bill for a Gryffindor. Self-righteous and standing up for others. Just remember that no
matter how strong you are, there will always be somebody that can bring you down.” Hermione just
stared at him impassively.
“Am I free to go?” She refused to tack on a “sir”. Moody grinned again and leaned over to where he
could whisper in her ear.
“Haven’t you ever wondered who killed your mother? Who blew the door apart that sent the stake
through your mother’s chest, that watched you cry your eyes out while mummy bled out on the
floor? It was the sweetest sight.” Hermione couldn’t hold her magic in after that. It exploded out of
her and threw her professor into the wall hard enough to knock him unconscious. His spell holding
the door failed and Draco and Harry both tumbled into the room, eyes wide when they saw her
standing there, cold expression on her face while their professor was slumped against the far wall.
Draco rushed forward and cupped her cheeks in his hands.
“Miney, what happened? Tell me what happened.” Hermione couldn’t quite form words at the
moment, she wasn’t even entirely sure that she could think straight. She suspected that she was in
shock. Without another word, she turned and walked out of the classroom.
Hermione was unsure as to what she was supposed to do with this information. Why would someone
rub the fact that they had killed your parent in your face unless you were evil? It made no sense to
her why a Master Auror would do such a thing. She could hear Draco and Harry talking quietly
behind her and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a silver dragon soar through the air, probably
headed for Uncle Sev. They followed her clear to the Great Hall and watched her warily as she took
a seat next to little Juliet. The young girl was chattering away about her herbology class, clearly
ready to be friends with the Hermione now.
“Sammy almost got kicked out of class because he refused to wear the ear muffs, can you believe
it?” Hermione nodded her head and that was all that the girl needed to continue her story. Draco ran
his hand down the length of her hair.
“Mia, you have to talk to me.” Hermione smiled at him but still remained silent. Uncle Sev appeared
at her side, worry on his face.
“Miss Black, your father is on his way. Draco said that you are most distressed.” Hermione just
stared at her uncle and even though she wanted to throw herself in his arms, she knew that she
couldn’t. Everyone was quiet as she just stared at her godfather. Harry was hovering beside her so he
bent down and whispered in her ear.
“He’s coming, I’m sure he’ll come in here if he needs to. You’re worrying us, Mia.” Her head turned
to him abruptly. He had never called her by her nickname before. She just stared at him until she saw
movement behind her. Her father and Uncle Luci were coming up the aisle between the tables, both
clearly worried. Before her father could say anything, he caught sight of Juliet and stopped cold.
“What’s your name, little one?” Juliet grinned at him.
“Juliet Bardon.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
“Is your mother’s name Helena?” Juliet nodded happily. Her father just stared at her before turning
back to Hermione.
“Come with me, princess, we need to talk. Dumbledore just told me you attacked Moody.” The table
gasped in surprise but Hermione allowed her father to take her hand and pull her to her feet. Uncle
Luci, Uncle Sev, Harry and Draco all followed; Harry had the peace of mind to ask Daphne to
watch over Juliet before they left.
Hermione couldn’t say where they took her. The only thing she knew was that she was in an empty
classroom that had windows on both sides. Just before they started to speak, the door opened again
and Dumbledore came in with McGonagall in tow. The Headmaster looked at her with a stern
expression while his deputy watched in silence.
“Professor Moody is in the Hospital Wing being treated for a concussion. The amount of magic you
released threw him into a wall. Can you tell me what happened?” Hermione couldn’t hold it in. The
magic that had been building since she saw her professor casting those curses exploded out of her
again, this time she didn’t try to rein it in.
Everyone was blown backwards, the windows all exploded outwards. The walls were shaking, dust
falling from the ceiling. She knew that she shouldn’t let her magic affect the school but she couldn’t
help it. Better the school than a person. One of the walls started to crumble when she felt someone
trying to push her magic back. When she realized that it was Dumbledore, her anger flared again and
her magic pushed back even harder. After a few moments, the resistance was gone. Then her father
pushed himself to his feet and pushed himself through the force of magic surrounding her,
determined look on his face.
“Hermione Alula Black, you will calm yourself now. You are going to hurt someone if you keep
on.” She let her magic relax just enough to let everyone move.
“I know what I’m doing. It hasn’t hurt anyone because I’m controlling it. I had to let it out though
before it did hurt someone.” Her father pulled her into his arms as the wind blowing through the
room came to a stop. He was whispering soft words in her ear, trying to calm her down when she
finally burst into tears. Uncle Luci spoke, this time to Draco and Harry.
“What do you two know?” Draco spoke quietly but it was clear that everyone in the room could hear
him.”
“Moody was teaching about the Unforgivable Curses. He rubbed in her face about you getting out of
Azkaban, the about Father getting out of Azkaban. He demonstrated the Imperious Curse, he had a
poisonous spider dancing on people. He used the Cruciatus Curse on it too, you could hear it
screaming. Neville was white as a sheet. Then he used the Killing Curse on it. Hermione finally lost
it and asked him what kind of professor was he that he demonstrated those curses in front of children.
He told everyone to get out but her and when Harry and I tried to stay, he waved his wand at us and
threw us from the room. We tried to get back in but we couldn’t get past his spell. The next thing we
knew, the door opened, Hermione was standing there, shaking, and Moody was slumped over
against the opposite wall.” Hermione finally found the ability to speak.
“He killed her. Moody asked me if I ever wondered who blasted in the door that put the stake of
wood through my mother’s heart, if I ever wondered who had watched me cry for my mother as she
died. Moody killed her.” Draco came forward and hugged her close, pulling her from her father’s
arms because he was struck silent. She couldn’t hold in the sobs and while she hated showing
weakness like this in front of Dumbledore and Harry, she couldn’t help it. Harry came up on the
other side of her and wrapped his arms around her too. She couldn’t help but stiffen at the contact but
she didn’t move. Hermione sneaked a glance at her uncle and saw that he was barely containing his
anger. She pulled out of Harry and Draco’s arms and threw herself at her uncle before he could do
something stupid.
“Where’s Aunt Cissy?” Her uncle buried his face in her curls for a few moments before answering.
“She was caught up in a meeting with St. Mungo’s regarding their latest addition.” She nodded
against him.
“You can’t do anything about it, Uncle Luci. Let the authorities handle it.” He raked his hand
through her curls and nodded, kissing her forehead. However, she could see that he wasn’t going to
let this go. Uncle Sev stepped forward.
“I will go retrieve my veritiserum. We give him the choice. Take it willing in front of us or take it in
front of a full court.” Dumbledore nodded.
“I will go speak with him. This is unconscionable.” Hermione nodded.
“I want to hear him say the words.”
The rest of them stood there while they waited for Dumbledore’s patronus. Harry looked a little
uncomfortable but Hermione couldn’t worry about that. In fact, she remembered just who was sitting
at the table in the Great Hall and turned to her father.
“Is Juliet your daughter? She looks just like you, just without the curls.” Her father raked his hand
through his hair.
“I don’t know. Her mother’s name is the name of a muggle girl that I dated when you were four
years old. I left her when I realized that I had started to develop feelings for her. I didn’t want to pull
an innocent muggle into a war they wouldn’t understand.” Hermione heaved a deep breath, trying to
wrap her head around it.
“So I have a cousin.” Her father strode forward and cupped her cheeks with his hands.
“No, you have a sister. If she’s mine. I promised you that you were my daughter and heir, that won’t
be changing.” She nodded.
“I think we should figure out if she’s yours first.” Her father nodded and kissed her forehead. Before
he could say anything, a silvery phoenix appeared.
“Alastor has agreed. Meet us in the Hospital Wing.”
Hermione let her father wrap an arm around her shoulders as he handed her a handkerchief to dry her
cheeks. Even though she was grateful to her father, she felt that Uncle Luci needed her more. She
floated his direction and wrapped an arm around her waist. Her mind drifted as they made their way
to the Hospital Wing. Wouldn’t Dumbledore know who killed her mother? He was the leader of the
Order of the Phoenix, surely it was under his orders that they were going to restrain her mother and
question her about her uncle’s activities. Her uncle seemed to be thinking the same thing.
“I don’t trust Dumbledore completely. He’s backed into a corner but surely he has to know who did
it.” McGonagall shook her head.
“No, he said from the beginning that he never knew. Trust me, after Sirius tried to get Harry, if he
had known, he would have bragged about it. I don’t think that it was ever a sanctioned mission.”
Hermione took the Gryffindor Head of House’s words and considered them. She supposed that it
was possible but she was still leery to trust the Headmaster.
As they entered the Hospital Wing, Moody was sitting on the edge of a bed, bandage taped to the
back of his head. He sneered their way while Uncle Sev stepped forward and handed Dumbledore
the veritiserum. He opened the vial and pulled out the dropper, dropping three drops on Moody’s
tongue. They waited the requisite minute for it to take effect. Uncle Luci stepped forward and glared
at the man.
“Did you break into Erise Malfoy’s home and kill her?” Moody stared at him impassively.
“No, I did not.” Hermione clutched at his hand. However, he shot off another question.
“Why did you tell Hermione that you did?” He continued to stare.
“She’s a mouthy chit and spoke out in class. One has to learn that there are consequences to actions
such as that.” Her father stepped forward, glaring. The potion was already wearing off so Moody
was able to sneer in his direction when he spoke.
“This piece of shite is to have his actions brought before the Board. My daughter and godson will no
longer be taking any lessons from him. I will send in my own tutor for them.” Uncle Luci nodded.
“Draco will be joining them. At such time that he is dismissed or cleared, we will look into the
situation further.” Dumbledore sighed.
“Is that necessary? Other students will begin to write home and it will go downhill from there.”
Uncle Luci raised an eyebrow at the Headmaster.
“How is that my problem? I won’t have a professor that is alright with torturing living species in
front of his class. I’ve seen the Cruciatus Curse at work and it’s a horrid curse. To have my children
watch it is irresponsible. If he feels the need to press charges against my niece, I would completely
understand.” Uncle Sev and her father smirked. Moody just got shifty eyes before growling at them.
“I won’t be pressing charges. I pushed her too far.” Dumbledore nodded his head.
“Very well, it sounds as though we have come to an accord.” Not wanting to be there any longer
than strictly necessary, Hermione turned on her heel and stalked off. She could hear everyone
following after her. It was several corridors down that her father pulled her to a stop.
“Lucius and I need to go to make a formal complaint to the Board. We know when you three have
Defense and we’ll send Madam Cambridge up here at those times. How would you feel about
Remus coming when she can’t?” Hermione heaved a deep breath and decided that she needed to
take the first step.
“I suppose that would be alright. He was a really good teacher when he wasn’t being a complete
wanker.” Her father wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
“If you have nightmares, go to Poppy. I wish I could stay but I really want to get this complaint in.
Not sure if we’ll get rid of him since those on the Board are the ones who wanted Moody.” She
nodded against him before pulling away and going to her uncle and wrapping her arms around him
too.
“I love you, Uncle Luci. Sorry for this mess.” He kissed her head and smiled down at her. It was in
that moment that she realized how exhausted he looked.
“It isn’t your fault, princess. You just reacted and that’s something that anyone could understand.
You notice you didn’t get a punishment.” She nodded against him.
“Tell Aunt Cissy I love and miss her.” Her uncle nodded and kissed her again.
“I’ll tell her.” Her father turned to the boys.
“Make sure you keep your distance from that nutter. Don’t let him push you around.” They both
nodded. Hermione waved as they both started for the stairs that would take them down to the ground
floor. Uncle Sev ran a hand down her hair.
“If he comes near you, send me a patronus.” After kissing her forehead, he stalked off towards the
dungeons as well. Finally, she turned to Draco and Harry.
“I’m sorry for scaring you both. I couldn’t answer when you were asking me questions.” Harry
smiled at her while Draco tugged one of her curls.
“We understand. Let’s go to the kitchen, we need to get something to eat.” Hermione smiled.
Maybe things wouldn’t end on such a terrible note after all.
-O-
Sirius had just sent off the most difficult letter of his life. Minerva had looked through the roster and
discovered that Juliet was actually a half-blood, meaning that Helena had at least been a muggleborn.
How he hadn’t realized that she had been a witch he didn’t know but he supposed that would have
to be a conversation to be had in person.
He had regretted how he had treated Helena from day one. He had seen her several times and when
he had started to develop feelings for her, he had done a runner. The last thing that he wanted to do
was drag what he thought was a muggle into a war that would surely get her killed. Since he had
given her a false name, like he always did to muggle women, she would have had no way to contact
him if he was indeed the father of young Juliet. However, he didn’t know how she would be able to
deny it since it was clear she was a Black by just looking at her.
The letter he had just sent off was to her mother. In it, he had begged her to meet him, even if she
was married or otherwise. He had had to uncomfortably explain that he was the man who had seen
her several times before leaving her high and dry, that he had given her a false name. He knew that
shite was probably going to hit the fan when she read it but he couldn’t let it go by the wayside. If
Juliet was his daughter, she deserved the recognition and care that came along with it. She deserved
to have a father that loved her.
The only difficult part of it was going to be Hermione. While she didn’t seem opposed to the idea of
having a sister, the last thing he wanted was another situation like Harry. He would have to talk
every step over with her because he refused to have her throw her ring at him again. Even though
she was technically his niece, she was family and the rightful Black heir. It was a known fact that
Sirius had only been named heir because the rightful heir, his brother, had died. While he could
probably argue that any son he had would be the rightful heir, he wouldn’t do that to Hermione. The
title of Lord Black would be his until she had a son to pass the title to.
Cissy had already been by to ask him about this new daughter of his. He knew that Juliet would
never take Hermione’s place but Cissy would never say no to having another girl in the family. He
had told her that he sent a letter to her mother and it was up to her now. He really hoped that she
would agree to meet with him.
As for Moody, he and Lucius had both filed official complaints with the Board but he doubted that
they would get rid of the Master Auror. Sure, he would get a formal reprimand in his file but they
wouldn’t want to dismiss the first “qualified” defense professor in many years. Sirius could only
shake his head at the thought that they felt a man who cast Unforgivables in front of children was
more qualified than a werewolf.
Sirius had already contacted Madam Cambridge and Remus both. While she could go to Hogwarts
once a week, it would be up to Remus to go the other time they had class. He seemed genuinely
excited about it so Sirius was happy to offer him employment. Nobody could say the man didn’t
need it.
Their friendship had gotten a little better since they had started being around each other again. It was
still tense at times but they were becoming more relaxed around each other. Sirius knew that the man
still wanted to rekindle their relationship but he just wasn’t sure that he could do that. Many things
had been said and done between them and there were some things you just couldn’t come back from.
As much as it pained him, he didn’t think that he and Remus were going to work out. He would
always love him and hold a special place in his heart but there needed to be trust in a relationship and
he wasn’t sure he could ever trust the man again, not like that.
Sirius was happy to hear from Harry that things were getting a little better with Hermione. He told
him that she was far from warm but she didn’t turn him away and she stood up to her friends for him.
It was heartwarming to hear; the last thing he wanted was for the children to hate each other. He,
however, was staying out of it, just as he had promised Hermione. Fixing things with Hermione was
up to Harry now.
He was worried about his daughter’s frame of mind at the moment. He had never seen her magic
flare so strongly. However, she seemed completely in control of it, blasting the castle rather than the
people in the room with her. The most that anyone could complain about was a sore hind end from
being blasted back. He was quite proud of her to be honest. That she had mastered even a small part
of her ridiculous amount of magical power was phenomenal.
Sirius threw back his whiskey and set the glass on the table next to his favorite arm chair. There was
nothing else he could do tonight except crawl in bed. They had done what they could about Moody
and the children’s education and he had done all he could about Juliet. Nothing could move forward
until he had responses from other parties. Therefore, he felt no guilt for standing up wearily, leaving
the library behind, and taking himself to bed.
A/N- Holy hell, so much going on in this chapter. Just a little food for thought, Juliet is going to have
a French mother, hence the name Juliet. However, when I looked up the name, I was pleasantly
surprised to find that it was also the name of one of Uranus’ moons, fitting in with the Black family
perfectly. I know this came out of nowhere but I agreed with AnaWayne that it was a curveball that
nobody would expect. Anyways, thanks to everyone out there still supporting this crazy story. You
guys are my heroes. Let me know what you think, reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, Tri-Wizard Tournament is announced and other schools arrive at Hogwarts.
Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 67

A/N- I am back, y’all, with a new laptop, and I am so excited to get this chapter written. Don’t get
me wrong, I’m so frustrated that I have to completely rewrite this chapter but I suppose that it could
have been way worse. To those out there that were patient while I dealt with my family drama, thank
you. My sister in law was pulled over and arrested for possession of two different drugs while having
her two year old daughter in the vehicle. Both children are placed with their grandparents now so all
is as well as it can be. Anyways, enough for now because I want to get this chapter out now!

**Shout out to starlite22 for being my 3000th reviewer. You da bomb, girl!**

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything about this story except my own personal twist. The story idea
originally belonged to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to our queen. I
haven’t made any money from this story or any other as evidenced by the lack of funds in my bank
account.

Chapter 67
October 31, 1994

Hermione smiled indulgently at her sister as she chattered on about her plans for the day over
breakfast. Apparently, she planned to meet with her friends in the library before sitting with
Hermione and Draco for the drawing of names that evening.

It hadn’t taken long for Helena Bardon to answer her father’s letter. She had met him the very next
day. Hermione had received a detailed letter from him the very next day telling her everything. Even
though Helena assured him that Juliet was indeed his daughter, he wanted to know what her
thoughts were on him taking the final steps in making her a part of their house. He made quite clear
that if she was opposed to it that he would drop the whole thing and leave well enough alone.

Hermione had considered telling him to do just that. It had taken her three days of hard thinking
before she realized that she couldn’t do that to Juliet. After that first night of sitting with Hermione,
the girl had taken to sitting with her almost every day. She truly liked the young Gryffindor and Juliet
seemed to adore her. Therefore, she had written her father back and told him to commence with the
official blood test that had to take place with Gringotts.

Hermione and Juliet had been taken from Hogwarts for an afternoon by her father to meet with
Helena at Gringotts. She had been oddly nervous, why she wasn’t sure, but she laid that at the feet of
her father. She still remembered him telling her how he had started to develop feelings for this
woman before he had left her.

Her nerves had been for nothing. Helena had been quite nice. Juliet had been excited to see her
mother and even more so to introduce her to Hermione. Her father had been quiet, tipping Hermione
off to the fact that he had been ridiculously nervous himself. She was just unsure if it was because of
Helena or Juliet. They had made their way to Gringotts and the Black account manager, Fury Bolt,
had taken Juliet’s blood and tested it against her father’s. It had come back positive. The inclusion of
Juliet into the Black family had only been another short procedure, one that touched Hermione down
deep. It was in that moment that she decided to embrace Juliet with everything she had and make
sure that she felt like she was a part of the family. Her father had reassured her that Juliet would
never be his heir and she believed him. There was no reason for her to not embrace her.

Helena had been quiet the whole time, almost offish, but Hermione hadn’t blamed her. She probably
wouldn’t have been any different if someone that had fathered her child had dropped her cold and
then reappeared twelve years later to claim his child. She was sure that it was disconcerting to say the
least.

Since then, Hermione had spent as much time as possible with her sister. Juliet adored her and spent
as much time as she could with her. She had figured that there would be quite a bit of fallout for the
young Gryffindor but to her surprise, there hadn’t been. Slytherin had embraced her wholeheartedly
but that was no surprise. Juliet had reported no problems in Gryffindor but she knew that Harry,
Neville, and the twins looked after her.

Harry was her favorite person aside from Hermione herself. Juliet made no effort to hide it. Harry
doted on her and was always seen walking with her in the corridors, laughing about who knew what.
They both frequented the Slytherin table often and he treated her like she was his little sister as much
as she was Hermione’s. In truth, Hermione appreciated it. Her name protected her from quite a bit
but it probably didn’t mean shite in the lion’s common room. Harry, Neville, and the twins were the
best that she could have asked for to look after her. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw didn’t seem to have
much to say about Juliet either way, at least not when she was around.

Draco nudged her as the bell rang, smirking at her clear inattention to her meal.
She glared at him for a moment before she cast her gaze around the table, trying to figure out why
she felt like someone was staring at her. When her eyes found Viktor Krum, she shouldn’t have been
surprised.

Three days before at breakfast, Dumbledore had stood before the school and announced that a
tradition was about to be reinstated, one that hadn’t been in play since 1792. The Triwizard
Tournament was coming to Hogwarts and students from both Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would
be coming along with it. Everyone had been thrilled, it had been the talk of the day until dinner when
the students from the other schools arrived.

Beauxbatons had arrived in a carriage pulled by abraxan horses and Hermione had instantly thought
of Bluebell. The girls from France had shown up in October in the lightest of silk robes, garnering all
the attention of the boys of Hogwarts. Draco had personally been seeing two of the girls since they
had arrived, putting Pansy out quite soundly.

The boys from Durmstrang had arrived in a ship that had come up from the depths of the Black
Lake, in the heaviest of robes with fur capes. Their Headmaster was also a confirmed Death Eater,
Uncle Sev taking them aside afterwards to make sure to tell them to keep their distance. Moody had
made his displeasure with Karkaroff’s presence known quite loudly but Dumbledore seemed to have
it in hand.

Dumbledore had stood before all three schools and with the help of representatives from the
Ministry, explained the rules of the Tournament. There was to be an age line drawn around the
Goblet of Fire, the ancient magical artefact that would determine who the champions from each
school would be, to make sure that nobody under the age of seventeen was chosen due to the deaths
that had occured in the past. Next, the champions that were chosen would enter a binding magical
contract, meaning that if they didn’t compete to the best of their ability, they would lose their magic.
Other than that, there was really nothing else to do except wait the traditional three days to give
students the opportunity to enter their names.

Since the students from Durmstrang had arrived, Viktor Krum among them, they had sat with the
Slytherins. So far none of them had spoke to Hermione or any of her friends but she could feel
Viktor’s eyes on her and the rest of her friends had noticed it as well. Harry had even commented on
it, and Draco had found it humorous for some reason. She wasn’t sure about his reasoning for it but
had just left it alone.
Juliet gave her a quick side hug before hurrying off to meet with her friends so Hermione turned to
meet Draco’s gaze. He offered her his arm and turned his head to see if Harry was coming across the
Hall to walk with them. After waiting just a few moments, Harry caught up to them and grinned at
them. Hermione felt her heart stutter for just a second but she quickly averted her eyes so nobody
could see her one weakness.

“You guys know what we’re going to do in Runes today?” Draco shook his head.

“No, I don’t think Professor Babbling said.” Hermione tuned them out as the conversation turned to
quidditch. It didn’t take them long to find their way to Ancient Runes and to take their seats. Harry
was seated at their table with them, something that he had taken to doing with them. As much as she
was trying to stay aloof with him, it was getting more and more difficult to do. She knew that she
was setting herself up to get hurt again but he was right; slowly and surely, he was proving to her
that he wasn’t going to hurt her like he had before.

Professor Babbling started their lecture, runic wards and how they’re applied in the real world. It was
an interesting lecture but it wasn’t anything that Hermione hadn’t already learned before. Harry was
taking furious notes next to her and for a moment she considered taking pity on him and making him
a copy of her notes from all her studies with Madam Cambridge. She knew that he was taking
lessons with her still, the same as she and Draco were, but he was still a full year behind them. It
would help him catch up. She would speak with Draco about it later and see what he thought about
it. He would probably agree since she knew that they were already becoming fast friends.

Professor Babbling assigned them an essay over the lecture due the next class period. Hermione
gathered her things and stowed them carefully in her satchel while Harry and Draco did the same.
They left Ancient Runes and Draco gave her a quick kiss to the side of her head before he and Harry
headed off to Divination while she made her way to Magical Theory with Professor McGonagall. It
was one of her all-time favorite classes because she felt that you couldn’t truly understand the
practical side of things without understanding the theory. Of course, every single other person in her
family disagreed with her but that mattered not to her.

The hour and a half class was pleasantly spent, the class small since not many students were all that
interested in theory. However, it was a requirement for the spell crafting class that came after the
O.W.L. and that was what she really couldn’t wait for. She had already invented a few spells of her
own though they weren’t very good and they weren’t very difficult. Her godfather had still been
proud of her and she had vowed to do better.

Professor McGonagall, while still strict in her Transfiguration classes, was far more laid back in her
Magical Theory classes. She still had the same high expectations but it was clear that since there
were less students that the rules were just a little less lax. Since there were so few students, there was
only one O.W.L. class and third through fifth year all attended it. The only other fourth year that
attended with her was Lisa Turpin, a Ravenclaw that Hermione knew spent personal time with
Harry.

After they were dismissed with a two foot essay over just how a spell worked when you put differing
amounts of power into it, Hermione hurried out of class towards the Great Hall. While she didn’t
have anything personal against Lisa, she didn’t want to get friendly with her because she didn’t think
that her heart could take it. The girl always tried to get with her and make plans to do homework
together. She knew that it was immature of her but she couldn’t help it.

Hermione ended up traveling the corridors at the same time as the Durmstrang students. All the
students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had classes on their own, away from Hogwarts. Of
course, the castle provided them with a lab for Potions class, but that was as far as it went. They were
allowed to use their library and they took their meals in the Great Hall with everyone else but they
also roomed in their carriage and ship respectively.

At the exact moment that Hermione reached the door of the Great Hall, Viktor did as well. The other
Durmstrang students were crowding behind her, laughing at something in Bulgarian. Viktor held up
his hand and all fell quiet behind her. She met his gaze for a moment before he bent at the waist,
bowing before her. She felt her cheeks color at his show of etiquette. After he stood straight again, he
reached out and held the door open for her, waiting patiently for her to pass through. Once she was
through, she turned and curtsied as manners called for.

The Great Hall as a whole fell silent at the exchange. Hermione didn’t wait for another exchange,
just smiled at the Bulgarian boy and turned on her heel, making her way to her usual seat next to
Draco. Harry was seated across from him while Juliet was at the Gryffindor table with her best
girlfriend. The rest of the table was silent as the Bulgarians took their seats down the way next to the
seventh years. It was several minutes later when Daphne finally broke the silence.

“Did Viktor Krum just open the door for you?” Hermione nodded, trying her best to keep her cheeks
their usual alabaster color. It would do no good to blush in front of the whole of their peers.

“Yes, he did. What was he supposed to do?” Draco laid an arm around her shoulders.

“Was he a gentleman?” She gave him a shy smile.

“Of course he was. He bowed to me and then opened the door.” He kissed the side of her head
before letting his arm fall and turning back to his meal.

“That’s all I care about then.” Hermione glanced up to see that Harry’s face had darkened but he said
nothing. She started to dish up some of the vegetable soup and roast beef sandwiches that were in
front of her, picking at the meal while everyone started to talk around her. There wasn’t much of
interest in conversation around her, some chatter about the latest prediction of Harry’s death in
Divination. She still wasn't sure why they all took that utter waste of time but she supposed that it
was an easy passing grade. She was just of the opinion that she would rather work harder at getting a
good grade than she would at listening to complete and utter tripe disguised as a class.

It was no time at all before the bell rang again, dismissing them again to their next class, Care of
Magical Creatures this time. Harry, who usually kept with his own friends or stayed on Draco’s other
side, stayed on her side the whole time, which confused her to no end.

-O-

Harry watched Hermione through the corner of his eye. He knew that he had no right to be angry or
jealous but he couldn’t help but admit that he was. He had the biggest crush on Hermione and it was
clear that Viktor was interested in her. Everyone was talking about how he stared at her during every
meal. While he had no problem with the Bulgarian specifically, he couldn’t help but wonder why a
man who was eighteen years old would be interested in a witch that was just barely fifteen years old?
The only reason he could think of was her name and fortune and Harry knew that Hermione
deserved better than that.

Harry was still surprised that Juliet had taken to Hermione with as much ease as she had. He had
been friendly with her since she had been sorted into Gryffindor, he had talked to her several times
while she struggled with her homesickness. He still felt quite dim when he realized that he hadn’t
once made the connection that his godfather was indeed her father.

Juliet had confided in him that while she was excited to have a father, she had never had one after all,
she was most excited to have a sister. She was exchanging letters with Sirius, that much he knew, but
their relationship was nowhere near the one that she had cultivated with Hermione. Frankly, it made
him just a little jealous that he didn't have a sibling.

Harry was walking next to Hermione, trying to keep an eye on her rather than the French girl that
was trying to catch his eye just a few paces away. He had taken his father’s advice to heart and was
doing his best to keep his liaisons private. The French girl in question had been a wonderful
snogging partner the night before but he wasn’t about to make it exclusive like she wanted to. He
was quite firm in that so if she couldn’t handle that, he would just leave her be. It would be sad,
really, because she was quite lovely; not as lovely as Hermione, mind you, but a good stand in.

They were on their way to Care of Magical Creatures and Hagrid was excited to teach them about
fire crabs. Harry had actually learned about them over the summer with Madam Cambridge so it
wasn’t near as exciting for him but he supposed that it was for the rest of the class. They left the
castle together, Harry and the fourth year Slytherins. He was sure that Ron was going to be angry
with him for sitting with them for both lunch and dinner but he had promised Juliet that he would sit
there for dinner as well.

The weather outside was cool, almost cold, but that was expected in Scotland at the end of October.
Harry watched Hermione cast a warming charm on herself and he smiled to himself and the sight of
it. While he wasn’t all that cold, she probably was freezing. She was the tiniest thing he had ever
seen, far smaller than most girls he knew. He had asked Sirius why she was so small once over the
summer and his godfather had told him that her mother had been extremely small and her aunt had
served as a role model when it came to eating the smallest amount of food as possible. Harry had
expressed concern that she was starving herself at that information but his godfather had just laughed
before assuring him that her health scans were all perfectly normal.

Hagrid was waiting for them, wearing no cloak whatsoever, with a smile on his face. After they were
all gathered around, he launched into his lecture on fire crabs. They were interesting creatures but not
anything that were personally interesting to Harry. Even though he wouldn’t be able to approach
them, he was excited for the lesson on unicorns that would come later in the year.

Since there were only a few fire crabs for the class, they were split into larger groups than usual to try
to feed them. Hagrid had explained that they would have to demonstrate how to feed them for their
O.W.L. practicals so it was mandatory that they all practice. Harry found himself in a group with
Hermione, Draco, Ron, Daphne, and Seamus. Seamus and Ron glared at everyone while Daphne
stared at the ground, Hermione acted as though they didn't exist and Draco glared back. Since it
didn't look as though it was going to end anytime soon, Harry turned to Hermione.

“You want to go first, Mia?” She looked up, startled at the use of her pet name. He had vowed that
he was going to start using it in front of others, not just when she was upset. Rather than tell him to
fuck off, though, she gave him a shy smile and nodded. Seamus, however, sneered his way.

“Aww, how sweet. A pet name.” Harry snapped his gaze to a boy that he had considered his friend.

“Shove off, Seamus. She’s family so watch what you say.” Draco appeared to be itching for a fight
because he stepped forward.

“Harry can call her whatever he wants. You, however, may call her Miss Black.” Harry couldn’t
believe it but Ron stepped forward and put a hand to both Seamus’ chest and Draco’s, holding them
apart.

“Enough, you two. Just do the fucking assignment so we can get the fuck out of here.” Harry shot
his best mate a grateful glance as the two of them backed off from each other, Draco glancing at
Daphne. In that moment, Harry understood that it wasn’t about Hermione today. It was about
Daphne. Draco was sweet on the blonde and it was hard to forget the confrontation at the beginning
of the year between Seamus and Daphne.

Hermione successfully fed the fire crab and Draco gestured for Daphne to go next. Afterwards, the
boys took turns, all in silence. Hagrid came around and monitored their progress and complimented
them on their success. He was a little stilted around Hermione and Draco and Harry couldn’t blame
him. He had gotten in trouble because of the pair of them, though it had been deserved. Neither one
of them were overly friendly with him as the Gryffindors were but neither were rude either.

Hagrid dismissed them as soon as they were finished and they were due in Herbology next. They
started off for the greenhouses next, Hermione renewing the warming charm on her robes on the
way. Draco was speaking softly to Hermione behind them while Ron was chastising Seamus behind
them. Harry fell in step with Hermione and decided that if he didn't speak now he would lose the
nerve.

“I’m sorry if me calling you Mia made you uncomfortable.” She turned startled eyes towards him,
almost as though she couldn’t believe that he was talking to her. She gave him a small smile before
turning her eyes forward again.

“I wasn’t uncomfortable, just surprised. Draco only calls me Mia in public, it’s usually Miney. He’s
called me that since we were in nappies. I don’t mind though.” He smiled at her, considering this a
small win.

“I’m glad. I like that we’re family.” She gave him a shy smile again and he was struck again at how
beautiful she was.

“I like it too.”

They fell silent again and traversed the grounds to the greenhouses. Once inside the greenhouse used
for lectures, they took their usual seats, which meant that he was at a table with Ron. Everyone was
still coming in, talking and laughing softly and who knew what. Harry leaned over and bumped
shoulders with Ron.

“Thanks for breaking that up, mate.” Ron rolled his eyes at him but nodded.

Professor Sprout appeared shortly after the last student did and started her lecture on gillyweed. This
was one plant that Harry didn’t remember learning about so he made sure to take immaculate notes
for the essay that would surely be assigned later. He noticed that Hermione and Draco once again
didn’t need to take notes, just compared the lecture to the notes they already had spread out in front
of them. What he wouldn’t give for a set of notes like theirs.

Harry started his essay with the last ten minutes of class before Professor Sprout dismissed them. It
was more than he could say for Ron, who instead laid his head on the table and promptly fell asleep.
When the bell rang, dismissing them, he snorted loudly and sat up, eyes wild until he realized where
he was. Harry snorted in amusement at his friend, gathering his belongings so they could make their
way to the castle together.

Ahead of him, Hermione had her arm threaded through Daphne’s while Draco was deep in a
conversation with Blaise. The girls were giggling softly, something that Harry didn’t see very often.
Ron was silent next to him until they reached the castle. As they entered the Entrance Hall, he
groused at him.

“You’re going to eat with them again, aren’t you?” Harry sighed, knowing this was going to happen.
“I promised Juliet that I would sit with her over there for the names coming out of the Goblet of
Fire.” Ron blew an irritated breath out from between his lips.

“I don’t understand why you cater to that firstie. I get that she’s Black’s family but she isn’t your
family.” Harry glared at his friend.

“Let’s get one thing straight. Juliet is Sirius’ daughter and Hermione’s sister. Sirius is my godfather,
the only family I have left. His family is my family. For you to tell me that she isn’t family is
insulting.” Ron rolled his eyes again, blowing him off.

“For the love of Merlin, Harry, you’re acting like a girl. Quit being so sensitive. Go sit with your
bloody snakes. I’ll see you after.” Harry glared at him as he walked towards the lion’s table but let it
go in the end. It wouldn’t get him anywhere in the end anyways.

Harry strode across the Great Hall and took the seat next to Hermione at the Slytherin table since
Juliet had taken the seat across from her and Draco, next to Daphne. The small Gryffindor was
enamored with Daphne’s blonde hair and always wanted to play with it and never passed up the
chance to sit by her if she could. Hermione always laughed at her best friend, thinking it humorous as
anything.

Dumbledore appeared at the High Table with a man named Barty Crouch, Sr. and Percy Weasley,
his new assistant. He announced to everyone that they would enjoy a feast before the Goblet would
choose the school champions. Mountains of food appeared before them and everyone seemed
thrilled, even though they had just had a feast three days before when Durmstrang and Beauxbatons
had arrived.

All the students ate with gusto. Harry himself had three plates of excellent food, though he had to
admit that Dot’s cooking at Black Moor was better. He loved that Dobby followed him to Hogwarts
and took such good care of him besides but he had nothing on Dot’s cooking. He had told Hermione
that once over the summer and she had just laughed at him, telling him to never tell Dot that because
her head would swell and they would never hear the end of it and she would never quit shoving food
in their faces.

Juliet entertained them with stories of herself and her friends throughout the day. Hermione listened
closely and replied appropriately, always paying her the attention she deserved. Draco was brought
into the conversation several times and was always respectful. While he was kind and treated her
well, it was clear that he wasn’t ever going to be as close to Juliet as he was to Hermione. Harry had
to give it to him that he wasn’t jealous of the attention she gave her sister in the least.

Finally, after everyone had eater their fill, the dishes all disappeared from the tables and Dumbledore
stood, raising his hands in the air to bring silence to the room. All the students fell silent, excitement
clear on their faces. It was evident which students entered their names into the Goblet by the looks of
nervousness and terror on their faces.

“The time has come for the Goblet to choose which students will represent our three schools in the
Triwizard Tournament. The students that wished to enter wrote their names and schools down on a
slip of parchment and then put it inside. If it comes back out, you’ve been chosen. Remember,
though, if you’re chosen, you must participate to the best of your abilities or you will lose your
magic. You were all warned before the Goblet was activated so I hope that you all took that into
consideration before entering.” Harry was excited to see who would be representing Hogwarts. The
Goblet turned a brilliant blue before the flames shot up and spit out a piece of parchment.
Dumbledore caught it deftly and read it silently before speaking.

“The Hogwarts’ champion is Cedric Diggory.” All of the Hogwarts students went wild, even the
Slytherins. Hermione was clapping happily next to him and he wondered briefly if she thought that
Cedric was handsome like the rest of the girls in Hogwarts did. Hufflepuff was the loudest, though,
and Harry couldn’t blame them. Being chosen to represent Hogwarts was an honor and it wasn’t
often that Hufflepuff was honored above the other houses. Cedric rose to his feet at the Headmasters
urging and followed his instructions to go through the room behind the High Table. He turned his
attention the Goblet as it once again turned blue and shot out another piece of parchment. The
Headmaster caught it once again.

“The Beauxbatons champion is Fleur Delacour.” All the French in residence began cheering in
French and Harry once again wished that Sirius had gotten around to starting to teach him French
over the summer. Draco had promised to start teaching him once the schools had arrived but they
hadn’t had a chance to start yet. He would have to remind him to move it up in his priorities. The rest
of the students clapped politely, Hermione included, though the males appeared to be drooling.
Hermione caught his eye and grinned before leaning over and whispering in his ear.

“I’m fairly certain she’s at least part veela.” Harry nodded, goosebumps erupting over his skin at the
feel of her breath. This made him wonder why he wasn’t affected, however. Was he really some sort
of freak like his aunt and uncle said? After Fleur had followed after Cedric and disappeared behind
the High Table, the Goblet flamed blue again and once again shot a slip of parchment out of the
flames. Dumbledore smiled as he caught it and read it aloud.

“The Durmstrang champion is Viktor Krum.” The whole Hall went wild again, the Durmstrang
students chanting and fist pumping in Bulgarian. Hermione was grinning fit to bear, clapping
politely, as the famous seeker met her gaze before standing and following the same way Cedric and
Fleur had gone. Harry wanted to scowl at her behavior but just barely refrained, not wanting to give
away how he felt about her since he knew it would never be reciprocated.

Chatter had just broke out through the Great Hall when the Goblet turned blue once more and the
flames shot out the top. Another slip of parchment flew through the air and Dumbledore just barely
caught it before it hit the ground. Harry had a bad feeling when he saw the look of fury on the
Headmaster’s face.

“Harry Potter.” Harry felt his heart drop into his gut and he couldn’t move, he couldn’t even speak.
He knew exactly how Hermione had felt after thinking that Moody had killed her mother. Hermione
reached out and squeezed his knee, her nails digging into the skin there. Dumbledore sounded livid
as he spoke again.

“Harry Potter.” Harry wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do until Hermione elbowed him sharply.

“You have to go up there. I’ll get daddy up here. Don’t worry.” Harry felt his himself loosen up just
a little at her words and nodded. He rose to his feet and once he was standing, he was surprised to
find that Hermione went to her feet and started applauding as hard as she could. Draco and Juliet
were quick to follow, Daphne was on her feet next. The rest of the fourth year Slytherins aside from
Theo were next. By the time Harry made his way to the Dumbledore, the whole Hall was
applauding him. The Headmaster said nothing, just gestured for him to go through the room behind
the High Table where the rest of the champions had gone.

Harry went through the door to find that the champions were conversing quietly with their
Headmasters, or Headmistress in Fleur’s case. Cedric was speaking quietly with Professor
McGonagall while Severus and Moody watched on in silence. When they all realized that he was
watching them, Fleur frowned at him.

“Do zey need us out zere?” Harry shook his head but said nothing. His Head of House narrowed her
eyes at him while Severus strode his way. He laid a heavy hand on his shoulder, trying to look
intimidating but in actuality probing gently on his mind. Harry put the memory to the forefront of his
mind and let the man view it.

“What have you done, Potter?” There was a familiar sneer on his face but he could feel the almost
gentle caress of the man’s mind against his, showing that he wasn’t angry at him. He was saved from
answering by the Headmaster flying through the doors and slamming Harry into the wall behind him.
His hand banged painfully off the wall and he heard his Head of House howl in protest.

“Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry?” Harry shook his head.

“No, Headmaster, I would never do that. I was looking forward to a year where I didn’t have to face
certain death.” Even though it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes since his name had come
out of the Goblet, the door banged open and his godfather strode in, his wand in hand. Everyone
could see the insanity reflecting there as he pointed it at Dumbledore.

“You release my godson right now or I’ll kill you where you stand.” Harry watched as Hermione,
Draco, and Juliet rushed through the door and over to him, Hermione taking his arm and pulling him
away from the Headmaster and into the midst of them. As a group, they pulled him behind her father.
Sirius was positively growling.

“I’ve allowed a lot of things to happen in this school, Albus, but make no mistake. Anyone who
touches my godson will meet the business end of my wand.” Harry could feel Hermione trembling
against him and he wrapped an arm around her, holding her close while his other arm held Juliet tight
in a hug against the front of him. Dumbledore held his hands up in surrender and Sirius finally slid
his wand back up his sleeve.

“I apologize. I wasn’t trying to harm the boy, I’m trying to figure out what is going on here. There
was an age line drawn around the Goblet, he shouldn’t have been able to enter his own name.”
Harry breathed in deep, memorizing Hermione’s scent.

“I didn't enter my own name. I didn’t even go near the bloody Goblet.” Dumbledore narrowed his
eyes.

“Did you have one of the older students put your name in?” Harry shook his head vehemently.
Hermione, though she was still trembling slightly, sneered his way.

“Harry would never enter his name in something like this. The fact that you disbelieve him is
insulting.” The Headmaster sighed again and Harry thought he heard Draco softly chuckling next to
him.

“I’m not trying to be insulting. I’m worried about how this happened. Harry now has to compete to
the best of his ability or he’ll lose his magic.” Sirius looked as if he had been punched in the gut.
Apparently, Hermione hadn’t filled him in completely. However, he rallied quickly.

“That may be, but don’t for a second think I’m going down without a fight. I’ll be contacting
Jamison Leevy directly after leaving here. I’m sure that he’ll have something to say about this
whether it’s good or bad. He’s the best solicitor in magical Britain when it comes to magical
contracts.” Dumbledore nodded, clearly relieved.

“Very good, I hope that he can find a way around Harry having to compete. This is a disaster.”
Madam Maxime sounded quite put out when she spoke.

“Dis is not fair. Hogwarts should not get anozzer champion while we get only one.” Dumbledore
nodded and turned to Crouch, Sr., who had entered at some point.
“What are your thoughts on the matter, Barty?” Crouch appeared contemplative for a few moments
before speaking.

“We have no say in the matter. Lord Black is going to do all he can to get the Potter scion out of the
competition. If that cannot happen, he must compete. The Goblet has gone out so there is no null and
voiding the contract now, let alone asking for more champions. These champions will stand if he is
forced to compete.” Though nobody looked happy about it, nobody said anything against his word.
Slowly but surely, the other champions and their Heads left to go celebrate with the rest of their
students. Finally, it was just Harry, his family, Dumbledore, Severus, McGonagall, and Moody left.
Severus broke the silence.

“You know the boy’s bait, Albus.” Harry still had his arm around Hermione so he felt her breath
hitch but she was otherwise silent. Sirius looked livid but it was McGonagall that beat them all in
speaking.

“We can’t let him compete when he’s bait. He’s fourteen, and they’re fully qualified wizards and
witches. He’ll be slaughtered.” It was Draco that spoke next.

“We can’t let him lose his magic. Besides, he won’t be alone. He’ll have Hermione and I to help
him, not to mention Remus and Madam Cambridge. Trust me, he’ll be prepared.” Moody spoke
next.

“I’ll help the boy prepare as well.” Sirius turned a cold eye to Moody now.

“You won’t go near my godson. If I remember correctly, there is supposed to be no help from the
school personnel. Remus and Madam Cambridge don’t count since they aren’t employed by
Hogwarts but by me personally. Like I told you before, stay away from my family. In fact, that goes
for Juliet now as well.” Moody glared at his godfather but remained silent. It was Dumbledore that
finally spoke.

“As much as I hope that Harry doesn’t have to compete, I am certain that he will have to. This being
said, if he does compete, we can discover who has set him up and why. I think that we should all
keep a very close eye on the situation and report anything that we might consider to be suspicious.”
Moody snorted.

“You don’t consider having a Death Eater from abroad in house suspicious?” The Headmaster
sighed as he turned to Severus.

“Watch over Igor.” Severus gave him a sharp nod though Harry knew that he hadn’t even needed to
have it asked of him. Sirius spoke again.

“I think I need to speak to my family before I leave.” Dumbledore nodded and started to usher
everyone out. Sirius spoke again.

“Please have Professor Snape stay so he can escort my children back to the dungeons. I’ll place him
under a silencing charm myself. I can take Juliet and Harry back to Gryffindor Tower myself.” Harry
wanted to grin. He had just made sure that Severus was able to stay for their family discussion. Once
everyone else was gone and privacy wards and silencing charms were put up, Sirius sighed heavily.

“Any ideas who would do this to you, pup?” Harry reluctantly released Hermione and Juliet and
raked a hand through his hair.

“No, I mean, the only people who hate me enough is Voldemort. Sure, there are a couple people that
don’t like me but they’re all too young to put my name in.” HIs godfather sighed again.
“I figured as much. You have any ideas, Severus?” The Slytherin shook his head.

“As much as I hate to agree with Moody about anything, I do think it’s possible that Karkaroff could
be behind it. He turned on all the Death Eaters at the end of the first war and killing off Harry Potter
would be a sure way to put himself back in good graces. However, I never got the impression that he
was bright enough to fool a powerful magical artefact.” Sirius nodded.

“Alright, well it’s better than nothing I suppose. I know it’s cheating, but if I can’t get him out of
competing, can I count on you to help him out in training as well?” Severus looked offended.

“I can’t believe you even have to ask.” Sirius barked a laugh.

“I would never assume old friend.” He paused for only a second. “You aren’t coming around as
much.” Severus shook his head.

“It’s hard to get away with Moody up my arse all the time. He’s convinced that I’m doing everything
in my power to bring back the Dark Lord.” Sirius gave him a rueful smile.

“We understand. You’re missed though.” Severus nodded but said nothing. Sirius turned back to
Harry and the rest of them.

“I want the four of you to watch out for each other. There is something going on behind the scenes
and we don’t know what. You’re all smart and so be on the lookout. Help Harry train like Draco
said. I’ll be in touch.” Hermione was first, floating into her father’s arms and hugging him close. He
kissed her forehead and whispered softly in her ear, though Harry couldn’t hear about what. After
she parted, Draco stepped forward and shook his hand before snagging Hermione’s hand and pulling
her towards Severus. However, Hermione stopped and turned back to Harry, pulling him into a
quick hug.

“You aren’t alone. We have your back and you’re family now. We’ll get through this.” Her words
touched him but he could only nod and smile at her gratefully. He watched her throw herself into her
godfather’s arms, telling him how much she missed being able to see him whenever she wanted to.
They disappeared with her excited chatter.

Sirius gestured for Harry and Juliet to follow him and they were both quick to follow after him. They
were quiet as he led them through Hogwarts to the seventh floor where Gryffindor Tower was
located. He felt like someone was watching him and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tabby cat
perched in a window seat. Realizing that it was Professor McGonagall making sure that they made it
back to the Tower alright, he filed the feeling to the back of his mind and focused on his godfather as
he hugged Juliet close. Their farewell wasn’t as heartwarming as Hermione’s but that was to be
expected. After he released her, she gave Harry a merry wave and disappeared into the portrait hole.
Sirius turned to Harry and raked a hand through his hair.

“I’m going to do my best to get you out of this, pup. I don’t like this and I don’t like using you as
bait. Your mum would have my hide if she were alive right now.” Harry chuckled, knowing he
should be far more worried than he actually was. He laid a hand on his godfather’s arm.

“I know you will, Sirius. When my name was first called, I was freaking out. Hermione had to elbow
me and tell me to go up there. She told me she was going to get you. Then you showed up and the
three of them were right behind you, Severus too. Draco told everyone that not only would he and
Hermione help me, so would Remus. Honestly, I’m not that scared because for the first time, I don’t
feel like I’m doing this alone. I feel like I have someone backing me up, helping me out. I know
you’re worried and I still want you to try to get me out of it but if you can’t, don’t make yourself sick
over it. It’s going to be okay.” Sirius pulled him into a rough hug for a few moments before releasing
him and ruffling his hair.

“Your parents would be proud of you. I know I am.” Harry grinned at him but didn’t say anything
else, just climbed through the portrait hole. He didn’t think that anything could bring him down.

How wrong he was.

The whole common room was full and they were apparently all waiting for him. Ron, Seamus, and
Dean were the ones at the front, all extremely pissed off. Neville and the twins were further back and
while they did look agitated, they didn’t look angry. Ron immediately stepped forward and glared.

“How’d you do it?” Harry couldn’t believe that his best mate would think that he would put his own
name in the Goblet.

“I didn't. Why in the fuck would I put my name in the Goblet of Fire to compete in a tournament
where I’m three years younger in age and magic than the other competitors?” Ron scoffed at him.

“You’re so full of shite. We all know you did it. The least you could have done was tell us all how
you did it so we could have all had a chance at the money.” Harry should have known that was what
it would boil down to. However, his best mate was calling him a liar and he wasn’t going to stand for
that. He pulled his wand and held it aloft.

“I swear on my magic that I didn’t enter my own name into the Goblet of Fire and I didn’t ask
anyone to enter it for me. So mote it be.” There was the customary flash from the tip of his wand and
gasps around the room. However, Ron scoffed again.

“Oh please, you’re best mates with Black and Malfoy, the two best students in school. You’re telling
me they haven’t taught you how to fake a magical vow?” Harry couldn’t believe that Ron was acting
like this. Some of the people in Gryffindor looked convinced while others didn’t. Therefore, he didn't
feel bad when he started laughing in his friend’s face. Ron’s face turned so red it was purple.

“If you’re stupid enough to believe that tripe, go for it. I really don’t care what you believe. I guess I
know who my real friends are.” Without waiting for anyone to say a word, Harry made his way for
the stairs to his dorm. However, he was stopped by Neville. The twins were standing behind him,
clearly in agreement with his words.

“We want you to know that we believe you, Harry. We tried to tell everyone that you wouldn’t do
this but they all told us we were stupid to believe that.” Harry gave them a forced grin.

“Thanks, guys. You’re true friends and I appreciate it. Guess I’ll be spending more time at the
Slytherin table. You’ll all be welcome there, you know.” All three grinned at him.

“We’ll see you there in the morning, Harry.” Harry nodded and continued on his way.

He was ready for bed and in his honest opinion, he had earned it.

-O-

Sirius swirled his firewhiskey around in his glass as he watched the flames. He had just sent off his
letter to Jamison Leevy, telling him to come to Black Moor at eleven the next morning. He hoped
against hope that Harry was wrong, that they were all wrong, that he would be able to get out of
competing, but he wasn’t going to hold his breath.

Harry’s words to him had touched him deep down. To know that his boy no longer felt as though he
was alone meant that Sirius was finally doing his job, that he was finally among his family as he
should have been from the start. He could only hope that James and Lily would approve. While he
knew that neither approved of Severus and his life choices or Lucius and his, they had both made
amends and changed their ways. He hoped that they would approve of them now.

Sirius had caught the way that Harry had wrapped his arm around Hermione. He knew that the boy
had it bad for her and he was glad to see that she was finally warming up to him. It warmed his heart
to see his family the way it should have been from the start. Juliet being thrown in was just icing on
the cake. Harry seemed to adore Juliet as well, and she him.

Sirius still didn’t have a wonderful relationship with the girl but that was to be expected. This had
only been the third time that he had met her but they did exchange letters all the time. He was
learning all about her and couldn’t wait for the holidays so he could spend time with her on a more
one on one basis. Hermione didn’t seem to mind that he wanted to cultivate a relationship with her so
he hoped that it held and she wouldn’t mind him spending time with her at Christmas.

However, his letters to and from Harry revealed that Juliet was closest to Hermione. That made
things easier for Sirius, knowing that his heir already loved his youngest daughter. According to his
godson, she did. Truthfully, he wished that the relationship with her mother was going half as well
but he couldn’t say that in the least.

Helena had agreed to let Juliet take her rightful place in the Black family but that was as far as her
involvement had went. While Sirius had made clear that he would like to reconcile and pick up
where they had left off, she had made clear that she wasn’t interested. When he had pressed her as to
why, even though he knew why, she had told him that she didn’t think that she could ever truly trust
him to be there for her again because he had left her when she had needed him the most.

Sirius understood that, as that was exactly how he felt about Remus. However, they shared a child
together and he wasn’t going to go down without a fight. If they were going to fail, then he was
going to be able to say that he gave it everything he had and there was nothing else that he could
have done to sway her to give him another chance. When he had told her that, she had laughed at
him. It had instantly pissed him off but he had bitten his tongue and restrained his magic; after all, this
was the first step to proving to her that he was serious.

Since that day, they had met a couple times for coffee to compare notes on Juliet and how she was
doing in school and make plans for the holiday. Helena wanted to split their time over the holiday but
Sirius had vetoed that, telling her that Juliet would be sad to not get to see her mother the whole time.
He had invited her to Black Moor over the holiday and had basically bullied her into accepting it. It
had taken over an hour but she had finally capitulated. Sirius considered it a hard won victory but
knew that he was going to have to bring his A game to keep her from thinking he was a completely
selfish wanker for ditching her to her impoverished muggle home while pregnant while he lived in
luxury.

Sirius threw back the rest of his whiskey and stood up; he needed to get to bed so he could meet up
with Lucius before Leevy arrived in the morning. If the blond could swing it, Sirius wanted him to
be there as well. They always worked better as a team. He would need to catch him before he went
to the Wizengamot.

With one last sigh, he headed up the stairs to put himself to bed. Tomorrow was going to be another
long day.

A/N- Holy balls, guys, how’s that for getting back in the game? I hope you all enjoyed it! I am
getting used to this new laptop so it’s been a little slow going but thanks for being patient. Anyways,
thanks again for being such awesome readers. Leave me a message after the beep and tell me what
ya think.
Next chapter, Harry discovers what the first task is.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 68

A/N- I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed the comeback chapter. I’m telling you, it felt good to finally
publish one. Anyways, I’m glad to hear that you all seemed to enjoy it. Thanks again for the being
the completely awesome bunch that you are. You show me so much support and you have no idea
how much I appreciate it. Enough for now, I really just wanna get another chapter out!!

Disclaimer: None of this story belongs to me and I haven’t made any money from this story or any
other. I’m still a broke bitch so…

Chapter 68
November 12, 1994

Hermione watched as Harry made his way over to the Slytherin table for breakfast. Juliet was
already seated by her and was going on about the latest test she had had in Transfiguration, worrying
over every last question in much the same fashion Hermione had as a small child. Draco was on her
other side but chatting with Blaise and Greg about some professional quidditch match that was
supposed to be happening that upcoming weekend.

Harry plopped down next to Daphne across from Hermione and reached for toast. He gave her a
small grin and she couldn’t help but notice how tired he looked. Not that she blamed him. Hogwarts
as a whole were complete arsehole wankers and were refusing to speak to him even though he had
taken a vow on his magic that he hadn’t entered his own name into the Goblet of Fire. While she
wasn’t surprised about Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, she was surprised about Gryffindor. They were
supposed to be the loyal house and they had turned on him quicker than a snitch.

It was for this reason that he had been adopted by the snakes full time. Sure, most of them had
believed that he had entered his own name as well. However, they had been impressed that he had
gotten around the age line drawn by the Headmaster. When they learned that he had taken a vow on
his magic, they had instantly believed him, most of them being from old families and knowing
exactly what could happen if he lied while performing one of those and knowing perfectly well that
one of those couldn’t be faked. After that, he had been fully embraced by the snakes.

Still, she knew that it hurt to be exiled by his own house. The only lions that had believed him and
still talked to him were Neville and the twins and truth be told, they sat with them at the Slytherin
table more often than not. Ron, Seamus, and Dean managed to call them all traitors at least once a
day which made Hermione want to curse them but Harry always told her to just leave it alone and let
him handle it. She was always reluctant but capitulated in the end.

Juliet turned her attention to Harry and started telling him about the same Transfiguration test and
how she thought her mother was going to take it if she failed it. Harry laughed in the appropriate
places and Hermione realized that the first year was trying to cheer him up. Juliet was a constant
surprise to her and now that Hermione had heard from her mother, she couldn’t help but wonder if
she was part of the reason why.

*Flashback*

Hermione was seated at the breakfast table with Draco and Harry, Juliet was off with her friends at
the library trying to cram for a test. They had just heard from her father about the Tournament and his
meeting with Mr. Leevy the day before. Harry was going to have to compete to the best of his
abilities or face the consequences of losing his magic. None of them were happy about it but Harry
seemed the least worried about it. When he had been asked about it by Hermione, he had told her
that for once in his life, he didn’t feel like he was alone when he was facing something dangerous.
Hermione had merely snorted at him and told him that he had never been alone, he had just never
known about it.

An owl swooped down, a beautiful tawny owl with yellow eyes, and landed in front of her. The
letter had a woman’s script on the outside, spelling out her name so Hermione was quick to detach
the letter. The owl didn't wait around for a response so she assumed that either one wasn’t needed or
they knew that she had owls available to her. She quickly spelled the letter open, surprised at the
number of hexes on it, and began to read.

Hermione,

I hope you don’t think this is presumptuous of me to write but I wanted to thank you for taking Juliet
under your wing and caring for her. She’s never had anyone care for her but me so I’m sure that it’s
a novel experience for her, one that she’s absolutely adoring.

I know that we know nothing of each other’s situation but I want to remedy that. I know that you
know your father wants to reconcile with me but I’m resisting. There are times that I think I should
give in for Juliet’s sake but I’m leery of doing so because of my past history. I’m going to share that
with you in hopes that you will help Juliet understand when I finally tell her the truth. I hope this isn’t
too much to ask or makes you uncomfortable.

My mother was a muggleborn witch who couldn’t find work in France. Her parents had died and she
was struggling in the wizarding side of the world. She had just about given up when an older
gentleman passed her in the equivalent of your Diagon Alley. He stopped her and asked to buy her
coffee and a scone.

As it turned out, he was a pureblood lord who was married and already had an heir. His wife
couldn’t stand him, their marriage had been arranged, and he thought my mother was beautiful. He
offered to put her up as his mistress and since my mother was desperate, she accepted. Over time, she
fell in love with him and he with her. It was a complete accident that she fell pregnant with me.

I was born and they were both thrilled. His wife, less so. His son hated me and made no secret of it
through the years. It was when I was almost sixteen that he came for me, determined to kill me. My
mother was there and protected me. She called for my father and when he arrived, he ended up
killing his son in protection of me. It broke him, somehow. Not only did he kill my mother in his fit
of sorrow, he killed his wife as well.

He made me his heir, however. He wouldn’t let me leave the house and he was scared to death that
something would happen to me. He was paranoid and I think that at the end his thoughts were
turning inappropriate. Just after I turned seventeen, I served him tea laced with Dreamless Sleep and
escaped to Britain, hiding in the muggle world, pretending to be a muggle rather than a half blood. I
know that he searches for me still, I pop back over to France once a year to see if he’s still alive.

I loved him very much once upon a time and I wish that I could introduce him to Juliet but I could
never do that and hope that he wouldn’t fixate on her. He would try to do everything in his power to
take her from me. I know your father thinks that I was just trying to do the right thing by letting him
claim her as his but in truth, I was protecting her from him. My father is a pureblood lord but not an
ancient and noble pureblood lord.

I had genuine feelings for your father before I realized who he was but now I’m scared to death what
could happen if I trusted another lord. I know this is a lot to put on your shoulders, you’re only
fifteen after all, but eventually, I’ll have to tell Juliet everything. I ask that you help her understand
why I kept this from her, why I kept her grandfather from her.
I beg you, will you help me?

Humbly yours,

Helena Bardon

Hermione was stunned at what she had read. She wondered if her father knew this story. Without
second thought, she handed the letter to Draco and let him read it. Harry looked on curiously, and
when Draco finished it Hermione handed it to him. It took him just a bit longer to finish it but when
he finished it, he handed it back. Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

“Are you going to show that to your father?” Hermione grinched up her face but finally shook up her
head.

“No, she trusted me with the information. She’ll tell him when she trusts him not to be like her father.
Until then, we’re going to be silent and then help Juliet when she finally tells her the truth.” Both
boys nodded their agreement.

In that moment, she got the thought that they were both just following her lead.

*End of Flashback*

They had Transfiguration first so while Hermione was unworried, the rest of the snakes couldn’t say
that. They were all despairing since McGonagall had promised them a test. Hermione was checking
her satchel to make sure that she had all the texts that she was going to need for the day when the
table went completely silent around her. She raised her head to see just what had happened and
found Viktor standing behind her. The bell rang in that moment. She went to her feet and Viktor
took her hand, bowing over it and brushing the lightest of kisses over her knuckles.

“May I escort you to class, Miss Black?” Hermione knew that her cheeks were pink but she curtsied
to him anyways.

“Yes, Mr. Krum.” When she came out of her curtsy, Viktor was standing straight and was offering
her his arm. She curled her hand into his elbow and allowed him to lead her out of the Great Hall.
She knew that Draco and Harry were following closely behind but that didn’t matter. This was the
first time that she was being escorted somewhere without a technical chaperone and it was by Viktor
Krum, the first boy to have the courage to ask her since she was old enough, not when she was
eleven.

“Vhat class do you haff?” She tried to will her cheeks to lose their color.

“Transfiguration. Aren’t you going to be late for class?” Viktor chuckled.

“I haff free period. You are very beautiful vitch.” Hermione frowned just a little. Sure, she liked
knowing that a wizard found her attractive but she wanted them to know she was smart too.

“I’m afraid if that’s all you noticed about me, you shouldn’t waste your time escorting me again, Mr.
Krum. While every witch appreciates being told they’re beautiful, they like being noticed for their
other personality traits too.” Viktor burst out laughing and Hermione wasn’t sure what to think about
that. When he finally quieted, he turned amused eyes to her, he reached out and brushed a wisp of
hair back behind her ear.

“You adorable vitch. I only say beautiful because that’s vhat most vitch’s vant to hear. I know you
love horses, you smart, you love family, and you loyal. You also most beautiful vitch I ever see.”
Hermione had no idea how he knew those things about her but he clearly didn’t just think that she
was beautiful. Therefore, she smiled at him before looking to the ground at her feet.

“I think you’re quite handsome as well but I don’t know anything about you except you play
quidditch. Tell me about yourself.” He was quiet for a few moments before speaking.

“I play seeker for Bulgarian National Team. I am heir for House Krum and have little brother and
sister. Mother is healer. Favorite subject is Dark Arts and have crup.” Hermione felt a little uneasy at
hearing that his favorite class was Dark Arts but it was hard to hold onto that when he gave her an
easy smile. However, it had to end there because they were just outside the Transfiguration
classroom. Viktor bent over her hand and kissed her knuckles once more so she curtsied again.

“I vill see you again.” Hermione gave him a nod and before she could speak, he was gone. Daphne
was on her before she could even take in a breath.

“Sweet Merlin, Viktor Krum just escorted you to class!” Hermione let out a breathy laugh and let her
best friend pull her into class. She could see Pansy glaring at her but she said nothing. Draco didn’t
look thrilled but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. It was Harry that looked livid. Once
they were all seated, he leaned over and hissed in her direction.

“You’re insane for letting an older man walk you to class. It’s clear that he only wants one thing
from you, well, two. Your name and your fortune. You’re fifteen and he’s eighteen.” Hermione was
scared to death that he was right so she knew that she was far more hateful than she should have
been.

“You don’t get to tell me who I can spend time with, Potter. I was publicly escorted, not spending
time in an alcove. It’s not like I was snogging or worse with him like you do with your fuck toys.
Don't you dare judge me. Those girls only want you for your fame, your money, and your title. They
are no different so don't you dare act like you're different.” Harry reared back as if she had slapped
him and while she felt bad that she had been so hateful, she didn’t feel bad that she had put him in his
place. She didn’t tell him who he could spend time with so why did he get the right to tell her who
she could spend time with? Draco just sat back and smirked at the pair of them and Hermione glared
at him.

Professor McGonagall entered and immediately called the room to order before passing out the test
that they were scheduled to have over cross-species switches. Hermione was quick to fill in the
answers and hand it in, not even checking her answers. Draco was right behind her, Harry not far
behind him. It really was boring sometimes to know that you were so far ahead that your classes
were literally no challenge whatsoever.

After all the tests were handed in, McGonagall dismissed them even though it was just a few minutes
early. Honestly, though, it was for the best since they had Care of Magical Creatures next. Hermione
quickly gathered her things and flounced out of the classroom, not bothering to wait for anyone. She
could hear Draco chuckling softly in the background but she didn’t care.

Hermione made it clear out of the castle before she felt a soft hand on her elbow, gently turning her
to look back. Harry was looking at her, contrite. She felt her heart soften just a little but she refused
to give in without a heartfelt apology. He released her and raked a hand through his hair.

“I’m sorry, Mia, I shouldn’t have been an arsehole. I know that I have no right to tell you who you
can spend time with. I don’t want to control you, I swear it. I just worry about some boy using you.
Trust me, I know what the girls want from me and I’ve protected myself. No girl will trap me until I
want to be trapped and that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. I’m learning that things are different
for women in the wizarding world and I just want to protect you from being used. I should have
gone about it better though and I’m so sorry.” Hermione felt her heart clench at his words about
protecting himself from other girls. While she was happy that he was protecting himself from other
girls, she hated that he was doing it too. It was just another reminder that he was intimate with other
girls and she wasn’t good enough for him. However, she tried to ignore those feelings and focus on
how she felt about his apology.

“Thank you. I know you mean well and it means the world that you care. Trust me, I can take care
of myself.” Harry smiled at her and she could tell that he didn’t believe her but since he didn’t say
anything, she let it go. After all, he was entitled to his opinion.

“Friends again?” She smiled and nodded again. He offered her his arm and she could admit that she
was surprised. She had never seen him offer his arm to anyone and she didn’t think that she would
ever see him do so to her.

“Let me atone for my mistake, Miss Black, and escort you the rest of the way to Care of Magical
Creatures.” She could tell that he was trying to lighten the mood and be funny so she did the same,
making a show of taking his arm and then dragging him along, not letting him escort her at all. Draco
and Daphne had caught up and were laughing at them, as were the rest of the Slytherins. Hermione
had to admit that it was fun but once they reached Hagrid, she knew that she had to pull back just a
little. The last thing she needed to do was give herself hope that there was something there when
there wasn’t. Sure, they could slowly build into friendship but she didn’t need to lie to herself and tell
herself that he was interested in her.

Hagrid started his lecture on kneazles and Hermione compared her notes to what the half-giant was
saying in his lecture. Since she was the only person in the school with a kneazle as a familiar, Hagrid
had gone through Uncle Sev and asked if he could use Tenebris as a demonstration since they were
quite rare. Hermione had asked Tenebris and he had been agreeable.

Just thinking about the conversation made her sad. She missed being able to see her godfather all the
time. Moody was up his arse all the time and she didn’t get to see him often at all. While Draco was
her rock, Uncle Sev had always been there for her while Draco had been too busy with his own life.
Granted, it still happened since he was seeing several girls now, not just Pansy but he did try to keep
the times to a minimum. It was just frustrating that she never got to see a man that was so important
to her.

Tenebris appeared at precisely the right time and allowed Hermione to set him on a stump and allow
everyone to admire him. Most of the girls thought that he was beautiful and the boys were merely
indifferent. Since kneazles were extremely good judges of character, it was clear who Hermione felt
it prudent to keep a distance of. After her conversation with Viktor, she thought about introducing
them and seeing how Tenebris reacted to him.

Hagrid assigned them homework, an essay on kneazles and their traits that are useful as familiars
before the bell rang dismissing them to lunch. Hermione gathered her belongings and put them in her
bag and offered to carry Tenebris, who gladly took her up on the offer. Hagrid, however, called out
for Harry to stay behind and speak with him. Hermione shot him a worried glance but Harry just
waved her off and promised to see them at lunch.

Draco walked with her back towards the castle, discussing their upcoming Defense lesson with
Remus that afternoon. While they had started out as Defense lessons, after Harry had learned that he
was going to have to compete, they had turned into training sessions. Hermione and Draco would
train with him mercilessly, doing their best to make sure that he would be ready for anything that
would come his way. Remus and Madam Cambridge would confer and do their best to come up
with a plan to make sure that they covered as much information as they could. It was exhausting but
they were doing all they could to make sure that Harry survived.
Hermione let Tenebris down once they were inside the castle and he hurried off, after a mouse she
was sure. They found their way to the Slytherin table where Juliet was already seated and munching
her way through a sandwich. Hermione had just spooned herself up a bowl of soup when Harry
came through the door and she couldn’t decide if he looked angry or stricken.

-O-

Harry waited until everyone was gone before approaching Hagrid. He hadn’t realized that when he
had walked off towards the back of his hut that he was meeting with someone but that was exactly
what he was doing. Who he was meeting, however, threw him for a loop.

Charlie Weasley.

Harry had only met him the one time over the summer at the Quidditch World Cup. Charlie and Bill
had both been polite and respectful to Harry’s new family, more than he could have hoped for since
that now included the Malfoys. Now the meeting from the night before telling them that the first task
would be held November 24th made sense and he had a very good idea of just what that task would
be. Hagrid could see that he had connected the dots but decided to say the words anyways.

“Harry, Charlie ‘n me fel’ tha’ you deserve ta know.” Harry nodded and Charlie took over.

“I sent Ron a letter yesterday and told him to tell you but I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t warn you
myself. The first task is dragons. There will be four different kinds and you’ll have to draw to see
which kind you get. I’m not sure what you’ll be doing but I know that you’ll have to get past nesting
mothers. That’s no mean feat. It’s going to be bloody hard. I wish I could tell you how to do it but I
could give you some pointers if you needed it.” Harry, for the first time since he had learned that he
was going to have to compete, was scared. He finally nodded.

“Yeah, that would be great. If you could write them down and owl them to me, I’d really appreciate
it. I don’t mean to be ungrateful but I don’t think I’d remember anything you told me right now after
hearing that.” Charlie clapped him on the shoulder and gave a short chuckle.

“I understand. No worries there, mate. I’ll write it down tonight and send it to you in the morning.”
Harry nodded.

“Thanks, I owe you.” A thought occurred to him.

“You told Ron yesterday?” Charlie nodded and frowned.

“He hadn’t told you?” Harry shook his head.

“No, he hasn’t spoke to me since my name came out of the Goblet.” Charlie closed his eyes briefly
and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Harry. I wish I could make excuses for him. I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t have shite
to do with him after this.” Harry felt cold all over but nodded.

“I’ll talk to him but I don’t know if I can be friends with him if he didn’t tell me on purpose.” Charlie
nodded.

“I understand. I hate to but I have to run. I should probably tell you that Karkaroff and Maxime were
out there when the dragons arrived. I guarantee you they told their champions.” Harry nodded. That
meant that Cedric was the only one who didn’t know. He would have to tell him otherwise he would
be woefully unprepared.
Harry wished them good day and made his way to the castle for lunch. Just thinking about Ron
knowing that he was going to face a dragon and not telling him was making him feel sick inside.
Even if he was mad, he was supposed to be his best mate. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able
to stay calm while he questioned his friend.

Harry entered the Great Hall and took his seat at the Slytherin table like he usually did. He could see
Hermione looking at him with worry in her eyes and Draco was looking at him oddly as well. Juliet
was oblivious, of course, but he expected nothing else. Hermione was just getting ready to open her
mouth when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see Ron standing there, his hand
rubbing the back of his neck.

“Harry, can I talk to you when you have a free few minutes?” Harry wondered if this was going to
be him warning him so he decided to give him a chance.

“Yeah. We have a double Defence but we can talk after dinner.” Ron nodded and walked back
towards the Gryffindor table. Draco narrowed his eyes at him.

“Tell us what the fuck is going on.” Harry shook his head.

“Not here. I’ll tell everyone at Defense.” Draco cocked his head at him but eventually nodded.
Hermione had worry in her eyes but kept quiet.

Harry dished himself up a bowl of soup and a few sandwiches but had lost his appetite. However, he
knew that he would need his strength for Defense so he forced himself to eat two sandwiches and a
full bowl of soup. There was conversation around him about quidditch and classes but he didn’t
participate in any of them; his mind was caught up in how to handle Ron and Cedric.

The bell finally rang and the three of them stood and gathered their bags while wishing Juliet well in
Herbology. Since she wasn’t allowed in class with Moody but couldn’t keep up with them in class
with Remus and Madam Cambridge, Hermione had agreed to tutor her from her notes from first year
at the same time that Draco was teaching Harry French. They hadn’t gotten very far yet but Harry
seemed to be picking it up pretty quickly.

Once they had found their way to the room they used for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Remus
was there waiting for them. They were quick to shed their robes as per their usual and once they
were down to just their uniform, Hermione and Draco turned to face Harry. Remus gave them an
odd look.

“What’s going on?” Harry sighed and raked a hand through his already messy hair.

“Hagrid asked me to stay after Care of Magical Creatures. I met with Charlie Weasley. They both
warned me what the first task was.” They all looked confused but he had expected that. They didn’t
know the Weasleys like he did. Harry sighed and waited for the fall out.

“Charlie told me that he told Ron yesterday what the first task was and told him to warn me. He
hadn’t told me yet but I suspect that’s what he wanted at lunch. He also told me that Karkaroff and
Maxime were there when they arrived.” Hermione rolled her eyes.

“Just fucking tell us already.” Harry winced at her cursing.

“He said that we’re going to have to get past nesting mother dragons.” Hermione fell silent and sat
down, hard. Draco sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders while Remus started
pacing. This continued for almost ten minutes before Hermione broke the silence.

“They’re barmy. Somebody is going to die.” Draco snorted.

“I think that’s the point, Miney.” She leaned over and laid her head on his shoulder.

“We need to come up with a plan. What are a dragon’s weaknesses?” Harry sighed at logic.

“Charlie told me that he would write it all down and owl it to me in the morning.” Remus was
nodding as he continued to pace.

“Well everyone knows that a dragon’s weakest spot is it’s eye. I think that we’ll have to incorporate
that in whatever plan we come up with.” Harry nodded his head, sure that Remus was right. All of a
sudden, Draco started laughing. Hermione elbowed him in the side until he finally scowled at her.

“What’s so funny?” Draco chuckled again but kept it under control.

“I think we’re going about this the wrong way entirely. Harry’s going to face a dragon and what’s
the one thing that he’s bloody brilliant at?” Harry wasn’t sure where he was going with this so he
kept quiet. Hermione looked confused as well so he didn’t feel so bad. Draco wrapped his arm
around her shoulder and started to shake her.

“He’s bloody amazing on a broom! He can outfly anyone! I say he summons a broom and flies past
this dragon.” Harry started to get excited. This was something that he could do; flying had never
posed an obstacle for him. Remus looked incredulous.

“You can really fly that well?” Hermione looked reluctant to nod her head but she did in the end.

“I hate to inflate his ego anymore but he really can. I think that Draco is right.” Remus sighed.

“Alright. I’ll run it by Sirius and Lucius but if Hermione and Draco think it’s our best offense I’m
sure they’ll agree. In the meantime, I think we should get out to the pitch and get Harry and Draco on
the pitch. Hermione and I will throw spells at the two of you from the ground. It isn’t a perfect
solution but for today, it’s a start. I’ll get with everyone tonight and we’ll draw up a better plan.”
Harry felt better instantly, plan in place and people helping him. Harry had one more thing to say that
he felt they had the right to know.

“I’m going to tell Cedric. Everyone else knows.” Draco snorted.

“Bloody lion. You don’t have to.” Hermione punched him in the shoulder.

“He does to, it wouldn’t be fair. Don’t be an arsehole.” Draco laughed and hugged her from the side.

“Miney, some days I wonder how you’re a snake.” They all laughed and Hermione huffed in
annoyance. Harry just smirked at them.

“Come on, you two. Let's get this party started.”

They all rose and started for the door, headed for the pitch.

-O-

Hermione knew that Harry was nervous about talking to Ron. He hadn’t said as much but it was
easy to see. He was supposed to be his best mate and it was bothering him that he hadn’t said
anything before now. While she was sure that he had every intention of talking to the redhead alone,
Hermione had no intention of letting him do so. Harry could be very gullible and she wasn’t going to
let the redhead make him believe a lie.

They entered the castle after leaving the quidditch pitch and sat at their usual spot at the Slytherin
table. There was roast chicken and potatoes on the table and they were all starving. Even Hermione
ate more than usual but she wasn’t sure why. The only difference between today and any other
defense lesson was that today was outside and the others were held inside. The boys, however, did
have to fly and dodge spells while shoot spells back. Hermione had to admit that they were
extremely good and they were only going to get better in the almost two weeks until the first task.

Juliet was seated at the Gryffindor table tonight and Daphne was sitting with Tracey and Millie,
going over some assignment of some sort. This meant that the three of them were largely left alone
since Pansy had taken to hanging off of Theo since she was angry at Draco for spending quality time
with two girls from Beauxbatons. They didn't waste their time eating since there were two
conversations that needed to be had that evening before they could go to bed.

Since they didn't waste time eating, they were finished quickly. Harry tried to stand and leave by
himself, but Hermione scoffed openly at him. Harry looked at her, confused. She and Draco both
stood and passed Harry and he was forced to hurry after them to catch up. Hermione raised a single
eyebrow at him as he started to speak.

“Were you really thinking that we were going to leave you to have these conversations by yourself?”
Harry started to stutter.

“Y-y-you don’t have to…” Hermione didn’t let him finish.

“We don’t have to, you’re right, but you’re family. That means that we’ve got your back and we’re
right there with you. Get used to it. Let’s do Cedric first.” Harry seemed like he was going to say
something for just a moment but then gave in a nodded. They started for the Hufflepuff table and
stopped by the seventh years end of the table. There was a pretty fifth year girl sitting there next to
Cedric, a Chinese girl named Cho Chang. Harry had a stupid look on his face that made clear that he
thought she was beautiful.

“Well, if it isn’t the fake Hogwarts’ champion. Have you come to ask Cedric for help and pointers?”
Harry was staring at the girl, not even aware that she was insulting him. Hermione was tempted to
continue to let her but knew that family honor wouldn’t allow it. She instead raised an eyebrow at the
girl.

“How do you know we haven’t come to offer Cedric help? Why don’t you run along and go flirt
with someone else? Let the big kids handle this conversation.” Chang glared at her.

“I’m older than you are, Black.” Hermione smirked at her.

“Really? I couldn’t tell at all. Maybe you should try acting like it. Seriously, get lost.” Cedric
watched in amusement as Chang huffed and left, irritation clear on her face. Harry watched her
leave, his eyes firmly on her arse. Hermione felt her heart shrink at his actions. It wasn’t until she was
out of sight that he finally turned his attention back to them. He seemed to realize that he had hurt her
feelings because he reached for her hand and she stepped out of his reach. Instead, she turned to
Cedric.

“Harry has some information that could help you in the first task. Right now, you’re the only one
who doesn’t have it and it wouldn’t be fair if you didn’t have it.” Cedric seemed to be admiring her
but at her words, he turned his attention fully to Harry. Harry, now clearly agitated, raked a hand
through his hair.

“I was tipped off today that the first task is dragons. We have to get past nesting mothers. I wasn’t
told anything else but that was enough. Maxime and Karkaroff were there when the dragons were
brought in so it’s safe to say that Fleur and Viktor know.” Cedric buried both his hands in his hair
and blew a heavy breath through his lips. He stayed like that for almost a full minute before pulling
himself together and offering Harry his hand. Harry took it and shook it.

“Thanks, mate. I appreciate your sense of fair play. I won’t forget this.” Harry nodded.

“No problem.” Hermione gave Cedric a final nod before starting toward the Gryffindor table. Harry
was trying to catch up to her but Hermione wasn't slowing down and she didn’t plan on it either.
Draco was behind the both of them so when just Hermione reached the lion’s table, she got more
than her fair share of odd looks. Harry rushed up behind her, his hand wrapping around her elbow
softly. She ignored him and met Weasley’s gaze.

“You wanted to talk to Harry?” He glared at her.

“I wanted to talk to him privately.” Hermione knew that if Harry hadn’t realized that she was angry
or hurt or whatever he thought, he would have told her to bugger off. However, since he knew that
she was angry or hurt or whatever she was, he let her have her way.

“I want Hermione and Draco there.” Ron glared at him now but he still stood up. He walked off and
didn’t bother to make sure that they were following. Hermione threw his hand off her arm and tried
to calm down. This was what she had been talking about. She needed to pull back because she was
getting her hopes up when there was no hope. She took a few deep breaths as she followed Weasley
into an empty classroom. She stayed by the door while Harry went further into the room and Draco
waited with her. Ron started to pace, hands raking through his red hair.

“First off, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. I know you didn’t put your name in that bloody Goblet and
I’m a right prick for not believing you when you vowed on your magic. I should have been a better
friend to you and I’m so bloody sorry that I wasn’t.” Harry was clearly torn as to what he was
supposed to say or do. However, he was saved from responding because Ronald wasn’t finished.

“I got a letter from Charlie yesterday at dinner. He told me that the first task is dragons, that you have
to get past nesting mothers. I tried to find you afterwards but Neville told me that you were out with
Ginny. I’m telling you, mate, you knock her up, my dad will make you marry her.” He sighed before
continuing.

“I fell asleep waiting on you to get back and then when I woke up you were gone. I didn’t want to
say anything in class and you were already with the snakes at lunch. I told you as soon as I could.
I’m assuming you’re trusting them with the information anyways.” Hermione felt even smaller after
hearing that bombshell about Ginny. Draco came over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders
and hugged her tight. She felt him kiss the side of her head and she just wanted to disappear. Harry,
however, didn’t even seem to notice.

“Why didn't you believe me?” Ron sighed.

“I was just jealous. We’re poor and that money would help us a lot. To be famous for winning would
be great.” Harry snorted.

“Yeah, well now you know I have to face a bloody dragon. Not really worth it if you ask me.” Ron
barked a laugh.

“Yeah, I know. Not my brightest moment.”

Hermione tuned them out as they made small talk for a few minutes. It seemed as though they made
up and were making plans to eat breakfast together. It was as though nothing had happened between
them and Hermione just didn't understand how that happened. However, it wasn’t her life so it
wasn’t her place to say anything. Finally, Ron seemed to remember that there was still dinner being
served in the Great Hall and bid them all farewell, promising Harry that he would see him later in the
common room. After he was gone, Hermione turned to leave after him but Harry spoke, bringing her
to a halt.

“What did I do?” Hermione sighed and decided to be truthful.

“Nothing. It was me. I was just expecting you to be different then you are and that wasn't fair. I’m
sorry. I shouldn’t have acted that way.” Harry still looked confused.

“I don't understand.” Hermione sighed.

“I thought that you were going to be more circumspect. My father never was either. It’s alright, I
shouldn’t have expected that of you. It was my fault.” Harry blew a breath out hard and took a step
and Hermione had to fight to not take a step back.

“I try to keep things discreet, Mia, I’m sorry. She was just so bloody beautiful.” She felt her heart
clench again but her torture wasn’t complete. He stepped forward and tucked a curl behind her ear.

“Nowhere near as beautiful as you though.” Hermione felt her heart stop but then remembered that
he never looked at her like he did Cho. He had just been confirmed to spending intimate time with
Ginny by Neville, one of her best friends. Therefore, she forced a smile to her face before turning to
Draco.

“I want to get a good night's sleep, I’m tired. Besides, I’m sure Harry wants to spend time with Ron.”
Draco wrapped his arm around her waist and nodded while Harry stepped forward and hugged her
quickly. He thanked them quickly for having his back and went about his way.

Draco was quick to lead her to the common room. Once there, she was quick to change her clothes
and find her way to the boys dorm and her cousin’s bed. He was already there, book propped up on
his chest. When he realized she was there, he threw back the blanket, inviting her in. She snuggled in
next to him and he held her close. She let a few tears spring free into his chest and he just stroked her
hair soothingly.

“Why am I not enough? I don’t understand.” He just shushed her quietly while she cried her silent
tears. Finally he spoke.

“You are enough, princess. You are more than enough, he’s just too stupid to see it. By the time he
does see it, you’ll be over him. Promise me you won’t wait for him. Promise me you’ll grab the
chance at happiness.” She nodded into his chest.

“I promise.” SHe sniffled. “I love you, Drake.” He kissed the top of her head.

“I love you too, Miney.”

-O-

Harry lay there in bed, unsure of what he had done wrong. He knew that Hermione had been lying
to him, he just wasn’t sure why. He had just spent time with Lavender in a chair in the common
room, snogging like mad. However, his heart hadn’t been in it and had gone to bed early.

It was clear that he had somehow upset Hermione. She had been allowing him to get close to her,
hug her and tease her like Draco did. That had changed abruptly when they had gone over to see
Cedric and come up against Cho Chang. He didn’t think for a second that it was because he hadn’t
been circumspect like she had said. He really wasn’t sure what that left though.
Harry did know that he didn’t like how it felt though. After knowing how it felt to be close to
Hermione, he hated being on her bad side again. He knew that she still had his back, he was family
after all, but he could already feel that she had pulled away. He was just unsure as to why. Maybe he
could get Draco by himself tomorrow and see if he would tell him, though he wasn’t holding his
breath. If there was one person in the world that Draco wasn't going to tell the secrets of, it was
Hermione.

Harry sighed. Maybe he could figure it all out tomorrow.

A/N- Another one bites the dust, y’all. Not quite as long as the last one but that’s alright. They can’t
all be novel length. I hope you guys liked this one. A little different from canon but that’s what keeps
this story fresh. Anyways, let me know what ya think, I like hearing your thoughts. They’re like
chocolate and whiskey shots.

Next chapter, the first task.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 69

A/N- Wow, guys, thanks for being so awesome and showing me so much support. It really means a
lot. I love that you guys leave so many reviews and send me so many PM’s telling me how much
you love my story and leaving me suggestions on how to make it better. It makes me smile every
day. I’m going to warn you, this chapter is going to be a trip so hang on. It’s going to be a wild ride.

**Shout out to featherdusterpixie for being my 3100th reviewer! You’re freaking awesome!!**

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything about this story. The original idea for Part One belongs to
Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to our queen. I haven’t made a single dime
from this story or any other. My bank account balance tells no lies.

Chapter 69
November 24, 1994

Hermione was so bloody nervous that it wasn’t even funny. Today was the day of the first task and
Harry was going to face a dragon. Draco was doing his best to keep her calm but to be honest, he
was failing miserably.

In the past two weeks since they had learned what the first task was, Harry and Draco had practiced
in the air against a simulator. She was unsure as to where her father had found it but it was something
that had been used in dragon reserves to train rookies before they actually faced off with dragons.
Harry had done wonderfully against the simulator so everyone was convinced that he could outfly
the dragon if need be. Hermione was the only one that was still worried sick.

Viktor had told her just three days ago that the whole school was talking about Harry warning Cedric
about the dragons. She wasn’t sure how they had found out since the whole things was supposed to
be a secret but she supposed that that was the nature of things at Hogwarts. The more things were
supposed to be a secret, the shorter time it took for it to spread.

The Bulgarian had been impressed with her family’s honor, complimenting Harry even though it
hadn't been to his face. She had wondered why he hadn’t done it to Harry but to her but she
supposed that it hadn’t mattered in the end. She had accepted it on his behalf. Harry had scowled
when she had passed it onto him and she hadn’t understood why. She had asked Draco but he had
just smirked at her and refused to answer her question.

Viktor had walked her to class six more times since the first time he had. She had taken Draco’s
advice to grasp happiness with both hands. Though she wasn’t entirely sure that Viktor was
interested in her seriously, she was enjoying his attention immensely. They hadn’t done anything
more than walk to class together but they had had stimulating conversation about many different
subjects that she had genuinely enjoyed. All the girls were jealous of her and while that really didn't
affect her much, it was nice to be looked up to for something other than her money or name for once.

Draco never said a word about Viktor escorting her to and from class, though Harry got huffy each
and every time. He never said a word to her about it though she did notice that he never strayed far
from her when he did. It was nice to have Harry close but she wished that he had stayed close
because he wanted to be close to her not because he was scared that the big bad Bulgarian was going
to do dirty rotten things to her and he needed to protect her.

Hermione had done as she had promised herself and pulled as far away from Harry as she could get
away with. She knew that he was confused as to why but she couldn’t help it. She had to protect her
heart and it wasn’t right for him to tease her either. Though, she really wasn’t sure if he was meaning
to tease her at all. However, that was how she had taken his “beautiful” comment and her heart
couldn’t take it. Therefore, she had pulled away. She was still his friend and still spent time with him
but she was no longer friendly with him like she was Draco.

Draco understood why she was doing what she was but Juliet was a different story. She had taken
Hermione aside just two days after the incident with Cho Chang and had asked her if she was mad at
Harry, if that was why she was acting so different around him. Hermione had assured her that she
wasn’t mad at him, that they were family. The young girl just didn’t understand but Hermione
couldn’t make her understand without telling her her secret and as much as Hermione loved her little
sister, that was a secret that she just wasn’t willing to share with anyone aside from Draco. He would
always be her first and foremost confidant.

Harry was currently at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, sitting with all his friends that wanted to
wish him well today. Technically, he wasn’t required to attend classes today but he had told
McGonagall that he would attend since he would just sit in the library by himself and worry. Of
course, his lion classmates had told him that he was crazy but Hermione didn’t blame him. She
would have sat there and worried incessantly.

Gryffindor as a whole had started treating him better after Ron had apologized to him and they had
made up. She wasn’t sure why they all followed the idiot redhead but they seemed to. It made
absolutely no sense to her. Harry had reported no further apologies but they had all welcomed him
back with open arms. Hermione thought that he was insane for just going back without a little
revenge for thinking the worst of him but she supposed that was the difference between her Slytherin
self and Harry’s lion self.

Since he was eating breakfast with his friends, he was supposed to eat lunch with the Slytherins,
Neville, and the twins. Usually it didn’t bother her when he ate with his friends, especially since she
was back to keeping her distance, but Harry could die today when he went against the dragon. It felt
like a time for family. She knew that she was being not only irrational but selfish but she couldn’t
help it.

All her friends seemed to realize that today was not a day to fuck with her. Daphne was wisely
staying quiet, studying next to her but saying nothing even though it was Transfiguration, the subject
she needed help in the most. Blaise wasn’t discussing quidditch, something that never happened.
Pansy, Tracey, and Millie weren’t discussing fashion and even Theo was staying silent. It was nice
that they were all being respectful of her nerves by not only being quiet but by not mentioning the
task as well.

The bell finally rang and Hermione was able to give up the farce of acting like she was eating. Draco
took her bag and wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her out of the Great Hall. Harry was
walking with his friends towards Charms. Her cousin leaned over and kissed the side of her head and
smiled at her.

“You’ve got to calm down, Miney, it’s going to be fine. He’s going to be fine.” Hermione pulled a
curl forward and began to twirl it in her fingers.

“I know but dragons are living beings. You can’t control them and there’s no saying what could
happen. I hope that everything goes well and Harry wins but I want to prepare myself just in case it
doesn’t.” Draco sighed.

“I know, I don’t blame you. I just don’t want you to make yourself sick.” She nodded her head.

“I’m trying not to. I promise. It’ll be better in class.” He nodded and kissed the side of her head.
They entered the Charms classroom and took their usual seats. Everyone was full of excitement and
energy as they filed in behind them. Once everyone was in their seats, Professor Flitwick came in
with a smile and beckoned them all to be silent.

“I know that today is an exciting day but we are still going to learn today. For this class period, we
are going to learn the vermillious charm.” Hermione wanted to roll her eyes. It was probably the
easiest charm they would learn all year. Who wanted to learn how to shoot red sparks from their
wand anyways? What real purpose was there?

Regardless of her personal thoughts on the matter, Hermione checked her notes against the lecture to
make sure that they were perfect. As usual, Madam Cambridge hadn’t let her down. She earned
every knut that her father paid her for tutoring her. After Professor Flitwick had lectured for three
quarters of an hour, he beckoned for them to split up and practice. Hermione sighed as she slipped
into a corner with Draco and waved her wand, trying the spell silently. Much to her surprise, it
worked.

Hermione and Draco had just recently started working with nonverbal casting, Remus had insisted
that they were ready. Draco had been excited but Hermione lacked the confidence. Her cousin had
picked it up instantly, able to cast just about anything silently. She had struggled with the simplest of
spells. Remus had assured her that she was more than powerful enough, that her problem was her
lack of belief in herself. Draco had been helping her with it in the evenings after they had retired to
their common rooms. This was the first time that it had worked for her. Draco grinned and let out a
whoop before rushing her and gathering her in his arms and spinning her in a circle. She couldn't
help but let out a laugh.

“You did it, Mia!” He set her down as Professor Flitwick came over to see what the fuss was over.

“What are you two celebrating over here?” Draco threw an arm around her shoulders, clearly proud
of her.

“Hermione finally mastered nonverbal spell casting.” Professor Flitwick’s eyebrows went into his
hairline. He smiled at her and gestured for her to show him. Hermione sighed but smiled at the
diminutive man. She gave her wand a wave and red sparks shot from the end, another smile breaking
out across her face. Professor Flitwick clapped his hands several times.

“Well done, Miss Black, well done. Twenty points to Slytherin for accomplishing something that not
every witch or wizard can do.” Hermione knew that she couldn’t take the credit all by herself. She
felt her cheeks color at the attention.

“Professor, Draco can do it too, it isn’t just me. Please don’t give me points, it wouldn’t be fair.” The
half-goblin laughed.

“You're right, Miss Black.” He turned to Draco. “Cast the spell for me, Mr. Malfoy.” Draco raised
his wand and cast the spell nonverbally. Professor Flitwick nodded his head happily.

“Twenty points to Mr. Malfoy for casting spells nonverbally.” Hermione smiled at her Charms
professor.

“Thank you, sir.” Professor Flitwick patted her arm.

“Thank you, Miss Black. You may study the rest of the period.” Hermione nodded and she and
Draco took their seats once more.

Since they didn’t have any homework, they decided to work on their warding assignment from
Madam Cambridge. It was one that they had put off until last because it looked difficult. While
Hermione hated saving the worst for last, it was Draco’s modus operandi. Now they were stuck
trying to do it in a classroom where they had no books to fall back on if they needed extra help. To
say that it was frustrating would have been an understatement.

They didn’t get it done before the bell rang but they did get a fairly good start. Harry met up with
them as they were leaving and threw his arm around both their shoulders. Hermione tried not to
stiffen up but she wasn’t sure that she succeeded. However, Harry didn’t seem to notice so she was
going to count it as a win.

“Way to go, guys, getting forty points for the snakes.” Hermione gave him a tight smile.

“Thanks.” He smiled at her and moved his arm. He slipped his arm around her waist and tugged one
of her curls.

“Please stop worrying, Mia. If you worry, then I worry.” Hermione nodded and looked at her feet,
trying to stop for him.

“I’m trying. I just don’t want you to get hurt.” He hugged her close for a moment before releasing
her.

“I know. All will be well, alright. You guys have all trained with me and you’ve done all you can to
make sure that I’m prepared. I can outfly just about anything out there. I’m as ready as I can be. Just
believe in me, Mia, that’s what I need now.” She gave him a shaky smile before she shook herself
and straightened her shoulders, lifting her chin.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. You’re going to be great, you’re going to win this. I know it.” He nudged
her shoulder with his, his eyes mischievous.

“What about your boyfriend? I’m going to beat him too?” Hermione burst out laughing before she
shoved him away from her.

“Viktor isn’t my boyfriend. But yes, you’re going to beat him. Well, you better anyways. I’m
believing in you, remember?” Harry laughed now and fell back in step beside her.

The three of them made their way to Potions, discussing quietly what Uncle Sev was going to have
them do. Hermione doubted that he was going to make them brew when their attention was so
clearly on the first task being held after lunch. She also doubted that he would give them a free
period to just work on homework so that left a lecture period on an ingredient or potion. Both Harry
and Draco were hoping for a free period so she bet them ten galleons on it. They were both dumb
enough to take her up on it.

Once they were seated in the Potions classroom, Harry forgoing his usual seat with Ron to sit at their
table in Daphne’s usual seat, they pulled their parchment, ink, and texts out. It took only a few
minutes for Uncle Sev to appear, his robes billowing behind him like it always did. All the
Gryffindors were scowling at his arrival but Hermione smiled at her godfather; truth be told, this was
the closest she got to seeing him anymore since gods-be-damned Moody showed up at the castle.

“Turn your books to page two hundred sixty-eight. We’re going to lecture on ginger root and it’s
uses in potions. Whether you take notes is your prerogative.” Hermione wanted to laugh. Nobody
was stupid enough to not take notes in her godfather’s class.

Uncle Sev lectured for the entire hour and a half on ginger root. Hermione even added quite a few
new things to her own notes from several years before so she wasn't sure why her uncle hadn’t
taught her those things then. When she caught his eye at the end of class, he further confused her by
winking at her. She vowed to catch him a later date and ask him but there was nothing for it now.
There was no time to ask now and she wouldn’t be able to ask later because of his master auror
shadow.

The three of them made their way up from the dungeons to the Great Hall. Harry still seemed to be in
good spirits and Hermione couldn’t help but wonder if nerves would hit him later or if he was used
to being nervous because of his quidditch matches. Once inside, the three of them made for the
Slytherin table. Juliet was already there, next to Daphne, twirling her hair while talking about her
classes. Harry greeted them all warmly and took the seat next to Hermione but didn’t touch her. She
was grateful but sad at the same time. It was very confusing.

Lunch passed in a haze. It was filled with people stopping by and wishing Harry good luck and
telling him that they knew he was going to win it. There were also well-wishers stopping down at the
other end of the table doing the same for Viktor. Hermione was well-aware of how many girls had
stopped to wish him well. While he was polite to each and every one of them, she was pleased to see
that he didn’t seem overly friendly with any of them.

Lunch had almost finished, it was almost time for the families to arrive when a hush fell over the
Slytherin table, the same way it did whenever Viktor visited Hermione and asked if he could escort
her to class. She turned behind her and saw that he was standing there, sheepish grin on his face.
Even though he wasn’t the conventional kind of handsome like her cousin, he was still quite pleasing
to the eye. She smiled back at him.

“Hello, Viktor.” He reached for her hand, even though she was still sitting. She let him take it and he
pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. She was finally able to control her blush when he did this.

“Hello, Hermy-own.” Harry snorted next to her but she smiled. Inwardly she cringed at the
butchering of her name but he had tried.

“Are you nervous?” He shook his head.

“I come tell you dat I vin dis task for you.” Now she could feel her cheeks flaming. However, she
knew that she needed to respond in some way. She just hoped that it was the right way.

“Thank you, Viktor. You don’t have to win it for me though. I just want you to be safe.” Viktor
looked at her as though he was amused and for a moment she was angry. Then she realized that he
was trying to be gallant. He kissed her hand again.

“I stand by my vord. I vin dis for you.” Hermione finally nodded.

“Thank you.” He bowed to her and then turned and went back to his end of the table. Harry shook
his head at the display.

“Very gallant of him after all those girls visited him.” Hermione didn’t think that she would be able
to be nice if she opened her mouth so she just kept her mouth shut and stared at her plate. Harry
wisely said nothing more and finished his plate of food.

-O-

Harry couldn’t believe the audacity of Krum telling Hermione that he was going to win the task for
her. As if he knew that he was going to win it, hell, for all he knew the dragon was going to eat him
for lunch. It was ridiculous to be so cocky as to say that he was going to win it.

Sure, Harry had told Hermione that he was going to be fine but that was for her sake. He was
nervous as fuck, scared to death that he was going to fuck it up and get hurt or worse. However, he
didn't want Hermione to sit there and worry herself to death all day long so he buried the worry
down deep so she thought that he was fine and in turn would worry less.

Whatever had happened between them had broken them somehow. He hated it. They had felt like
genuine friends but now it was like it had been over the summer. He felt like he was only tolerated
and it was horrid. He wasn’t sure what had happened or what he had done but he wanted to fix it.
He knew that Hermione had said that it wasn’t something that he had done but he knew that she was
lying. He just wasn’t sure what it was. There was no way in blue hell that Draco would tell him
either. He would never break her trust.

Therefore, he would endeavor to watch and listen, see if he could figure out just what it was that
bothered her about him. Really, he didn’t think that she cared about anything he said or did but
apparently he had been wrong. While he hated that he had hurt her, he loved that she cared enough
about him to have hurt feelings.

Viktor, though, was ridiculous. Harry was sick of watching him chase after Hermione, acting as if he
was a true gentleman. While he hadn’t caught the Bulgarian in person, he had heard through the
rumor mill that he had no problems seeing several witches on the side. He had no intentions of telling
Hermione that until he had proof. However, even then, he wasn’t sure that he would. As much as it
pained him to think about it, he wasn’t sure that she would believe him.

Harry was pulled from his thoughts by Sirius, Remus, Lucius, and Narcissa entering the Great Hall
and rushing their end of the Slytherin table. Since there were only the four champions in attendance,
each had their own table, Viktor moving to the Gryffindor table with his own family. Harry was
pulled into hugs by Sirius, Remus, and Narcissa while Lucius shook his hand. Hermione threw
herself into her father’s arms followed closely by her aunt and uncle’s while Draco watched in
amusement. After she finished, she pulled Juliet over to Lucius and Narcissa.

“Juliet, this is my Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa. Well, I suppose they’re your cousins. Well, I
suppose they’re mine as well but that just sounds inbred. They’re the best family a girl could ask
for.” Narcissa pulled the girl into a hug and smiled down at her.

“I’m so very happy to meet you, Juliet. Another female Black to terrorize Sirius. It serves him right.”
Juliet laughed as Lucius pulled Hermione back into his arms to he could hug her tight and press a
kiss to her forehead.

“I’ve missed you, princess.” Harry was pulled from the scene by Sirius speaking to him.

“Remus has given us a full report of how you’ve been doing in training. How ready do you feel?”
Harry stepped further away from Hermione so she wouldn’t hear.

“I’m ready but nervous as fuck. I’ve been acting like I’m ready for anything though because
Hermione is going to give herself a bloody ulcer. That girl can worry with the best of them.” Sirius
laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. Harry turned to make sure that she and Draco were still
preoccupied. Sirius saw his glance and frowned.

“Everything alright between the three of you? You aren’t fighting, are you?” Harry shook his head.

“No, I don’t think so. It’s just odd. Things were great and then I decided that I needed to warn
Cedric. We went over to tell him together. I was checking out Cho Chang and Hermione was
disappointed in me because I couldn’t be more circumspect, she said. She got all huffy and then
apologized, said she expected too much and that she shouldn’t be that way. I thought that we were
all good. After that, though, she’s just been standoffish, like she just tolerates me. I don’t know what
I did. I just wish I knew so I could fix it.” Sirius looked genuinely confused so Harry didn’t think that
he was going to get much help from that front. Remus looked like he might have an idea but at that
point, Hermione and the rest of them joined them.

The conversation turned to Juliet asking her father as to why her mother wasn’t there and he
explained to her that her mother had tried to get off work but her boss wouldn’t let her. Since she
couldn’t afford to miss and she surely couldn't afford to lose her job, she was forced to miss the
event. However, she promised to be there for the second event. Juliet seemed saddened at not being
able to see her mother but was instantly happy again when she learned that she was going to get to sit
with Narcissa who had taken a liking to the girl. Harry hadn’t been surprised to be honest; Narcissa
seemed to genuinely like just about everyone she came across. Juliet was ever further excited when
she learned that she and her mother were going to be coming to Black Moor for Christmas. Lucius
had just about been ready to speak when Dumbledore spoke loud enough to be heard over the entire
Great Hall.

“Champions, it’s time to say goodbye to your families and make your way to the tent opposite the
bleachers.” Harry turned to his family, for the first time realizing just how happy he was to be able to
say he had one. Juliet was the first one to throw herself into his arms.

“Don’t you dare die up there, Harry.” He ruffled her hair and laughed as he hugged her back.

“No dying, I promise.” He prayed to Merlin that he could keep that promise. She released him and
Narcissa stepped forward, wrapping him in a hug so she could kiss the side of his head in a very
motherly gesture.

“Stay safe, Harry. Promise you’ll come back to us.” He pulled away and gave her a very serious
look.

“I promise to do my very best to come back.” She sniffled softly but nodded as she backed away.
Lucius stepped up next and held out his hand.

“Make our family proud, son. You can do this.” It was more than he had expected from Lucius
Malfoy. He gave the man a solemn nod. He knew that he took family honor very seriously. Remus
came next and pulled him into a hug.

“James and Lily would be proud of you. Stay safe and do your best. That’s all that’s required of the
contract. We don’t give two rat’s asses if you win.” Harry laughed at his words and nodded.
However, he had a feeling that he would be trying to win, especially after hearing VIktor’s words to
Hermione. Draco slipped up next and gave Harry a quick one-armed hug, slightly embarrassed at the
show of affection.

“You’ve got this. You’ve trained for this and you’re going to kick their arses. I believe in you.”
Harry grinned at him before nodding. Harry didn’t think that Hermione was going to come to him
after how she had been acting lately and he didn’t think that he could face a dragon without telling
her goodbye so he went to her. He folded her into a hug and to his surprise, she wrapped her arms
around him and held him tight. Her face burrowed into his chest and he buried his face in her curls.
They smelled of peaches and cherry blossoms and it was pure heaven. Her words were soft.

“If you die up there I’ll be fucking pissed.” He barked out a laugh before kissing the side of her head
much the same way that Draco did all the time. He hated to let her go but made himself do it. She
seemed just as reluctant to release him. He cupped her cheeks and met her gaze, getting lost in her
icy blue orbs.

“I’m not going to die up there. If I do, I’ll come back and haunt you so you can bitch at me for the
rest of your life.” She burst out laughing and nodded.

“Fair enough.” He stepped back and his godfather stepped forward and pulled him into a rough hug,
ruffling his hair.

“Pup, be careful up there. I know you’re prepared but I just got you back. I couldn’t bear to lose
you.” Harry hugged him tight for just a moment before nodding and pulling away. Without another
word, he strode towards the door that led towards the quidditch pitch.

It was odd to make the trip to the quidditch pitch but not to play quidditch. Viktor was not too far
behind him and he could see Cedric and Fleur ahead of him. He wondered if they were all as
nervous as he was. Once inside the tent, they found Dumbledore and Crouch, Sr. waiting for them.
They both had serene smiles. Crouch, Sr. broke the silence.

“The first task has arrived, ladies and gentlemen. Today, you will be facing a dragon. Specifically, a
nesting mother dragon.” Harry didn’t understand why Fleur lost color; Cedric had told him a few
days before that she had confided in him that she had been told what the first task was. The ministry
official continued.

“There will be a golden egg hidden within the dragon’s real eggs. Your job is to retrieve it. In this
bag you will find four models of four different dragons with numbers on their backs. You will all
draw one and that will be the dragon you face and the order in which you face them.” Harry took a
deep breath and nodded his understanding. Crouch, Sr. held out the bag to Fleur.

“Ladies first.” Fleur reached in the bag hesitantly. When she pulled her hand out, she held a small
model of a Welsh Green with the number two on it’s back. Crouch, Sr. turned to Krum next and the
Bulgarian reached in and pulled out a small Chinese Fireball with a three on the back. Harry wasn’t
getting a good feeling about this since he was pretty used to getting fucked.

Crouch, Sr. then turned to Cedric and gave him a smile, probably due to the fact that his father
worked for the ministry. Cedric returned it and reached in the bag, pulling out a tiny version of the
Swedish Short-Snout with a one of the back. Harry knew it was going to be bad. He was going to be
going last and everyone knew that the worst was saved for last. It would put on a better show.
Without another thought, he reached in and grabbed the last dragon model.

A fucking Norwegian Ridgeback, the most aggressive breed of dragon there was. Just his luck.

Harry blew his breath out in one harsh breath and centered himself like Severus had taught him in
occlumency. He could do this, he just had to stay calm and stay focused. To be honest, Cedric and
Fleur didn’t seem to be faring any better than he was. Viktor was the only one that seemed to be
handling it well. He was brought out of his thoughts be the Headmaster speaking.

“We have suits for the four of you to change into, while they are fireproof, they won’t save you for
long. We suggest that you get in there, get your egg as quickly as you can, and get out. Get changed
now, we start in twenty minutes. The tent is sound proof so you won’t be able to hear how those
ahead of you have faced their dragon. You’ll know it’s your turn when the official tells you so.”
Harry took his suit and couldn’t help but notice how much smaller his was compared to Cedric’s and
Viktor’s. Sure, he had been eating better since he had gotten Dobby from the Malfoy’s but years of
being underfed was still evident in his size. It would likely take years to overcome. He wondered if
there were potions he could take to help with that. He made a mental note to ask Severus at a later
date.

Harry changed quickly and left his little cubby, leaving his clothes inside. Viktor and Cedric were
quick to follow him, Fleur taking just a little longer. They were all conversing quietly about nothing
important when the tent flaps flew open and Ginny was revealed. Harry was instantly concerned,
worried that something had happened to someone. However, that wasn’t the case. Ginny threw
herself at him, into his arms, and slanted her mouth against his.

Harry was livid that she would do this to him right then, as if he didn’t have enough to worry about
at the moment, especially when he knew what her real motives were. Even though he was pissed that
she would pull something like this, he couldn’t help but feel his cock twitch at the feel of her
burgeoning curves against him, the feel of her tongue stroking his. However, his mind strayed to the
memory of Hermione pressed against him when she hugged him goodbye and how fucking good she
felt, how bloody amazing she smelled, and he was suddenly sickened. He wanted to retch.

Harry shoved her away from him, but not before he caught a flash. Ginny stumbled and fell to the
ground where she landed with a small thud but Harry wasn’t concentrating on her. His eyes were
focused on the woman standing at the entrance to the tent. She grinned at him.

“Young love is just precious. I’m sure that Miss Weasley would agree.” Without another word, she
was gone. Harry couldn't believe what he had just heard. He turned back to the others in the tent.

“Who the fuck was that?” Viktor was the one who spoke.

“Dat vas Skitter from Daily Prophet. She scandalous.” Harry was even more livid now. Hermione
had already been angry because he hadn’t been circumspect and now it was going to be in the
bloody newspaper.

“She’s going to put that in the fucking paper, isn’t she?” Krum nodded.

“Yes. You minor. Tell father to demand retraction. Vithout permission, it is law.” Harry had to
admit, if he wasn’t fifty shades jealous of Krum, he wouldn’t be too bad of a guy. He held his hand
out to him to shake.

“Thanks, mate.” Viktor shook it before turning back to Cedric and Fleur. Harry whirled to Ginny to
see her grinning, back on her feet once more.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” She smiled at him even more brightly.

“I just thought I’d come give you a good luck kiss.” Harry couldn’t believe she was being so stupid.
It was time for a reality check.

“Ginny, we aren’t dating. You aren’t my girlfriend. You are one of many girls that I fool around
with. Now that reporter is going to put you kissing me on the front page of the newspaper like we’re
dating, like I’m courting you.” Ginny came forward and ran her hands up his chest.

“It’s okay, Harry, my parents won’t mind. Mum would be thrilled. Dad will have to talk to you, of
course, it’s a rite of passage, after all, but they already love you.” Harry really couldn’t deal with her
any longer because he was going to end up hitting her. He gripped her shoulders and shook her
slightly.

“Get the fuck away from me, Ginny. Do not come near me again.” He saw a flash of fear in her eyes
as she turned and fled. Fleur watched the scene contemplatively.

“She is las putain, no?” Harry was learning French but wasn't sure what she had just said.

“I’m learning but have no idea what you just said.” She laughed.

“You English say slag or whore, I tink.” Harry laughed. He was saved from responding by the
official sticking his head in and gesturing for Cedric to follow him.

After that there was no talking. They were all too nervous, even Viktor. They could hear nothing
except the audience cheering and the final score being read of thirty-six. That being said, it was
going to be a hard act to follow. Harry couldn't help but wonder just what Cedric had done to beat
the dragon.

The official stuck his head through the tent flap and gestured that Fleur was next. She started for the
door and gave them one last wave before stepping through. This left just Harry and Viktor though
neither spoke. Harry sat and practiced clearing his mind like Severus had taught him, calming himself
down. Viktor looked at him like he was crazy but didn't say anything.

It was probably twenty minutes before they heard the applause thundering beyond the tent and the
judges shouting out a score of thirty-six just like Cedric. Harry was impressed; Fleur didn’t seem like
the type to excel at much. Only a few minutes passed before the official stuck his head in the tent and
gestured for Viktor that they were ready for him. Harry nodded at him which the Bulgarian returned
before he was gone.

Harry continued clearing his mind for the duration of the time that Viktor faced his dragon. He could
still feel the nervousness deep in his gut but it wasn’t ruling his mind. The Gryffindor just wished that
Viktor would hurry up so he could hurry up and get past his own dragon. It had to be thirty minutes
before the audience went wild once more, this time louder than the two times before. Harry waited to
see if a perfect score had been awarded. He felt a little vindicated to hear that Viktor had only
received thirty-eight points rather than the perfect forty.

Rather than the few minutes it had taken between people before now, it took almost twenty minutes
for the official to retrieve him from the tent. Harry made sure that his wand was up his sleeve in the
correct position and stood. He followed the official and stepped out into the cool air and sunlight, the
thundering applause meeting him. His eyes searched the Slytherin stands, instantly finding his family.
He was scared of disappointing his godfather; he remembered his conversation with Draco long ago
of how he had an image to uphold now. That story in the paper was going to damage that image.

Harry focused on Hermione jumping up and down, cheerin for him, and took a deep breath. He
stepped into the enclosure, facing the Norwegian Ridgeback head on. He could see Charlie on the
sidelines giving him a thumbs up. Harry pulled his wand and gave it a wave.

“Accio Firebolt.”

It took almost a full minute to come flying through the open window of his dorm room but Harry
could see it in the distance. Once it was in his hand, Harry mounted it and pushed off the ground, the
crowd already cheering. He could see the other three champions standing at the entrance to the
medical tent, watching intently. Harry could see the golden egg nestled with the other eggs behind
the dragon, meaning that it was going to be tough to get past the dragon.

However, he and his family had worked out a plan. Distract and tease the dragon away from the egg.
It was going to be tough but that’s what he was going to have to do. The dragon already considered
him a threat, shooting a long stream of flames at him as he got closer. Harry dodged easily, swooping
further down towards the eggs. The dragon roared in fury. He pulled up and flew as fast as he could,
tempting the dragon to follow after him.

True to what Charlie had told him she would do, she followed him, but not far. Getting her to leave
her nest for long distances was the hard part of their plan. Once she was back on the ground with her
eggs, Harry changed direction and headed back for the nest, shooting spells at the dragon even
though it would have no effect whatsoever on it. The point was the make the dragon think that he
posed a danger to her eggs. Flames once again shot out and licked at his feet but Harry didn’t pay
attention to the heat, he merely turned direction on a dime and headed straight back up, the dragon
following once more.

Just as he had hoped, the Ridgeback went a full hundred feet in the air before turning back to return
to her eggs. Harry didn’t mind since the first time she had only gone twenty feet or so. He waited for
her to return before he charged her again, this time aiming his wand at the ground, conjuring a
panther, a spell that Hermione had taught him. He knew that it wasn’t going to distract the dragon
long enough for him to take the egg, it was merely serving the purpose of ratcheting up the danger.

While the dragon was paying attention to the panther, blasting it with fire and burning it to a crisp,
Harry swooped lower than he had as of yet. His fingers almost brushed the eggs before the dragon
realized how close he had gotten. However, he hadn’t taken into account the dragon’s tail. The
enormous appendage came flying through the air and caught him right through the soft part of his
shoulder, a spike lodging deep within the soft tissue.

Since the angle that the spike was lodged inside him was an odd one, when the dragon moved her
body rather than her tail, the spike tore off her tail rather than out of his body. Harry could feel the
blood pouring down his chest and he suspected that his shoulder was broken but he had no choice
but to finish what he had started. He took off upwards once more, the dragon enraged completely
now. It followed after him, bellowing fire and smoke the whole way.

Harry suddenly had this crazy idea and glancing over at Viktor Krum sparked it. It would certainly
ensure that he got his bloody egg and put a good show on doing it, plus putting Viktor bloody Krum
to shame as well. He knew that he shouldn’t be that way towards him but he was just so fucking
jealous of him it wasn’t even funny.

Harry went at least a hundred and fifty feet in the air before stopping and making sure that the dragon
was close enough. Once he was sure that the dragon was close enough for the plan to work, Harry
flipped directions and headed for the ground at top speed. The dragon bellowed in rage and his
shoulder was screaming in pain. His hand was going numb and he knew that he needed to end this
soon before it stopped working completely and he lost his grip.

The dragon seemed to realize that she was losing him and she sped up after him, still shooting flames
after him. The ground was rushing towards him and he was going to have to put all he had into
pulling up. His hands were slick with blood on the handle of his broom and he gripped it as tightly as
he could. The crowd was screaming behind him but he was tuning them out.

The Wronski-Feint was something he had practiced numerous times over the summer after seeing
Krum perform it against Aiden Lynch but it seemed much larger than life against a dragon. Only a
few feet above the ground, Harry wrenched the handle of the broom up as far as he could and he felt
his feet brush the ground before soaring back into the sky.

The crowd went wild behind him. He only flew fifty or so feet up so he could turn and see what had
happened to the dragon. She was laying on the ground, obviously stunned. Harry took this as his
moment of truth and flew to the clutch of eggs. Deciding that he didn’t want to take a chance of
losing grip on his broom and breaking an egg, he dismounted his broom. He stepped carefully
through the eggs until he reached the golden egg and picked it up before picking his way back
through the other eggs.

The crowd was going insane, everyone was on their feet. Harry was starting to feel lightheaded so he
started to slowly make his way towards the medical tent. He could hear the dragon tamers calling out
about the dragon and he tried to hear what they were saying. Deciding that he needed to check on
the beast, he strayed closer to the mother dragon. Charlie stepped forward and clapped a hand on his
good shoulder.

“Head to the medical tent, Harry. You’re going to have to be healed.” Harry narrowed his eyes at the
redhead. He was clearly trying to deflect.

“I know I need healed. How’s the Ridgeback?” Charlie raked a hand through his long hair and
heaved a sigh.

“The Ridgeback is dead, Harry. She broke her neck when she hit the ground.” Harry felt as though
someone had punched him in the gut. Charlie lurched forward, shoving a shoulder under his good
armpit to help hold him up. He got his feet under him again and nodded at Charlie.

“Thanks, mate. You know I didn’t mean to kill her, right?” Charlie gave him a grim smile.

“Yeah, all the handlers know. We all thought she was just unconscious, it’s near to impossible to kill
a dragon. We thought you were just trying to put on a good show.” Harry nodded.

“Are there other dragons that will take care of her eggs?” Charlie nodded and smiled at him, letting
him stand on his own.

“We have an old dragon on the reserve that will care for any egg. Once they hatch, we’ll care for
them. They’ll survive, no worries.” Harry still felt terrible but felt a little bit better. At least her eggs
wouldn’t die because he had made a foolhardy decision. Charlie nudged him softly and gestured for
him to listen since the judges had started speaking.

“That was Harry Potter, the second Hogwarts champion folks. The judges have deliberated their
scores. Not only was his time the fastest, his method was the most creative. The eggs remained
unharmed and even though the dragon lost it’s life, Harry put on the best show. For these reasons,
we award Mr. Potter the full forty points. Congratulations!” Harry finally looked out at the crowd
and could see everyone on their feet, jumping up and down and cheering. His family was clapping
and cheering as well but he could see worry on their faces as well. His gaze met his godfather’s and
he stood, ushering his family out of the bleachers and towards the exit.

Harry knew that he was headed his way so he started for the medical tent. Madam Pomfrey was
standing at the entrance clearly waiting for him, a furious look on her face. Krum, Cedric, and Fleur
had been moved back inside and it made him wonder what their injuries were. Once he was in range,
the mediwitch came forward and helped usher him inside and onto a bed. Cedric was inside on a bed
with no shirt on, a thick orange paste spread across his skin. She glared at Harry.

“Take the top of your suit off while I finish with Mr. Diggory. I’ll be over to start healing you as
soon as I’m through.” Harry nodded, fully aware that she wasn’t really angry with him, more with
the situation. She didn't like when children were injured. Harry had just barely gotten his good arm
out of the suit when the whole of his family filed into the tent and gathered around his bed. Hermione
stared at the spike stuck through his shoulder, her lower lip trembling just the tiniest bit. Lucius
wrapped an arm around her shoulders while Narcissa wrapped an arm around Juliet and kept her
close. Sirius was the one that spoke first, his hands raking through his curls.

“What the fuck were you doing out there, pup? You could have been killed!” Hermione sniffled
softly.

“Daddy, please don’t. We can’t change it now. Yell at him when he doesn’t have a dragon spike
sticking out of his shoulder.” Sirius blew a heavy breath out of his mouth before looking at his feet
for a few moments.
“You’re right, poppet. I’m sorry, Harry. I’ll chew you out later. Let me scan you while Poppy
finishes with Cedric.” Draco stepped forward and started to help him pull the suit off around the
dragon spike. Remus stood next to Lucius, silent as he watched the scan closely. Harry watched
Severus join them, watching the scan closely as well. He was sure that it was under the guise that he
would provide potions for the healing but he knew that the man genuinely cared. His godfather
hissed when the scan finished.

“Bad news, pup. That dragon part is stuck in your shoulder blade. Normally, we’d just vanish
whatever was stuck in the wound but this is a dragon part. It’s resistant to magic which means it’s
going to have to be manually pulled out.” Harry cringed at his words. Madam Pomfrey chose this
moment to return and perform her own scan. They all waited in bated silence, hoping that she would
tell them something different. The results weren’t good, however.

“Your godfather was right, Mr. Potter. We have to remove it manually.” Harry sighed and tried to
ready himself for what was sure to be the most painful thing he had ever experienced. He knew one
thing for sure and that was that he didn’t want Hermione to see him weak. He turned to all three
girls.

“Can you three please leave? I don’t want you guys to have to see this. It’s going to be terrible and
you shouldn’t have to see it in your dreams.” Hermione looked as though she was going to protest
but Draco took her hand and squeezed it, shaking his head slightly in her direction. She sighed and
nodded her head. She stepped forward and gave him a very quick and soft hug on his good side,
kissing his cheek as quick as a snitch.

“I’m really proud of you. I hate that the dragon died but you did very well. I hate that you’re hurt but
you’re not dead so I’m not going to complain. Be strong.” He didn’t even get a chance to say
anything before she was gone, pulling Juliet out of the tent with her. Narcissa left with them, and
Harry was happy to see that Fleur was throwing a blanket around herself to leave with them as well.
While he hadn’t asked her leave, he appreciated it the same. He was sure that he was going to shed a
few tears and the fewer females that saw it the better.

Madam Pomfrey turned to Severus and asked for something. He handed her a vial of something that
looked like blood replenisher. The mediwitch handed it to him so he chugged it down, gagging on
the taste. She gave him a knowing look before she spoke.

“I know it tastes terrible but you’ve lost a lot of blood. I can tell you this is going to hurt like nothing
else you’ve ever felt. I wish that I could give you pain relief potion but I can’t yet. I have to make
sure that it isn’t going to react with the dragon spike inside you. Like I said, dragons and their parts
don’t like magic.” The mediwitch turned to the others around him.

“I’m going to need your help. I’m going to lay him down. I need one of you to each hold an arm
down, and one to hold his head. I’m going to pull the spike. Severus, if it comes down to it, you may
have to cast an immobilizer on his legs. However, that spell can’t be cast on his upper half. Mr.
Potter, feel free to scream.” Draco waved his wand and conjured a round stick stuck it in his mouth.

“Bite down on it. It’ll be quieter than screaming and the girls won’t hear as much.” Harry gave him a
grateful nod and laid back. Sirius took his good arm, Lucius took his bad arm, and Remus took his
head. Harry could feel his heart beating a hundred beats a minute, scared to death of how much it
was going to hurt. He took one last deep breath before giving the nod to start. Madam Pomfrey took
the spike in hand and started to pull.

It was horrifying.

The pain was like nothing he had ever felt before. He could feel it grinding in his shoulder, it was
like the spike had taken hold inside the bone and had no intention of ever letting go. Madam Pomfrey
was on the table above him on her knees, both hands gripped around the spike and pulling with all
her strength while the men all held him down. Harry was screaming around the stick in his mouth
and he could feel sweat running down his face and neck. Tears were streaming from his eyes to pool
in his ears. Finally, she stopped and stood on the floor once more.

“I can’t get the fucking thing out. I don’t know what we’re going to do.” Harry was breathing hard,
his chest heaving up and down as he tried to catch his breath. Even though he could hardly think
through the pain, all he could focus on was the fact that the mediwitch that he had never heard curse
before just said fuck. Draco spoke next.

“You can’t vanish the spike but you can vanish the bone. Just give him Skele Gro.” Severus spoke.

“I don't think that will work. The spike is in the bone. It’s going to have to be removed first.” Lucius
sounded annoyed when he spoke.

“The solution is obvious. Have Lupin pull out the spike using his werewolf strength. Draco will hold
down Potter’s head while Sirius and I continue to hold his arms. We should have started with that in
the first place.” Madam Pomfrey started to squawk.

“Remus has no idea what he’s doing.” Lucius glared at the woman.

“You’re going to be right behind him and you’re going to take over as soon as the spike is out.
Seriously, how difficult can it be to pull the spike out?” The mediwitch huffed but said nothing more.
Remus moved away from Harry’s head and Draco appeared above him. Harry spit the stick out of
his mouth. His friend picked it back up but Harry shook his head.

“I can’t breathe with it in my mouth.” Draco nodded and laid it back down. He laid his hands over
Harry’s forehead and he felt Sirius and Lucius clamp down on his arms again. This time, he didn’t
give the consenting nod. He didn’t even get a warning. He just felt the gut-wrenching pain of Remus
yanking on the spike again.

This time, his screams were audible and he knew that the girls heard them. However, Remus was
able to get the spike out rather quickly. Just when he stepped back and Harry thought that he was
done, there was a searing pain that made him feel as though his skin was on fire. Draco was leaned
over him, speaking softly.

“Hang in there, mate. I know it hurts but she has to cauterize it, otherwise it won’t stop bleeding.
She’s almost done and then you can take some pain potion. Come on, mate, be strong.” Just as he
quit speaking, the burning sensation stopped, though a dull burn remained. Severus stepped forward
and Harry watched through pain-hazed eyes as he dipped his fingers into a pot of cream and rubbed
it on his shoulder. The cream was ice cold but it felt like heaven on his burned flesh. Severus
massaged it into the abused flesh for several minutes before closing the pot and handing it to Draco.

“That needs to be applied three times a day. It will help with the burn and the swelling. There’s only
so much the pain potion can do.” Harry could admit that while his shoulder felt better, it still hurt
quite a bit. He tried to sit up, hoping that it would relieve some of the pressure on the wound but
found that he couldn’t quite get up all the way. His godfather and Lucius helped him up and then
propped him up with pillows. Madam Pomfrey had just thrust a vial of pain relief potion into his
hands for him to drink when all the girls returned with suspiciously wet cheeks.

Harry chased it down and it immediately went to his head. He felt wasted on firewhiskey but the
pain in his shoulder was gone. He was pretty sure that he had a goofy grin on his face but he really
couldn’t tell. Madam Pomfrey came back with a strange looking sling and put it on him, hiking his
arm up high to put no pressure on his shoulder.

“You’ll have to wear this until your shoulder is completely healed. I’ll look into your other injuries
once we get to the hospital wing. I need to see what we can do about your shoulder blade. The soft
tissue damage, however, is going to have to heal naturally. You can visit for a little while but then it’s
going to be overnight with me, young man.” Harry just nodded; staying overnight in the Hospital
Wing really wasn’t a new thing for him. Once the mediwitch had bustled off again, Juliet couldn't
contain herself any longer.

“Merlin’s toes, Harry, you’re going to be on the front page of the paper for that dragon. That was
amazing, I can’t believe you did the Wronski Feint better than the seeker who invented it!” Harry
snorted in amusement.

“That is pretty hilarious but I was already going to be on the front page of the paper.” Harry saw his
godfather frown at his words.

“Why were you going to be on the front page?” Harry snorted.

“Ginny and I were kissing in the tent and Skitter took a picture. Krum said that you could demand a
retraction since you didn’t give permission.” Harry didn’t understand what was happening. His
godfather looked pissed.

“How could you let yourself get caught in a position like that, Harry?” Harry shrugged his shoulders.

“She literally jumped into my arms and sprung it on me.” Harry caught sight of Hermione drop her
gaze to the floor and remembered how upset she was at his lack of discretion. However, she seemed
so much more upset than he would have imagined. Lucius stepped towards her and wrapped an arm
around her and pulled her into a hug and she buried her face in his robes. He smoothed a hand down
her hair and whispered softly in her ear, what Harry had no idea. Remus watched the whole scene in
silence while Sirius just continued to berate the woman he knew now to be called Skeeter. After
several minutes, Lucius pulled his niece away from him and faced Harry with a grim smile.

“You did well today, Harry, but I fear it’s been a long day. We shall escort Hermione and Juliet back
to the castle and Draco may join us if he chooses. Remus and Sirius may stay with you until they
know what other treatment you may need. I wish you happy healing.” Harry smiled at him and
thanked him gratefully. He was still surprised sometimes when he realized that he really meant it too.
Narcissa came forward and smoothed his hair back of his forehead and didn’t even seem to mind that
his hair was sweaty.

“You were foolish and brave and stupid and brilliant. I’m happy you’re safe and well. I look forward
to spending more time with you Harry.” He grinned at her and laid a hand over hers.

“I wish I could have grown up with everyone like I should have.” She smiled down at him gently.

“We do too.” Just as she had stepped back, Juliet rushed forward and hugged him as gently and
exuberantly as she could. Her father laughed at her and promised that he would write her as soon as
he could, told her that he loved her, and would see her soon. She seemed happy enough to let the
Malfoys lead her away. Hermione came last though she kept her distance.

“I’m happy you didn’t die. I’m glad you’re on your way to getting better. I’m really tired so I’m
going to go. I’ll see you later.” Without another word, she was gone, her arm wrapped through her
uncle’s. Draco gave him a jovial wave as he followed after them.

Harry let his head fall back, his world still spinning. Obviously he had done something wrong but he
had no idea what it was. Was she mad that he had killed the dragon? He hadn’t meant to do that and
he had thought that she would realize that. Was she mad that he was going to be on the paper with
Ginny? Was it because he was making her father look bad? Girls were just so confusing.

Harry closed his eyes. He was exhausted and he was sure that his day wasn’t over yet. Therefore, he
felt no guilt whatsoever at taking a short nap until they were ready to move him to the Hospital
Wing. Maybe there he could ask his godfather and Remus just why Hermione was so angry.

-O-

Sirius watched his godson sleep as he slept off the Dreamless Sleep. They had been in the Hospital
Wing for several hours now and he had finally been fully healed. Severus, Albus, and Poppy had
decided that he could use Skele Gro on the shattered shoulder after a few hours since the dragon
spike was no longer an influence. Harry had groused about it but even he had admitted that it felt
better after it had started healing.

This did nothing for the soft tissue damage, however. That would all have to heal naturally. He had
complained continually about the sling so Sirius had finally told him to take the fucking thing off.
Harry had left it off to go take a piss and by the time he had gotten back to bed, he had sworn he
wouldn’t take it off. Sirius and Remus both had had a good laugh at his expense about that.

Now he was out like a light and they were getting ready to leave. The boy had tried asking him what
Hermione’s problem with him was but he hadn’t been able to tell him. As far as he knew, she didn’t
like that he didn’t keep his private business private. He knew that she had had a problem with Draco
for the same reason. After he had learned that lesson, she hadn’t complained a single time about the
time he spent with the girls.

Remus had given him an incredulous look when he had told him that, almost as though he had
known the answer and couldn’t believe that Sirius didn't. It was very frustrating to say the least. He
stood and gathered his robe so he could start for Black Moor. He was sure that Remus was going to
want to go home; he wasn’t too keen on staying the night anymore since Sirius had made clear that
he was going to try to win Helena back.

The pair left the Hospital Wing and were making their way through the castle and out onto the
grounds. Just as they made it to the apparition point, Sirius turned to his old friend and grasped his
elbow.

“Why did you look at me like I should know the answer to Harry’s question?” Remus shook his
head disbelievingly.

“Because you should. I barely know her and I know the damn answer. Lucius knows the answer and
I guarantee you that Draco knows too.” Sirius was starting to get angry.

“Just fucking tell me then if you’re so smart.” Remus growled at him, never a good sign.

“You keep telling him that it’s a good thing he’s protecting himself, you keep rubbing in her face that
he’s with all these girls, he keeps going on about it too. He parades them about right in front of her.
She’s in love with him you idiot, why do you think it hurt so fucking bad when he said those things
to her last year? She just lets him in and then he falls all over Cho Chang right in front of her. He
complains she pulls away. She gives a little back today when she gave him a hug and then a kiss on
the cheek and then she finds out that he snogged Ginny and it’s going to be on the front page of the
paper. Her feelings are hurt and she feels like you’re just egging him on.” Sirius couldn’t quite
believe it. Could it be true? Was it possible?
“Surely she wouldn’t like someone that has been mean to her from the start?” Remus just shook his
head at his stupid question.

“In her mind, he hasn’t been. She’s known him since she was two and he was wonderful. It wasn’t
until she was almost twelve that he turned into a little prick.” Sirius sighed. How was he going to
handle this? Remus seemed to understand where his mind was going.

“You can’t do anything about it. If you say something to Harry about it, you’ll embarrass her and
she’ll never forgive you. If you say something to her, she’ll think you pity her because you’ve made
clear how you feel about Harry playing the field. Just leave it alone and let Lucius and Narcissa
handle it. Just make sure you tell her how much you love her and how much she deserves someone
that going to make her number one and won’t look at other girls while he’s with her.” Sirius winced
because he knew that his friend was right. He had really bollocksed this one up. He couldn’t tell
Hermione that she deserved Harry and someone that wouldn’t look at other women when he was
with her and truly mean it. He really had no other choice but to stay out of it.

Honestly, Hermione being with Harry would make his day. Of course, Harry would have to do a lot
of growing up before he would be good enough for his little girl but he was well on his way. Harry
reminded him of himself when he was younger. Eventually, he would grow up and it would
probably happen long before it had for Sirius. Harry had Voldemort to help in that endeavor while
Sirius hadn’t had anything to help with that until Hermione had fallen into his hands on Halloween
of 1981. That had been the best and worst day of his life.

Sirius clapped his friend on the back and wished him goodnight before apparating away to Black
Moor. While he really wanted a whiskey before going to bed, he was far too tired. It had been a
long, tiring, and emotional day. He was sure that tomorrow would be more of the like since there
was still the newspaper and the dragon aftermath to deal with. Lucius would be over early in the
morning, he was quite positive, to threaten his godson for hurting his niece’s feelings.

Even Sirius could admit that it would be funny to see how Harry reacted to Lucius’ Death Eater
routine if he ever pulled his head out of his arse and started seeing Hermione. He would have to
remember to take a picture of his face. Sirius chuckled to himself and showed himself up the stairs to
his room. He quickly stripped down and threw himself on the bed, wiggling under the duvet.

Sleep found him quickly as did the nightmares.

A/N- Holy fuck, y’all. I think this might be the longest chapter of the story so far, I can’t remember.
Kind of like canon but different too. I really hope y’all like my take on it. Thanks again for reading
and reviewing, I really appreciate it. Anyways, leave me a message after the beep and let me know
what ya think.

Las putain- whore, slut in French according to google translator. If that isn’t correct, I apologize.

Next chapter, Yule Ball is announced.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 70

A/N- Here we are with another chapter, y’all. I can’t believe we’re already at chapter 70. It seems
like just yesterday that I started this story. However, it freaks me out just a little to realize that we
aren’t even halfway through this story. Hope you guys are still down for the long haul! I know that
you guys are all really hating Ginny right now and this chapter is only going to make that worse.
However, the end of Ginny is in sight, promise. Well, the end of Ginny with Harry. Just hang tight
until Christmas. Anyways, enough for now, I’ll get started on the chapter so you get your fix and I
can get started on the next chapter (:

Disclaimer: I own nothing about this story except the plot twist. The original story line belongs to
Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters go to our queen, J.K.R. Since I literally have
twenty-six cents in my bank account right now, it’s safe to say that I haven’t made any money from
this story or any other.

Chapter 70
December 1, 1994

Hermione picked at the fruit on the her plate at breakfast while she listened to Juliet explain what she
was learning about in Transfiguration despite the throbbing in her head. She had learned from her
father that he had offered her sister Madam Cambridge as a tutor, that she could study through the
mail like Harry, Hermione and Draco did but she had declined. She was more than content to learn at
the speed of the rest of the Hogwarts students. While Hermione was appalled, she supposed that she
understood. Juliet hadn’t been raised in an environment where it was learn as much as you could or
take the chance of missing something that could save your life later.

Harry was sitting on the other side of Draco and he and all the boys were embroiled in a
conversation about the quidditch match coming up between the Tornadoes and the Balleycastle Bats
that evening. They were planning to listen to it on the wireless and they wouldn’t stop talking about
it. Even Juliet and Daphne were excited to listen to it. A huge group of them had made plans to
gather in the Great Hall and listen to it together. She had been invited but she didn’t think she was
going to go since it was so low on her interest scale that it wasn’t even funny. Not to mention that if
she didn’t feel better soon, there was nowhere but the Hospital Wing in her future.

Life since the first task had been awkward. Uncle Luci now knew exactly how she felt for Harry; it
hadn’t taken much for him to figure it out, but then again he knew her like he knew himself. He had
comforted her when Harry had told them how he had snogged Ginny for the cameras, told her that
Harry would never be good enough for her and that she deserved a wizard that would look at her as
though she were his sun and moon. While she agreed with him wholeheartedly, it hurt that Harry
wasn’t that boy.

Hermione had taken his advice and hardened her heart to her feelings for Harry while he was
around. While she was alone or around Draco, she could let her hurt out but when she was in public
or around Harry, she was to act as though nothing was wrong. He told her to not give Harry any
power over her because it was dangerous to give someone power over you if you couldn’t trust them
with it. If there was one thing that she knew without a doubt, Hermione didn’t trust Harry with the
power over her heart.

From the day of the first task, she had acted as though nothing was wrong. Things were stilted at first
but that was to be expected. Harry had asked her what was wrong and just what it was that she was
angry with him for but she had lied and told him nothing. She couldn't very well tell him that she was
angry with him for not being the boy she wished him to be.
It was very clear that he didn't believe her but he never came out and said it. Instead, he went out of
his way to be nice to her. He sat with them all the time, which she wouldn’t have minded under
normal circumstances, but now it was wearing on her nerves. Just the night before, she had exploded
on him at the dinner.

*Flashback*

Hermione sighed when Harry sat down next to her for the sixth meal in a row. He was trying to be
nice to her because he knew that she was lying to him about why she was angry at him. She knew
that she shouldn’t lie but there was no way that she could be truthful about it right now. To give him
that much power over her would be a disaster.

Everyone greeted Harry happily, Juliet grinning at him and shoving a plate at him. Draco grunted at
him before he continued eating his beef pot pie. Harry threw an arm around her shoulder, smiling at
her and wishing her a good day. He had just started to spoon up his dinner when she could no longer
hold her tongue.

“Why don’t you go back to the Gryffindor table before they start blaming me for turning you against
them? They already hate that you’re over here, they’re just going to start blaming us for you being
over here all the fucking time now.” She could see confusion cloud over his eyes and then anger. He
laid his fork down and stood up and she could tell that he was going to make a scene.

“You want me to leave pretty badly, Hermione. Why is that? I’m pretty tired of people trying to tell
me what to do. Now you’re doing it? I don’t think so.” There was a call from down the table and
Hermione recognized the voice immediately.

Pansy Parkinson.

“She has hurt feelings because she likes the Boy-Who-Lived and he doesn’t like her back. Aww,
poor Hermione.” Hermione turned to look the girl in her eyes and she could see the truth shining
there. Pansy looked triumphant and Hermione wanted to barf. She turned back to Harry.

“You’ve been messing around with her, haven’t you?” Harry turned red and rubbed the back of his
neck sheepishly. She didn’t bother to wait for an answer. She brushed her curls back behind her
shoulder and held her pain back ruthlessly.

“I enjoy that our houses are getting along. Finnegan is a loose canon and you know it. He’s probably
throwing a fit that you haven’t sat over there and you know he’s blaming us, probably me
specifically. I don’t want our houses to fight. For the love of Merlin, go sit with your own house for
the good of house unity. There is no underlying reason for me to send you over there except to keep
peace.” Complete lie but he couldn’t prove anything. Even though she hadn’t ate more than three
bites, she gathered her things and threw them over her shoulder and stalked out of the Great Hall.

Hermione knew that if she didn’t hurry, Draco would chase after her to make sure that she was
alright. What she really wanted was time alone to just consider things and read. The fact that Harry
was spending time with Pansy shouldn’t have surprised her but it had. She wasn’t sure who was
worse, Ginny or Pansy. There were footsteps behind her, alerting her that she hadn’t been fast
enough to get away from her cousin. The hand on her elbow gently turned her and she was mortified
to see that it wasn’t Draco but Harry. She tried to turn her face so he wouldn’t see the tears that
dotted her cheeks but it was futile.

Harry pulled her into a hug and buried her face into his chest. Hermione couldn’t help but think that
he smelled amazing. His fingers carded through her curls and she knew that she needed to end this
before she couldn’t pull away. As politely as possible, she stood and pulled back, her fingers wiping
under her cheeks, no longer caring if he saw them. His hand reached out and helped her, wiping
away one that she had obviously missed.

“I’m sorry, Mia, I didn’t realize that house unity meant so much to you.” Hermione snorted.

“In general, it doesn't. I don’t like Finnegan being mean to Daphne and even though I know I can
handle him, I don't like it when he’s mean to me. He broke my fucking hand, Harry. He crushed it
on purpose. I don’t know why he would be upset if you weren’t over there since he made quite the
show of believing that you were a liar and a cheat but now that you're a hero, things are different.”
Harry sighed and snagged her hand, the one that Seamus had broken. His hand traced the bones that
he had broken ever so gently before he gave it a squeeze.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I promised you that I was going to do my best to help with house unity. I’ll
make sure that I sit there enough to keep the natives from getting restless. For the record, I’m sorry
that he broke your hand. I had told them to not to hurt you anymore and he did it anyways.”
Hermione couldn’t help but to smile at him.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it, Harry. For now, though, you better get back to dinner. Go sit with
the lions and make them happy. Besides, I bet Ron would like to sit with his best mate.” He caught
her hand and tucked it in the crook of his elbow, escorting her back towards the Great Hall. Her
heart started to speed up.

“Only if you go sit back down and eat. You literally had three bites. That isn’t enough to keep a bird
alive.” She chuckled a little since her stomach decided that moment would be a great time to growl.

Hermione allowed him to escort her back into the Great Hall. Once they were inside, all the students
fell silent and she knew why. Not only had she only been seen with Viktor since the school year
started, Harry never escorted anyone anywhere. He met with girls in private and dated none of them,
courted none of them. While it made her feel just a little bit special, she knew that he didn’t mean it
the way that it looked. He just wanted her to eat a good meal.

Once she was in her seat and he was on his way to the lion’s table, she sighed. Tomorrow was going
to be an interesting day.

*End of Flashback*

Hermione pushed her food away, her head still pounding. Juliet must have seen that she didn’t look
right because she leaned forward and laid a small hand on Hermione’s.

“You okay, sissy?” Hermione squeezed her hand and smiled softly at her.

“I just don’t feel very good, Jules. I’m going to get through classes and then go see Madam
Pomfrey.” Draco must have been paying attention because his head whipped around and he glared at
her.

“If that’s your plan, we can go see her now.” She shook her head.

“All she’s going to do is give me pepper up. I took some before breakfast. I took some that Uncle
Sev and I made. It’s better than what she makes.” Harry leaned over now, worried look on his face.

“Let’s just go before class. She can give you another dose.” Hermione shook her head.

“I’ll be fine. Besides, the bell is ringing now. I’ll go after classes if I’m not feeling better.” Draco
rolled his eyes at her but nodded, knowing full well that that was as good as he was going to get
from her.
They gathered their things and Hermione gave Juliet a quick hug before sending her on her way to
Charms. The three of them headed for Potions and Hermione had a feeling that Draco was going to
try to get Uncle Sev to bully her into seeing the meditwitch too. They were almost there when Ginny
sidled up next to Harry. He looked pissed at her but allowed it. She stood on tip toes and whispered
something in his ear, something that he smiled faintly at and then finally nodded at. She smiled and
then bounded off, most likely for her next class.

Hermione felt her heart clench and she fought it like Uncle Luci had told her. Bury it deep in his
presence. Act like it doesn’t hurt, hide it until she was with just Draco. It was so hard to do
sometimes, considering the level of publicity that kiss with Ginny had gotten. Her father had been
livid, of course, especially when Arthur and Molly Weasley had contacted him and demanded a
betrothal contract. Her father had laughed in their faces and told him that Ginny had initiated the kiss,
just like she initiated everything between them. He had all but called their daughter a whore but had
most certainly implied it. After Hermione had heard, she had scolded him heavily. He had merely
told her that it was a luxury of being rich and powerful, telling the truth, and not caring if it hurt
someone that was hurting his little girl.

Hermione had froze at that; had her father guessed at her feelings for Harry? He was usually pretty
clueless about all emotions except anger. She couldn’t decide either way so she had been quick to
abandon the conversation to think on it further at a later time. The Weasleys hadn’t been pleased, that
much was fact, but Ginny was still dogging Harry’s every step so they couldn’t have been too
offended. It really did disgust Hermione, wanting money and a title so much that you would let your
daughter act like that.

Hermione was disappointed in Harry that he had let her back into his life after just a few days of
being angry with her. Now, she just soaked up the attention at being the one that Harry was almost
certainly going to court and he just tried to ignore the attention that he had been caught snogging a
bird on camera. She had heard a rumor that the other girls were angry with him but she had tried not
to listen to that one. The less she knew, the less angry she would be.

Draco wrapped an arm around her at the sight of Ginny even though he hated being around sick
people. She shook her head at him, indicating that he didn’t have to, that she was fine. He released
her instantly, for once listening to her. He went to Harry’s side, though he remained silent as a show
of support.

They entered the Potions classroom and took their usual seats at the tables, Harry and Daphne
joining them. Hermione felt like she could just lay her head down on the table and take a nap but
knew that it would be folly in this class no matter how she was related to the professor. She dragged
out her parchment and quill and prayed that he would teach something that she would need to take
lots of notes on. Harry, Daphne, and Draco were doing the same beside her.

Professor Snape entered the classroom, his robes billowing around him, and he wasted no time
starting his lecture on fairy wings. While the lecture was extensive, Hermione wanted to groan. She
had probably twenty pages of notes on fairy wings since not only had he covered it in potions,
Madam Cambridge had covered them in Care of Magical Creatures. She would just have to do her
best to stay awake.

By the end of class, she knew that she had failed miserably. Hermione knew that she was going to
have several blooming bruises on her ribs were Draco had elbowed her, trying to get her to stay
awake. Harry had stomped her feet several times but it hadn’t mattered. She knew that her godfather
had seen her. After their things were stowed in their bags, he called out for the whole class to hear.

“Miss Black, you’ll stay behind to discuss your inattention in class with me.” She could feel her
cheeks burning and she wasn’t sure if it was due to her embarrassment or her fever. Draco didn’t say
anything, just shook his head in exasperation. She supposed she couldn’t blame him; he had told her
to go to the Hospital Wing. She still had every plan to go to the rest of her classes. All the students
were snickering at her as they filed out of the classroom and she went to stand in front of her
godfather’s desk. She waited there in silence for almost five minutes for him to acknowledge her.
When he did, his voice was hard and she could tell that he was disappointed.

“That will be fifty points from Slytherin for falling asleep in my class. How dare you disrespect me
like that? I understand that you’re upset over Potter’s love life but that’s no excuse to act like a
petulant child.” Hermione felt tears prick at her eyes at his words so she looked at the floor, holding
them back ruthlessly. He turned his attention back to whatever he was working on at his desk.

“Detention tonight with me. Come at six.” She spoke meekly.

“Yes, sir.” She picked up her bag and knew that she was going to have to hurry since she had
Transfiguration next and it was clear across the castle.

Hermione tried to walk fast the whole way but ended up having to run the last three corridors. By the
time she made it, Professor McGonagall was already in the classroom and Hermione was so out of
breath she could hardly breathe. The animagus was clearly worried about her but she waved her
worry off.

“Miss Black, are you well?” Hermione nodded.

“Yes, maam, I just had to stay and speak with Professor Snape. I had to run the last three corridors.”
The woman narrowed her eyes at her, knowing full well that Hermione ran every single morning.
She didn’t give the woman a chance to say anything else though, she took her seat and started to
ready herself for class.

Professor McGonagall began her lecture on the serpensortia spell. Hermione made sure to employ a
straight spine the whole class period and to reread every single line of notes that she had written
down. They ran out of time to practice the spell so they could do that next week but she had
managed to stay awake for class. Lunch was next which meant that she was halfway through her
day.

Hermione hurried from the classroom towards the Great Hall, both boys following after her. They
both clearly knew that she was hiding something and she really wasn’t too keen on sharing it. No,
she hadn’t told Uncle Sev that she wasn’t feeling well but he hadn’t really given her a chance to. She
wasn't sure why he frightened her when he was angry; Uncle Luci was never angry with her and her
father didn’t frighten her at all, probably because their anger was so much alike. Uncle Sev, though,
was very unpredictable and she never knew what to expect. Draco finally caught up to her and
grabbed her elbow so she couldn't escape.

“What did Uncle Sev say?” Hermione sighed as they entered the Great Hall.

“He took fifty points from Slytherin and gave me detention tonight.” Draco stopped in his tracks.

“Did you tell him you were sick?” Hermione started to pull him forward. Hermione shook her head.

“No, he didn’t really give me a chance. He was mad, took the points, assigned the detention, was
mean about it, and sent me on my way.” Draco narrowed his eyes at her.

“How was he mean about it?” Hermione cast a glance to Harry but shook her head.

“It doesn’t matter.” Draco caught her meaning and hugged her close.
“He can be such a bastard sometimes. Let’s eat and you can go during dinner to the Hospital Wing.”
Hermione shook her head.

“No, I know you’re going to want to go. I’m not going to make you miss dinner. I’ll go after
detention. It’ll be fine. What’s another couple hours?” Her cousin rubbed his forehead, clearly
irritated.

“I’ll agree on one condition. You sleep during Defense.” Hermione sagged in relief. She hadn’t be
sure how she was going to survive having spells thrown at her.

“You’ve got a deal.”

-O-

Harry was worried. Hermione looked like death warmed over and she was refusing to go see Madam
Pomfrey. He knew all about hating to go to the Hospital Wing but she clearly needed something
more than a pepper up potion. He smiled to himself at Draco making a deal with her to sleep during
Defense so she would go see the mediwitch after her detention.

Truthfully, he was pretty certain that she didn’t eat a single bite for lunch. She had her head propped
up on her hand and she looked like she was staring down at a book but he was almost positive that
she was asleep. He didn’t dare ask Draco because he didn’t want to wake her up accidentally when
she was so clearly exhausted.

Harry couldn’t help but wonder how Severus had been mean to her though. He knew that the man
loved her more than anything. To hear that he had been mean to her was almost hard to believe. He
could believe that he had taken fifty points and assigned her detention but he just couldn't believe
being mean. If he had, he wanted to have stern words with the man because Hermione adored him
and it was killing her to not get to spend time with him as she did every other year.

The bell rang and he had been right. Hermione jumped and her book fell shut, telling everyone that
she had been sleeping. Draco helped her gather her things and wrapped an arm around her waist to
help guide her to the Defense classroom. Harry took her bag from Draco and watched as she leaned
heavily on him. He couldn’t help but be jealous in that moment; he wanted to be the one that helped
her, that she depended on, that took care of her.

Remus was waiting for them and he gave them an odd look when he saw Hermione almost asleep on
Draco. Harry set their bags down and was quick to conjure and pillow and blanket for her to lay on,
then another one to cover her up with. Draco helped her get settled while Harry explained to Remus.

“She’s sick but refuses to go to the Hospital Wing until after classes. She fell asleep in Potions and
Severus took fifty points and assigned her detention tonight. He didn’t let her explain. Now, she
won’t go until after detention. We told her if she was doing that then she was sleeping during
Defense. Honestly, she wouldn’t have been able to function anyways. She slept through lunch.”
Remus stepped forward and bent to feel her forehead.

“Boys, she’s burning up. She’s really sick.” Draco growled at him.

“I know, but you don’t know her that well. Getting her to do something she doesn’t want to do is
nigh on impossible. She’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met and I’m the son of Lucius Malfoy.
If she says she won’t go to the Hospital Wing until after detention, she won’t go until after
detention.” Harry turned to Remus.

“Do you know how to spell potions into a person?” Remus nodded. Draco understood immediately.
Harry spoke.

“Dobby.” The little elf appeared before him.

“Can you bring my a fever-reducing potion?” Dobby nodded emphatically and disappeared to
reappear only seconds later with a potion in his hand. Remus took it from him and laid it on
Hermione’s belly. Remus pointed his wand at her belly and just moments later, the vial was empty.
They waited a few seconds and Remus felt her forehead again.

“Her fever is gone for now. Let’s hope that it holds until she gets to the Hospital Wing. You boys
make sure you tell Poppy what we did.” Dobby took the empty vial and disappeared again.

They started their lesson, dueling practice. It was mandatory that Harry get better and Draco was the
best. Harry had learned early on that Hermione and Draco were the best he had ever gone against but
in different ways. Draco had the reflexes and offensive spells out the arse. He was like a blur and had
beat him so many times that it wasn’t even funny. Harry dueled more like Draco and he was honing
his own technique the more he went against his friend.

Hermione was the complete opposite. She favored defense; her shields were second to none and
nobody could break through them. While she was still fast, she wasn’t as fast as Draco or Harry.
However, if she landed a spell on you, you were toast because her spells were ten times more
powerful than anything anyone else could produce. The only exception was when Harry felt that
Hermione was in danger. He had proven time and time again that when he thought Hermione was
injured or the like, he was capable of producing spells just as powerful or more so as Hermione did.
It made him confident for the first time since coming to Hogwarts that he could really defeat
Moldyshorts if he really ever did come back from the dead.

They went at it hard against each other for a good three hours. For the last hour, Draco and Remus
had teamed up against him and really worked him out. He wanted to whinge that it wasn’t fair but
neither Hermione or Draco ever did over the summer when it was all the adults against one of them.
They were determined to be ready when the Dark Lord came back so he was determined to be ready
with them. The goblins had assured Sirius that Voldemort wasn’t dead and he wasn’t stupid enough
to not take them at their word.

At the end of their lesson, Harry went to Hermione and gently shook her awake. He noticed that her
cheeks were rosy with fever once again and he couldn’t help but wish that she would just go to the
fucking Hospital Wing. However, he knew she wouldn’t. Like Draco said, she was the most
stubborn person he knew. She groaned as she tried to sit up and he was quick to help her. He helped
her to her feet and she leaned heavily on him. He really didn’t even think that she was completely
awake but Draco gathered all their things so they could head back to dinner. Hermione was hot
against him and Harry looked to Draco.

“She’s burning hot again, Drake. She needs to go.” Hermione mumbled against his neck. His arms
tightened around her waist as she stumbled slightly.

“I’m going to dinner and then detention. Then you both can take me to the Hospital Wing.” Harry
sighed and looked to the heavens for deliverance. Draco chuckled at his actions but remained silent.
It was slower going than usual, trying to get her to the Great Hall, but they eventually got there.
Once again, the Great Hall fell silent when they arrived.

Harry could feel all eyes on him when they arrived. The first set of eyes that he met were Viktor
Krum’s. They were clearly angry but he didn’t care. Hermione was sick and if he couldn’t see that
then he was a fucking idiot. He wasn’t escorting her in a dating capacity but in a familial capacity
because she was a stubborn witch who didn’t have a lick of sense sometimes. The second set of eyes
he met were Ginny’s and he could see the fury there as well. He was supposed to meet with her in a
broom cupboard during Hermione’s detention but that might change now. He supposed that he
would see. Just as they sat, and Hermione settled against him, her head on his shoulder and leaning
heavily against him, Viktor stomped down the table and spoke harshly for the whole table to hear.

“Miss Black, vhy are you laying on Potter vhen I escort you?” Hermione was clearly asleep on him
and didn’t hear a word he said. The rest of her friends were silent so Draco stood and faced him,
clearly unafraid to face him down.

“Watch how you speak to my cousin, Krum. Potter is family and if you must know, Hermione is
deathly sick but refuses to go to the Hospital Wing until after her detention. My family won’t tolerate
this treatment of her. Potter was to be raised as her brother and you will treat him as such.” Viktor
instantly backed down, bowing his head.

“I apologize, Mr. Malfoy, I mean no disrespect. I hope she is vell. I check on her tomorrow.” Draco
just glared at him while he retreated. He took his seat again and the food appeared before them.

Harry spooned up his plate and then one for Hermione, putting only a little bit of her favorites on it.
Daphne watched in amusement, as did the rest of the Slytherins. Finally, he reached out and shook
her slightly, brushing her curls back from her face. She groaned a little but opened her eyes. He felt
her forehead and winced when she was still burning up.

“It’s dinner time, you need to eat a little. I spooned you up just a little of your favorites.” She
grimaced.

“I’m not sure if I can. I feel as though I might throw up.” He pulled her curls all the way behind her
shoulders. She tried to sit up on her own but in the end he had to help her. It was strange to see her
weak as a kitten.

“You need to try, Mia. You are determined to go to detention. You need strength.” She leaned on
him again but picked up her spoon and started to slowly eat the soup that he had given her. After a
handful of bites, she put her spoon down and gave him the most pitiful look he had ever seen.

“If I eat another bite, I’m going to throw up on you.” He chuckled and kissed the side of her head.

“Alright.” She struggled to sit up and he gave her an odd look. When she saw it, she grimaced.

“All your girls are going to be angry with you for letting me lay on you like that, don’t even try to tell
me different. I appreciate it but I don’t want mess your life up. I’m good now.” Harry reached out
and pulled her curls away from her face.

“I don’t care about those girls, Mia. I care about you. If you need to lean on me, you do it.” She
shook her head.

“I’m good. I don’t like interfering in your life. You deserve to be happy.” He frowned at her words.
He was far happier when he was with her then when he was with all those girls combined. To her
credit, she sat up on her own the whole rest of the meal. Just as the meal was about to dismiss, the
Headmaster stood up and made an announcement.

“Just a short announcement for everyone. For the champions, your golden egg that you retrieved
from the dragon nest, it holds the clue for your next task. Best of luck to you figuring it out and being
prepared since the second task has been scheduled for February twenty-fourth. The second
announcement is that this year we’re going to bring back a time-honored tradition that we haven’t
seen in almost two decades. The Yule Ball will be held on Christmas night and will be available to
students in fourth year and above, though third years will be able to attend if invited by an older
student. However, if you return home for the holiday, you won’t be able to attend. I’m sorry to say
that champions are required to open to Ball so are required to have dates.” Harry wasn’t sure who the
hell he was going to ask to the Ball. There were so many girls that would want to go with him and
none of them because they genuinely liked him. The only girl that he would want to go with would
likely want to go with Krum.

The same said girl that was falling asleep against him again. He smiled at her again and sat her
upright again. This time she shook herself and stood, not saying a word about the Ball.

“I’m going to head to detention. I know it’s a little early but maybe he’ll let me start a little early so I
can finish a little early. I promise to go to the Wing, though, you guys stay and listen to your match.”
Harry had forgotten about that. He could see that Draco really wanted to stay and listen. He
answered for the both of them since it was clear that they hadn’t decided.

“We’ll think about it.” She smiled at them and hugged them both from behind.

“Thanks for being so good to me today.” They both nodded and watched her leave, albeit very
slowly. Viktor also watched her leave and Harry was startled to see that it was a hungry sort of look.
However, when he turned back to face them, it was gone.

Harry only dallied just a little while longer. Draco had his own plans, which he was quite sure
included the little French girl from Beauxbatons. Harry headed for the broom closet that he was
supposed to be meeting Ginny in, sure that she was already waiting for him there. She was sure to be
pissed at him but he didn’t care. If she didn’t like that he was helping Hermione while she was sick,
she could fuck off. He still wasn’t the happiest with her but who was he to turn down free blow
jobs? He entered the broom closet to find that she was indeed there waiting for him and that she was
indeed pissed as fuck. As soon as the door shut, she shoved him as hard as she could in the chest. He
stumbled back a step or two.

“What the fuck are doing letting Miss Goody Two Shoes hang all over you?” Harry felt his magic
flare at her words and he did his best to tamp it down.

“She’s bloody sick, Ginny. I was helping her. She’s my family, what was I supposed to do?” Ginny
shoved him again.

“Let her inbred cousin help her, that’s what!” Harry could feel his magic bubbling just under the
surface and it was getting harder to control it.

“I don’t answer to you, Ginny, and we aren’t dating. I don’t owe you any answers and if I want to
escort Hermione to class every single day you don't have any reason to say anything about it. I made
very clear that we weren’t exclusive. I’m not even dating Hermione, we aren’t courting. We’re
family and I care about her. I’m not a monster and I’m going to help her if she needs it. Or would
you have me just let her collapse because she’s so bloody weak she can barely walk?” Ginny shoved
him again.

“I would have you pay the girl sucking your cock the proper attention she deserves. Hermione Black
does nothing for you except make you feel like you aren’t good enough. You deserve better than
that.” Harry shoved her up against the wall and did everything he could not to hit her.

“If I did that, I would have to pay numerous, numerous girls proper attention then. You’re not the
only girl that sucks my cock, Ginny, not even close. Hermione makes me want to be better, you
make me feel like I can’t do any better. If you insult my family one more time, we’re through here. I
won’t listen to it anymore. Hermione, Draco, and Juliet are my family now and if you can’t get over
it, then fuck off, Ginny.” Harry released her when she pushed against him.

Quick as a snitch, her hand reached out and caught him against the cheek. It wasn’t hard enough to
bruise but he was sure that there was a red handprint there. The funny thing was that after a few
days, she would be dogging his footsteps and acting as though nothing had happened. He was stupid
enough that he would probably take her back and start fooling around with her again. He wasn't sure
why he couldn’t stay away but he was going to make a concentrated effort to just be done with her
after this. He didn’t need her brand of crazy. There were plenty of other girls that would give him
what he wanted after all.

-O-

Hermione was almost to the Potions classroom. It was slow going since she had to keep stopping to
catch her breath. She could now fully admit that she had been stupid in having too much pride. She
should have gone to the Hospital Wing before breakfast instead of thinking that she could fix the
problem herself with pepper up. Although, she knew that she was right; if it was just the standard
cold, the pepper up would have been exactly what she would have been given.

Just a single corridor away from her uncle’s classroom, Hermione heard footsteps behind her.
Figuring that it was one of the Slytherins heading for the common room, she didn’t give it a single
thought and didn’t turn around. This was a mistake since she felt a spell hit her in the back of the
head. The impact of it showed that it had been close-range and it threw her into the wall. She was
thrown to the ground and her ears were ringing.

Hermione could have sworn she caught a flash of red hair but she couldn't be certain. Her mind went
instantly to Ginny, knowing that she would be livid since she had came in the Great Hall leaning on
Harry. Just as she was getting her bearings enough to try to stand, Hermione realized just what the
curse had done to her.

Her beautiful black curls were falling out all around her.

Knowing that she needed to get to detention before she got another one for being late, Hermione
forced herself to stand and gather as much of her hair as she could, she started for the Potions
classroom once more. There were tears streaking down her cheeks now and her nose was starting to
snot up, making breathing even harder. She was trying to catch her hair as it would fall so it wouldn’t
leave a mess for Mr. Filch. When she reached her uncle’s door, she knocked and waited a full three
minutes for him to bid her to enter. She went in and stepped in front of his desk, and stood there for a
full five minutes before he lifted his head to pay attention to her.

By this time, she was almost entirely bald. She had been gathering her hair into her hands so it
wouldn’t make a mess and she had been crying silently. The bump on her head from hitting the wall
was standing out prominently and it ached something terrible. Her godfather came around the desk
and cupped her cheeks in his hands, only to realize that she was burning up.

“Princess, you’re burning up.” She nodded.

“I’ve been sick all day. Draco’s been trying to convince me to go to the Hospital Wing but I wanted
to wait until after classes.” He gathered another handful of hair as it fell from her head.

“Did you go?” She shook her head and lowered her eyes.

“I had to come here.” He lifted her face by her chin and met her gaze.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She walked over and threw all her hair into his trash can. She wiped her
tears with the back of her hand.

“You didn't give me a chance and you were so angry at me. You scare me when you’re angry.
Uncle Luci is never angry at me and Daddy gets angry like I do. I never know what you’re going to
do and you make me feel like I’m the worst person in the world when you’re angry at me.” Her
godfather pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

“Baby, I would never hurt you. I’m sorry I scare you, I’ll try to not do that anymore. How long have
you been sick?” She buried her face in his robes and inhaled the scent of potions ingredients. It had
been so long since she had been able to hug him.

“I woke up and felt terrible. I just thought I was getting a cold so I took a pepper up that we had
made. It helped a little but after an hour or so I felt terrible again. The boys made me sleep all through
Defense.” He kissed her forehead.

“Fifty points to Slytherin for being honest with me.” She smiled against his chest. He pulled her
away from him to look in her eyes.

“What happened to your hair?” Her eyes started to prick with tears again. She was completely bald
now.

“I was almost here when I heard footsteps behind me. I just assumed that it was a Slytherin headed to
the common room. A spell hit me in the back of the head and threw me into the wall. I got up off the
floor and could have sworn that I saw red hair but can’t be sure. Then my hair started falling out.”
He kissed her forehead again.

“You’re beautiful bald as well.” She smiled at him but still felt a few tears slip free. He brushed them
away and continued.

“We need to have you seen at the Hospital Wing like this but I have a potion that will restore your
hair as good as new. It will only a few minutes. How about we floo there so nobody sees you?” She
nodded gratefully.

Uncle Sev wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her into the floo, whooshing away in green
flame. They stepped out to find only Madam Pomfrey in residence. She gasped when she saw her
and ushered her to a bed. Uncle Sev took over telling her what was wrong with her and what had
happened. The mediwitch drew a curtain around her and started casting spells on her, diagnostic
ones she was sure. Once she was finished, she tutted softly.

“Miss Black, you should have been in here hours before. You have Wizard’s Flu, it’s no wonder you
feel terrible. I have the potions you’ll need but you’re going to have to stay overnight.” She gave a
miserable nod but didn’t complain. Honestly, at this point, she didn’t care. The curtain pulled open to
reveal Harry and Draco, both clearly worried. Their mouths dropped at the sight of her without hair
and she rolled over and hid her face.

“Get out! Just leave!” The last thing she wanted was to be stared at like a freak of nature. Uncle Sev
tried to help her out and shuffle them out but they weren’t having any of it. Draco took a seat on her
bed and tried to get her to pull her head out from under the pillow.

“Miney, come out here and talk to us.” She shook her head but realized they couldn’t see it. It would
do no good to tell Harry that she thought it was Ginny since he had hadn’t believed her the last time.

“No, I don’t want to be stared at like a freak. Just go away.” Harry reached down and took her
pillow while Draco pulled her up to a sitting position. He moved in so she could lean on him since
she was still sick. Madam Pomfrey was still gathering the potions she would need.

“Miney, you’re still beautiful even without hair. Seriously, though, tell us what happened.” Harry
reached out and stroked her cheek bone and nodded but Hermione turned away from him and buried
her face in Draco’s shoulder. His hand fell to her shoulder and rubbed small circles on it.

“I was almost to Uncle Sev’s and someone cursed me from behind. I couldn’t have moved fast
enough even if I had wanted to because I’m sick.” She felt Draco hold her impossibly tighter.

“Did you see who it was?” She shook her head.

“No, not really.” Uncle Sev just had to open his mouth.

“She isn’t sure but she thinks she saw the little bitch Weasley.” Hermione was quick to reiterate.

“I can’t be sure. I hit my head. I’m not sure enough to accuse her.” Harry leaned over and pulled her
gently from Draco’s shoulder so he could look into her eyes.

“Mia, was it Ginny or not?” She glared at him.

“I just said I didn’t know. Besides, would it matter either way? You didn’t believe me last time. I
know she threw that rock at me and you still don’t believe me. The twins are her brothers and they
believe me. So, really, does it matter? This way is better for everyone. You can still mess around
with her with a clear conscience and when she has Finnegan or Ronald give her an alibi for this
evening I won’t look like I’m just trying to start shite.” Harry looked like she had just slapped him in
the face but it was all true. Rather than snuggle back into Draco, she took her pillow back from
Harry and laid back down on it. Madam Pomfrey bustled back over and and handed a single vial
first.

“Your hair potion first. Every witch wants her hair first.” Hermione smiled weakly and drank it
down. It literally took two minutes for her hair to grow back, luscious, sleek black curls that reached
her hips now rather than her waist. Both Harry and Draco reached out and fingered them softly while
Madam Pomfrey handed her six other potions. Uncle Sev watched her drink them all down

It was instantaneous, the feeling better. However, right on it’s heels was the feeling exhausted. She
could barely keep her eyes open. Her godfather stood and waved her wand at her clothes, turning her
uniform into a long nightgown that she usually favored at school during the winter. He made sure
that she was tucked in and she clutched at his hand tightly.

“Please stay until I fall asleep. I miss you so much.” He chuckled and kissed her forehead again.

“As you wish, Princess.” Draco stepped up and kissed the top of her head and promised that he
would come get her in the morning. She hummed her agreement squeezed his hand. Harry stepped
up and took a chance, kissing her forehead. Her eyes were almost closed.

“I’m sorry, Mia. I never meant to hurt you.” She smiled at him.

“Sometimes you didn’t. Sometimes you did. I still forgave you.” She felt him brush curls away from
her face again but said nothing else. Uncle Sev sat down next to her and took her hand in his.

“I love you, sweetness.” She rolled towards his voice.

“I love you too, Uncle Sevvie.” She heard him groan at the name and she laughed inwardly before
letting sleep pull her under.
-O-

Harry wasn’t sure what to think of what Hermione had said. She was right, he had meant to hurt her
sometimes but he hadn’t always meant to. It was nice to hear that she had forgiven him. However, he
didn’t think that he should take that as her forgiving him. It was clear that she was drugged and not in
complete control of her tongue.

He wanted to ask Ginny if she had cursed Hermione. Never in a million years did he think that she
would admit to it but he did want to know if she would use Seamus or Ron as an alibi. Hermione
had been correct, he hadn’t believed her when she had said that Ginny had thrown that rock at her.
Although, it was news to him that the twins had believed her. He had always assumed that they
thought their sister was innocent like Ron did.

He and Draco had separated outside of the Hospital Wing. The Slytherin had decided to go find
Pansy and spend a little personal time with her, something that Harry did from time to time. She
wasn’t his favorite girl to spend time with, mostly because she was so obsessed with Draco, but she
was a way to pass the time. He could admit that she gave a pretty good handy though. He was
headed for the common room, deciding to give the wireless of the quidditch match a complete miss.

Ron, Ginny, Seamus, Dean, Neville, the twins, Lee, and Colin were sitting by the fire playing
exploding snap, all laughing as they blew each other up. They all greeted him loudly he approached,
even Ginny. It was as though their time in the broom closet hadn’t happened, even though it was
only a couple hours ago. She gestured for him to take the seat next to her but he just glared at her.
She gave him a confused look that in turn got the attention of everyone around them. His voice was
hard when he spoke.

“What have you been doing since you left the broom closet, Ginny? And don't fucking lie to me.”
Her eyes flashed with fear but she hid it almost instantly. Ron got indignant but seemed to realize
almost instantly that there was something else going on there.

“I came here and started playing with Seamus. Everyone started showing up and adding players to
the game. I wouldn’t lie to you, Harry.” Ron glared at him.

“What’s this about, mate?” Harry turned to glare at him now.

“Your sister begged me to meet her to fool around. Instead, she threw a little hissy fit because I
helped Hermione to the table because she has the Wizard’s Flu. Even though I informed her that we
aren’t dating, we aren’t courting, that Hermione is my family, she slapped me. Somehow, Hermione
was cursed from behind on her way to detention. Seems awfully coincidental if you ask me.” Ron
started to sputter and so did Ginny. However, Harry didn’t give them a chance to get started because
they wouldn’t shut up for an hour.

“Just remember this and it goes for everyone in this school. Hermione Black, Draco Malfoy, and
Juliet Black are my fucking family. They are mine. I will protect them as such. I will treat them as I
see fit. If you don’t like it, fuck off. If you hurt them, you will regret it. I don’t give a shit how many
house points I lose and detention means nothing to me. Don’t think for second that I’ll be expelled.
After all, do you really think they’re going to expel the Savior of the world? The godson of Lord
Black, the nephew of Lord Malfoy, the scion of House Potter? You hurt my family, you’ll fucking
pay. Spread the word.” It was Neville that spoke.

“Is Hermione okay?” The twins were nodding, showing they were worried too. Harry smiled at
them. They were such good friends to her. He loved when they got together in the library and had
study hour.
“Yeah, it was a spell that made her lose her hair. Jokes on whoever cast it though. Professor Snape
made the potion that fixed it and it was so good that her hair came back longer and far more beautiful
than it was originally.” Fred whistled.

“Merlin, it was already the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.” Harry laughed.

“I know. Now Krum really isn’t going to be able to keep his eyes off her.” George narrowed his
eyes at his words.

“Harry, have you heard the rumors about him?” Harry blew his breath out.

“Yeah, but she isn’t going to believe it from me. I’ve already made clear that I don’t like her with
him. She told me in not so many words to butt out.” The twins laughed.

“That sounds like Mina.” They turned more serious.

“Maybe we’ll try talking to her next time we get her alone.” Harry clapped them on the shoulders.

“Thanks boys. I really don’t want her hurt. I think she’s a romantic at heart.” They nodded. He
continued.

“It’s been a long day. I’m going to head to bed. See you both in the morning. You three want to eat
with the snakes with me in the morning?” They nodded eagerly; it had been a couple days since they
had ate with Hermione since the twins had gotten girlfriends.

Harry bid them goodnight and headed upstairs to his bed. After he quickly changed, he crawled into
his bed and let his mind drift for just a few minutes. Hermione had been right. Ginny had used
Seamus and then everyone else. Of course, this proved nothing but he wasn’t going to trust Ginny
blindly anymore. He was surprised that she hadn’t hounded him to ask her to the Yule Ball already.
However, he was left with the problem of who he could ask. Hermione was out of the question since
he was sure that Krum was going to ask her. Juliet was too young.

He was going to have to put his mind to it. He considered Chang but he remembered how upset
Hermione had gotten over him watching her. Were there any girls in the school that she didn’t get
upset over when he talked to them? He smiled to himself when he realized that there were two. She
really didn’t like Parvati but she didn’t seem to hate her as much as she did the other girls, probably
because he wasn’t messing around with Parvati. The Indian girl was strictly his friend, though he
couldn’t say the same for her twin.

The other girl was her cousin, Luna Lovegood. The girl was quirky and odd, but strangely smart.
They didn’t talk much but she was friendly and seemed to genuinely like Hermione and Draco.
Draco had explained the situation to him just a couple weeks before. He wondered if the girl would
be open to attending the Yule Ball with him. Of course, he would never dream of messing around
with a girl that was related to Hermione so it would mean no fun at the Ball but he could live with
that. It would mean that she wouldn’t get angry at him and they would have a good time even if she
was with that goon Krum.

The idea had merit. He would run it by her as soon as he got the nerve. Without further ado, he
rolled over and let sleep pull him under.

A/N- Omg, I hope you guys like the idea of Harry taking Luna to the Ball because it’s totally going
to happen. I was going to wait until fifth year to introduce her into their dynamic but I think it’s going
to be a slower intro starting now. Hope you don’t mind. Anyways, hope you liked the chapter. As
always, thanks for being such awesome readers and thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews,
you guys are seriously the bomb. Leave me your thoughts and let me know what ya think.

Next chapter, an argument breaks out and Hermione gets a date.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 71

A/N- Here we are with another chapter, friends. This story is just moving right along, even though I
was seriously riding the struggle bus with this one. I’ve lost quite a few readers after the last couple
chapters so to those that are still hanging tough, thank you. I warned everyone that this is an
ULTRA-slow burn. Harry isn’t going to pull his head out of his ass until sometime just after school
starts next year. Hermione is going to move on, in the next couple chapters, so please stop telling me
that she needs to. Please? Anyways, enough of that business since I really want to get this one
published for you. Hope you enjoy!

**Shout out to Midnight Little One for being my 3200th reviewer! You’re freaking awesome!!**

Disclaimer: I’m already so tired of leaving these here. Y’all know that this doesn’t belong to me and
that I haven’t made any money off this story or any others, right? If not, well, it doesn’t and I
haven’t. Nuff said.

Chapter 71
December 18, 1994

Harry nudged Ron at the table, reminding him that the bell had rang and they needed to get to class.
He had promised his friend that they would sit together in Potions this morning and he refused to
disrespect Severus by being late to class. Ron crammed one last slice of toast in his mouth before
standing and gathering his things.

“Ahh kshh jfkall liilll.” Harry just rolled his eyes.

“You can’t possibly think that I understood that.” Ron chewed for a full minute before finally
swallowing.

“I can’t stand Potions.” Harry snorted now.

“You remind me every day we have the class. Just do your best and keep your mouth shut.” Ron
groaned but didn’t complain further.

Hermione and Draco were just a little further up the corridor from them, laughing about something,
just the two of them. Sometimes he was jealous of the bond they shared. He should have been
included in that bond if only Dumbledore hadn’t meddled in his life. It was hard to not hate the old
man for that.

His eyes fell to Hermione’s arse and he couldn’t help but harden at the sight of it. Her hips swayed
slightly, not overly so like some of the girls he saw in his free time, and her cheeks were rounded like
a ripe peach. He dreamed of taking a bite out of it almost every night. Ron cleared his throat next to
him and Harry was quick to avert his eyes, thanking Merlin that he had his robes on, hiding his
erection.

Once inside the classroom, he took his seat at the table with Ron, Seamus, and Dean. He had been
growing closer to Neville but he seemed happy to sit with Hermione, Draco, and Daphne. Honestly,
Harry was starting to grow closer to Neville and the twins then he was to Ron. He hated to admit it
but it was the truth. Ron seemed to know it too and he was latching on even more than normal.

Professor Snape appeared and instantly started his lesson. He lectured for just a little while on the
Wide-Eye Potion before they split up into pairs and began to brew it. Harry had always been terrible
at brewing before but since the summer when Severus had started brewing with him, he had gotten
better. Not up to par with Draco and Hermione, mind you, but good enough to get an E on his
assignments.

Ron paired with him and instantly started complaining that Harry was doing everything wrong.
Harry let him bitch but continued to brew like Severus had taught him. Harry was just about to add
the billywig stings but realized that Ron had brought him skin. He sighed.

“I need the stings, Ron, not the skin.” Ron argued back.

“No, it’s skin, I read it.” Harry snapped back this time.

“Ron, I’ve made this before. It’s bloody stings. Just go get them before the potion is ruined. You can
check afterwards.” Ron sneered at him.

“That’s right, you made it with your perfect family. How could I forget?” The potion was getting
ready to be past the point of no return.

“Ron, just get the stings before it’s too late!” Ron rolled his eyes.

“You’re so bloody dramatic.” Harry watched as the potion went from the brilliant green it was
supposed to be to the lavender shade that indicated it was past saving. He raked his hand through his
hair and sighed, knowing that he would be receiving a failing grade today. He turned angry eyes to
his best mate.

“Thanks, mate, now we both got a failing grade because you wouldn’t listen.” Ron mocked him.

“Now we both got a failing grade because you wouldn’t listen.” Harry didn’t get the chance to
answer because Professor Snape stepped up and clamped a hand down on Ron’s shoulder, his tone
icy.

“I do believe that Mr. Weasley will be the only one receiving a failing grade today. I clearly heard
Mr. Potter tell Mr. Weasley more than once to retrieve stings rather than skin and he refused.
Therefore, I will reward Mr. Potter with his average grade in my class, an E. I think a detention is in
order, Mr. Weasley, for wasting potions ingredients.” Harry sighed. While he was thrilled that he
hadn’t failed the assignment, he knew that Ron was going to be pissed at him that he had not only
failed but got a detention out of the deal. After Snape stalked off again, Ron glared at him.

“I can’t believe you just let that happen.” Harry sneered at him, a habit that he was quickly picking
up from Draco.

“You should have listened to me. You know how smart Hermione and Draco are and you know I’ve
been studying with them. Why would you not think that I know what I’m talking about? It was your
fault that the potion was ruined.” Ron just glared for a second more before turning his head and
ignoring him for the rest of the class.

Once the bell rang, Harry gathered his things and headed for the door, headed for Divination.
Hermione and Draco were ahead of him and he watched as Hermione playfully shoved at Draco,
laughing softly. She caught sight of him and waved merrily before heading off in the direction of her
Magical Theory class. He wasn’t sure how she stood that class; it would bore him to tears.

Harry caught up to Draco and started the trek to Divination together. Neville caught up with them a
few corridors down and he was happy to walk in silence as well. They were almost to the North
Tower when Neville finally broke it.

“Ron really is an idiot sometimes, isn’t he?” Harry snorted.

“He really is. It’s so frustrating sometimes. But he’s my best mate so what do you do?” Draco
snorted, making his opinion quite clear. Harry just left it at that. Ron was nowhere near them so
Harry wasn’t sure where he was. He was in Divination as well and it was one of the few classes that
he never wanted to skip since it was easy.

Once they arrived, Harry realized that Ron was already there. However, he was at a table with
Seamus and Dean rather than one he usually sat at with Harry. He just rolled his eyes inwardly,
wondering if Ron really thought that this was hurting his feelings. He just sat with Draco and budged
over so Neville could sit with them. Professor Trelawney appeared from her office and the smell of
incense intensified as if wafted in through the open door.

Their lesson continued to be over crystal-gazing. Harry thought it was the dumbest thing he had
learned so far, even more so than palm-reading, but there was no getting around it. As usual, the
professor predicted his death while she looked in her crystal ball. Harry was a little surprised to see
Draco’s hands tighten at her words. Maybe it had happened before and he just hadn’t noticed. Harry
would hate to see what Hermione’s reaction to Trelawney’s predictions would be; nobody could
deny that she was protective of those that she cared about.

Since they couldn’t take crystal balls with them for homework, they escaped with only a short essay
for homework. Harry was able to get it finished in class since Trelawney didn’t pay attention to what
you were working on. It seemed as though Draco and Neville were doing the same. When the bell
rang to dismiss them to lunch, they were quick to head for the Great Hall.

The three of them were chattering about quidditch and the upcoming match between Puddlemere and
the Cannons. Just a corridor down from the Great Hall, they found Hermione outside the girls loo,
the very one that the troll had destroyed clear back in first year. She was standing in front of Luna
and looked livid as she stared down Ginny.

Draco had explained about Luna Lovegood when he had found Hermione conversing with the
Ravenclaw one evening in the library. The girl had once been close with the cousins, related to them
in fact. Her mother, now passed, had been Lucius’ and Erise’s first cousin. When Pandora had died,
Xenophilius had pulled away from the family, citing that he was a light family and wouldn’t have
ties to the dark. Even though Lucius had been offended, he had been saddened that he wouldn’t see
Luna anymore. He wasn’t near as close to her as he was to Hermione, but Pandora had always been
his favorite cousin. Since Luna had never made any moves to talk to them until this year, Hermione
and Draco had just gone with it. Draco hurried to her side, his wand sliding into his hand from up his
sleeve. Harry sighed, wondering just what kind of shite storm Ginny had caused now. Draco didn’t
take a second to look at Hermione.

“What’s happening here, Mia?” Hermione took a step closer to Ginny and Harry could see that it
was going to escalate if he didn’t step in. He took a step in the middle and he could see the look of
betrayal in Hermione’s eyes. Her voice was hard when she answered her cousin.

“I was in the stall and I could hear Ginny talking to Luna. She was complaining about me,
apparently, they’ve been friends for years since they live so close. Luna asked her to stop, told her
that she liked me. Ginny told her that she didn’t know what kind of person I really was, that I was
dark. Luna told her that I wasn’t dark at all and Ginny told her that she was stupid. I came out and
told Weasley that she should just leave Luna well enough alone but she told me that I should just stay
out of it. Apparently she missed the memo where you don’t mess with my family.” Ginny started to
sputter and took a step back.

“Luna isn’t your family.” Hermione took another step forward but Harry laid both hands on her
shoulders.
“Please don’t. You know she would tell and you’d get detention. That’s the only reason I stepped in
the middle.” She glared for a few moments but finally nodded. Draco spoke next.

“Actually, Luna is our family. Her mother was my father’s first cousin. She was at our houses all the
time until her mother died. Like Hermione said, you don’t mess with family. Don’t call her stupid
again.” Ginny nodded emphatically.

“Sure, of course.” She waited a few seconds before running forward and grasping Harry’s arm and
pulling him towards the Great Hall with her.

“Harry, you saved me. You really are a hero.” He brushed her off with a disgusted grimace.

“Ginny, I was saving Hermione from detention. I’m still not convinced you didn’t curse her.” She
sighed heavily.

“Harry, I swear I didn’t curse her. Why would I be stupid enough to curse someone who’s family is
fucking crazy?” He thought that she had a valid point but he wasn’t completely buying it. Rather
than admit that she had a point, he just didn’t answer her. She just continued.

“Want to meet me tonight?” He shook his head. Since Hermione didn’t seem to care if he kept
meeting her after being cursed, he had continued to see her when it suited him. She was pushing for
him to fuck her but he just couldn’t bear for her to be his first.

“I can’t, I’m already meeting someone else.” Ginny shrugged, unconcerned. It always amazed him
that she was wholly unconcerned that he met with other girls and received sexual favors but had a
meltdown when he walked Hermione to the table and let her lean on him when she was sick. It
boggled the mind.

“Tomorrow then?” He gave a nod.

“Sure. I’m going to sit with them since your brother is being a dick.” She raised her lip in disgust but
said nothing. She flounced off in the direction of the Gryffindor table, leaving him to make his way
to the Slytherin table. Once he got closer, he realized that his usual seat next to Hermione was filled
with none other than Viktor bloody Krum. He gritted his teeth and did his best to screw on a smile as
he went around the table to take a seat next to Juliet. Once he was in the seat next to her, she leaned
over and gave him a side hug.

“Harry, guess who’s going to walk Hermione to class, clear out to Care of Magical Creatures?
Viktor says that she’s worth the walk in the cold.” He kept the smile screwed on and ruffled her hair.

“Of course she is, little one. She’s our Mia, after all.” Juliet grinned at him and launched into a
conversation about her Transfiguration class and how she had successfully transfigured her beetle
into a button. Harry felt a little vindicated when he realized that Hermione was listening to her sister
more than she was listening to Krum tell about his epic catch of the snitch at the World Cup.

Of course, everyone around them was caught up in his words. Hermione seemed quite bored,
actually, since he was going on about nothing but quidditch. While Harry knew that he and Draco
talked about their favorite sport quite a bit, they also made sure to talk about their homework and
classes, what they had learned in Defense from Remus and things of the like so she could be
included. So far in the hour that they had been eating together, he hadn’t said a word to her about
anything but.

The bell rang, dismissing them to make their way to Care of Magical Creatures. Juliet raced around
the table to give Hermione a hug around the waist and Harry couldn’t help but grin at the sight. He
looked up to see a flash of annoyance on Krum’s face but it disappeared the second that Draco
looked up from his plate. Hermione kissed her little sister’s head and sent her on her way before
taking Viktor’s arm and throwing her bag over her other shoulder. The Bulgarian smiled down at
her.

“You look beautiful today.” She smiled softly at him.

“Thank you, you look quite dashing yourself. Tell me, how has your day been? How are your
studies?” he waved his hand in her direction, dismissing her words.

“No talk studies now. My day be better vhen you tell me more about yourself.” Hermione smiled
happily at him. Harry couldn’t help but feel badly. How often did people go out of their way to learn
more about her? Everyone just assumed that all there was to her was learning and reading. Was
Krum the first person to ever ask her more about herself? Harry was close enough behind them that
he could hear everything she was saying.

“Well, as you’ve already seen, Draco’s my cousin but he’s also my very best friend. He knows
everything about me. I have an Abraxan horse named Bluebell and I love her to pieces, I ride her
every day on holiday. I have a kneazle familiar who’s brilliant, he’s named Tenebris. Daddy got him
for me for Christmas a couple years back. I don’t really know what to tell you. Why don’t you tell
me something about yourself?” Viktor put his hand on top of the one threaded through his elbow and
started stroking her skin softly. He could just barely see her cheeks flush, telling him just how
innocent she was.

“Tell me vhy da school is frightened of you.” Hermione lowered her head and Harry could see the
shame written on her features. He looked over to Draco to see if he was going to allow it but he was
caught up in conversation with Blaise about who knew what. Hermione spoke before he could
intervene.

“As you know, I’m the Black heir. We’re well-known for our streaks of insanity. I don’t know how
much you’ve learned about me from those from around here, but I was blood adopted by my father.
My father is really my uncle. When he adopted me, he added another strand of Black family magic.
Not only do I have two strands of magic that are known for their insanity, I have three strands total.
That makes me more powerful than anyone in this school except for Harry. Nobody knows why he’s
so powerful but he is. During my second year, I got really angry at one of the Gryffindor girls and I
used my magic to put pressure on her chest. I would have killed her if Harry wouldn’t have shown
up and stopped me.” Viktor was silent for a full minute before he finally responded.

“Dey never mess vith you again. Dey bow before you.” Hermione shook her head, a frown marring
her features.

“No, that’s not what I want. I feel bad now, I didn’t care that I almost killed her at the time but I
would have felt terrible afterwards. I’m glad I didn’t kill her. I don’t want to be a tyrant.” There was
nothing else that could be said since they had reached Hagrid’s hut and he was staring at Viktor
pointedly. Viktor reached out and brushed his hand down her cheek, savoring the softness of her
skin.

“Meet me in library to study.” She gave him a smile and nodded her head. Harry wanted to curse.
She was supposed to study with all of them tonight, they did every night. Of course, he supposed
that he couldn’t complain since half the nights he begged off so he could meet with girls and get his
knob sucked or his fingers wet. Therefore, he bit his tongue. He only felt a little triumphant when
Hagrid glared at the girl of his dreams once Viktor was gone.

“Nex’ time, leave ya’ suitors a’ hom’.” Hermione flushed in embarrassment and looked to the ground
which made Harry feel guilty for his thoughts. He didn’t get a chance to make her feel better before
Hagrid jumped into a lesson about streelers and how their poison was used against horkalumps. It
was a lesson that Harry didn’t recall having with Madam Cambridge and judging by the way
Hermione and Draco were scribbling as fast as he was, they hadn’t either. It was quite gratifying to
see them have to actually pay attention during a class.

Since there weren’t many streelers left in the world, there wasn’t a practical part of the lesson. They
were dismissed a little early and Harry could see that Hermione was excited since she had plans to go
to the Defense classroom to help Juliet with her lessons. He and Draco were supposed to follow and
they were going to work on his French. It had been decided that after he had mastered that that they
were going to start on Italian. They were both fluent in French, Italian, and Spanish so he was on his
way to following in their footsteps.

Hermione and Daphne were ahead of Harry and Draco, the blonde was caught up in conversation
with Greg and Vince about the homework assignment that Hagrid had just assigned them. Just
outside the castle, the pair veered off towards the broom shed, though Harry couldn’t figure out why
for the life of him. Draco seemed to know what he was thinking and smirked at him.

“They fancy themselves joining the quidditch team next year. They’re heading off to go practice.”
Harry merely nodded, still irritated that the boy had let his cousin answer those questions because he
had been caught up in conversation with his friend. Draco frowned at his silence.

“What’s your problem?” Harry just shook his head.

“Doesn’t matter. Just drop it.” Draco reached out and grabbed his arm. Harry looked back at him and
glared until Draco dropped it.

“Just tell me, fucker.” They had just entered the castle and there was nobody in sight so Harry
decided to do just that.

“Were you paying attention to what that Bulgarian prick was asking your cousin?” Draco sneered at
him.

“No, I wasn’t, because I’m not spying on her every single second of the day. You know, if you want
to date her, quit being a fucking pussy and ask her out. However, if you do that, I better never catch
you with another girl or I will cut your fucking dick off.” Harry felt his face flame at how obvious he
must be. Therefore, he tried to deflect.

“I don’t want to date your fucking cousin. She could never keep me happy, she doesn’t put out and
I’m pretty partial to getting my dick sucked.” Harry didn’t see how Draco moved as fast as he did but
he knew that he deserved the fist he took to his nose. Blood exploded down his front and his hand
came up to try to stem the bleeding. Draco’s cheeks were pink but Harry knew that it wasn’t
embarrassment. His chest was heaving from both exertion and anger.

“You ever say that about my cousin again, I’ll set my father loose on you.” Harry knew that his
friend wasn’t kidding. Draco was pretty laid back about everything except Hermione and family
honor. Harry was just about to apologize when there was a spell shouted from behind him. A white
spell shot past him and hit Draco right in the chest and Harry watched in horror as his friend shrunk
down into a ferret. He could hear stomping behind him and Harry rushed forward, scooping Draco
into his arms while he slid his wand into his hand. He turned just in time to see Moody approach.

“I saw ‘im hit ya, boy, let’s take ‘im to the Headmaster.” Harry shook his head.

“We’re not taking him anywhere. You’re going to change him back.” Moody shook his head.
“School rules say that students aren’t supposed to strike one another. I saw Mr. Malfoy strike you.
There’s blood down your front supporting my claim.” Harry was about to open his mouth when the
situation got worse. Hermione rounded the corner and saw Harry before she saw Moody.

“Where have you been? Where’s Draco? Juliet and I were starting to get worried.” Just as she
finished her sentence, she saw Moody and her wand slipped into her hand. She moved to stand
beside Harry.

“You’re not supposed to be near us. Feel free to move on before I go find my Head of House.”
Moody snorted.

“You mean the Death Eater?” Harry snorted.

“Fine, my Head of House. I wonder what she’ll say.” Hermione turned to Harry and noticed the
ferret in his hand for the first time. Her eyes narrowed.

“Is that…?” He nodded. She reached out and took the ferret, holding him gently against her chest.
Just a few paces away, she set him on the ground and made sure that Harry was covering her. She
cast silently, waving her wand at her cousin. Draco reappeared, looking far more disheveled than he
had before he had been transfigured. Hermione wrapped an arm around his waist and steadied him
but it wasn’t Draco that worried him. It was Hermione. Once Draco was steady on his feet, she
stepped forward, her wand extended and fury in her eyes. Harry stepped in front of her.

“Draco didn’t hit me. We’re not going anywhere with you. In fact, we’re going to take you to
Professor McGonagall about using illegal transfiguration on a student.” Moody stepped closer and
Hermione started pushing against Harry and he was doing all he could to hold her back. He turned to
look at Draco, begging him to help hold her back but he was getting no help from him on that front.
It was clear that it was a matter of family honor. Harry looked around to make sure that there was
nobody around to see what was happening because the last thing they needed was for someone to
see what was happening and report it. When he saw nobody, he just let the two of them have their
way. If they ganged up on him, he wouldn’t be able to stop them anyways.

Once he was out from between Moody and Hermione, she grinned ferally at him. Harry saw a
flicker of fear cross his features but it was gone before anyone else could see it. Draco just stepped
back and watched, grinning at the scene. Harry wondered if they had a plan or if they were just
shooting from the hip. However, he did have to admit that it was hot as fuck to watch Hermione be
intimidating and scare the fuck out of Moody.

“Did you not learn your lesson the last time you had a run in with me, Moody? I’m not scared of you
and I believe I proved to you that I can best you without my wand. Knowing what families I belong
to, did you really think that that wouldn’t extend to my cousin and Harry?” Moody glared at her.

“This has nothing to do with you, lassie. I watched your precious cousin clock Potter. You say you
value family, you should let your cousin be punished.” Harry could feel her curiosity but she didn’t
spare them with a glance. She just took another step towards the Master Auror.

“If my cousin hit Harry, then it’s a family matter and it will be handled in-family. That means,
between myself, Harry, Draco, and Juliet. If we can’t handle it, we’ll owl my father and Lord
Malfoy. I’m sure you’re well-acquainted with both.” Harry could tell that she was giving him one
chance to back down and he could see that Moody wasn’t going to take it. Moody sneered at her.

“You’re forgetting that it’s against school rules to handle it in-family. Therefore, it’s Hogwarts’
business.” Hermione didn’t even give him a chance to think. Her wand came up and shot a spell at
Moody that threw him across the corridor and into the stone wall. She moseyed over to the man and
looked down at him just a few moments before she raised her wand again. This time Harry and
Draco both walked over to watch her work.

A spell shot out of her wand and hit the Master Auror directly in the chest. It was clear after just a
few moments what it was that she had hit him with. All his hair started falling out in handfuls. Harry
couldn’t help but to start laughing. Draco chuckled for a few seconds before he looked to Harry.

“We need to move him. He can’t be found here.” Harry nodded and brandished his wand. The pair
of them levitated him into the nearest alcove while Hermione vanished the hair that was falling out at
an alarming rate. Once he was on the ground out of sight, Hermione gave Draco a meaningful look.

“You have to do it. You’re better at it then I am.” Draco gave a nod and held his wand aloft. Harry
decided that he needed to know what was going on.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Draco sighed.

“Obliviating him, unless you want to have detention for the rest of the fucking year. Hermione will
likely go on trial before the Board for expulsion.” Harry sighed now.

“Alright, I just want to know what’s going on.” He watched as Draco knelt before the man and cast
a spell that he never wanted to cast in his life. It only took a few minutes before he stood.

“It’s done. He doesn’t remember seeing us at all.” Harry nodded as Hermione reached out and took
both their arms and dragged them through the castle to their room. Juliet was still there, practicing
whatever spell it was that Hermione had set her to work on. She looked worried when she saw the
dried blood on Harry’s robes but he made sure to gesture to her that he was alright. Hermione
whispered something to Juliet for a few moments before she stepped closer to them, silently casting a
silencing charm between themselves and Juliet. Once Juliet was focused on her spell again,
Hermione pushed Draco in the chest. He fell back just half a step and glared at her.

“What the fuck, Drake? Why are you punching him in full view? Please tell me you have a good
reason?” She whirled quicker than a snitch and she was pushing him next. He didn’t fall back far
either but he took it, refusing to fight back against her.

“What did you do to make him hit you? Draco hardly ever lets anger get the best of him, you had to
really fuck up to make him hit you.” Harry could tell that she was near tears; them fighting truly
upset her. He reached out and caught her wrists in his hands, pulling her towards him. She fought
him for a few seconds but let him pull her into his chest. He hugged her tight for a few seconds.

“It was my fault, Mia. I was being stupid. I deserved what he did. Don’t be mad at Draco.” She
sniffled in his chest but nodded. She pulled away and went to her cousin, who had his arms open to
her. He hugged her close and kissed her hairline.

“Don’t worry about us, Miney, we’re alright. No hard feelings. I promise. I should have waited until
we were in private, I’m sorry.” She nodded again.

“What were you fighting about?” Draco smirked at her.

“There are some things best left unsaid. Don’t worry yourself about things that were said in anger
that weren’t really meant.” She gave him a calculating look but in the end finally nodded.

“You two are truly alright?” Draco nodded.

“Truly, we are, Miney. Go help Juliet and I’ll heal Harry then we’ll get started on French. We’ve still
got an hour before dinner.” She gave them both a small smile before lifting the silencing spell and
going back to her sister. Once she was gone, Draco recast it and pointed his wand at Harry’s face.
He didn’t flinch as the blond cast a healing spell on his nose, healing the broken bone. The next spell
cleaned the blood from his face and robes. After his wand was put away, Draco’s face was hard.

“I’m not sorry I hit you.” Harry nodded.

“I deserved it. I didn’t mean anything I said.” Draco huffed loudly and sat next to him.

“Why can’t you admit you’re balls deep in love with her? Everyone can see it.” Harry heaved a sigh.

“I’m in love with her, alright. I’m not going to do anything about it because she deserves so much
better than me. I’ve done nothing but hurt her and she needs someone that would die before they hurt
her like I did.” Draco nodded.

“You’re right, she does deserve better. That doesn’t mean that you can’t change. Fucking around
with every girl in school and parading them in front of her isn’t the way to show her that you’ve
changed. She’s never going to consider you if you’re seeing every girl out there. She’s going to want
to feel special.” Harry snorted.

“Yeah, well, I’ll still not be good enough for her. She’s the whole package and I’m not. I really don’t
want to talk about it anymore. Besides, you’re a little hypocritical. I can tell you’re half in love with
Daphne yet you letting how many girls suck your dick right now? How many are you fucking
now?” Draco’s cheeks colored but he kept eye contact.

“I’m not fucking any of them yet. I know exactly how I feel for Daphne. The difference is that I
know that someday I’ll ask her to be mine if someone hasn’t beat me to it. My father told me when I
was young that I should play the field and make sure that when I met the girl I loved I could be
faithful. If I play around now, when I’m older and still want Daphne, I have a better chance of
staying loyal. I understand that it’s a choice but I really don’t think that I would be right now. I don’t
want to ruin what could be by getting into something serious too young.” Harry supposed that it
made sense.

“Let’s just drop all this. Hermione deserves better. Daphne deserves better while you’re being a man
whore. You better hope she doesn’t find someone else while you’re shagging all of Hogwarts. This
being said, are we really okay?” Draco nodded and clapped him on the shoulder.

“We’re good, Harry.” Harry grinned.

“Let’s work on French.”

-O-

Hermione was trying to figure out just what the boys could have been fighting over while she ate her
dinner. She still couldn’t believe that Draco had hit Harry, let alone in full view of the public. Of
course, she really couldn’t believe that the Master Auror had turned her cousin, her brother, her best
friend in the whole wide world, into a fucking ferret of all things.

Unbeknownst to Harry and Draco, just before they had departed to dinner, she had sent her Uncle
Sev a patronus, knowing that he would be in his office, telling him to make sure that he was out of
the potion that he had fed her just a couple weeks before. He hadn’t answered her but since the
Master Auror hadn’t turned up for dinner, she was quite sure that he had done as she had asked. It
would require an explanation later but she didn’t mind. She was ninety-eight percent sure that she
wouldn’t be punished since he had turned Draco into a ferret.

She was supposed to meet with Viktor in the library tonight to study and she was excited. They had
walked to and from class numerous times and today he had sat with herself and her friends for lunch.
It hadn’t been the greatest experience but she suspected that he was just trying to show off for her
friends. Surely, he knew that he didn't have to show off for her.

Juliet was sitting with them again, still wanting to know what had happened to Harry’s nose.
Hermione had told her that it was a boy thing and that he had worked it out but it was proving
difficult to get her to accept that. Finally, Hermione had just asked her to please accept it and let it go.
She had been reluctant but finally done as Hermione had asked.

The bell rang, signalling the end of dinner. Hermione grabbed her bag and stood, the rest of the table
following suit. Hermione saw Viktor stand and head her way, a smile on his face. Once he was
before her, he bowed and took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles. She curtsied in turn, as etiquette
required. He offered her his arm and took her bag to throw over his own shoulder.

Hermione knew that the others were following them to the library but she didn’t let it bother her.
Harry and Draco were going to help everyone in her stead and Juliet was excited to hear how her
“date” went. Hermione was pretty sure that her little sister was more in love with Viktor than she
was. Viktor was quiet until they reached the library, which Hermione found odd. The Bulgarian
usually didn’t share much about himself, just asked after her and her life. She was usually flattered
since nobody ever asked after her. She knew that she was boring and everyone found her so but it
did make her feel unimportant from time to time. However, she wanted to know about Viktor as
well.

Once they entered the library, Viktor led her to his favorite library table for two near the restricted
section. She took a seat and instantly pulled her books out and watched him do the same, though she
noticed that he didn’t pay attention to the words on the pages. Hermione couldn’t help but wonder if
he was going to ask her to the Yule Ball; she had wrote home to tell her father that she wasn’t going
to be home for Christmas because she had hoped that he was going to ask her but he hadn’t yet. She
was scared that he had asked other girls and they had turned him down and she was his last choice
but she realized how foolish that was. Nobody would turn down Viktor Krum if he asked them.

Her father had told her that he was disappointed she wouldn’t be there but that he understood. He
told her that it gave him time to get to know Juliet on his own and hoped that she didn’t mind. Even
though she felt a tiny twinge of jealousy, Hermione really did feel that that was best. Uncle Luci was
heartbroken and swore that he was going to come and crash her date but she found that she didn’t
mind. Her father would be caught up in Helena and Juliet; Luci would be most welcome to visit at
Hogwarts as a governor.

Hermione had wrote her Aunt Cissy for help in finding a gown for the ball and she had come
through. In fact, just a few days before, she and Madam Greengrass had arrived on a Saturday to
take Hermione and Daphne to Paris to shop for the perfect gown to wear. Draco had laughed at them
since neither one of them had dates but his mother had hexed him with antlers that had still been
there when they had returned late in the evening. He had been quite contrite as he asked Hermione to
help him get rid of them. She had been just hurt enough to make him get down on his knees and beg
her.

Little did Draco know that Daphne did have a date. Neville had asked her the day after it had been
announced, they just hadn’t made a huge deal about telling everyone. Hermione knew that it had hurt
Daphne’s feelings when Draco had made it sound like she didn’t have a date because nobody
wanted her, which was exactly how he had made her feel. Draco had asked one of the girls from
Beauxbatons, as had Theo. Blaise had agreed to take Pansy while Greg and Vince were taking
Tracey and Millie. Fred and George were taking Angelina and Katie, members of the Gryffindor
quidditch team. Harry said that he had a date but said that it was a surprise, that she would like it. She
wasn’t so sure that she would like anyone that he dragged to the Ball but nodded anyways.

That left her as the pathetic one left without a date.

Hermione supposed that if Viktor didn’t ask her, she could go without one. There would surely be
plenty of boys that would ask her to dance but it just wouldn’t be the same as going with one boy.
She could cite that she didn’t want to tie herself down but everyone would know that it was a lie.
She wasn’t sure that she could face the stares. Maybe she would just go home and spend the holiday
at home. She and Draco didn’t have to do everything together, after all. He and Harry would enjoy
themselves while she enjoyed herself at Malfoy Manor.

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts by Viktor reaching out and taking her hand over her
Transfiguration text. When she looked up and met his gaze, he smiled at her. She gave him a
confused smile in return. He leaned forward so he could speak and make sure that she heard him.

“Vould you like to go to ball vith me?” Hermione couldn’t hold back the huge grin that split her face.

“Yes, Viktor, I would.” He went to his feet and stepped in front of her, her hand still in his. He
pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. She was startled
since he pulled her closer than she was anticipating. He grinned down at her and she couldn’t help
but think how handsome he was. Not as handsome as Harry was but he could hold his own.

Hermione could see it coming, she could see it coming from a mile away. She wanted to believe he
did it so she could pull away if she wanted to. The truth was, however, was that she didn’t want to.
Viktor lowered his head to hers and brushed his lips against hers, just the barest of kisses before
pulling away. When he saw that she wasn’t pushing him away, he bent to kiss her a second time, this
time his tongue brushing against the seam of her lips. She gasped softly against his lips, letting him in
unwittingly. His tongue brushed hers only for a moment before pulling away and staring in her eyes.
Hermione couldn’t even focus on him because she was too busy having an internal freak out over
her first kiss.

“You taste like honey.” Hermione wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or an insult so she just
nodded. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip before he grinned at her.

“I must go. Haff to meet vith Headmaster.” Hermione gave him a nod and smiled.

“I understand. I’ll see you tomorrow.” VIktor nodded and began to gather his things. It was only
minutes later that he was gone. Rather than sit there by herself, she gathered her things and moved to
sit across the library with the rest of her friends. Surprisingly, the table wasn't as crowded as she
thought it would be. Harry, Juliet, Draco, Daphne, Neville, the twins, and Pansy were the only ones
seated at their usual table and they were all laughing softly. Truthfully, the atmosphere there was
much more welcoming than the one at the one she had just left. They waved her over, with the
exception of Pansy of course, when they saw her approaching. Daphne smirked at her when she
took her seat.

“You weren’t sitting with Mr. Krum very long. Did something happen?” Hermione knew that she
was blushing.

“He asked me to be his date to the Ball.” Daphne squealed and leaned over Neville to give her a hug.
Hermione laughed and hugged her girlfriend back. Pansy sneered at her.

“The perfect girl gets the perfect boy. How sweet.” Hermione glared at her. Before she could say
anything, Juliet broke it.
“I’m happy for you, Hermione, Viktor is so dreamy.” She gave her sister a smile and she could see
that Draco was glaring at Pansy.

“Get lost, Pansy, if you’re going to be a complete bitch.” Pansy just huffed and went to her feet,
gathering her things quickly and leaving. Her cousin turned his attention to Daphne and smirked her
way.

“That means you’re the only one without a date, Daph. Don’t worry, I’ll ditch my date all night to
dance with you.” Hermione watched her best friend’s eyes fill with tears, though she didn’t say
anything. She gathered her things and stood before turning to Hermione.

“Congratulations, Hermione. I’m glad that your amazing dress robes won’t go to waste now.”
Hermione reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand before she left. Once she was gone, Draco
looked confused. Hermione however, was livid. She went to her feet and slapped her cousin, leaving
a tiny red handprint behind. His eyes flashed with fury.

“What the fuck was that for?” Hermione stepped forward and started to drill him in the chest with her
finger.

“That’s for being a complete prick to Daphne. For one, you never rub it in a girl’s face that she
doesn’t have a date. For two, you made her feel as though you were taking pity on her by leaving
your date to dance with her. No girl in the world would want that. It’s a fucking insult. If someone
did that to me, they wouldn’t have any balls left. For three, Daphne has a date, you just didn’t ask.
You assumed that she was either undesirable or innocent enough to not warrant a date. Guess what,
cousin? Not everyone is a fucking man whore. Some men will go with a girl even if they aren’t
going to get their dicks sucked.” Her cousin was stricken silent for several moments. It looked as
though his world had imploded.

“Who’s she going with?” Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

“Not my place to say. She keeps my secrets, why shouldn’t I keep hers? You’ll have to ask her
yourself. Not that she’ll tell you after your horrendous behavior. Aunt Cissy would pull you over her
knee and tan your hide.” Draco didn’t even blush at her words because he was still so caught up in
her having a date. However, it was blown away at Neville’s words.

“I’m her date. I asked her because I’m hoping she’ll give me a shot. Not only is she beautiful, she’s
brilliant and knows how to comport herself in public. She’s a gem and if you’re too stupid to spend
your time fucking your way through all the girls in Hogwarts, so be it. I’m going to try to get with
one of the most beautiful girls in school. She would serve the House of Longbottom well and we
would in turn treat her like a princess.” Neville didn’t seem like he was angry or jealous, just very
confident. Nobody could deny that he was a player like her cousin. Hermione was sure that he had
had his own fair share of liasons but they were held in private and he seemed to have a genuine
affection for Daphne.

Honestly, the whole situation made Hermione a little sick. She knew that Neville didn't like Daphne
like that. HIs grandmother had instructed him to pursue her, he had confided in her a few weeks
back. She had encouraged him to ask her to Ball so he would have a date. She knew that Daphne
was in love with her cousin and she knew that Draco had a crush on her friend. It was all so
frustrating. She also knew that Neville was just playing up wanting Daphne to try to get Draco off
his arse to go after her himself. Hermione glared at her cousin.

“Go fucking apologize, you arsehole.” Draco stood and leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

“Thanks, Miney.” With that, he was gone. Hermione thought she saw Harry shoot the twins a look
but she wasn’t sure until he stood and laid a hand on Juliet’s shoulder.

“Come on, munchkin, let’s get back to the Tower. It’s a long ways away and we don’t want to miss
curfew.” Juliet bounded to her feet and hugged Hermione tight before following Harry out. She was
surprised that he didn’t say anything to her but knew instantly why when the twins spoke after it was
just the two of them, Hermione and Neville left.

“Mina, we need to talk.” She narrowed her eyes at them.

“What about?” George sighed and took her hand in his.

“Do you believe that we would never want to hurt you?” She nodded emphatically.

“Of course.” Fred sighed now.

“There are rumors, Mina, about Viktor.” She scoffed.

“Did Harry put you up to this?” They both raked their hands through their hair.

“Yes but we had already heard the same rumors. He just asked us to tell you because he didn’t think
you’d listen to him. He doesn’t want to see you hurt and neither do we, Mina. You’re our little
sister.” She sighed heavily. They took that as their sign to continue.

“He’s good, MIna. It’s really hush-hush but he’s seeing girls on the side. You’re the only one he’s
seeing officially but there are other girls. I’m afraid he’s going to expect more from you than you’re
willing to give. I guarantee you he’s getting more from other girls. Please don’t call us liars, Mina.”
Hermione felt a sharp pain in the vicinity of her heart and wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do.
Call off a date because of rumors? After a few moments, she sighed.

“Do either of you have any proof?” They shook their heads. George spoke.

“No. He’s been very careful. Lee swears he caught him coming out of quidditch changing rooms
with a seventh year Slytherin but neither one would provide the proof you want.” Hermione shook
her head. They really wouldn't. She sighed heavily.

“I can’t just ditch him for rumors. If either of you can bring me solid proof or your own eye witness,
I’ll ditch him. However, I can’t take the word of others I wouldn’t trust on my own. I’m sure you
understand why.” Fred sighed and nodded.

“We understand. Though you know he’ll never show us that side of him. He knows we’re your
friends.” Hermione nodded her head; she understood the conundrum all too well.

“Thank you for being brave enough to bring it to me at all.” They both grinned at her before hugging
her between them, making her the cream filling of their twin sandwich. When they finally let her go,
they both kissed her on the cheek and George exclaimed.

“We need some brother and sister time.” Neville joined in.

“Count me in. Might as well bring Daphne. She knows we aren’t compatible for anything more than
friends. She’s just using me to make Draco jealous and he had to be a complete dick and make her
feel like shite.” Hermione laughed.

“He did put his foot in his mouth.” George nodded.

“He did indeed.” Hermione leaned in conspiratorially.

“Do you two know who Harry is taking to the Ball? He won’t tell us.” Both shook their heads.

“He won’t tell us, just says that it’ll be a complete surprise and that she’s going as a friend.” That was
news to Hermione. Maybe she wouldn’t end up hating her. Going as friends generally didn't mean
that they would end up messing around together.

After several more minutes of small talk, Hermione gathered her things together and stood, kissing all
three boys on the cheek. They were all three her very best of friends after all, and knew that there
was nothing more there.

“I really must get back to the dorms and make sure that Draco apologized and Daphne didn’t hex
him to death. He could take her any day of the week but he would never fight back.” All three
Gryffindors laughed and bid her goodnight.

It was with a light and happy heart that she headed back to Slytherin dorms that night even though
she had been given disturbing news.

-O-

Harry lay in bed wondering if he had done the right thing. He had thought that he could handle
knowing that Hermione was going to go to the Yule Ball with Krum but that wasn't the case. After
taking Juliet back to the common room, he had sneaked away to make his meeting with Lisa Turpin.

Truth be told, he had sneaked away from the table to “find a book”. In truth, he had been watching
after Hermione to make sure that Krum didn’t try to take liberties that she didn’t want taken. Not that
he should have worried. She didn’t seem to mind the kisses he had pressed against her lips, in fact,
she had seemed quite impressed. He knew that he was just being a jealous prick, that he had no
reason whatsoever to hold those kisses against her but it was so bloody hard. He wanted her so
fucking much and Krum was sampling her right in front of his eyes.

After he had left Juliet in the common room and he had met Lisa, he had let her talk him into fucking
her. It hadn’t been all that he had thought it would be. Sure, it had been explosive, it had felt great,
and it had been an experience. However, he had expected it to be more. He would never admit it but
he was disappointed and for some reason, he laid that at Hermione’s feet. He knew that it wasn’t her
fault and that it was really his own fucking fault but he had only fucked Lisa because he was only so
bloody jealous.

He had a serious fucking problem.

The real fucking problem was only to come. Now that he had opened the can of worms, it was only
going to get worse. Where he had only been getting blow jays from girls so far, now he was going to
be fucking them. Where he had been undeserving of Hermione already, now he would never deserve
her no matter what he did to redeem himself.

It was a hard pill to swallow but he knew himself and he knew that he was going to fuck most of the
girls at Hogwarts. He could only hope that he could keep Hermione’s friendship. He could only
hope that she would care for him as family.

After all, family was what mattered most in his world.

Family.

-O-

Augustus squinted into the setting sun as he contemplated his life. It hadn’t been easy in the past six
months but it was coming along. The World Cup had brought him a servant that he had promptly
sent to Hogwarts, not that he knew how precarious his position was. He thought that it was all fun
and games. Rookwood was just waiting for him to get caught. Then he would be the one to suffer
his Master’s displeasure.

His master had been present for Crouch, Jr.’s report the last time. He had most interested in how
precious Hermione had thrown him against the wall after he had baited her about her mother dying,
then taking the truth serum to prove that he had had no part in it. Rookwood had had fun torturing
the complete fool for his complete idiocy. If they had had the foresight to ask him his true name, the
gig would have been up.

In truth, the whole situation was a little humorous to Rookwood. Most of the Death Eaters thought
that it was the Order of the Phoenix that killed Erise Malfoy, it was said that Dumbledore himself
believed it, that members had taken little Hermione to St. Mungo’s. Most members of the Order
believed that it was Death Eaters that attacked her, meaning that nobody really knew anything.
Rookwood, however, knew the truth.

He had been at the Dark Lord’s side the day that Gordon Travers and Rabastan Lestrange had
apparated to their master’s side, bloody and triumphant. Rookwood had faded into the background to
make sure that he wouldn’t be seen, therefore he could learn a few secrets. The tale he heard had
surprised him.

*Flashback*

Augustus heard the telltale crack of apparition and knew that someone had come in to report to the
Dark Lord. Therefore, he stood and faded into the shadows and made sure that nobody could see
him as they stepped forward to report. He knew that the Dark Lord knew he was there but that was
all. If the others weren’t smart enough to cast privacy charms, that wasn’t his problem. Travers and
Rabastan Lestrange appeared and bowed before Lord Voldemort. Travers began.

“We followed your instructions, my Lord. We tried to question Erise to see if Regulus was a traitor
but when we blasted the door open because she wouldn’t answer, a shard of the door went right
through her chest. Her kid was bawling over her, her magic was going crazy. We tried to save her
but we couldn’t get near her because of the kid. We ended up having to stun her. By that time, it was
too late. We had to transfigure ourselves and drop her at St. Mungo’s.” The Dark Lord hissed in
anger.

“You took her to St. Mungo’s where they’ll leave her for Black to claim. You should have just taken
her and handed her over to Lucius. He and Narcissa adore the girl. She has superb breeding, she
shouldn’t be raised by a blood traitor.” Rookwood watched in glee as his master cast the Cruciatus
on the two men before him

*End of Flashback*

Of course, now Hermione was on the Dark Lord’s radar. He wanted to know all about her. Just
knowing that she has three strands of family magic running through her core made him want her.
The fact that she was beautiful made him want to wait until the end of the year so they could return
him back to his younger self so he could take her for his bride and make her the mother to his heir.

This didn’t set well with Rookwood’s plans; he wanted her for himself. He had wanted her since the
first time she had fed him at Hogwarts. He thought that they had really had a connection but he
wasn’t in a place to really tell the Dark Lord that he couldn’t have the most powerful witch to come
out of Hogwarts since Rowena Ravenclaw herself. It was no secret that the Dark Lord would tell
Bellatrix to get hanged if he could sink his claws into Hermione.
However, there was nothing he could do about it. He could only do what he could behind the scenes
to makes sure that Hermione wanted him over Dark Lord. After all, what would a pretty girl like
Hermione want with a crazy psycho like Lord Voldemort?

It was going to be a long few years to come.

A/N- There we are, folks, Hermione officially has a date to the Yule Ball. We all know who Harry is
taking!! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, minus the creepy Rookwood interlude. Trust me, it
creeped me out writing it. Anyways, thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting this
story. It means a bunch. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think.

Next chapter, students are sent home for the holidays and Harry gets a tip.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 72

A/N- Well, I’m back. I’m going to be completely honest and say that I almost said fuck it all and
deleted this whole damn story. I am so sick of hearing the same thing over and over and over, telling
me how Harry is such a man whore, how he’s got STDs, how he’s irredeemable, how he’s a piece
of shit. I get it. You don’t like it. You’ve been telling me this for the last half of the story. If you’re
still reading it after telling me how much you can’t stand it for the last thirty or so chapters, who has
the problem? Me for writing it after telling you I’m going to or you for reading it after telling me you
were going to quit because you couldn’t stand it? I warned everyone from day one that I was going
to write this story how I wanted to, not how I was bullied into writing it. If you don’t like it, please
feel free to fuck off.

Just to clarify. I love the readers that have told me their opinions and even when they don’t agree
with how I write something, they tell me it was a great chapter and they can’t wait to see what
happens next. I fucking adore the readers who hate the chapter and know that they can’t say
anything nice so they don’t bother to leave a review. They just quit reading. For those readers out
there that truly enjoy the story even though Harry is being a fourteen year old boy, one who has been
fucking abused, used as a slave and shown no love, one who has no idea how to deal with anything
that smacks of emotion, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Harry has had a fucked up life and it
isn’t going to get better overnight. Speaking as a child that was abused, that shit just doesn’t
disappear and for those of you that think that Harry should become some sort of perfect character that
never acts out now that he’s part of the family, you’ll be disappointed. Get over it. Sucks to suck.

I literally told you who killed Hermione’s mother and one, ONE, person commented on that. I'm
just….well. I suppose it doesn’t matter. Those of you that choose to continue reading, I welcome you
and warn you that this story still isn’t halfway over. It’s going to be a hot minute before there’s a
happily ever after so you’re going to have to hang tight. I know there are a few of you with me until
the end. You know who you are and I love you for it. For those of you that can’t go on, I
understand. I wish you the best and hope that the next story catches your fancy more so than this one
did.

----For those of you who love this story, you owe me not deleting it to Frinasteri. His email saved it
all.----

**I want to give Lady Firemane the credit from the last chapter about Riddle returning to his
previous appearance. We had discussed it quite a while ago and after deleting messages, I had
completely forgotten who had given me the idea. It was all her brilliance.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I’ve made no money. Just in case y’all didn’t catch that in the 71 chapters
that came before this one. Bhahaha!

Chapter 72
December 22, 1994

Hermione could tell that her sister was nervous about going to Black Moor by herself. She wished
that she could have been there the first time that she went, that they could have explored the corridors
and rolling hills together but that wasn’t possible. The Yule Ball was a once in a lifetime thing and
there was no way that she was going to miss it.

Juliet understood; she had even gone so far as to tell Hermione that if she even thought about coming
home just to be with her, she’d hex her six ways to Sunday. Of course, they all knew it would never
happen, but the sentiment meant a lot to her. Hermione had swore to her that they would explore
together that summer and she would show her why Black Moor and Malfoy Manor were the best
places in the whole wide world.

Juliet had no interest in horses so that would remain something that only Hermione and her Aunt
Cissy would share. Secretly, she was happy. Her aunt was already quite taken with her younger
sister, another girl for her to pamper and spoil, another child of her own family line. Hermione didn’t
feel replaced in the least but she was happy to have just one thing that Juliet hadn’t taken an interest
in.

There were times that Hermione felt terrible to say she was glad that she was still the most important
in her Uncle Luci’s life aside from Draco. She didn’t hold it against her father for loving Juliet and
putting her on the family tree but her uncle had made her an heir when he didn’t have to. He had
always shown her that she was important and that she was loved.

Harry and Draco were on either side of her, both reassuring Juliet that she was going to love it at
Black Moor. Harry was trying to tell her that the quidditch pitch was the best he had ever seen but
Draco was trying to sell her that Malfoy Manor’s pitch was better. They were arguing goodnaturedly
and Hermione was almost certain that they were doing it for the sole purpose of distracting the young
Gryffindor.

The students were all supposed to be boarding the Hogwarts Express to go home to their families in
just one hour. Juliet, however, wouldn’t be taking the Express since their father insisted on bringing
Helena to retrieve her. Hermione suspected that it was less about Juliet and more about her father
wanting to meet her date for the Ball. Her Uncle Luci had sent her letter warning her that he planned
to ask to meet the young man escorting her her as her date. Draco had just laughed at her when she
had complained to him, absolutely no help to her at all.

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts by a hush falling over the Great Hall. Some of the students
had been heading for the exits so they could gather their things and start for the carriages that would
take them to Hogsmeade. She turned to see what had rendered everyone silent only to see her father
and Helena searching the Slytherin table for them.

Her father looked every bit the part of an ancient pureblood lord; his robes were ridiculously
expensive and Candy always made sure that they were pressed perfectly. Even though he was thirty-
five, he was still extremely attractive and considered a young man. He was proud of the fact that he
turned heads on a daily basis.

Helena, on the other hand, looked the part of the half-blood witch who worked her tail off in the
muggle world to make ends meet and put her daughter through school. She looked comfortable in a
tight, but not-too-tight, pair of denims and a jumper. Hermione had never seen anyone but Harry
wear them in her house before but she supposed that there was a first time for everything. Honestly,
she wondered how comfortable the denims were. She bet they would be good for riding.

It was Helena’s demeanor that bothered her. It was clear that the half-blood was uncomfortable and
that wouldn’t do. Juliet was on the opposite side of the table so Hermione was able to beat her to her.
She rose and curtsied to her even though etiquette called for Helena to curtsy to her. Helena’s cheeks
colored and Hermione just smirked at her.

“Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Bardon.” Helena laughed at her as her daughter rounded the corner of
the table.

“Call me Helena, Miss Black.” Juliet threw herself into her mother’s arms and buried her face in her
chest. Hermione smirked again before moving onto her father.
“Call me Hermione. We’re basically family after all. Family is the most important thing to Blacks.”
Hermione didn’t want for a response. Instead, she floated into her father’s waiting and open arms. He
held her close and kissed her head numerous times before holding her at arm’s length. Even though it
had only been a month since he had seen her, he grinned.

“You’ve grown.” She snorted, albeit softly.

“You’re so full of it. I’m exactly the same size. All my clothes still fit the same. I’m beginning to
think that I'm never going to get bigger.” Her father chuckled and hugged her to him again.

“Good. That way you’ll stay my little girl forever.” Hermione rolled her eyes at him but said nothing.
It wouldn’t do to start a conversation about it in front of the whole Great Hall. Draco and Harry both
stood after he released her and shook his hand, exchanging greetings and smiles. There was small
talk about nothing too important; after all, they couldn’t give away that they were facing the
tournament as a family. Hermione could feel all the eyes in the room on them and she hated that they
were intruding on their private family moment since this was the only time that she was going to get
to see her father for Christmas. Not to mention, she could see how some of the purebloods in the hall
were sneering at how Helena was dressed.

“How about we take this somewhere else? I detest being stared at.” Her father nodded and they were
all quick to stand and follow her out of the Great Hall. She wasn’t sure where she was going to take
them but really, it didn’t matter. Anywhere but under the gaze of everyone in the Great Hall was
great. Just before they reached the door that led to the Entrance Hall, Cho Chang crossed paths with
them. She sneered at Helena and the French woman shrank behind her father. Hermione sighed. If
her father ever won her affections again, they were going to have to work on her confidence.
Hermione lifted her chin and hoped that Harry kept his chin off the fucking floor and his tongue in
his bloody mouth.

“So now you consort with muggles, Black? Why am I not surprised?” Hermione took a step forward
to throw the girl off balance. To her surprise, Juliet was right next to her, her eyes dancing with fury.
Hermione laid a calm hand on her sister’s shoulder, smiling down at her.

“Let me handle this, Jules.” She saw her father wrap an arm around Helena’s waist and it led
credence to her belonging with the Blacks. Hermione arched an eyebrow at the Chinese girl.

“Do you know how stupid you sound or do you just not care? Honestly, your parents are going to
start getting embarrassed if you don’t start handling the problem.” Chang started to sputter, her hands
clenching.

“You’re the ones with a bloody muggle. Can your father not do any better?” Hermione let her wand
slip down into her hand and the Great Hall fell silent again. She took another menacing step forward.

“If you were smart, you’d take that back right this second and apologize not only to my father but to
Miss Bardon, who happens to be half-blood. Much like yourself, Miss Chang, if the sources in the
Ministry are to be believed. Just because you immigrated here doesn’t mean you can claim to have
pure blood and have nobody question it.” Chang lunged at her but she stopped just inches from
Hermione. She smiled at her.

“I suggest you apologize or I’ll hand you over to Professor Flitwick, who I assure you has been
watching this whole scenario.” Chang was suddenly released and she glared at Hermione.

“I apologize, Lord Black, for my slight on your character. Miss Bardon, I apologize for assuming
you were a muggle.” Hermione smiled sweetly at her.
“That was most sweet of you, Miss Chang. We’ll just be going now. Good day.” Without a single
word or look back, Hermione flounced out of the Great Hall. Once they were out in the Entrance
Hall, her father threw an arm around her shoulders and laughed deeply.

“Poppet, I have missed you. Have I ever mentioned what a devious and vindictive little minx you
are?” Hermione shrugged her shoulders delicately.

“Maybe once or twice.” Everyone around her chuckled. She linked arms with her father and began
to stroll the corridors while the others fell in behind them. Draco and Harry were close behind while
Juliet and Helena were conversing quietly while they brought up the rear.

“Is it just going to be the three of you? Uncle Luci said that they were going to give you space to
make connections this year.” Her father rolled his eyes.

“I told him that they didn’t have to stay away. I think it’s just his excuse to come up here and see you
in your dress. Not that I mind, I know he’ll keep you safe.” Hermione groaned. Couldn’t she have a
single date without anyone looking over her shoulder? Her father continued though.

“We won’t be alone though. Andie and Ted are back from Germany. Dory is finally done with
training.” Hermione squealed with delight. Nymphadora had graduated Hogwarts in the June before
Hermione and Draco had started. She had dreamed of being an auror but had been unimpressed with
all that Britain had to offer in way of training. Truth be told, after seeing Master Auror Moody in
action, Hermione wasn’t impressed either.

Therefore, Dory had decided to look elsewhere for training in the auror corps. Since she wasn’t
looking to stay where she was training, she was having to pay her way. However, her father was
handling the cost so it gave her the freedom to learn exactly what she wanted at the pace she wanted.
It had taken her four long years but she had finally done all she could in Germany and had returned
home.

Since the training had been so intense, Dory wasn’t able to return home very often. That meant that
she wasn’t able to see Aunt Andie and Uncle Ted too often at all. They missed each other terribly
after the first few months so her father had packed them up and sent them on their way to Germany
after finding them their own flat somewhere in Berlin. Nobody in the family had seen them in just
over four years but they still exchanged letters. To say that Hermione was excited to see her cousin
would have been an understatement.

“Of all times for them to return, the one holiday that we’re staying at Hogwarts!” Her father reached
out and ruffled her hair softly.

“I know, sweetness. Maybe I can convince her to come to Hogwarts for the Ball with Lucius and
Cissy. I’m sure that they would bring her so you can see her. She used to be your best friend after
Draco.” Hermione nodded eagerly.

“That would be amazing, I’ve missed her so much. How has her training gone?” He leaned closer
though she knew that Harry and Draco could still hear.

“She’s officially a trained Hit Witch now. How the fuck that happened, I couldn’t tell you. I’ve never
met a witch or wizard as clumsy as Dory.” Hermione laughed and hugged her father's arm to her
chest. He kissed the top of her head.

“Is that your wizard heading our way, poppet?” Hermione looked to the direction that her father was
pointed and saw that Viktor was headed in their direction.
“Yes, daddy.” He tugged on one of her curls.

“Introduce us, princess.” Hermione sighed inwardly because she was fairly certain that this is what
he was after from the start. Viktor stopped in front of them and bowed in front of her father. Lord
Black bowed slightly in return but not enough to show too much respect. Viktor seemed to expect
that, however.

“It is pleasure to meet you, Lord Black.” Her father nodded imperiously.

“I’m thrilled to meet the young boy who has caught my daughter’s interest.” Viktor reached out and
caught her hand, bending to press his lips to her knuckles. Her father watched closely, his eyebrow
arched.

“Why do you like my daughter so?” Viktor dropped her hand and met her father’s gaze, unafraid.

“She is frighteningly smart, loyal to friend and family, and beautiful vitch. She vill make vonderful
vife and mother someday.” Her father frowned at his words. Hermione frowned as well. She had
plans for her life and while they did include becoming a wife and mother, they also included
becoming a spell mistress and a potions mistress and however many other things she decided she
wanted to do along the way. Her father also needed to teach her how to manage the family accounts
along the way.

“So you’re interested in my daughter that way?” Viktor didn’t even look at her when he answered.

“I tink every pureblood in school is interested in her dat way.” Hermione drew her eyebrows
downward at his words. Is that all she was to him? As if he sensed her rising ire, he turned to her and
smiled.

“Dis does not mean dat I vant you only for babies. I vant you because you be boon to any man lucky
to haff you.” This made her feel a little better. Her father still looked a little irritated but he refrained
from speaking. He kept his chin in the air.

“Make sure you treat my daughter with the respect the heir of an ancient and noble house is due.”
Viktor bowed again.

“I vill, sir.” Her father nodded, showing Viktor that he was dismissed. Hermione watched him leave
but she could see the looks on Harry’s and Draco’s faces. They didn’t look pleased. She turned to
her father and expected to see him frowning at her so was surprised to see that he was grinning fit to
bear. She cocked her head to the side, questioning him silently.

“You are going to chew him up and spit him out, sweetness, if he doesn’t treat you right.” Hermione
cracked a small grin at him. Before she could respond, her father turned to Harry and Draco.

“Promise me that you’ll both watch over her at this Ball.” Draco gave a single nod while Harry
nodded vigorously. Hermione just rolled her eyes.

The six of them strolled the corridors for the next hour before Helena finally caught up with the rest
of them and smiled shyly at them.

“I have to work at two so I really need to go.” Hermione smiled at her before nodding. She turned to
her father and floated into his arms. She hugged him tightly and breathed him in, committing his
scent to memory.

“I love you, daddy.”’ He kissed her head and smoothed a hand down her curls.
“I love you too, poppet.” As soon as she pulled away from her father, Juliet threw herself into her
arms and hugged her tight.

“I’ll miss you, sissy.” She brushed her hand down her shoulder-length hair.

“I’ll miss you too, Jules. You have fun and I’ll make sure we take pictures at the Ball.” Juliet nodded
and stepped back to take her mother’s hand. Her father smiled softly at her but offered Helena his
arm. She took it reluctantly and playing the proud pureblood lord, escorted her and Juliet down the
corridor and out of sight. Hermione did her best to keep her tears at bay and mostly succeeded. Only
one escaped the confines of her eyes and Draco smiled softly at her before wrapping an arm around
her shoulders and hauling her into his side.

“It’s going to fine, Miney. He isn’t mad.” She chuckled wetly, tipping Harry off that she was upset.

“I know he’s not mad. I just feel like we’re missing so much by not going home this year. Aunt
Andie and Dory are going to be there, Juliet is going to be there for the first time ever. Your parents
are going to be by themselves for the first time in over a decade. All because we want to go to some
bloody dance. I feel really selfish right now.” Draco kissed the side of her head as he laughed softly.

“Your father isn’t upset that you’re staying. I bet he’s thrilled that he’ll have a chance to convince
Helena to give him another chance. Aunt Andie is probably going to end up over at Mother and
Father’s anyways, she isn’t going to want to watch him try to woo Helena. Dory is going to be at
their house if there is a chance in hell at coming to Hogwarts to see you. The only person who is
going to stick around Black Moor is Remus and even that’s debatable. He’s still pretty sore about
your father telling him that there was no chance at them reconciling their relationship. He might just
follow Aunt Andie to Malfoy Manor. While I doubt my parents would be thrilled, they would allow
it. They know Sirius considers him family.” Hermione nodded against his shoulder before she
sighed.

“I know. This is just the first holiday I’ve missed willingly.” Harry tried to lighten the mood.

“Well, by the sounds of it, you’re going to have a good portion of the family at Hogwarts to meet
Krum anyways.” Hermione hated to admit that it had worked but it had. Therefore, she smiled at
him.

“You’re right. I should probably hate that, but I don’t. Thanks.” Hermione tried not to let the fact that
she wouldn’t be at home for the holidays bother her further. Even though classes were officially over
and term was over until January, the bells still rang, telling them when mealtimes were. Hermione
took both boys by the elbow and started to drag them towards the Great Hall. Both boys allowed it
with small smiles on their faces, amused to no end at her enthusiasm for the meal.

Once they were seated at the Slytherin table, Hermione was surprised to see how many students
were staying behind. All the seventh years, most of the fifths and sixth years, all but a few of the four
years and even a few of the third years were staying. Hermione was most surprised to see that Luna
was sitting by herself at the Ravenclaw table. It saddened her that her cousin was so lonely but chose
not to seek herself or Draco out. They had once been close as children; Xenophilius had put a stop to
Luna spending time with them when they had only been nine years old, Luna eight. At the time,
Hermione hadn’t understood why, though her father had tried to explain. It had been hard to get past
her own hurt feelings. It was the same now. Her father wasn’t around to know that they would be
friends. Hermione settled next to Draco and Harry across from them so she didn’t have to whisper to
make sure that nobody heard them since nobody else was around them.

“Why doesn’t Luna want anything to do with us? I just don’t understand it. We were all so close and
now she would rather sit by herself than with us. What did we do wrong?” Even Draco looked
perplexed at her words.

“I don’t know, Miney. I suppose she has a good reason. She didn’t seem to hate you when you stood
up for her to Ginny.” Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

“I suppose not. She thanked me and then walked off. I just don’t understand. I guess we can’t make
her be our friends.” Harry was surprisingly silent but Hermione didn’t mind; he really couldn’t have
much opinion on this since he didn’t know Luna like they did.

Lunch was well on it’s way before Daphne and the other Slytherins showed up. They had been
down in the dungeons, that much was clear. Pansy was hanging on Theo’s arm, thinking that she
was making Draco jealous. Theo was glaring at them all, still happy to be on the outskirts of the
group, clearly hating everyone that wasn’t hating Draco, Hermione, and Harry. The three of them
didn’t let it bother them and the rest of their friends just let it roll of their backs. Hermione was sure
that there was a better way to handle it but they had yet to find it.

Lunch had almost finished when an enormous box came through the open window by four owls.
Once they had landed before Hermione and she had detached the box from them, they flew away,
leaving her to open the letter stuck to the top. Everyone else was watching with anticipation.

My darling girl,

Your dress finally came from Paris today. I couldn’t help but take a peek and it’s to die for, worth
every galleon your uncle paid for it. Pierre really does know what he’s doing, darling. Now go try it
on and make sure that everything fits as it should. If it doesn’t, floo me from Severus’ office. We’ll
have to go to Paris immediately and have it re-fitted. If I don’t hear from you by dinner, I’ll assume
all is well.

Trust me, I’ll be at Hogwarts on Christmas. I wouldn’t dream of passing up the opportunity of seeing
you in this dress, though your uncle may keel over and die.

I love you, darling, and look forward to seeing you,

Aunt Cissy

Hermione let out a squeal that nobody else would ever have believed belonged to her. Draco and
Harry both looked at her like she had lost her bloody mind but she didn’t care. Harry leaned forward
and tried to lift the cover of the box but Hermione smacked his hand hard enough for him to yelp.

“What the fuck!” Hermione pulled the box closer to her while the rest of the table laughed.

“That’s my dress for the Ball. Nobody gets to see it. The only person besides Aunt Cissy who’s seen
it is Daphne.” Daphne faked swooning.

“Just wait until you see her in it. She is breathtaking in it.” Hermione tried to keep the flush from her
cheeks but was afraid that she had failed.She turned to Daphne and ignored everyone else.

“Want to come make sure it fits with me? Aunt Cissy says that if she doesn’t hear from me by dinner,
she’s going to assume that it fits.” Daphne nodded excitedly.

Hermione gathered her box to her chest and both girls were gone before the boys could say a word
about it either way.

-O-
Harry sighed as he watched Hermione disappear from the Great Hall with Daphne. He was surprised
when he considered that when he had first started hanging around Hermione and her friends he
found Daphne extremely attractive, enough that he wouldn’t have turned down messing around with
her. Now, he couldn’t imagine spending personal time with her.

After his crush was gone, Harry sighed again. Ron still hadn’t found a date to the Yule Ball and if
Harry didn’t step in, he doubted that he would. He was entirely alright with letting his friend find his
own way but Ron had begged him to be his wingman, to help him ask Parvati. Harry wasn’t even
sure how the Indian girl didn’t have a date, she was beautiful after all, but she was still free. Harry
wasn’t sure if Ron wanted to go as a real date or just friends but that wasn’t his problem. He leaned
forward and met Draco’s eyes before standing.

“I have to go help Ron with something.” Draco snorted.

“You mean help him get a date?” Harry wasn’t sure if he was kidding or if he actually knew that was
what he was going to go do. Judging by the smirk on his face, Harry was pretty sure that he knew
those were indeed his plans. Harry just saluted him and though Draco looked confused, he walked
off, heading for the Gryffindor table. Ron was still eating, not really a surprise, but Harry wasn’t
about to let him make him wait on him. He glared at his Gryffindor friend until he got the hint,
causing him to wipe his mouth on his sleeve. Harry shook his head in exasperation.

“Ron, I know your mum taught you better. How are you expecting Pav to go to the Ball with you
when you don’t even have the decency to use a bloody napkin?” There was a soft gasp behind him
and Harry hung his head when he realized that it was Parvati. He blew a breath out when Ron
cursed softly.

“You want to go to the Ball with me?” Ron just stared at her, unsure of what to say. Harry elbowed
him in the ribs, hard. He cursed out loud but kept his eyes on Pav.

“Yeah, I do. Would you wanna go with me?” Parvati smiled at him but put her hands on her hips.

“I’d love to go with you but you’ve got work on your manners. They’re truly atrocious.” Ron gave a
relieved laugh before he pulled Parvati into a hug.

“You got it, Pavs. Anything for you.” Harry breathed out a sigh of relief. That had ended far better
than he had expected. Since they were now speaking quietly between themselves, Harry clapped
Ron on the shoulder and tugged Pav’s long hair playfully.

“I’ll leave you two to discuss your plans for the Ball. I’ll talk to you later.” Both smiled and nodded
at him. Harry was going to head to the quidditch pitch but only made it three steps before he felt a
soft hand at his elbow. When he turned and saw Luna standing there, he pulled her out of the Great
Hall so nobody would guess that he was taking her. Once they were out of sight, he turned her way.

“What’s wrong, Luna?” Her eyes seemed unnaturally large and he could only assume that she got
that from her father since the Malfoy side seemed rather perfect. Her voice, while always quite
serene, sounded upset.

“I’m not going to be able to go to the Ball with you, Harry. I’m really sorry.” Harry wrapped a hand
around her elbow as tears came to her eyes.

“Why, what’s happened?” She shook her head, telling him silently that she didn't want to tell him.
He took hold of her other elbow.

“If it’s because you don’t want to go with me, you can tell me. I won’t be offended, I promise.”
Luna’s eyes went wild.

“Oh, no, that isn’t it, I swear. I would love to go with you.” Harry sighed, frustrated.

“Then please tell me what the problem is. I can't help if I don’t know.” Luna looked to the ground
and started to scuff the ground with her shoe. It was in that moment that Harry realized that she had
no socks on.

“Have you noticed that the rest of the Ravenclaws don’t really like me?” Harry nodded, even though
he really hadn’t. In all honesty, before Hermione and Draco had mentioned that she was their cousin,
he hadn’t noticed her at all. She sniffled softly.

“I had my dress hanging up in my wardrobe and they pulled it out and destroyed it. My daddy can’t
afford to buy me another one and there isn’t time to get another one from Hogsmeade. That means I
can’t go with you, Harry. I’m really sorry and I just wanted to thank you for asking me.” Harry
couldn’t believe that those hags were terrible enough to pick on a girl that meant them absolutely no
harm. He tried to calm down since judging by the look on Luna’s face, he was scaring her.

“Tell me who did this, Luna.” Luna shook her head, once again looking at the floor.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m just going to owl daddy and tell him to come get me so I can still spend
Christmas with him.” Harry moved his hands to her shoulders and bent slightly so he could meet her
eyes.

“I’ll get you a new dress, I’ll get you one today. Tell me who tore up your dress.” He could see a
flare of hope in her eyes and he intended to deliver. However, after just a few moments, he could tell
that her house loyalty was crossing her mind. He sighed.

“You can’t possibly think that you owe these people loyalty when they treat you like this.” She
looked guilty, which wasn’t what he had been going for at all. He decided to ask her Hermione’s
question while he had her there.

“Why haven’t you started to spend time with Hermione and Draco since school started? They told
me that your father pulled you away from the family when your mother died so they’ve respected his
wishes but they’ve missed you. Why don’t you want to be with them? Do you blame them for your
mother?” Luna looked horrified at his words.

“No, no, of course not!! Oh Merlin, I left them alone because I thought they were mad at me for
leaving them when daddy made me. I thought that they would hate me. They never tried to be my
friends here so I just thought that they were mad.” Harry wanted to groan at the huge
misunderstanding. He raked a hand through his hair and sighed. A plan was formulating in his mind
and he needed Draco to make it work. He grabbed Luna’s wrist and gave her a meaningful look.

“Stay right here. I’ll be right back.” Harry didn’t wait for her to answer before heading back into the
Great Hall. He went straight to the Slytherin table and clapped Draco on the shoulder. Even though
he was in the middle of a conversation with Blaise, Harry leaned over and spoke just loud enough
for his friend and Blaise to hear.

“Sorry to interrupt but I need your help. It’s important.” Draco shot him a look but after seeing that
he was serious, offered his apologies to Blaise and stood. He followed Harry back out of the Great
Hall to where Luna was waiting for him. When Draco saw who was they were going to, he hurried
his steps. Harry decided to take it upon himself to explain the situation.

“I want you to promise me that you’ll keep this to yourself.” Draco flashed him a look of annoyance.
“Why should I?” Harry glared at him.

“It’s a surprise for Hermione just as much as a nice thing for Luna.” Understanding dawned on
Draco.

“She’s your date.” Harry nodded.

“I invited her as a friend. I thought that it would make Hermione happy to see that her cousin got to
go and that I wasn’t being a complete cad and going with a girl that I was snogging in public. I
thought that she would like that for Christmas.” Draco laid a hand on his arm and smiled at him.

“She’s going to love it.” Harry nodded.

“She would have until some Ravenclaw cunts destroyed Luna’s dress. She said her father can’t
afford another dress and Hogsmeade can’t get another dress in time. Do you think you get your
mother in on the charade and take her shopping? I’ll foot the bill but I want this to happen for both
Luna and Hermione.” Draco was nodding, clearly onboard.

“We need to go to McGonagall’s floo. I’d say use Uncle Sev’s but we can’t take the chance since
Moody followed him out of the Great Hall. McGonagall will let us use it.” Harry nodded and started
for the seventh floor where her office was located.

It was a long trek but Harry didn’t mind; after all, he made it several times every day. However, the
silence was uncomfortable. Just as they reached the seventh floor, Harry turned to the cousins, raked
a hand through his messy hair and sighed.

“Drake, she didn’t come around you and Mia because she thought that you were mad at her for
ditching you when her mom died. When you didn’t come around her when she started school, it
solidified it in her mind.” Draco’s mouth dropped and he turned to Luna and wrapped her in his
arms. He hugged her tight and he could hear her crying softly into his shoulder.

“Luna, we were only staying away because Father told us to respect your father’s wishes, that we
could talk to you if you approached us first. He didn’t want us to cause problems unless you started
them. That’s why we never talked to you.” Harry smiled at the sight of them. A misunderstanding
was being laid to rest. When Luna pulled away, Harry scowled at them jokingly.

“Mums the word until the Ball. I want to surprise Hermione, okay? Promise?” Draco smiled at him
and nodded. Luna did as well, floating into his arms and hugging him tightly.

“Of course we promise, you brought us back together. We wouldn’t spoil your surprise. I think it’s
sweet that you want to do this for her.” Harry froze. It was bad enough that Draco knew his secret. It
wouldn’t do for Luna to know as well.

“It was for you as well, Luna.” She smirked at him, completely out of character.

“Sure it was.” The three of them continued towards the Gryffindor Head of House’s office. They
knocked once outside and were quickly bid to enter. Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow at
them as they filed in, a mixture of concern and suspicion filling her gaze as they took seats in front of
her desk. Harry decided to be honest with her.

“Look, ma’am, I’m going to be completely honest. I asked Luna to go to the Yule Ball as my friend.
She’s Draco and Hermione’s cousin and her father pulled her away from the family after her mother
died and I thought that it would be nice to bring her back into the fold. Family is everything after all.”
McGonagall smiled at him and he could see that she liked his sentiment. He sighed.
“Somebody in Ravenclaw destroyed her dress robes and her father can’t afford new ones. We were
hoping that you would allow Draco to floo Cissy and let her take Luna and I shopping wherever she
took Hermione and Daphne. Hogsmeade can’t get a dress this close to the Ball.” His Head of House
swung her gaze to Luna.

“Who destroyed your dress, Miss Lovegood?” Luna refused to meet her eyes.

“I don’t know, Professor.” Harry knew that she was lying but gave her points for not snitching. He
would make sure that Hermione knew. She would enjoy making sure that whoever was making her
cousin’s life hell pay. McGonagall seemed to realize that she was lying but didn’t push. She looked
to Draco and nodded towards the floo.

“Floo your mother and warn her that Mr. Potter and Miss Lovegood will be coming through. I’ll
send an owl to Mr. Lovegood and explain the situation, telling him that his daughter has left with
Mrs. Malfoy to acquire new dress robes.” Harry nodded. Draco stood and went to the fire, throwing
in a handful of floo powder and going to his knees to stick his head in the flames. After several
minutes, he pulled his head out and stood, brushing the soot off, and faced them.

“She’s thrilled to take Luna shopping. Go straight to Malfoy Manor. She’s making arrangements
with Father now.” Luna stood and threw herself into her cousin’s arms again.

“Thanks, Drake. I’ve missed you so much.” He chuckled at her again.

“I’ve missed you too, Lulu. You can’t sit with us yet but after the Ball, don’t be a stranger. Come sit
with us. Juliet will love you.” She smiled brightly at him and nodded.

“I can’t wait.” Harry took her elbow and led her to the floo. He took the floo powder and stepped
into the flames first. After calling out the destination of Malfoy Manor, he spun away. After stopping,
he stepped out of the grate to make sure that there was room for Luna. Cissy was waiting there,
excitedly, and pulled him forward to help him brush the soot off. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and
pressed his hair down before turning her attention to the floo when it activated. Luna stepped out and
Narcissa cried out happily, rushing forward to help her out so she could hug her happily. They held
each other for quite some time, rocking softly and whispering who knew what to each other. Harry
felt a presence behind him and he realized that it was Lucius watching from the shadows. The blond
smiled when he realized that he was there.

“Pandora was both mine and Erise’s favorite cousin growing up. Luna was always over here when
she was small. We were all heartbroken when Xeno took her away from us in his grief. Granted, he
said it was because of our dark leanings. We all knew it was an excuse.” Harry was quiet for a
moment while both he and Lucius watched the two women reunite.

“Hermione is upset that Luna has never sought her out. Turns out it was a misunderstanding. I asked
Luna to go with me as a friend to make Hermione happy, to bring Luna back into the fold. Those
cunt Ravenclaws destroyed her dress robes. She tried to tell me she couldn’t go to the Ball. I’m sorry
for inconveniencing Narcissa but I really couldn’t think of anyone else that could help her.” Lucius
chuckled and clapped Harry on his shoulder, probably one of the most friendly gestures he had
received from the man aside from his sending-off before the first task.

“Son, you did the right thing. Luna is a Malfoy, maybe not in name, but in blood. Malfoys look after
one another. I know we’ve not had this discussion but I suppose it’s been a long time coming. Sirius
is a Malfoy by means of Cissy and Hermione. That makes him family. You’re a Malfoy by means of
Sirius. That makes you family. As much as I hate that bloody wolf for what he did to Hermione, he’s
family by means of Sirius and yourself. Don’t think for a second that I won’t kill him in the most
painful way possible if he ever hurts her again, family or not. Severus is both my son’s and
Hermione’s godfather and my best friend aside from Sirius. He would die for my children. He’s
family. Luna is also family and we protect our own. Calling us was the right thing to do and I hope
against hope that you’re planning to find out who did this to Luna.” Harry chuckled. He was beyond
flattered that he was considered a Malfoy.

“Oh, I know she knows who did it. I can’t wait to tell Hermione. While I know I would love to
handle it, Hermione would take genuine pleasure in it. It’s Christmas after all. Who am I to take that
joy from her?” Lucius laid a hand on his head and grinned at him.

“I knew I liked you for a reason, son. Hermione will always be the light of my life and the princess
of my castle but Luna is family and she’s important. Let Hermione handle it. Don’t tell her until after
Christmas though. She’ll be heartbroken to miss the Yule Ball.” Harry laughed.

“You think she’d get caught? She and Draco didn’t get caught when they memory charmed
Moody.” Lucius arched an eyebrow and burst into laughter.

“I’ll have to get that story out of them at Christmas.” He turned serious after a few moments.

“Tell me your honest opinion of Krum. Draco will only tell me what she wants me to hear. He loves
her so.” Harry didn’t want to betray her to her uncle but wanted someone to know what she was
getting into. He raked a hand through his hair and turned to Lucius.

“Will this stay between us?” Lucius nodded.

“I won’t breathe a word. I have other sources. Krum is well-known in our world.” Harry nodded,
sure that he was right.

“He looks at her like a piece of meat. He watches her like he can’t wait to bed her. Don't get me
wrong, most of Hogwarts does, but they know her. He puts on a front, escorting her everywhere,
kissing her hand, asking her about herself. He kissed her in the stacks, I heard her telling Daphne
about it. He met Sirius today and he told her that she would make a wonderful wife and mother. He
didn’t care that she wanted to do things with her life, that she was the heir to a house of her own. Oh,
he told her that he knew she had dreams, but only after he could see she was angry. I don’t want to
make her sound desperate because I don’t think she is. However, I think she’s in love with the idea
he’s presenting. She’s a romantic and he’s playing into it. I’ve heard rumors that he’s seeing other
girls and shagging them among other things. Fred and George Weasley have heard the same thing.
They tried to talk to her but she told them that she couldn’t do anything about it until they had proof.
I’m just scared that she’s going to trust him and he’s going to take advantage of her. I’m worried for
her.” He sighed, knowing that he had probably just tipped his hand. Lucius just raised an eyebrow at
him.

“Why do you spend time with half of Hogwarts when you’re so deeply in love with my niece?”
Harry felt himself flush, hoping that the girls were still caught up with each other. Lucius smirked at
him.

“Sirius may be clueless but I’m not. Sure, he knows you’re in love with her but he’s going to act like
he knows nothing. I’m not stupid. Tell me why.” Harry knew there was no wiggling out of it. He
sighed.

“I’ve hurt her so much in the past. I could never deserve her. She deserves someone that would never
hurt her, that puts her first, that loves her more than life itself. Someone much like yourself or Draco,
sir. I do love her, but I would only hurt her.” He raised an eyebrow at him again.

“If she felt the same for you?” Harry shook his head.
“She couldn’t. I’m not worthy of her love and if she did, I couldn't trust myself not to hurt her with
another woman. She doesn’t deserve that. She deserves someone that doesn’t see another woman
when she’s around.” Lucius stared at him for almost a full minute before he finally nodded. He
seemed to be fighting with himself before he finally spoke.

“If you can ever say that you could be faithful to my princess, you would have my blessing. I warn
you, Mr. Potter, be sure. If you’re ever unfaithful to her, I will cut your cock off and feed it to the
wolves that roam the woods that surround Malfoy Manor.” Harry blanched at his words but
understood the level of trust the elder Malfoy was bestowing upon him. He turned and offered him
his hand. Lucius shook it firmly, surprised.

“Thank you, sir. Maybe someday my opinion will change but not right now.” He grinned at him.

“I understand, Harry. I gave Draco the same advice before he left for school this year. Don’t date
Daphne until he was sure that he could commit to her without cheating on her. She deserves no less.
Hermione had already told me that he had a crush on her. We really have no secrets.” Harry
chuckled, sure that Draco had been confused as to how his father had known.

“Good advice, sir.” Lucius rolled his eyes at him.

“It’s time for you to call me Uncle Lucius.” Harry rolled it around silently on his tongue. He finally
nodded, just in time for Cissy to chime in.

“I suppose that means you can call me Aunt Cissy like Hermione and Juliet do.” He smiled at the
woman. Lucius didn’t give him the chance to say anything before stepping forward and pulling Luna
into a brief hug.

“I’ve missed you, Lulu. I shall send your father an owl and tell him that we must meet. It’s been too
long since our families have met.” She grinned at him and hugged him tightly.

“I missed you too, Uncle. Harry asking me to this dance has been such a blessing.” Lucius trailed a
hand down her signature blond curls and smiled at her endearingly. He reached into his robes and set
a large bag of galleons into Aunt Cissy’s hand and smiled at Luna.

“Harry won’t be paying for your dress robes, I will. You’re a Malfoy, after all. Cissy is going to take
you to Paris. Harry is going to go back to Hogwarts and you can meet up with him later.” Harry
looked surprised.

“I don’t get to go?” Aunt Cissy gave a short little laugh before patting his cheek.

“Oh no, sweetheart. You never get to see the dress robes. You’ll see them the day of the Ball.” Harry
nodded and stepped forward to take Luna by the wrist. He didn’t care if the others heard his words.

“I’ll allow this without any complaint if you tell me who destroyed your dress robes.” Luna instantly
started to sputter, trying to deny her knowledge of who had done it. Harry finally decided that he was
going to have to get forceful. His voice raised just a little and he hoped that Lucius didn't curse him.

“Luna, for the love of Merlin, don't be stupid. These bitches are just going to keep on doing this. Is
that what you want? Do you like being bullied? Or would you like to have something done about it
to make sure it doesn’t happen anymore?” Luna had tears shimmering in her eyes and Harry felt
terrible. He stepped forward and took her hands in his. His voice was much softer this time.

“Luna, nobody deserves this treatment. If you aren’t going to tell the professors, then tell me so we
can do something about it. If we do nothing, it will continue. I can’t allow that to happen.” She
shook her head.
“I can’t allow you to get in trouble after all you’ve done for me.” Before Harry could answer, Lucius
stepped forward.

“Just tell him, Lulu. He’s going to tell Hermione after she finds out you’re going together. That girl is
going to love handling the situation.” Luna sighed.

“I’m pretty sure that it was Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecomb but I’m not a hundred percent sure.”
Harry burst out laughing.

“Hermione just called Chang out in front of the whole Great Hall about being a half-blood when she
insulted Helena. Trust me, she would love handling Chang.” Luna chuckled softly but only for a
moment.

“I don’t want her to get hurt. She’s a terrible person but I don’t want her hurt on my account.” Harry
grimaced.

“I want to say that I can promise that but Hermione is ruthless. Nobody messes with her family.”
Lucius was beaming but Luna still looked uncertain. Harry decided to distract her.

“Don’t you two need to get going? Dress robes won’t buy themselves.” Narcissa meeped and slid
her arm around Luna’s shoulders, herding her towards the floo. Once they were gone, Lucius
chuckled.

“Go ahead and head back to Hogwarts. Cissy will make sure that Luna makes it back safely.” Harry
nodded headed for the floo as well.

“I’ll see you later, Uncle Lucius.” He grinned at him.

“Watch after my girl, Harry.”

Harry stepped into the floo and disappeared in a whoosh of green flames. It was already dinner so
Harry was quick to bid Professor McGonagall farewell after telling her that Narcissa would make
sure that Luna was returned to the school. He hurried down to the Great Hall to get dinner. Since
Draco was settled in with Blaise, Greg, and Vince, Harry decided to sit with the Gryffindors. He
took a seat between Ron and Ginny, only to find that his best mate was discussing quidditch with
Parvati, Seamus, and Dean. The twins and Neville were a little further down the table and were
talking about their holiday homework and how long it was going to take them to get it done. Ginny
rubbed his thigh under the table and Harry caught her hand, stopping her from grabbing his cock. He
glared at her and she just smiled right back.

“Who are you taking to the Ball, Harry?” He should have known that this was what the conversation
would be about. He reached down and flung her hand off his leg completely.

“None of your business.” She rolled her eyes.

“I don’t see why it’s a big deal. I’ll see when you show up at the Ball.” His surprise must have
showed on his face because she looked smug.

“I’m going with Terry Boot.” Harry nodded, uncaring.

“Congratulations.” She frowned at his lack of jealousy. However, he was saved by someone tapping
on his shoulder. He turned to see that it was Cedric and he had a sheepish look on his face. Harry
gave him a grin.

“Can I speak with you in private?” It was clear that he was unsure if Harry would be disappointed if
he had to quit speaking to Ginny or not. Therefore, he wasted no time in standing and gesturing for
Cedric to lead the way. The Hufflepuff led him out of the Great Hall and into an unused classroom.
Harry noticed that Hermione had just entered the Great Hall as he was leaving, meaning that he
would just find her and Draco the next day. After the door was locked and silenced, Cedric ran a
hand through his hair.

“Sorry, I wasn’t sure if I should interrupt you talking to her. I thought that you were with her but then
I remember how you stared at Cho. I decided that it was important enough to tell you anyways.”
Harry snorted.

“I am most certainly not dating Ginny and never will be. My family doesn’t seem to like her at all,
though they get along with the twins just fine. As for Cho, well that was just a moment of
weakness.” Cedric snorted.

“Not sure how you were staring at Cho when you were standing next to Hermione Black. She’s the
most beautiful girl in the world.” Harry chuckled softly.

“She is very beautiful. What did you need to talk about?” Cedric could tell that he didn’t want to talk
about it so he left well enough alone. Harry appreciated it. His voice became conspiratorial.

“Have you figured out your egg yet?” Harry shook his head.

“No, I haven’t really had a chance to look at it yet.” Cedric grinned at him.

“I figured it out. I’m not going to tell you what the riddle means, I’m sure that Black and Malfoy will
figure it out faster than I did. However, I will tell you how to get to the riddle.” Harry couldn’t
believe that Cedric was going to help him. He had opened the egg only once and heard the worst
screaming imaginable. Cedric only continued.

“Put it underwater, you’ll hear mermaids singing.” Harry widened his eyes, grateful that he had seen
fit to share his lead. He held his hand out and Cedric took it, shaking it firmly.

“Thanks, Cedric, I really appreciate it.” The badger just laughed.

“I’m only returning the favor. If I hadn’t been prepared for that dragon, I probably would have died.
I’m just paying back the favor. We’re square now.” Harry nodded.

“Completely square. Thanks again.” Cedric said a quick farewell and was gone, leaving Harry to
contemplate just what he was going to do with the information. As much as he wanted to run to the
bath and have a listen, he knew that it wasn’t big enough hold himself and the egg. Not to mention,
Hermione and Draco were going to want to be a part of the solving of the riddle and that would
require somewhere that they could all be a part of it, maybe the prefect bath. He was almost certain
that they could get the password from Fred or George or maybe one of the Slytherin prefects.
Besides, the second task wasn’t until the twenty-fourth of February. It would hold until after the Yule
Ball.

Harry let himself out of the classroom and decided to abandon his dinner. He wasn’t that hungry
anymore and he decided that he would need his rest if he was going to tell both Hermione and Draco
about his meeting with Cedric. He would also have to hope that the blond would keep his word
about not telling Hermione about Luna being his date. With one last sigh, he headed up the steps that
lead to Gryffindor Tower.

A/N- Another one bites the dust, y’all. This chapter felt like a monster. I guess after looking at the
word count that it is one of my longer chapters. Anyways, I really hope you enjoyed it. I’m so
excited to write the next chapter! Now, I want honest opinions...should I write Hermione as Krum’s
hostage or Harry’s? I’m not committing to writing her either way no matter how you feel, I just want
some insight. Leave me a message after the beep and tell me what you think.

Next chapter, the Yule Ball.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 73

A/N- You guys are so good to me, you have no idea how much I appreciate it. All of you had kind
and encouraging words for me, begging me to not delete the story. Don’t worry, my moment of
insanity has passed and I won’t be deleting this story any time soon. I’m sorry I freaked out; the
resulting stress in real life and the holidays is apparently not a good combination. Anyways, enough
of this business since I know you really just want to read about the Ball.

**Shout out to Jessivyy for being my 3300th reviewer! You da bomb diggity!**
**Shout out to leonix 2009 for being my 3400th reviewer! Freaking awesome!!**

Disclaimer: I, once again, don’t own anything about this story aside from my own personal twist on
the plot. The original idea was gifted to me from Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the character
belong to J.K.R. We all just play with them in the sandbox and create our own little world with them.
Since I’m still trying to figure out how to get my son the hoverboard he wants for his birthday, I
think it’s safe to say that I haven’t made any money off this story or any other.

Chapter 73
December 25, 1994

Sirius knew exactly who flung the the curtains back in all their unholy glory. He closed his eyes and
tried to put his head under the pillow. Of course, he knew that Helena and Juliet were waiting on him
but this year was so different with Hermione not there. There was no Candy waking him up with
throwing the curtains back, there had almost always been Hermione and Draco throwing open his
bedroom door and jumping on his bed until he agreed to get up and go downstairs so they could
open presents. In the later years, they had started to sleep later and they had been replaced with
Cissy, which had been even more frightening. Candy jerked the pillow off his head and shot a
stinging hex at his arse. He yelped loudly.

“Get ups, Master, Missy Juliet is waiting.” Sirius smirked as he sat up.

“And Helena?” Candy frowned. She didn’t approve that Sirius brought an unwed mother into the
house, even if it was the unwed mother of a Black child.

“Hers waiting with young MIss.” Sirius glared at the elf. He was going to have to handle this before
it got any worse. He hoped that someday Helena would give him another chance and that would
never happen if Candy was mean to her and made her feel like she wasn’t welcome. His voice was
thunderous when he spoke. Candy was never one to cower, not even to his father, but cower she did.

“I will not have you treating Helena like she is trash, do you understand me? You will treat her like
you do Narcissa. She is the mother of my heir, do you understand that?” Candy nodded meekly but
couldn’t help but to argue.

“Hers loose ways will bring shame to the house of Black. Hers must not become Lady Black, only
your heir must. Hers is the only one fit. Yous father would be ashamed to sees it.” Sirius was just
getting ready to speak when he heard something at the open door of his room, only to look up and
see Helena standing there with a robe for Juliet in her hand. Her face was crimson and her eyes were
shiny with tears. Sirius went to his feet but she shook her head and backed away. Her voice was
weak when she spoke.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop but it was pretty hard not to. Candy, I have no intentions of
becoming Lady Black. I’m quite happy where I am. Honestly, I only allowed Sirius to claim Juliet to
keep her safe from my father. Have no worries, I won’t darken your doorstep again after this holiday.
I’m sorry to be such a burden.” With that, she was gone. Sirius turned back to his elf and tried to rein
his magic in; Hermione would be so upset with him if he hurt Candy. His voice was low and
menacing and he could see the fear in Candy’s eyes.

“I loved her before I abandoned her to face her pregnancy alone. I left her because I thought that she
was a muggle and I was scared to bring her into a war that would kill her. Now I have her back and
you’re telling me that I can’t have her in this house because she’s an unwed mother because I made
her that way. I’m sure that it never occured to you, Candy, that I’ve already had this discussion with
Hermione. She doesn’t mind if Helena becomes the next Lady Black, though I told her that it
wouldn’t happen. She is Regulus’ daughter, the rightful heir to the house of Black. It is her title by
right, not Juliet’s. She will hold the title, not Helena, not Juliet, not any other child that I bear.
Hermione will carry Lady Black until she bears a son and he will carry the title Lord Black as soon
as he reaches fourteen years of age.” The room was vibrating with his rage and Candy was quaking
with fear. Sirius knew that it wasn’t going to end well if Candy stuck around.

“Get out of my sight.” Candy didn’t need to be told twice. She popped out of existence.

Sirius quickly dressed as he considered the time that Helena and Juliet had spent there since Juliet
had been released from Hogwarts. It had been both wonderful and horrible at the same time. He had
taken the whole time off from the Wizengamot and while he enjoyed getting to know his daughter,
he felt horribly guilty. Last summer when Hermione had been home, he had barely seen her. He had
been so caught up in Harry and making sure that he got to come to Black Moor that he had literally
only seen her a couple weeks for the whole holiday. Here he was, spending that with Juliet for just
Christmas, just the two of them. He should have treated Hermione better and he felt so fucking awful
about it it made his chest hurt. The fact that she had just forgiven him flabbergasted the mind.

Juliet loved Black Moor, or so she told him. She was still a little offish to him but that was to be
expected. She still hugged him and told him that she loved him, she just seemed leery of telling him
details of her life. He understood completely. He had always been slow to trust and if Harry’s
experiences in the muggle world were anything to go by, he wouldn’t blame her for being the same
way.

When she had arrived at Black Moor, Sirius had assigned Dip to her, allowing the elf to bond to her.
Dip had been thrilled and Juliet had been excited to have a friend with her whenever she needed her.
Sirius had explained that they were friends but servants as well but Juliet had scowled at him, telling
him that servants were wrong, that Dip would be her friend only. Dip had looked heartbroken until
Juliet had given her the sweetest look and asked her if she would please take her trunk to her room.
Pure bliss crossed her features and they had been inseparable since.

Apparently, Hermione had promised Juliet that she would take her exploring so she hadn’t really
ventured further than her room and library. Sirius had shown her the river and the stables, thinking
that she would enjoy an Abraxan horse of her own, but Juliet had scrunched up her features and told
him in no uncertain terms that horses were smelly beasts that would kill her as soon as look at her.
He had chuckled at her; it had seemed that the Black gene for loving to ride had skipped his tiniest
daughter.

Sirius was now dressed and decided that before presents could be had, they needed to have a family
meeting. Only Remus would be there; while he was still upset that Sirius had spurned his advances
on getting back together as a couple, he had understood his reasoning. He couldn’t very well blame
Helena either since it had happened before either she or Juliet were even in the picture.

The Gryffindor found his way to the library quickly, not wanting to prolong the inevitable. This was
something that Juliet needed to hear as well. While she would always be family and loved dearly, she
would need to accept that she would never be his heir either. Once inside, Remus was laughing
softly with Juliet about who knew what while Helena was staring into the fire. Dip was happily
pouring them all hot chocolate while Dot ran forward to pat his knees.

“Yous sure our Miss isn’t coming homes to us?” He knelt before both Dot and Sipsy.

“She isn’t this year but she’ll be home this summer. She’s got a date with Viktor Krum, the heir
apparent to the house of Krum. It’s a traditional Ball at Hogwarts that hasn’t been held in over
twenty years.” Both squealed even though he had told them both this same information at least five
times. They finally nodded.

“Wes forgive miss and makes sure that Bluebell gets extra treats todays. Hers would wants that.”
Sirius gave them both pats on the shoulder.

“She would love that. I’ll be sure to tell her that you’re taking such good care of Bluebell.” Juliet
cocked her head to the side.

“Who is Bluebell?” Remus snorted.

“Bluebell is Hermione’s Abraxan horse. I think she loves that horse more than she loves your
father.” Juliet giggled.

“No, she doesn’t. Hermione doesn’t love anything more than her family.” Sirius bent and kissed his
daughter’s head.

“He’s close, little one. She considers that bloody horse her family. Abraxans live for a very long time
and she’s had her since she was four. She’ll probably live until she’s sixty or so. I just might come in
third. Draco, Bluebell, me.” Juliet laughed openly now and he could see Helena hiding a smile. He
took a seat on the couch and gestured for her to come sit down. He sighed as he pushed his curls
back behind his shoulders.

“We need to have a serious talk before we open presents.” His daughter lost all traces of happiness
and Sirius hated to do this to her on Christmas. However, it needed to be done. Helena refused to
meet his eyes so Sirius reached out and took her hand.

“I run this household, not my elf. Hermione likes you, as do I. You know why I left you, I already
explained it. I’m not going to quit pursuing you. I just want you to know that it will only take one
word from Hermione to make them all understand.” Finally, Helena looked up to meet his eyes.

“I don’t want to be Lady Black. I just don’t understand why they all hate me.” Sirius chuckled.

“They don’t all hate you. Candy is just a special case. She’s the Head of the Household and it’s her
job to make sure that nothing happens to the family, nothing harms our reputation. To bring an
unwed mother into the house and have the Lord Black interested in her could be damaging. It
doesn’t compute to her that you’re an unwed mother because of me.” Helena started to sputter.

“Then why does she seem to think that I want to be Lady Black?” Sirius rubbed a hand down his
face.

“The Blacks have always been one of the most influential, wealthy, and powerful families in Britain.
When I was young, I was a rebel. I was sorted into Gryffindor, the first Black in centuries to be
sorted so. I refused to conform to bloody purity. I was burned from the family tapestry and officially
disinherited. Sometime in late 1980, Gringotts sent me a letter, telling me that my father had agreed to
reinstate me into the family so my son could take my place as heir. Not me, my son. However, my
father died before I could sign my end of the paperwork. I didn’t know about my brother dying or
that Hermione even existed at that point.” He heaved a deep breath before continuing.

“I thought that my brother had displeased my father somehow. I learned from Gringotts that he had
died, though nobody knew how, they still don’t. Since my father was dead and he had signed the
papers to make me his heir again, the paperwork wasn’t necessary. I knew that I didn’t want to be
Lord Black but knew that I couldn’t let the family line die so I swore to myself that I would make it
better and pass to my son someday. Then James and Lily were murdered and I learned that Regulus
had had a daughter with Erise Malfoy. Hermione had been born while Regulus was the true Black
heir, meaning that she was the true heir to the title.” Both women seemed to hang on his words, and
truth be told, Remus was too.

“I told Hermione from the start that she was my heir. Last Christmas, I gave her the heir’s ring and
told her that no matter what children I had after her, she would carry the title and she would pass it to
her second son. When she learned that Juliet was my daughter, I reassured her that the title would
still pass to her since she had been born to Regulus while he was the rightful heir. I will honor that.
Juliet, while Hermione will always be the heir to the title of Lord and Lady Black, you will always
be my daughter and I will always love you. You’ll always be a part of this family. It changes nothing
except you’ll be Miss Black rather than Lady Black.” Juliet shrugged her shoulders.

“Why would I care about that? It just sounds like a lot of added work for Hermione and people are
going to constantly tell her she’s doing things wrong when she really isn’t.” Sirius barked out a
laugh, much like his Padfoot form. He hugged her close.

“You’re so very right, little one. She’ll get the honor of being Lady Black but it’s so much work and
hassle it really isn’t worth it.” Sirius turned to Helena and she was giving him a look on
understanding.

“Candy wasn’t meaning that you would never be married to me. She was meaning that you would
never have the title of Lady Black because it could never go to you. It’s Hermione’s by birth and by
right. You would be Mrs. Black if we ever married. If it hadn’t been all messed up with her being
Regulus’ daughter and then me taking the title, it would have been different but I can’t help that. It’s
no slight on your blood status or your status as an unwed mother. Please believe me.” She finally
nodded, looking down into her lap.

“I believe you, Siri. I still don’t think we’ll ever work, I could never trust you. But I believe you
about this. It’s Hermione’s birth right and you couldn’t take that away from her and you wouldn’t
want to. No parent would. I get that and I respect it.” He laid an arm around her shoulders and
nodded. He decided that there had been enough serious to go around for the morning.

“Present time!” Juliet started cheering and dove for the Christmas tree, starting to pass the gifts out.
Sirius let Helena go and watched his daughter. He couldn’t help but let his mind wander to Helena’s
words in the bedroom. She had only let him claim Juliet to keep her safe from her father. He would
have to look into the situation after the holidays and see what he could do to remedy it.

Once all the gifts were all passed out, he sighed. It was usually Hermione’s job to pass out the gifts
but he tried to ignore it. New circumstances, new traditions. He dove into his gifts and started to open
them, grinning at each one. Draco had sent him the newest book on runic wards that he had been
wanting, Harry a new set of robes lined in grey acromantula silk. He had a feeling that Hermione
helped his choose the color since they really would look phenomenal on him. Cissy had bought him
more clothes, of course, while Lucius had bought him a crate of the finest muggle scotch from 1941.
Remus had gone sentimental and had gone through his old photographs and found one of only
himself, Remus, and James, all three of them wearing only women’s bras and knickers. It had been a
dare and Peter had taken the photo. He had had it enlarged and had framed it. Sirius had almost burst
into tears when he had seen it. Severus had sent him what appeared to be a year's supply of sober-up
potion, knowing full well that Sirius was complete pants at potions. Hermione had spent the most,
gifting him with a brand new saddle for his Abraxan stud, Nocte. All in all, it was a good haul.

He watched as Juliet, Helena, and Remus enjoyed their gifts all around him. Juliet was exclaiming
over the broom he had gotten her, not a Firebolt like he had gifted Harry since she was still largely
inexperienced, but a Nimbus 2001. Remus was thrilled over his ten book set on Defense, the newest
one out and he hoped that it would help the man get a job after he was no longer needed to help
coach the kids at Hogwarts. Although, when he thought about it, their Defense professors were
always shite. It would be worth talking to Lucius about keeping him on full time for the four kids to
make sure that they would remain as prepared as they could be for the upcoming war.

Helena was admiring the diamond tennis bracelet that Cissy had insisted that he buy for her, telling
him that she would love. It had been ages since he had bought jewelry for a woman other than
Hermione and even that had been a more recent thing. She hadn’t said a word about it yet but he
could see that she liked it. He was just waiting for her to tell him that it was too much, too expensive,
and that he needed to return it. He wasn’t going to, of course, but he couldn’t wait to tell her that. He
wanted to see that distressed look in her eyes so he could soothe her worries and tell her that all
would be well.

He really hoped that Hermione liked her gift. Well, her gifts. Cissy had told him about her dress and
he was glad that he wasn’t going to be there to see it. While he had every faith in his cousin that it
would be completely modest and appropriate, he didn’t want to see the hungry looks on all the boys
faces when they saw her in it. He felt bad for Lucius now; he was almost more protective of her than
Sirius was. She truly was his pride and joy.

He had sent her a necklace that was a string of diamonds, that alone costing him a small fortune.
Hanging just between her breasts, was a sapphire the size of a galleon, shaped like a teardrop. Cissy
had gone shopping with him for it and she had almost fainted at how absolutely perfect it would be
for her dress. Sirius had only cringed a tiny bit at the price, telling himself that she would wear it the
rest of her life and then pass it to her own daughters, telling them that her father had bought it for her
for her very first date.

Her second gift wasn’t nearly as extravagant but she would probably love it more. He had ordered
her a complete set of Magical Encyclopedia Britannica, almost three hundred volumes in total. All
the students were forced to share a set at school and while they had a set at Black Moor and Malfoy
Manor, having her own set at school would hurry her homework along even faster.

Sirius had felt terrible for spending so much on Hermione but not Juliet or even Harry but Helena
had assured him that Juliet wouldn’t mind. He hadn’t known his youngest daughter well enough to
buy her a well enough thought out gift and Harry had told him more than ten times not to spend a
fortune on him, that having a family to call his own was all the gift he needed. Maybe next year he
would know his godson and youngest daughter enough to spend just as much on them as he did on
his oldest.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the floo activating in the entrance hall just outside the library.
This meant that it was either Lucius and Cissy or Andie and her family. Just as he was getting ready
to stand, Candy meekly entered, head bowed, and announced Andie and Ted with Dory tripping in
behind them. Sirius went to his feet and pulled his cousin into his arms, booming a laugh and
swinging her into the air. Andie laughed, hugging him tight. It had been four long years since they
had seen each other, since they had moved to Berlin. When he finally set her down, he turned to
Helena, Juliet, and Remus. He was startled to see an almost feral look to Remus; his eyes were
amber like when he turned at the full moon and he was growling low in his chest like when he was
protecting someone he cared about. Sirius did his best to act like he didn’t see anything, however.
His best friend would just be embarrassed later.

“This is Andromeda, or Andie, her husband Ted, and daughter Nymphadora, or Dory. Andie’s my
cousin. This is Remus, my oldest friend, Juliet, my daughter, and Helena, her mother.” Andie’s eyes
grew wide and she started smacking Sirius on the chest over and over. He ducked and started to try
to hide from her blows. Everyone else was laughing at the exchange.

“You didn’t marry her like a proper lord?” He finally caught her wrists so she started to kick his
shins. He was cursing and Andie leaned out and whispered to Juliet.

“Take notes, dear. You have to take Black males in hand quite firmly.” He cursed loudly again.

“I thought she was a muggle and that I was protecting her from the upcoming war. Stop it, you
bloody hag. To think I actually missed you!” Andie’s face softened and she stopped kicking him. He
released her wrists and she smoothed his curls back from his face.

“What am I going to do with you, Siri?” He huffed softly, clearly showing that he wasn’t sure what
he was supposed to say. Andie released him and turned to rest of the room. She seemed surprised to
see that Remus was holding her daughter’s hand in his and had it held to his face, sniffing her wrist.
Dory was staring straight into his eyes, completely trusting, and Sirius could see the instant attraction
there. Remus had always been an attractive man, that much was fact. However, he was going to
insist on full disclosure before this went any further. He knew exactly what this was. Remus had
finally found his mate. He strode up to his friend and clapped him on his shoulder. Remus growled at
him for a moment before realizing just where he was. Sirius was completely dead-panned when he
stared his best friend down.

“You tell her everything. No lies and no hiding anything.” Remus didn’t say anything but he could
see his agreement in his eyes. Andie still looked confused but Sirius held up a hand to forestall any
questions.

“It’s a story that will have to wait until another day. I’m afraid that you’re all missing Hermione and
Draco. They’re at Hogwarts for the holidays. They’ve brought back the Yule Ball and Hermione
was asked by Viktor Krum, the seeker for the Bulgarian national team. She’s so excited even though
I think he’s nothing more than a bloody neanderthal. I really hope that she doesn’t choose to marry
him because she’s going to be bloody miserable with him.” Andie chuckled and reached up to tug on
his hair just like she had when they were children.

“She’s a young girl, I’m sure she’s blinded by his good looks and fame. All girls are.” He shook his
head.

“Really, I think it’s good manners. He treats her like a real gentlemen.” Dory spoke for the first time.

“Oh, every girl is a sucker for a man like that. They all like a man that treats them like they’re the
only woman in the world.” Juliet nodded emphatically.

“That’s how VIktor treats her, like there isn’t another woman in the world, at least not that he can
see. It’s terribly romantic.” Dory sighed sadly.

“I wanted to see her so badly.” Sirius grinned at her.

“Sounds like you better get to your aunt’s then. They’re going to go to the Ball later since Lucius is a
governor. You could go as a guest.” She squealed and threw herself into his arms, hugging him
tightly around his neck.

“Thank you, thank you. I’ve missed her so much since I’ve been gone. Letters can only do so
much.” Sirius chuckled as his cousin released him. Remus was still growling in the corner. He
whispered in his cousin’s ear.

“Go sit by the growly bastard, will you?” She grinned at him and took the seat by the fire instead. He
rolled his eyes at her but her meaning was clear. She was going to make Moony work for it. Once
she was seated, Sirius re-settled and sipped on his tea.

“How was your schooling?” She smiled, pride settling in her shoulders.

“I’m a licensed Hit Witch now. Britain couldn’t turn me away if they wanted. Plus, why would they
want to? I’m a metamorphmagus, they’re so rare that everyone wants one in their ranks. Germany
couldn’t believe that they didn’t try harder to get me in the Academy. I suppose I should thank you
again, cousin. Germany offered to waive all my schooling if I signed with them for only one year.”
He whistled lowly.

“You must be good, Dory, if they were going to give up that much money for only one year.” She
grinned at him.

“Well, I don’t want to toot my own horn but...yeah, I’m pretty amazing. Couldn’t tell it to watch me
walk across a flat surface but I can take just about anyone in a duel and I’m pretty stealthy besides.”
He cocked his head to the side, thinking. He wished that Lucius was here to consider his thoughts
but he was sure that he would agree. Madam Cambridge really didn’t have time to go to Hogwarts to
train the children, she only did it since they had been customers of hers for many years. He was
completely serious when he spoke.

“How would you like a job until you can find something more permanent?” Her eyes lit up.

“Sure. What is it?” Sirius gestured towards Remus.

“You’re a hit witch. Work with Remus at Hogwarts training Draco, Hermione, Harry, and Juliet.
We’re working on preparing Harry for the Tournament but also getting them ready for the war. It’s
going to happen and they’re going to need to know all they can. They’re Defense professors are shite
and they need better than that. Madam Cambridge doesn’t really have time to go there, she only goes
because we’re her oldest customers. Remus goes and trains them but he can’t go all the time. Help
him; you have the offensive training and he has the mastery. Work together and teach them to
survive.” Dory looked as though she didn’t know what to say until Andie laid a soft hand on her
shoulder. She nodded her head.

“Absolutely, Siri, you can count on me. Just tell me when.”

-O-

Harry was sitting down in their dorm room with Neville to open his gifts, finding it odd that while he
usually spent his Christmases with Ron and his family, this year they were down in the common
room with Ginny. The twins had assured him that he would be welcome but he hadn’t wanted to egg
Ginny on. They had seemed to understand, telling him that they would catch up with him later. He
wished that he could have gotten away with sneaking down into the Slytherin common room but
since there were so many people staying for the holidays, it just wasn't possible.

Harry and Neville were on the fast track to becoming best friends. While he still considered himself
and Ron to be best mates, it was clear that they were growing apart. They were running in different
groups of friends now and Ron refused to try to change that. He refused to even try to understand
that. He no longer started arguments about it but he still made snide comments about how Harry was
friends with the snakes and such. It was frustrating beyond measure but even Harry knew that it
would do no good to say anything.

Ron also didn’t seem all that interested in doing what Harry did these days. While it was in no way
required to get good grades, Sirius had implored to him that it was expected of him to try his best.
While Harry had been hanging out with Ron all the time, he had been doing the bare minimum he
could to just scrape by. Harry wasn’t interested in that any more. He wanted to try his best, he
wanted to be noticed for being smart, he wanted his teachers to realize that he wasn’t just a famous
name. Most of all, he wanted Hermione to realize that he wasn’t just a legacy, but a story of his own,
something that she could stand behind herself. In order to be that, he had to be his own person and
slacking with Ron wasn’t the way to do that.

Ron was still angry that he was taking extra classes, angry that he was taking Ancient Runes, angry
that he was getting better grades in hard classes like Transfiguration and Potions. Ron just wanted to
skate by and do the bare minimum, which was fine for some people, but Harry wanted to be taken
seriously, and that was never going to happen if he continued on the path that Ron had set for him.

That meant that they had grown somewhat apart. Not that they no longer hung out, because they did.
They still gossiped and talked about girls, compared notes in classes like Care of Magical Creatures
and Divination, and took meals together. However, in the scheme of things, that’s where their
similarities ended. It was both sad and liberating at the same time.

Neville, however, was in the exact same place as Harry. He was in line to take his place as Lord of
his house. He was scrutinized by society because they wanted the dirt on who he would end up with.
Neville did his best on his school work so he would have options as he got older. He was friends
with the older pureblood families in school, much the same as Harry was becoming. What pissed him
off about that was that the twins were friendly with all of them as well, it was only the fact that Ron
antagonized them all that made them hate him.

Therefore, he enjoyed opening his gifts in the dorm with just Neville for company. Dean and Seamus
were down in the common room with the Weasleys, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ginny, Parvati,
and Lavender in their sleep clothes. While he didn’t doubt that Ginny had tried to wear hers down,
he doubted that the others had worn theirs down. While Lavender was a little promiscuous, she
wasn’t near as bad as Ginny. Pav wasn’t like her friend at all. In fact, he had never seen her so much
as snog anyone and he suspected that she genuinely liked Ron. Harry only hoped that his friend
didn’t fuck it up.

He had received so many amazing gifts; Sirius had sent him the newest international racing broom,
the Flyrider International. He was so excited to get out the pitch and try it out but knew it would have
to wait until another day. Draco had given him a huge box of profession quidditch gear in his colors
and number with his name on the back. Not original but appreciated just the same. Uncle Lucius and
Aunt Cissy had sent him a brand new set of dueling robes, made of the lightest of armor. Remus had
sent him books on dueling while Juliet had bought him a book on warding. Ron had bought him
sweets while Ginny had bought him a book on marriage bonds. He had merely rolled his eyes at that
and tossed it in the fire. Hermione had given him the best gift of all.

It had been while they were all training for dragon so they had all been on the quidditch pitch. He
and Draco had been in quidditch gear while Hermione, Juliet and Remus had been in their uniform
minus robes. Severus showed up and in a rare moment of insanity had stripped his teaching robes,
much like he had at Black Moor. It had been at the end of the training session and they had all been
heading towards the castle at almost dark when Professor McGonagall showed up, their arms thrown
around each other. She had snapped a picture of them, all six of them, with their arms around each
other in the fading sunlight. It had been a perfect day captured on film and she had given it to him in
a frame. To say that he loved it would have been an understatement.

Of course, he had to disillusion it; just seeing Severus in it in such a familiar fashion could get him
killed. He still couldn't believe that the man had allowed himself such familiarity that night. It was
later that he had learned that Moody had left with Dumbledore to who knew where that night. Still, it
had been a huge risk to take but he couldn’t be angry after seeing the photo, It meant a lot to him.

After his gifts were put away, he started for the showers. There would be a mad rush later that day
before the Ball and he wanted to get his out of the way now. He showered off quickly, making sure
that his hair and body were clean, his face shaved smooth. He doubted that Luna cared about such
things but he wanted to look good for her. She had assured him that Aunt Cissy had gotten her a
good dress for the Ball even if it had been off the rack, unlike Hermione’s. She hadn’t cared,
however. It had fit and it was beautiful, therefore, she had been happy.

After he was dressed for the day, he had headed down to the common room to find that the twins
had ganged up on Ron to give him long red curls and pigtails, He was currently screaming at them to
get rid of them and Seamus and Dean were cracking up at their friend. Harry gave them a friendly
wave before heading for the portrait hole. He still had family to greet on Christmas. He found his
way through the corridors until he entered the Great Hall, only to find Hermione and Draco already
there, seated with Daphne. Things were still just a little tense between Draco and his crush but they
were better. Harry doubted that the blond would ever assume she didn’t have a date again. He slid
into the seat next to Hermione and hugged her close from the side.

“Happy Christmas.” She smiled at him softly as she hugged him back.

“Happy Christmas.” He grinned down at her.

“Did you like my gift?” She started nodding excitedly.

“I loved it, I can’t believe you found it.” Harry chuckled. He had found a first edition, Art of Magic,
the very backbone of what magic was today. It hadn’t been cheap, in fact, he had cringed when he
had signed the slip from Gringotts’, but it had been worth it to see the smile on her face right now.
Then she frowned.

“It makes me feel like my gift was a complete cop out.” He reached out and tugged on one of her
curls. When her uncertain eyes met his, he smiled at her.

“I loved your gift. I’ve never had a real family before. My muggle family hates me so to have a photo
of a family that cares for me is worth more than I can say.” She reached and hugged his close from
the side, burying her face in his chest, sniffling softly. His arms held her close and he buried his nose
in her curls. Peaches and cherry blossoms assaulted his senses and it was glorious. When she pulled
away, she smiled at him but said nothing more.

They passed the meal in merriment, pulling Christmas crackers and eating more than their fill. Harry
got the distinct impression that Hermione hadn’t slept well the night before since she was starting to
sag against him, almost as though she was exhausted. He really wanted to spend the day with his
family so when Ron, Seamus, Dean, Neville, and the twins, ambled over, he groaned inwardly. Ron
grinned at him.

“We all wanna do a wizard’s chess tournament in the common room. You in, mate?” Harry shook
his head.
“Nah, Christmas is a time for family. I think I’ll just hang with Draco and Hermione.” The twins
grinned at them.

“No need to split up. They’re invited, of course. Any of the snakes that wanna join are invited.”
Silence fell over the Slytherin table and Harry knew that this was momentous and truthfully, only the
Weasley twins could get away with something this outrageous. It was Daphne that decided for the lot
of them.

“Well, I’m in. I love wizard’s chess.” Blaise and Draco quickly agreed and Harry turned to
Hermione and he could see that she was reluctant. He raised an eyebrow at her. She looked ashamed
as she whispered to him.

“I know they hate me and they’re just going to make your life miserable if I go.” He kissed the side
of her head quickly before pulling her to her feet.

“Don’t worry about me, they aren’t going to do too much to me. Let’s go.” She still seemed reluctant
but allowed him to pull her out of the Great Hall and through the corridors.

Once they were standing outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, Seamus whispered the password so the
Slytherins wouldn’t heard it. The heat engulfed them and they were quickly pulled to the seats next
to the fire. Hermione always loved the fire so she quickly took residence on the couch closest to the
flames. Draco took a seat at one end and Harry on the other. The rest of their friends were falling in
around them, taking seats, and they were trying to figure out who was going to go first.

The twins were arguing over who was going to face off against Ron first and then who was going to
face Draco when Ginny came down the stairs with Lavender and Parvati. All three stopped in their
tracks and stared at Hermione. Harry felt her tense against him and he reached out to rub the tense
muscles of her neck. Ginny’s eyes flared with hate but Harry didn’t care. He made eye contact with
the redhead as he spoke.

“We’re having a wizard’s chess tournament. If you can’t be nice and keep your hateful comments to
yourself, then leave. I don’t give a fuck who you’re related to.” The look of hatred left Ginny’s face
and she plopped down next to Daphne and smiled at Harry. It was clear that it was meant to convey
more than it really did. Hermione squirmed next to him uncomfortably.

“I’d love to play. I want to play Hermione Black first.” Draco chuckled but nodded his head. Harry
took this to mean that he approved. Hermione, however, tensed even more. Harry brushed her hair
back behind her shoulders.

“What do you think?” She screwed up her face and tried to speak softly so nobody else could hear.

“It wouldn’t be fair. I’d have to throw the game.” Ginny, however, heard her.

“Trust me, you wouldn’t have to throw anything. Bill taught Ron and I and we’re expert level. I’ll
beat your fancy pants right into the ground. Much quicker than you could even think it too.” Harry
watched Hermione’s eyes harden at her challenge and he had a feeling that Ginny had bitten off
more than she could chew. She smirked at Ginny.

“Oh, that’s wonderful. I have to go easy on my own father. My Uncle Lucius taught Draco and I
how to play and we’re quite good. I can’t wait to go up against someone who plays at expert level.”
As soon as Hermione said Uncle Lucius, he knew that Ginny was fucked.

Everyone gathered around to watch the girls play. Since Hermione was comfortable in front of the
fire, she had refused to move. Since everyone already assumed she was a pureblood princess, she
played the part to the fullest. However, they were seeing a different side of Hermione as she played
chess; gone was the soft, pretty, and demure princess. In her place was the hard, savvy, and ruthless
chessmaster that was killing Ginny on the board.

Harry had to admit that it was probably the fastest defeat he had ever seen. Exactly seven minutes
after they had started, Hermione checkmated, thoroughly embarrassing Ginny and sending her on her
way with her tail between her legs. All the boys now had a newfound respect for her, one that wasn’t
just based on how pretty she was and how strong her magic was. It was clear just how smart she was
and how ruthless she could be; Ginny was just the idiot that had been stupid enough to challenge her.

Once she had been soundly beaten, Ginny had slunk off in embarrassment, but not before sending
Hermione the most serious look of loathing Harry had ever seen. He would have to do his best to
look after her to make sure that she didn’t try anything. He wasn’t sure she was stupid enough to try
anything but he didn’t want to take any chances.

From there, Fred faced Draco. It didn’t last much longer than Hermione had against Ginny but it had
much more good-natured. George had faced Daphne, who turned out to be pretty good. She had lost
but had put on a good showing. Harry had just set up to play Ron when he felt Hermione lean
against him, her eyes heavy. He laid an arm around her shoulders and she blinked up at him sleepily.
He chuckled at her, pushing her head down to rest in his lap.

“Take a nap so you’ll be rested for the Ball. We wouldn’t want you falling asleep for Krum tonight.”
She tried to sit back up.

“But, I can’t…” He cut her off.

“You can. Between Draco, myself, Neville, and the twins, we aren’t going to let anything happen to
you.” Draco reached out and pulled her feet up into his lap wrapped his hands around her ankles
while he watched carefully as Harry moved. Harry wanted to groan and he had to fight the urge to
get a fucking boner when Hermione rolled so she could face his stomach. Ron was pretty good at
chess, better than anyone in Gryffindor, so he always had to work hard to get close to beating him.

Draco let him play his own game but after every move he made, he gave him advice as to what he
should have done and why. By the end of the game, he could see that Ron really wasn’t as good as
he thought he was. Even though the redhead had won, he wanted to challenge him to another game.
He didn’t though since there were others that hadn’t gotten a chance to play yet. Instead, he leaned
back against the couch and buried his hand in Hermione’s curls, feeling their texture and silky
softness. He could feel her breath just slightly on the sliver of skin on his belly that was showing
where his shirt had pulled up. Goosebumps were erupting all over and it was downright
embarrassing.

This was how their afternoon passed; Harry taking his turn in chess against numerous other people:
Ron, Draco, George, Seamus, and Neville. The others all seemed to enjoy themselves as well, even
though there were Slytherins in their common room. Even though Lavender and Pav had stuck
around, neither of them said a word about Hermione and neither of them had a single smart comment
about the Slytherins being in their common room. To say that Harry was surprised was an
understatement. Finally, four o'clock hit and Harry knew that it had come to an end, He reached out
and gently shook Hermione’s shoulder. Her eyes opened but they were groggy and unfocused.

“Mia, sweetie, it’s time to wake up. It’s four in the afternoon and I figured that it would be time for
you girls to be leaving soon to get ready for the Ball.” The unfocused look instantly evaporated and
she sat up quickly, only to make her grasp her head as the blood all went rushing there. Harry and
Draco both chuckled at her, reaching out to stabilize her while she got her balance. Once she was
better, she stood and smiled.
“Thanks for a wonderful time, even though I think I slept for most of it. I didn’t sleep well last night
and I suppose that I just made up for it on your lap. I really appreciate it and I didn't mean to make
you uncomfortable.” Harry stood and threw an arm over her shoulders so he could start to lead her
towards the portrait hole. Draco and Daphne were following behind, though slightly so.

“I wasn’t uncomfortable, I promise. I put you there, remember?” She nodded, blushing slightly. He
thought that she looked quite beautiful with just a little bit of color to her cheeks. Once they were
before the portrait hole, he cupped both her cheeks and smiled at her.

“I can’t guarantee that we’ll see each other again tonight. You’re going to be caught up with Krum
and all. I just want you to have fun and promise me that you’ll be safe.” She glared at him.

“I’ll be caught up in Krum? What about you and your date? You’re the one always sneaking off with
your girls. I’ve decided to stop caring about it but don’t blame me for things you do.” He felt his
heart clench at her words for some reason. She did care before hand? She didn’t now? What had
changed? However, he hid his confusion and smirked at her.

“My date and I aren’t going as true dates. We’re going as friends and nothing more.” True confusion
rooted on her features now and he could see that she was curious.

“Who are you going with?” He shook his head and kissed her forehead.

“That’s part of your Christmas gift. Now get going so you can get ready.” She looked thoroughly
perplexed, which he found ridiculously adorable. She let Draco step forward and lead her out of the
Gryffindor common room. Once all the snakes were gone, just as he suspected, Ginny appeared and
she didn’t care that they had an audience.

“How dare you let that Slytherin slut sleep on you?” Harry cleared his face of emotion like Severus
showed him and took a menacing step forward. Ginny fell back a step. Ron stepped forward but the
twins held him back. Harry’s voice was low when he spoke.

“You mean that wonderful girl that should have been my sister?” Ginny rushed him and slapped him
across the face. Harry caught her wrist the second time and threw her to the ground.

“You touch me again, I’ll let Hermione have you. I’m tired of you thinking that you own me.” Ginny
went to her feet and charged him again. This time the twins released Ron to step forward and catch
her. She fought in their grip but they held strong. They looked completely perplexed at their sister’s
behavior.

“You’ve been fucking me! The whole world is going to know that I’m having your baby, I’m going
to tell my father!” While the rest of the Weasleys looked horrified, Harry just started to laugh.

“If you really are pregnant, it isn’t mine. I’ve been taking the potion to render myself infertile since
the summer. Sirius told me that girls would be trying to trap me and have my babies so I would have
to marry them. I did what I had to to protect myself. I really hope you aren’t pregnant but if you are,
you should probably get ahold of the other boys you’re spending time with.” She was screaming at
him in front of the whole common room.

“I haven’t spent time with anyone else, you’re a filthy liar!” Seamus cleared his throat and looked at
the twins.

“She’s lying. I shagged her last week. She threw herself at me, told me that she wanted to make
Harry jealous because he hadn’t asked her to the Ball.” The twins looked fighting mad and Harry
hoped that he hadn’t just ruined his friendship with them. Rather than argue with them, he met their
gazes.

“Look mates, I made no promises to her. Ask Lavender, I shagged her two nights ago. I’m not
seeing anyone exclusively. If she really is pregnant, I’ll offer a test to make sure that the baby isn’t
mine. I wouldn’t lie about being on that potion. There’s no way that I would let her bloodline jack
me like that.” Even though they were clearly angry, Fred finally sighed.

“I really want to murder you right now, she’s our baby sister after all, but she’s clearly got issues. If
she’s up the duff and you can prove it isn’t yours, then you’re off the hook with us. As for dad, we
make no promises. We’re taking her straight to the Hospital Wing from here though.” Harry nodded.

“Just let me know. I’ll go down to the Slytherin dorms and get ready if that will make things easier.”
They both nodded.

“We aren’t mad, but this is family. I’m sure you understand. Your family is as tricky as they come
about family.” Harry chuckled and nodded.

“I understand.” He turned to Ron but his face was cold. He didn’t even bother. Ron would come
around or he wouldn’t. However, he turned to Ginny and glared.

“We are done. I won’t be fucking you anymore. I won’t be messing around, I won’t be playing your
little games. We aren’t dating, we aren’t courting, we aren’t anything. Our whole house is witness
that if anything, anything at all happens to Hermione after today, I”m going to look at you. I know
you’re the one who cursed her bald. After today, our friendship is unsalvageable. If you go near
Hermione with anything less than the purest of intentions, I will curse you until you wish you were
dead. Hermione, Draco, and Juliet are my family now and I will protect them as such. Don’t think
for a second that I won’t do so against you.” Ron stepped forward, anger clear on his face.

“Is that necessary? Your friend is able to protect herself.” Harry turned a stony gaze to Ron.

“Was she able to protect herself on her way to detention when she was so fucking sick with wizards
flu that she couldn’t fend off a simple spell to make her hair fall out? No. I’m warning your sister
because I know that she’s the one who did it. I knew it then and I know it now. Stay out of this or
you’ll end up losing yourself a friend.” Ron wisely fell silent but looked livid. Ginny looked furious
but remained silent. Harry decided to reiterated his word.

“Stay away from me and my family or you won’t like the outcome. Hermione can be quite
vindictive.” Ginny said nothing more and Harry started for the dorm stairs to gather his clothes. He
knew Draco wouldn’t mind if he got ready with the snakes. When he realized that Neville was
heading after him, he raised an eyebrow at him. Neville looked sheepish at him.

“You weren’t the only one who spent a night with Ginny. She sneaked into my bed to try to get me
to take her to the Ball. I had already asked Daphne though. I don’t feel right staying. I mean, I’ve had
a few witches but I’m ashamed of having Ginny because it wasn’t honest. I can’t look them in the
eye.” Harry smiled softly at his friend and threw an arm around his shoulder.

“Come on, mate, let’s head to the dungeons. I don’t know the bloody password so we’re going to
have to find Professor Snape first.”

Harry laughed and Neville groaned.

-O-

Hermione smoothed her hand over her belly and stared at herself in the mirror. Even though she
wasn’t a vain person, she could admit that she excruciatingly beautiful.
Her Aunt Cissy had insisted on a custom dress, much the same as Madam Greengrass had for
Daphne. Granted, Daphne’s hadn’t been near as expensive but it was still heartbreakingly beautiful
in a baby pink halter dress that dipped between her breasts but showed nothing and had a slit in the
leg past the knee. It was sequins and Hermione was the first to admit that Daphne looked amazing in
it. Neville was sure to lose his mind looking at her in it.

Hermione, however, had taken ages to choose her gown. Even Aunt Cissy had gone back and forth
about what to choose and in the end, knew that when her uncle saw what they had ordered was
going to lose his mind and order her back to her dorm room. Not that he could, however, since it was
going to be completely appropriate.

It was icy blue in color, to match her eyes. It was strapless, hugging her form like a glove, though it
dipped between her breasts clear below them without showing a thing but a spray of diamonds
across the expanse of skin. It was very delicate and feminine, something that Hermione liked very
much.

Her dress was made of the softest of silk so it clung to her curves, showing the world what she had to
offer. The dress hit the floor but the slit in her leg went clear to her hip, showcasing the length of her
leg even though she was the shortest thing ever. The four inch heels strapped to her feel made her
legs look even leaner and her bottom popped even more than she could imagine possible.

Uncle Luci was going to have kittens when he saw the dress, that much was fact. He had been fine
with her New Years dress the year before but it hadn’t been anything like this dress. While this dress
wasn’t immodest or inappropriate, it was definitely mature. It covered all the necessary areas quite
well and nobody could say that she was showcasing areas that should be covered. Surely, there
would be girls there that would be much more promiscuously dressed. Hermione could only hope
that between her dress, her jewelry from her father, and her shining personality, she could keep
Viktor’s attention. Especially after the twins’ conversation with her, she was worried.

Daphne stepped before the mirror with her and took her hand with hers, smiling softly.

“Do you think we’re ready?” Hermione shrugged.

“The twins told me that Viktor is seeing other girls on the side. I’m not sure I’ll be enough.” Daphne
squeezed her hand and gave her a hard look.

“If you aren’t enough looking like that, like a bloody goddess, fuck him. Let him fuck his fucking
groupies while you hold out for Prince Charming. He’ll come and he’ll slay a bloody dragon. Just
remember that.” Hermione giggled at her words but nodded.

“Let’s do this.” The pair headed for the door that led to the common room hand in hand. After
throwing it open, they realized that they were hand in hand. Once they reached their door that led to
the corridor, they threw it open together again. Viktor and Neville were both waiting for them
outside. They both bowed before them, Viktor taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles. She
curtsied in turn, watching Daphne do the same.

“You are beautiful vitch.” Hermione blushed when she could feel Viktor’s gaze on her breasts, the
first time he had ever made her feel uncomfortable. Neville seemed to sense her feelings and stepped
forward to hug her close. He kissed the side of her head.

“You look stunning, Hermione. Your date is very lucky.” She smiled at him, kissing his cheek in
return. When she turned back to Viktor, she could see that he was irritated but she didn’t care. She
didn’t like having her breasts ogled by her date like that, making her uncomfortable. However, he
buried it and smiled at her, offering her his arm.
“Allow me to escort you?” She nodded, smiling at his show of gentlemanly ways.

He led her just outside of the Great Hall, where they had been instructed to meet everyone at the
beginning of Ball. Harry had told her that he hadn’t needed further instruction on dancing, that the
twins had helped him in dancing, the one thing they had consented to helping him with. She
probably wouldn’t have believed him if Neville hadn’t told her that it was true, that he had also been
helping prepare Harry with wizarding culture and some law. Regardless, it was helpful and she knew
that her father would appreciate it no matter what it was that they were teaching him. It would be a
few things less that himself, Lucius, and Severus would have to teach him.

Professor McGonagall had been over to make sure that they were ready to open the dance, that they
knew the steps to the waltz and they weren’t too nervous. Hermione was getting nervous that Harry
wasn't going to make it in time but Professor McGonagall just assured her that he was fine. The
music had just started and Viktor had just started to pull her through the door when Harry hurried
through the door, the least likely girl on his arm that Hermione could ever have imagined. However,
he had told her that they were going as friends, not as actual dates, and that it was part of her gift.

Luna.

The opening waltz was lovely. Viktor was a wonderful leading partner and he never let them lose
step. He was every bit as gifted as Draco was and that was saying something. That didn’t stop her,
however, from completely abandoning Viktor on the dance floor to throw herself into Luna’s arms
on the dance floor. Everyone had turned to stare and when she pulled away she was grinning.

“What? Why? I just don’t understand.” Luna gave her her trademark serene smile and spoke.

“Harry knew that it was hurting you that we weren’t in each others lives anymore so he asked me to
be his date as a surprise for you.” Hermione turned to Harry to see if he would back up her words so
when he nodded she squealed and threw herself into his arms. He laughed and held her tight,
spinning her into a circle, before holding her out before him.

“Sweet Merlin, Mia, you’re fit for the gods you’re so beautiful.” She blushed at his words before
remembering that she had a date. She turned behind her and reached to take Viktor’s hand, pulling
her up to stand beside her, grinning at him.

“This is Luna Lovegood, my cousin. She’s been estranged until now.” She turned to Luna and just
gave her a look. Luna knew exactly what it meant.

“I already had to explain what it meant to Harry and Draco when my dress robes were destroyed. I
thought that when you and Draco didn’t approach me, it meant that you weren’t interested in being
my friend. I kept my distance after that.” Hermione felt terrible after that but had to know what the
story was involving Draco. After she had the story involving her cousin, her aunt and uncle, and
Harry, she turned to Luna and took her hand.

“You’re sitting with us now. Fuck the Ravenclaw cunts. Tell me who tore your dress up.” Harry
chuckled.

“You better tell her, Luna, you already told the rest of us.” Hermione turned a steely eye to her
cousin. Luna grimaced.

“I think it was Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecomb but I’m not sure. I don’t want you to punish them
because I’m not sure.” Hermione laughed.

“Before I punish them, I’ll make sure. From now on, you sit with us. You don’t need those bitches.
If they’re mean to you, you tell me. You’re family, Luna. The only reason we haven’t been treating
you like it is because we thought you didn’t want to be treated like it.” Viktor spoke then and it was
clear that he was annoyed.

“Enough family now?” Hermione gave him a sharp look.

“If you think so, feel free to go find you another girl to dance with. I”m sure there are plenty. To the
Blacks, there is nothing more important than family and if you can’t handle it now, you can’t it in the
future. Have fun, Mr. Krum.” Hermione turned her back on her date and started to speak to Luna
again.

“Stay with me tonight?” Luna gave an enthusiastic nod. Hermione turned to Harry and threw herself
into his arms.

“You are the most wonderful, handsome, loving, and wonderful man.” He hugged her close and
kissed her forehead.

“You said wonderful twice.” She chuckled as she kissed his face over and over.

“That's because I meant it you silly thing. I owe you so much you don’t even know.” He let go of
her and cupped her cheeks so he could look into her eyes.

“Happy Christmas, Hermione.” She smiled at him and kissed his cheek one last time.

“Thank you for giving me Luna back.” There was a clearing of throats behind them and Hermione
was surprised to see that Viktor was still behind them. He appeared quite contrite.

“I sorry. Family important. Let us switch and dance.” Hermione was happy with that, as was Luna
and she took Harry by the hand and pulled him on the floor.

The song wasn’t crazy by any means but it wasn’t slow. They didn't move in traditional steps but his
hands stayed on her waist. He wasn’t sure if this was what he was supposed to do but since it was
what Krum appeared to do with Luna he supposed that it was the right thing. Regardless, Hermione
felt amazing in his arms and the fact that Ginny was no longer hanging over them felt amazing.
However, there were quite a few other girls that were.

After the song ended, Harry left the floor with Luna and Hermione went back to Krum though she
looked to be scolding him for something. For once, it felt as though he had done something right.
Draco was off in the distance dancing with his Beauxbatons girl, watching Daphne blatantly but she
was paying all her attention to Neville. Harry knew that Neville wasn’t interested in her like that but
it was good for Draco to worry. He understood Uncle Lucius’ teachings but he also thought that if he
was even a bit interested, he should probably make sure that it wasn’t just a fleeting interest before
the interest was gone forever.

-O-

Lucius couldn’t wait to get inside to see his sweet little Hermione. Narcissa had already warned him
that she wasn’t going to look like his sweet little girl anymore but the fact remained that she was. He
knew that she was innocent; Draco had told him that the only thing she had experienced was a very
chaste kiss in the library from Mr. Krum.

Lucius didn’t even like to consider this; Hermione was his little girl, his princess. As much as he
hated to admit it, he would rather see her with Potter than Krum; sure, Potter was a complete fucking
idiot who stuck his dick in anything that moved but he had the right intentions. He had learned from
his talk with the boy that he loved his niece so much that he loved her enough to stay away from her
because he wasn’t sure that he could stay faithful to her. If that wasn’t love, he wasn’t sure what was.

No, he didn’t trust the little shit any further than he could throw him. Lucius remembered the age
quite clearly. He had already loved Narcissa at age fourteen but he had been in love with using his
cock. He had fucked everything with a pussy at that age, everyone but Narcissa. It had hurt her
deeply but at the time he had been so fucking clueless that she couldn't even be mad at him. When he
had finally figured it out, two years later mind, she had been so fucking disgusted with him that she
no longer wanted him.

Lucius had let all his other girls go, for two years he had gone without sex to prove to Narcissa that
he was serious about being in love with her. It had been hell on Earth and he had been tempted so
many times to say fuck it and head to the muggle world and hit up the whore house that his father
had told him about. However, he had stayed strong because he had truly loved the beautiful woman
he now called his wife. It had eventually paid off too.

Narcissa had consented to be his wife and they hadn’t consummated their union until their marriage
day. Many of his friends had made fun of him but Lucius had never minded. While he had always
gotten what he had wanted from many girls, Narcissa had always made him work for what he
wanted. She had always made him commit. When he finally laid in their marriage bed and slid inside
her, spilling himself inside her for the first time, he knew that all his work and efforts had been worth
it.

Potter was still a young boy that wasn’t ready to commit to one woman but when he was there, it
would be Hermione that he would be ready for. It would be his job to convince his niece that he
could make her happy, that he could be faithful, just like he had had to do for Narcissa. It could be
done and he would have to sacrifice but it could be done. He hoped for Hermione’s sake that he
could do it. From what he had heard of Krum already, he wasn’t all that impressed.

Dory had shown up at Malfoy Manor a few hours ago with Remus in tow. Sirius had sent an owl
along beforehand, telling Lucius that he was quite certain that the man had found his werewolf mate
in the metamorphmagus. While Lucius had never been an overly large fan of either one, they were
both considered family and he would treat both as such. Therefore, he was happy for both. This also
meant that both were now trailing both he and Narcissa to Hogwarts to see the children for the Yule
Ball.

They had just came through the floo, Lucius in his dress robes of all black and Narcissa in her robes
of dusty pink. Dory was wearing robes colored in all blue, off-setting her now-platinum hair
perfectly and Remus looked quite good in traditional dress robes as he accompanied her. Neither had
said anything about their situation and Lucius wondered if Dory even knew what their situation was;
she hadn’t even known him for six hours after all, certainly not long enough to get the story. He was
quite sure that she wouldn’t be sickened by the thought, in fact, most witches weren’t, but she was
quite clearly very much not in the know. He grinned quite suddenly. He could count on Hermione to
clue her cousin in. He needed some entertainment in his life.

They found their way to the Great Hall, where the Yule Ball was being held. Even though they had
arrived precisely on time as to their invitation, it was clear that it had been going for a time already.
Lucius instantly looked out among the crowd to try to spot Hermione, quite sure that his wife was
trying to spot Draco. After he saw her, his heart almost stopped.

She was heartbreakingly beautiful, her icy blue dress bringing out the color of her Malfoy eyes. The
front of her dress showed off her cleavage but not in a way that was trashy and the slit in her leg was
fashionable and appropriate. All in all, she looked like a fucking angel and he didn’t think even her
mother had even looked so beautiful. She was dancing with Krum and he watched them for a few
moments. Everyone he had talked to had told him that Krum had mistresses all over the world, that
he had been treated several times over for diseases that you got from whores. He was worried about
his niece, his heir, dating this man but he knew enough of her personality that it would do no good to
tell her to stop. She would have to learn what kind of man he was on her own. He could only warn
her. He could see the quidditch star staring at other women over Hermione’s head, checking them
out in their dress robes even though she was by far the most beautiful in the room. He strolled right
up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. When Krum stopped and frowned at him, he spoke.

“I’m cutting in.” Krum started to get angry.

“You not cut in, you no manners.” Hermione, however, paid no attention to her date. She threw
herself into his arms and he twirled her around in a circle. There were tears in her eyes when she
finally pulled away and he brushed his fingers under her eyes.

“I’ve missed you so much. I wish you could visit more often.” Viktor huffed loudly beside then and
Hermione glared at him.

“I already told you. If you don’t like my family, go find you another girl.” His whole demeanor
changed and Lucius wanted to laugh. It was clear that the man was trying to impress her and he
wanted to know why he was so desperate.

“You not tell me dis vas family.” Hermione smiled at him, completely oblivious to the fact that this
man was trying to control her. Lucius smirked, however, because it was never going to happen. Not
only would Draco, Harry, and her father never allow it, he would kill any wizard that ever tried to
control the precious flower in his life.

“This is my uncle, Lucius Malfoy. My aunt Narcissa is around here somewhere, probably wherever
Draco is.” Lucius made sure to put his most bone-chilling smile on and he could see that it did its
work. Viktor swallowed hard.

“You Death Eater. You change sides for Hermione.” Lucius stepped forward and wrapped an arm
around Hermione’s shoulders before pressing a kiss to her forehead. He knew that he was laying it
on a little thick but he didn't care. If she ended up with Potter he wouldn’t be able to. He had already
given the little brat his blessing.

“She’s the only reason I changed sides. Don’t think for a second, Mr. Krum, that I won’t hesitate to
skin you alive and gut you if you cause her even a second of pain. I made her my heir and she’s the
light of my life. Remember that when you try to sneak her into an alcove and rob her of her virginity.
Ask your classmates from Hogwarts, I’m sure that they’ll tell you horror stories about me.” Viktor
paled slightly but Hermione smiled softly before smiling slightly and burying her face in his robes.
He pulled her into his arms and out onto the floor. Once they were away Krum, she burst into
laughter.

“You were very convincing, Uncle Luci. How long did you practice that?” He smoothed his hand
down her curls and grinned down at her.

“I’ve been practicing that since your mother first laid you in my arms when you were only an hour
old.” The smile remained on her face but it softened. She sidled in closer and laid her head on his
chest, probably the only person in the place she could get away with doing it to aside from Draco
and started humming softly. He let her, just led her through the crowd to the sound of the music, for
what seemed like ages. Finally, when the music came to a pause, she lifted her head and saw that
there was someone waiting on the sidelines that she hadn’t seen in years. She broke free from her
uncle at a run and threw herself and her cousin, tears streaming down her face.
“Dory, I can't believe you’re here! How have you been?” The metamorphmagus laughed and hauled
her into a hug. Hermione laughed into her shoulder, surprised that she had showed up at Hogwarts to
see her. Dory laughed and patted her shoulder.

“I’m great though your uncle has made it clear that I need to bring something home to Mother. Any
ideas?” Hermione laughed as Draco moved in closer. She hugged her cousin again as her eyes
pricked with tears.

“I’ve missed you so much, Dory. I know you’ve been furthering your career and I’ve had Draco but
it isn’t the same as having you. You’re like having a sister and when you’re gone it just isn’t fair.”
Dory hugged her close and tried to hush her.

“I know it isn’t fair and I’m sorry. However, I can’t help it.” Hermione smiled at her and nodded.
She realized that once again she had left Viktor hanging so she waved him over. He smiled at her
cousin and kissed her knuckles. Hermione was surprised to hear Remus growling in the background.
Her cousin leaned over and whispered in her ear.

“Do you have any fucking idea what that’s about?” She laughed softly at her cousin.

“He’s the sweetest werewolf you’ll ever meet. I have a feeling you’re his mate. I wouldn't go near
any men who want to seriously shag you. Sure, all the boys here would love a piece of you but it
isn’t serious. The first time around a man who wants to shag you, he might just kill him. Hate to
break it to you, cousin, where he’s classified as a beast, he could get away with it. Don’t play with
fire.” Dory smiled at her before hugging her close. Hermione hugged her close and she heard Remus
growl. She finally leaned forward enough to glare at Remus.

“I swear to Merlin if you growl at me one more time for hugging your woman you’re going to learn
that I will rip your asshole open and make you shit sideways. Don't try me, Moony.” He glared at her
for a moment before stepping back and standing along the sidelines of the dance floor. When
Hermione turned to Dory once more, she was laughing to herself. Viktor was standing off to the side
and seemed much more tolerant now that he realized her family was everywhere.

“I want to introduce you, Dory, to my date, Viktor Krum. Viktor, this is my cousin Dory. She’s
officially a Hit Witch now.” Viktor stepped forward and kissed her cousin’s hand, smiling
charmingly at her cousin. He smiled at Hermione as he cast a glance at Remus, clearly smirking at
him.

“You bring pet to party?” Hermione didn’t have to worry about holding her magic back. She wasn’t
the most fond of Remus but he did his best to help herself, Harry, and Draco, to teach them all he
could. He was her father’s best friend and even though it had gone through the wringer, he really did
do his best to help them through the worst of things. Dory stepped forward, wand to Viktor’s throat,
face serious as a heart attack.

“You ever refer to him as a pet again, I’ll kill you myself. He’s family and I guarantee you,
Hermione won’t stand for it. If you want to keep her around, you should probably make an effort to
keep her family happy.” Viktor looked livid for only a moment before he looked contrite. He turned
to Hermione and apologized.

“I so sorry.” She floated into his arms and let him hold her tight.

“I'm so sorry about tonight, I know it’s been insane. My uncle in a governor and he came to see
Draco and I. He brought my cousin, who you just met, because I haven’t see her in four years since
she went to Germany to enroll in auror training. She wasn’t lying; she really is a HIt Witch. The man
you were calling a pet is a close friend of the family who happens to be werewolf; he teaches Harry,
Draco and I twice a week. Our family is large and insane but it’s amazing and I love it. I’m sorry if
it’s ruined our date.” Viktor smiled at her, taking her hand in hers.

“It ruin nothing. I love you family.” Hermione smiled at him, clearly surprised at how accepting he
was being. She smiled at him.

“Let’s go thank Harry for making sure that Luna could celebrate this day with us.” Viktor smiled at
her but he looked anything but thrilled. Once they were over by where the pair were dancing,
Hermione laughed and threw herself at her cousin instead of Harry.

“Switch up.” Hermione didn’t figure that VIktor would complain about finding himself in the arms
of a beautiful young French girl. She snuggled into Draco’s arms and let him whirl her around the
floor. He laughed as she added strange little steps that weren’t usually in the dance.

“I had fun, Drake. I love you.” He kissed the side of her head before delivering her back to Viktor.
He seemed less than pleased. However, all was made better when he lowered his head to her mouth
and caught her lips in a deep kiss, one that she couldn’t escape from. She had thought that she would
lose her mind, that she would find herself ready to move onto the next step of romance, but that
wasn’t the case. In fact, she really just wanted to go find her Uncle Luci and tell him she couldn’t
wait to see him again.

The whole Great Hall fell silent as they watched Viktor Krum snog her; once he pulled away, they
all became busy once again. Hermione wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say; therefore, she said
nothing. Viktor just thumbed her jaw before kissing her forehead and leaving the Hall completely.
She couldn’t help but feel jipped; he hadn’t walked her to her door. Uncle Luci now had Aunt Cissy
at his side and they were headed for her side. Aunt Cissy took her hands in hers and gave her a soft
smile.

“You’re disappointed.” Hermione nodded but tried to be fair.

“He didn’t bother to walk me to my common room. I can’t help but wonder who he’s meeting with
now. I hate to believe that of him but I can’t help but wonder.” She sighed. “I suppose I can’t blame
him. I literally ditched him all night in order to spend time with my family.” Aunt Cissy smiled at her
and twirled her fingers through her curls.

“Princess, if he can’t handle one night your crazy family, he can’t handle you.” Hermione laughed
but realized that she was right. Uncle Luci appeared behind her and started to rub her shoulders.

“If he doesn’t like you spending time with your family, princess, he isn’t the one for you. You need a
boy that is supportive of family.” She leaned back against her uncle and smiled.

“He still said he liked my family. Though I do have to admit that Dory almost murdered him when
he called Remus the family pet.” She watched her uncle chuckle softly. Family were the only ones
that could get away with laughing at that joke. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Don’t let her catch you laughing at that.” He opened his mouth to speak but Dory spoke.

“Too late, Mia. I see all.” Hermione laughed softly as she saw a flash of fear cross her uncle’s face.
He was quick to press a kiss to her head and hug her tight for few moments before pulling Narcissa
towards the entrance.

“Love you, princess. I’ll see you soon.” Hermione laughed to herself and waved, telling them that
she loved them as well. Once they were gone, she turned to Luna.

“I wasn’t kidding. You’re going to start sitting with us. I’ve missed you for too long.” Luna nodded
happily. Hermione turned to Harry and hugged him again.

“Thank you again. You’ve made everything so much better. This is the best Christmas ever.” Harry
smiled at her, just realizing that she had nobody to escort her back to her common room. He was just
about to offer to take her back when Neville stepped forward.

“Hermione, would you like me to escort you back with Daphne? It really wouldn’t be any problem.”
She smiled and nodded before turning to Harry and Draco.

“Be gentlemen and take your dates to their common rooms. I’ll see you in the morning.” Hermione
let her friend take her arm and start her in the direction of the Slytherin common room. Even though
there were things that could have been better, all in all, it had been a good night.

-O-

Severus had watched the evening unfold jealously. He hated the position that he had put himself in
and he wished that he could take it back. He missed his family and he wished more than anything
that he could at least see them in the privacy of his own quarters. No, of course that couldn’t happen
though, since Albus’ lap dog Moody was fucking rabid and insisted on dogging his every fucking
step.

Hermione had been fucking beautiful tonight. He wished more than anything that he could have
gotten a picture with her, that he could have spoken with her. The only thing that kept him from
losing his mind was that she missed him just as much as he missed her. Draco missed him too, even
Harry, but they didn’t hug him, they hold him close and tell him how much they missed him, how
much they loved him. They weren’t going to be what kept him on this side of the divide between
good and evil. He never doubted how the felt for him but Hermione was the one who ever put words
to it and sometimes that was what he needed.

Just the other day he had told Albus that he was considering murdering Moody in his sleep.
Truthfully, he thought that the Master Auror had lost his touch. He used to be quite the wand but
now, he was nothing more than paranoid. His niece had got the drop on him, in full view in the
corridor, with his wand on full display. Either he had thrown it on purpose or he was losing it. There
was no other explanation. When he had brought it up to Albus, he had told Severus that Moody
never did anything without a reason. However, the Slytherin couldn’t find any reason why the
Master Auror would let a few Slytherin students obliviate him. It made no sense and Albus seemed
to disagree with him.

This was the only reason why Severus hadn’t AK’d him. He had gotten over guilt for killing long
ago and he would love to be able to spend time with his family once again. However, with
Rookwood on the loose, Harry in the Tournament as bait, Karkaroff in the castle, and the second
task coming up, there was no way that he could let his family down by taking the easy way out.

He was just going to have to be strong and remember that they loved him. After all, they were the
reason he was doing this. They were the reason he was going to be a Death Eater once again.

A/N- Oh. My. God. Longest chapter to date, I’ll have y’all know. I really hope you all enjoyed it.
Thanks to everyone out there reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting, I really appreciate it. Let
me know what y’all think. They’re like chocolate and whiskey shots.

Next chapter, everyone’s back to school after the holidays.

Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 74

A/N- Merry Christmas, my lovelies!! This chapter is my gift to you since I have been ridiculously
busy with shopping, wrapping, working, cleaning, and life in general. I can’t guarantee that you’ll
get another chapter before the weekend either; my work is having a Christmas party, my husband’s
job is having their Christmas party, my parents are having their family Christmas, and close family
friend’s are doing their Christmas as well. Needless to say, my writing time before Sunday has been
greatly diminished. Thank you all for being patient. After all, we all know that nothing is more
important than family. Therefore, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter and have the best of holidays.
Warm wishes from me and mine to you and yours <3

**Shout out to Jamie Theobald for being my 3500th reviewer!! You’re freaking awesome!!**

Disclaimer: This story as a whole doesn’t belong to me in the slightest. The whole Harry Potter
universe belongs to J.K.R., we merely play around in her sandbox and use her characters to build
awesome scenarios and stories. I receive nothing for the stories that I write except the pleasure of
writing them.

Chapter 74
January 2, 1995

Harry knew why everyone was ignoring him. It was the same reason that everyone was ignoring
Ron, Fred, George, and Percy. He wasn’t stupid; they thought that if they ignored the people
involved, they wouldn’t have to make a choice when it came down keeping friendships. Well, Harry
hated to break it to them, but he wasn’t the one that was making them make a choice. Ron and Molly
were the ones making a huge deal about Ginny and her lies.

True to his word, Harry had made his way down to the Hospital Wing on Boxing Day to be tested
against Ginny’s hypothetical baby. He had sent a message to his godfather and he had dropped
everything at Black Moor to be there, citing that he needed a parental figure to be there for
permissions sake. Molly and Arthur had been there as well, turns out the twins had insisted on it.

*Flashback*

Harry couldn’t believe what a complete shit show this had turned out to be. He knew that he wasn’t
the father to Ginny’s baby, if she was even pregnant. However, it wouldn’t surprise him if she
pregnant. He suspected that she had been trying to fall pregnant even though it had only been a week
since they had started sleeping together. He figured that she thought he was too stupid to protect
himself but he was unsure if she would protect herself when she was with others aside from himself.

Harry had promised everyone in the common room that he would be there regardless and get tested
against her “baby” to make sure that he wasn’t the father. If for some reason that he was the father,
however, he would probably end up killing himself. Having a child with Ginny Weasley was
probably the last thing in the world that he wanted to do. Draco had told him in no uncertain terms
that if that was the case then he should probably quit sticking his dick in her then.

Madam Pomfrey had glared at him as she cast the necessary blood tests needed to compare against
Ginny if she was indeed pregnant. He didn’t blame her; it wasn’t the high point in his life. He had
just been finishing up when Molly, Arthur, and Ginny had arrived, Arthur clearly embarrassed, and
the two women spitting mad. Ginny had put her hands to her hips and started in on him.

“I can’t believe you’re putting me through this, the mother of your child. What are you going to do
when the test comes back positive?” Harry snorted and muttered under his breath.

“Throw myself from the Astronomy Tower.” He knew he shouldn’t have said it. He felt terrible
when he caught sight of Arthur’s face. The man was already embarrassed and his smart comments
weren’t helping. He offered his hand to the man and the redhead smiled sadly.

“I’m sorry, Arthur, that was ill-done of me. Please forgive me.” Arthur smiled at him and shook his
hand. It was Sirius that answered Ginny. His voice was hard.

“You will get nothing, Miss. Weasley. You will get a monthly stipend to raise the child, one set up
by the Wizengamot. If you decide to terminate the pregnancy, you will have the pay the house of
Potter fifty thousand galleons. If you decide that you don’t want to raise the child, you may hand he
or she over at any given time but only if you sign a paper stating that you relinquish any and all
parental rights to the child. If the house of Potter finds that you have mistreated the child in any way,
shape, or form, you will be tried in front of a full trial of the Wizengamot and will face Azkaban.
Those are your options if you are indeed pregnant with my godson’s child.” Ginny was quaking with
fear and remained silent. Molly, however, wasn’t.

“My Ginny isn’t pregnant, she isn’t even having sex. Your boy is spreading rumors about her.”
Harry knew that he shouldn’t have opened his mouth about it but he didn’t like being called a liar.

“I’m not a liar and I know that at least two other Gryffindor boys have slept with her too. What you
want to believe about your daughter is your business but don’t call me a liar.” Madam Pomfrey put it
all to an end because she stepped forward and called Ginny back behind a curtain. Even though
Harry knew that he had protected himself religiously since Sirius had told him what the girls were
after, he was still worried about Ginny being pregnant with his baby. He still had a fantasy of
Hermione being his wife and carrying his child. That would all be ruined by a child with Ginny,
though he knew that he wouldn’t be able to help loving it anyway, despite who it’s mother would be.
The pair of them were only gone a few minutes before they reappeared, Ginny looking quite pale.
Madam Pomfrey looked downright gleeful. Ginny took refuge in her mother’s arms while Harry
stood tall and proud, ready to hear his future if need be. The meditwitch’s voice never wavered.

“Miss Weasley isn’t pregnant.” Molly looked far too triumphant and looked ready to start crowing
about how right she was when Pomfrey continued.

“However, Mr. Potter was right. Miss Weasley lost her virginity well over a year ago. She’s had six
sexual partners already and has shown the fortitude to use precautions against pregnancy.” Harry
figured that she had been full of shite but regardless, he was glad. The last thing that he wanted was
to be a father at fourteen.

Sirius had glared at Molly before shaking Arthur’s hand, telling him how sorry he was. Judging by
the look on the woman’s face, Ginny was going to be in trouble for the foreseeable future. Harry had
followed Sirius out of the Hospital Wing and even though he had done exactly as his godfather had
told him to, he vowed to do better. The last thing he wanted to do was bring his family shame. If it
had been any other family, it could have ended way worse.

*End of Flashback*

Ron hadn’t been pleased that his sister had been outed as sleeping with six blokes in school. You
would think that since Harry hadn’t told the results to anyone except Hermione and Draco that
nobody would have found out. However, that would have been wrong. He wasn’t sure how anyone
knew but he had a sneaking suspicion that Ginny herself had told people for attention. The more
attention that was on her for sleeping around, the less that was on her for not being pregnant and
telling the world that she had told the world she was having the Savior’s baby.
He wasn’t thrilled about it and he knew that his family was even less so. However, they had let it go
at his insistence. This was what had surprised him. He had really expected Hermione to lose her shit
and go after Ginny. However, things had been different between them since Christmas.

Hermione had been upset that Viktor hadn’t escorted her back to Slytherin the night of the Ball and
he hadn’t blamed her. He had built up the image that he was going to give her the date of the lifetime
but it had ended quite lame. He felt bad for feeling giddy that the Bulargian hadn’t followed through
and given her the date of a lifetime. If he had taken Hermione to the Yule Ball, he would have made
sure that she would have known that she was his priority and whatever she wanted to do would have
been just fine with him.

It was no secret that the Bulgarian hadn’t been able to handle meeting and spending time with her
family. In that regard, Harry felt pretty happy. Not only would he have been thrilled to spend time
with her family, they were his family as well. Granted, he had never met Dory before but she seemed
to fit in with the rest of them and seemed just as hex-happy as Hermione. She was spunky, hilarious,
happy, and more than ready to stand her ground if she thought her family was being threatened or
insulted. All in all, she was a perfect fit to Hermione and he loved her. He hoped that Dory loved
him just as much.

It had been the talk of the school the whole day after the Yule Ball; nobody could understand why
Krum had disappeared on Hermione the way he had. The whole school knew just how special she
was and they were unclear as to why he would bail after meeting her family; they wished they were
so lucky. Hermione hadn’t held it against him, of course. She had made excuses for him as to why he
had left even though he had yet to hear one that he believed. However, he had yet to call her out on
them.

Of course, it had been days later that she had received a letter from him from Bulgaria. Not shortly
after he had left her in the Great Hall, he had left Britain to travel home to Bulgaria to spend the
remaining holiday with his family. He hadn’t told her, of course, but that had been beside the point.
She had forgiven him instantly since it had been for family. Harry wasn’t quite as forgiving since he
was sure that he had a dozen girlfriends in Bulgaria that were more than happy to service the famous
seeker. He had no proof but that was his theory. He just hadn’t gathered the balls to put words to said
theory.

Draco seemed as impressed with the quidditch player as he was. He kept his mouth shut too, neither
one of them would ever dream of upsetting Hermione for no good reason, but they were sure that he
was up to no good. There had been a whispered conversation two days after Christmas before
Hermione had arrived to breakfast; it had lasted all of four minutes and that had been long enough for
them to realize that they were in agreement and there was nothing that they could do about it but
know that if it all went south that they could all lean on each other and hope that they were able to be
there for Hermione and she wouldn’t hex everyone to pieces. The girl really could be volatile when
she wanted to be.

Harry supposed that what seemed as the most confusing moment of his holiday so far was Hermione
in general. He had started feeling confused as to why Hermione could be upset as to why he was
caught up with so many girls; there was just no way possible that she was jealous. Christmas rolled
around and suddenly she acted like she didn’t care a fig anymore; literally, nothing phased her. He
had been eavesdropping when he had heard Draco ask her why she wasn’t more upset and she had
told him that he didn’t give two fucks about upsetting her so why should she care about him? Draco
had persisted and asked why she wasn’t crying at him knocking up Ginny Weasley and she had
cried a few tears, telling him that if shagging Ginny was more important, than she wasn't going to
waste her tears on Harry Potter anymore.
Harry hadn’t known what to make of this private conversation. It had sounded like something that
Hermione would say, sure, but he had never in a million years thought that she was interested in his
private life. She was too good for him and could do so much better than the boy who had tormented
and hurt her when they were young; it just wouldn’t do for Hermione to be caught up in a boy like
Harry. To learn that she had been interested in his life at least a little had been humbling. It had then
turned saddening when he realized that he had already blown his chance.

Since Hermione no longer cared about who he spent his time with, Harry did his best to distract
himself from what could have been. He tried not to think about what it would have been like to have
her care for him, what it would have been like to hold her close and kiss her softly. Truthfully, it felt
as though he was mourning losing her as a girlfriend and he had never even known that she had felt
that way about him until it was too late and he had already killed her feelings for him.

Harry was now burying himself in every girl that he could convince to sleep with him. It wasn’t his
proudest moment and he knew that he would probably regret it later but he couldn’t help it. He had
had the one person in his grasp that he had wanted since he had first set eyes on her and he hadn’t
even realized it. Not only had he been too blind to realize it, he had fucked it away with other girls,
making her feel worthless and unloved. Honestly, she definitely deserved somebody better than him
now.

When he wasn’t fucking the population of Hogwarts, Harry had been working on the egg that he
had rescued in the first task. He had tried to listen to the egg in the dorm bathroom but the tub just
hadn’t been big enough. Deciding that he wanted to try to listen to it on his own, he had caught Fred
and George on their own the night before and told them the story, begging them for the password if
they had it, telling them that he would owe them a favor if they had it. They had instantly told him
the password, pine fresh, though they weren’t sure as to why they hadn’t asked his Slytherin
counterparts for help. He had told them that he wanted to surprise them, which was partly true, but
mostly he just wanted to surprise them with the fact that he could figure it out on his own. He was
tired of feeling like the stupid part of the trio. They had agreed and went about their merry way.

Harry had just thrown the egg in, making sure that the door was locked one last time before crawling
into the enormous bath himself. It made him feel like he was cheating the system since he was
experiencing this before Hermione and Draco and they were going to be the rightful prefects but
there was nothing for it. He needed to be somewhere that he could hear the riddle that the egg
contained.

While it was tempting to sit back and relax in the luxuriant water, Harry didn’t. He took off his
glasses and put them on the ledge, then taking the egg in his hands to plunge it under the water. Once
under, he held his breath and followed it. After he was submerged, he opened the egg and instead of
hearing the horrid screeching from before, he heard beautiful mermaid song.

“Come seek us where our voices sound,

We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you’re searching, ponder this:
We’ve taken what you’ll sorely miss,
An hour long you’ll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour – the prospect’s black
Too late, it’s gone, it won’t come back.”

Harry was gasping for breath when he resurfaced but knew that he would have to go back under so
he could memorize the riddle. He had no idea what it meant, that much was certain. He knew that
Cedric had said that he was having problems with the riddle but he had hoped that it wasn’t going to
be that hard. However, he should have known better. Even though Cedric was a known pretty boy,
he was still very smart. If he was having problems, it was still a given that it was going to be pretty
difficult.

Harry sat there in the water after listening to the riddle five more times. He had since committed the
mermaid’s song to memory and could only ponder her words now. The only thing that made sense
was that their voices sounded in the Black Lake, everyone knew that. Were the going to have to find
something in the Black Lake? It said that they would take something that he would sorely miss. What
could that possibly be? His broom? His wand? Hermione and Draco? He wasn’t sure what the
parameters were on the spell and he was sure that it would wear off sooner rather than later.

After he pulled the egg from the water, he dried it off before pulling himself out of the water and
dressing himself rather quickly. The Welcome Feast was in less than an hour and he needed to make
sure that he wasn't going to be late. After all, Juliet would never forgive him if he wasn’t there to
greet her after being gone for so long. Truthfully, it was the shortest of holidays he could remember
Hogwarts ever having but it had seemed like forever and he could only attribute it to the fact that part
of his family had been gone and he hadn’t been able to see her.

Without another look back, Harry headed towards the Great Hall. After all, the rest of his family
would be waiting there and he had been waiting to see her since she had left.

-O-

Hermione couldn’t wait to see Juliet. It hadn’t been that long, in fact, it had been one of the shortest
vacations since she had come to Hogwarts. However, it had seemed as though she had been parted
from her sister for ages.

She knew that in reality it hadn’t been that long. She knew that it hadn’t been that long in the scheme
of things but when it came to splitting her up from her sister, it had been ages. Draco had teased her
for the last two nights about how she couldn’t get to sleep because she was just too excited to see
Juliet; Hermione just couldn’t help that it was true.

Hermione had never expected that she would miss her sister like she did. She had certainly never
imagined that she would feel for her like she did. Sure, there were plenty of people that acted on such
things, that acted like there were relationships there when there really weren’t, but Hermione had
never really been one for one of the girls that had done so. She didn’t hold it against those that did,
everyone needed someone after all, but she preferred those that were honest in her life.

Hermione was seated at the Slytherin table waiting for Draco and Luna to join her. It was funny that
she considered them family no matter how long it had been since they had spent the holiday together.
However, no matter how close Harry was to her family and despite the fact that she considered him
family, she had no formal name for him. Cousin? Brother? She really wasn’t sure what to consider
him now that she had realized her feelings for him and then watched them almost disappear.
Hermione still felt her heart clench slightly when she said them but the emotion was almost entirely
gone. Harry had made sure to almost kill them off entirely. She knew that she deserved better than
what he would currently offer her and under no circumstances would she settle for less.

“I see Mandy Brocklehurst staring at you, Harry. I’m sure you’d rather be spending the holiday with
her rather than us.” She couldn’t help but lower her face to help hide her shame. The last thing she
wanted was to show that she was jealous of the beautiful young woman that was covering the shift
for the prefects.

Hermione knew that Mandy wanted Harry; she had told Hermione more than once. For some reason
she had seen fit to see Hermione as a confidant, though she didn’t know why. She had never told the
girls secrets past Draco but she had been confused as to why the girl had thought that they were
friends. At first she thought that it was a misconception, a misunderstanding that the girls thought that
they had to be friends with her before they could be friends of lovers with Harry or Draco. She
wished that she could put a flyer in the Prophet that it was not needed. Nowhere was it stated that she
needed to be friends or more with the girls that spent time with her family.

It still hurt when she was confronted with the girls that were shagging Harry. She knew that she had
given up caring about that aspect of his life. After all, he hadn’t cared about hurting her with it in the
least. Not once did he consider how shagging one of his slags would affect her life. Therefore, why
should she let his life choices affect her? She could do better and she was determined to do so. There
were things that determined how good of a man you were that had nothing to do with how many
women you shagged.

Hermione still couldn’t help but feel a little hurt at the fact that Viktor had left so suddenly without a
word about leaving for Bulgaria. In no way did she fault him for leaving for family, she knew the
meaning of family after all, but it had been a little embarrassing to have him ditch her after the ball for
no reason. Sure, she had made his excuses but he had given her none until days later when he had
told her that he had left only a few hours after leaving her at the ball.

Hermione had dreamed of a perfect date, a perfect ball, but she never would have begrudged her date
leaving early to leave the castle to meet his family for the holidays. She simply wished that he would
have told her so she could have wished him well. It hadn’t escaped her that while Viktor had been
introduced to her entire family, she had yet to meet a single person in Viktor’s family. Was he
ashamed of her? Did he think that they wouldn’t understand her? Would they look at her differently
since they were of a different culture? She vowed to research Bulgarian culture as soon as school
started once more.

Luna was seated next to her and gave her a knowing smile. Hermione glared at her, not liking how
her cousin knew her so well already after so many years apart. The rest of the Slytherin table was
talking amongst themselves about the latest quidditch match between the Cannons and the Bats,
something that interested Hermione none at all. Luna took her hand and squeezed it softly.

“Someday, he’ll realize what he has in you and you’ll be priceless to him.” Hermione knew exactly
what she was talking about and scowled.

“I’m tired of waiting for him to grow up. I shouldn’t have to be the end of a long line of girls. He
should know that I love him and would die for him and treat me accordingly. However, I will never
act like a complete fool for a man who falls into bed with girls that just want to bed him. I love him
and that should mean something. It doesn’t though. It doesn’t mean anything to him. The only thing
that means anything to him is a girl that’s willing to show him skin and suck his dick. Makes me feel
like I’ll never be enough, actually.” Luna wrapped her arms around her and held her tight for a long
minute before pulling away and smiling at her. The only thing that made Hermione feel better about
her words was that she knew that Pandora had passed her Seer blood to Luna when she passed.

“He’ll realize your love for him sooner rather than later. Don't give up on him now, Hermione.”
Hermione smiled softly at her cousin.

“I already have, Luna. I’m tired of hurting every time I look at him. He’s free to do as he wishes. I
still wish he noticed me but I’m done sitting around wishing that it was me that he spent time with,
that it was me he was in love with. I can’t change him and I’m alright with that. I’ve accepted it. It’s
easier to let him go and let him live then to keep him in my sights and hurt every single time I look at
him because I wish that it was me he looked at like he looked at those girls. Luna, I’m realistic
enough to know that he’ll never look at me like he looks at Cho Chang or Ginny Weasley or Mandy
Brocklehurst. I don’t like it but I’ve accepted it. Please don’t try to get me to change it.” Luna looked
contemplative for several seconds before she finally nodded.

“You’re right. I understand.” They were cut off before Hermione could answer by Harry joining
them. Hermione flashed him a smile and laid her head on his shoulder. She had tried to show him
more affection, much the same way she did Draco. She tried to tell herself that she was treating him
like a brother, much the same way she did Draco. Even though she knew that it wasn’t true, she
knew that he didn’t know that it was different. He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.

“Excited for Juliet to get here?” She nodded excitedly. She had never thought that she would miss
her sister so much. He smiled down at her and tugged on her curls.

“I’m sure she’s excited to see you too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone love their big sister as
much as she loves you.” Hermione grinned at him, suddenly thrilled at his words.

“You really think so?” He kissed the side of her head before turning to his pumpkin juice.

“I know so.” Before she could say anything else, the doors to the Great Hall were flung open and the
younger students flooded the room, filling the tables and their chatter keeping the Great Hall abuzz.
Hermione saw her sister and waved, a bright smile on her face. Juliet didn’t bother with her own
house table even though that was the general rule at feasts. She rushed over to the Slytherin table and
threw herself into her sister’s arms, Hermione hugging her close and laughing softly at Juliet talking a
thousand miles a minute.

Hermione listened goodnaturedly for several minutes before finally shushing her so they could pay
attention to the Headmaster wishing them well as they returned. She could see Professor McGonagall
shaking her head in exasperation as she watched them but she could see no anger in her features so
she assumed that they were free from repercussions.

The feast was wonderful, even though Hermione really wasn’t all that hungry. Juliet stuffed herself
while filling herself, Harry, and Draco in on what had happened at Black Moor while they had
stayed at school. Hermione had felt a mild flare of jealousy when she learned that Dip had bonded
with Juliet but Draco had quickly reached out and rubbed her thigh, reminding her that there were
more important things. It seemed as though Juliet had left almost all the exploring until summer when
everyone would be present so they could all take part in showing her around. Hermione was
strangely touched at that; her sister had put off taking part in her birthright to share it with Hermione.

Juliet had reported that their father was trying harder than ever to win her mother over and it wasn’t
working. Hermione wanted to laugh. Her father had never been told no by the opposite sex before
and she felt that it was high time that he had to work for something in his life. Every single last girl
he had ever spent time with had just fell at his feet and taken off her clothes, including Helena, which
meant that he had never learned what it meant to work for something. Now, however, Helena didn’t
trust him and she really didn’t want to be with him because of it. This mean that he was going to
have to do everything in his power to get her to agree to even give him a chance. She found it oddly
gratifying.

Juliet, of course, had no idea what things were like before her mother had come along. Sure,
Hermione wasn’t completely in the know but she wasn’t stupid. Her father had thought that he was
keeping his private life from her but he had been terrible at it. Not to mention that her aunt and uncle
had been quite the gossips and they hadn’t been very good at keeping quiet around her and Draco.
Where Juliet wanted her mother and father to get together, Hermione was pulling for Helena to make
her father work for it. It seemed a little disloyal but she wanted him to have a relationship that was
worth having, not just a relationship where he fucked her for as long as it took him to get bored and
they he left her high and dry, much the same way he had done to the muggle girls when he had been
younger.

Juliet was now distracted with Daphne, telling her about her vacation with her father and mother at
Black Moor. Since Daphne had been visiting since she was six years old, she was more than happy
to entertain the young Gryffindor with stories of her own. Hermione was still thrilled that most of her
friends were happy to befriend her little sister, even if it was for no other reason than it was because
she as a Black daughter.

The feast was almost over when there was the ever familiar hush over the Great Hall and Hermione
knew exactly what had happened. While she wasn’t necessarily angry with Viktor, she didn’t want
to let him off too easily. Therefore, she ignored the hush and acted like she heard nothing. She heard
Draco chuckle softly so she pinched him under the table, causing him to gasp quietly.

“Hermy-own.” Hermione hated how he butchered her name but she had to give him props for trying.
She turned to him and smiled but didn’t offer her hand.

“Viktor, I’m happy to see that you made it back from Bulgaria safely.” He had the good grace to
look sheepish at her words. She wouldn’t have minded him leaving her early to go home if he had
just told her.

“I am sorry. I should haff told you.” Hermione just shrugged a shoulder at him.

“You don’t owe me an explanation. You’re a grown man and I’m a fifteen year old girl. The only
person on the planet who owes me any explanation is Draco.” He played his part perfectly, leaning
over and kissing the side of her head.

“That’s because you’re the light of my life, princess. Well, father would tell you anything you
wished.” Hermione laughed softly but turned her attention back to Viktor and gave him a soft look.

“Truly, Viktor. You don’t have to make excuses to me. I’m not your girlfriend and I’m not your
mother. You went home to see your family, perfectly acceptable at Christmas.” He sighed and raked
a hand through his hair. She could see Harry getting agitated in the corner of her eye but she wasn’t
sure why.

“You deserve better. I treat you poorly. I sorry and I do better.” Hermione gave him an open look.

“I do deserve better. I know that my family is a lot to take and if you were uncomfortable you should
have told me. That doesn’t mean that I deserve to be left in the Great Hall without an escort on my
first date. I’m willing to forgive you, however, since you left to go home. Don't treat me like that
again, Viktor. I don’t think that I’m better than anyone else but I deserve better than that. Any girl
does.” He took her hand in his and bent low over it, kissing her knuckles. When he straightened, he
flashed her a smile.

“I sorry. I valk you to class in morning?” Hermione smiled at him and nodded.

“I have Defense first thing with my family pet. My cousin will be there so I would suggest not using
that terminology again.” He grimaced and nodded, clearly regretting his use use of words from the
Ball. The bell rang and she smiled at him.

“Goodnight, Viktor.” The Bulgarian headed off for his end of the Slytherin table to gather his things.
When she turned her attention back to her friends, Harry was staring at her as if he couldn't
understand her.

“I don't understand why you gave him another chance.” She raised an eyebrow at him as she stood
and bent to kiss Juliet on the top of the head. Exhaustion had just hit her and she wanted nothing
more than to crawl into her bed.

“I don't understand why you just let him get away with treating you like trash at the Ball.” She raised
an eyebrow at him as she waited for Draco to stand.

“I gave you another chance, didn’t I? Is he so different?” She saw his cheeks flush and his eyes drop
and she felt guilty. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, hugging him tight and kissing his
cheek before releasing him.

“I’m glad every single day I gave you that chance. I might regret giving him that chance but
everyone deserves it.” Harry reached up and tugged one of her curls before nodding his
understanding. She smiled at him and decided to be playful.

“Goodnight, Lord Potter.” He glared at her, clearly hating her calling him that. Then he turned the
tables on her and went to his feet, sweeping into a gallant bow, his voice low but loud enough for
those around them to hear.

“Sweet dreams, Lady Black. I’ll dream only of you.” She pulled her wand and hexed him with a
stinging hex but he could hear her laughing as she pulled Draco away.

Hermione chuckled as she pulled Draco down the stairs towards the dungeons, the rest of the
students chuckling at their antics. It had been a long vacation and she was ready to get back to
classes. What better way to get back into the swing of things than with a good night's sleep?

A/N- Boom! This one wasn’t near as exciting as the others but they can’t all be thrillers, y’all.
Regardless of nothing too exciting or catastrophic happening, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to
everyone out there reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting, you guys are seriously the bomb.
Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think.

Next chapter, Harry finally comes clean about the clue for the second task.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 75

A/N- Thank you to everyone out there that sent me a review and a wish for happy holidays. You
guys are just awesome. It means a lot that you guys support me as much as you do. I’m not going to
keep you long since you’ve waited ages for this chapter, I just wanted to make sure to tell you all
thanks for all the the support you give me. It really is appreciated.

**Shout out to MichalaJ for being my 3600th reviewer. I freaking love you, girl!**

Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story; I’m pretty sure that you’ve all figured that out by this
point in the story. If I thought that my O.C.D. would let me get away with not putting this in the
following chapters like the chapters before, I would totally do it. Anyways, I haven’t made any
money off this story or any others either. Promise.

Chapter 75
January 13, 1995

Hermione took her usual seat next to Draco at the Slytherin table and smiled as Luna took the seat
across from her next to Juliet. She loved having her cousin back and she had Harry to thank for that.
He was taking the seat next to her and reached out to tug on one of her errant curls that just wouldn’t
stay in the messy bun that she had piled on top of her head. She smiled at him but didn’t speak,
knowing that he really wasn’t much of a morning person until he had at least two cups of tea.

Juliet was enamored with Luna’s hair as much as she was Daphne’s and loved to twirl it around her
fingers. The little Gryffindor couldn’t believe that her own house bullied her the way that they did,
though that had nosedived when they learned that Luna was Hermione and Draco’s cousin. Even
Cho Chang had kept her distance, though Hermione planned to make sure that the Chinese girl
learned her lesson properly. She just needed to wait enough time for the suspicion to turn from her.
She supposed that it was petty and mean of her to be that way but she would be damned if someone
was going to be mean to Luna and get away with it, especially when the blonde had done absolutely
nothing to justify their actions.

Luna was telling Juliet about some wonderful animal that she had found on holiday with her father to
Sweden; Hermione was quite certain that it didn’t exist. If it did, she had never heard of it and she
had never heard Madam Cambridge speak of it either. She wondered if it was an exotic creature that
only locals knew about; she would have to investigate further.

Draco was talking about quidditch with Blaise and Greg while Pansy was fussing over Theo’s tie.
Hermione had to snicker to herself at how thoroughly unhappy he looked with the situation. Daphne
was studying for the Defense test that Moody was having that afternoon and Hermione felt bad for
abandoning her friends to that psycho. While they were no longer watching him cast Unforgivables,
they were practicing spells that were borderline dark. Being from a dark family, Hermione didn’t
have a problem with that per se, but she did have a problem with little first and second years doing
spells that could cause real damage to someone if it wasn’t used properly. However, since she and
the rest of her family were no longer in his classes, they couldn’t very well complain. Truthfully, she
was just waiting for the other parents to figure out that they were taking private lessons and follow
suit.

Things with Viktor had been much better since she had told him that she wouldn’t stand for him
disrespecting her. He walked her to class quite regularly and she had allowed him to give her chaste
kisses while they weren’t in view of the public. He was always sweet to her and spent time with her
friends and family in the evening, studying in the library and she would take walks with him around
the Black Lake. He had even asked if he could run with her in the mornings. While she was pleased
that he wanted to spend time with her, she had told him that that was time that she spent with strictly
Draco. He had seemed to take it in stride so she didn’t feel bad in the least.

Harry, it seemed, had gone on a bender, far worse than he had been before. Hermione had ceased
trying to get his attention, had stopped hoping that he would ever want to be with her, but it still hurt
that he was using women to hide his feelings. She wished that he would just open up but if he were
true to any other male that she knew, it would likely never happen. She could count on two hands
the number of times the men in her life had done so and most of them had been Draco.

While Hermione knew that he was slowly sleeping his way through Hogwarts, she had to give him
credit where credit was due. Harry was being discreet and she didn’t hear about the time he spent
with girls but she knew that it was still happening; she could tell by the guilty look in his eye
whenever he would join them after he left one of his many trysts. She could only hope that since he
wasn’t interested in her that one of the many girls could turn him monogamous.

Luna and Juliet were making plans for the free period they had during the period that Hermione,
Draco, and Harry shared Defense with Remus and Dory. Hermione still wasn't sure how the two had
managed to score a free period together but they thoroughly enjoyed it together every week since
school had resumed. So far they had spent in strolling the grounds but this week they were going to
search the castle for some animal that Hermione had never heard of. She was quite sure that this
animal was pure conjecture but if Juliet enjoyed herself, who was she to put a stop to it?

The bell rang and Juliet ran around the table to give her a quick hug before hurrying off to meet with
her friends and make her way to Herbology. Luna grinned at her and waved, heading for Divination.
While Hermione still thought that the class was a complete waste of time for herself, Draco, and
Harry, for Luna it wasn’t. She had Seer blood by way of her mother and had been tested as a baby.
While her gift hadn’t manifested yet, it was only a matter of time. Truthfully, Luna was probably the
only person in the school that Divination wasn’t a complete waste of time for and even that was
debatable considering who the professor was.

Hermione let Draco take her arm and escort her from the table and towards the dungeons, Harry
following closely behind. He was speaking softly with Daphne and Hermione felt that familiar
clench of her stomach until she turned and saw Daphne shoot her a reassuring glance. While she was
over Harry and knew that he would never like her like that, she wasn’t sure that she could handle
him going after Daphne and trying to date her.

Hermione took her usual seat in Potions and watched as Daphne moved to sit with Tracey and
Millie. Harry and Neville took the seats across from Hermione and her cousin, pulling their texts,
quills, parchments, and ink out. She wasn’t sure what they were going to be doing this class but she
was sure that it was going to be interesting. Class with her godfather was always enlightening even if
it was over something that she had already learned about.

Her godfather swept in, robes billowing, and called them to silence. The Gryffindors looked as
though they had swallowed something sour but she supposed that she didn’t blame them. Her uncle
wasn’t the most pleasant with them, even Harry, but he understood that it was for appearance’s sake.
Weasley and Finnegan were the ones that were the most vocal about it outside of class but the
Slytherins did their best to ignore any slights towards their Head of House. Really, relations between
houses had never been better. Letting it all go over a little bad mouthing just didn’t seem worth it.

Professor Snape started with a lecture on fire seed, a seed that was used in many potions used in the
care of dragons. Hermione was worried that the lesson would affect Harry since he hadn’t dealt with
the killing of the dragon well but he seemed to be fine with the mentioning of it. After the lecture,
they were split into pairs to brew a potion that would help baby dragons digest their food better.

Hermione was usually paired with Draco so she was surprised to find herself with Neville. She
smiled at him as she moved her things to sit by him while Harry moved to sit next to Draco. It was
true that Neville wasn’t that great at Potions but he was nowhere near the abysmal levels that Ron or
Seamus reached. Once she was settled, he gave her a sheepish grin.

“Sorry you’re stuck with me. I know I’m terrible at potions.” Hermione patted his hands
reassuringly.

“You’re better than you give yourself credit for. You just need to gain confidence.” He gave her a
look that said that she was full of shite but said nothing. She looked at the ingredients list since it was
a potion that she hadn’t made in a few years. She sent him to go get them and set the cauldron on the
heat, bringing the water to a boil. She saw that Draco had done the same with Harry, sending him
after ingredients as well.

When Neville returned, she set him on ingredient preparation. He followed her instructions exactly
and she praised him when he was finished. She let him help her add the ingredients so he would gain
some confidence and when the potion was the exact color that it should be, the smile that lit up his
face was priceless. It was in this moment that Hermione could see why people liked teaching.

At the end of the class period, Neville was happy to turn in their potion, a perfect specimen if she
could say so. Neville seemed pretty proud of it and she could tell that it had built some confidence in
his potions skills. Draco turned in his and Harry’s potion but Harry seemed inordinately pleased.
While his potions skills had grown over the summer, he was still learning and had nowhere near the
skills that Hermione or Draco had.

After they were dismissed from Potions, Harry and Draco headed towards Divination and Hermione
started for Magical Theory. While she didn’t have any friends in the class, Hermione was alright with
that. Lisa Turpin was the only other fourth year and she tried to spend time with her. She had always
blown her off because of Harry but she thought that she had possibly been limiting herself. Maybe it
was time that she looked outside of how Harry affected her life and tried to be friends with the girl.
Obviously she cared about the class, otherwise she wouldn’t be taking it.

She took her seat in Magical Theory and waited for Professor McGonagall to arrive. She started to
pull her things out, setting them up as she usually did so she could take notes. Just as she was ready
to turn her attention to the front of the room, she realized that someone had sat next to her. Usually
she sat at her table alone so she was a little surprised to look up and see Lisa Turpin herself sit next to
her. She supposed that it was time to put her money where her mouth was.

“Hey, Lisa. This is the first time you’ve ever sat with me.” Lisa gave her a shy smile before
responding.

“This is the first time that you don’t look like you want to kill me.” Hermione drew up short. Had she
really looked like that? Had she let Harry affect her that much? Rather than contemplate it, she gave
the Ravenclaw a girl a small smile.

“I’ve never wanted to kill you. I’m just a very private person.” Lisa instantly became very vivacious
and Hermione almost instantly regretted being friendly. While she wanted to be friendly, that didn’t
mean that she wanted to be best friends in the matter of sixty seconds. She did her best to tune her
out but could only do so much until class started. In the time it took for Professor McGonagall to
appear and start her lecture, Hermione learned what seemed to be the whole life history of one Lisa
Turpin.
Hermione was thrilled when the Head of Gryffindor House started her lecture on the theory of how
magic affected the ley lines and how they had in turn affected the magic of the land. It was very
interesting and Hermione really thought that she could see herself investigating it further even after
the assignment was over. Since the lecture lasted the entire class period, they were dismissed with a
massive assignment that would surely last them the next three class periods. Hermione was excited to
begin and vowed to start that night since it wasn’t a partner project. Their assignments rarely were in
Magical Theory. She had just gathered her things and started for the door when Lisa fell in step
beside her.

“I’m so glad that we’re going to be friends now, Hermione. Do you think that we could study
together?” Hermione really didn’t want to say yes but she couldn’t think of a good reason to say no.
Therefore, she deflected.

“Well, I would have to check and make sure that it’s alright with the rest of the group that I bring
another person in. I could let you know tomorrow.” Lisa’s face turned cloudy and she could tell that
it wasn’t going to end well.

“You just don’t want me around Harry, don’t lie to me. Everyone knows you want Harry all to
yourself.” Hermione stopped and tried to reason with the girl.

“This has nothing to do with Harry. I study with a large group of people already. It wouldn’t be fair
to bring you in without making sure that it was alright with them first. I would ask the same of them.”
Lisa sneered at her and raised her voice, making a scene.

“You’re such a liar! You just want to keep Harry all to yourself! He doesn’t want you, Hermione, he
wants me! I know I took his virginity, I’m special!” Hermione had no idea if this was true but she
doubted that it was information that he would want spewed across the corridor. She drew her wand
and shot a silencing spell at the girl before striding towards her and shoving her against the wall.

“I’m going to let this go as temporary insanity this one time. Don’t ever try to sit with me again and
don’t ever try to study with me. You may be fucking Harry but you’re just one of a crowd and
you’re nothing important to him. I’m sorry to be so harsh but if you can’t handle that, move on. He’s
being a man whore and I can’t stop him so either go with it or get out of the kitchen. Don’t think that
I’m going to put up with you being crazy just because you’re shagging my family.” Hermione
released her and waved her wand, releasing her from her spell as she started to walk away. Lisa,
however, wasn’t smart enough to leave well enough alone.

“We all know that you want him, Black. You can’t have him. He’s going to be mine.” Hermione
turned on her heel, sure that she was going to regret this once she thought about it after her anger had
cooled. Her wand pressed into the girl’s throat and she felt a sense of power at the flash of fear she
saw in the girl’s eyes.

“He isn’t going to be yours because I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him from marrying a crazy bitch
like you, Turpin. In case you haven’t noticed, I have my hands full with Viktor Krum. I was willing
to be nice to you, to be friends with you. You just had to ruin that. Don’t worry though, I doubt
Harry will be fucking you much longer after he hears about this.” Hermione didn’t believe it for a
second but it was fun to scare the life out the girl. Not only had she ruined her class, she had ruined
her lunch since she was already almost ten minutes late. Without another word, she turned on her
heel and headed out of the corridor and for the stairs. She was still seething mad and she hoped that
she would cool down considerably before reaching the Great Hall.

She knew that Draco could tell instantly that she was livid when she sat down. He reached out and
started to rub her thigh, trying to calm her before anyone else even said anything. Luna was sitting
across from them and she was the next to realize that something was off, probably from the many
years they had spent together as children. She shot her a worried glance, which meant that the only
ones that were clueless were Juliet and Harry. Draco cleared his throat and smiled.

“Did you see that Puddlemere were the favored ones to win tonight?” Harry instantly latched onto
the topic and started in, not even realizing that Hermione was upset. Juliet seemed to be caught up in
an assignment for Herbology so she didn’t even seem to notice that she was upset.

She was grateful that they weren’t paying her anger any mind; the last thing she wanted was to have
to talk about it in the Great Hall. The boys talked quidditch near to death while Luna distracted
Daphne, leaving Hermione to try to calm herself down with trying to do her warding homework
while she hurried and ate a few bites before they went to Defense. A few minutes before the bell
rang, Juliet put her homework away and turned merry eyes to Luna and started chatting excitedly
about whatever animal they were going to be searching for; Hermione listened carefully as she
explained.

“It’s a blibbering humdinger; they’re usually in the Forbidden Forest but this time of the year you can
find them playing out by the quidditch pitch. They like the wide open spaces.” Hermione knew for a
fact that she had never heard of a blibbering humdinger and was about to open her mouth to tell her
cousin that when Harry stomped on her foot quite hard, stopping her in her tracks. He shook his head
slightly and she could do nothing but glare at him. He was saved from her ire by the bell ringing.
Luna and Juliet were quick to depart, leaving Hermione with Draco and Harry, the two boys staring
at her as though she were going to explode on them.

Even though she was sure that it was childish, she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for
the classroom that Remus and Dory used when they had Defense. She could hear the two boys
following her and they were whispering softly. She knew that she was their topic of choice but she
tried not to let that bother her.

-O-

Harry wasn’t quite sure what had Hermione’s wand in a knot but it seemed that he had earned her
ire. He had noticed instantly when she had arrived at lunch that she was angry but had had the good
manners to not comment on it. However, when he had realized that she was going to hurt Luna’s
feelings and tell her that her make believe animals weren’t real, he couldn’t allow that to happen.
Luna had done nothing to do deserve that treatment and he wasn’t going to stand for it. Hermione
could be angry at him all she wanted. It sure as fuck wouldn’t be the first time.

Draco was telling him to just keep his distance and leave her alone until she had had time to cool off,
that nobody needed a confrontation with a pissed off Hermione. When a Black became well and
truly angry with their magic flaring, usually only a Black could get close. Harry had seen evidence of
this when Hermione had thought that Moody had killed her mother; Sirius had been able to get close.
Even over the summer when she had lost control on his birthday, Narcissa had gotten close but not
Severus, Draco, or Lucius. It was quite interesting when he considered it. That meant that since they
were headed to Defense that only Dory had hopes of getting past her magic if it flared. Harry had
questioned Sirius about that in a recent letter and he had told him that even though Draco was a
Black, Malfoys had very strong family magic, hundreds of years old. Dory’s father, Ted, was a
muggle born so his family magic wasn’t nearly as strong so her Black family magic was stronger. It
made no sense to Harry but he supposed that it probably would if he had grown up with it.

Hermione was already waiting for them when they entered the classroom, not that he was surprised.
She had been ahead of them and hadn’t bothered to wait for them like they would have waited for
her. Harry couldn’t help but think to himself that if he had thrown a fit like that when he was
younger he would have been wearing bruises for a week from the hiding his backside would have
taken. However, she was a princess in her own right and Sirius, not to mention Uncle Lucius and
Severus had indulged her every whim. He knew she could be a spoiled brat some days. Truthfully, it
was part of her charm.

Harry watched her throw her bag on the ground and hug her cousin close, wand clutched in her
hand. Dory smoothed a hand down her curls and smiled at her, clearly exchanging pleasantries.
Remus, however, by judgement of the character or the smell of feelings Harry wasn’t sure, knew
better.

“What’s going on?” Harry shrugged his shoulders.

“No idea. She came to lunch in a huff and I stopped her from lighting into Luna. She’s been glaring
daggers at me since.” Remus heaved a deep sigh. He muttered to himself.

“Great. I see why Siri gave me a raise.” Draco started chuckling softly and Harry just glared at him.
Remus gave another sigh and spoke loudly to get everyone’s attention.

“Let’s start off dueling a little.” Harry actually wanted to tell them about the riddle he had discovered
in the egg but supposed that it could wait until after they were done dueling. Remus continued.

“How about Harry, Draco, and I against Hermione and Dory?” Dory just groaned.

“You know I’m trying to get away from that name. I want to be called Tonks.” Remus sighed.

“Fine. Harry, Draco, and myself against Hermione and Tonks.” Both girls were quick to agree so
they lined up on opposite sides of the room and Remus quickly warded the room so no stray spells
escaped and hurt anyone that might entere accidentally. When Remus called for them to start, the five
of them went at it, hard and heavy.

Truthfully, it was the best possible pairing and Harry couldn’t wait to do this is front of Sirius come
summer. Where he and Draco were quick as lightning on their feet and favored offense, Remus was
a whiz at defense. He let them handle the offensive side of things and he worked on making sure that
all three of them were shielded as much as possible.

The girls, on the other hand, were truly a sight to behold. Tonks, in all her Hit Witch glory, sending a
good portion of what she had at them while Hermione watched their backs with her super-powered
shields. Every once in awhile she would see an opening and send a spell of her own and it would
splinter Remus’ shield and they would all scramble to erect another one before she blasted them to
hell and back.

It was this very thing that happened right at the two hour mark; they were all hot, sweaty, and not
exactly exhausted but tired. Hermione sneaked a spell out that shattered Remus’ shield and Tonks hit
the floor with a bombarda spell that blew them all backwards that landed them on their arses. Harry’s
vision went spotty for just a few moments and when it cleared, he caught sight of Hermione and
Tonks high-fiving each other and grinning madly. Harry scowled at them as he struggled to his feet,
Remus and Draco doing the same beside him.

“Do you two have to look so bloody gleeful about winning?” Tonks was nodding her head like a
loon but Hermione frowned.

“Quit whinging and take it like a man.” He glared at her.

“I doubt you would be alright with me telling you the same thing when you cried about losing.” Her
face went impassive and Harry instantly felt terrible. He hated when that happened.
“It’s funny you say that. When we first started dueling, I was terrible, complete rubbish. Draco beat
me every single time, Uncle Sev and Uncle Luci too. The only person I ever won against was Daddy
and that’s because he let me win, said I needed it to boost my confidence. Every single win I get
now, I earn. Even though I have three times the power of everyone in this room aside from you, I
still lose all the time because I don’t have the reflexes. I’ll never be able win one on one against you
or Draco. Don't you dare hold it against me that you got your arses handed to you this one time.”
Harry felt awful about what he had said but Draco decided to intervene, trying to keep the peace.

“Us blokes will admit that you won if you promise to not tell Father. He’ll never let us live it down.”
Tonks started shaking her head playfully but Hermione pursed her lips together and stared at her
cousin.

“What’s in it for me?” Since Draco’s mouth dropped open in surprise, Harry figured that Hermione
wasn’t kidding. His anger flared again.

“Really? Are you being bloody serious right now?” She turned to glare at him.

“If I am?” Harry couldn’t believe it.

“You have got to be the most spoiled bloody wench I have ever met in my whole life. First you
march into lunch in a snit, ready to crucify whoever gets in your way and then you try to ruin Luna’s
day, telling her that her creature isn’t real just because you have to be right. Merlin forbid somebody
doesn’t bow down before your bloody expertise. You were going to hurt her feelings all because
somebody pissed in your porridge and it’s complete bullshite. Now, Draco keeps the peace and
jokingly tells you not to tell his father and you try to get him to give you something, you the fucking
princess of Hogwarts who already has everything that a girl could need or want. What you need is
for someone to turn you over their knee and spank your arse until you can’t sit for a month!” The
room went deathly silent and Harry knew instantly that he had gone too far. Hermione was just
staring at him calmly and for a few moments, he thought that he was going to get off easy. When she
spoke, however, he feared the worst.

“You’re right. I was going to ruin Luna’s day but not because I wanted to hurt her. I think that in her
grief over her mother she started listening to her father’s complete nonsense and she believes that it’s
reality. Would you have me let her go through life believing that blibbering humdingers are real, that
maybe that’s part of why her housemates are fucking terrible to her? If she chooses to believe in
them, knowing they aren’t real, then that’s fine, but she deserves to know fantasy from reality. Am I
spoiled? Yes, I am. I’ve always been given everything that I wanted and I rarely was punished.
However, I was rarely in trouble. I was a studious child, I always did my homework, I loved my
family and cared for my friends. I was never mean to people that treated me well. I care for my
servants as family and I don’t bully people. I wish that there were more people as spoiled as me. In
case you didn’t figure it out, I wasn’t talking about having everything I wanted. For the record, I
wouldn’t have been in a snit at lunch if your fuck toys would just leave me alone. If you think I need
a spanking, I’d like to see you find a man who could actually accomplish that. Over my dead body, I
believe is the term. If there’s nothing else, I’d really like to go now.” Tonks shook her head and gave
Hermione a quick hug, tugging her curl before nodding her towards the door. Harry sighed before he
spoke.

“There is something else. I figured out the egg. Well, Cedric did and told me.” Hermione stopped
mid-step and stopped to face him. Draco beat her to the punch.

“What was the key?” Harry raked a hand through his hair.

“You had to listen to it underwater. I got the prefect password to the bathroom from Fred and George
and listened to it in there. It’s a riddle and I think I’ve figured most of it out.” Remus looked excited
but Hermione looked stricken.

“When did Cedric tell you the clue?” Harry sighed.

“The day you got your dress from Aunt Cissy. I didn’t listen to it until the day after New Years
though.” He could see the hurt on her face and he hated it.

“Why would you keep this from us? I thought that you liked that your family was helping you, that
you weren’t doing this alone. I don't understand. We wanted to help you.” He took his glasses off
and rubbed a hand down his face, knowing that his next words were going to hurt her too.

“I did want your help, I still do. I just didn’t do anything the last time. You guys came up with the
idea and everything, you helped me get ready. I wanted to prove that I’m not just an idiot that can fly
a broom.” She turned angry now.

“Just what the fuck do you think I did for the first task? It was Draco’s idea for you to fly, Daddy’s
idea to get the simulator, Remus who ran you through it and came up with your game plan on how to
get the dragon away from her eggs and you’re the idiot who flew the broom. I did nothing but stand
in the bleachers and cry my eyes out when I thought you were fucking dead and then leave when
you had to be healed. It’s a riddle, probably the one thing I could have helped with the most and you
didn’t need my help. Well, I’m glad you figured it out. It seems I’m not needed here after all.” Harry
didn’t get a chance to speak before she picked up her bag and left, letting the door slam behind her.
Tonks let out a little laugh.

“She really is a little spoiled. Dad would have tanned my hide for letting the door slam like that.”
Draco got in on it and Harry was grateful.

“Sirius just would have said, ‘Now, poppet, no slamming the doors. It isn’t done in polite company.’
My father would have kissed her on the head and told her to slam it harder if it made her feel better
after smacking me in the back of the head for letting it fall shut behind me. Uncle Sev would have
raised an eyebrow at her and asked her if she was quite finished yet.” Harry couldn’t help but to
snicker at his friend’s words. They were all quite true and he didn’t know his family as well as he
would have liked. Remus was the one that brought them back on task.

“You really should have told us sooner, Harry. We would have let you work on it on your own if
that’s what you wanted but you’re the one who said that you wanted to do this as a family.” He
nodded, now unsure if he had made the right decision to keep this to himself for so long. Remus
continued.

“We aren’t going to make a huge deal of this since you are so used to doing things on your own but
the point of having a family is knowing that you have people to turn to, people to fall back on. This
being said, you get to deal with the lovely girl that just left our company.” Draco glared at Remus
and Tonks punched him in the shoulder hard enough for him to whimper. Harry glared as well and
Remus held his hands up when he realized what he had said.

“I didn’t mean it bad, merciful Merlin, you three are barmy.” After massaging his arm for a few
moments, he turned back to Harry.

“Tell us what it said and what you think it means.” Harry sighed and recited it.

“Come seek us where our voices sound,

We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you’re searching, ponder this:
We’ve taken what you’ll sorely miss,
An hour long you’ll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour – the prospect’s black
Too late, it’s gone, it won’t come back.” He paused for a moment before continuing.

“I think it was a mermaid singing. I did a little research and there are mermaids in the Black Lake. It
sounds as though they’re going to take something I’ll miss and I’ll have an hour to search for it and if
I don’t find it in the hour, it’ll be gone.” Remus looked contemplative and Draco was staring off into
space. Harry had learned early on that when he was thinking really hard this was what he did.
Finally, it was Remus that broke the silence.

“I would have to agree with you. Do you have any idea what it is they’ll try to take from you?”
Harry shook his head.

“Maybe my photo album of my parents from Hagrid? That’s really all I can think of that I can’t
replace. Hedwig? Dobby? I really don’t hold that many possessions that near and dear to my heart.”
Remus scrunched up his face when Draco spoke.

“How are you going to hold your breath underwater for an hour? I mean, you have a couple options
but there are downsides to both.” Harry looked to his friend and Draco sighed.

“This is where Hermione would have been best. She’s good at this sort of thing.” Harry sighed and
raked a hand through his hair.

“I know, I’m sorry. I didn’t think she would be so upset.” Remus and Tonks were staying out of the
conversation. Draco tried to explain as best he could.

“Hermione has been brought up to look after you, to help you since she was four years old when
Sirius finally told her the truth about everything. She was helping you your first three years at
Hogwarts, you just didn't know it. She’s considered you family even when you thought she was the
enemy. I’m not trying to make you feel guilty but I’m trying to tell you that she was so excited that
when things went to shite this last time and you couldn’t get out of competing that you wanted her to
help you, that you wanted your family to help. Then, when she finally could, you didn’t want her
help. Her feelings are hurt and she says that she’s not going to help but just give her a few hours to
get over being hurt and I’m sure she’ll jump at helping you. Trust me, she’ll explain your options
way better than I could.” Remus tipped his invisible hat to Draco.

“I’m going to let Hermione have this since I can only think of one option. We’ll hope she takes pity
of you and we’ll discuss it next class in a few days and go from there.” Harry nodded and sighed,
wishing Remus and Tonks well. Draco called Tonks Dory and she growled at him and he laughed at
her.

“I called you Dory while I was in nappies. It isn’t easy to break, you know. I notice you didn’t scold
Hermione for calling you that.” Tonks laughed at before ruffling his hair.

“Well, for one, girls have to stick together. For two, she’s bloody scary. I’m not going to scold her
for calling me something she’s called me since she was in nappies.” Draco swung at her and hit her
in the arm.

“You’re right, Potter, that wench is bloody spoiled.” Harry laughed and they left the pair together,
heading for the Great Hall. The blond nudged him with his elbow.

“Just tell her you’re sorry for not wanting to include her and that you didn't mean to hurt her. For the
other stuff, you’re the idiot that told her she needed put over someone’s knee. You’re on your own.”
Harry huffed.

“I wasn’t completely wrong though. She was going to hurt Luna’s feelings and that wouldn’t have
been right.” Draco nodded.

“No, it wouldn’t have. If you had just said that, though, she couldn’t have complained. You had to
wrap it up in telling her that she’s spoiled and needed her arse spanked and that she was a princess
who never wanted for anything. I’ll have you know that that’s a fucking lie. She doesn’t have many
true friends. It’s only been in the last year or so that she’s had a real female friend. She and Daphne
were never close because she was always best friends with Pansy. She only had me, the twins, and
Neville. When we were all busy with quidditch, she had nobody. You may not have had friends
your whole life but she hasn’t had true friends either. Everyone has always wanted her for her name,
her title, or her money.” Draco grinned at him.

“You ever tell her she needs her arse spanked again, I’m volunteering you for the job. She won’t be
kind just because you’re family.” Harry laughed.

“Yeah, I’m not really sure where my senses took leave to during that conversation.” Draco laughed
as they entered the Great Hall. They took their seats and even though Harry was sitting next to
Hermione, she wasn’t even acknowledging that he was there. He tried several times to speak with
her but she would just turn and glare at him, showing him that she was most certainly not ready to
speak to him yet. Luna and Juliet were both shooting them questioning looks, both clearly wondering
just what had happened between the pair of them in the three hours since they had parted. Draco was
smirking behind his hand at his lack of progress and Harry knew that he was going to have to make a
scene in order to get her to pay attention to him. Sure, she was still going to be angry with him but
she was going to have to listen to him.

Harry hated to do it, he could only hear the rumors that were going to fly for the next week. He
could only assume what Krum was going to think when he saw this, but since he didn’t actually give
a fuck about Krum and his philandering ways, he supposed that it didn’t matter. He waved his wand
around only himself and Hermione so she could no longer carry on the conversation between herself
and Luna. Her furious gaze fell on him and there were fire darts of fury shooting at him. He stood
and dropped to his knees in front of her, taking her hands in his, so she couldn’t escape and run off.
Her voice was low as she ordered him to get up.

“What are you doing? Get up, Harry, you’re making a scene.” He smiled at her.

“I know, it’s the only way to make you listen to me, to apologize to you.” She just continued to glare
at him, clearly unhappy with him. His thumbs were rubbing the tops of her knuckles and he could
feel the muscles of her thighs quivering underneath his hands.

“I’m sorry, Mia. I never meant to hurt you or your feelings. I just didn’t want you to think that I’m
stupid. I know that I’m not smart like you or even Draco. I thought that I could show you that I
wasn’t a complete idiot that could only fly a broom. I never meant to make you feel as though I
didn’t want your help at all. I love having you and everyone else in my corner, I just wanted to prove
to everyone that I'm more than just an athlete.” She sighed and squeezed his hands with hers.

“You’re a fucking idiot but I understand. When I was six I wanted to prove to Draco that I was more
than just a smart girl and that I could fly too even though I was scared of heights. I took his broom up
without asking and lost control of it. I crashed it and broke my leg in three places. He wouldn’t speak
to me for a week. I think that hurt more than my broken leg.” Harry smiled at her.

“Did you get in trouble, you spoiled little wench?” She smiled softly at her knees and nodded.
“Uncle Luci made me apologize every single day until he accepted it and made me save up my
book-buying allowance and buy him a new broom.” Harry had to admit that it was a pretty good
punishment for a six year old.

“What did your dad say?” She snorted but kept her eyes on their hands.

“I don't think he ever knew. He was out shagging everything that had legs and if I remember right it
was around Halloween. That meant that I pretty much spent the month with Uncle Luci and Aunt
Cissy because he was always so upset that he didn’t have you and that your parents were gone.”
Harry considered her words and filed them away to ask Uncle Lucius or Sirius about later. The way
is sounded, Sirius wasn’t there for large chunks of her life because of grief either. He sighed.

“I’m sorry for what I said about you being spoiled too. I shouldn’t have. I also shouldn’t have said
what I did about you needing your arse spanked.” She cracked a smile and finally met his eyes.

“I am spoiled, I agreed with you. I also told you that it’s never been a problem like you made it
sound. I never used it to my advantage. I never tried to get out of my punishments and I was never
cruel to people that didn’t have things like I did. I’m sure the Weasleys would have you believe
differently but I met Arthur several times when I was younger and I always found him quite likable. I
remember I went to spend the day with my father and Uncle Luci in their booths since Draco was
sick and I had gone to the loo. I had gotten lost since I was only eight and he found me. He showed
me how to play a muggle game called tic-tac-toe and we played a few games before Uncle Luci
came looking for me. He didn’t treat him well but I thanked him and he promised that we would play
again next time he saw me. I doubt he remembers but I never forgot him. I also told you that if you
think I need a spanking, good luck finding someone to accomplish it.” He grinned at her and
couldn’t figure out why her smile dropped.

“You were right. I was going to ruin Luna’s plans with Juliet and tell her that her creatures weren’t
real but not for the reasons you thought. Xeno was always fanciful, believing the most crazy stories.
Pandora was always able to keep his head out of the clouds but when she died, he pulled away from
the family completely and took Luna with him. I think he truly believes the stories about those
creatures and the insane stories his paper prints. If Luna chooses to believe them, fine. I’m still going
to love her but I think she needs to hear the truth too. We owe it to Pandora to tell her. She always
told us that Xeno meant well, that he loved them more than anything and that meant more than
having his eggs all in one basket. At the time I didn't understand what that meant but now, I do. At
lunch wasn’t the time, though, you were right. I should have known better and I’m sorry.” Harry
started to rub her knuckles again and made a suggestion.

“I know that you love Luna but not everything falls to you. You’re fifteen, Mia. Why don’t you
write Uncle Lucius and tell him what’s happening. Get his opinion and if he agrees, have him help
you talk to her. He’s an adult and he or Aunt Cissy will be better equipped to handle it than you. I’m
not trying to be mean, I just don’t want Luna mad at you if she thinks you’re just trying to tell her
that her dad is a liar. Besides, your uncle grew up with her mother. Surely that will mean something
to her.” Hermione broke out in a grin and hugged him close. He hugged her back and kissed the side
of her head.

“That’s a great idea, Harry. I thought you said you weren’t smart.” He could feel his cheeks color
slightly and smiled. There was one last thing he needed to ask her about.

“Tell me what you meant about my fuck toys.” She colored herself and he knew that it was because
of her crass language. She rarely slipped and used it but when she did and realized it later, she
always got embarrassed.

“Lisa Turpin tried to be my friend in Magical Theory. I even decided that I would try and she asked
if she could join our study group. I told her I would ask and make sure nobody had any problems.
She flipped out and told me that I was just keeping her away from you. She was screaming in the
corridor that you had lost your virginity to her and that you were going to be together and I wasn’t
going to keep you two apart. I had to throw her against a wall. She seriously lost the plot.” Harry
frowned at her words. Usually Lisa was laid back and never caused a fuss. He wondered if she had
been slipped something or hit with a spell. He let go of Hermione’s hands and patted her legs.

“I’m sorry. I’ll try to talk to her. She usually isn’t like that; it makes me wonder if she was slipped
something.” She looked unconvinced but he just let it drop.

“We still meeting for homework in the library?” She nodded and he waved his wand, releasing the
spell. The Great Hall was buzzing around them but neither one of them paid them no mind.

Harry was quick to finish eating since he now had to ask Hermione to help him figure out how to
stay underwater for an hour. Since the whole gang was in attendance tonight, Draco did a quick head
count on who was coming for homework. Honestly, since it was a Friday night, he doubted that
anybody would be taking them up on the offer. However, the twins were quick to join in as was
Daphne and Luna. Krum looked as though he wanted to confront Hermione but judging by the looks
that Draco was shooting him on the sly behind Hermione’s back, the Bulgarian was going to wait
until tomorrow when they could have some privacy.

Since the only homework that Harry had was Divination, he didn’t need to go back to the common
room to get any of his texts. He could definitely say that spending most of his free time with the
Slytherins was good for his schedule. Even though he was taking more difficult classes, he spent half
the time on homework that he did when he worked with Ron.

Ron was in the library, surprisingly. He was with Seamus and Dean, working on who knew what.
While they hadn’t spent any time together that week, they were no longer fighting. There were still
hurt feelings because of Ginny but it was clear that they were going to pass after enough time had
passed. Harry felt immensely guilty for wondering why he even bothered caring about resuming the
friendship at all. Neville had stepped in quite nicely and he didn't mind that Harry spent time with the
Slytherins, especially since he spent time with them too. Still, Ron was his first friend and Ginny was
his sister. Even if Hermione had been stupid, he wouldn’t have completely ditched her.

Once they were all seated at their usual table, Harry pulled out his things. He wasn’t going to say
anything to Hermione until later but Draco had no such compunction. He looked to the twins and
glared at them for a moment before speaking.

“I know those two will keep their mouths shut. If you’re going to stay and hear this conversation I
need your word that you’re going to keep it to yourselves.” Both Fred and George both nodded
eagerly. It was clear that they loved secrets. Draco turned to Hermione.

“Harry figured out the riddle in the egg and Remus agrees with him. However, he has no idea how
he’s going to stay underwater for an hour. Remus had only one option and I see only two. You want
to help him and outline them, give him the pros and cons?” Hermione sighed and closed her book.
Everyone leaned closer so they could hear better. Her words were clipped and now he wasn’t so sure
that he was off the hook.

“Explain.”

Harry told her about the mermaid song and how he thought that they were under the Black Lake,
how they would be taking something that he would sorely miss and he would have an hour to find it.
Fred and George were practically salivating when he had finished and Juliet and Luna just looked
worried. Fred leaned over and whispered theatrically to George.
“Bet he doesn’t know what they’re taking either.” Harry shook his head while Hermione was
thinking to herself.

“I have nothing that’s really that important to me. Photos of my parents but that’s about it. My broom
I could replace along with everything else.” Hermione sighed as she met his gaze.

“Taking your word for the riddle, you have three options that I can think of. Number one is the one
that I’m really not that fond of. The bubble head charm. It’s an air bubble that you cast around your
head and it allows you breathe. It’s flexible and will last for however long you leave it in place. The
downside to this charm is that the air doesn’t recycle. You’ll just keep breathing it over and over and
eventually it’ll make you sick so it isn’t good for long-term. It can also be popped. If you’re
underwater, that can be problematic trying to get it re-cast without water inside it. It can be done but
with a time constraint, I’m not sure it would be worth it.

Next, is gillyweed. Absolutely disgusting but fairly cheap. I could get Uncle Luci to pick us some up
for next to nothing. It will not only grow you gills so you can breathe underwater, it will grow you
webs between your fingers and toes as well which will make you swim faster. The down side to
gillyweed is that you have to measure it out and if you start to change back, you have to take more.
There’s no in between so if you take it, you’re stuck in the water until you revert back.

Third, self-transfiguration. I could find a spell specific to change you into a dolphin or a shark so you
can breathe underwater. Nobody would be able to perform it for you so we would have to practice it
a lot for me to be comfortable with you using this method but it is possible. Then there’s the problem
of you not having hands to take whatever it they’ve taken to the surface.” Harry raked a hand
through his hair for the umpteenth time that day and sighed. Honestly, none of them sounded all that
pleasant but he supposed that he was going to have a make a choice eventually.

“I’m leaning towards the gillyweed even though I don’t fancy freezing my bollocks off in the water
in February for longer than necessary.” Hermione chuckled softly to herself.

“Well, that’s part of the wonderfulness of gillyweed. It also regulates your body temperature since it
gives you gills. Your bollocks are safe until you need air.” Harry grinned at her, disbelieving that she
had just said bollocks. Instead of giving her hell about it though, he turned to Draco.

“You were right, she was way better at that then you would have been.” Draco shoved him
goodnaturedly in the shoulder while the others laughed.

The twins had no problems giving Hermione a hard time about her terminology and they teased her
relentlessly.

They passed several hours in the library, doing homework and talking and laughing quietly about
numerous things. Harry finished his Divination homework and Draco convinced him to work on his
warding homework from Madam Cambridge with him even though they were at different levels.
Even though it had been a Friday night, there had been arguments with Hermione, he hadn’t gotten
laid at all, when he fell into bed that night, it had been one of the better days he had remembered in a
while.

A/N- Boom, bitches! Another one down, although this one struggled to be written. Thanks again to
everyone out there reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. You guys keep me writing. This
chapter is a bonus chapter, by the way, since I’ve been sick and can’t freaking sleep. My body hates
me and you guys get a chapter, isn’t that great? Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it, let me know what
you think. I do love to hear your thoughts.

Next chapter, Hogsmeade weekend.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 76

A/N- I’m back, guys. Sorry this chapter has taken longer to get to you than usual. I got caught up in
Kiera Marcos’ newest story Darkly Loyal. If you haven’t read it, I suggest you do. It’s freaking
fabulous. Not going to lie, I went on a reading binge and just recently got back on track. Forgive me?
Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter. Just remember, Hermione’s judgement in the chapter doesn’t
last long...

Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story. The story idea belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-
Riddle and the characters belong to J.K.R. I haven’t made a dime off this story or any other. My
bank account tells no lies, trust me. Plus my kids are freaking expensive as hell and Christmas just
passed us up.

Chapter 76
February 1, 1995

Hermione smiled at Juliet as she was trying to cheer herself up out loud, telling herself that she was
going to get all her homework done so she could play in a gobstones tournament with her friends that
afternoon. She felt just a little bad for her sister; she imagined that it was hard to be left behind when
the other students got to go to Hogsmeade when you had never gone before. She would have to
make sure that their father took them this summer so she wouldn’t feel so left out next year.
Hermione leaned over and gave Juliet a side hug.

“Don’t worry, Jules. We’ll make Daddy take us over the summer so you won’t feel like you’re
missing anything next year.” Juliet grinned at her and nodded excitedly.

“It’s going to be so much fun. Do you think he’d let me bring Sandy and Alice?” Hermione smiled at
her conspiratorially.

“We might have to enlist your mother or Aunt Cissy. Daddy has only had me to practice on when it
comes to girls. You don’t want to overload him with too many too soon. We don’t want him to run
away screaming.” Juliet started laughing and Luna laughed softly.

Hermione had taken Harry’s advice and sent her Uncle Luci a letter about Luna and her imaginary
animals. He had agreed that they needed to do as her mother would have wanted and tell her the
truth; what she did with it was her choice. He decided that they were going to leave it until summer
when they could do it together. She knew that he was going to hate asking Xeno if they could see
Luna regularly since they were no longer following the Dark Lord but he was willing to do it for
Luna’s sake. Hermione knew that her uncle’s pride was unmatched but he would literally do
anything for his family.

Draco was going to be accompanying Celeste to Hogsmeade, a fellow fourth year Beauxbatons’
student that he had been seeing for just under a month. She was unsure if he was sleeping with these
girls that he was seeing, she hadn’t actually asked him that personal of a question, but she knew that
he was well-equipped to be safe if he was. Not only had he learned the contraceptive charm, Uncle
Luci had told her that he had made him start taking the potion every month like Harry did after he
heard what Ginny had tried to do to him. Hermione also suspected that her father had instructed
Neville to start taking it as well since he had taken it upon himself to instruct her friend in things that
his grandmother just couldn’t.

Neville was going to Hogsmeade with Harry, she thought. Neither were going with dates since
Daphne was going with Millie and Tracey to shop and Hermione had told Viktor that she would
allow him to escort her as his date, the first ever without a chaperone that wasn’t to a school event.
While she had no plans to do anything wrong or risque, it was still a bit of a thrill to be doing
something that some might find to be inappropriate.

Draco and Harry didn’t seem to mind, however. If they did, neither had said anything. Not that she
really expected them to though; both had learned the hard way that she could take care of herself and
had no plans to play victim to a man, no matter how handsome he was. Not that she wasn’t above
letting him steal a few kisses; that much she had discovered she liked. Nothing too deep or heavy but
there had been a couple snogs that had set her heart to racing. None of her friends had heard about
them and nobody had seen them since she had made sure that they were done in privacy but they had
been very nice.

Hermione finished her scrambled eggs and toast while Draco talked to Blaise about who knew what.
She suspected that they were making plans to meet up in the quidditch store and she had a feeling
that they would be meeting up there. There was no way that they would be going to Hogsmeade and
not stopping by the quidditch store. She dreaded it in truth; she was going to be there with an
international quidditch star and she wasn’t all that fond of quidditch. It would be forever before they
could get out of there.

Just as she pushed her plate away, Draco leaned over and kissed the side of her head. He surveyed
her closely, making sure that they passed muster for a date. She rolled her eyes and let him do so.
Since it was the weekend, they weren’t required to wear their school robes. Hermione had chosen
robes in a bright pink; it wasn’t usually her first choice in color but Daphne had convinced her that it
looked amazing against the stark color of her curls. Her curls were clipped back and she wore only
her family ring on her hand and the Malfoy family necklace. Her cousin smiled at her and nodded
approvingly. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do I pass inspection?” He smirked at her and nodded.

“You always do, Miney. This is just the first time that it’s been for a date.” She gave him a little
smile.

“You don’t usually choose pink for yourself.” She nodded as Harry tuned into their conversation.

“Daphne talked me into it. I think it washes me out and she thinks it makes me look magical.” Draco
laughed but said nothing, quite wisely if Hermione did say so. She leaned her head on his shoulder
as he finished his breakfast.

“Where are you taking Celeste?” Her cousin grimaced and glared at her.

“She’s convinced me to take her to Madam Puddifoot’s. I can’t believe I agreed.” She started
laughing and kissed his cheek when he started to turn away.

“Don’t act like that. She’ll love it and I’m sure she’ll think you’re very romantic.” She didn’t push
anymore since it was clear that he wasn’t comfortable with it. Harry, however, was grinning at him
over her shoulder and when she turned to see it, she elbowed him in the side. He lost his breath
dramatically and she just raised an eyebrow at his display.

“What are your plans? No date?” He took a piece of bacon off the plate in the center of the table and
shook his head.

“Nah, no date. I think Nev and I are just going to hit the quidditch store for a bit and then he wants to
get the new Herbology book or something. Then we’re going to come back. I have enough
homework from Madam Cambridge to work on that I don’t need to worry about anything else.” She
smiled and leaned a head on his shoulder now.

“I think that’s nice. I know that it’s been hard for you since Ronald hasn’t been the most friendly. I’m
glad that you’ve had Neville to fall back on. I know that Draco and I aren’t always the best for
Gryffindors; I guess we’re too Slytherin at heart.” He put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed
briefly before releasing her.

“You two are great, don’t sell yourselves short. Besides, Ron and I are better. We studied together
last night and played some chess. It just took him a bit to get over the fact that Ginny was wrong. I
don’t blame him for not ditching her. I wouldn’t ditch you if you had made a mistake.” Hermione felt
her heart warm at his words and she couldn’t help but lean over and kiss his cheek. His cheeks
colored slightly and she grinned at him.

“Thanks, Harry.” She didn’t get to see his embarrassment because a shadow fell over them and she
was excited to see that Viktor was standing there looking quite handsome in his fur-lined robes. He
bowed before Hermione, taking her hands and brushing her knuckles with his lips. She went to her
feet and curtsied, swearing that she could feel not only Viktor’s eyes but every other males’ in the
room as her robes showcased her curves.

Aunt Cissy had told her when she had first started developing her breasts that boys would always
stare and they wouldn’t always be the most respectful about it. It hadn’t really bothered her until this
past year or maybe she just hadn’t noticed the staring enough for it to bother her. It had also been
made worse by the fact that her aunt had informed her that she was built much like her mother had
been; tiny, petite, and quite curvy. When she wore robes without the school robes over the top of
them, all her assets were there for the world to see. Viktor offered her his arm and she took it, smiling
at him.

“You ready for village?” She nodded, waving to her friends before letting Viktor pull her away from
them.

They fell into step with other boys from Durmstrang and they were all talking loudly in Bulgarian.
They kept clapping Viktor on the shoulder and laughing but he would deflect them with a smile.
This continued until they reached the carriages, where he helped her into a carriage with two other
boys that appeared to be a year or two younger than Viktor. They were both quiet but polite, not
really saying much as the carriages started to move.

“What were those boys saying? I hate that I never learned Bulgarian now, or German at least. Maybe
I’ll tell Daddy I should pick it up after all.” He smiled at her and patted her hand.

“Dey should not speak in Bulgarian around vitch who does not speak. Not polite. I tell dem next
time. You speak other tongues?” Hermione realized that he had deflected her question but decided
that it wasn't important enough to ruin their day over so she let him.

“I speak French, Italian, and Spanish fluently. German was originally on the list to learn but when
we started brewing potions at six, it got pushed to the bottom of the list. What languages do you
speak?” Viktor threaded her fingers through his.

“Mother taught English and French. Father taught Russian.” Hermione liked that he was smart; if he
would just talk about himself more, they would have more in common.

“You’re very smart. I like that.” He preened at her words and the boys sitting opposite them
chuckled under their breath. She flushed instantly, forgetting momentarily that they had an audience.
She pulled her hand from his and looked out the window, cursing herself for showing weakness like
that in front of people she had never met before. It just wasn’t done for people brought up like
herself. Viktor was silent but judging by the downcast looks the boys were now sporting, he would
be exchanging words with them later. Viktor took her hand again.

“I like dat you smart as vell as beautiful.” She turned his way and smiled at him, happy that he had
made the same mistake as she had if only to make her feel better. She scooted a little closer and was
excited that he might tell her more about himself.

“Tell me about your family. You’ve only told me that you have a brother and a sister.” He looked
mildly irritated for a moment but it was gone instantly. He picked up one of her curls and fingered it,
feeling it’s silky length while he answered.

“I haff brother, Aleksandur. He is thirteen. My sister is Anastasiya and she is sefen. She is very
beautiful like you.” Hermione smiled at the first piece of information she had learned from him that
she couldn’t have read in a quidditch magazine. One of the boys looked at her strangely.

“Don’t you know dis already? His life in quidditch books. Family, school, girlfriends, games. You
do not read?” Hermione had never considered that there would be things in there that she should
probably know if she was going to get serious about him. However, it wouldn’t do for her to go into
a relationship of sorts thinking that he would hide his past from her. Therefore, she turned to Viktor.

“Is this why you don’t want to tell me about yourself?” Viktor shrugged, now glaring at the boy
across from them.

“Da whole world know. Vhy you ask vhat you already know?” Hermione frowned and she pulled
her hand back, considering his words. Did he really think that she had gone out and read everything
about him just because he had shown her interest? Was his ego really that big? She turned to glare at
him and the two boys across from them shrunk back in their seats. Apparently, stories about her
anger had reached their ears as well.

“Why in the world do you think I would go out and read quidditch rags just because you came to
Hogwarts? I can’t hardly stand the sport, I had to be persuaded by my whole family to go see the
World Cup that you go on about. I liked you because you seemed like a wonderful person, not
because you’re famous or a good seeker. The fact that you lump me in with the rest of your groupies
is insulting, especially since you’ve been escorting me all over the castle for months now and giving
everyone the impression that you wanted something serious. If you can’t bring yourself to even put
forth the effort to tell me about yourself, I’m sorry to say that this isn’t going to work.” The carriage
came to a halt and Hermione stood. Viktor grabbed her arm and she glared at him.

“I can see myself off the carriage just fine. Believe it or not, my father raised me to be quite the
capable witch.” He shook his head regretfully and looked to the two boys.

“Get out.” The two boys looked happy to get out of the carriage, probably thinking that they were
escaping lightly. He released her as soon as they were alone and he held up his hands to show that he
wasn’t going to stop her from leaving.

“I sorry, I not mean to offend. I never tink you like other girls. Dey mean nothing.” She crossed her
arms even though her aunt would be having kittens at the sight of it.

“You’ve never escorted other girls everywhere and treated them like pureblood princesses, acting
like you were courting them? I find that hard to believe. You’re a quidditch star and I hardly believe
you’ve been celibate. Don’t play me for stupid, Viktor, because I’m not. I’m also not very forgiving
if I’m crossed.” He raked a hand through his hair, a sign that he was quite upset. His accent seemed
to get thicker as he spoke.
“I am not celibate. I haff had many women. I haff not wanted to court any of dem. My father
approves of you because of blood and title but I like you. You fiesty and smart. I tought you knew all
about me, everyone does. Your friends and family all love sport, why you not know? I tought you
angry because of other women.” Hermione sighed and turned away, not sure how she was supposed
to feel about this. Truthfully, though, he was almost nineteen years old and famous. It really wasn’t a
surprise.

“Have you been with other women since being here?” She turned so she could see the look on his
face to make sure that he wasn’t lying to her. There was a slight tinge of color to his cheeks as he
finally nodded.

“Yes, several. None since Christmas. Dat’s vhen I told father dat I wanted contract.” Hermione
wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say to this.

“You gave me my first kiss knowing that you were shagging other girls. You met my father knowing
the same. How am I supposed to feel about that?” Viktor sighed.

“I have no excuse. Father tell me if serious I haff to stop seeing girls. I haff.” Hermione sighed as she
spoke.

“My father will never sign a contract. He doesn’t believe in them, neither does my uncle. You want a
contract, you have to convince me. Let’s just say that right now, I’m far from convinced. I don’t
begrudge you your past but those girls were while you were escorting me all over the castle, making
me look like a fucking fool.” In truth, she was holding tears back ruthlessly, determined to not show
him an ounce of weakness. She wondered if he would really give up the girls, make an effort to put
her first. She truly liked him. If he had contacted his father, he must be serious to a point.

Hermione decided in that moment that she would see how serious he really was. If could treat her
with respect and not see other women, she would consider moving their relationship to a more
serious standing. However, that was a long way off for she didn’t trust easily.

“I never mean to make you look fool. I never haff serious girl, I not know vhat to do.” She sighed,
unsure if she should accept that excuse. On one hand it was an excuse but on the other hand, Viktor
probably didn’t know how to treat a girlfriend if he had never had one.

“Let’s just go out there. We’re probably drawing attention sitting in this carriage. Not the good
attention either.” He nodded and opened the door to the carriage. The streets of Hogsmeade were
flooded with students and Viktor stepped out first so he could take her hand and help her out. She
really wanted to be a petulant child and refuse it but her aunt had bestowed good manners on her
over the course of years. She wasn’t about the disappoint her now, especially in such a public setting.
Viktor offered her his arm and smiled down at her, though she noticed that it was a little strained.

“Vhere to first? Your village, you guide.” Hermione sighed. She would feel obligated to take him to
the quidditch store because it wasn’t in her make up to make him miserable on purpose. Therefore,
she felt better when she latched onto the first place that most students chose.

“Let’s go to Honeydukes.” He nodded his agreement and she gestured with her head the direction
that they needed to go. She had been under the impression that they had gone shopping in the little
village for the Ball as well but apparently that hadn’t been the case. Viktor had told her night before
that they had all been instructed to bring their dress robes to Hogwarts with them.

Many students waved to them, some even coming over to say hello and tell Viktor they hoped that
he had a good time in Hogsmeade. Most were kind to her as well, the French girls especially were
nice. They didn’t seem to mind who she was and what her name was, though why she wasn’t sure.
Draco reported most of the girls he had met to be a little snobby so it was a pleasant surprise. Of
course, that could just be that it was Draco and he could be more than a little arrogant at times.

Viktor held the door for her while the entered Honeydukes and the familiar smell of confectionary
chocolate hit them in the faces. Hermione had always liked chocolate but had never been as big a fan
as Draco. Ice cream had always been her weakness and Dot had always spoiled her ceaselessly with
it when she was a child. However, she had promised Juliet that she would get her an array of sweets
since she had never had wizarding sweets before. Hermione gave Viktor a smile and gestured for
him to look.

“I promised my little sister that I would get her sweets. She’s never been here before and never tried
wizarding candy before. Feel free to look around. Maybe we have different candy than you do in
Bulgaria.” He looked as though he wanted to say something but he didn’t in the end.

Hermione went on her way and got Juliet an array of different candy but made sure not to get too
much. There were several cauldron cakes, some chocolate frogs, choco balls, sugar quills, and the
newest candy on display, one that she had never heard of before. She made sure to pick up an extra
box for Draco just in case he didn’t make it to Honeydukes since he was entertaining his date; he
always enjoyed trying the new candies when they came out.

When she was finished with her selections, she looked around to see if Viktor was ready. She caught
sight of him in a corner, locked in an argument with a seventh year witch from Ravenclaw.
Hermione couldn’t remember her name but that didn’t matter at the moment. Viktor didn’t look
happy and it was clear that he was trying to get away from her but she wasn’t feeling especially
helpful. Therefore, she walked up to the checkout and put her things on the counter in front of
Ambrosius Flume. He smiled at her while his wife bagged up her things, making quiet conversation
about seeing her father the week before. Hermione smiled. He was probably buying candy for
Helena since he was still trying to woo her.

By the time she had paid for her purchases, she turned to see that Viktor was finally getting handsy
with the girl, hands on her shoulders and moving her out of his way so he could leave. Hermione
waved her wand and shrunk her bag, tucking it in her robe pocket before heading out the door. She
had only made it a handful of steps out the door before Viktor caught up with her, hands empty and
cheeks flushed. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“You looked busy.” He clearly felt terrible.

“I sorry, she not leaf me alone.” Hermione needed to ask but was scared of the answer.

“How did I not see this at school?” He looked quite sheepish.

“Dey are frightened of you. Dey not come near when I vith you. Here, dey not tink you cause
scene.” Hermione snorted softly.

“They’re right. My aunt taught me better. I’ll just make sure to ruin them socially so you might warn
your friends. Tell them to ask Pansy Parkinson. She still hasn’t gotten a single party invitation since
she crossed me.” He cracked a smile.

“Not friends. Way to pass time.” That really didn’t make her feel much better but she didn’t
comment. He offered her his arm again and asked her with a smile.

“Vhere to next?” Hermione chewed her lip thoughtfully. She really wanted to go to Flourish and
Blotts but she knew that he wanted to go to the quidditch store. He hadn’t come out and said it but it
was no secret. Maybe they could split ways since they would both be miserable at each other’s stop
of choice.

“Well, I want to visit Flourish and Blotts. I imagine that the quidditch shop is on your list of places to
visit. Perhaps we can split ways for those two stores. You don’t enjoy reading and I don’t enjoy
quidditch so it would make sense.” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“You don’t enjoy quidditch at all?” She shrugged her shoulders.

“I like watching Harry and Draco play but it scares the life out of me. I’d rather they didn’t. I would
never tell them to do something that didn’t make them happy though.” He sighed.

“You come vith me and safe me from girls. I be quick. I go vith you and not complain.” She
scrunched up her nose. Not even Draco would give her this deal.

“You’re aware that I spend hours at the bookstore.” He smiled at her.

“I even pay for books. Let me make up for girl ruining chocolate store.” Hermione narrowed her
eyes at him.

“You can’t buy me off. I can pay for my own bloody books.” He held up his hands and smiled at
her. She had to admit that he was quite handsome when he did that.

“You pay and I still come no complaints.” She considered his words and decided that if he was
willing to sit in the bookstore for who knew how long rather than the quidditch store he must feel
bad. Therefore, she finally nodded and he offered her his arm and pulled her in the direction of the
quidditch store. It was quite hilarious that he knew where that was but nothing else.

The quidditch store was packed full of students from all three schools, despite the fact that there was
no quidditch that year at Hogwarts. There wasn’t enough room for Hermione to stay alongside
Viktor so he threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her behind him, looking back every few
seconds to make sure that she was alright. When she finally came to a stop, they were in front of a
broom case with a new prototype that a crowd was gathered around. He laid a soft hand around her
waist and pulled her close enough that he could speak in her ear and not be heard.

“Dat’s my new broom. Not dat one, but first one for sale. I get next month to start practicing for next
season. You not like quidditch or not like flying?” Hermione looked at the broom in the case. The
Firebolt International. It sounded awfully fancy and she wondered how long it would be before
Draco convinced Uncle Luci to get him one.

“I don't like either. I’ve never been good at flying so they just went hand in hand. I stole Draco’s
broom once when I was six and crashed it. He was so angry with me.” Viktor chuckled in her ear
and it sent shivers down her spine.

“He vas mad at cute little girl?” She smiled despite herself.

“Cousins aren’t that cute even if they are girls. He was more angry about his broken broom.”

“He forgave you. Maybe you let me teach you.” Hermione shook her head and stepped away,
breaking the spell. Heights were a strong no for her, they always had been.

“I’ve already learned how to fly, thank you. I know how, I just don’t like it.” He smirked at her and
nodded, backing away. He moved to speak with the proprietor and she was left to stare at the broom
on her own. She was lost in her thoughts when someone goosed her in the side, causing her to yell
out. She turned to see that Harry had approached from behind to scare her and was chuckling at her.
When he saw her face, he pulled her into a hug. She could still feel his chest moving with laughter.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist. You were staring at that broom so intently. Have you changed your mind
about flying?” She shook her head quite insistently from side to side against his chest and he pulled
away, still smiling. He brushed her hair back and grinned.

“Having fun? I see Krum’s over there talking to Sanders. I’m betting he’s in line for one of these.”
She nodded.

“He said he gets the first one. I think he’s checking on his order. Then we’re going to the bookstore.”
Harry gave her a soft smile.

“Don’t make him suffer longer than an hour there, Mia. It’s a date. Let him take you to lunch.” She
looked down and she knew that she couldn’t hide everything fast enough. She had always been
rubbish at hiding things instantly like Draco could. Harry put his fingers under her chin and made her
look at him.

“What’s wrong, Mia?” She shook her head and smiled at him.

“Nothing. Everything is fine. It’s just been crazy here. I promise, nothing bad has happened.” He
looked at her as though he didn’t quite believe her but finally nodded. She could see that his mouth
seemed a little tight but she wasn’t sure why. He finally smiled.

“I’m going to go. Nev is meeting me with Ron at Three Broomsticks and we’re going to eat there.
I’ll see you back for dinner. Be safe.” She nodded and smiled at him, appreciative of his genuine
concern. It was quite nice to know that he cared for her.

“You too.” Harry was gone just as Viktor returned and he cast a suspicious look after Harry.

“Vhat did Potter vant?” Hermione narrowed her eyes at his tone. He caught sight of her gaze and
tried to sound nonchalant. She was still irritated when she answered.

“He saw me here and just said hello. Told us to be safe and that he was meeting his friends at the
Three Broomsticks.” Viktor snorted.

“You mean friend of female persuasion?” Hermione crossed her arms, uncaring that her aunt
wouldn’t approve.

“What does it matter if he is? You’re no better. However, do you really think he would be telling me
his plans if his ‘friends’ were female?” Viktor stepped back, a sheepish look on his face.

“I sorry. I need to control mouth.” Hermione nodded.

“You do. Harry is my family and I won’t stand for you speaking badly of him.” He offered her his
arm and smiled.

“Let’s go to bookstore.” Hermione gave a real grin and began to pull him out of the quidditch store.
He was chuckling softly as she dodged through the people on the streets. He finally pulled on her to
slow her down. She flashed him a dirty look but he didn’t let it phase him.

“Book store not leave. Still dere.” She grumbled to herself but traveled at a much more sedate pace.
She remembered a time not so long ago that she had faced down a pack of dementors in the street
just outside of Flourish and Blotts and had finally felt the full effects of a dementor. It hadn’t been a
very pleasant experience. She dropped his arm as soon as they were inside, the warm atmosphere
instantly making her forget her worries of the day. Barney Blott saw her and came around the corner
to hug her tight. When he released her, he smiled broadly at her.
“Miss Black, it’s always wonderful to see you. Even though you’re only here a few times during the
school year you’re still my best customer.” She blushed at his words but nodded.

“Don’t ever tell Mr. Flourish but this is my favorite store.” He smoothed a hand down her hair and
waved her towards the shelf that contained his new releases.

“I recognize your gentlemen friend. I have some interesting books on quidditch he may not have read
before.” Hermione smiled at the older man and nodded. He went to lead Viktor to where he thought
he needed to go.

Hermione lost herself in the sea of titles before her, selecting which ones that she thought sounded
interesting and putting back the ones that didn’t. After going through the new releases, she browsed
the books on wards since she hadn’t gotten any new ones recently and made sure to get a few on
defense tactics that might help Harry that year with the tournament. Her belly growled, finally
causing her to look up and notice the time. It was already past time for lunch, more like mid-
afternoon. Viktor had already purchased his books and he was seated in one of the armchairs by the
fire, reading quietly. She smiled, despite herself.

Hermione looked at her pile of books to get and saw that there were sixteen of them. She was a little
embarrassed when she saw that Viktor was watching her and she supposed that she should put some
of them away. It would be so hard to choose though. She bit her lip in frustration only to realize that
Viktor had rose and come to her side, probably realizing just what she was trying to do. He laid a
hand on her back, between her shoulder blades, and smiled down at her.

“Get dem all. Don’t try to impress me. I impress you.” She smiled to herself and started to load all
her books up. He shooed her away and started to levitate them towards the counter. She stepped
forward to pay for them but Viktor shooed her away and she glared. He laughed at her and even Mr.
Blott chuckled.

“Dat glare von’t vork here. It vork vhen ve leave.” He paid for all her book and shrunk them down
so he could help her slip them into her robe pocket. Once they were there, Mr. Blott smiled at her.

“I’ll see you next time, Miss Black. Enjoy class.” Hermione smiled back.

“Goodbye, Mr. Blott. Thank you.” The pair struck out into the cold air again and Viktor was smiling
at her.

“It time to eat. I find place.” Hermione was agreeable enough to that and let him pull her through the
streets of Hogsmeade. It wasn’t the largest of villages but there were a few establishments to eat at.
Hermione had been to all of them at some point in her life. However, it was with mounting horror
that she realized that Viktor was leading her to Madam Puddifoots. Hermione dug her heels in and
glared at the Bulgarian when he turned to see what was wrong.

“Anywhere but there, please. I’d rather eat at the Hog’s Head.” She really wasn’t a huge fan of the
Hog’s Head but they did have a decent beef stew. Viktor seemed confused so she felt she better
explain.

“It’s almost Valentine’s Day which means that it will be nothing but pink, lace, cherubs, and confetti
in there.” This didn’t help alleviate his confusion.

“Don’t vitches like dat?” Hermione stared at him for a moment before just dragging him off in the
direction of the Hogs Head.

“Not this witch. I would usually choose Three Broomsticks but all the boys are going to be in there
because they’re going to be avoiding Madam Puddifoots. Besides, for as unclean as the Hog’s Head
is, it has pretty good beef stew.” Hermione knew that he still didn’t understand but it was high time
that he learned lesson number one in dealing with Hermione Black.

If she said that she didn’t want pink, confetti, cherubs, and lace, she was going to get her way
regardless of how he felt about it.

-O-

Harry laughed as he sat down next to Neville, Ron, and Parvati in the Three Broomsticks. He was
keeping an eye out the window since he knew that Hermione would be headed here eventually but
he had yet to see her. It had killed him to wish her well on her date but he knew that he needed to get
past her being with someone else. It wasn’t her fault that he would never measure up.

Just outside the window, he caught sight of Hermione walking with Viktor and he seemed to be
pulling her towards Madam Puddifoots. Harry burst out in laughter, unable to help himself. Neville
looked at him oddly and Harry was quick to explain.

“Look out the window. Viktor Krum is trying to take Hermione to Madam Puddifoots. Look at that
horrified look on her face.” Parvati looked horrified herself.

“Why would she not want to go there with the Bulgarian Bon-Bon?” Ron rolled his eyes at her.

“I know that you girls like that place but it’s truly death to all things male. It’s clear that Black is
doing her best to suck up to Krum so he’ll like her more.” Harry cocked his head to the side and
considered Ron’s words. She didn’t seem like the kind of girl to want to go to a place like
Puddifoot’s. The look she had given him in the quidditch shop had him a little worried as well. It was
as though she was upset but didn’t want anyone else to know that she was upset. Harry hated it
when she was upset, he always had.

The Gryffindor watched as she tugged on Viktor’s arm and pulled him in the direction of the Hog’s
Head. He could hear Ron and Neville bickering over Hermione and just why she would be taking
Viktor there when a familiar head of black curls caught his eye. Harry turned to his friends and threw
some galleons on the table.

“Hey, I think I saw Sirius out there. I’m going to go catch him and see if he was looking for me,
Draco, or Hermione. It’s odd that he would be here on a Hogsmeade weekend and not say
anything.” They all told him it was fine and that they’d see him back at the castle. Harry hurried back
outside into the cold to catch up to his godfather. Just when he thought that he had lost him, he
caught a glimpse of him following far behind Hermione and Viktor. Suddenly it all made sense. He
was making sure that Hermione’s first date went well for her. He went up behind Sirius and goosed
him much the same way he had Hermione. He was rewarded with a yell and Sirius turned to glare at
him.

“You scared the life out of me, pup.” Harry grinned at him impishly.

“Spying on your baby girl on her first date?” Sirius continued to glare but eventually answered.

“Yes, and I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell her. She’d hex me blue and then not speak to me for a
bloody month. I’m not listening in, I’m just making sure that he’s being respectful. He’s older than
her and quite a bit more experienced.” Harry nodded, feeling a bit guilty of it himself. He had been
watching for her in the window after all. They watched them go into the Hog’s Head and Sirius
pulled him towards a little cafe across the road with a view of the road.
“Let’s go get something to drink, kid.” Harry shoved his hands into the pockets of his robe and
followed his godfather. They went into a small cafe called ‘Carolina’s’ and ordered tea and scones.
Sirius gave him a pointed look.

“How did you see me?” Harry laughed.

“I looked out the window and saw you. You weren’t exactly being stealthy.” Sirius muttered
something under his breath about channelling Severus and Harry decided to take the opportunity
while it presented itself.

“Did Hermione tell you that she and I got into an argument and I told her she was spoiled?” His
godfather drew his eyebrows together and shook his head.

“No, she never said anything. Should she have?” There was a slight edge to his godfather’s voice but
Harry shook his head.

“No, we had an argument and we were both sorry by the end. I tried to apologize for what I said but
she told me that I was right. She told me that she was spoiled but she never shirked her punishments.
She told me a story about stealing Draco’s broom and breaking her leg. She told me that Drake
wouldn’t talk to her for a week and Uncle Lucius made her apologize every day until he accepted it
and then made her use her book money to buy him a new broom. Did you know that story?” He
could see that his godfather had truly never heard the story and was wondering where the story was
going. Harry knew that it wasn’t his place to say anything and he really shouldn’t but that story had
touched him in a way that not many things had. Therefore, he tried to make it as painless as possible
for Sirius.

“I don’t want you to think that I’m criticizing you as a parent. I think Hermione is a wonderful
person. I wish that you could have raised me. Hermione is the first person to go out her way to do
nice things for me even when I was so completely terrible to her that I deserved for her to hate me so
I realized after that story that just being in her life has hurt her.” He saw that Sirius was going to
interrupt and he didn’t think that he could bear it if he didn’t get to finish so he hurried on.

“She told me that you were off shagging girls left and right then, she was only six, and that when it
came time around Halloween, you would leave her with Uncle Lucius for up to a month because
you were so sad you didn’t have me and that my parents were dead. She suffered that broken leg and
you didn’t even know. Siri, you can’t do that to her anymore. She deserves to be your first choice. I
had parents and they did their best for me. I still have you but you made the choice to be that parent
for her. You have to do what’s best for her. You ignored her for months because of me and my
parents and I can’t bear it. Even now she feels as though I’ll always come first and she still loves me
and has taken me into her family and protects me with everything she is. She deserves better from me
and from you. I know you promised her but promise me that you won't make me and my parents first
anymore. They wouldn’t want that and neither do I.” He could see that his words had affected his
godfather deeply and that he was struggling to hold back tears. Harry reached out grasped his
forearm.

“She still loves you. You’re her world.” His godfather got himself under control and nodded. He
took a drink of his tea and nodded before speaking.

“That was a long time ago, Harry. It hasn’t been that bad in years. I know I’ve made mistakes when
it comes to Hermione but I did the best I could at the time. Just when I get things straightened out
between us, Juliet shows up and I'm scared I’m going to lose her forever to Lucius.” Harry laughed
softly and he saw his godfather’s eyes flash. He was quick to speak.

“That will never happen as long as you love her. Yes, Draco is her person but you’re her dad. She
loves you. She was so hurt over the summer because she thought that you were choosing me over
her. Once she realized that you weren’t, she came back. I know that Juliet showing up wasn’t ideal
but she’s here now and you can’t change it. You need to make sure you love her too but don’t forget
Hermione just because she’s older and she should know better.” Sirius nodded and brushed his hair
back, a nervous tic that Harry noticed he had when he was uncomfortable.

“What brought all this on? It’s just because of a story of Hermione breaking her leg?” Harry nodded
but shook his head right after.

“It started out that way but I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. I’ve been truly terrible to her
and just when we start to get better I fuck up again. It just seems that I’m never going to get it right
and this is one thing that I can help get right for her. After all she’s done and given up for me, I want
something to be right for her.” Sirius looked him in the eye, a strange look truth be told, but finally
nodded.

“Thank you, Harry. I know that you weren’t trying to overstep and while I was mildly offended at
first, I’m not now. I’m glad you care for her enough to put our relationship in jeopardy for that.”
Harry nodded and finished off his tea.

“I really should get back to the castle. I promised Juliet that I would meet her before dinner since she
couldn’t come today. Pretty sure Hermione has promised her that you’ll take her and her friends this
summer.” Sirius groaned and Harry grinned as he clapped him on the shoulder.

“See you later. I never saw you if you never saw me.” Sirius laughed.

“I’ll make a true marauder out of you yet, Harry. Deal.”

Harry whistled to himself as he left Carolina’s and headed for the carriages that led to the castle.
Even though Hermione had gone on what appeared to be a successful date with Viktor Krum, the
most famous seeker in their world, he had a bloody good day.

-O-

Hermione laid in bed and considered how her day had ended. She had ended up studying in the
library with her friends, Harry, and Draco after dinner, everyone trying to wind down from their day
spent in Hogsmeade. Viktor had wisely left her after their date and hadn’t tried to spend any further
time with her, probably showing that he had a modicum of good sense. She needed to process
everything and that would never happen if he was there hovering over her.

Draco had instantly known that there was something wrong of course. She hadn’t planned to tell
him; in fact, she had planned to consider it on her own and come to a decision regarding her what
she was going to do before telling him but she should have know that he would never be satisfied
with that, much the same way she would never have been satisfied had it been the other way around.

He had pulled her into their own little corner of the common room and silenced it from everyone, not
something that was highly irregular. He had hounded her until she had finally given in and told him
everything that she had learned. Draco hadn’t taken it well at first; he was of the opinion that
Hermione deserves the best and that meant nobody that was fooling around at Hogwarts. However,
when she considered it, she thought that maybe he had been holding out hope for Harry. He had
made the comment to her once that they would be good together but she had snapped at him that he
just didn't feel for her like that.

Eventually, he had calmed down and admitted that even Krum had behaved somewhat admirably in
admitting his dalliances and the fact that he had given them up because he was serious about her. He
still stood by wondering why an almost nineteen year old man was with a fifteen year old girl but she
didn’t look at it like that. She had always been far more mature than anyone else her age. She easily
would have passed for eighteen if not for still being in school. Draco was just being protective, not
that she faulted him for it. Uncle Luci would have had his hide if he had been any other way.

While he had commended Hermione on giving the Bulgarian a chance, he had cautioned her as well.
Men like Krum were used to getting their way often and if Hermione had told him that she wouldn’t
accept him getting his jollies elsewhere, eventually, he would expect them from her. She wasn’t so
sure, he just didn’t strike her that way, but he was a man. He would probably know better than she
would.

It had been with a heavy heart that she had made her way to bed. She had felt fairly well about
giving Viktor a chance to prove to her that he was serious until Draco had told her that she needed to
be cautious. Now she was full of doubt once more. Would Viktor really expect those things of her?
Yes, it was true he set her blood on fire. No more than Harry did but remembering his deep chuckle
in her ear made her belly ache down deep inside her. She had slipped her hand down into her
knickers more than once in the last few months to not only Viktor but Harry as well. She was no
stranger to wanting more; however, she had no intentions of letting her hormones making a colossal
mistake for herself. While men would surely bring shame to their houses if they impregnated a witch
outside of wedlock, it was the worse mistake imaginable for a witch to get pregnant outside of
marriage. While she was sure that her father and Uncle Luci would weather the storm and still love
her, it would be hard. The double standards of the wizarding world were complete shite but it was all
she had ever known.

No matter what Pansy, Ginny, or any of the other girls her age were doing, she refused to make her
family ashamed of her. While those girls did have families counting on them, it was more to make a
favorable match, not to actually carry on an Ancient and Noble bloodline. While she didn’t buy into
the tripe about blood purity like so many others did, she did believe in family honor and duty and she
had known what hers was from the time she turned four years old. It wasn’t something that she took
lightly. Any man that she was with was going to have to be alright with the fact that while duties to
his family would be important, duties to the House of Black would be just as.

All she could do was hope for the best. She was going to give Viktor a chance to prove himself even
though she had reservations about it. Any man she ended up with would probably end up being
more experienced than she was since she was determined to remain chaste until she was sure that she
at least loved the person that she was with. Her aunt had always told her that their world was very
sexist and that most witches went wild with it. She had implored to Hermione that she should do
what she felt right but to make sure that she felt something for the person that she was sharing it with.
While she liked Viktor, it was going to take a bit for her to even get close to feelings like that for him,
no matter how many books he bought her.

Turning off her brain for the night, Hermione rolled over, started employing her occlumency from so
many years before, and let sleep pull her under.

-O-

Sirius swirled his firewhiskey in his glass and he looked into the flames. Lucius was sitting across
from him and they were getting drunk together. While Sirius indulged in getting drunk quite often,
only once they were in for the night, Lucius rarely did. Tonight, however, had called for it.

He had called his friend when he had returned from Hogsmeade even though he had considered not
doing so. He had had to hurry and do so before he lost his nerve. While he had acted as though
things were better to Harry, they really weren’t. It was just that Hermione was now in school and
nobody was there to witness his depression but Lucius now that Severus was away teaching.

His friend had come and had known instantly that something was wrong. It had taken him ages to
tell Lucius what and there had been a few tears shed. He wasn’t sure why the story affected him so,
much like Harry had said, but it did. It broke his heart to picture his six year old daughter laying in
the quidditch pitch at Malfoy Manor, scared and crying for her daddy only to realize that he was
drunk and shagging a random witch because he couldn’t have the boy he really wanted when he had
adopted her.

It was fucking heartbreaking.

He had questioned his friend ruthlessly, wanting every last detail as he remembered them. Lucius had
spared him none, telling him how Hermione had cried in pain, begging for her daddy and for the
pain to stop. How she had cried for the whole week that Draco had been angry with her, scared that
her very best friend hated her because she had been trying to impress him and crashed his broom.
Lucius had held her tight every night because Draco had refused to sleep with her, drying her tears
and telling her that she was loved and that Draco was just angry and that her father was just upset.

It was at this point that Sirius had started sobbing.

It wasn’t his proudest moment. Far from it. However, it was somehow cathartic to release years of
pent-up pain and misery and realize that he wasn’t alone, that he had shared that complete fucking
shit show with the one person he was supposed to protect from it. To say that he felt like the lowest
life form would have been overstating it.

“You should have taken her and I should have went to Azkaban. You were more a father to her than
I ever was, Lucius. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.” Lucius turned angry eyes to him, something that
he didn’t do often.

“Enough.” Sirius wasn’t sure what to make of that. He turned confused eyes to his friend.

“I’m serious. You should have had her. You loved far more than I ever did.” Lucius stood and threw
his glass of whiskey into the fire and it flared dangerously. Sirius was reminded of just why people
feared his friend. While he was a soft mushy mess with his daughter, that was not the case with
anyone else.

“This is what Harry was talking about. You’re being pathetic. Get it together, man. Hermione
deserves better than you wallowing in self-pity, just like you did her whole childhood mind you,
blaming yourself and feeling sorry for yourself so you can once again play the fucking victim. Your
friends are dead. They trusted the wrong man. They made a fucking mistake. Their son has realized
that they made the best sacrifice they could for him and he loves them for it. You need to do the same
and move the fuck on. Are you so pathetic you can’t live a life that doesn’t have James fucking
Potter in it?” His chest was heaving and Sirius could tell that his friend was livid. Honestly, it felt like
it had been a long time coming and the fire whiskey probably hadn’t helped.

“That girl deserved a father. I wasn’t all that fond of your brother. He got my sister pregnant and
didn’t fucking marry her but it was because he was protecting her. He loved her and he protected the
both of them as best he could. I respected him and he was an amazing father. You could see the love
he had for Hermione shining in his eyes every time he looked at her. You saw a way out, a way to
get to Harry and for years I resented you for that, for what you made her. You made her second best
when her own father would have died for her, killed for her. My sister would have sold herself on
the corner to keep Hermione safe. You just left her with people that you barely knew, people that
you thought to be Death Eaters at the time, so you could get drunk and go shag as many women as
you could. You didn’t care for her. Sure, you loved her, anyone could see that but you didn’t care for
her. I did that, Narcissa did that. We fucking cared for her while you were so drunk that you couldn’t
even remember that you had a daughter.” Sirius really didn’t think that he wanted his friend to
continue.

“All these years, you’ve been plugging along, telling Hermione your story and taking her along,
knowing full well she’ll help you because she loves you so fucking much. I’ve watched and I’ve
helped because I knew that once she was involved, my son would be involved. They’re two halves
of the same whole. They’ll always be that way and I could no sooner abandon her to save Draco
than the other way around. I helped you in your plan, I even agreed. Then you cast Hermione aside
for Potter.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made my peace with Potter. I’ve even given him my blessing to date her is
he could ever pull his head from his arse long enough to do so. His reasons for not doing so are
purely unselfish though so I can’t be angry even though it hurts her. He wants better for her. I will
back that boy to the end but Sirius, make no mistake. This isn’t about you. This is about that boy
begging you to quit being a fucking selfish arsehole and making Hermione your number one priority
for once in your life.” Sirius knew that every single fucking world his friend had spoke was true and
it fucking hurt. He hung his head as he spoke.

“I have Juliet now. She can’t be number one all the time.” Lucius let out something that was close to
growl at that.

“A travesty to the Black name. That poor sweet girl is going to suffer the indignity of being in this
family and knowing that she wasn’t born in wedlock. The older children shelter her now but what of
later. All because you couldn’t keep your cock in your pants. Hermione has had the protection of the
Malfoy family to help her.” This ignited Sirius’ anger like nothing had yet. He was on his feet in a
flash and his wand in his hand. His eyes were sparking dangerously and Lucius’ were matching.

“Pretty hypocritical words there, Lucius. Your sister had a child out of wedlock. I suppose if we
apply the same logic than Hermione shouldn’t be here either. Or is Juliet’s blood status you have a
problem with?” Lucius advanced, his wand sliding into his own hand and his lip forming into a
sneer.

“I gave young Harry permission to court my heir. He’s a half-blood, same as Juliet. Do you think I
have a problem with blood status? My problem lies with the fact that you fathered her and left, didn't
give a fuck and then foisted her on the family to handle while you did nothing but try to get in her
mother’s robes. Hermione is the one fostering that girl’s trust, not you. If you had gotten her mother
pregnant and married her, brought her into the family at birth, it would have been different. You left
her and we don’t do that to family. Now, once again, Hermione is paying the price, along with an
innocent little girl that knows no better.” Sirius deflated once again, dropping his wand and falling
into his chair. He raised his eyes to see Lucius still holding his wand.

“If you’re going to kill me, do it already.” Lucius snorted.

“Hermione would kill me. She loves your fucking arse too much.” The spell was broken when Sirius
started laughing and Lucius took his seat once more. They both poured another drink and stared into
the fire. Unsurprisingly, it was Lucius that spoke again.

“I think that Harry is Hermione’s soul mate.” Sirius dropped his glass of whiskey to the ground and it
shattered, splashing whiskey everywhere. He winced; Candy was going to hex both him and Lucius
bald tomorrow when she saw.

“What?” Lucius took another swallow, completely uncaring of the mess his friend had just made.
“I think they’re soul mates. Cissy and I are soul mates, you know. I remember what it felt like when I
was around her but we weren’t together. My father was urging me to sow my wild oats and every
time I sank my cock into another girl, I pictured the hurt on Cissy’s face when she would find out. I
remember her finding out about every single girl and crying her eyes out, feeling like she wasn’t
good enough and how I wanted to rip my heart out and give it to her to make hers better. I know you
weren’t there for the conversation I had with Harry, but I saw that in his eyes when i asked him why
wasn’t with Hermione. I could see the utter heartbreak reflecting back at me when he told me that he
had hurt her too many times and he didn’t trust himself not to hurt her again, that she deserved better.

I talked to her after he was injured by the dragon and that Weasley slut kissed him. She was so upset,
so heartbroken, and she could think of nothing but his welfare and how he would never think of her
as someone that he would eventually court. All she cared about was that he was well and that he
would eventually be happy. Even though it pains her, she says nothing because she thinks he’s
happy. The pair of them remind me of Cissy and myself so much it’s scary.” Sirius considered his
friend’s words and wished for the thousandth time that Severus was there with them to weigh in.
Finally, he decided to just go with it.

“If you’re right, what do we do?” Lucius snorted and threw back the last of his whiskey.

“We do nothing. They’ll find their way to each other eventually, soul mates always do. Besides, can
you picture trying to force Hermione into doing something that she didn’t want to do? Even as a
child, you had to convince her that eating her peas was good for her. Simply telling her to do so
never worked.” Sirius snorted, happy to remember that.

“That much is true. I’ve never met a witch so fucking stubborn. Not even Helena. She’ll marry me
before Hermione does something she doesn’t want to do.” Lucius nodded and stood, calling for
Snitch. The elf appeared before him and Lucius held out his hand.

“I find that I can’t apparate or floo safely. I would hate for Cissy to throw me from bed because I
wasn’t safe coming home.” Sirius snorted before turning to his friend.

“Thank you. For everything. I’m going to be better from here on out.” Lucius clapped him on the
shoulder and nodded.

“I’m holding you to that and it sounds like Potter is too.” Sirius snorted as Snitch turned on the spot
and the pair disappeared. Candy, unlike Snitch, wasn’t so obedient and had no problems telling him
to find his own fucking way to bed if he was going to be a drunken idiot. She would hide the sober-
up potion from him in the morning too, bloody elf. Even though she had been like this from day one,
Hermione’s influence had only made her worse.

Sirius grinned at the thought. He was turning over a new leaf in life when it came to his daughter and
remind her from here on out that she was important to him no matter what mistakes he had made
when he was younger.

What mistakes they had been.

A/N- Jesus Christ, this chapter was originally going to be light and fluffy, a date where Hermione
learned the truth, but that was about it. Kind of a filler chapter. Then it snowballed and things just felt
right so here we are. I hope that you all enjoyed it. Anyways, leave me your thoughts after the beep
and let me know what you think. They make me smile.

Next chapter, the second task of the Tournament.

Love,
Alicia
 Chapter 77

A/N- Here we are again, folks, another chapter. Everyone has been waiting for this chapter and I’m
hoping that it meets your expectations. If you gave me advice on what to do with this chapter and I
didn’t take it, I thank you anyways. I got so many different suggestions and most of the reasonings
made perfect sense. However, I had to make a decision. Thanks to everyone for reading, reviewing,
following, and favoriting. You have no idea how much your support means to me. Anyways,
enough for now.

**Shout out to thoupetty for being my 3700th reviewer!! You da bomb, girl!!**

Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story, in case you haven’t figured that out from the 76
chapters that have come before this one. I haven’t made any money from this story or any other; I
only wish that I had since I’m a broke bitch. I guess it sucks to suck.

Chapter 77
February 24, 1995

Harry was nervous; not quite as nervous as he was for the first task but nervous nonetheless. He
knew that he was as prepared as he could be, there was nothing else that he could do to be more
prepared. Remus, Hermione, and Draco had made sure that he knew what to do in case of
emergency in all instances today.

Severus had gotten him numerous bundles of gillyweed, tied off in different sizes so he could judge
how long they would last. He had sneaked into the prefect bath with Hermione and Draco and timed
each and every one, labeling each size and putting them in a bag that he was going to carry in a waist
pouch at the task today. His wand would be up his sleeve just in case he ran out of gillyweed, ready
to cast the bubble head charm if need be. It wasn’t the way he wanted to finish the task but if had to
happen that way, he would be ready.

He still had no idea what he would be rescuing from the depths of the Black Lake. It was supposed
to be something that he would sorely miss but beyond that he was clueless as to what it would be. He
didn’t really hold material things in high regard; he had never had them to hold in regard growing up.
It had seemed stupid to start just because he had learned that he was wealthy. Even though this
should reassure him, it actually made him more uneasy.

He was walking through the corridors to a brunch; Hermione and Draco had insisted that he sleep in
and get plenty of rest and Juliet had told him that if he didn’t do exactly as they told him to that she
would tell on him. He had laughed and ruffled her hair playfully, calling her a little snitch. Since it
was a Saturday and there would be families coming, the meals would be served most of the day.
Therefore, he would be just fine eating at eleven before the task started at two.

Harry entered the Great Hall and waved at his friends at the Gryffindor table. He wasn’t going to be
sitting with them today since the family would be there but he wanted them to know that their
support was appreciated. The twins and Neville, though they had been invited to sit with the snakes,
had decided to stick with the lions that day to give the family their privacy. They were quick to wave
and start cheering and Harry knew that his cheeks were coloring.

He turned to the Slytherin table and found that Draco, Luna, and Juliet were already there eating. All
three looked nervous but excited. The rest of the Slytherins were smirking as he approached,
probably well aware that he was nervous as fuck but doing his best not to show it. As he took his
usual seat across from Luna and Juliet, he narrowed his eyes as he pulled his plate forward so he
could start to load it down.

“Where’s Hermione? It’s not like her to not be out here for something like this.” Draco shrugged, still
intent on his breakfast.

“I don’t know. I sent her off to bed last night but haven’t seen her. I figured she was taking a nap
after her run this morning. She wouldn’t miss this for the world. Don’t worry.” Harry sighed,
figuring that Draco was probably right. Hermione got up and ran every morning like clockwork and
showered afterwards.

He started in on his own breakfast, piling his plate positively high with pancakes, eggs, bacon,
sausages, toast, beans, and tomatoes. There was chatter all around him, about the upcoming task
mostly. Viktor was sitting with the seventh year Slytherins at the end of the table and Harry just
scowled at him. Draco hadn’t come out and told him what Hermione’s problem had been that day in
Hogsmeade but he had dropped enough hints for him to gather the gist of what it had been.

Harry didn’t pretend to be perfect; he knew that he slept around and he knew that he didn’t deserve
Hermione. However, he wasn’t trying to court her either. Maybe it was just the jealous arsehole side
of him coming out but he couldn’t help it; he didn’t want Viktor Krum anywhere near Hermione. If
she wanted to date a nice boy, why didn’t she let Neville take her out? Sure, he played around too
but would never treat her badly and would never go around behind her back. Neville would do right
by Hermione. Sure, it would kill Harry to watch it, but he would much rather see that than Krum.

Cedric was seated with the Hufflepuffs and looked pretty sure of himself. Cho was at his side and
even though Harry still found her quite attractive, since learning her actions towards Luna and
hearing what she had to say to Helena, he wasn’t too interested in her anymore. When she spoke in
his vicinity now, he just tuned her out.

Hermione had finally gotten her revenge on Cho and Marietta just a week before for what they had
done to Luna. He still wasn’t quite sure how she had managed to do it, hell, she wouldn’t even admit
that she had done it to Draco, but he knew that it had been her. It had been a Saturday as well and
both girls had been forced to come to breakfast in their bathrobes. When a furious Professor Flitwick
had questioned them as to why, they had told him that someone had cut up every set of robes they
owned. They had instantly blamed Luna, of course, but Hermione had been too smart for the two
Ravenclaws. Luna had had a solid alibi all night long, spending the night in the infirmary with
Madam Pomfrey for her monthly cramps.

Draco had laughed for hours and Harry had had a few chuckles at the girls’ expense as well. Juliet
hadn’t been quite sure what had been happening but had just gone along with it. Luna had acted
clueless but Harry knew that she had to know just who had done it. There was no way that she
didn’t. He had to give her props for her amazing acting skills; probably a Malfoy trait when he
considered it carefully.

The food started disappearing and Hermione still hadn’t appeared. Harry started searching the Great
Hall and he nudged Draco. He couldn’t believe that the blond wasn’t more worried than he was.
Hermione was usually the first person he worried about when something went wrong. Draco looked
at him and saw how serious he looked, his own face falling serious now too.

“She’s still not here. You’re sure she was alright? This isn’t like her.” Draco started to search the
Great Hall now and Harry realized when his eyes stopped that they were on Severus. He wondered
if he could connect minds with his godfather from that great of a distance; his question was quickly
answered when Draco turned frustrated eyes to him.

“We need to ask Uncle Sev. I bet he would know where she is.” However, this wasn’t meant to be
since at that moment, Dumbledore stood up and went to his podium, catching the attention of
everyone in the room.

“Today is the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. Guests and spectators will be arriving soon
so I ask that students start heading out towards the Black Lake and finding seats. It could take a bit
for everyone to get settled and nobody wants to miss this task.” Harry could tell that they weren’t
going to get anywhere near Severus. The whole Great Hall stood as one and started for the exit that
led out to the grounds. He hoped that they had all packed cloaks since not many of them appeared to
have them on.

Just as the room was starting to clear, the doors opened and the families of the champions were once
again ushered through by Professor McGonagall. Harry was relieved to see not only Sirius, but
Uncle Lucius, Aunt Cissy, Remus, Aunt Andie, Uncle Ted, and Tonks. He had learned quickly to
not call Tonks Dory. It seemed that the only one who was given any leeway in the matter was
Hermione.

Juliet went to her feet and raced to her father and Harry was just able to make out Helena behind
Sirius; she had been hiding behind him. It seemed like so long ago that he remembered hearing Sirius
tell her that her mother had promised to be there for the second task. The first year hurled herself into
Helena’s arms and hugged her close, the rest of the family smiling indulgently. Harry didn’t bother
with greetings, he just stood and headed for the group and didn’t stop until he was in front of Sirius
and Lucius.

“We haven’t seen Hermione all morning. We haven’t been able to get close enough to Severus to ask
if he knows where she is.” Both men’s gazes sharpened and focused on Draco.

“When did you last see her?” Draco clenched his hand together but showed no other signs of being
upset.

“I sent her on her way to bed last night. I watched her go up the stairs but have no idea if she stayed
there. I went to bed right after she did.” Lucius took a deep breath and looked to Sirius.

“We need to get Harry out to the tent for the champions. Notice how Moody hasn’t left Severus’
side? We won’t get any answers from him today. If Minerva knew anything she would have already
told us. Why don’t you go see if you can get anything out of Dumbledore?” Harry watched as Sirius
nodded. His godfather turned to him and put both hands on his shoulders, meeting his gaze.

“I know that you can do this. Hermione is probably fine, she probably just fell asleep in the library or
something but we need to make sure that she’s safe. I’ll be out there to watch you compete just as
soon as I can.” Harry nodded, unworried about his godfather watching him compete.

“Just find her, Siri. I don’t care if you see me compete.” Uncle Lucius clapped his hand down on his
shoulder and spoke in a soft tone.

“Your godfather will find her, son. Let’s get you down there. Blacks, Malfoys, and Potters are never
late if they can help it.” For some reason, this imperious lesson in etiquette made him feel better.
Harry nodded, squared his shoulders, straightened his spine, and allowed his uncle to lead the way.

The rest of the family followed after him.

-O-

Sirius wasn’t sure what the fuck was going on but he knew that his daughter was in the middle of it
and he knew that it had to do with the second task of the Triwizard fucking Tournament. He hadn’t
noticed anyone else in particular missing from the crowd of students as they were all leaving but that
really meant nothing in the scheme of things. He could never claim to know all the students in
Hogwarts and recognize if they were all present and accounted for.

Lord Black scanned the Great Hall for Dumbledore, coming up empty. It seemed as though he was
no longer present but he hadn’t seen him leave towards the Black Lake yet. That meant that there
was only one place left. His office. After being in trouble for his entire school career, Sirius had no
problems finding the Headmaster’s office in record time after Lucius had led his godson and the rest
of his family out of the Great Hall for the lake.

He traversed the corridors quickly, not taking the time to greet anyone that he passed. He recognized
a few school governors but truly paid them no mind. His mind was running through possible places
that Hermione could be if Albus had no idea where she could be. He truly hoped that she had just
fallen asleep in her dorm after her morning run or in the library researching last minute spells for
Harry to use. When he reached the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster’s office, he didn’t bother
trying to guess the password, he just waited there impatiently for the stone being to move. After only
a few moments, it did, the stone staircase appearing before him and guiding him upwards.

He hurried up them, taking them two at a time until he was at the top. Sirius didn’t bother knocking
once he was at the top; he didn’t really care what Albus thought of his manners anyways. The
Gryffindor flung the door open to find not only the Headmaster but Moody, Severus, Minerva,
Karkaroff, and Headmistress from Beauxbatons. He didn’t let this stop him in the least. He glared at
Albus and he knew that the old man knew something the second he sighed.

“Tell me where my daughter is right now.” The Headmaster sighed and Sirius felt the softest brush
against his mind, signaling that Severus knew where she was and that she was safe. He felt better at
that but still wanted information. Albus gestured to the chair but Sirius just stared at him.

“She was summoned here last night by Severus. The Heads of Houses were told to come up with
something or someone that we felt our champions would miss most. Mr. Diggory was quite simple.
He seemed attached to Miss Chang, his date to the Ball. Mr. Krum loves his little sister to no end,
same as Miss Delacour. Both Lord Krum and Monsieur Delacour gave their permission.” Sirius
wasn’t liking the sound of this. His magic was stirring within him and Minerva took a step forward.
Severus shook his head at her but Sirius paid neither one no mind.

“All the teachers thought that Harry would miss either Hermione or young Juliet most. I called her
here to ask her her opinion. She volunteered, saying that she didn’t want to frighten young Juliet. She
told me that she would allow herself to be put in a state of stasis to be placed under the Black Lake as
long as Minerva was the one who did it. Apparently, she didn’t trust my spellwork.” At this point,
Sirius felt Severus’ mind brush against his and he relaxed further. This meant that it had really been
Severus to spell her, not Minerva. This was part of his cover in front of Moody and Karkaroff. Sirius
raised his eyebrow at the Headmaster.

“I didn’t need to give permission for this?” Albus smirked at him and Sirius knew that he was
fucked, probably by way of his daughter.

“I insisted that I get permission and she told me that you would give it, that you had utmost faith in
Harry to save her. Minerva assured me that she was telling the truth.” Translation meant that Severus
had backed her up. Sirius cursed inwardly. The little wench had used his faith in Harry to bypass him
and now she was stuck at the bottom of the Black Lake.

“Is she at least attired properly?” At this, Dumbledore started to squirm.

“Minerva cast the spell on her in her nightgown; there was no time to waste for her to change.” Sirius
knew what she slept in at school. Long satin or silk nightgowns; not conducive to keeping her warm.
Severus sneered at him.

“Not to worry, Lord Black. Your daughter was given a potion to regulate her body temperature. She
won’t freeze to death.” Sirius was comforted just a little; however, she would still give the world a
show when she emerged from the water with her thin nightgown clinging to her body. He supposed
that it would be better in Harry’s arms than in Viktor Krum’s.

“Are there any dangers below the Black Lake that I need to be concerned about?” Albus shook his
head.

“The merpeople have graciously agreed to guard the hostages. They won’t allow harm to come to
them.” Sirius had no other choice but to accept it and chew his daughter’s arse later. Therefore, he
bowed his head ever so slightly to the room.

“I will find my way to the Lake.”

Sirius cursed Hermione the whole way to the Black Lake. Once there, he searched the crowd for his
family, quickly finding them in the part marked for family of the champions. He noticed that Lord
Krum was trying to strike up a conversation with Lucius but he was steadily ignoring the man,
clearly unimpressed with the man while his niece was seemingly missing.

Sirius hurried up the steps until he was in the middle of his family and they all looked quite on edge.
Dory waved her wand around them and he shot her a grateful look. He felt Helena’s tentative hand
on his back and he gave her a comforting smile. Draco wrapped his arm around Luna and glared at
Sirius.

“Where the fuck is she?” He raked his hand through his hair.

“I’m going to beat her arse. She’s at the bottom of the fucking Black Lake.” Sirius didn’t even get a
chance to explain; Lucius was standing up and heading for the Lake. Narcissa stood and grabbed his
arm, hanging off him and pulling him back. Once he was seated again, he glared at Sirius.

“Explain.” Sirius gave a dark chuckle.

“They called her to the Headmaster’s office after curfew last night. They told her that they had all
talked and decided that the thing that Harry would miss most would either be her or Juliet. She
volunteered so Juliet wouldn’t get scared. When permission was broached, she told them that it was
unnecessary because I had full faith in Harry rescuing her.” Lucius sounded angry when he spoke.

“We raised her to be smarter than that! Just letting the enemy cast spells on her to put her in stasis!”
Sirius shook his head.

“Albus told me that Minerva cast it on her, she insisted on it but Severus brushed against my mind.
He cast on her.” His friend was still snarling.

“She knows better than to put herself in danger like that.” Sirius wanted to agree with him. He had at
first. He watched Narcissa rub his thigh softly.

“She does but she also knows that she’s supposed to protect family. What did you expect her to do,
Lucius, when told that they want to put her little sister down at the bottom of the Black Lake?” Sirius
saw the fight leave his best friend as he slumped forward. It was Dory that spoke and Remus had to
choke back a chuckle.

“Are you sure she isn’t a bloody Gryffindor?” Cissy glared at her and shook her head at her sister.
“Andie, control your spawn.” Andie just shook her head imperiously.

“There’s no controlling her when she’s like this. She’s her father’s daughter.” The rest of the family
laughed and Remus waved his wand, cancelling the silencing spell. Dory looked put out but
snuggled into Remus’ side. He lifted his arm and let her, scenting her neck openly. Sirius turned
nervous eyes to the Lake as he spoke, lifting an arm around Helena’s shoulders.

“Now I just wish we could have warned Harry about finding Hermione down there.” Draco snorted,
hiding laughter. When everyone turned curious eyes towards him, he turned defensive.

“What? You know he gets all powerful and mighty when he thinks she’s in danger. What do you
think he’s going to do when he sees her tied up and unconscious down there?” Sirius did the only
thing he could think of doing.

He groaned.

-O-

Harry had done as he had bid upon arriving at the tent provided for the champions and changed into
the wetsuits provided for them by the school. He wasn’t sure if it was provided by the school or the
Ministry but he supposed that it was a good idea considering it was the end of February and the
water was beyond freezing cold. While, he, Cedric, and Viktor were all wearing the suit they had
been given, Fleur was not.

She had appeared out of the changing room in a silver one-piece swim costume and though the
pureblood wizards in the room looked completely scandalized, Harry knew that in the muggle world
it was considered quite modest. He raised an eyebrow at her and she smiled at him and he was
surprised to find that his heart didn’t flutter in the slightest like many of his classmates’ did.

“I veela. Our blood run hotter. I be fine in vater.” Harry smiled at her and nodded, wishing her well
quietly. It wasn’t that he thought she wouldn’t do well in this task, it was just a well-known fact that
other creatures tended not to like veela, just like they weren’t fond of werewolves. If there was
anyone at more risk down under the murky waters of the Black Lake, it was Fleur. He couldn’t in
good conscience not tell her.

“Fleur, most of the creatures down there don’t like veela. Be careful.” She let out a tinkling laugh
and patted his cheek.

“I vill, Harry. I used to tings not liking me. Vomen in general not like me. Sad, really, I vish for
female friend.” Harry drew his eyebrows inward.

“Why don’t they like you?” She cocked her head to the side as though she couldn't believe he was
asking.

“Dey are jealous because I am beautiful. Dey tink I vant deir men.” Harry scowled at her.

“That’s really sad. You should sit with Hermione sometime. I know she’d be nice to you. She likes
everyone. She’d never think that of you.” Fleur gave him an odd look that seemed as though she
were peering into his soul. Her hand landed on his chest and he was oddly uncomfortable with it
there. She seemed to sense it and removed it instantly.

“Someday, you be good man for her, Harry Potter. I meet Hermione Black after task. Tank you.” He
wasn’t sure what to make of her words so he just nodded and left her alone. Cedric was grinning at
him.
“Never know how to take a veela, right?” Harry wasn’t sure how to respond to that either so he just
nodded. Soon enough, Dumbledore, arrived into the tent and gestured for them all the gather around
him. He noticed that Moody, Severus, McGonagall and Crouch Sr. were all standing close but they
were letting Dumbledore speak. He laid his wrinkly, spindly arms around Cedric and Fleur’s
shoulders.

“The second task has arrived boys and girls. I’m sure that you’ve worked out what the riddle meant
and you know that you’ll be retrieving something important from the bottom of the Black Lake
today. You’ll have an hour to retrieve it from start to finish so I suggest you don’t dawdle.” It was
Cedric that spoke.

“Headmaster, how do we know where our possession will be?” Dumbledore grinned at him.

“Now, my boy, this lake is far too large to expect you to find it by luck. For one, your possession
isn’t a possession at all. It’s a person. The person you would miss most in this world should you lose
them.” Harry felt his world go spotty and he hoped against hope that it wasn’t going to be what he
thought it was. Dumbledore continued.

“Your hostages have had tracking charms put on them, very very weak ones. I’m going to apply the
matching ones to you. It’s your job to follow them, find your hostage, and retrieve them to the top in
an hours time. Is everyone understood?” Harry had to know. He needed to know just who the fuck
he was rescuing because if it was Juliet versus Hermione versus Draco, it would make a huge
difference.

“Who are our hostages?” Dumbledore shook his head, indicating that he wasn’t going to tell them.
Harry spoke over him.

“You will tell us. I’m telling you right now, if you put Hermione down there as Krum’s hostage and
Ron as mine, I’m leaving Ron and saving Hermione. She’s my fucking family. You better tell me
who the fucking hostages are.” He could see Fleur’s eyes gleaming in triumph but he had no idea
why. Dumbledore sighed and he got the impression that he was disappointed but Harry didn’t care.

“Hermione is your hostage. Cho Chang is Mr. Diggory’s hostage, a Miss Gabrielle Delacour is Miss
Delacour’s hostage and Miss Anastasiya Krum is Mr. Krum’s hostage.” Fleur gave no warning; she
simply turned to her harpy self and started spitting fireballs at the Headmaster. Since nobody was
expecting it, they all dove for cover and dodged the fireballs. Harry finally ran from his cover to put
himself between the two, his arms up in front of her so he could speak to her softly.

“Calm down, Fleur. You can’t save her like this.” Slowly, Fleur started to calm and she started to
transform back from the harpy to human form. Everyone began to emerge from their hiding places
and Cedric grinned at her, trying to break the ice.

“You’re awfully scary when you’re mad.” Fleur shot him a dirty look.

“Nobody uses my little sister and gets away vith it.” Dumbledore spoke before anyone else could.

“Your parents agreed to it, as did Mr. Krum’s. Miss Chang’s parents gave permission as well.” Harry
groaned.

“Sirius didn’t? He’s going to kill you.” The Headmaster chuckled.

“He would if Hermione hadn’t told me herself that he would approve because he would have faith in
your saving her. It seems that young lady believes in you.” Harry wanted to scoff in his face but
didn’t dare. Not in their current company. This just meant that Hermione was counting on him and
there was no way in blue hell that he was going to let her down.

“It’s time to begin. We’re all going to go out and stand along the the pier. Once the cannon sounds,
you will all dive into the water and the timer will begin. You will have one hour to retrieve your
hostages.” They all nodded resolutely.

Harry made sure that his waist pouch was tightly tightly around him and his wand was strapped
tightly to his wrist. He wasn’t sure that he was going to need it since he was going to be swimming
like a fish but since there were semi-dangerous creatures in the Lake, he wouldn’t rule it out. Even
though his feet were already numb, he left them bare. The others had put their boots on so they cast
him odd looks but he paid them no mind. Flippers would be little use if they were encased in boots.

The bleachers were packed full of people and Harry strained to see if he could find his family from
across the Lake. They were lined up across the pier as Professor Flitwick came down the line,
pinning something to all their robes. It looked like a little square box and if he didn’t know any
better, it looked like a tiny recorder. Harry snatched his professor’s wrist.

“What is this?” His pint-sized professor jumped.

“A camera. It won’t be much fun to sit and stare at a lake for an hour. They rigged up some sort of
smoke screen or something to watch each of you as you get to your hostage. It won’t interfere, I
promise. I designed it myself.” Harry decided that it wasn’t worth arguing even though it didn’t seem
as though he had signed up to put on a show for the audience when he was underwater. Hadn’t he
done enough of that when he had killed a dragon?

Harry was mentally psyching himself, telling himself that he needed to get himself in the mode to go
and get Hermione, that his family was counting on him to rescue Hermione. It was probably pretty
ridiculous but he knew that he had to compete to the best of his ability and this was the only way that
he could do that. He knew that he had to rile himself up to get the best results. Even he knew that he
fought back best when he thought there was a threat against Hermione. That had been learned the
hard way.

The cannon sounded in the distance and Harry waited a few moments to dive into the water. He was
sure that the audience thought that he was mad. He took out one of the longer timed balls of
gillyweed and shoved it into his mouth, swallowing it down without chewing. As soon as he heard it
taking effect, he dove it and let the effects pull him under.

Being able to breathe underwater was a whole new experience that had taken some getting used to. It
hadn’t been easy, that was for sure. It was a good thing that Severus had gotten him numerous balls
of gillyweed because it had taken several just to get used to the effects. After he was successfully
underwater and breathing, he allowed his hands and feet to start propelling him in the direction that
the faint tracking charm was leading him.

The funniest thing of all was that Harry could barely feel the tracking charm. It was only the tiniest
niggle on his magic and it wasn’t reliable at all. Rather than use it, Harry was able to focus on
Hermione alone, focus on how she smelled, how she felt, how she looked, and just hold it in his
mind. He held it in his mind as though she were the most precious thing in the world, as though she
were the last thing he would ever want to see if he were sitting on Death Row facing the electric
chair. Of course wizards knew nothing of this but Harry did. He knew all about it and it made sense
to him.

He could feel Hermione more than he could ever feel anyone before. It made no sense and he
couldn’t explain it and frankly, he didn’t care to. If he had to explain it, it was likely that he would
have to put a name to exactly what he was feeling and that probably wouldn’t end well. Honestly,
though, he knew what it was. He loved her, more than anything else in life, and that love was
leading him to her right now whether she loved him back or not. If he ever admitted it and she never
loved him back it would likely destroy him.

Harry passed several swarms of grindylows, numerous clusters of merpeople, armed with tridents,
and even the Giant Squid, usually so friendly, looked positively murderous. He remembered his
lessons from both Madam Cambridge and Sirius and Remus and realized that they couldn’t do
anything to him if they couldn’t see him. Even though he had only done it successfully twice, he
pulled his wand and cast a disillusionment charm on himself so nobody could see him. It seemed to
work like a charm, shimmering him out of sight before the squid and everything, the only sign that he
existed being the small waves he left in the water behind him.

Harry wasn’t sure how long he went on in this way. Even though he was invisible he had to dodge
several merman and their tridents, not to mention several grindylows, trying to pull him further into
the depths. He continued to follow the pull of Hermione and wherever it was that she was leading
him. It was clear that it wasn’t anything that he had ever done before but he didn’t care. He was
following his heart and so far it hadn’t yet led him astray.

He knew that he was getting closer. The merman were getting more aggressive and he could swear
that some of them could see through his masking charms. None of them attacked specifically so he
was content to just continue on disillusioned. He could just see Cedric ahead of him, swimming as
quickly as he could with a bubble head charm wrapped around his face. There was no sign of Viktor
or Fleur but he was sure that they weren’t far off.

Just off in the distance, he could see four figures floating in water, clearly tethered to the bottom of
the lake. Harry sped up and decided to let his disillusionment fall. He wasn’t sure what the
merpeople were going to do to him once he got there but he was going to meet it head on, not try to
sneak around and end up getting Hermione hurt in the process.

Cedric approached first, carefully, and the merpeople allowed him. He didn’t seem to realize that
Harry was behind him. He pulled a knife and cut the weed that was holding Cho to the bottom of the
lake. Rather than float to the surface, she hovered where she had been and Harry realized that he was
going to have to pull Hermione up. Cedric headed for Fleur’s little sister, knife in hand, ready to free
her. One of the mermen appeared next to him in a flash and put his trident to Cedric’s throat. Harry
decided that he should probably go and help the Hufflepuff. He swam over quickly, pulling his wand
and shooting a spell towards the weed holding Hermione to the ground.

Cedric turned to see who had arrived and when he saw Harry he shot him a smile. The merpeople
didn’t seem too happy and he made sure to take hold of Hermione. He was less thrilled with the fact
that she seemed to be clad in a thin nightgown that clung to her body and was now trying to float up
around her waist. Harry could see that the merpeople weren’t going to let the Hufflepuff take the
other hostages so he shook his head at Cedric. The boy looked around and then shook his head,
telling him that the others weren’t coming for them and they couldn’t leave them below the surface.

Harry sighed. Cedric wasn’t going to let this go and there was no way that he could let him face
these merpeople alone. He was just getting ready to turn his wand to the merpeople when someone
came zooming through the water with a human body and a shark head. With his sharp teeth, Krum
attacked the rope holding little Anastaysiya to the ground, ripping it in two. Fleur appeared right
behind him with her bubble head charm and headed for her sister. The merpeople all stepped back
but Krum seemed to lose his focus on his sister when he saw Hermione.

Harry hadn’t released her so he pulled her closer to her and started for the surface when Krum
lunged for her. The merpeople tried to get in the middle of it but they weren’t quick enough; Harry
held his wand up but since Krum’s head was a shark’s head, it didn’t phase him. He saw Cedric and
Fleur start for them but he didn’t give them a chance to help him. He took the chance to blast Krum
in the chest with a banishing spell and he howled in rage.

Harry sped to the top as quickly as he could, quite sure that Krum would be after him as soon as he
recovered. He wasn’t sure why he was coming after Hermione like he was; maybe instinct since he
was partly animal? He could see the sky through the water, meaning that he close to the surface. He
could also feel the gills in the side of his neck starting to disappear, making it hard for him to breathe.
He was slowing down since his webbed fingers and toes were beginning to disappear.

Krum was behind him, he could hear him cutting through the water, but he didn’t dare turn to look
behind him. He was sure that Cedric and Fleur were behind him, both had seen what he had done.
Although, thanks to the cameras on their wetsuits, everyone else had seen what had happened as
well.

The gills were now completely gone, as were his webbed appendages. There was only ten feet or so
left until the surface of the water so Harry put his hands under Hermione’s bum and put her on his
shoulders. With one mighty heave, he shoved her upwards as hard as he could, hoping that it would
be enough to send her clear to the top. Once she was well on her way up, Harry turned to see that
not only was Viktor directly behind him, his little sister being dragged behind him, Cedric and Fleur
were struggling to follow.

Even though his lungs were about to burst, Harry started to shoot spells at Viktor, nothing that would
hurt him, just first years spells that would slow him down enough for Hermione to get to the surface.
He couldn’t take the chance that her stasis spell would wear off before she reached the surface and
she drowned. Harry realized that just a few feet from himself, Viktor seemed to lose grip of his sister
and the shark doubled back to go get her. He took this opportunity to head back to the surface and
make sure that Hermione made it all the way to the top.

His vision was starting to get spotty and he was getting slower as he got closer and closer but he
refused to eat another ball of gillyweed. He couldn’t feel the rest of his body since his body
temperature was no longer regulated. However, he persevered and finally burst from the water to
suck in a deep breath, a sweet breath, and revel in the fact that the applause was making the water
vibrate around him.

Hermione was only a few feet away from him. Her eyes were open, her lips were blue, and she was
trying to swim unsuccessfully to the pier where everyone was yelling at her to join them. Harry, even
though he was numb, swam over to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. She wrapped an arm
around his neck and smiled at him, her teeth clicking together. Viktor burst through the surface of the
water and changed instantly, his head becoming human again. Hermione caught sight of his reaction
and questioned him.

“W-w-what’s w-w-wrong?” Harry tried to smile as he pulled them both towards the pier as both
Cedric and Fleur surfaced with their hostages.

“I’ll tell you later. Too fucking cold right now.” She gave him a nod, telling him she understood.

Even though she was freezing cold, Hermione felt wonderful in his arms. She was soft and pliant
and even though he couldn’t feel his lower half, he was sure that he could feel his cock getting hard.
There was a bug stuck to the side of her neck that he reached out and plucked from her icy skin,
tossing it back into the water as they reached the shallows. Off in the distance, he could see his
whole family making their way through the crowds to get to them. Professor McGonagall, however,
had waded into the water to help them out, her arm snaking around Harry’s waist to help him stand
on shaky and numb legs.
Harry sighed. The second task was over but he had a feeling that the fun was just beginning.

-O-

Hermione was so bloody cold that she couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering. She was ensconced in
the tent that was serving as the Hospital Wing out by the Black Lake, wrapped in a robe with hot
chocolate in her hands. Both she and Harry had been given a pepper-up potion, which had caused
them to steam out the ears for a few moments, but it hadn’t done much for the long run. Hermione’s
silk nightgown hadn’t done much to hold her body heat once it had been dried and her bare feet had
been freezing even during the steam-induced warmth.

Madam Pomfrey had told her that there was no better way to warm up then with body heat. Her
father was extremely angry, about what she wasn’t sure yet, so he was off yelling at the Headmaster.
Therefore, she had Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy on either side of her and Harry was in his own bed
with Remus and Luna on either side of him. Draco was pacing in front of their beds, his hands
raking through his hair while Juliet and Helena watched with wary eyes. Finally, he exploded.

“I can’t believe you did this, Miney, and you didn’t fucking tell me. We always tell each other.”
Hermione knew that he was going to be mad when she did it but there hadn’t been time to tell him.

“I wanted to tell you, Drake. There wasn't time. They needed to spell me then. I couldn’t let them do
it to Jules.” Draco snorted but said nothing, just kept pacing. Uncle Luci kissed the side of her head,
his arm like a branding iron around her shoulders.

“You do that again, I’m going to put you over my knee.” She chuckled softly and leaned into him.

“You will not. You would never hurt me.” He sniffed at her and tugged one of her curls hard enough
to make her cry out.

“I would hurt you if it was to make you learn a lesson.” She glared at him until he kissed her
forehead.

“You’re right, however. I wouldn’t hurt you in this instance. You protected your little sister and as
much as I hate it, I understand it.” She smiled at him, instantly forgiving him for pulling her hair.
Draco, however, didn’t sound so warm.

“I don’t understand it and I never will.” Hermione sighed and stood, her feet still frozen from the
water. She stopped Draco from pacing anymore by stepping in his path and hugging him close. His
arms went around her and held her tight, his face hiding in her now dry curls. Her voice was soft as
she spoke.

“I’m sorry, Drake. I never meant to scare you. There was literally no time. I promise that if there is
time to tell you, I will always tell you.” He nodded into her neck. His voice was equally soft.

“I was so scared when Harry told us that you still hadn’t showed up. I thought that something bad
had happened to you.” She pulled away and smiled at him.

“I’m fine. I’m right here, Harry saved me and all is well.” Draco snorted.

“No thanks to Krum. What the fuck happened to him?” Hermione returned to her seat between her
aunt and uncle and took the chocolate her uncle handed her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Please explain.” Harry was regaining his color and
Hermione had a feeling that Remus with his werewolf heat was helping most with that.
“I don’t know what the fuck happened. Cedric got there first and he wanted to get Fleur and Viktor’s
hostages. He was worried that they wouldn’t show up in time. Viktor showed up and he was a half-
shark. He released his sister but then he realized that Hermione was there and he went after us. I
don’t know if it was instincts because he was half animal or what. I pointed my wand at his chest and
banished him, nothing major. Took off for the surface and shoved Hermione to the top. I shot a few
first year spells at him to keep him distracted so she would get to the top. The only thing that stopped
him was he lost grip on his sister. He was fine when he got to the surface and changed back to his
human self. I really have no good explanation.” Hermione couldn’t believe that Viktor had went after
them. Could it have been animal instincts that sent him after them? She knew that he wanted her for
himself; could that be enough to make him think that she was his in animal form? Did sharks even
have mates?

Everything was left when her father stormed back into the room, his expression cloudy. He didn’t
seem to be in a much better state of mind than Draco and she felt bad for worrying him. Her voice
was small when she got the nerve to speak.

“I’m sorry, daddy. I didn’t mean to worry you. I couldn’t let them use Jules.” Her father strode over
to her and kissed her head.

“I’m not angry anymore, sweetness. I know you had faith in Harry, just like we did. You did well
having Severus spell you.” She smiled at him.

“Why do you look so angry?” He raked a hand through his hair.

“Just got done dealing with Lord Krum. He thinks that you cast a spell on his son and made him lose
focus on the task.” Everyone around her started to shout, everyone righteously angry for her.
Hermione remained silent, knowing full well that it would do no good to say anything. Everyone
was going to say that she knew what the task was because she had been helping Harry and it would
have been the perfect opportunity to sabotage Viktor. She waited until everyone quieted enough that
she could be heard before she asked her father her question.

“ Where is everyone?” He cocked an eyebrow at her. She cocked one right back and he sighed.

“The rest of the champions and their families are with the judges and Dumbledore. It’s becoming
quite the argument. They’re just outside the tent.” Hermione stood and made sure that her robe was
closed tightly. With a wave of her wand, she conjured herself a pair of slippers. Uncle Luci sighed
and stood so he could follow. Harry was right on her heels and she couldn’t blame him. Not only
was she being blamed for cheating, he was by extension. She straightened her shoulders and raised
her chin and she could hear Tonks in the back of the crowd of their family crowd whispering to
Jules.

“Watch out now, that Hermione’s arse-kicking stance. Just watch.”

Hermione didn’t wait for anyone; she showed herself out of the tent to find that everyone was indeed
standing outside discussing quite loudly how Viktor had been cheated, how Hermione had cast a
jealousy spell on him or fed him a jealousy potion. Just hearing the family that wanted her to sign a
betrothal contract say these things about her made her want to let her magic loose. What angered her
the most was that Viktor looked quite sullen and was saying nothing in her defense. Finally, she
cleared her throat when nobody seemed to realize that she and her family had arrived. Everyone
turned to face them and Uncle Luci stepped forward. Hermione, however, wanted to handle this
herself. She laid her hand on his arm and gave him a sweet smile while shaking her head no. He
smoothed her curls and nodded.

“You all think I fed Viktor a jealousy potion so he would forget his hostage.” His father angrily
stepped forward, his hands clenched at his sides.

“You vill address him as Lord Krum. You not given permission to address him as friend.” Hermione
raised an eyebrow at him.

“Very well. I would like to know why you think I would feed Lord Krum a jealousy potion. I had no
idea that people would be what was under the lake until last night.” Lord Krum was spitting he was
so angry and she couldn’t help but wonder if this was how Viktor was when he was angry.

“You, Miss Black, lie. Everyone tell us how smart you are, how sneaky you are. You lie to make
sure Potter vin.” Hermione let her magic swirl around them like a wind, lifting their hair.

“You may call me Lady Black. After all, I’m the heir to not only the Ancient and Noble House of
Black but also the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy. I hate to point out that you failed to show
the proper respect. Now you call me a liar.” There was a slight pink tinge to the man’s cheeks but he
didn’t stop.

“Viktor vould never leave sister for girl he vas sleeping vith. Family is everything.” Hermione let her
magic hit the man in the chest and knock him to the ground. Crouch, Sr. stepped forward but Moody
reached out and held him back. Uncle Luci was grinning and her father looked as though he wanted
to rip the man limb from limb. Tonks was humming softly, a huge grin on her face while her mother
was softly scolding her.

“I assure you, Lord Krum, we weren’t sleeping together. We won’t be either. Considering he told me
that you wished a betrothal contract between our families, I can tell you with every assurance in the
world that that will never happen. I would never tie my family to one that would accuse me of such
horrid actions.” She turned to Viktor and glared at him.

“You let him say these things about me. You know we haven’t slept together. You also know that
you haven’t been celibate either.” Hermione probably shouldn’t have said that but she was hurt that
he wouldn’t stand up to his father for her. She turned her attention to the Headmasters and the
officials of the tournament.

“I swear upon my magic that I used neither potion nor magic again Viktor Krum or any other
champion to sabotage them in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. I have no idea why
Viktor acted as he did when he was half-transfigured. So I swear it, so mote it be.” Dumbledore
clapped his hands together happily.

“Well that settles that. We’ll chalk it up to animal instincts gone wrong like Minerva suggested and
score the champions like we originally had.” Everyone nodded and the Headmaster faced the four
champions.

“Harry, you reached the surface with your hostage first so you receive the full forty points. Viktor,
you were second, therefore, you receive thirty-eight points. Cedric, my boy, you were third, so you
get thirty-six. However, since you wanted to save all the hostages, the judges agreed to give you an
extra two points, tying you with Mr. Krum. Fleur, you were last and are awarded thirty-five points.”
Hermione could hear Karkaroff grumbling to himself but she ignored him. Everyone else seemed
quite happy with their scores so they all nodded. Knowing full well that she was just getting colder
standing out in the cold air, she turned to head back into the tent. Viktor, however, reached out and
caught her arm. Every man in her family stepped forward to tell him to bugger off but Hermione just
stared at him until he realized that she wanted him to release her. His face was sheepish as he spoke
lowly.

“I sorry, My fazzer make mistake and I do try to tell him he vrong. I not believe you cheat.”
Hermione gave him a sad smile. She took his hand in hers, mindful of their audience.

“I really like you, Viktor. I can’t sign a betrothal contract with someone that accused me of being a
cheat and told me that I was a liar. I come from two proud families and neither would stand for it.
You have to understand that.” Viktor nodded sadly.

“I know. You still spend time vith me? I like you.” Hermione smiled at him and finally nodded.

“Yes, I’ll still spend time with you. We’re definitely friends.” Viktor’s father was glaring at her but
she paid him no mind. She allowed her father to take her arm and lead her back into the tent. Rather
than sit in the bed and let her aunt and uncle snuggle her, Hermione opted to get dressed instead.
Harry followed suit and when they were dressed appropriately and ready to face the school,
Hermione floated into his arms and hugged him close, her head resting on his chest.

“Thank you for saving me, though I knew you would. I didn’t doubt you for a second.” He kissed
the side of her head and chuckled.

“It’s a good thing you did because I was scared to death that I wouldn’t find you. I could barely feel
that tracking charm they put on you.” She chuckled against him before pulling away and putting an
arm around Juliet’s shoulders.

“You didn’t seem to have any problems finding me.” Harry chuckled as her father threw his arm
around him and ruffled his hair, leading them out into the air once more so they could face the rest of
the school.

“I’m glad that you think it was so easy.” Hermione laughed again and stopped short when Fleur
Delacour stopped before her, her family behind her, all smiling widely.

“‘Ello, ‘arry tought tat you would be friend wit’ me. You family eat wit’ mine?” Hermione gave
Harry a questioning look and he laid a hand between her shoulder blades so he could whisper in her
ear.

“She said that she had no female friends because girls think she’s going to steal their men. She’s
veela.” Hermione grinned at Harry and nodded before glancing at the rest of her family. They were
all married aside from Tonks and Helena and Tonks was clearly Remus’ mate and her father was
doing everything he could to win Helena over. She saw no reason why they couldn’t eat with them.
She turned back to Fleur and nodded.

“Oui, we’ll eat with your family.”

Hermione could only hope that this friendship went better than the last one with a family not from
Britain did.

-O-

Lucius watched his niece from a distance as she interacted with the children her age. They were in
the Great Hall and they were all seated at the Slytherin table, eating what was supposed to be dinner.
He wasn’t all that hungry, truth be told, but that wasn't surprising. He had never liked it when
Hermione was in danger. While he knew that Hermione wasn't in danger under the surface of the
Black Lake, he didn't like her being there where he or Sirius couldn’t watch after her.

Now, she was seated at the end of the table surrounded by her friends and family and she was
laughing about who knew what. She was sitting between Draco and Harry and Juliet, Luna, and
Fleur were sitting across from her. Daphne, the Weasley twins, Neville, Blaise, Greg, Vince, and
Fleur’s little sister were seated around them and they were all listening closely to whatever they were
talking about. Since it was Harry and Draco talking, there was a good chance that they story was
about quidditch.

The adults around him were talking pleasantly; it was a nice way to spend the evening. Lucius loved
spending time with his family even though Dory drove him barmy most of the time and he couldn’t
hardly stand Remus. He still wasn’t all that close to Ted but he could admit that the man was quite
intelligent and was always good for a stimulating conversation. The only person missing was
Severus and Lucius would be the first to admit that he missed him.

The Delacours were delightful companions. Apolline was also a veela and had been the one to tell
them that it had been especially difficult for her daughters to make friends with girls since they were
always so jealous. Sirius, the most proud man on Earth, had told her that that would never be a
problem with Hermione since he knew that he had the most beautiful daughter in the world. Even
though Lucius agreed with his statement, he had rolled his eyes at his bold words.

Apolline was now discussing French fashions with Narcissa and Andie while Pierre was talking
Wizengamot orders with Sirius. Lucius had been a part of the conversation to begin with but had
fallen out of it as he paid more attention to the children. He couldn’t help but let his mind go to the
argument he had had with Sirius that night at Black Moor; the conversation they had had regarding
Harry and Hermione possibly being soul mates.

Lucius was still convinced that it was possible. Just watching them was enough to make him think it
possible. They were drawn to each other though neither one realized it; when one reached out and
touched the other, even casually, the other would lean into the touch and revel in it. He could see the
adoration shining in Harry’s eyes every time he looked at Hermione and though it wasn’t there when
Hermione looked at him, he could feel it. She had far more practice with hiding her feelings than he
did.

He wondered if either one of them even realized that the other felt the same way as they did; he
would never dream of breaking Hermione’s trust and telling Harry but it would probably make life
easier for the pair if someone did. However, it would also likely make things uncomfortable between
the pair of them. Right now, things were right between them; they weren’t fighting, they weren’t
jealous, and there was love, even if only familial at the moment. If Harry couldn’t commit to her and
be faithful, this was the best that it could be until that time arrived.

Lucius sighed. Eventually, they would figure things out and pull their heads from their arses. Who
knew how long it would take and how damaged their relationship would be by that time? He had
taken his father’s advice and sowed his oats before marrying Cissy, who had been his soul mate. It
had hurt her deeply since she had known what he was to her and saved herself for him. While he
didn’t think that Hermione would save herself specifically for that reason, he did think that she would
save herself for someone that loved her. While she had been raised to respect the pureblood ideals,
she had been told that if she loved someone, there were always exceptions to rules. Truthfully, he
just hoped that Harry didn’t hurt her too badly.

Hermione deserved the best and while he believed that Harry could be that, he still had a ways to go
before that happened.

A/N- Alrighty, folks, another chapter is done. I hope you enjoyed it. You all gave me so much
advice on how to go about this chapter and I appreciate it all. I finally decided to go about it this way
for the simple fact that I could make her wonder later on if there were really feelings there and he
could also say “oh, she was just family”. Anyways, let me know what you thought after the beep.

Next chapter, girl’s day!

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 78

A/N- I thank you all for the support you’ve shown me throughout this whole story. I would never
have made it this far without you. I want you all to know that I’m glad you approve of the changes
that I'm made to the second task. Thank you again for being the best readers in the whole wide
world. Anyways, enough for now, I’m going to get on with the show.

*Side note* I’m not sure when I’m going to update next. My grandpa is dying and I have no idea
what the time line for that is. It could be days or it could be months. His condition is already very bad
so I’m doubting that it takes long but please don’t send me messages begging me to hurry and
update. I love this man and he deserves my time and respect. I’m still going to write when I can but
I’m also going to spend what time I can with him before it’s too late. Thank you all so much for
understanding.

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything aside from the personal plot twist on this story. The original story
line belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to our queen. Since I’m still
struggling to make ends meet, I assure you that I haven’t made any money from this story or any
other.

Chapter 78
March 31, 1995

Hermione pushed her breakfast plate away from her with an excited smile. It was a Hogsmeade
weekend and Hermione had been talked into a girl’s day by her aunts and Dory; apparently, they
were dragging Helena along and they expected not only Luna and Daphne to join them but had
gotten special permission from Professor McGonagall for Juliet to attend as well.

Draco and Harry just watched all the girls with amusement on their faces. They had no urges to have
anything to do with this day and were going to stay as far away as possible from whatever the girls
had planned. Both boys had already told her that they had plans of their own with their friends.
Hermione had taken that to mean plans with their girlfriends but Draco had told her that it truly
meant plans with the twins, Neville, Blaise, Greg, Vince, and Cedric. She hadn’t asked what those
plans were but she knew for a fact that she wouldn’t find them interesting. She barely found her
girl’s plans interesting aside from the fact that it involved most of her family.

Juliet was vibrating in excitement across from Hermione while Luna did her best to calm her down
with a hand running through her hair. Harry and Draco were on their third plate of food and
Hermione was just waiting for everyone to finish so they could all catch a carriage together. The only
thing that Hermione felt bad about was that Madam Greengrass couldn’t be there with Daphne since
she was on an extended shopping trip with her sister in Paris. However, Daphne had been there with
Hermione through most of her childhood, even though they hadn’t always been the closest, so
hopefully having Aunt Cissy there would make it a little less lonely for the blonde girl.

Luna, who was the only one who would truly be without a mother, was the one that Hermione
worried for the most. Of course the Seer had known that she was worried and had soothed those
worries, telling her that she was happy to be attending with family and her mother would be thrilled
that she was there with Hermione, Juliet, and her Aunt Cissy. It made the Slytherin wonder just how
much Luna knew about Juliet before she had ever shown up. She had never questioned the
Ravenclaw about how her visions worked; her father and uncle had warned her and Draco to never
do so, that it was highly inappropriate, so they had followed their instructions to a letter. She would
never begrudge Luna not sharing the information, especially considering that she thought that she
and Draco had turned from her completely at one point.
As the others finished their plates, Hermione made sure that her cloak was next to her so she
wouldn’t have to worry about gathering it before leaving. She had told Juliet to make sure that she
did the same since she would have to go clear back to Gryffindor Tower. As she fretted with the
warming charm on the rich blue material, her mind wandered to the second task as it had done for the
week since it had occurred.

It was true that the Headmaster had given her the chance to be Harry’s hostage, he had let her take
the spot so Juliet wouldn’t have to suffer the position. This being said, she couldn’t help but feel that
the hostage still had to fit the riddle left in the egg. Was she the thing that Harry would miss most?
Could it be true that he held her above all others? She knew that he cared for her, he made that quite
obvious every single day, but she had never doubted that it was more than how a man felt for a sister.
Was it possible that he cared for her like a man cared for a woman? Or was it just hopes and dreams
on her part?

These thoughts kept her awake at night and she hated it. She had let these things go after Yule and
she had accepted that she would never occupy his mind or his heart. It had hurt to let them go but she
had accepted Harry as he was for that was all she wanted of him. It would be cruel for her to let him
go only to let herself hope just a little. Though she refused to let herself think of it in the light of the
day, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander in the dark of the night, especially when her hands
wandered beneath the covers and into her knickers.

Hermione was drawn from her thoughts by Draco pulling one of her curls and smiling at her. Harry
threw an arm around her shoulders and tickled the side of her neck with his fingertips, making her
laugh. Draco leaned over to make sure that only their group heard him.

“Is everyone ready to go? It appears that everyone in our party is ready to go.” It was true. Even the
twins and Neville had finished eating and they had been the last to arrive. They looked oddly excited
as well so Hermione really didn’t want to know what they were going to do. She just hoped that it
wasn’t something that would embarrass their family. There had been hints that her father and uncle
would be there but that didn’t make her feel any better. They could be quite the bad influence if they
wanted to be.

As a group of twelve they rose and started for the exit, Hermione throwing her cloak over her
shoulders and making sure that Juliet did the same. Luna and Daphne seemed to be just as prepared
while the boys all seemed to need to summon their cloaks. The rest of the students were quick to
follow their lead, all heading outside to get seats in the carriages that would take them the
Hogsmeade.

Since they were all determined to head that direction together but were too great in number to take
just one carriage, Fred was quick to suggest that the girls just sit on the boys laps, leaving enough
seats since there were eight seats per carriage. Hermione wasn’t sure that she was comfortable with
that since she wasn’t sure who she would be sitting on but didn’t want to throw the whole plan out of
whack just because she couldn’t handle a little discomfort for a mere ten to fifteen minutes.

As they all climbed into the carriage, Harry stayed out last to hand all the girls inside. Hermione let
Juliet go first, then Luna, followed closely by Daphne. When she took Harry's hand and stepped up
into the carriage, she saw that Juliet was seated on Fred’s lap and he was was plaiting one side of her
hair while George did the other; all three were laughing. Luna was sitting on Neville and they were
whispering softly to each other, about what though, she had no idea. Much to her chagrin, Daphne
was seated on her cousin’s lap, Daphne’s cheeks slightly pink and her arm wrapped loosely around
Draco’s neck with his arm looped around her waist. Hermione sighed since this left her with Blaise,
Vince, and Greg. Deciding that Blaise was her best bet, she started in that direction and hoped for the
best. She didn’t get far, however.
Hermione felt a hand around her wrist and found that Harry had taken the last seat. He was pulling
her into his lap, clearly unhappy with her sitting on the three Slytherin’s laps. She allowed him to pull
her onto him; while she was thrilled secretly, it scared her to death. The last thing she needed was to
get false hope based on one single occasion that only occured because of one circumstance.

Hermione settled in his lap and his strong arms settled around her waist, pulling her tight against him.
Her arm looped around his neck and she couldn’t help but play with the fine hairs at the nape of his
neck. She could feel the goosebumps erupt from his neck down his shoulders but she didn’t remark
upon it. In response, the thumb that rested on her waist slipped barely under her robes and rested on
the bare skin of her waist like a branding iron.

Hermione felt her pussy clench in response to his touch on her bare skin in such an intimate manner.
Her knickers were damp and it was embarrassing. Of course, she was sure that it was no more
embarrassing than the erection she felt pressing into her bum.

Rather than act like she felt nothing, Hermione decided to embrace the situation wholeheartedly.
Since she knew that she could trust everyone in the carriage to at least some degree, she laid her head
on Harry’s shoulder and relaxed into his chest, much the same way as she did numerous times before
while sitting in the library or in the Great Hall. She could smell his inherently male scent, citrus, mint,
and sandalwood, and she could feel him toying with the very ends of her curls at her very lower
back.

There was soft conversation around them about quidditch and just what they had planned for the
day. She had caught a whisper of what she thought the boys said was a “show” but she couldn’t be
sure. There was no way that Neville’s gran and Arthur Weasley would give permission for their sons
to go to the kind of show that she was assuming that they were seeing. Then again, who was she to
judge? She simply put it out of her mind and enjoyed the short amount of time she had in Harry’s
arms and snuggled into his warmth, unable to help thinking that she fit there quite well.

Hermione couldn’t help but notice that Daphne was settled quite nicely against her cousin as well.
Draco was twining her long blonde locks around his fingers and was whispering in her ear, making
her laugh softly. After remembering the things that he had said to her before the Ball, it made her a
little angry that Daphne had capitulated so quickly to her cousin, but she had never had the iron will
that Hermione had had. She only hoped that when Draco finally turned his attention to her that he
was honorable in his attention to her since it was clear that she wasn’t going to make him work for it.

Luna was snuggled quite happily into her very good friend Neville. It was a real eye-opener,
something that she had never thought of before. It was clear that they were quite compatible just by
looking at them together. She wondered if her cousin had seen the two of them meet but she knew
that she would never ask her; therefore, she vowed to support any relationship that Luna wanted
despite what her father decided was best for her. After all, her father could be quite mad at times.

They reached the edge of Hogsmeade and this time Draco stood, Daphne standing in the carriage so
she could be handed out first. Since Hermione and Harry had been last in, they were last out. As
much as she hated that she had such a reaction to his touch, she loathed to separate from him. Finally,
they were the only ones left and she reluctantly pulled her hand from his hair and neck to lean away
from his chest. She felt one last stroke of her skin by his thumb before he helped her stand and she
then made sure that her clothes were straight before she approached the door of the carriage.

“Mia.” She turned to see that Harry had rose to his feet, his obvious erection from before hidden
behind his robes. Even though it was depraved and she shouldn’t take pride in it since he was a bit of
a man whore, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride at the fact that she had gotten that reaction from
him. It let her know that he wasn't completely immune to her charms.
“I know that I’ve let you down, that I’ve hurt you. I know you deserve better. I wish that I was the
man you deserve.” Hermione couldn’t help but to smile sadly at him, knowing exactly what he was
saying to her. He did have feelings for her but he couldn’t be the man that she deserved. Therefore,
she needed to move on and that was brave and heartbreaking at the same time. She rushed him,
going to her tiptoes, wrapping her hands in his long hair so she could turn his head and press her lips
precariously close to his lips. It felt deliciously hot and dirty at the same time.

“I do deserve better. Maybe someday you’ll be that man but not right now. You’re too interested in
the rest of the female population of Hogwarts and I’m not interested in a man who wants other
women. I have very deep feelings for you, Harry, but they will never be more than friendship as long
as you’re entertaining other women. You warned me against Viktor but really, you’re cut from the
same cloth. You’re no better. At least Viktor told me that he was going to stop seeing the girls. You
aren’t. What’s sad is that even if you said you were, I’m not sure that I could believe you. You’ve
come to depend on sleeping with them. I’m never going to be that girl for you, Harry. While I’m not
opposed to a physical relationship, I’m not going to sleep with you just because you wink at me and
look handsome. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that if you’re ever serious and think you can
prove it, come find me. If not, don’t waste my time by hurting me and tearing our family apart. My
father and I wouldn’t survive it.” There were tears shimmering in her eyes and she knew it. Harry
stepped forward and cupped her cheeks in both his hands and she could see that Draco was watching
them through the small door of the carriage. He drew close enough that she could feel his breath on
her cheeks.

“I will never turn your family against each other. I can’t promise that I’ll ever be a man worthy of
your attention but if I ever decide that I am, I won’t ever do you wrong. I swear it.” Hermione smiled
sadly at him as she nodded resolutely. She wasn’t stupid. She knew that he wasn’t telling her that it
was happening now or anytime soon and there was no way in hell that she was going to wait around
for him. Even though she technically wasn’t courting Viktor, there was nothing saying she couldn’t
let other boys escort her and court her. Honestly, this conversation needed to happen.

“Thank you, Harry.” He released her face and offered her his hand so he could hand her down to her
cousin. She smiled at him and as she stepped down out of the carriage, Draco gave her a worried
look. She hugged him close and made sure to whisper in his ear.

“We’re alright. He’s promised not to tear our family apart.” Draco smiled at her understandingly and
she knew that she wasn't going to have to explain. Nothing more was needed since as soon as he
released her her Aunt Cissy, Helena, Aunt Andie, and Dory were waiting there to hug her. It seemed
that Juliet and Luna had already been passed around and they were only waiting on her to conclude
her business with Harry.

As soon as she had been passed around and her hugs been given freely was she allowed to see that
her father, Uncle Luci and Remus were standing off to the side. Once she realized they were there,
she waited no time to bound into their arms. Her father first, followed closely by her Uncle Luci.
Even though she didn’t consider herself close to Remus, she gave him a perfunctory hug since he
was Dory’s mate. Uncle Ted was noticeably absent, though it was explained that he had had to
work. Her father was the first to speak to her.

“We decided to make it a boy’s day as well.” She snorted and Uncle Luci laughed.

“I’m scared as to what that could mean.” Uncle Luci smoothed a hand down her curls and smiled at
her.

“I would never take your friends somewhere unsavory, princess.” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“My friends, no. What about family? We all know that you’re related to the Weasleys through
marriage several generations past and the same goes for Neville, Blaise, Greg, and Vince. You could
get away with considering them all family.” He chuckled and kissed her hairline, speaking into her
curls.

“Would you rather we be good?” She knew that her face clouded over since she was sure that she
didn’t have the right to tell them what they could and couldn’t do. Her Aunt Cissy was decidedly
neutral-looking so she just did her best to emulate her look. Her uncle caught her look immediately
and frowned. He cupped her cheeks and frowned.

“What’s bothering you, princess?” She shook her head.

“Nothing, Uncle.” He stared at her face and she knew that he knew that she was lying. He leaned his
head down until his forehead rested against hers.

“After all these years, you’re still a horrid liar. If it weren’t for your ambition, you’d never have made
a snake.” The rest of them watched as he brushed her hair back from her face.

“Stop lying to me.” She sighed and turned her face to the others. They all sighed and turned to start
looking in the other directions of the village. Even Aunt Cissy and her father gave them privacy.
Uncle Luci raised an eyebrow at her.

“I don’t care what you do with the boys. I told Harry that until he ditched the girls that he would
never deserve me. He agreed. I just worry that you’re teaching these boys to embrace that same
behavior. Harry makes me feel like I’m not good enough, like I’ll never be enough for him. You
taking these boys for whatever carnal delights await them feels like you’re teaching them to expect
more than what girls from Hogwarts are willing to provide. I can never live up to live dancers, to live
performers of sex rituals. I know that men like watching those, like participating in them. How can I
ever compete with a woman that does that sort of thing? Frankly, I’m surprised that Aunt Cissy
doesn’t feel the same way I do. How does she not feel like she isn’t enough for you compared to the
girls you watch?” For the first time in her whole life, shame crossed her uncle’s face. He pulled her
further from the others and even her father didn’t balk at giving them the space.

“I want you to understand, sweetness, that I don’t visit these things regularly. It’s a matter of tradition
in a pureblood family. The paterfamilias takes the son or the ward to women like these to make sure
that they are made men. There are no sex rituals, no viewing, just private encounters for those that
are still virgins. I know for a fact that Draco and Harry are no longer virgins, neither is young
Neville, as he is your father’s male ward. However, both Vince and Greg are in need of this visit,
Blaise says that he isn’t, and the twins say that they are without need. How do I only take two boys
without making them a spectacle without teasing?” Hermione sighed and hugged her uncle close.
His arms closed around her.

“I think this practice is disgusting. I hope you know that. What would you say if I wanted a
professional male to relieve me of my virginity?” Uncle Luci pulled her from his chest abruptly so he
could hold her cheeks tightly, making sure that she had to look at him.

“You know that it would devastate me if you did that. I don’t care if you enter your marriage a
virgin. We’ve had this discussion, princess. I know that it’s traditional if you do but I don’t care. I
just want you to love the person that you give yourself to. I want the person you give yourself to to
not sell you out. I want this more than anything, sweetness. Please don’t resort to something that
boys do.” She huffed angrily.

“Then why do you teach them that it’s acceptable to do so?” Her uncle seemed so perplexed that it
made her uncomfortable. She laid a comforting hand on his arm while he tried to explain in to her
after they had both appeared after the superior ward had disappeared.
“I understand, sweetness. We won’t go if it vexes you so.” Hermione shook her head.

“I don’t want to ruin the boy’s good time.” He snorted, an inelegant sound that her posh and polished
uncle rarely made.

“The only boys that know are the boys that don’t need it. Vince and Greg’s fathers can handle their
sons. I doubt that Draco and Harry will be upset.” He smoothed a hand down her hair.

“I don’t ever want to see you look at me like you’re disappointed. I really don’t like it.” She stepped
forward and hugged him again.

“I was more disappointed that you would do that to Aunt Cissy.” He chuckled into her hair.

“I haven’t touched another woman willingly since the day she consented to be mine.” Hermione
caught the use of the willingly but decided not to comment on it. She smiled at him and tugged on
one of the locks of his hair much the same way that he always did to her.

“You should go. The girls are all waiting impatiently for me. I think they intend to go to the spa.” He
chuckled and kissed her head before shooing her towards her aunt. She caught Draco and Harry’s
eyes as she started for the other women of her family and they shook their head in exasperation.
Draco called out to her as his father joined him.

“Only you can get your way when you aren’t even going to be with us.” Harry smacked him in the
arm while her uncle smacked him in the back of the head. Her father laughed and threw an arm
around both Harry and Draco, pulling the boys in the opposite direction of where they were headed.

Helena was chatting softly with Juliet and Aunt Andie was talking animatedly with Dory. Aunt
Cissy slipped her arm around Hermione’s waist while Luna and Daphne took up her other side. She
smiled down at her and squeezed her waist softly.

“The ability to get your way with your uncle astounds even me sometimes, sunshine.” Hermione
frowned.

“I wasn’t trying to get my way. I just didn’t like how disrespectful it was to you and the other girls.”
Her aunt grinned as she pulled them into a spa that was on the edge of the town.

“I know and I thank you for it. I’m not sure what they’ll get up to now but I’m sure they’ll find
something fun to do.” Hermione watched as her aunt stepped up to the woman running the spa and
was thankful that they were able to make it a family affair. Dory stepped forward and threw her arm
around her shoulders and Hermione grinned at her.

“Isn’t this experience pointless for you? You can change your appearance at will and now you’re
going to get your hair and everything done.” Dory smiled at her.

“It is pointless but I still get my natural hair done.” Juliet rushed up to stand next to them, dragging
her laughing mother along with her.

“Can they make my hair longer? I want my hair long like yours, Hermione.” Aunt Andie laughed
and nodded as they attendants appeared and led them towards the back.

“They can, dear, but our hair will be almost last. First, we soak.”

Hermione had done this numerous times growing up; she and her two aunts and Dory had always
gone several times a year and at least once on holiday during the summer. It was no new experience
for her or Daphne but it was definitely new for Luna and Juliet. Both girls looked excited and had no
shame in stripping down to crawl in the bath filled with oils and potions.

Hermione ended up in a bathtub between Aunt Andie and Helena. Daphne and Luna were directly
across from them and both were content with their eyes closed. She watched listened as Dory
discussed what she was going to do to her hair with her Aunt Cissy and she settled in to just relax.
She was just on the verge of dozing when Helena spoke.

“Would you be angry with me if I let your father take me on a date? He told me that he’s spoke to
you but I wouldn’t feel comfortable saying yes without talking to you first.” Hermione sighed,
unsure of how to say what she wanted to say.

“I don’t want you to get offended when I say this and please don’t think that I’m judging you. I’m
not. I dearly love Juliet and she’s family.” Helena nodded and even though everyone else was acting
as though they couldn’t hear what they were discussing, Hermione was well-aware they they could.
Aside from Daphne, they were all family.

“You’ve made clear from the beginning that you couldn’t trust my father again after what he did to
you and I don’t blame you a bit. Are you only giving him a chance now because of the situation with
your father?” Even though everyone else was confused, Helena wasn’t. Hermione saw that her
questions angered the woman.

“After making clear that I didn’t want your father for his money, you would begrudge my daughter
the safety your father’s name would offer? You would think that of me?” Hermione could see that
her Aunt Cissy was starting to sit up and Hermione arched an eyebrow at the woman.

“I don’t begrudge Juliet anything. She’s my sister and I would give her anything.” Hermione said
nothing else since that really didn’t answer her question. Helena sighed and slumped.

“No, it has nothing to do with my father. Sirius has already given her all the safety she needs from
my father just by giving her his last name and the protection that comes with it. I’ve always harbored
feelings for your father; I was devastated when he left me. I hoped that he would want me back but
had to make sure that he was serious about it. I can’t put my heart in his hands again if he isn’t
serious.” Hermione smiled at her and nodded.

“You have my blessings. Just know that if you ever betray him I will hunt you down and make you
pay.” Helena gave her a jerky nod and Aunt Andie laughed.

“Now that that unpleasantness is over with, you girls tell us what you want to do with your lives. I
haven’t seen you in so long.” Hermione listened as Daphne told them how she wanted to open a new
ward in St. Mungo’s specifically for werewolves and the like and start her own charity. Luna told
them that she wanted to become a magizoologist and see the world. Juliet told them that she had no
ideas what she wanted to do other than finish her schooling. They all turned to Hermione and she
couldn’t help but blush a little.

“I want to do lots of things I want to get a mastery in Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Arithmancy.
I want to create my own spells, I want to change the laws in the Wizengamot for magical creatures, I
want to practice magical law. I can’t even say everything that I want to do because I haven’t decided
everything yet.” Dory whistled lowly.

“You got a lot of dreams, Miney.” Her aunts chuckled proudly but Hermione just shrugged her
shoulders.

“I can’t help it.”

Their conversation was cut short by the attendants returning to move them along to the massage
room. Hermione laid on a table between Daphne and Luna and made sure that she was appropriately
covered. Several witches filed in and covered their hands in a special scented potion that would make
sure that their skin would be soft as silk for days. Their massages lasted for an hour and Hermione
almost fell asleep while the witch worked her way down her body, working the potion into her
whole body.

After the witches all filed out, Hermione and her family all dressed and started for the next room.
They all took seats in the chairs that lined the room and witches came in to start on their toenails and
fingernails. She enjoyed the attention that the witch showered on her cuticles and nails, leaving them
a shiny crimson color when she was finished. Juliet especially seemed pleased to get her nails done,
though she decided to go with matching nails with her mother.

Finally, they moved to the salon part and Hermione wasn’t sure what to do with her hair. Her Aunt
Cissy was going to do the same thing she always did while her Aunt Andie was going to cut a few
inches off her length. Dory let her hair revert to its natural state, long and black with just a slight
wave. She had decided to just get it moisturized and a few inches cut off. Daphne was getting a curl
put into her hair and Luna was cutting hers to where it was only shoulder length. Helena agreed to let
Juliet grow her hair to waist length as long as she agreed to take care of it after deciding to darken her
hair just a few shades herself. After much deliberation, Aunt Cissy ran her fingers through her curls
and smiled.

“Not sure what to do with your hair?” Hermione shook her head.

“No, I usually don’t do anything new to it but I think I want to. I’m tired of being the same as I was
when I was six years old.” Aunt Cissy fluffed her curls for a few minutes, considering carefully.
Finally, she smiled.

“I would like it if you kept the length. It makes you look so grown up and mature. I think that you
should put some color in your hair. You’re old enough to carry it off now. Put blue streaks in it, or
even red. They can make it to where they only last a few months. I would suggest a bright blue,
though, to match your eyes.” Hermione brightened at her suggestion. It wasn’t something that
pureblood witches got done very often but she liked the idea. It would set her apart and while she
already was set apart, this would be for something that she actually had a choice in.

Hermione sat in the chair and allowed the witch that usually did her hair to come in and start. When
she told her what she wanted done, her eyes widened and then she smiled, clearly excited to do
something new and exciting on a pureblood heiress. Hermione let her work her magic and enjoyed
the attention that she received to her hair. She was one of the last ones finished, but once she saw it
in the mirror, she couldn’t have been happier.

There were streaks all through her hair of royal blue. It was dark but just bright enough that you
could tell it was there in the bright lighting. Kennedy, her salon witch, taught her a spell that would
mask the blue if she needed it. It would have to removed at a salon permanently but masking it
would last for up to twenty-four hours if needed. Her whole family exclaimed loudly when they saw
it, telling her how amazing it looked and how much the boys were going to lose it when they saw it.
Hermione knew that she was blushing slightly when she finally waved their compliments away and
her aunt paid the bill. Hermione frowned and stepped forward, determined to help her so Uncle Luci
wouldn’t grouch at her. She laughed and waved her away.

“You’re his princess, Hermione. If you’re involved, he won’t ever complain. You know I’m going to
throw you the wedding of a century and he’s going to love spending every knut, right?” Hermione
just shook her head and chuckled.
“You’re hopeless, Aunt Cissy.” She tickled her side after signing her name at the bottom of the
outrageous bill, authorizing it to be taken from the Malfoy vault.

“Probably so. Now, girls, let’s go shopping.” There were squeals all the way around and Hermione
could only groan.

This was going to be a long day.

-O-

Harry couldn’t believe that he had been so bold as to tell Hermione his feelings. He still wasn’t sure
what had prompted him to do so and even though she had told him that while he was acting as he
was he wasn’t good enough, he was glad that he had. He felt as if for the first time since they had
met, they were on the same page and there was no animosity.

He loved her. He knew it, he just couldn’t admit it to her. He had told her that she deserved better
and that there were feelings there but telling her that he loved her scared the holy fuck out of him. He
wasn’t even sure what love was, how it felt. Sure, he knew what getting his cock wet felt like, he
knew what having girls tell him they loved him felt like, but he had a distinct feeling that none of that
was what actual love felt like.

Harry wanted to throw himself at Hermione’s mercy when he learned that she had feelings for him as
well. It warmed his heart to learn that she could give him another chance if only he was serious about
being faithful. He wanted to commit as soon as she told him but he held back because he was scared
as fuck. What if he couldn’t remain faithful? What if he cheated on her and broke her heart? What if
he tore her family apart and lost his family in the process? He wanted her more than anything in the
world but he wouldn’t take the chance of making her hate him if he wasn’t sure that he could do it.
He wouldn’t hurt her. Maybe it made him a coward but he didn’t care. He would embrace any suitor
she brought home if it meant that Harry didn’t hurt her or their family irreparably.

Sirius was walking ahead of him with Neville and Blaise, telling them the change in their plans.
Harry wasn’t surprised to be honest. Hermione was clearly Uncle Lucius’ favorite and he was going
to do whatever she wanted. He didn’t mind. He didn’t need professional help to get his cock wet and
the afternoon could be spent doing something else just as pleasurable. Besides, after having
Hermione’s sweet, peach arse pressed into his cock on the ride to Hogsmeade, he didn’t think that
there was anything that could top that. The entire way to the village, he had struggled with thrusting
up against the heat of her core, holding her hips tight enough to bruise while he ground himself into
her, causing her to groan, whimper, and moan her orgasm. Even now he could feel his cock getting
hard.

Draco was walking next to him while Vince, Greg, Fred, and George were all lagging behind. Uncle
Lucius came between them and dropped an arm around their shoulders and smiled down at them.
Harry knew what was coming next and he suspected that Draco did as well. It was Draco that broke
the silence.

“I swear, Father, you have got to get it under control. Everyone is going to think that Hermione has
you under the Imperius or something. You do whatever she wants you to. It’s embarrassing. You’re
our patriarch and you give her orders. She’s your heir and she’s meant to do as you wish. It’s her
duty as your heir. She needs to respect that and our traditions.” Harry knew that this wasn't going to
end well so he was pleasantly surprised when Lucius smiled jovially at his son before turning to
Harry.

“Do you agree, Harry? Should I tell Hermione that she should just bow out and let traditions take
place no matter how much she hates them?” Harry knew that this was a very important question. He
just wasn’t sure why. Therefore, he tried to answer as best he could.

“Well, sir, I wasn’t raised a pureblood so the tradition doesn’t really mean much to me. I don’t have
any problems getting my cock wet so I don’t need professional girls. It makes no nevermind to me if
we go or not. It Hermione doesn’t like it, why would we make her mad on purpose without a very
good reason? I mean, we could just go back to Hogwarts and find any girl we wanted to get the
same thing and she wouldn’t say a thing.” Uncle Lucius turned back to Draco and arched an
eyebrow at his son.

“That was the correct answer. Your cousin should be the most precious woman in your life right
now, not some random woman you’re trying to fuck. I understand you’re getting it from several girls
at the moment and I’m glad that you’re taking my advice. I want you to be sure that when you decide
to commit to a girl that you’re able to stay true to her, much unlike many boys your age. When a
woman gives you her heart, she deserves to know that you’re going to treat it like the precious
treasure that it is, not toss it about and treat it like garbage. Get your playing around out of the way.”
He sighed and relaxed his arms further on their shoulders.

“Sirius and I are only concerned with you two and Neville. Sirius took responsibility over Neville in
many things when Bellatrix destroyed the minds of his parents. He’s been included in many lessons
through the years for this reason and this will continue to be so. None of you need the traditional visit
to Madam Raoul so we will forego it. Vince and Greg’s fathers can handle their issues on their own.
Blaise’s father and surprisingly, Arthur in a show of good faith, gave permission for their boys to
attend today if we went.” He sighed and Harry was surprised to see the show of weakness.

“Draco, you are my son and you know you will always be my number one. Hermione will always
be a close number two. She has been since she was laid in my arms when she was only an hour old.
I fell in love with her, the second Malfoy female born in two centuries. I love her. I don’t want to
upset her if you three don’t need the services of Madam Raoul. I don’t like how she was looking at
me like she was disappointed in me for enjoying going while leaving your mother behind. She told
me that she feels like she isn’t enough for the boys at Hogwarts and these traditions only exacerbate
those feelings in young girls. How do you want me to respond to that? How do you think young
Daphne would feel, Draco?” Harry slumped since he knew that he was the reason that Hermione felt
like she wasn’t good enough. Well, at least part of it. Draco sighed.

“Not very good. She would hate it if she knew what we were doing. She wouldn’t have had as much
fun as she did sitting on my lap on the way here.” Lucius nodded.

“Exactly. I know you care for the girl. I know you’re sowing your oats but don’t keep the girl
waiting. Someone is going to realize how sweet she is, how beautiful and smart, and they’re going to
snatch her up. You’ll lose her forever.” Draco nodded.

“I know, Father, but I don’t think I could be faithful right now. My eye wanders too much. She
deserves better than that.” Lucius nodded understandingly.

“She does indeed. So be it. If she finds someone else, be it on your head.” Draco nodded and Uncle
Lucius smirked at the pair of them.

“I think I know what we can do that the girls won’t necessarily approve of but they won’t complain
about too much. Shall we give it a shot?” Harry nodded excitedly. As soon as Uncle Lucius turned
them down a side street, Remus started laughing aloud and Sirius roared.

“You’re sure that my daughter will approve, old friend?” Harry had to give it to Uncle Lucius; he
didn’t even blush the tiniest bit.
“Maybe not approve but she’ll accept it.”

They all bunched up together as they approached and then entered the Babbity Bowster, a pub
located on a side street that students rarely traveled. It was clearly busy and Harry was excited to see
that there were numerous barrels of different ales and countless bottles of whiskey lining the walls.
He got the feeling that it was muggle in origin but there were definitely magicals in attendance. He
turned to his godfather with a questioning gaze and Sirius smiled.

“The owner is a muggle, the original pub was quite famous in Glasgow. His son, however, was
magical, sorted into Ravenclaw a few years ahead of Remus and I. He decided to come to
Hogsmeade and open a pub, selling magical brews as well as muggle so his son could help him after
he left Hogwarts. This place has made them quite rich and fairly famous for their homemade brews.
Everyone in the magical world knows of the pub and it’s the only one. Trust me, you boys will find
something that you love.” Harry loved the idea of blending magical with muggle and making it
work. Since it was clear that even the purebloods loved the muggle alcohol, it was clear that the
muggle had done something right.

Remus led them all to a table and they were quick to take their seats, Harry finding a seat between
Remus and Vince. Lucius and Sirius went off to the counter to find a bar wench and Vince leaned
over to whisper to Harry.

“Do you think the girls will be angry we’re going to drink?” Harry shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m sure they’ll be irritated. They’ll get over it quickly though. I bet Uncle Lucius makes us take
Sober-Up.” Remus chuckled next to him and ruffled his hair.

“Of course he will be. You’re going back to school. None of us would dream of sending you back to
school in that state. It would be irresponsible.” Harry nodded, having no problem with this at all.
After all, it was like a ticket to get hammered drunk to not have to suffer any of the consequences.

A young bar wench appeared with a platter of numerous mugs of beer and many little glasses of
whiskey. She left the platter on the table and then wandered off, her arse swaying in her short skirt.
Harry could admit that it was quite nice but after having Hermione perched in his lap today, it did
nothing for him. Even her tits mostly falling out of the top of her shirt didn’t get his dick hard. He
had just finished his first mug of delicious beer when Sirius looked at Remus.

“Have you told her yet?” Remus looked down into his mug and appeared to be quite busy. He
finally answered with an answer so soft it could have been a whisper.

“Told her what?” Sirius laughed though Harry could tell that he did try to be quiet. The rest of the
boys were having a conversation about quidditch so they weren’t paying any attention.

“For one, that you're a werewolf and that she’s your mate. For two, that we used to shag seven ways
from Sunday every single day for six months straight.” Harry could see that Remus’ ears were bright
red and he felt just a little bad for the man. It was clear that he was mortified but Sirius didn’t care.
However, it had been almost four months and he still hadn’t told Tonks anything? He deserved some
embarrassment. In the end, he looked up and gave Sirius puppy-dog eyes.

“I’m going to tell her, I swear. I just haven’t found the right time. I’m not sure how to tell her. How
do you tell a person something life-altering like that?” Sirius chuckled and tapped his fingers on his
chin as Harry grabbed another drink.

“You just tell her. She’s shagged other blokes before. Fuck, I walked in and caught her shagging
Charlie Weasley. She was riding him like a fucking dragon, she was. Her hair was long and blood
red; if she hadn’t been my baby cousin, it would have been bloody hot. The fact that you were
fucking me probably isn’t going to make much of a difference since I’m pretty sure that she’s had a
threesome before. As for the werewolf thing, I know Hermione has already told her. Really, you’re
just insulting her by not telling her now that she already knows.” Remus cursed loudly and Harry
frowned at him.

“You really didn’t think that she would keep her mouth shut for you? She’s already stuck up for you
more than you deserved.” Remus and the rest of the family turned his way. The werewolf almost
growled in his direction.

“What do you mean?” Harry sighed.

“At the Yule Ball, Viktor called you the family pet. Hermione told him that he better never do it
again if he wanted to keep his tongue. Something along those lines. Tonks said the same thing, that
you were family. You don’t have any right to be mad at Hermione after she stood up to her date for
you.” Remus sighed and nodded.

“How I treated her is one of the things I’ll regret the rest of my life.” Harry clapped him on the back
and smiled.

“She wouldn’t want you dwelling on it right now. Hermione is having fun with the girls and she
would want us to have fun.” Sirius laughed at his words.

“Just not too much fun.” Uncle Lucius sniffed in his direction.

“She doesn’t want us to disrespect the women.” Draco raised an eyebrow at his cousin.

“I doubt that Helena would approve of Madam Raoul.” Harry chuckled when his godfather’s face
paled. He decided to change the subject.

“Is she ever going to give you a chance?” Sirius sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

“I think I’m going to give up. She really doesn’t want to get back with me. I can’t think of any other
ways to ask her.” Harry snorted.

“It’s only been five months. Suck it up. According to you and everyone else, my father asked my
mother out for seven years straight. If you really want her, don’t give up.” A sad smile ghosted
across his face before he nodded.

“Alright, Prongslet, I won’t give up. I’m not giving her seven years though.” Harry laughed as he
finished his fourth mug of beer. The other boys were further along in their inebriation that he was but
he wasn’t jealous. This wasn’t the first time he had been drunk and he knew that it wouldn’t be the
last.

There was small talk amongst the rest of them; Neville was laughing about his time spent with Lisa
Turpin and the twins were telling Greg about their latest prank. Draco was leaning into Sirius and
Harry had a feeling that he was almost asleep; he wondered if he had ever sneaked into his father’s
supply of firewhiskey or if Hermione had stopped him. Harry was just about to jump into the
conversation with Vince and Remus about the latest quidditch match when there was a commotion
behind him. He turned to see Viktor Krum stumbling slightly with a very attractive tavern wench on
his arm. He turned from the scene, disgusted. Viktor could have had everything that Harry wanted
and he had thrown it away. However, he could hear that man approaching. Neville was the one to
greet him.

“What can we do for you, Krum?” His voice wasn’t exactly pleasant but it wasn’t cold either.
Viktor’s voice was slurred slightly but seemed happy.

“Tatiana, meet Harry Potter and his family. He is competitor in tournament. He is first place.”
Tatiana stepped forward and hugged him tightly, pressing her breasts against him. He thought that
she was just going to kiss him on the cheek but at the last second, her lips found his. Her tongue
shoved it’s way into his mouth, plundering his mouth ruthlessly. She tasted of whiskey and
cigarettes. The other boys in their group cheered but Harry couldn’t help but find that his stomach
turned. He finally grasped her shoulders and pushed her away. She smiled at him in a sultry manner.

“Pleased to meet you, Potter.” He glared at her and remained silent. He turned his attention back to
Viktor.

“I see you’re taking advantage of the fact that you aren’t courting Hermione anymore.” He shrugged
his shoulders.

“She is one who called it off between families, not me.” Harry knew that the man was drunk but that
didn't make him want to hit him any less.

“Your father called her a liar. My godfather would never call a woman I was courting a liar unless it
was meant to be the end of the relationship. Unless that’s exactly what happened here.” Viktor’s eyes
flashed but he didn’t deny it. Now Sirius stood and faced the Bulgarian, his eyes curious.

“Are you saying that your father wanted your attempted courtship of my daughter to end? Why is
that, young Krum?” Viktor was just drunk enough to answer.

“My father vas quite smitten with her power but vas less than enamored with my inability to control
her. I vould have given her loyalty and made sure that she vanted for nothing but I couldn’t say the
same once I told her my true love of the dark arts. She vould have used power against my family and
there nothing that I could have done to stop her. My father refused to let her destroy us.” Harry
noticed that Sirius and Uncle Lucius smiled proudly. It was Draco that spoke.

“Mia will never be controlled by a man. Her whole family will make sure of that. It’s just as well that
you left when you did. Trust me, between her father and mine, she will never want for anything. She
doesn’t need you.” Viktor chuckled darkly.

“No, she doesn’t. She’s already a spoiled girl. I just wish could have experienced her once before
setting her free.” Harry surged forward to hit the Bulgarian but Remus was there, holding him back
with his werewolf strength. Lucius was holding Draco back in much the same way. It was Sirius that
spoke, his voice cold as ice.

“I suggest you leave, Mr. Krum, before I set these boys free. Since the lot of them are all scions to
ancient and noble houses, I think that you would find yourself hard-pressed to find someone
sympathetic in the Wizengamot. Might I remind you that all their fathers are members?” Sirius
smirked at him as Viktor began to sputter.

“Good day, Mr. Krum. Stay away from my daughter.” Viktor clearly wanted to stay and trade more
words but Tatiana dragged him away. As Harry took his seat again, he felt someone throw an arm
around him. He was surprised to see that his godfather had switched seats with Remus. He hugged
Harry close from the side before releasing him.

“That bastard better stay away from my daughter.” Harry nodded.

“Draco and I will make sure he keeps his distance. I'm sure that Nev and the twins will help.” The
three of them nodded but George looked perplexed.
“We aren’t a noble house and we don’t have a seat in the Wizengamot. You were lying.” Harry
watched as Sirius and Uncle Lucius exchanged glances with each other before speaking carefully.

“We weren’t lying, per se. There are some things that we can’t discuss right now since they aren’t set
in stone and we haven’t discussed them with your father. He’s the head of your family, correct?”
Both Fred and George nodded their heads.

“He just gained that status a year ago when his older brother died. He wasn’t too thrilled with the
status change but he’s getting by. He doesn’t like the strain on his magic that it takes to uphold the
family magic.” Harry watched as Sirius nodded understandingly.

“I bet it gets taxing with so many of you. Your father was never the strongest magically.” Fred shook
his head.

“No, it tires him out more now. He gets frustrated. Mum keeps telling him he’ll get better with time
but I don’t think he will. What’s it like for you, Lord Black? You carry Hermione, Juliet, Lady
Malfoy, Mrs. Tonks, and Tonks. Is it as taxing as Dad says?” Harry was as interested as the twins.

“It can be. It depends on what’s going on around them. Normally, not so much since my magic is so
strong. I know that many people look down on inbreeding; I do to an extent. My parents were
cousins and my magic is stronger that an average wizards. I can easily handle my family's magic.
Hermione is the only one that taxes it and that’s when she has an emotional response to something.
When she takes my place as Lady Black, she’ll have no problems handling the strain on her magic
since it’s so strong.” George turned to Uncle Lucius and raised an eyebrow. Harry had a feeling that
their questions were considered private and probably rude but since Hermione considered them
family, he answered them.

“What about yours, Lord Malfoy? You only carry the strain of yourself and Draco, right?” Uncle
Lucius shook his head.

“I did, since Narcissa kept hers with Sirius after he retained his title. However, when I made
Hermione my heir, I carry her magic on my line as well. Not her Black family magic, that’s
impossible, but I carry her Malfoy magic. It isn’t as strong as her Black side since there is only one
strand versus two strands of the Black, but it’s still extremely strong. She and Draco are both already
as strong as myself and they are only fifteen. When Draco takes over as Lord Malfoy, he will carry
both my magic and Hermione’s. He will have no problems. I have no problems with muggle borns in
our world but this is why I think that some are of weaker breeding. Granted, there are some that are
superior. Take Lily Potter for example. Excellent witch and much more powerful than any pureblood
witch I know, aside from Hermione. She excelled against even my wife. I believe that these muggle
borns are born from squib lines.” Harry considered his words.

It made sense. Magic couldn’t just appear out of nowhere, it just wasn’t possible. Magic had to come
from somewhere and it made sense that it came from dormant genes. The stronger muggleborns
probably came from the stronger of the pureblood lines. Uncle Lucius probably hated to admit it but
it was most likely the truth. He wondered briefly why nobody had ever investigated it. He cocked an
eyebrow at his uncle.

“What’s the most powerful redhead pureblood family?” He cocked his head to the side and
considered his answer for several seconds before answering.

“Either Bones or Prewett.” Harry knew that this conversation was much too heavy to have for being
as drunk as they all were.

“Do you think that we could use a sample of my blood and compare it to Susan’s or Fred and
George’s to see which family my mother came from?” Uncle Lucius cocked his head to the side.

“I’m not sure that can be done.” Harry chuckled darkly.

“Well, Uncle, just one of the ways muggles are ahead of wizards. It can be done in the muggle
world. Maybe we can get it done there.” Uncle Lucius looked at him as though he had lost his mind.
Harry just laughed at him.

“I'm not explaining it today. Maybe another day.” It was a fair enough assumption and it was at this
point that they decided that they needed to start heading back towards the carriages.

Uncle Lucius and Sirius went to go pay their tab and Harry could admit that he was quite drunk. He
wasn’t stumbling like Draco and Neville but his head felt light and his stomach queasy. They all
followed Remus out into the sunshine and Harry was the first to say that it hurt his eyes. As they
lined up outside the Babbity Bowster, Remus handed out Sober Up potion to every one of them.
Harry downed his quickly, instantly feeling better. Once his godfather and uncle reappeared, they
started back to where the carriages were normally parked.

Harry couldn’t remember a time that he had such a good time with just the boys. He was glad that he
had been able to spend time with just his family and friends. They were laughing about numerous
different things as they made their way through the streets. As they drew closer to the carriages,
Harry could hear laughter and he was almost sure that it belonged to the girls.

They turned the last corner and saw that they girls were indeed waiting for them. They all seemed to
be in different clothing than they had started out in and Harry couldn't help but notice that
Hermione’s hair looked different. He couldn’t place it from a distance but he could tell that there was
something different.

As they approached the girls, he could hear his godfather start laughing. Harry turned to see what
was so funny but he could see that his eyes were riveted on his daughter. Lucius was glaring at him
but Sirius just laughed at his gaze. Harry couldn’t help but laugh at the open amusement in his voice.

“You can’t deny her Black blood now, Malfoy.” Lucius sneered at him.

“You’re lucky I think it’s adorable.” Sirius laughed.

“Sure you do.”

Harry understood what they were talking about almost instantly. As they approached Hermione, he
could see that there were blue streaks in her hair. Nothing else had changed about it but it was
considered drastic by pureblood standards. The next person he noticed was Juliet; she had
lengthened her hair to where it reached almost as long as Hermione’s. He smiled at Hermione and
tugged one of her free curls.

“Wow, I like it. Very rebellious. Is there something you haven’t told me yet?” She laughed and
looked to the ground.

“No, actually, it was Aunt Cissy’s idea. I couldn’t decide what to do with it.” He glanced at Lady
Malfoy and smiled.

“It looks great. You’re going to blow everyone away.” She smiled brilliantly at him but said nothing
else.

Harry was passed around to give hugs and he was happy to see that Helena was smiling. Aunt Cissy
was smiling as she pulled him into a hug, smoothing his hair down even though it was hopeless. She
kissed his cheek and smiled sweetly at him.

“I’m going to take you to the spa next time. We need to get your hair under control.” He laughed and
tugged on her hair.

“I don’t think so, Aunt Cissy. I’m just not sure that’s my scene.” She laughed as she passed him on
to Aunt Andie. The woman gave him a far more reserved hug than Aunt Cissy had. He still smiled at
her and hugged her back. Eventually, they would be as close as they were with Hermione.

After Harry had hugged everyone, he watched Hermione bid everyone goodbye. It was clear that her
father and uncle didn’t tell her about meeting Viktor and weren’t planning to. He was going to
follow their lead and he had a feeling that Draco was going to as well unless she specifically asked
him about it. He could only hope that the other boys kept their mouths shut.

Hermione hugged her father and uncle close, kissing their cheeks and telling them how much she
would miss them. Harry was even surprised to see her hug Remus and kiss his cheek briefly before
turning him over to Tonks. Harry watched all the boys file into one of the carriages like before and
he was no different. Uncle Lucius and Sirius were standing on either side of the carriage to make
sure that the girls had someone to hand them in.

Harry was clear at the back of the carriage with Draco next to him. He watched as Luna stepped into
the carriage and took a seat in Neville’s lap as she had before. Juliet entered with a laugh and
plopped herself down in Blaise’s lap this time. The Slytherin was snickering about something the
small Gryffindor had said to him and Harry was trying not to laugh himself. Daphne came next and
she looked undecided as she considered Harry and Draco as seats. As much Harry understood her
taking himself as a seat, he hoped that she would use Draco as a seat again. It seemed as though his
prayers were answered because she finally turned to the blond and took a seat in his lap.

Hermione entered with a smile on her face and he could tell that her father had just made her laugh
about something. When she caught his eye, he held his hand out to her and she was quick to take it.
He let her sit on his lap and he shifted her until she was comfortable on top of him. He looped his
arms around her waist tightly and she relaxed into his chest. Harry couldn't help but to finger the
ends of her curls and smile against her forehead as he spoke.

“I really do like your hair, Mia.” She nuzzled further into his chest and relaxed even more.

“Thank you. It really was Aunt Cissy’s idea but I really like it. The witch who did it taught me a
spell that would mask it for up to twenty-four hours if I needed it hidden. If I needed it done
permanently, it’ll have to be done professionally.” He kissed her forehead and let her rest against
him. He refrained from stroking her bare waist like he had before but he enjoyed the feeling of her
shapely arse and hot core against his cock.

There was soft conversation amongst them all but Harry didn’t pay attention to it. Hermione was like
jelly against him and he feared that she was falling asleep against him. He hated that they were
wasting what little time they had together but it was also a wonderful thought to know that she
trusted him enough to know that she could sleep against him and know that he would make sure
nobody or nothing would harm her. Therefore, he rested his cheek against her forehead and let the
rhythm of the road relax him as well.

They were almost back to the castle when there was a soft gasp on the opposite side of the carriage.
Harry turned his attention to the offender. Luna was the one who had caught sight of something
outside the window of the carriage. Juliet had rose from Blaise’s lap and peered out after her friend
and gasped loudly, jolting Hermione out of her doze. Harry tightened his arms around her, making
sure that she didn’t slip out of his lap.
“What is it, Jules?” He knew that his voice was urgent but he didn’t want Hermione upset. He liked
that she was relaxed and sleeping against him.

“There’s somebody laying on the ground out there. They aren’t moving.” Hermione sighed against
him and he could have sworn that she took one last deep breath of his scent at his neck before sitting
up. Her hair was ruffled but he didn’t think she had ever looked sexier.

“We should go check on them. Who knows who it could be?” Harry put his hands on her hips and
boosted her up; she flashed him a thankful look before he stood to follow her. There was no way that
he was going to allow her to approach a random person laying on the ground outside with nobody
with her. Draco was right on his heels as they left the carriage.

As they rounded the corner of the carriage, Hermione let out a distressed yell. Harry wasn't sure what
had caused it but he was instantly on high alert. His wand was in his hand and he was scanning the
countryside along the carriage. Draco appeared to be doing the same. Hermione dropped to her
knees at the man’s body.

“It’s Barty Crouch, the Ministry official. He’s dead.” Harry hurried to her side and was quick to put
his hands under her arms so he could pull her to her feet. Once she was upright, he put her under his
arm and protected her from the wind as best he could. Draco waved his wand, his dragon appearing
and then disappearing soon after. Harry could feel Hermione trembling ever so slightly so he
wrapped her fully in his arms and stroked her spine. He couldn’t take his eyes off the body of
Crouch and was the first to meet Draco’s gaze when his dragon disappeared.

“I sent it to Uncle Sev. I didn’t tell him anything for sure, I just told him to send the Headmaster and
Madam Pomfrey, that we came across Mr. Crouch on the way back to the castle.” Harry nodded and
continued to rub Hermione’s back. She spoke into his neck.

“Should we run diagnostics, make sure that there’s nothing that we can do to save him?” Harry had
no idea what she was talking about. She pulled away from him and knelt before the body and raised
her wand. He laid both hands on her shoulders and started to rub them softly, making sure that she
knew that he was there with her. The spells flew from her wand and she seemed to be reading them
just fine while he was confused. After several minutes, she rocked back on her heels and leaned
against his legs. He could tell that her voice was thick when she spoke.

“He’s been dead for several hours. There’s nothing that we can do.” Draco stepped forward and
pulled her to her feet and back towards the carriage. Even though they weren’t going to be leaving
the scene, nobody wanted to continue staring at the dead body. Harry was quick to jump alongside
her and wrap an arm around her waist and snug her close to him while Draco gave him a grateful
look. Once they were on the other side, Draco took off his cloak and threw it around Hermione. All
three settled on the ground against the carriage. Daphne stuck her head out of the carriage and gave
them a questioning glance.

“What’s going on?” Draco stood and took her hand in his.

“It’s not good, Daph. We’re waiting on the Headmaster to get here. Just keep everyone in there for
us, alright?” She gave him a grave nod and Harry had to give it to her for not freaking out. Hermione
leaned further into him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Her voice was soft as she
spoke.

“I know I shouldn’t be getting this close to you and I’m sorry. I don't want to be alone.” He kissed
the side of her head and rested the side of his face against her hair.

“I know. We’ll start fresh in the morning. Right now, none of us want to be alone and deal with this.
I’m here for you just like Draco is. You’re here for me. We’re family, Mia. It doesn’t need to mean
anything other than that.” She lifted her head and smiled at him. She kissed his cheek before laying
her head back down on his chest as they waited for the Headmaster and whoever else he thought to
bring with him when he appeared.

What a clusterfuck of a day.

-O-

Albus wasn’t sure what the fuck was going on. How Barty had been murdered, he wasn’t sure. The
fact that it had occurred just outside of Hogwarts grounds was disturbing to say the least. He wasn’t
sure how the Ministry official had come to be outside the school grounds outside of the tournament
but that meant nothing now. He would likely never know. However, he had suspicions that there had
been foul play at work from inside the castle.

It wasn't something that he could prove and it wasn't something that he could say in front of the
D.M.L.E. It was something that disturbed him greatly not only because it had taken the life of
someone involved deeply in the tournament but it had happened where the rest of his students would
see it, where they would find his body. Where they had found his body.

Severus had received the patronus from young Malfoy saying that there was something wrong with
Mr. Crouch. Of course, he had to know that he was dead; he had been so for hours. It was evident
not only by the spells but by the ice cold feeling of his skin. It was clear that Miss Black was aware
when they had arrived; it was also clear that she had told at least Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy her
findings.

While he didn’t personally have anything invested in Barty Crouch, Sr., he was worried about what
this meant for Harry. Barty had been the only person from the Ministry that had been against Harry
competing in the Triwizard Tournament. With him gone, it was hard to say what stance the Ministry
would now take. Sirius and Lucius could only do so much in the Wizengamot.

Moody had been acting oddly since the beginning of the year; he wasn’t sure what had happened to
his oldest friend. He was still paranoid and still wanted to put every precaution into place but he still
seemed off. It was becoming more and more obvious but Albus couldn’t quite place it. It just didn’t
make sense since Alastor was seriously the most paranoid wizard he had ever met in his whole life.
Severus had been telling him the whole year that it wasn’t Moody but he couldn’t believe that he
wouldn’t know the difference; would he? Surely he could tell his friend from someone that was
potioned into someone that was different from their friend? If that was the case, how had he not
noticed the difference between his friend and the fake?

Regardless if Moody was the real one or the not, there was nothing that he could do about it now. To
investigate it now would bring unwanted attention to him if it was indeed someone that wasn't’
welcome in the castle. However, it was much more likely that Karkaroff was behind it all since he
was a confirmed Death Eater and he hadn’t repented at all. It was much more likely that he was just
trying to win at the tournament and doing what he could to make sure that it ended the way he
wanted. He doubted that young Viktor even had any idea.

The news of Barty’s death would be announced to their world at large the following morning;
Amelia had made sure to disseminate the information as needed. The Daily Prophet would be
printing the story the next morning and make sure that the story would follow the picture that had
been snapped of the carriage in the background. Frankly, he could have done with the rest of the
world never knowing but he knew that would never happen. Therefore, he took what he could get.
Keeping the names of the students that had discovered Barty out of the story would be considered a
win.
Albus sighed. It had been a long year and he didn’t see it getting any shorter even though there was
only one task left. It was the most important task and the most difficult. Truth be told, he worried
about Harry most in this task. He wanted to warn him more than anything but knew that Harry and
Hermione wouldn’t allow it. Therefore, he could only drop hints where he could and hope that they
caught them and study as they needed.

With one last sigh, Albus rose from his desk and brushed the rest of his correspondence away from
him for the next day. It would be another shite day but it could only get better. After all, there was no
other choice.

Right?

A/N- Lordy, I swear, I never imagined that this chapter would end up this long. It was just supposed
to be a filler chapter. However, that just didn’t happen this time. I’m sure that you aren’t
complaining, haha. Anyways, let me know what you think about this chapter and leave me a review.
Tell me what you think. Don’t worry, I’m sure I can handle it. (:

Next chapter, Viktor takes things a little too far.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 79

A/N- Well, I’m back, y’all. I have to say that I have so much time at Hospice House that I know all
the nurses and aides there. You guys should be happy to know that I’ve completely outlined a new
Harmony a/b/o and Charmione marriage law story while I was sitting there. Not much else to do
while your loved ones are sleeping. Anyways, thanks so much for being understanding of my
situation and I thank you all for the thoughts and prayers you have all sent me and my family. It
means a lot to me, y’all. Thanks to everyone who continue to read, review, follow, and favorite. You
guys are the bomb. Enough of the depressing now, let’s get on with the story!

**Shout out to MichalaJ for being my 3800th reviewer. Once again, you’re freaking awesome
girl!**

Trigger Warning: Attempted rape and sexual assault.

Disclaimer: I haven’t made a single red hot cent from this story or any other. I’m still a broke bitch. I
don’t own anything from this story except the personal plot twist. The original story line from Part
One belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to our queen.

Chapter 79
April 28, 1995

Hermione smiled at her cousin as she finished her breakfast. It was beautiful Saturday morning and
she had made plans with Daphne, the twins, Neville, and Juliet to go spend time out by the Black
Lake. It was something that they hadn’t had a lot of time for this year but she had missed it. She
wasn’t blaming Harry in the least but since he had joined their family, Hermione hadn’t had as much
time to spend with just her friends. Everyone had been just as excited as she had been and Juliet had
been thrilled to tag along. She loved her friends even more that they didn’t seem to mind that she did.

Draco had plans, though she was pretty sure that they were of the female persuasion. Hermione had
rolled her eyes at his secrecy but since it wasn’t being blasted all over school, she kept her mouth
shut. The girls from Beauxbatons were actually quite discreet, something that she found that she
appreciated. Fleur had told her that just a few days before during their walk around the grounds that
sex in France was regarded as natural and much more acceptable than it was in Britain. Of course,
Hermione had known this, but it was odd to see it in play before her.

Surprisingly, she and Fleur had become quite close. Not as close as herself and Daphne, but she
joined them for meals here and there and they were able to discuss just about anything. They had
discussed Fleur’s veela heritage quite extensively and what that was like growing up. Even though
Hermione wasn’t envious of the girl at all, she found it interesting and confessed to wanting to know
as much as the girl was willing to tell her.

Fleur held little as sacred and told Hermione whatever she wanted to know; there were veela covens
that would protect their traditions and such but since Fleur was only a quarter, she wasn’t pure
enough to join. Therefore, Hermione learned that she was a very sexual being and had already had
several lovers. Fleur didn’t consider herself promiscuous since she claimed to feel something for each
man she took to bed but her heart still yearned for the one true mate that her instincts told her was out
there, waiting for her. The veela had made quite clear that as soon as she discovered her mate,
nothing would come between them and there would never be another man for her.

Hermione wasn’t sure what to think of the woman’s words. She knew that the Brits were far more
reserved and that meant herself as well. She couldn’t imagine having more than one lover at the age
of seventeen but if it worked for Fleur, who was she to judge? The veela seemed quite happy so
Hermione wished her the best in finding her mate and told her that if she ever needed assistance, to
let her know how she could help.

Daphne finished across from her so they were only waiting on Juliet to finish. Hermione know that
Harry had plans with Ron this morning and then quidditch match this afternoon. All her friends had
begged off from doing anything with her that afternoon so that left her with hours of free time that
she planned to spend in the library so she could work on her homework that was due for Madam
Cambridge. They were now at the end of their sixth year curriculum; it had taken them quite a long
time to get through this year since there had been so much going on and they had been more focused
on the practical side of things this year.

Hermione wasn’t going to complain; she felt like she was more prepared in Defense than she ever
had been. While Remus and Dory were extremely hard on them, they were also exceptional teachers.
Remus had the mastery and the theory that they needed to know to get through the exams that they
would face next year but Dory knew every spell they would need to know, plus some. Hermione
now had quite the repertoire of spells that she could fall back on if she were ever attacked. As much
as she loved that she had the power to fall back on if she needed it, she liked remaining in control at
all times. That meant making sure that her magic was under control. It was nice knowing that while
her magic still wasn’t fully matured, she could do some damage without falling back on her
considerable power.

Hermione was drawn from her thoughts by a sharp tug to one of her curls. She turned to see that
Fred, George, and Neville were standing behind her, ready to go whenever they were. She smiled at
them and stood, Daphne following suit. Juliet hurriedly wiped her mouth and shoved her plate away
even though it had only been her first one. Draco smiled up at her and Harry tugged her sleeve. Her
cousin was peering over the heads in the Great Hall as he spoke.

“Have fun, Mia. Don’t cause any trouble.” Hermione snorted.

“I’m with Fred and George and you're telling me to not cause any trouble?” He laughed as Harry just
grinned at her.

“I was going to tell you to keep them out of trouble. We’re planning a quidditch match for next
weekend and we need our beaters.” Hermione chuckled.

“I’ll do my best but I make no promises.” Fred and George threw their arms around her shoulders
and started to drag her through the Great Hall towards the door that led towards the Black Lake.
Daphne, Neville, and Juliet were following behind, all laughing at the scene before them.

The three of them caught up to the twins and they headed across the grounds together. It was brilliant
green and even though it was the end of April, the air was still crisp and cool. Hermione cast a
warming charm on her day robes, doing the same for Juliet. She caught the others following suit.
Since they had made no plans, Hermione led them towards her favorite tree; it was the one that she
always stopped at to catch her breath after her morning run.

They settled around the tree and Juliet sat behind Daphne so she could brush her hair and practice
plaiting it. Hermione had been surprised that Luna hadn’t wanted to come with them but she had
insisted on going to look for some imaginary animal somewhere in the castle. Hermione sincerely
hoped that her uncle could get through to her over the summer but she supposed that if this was the
Luna that was there to stay, she would count herself lucky. She just knew that her cousin Pandora
would have been disappointed.

Hermione laid down and rested her head in Neville’s lap while Fred put her feet in his lap. George
was shooting small pieces of plant matter into Daphne’s hair and Juliet was shooting him dirty looks.
It was only a matter of time before she lost her temper and tried to curse the redhead. Fred slipped
Hermione’s shoes off and started to rub her foot slowly, his shaggy head leaning back against the
trunk of tree while his eyes closed.

“This is nice. We haven’t done this all year. I’ve missed this.” Hermione could feel that Neville was
playing with her hair but she didn't say anything. They both understood that they would never be
more than friends.

“I know, it’s been crazy this year. I’m glad that we got a chance before the last task and the end of
the year.” Hermione decided to ask a question that she had been wondering about since they had
gone to Hogsmeade at the end of March.

“I thought your family hated mine. I mean, you’ve never been allowed to come to mine or Draco’s
birthday parties. Why did your father agree to let you go to Hogsmeade with my father and uncle?”
Fred shot her a look but answered in the end.

“I’m not a hundred percent sure but I think that he’s tired of fighting. Mum’s crazy, don’t get me
wrong, but Dad has never held anything against your father. He hasn’t so much liked your uncle but
that was more because he followed You-Know-Who. Now, it’s out that he hasn’t for years. I really
just think that he wants to try to mend bridges for the shite that Ron has done through the years. If
that makes any sense.” Hermione nodded.

“I suppose. It’s nice of him. It’ll be nice to know that you two can come see Draco and I over the
summer now. We have quidditch pitches at both Black Moor and Malfoy Manor. I bet that we could
get all the boys together so you could play a real match. I would watch.” They all laughed and
George quit tormenting Daphne and Juliet long enough to speak.

“It would be nice. I mean, I love the Burrow, but Mum has always believed that we needed to stay
close over the summers. We never get to see friends over the holidays. Luna was the closest and she
was the exception, though that was mostly for Ginny. I don't think Ginny ever really liked her that
much because she can be a little strange at times.” Hermione nodded.

“I know she can. I think my uncle is going to talk to her over the summer. Her father is to blame for
that.” Fred nodded and looked her way.

“Do you know what your uncle and father have planned for our family?” Hermione narrowed her
eyes at him. Sure, she had an idea but what they were asking was basically asking her to tell them
family business. Fred kept her gaze though, not shying away at all.

“I know what I’m asking you but I want to make sure that my family isn’t in any danger. I know
what my family has done to yours. They would deserve it. Ginny alone has earned your family’s ire
for her false accusations against Harry.” Hermione sighed because she did understand that. She
would want to make sure that her family was safe as well.

“I do know what is going on with your family but it isn't bad. It’s going to be a tough decision but if
your family decides to go through with it, it would help you immeasurably. However, I can’t tell you
because the important conversation can’t be had until after your brother shows up from Egypt. Am I
correct that he’s going to be here for the last task of the Tournament?” Both their eyes looked
confused but they answered in the affirmative.

“That’s the plan. He plans to spend half the summer here since he only got a few days of holiday for
the World Cup and that’s it since he started for the goblins. He might have to do a bit of training
while he’s here but they’re happy to give him what he wants.” Hermione smiled at them.
“He’s quite powerful, yes?” Both were quite proud as they nodded.

“Yes, he’s the best curse breaker they have. He’s the strongest in magic of all us.” Hermione smiled.

“I’m glad you’ll get to spend some time with your brother. Family is important. I can’t imagine not
being able to see my family. It was terrible not being able to see Dory for four years while she
studied to be a Hit Witch in Germany.” George groaned and readjusted himself in his pants.

“That woman is fit and fine, let me tell you. Professor Lupin is one lucky man.” Hermione eyed his
hand in distaste.

“George, please don’t adjust your genitals in reference to my cousin again. At least not in my
presence. Wait until I’m not looking.” All three boys burst out laughing and even Daphne was hiding
a grin. Juliet looked a little confused so Hermione dropped the conversation.

Fred and George shared stories of their girlfriends and Hermione inquired as to what they thought of
the redheads spending time with herself and Daphne. Much to her surprise, they told her that they
were alright with it. Hermione found herself quite pleased with that; maybe she would get along with
the girls after all. It was nice to not have someone hate you outright and think that you were trying to
steal their boyfriends, even though Hermione and Daphne had been friends with Fred and George
for four years now.

The air warmed around them gradually and before she even realized it, the bell rang in the distance,
signalling that it was time for lunch. Hermione was quick to put her shoes back on and let the boys
pull her to her feet and lead her back towards the castle. George was giving Juliet a piggyback ride
and Daphne was being escorted by Neville. Fred had his arm thrown around her shoulders and was
giving her a hard time about spending a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the library to work on
homework. Hermione just let it roll of her back since she knew that being by herself, she would get
so much more done than she usually would.

They entered the Great Hall to find that it was already full. She couldn’t help but notice that the
Bulgarians were still glaring at her whenever she came near; it was getting quite annoying that they
couldn’t just let it go that she had turned their national hero loose. Of course, she hadn’t learned until
after the second task that Viktor’s father was in fact an Ambassador to other ministries so it was
considered even more of an insult to them that she had turned him down in such a public way.

Viktor had been nice about it all, though. They had exchanged words a few times since then and
each occasion had been pleasant. He never escorted her anymore but she didn’t see him doing it for
any other girl at school either. She supposed that he probably wouldn’t; it would look as though he
were rebounding. If she were any girl that was following after the shit show that had been her
dealings with the Bulgarian, she would have ran away as quickly as possible.

The twins, Neville, and Juliet all joined her and Daphne at the Slytherin table for lunch. The rest of
the their friends were already there. Hermione frowned at her cousin’s hair; it was mussed and
clearly hadn’t been smoothed after his visit with the opposite sex. She watched Daphne’s face fall so
she reached out and smoothed it down, alerting her cousin to the fact that he was less than put-
together. She gave him a fake smile.

“You’re slipping, cousin. Your hair is clearly showing what you’ve been up to this morning.” He
was quick to run his hands through his platinum hair and turned apologetic eyes her way.

“Sorry, Miney.” SHe shrugged.

“I’m not the one who’s day you ruined.” He turned to look at Daphne and sighed. She just shook her
head, irritated.

“I swear, I’m going to find someone to take her mind off you. You just keep hurting her and she’s
innocent enough to just sit back and wait for you to make up your mind if she’s good enough for
you. She deserves better, Drake.” He sputtered for several seconds before finally falling silent. He
refused to meet his eyes as his voice fell.

“I know she does. I’m not sure I could date her and not cheat on her. I don’t want to do that to her.”
She glared at him, disgusted with his reasoning. He was no better than Harry to be honest.

“When are you going to know? When you’re a seventh year and she’s wasted her whole school
career thinking that you’re going to come around and play her knight? How is it fair that you get to
fuck your way through Hogwarts while she’s told to remain pure by her family? You don’t deserve
her virginity.” His eyes flared.

“You’re in the same position. You want Harry so bad it hurts but he’s too busy sampling the pussies
of every girl in school willing to let him have a go. You’re the last thing on his mind. I guarantee
you, as soon as he shows that he wants you, you’re going to just let him in and he’s going to take
your virginity just like he has all these other girls. You’re going to sleep with him long before you’re
married and this moral high ground that you preach at me from is going to disappear. What will my
father, and yours for that matter, think of you then?” Hermione felt as though she had been slapped
in the face. Draco obviously had no idea what her talks with her father and uncle had consisted of; he
had no idea that they had never made it a requirement that she be a virgin when she was married.
They had only asked that she give herself to someone that she loved.

Sure, she was sure it looked as though she was better than the boys. In truth, she had given up on
changing their actions a while back. Now, she was just sad at how it affected Daphne. She had
already given up on Harry so while it still hurt her down deep, she had let it go. Daphne hadn’t and it
hurt her very much to have her cousin’s trysts thrown in her face, especially when he admitted to
having feelings for her. If he hadn’t cared either way, it would have been one thing. He said that he
cared and he just kept doing things that hurt her. It made her blood boil. At least Harry had been
honest enough to tell her that he couldn’t be with her because he couldn’t be faithful. She knew that
she could count on that.

Rather than start a fight that she was sure would turn quite ugly, Hermione took a deep breath and let
her gaze slip away from her cousin’s. She turned her attention to her plate and did her best to make
herself eat at least a few bites of the roast beef sandwiches and beef stew. Draco let her and said
nothing, just turned back to continue his conversation with Blaise and Greg.

The twins entertained everyone with stories from their childhood and pranking Ron. Hermione
chuckled in the appropriate places but otherwise stayed quiet. Harry was at the Gryffindor table with
Ron and they were laughing over who knew what. She was glad that he was enjoying himself. The
Gryffindors were having a quidditch practice to make sure that they would still be in practice the
following year. Hermione thought it was completely daft but she kept her mouth shut. If there was
one area that she wasn’t an expert in, it was quidditch. Ten minutes before the bell rang, she wiped
her mouth and smiled at Daphne and Juliet.

“I’m through eating so I’m going to go ahead and head towards the library. I have a lot of work from
Madam Cambridge. I want to get this years curriculum finished by the end of the month.” They all
nodded, waved, and wished her well. Hermione didn’t spare her cousin another glance but she knew
that it wouldn’t last. He would probably confront her by dinner and to be honest, it wasn’t something
that she was looking forward to.

Draco had hit her right where it counted, right where it hurt. She hated that he could do that, hurt her
like that when she made him mad. Although, she should be used to it since her father could be much
the same way. It was very frustrating and even though she always wanted to throw things back in his
face, she could never quite make herself. Just imagining his face when she told him that he would
never measure up to Uncle Luci, that he would never be the man that her uncle was, broke her heart.
It was a low that she refused to meet and she didn’t believe it for a second.

Hermione traveled the corridors quickly and for a brief moment considered saying fuck it all and
finding a spot outside in the beautiful weather where she could just read for pleasure. However, she
had set herself the goal of finishing her sixth year coursework and that was what she was going to
do. She only had three assignments for Transfiguration, one for Charms, two for Warding, and two
for Magical Theory.

Even though she had turned all her Potions work into her godfather, she missed him terribly. She had
managed ten minutes with him the night before Moody had come calling but it was wearing on her.
Truth be told, she thought that it was wearing on him as well. He had held her close, hugging her
tightly, and they really hadn’t gotten anything else accomplished. She had given him a brief synopsis
of her life but that was all that she had managed before the dinging of his alarm on his door to his
quarters started going off. She was only glad that she had had assignments that she could turn in to
make her visit legitimate. In short, she couldn’t wait for summer so she could just spend days on end
with her godfather. She missed spending time with him, brewing with him, and everything else in
between. He had even turned over brewing Remus’ wolfsbane to her at the beginning of the year.

Hermione entered the library and took her usual seat at her table, spreading her books and work out
like she wasn’t usually able to. Since everyone else had plans, it was a luxury that she was planning
to take advantage of. She decided to start with Warding first since it was the most difficult for her.

Hermione worked through her assignments steadily, Warding first, then Magical Theory. After they
were finished, she started on her Charms and was finished in a trice. She knew that Draco still had
quite a few assignments to do so she wasn't sure if she would turn them in yet or if she would wait
for him to finish them. Truthfully, she would give him until the end of the Hogwarts to get them done
before she got tired of waiting and left him behind in the dust. It was clear that girls were still getting
in the way of his studies; she just hadn’t been riding him about them.

By the time she was finished with Charms, she only had an hour left before dinner but she only had
Transfiguration left. It was by far her easiest subject and she knew that she could at least get them
started before it was time to head to the Great Hall. After dinner, she was sure that Draco would
want to talk to her, something that she really wasn’t looking forward to. As if she needed someone
else to throw in her face that she felt something for Harry.

Hermione managed to work the next three-quarters of an hour on her assignments and got two of
them finished, leaving her only one left. However, since the bell was about to ring and she didn’t
want to miss dinner, she started to gather her things together so she could head in the direction of the
Great Hall. With a wave to Madam Pince, she left the library, humming her aunt’s favorite song to
herself under her breath. Out of nowhere, just three corridors from the library, a hand reached from
an alcove and pulled her inward. Thinking at first that it was either Fred or George playing a prank,
she started to chuckle. It was when the smell of firewhiskey hit her in face full force that she realized
that this was serious.

Viktor was looming over her and his hand was in her inner pockets, filching her wand in the time it
took her to realize that he was indeed a threat. Her heart rate quickened and she was hoping that
keeping calm would keep the situation under control. Judging by the unkempt look about the seeker,
he had been drinking for quite awhile.
“Hermy-own. How nice to see you.” His hand was still ridiculously tight on her wrist and it only
tightened when she spoke.

“Viktor. What are you doing? You know that it’s dinner time.” He looked genuinely confused and
she laid that at the fact that he was clearly drunk.

“I not hear bell. Ve spend time together.” Hermione shook her head as he pulled her closer until he
was leaning against her fully along the wall.

“No, we decided that we wouldn’t court, remember? We ended it as friends.” His eyes flashed and
Hermione wasn’t sure what to think of it. Sure, he was drunk but he wasn’t violent. Was he?

“You decide, not me. I vant you, just not marry you. Father say you not be controlled and you not
like dark side.” Hermione knew that she wasn’t going to like what he had to say after that but
couldn’t help asking.

“Your dark side?” Viktor leaned down and nipped her throat, chuckling softly. His hand traveled
over her breast and Hermione fought to keep control.

“I like dark side. I like control vitch and haff her pleasure me. I like everything dark has to offer. I
vould bind you to me in dark ritual.” Hermione was horrified. She started to struggle against him.

“Let me go, Viktor. I don’t want this and I don’t want you. Stop now.” He chuckled again against
the skin of her throat and pinched her nipple roughly before pulling her robes open roughly,
exposing her breasts. Hermione remembered her lessons with Remus and Dory, them drilling in her
that she needed to keep her magic under control at all times. She did her best to summon her
wandless magic and stop him. His hands had now pushed her robes up over her waist and were
pushing her knickers down to her knees. She could feel the panic crawling up her throat and it was
getting to be too much to bear.

“Viktor, if you don’t stop, my father and uncle will kill you. They won’t stop until you’re dead.” He
openly laughed now as he fingered her dry folds, trying to find her entrance. He pinched her clitoris
brutally, bruising it, she was sure. She tried to throw him off her but he leaned of her even more
heavily. She could hardly catch her breath and when his arm laid across her throat, her vision went
spotty.

Hermione could hear the unzipping of his trousers and his fingers trying to force her to spread her
legs. His finger jammed up inside her and she cried out in pain. Just as she felt him shove her head
clear to the side roughly and her neck tearing, she couldn’t stop her magic anymore.

There was a presence above her but it wasn’t looming. If anything, it was comforting. When she had
enough presence of mind, she realized that it was Harry. She had sank to her knees, her robes were
open and her breasts were bared to the world, her knickers gone and her skirt flipped up to show her
womanly attributes to the world. Her neck hurt more than anything and she felt something trickling
down her thigh. There were tears leaking down her cheeks but she was silent.

Viktor was stirring across the corridor, blood down his forehead. Hermione knew that when he came
around completely, he was going to be furious. Harry was at her side and was trying to pull her into
his side but she couldn’t handle it. It was overload and she couldn’t help what happened next.

Hermione started to scream.

-O-

Harry felt amazing. He had had a great afternoon, he had spent most of it in the air. Gryffindor’s
team had decided that they needed to have a team practice even though there was no quidditch that
year. They also discussed possible replacements for the people that would be moving on. Since
Oliver had left last year, they would need a new keeper; they hadn’t held new tryouts but Harry
knew that there were at least three people that were interested in trying out, Ron included.

It had been nice to get out on the pitch, flying in the warm spring air and forgetting about everything
else that mattered. Sure, he had homework but he had pushed it all off until tomorrow so he could
enjoy the warm weather. He needed a day to just enjoy to himself and he had to admit that it had
gone well.

As a team, they had discussed the three people that had shown an interest in trying out for the keeper
position. Harry was happy to see that they were all most receptive to Ron. While they admitted that
Cormac had talent, he was also the most egotistical brute in Gryffindor. Nobody wanted to deal with
him and that included Harry. He could admit that the third year that wanted to try out had talent but
he needed a few years of honing that talent before he joined the team.

After he had practiced with the team, he had showered off and met with Mandy in an alcove outside
of the library. She wasn’t his favorite by any means but she was a pleasant way to pass the time. He
couldn’t help but picture Hermione every time he fucked her, but that was every girl. The only
difference was that Mandy had the same peach arse that Hermione had so he liked to fuck her from
behind so he could pretend that it was her easier. He knew that it was fucked up but the girls didn’t
seem to mind. In fact, they sought him most of the time.

Harry had sent Mandy on her way with a warning to keep their coupling to herself and to leave his
family alone. She hadn’t been happy about it but had agreed. He hadn’t liked hearing that Lisa had
bothered Hermione and thrown their time together in her face. Now, he made them promise to keep
their time together to themselves. They were never happy but they always agreed.

As Harry left the alcove, pretty happy with himself, he heard a faint cry and a moan that sounded
somewhat familiar. However, he couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. However, out of
nowhere, Viktor came soaring out of an alcove and hit the wall across the corridor, sliding down it
with a thud. He instantly feared the worst, knowing from the weekend in Hogsmeade that Viktor
wanted Hermione more than anything. He stepped into the alcove and wanted to cry at the sight he
saw.

Hermione was on her knees, her robes torn open and her breasts bare. There was bruise blooming on
her left nipple; the skirt of her uniform was pushed up and her knickers were gone. There was a
trickle of blood running down the inside of her right thigh. There were no bruises on her face but she
was favoring her neck, not wanting to turn it to the left. He dropped to his knees beside her and tried
to pull her into his arms but she shied away from him, whimpering softly. He didn’t blame her; she
would naturally assume that any male would want to hurt her after an attack like that. He released her
instantly and cupped her cheeks in his hands. He made her look in his eyes and waited for her to
focus on him.

“Mia, I swear on my magic that I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to help you, alright? Let me
help you. Come on, let me get you covered up and we can get your dad down here.” She seemed to
realize who he was and nodded, tears pouring down her cheeks. He took off his school robes and
wrapped them around her tightly, latching them to make sure that nobody could see anything they
shouldn’t. He felt dirty enough seeing parts of her that she didn’t want him to.

While he was helping her cover herself, Viktor had rose to his feet and started to stumble back
towards them. He could feel Hermione trembling in his arms and when he turned to realize why,
Harry lost his temper completely. He made sure that Hermione was seated on the ground and strode
forward to meet Viktor, letting his fist fly like he had wanted to weeks ago in Hogsmeade.

Since the Bulgarian was drunk, he wasn’t able to put up much of a fight. Harry took one hit to his
eye, probably resulting in a black eye, but well worth it if you asked him. He pinned the seeker to the
ground and beat him until he was bloody; he stood and stunned him, casting an incarcerous on him
to make sure that he wouldn’t get away. Harry knew that Hermione needed to see this. He went back
into the alcove and pulled her to her feet, mindful of her injuries. He tucked her under his arm and
pulled her into the corridor so she could see Viktor, a bloody, bound mess in the middle of the
corridor.

“Look at him, Mia. Look at him. He will never do this to you again. If he tries, I’ll kill him.” Harry
could feel magic swirl around him and he was certain that he had just made a magical oath. She
leaned into his side and tried to smile at him. It just looked sick and Harry hated that it was on the
love of his life.

“Thank you. I tried to keep my magic under control like Remus and Dory have taught me. He took
my wand. I tried to use wandless magic. I guess I wasn’t strong enough.” Harry bent and put an arm
under her knees so he could sweep her up and hold her close to his chest as he carried her towards
the Hospital Wing.

“You’re the strongest witch I know, Mia. You did well.” She snuggled into his chest and even
though he felt slightly sick at the fact that she was finding comfort in him after he had thoroughly
shagged Mandy, he was glad that she no longer feared him. He hoped that it would hold true for the
rest of the males in her life. There were a lot of them. He paused briefly at the end of the corridor and
pulled his wand from his pocket. Hermione looked up at him but said nothing, still clearly
traumatized. He hadn’t cast the spell since being taught but knew without a doubt that he could cast
it. He sent a patronus to Severus, Draco, McGonagall, Sirius and Uncle Lucius, telling them that
Viktor had attacked Hermione and that they were needed in the Hospital Wing.

After Prongs disappeared, Harry hurried along to make sure he beat them there. Hermione was
unnaturally still in his arms. He feared that she was going into shock and he knew that he needed to
get her to Madam Pomfrey as soon as possible. He burst through the doors to find the wing empty.
Thank Merlin. The mediwitch appeared and sighed when she saw him. However, the complacent
expression disappeared when she saw who was in his arms. Harry carried her to the bed closest to
the office and laid her down, still making sure that the robes were covering every square inch of her.
Madam Pomfrey was casting spells on her even as he laid her down.

“She’s in shock. Her system is shutting down though I determine only minor injuries. What
happened?” Harry felt her grab his arm and refused to move away from her. Just as he was about to
answer her, both Severus and Draco burst through the doors. Both stepped forward to embrace her
and she cringed away from both of them. They turned their stare to him and he could feel the weight
of it; it was heavy as fuck and he knew that they were blaming him. Madam Pomfrey, however, saw
her reaction and started shouting.

“Everyone away from her. I won’t have you making her situation worse.” This wasn’t even able to
be carried out because Sirius and Uncle Lucius arrived, frantic as they searched for her in the empty
ward. They were warranted with the same treatment and after seeing the same clutching of Harry’s
arm, they turned to him for information. Professor McGonagall was the last one to arrive with the
Headmaster and neither one looked happy. Madam Pomfrey looked to Harry and waited impatiently
for an answer.

“I want to know what happened.” Harry sighed and raked a hand through his hair. Hermione was
still clutching his hand in his but wouldn’t let anyone else approach.
“I’m not sure what happened. I was in an alcove with Mandy Brocklehurst and I left. I saw Viktor
Krum flying across the corridor. I went into the alcove across where he had been thrown from and
found Mia. She was on her knees, her robes torn open, her breasts bare, her skirt flipped up and
knickers gone. She was bleeding down her thigh. She shied away from me but I swore to her on my
magic that I wouldn’t hurt her, that I wanted to protect her. Viktor started to get up so I covered her
with my school robes and pinned him down and beat him bloody. There was blood everywhere and
I don’t think he was conscious before I stunned andI bound him and left him in the corridor. I sent
you the patronus and carried her here. She hasn’t let go of me since. All she told me was that she
tried to keep her magic under control like Remus and Tonks taught her but he had taken her wand.
She tried wandless magic but she had to let her magic take control.” Madam Pomfrey started to
shuffle everyone out but it was clear that wasn’t going to happen. Her father, uncle, and godfather all
stepped forward and Hermione cowered further into her pillow. Harry glared at them all for making
her more apprehensive. He leaned down and smoothed her hair back from her forehead.

“Mia, Madam Pomfrey needs to examine you. Who do you want to stay with you?” She buried her
face in her pillow before eeking out an answer.

“You.” He shook his head and kissed her temple.

“I can’t, baby. I’m a boy and they won’t let me stay for that exam. Your dad, Uncle Lucius, and
Severus would never hurt you. They would sooner die than hurt you. You know that, right?” She
nodded and he could see the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Finally, she met his eyes.

“I want Aunt Cissy.” There was a sound in the background and it sounded as though someone threw
something. Lucius’ voice was haggard as he answered.

“She can’t, princess. She’s in Italy with Blaise’s mother. Some retreat. What about Andie? Dory?”
She met Harry’s eyes as she answered.

“I want Aunt Andie. I love Dory but…” He bent and kissed her forehead.

“Your father and uncle will have Andie here in just a few minutes.” He paused for just a few
moments before speaking again.

“Can they come talk to you?” She nodded. He let go of her and backed away while Sirius
approached first. He took her hand and they spoke quietly. Hermione seemed to keep it together
fairly well and he fell back to stand with the others. He noticed that Draco had an extremely tortured
look on his face but he wasn’t sure why. He put his arm around his friend and tried to make him feel
better.

“She’s here now. It’ll be better.” Draco nodded but said nothing else. He didn’t try to approach his
cousin’s bed and when Sirius hugged his daughter, there was a collective sigh of relief. Severus went
next and Harry was happy to see that they spent almost ten minutes together. Before Uncle Lucius
could speak to her, Andie arrived, clearly hurried and unsure as to where to go. McGonagall pulled
her aside and explained as to what had happened and when she pulled away, she approached
Hermione with a smile on her face.

“Hello, sunshine. I’m here. Let’s say we get this out of the way and never have to deal with it again.”
Hermione nodded and Harry could see that McGonagall turned to the Headmaster.

“You better call the aurors. If you don’t, I will.” He gave a nod and disappeared, clearly off to do just
that. The rest of them decided to wait out in the corridor outside of the Hospital Wing to give
Hermione some privacy. It was clear that they were all on edge and ready to hex someone. For this
reason, Harry hoped against hope that every single person in the castle stayed away from that
corridor tonight.

Draco was unnaturally silent while both Uncle Lucius and Sirius paced. Since they were out in the
corridor, Severus had to appear as though he didn’t care, that he was only there because it was a
student of his house that had been injured. McGonagall seemed just as upset as the family and Harry
wasn’t sure if she was just that invested or if it was because it was sexual in nature. Halfway through
their wait, Professor Flitwick appeared, levitating Viktor into the Wing. The rest of their group
started to roar their anger but Harry just stepped in front of the half-goblin.

“I think you should take him to his ship. If you bring him here, it’s likely that you’ll only find a body
for what he did. Not a single one of us will out anyone here. That will be the safest place for him.”
After Professor Flitwick disappeared with Viktor in tow, Draco slammed into Harry and shoved him
against the wall.

“What you do that for? He deserves anything we give him.” Harry shoved him back, doing his best
to hold in his temper.

“Yeah, he does. However, doing it in front of a professor will do nothing but land you in a cell in
Azkaban. Use your fucking brain.” Uncle Lucius stepped forward and pushed them apart. He glared
at them both but Harry didn't care. He was more worried about Hermione, not how her family was
handling it.

“Let it go, boys. There’s no sense in fighting now.” Both nodded grudgingly and they returned to
their previous spots.

Harry couldn’t help but let his mind wander as to how it could have been prevented. He had
promised Sirius that he and Draco would look out for Hermione, that they would watch out for her
and make sure that they weren’t letting her around the Bulgarian. Clearly, they had both failed. Sure,
he had had quidditch plans but he had then met up with Mandy afterwards and buried himself inside
her. It had been a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. He wasn’t sure what Draco had been up to
but he knew that he had been meeting one of his honey pots from Beauxbatons that morning.

Once again, Harry was left feeling guilty that he had shagged Mandy instead of watching after
Hermione. He knew that ultimately it wasn't his fault but that didn’t matter when it came down to it.
He had been busting his nut and Hermione had been being forced to do things she didn’t want to. It
made his stomach turn just thinking about it. Not only was he not good enough for her because he
couldn’t keep his cock in his pants, now he wasn't good enough because he had allowed her to be
hurt because he had been too worried about getting his cock wet.

It was almost an hour before they were joined by several aurors, Amelia Bones amongst them. Harry
was happy to see that they had seen fit to send at least one woman. They had only been waiting for a
few minutes before Madam Pomfrey exited the Hospital Wing and gave them all an exhausted look.

“I’m done with Miss Black. Mrs. Tonks is sitting with her and she’s calm. I’ve dosed her with a
calming draught and she’s trying to act normal. Last I heard, she was discussing homework and the
assignment she still had left to do for a Madam Cambridge. Mrs. Tonks is keeping her well distracted
until we can return.” Sirius stepped forward and cast a spell around the aurors, silencing the area
around them. They looked put out but didn’t negate it.

“Tell us about her.” Madam Pomfrey nodded.

“She wasn’t raped. As far as I could learn from her, Krum appeared and pulled her into the alcove,
immediately taking her wand. She tried to stay calm and keep her cool. He pushed her against the
wall and felt her breasts. She ordered him to stop but he didn't. He told her that he wanted to do dark
things to her, she didn’t go into detail, and then ripped her robes open. He pinched her nipple and
then pulled her knickers away. She fought him when he pushed his fingers inside her and he laid his
arm against her throat, cutting off her air supply. At some point, he shoved her head clear to the side
and tore the muscles in her neck. Aside from that, the bruised nipple, and the slightly torn
passageway, she’s fine. Just shaken up, rightly so. Her barrier is still intact.” Harry wasn’t sure what
Sirius threw but something crashed against the wall. He turned to Harry and Draco, seething in
anger.

“You two told me that you were going to watch after her, that you were going make sure he stayed
away from her. What the fuck happened?” Harry couldn’t keep the look of guilt from his face and he
knew that Draco was no better. For the first time since he had known him, Sirius looked at him in
disgust.

“Pussy. You ignored my daughter’s safety for pussy. She was almost raped because you two were
too worried about getting your own dicks wet. What the fuck do you think would have happened if
she hadn’t let go of the rubbish teaching that Remus and Dory are teaching her? She would have
been laying there, in her own blood, in a pool of that arsehole’s semen, crying her bloody eyes out.
You both promised me and you fucking failed!!” As much as Harry wanted to deny his godfather’s
words, he couldn’t. That could have been a reality, so easily.

Draco didn’t seem to be bearing his words any easier. He stood there, stoic as ever. His chin was
raised, hands behind his back, and back ramrod straight. Harry knew that he should take it like Draco
did but he couldn’t. Yes, he was guilty. He would never forget what his actions had done to
Hermione but he wasn’t going to let all the blame be put on himself and Draco. Therefore, he felt no
guilt when he rounded on his godfather and spat the words right back at him.

“You’re just feeling guilty because you know that you drove him to this with your fucking questions
that weekend in Hogsmeade. You want to blame Draco and I, that’s fine. We are to blame. But so
are you and you know it.” Uncle Lucius was just standing there, ready to go to war for his niece, but
unsure as to what to do in the situation. It was Severus that shoved Sirius against a wall and Harry
against the opposite one. The only thing that saved his cover in front of the aurors was the fact that
they were under a silencing charm.

“All of you are horrible. Every single last one of you are worried about yourselves and your guilt.
Not one of you is concerned with my goddaughter in there, crying her eyes out and scared out of her
mind from being sexually assaulted. You’re all despicable. If you would all pull your heads from
your arses, you would realize that the only one at fault was the arsehole that forced himself on the
light of my life. Now that everyone has arrived, I can’t even go in there and spend time with her. Get
your fucking shite together and go make HER feel better or I swear to Merlin that I will fucking kill
you all. That girl is my world and I won’t rest until there has been retribution.” Harry knew that he
was right so he nodded.

“You're right, sir. I’m sorry.” Severus growled at him but it didn’t seem near as harsh.

“Don’t tell me. Go take care of her.” Harry nodded and paid no mind to everyone else that there. He
waited on nobody else before making his way through the doors of the Hospital Wing. Once inside,
he found that Hermione’s bed was no longer private and Aunt Andie was sitting next to her and they
were conversing quietly. When Hermione saw him, her eyes lit up and she held out her hand for him
to take. When he did, she smiled softly at him.

“Thank you. I’m sorry that I was scared of you at first. I didn’t want you to think that I thought that
of you.” He moved into the spot that Aunt Andie had left him when she moved. He moved a curl
from her face and once again admired the blue streaks in her hair.
“It was understandable. I wasn’t offended at all. Please don’t apologize.” She smiled softly at him
and he could tell that she was drugged. She was stroking the top of his hand with her thumb and as
nice as it felt, he didn’t deserve it. However, before he could pull away and move so someone else
could move into his spot, she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Stop it. Right now.” He cocked his head to the side.

“I don’t follow.” She almost growled at him and he wanted to laugh it was so fucking adorable.

“You’re blaming yourself. It isn’t your fault. You helped me at the end. I should have realized that
keeping control meant for when I had my wand. It’s nobody fault but Viktor’s and he was drunk. I
don’t think he would have done it sober.” Harry shook his head and refused to meet her eyes.

“Don’t make excuses for that useless excuse for a human being. He tried to rape you and no matter
how much alcohol he drank, that isn’t acceptable. Never tell yourself that it is.” She smiled at him.

“I know it isn’t, Harry. I’m just saying that this wouldn’t have happened if he had been sober.”
Rather than argue with her about it anymore, he raised an eyebrow at her.

“You realize you’re not going anywhere without any of us now, right?” She chuckled softly but
dropped her gaze.

“I figured. Listen. I’m not sure that Drake will come see me since we fought but will you tell him that
I’m not angry? I just want him beside me.” Harry didn’t pry but he wanted to. Was that why his
friend was being such a cocksucker?

“Absolutely, Mia. Anything.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stood.

“I’m going to let the others come see you. I know that the aurors are here. Prepare yourself. I know
that Amelia Bones is one of them. She’ll treat you right. If you need me, you know I’ll be over
there.” She squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

“Thanks, Harry, for everything.” He didn’t say anything else, just stood up and moved, letting the
next person move into position. He saw that it was Uncle Lucius and they were getting quite
emotional. The aurors were hanging back for the time being and Harry took a seat next to his friend
across the room. He looked over at Draco.

“She just told me that you two fought and that you wouldn’t come see her. She wanted me to tell you
that she isn’t angry and she just wants you beside her.” Draco bent in half and he was quite sure that
he heard a sob escape from the blond but he couldn’t be sure. After several minutes, he sat up again,
completely in control.

“She deserves better than me, Harry.” Harry threw him a dirty look.

“You’re going to ditch her when she needs you the most? What are you two fighting about?” Draco
looked at the ground and in that moment, Harry could see that he was vulnerable.

“She told me that how I made Daphne feel was unacceptable and that I deserved for someone to
come along and scoop her up because I basically didn’t care how she felt. It’s true but I was a cock. I
threw her feelings for you in her face and told her that she was going to throw herself at your feet
and sleep with you the second you wanted to and then she couldn’t act all moral to me anymore.”
Harry couldn’t believe that the blond had said those things to her but knew that this was more
important.

“She deserves someone better than me to stay with her.” Harry shoved him, anger finally surfacing.
“Fuck you. You treat her like that and hurt her feelings, then try to ditch her when she needs you
most. You’re going to get your fucking arse over there, you’re going to stay with her all fucking
night long, you’re going to hold her fucking hand and tell her how much you love her, and you’re
going to deal with it once she’s out of the Hospital Wing and better. Don’t you dare make this shite
about you.” Draco met his eyes and nodded. He offered a tremulous apology.

“Sorry for earlier. I feel even worse after what I said to her because I had no plans this afternoon. I
could have been with her in the library but I was too angry at her to join her. If I had, this would
never have happened.” Harry shook his head.

“Not today. No more blame.”

Harry sat and watched the events unfold. Uncle Lucius and her father joined her on either side and
she seemed happy that they were both there. Madam Bones stepped forward and took the lead on the
questioning as to what had happened between herself and Viktor. Harry’s blood boiled when he
heard the story come from her own lips. Even though Madam Bones was taking notes, the rest of the
aurors were as well. Once they all fell silent, Harry knew that he wasn’t going to like what came
next. Madam Bones sounded quite apologetic when she spoke.

“I have recorded everything that I can. Unfortunately, there is nothing that I can do since Mr. Krum’s
father is an Ambassador. It gives him diplomatic immunity. As much as it doesn’t serve what we
wish it to, those are the facts of the matter. Until his father gives us permission to try his son as a
British citizen, there is no way that we can charge him in front of the Wizengamot.” Harry watched
as Hermione buried her face in Uncle Lucius’ chest and started to cry softly. His heart ached for her
and he was going to do everything he could to make sure the Bulgarian paid for what he had done to
his family.

“The best advice I can tell you to do is to ruin him socially. Between the Blacks, Malfoys, and
Potters, you have the ability to do a significant amount of social damage to their family, even if they
aren’t from Britain. Blast this story in the Prophet; nobody in Britain would ever dream of calling
Miss Black a liar. She wasn’t raped so she would be saved from being ruined for a traditional
marriage if that was what she wanted. Tell the Board of Governors, the Ministry, make sure that
everyone in the Tournament knows just what Krum is capable of. If you’re lucky, you might even
get him kicked off the national team.” Harry groaned in frustration. There was nothing else that they
could do to get to Krum? Draco, however, along with his father, were smiling. Therefore, he
refrained from comment until the aurors had taken their leave and departed. When it was just family,
Harry couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

“What are those smiles for?” Uncle Lucius turned to Hermione.

“How do you feel about being the beginning of a movement?” She arched an eyebrow at him but
ultimately snuggled further into his chest.

“At this point, I don’t care. Everyone in school is going to know anyways. They’re all going to think
what they want. I’m sure that most of the girls are going to think that I led him on and then told him
no. I’m going to be the villain.” Her eyes went downward at that and her father threaded his hand
through her hair.

“None of that matters, sweetness. We’re Blacks and we withstand all. Don’t worry about me or
Juliet. We’ll be behind you and you know the rest of the family will be as well. If we do what I think
Lucius has planned, it could be the start of the end of his career.” Harry could tell that she felt guilty
for what it was going to do to him long-term. Therefore, he made sure to speak up.

“You can’t feel guilty. Who knows how many other girls he’s done this too who didn’t have a
powerful family to back her up and make sure that she was taken care of? You need to make sure
that he doesn’t do this again.” She looked to the sheets of her bed and nodded.

“I know. I just hate thinking that I’m the cause of something that could ruin someone’s life.” He
smiled at her and her father hugged her close.

“You aren’t the cause, poppet. He is. Now, Lucius, tell us the plan.” Harry listened, clearly
dumbfounded to the plan that was so wrong but so right at the same time.

“Hermione goes front and center with her story. She tells the world everything. Of course, everyone
is going to tell her how she’s just trying to get over how he cast her aside and such. Except everyone
at Hogwarts can attest that isn’t the case. Then comes the part that ruins him. I’m willing to pay
whoever I have to to have their daughters come forward with stories of Krum pushing himself on
them. They didn’t use veritaserum on Hermione, why would they on the other girls? Bones all but
told us to ruin him socially; she had to know that we would do something like this.” Harry wasn’t
sure how he felt about this plan but Lucius looked straight at him.

“I may be on the straight and narrow now but I would do anything in my power to keep my family
safe. Lying about a quidditch star pushing himself on a young girl is the least of the bad things I’ve
done in my life.” Harry could see his point and had to agree to a point. However, he still couldn’t
help but think that it was wrong. It was Hermione, however, that mattered and he would follow her
lead. Her eyes were hard as she agreed.

“Do it. I’ll tell the paper whatever I need to if you can get others to back me up. If he can’t get
punished by the law, he might as well get punished somehow.” It was at her statement, her way of
looking at things, that he realized that he agreed. It wasn't fair that Viktor get away with no
punishment and that was exactly what would happen if they did nothing. He looked to Lucius to see
what else he had to say.

“I’ll set up an interview. Yes, Hermione is going to catch some shite from the school and everyone
else. I expect the family to be at her side. I will find others to come forward and we will take him
down until no team will sign him for the rest of his life.” Harry knew that Lucius and Sirius had
Slytherin and most of the purebloods covered but he thought that he could help further.

“What if I could help further? You have Slytherin covered. What if I could get some girls from the
other houses to agree to it? I’m sure that I could get Neville and the twins to get them to agree with
me.” Both Sirius and Lucius gave him an approving nod.

“That would be great. A variety of witches would be nice. They should all claim that they were too
scared to say anything, that he had threatened them against saying anything. As much as I hate to say
it, the more purebloods, the better.” Harry hated it as well but nodded. It made sense.

This whole situation was pretty fucked up but he was going to do his best to make sure that
Hermione was safe and would continue to be so. Their conversation continued on far into the night
and it was late when Harry finally excused himself. He knew that Juliet would be waiting for him,
wanting the full story of what had happened. Sirius had given him full dispensation to tell her
everything. It wasn't a conversation that he was looking forward to but knew that it needed to happen
and it was better from him than from the Prophet in the morning.

Besides, he had a few witches to talk to before breakfast.

-O-

Lucius wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be doing right now. The Headmaster had given both
himself and Sirius permission to stay the night with Hermione. Draco had tried to stay with her and
while his son looked completely miserable, he had allowed himself to be shooed away to his bed in
his dorms to inform their friends that Hermione was indeed alright.

He was heartbroken that he hadn’t been able to help his heart when she had needed him. She had
cried for her Aunt Cissy and he had been unable to produce her. It had killed him to tell her that his
wife was in Italy. Andie had filled in wonderfully but it was a dagger to the heart to know that her
family had left her hanging. He couldn’t blame her; Dory wasn’t an acceptable companion in
something as serious as what had happened to her.

Lucius watched her sleep besides him and he vowed to make sure that Viktor never worked in the
quidditch industry again. He regretted his time as a Death Eater but he would never regret doing all
he could to make sure that the seeker never worked again. Petty as it may seem to some families, his
heir’s safely was far from.

Draco had been acting oddly from the time he had arrived; he hadn’t once spoke to Hermione and he
had expected more from him. It was Harry that had stepped in and taken the lead rather than Draco.
It was perplexing and confusing but he had a feeling that it was also private. Neither one would tell
him if he were to ask the stipulations behind why the boy hadn’t spoke to his cousin. Regardless, if it
wasn't resolved in a few days time, he would step in and do his best to help it along.

He was now waiting on Cissy to send him an owl back since she couldn't send a patronus. He was
hoping that if she showed up tomorrow that it would make Hermione feel better. Rita Skeeter was
going to be coming to the school the following day to meet with Hermione and even though he and
Sirius were both going to be there with her, he figured that having a woman there with her would
make her feel better.

Lucius couldn’t help but notice how she felt quite at home with Harry despite what had happened to
her. Sure, he had told them that he had had to swear on his magic that he wouldn’t hurt her but when
it came down to it, that wasn't all that ridiculous. Not many women would have trusted a man after
being sexually assaulted. After carrying her to the Hospital Wing, Harry had seemed as though he
were disconnected from life in general. They probably should have made sure that he was alright
before he went back to the Tower but it was too late for that now.

He hated what this had done to his family already and he hadn’t even seen the reactions of Juliet,
Dory, or Remus. The latter two would surely feel guilty and would probably beat themselves up
extensively for trying to teach her magical control. They had both been right but they had also both
been wrong; it was a clusterfuck, that was the easiest way to put it. Lucius watched as his niece
stirred and opened her eyes. He smiled down at her and stroked her cheek softly.

“Go back to sleep, princess. I’m here making sure that you’re safe. Your father is on the other side.”
She reached out and took his hand, squeezing his hand softly.

“I know that, he’s been asleep for hours. You need to sleep too. Set wards and sleep, Uncle Luci. I
love you and don’t want you miserable. Please.” He smiled down at her and brushed another kiss
against her forehead.

“As you wish, princess. Get your rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.” She pulled his arm until
he was laying in bed with her and she curled into his side, her head on his shoulder. He wrapped her
up and held her tight, not having held her like this since she was a small child.

“Daddy is already asleep. Lay with me, Uncle Luci. Let me know that I'm safe.” He knew that she
was manipulating him with her words but he didn't care. They were the only words that would do it.
He made sure that the blankets were tucked around her but not himself, creating a barrier so nothing
inappropriate could be accused of him. He turned his head to rest his nose in his niece’s hair and he
inhaled her scent. Cherry blossoms and vanilla. She snuggled further into his chest and he could tell
when she dropped off.

With one last deep breath, Lucius let himself fall asleep too. After all, he had to deal with quite a bit
in the morning as well.

A/N- Lordy, another long ass chapter. I can’t believe there are two in a row. I hope you all enjoyed
this last one. Let me know what you think since I know this chapter was hard to write. It has to be
hard to read. Leave me a message after the beep and tell me what you think.

Next chapter, the fallout.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 80

A/N- Thank you all for being so understand about my grandfather. He’s still hanging on, stubborn
old bastard. God love him. He prided himself on just that, being a stubborn old bastard, haha.
Anyways, you guys are awesome. Another chapter for your reading pleasure, just taking a little
longer to get to you and a little shorter than usual. Hope you all enjoy.

**Shout out to Saki-Hime for being my 3900th reviewer. You’re freaking awesome!!**

Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing. If you haven’t learned that after the last 79 chapters, we have serious
problems. I haven’t made any money off this story or any other. Swear, I’m still a broke bitch.

Chapter 80
May 17, 1995

Hermione’s life was hell. She knew that she was going to regret going after Krum like she was but
she had no idea how much. When Uncle Luci had told her that going after him would be hard, she
had no idea that she would be ridiculed by the whole school. She had expected a little teasing, a little
telling off at the fact that she had brought his attention on herself. She hadn’t expected the level of
attention to the situation and she hadn’t expected the amount of people that would instantly hate her
for vilifying their hero.

It was insane. She hadn’t thought that people would instantly think she was a complete slag because
of what she had accused the Bulgarian seeker of. That wasn’t the case, however. As much as it
sucked, however, it was nice to learn that she wasn't alone. Sure, she knew that the other girls were
hired but it was still nice to know that being ostracised wasn’t just limited to her.

There were numerous girls that had stepped forward on her behalf, taking her side and claiming that
Krum had done the exact same thing things to them as he had to her. Of course, Hermione knew that
they were lying but that didn’t matter to her. The fact that they were willing to lie at all touched her
down deep. She had never had friends growing up so to see proof of it up close and personal was
nice. Sure, she knew that they weren’t her friends but it was a show of loyalty all the same.

Much to her surprise, Daphne was one of the witches that had come forward. Draco had been livid
and had thrown a fit of epic proportions. He had tried to stop Daphne from telling everyone her lies
but she had told him to fuck off. It had been poetic justice, to be honest. Not only had Daphne
claimed that Viktor had touched her, Tracey and Millie had done so as well. It touched Hermione
more than she could say.

Harry had come through as well. She wasn’t sure just what he had said to the girls that he fucked but
they had come through. Lisa Turpin, Mandy Brocklehurst, Cho Chang, Lavender Brown, Padma
Patil, and Marietta Edgecomb all came forward and claimed that Krum forced them to do things that
they didn’t want to do. It was never specified as to what but since they couldn’t bring a legal case
against him, it didn’t matter. The twins and Neville even got in on it and got their girlfriends to agree
to it. Hermione was eternally grateful that they sullied their reputations for her.

While the school hadn’t taken the other girls confessions well, they hadn’t turned on them as they
had her. It was as though they knew that their confessions weren’t real. However, it still made a
difference to the Daily Prophet. The publication had taken Hermione’s story and run with it, every
single last detail, Once the other girls had come forward, it had become a sensational hit.

Overnight, the wizarding world had learned that Viktor Krum was not only a one-time offender of
pushing himself on a woman, but a many time-offender. It was what they wanted but it still turned
Hermione’s stomach. Every time she passed him in the Great Hall, he glared at her but she just
ignored him as though he didn’t exist. She had heard from girls in Beauxbatons that he was telling
everyone that he had been led on. It pissed her off to no end but there was nothing she could do
about it.

So far, there was no far-reaching damage to Viktor’s reputation but it hadn’t even been a month. She
was going to give it until the end of the year until she decided what she wanted to do after that. She
was just grateful that her family had had her back since that day; Harry had followed her to every
single class they shared together and hadn’t complained once about losing time with his girls. Draco
had done the same and Hermione appreciated his gesture, trying to assuage his guilt at what had
happened to her.

*Flashback*

Hermione started for the Great Hall after being released from the Hospital Wing. Going there wasn't
the first thing she wanted to do but she had to show that she wasn't weak, that she could hold her
own against anything life threw at her. Harry was on one side, Draco on the other. Juliet was sure to
join her, as was Daphne. If she were being completely honest, the twins and Neville would support
her as well, especially after what had happened to her.

Hermione had loved that her father and uncle had spent the night with her but had been devastated
that her cousin had distanced herself from her. It was clear that he didn’t want anything to do with
her, that he found her disgusting now that she had been violated. As must as it saddened her, it
angered her as well. How could Draco ignore her as he had? Did she and her suffering mean nothing
to him?

Harry didn’t leave her side through breakfast, none of her friends did. Draco kept an eye on her but
didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say or do so she just kept her mouth
shut. Her friends all took her silence as trying to cope with what had happened; especially once they
saw that Viktor had sat down to eat breakfast at the other end of the Slytherin table.

Hermione wasn’t able to eat much; she was supposed to meet with her father and uncle in an hour to
do an interview with the Daily Prophet. It wasn’t really something that she was looking forward to
but it needed to be done to get the plan underway. Harry had promised her that he would be there
with her and while it was assumed that Draco would be there too, he hadn’t confirmed it either way.
Juliet finally broke the silence.

“I think we should just kidnap him and beat the fuck out of him. He’s been healed from where Harry
hit him.” Hermione laughed softly but chastised her sister anyways.

“Language, Jules.” Her little sister rolled her eyes.

“You swear all the time when you’re angry. I’m really angry right now, we all are. What happened
isn’t right.” Hermione sighed but before she could speak, Draco did.

“It isn’t right, Juliet, but we have a plan that’s going to see him fired from his quidditch team and
never hired again.” Luna and Daphne raised their eyebrows at him. Draco smirked at them.

“We’re going to tell the whole story and Father is going to get other girls to say the same thing.
Harry said he can get other girls to do it too. We can’t file charges against him but we can ruin him
socially.” Daphne instantly leaned forward.

“Count me in. He cornered me and touched me under my skirt because he wanted to get back at
Hermione for not accepting his suit.” Hermione wanted to smile at her friend’s show of loyalty but
Draco shook his head vehemently.

“Absolutely not.” Daphne glared at him.

“I’ll do whatever I want. You have no say in it.” Hermione snorted her amusement and Draco glared
at her. The bell rang, telling them that breakfast was over. The rest of their friends rose and Hermione
smiled at them.

“Thank you for your support. I’m going to go meet with my father now but I’ll see everyone at
lunch.” Jules ran around the table to hug her and Luna joined her at a much more sedate pace. When
they pulled away, Hermione shooed them on. She sighed as the two boys pulled her back towards
the classroom that her father and uncle had told them to meet them in. Draco reverted back to his
silent and sullen self. Hermione felt tears prick her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Drake. Next time I’ll keep quiet about you and Daphne. Just please don’t hate me.”
Draco stopped and stared at her incredulously.

“Is that what you think? That I hate you?” She lowered her eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

“You won’t talk to me. You wouldn’t even look at me last night. What am I supposed to think?” Her
cousin stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close in the empty corridor.

“I’m so fucking ashamed of myself, that’s why I won’t talk. You were right yesterday and I knew it.
I had no plans yesterday afternoon and could have gone to the library with you. I just didn’t because
I was angry with you. You getting attacked was my fault.” Hermione sighed into his chest.

“It wasn't your fault, Drake. If it hadn’t been yesterday, it would have been another day. I’m not mad
at you, I promise you. It’s Viktor’s fault, not yours.” She could feel the shuddering breath that her
cousin took as he hugged her tighter.

“I’m still sorry, Miney. You deserve better.” She breathed in his comforting scent and let it wash
over her. He kissed the side of her head as she spoke.

“I deserve for my cousin to not ignore me when I need him most. Don’t do it again, arsehole.” He
chuckled softly and nodded.

“You've got it, Miney.”

*End of Flashback*

The bell rang, dismissing them to Charms. Luna headed to Care of Magical Creatures while Juliet
started for Transfiguration so Hermione stood and let Harry and Draco pull her towards Charms. The
stares in the corridor were heavy on her back but she tried to let ignore them. Daphne, Neville, and
the rest of their Slytherin friends fell in around them.

They took their usual seats in the Charms classroom, the table of two being taken by herself and
Draco. Harry sat with Ron since he had been ignoring him quite a bit for the last month. Neville took
the seat next to Daphne and Hermione appreciated that her friends were all boxing her in to keep
those that wouldn’t be kind to her away from her. Professor Flitwick entered the classroom with a
bright smile on his face.

“Good morning, class. Today, we’re going to learn how to cast a spout of water from the tip of our
wands.”
Professor Flitwick lectured for half an hour on the spell, showing them the correct wand movements
and incantations. Hermione and Draco had learned the spell ages ago so she let her mind drift just a
little. When the lecture was finally over, Professor Flitwick pointed his wand at the board and split
them into pairs to practice.

Hermione groaned inwardly. She was paired with Theo Nott; she hadn’t had any serious interactions
with him since last year but she hadn’t missed the hateful looks sent her way since she had put him in
his place regarding Harry. Her cousin was paired with Pansy and Harry was paired with Lavender.
Hermione refused to leave her table so when Theo finally moved and took Draco’s seat, he had a
sour look on his face. She raised an eyebrow at him.

“You can go first. I can already do the spell.” He sneered at her.

“I can too. No need for either of us to even practice.” He smirked her way.

“Bet you’re glad daddy and uncle dearest bought off all those girls that came forward and accused
Krum. There’s no way that he attacked all those girls.” Hermione knew that he had no idea for sure
that was what happened. Therefore, she just raised her eyebrow at him again.

“Are you accusing my family of telling young girls to lie about sexual assault? If so, you should very
careful of your words.” He glared at her but remained silent for the rest of the class period. When the
half-goblin came around to see their spell work, they both performed beautifully and earned Slytherin
five points a piece.

After they were dismissed, Hermione was quick to reassure everyone that she would be fine while
she was in Magical Theory and they went to Divination. She promised to meet them at lunch and
started for the class with Professor McGonagall. Since her last run-in with Lisa Turpin, the girl had
kept her distance and kept her mouth shut. Hermione would admit that she liked it that way.

Since they had been assigned a large research project the class before, Hermione knew that they
would be working on that the whole class period. She took her usual seat at the front of the class and
didn’t let the stares of the rest of the students bother her. Head of Gryffindor House swept in and
began class with no fanfare. She started her work on her project and ignored everyone else until the
bell rang dismissing them to lunch.

Hermione slowly gathered her things to make sure that the other students would be gone before she
went to leave. She was the last student out and headed directly for the Great Hall, humming softly to
herself. Before she realized what was happening, Viktor Krum stepped in front of her, causing her to
walk into him. She bounced back but caught herself before she fell to the ground. He smirked at her
as she stared at him impassively.

“Excuse me, Mr, Krum, I believe you forgot your manners.” She started to go around him but he
reached out and grabbed her wrist. She stared at him with cold eyes until he let her go and back
away, holding his hands up in surrender.

“I no hurt you, I vant to talk.” She started to walk away again.

“I have nothing to say. If you feel the need to say something, contact my father.” He snorted at her.

“You vicious bitch. You got me fired from team. I know you pay all dose girls to say I rape dem.”
Hermione smirked at him this time.

“I did nothing of the sort. It sounds like you got what you deserved.” His face darkened with fury
and he lunged for her again. Surprisingly, it was Parvati Patil that stepped in front of her. Hermione
couldn’t have been more surprised.

“You won't be touching her again. You’ll have to go through me and since you already assaulted my
twin sister, I’m sure that the school governors would be most displeased to hear it. I’m sure Lord
Malfoy would love to hear another reason to bar you from the castle completely.” Hermione wanted
to snort at her words. Her uncle had been trying to find a way since she had been assaulted. Viktor
just glared at them for several seconds before stalking off. Parvati turned to stare at her for several
seconds before speaking.

“I don’t like you, Black, and I never will. That doesn’t mean I agree with what happened to you.
Nobody in Gryffindor does. When it comes to that fucking wanker, we have your back.” Hermione
would have never expected this so she bowed her head to show her thanks.

“Thank you, Patil. If you ever have need of something that only I can help you with, you only have
to ask.” She smiled and nodded before turning and walking away.

Hermione made the rest of the way to the Great Hall a quick trip. Once she was seated at the
Slytherin table once more, she caught the eye of both Draco and Harry since they were shooting her
worried glances. She sighed and just told them, knowing that there was no way that she could keep it
a secret.

They took it surprisingly well, knowing that Viktor had been kicked off the Bulgarian team. No, they
weren’t happy that he had confronted her about it, even less happy that he had grabbed her wrist, but
they were both thrilled that Parvati had stepped in and told him to bugger off and offered her her
support. Nothing of import happened at lunch so they ate quickly, Hermione eating almost a full
serving of shepherd's pie before the bell rang to dismiss them to Care of Magical Creatures.

-O-

Harry walked slightly behind Hermione and Draco between Ron and Neville, listening to them go
on about the latest match between Puddlemere and Ballycastle. Harry had listened to it on the
wireless and while it had been a good match, he just wasn’t that invested at the moment. He had
received a note during lunch from Dumbledore that he was supposed to meet the rest of the
champions out by the quidditch pitch to discuss the third task that evening. It really wasn’t something
that he wanted to do but since it was the last task, he just wanted to get it over with.

His eyes drifted down to Hermione’s arse and watched her hips sway in her uniform skirt. She had
left her robes behind since it was warm outside. Her legs were long and lean, and he couldn’t help
but wonder how they would feel wrapped around his waist, holding him tight against her heat.
Neville nudged him in the ribs and Harry moved his gaze immediately. He could feel a blush
coloring his cheeks but he kept his eyes forward now.

They approached Hagrid’s cabin and he came out to meet them. His old friend started to lecture on
nifflers and Harry found himself bored. He actually had notes to compare the lecture to and found
that they weren’t lacking. It was nice having Madam Cambridge’s teaching to fall back on.

Hagrid brought the nifflers out and told them that he had hidden leprechaun gold around the grounds.
Each person was given a niffler and it became a contest to see who could find the most gold. In the
end, it was Ron that won the contest and Harry could see that Draco had to bite his tongue to not
make a caustic remark. As much as he understood that they blond hated his best mate, he was glad
that he didn’t make matters worse.

After they were dismissed with an essay on nifflers as homework, they started across the grounds for
Herbology. Draco was walking with Daphne now and his head was bent to hers, whispering
something in her ear. She was smiling softly so Harry moved up to walk next to Hermione. She
smiled at him but remained quiet. He could hear her humming softly, tipping her face up to let the
sunshine warm her skin. Harry reached out and tugged one of her curls.

“What are you looking forward to most this summer?” She grinned at him.

“Riding Bluebell. It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen her.” She turned a shy gaze his way.

“What are you going to do this year?” Harry sighed.

“I’m not sure. The Headmaster hasn’t seen fit to discuss it with me yet.” Hermione’s face clouded
over but she didn’t get a chance to say anything since they reached the greenhouses.

Since the tables in Herbology seated four, Harry and Neville sat with Hermione and Draco. Daphne
sat with Tracey, Millie, and Pansy while the other boys took a table together. Professor Sprout
breezed in and didn’t waste any time starting her lecture on stinksap. The whole class was spent on
lecture with promises of practical uses next class period.

They were dismissed to dinner and Harry decided to sit with his Gryffindor friends at the lion’s table.
Once he was seated between Ron and Seamus, he piled food onto his plate and listened to his friends
banter back and forth about quidditch and homework. He threw an arm over Pav’s shoulders when
Seamus stood to go talk to Dean and smiled at her.

“Thanks for having Hermione’s back today. Really means a lot to me.” She rolled her eyes at him
and shrugged out from under his arm.

“I did what I did because no woman should be violated like that, not because I like your girlfriend.”
Harry stuttered.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” She snorted before she moved between himself and Ron so she could slide
under the redhead’s arm.

“Yeah, I know.” Lavender was glaring at him but he refused to meet her gaze. He knew that she
wanted to date him but he had never told her that he would date anyone, let alone her. Ginny was
still lurking further down the table, making eyes at him, but he paid her no attention. It was of no
consequence to him now that he had quit fucking her.

It was a good time, catching up with all his Gryffindor friends. At the end of the meal, he wiped his
mouth and rose, starting for the quidditch pitch. He knew that he was meeting the other champions
there and most likely the Headmaster as well. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing Krum again,
especially since the last time he had seen him alone, it had resulted in him beating him bloody.

Fleur and Cedric were already there, talking quietly amongst themselves. Harry approached quickly,
sure that Viktor was shortly behind him. He wondered who from the Ministry was going to be there,
for surely there was going to have to be one. Once the pair realized that he was there, Cedric clapped
him on the shoulder.

“Potter, good to see you. How’s Hermione?” Harry wanted to scowl. It was clear the Hufflepuff had
a crush on her but he supposed that he couldn’t say anything. He had started shagging Chang just a
few months beforehand when she swore to him that she and Cedric weren’t exclusive. Instead, he
screwed a smile on his face.

“She’s alright. Hanging in there. Krum just told her today that he lost his place on the national team
because of what he’s done to all the girls here.” Cedric smiled at him.
“That’s good to hear. He definitely deserves it.” They were cut off by Krum arriving with a scowl on
his face. He didn’t say a word, just stood off to the side and waited impatiently for the others to
arrive. Cedric and Fleur started speaking of quidditch and Harry almost started laughing when he
saw the scowl on Krum’s face deepen.

They didn’t have long to wait before the Headmaster arrived with Ludo Bagman trailing behind him.
Harry stood there, silent, between Cedric and Fleur and waited for them to approach. After the
niceties had been tended to, the Headmaster turned to Bagman and indicated that he should begin.
Bagman smiled jovially and started.

“Champions, brave champions. In just one months time, you’ll be facing your third task right here on
this very quidditch pitch. We’re going to grow hedges and make it a maze. It’s going to be a contest
for the four of you, to see who can get to the middle of the maze first and get the Triwizard Cup.”
Harry looked quite skeptical.

“That’s it? A maze?” Bagman started to laugh.

“No, Harry, my boy. We’re going to put some obstacles in the maze to make it more difficult. You’ll
be entering the maze in the order that you’re placed in the tournament. From there, it’s just a matter
of who gets to the middle first.” For as simple as it sounded, Harry knew that it wasn’t going to be
that easy. Dumbledore spoke.

“I think that’s all we need from you. You four are free to go.” Harry nodded and turned to leave.
Bagman called him back.

“Harry, my boy, can I have a word?” He sighed and turned to face the portly man. Bagman grinned
at him, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

“I was wondering if you needed any help. You’re the youngest competitor and I would love to give
you a few tips.” Harry shook his head in the negative.

“No, sir, thank you though. I want to do this on my own. Whether I win or not, I want to be able to
say that I did it all on my own.” Bagman laughed but Harry could tell that he was irritated with him.

Harry made his excuses and found his way back to the castle. He knew that his friends would all be
in the library so he started in that direction. He had almost made it that far when someone reached out
and pulled him into an alcove and kissed him hard. Harry couldn’t help the hardening of his prick as
he pulled away, only to realize that it was Ginny. He pushed her up against the wall and glared.
Before he could speak, she was crying.

“I’m so sorry, Harry. I know that you hate me and I understand that. I never should have said that
about you and I never should have gotten so angry with you. Please, nobody in Gryffindor will talk
to me.” Harry raked a hand through his hair and sighed.

“Ginny, we aren’t fucking anymore. That is over. I understand that you made a mistake and you’re
sorry but I won’t make the same mistake twice. I’ll be a little more friendly so the others will talk to
you but you need to remember that you did this to yourself. As for dragging me in here and kissing
me, don’t ever do it again. I don’t appreciate it. Get it through your head and maybe you can salvage
your reputation in Gryffindor.” Ginny nodded vigorously and smiled at him gratefully. She hugged
him quickly before backing away and thanking him one last time and bolting out of the alcove.

Harry took a moment and sighed at what had just happened. After his moment, he left the alcove and
continued to the library. Once inside, he found his friends and took the seat next to Hermione that
was still open. He only had the essay from Hagrid to work on so he started it right away. After he
finished that, he planned on doing more of the homework from Madam Cambridge.

It was late when they finally quit working on homework, just a half hour before curfew. He gathered
his things and pressed a kiss to Hermione’s cheek before wishing her goodnight. He threw his arm
around Juliet and pulled her to the staircase that was the most direct path to Gryffindor Tower. She
chattered the whole way, telling him the latest gossip with all her friends and what she wanted to do
when school let out. It made him just a little jealous that she was going to get to go straight to Black
Moor while he was most assuredly going to have to go to Privet Drive for at least a short time.

After reaching the Tower, he hugged the small girl and sent her on her way. He waved to the rest of
his friends who were all sitting up and playing exploding snap. He nodded his head at Ginny and he
could hear the common room fall silent at his actions. He didn’t stick around to explain himself,
however. He owed none of them an explanation.

Once reaching his dorm, he stripped quickly and performed his evening ablutions before crawling
into his bed and closing the curtains. He cast a silencing spell and reached into his pants to pull his
cock out. It had been awhile since he had masturbated but since he had refrained from sex for the last
couple weeks to make sure that Hermione stayed away from Krum, he felt like he was going to
explode.

Harry closed his eyes and pictured Hermione on her knees before him, her lips wrapped around his
cock, her eyes looking up at him through her dark lashes. He could feel her tongue dragging on the
underside of his cock and he started to stroke himself. He imagined her tits, bare and perky, sliding
along his cock as he sped up, making the head weep.

It was sudden when he exploded into his fist, his seed coating his hand and stomach liberally. Harry
fought to catch his breath, just realizing that he was panting from his exertions. When his breathing
was almost normal again, he reached for his wand and cleaned himself before tucking his cock back
in his pajama bottoms. Harry couldn’t help but wish that it had been the real thing.

With a sigh, he threw the duvet over himself and closed his eyes. Hopefully sleep would make him
feel up to telling everyone what the third task was in the morning.

A/N- Another chapter down, guys. Not quite as long as usual but I really wanted to write a chapter
to show the aftermath of Krum’s attack. Hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone out there
reading and reviewing, you guys are seriously the bomb. Leave me a message after the beep and let
me know what you think. Reviews are love.

Next chapter, the third task.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 81

A/N- Y’all, all I can say is that this chapter is going to be a monster. I should really split it in two but
I hate when authors do that. I would just rather read one massive chapter. So don’t get angry when
that’s what you get. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy.

I want to say just one more thing before I start...I got a few reviews and PMs saying how they were
disappointed that I made Viktor the victim because I used false accusations against him. I want y’all
to know that I don’t agree with this practice at all. However, in this story since Viktor’s father is an
ambassador, Hermione would have had no justice. In our world and this day and age, things would
be different. That’s the difference. For the few of you that sent me shitty messages telling me off
because I support such things, look at the differences in the story and real life. I wrote about sexual
assault. I’m about to write about explicit torture. Does that mean I agree with those as well?
Absolutely not. All I’m saying is use your damn heads.

Trigger Warning: Explicit torture.

Disclaimer: Nothing about this story belongs to me except for the personal plot twist I’ve put on this
story line. The characters belong to our queen and the very original story line belonged to Hermione
Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. I haven’t made any money off this story or any other. I’m still a broke bitch as
evidenced by the fact that I have a whopping forty dollars in my bank account. Thank God I’m easy
to entertain.

Chapter 81
June 24, 1995

Augustus knew that tonight was the night. On one hand, he hoped against hope that the ritual
worked and his master was restored to his former body and he was young and whole again. On the
other hand, however, he hoped that it failed and he was sent back into limbo to suffer and wait until
another faithful follower came along and came up with another plan to bring him back.

All the Dark Lord had spoken of was Hermione Black. On his visits, Crouch, Jr. had brought him
photos that he had taken of the girl, showing him what she looked like. Rookwood would be the first
to admit that she was even more beautiful than she had been last year. She had grown and so had her
body. She was more mature. Hermione already had a woman’s body and Rookwood wanted to get
his hands on it desperately. However, that would never happen if the Dark Lord rose. He was
determined to have her.

After learning what had happened to her through the Daily Prophet, both the Dark Lord and
Rookwood had sworn that they would kill young Krum. Rookwood didn’t care so much that she
was untouched, after all, she would just know how to please him once he had her, but the Dark Lord
was livid. Augustus just wanted her to be willing; Lord Voldemort didn’t want her touched by
anyone but himself. The fact that the quidditch star had touched her inappropriately and against her
will had sealed his fate. He would die and in a most painful way. Rookwood didn’t mind; he had
always like to watch torture, mayhem, and bloodshed.

Potter was going to be joining them tonight, that was supposed to be Crouch’s job. He really hoped
that the man would come through on his end of the job but Rookwood had serious doubts. The
man’s mind was gone, he had clearly spent far too much time in Azkaban. However, his devotion to
the Dark Lord was complete so it was a possibility that he could make it work. For the sake of his
health and body, Rookwood hoped that he could. He would be the one getting tortured after the
Dark Lord killed Crouch, Jr. in a fit of rage.
He sighed as he stood, readying himself to go begin the circle that they would need for the ritual that
night. It was going to be a long night no matter how he looked at the outcome. All he knew was that
no matter what the outcome was, he was determined to come out on top.

-O-

Hermione couldn’t quiet her nerves; she couldn’t eat more than a few bites and she couldn’t help her
feet that were shaking under the table. Luna gave her a knowing smile and squeezed her hand, telling
her that all would be well in the end. Hermione tried to smile back and tell her that she knew that she
was right but she couldn’t. She couldn’t help but shake the feeling that something terribly wrong was
going to happen at the third task and nothing they did was going to stop it.

All her family and friends were gathered around, eating breakfast and talking loudly. Harry had
agreed to eat breakfast with Gryffindor since he would be spending the morning with family and
eating lunch with them as well. It had been made clear that most of his lion friends wouldn’t be
joining them at the Slytherin table. To keep the peace, he had agreed that breakfast across the room
wasn’t too big of a price to pay. Hermione hated it but agreed that it was a fair compromise.

Hermione and Harry had had a marked argument two weeks before that had lasted a week; neither
had spoke to the other but they had refused to sit at opposite tables. It had made for tension-filled
mealtimes and their friends were fed up with them by the time they had finally resolved it. Hermione
had noticed that Harry had gotten more friendly with Ginny Weasley. He would smile at her, wave
at her, even sit next to her here and there to study. The younger girl would beam and just eat up the
attention.

Hermione could admit that part of it was jealousy. She knew herself well enough to know that.
However, the other part of her that objected to it was the part that knew this girl had done her family
wrong and Harry was welcoming her back with open arms like he hadn’t learned a fucking thing.
She had sat on the information for days, trying to keep her mouth shut, trying not to blow up at the
slight to their family, but in the end it had exploded out.

*Flashback*

Hermione was headed for the library with all their friends in tow; they wanted tutoring in Potions and
they trusted nobody but herself and Draco to do so. Hermione was still stewing over seeing Harry sit
next to Ginny at dinner, holding a conversation with her that had them both laughing uproariously.
Her insides burned with jealousy but even more than that, her family honor was being called into
question. Harry was her family and that girl had called him a liar, had accused him of getting her
pregnant, knowing that it was lie. To see him cozying up to her after that was like a slap in the face.

Hermione was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t realize that Draco had taken her arm
and was pulling her into an empty classroom. Neville appeared to be doing the same to Harry. Luna,
Juliet, Daphne, and the twins followed and Hermione couldn’t believe that Draco was allowing this.
Family business was just that. Handled within family. She glared at him openly as he locked,
warded, and silenced the door. He turned to her and ignored her glare.

“Tell me what the fuck your problem is. Everyone can tell you’re about to set something on fire with
your eyes, you have been for three days. Just spit it out so we can get past it.” Hermione shook her
head.

“No, I don’t believe that I will. It’s family business and last I checked, we aren’t all family in this
room.” Draco snorted.

“You’re telling me that Neville and the twins aren’t just like your brothers? They love you like their
sister. Daphne is your best friend. She’s as good as family and you know it. After this summer, all
three of those boys are going to be family.” Hermione had to grit her teeth to keep from slapping her
cousin. Instead, she smiled sweetly at her cousin.

“I’m just fine, thanks. I’d like to go study now.” Hermione just glared until Draco sighed and raked a
hand through his hair.

“Please, Miney.” He never called her Miney in front of anyone but family. It was always Hermione
or Mia. Hermione stiffened her spine and let her impassive mask slip over her features before turning
to Harry.

“Why are you getting cozy with Ginny Weasley again?” He looked as though he had been caught
with his hand in the cookie jar; his eyes darted around looking for help and then he looked to the
ground for a few moments before finally looking up to meet her gaze.

“Ginny spoke to me a few weeks ago, begging me to take pity on her because the rest of our house
wouldn’t talk to her. She told me they all hated her because of what she did to me. She didn’t ask to
shag me, she just wanted me to not ostracize her. That’s all I’ve done, show everyone that I don’t
hate her. Yet you’re pissed about that.” Hermione hissed in anger, almost like a snake. She started to
advance on Harry but he held his ground.

“I expect you to respect yourself and your family. She insulted you and your family name, not to
mention your family, when she accused you wrongly of impregnating her. Not only did she accuse
you, she did it publicly. After that, she told the whole school that she was shagging six other men to
keep their attention off the fact that she had done so. Just because I don’t contribute to gossip doesn’t
mean that I don’t hear it. A self-respecting wizard wouldn’t sit there and laugh with her, welcoming
her back into his circle of friends with open arms. You should have more respect for yourself and
your family. Pansy Parkinson disrespected me and I cut her down, I ruined her socially. Have I once
gone back on it and acted like her friend? No, because I know what the little bitch is capable of.
She’s shown me what she’ll do if I trust her. Just like Ginny has shown you. All you’re going to do
is bring more shame on yourself by being seen with her.” Harry took a step towards her and sneered
her way.

“You’re just jealous that I’m talking to her. You want me and I’m paying her attention that you think
should go to you. There are other people in my life aside from you, Hermione.” Hermione tried to
fight the sting of tears in her eyes but it was so hard. His words cut to the bone, mostly because they
were partly true. She waved her wand to make sure that nobody could hear her words, casting a
silent silencing spell.

“I know that I’m not the only girl in your life. I’ll never be the only girl in your life. I’m not that
important and I have no illusions that I am. It would be nice to feel as though I meant more to you
than the person who threw rocks at me, threw me into a lake, and cursed me bald. I would protect
my family at any cost. You won’t even protect yourself.” Hermione angrily swiped an arm across her
eyes and turned to leave. Harry reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her. His voice was hard
when he spoke.

“She swears she didn’t throw those rocks or throw you into the lake. I believe that she cursed you
bald but she was jealous.” Hermione just smiled softly at him.

“I guess that makes it better.” She pulled from his grasp and waved her wand at the door, cancelling
all of Draco’s spells with only one sweep.

*End of Flashback*
The week that followed had been quite painful for Hermione. She had tried to keep her distance from
Harry but since he refused to leave the Slytherin table, it had been difficult. She had stayed away
from the library as best she could but since she still needed a few books that she didn’t have in her
collection, she couldn’t stay away permanently. Harry still insisted on escorting her to and from
classes, though she noticed a marked absence of him after the meals. She had assumed that he was
off sleeping with all the girls that he passed the time away with.

It had all finally come to a head a week later when Draco had locked them in a classroom together,
just the three of them, and told them that he wasn’t letting them go anywhere until they worked it out.
Of course, that only served to have Hermione tell Harry exactly what he wanted to hear, mostly
because she couldn’t bear to be in there with him any longer than necessary. The thought of him
fucking Weaselette again made her physically sick. Therefore, she had told him that she hadn’t meant
a word of it and if he wanted to her friend, that was fine with her. She’d stay out of his business and
he’d stay out of hers.

She had thought that it was a hell of a deal but Harry had groaned. After groaning, he had glared at
her, telling her that she wasn't going to get off that easy, that she was going to admit that she was
wrong. Hermione very much didn’t think that she was wrong, in fact, she felt that she was a million
percent right, Draco had glared at her, however, and she had finally met Harry’s eyes, told him how
right he was and how wrong she was, told him that she would stay out of his business from there on
out, and went about her merry way.

Hermione had cried herself to sleep that night.

She didn’t understand how she could mean so little to him when he meant the world to her. She
would kill for him, die for him, and he couldn’t stop talking to one single girl. She hadn’t demanded
that he quit sleeping with all the other girls. She hadn’t even demanded that he stop having anything
to do with Pansy, her enemy in Slytherin house. All she wanted was for him to respect her and her
family and he couldn’t even do that.

Since her fake apology, because they both knew that's what it was, things had been strained. Sure,
there were smiles and laughs, they had joked around, but everyone knew that it was an act. Everyone
in school knew that something wasn’t right between the two and they could only speculate what it
was. Hermione had wanted to throw up when the latest rumor had been that it was because she had
given herself to Harry and not Krum, that that was the reason she and Krum had really fought. Harry
had never acknowledged the rumor but it caused her to cry herself to sleep more than one night.

They still weren’t alright. They still weren’t okay. Hermione had no idea when they would be.
However, today was the final task and if things went wrong, Harry could get hurt or die. It was the
last thing she wanted because no matter how big of a git he was, or how stupid and arrogant he was,
she was still stupidly and completely in love with him. She had accepted that they wouldn’t be
together and that she deserved better than him, but It made her sick to realize it but she couldn’t
change the truth. It was what it was. It was better to accept it and just deal with it as best she could.

Therefore, Hermione did her best to finish her breakfast and put on a brave face since Harry was
going to be facing a maze full of obstacles. Since they hadn’t been sure what those obstacles would
be, they had spent their time brushing up on just about every kind of spell they could. Since Hagrid
was on the grounds, it was given that there would be creatures of some kind involved. Hermione just
hoped against hope that Harry could at least get through it alive; she didn’t even care if he won or
not. According to Draco, he didn’t care either.

Everyone else at the Slytherin table seemed tense. While the upper and younger years weren’t that
close to Harry, they were used to seeing him at their table and had mostly gotten over their animosity
towards him. There were still a few that grumbled when they saw him coming but they were few and
far between. Slytherin House as a whole wouldn’t be upset if Gryffindor’s Golden Boy won the
Triwizard Tournament that evening.

Viktor had left her alone since the last run in she had had with him. Not for lack of trying, however.
Blaise had run him off while in the library just a few weeks before and Daphne had told him to
bugger of last week in the Great Hall before everyone else had arrived. Hermione had appreciated it
since the last thing she wanted to do was to speak to her would-be rapist any more than she had to. If
he never showed up at Hogwarts again, she wouldn’t feel bad in the least.

The bell rang to dismiss the students from breakfast, which meant that the families and the champions
were due to arrive any moment. They would spend the morning with their champion, then lunch, and
then head to the stands to watch the last task with the rest of the students and those invited to watch.
Hermione was just excited to see her father, aunt, and uncle. It had been three months since she had
seen them and she missed them all terribly. At least this time, Aunt Andie, Uncle Ted, Uncle Remus
and Dory would be included as well.

The Great Hall cleared out and Viktor made sure to move to the Ravenclaw table so he could have
privacy with his own family. His were the first to file into the cavernous room, his father shooting
Hermione a deathly glare while his brother stared at her with lustful eyes. There was hatred in his
sister’s eyes but his mother watched her with understanding; it made her wonder if she suffered the
same fate as Hermione would have under Viktor’s thumb. It saddened her to think about, especially
when she considered what Viktor told her about binding her to him in a dark ritual.

Cedric’s family came next, his mother and father holding him close and kissing him numerous times.
He was the only child so it was only the three of them. Hermione knew that Amos Diggory was
well-known in the Ministry so she wasn’t surprised when her father and Uncle Luci waved at him
when they came striding in with Aunt Cissy and Helena on their arms. Remus and Dory were next
with Aunt Andie and Uncle Ted bringing up the rear. Harry was the first to be pulled into their arms
so Hermione took the chance to watch the exchange between Fleur and her parents.

Pierre and Apolline almost dragged Gabrielle in they were moving so fast, eager to get to Fleur and
hug her tight. They flashed a smile her way and waved and Hermione could feel her cheeks color
slightly. She turned her attention back to her own family to find that while Harry had been
thoroughly hugged by everyone, she, Draco, and Juliet had not been.

Everyone took their turn, holding her close and telling her how happy they were to see her.
Hermione was most pleased to see her father’s arm around Helena and how happy he looked. He
raised an eyebrow at her but she just stared at him, silently challenging him for her observing him.
Finally, he smirked her way and broke eye contact, indicating that she had won the battle. Everyone
seemed to be talking at once and it was complete mayhem. Hermione was pulled out of it by an arm
around her shoulders. She didn't have to look to know that it was Uncle Luci.

“Are you angry with him?” She shook her head.

“No, not angry. I want him to be happy and I can imagine how lonely Black Moor gets when I’m
gone. When Juliet is gone. Merlin, I have to get used to saying that. He needs someone. I guess I’m
just scared that he’ll forget me again, like he did last summer.” Uncle Luci hugged her close and
kissed her hair line.

“He could never forget you, love. You’re his daughter.” She smiled at her uncle and had to say the
words because they were the truth.

“In name. We both know that Juliet is his daughter. I’m his niece. He adopted me to save himself for
Harry. I’m not trying to say that I’m not important. I know that I am. I know that he loves me. I
know that he’ll never take the heir spot from me, he really can’t. My father was the rightful heir
when I was born, it’s mine by right. I’m just scared that the Helena and Juliet will mean more
because they really belong to him and I’m just someone he adopted for convenience. Even Harry is
his family because he wanted to be. He accepted that responsibility willingly. Don’t think I’m not
aware of the fact that he hasn’t always been enamored with the fact that he’s raising a daughter.”
Uncle Luci sighed and threaded his hands through her hair before hugging her tight.

“He loves you, sweetness. You are the light of his life. Yes, he’s going to love Juliet and Helena too
but he won’t love you any less. In fact, he’s scared of losing you because of them.” She snorted.

“I wouldn’t abandon him because he loved them too. I’m not that type of person.” He snorted now, a
sound that wasn't often heard from her refined uncle’s mouth.

“That’s not what your cousin tells me. He tells me that you’ve all but abandoned Harry because he’s
started talking to Ginny Weasley again.” Hermione growled in response and her uncle laughed out
loud in response.

She explained everything in detail and by the end of her explanation, he was planted firmly on her
side. Not that she expected any differently, she was the favorite over Harry, of course, but it made
her feel better to know that someone could see her side of things too. Draco didn’t bother to try, he
just told her that he wasn't going to take sides and he wasn’t going to be in the middle of the
argument. She couldn’t ask anyone else to get in the middle because it just wouldn’t be right. Uncle
Luci tugged her hair to make her look him in the eyes.

“I know it hurts now, Princess, but someday it won’t. Someday, he’ll admit that he was wrong and
he’s going to tell you how wrong he was and he’s going to tell you how much he wants you. It’s
going to hurt at first but after awhile, it's going to be the best feeling in the world. You just have to
hang in there until then. Don’t wait around for him but mark my words. It will happen.” Hermione
sighed.

“I don’t know if I’ll want him by then.” Uncle Luci shrugged his shoulders.

“If you don’t, I’ll buy you whatever man you want. If you don’t want a man, I’ll buy you whatever
horse you want. Your father and I will make sure that you’re happy.” She smiled at him and kissed
his cheek softly.

“Thank you, Uncle Luci. That really means a lot to me. You’re the only person I can talk to about
this. Aunt Cissy goes into the vapors about it and Daddy would have a heart attack. I can’t trust
Remus with this and Dory would never stop teasing me. Draco is more of a middle ground these
days so…” He kissed her forehead and smiled down at her.

“Let’s just make this as good a day as we can.” Hermione grimaced slightly.

“I don’t think that’s possible. I have a really bad feeling about this.” He smoothed her curls.

“Regardless, there is nothing we can do about it. Therefore, we must support Harry as best we can.”
Hermione gave a nod before she was swept up in a hug with Dory and Luna, both laughing about
Harry sticking it to Krum in the order of entering the maze.

The whole of their family started for the doors that led out of the Great Hall. Apparently, they had
decided to walk around the Black Lake and spend their time there. Hermione had no problem with it.
She spent every morning there, after all. She still loved running after all this time and she adored how
it calmed her mind.
They all settled under her favorite willow tree, conjuring blankets to sit on and pillows to lean
against. Hermione found herself between Aunt Cissy and Aunt Andie, both of whom were trying to
talk boys to her. Even they both knew what a horrific experience she had had with Viktor, they were
trying to convince her that she needed to not give up on boys, that there would be one out there that
would treat her right and set her blood on fire. Hermione was quite sure that she had already found
that person but she didn’t voice that. Instead, she looked up to find that Harry was watching her with
an angry expression on his face. She wasn’t sure what she had done to earn his ire since she had
stayed out his way all morning but she quickly averted her eyes. It wouldn’t do to fight before the
third task.

She and her family all laughed the morning away, catching up and talking about anything under the
sun. She and Luna were given a hard time about finding boyfriends while the boys were teased
about finding girls that could keep them under control. Aunt Cissy kept an arm around her shoulders
most of the morning, still feelings guilty that she hadn’t been there when Hermione had wanted her
for the exam she had had to endure. She pulled her in so Hermione could rest her head on her
shoulder while the rest of the family fawned over Harry.

“I’m glad you’re doing better, Sunshine. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.” Hermione squeezed her
aunt’s fingers and smiled.

“I know. Aunt Andie filled in nicely. If you had known you would have been there and that’s what
matters. Don’t worry, I’m not a hundred percent but I’m better than than I was.” Aunt Cissy beamed
at her but didn’t bring it up again.

After sitting by the Black Lake for hours, the bell rang throughout the grounds, signalling that it was
time for lunch. They considering calling the elves for a picnic but decided that they would do lunch
in the Great Hall for appearances sake. They all stood and started for the castle, only to meet Viktor
Krum and his family on the way in, just a hundred feet from the entrance. The doors were open and
it was clear that the rest of the students would be able to hear anything said if they decided to pay
attention to anything said. Ambassador Krum barreled up to her father and started drilling him in the
chest with his finger.

“You tink you can frame my son for your daughter being whore? Nobody do dis to house of Krum
and get away vith it.” Her father’s anger was building, that much was obvious. Helena was shuffling
Juliet back behind her and Aunt Cissy was making sure that the rest of the children were behind her.
Hermione refused to be contained, however, much to her aunt’s chagrin. She stood side by side with
her father and her hair was blowing in a wind that just wasn’t there. Her father spoke next.

“I suggest that you leave before you say something that you can’t take back and my daughter takes
matters into her own hands. I doubt you’re aware of the laws in our lands and you will probably end
up hurt and without the ability to press charges.” Lord Krum scoffed openly at his words.

“I not get in trouble for telling truth. She tells lies about my Viktor. She whore.” Even though she
knew that her father would have handled the situation for her, she probably should have let him, she
didn’t. She let her magic free and it knocked him back several feet to land him flat on his back. He
was gasping for air, holding his chest, and fear flickering in his eyes. Her father stepped forward to
lean over the dark wizard.

“That’s my daughter doing that, not me. She’s going to get away with it too. You called her a whore
and she has certified proof from Madam Pomfrey after she was treated from your son’s attack that
her innocence is still intact. She could do anything short of killing you and get away with it,
ambassador or not. If there are any doubts, she can have the charm cast again right after the third
task. Otherwise, we’ll make a big spectacle of this only to find that she’s right, you’re wrong and a
complete fool. So basically the normal.” Krum glared at him but nodded his head. Hermione let him
up but glared at both him and his son when he approached to help him up. Her voice was stone
when she spoke.

“From now on, leave me alone. Don’t try to talk to me, don’t make contact with me, Don’t even
remember me as anything other than a passing face. It could never have been more and you just had
to ruin it by getting greedy when you already had an amazing friend out of the mix.” Viktor hung his
head in shame but Hermione wasn't touched. Her father pulled her away from the Krums and
towards the Great Hall, throwing an arm around her shoulders. He smiled down at her.

“I’ve spent the morning with Harry and Juliet. Why don’t you spend lunch with me?” Hermione was
a little surprised but nodded anyways.

They took seats at the Slytherin table, everyone expanding and scooting down to make room. For
this meal, Neville and the twins joined them, all happy to be considered part of the family. Hermione
enjoyed that her father made sure to ask after her life even though it was Harry’s day and one of the
most important of his life; it made her feel important like she never had before. Before, he would
have found her much later to question her after the fact and after her feelings of importance had fled.

Hermione couldn’t help but worry that her little sister was going to get more attention from her father
than she was. She was biologically his, for one. For two, she was the baby. They were always the
favorites. She supposed that she deserved it for taking the attention from Draco but it hurt to think
about. Juliet hadn’t shown up until much later in life and it had been with a heavy conscience that
she had bid her father to make contact with her.

However, it was all for nothing. Her father seemed to still care what was happening in her life and
hadn’t mentioned his relationship with Helena until she had asked. It was a nice change and she
couldn’t help but wonder what had brought the change on. She had wished for it for years but it had
never come. Whatever had seen fit to bless her with a father that wasn’t going to stop loving her, she
thanked Merlin for it every single day.

Sooner rather than later, lunch dismissed and the champions were bid to tell their friends and family
farewell. Neville and the twins were quick to wish Harry well and good luck since they knew that
they had quite a bit of family behind them. After they were gone, Luna, Juliet, and Daphne took their
turns, hugging him close and threatening him as to what would happen if he came back injured.
Hermione could only smirk when he laughed at their threats.

Dory reminded him of his training, told him that he was her cousin since she had no idea how else to
describe how he was related and that meant that if he was hurt she was going to have to tear the
world apart to find out who was responsible. He had laughed but hugged her the same, telling her
that he would do his best to come back unharmed. Aunt Andie was next, telling him that he was part
of the family and she wouldn’t take any part of the family misbehaving and not listening to her when
she told them to come home safe. He had pulled her in his arms and kissed her cheek, telling her how
much he adored her.

Uncle Ted came next, followed closely by Remus, both telling him that he needed to stay safe. He
had promised to do the best he could. When Aunt Cissy stepped forward and wrapped an arm
around his neck, she buried her face in his neck and cried a few tears, telling him how he was as
good as her own son, that he better not make her put him over her knee and paddle him. He had
chuckled, kissed her cheek, and promised to do his best to remain safe. Aunt Cissy had smiled at him
before waving him on to Helena. The half-blood hugged him tightly and simply made him promise
to be safe since she didn’t know him all that well. Harry obliged before letting her go and
relinquishing her to Sirius.
That didn’t last long since Sirius took him in his arms next, telling him how he was going to do great,
how he believed in him, how the family believed in him. Harry appreciated the support and was
grateful that he was receiving it from his godfather; just having one didn’t mean that he would ever
get his approval or anything close to support from him when he learned the truth at the end of third
year.

Uncle Lucius stepped forward next and offered Harry his hand but pulled him in close to whisper
something in his ear. After a few moments, he pulled away and though Harry looked confused, he
didn’t look frightened. Hermione decided that she was going to let it go since she had decided to let
everything everything Harry Potter related go as a priority. It was just too much torture.

Finally, Harry turned to Hermione and Draco. Draco stepped forward first, offering his hand since he
was sure that Hermione wouldn’t. Harry took it and shook it, clearly pleased that his friend was
supporting him. She heard their words and she wished that her situation with Harry was different.

“You have to stay safe out there, mate. It’s just a stupid competition, it doesn’t mean shite if you’re
dead. Promise you’ll stay safe.” Harry nodded and met Draco’s eyes.

“Promise, mate. I don’t want to die out there anymore than you want me to. I’m going to do my best
to come back to everyone.” Draco clapped him on the shoulder and Hermione knew that she was the
only one left. She really didn’t want to say goodbye since it was only going to be awkward but she
couldn’t get away with it. Dumbledore was looming and she knew that their time was limited.
Maybe he would just skip over her and they could dismiss all the awkwardness between them.
However, Harry stepped in front of her and reached up to stroke a finger down her cheek. When she
met his gaze, he smiled softly at her.

“I know you’re still mad at me. I still don’t agree with you but I appreciate you lying to keep the
peace even though it wasn't necessary. You could have just told me to fuck off.” She refused to meet
his eyes at that statement. How was she supposed to take the statement that he thought she was
wrong about Ginny Weasley? He was still taking her word over Hermione’s? That hurt. She refused
to tell him, however. It wouldn’t matter even if he knew.

“How do you expect me to feel? You’re taking her word over mine. I’m your family and that means
nothing. I’ve given you everything as my family and you haven't done the same. However, this is a
life or death competition and I’m setting that aside. Your life is more important. I just want you to
know that it hurt me more than you can know to know that you chose her word over mine, then and
now. I hope you know that I love you more than anything and I hope that nothing happens to you. I
have a terrible feeling about this task so I want you to promise me that you’ll be careful.” He smiled
at her and held out his arms. She couldn’t help but float into them, no matter how much he had hurt
two weeks before. He hugged her close and felt him breathe deeply of her hair.

“I’m going to do my absolute best to come back to you. I swear it. Nothing could keep me from
returning to you.” Hermione couldn’t help but snort and he laughed. She pinched his side.

“Returning to me, please. We all know your fangirls would be lost without you.”

“I want to return to you. I could lose any girl that I’m fucking right now and not be bothered. You,
Luna, and Juliet are the only girls that mean a fig to me.” She snorted again as she pulled away.

“That’s sweet but not true. Ginny means something if you’re going against your family honor for
her.” Hermione knew that she had pushed him too far when he threw his arms up and walked away
from her.

“I can’t fucking win with you, Hermione. I’m trying to make peace with you and you just can’t let it
go.” Hermione knew that this was going to happen so she just lowered her head and stared at her
shoes. She swallowed her pride and did her best to sound contrite.

“I’m sorry, Harry. You’re right. Everyone has the right to a second chance. I’m glad that you’re
giving Ginny one, I'm just jealous.” Hermione felt a little bit of herself die inside but she buried it
down deep. This wasn’t the time to deal with it. Harry still glared at her but nodded. He didn't
approach her again, instead, turned from her to follow after the Headmaster as he led the champions
out of the Great Hall. Her father stared at her but Uncle Luci was who approached her and laid an
arm around her shoulders.

“You're a much better person than I, sunshine.” She snorted softly.

“It’s better to just let him have what he wants. He doesn’t really care what I think.” Her uncle kissed
the side of her head as they started out of the castle towards the bleachers that were there for
spectators.

“He does. He cares what you think most of all. That’s why he reacts so strongly.” Hermione couldn’t
help but disbelieve it but remained quiet.

The whole family took seats in the bleachers once they found seats. Hermione found herself between
her father and Draco with Uncle Luci on the other side of her cousin. The rest of her family was all
around them and she felt like it was a block of support for Harry. She found that Neville and the
twins were seated with them, along with Fleur’s and Cedric's family. It was nice to see that most of
the champions’ family were able to work together just fine.

It was almost thirty minutes after they had seated before the champions had arrived before the crowd,
Harry being the most popular. Everyone was chanting his name and Hermione could see that there
were girls in the crowd waving banners that had his name on it. It was quite disconcerting. She did
her best to ignore it and just tune it out but it made her sick at the same time. Her father put his arm
around her shoulders and she felt a little better. At least Harry wasn’t his sole focus.

Dumbledore appeared and gave a bunch of lip service about the tournament and what an honor it
was to participate. After telling the world the order in which the champions would enter, said
champions moved closer and lined up before the maze. Hermione couldn’t help but be nervous for
Harry. Even Cedric and Fleur since they were friends. This maze was no joke and the last thing she
wanted was for a friend to die.

Hermione listened as the blast went off, sending Harry into the maze. Then five minutes later, Viktor
entered. Five minutes after that, Cedric followed. Finally, Fleur twenty minutes after Harry had and
there was nothing to do but sit there and wait.

-O-

Harry was as prepared as he was going to get. He had spent the last month with Hermione, Draco,
Remus, and Tonks doing anything and everything they could think of to prepare him for this maze.
There had been hours and hours of hard work so while he still worried about what was to come, he
felt very prepared for just about anything the Ministry could throw at him.

He had just spent the morning with his family and he loved that they were all showing him so much
support. It was a stark contrast as to what his life had been like before embracing the Blacks and
Malfoys into his life and he still couldn’t believe that he had resisted Hermione and Draco’s hand in
friendship for so long.

Hermione.
His mind turned her way as he changed into the robes that the Ministry had provided them with for
the task. He knew that she was still angry with him and truth be told, he was angry with her. While
Draco was used to her telling him what to do, used to her reminding him daily what was expected of
him and what was proper, he wasn’t. He may be the last of his house and he may be the next Lord
Potter but he hadn’t been raised that way. He was still learning and the last thing that he needed was
to be henpecked by her when he did something that she didn’t agree with.

The truth of the matter was that he felt terrible for throwing words about her jealousy in her face. It
was low and they had been said in the heat of the moment. He wished that he could take them back.
However, he couldn't apologize for them until she realized that she couldn’t bully him into acting like
she wanted just because she thought she knew better. Draco had already chewed his arse out over
telling her that, had had no problems telling him that his words had hurt her deep, but he refused to
get in the middle of their arguments anymore. He had tried to make them fix it and after it didn’t
work, he had called it quits for good.

Harry didn’t trust Ginny; he knew that she could be spiteful and hurtful, especially to Hermione. He
still didn’t believe that she had thrown the rocks at her, he hadn’t been seeing Ginny at all then, and
he surely didn’t believe that she had thrown Hermione into a lake. He faintly remembered hearing
something about that last year but didn’t remember the details. After asking Draco, he had been told
that if he wanted to know that he needed to ask Hermione. Since that would just cause them to argue
again, he wasn’t going to bring it up.

Even though he didn't trust Ginny, he felt bad for her. He remembered what it felt like to have no
friends back when he was in muggle school. It was terrible and lonely and awful all in one. Yes,
Ginny had done it to herself but he couldn’t be as cold and heartless as Hermione and just not care.
Even now, she didn’t care that the girls in Slytherin barely spoke to Pansy. She didn’t care that the
girl had no friends. It was as though she was playing God and was completely alright with doling out
these punishments if her standards weren’t met.

This was the part of his new family that he struggled with. Sirius and the Malfoys were just as bad.
They all acted as though they were owed something because of their money and titles. He knew that
part of it was an act but the other part of it wasn't. Even Neville, to an extent, acted the same. He just
wasn't sure how to take it and often wondered if his father acted the same way. He was almost
positive that he had and that was why his mother had put him off for almost seven years before
finally agreeing to date him.

Even as he strode out onto the pitch in front of the maze and listened to Dumbledore talk about the
tournament, he couldn’t get his mind off Hermione. She had tried to get one last comment in and he
had lost his temper. She had known that she had pushed him too far, that much was obvious. It was
the first time that he had ever seen her bow down to him, truly contrite about something that she still
clearly believed. Hermione had let go of something that she believed to be hurting him and her
family, something that had hurt her personally, because he wanted her to.

She was a strong woman and he didn’t think that she would ever bow to a man. He would never
forget watching her go toe to toe against Sirius, telling him that she couldn’t stay there with him any
longer, telling him that she renounced her name and her title. Yet, Harry had watched her bow her
head, apologize, and admit her most embarrassing feelings of jealousy out loud. She had been
reduced to a woman who looked broken, just waiting for the next insult to her pride.

Harry had done that to her and he felt like complete shite.

The Gryffindor was forced to push her from his mind as they were called to the entrance of the maze.
Moody stood before all four of them and Harry silently promised himself that he would apologize to
Hermione and make things right even if they couldn’t agree. They had both been wrong and while
he had been offended, she had been hurt.

“You all know the point. Get to the middle and get the Cup. First one there wins.” Apparently,
Moody was a man of few words and Harry appreciated it. He gestured for Harry to step forward.

“You're first, Potter. On the blast, you’re free to enter.” Harry stepped forward and nodded. After
only a few seconds, the cannon blast sounded and he hurried into the maze. Hermione had taught
him a handy spell called the “Point Me” spell, which would tell him whatever direction his
destination was. He would stop every few turns and cast it, making sure that he was at least heading
in the right direction.

He didn’t run into anything for the first several minutes. Harry was actually quite surprised. The first
thing he did run into was something that just wasn't possible, which instantly told him what it was.
Hermione was laying on the ground, still and unmoving, her lifeless eyes staring up at him. Her
Hogwarts robes were askew and pushed up over her waist. He started to run towards her but stopped
a few feet away, knowing that he had left her with family. Sirius and Uncle Lucius would never
have allowed this to happen so that left only one thing possible.

A boggart.

In this moment, he was glad that Professor Flitwick hadn’t decided to utilize the cameras on their
robes again. Hermione would have been mortified to be seen this way before the entire school and
then some. He raised his wand, gave it a short jab, and banished the boggart into nothing before
focusing on the form again. It was quite telling what his biggest fear was, however. He could justify
it and tell everyone that he was scared that Krum was going to kill her but it would have been a lie. It
was his greatest fear because it was Hermione.

After the boggart was gone, Harry rounded another corner to find a thick mist covering the entire
passageway. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to walk through it since he had no idea what it did but
this had been the only turn that kept him going in the direction of the Cup. Deciding to just reach out
and barely touch the mist to see what it did didn’t matter in the slightest. He still ended up upside
down, suspended in the mist, and completely unable to see.

Harry couldn’t see any other dangers coming for him. He was vulnerable and needed to right himself
immediately. It wouldn’t take much for another beast or something of the like to wander into his
space and gobble him down. Getting down poste haste was most important at the moment. He tried
several spells, racking his brains for things that he had learned from his family and Madam
Cambridge. It was several minutes before he thought of one that might work. The anticharm dropped
him painfully on his left shoulder but since he was right-side up again, he wasn’t going to complain.

Harry continued on and wondered how the other champions were faring. He had yet to see any of
them and couldn’t imagine that he was much further ahead of them. The Gryffindor had just rounded
a corner when he heard a scream, one of the female variety. He knew instantly that it was Fleur and
he started in her direction, knowing that he had to help her if he could. Over the course of the year,
he had grown friendly with her, not quite as close as she and Hermione had become, but close
enough to not want her to come to harm. He had to backtrack several minutes but finally found her,
bound and screaming through a gag as roots were attempting to drag her under the hedges. Harry
was quick to blast at the roots, severing them in half so they couldn’t pull her under any further. He
pulled her out and cast an all-around “finite” to remove the gag and the bindings around her. She was
gasping for air.

“You saved me. Tank you, Harry.” He brushed the rest of the roots from her legs.
“What happened?” She shook her head and cried out in pain as he touched her ankle.

“I vas valking down path and hit from behind. I vake up and am bound and gagged. Plants dragging
me under. I scream.” Harry was doing a very basic diagnostic charm on her ankle and grimaced
when he saw the result.

“Your ankle is broken, Fleur. You can’t continue. You need to shoot up sparks so nothing comes
along and attacks you.” She nodded and pulled on his shirt, bringing him down to her level. She
pressed a kiss to his cheek and smiled.

“You are good man. You must win dis for both of us. Make your vitch proud.” Without waiting for a
response, she released him and shot red sparks into the air. He waited until he saw Professor
McGonagall flying above her before heading off again. Since he had backtracked to find the veela,
he had to make up all the time and make sure he took the right turns again.

Harry finally made up his time and started new again, wondering just who had stunned Fleur in the
back. He had his suspicions that it had been Viktor, Cedric was just too bloody Hufflepuff, but he
wasn’t going to point the finger without proof. As he turned the closest corner to go right, he ran into
a herd of animals that seemed to be fighting amongst themselves. They were unlike any animal that
Harry had ever seen or even heard about and for a second, wondered if these were the animals that
Luna was always looking for. However, once they realized that Harry was there, they focused on
him and started shooting flames his way.

Harry knew that he didn’t want to kill them in case they were endangered; therefore, he tried
stunning them. That had no effect whatsoever. He tried shooting water at them and freezing it but
their fire melted it far too quickly. Finally, he shot a severing charm at one of them and caught it
across the chest. While it didn’t cut it deep enough to kill it, it was bleeding enough for the others to
smell the blood and attack it instead. Harry shot a few more to make sure that they were preoccupied
long enough for him to get past.

Once he had slipped past them, Harry cast the Point Me spell again. It told him that he needed to
head to the left so he took the next one available to him. However, screams rent through the air ahead
of him and he was forced once again to race ahead to help who he assumed was Cedric. As he
rounded his third corner, he caught sight of the Hufflepuff on the ground, twitching violently and
trying to get to his wand that was a few feet from his hand. Harry skidded to a halt and picked up the
wand, thrusting it into the older boy’s hand as he tried to help him sit up. Cedric could barely hold
himself up and just as he was about to speak, Harry realized that they were about to attacked by
acromantula.

There were ten total, all running towards them down the path. Cedric was trying to lift his arm to cast
but whatever had happened to him was making it impossible. Harry let him fall back to the ground
with a thud, determined to apologize later, and recalled a night clear back in second year when he
and Ron had sneaked out of the castle and into the Forbidden Forest. They had ran for their lives
from the enormous spiders and Draco had saved them, shooting flames at them while he raced after.
Harry pointed his wand at the oncoming beasts and shouted his spell as loudly as he could so the
flame would be massive.

“Incendio!!”

Flames almost twenty feet long burst from his wand and flared in the direction of the spiders. Cedric
buried his face in his arms, trying to hide from the heat, but Harry didn’t notice it. He powered the
spell for almost a minute before letting it die out, only to see that he had fried three of the beasts
crispy. The others had managed to escape, though how, Harry wasn’t sure. He dropped back down
to Cedric’s side and the Hufflepuff tried to speak again.
“I c-can’t c-continue. Use m-my wand and s-send up s-sparks. K-krum used the C-cruciatus on m-
me.” Harry couldn’t even begin to tell the boy how honored he felt at the trust he put in him. Letting
another witch or wizard use your wand was like letting them use your arm. It was only done with
those that you trusted more than anyone else in the world. Harry had never let anyone else use his
wand and at this moment in time, he didn’t plan on ever doing so. Even between Hermione and
Draco, he had only seen them exchange wands once. However, he supposed that he didn’t have a
choice in the matter since if he had used his wand it would signal that he was the one withdrawing
from the tournament.

Harry shot the sparks in the air and put Cedric’s wand back in his hand and let him lay back,
conjuring a pillow for him to rest his head on. The man smiled at him as best he could but really
couldn’t say much. When Severus appeared, Harry tried to look as though he hated him but he
wasn’t sure that he pulled it off.

“He said that Krum hit him with the Cruciatus. I used his wand to call for you.” Severus raised an
eyebrow but after seeing the violent twitching in his patient on the ground, he gave a curt nod.

“It will be dealt with after the task, believe me.” Harry nodded and stood. Cedric reached out and
squeezed his hand and stuttered out only four words before he was carried away.

“W-win this for H-hogwarts.” Harry gave him a determined nod, now more than determined to beat
Krum at the eternal glory of winning this event. There was no way that he was going to let him win
it after he cursed not only Fleur but Cedric as well.

Harry took off again with renewed vigor, now determined to win. He used the Point Me spell on the
run, not wanting to slow down at all. Since he had started running those years ago, he was in
excellent shape and had endurance abound. After several more turns, he reached another obstacle
and wanted to groan.

A sphinx.

The beast was large enough to block the entire passageway and it just grinned at him as he
approached. It’s tail flicked around as if it was annoyed and he wondered if Viktor had already come
through. He walked right up to the beast and to his surprise, it spoke.

“What you seek is just past me. If you can answer a riddle, I will step away and you may pass. If you
don’t answer, you may walk away. If you answer incorrectly, I will attack.” Harry weighed his
options. He wasn’t the best at word games and while he knew that he was smart, he wasn’t smart at
things like that. However, what did he have to lose by listening? He could still walk away and find
another way around. Besides, this was the fastest way through and he wanted to win this before
Krum.

“Tell me the riddle though I can’t promise that I’ll answer.” The sphinx gave him a nod and spoke.

“You can carry it with you everywhere you go but it does not get heavy. What is it?” Harry
considered his riddle closely, knowing that this was his chance to get past and to the Cup quickly.
There weren’t many things that he carried with him everywhere that he went. His wand maybe? That
was too obvious. His legacy? That never left him. His name? As much as he liked to say that neither
of those things got heavy, that was fucking lie. It was so much work being Harry Potter, the Boy-
Who-Lived. However, he couldn’t come up with anything else that he could say that he carried with
him absolutely everywhere that he went. He wasn’t sure which to say though so decided to go with
the one that everyone had.

“Your name.” The sphinx bowed before him and moved to the side.
“Correct, young champion. You may pass.” Harry bowed back, mostly because he wasn’t sure if this
was the correct etiquette.

Harry hurried past to see that the Triwizard Cup was in the distance. However, he saw Krum
emerging from another path that led to the Cup. As soon as he saw Harry, he took off running. Harry
grinned to himself before taking off himself.

Wizards were inherently lazy. This was why he had been so surprised to learn that Hermione ran
back in second year. They relied on their wands far too much and had no physical stamina. Sure,
quidditch players had a bit more than the average witch or wizard but even they were diminished
compared to Harry, Draco, and Hermione. Therefore, it was no surprise that even though Krum had
the head start, Harry surged forward and it soon became a true race as to who would reach the Cup
first.

Just as Harry reached the Cup and reached out to snatch it out of Krum’s reach, he did the same. In
an instant, Harry felt the ever-familiar pull behind his navel, indicating a portkey. He spun for what
seemed like forever and even though he couldn’t see Krum, he imagined that he was just as confused
as he was. When they landed, it was with a thud. Krum, the more-experienced wizard, landed on his
feet and that was his undoing.

“That’s the wizard that tried to take her purity.” There was a sickly orange curse that flew through
the air and Harry heard Krum scream. He wasn’t able to do anything because a spell hit him right in
the chest and his world went dark.

-O-

Hermione wasn’t sure what she was going to do. Dumbledore had just came and gotten Amos
Diggory and his wife, quietly telling them that Cedric had been put under the Cruciatus Curse but
Harry had saved him from the acromantula. They had been quick to vacate, just as Fleur’s family
had. It seemed that things were getting quite terrible in the maze and she worried for Harry. She
worried that Viktor would curse him while his back was turned or he would end up dead by some
other means. Draco had his arm around her shoulders, telling her that Harry would be fine, that all
would be well, but she knew that it was lie. She had been feeling it all morning and now it was
playing out before her. Luna reached over several people to take her hand and smile softly at her.

“I know that he’ll survive. I’ve seen it, Hermione.” Hermione looked to Luna and gaped. Had her
sight finally come active? Could she tell her more? Just as she was going to open her mouth, Luna
shook her head.

“That isn’t how it works. I don’t see things that I want to see. I only see certain things, not always
things that I need to see. I saw that you would argue with him. Not if you would make up. I see that
he’ll survive. Not how. Not what. I see that darkness in the distance wants you but I can’t tell you
what or who or why. Don’t ask me questions I can’t answer.” Hermione gave her cousin a tremulous
smile and nodded.

“Thanks, Lulu.” Luna released her and turned her attention back to Neville and he wrapped an arm
around her shoulders. Hermione briefly wondered if there was more there than she knew about but
decided that if either of them wanted her to know they would tell her. Just as she turned her attention
back to the maze, Professor Cat appeared before them.

“It appears that somehow the Cup was a portkey. Harry and Krum reached it at the same time and it
portkeyed them away. We have no idea where and Albus is getting the Ministry on searching for
their magical signatures. Moody is shipping out aurors to all the hot spots in the wizarding world to
see if they’re spotted.” Her father reached out and grasped her hand tightly, willing her to hold it
together. She took a deep breath and nodded inwardly, getting herself under control. Remus and
Dory stood, Neville, the twins, and Daphne with them.

“We’re going to go station ourselves at Hogsmeade. Tell the aurors to go elsewhere. We’ll handle
that area. Direct family should stay here in case they return.” Luna stood to follow them but
Hermione reached for her hand. Luna smiled at her.

“If I see anything else, I’ll send it with Professor Lupin. You’ll get the information.” Hermione
nodded, hating that they were splitting up. Draco stood and bent to kiss Hermione’s forehead.

“I can’t sit here and just hope for the best. I have to go, Miney. You have Sirius and Father here.”
She nodded, understanding completely about hating to sit still and just wait. However, she couldn’t
abandon her father to the sitting and waiting by himself. However, Aunt Andie and Uncle Ted stood,
followed by Helena.

“We’ll come with you, Draco. We’ll all take the southern end of Diagon Alley. Minerva, will you
see that any magic cast on Draco’s part is overlooked by the Ministry?” She nodded and allowed
them to leave. Helena bid her father to look after Juliet, and Hermione had to admit that she looked
terrified. Since Uncle Luci slid over and rested his arm over her shoulders, she didn’t begrudge her
father for doing to the same for her sister.

Hermione wasn’t sure how long they waited like that; her leaning into her uncle’s side and breathing
in his comforting scent while he told her over and over that everything would work out, that it would
be alright. Her father seemed to be doing the same for Juliet, trying his best to keep her calm. It
seemed as though at least an hour had passed before out of nowhere, Harry appeared before the
masses on the pitch, clutching the Triwizard Cup in one hand and Viktor’s robes in the other.
Hermione let out a cry at the sight of Viktor; he was half-flayed and was clearly dead. Harry was
wailing, though she couldn’t understand him. As soon as he realized that he was back at Hogwarts,
he let go of the Cup and jerked away from the body of Viktor, his body spasming harshly and clearly
in pain. Hermione lurched to her feet and started for the pitch but it was impossible to get to the
bottom of the stands.

It was complete bedlam.

-O-

Harry came to slowly and his first thought was that his back ached. As he became more aware of his
surroundings, he realized that his back ached because he was strapped to a stone cross. There were
screams not too far away and he tried to focus on who they belonged to before determining where
they were coming from.

Just when he gained the strength to lift his head, he caught sight of movement out of the corner of his
eye. Viktor. Viktor Krum was lying supine on the ground a few yards off and there was a wizard
standing over him with a knife. There was blood everywhere and the screams were echoing off the
gravestones. When the man stood completely, not only could Harry tell that it was Augustus
Rookwood, he could see that he was holding a strip of Krum’s skin in his hand. He dropped it in a
pile of discarded skin and Harry wondered how long they had been torturing the man. As much as
Harry had wished the man dead, he would never have wished this on him. His movement caught the
attention of the man and when he turned to see Harry watching, he gave him a feral grin.

“This is what happens to those that seek to harm the Black Heiress.” Harry only had a moment to
worry about what that meant before a green spell shot out the end of his wand and hit VIktor in the
chest. Honestly, it was probably mercy at this point. He approached Harry and grinned ferally again
before speaking.
“Welcome, young Potter. I’m glad that you decided to grace up with your presence.” He watched as
the man completely ignored him then, going instead to where an enormous snake was sitting with a
bundle laying between it’s coils. There was an enormous cauldron off to the side and he had a sense
of dread as to what it was for. Rookwood checked on the bundle and Harry wondered briefly if it
was a baby. Then he moved to the ground before Harry and pulled his wand from his sleeve, casting
at the ground below. An enormous crater appeared and Harry watched as Rookwood reached in and
grabbed a large bone from the grave and cast it into the cauldron.

“Bone of the father, unknowingly given. You will resurrect your son.” It seemed as though
Rookwood was gathering courage for whatever came next because his wand turned into a knife and
he put it to his wrist. He took a deep breath and sliced his hand off and into the cauldron so he could
haltingly speak.

“Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master.” Harry had a feeling that his part
was next and that he wasn’t going to like it. He watched as Rookwood tried to stem the bleeding
momentarily but gave up as he approached him. His knife cut away the material of his robes,
exposing his wand arm clear to his armpit. He knew that it was a fit of pique that made the man slice
him clear from his armpit to his wrist, probably hoping that he would die of blood loss. He gathered a
pool of blood on the flat of the blade and dropped it in the cauldron next.

“Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken. You will resurrect your foe.” Harry already felt woozy; the cut
was deep. He watched Rookwood pick up the bundle and unwrap it, showing that it was indeed a
baby. He dropped it in the cauldron and Harry couldn’t help but hope that it drowned. He knew
exactly what this was; Rookwood was resurrecting Voldemort.

After almost a minute passed, the cauldron bubbled radically and a figure rose from the bowl, a man
this time, a handsome man if Harry had to be completely honest. He looked exactly like an older
version of the Tom Riddle that had come out of the diary. He stood before Rookwood and held out
his arms.

“Robe me.” He sounded like a perfectly normal man but Harry wasn't fooled. Rookwood put his
master’s robes on him, leaving a large bloodstain on them. He smiled at his servant and held out his
hand for his wand. After the man handed it to him, he held it up and gave it a wave, silently creating
a silver prosthetic in the place of his missing hand.

“You’ve done well, Augustus. You brought me Potter and you have gave me a form that young
Hermione will appreciate. She will grow to love bearing my heirs.” Harry felt a surge of fury. If
Voldemort thought that Hermione was going to marry him and have his children, he had another
thing coming. He would do everything in his power to make sure that didn’t happen. He would die
before he let Hermione have sex with that monster, no matter how good looking he thought he was.

“You'll never have her. I’ll die before you have Hermione.” Tom Riddle laughed at his words but
didn’t respond. He gestured for Rookwood to hold out his arm and when he did, he pressed his
wand to his mark. Harry watched as numerous Death Eaters appeared, all falling to their knees
before their master in his younger form. There were almost sixty gathered around them when
Voldemort deigned to speak.

“Thirteen years, I’ve been gone. Thirteen years, none of you have searched for me. It took Augustus
breaking out of prison to find Peter to accomplish the ritual that would see me back in my body.
What do you have to say for yourselves?” One of the Death Eaters spoke, though he didn’t sound
confident.

“There wasn’t a whisper that you had survived, my lord, we would have searched if there had been.”
He hissed at them in anger and Harry couldn’t help but remember Hermione had sounded the same
when they had argued over Ginny and his renewed friendship with her.

“There were signs. Pettigrew found me. You were lazy and happy to see me gone.” He wasted no
time in ripping the masks off his followers so he could see their faces while he tortured them. Harry
watched for ages while he crucioed his followers, listening to their screams echoing off the empty
graveyard. When he finally finished, he turned to Rookwood.

“Where is Lucius?” Rookwood bowed his head in deference.

“He won’t return, my lord. He has changed sides along with Lord Black. He dotes upon Hermione
Black, his niece. He named her his heir alongside his son.” Harry heard him hiss in anger again and
he could hear him saying something to his snake softly enough that he couldn’t understand it.

“Traitors are not tolerated. Lucius is now a kill on sight order.” Harry laughed outright.

“If you’re looking for a way into Hermione’s heart, you won’t find it by killing Lucius. She loves
him more than anything.” Riddle cocked his head and appeared to be considering his words.

“Thank you, Potter. I’ll just have them capture him and she’ll marry me to keep him alive.” Harry
regretted his words but said nothing more. There was always a chance at escape if he was still alive
and captured. With a wave of his wand, Voldemort released his bindings and he fell into the hole in
the grave beneath him. Harry felt something in his ankle snap but he was forced to ignore it as he did
his best to scramble out of it.

As soon as he appeared, Riddle shot an orange curse his way, hitting Harry in the thigh. It dropped
him like a rock and Harry got his first taste of the Cruciatus Curse. He had no idea how long the man
held it on him but judging by the lack on control he had being worse than Cedric’s he had a feeling
that it was quite a while. His wand landed on the ground at his feet and Riddle chuckled.

“We shall duel. Nobody will say that I beat you in an unfair duel. Now bow, that’s proper.” Harry
couldn’t even stand but dragged himself to his feet somehow. However, he didn’t think that he could
bow. Therefore he wasn’t surprised when the wizard before him glared at him and shot another curse
his way, landing directly at his feet. He felt his foot explode and he was knocked behind a
gravestone in the process.

Harry was still feeling quite woozy from the blood loss but knew that if the Cup was what had
brought him there, it was the only chance of making it back to Hogwarts. The Death Eaters were
now spreading out, looking for him. There was no way that he could get to the Cup without
attracting some attention.

It was a Death Eater, it looked like Nott, Sr., sneaking around behind him that sent him running as
fast as his ankle and foot allowed him through the graveyard through spellfire that he didn’t even
stop to consider. One spell hit him in the shoulder and it felt as though something tore but he just kept
going. Just when he caught sight of the Cup, Riddle stepped out in front of him and raised his wand.
When he heard him cast the dreaded killing curse, Harry called out the first spell that he could think
of.

“Expelliarmus.”

The spells hit each other in the air between them and Harry was floored at what he saw. The beam
turned golden and people started to fall out of Riddle’s wand. A woman that Harry had never seen,
an older muggle man that Harry recognized from his dream before school had ever started, followed
by his parents. Seeing his mother come from Riddle’s wand almost dropped him to knees. His father
followed close behind and they both gathered around him. His mother’s voice was soft in his ear.

“Let go, darling. Just let go.” Harry listened to her.

He let go.

He jerked his wand upwards, sending the connection skyward. All the people that had come out of
his wand rushed him, converging on him. Harry raced for the Cup as fast as he could while the
Death Eaters raced to their master’s side to aide him. Harry decided at the last second to take Viktor
back with him since his body was right next to the Cup. Personally, he didn’t care but he imagined
that his mother would. She deserved that much because he was sure that she hadn’t had a say in how
her son was raised.

As soon as the Cup was in his hand, he felt the portkey activate and it whisked him away. He landed
with a thud and he didn’t know anything other than he was laying on a cooling body and there was a
loud hum behind him. As soon as he realized that he was laying on top of Krum’s body, he threw
himself off it, only to land on his ankle and his shoulder. He cried out in pain but quickly quieted
when he realized that he wasn’t alone. His head was spinning but did his best to pull himself to his
feet.

Moody and Dumbledore rushed him, making sure that he was alive, while the stands went wild and
then went silent when they saw the state that Krum’s body was in. Harry could barely concentrate on
what the Headmaster was saying to him because of the pain and the roar of the crowd behind him.
He realized in that moment that what he really wanted was Hermione. He wanted her close, he
wanted her arms around him, he wanted to breathe her comforting scent. She made him feel whole
and he wasn’t sure that after what he saw tonight that he would ever feel whole again.

He felt someone shuffling him along and he couldn’t even tell who it was. He knew by the touch that
it wasn’t someone that he was familiar with but since he had been with the Headmaster, he assumed
that whoever was with him was someone that he could trust. Harry really couldn’t focus on where he
was going, he could only hope that he was being led to the Hospital Wing so he could have Madam
Pomfrey heal him.

Harry found himself being pushed into a chair and his vision was spotty. His world was spinning and
he wondered where Sirius and Hermione were. He heard clinking bottles and it was in that moment
that he lifted his head and realized that he was in an office with Moody. He started to rise but found
that he couldn’t. His ankle was screaming in protest and he couldn’t lift his wand arm any more.
Moody bent in front of his face and Harry could barely focus on his face.

“What was it like, standing in his presence? What was he like? What did he do to the others?” Harry
tried to focus on his words but it was getting increasingly difficult.

“What you talkin’ bout?” Harry wasn’t even sure that Moody could understand him but it was clear
that he did.

“The Dark Lord. What was he like?” His last question was a shout and Harry paused. Moody was
supposed to be an auror. He would never call Tom Riddle the Dark Lord. He was sometimes called
that in the Black household but that was because Uncle Lucius and Severus had both been Death
Eaters and they had been conditioned to do so. This was the first and only clue he had to show him
that he was likely in danger. Harry drew on his last reserves to pull his wand left-handed and stun
Moody into the wall. He collapsed to the ground and the last thing he saw was the door blasting
open and Sirius, Hermione, and Uncle Lucius were standing there, ready to do battle for him.
After seeing that, Harry let the darkness take him under, knowing that they would keep him safe.

-O-

Hermione was sitting next to Harry in the Hospital Wing, watching as Madam Pomfrey treated him
as best she could. She had refused to leave and her father had told the mediwitch that Hermione
could stay. Harry wasn't to be left alone at any time and nobody in Hogwarts had the balls to disobey
him.

Even though Hermione had almost completely stayed at his head and out of the way, there had been
a couple times that she had been told to help heal him. Hermione had helped seal the wound on his
arm, casting the pain relief spell as Madam Pomfrey sealed it and then again with his shoulder,
helping the mediwitch remove debris from the wound left behind from whatever blasting curse had
hit him.

It had been ages since she had been there; she had long expected the rest of her family to be recalled
but she honestly didn’t know if they had been told. Of course, they could be locked out of the
Hospital Wing until Harry was healed. Regardless, she hadn’t seen her father or Uncle Luci since
they had found Barty Crouch, Jr. stunned against a wall when they had found him with Harry.
Dumbledore and Severus had shown up moments later and they had insisted on questioning the man
themselves before handing him over to the Ministry. It wasn’t something that Hermione wanted any
part of and to be honest, she would rather be with Harry anyways.

Madam Pomfrey eventually laid a hand on her shoulder and told her that there was nothing else she
could do at the moment, that when the spell wore off that was keeping Harry sedated that she would
come around and give him a dose of Dreamless Sleep. Nobody had any idea what had happened
while he was gone but Hermione could only imagine. Harry had obviously gone up against one of
Voldemort’s Death Eaters, otherwise he wouldn’t have looked as bad as he did.

Her fingers stroked his hair rhythmically, more for her sake than his. She had been terrified that he
was dead or dying when he had appeared and she hadn’t really calmed since then. She hadn’t
required a calming draught yet but she was sure that she would need one before she could sleep. It
was clear that Harry had almost died and every single last problem she had with him before that
moment he returned had blown away with the wind. It was no longer important. He stirred lightly
beneath her fingers and she stroked his cheek softly.

“Harry? You’re safe. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. You just relax and go back to sleep.” He
reached up with his good arm and caught her hand with his, his eyes opening just a crack. They were
such a brilliant green without his glasses on and she fell in love with them all over again.

“Mia?” She nodded and smoothed hair back from his forehead.

“It’s me, Harry. Daddy and Uncle Luci are taking care of things and I’m here with you. I think
Draco is outside the Hospital with the rest of the family. Madam Pomfrey wouldn’t let them all in.
Don’t worry about us, we’re all fine. You just rest.” He reached out and cupped her cheek, stroking
her skin softly.

“You’re beautiful. Have I told you how much I love you?” Hermione had a feeling that he was high
on pain potion so she just smiled sweetly at him.

“Of course you have. You told me before the task. Don’t worry about that.” His eyes clouded over.

“I’m so sorry for that. I was an arsehole. I never wanted to hurt you and that’s what I did. You
looked broken and I don’t like you looking like that. I would die without you, Mia. I love you.”
Hermione felt her heart clench at his words but knew that she couldn’t take them at face value. He
had so many potions in his system there was no way they were his own words. Therefore, she smiled
at him and put her hand over his on her face.

“I love you too, Harry. Don’t worry about me. You need rest.” Harry shook his head from side,
overly exaggerated movements.

“You and Uncle Lucius need to be careful. Voldy is back. Rookwood brought him back from the
dead and they want to kidnap Lucius to make you marry Voldy. He wants you to have his babies.”
Hermione felt dread settle in her stomach and her heart clench. How could this be true? She knew
that it was coming, her father had told her that the goblins had forseen it, but she hated to believe that
it was true. Harry was so young. How was he supposed to beat Riddle now? He wasn’t ready. Even
more disturbing was that the Dark Lord wanted her to birth his heirs. How did he think that she
would be amenable to this? Did he care? Is that why he needed Uncle Luci? Rather than worry
Harry further she bent down so could kiss his forehead, brushing back his fringe away from his scar.
He gave a contented sound.

“I hate it when girls touch my hair to look at my scar. I love it when you do. I don’t feel like you’re
looking at the scar but at the man.” Hermione smiled softly at him.

“Your scar didn’t make you the man you are. I love the man you are, Harry. Please, take this potion
and we can talk about everything in the morning.” He took the vial and fingered it for several
seconds before meeting her eyes. His pupils were dilated and she doubted that he would remember
this conversation.

“You promise you’ll be here when I wake up?” She nodded and smoothed his hair back again.

“I promise. Have I ever lied to you?” He shook his head, once again with exaggerated movement.
She watched him drink back the Dreamless Sleep and she took the vial from him. She watched as his
eyes grew droopy and she pressed one last kiss to his forehead as his eyes slid shut. Just as she had
settled down once more, her head on his chest to make sure that his heart was still beating, the doors
flew open to the Hospital Wing and the whole family poured in. Hermione mourned the loss of
silence but was glad that she was no longer alone in her vigil. Her father was first by her side, his
hand heavy on her shoulder.

“Did he wake, poppet?” She nodded.

“Yes. Tell me what you found out from Crouch.” Uncle Luci joined them on the other side, Draco
next to him. The rest of the family gathered around with the exception of Neville, the twins, and
Daphne. Hermione assumed that they had been shuffled back to the dorms with the rest of the
students. Her father glared at her but Uncle Luci gave in like he always did.

“He told us everything once Severus gave him veritaserum. He kidnapped Moody and has been
taking polyjuice the whole year, keeping him in a vault in his quarters this whole time. He put Krum
under the Imperius Curse and made him stun Fleur and let the hedge take her under, the put Cedric
under the Cruciatus. He placed the Cup in the middle of the maze and made it a portkey that would
take you directly to the Dark Lord. He also put Harry’s name into the Goblet of Fire under a fourth
school so it wouldn’t be rejected since it was the only name. He was crowing about the Dark Lord
returning and I have to admit that I believe him. My Dark Mark burned for the first time in thirteen
years.” Hermione buried her face in her hands and let a few tears slip free. Her father reached out
and rubbed her shoulders, relieving a little bit of her stress.

“What happened with him? You were gone for ages.” Uncle Luci heaved a sigh.
“Fudge arrived with a dementor in tow. It was told to guard the prisoner but he promptly kissed him.
The only people who heard his testimony were myself, your father, the Headmaster, and Minerva. I
doubt that anyone will believe us.” Hermione let a sob free, but only one. She buried her face in
Harry’s chest and she felt Juliet hug her from the side. Knowing she had to be strong, she took a
deep breath, wiped her eyes and lifted her head, meeting the gazes of her family.

“Harry woke up long enough to tell me that Voldemort has returned. He was high on potions but he
told me that they plan on kidnapping Uncle Luci to make me comply with marrying Voldemort and
birthing him heirs. That was really all he could get out because he was so worried about the two of
us being safe.” She heard a strangled sound from her aunt and she knew that it had upset her. Juliet
had snuggled into her side and she could hear her little sister sniffle just a little.

“I don’t understand any of this.” Hermione wrapped her arm around her sister and smiled softly.

“That’s for the best, Jules. Let us worry about this. It’s nothing you want to know about anyways.”
Hermione glanced to Helena and the woman took the hint in her gaze. She held her arms out to her
daughter and gave her a smile.

“Come, Jules. Show me your dorm. I’ll stay with you until your father is ready to leave.” Juliet
seemed just as eager to leave and Hermione couldn’t say that she blamed her. In her shoes, in her
first year, she would have left too. Once they were gone, the rest of the family pressed closer. Her
father was finger-combing her hair as he kissed the top of her head.

“What were his injuries?” Hermione sighed.

“I had to help heal him. He had a deep cut from his armpit to his wrist on his wand arm. He lost an
extremely large amount of blood. His shoulder had been hit with some sort of blasting curse and I
helped Madam Pomfrey repair that. His ankle was also broken, in several places. She wasn’t sure
what kind of spell hit his foot but she had to repair it and give him Skele-Gro for that as well. We
have no idea how these injuries occurred. He wasn’t awake long, only to tell me that Riddle was
alive and the plans he had for Uncle Luci and myself.” She cocked her head to make sure that her
father could see that she was looking at him.

“How are the Krums?” He kissed the top of her head again.

“Grieving. Not terribly so, they have another son after all, but they’re grieving. His mother and sister
seem most upset. The body is being taken back to Bulgaria for the burial.” Hermione nodded,
saddened that it had come to that for Viktor. He had started the term as such a sweet wizard and she
had wished better for him.

“It was kind of Harry to bring him back.” Nobody said anything to that and Hermione didn’t blame
them. What were you supposed to say to something like that? Just as they lapsed into silence, a voice
in the back spoke up, letting them know that they had been there all along. The Headmaster hadn’t
even seen fit to announce his presence, something that irritated Hermione to no end.

“Might I meet with Lord Black?” Hermione rose to her feet and glared at the old man.

“This is a family affair. You didn't see fit to announce your presence? Snooping for information that
we otherwise wouldn’t tell you, old man? I'm tempted to obliviate you myself.” Hermione knew she
shouldn’t say it but she was pissed. He knew better than to cross her family. The Headmaster’s eyes
narrowed at her and while her father’s hands tightened on her shoulders, Uncle Luci chuckled.

“Now, Albus, I think that would be fair. You didn’t see fit to play fair listening into family talk.” Her
father rolled his eyes but glared at the Headmaster as well. The Headmaster rolled his eyes and
glared at them all.

“I just arrived in the last couple minutes. I would like to speak to Lord Black.” Hermione turned to
look at her father to convey her disapproval, hoping that he would pick up on it. Uncle Luci,
however, reached out and tugged her hair.

“No worries, princess. I’m going to be right beside him. Family sticks together. He wants your
father, he’s going to have to convince me too and I won’t be putting any of us on the line for
nothing.” Dumbledore was now glaring at her uncle but Hermione beamed at him.

“I love you, Uncle Luci.” He bent and kissed the crown of her head.

“I love you as well, poppet. You guard Harry. Get some rest. We’re all staying the night so get
comfortable. We’ll return.” Hermione settled further in, settled in the fact that her uncle wouldn’t let
the Headmaster convince her father to do anything stupid. At the last moment, she heard the
Headmaster beckon Remus to follow as well. She had no idea what it was about but she didn't care.
She was next to Harry, he was safe and well, and he was alive.

It hadn’t been a good night at all but Luna had been right. Harry had survived.

-O-

Sirius followed the Headmaster into the closest empty classroom and watched as the old man
silenced, locked, and warded the room behind himself, Lucius, and Remus. Severus was already
inside waiting. He raised his eyebrows, clearly not liking what this was going to entail. Albus wasted
no time in opening the conversation.

“Voldemort is back. Severus has confirmed it.” Sirius flicked his gaze to his best friend and frowned.
There were tremors in his hands, clear signs that he had suffered from the Cruciatus. Sirius started to
shake his head.

“You’re going to give up this game, Sev, I can’t watch this for the duration. You don’t deserve this.”
The dark man scowled at him and there was hurt in Remus’ eyes. He had never seen proof of his
friendship with Severus but that didn’t matter. He hadn’t pulled punches with the werewolf so far
and he wasn't going to start now.

“I will do what I must to keep my family safe. Not only Hermione, but Draco, Harry, yourself,
Lucius, and Narcissa. You’re all my family and I love you all. Hermione just holds a special place in
my heart.” Sirius cursed.

“She doesn't want you to do this. She wants you with her. This year has killed her, not being able to
see you. Do you know how many times she has written me telling me how much she hates not being
able to see you, talk to you, brew with you? It’s killing her.” Severus shook his head.

“I don’t care if it kills her not seeing me as long as she lives to see the end of the war. She is precious
to me and as much as I love Draco, it was Hermione that got me through the last war. I need to know
that she’s safe. If I have to endure torture to bring information for that to happen, I will do so.” Sirius
couldn’t handle it. His own failings as a father had recently been thrown in his face and to hear these
words regarding his daughter was just too much. He threw his arms around the man he had long ago
proclaimed as his brother and let out a sob.

“I fucking hate you for it but Merlin, man, I love you for it too. I don’t care if I die, I just hope she
and Juliet live.” Severus was stiff but eventually returned his hug. After they separated, Dumbledore
spoke.
“I want to reform the Order of the Phoenix. I want you in it.” Lucius raised an eyebrow.

“Not myself, though. Very curious.” The Headmaster glared at him.

“You have a reputation of being dark. I trust that you have left it all behind but they have not. They
would never accept you.” Sirius wanted to laugh. He wouldn’t join if Lucius wasn’t welcome and he
was sure that Remus would follow. Minerva had already shown them more loyalty than Dumbledore
in the past year and come summer, he was sure that the Weasleys would back them as well. He was
quite sure that they could persuade Augusta Longbottom and at the very least the Greengrasses as
well. Therefore, he smiled at the Headmaster.

“I’m sorry, Headmaster. If Lucius isn’t welcome, I can’t find it in myself to join either. You see, my
daughter is Lucius’ heir and I consider him not only my family but my brother. I lost one brother in
the last war and won't make that mistake again. Severus is making his choices based on what’s best
for my daughter. Make no mistake, he’s my brother as well. I don’t need to be a member of the
Order of the Phoenix to fight Riddle.” The Headmaster looked flabbergasted. He was sputtering as
he spoke.

“You can’t mean that. You were a member last time.” Sirius raised an eyebrow at him.

“I was. So was James and it killed him and Lily. They put their faith in you and not only did you let
them down, you let Harry down by sending him to those atrocious muggles. I’ve done more to
prepare him for this war than you have in the three years you had him before he came to me. That’s
unforgivable. We are willing to work alongside your organization if it suits us but make no mistake.
We won’t be members of the Order of the Phoenix.” Dumbledore started to try to convince them.

“The Weasleys are members, you know that Harry is close friends with them. They’re going to want
to spend summers together.” Sirius shrugged.

“Are you sure that the Weasleys are going to be members come the end of summer? You have no
idea what’s going to happen and I have first hand knowledge that you are not infallible. You can
make mistakes. Like I said, form your vigilante group. If it suits us, we will work alongside you.
However, we will not needlessly sacrifice ourselves for nothing. We all have too much to lose and I
have long since learned that the Gryffindor way of leaping before looking is highly overrated.”
Dumbledore looked like a thundercloud of fury. His next words were ones that would start a war.

“Severus swore an oath last war to serve as a spy to me. He won’t be able to help you at all.” Lucius
stepped forward now, his Death Eater persona front and center.

“It’s true, we can’t keep Severus from telling you anything. However, if you keep him from telling
us as well, you’re going to have a very pissed off Hermione Black on your hands. What do you think
she’s going to do the first time she realizes that you’re the reason that her godfather, whom she loves
and adores without reason, is being tortured every time he turns up before the Dark Lord? She’s
going to learn that you swore him to spy because I’m going to tell her. I’m telling you right now that
she’s going to bury you and I'm going to help her hide your body. If you haven’t learned one thing
from her yet, it’s that you don’t fuck with her family. Severus has been her family since day one. We
all know she’s more powerful than you are.” The Headmaster sighed in defeat.

“Fine. I’m not happy with it but I’ll take what I can get. I’ll work alongside you when I can. I’ll
make sure that the members I assign to working with you are able to trust you.” Lucius snorted but
Sirius nodded, quite happy with the outcome.

“That’s acceptable. I think that’s enough for tonight. It’s been horrid and Harry’s in the Hospital
Wing. I want to be there with him.” Remus clapped him on the shoulder but stayed near as Severus
approached. He listened to the quiet words exchanged and Sirius couldn’t make himself care.

“Tell Harry that I hope he heals quickly. As soon as he’s back at Black Moor, I’ll cast a more
invasive diagnostic on him to make sure that all is well, Even Poppy isn’t able to cast it. I was scared
sick that he was seriously hurt.” Sirius nodded.

“I don’t know how soon I’ll get him this year but as soon as he’s at Black Moor, you’ll know.
You’re going to be around this summer, right?” Severus nodded.

“I should be able to occlude well enough to hide it. I have more lessons to impart on Harry and I
miss Hermione and Draco. She needs more tutoring if she is going to achieve a mastery before her
N.E.W.T.s.” Sirius snorted.

“You two and your goals.” Severus barked a laugh before sweeping away, leaving just Remus,
Sirius, and Lucius. Sirius raised his eyebrow at Remus.

“I hope we didn’t speak out of turn for you. Are you wanting to go with the Order? If so, I’m sure
that he’ll still take you.” Remus shook his head, an irritated look on his face.

“No, I can’t believe you even have to ask. I told you that I was with you for the long haul. Even if
you come with a few Slytherins now, you’re still my oldest friend. I have your back, Siri, like I
should have then.” Sirius gave him a heartfelt smile.

“I’m glad, Remes, because this is going to get shitty and real. This summer is going to be awful. I
hope you can handle a bit of drama.” Remus barked out a laugh of his own.

“I survived you and James fucking the same girl for two months and not knowing it. This will be
nothing in comparison.” Sirius clapped his friend on the shoulder.

“I”m glad. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

A/N- Holy fucking balls, I’m pretty sure that this is the longest chapter to date in this story but you
really had to expect it. It was Voldy’s return chapter!! Anyways, thanks to everyone for supporting
me and taking the time to review every chapter. It really means a lot to me. Let me know what you
think, I love to hear your thoughts.

Anything you recognize doesn’t belong to me but was taken from Goblet of Fire. An extra sorry to
everyone out there if there are tons of errors. I’m still babysitting and editing is difficult with a two
year old constantly asking you questions and telling you no. Forgive me?

Next chapter, the aftermath.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 82

A/N- Thank you to everyone out there that left me such amazing comments and reviews. You guys
are seriously awesome. The support you guys have shown me through this whole story has been
humbling and I can’t tell you how much it means to me. Enough fo now, let’s get started!

**Shout out to Black Banshee for being my 4000th reviewer!! You da bomb, girl!!**

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing about this story. Everything you recognize belongs to J.K.R. The
original idea for the story belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. I haven’t made any money from
this story or any other. I'm still poor as hell.

Chapter 82
June 25, 1995

The world was hazy but he could feel it slowly coming back into focus. There were soft voices all
around him and he knew that he was safe. There was someone holding his hand and also someone
rhythmically stroking their hand through his hair and Harry had to admit that it felt quite nice. While
all the girls he fucked were quick to suck his cock or anything of the like, true affection to the rest of
him was something that he had yet to come across.

He knew without a doubt that it was Hermione sitting so close to him, stroking his hair, and making
him feel as though he was the most important person in the world. The voices around him were
becoming more defined and he could recognize Sirius, Draco, Uncle Lucius, and Severus. There
were others but they were further off in the distance and he figured that his visitors were being kept
to a minimum. He had no idea what time it was, or even what day, and his curiosity was piqued. He
cracked one eye and groaned just a little when the bright light hurt. The fingers tightened around his
hand and the hand in his hair tightened down so he couldn’t turn his head. It should have worried
him but he wasn't. He instinctively knew that it was Hermione.

“You’re in the Hospital Wing, Harry. Father, Uncle Lucius, Draco, Uncle Sev, and I are here.
Everyone else is sitting outside the Hospital Wing or have gone home.” His eyes fluttered completely
open and he saw that she was smiling down at him. She no longer looked broken but the familiar
weight of guilt was there on his chest. He squeezed the hand that was threaded with his own and
gave her a semblance of a smile.

“Mia, you have to be careful. Riddle wants you bad.” She nodded her head and started to brush the
hair off his forehead. Normally he hated this but he didn’t feel as though she was making him a
spectacle. It was all a measure of comfort. Though if it was hers or his he wasn't sure.

“I know, you woke up briefly last night and told me that Riddle was back that he wanted to kidnap
Uncle Luci so he could force me to marry him and birth him babies.” Harry didn’t remember telling
her that at all so he narrowed his eyes at her.

“How long was I awake for? I don’t remember that at all.” She continued to stroke his forehead with
a small smile.

“Maybe a couple minutes. I got you to take a vial of Dreamless Sleep and you were out after that.
You really didn’t tell me anything else except that Riddle was back.” Harry worked on clearing his
mind, knowing that he needed to get his shit together before he faced the rest of the world. Everyone
was sure to want an explanation as to why he had shown up with Viktor’s body but he doubted that
they would all be happy with it. Therefore he sighed.
“How many people want to talk to me right now?” His godfather reached out and laid a comforting
hand on his shoulder but Harry was the first to admit that it wasn’t near as good as Hermione.

“Several is a fair number. There are numerous that hope to speak to you, only few that will actually
get to. I don’t think Hermione is going to let just anyone near you right now.” Harry leaned further
into the touch that was still carding through his hair.

“That’s fine. I don’t want to tell a bunch of people but I need to tell someone. I think that we need to
get the right people here so I can tell everyone what happened.” His godfather sighed and removed
his hand while Harry struggled into a position that was more upright. Once he was settled against the
pillows, he met Sirius’ eyes.

“I’m going to go get the Headmaster. I’ll tell him that you’re only telling the story once, that anyone
who needs to hear it better be there. I’m sure it will be long enough for you to take a shower if you
need to so you can make yourself presentable.” Harry flushed slightly, sure that he was complete
mess. Hermione smiled down at him.

“Neville brought you fresh robes and your toiletries a couple hours ago. Draco can go in there with
you if you need help. Madam Pomfrey said that you would likely suffer for a few days from the
aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse. It would be safer for him to be in there, just in case.” Harry
flushed, not realizing that she had any idea what had happened to him. He gave her a quick nod
before turning to Draco. His mate gave him a nod, telling him that they best get started.

Harry sat up, regretting the lost of contact with Hermione. The floor was cold on his feet but while
he still found himself twitchy, he could make himself stand. Draco followed him into the infirmary
shower room and sat on a stool outside his stall, making small conversation with him while Harry
washed himself clean of suffering, hurt, and guilt. Draco sounded almost smug as he spoke.

“Hermione wouldn’t let anyone near you last night; she was almost feral. Nobody aside from family
has been around you since you were brought here. The Headmaster tried to sneak in under privacy
wards but when we noticed that he was there, she threatened to obliviate him. What’s funny is that
we all know she’s capable of it if she put her mind to it. Hermione has been quite your staunchest
protector.” This just made Harry feel even worse about how he had treated her before the third task.
He should have at least told her goodbye but after she had apologized, he had walked off without
another word. It was horrid and rude and he hoped to change that as soon as met Hermione again.
He looked to Draco.

“I’ve done your cousin an enormous disservice. I know you don’t think it’s just from last night. It’s
from many nights ago when she lowered her pride to apologize to me.” Draco nodded his head.

“You did. You hurt her. She also assumed a lot about you and didn’t ask your opinion before she
started telling you what to do. You have the right to be friends with whoever you bloody well please.
Miney is spoiled and used to getting her way in just about everything she does. I usually give in
because it’s easier and that’s how it’s been done since we were tiny. She was older and I listened to
her because she was older and in charge. Now I just listen because it shuts her up quicker some days.
Not my proudest moments but that doesn’t mean that you have to give in either.” Harry nodded,
feeling a little bit better about still wanting to rebel against her. Not in everything, like before, but
only in the things that he felt strongly about. Not being a bully like Dudley was one of those things.

“Thanks, Drake.” Draco chuckled as he stood when Harry turned the water off.

“Don’t thank me now. Wait until it blows over. Right now, she’ll tell you that she isn’t angry but
deep down, she will be. You were right, she is jealous and she feels betrayed. Personally, I think
she’s right. I think Ginny did do those things to her but that’s an argument between the pair of you,
not me.” Harry nodded slowly, sure that his friend was trying to keep the peace between them.

Harry hurried and dressed as quickly as he could into trousers and a uniform shirt. They weren’t the
most comfortable but they were proper and he didn’t want to embarrass his family. After he was
dressed, he followed Draco out of the Hospital Wing shower room and back to his bed. Hermione
was still sitting there next to his bed, though she was conversing softly with her father and uncle
now. When she saw him approach, she smiled gently at him.

“Feel better?” He gave her a soft smile.

“Much.” He settled back in the bed and she took his hand in hers again. Harry wanted to tell her that
he was strong enough for her to leave him be now but he didn’t. He enjoyed her attention and he
didn’t want her to stop. Therefore, when her hands started stroking his hair once more, he made no
move to stop her. He leaned into her touch and sighed happily. She smiled at him.

“Feel good?” He nodded happily and she grinned at him.

“I’ll do it as long as you like.” Once again, he didn’t respond, just let her keep massaging his scalp.
He knew that it wasn’t right but he couldn’t quite help himself. Dumbledore showed up at the
Hospital Wing and both Sirius and Uncle Lucius stood to go over and talk to him, telling Hermione
and Harry that they would return momentarily. Harry knew that this was his chance to apologize and
he was determined to take it. He reached out and took Hermione’s hand in his, stilling it in his hair.
She gave him a concerned look that almost broke his heart. Rather than respond, he gave her a sad
smile.

“It isn’t right for me to continue to accept this sort of affection. We both know how we parted ways
before the last task and it isn’t right for me to pretend that that didn’t happen.” She shook her head
vehemently.

“You were right and I was wrong, I told you so before the tournament began.” Harry reached up and
stroked her cheek with his thumb. Her skin was baby soft and he would give anything to see if it was
that soft everywhere. She leaned into his touch and he smiled at her.

“I was right to an extent. You shouldn’t have been trying to tell me who I can talk to. However, I
hurt you more than I ever dreamt of doing so as I told you I would do as I wished. That was never
my intention. I was offended that you would dare try to tell me what to do but I hurt you and you
never deserved that. You deserve far better than what I gave you.” Hermione met his eyes for a few
moments before pulling him into a hug and laughing softly.

“It did hurt at first but after I realized that you were facing death, it didn’t matter anymore. I don’t
want you to think that I’m holding it against you. I already told you that you could do what you
wanted, that I would leave you alone. If you want to be friends with Ginny, I can’t stop you. I can
tell right now that she won’t be welcome at Black Moor and she won’t be welcome at the Slytherin
table. If you want to be friends with her aside from that, I can't stop you.” Harry could tell that the
subject hurt her and he tried to tell her that he wasn't going to hurt her anymore. However, before he
could get much further in their conversation, she turned cold eyes his way.

“I don’t care. Just drop it. I got the point and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. If you want to talk
to Ginny Weasley, you made clear that my opinion on the matter wasn’t welcome. I’ve accepted that
you believe her over me. Just drop it.” Harry stared at her for a few moments before finally nodding.
There was nothing else that he could say that would sell her on his opinion; likewise, he wouldn’t be
sold on her opinion either. They would just have to agree to disagree and it was going to be hard to
agree to that. He didn’t like bullying and she didn’t like handing out second chances to hurt people
she cared for.
Even though her words had been harsh, she had never let go of his hand. Her grip was soft even
though she refused to meet his eyes. Harry couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. He knew that if it were
the other way around, he would be the first one to drop whoever had dropped him along the way.
There was one thing he valued most and it was loyalty; it saddened him to realize that he liked a girl
that cared for him immensely despite what he valued. In fact, it made his heart hurt.

He was going to reply but he realized that people were gathering around his bed, far more than the
few he had assumed that it would be. The Minister of Magic was off to the right, Cornelius Fudge,
and his disbelief was already clear on his face. There were a few school governors that he recognized
by sight if not be name. They were standing closer to Lucius and seemed open to what he was going
to say. All the Heads of House were there and they seemed quite protective of him. McGonagall in
particular was glaring at those that were whispering behind her. Amelia Bones, as the Head of the
D.M.L.E. was there, as well as the Head Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt. Harry wanted to groan. That
was the man that had given Hermione such a hard time almost every time he had met up with her.
After waiting for everyone to quiet down, Harry took a deep breath and Hermione squeezed his hand
in support.

“I know that you aren’t going to like what I have to tell you. You’re going to hate it as much as I do.
I wanted to beat Krum more than anything. I had found Fleur and she had been stunned from behind.
The hedges were pulling her under and I knew that someone had done it to her. I really didn’t think
that Cedric would do a thing like that, he’s a Hufflepuff for Merlin’s sake, they live to be fair. Fleur’s
my friend and I didn’t like that she had been sabotaged like that. Next, I came across Cedric. He was
suffering from the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse and told me that Krum had hit him with it. I
was livid and beyond determined to win just to show Krum that he couldn’t.” Harry took a deep
breath before taking a sip of the water at his bedside. Hermione held his hand in both of hers and her
thumbs stroked his knuckles softly. It was quite comforting.

“Krum and I entered the clearing the Cup was placed in at the same time. We raced for it and
grabbed it at the same time. I was sure that it was going to be a match of who could hold on the
longest but it was portkey. It teleported us away. After we landed, I could see that Rookwood was
there and he was advancing. There was a strange baby off in the distance and he told Rookwood that
Krum was the “wizard that tried to take her purity” and Rookwood cast an orange curse at him. I
was hit in the chest with a spell right after that and the world went dark.” He looked down at
Hermione and kissed the top of her head when he saw the look of horror on her face. He bent to
whisper in her ear.

“It wasn’t your fault.” She nodded, her hair ruffling against his cheek. He kissed her head again
before sitting up again to continue.

“I woke up and realized that Rookwood was still torturing Krum. He had flayed most of his skin
from his body. When he saw that I was awake, he shot the killing curse at him and I have to say that
I was relieved. Krum was still awake. There was a cauldron full of a potion and Rookwood threw
the baby inside it, then tore up the grave below me and put a bone into it. He said that it a bone from
Voldemort’s father. He then cut off his own hand into the potion, saying it was the sacrifice of a
servant. He cut my arm open and took my blood, saying something about blood unwillingly taken,
blood from an enemy. After he dropped it in, the cauldron started to bubble and then Lord
Voldemort stepped out of the potion.” Hermione started to hyperventilate and Harry tugged on her
hand until she was sitting next to him on the bed. He dropped an arm around her shoulders and
pulled her close to his side. He could feel her trembling and he felt terrible, especially since he was
going to have to continue. He knew that she wouldn’t appreciate him asking her to leave. She was
already going to be pissed that she was showing weakness.

“Riddle pressed his wand to Rookwood’s dark mark, calling his followers to him. He gave
Rookwood a silver hand and once all his followers had gathered, he started torturing them for
leaving him in his uncorporeal state for so long, told them that none of them were loyal enough to
find him. They all bore it well, I suppose. Then, Riddle turned his attention to me.” Hermione let out
a tiny whimper and he pulled her even closer. He could see that his words were affecting Draco and
Sirius as well. Uncle Lucius, however, was as stoic and stalwart as ever.

“He demanded that we duel and he forced me to bow. I had injured my ankle when he had dropped
me from the grave stone and into the grave so I knew that I couldn’t move that quickly. He cast the
Cruciatus on me and all his Death Eaters laughed. He told them that he wanted Hermione and since
Lucius hadn’t turned up, he was a traitor so he wanted him dead. I told him that Hermione would
never cave to him if he hurt Lucius, that she loved him more than anything. He laughed and told all
his followers that they were to capture Lucius so they could use him to get Hermione to do what he
wanted. I realized my mistake almost instantly.” Hermione’s arms snaked around his waist and Harry
wanted to smile as she caused him to lose air.

“I tried my best to duel Voldemort but I was injured, severely weak from blood loss and not sure that
I was going to make it out of that graveyard alive. He cast the killing curse and I cast the disarming
spell. They met and the spells seemed to hold each other. A woman came of the golden haze, then a
muggle man that I recognized from my dream before the school year. Next were my parents. My
mum whispered in my ear that when she told me to let go, I needed to let go. When she told me, I did
just as she said. I threw the connection upwards and the spirits threw themselves at Voldemort. I
hurried as fast as I could through the graveyard, trying to find the Cup, knowing that since it was the
portkey it was my only chance at returning. I was injured in the shoulder as I did so. I finally saw it
close to Viktor’s body and decided that I would bring him back for him mother. As much as I hate
his father, his mother seemed like she had nothing to do with how he was raised. I would never
deprive a mother of burying her son if I had another choice. I collapsed on the ground outside the
maze.” Hermione’s face was buried in his chest and he started to shush her softly. Uncle Lucius
came up on her side and started to rub her shoulders, giving her the comfort she needed. Her hand
came up to rest on his and Harry could see that she appreciated the gesture. Harry started to stroke
her hair.

“I couldn’t really feel anything when I returned. I was barely conscious. I felt someone leading my
away from the noise and I could only assume that the Headmaster had sent me away with someone
he trusted. I had just assumed that they were taking me to the Hospital Wing. However, this wasn’t
the case. I realized that I was in Moody’s office with a man that I wasn’t supposed to be anywhere
near. He kept asking me about the Dark Lord, wanting to know that it was like to stand in his
presence. I realized then that there was something wrong. Only Uncle Lucius calls Voldemort that
and that’s because he was conditioned to do so. He’s turned his back on the Dark Lord, you see. I
took a chance and left-handed stunned Moody. Just as the door blew open to show that Sirius,
Hermione and Uncle Lucius had arrived, I passed out. I woke up this morning in the Hospital Wing.
Hermione said that I woke up for a few minutes last night but she gave me Dreamless Sleep and I’ve
been out since then.”

The Heads of House looked completely convinced. There was no reason for them to disbelieve him
so he hoped for the best. The governors looked suitably outraged, probably because the students had
been dragged into it. The Minister of Magic looked quite flustered and his family had tears in their
eyes, even Draco. Hermione was quietly sobbing into his chest and he could only hug her tightly,
hoping that his love wasn’t shown outwardly. He had his face buried in Hermione’s hair, hiding his
emotions, when the Minister’s voice broke the silence.

“This is all a lie. Just a lie told by a boy who has had no love and attention. He’s trying to get
attention and affection. None of this is true and you will regard the whole story as a calling for
attention.” Hermione flew out of the bed and pointed her wand at the Minister, right against the
hollow of his throat. Her eyes were blazing with fury and Harry never thought she looked more
beautiful.

“You ever say that tripe in front of me again, I’ll curse you until you can't find your bollocks for a
year.” Fudge started to sputter.

“Y-y-you can’t t-t-tell me what’s going t-t-to h-h-happen.” Hermione grinned at him, almost feral. It
was easy to see how Draco had said that she had almost been feral the night before while guarding
him.

“I can. You betray my family and I’ll make sure that you regret it. I’ll obliviate you before you even
realize that you have something to hide. Don’t think I won’t, Fudge. Family is everything to me and
I’m far more powerful than you could ever dream of being. You’re lucky you’re not being crushed
beneath my bootheel right now.” Harry couldn’t help but feel turned on. However, he received a slap
in the face when Hermione turned his direction.

“He’s clearly shown where his loyalties lie. Shall we give him a second chance? Give the chance to
stab us in the back? Give him the chance to kill you and silence me?” Even though Harry understood
her lesson, he didn’t appreciate her method. He glared at her before turning away. He refused to
answer. She sighed in defeat and he couldn’t help but feel that she was disappointed.

“I suppose we’ll just let him do as he will. Maybe when he finally tears my character to pieces and
makes me into nothing, you’ll understand. Some people don’t deserve second chances because they
feel no remorse. I’m not against second chances, Harry Potter, don’t think I haven’t guessed your
thoughts. I’m against second chances for those that will continue on with their horrid treatment of
others. Pansy would still be doing everything she could to try to trap Draco if I hadn’t acted. Ginny
will continue to do so. Now I’ve truly said all I ever will on the matter.” He glared at her, clearly
irritated.

He refused to comment on her words. He would likely just hurt her and he had to admit that she had
made her point. There was no way that Harry could dismiss her worries now when she put them that
way. He sighed softly and she softened her gaze.

“I’ll leave it alone but don’t think I’m heartless. I couldn’t bear it if you did. I do everything for a
reason and I protect those that I care for.” Harry nodded and he wrapped his arms around her
shoulders. Her face was buried in his chest when he turned his attention to those still gathered around
his bed. He sneered at them all.

“If you don’t believe me, feel free to get lost. I have nothing to say to you if you don’t. Dinner has
been served for family and friends so those that fit in that category, I hope you enjoy.” Madam
Pomfrey appeared and started casting diagnostics on him. After Hermione stood there for all of them,
he turned to the girl and smiled.

“Let’s head towards the Great Hall. It has to be better than here.” Hermione smiled at him and Harry
could tell that it was heartfelt. She allowed him to gather his wits while she conversed softly with her
family. It was clear that Sirius and Uncle Lucius were going to go down with them, probably the rest
of the family that was still there as well. Harry really didn’t have anything to gather so once he was
upright, he was ready to go. With one last glare to the Minister, Hermione took his hand and breezed
past him, showing Fudge that his opinion meant absolutely nothing to her.

Sirius, Draco, and Uncle Lucius followed after them. Once outside of the Hospital Wing, Aunt
Cissy, Remus, and Dory were waiting outside. They all watched him warily but said nothing, rather
falling in step behind them as they headed for the Great Hall. He was happy to see that Neville, the
twins, Luna, and Juliet were waiting at the Slytherin table for them; it felt as though he was coming
home to those that cared about him. Once they were all seated and focused on Harry himself, he
spoke.

“I know that you’re all wondering what happened. I don’t want to talk about it. I’m sure there will be
a statement about it later on and those that heard my story can tell you. Just please don’t ask me.” It
was Blaise that spoke next.

“Don’t worry, mate, we’re all too scared to ask because Hermione is glaring at us. You won’t hear a
thing from us.” Harry laughed and Hermione blushed. He reached out and tugged one of her curls,
making her blush an even deeper crimson.

The meal progressed and Harry could tell that his Gryffindor friends were barely waiting their turns
to make sure that he was alright. He knew that Hermione didn’t have much use for Seamus and
Dean but since last year, they had gotten much better. Yeah, they still hated her but that was likely to
never change. He couldn’t judge his friendships on that matter. Ron looked most anxious to speak
with him and Harry vowed to make his way over to the lion’s table after lunch was over. However,
when the meal was almost over, a shadow fell behind Harry and he felt a soft hand on his shoulder.
Arms wrapped around him from behind and a soft kiss pressed to his cheek. Harry instinctively
knew that this was Ginny just by the look on Hermione’s face.

“I’m so glad that you’re alright, Harry, we were all so worried for you.” Harry knew that she wasn’t
welcome here so he tried to brush her off.

“I’m fine, promise. Why don’t you go back to Gryffindor and I’ll be over there after a while?” Ginny
furrowed her brows at him.

“I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. Surely, that’s allowed?” Harry could see that Sirius
and Uncle Lucius were glaring at not only Ginny but him as well. He realized that Hermione was
right; they would never understand his need to offer his protection to Ginny. Harry just sighed.

“Ginny, I’m fine. Just head over to the lions and I’ll be there shortly.” Ginny sighed and kissed his
cheek again. Harry could see Hermione fuming but she kept her mouth shut. Ginny stayed another
minute, fussing over him and making sure that he was put together. He could see that the whole table
was on edge and when Ginny finally left, he was surprised that it was Daphne rather than Hermione
that exploded.

“I can’t believe you just allowed that, Harry! All the disrespect she has shown not only you but your
family and you just sat back and allowed it. I know you don’t know our ways but that was like
slapping your family in the face.” Harry couldn’t help but to lash out.

“I don’t like that my family is keen on bullying people. I’m not okay with that at all.” Hermione
made a sound that clearly alerted to him that she was distressed. However, Daphne was not to be
beaten down. It was perhaps her first show of complete independence and Harry had to admit that
she had chosen her stage well.

“You’re not okay with bullying. That’s rich. Your best mate did nothing but bully Hermione for
three years and you were completely okay with it. You never told him that it was unacceptable for
him to act that way. You never told him that it wasn’t okay for him to be mean to Hermione, to make
fun of her, to hit her in the face, just because he was jealous of her power, prestige, and money.
You’re a fucking hypocrite, Harry Potter and it makes me want to sick up on you. You’re lucky that
the Blacks and Malfoys have taken you in and you just spit on them like this. They deserve better,
especially after how you yourself have treated Hermione. Never bullied yourself, have you?”

Harry felt as though someone had punched him in the gut. It was true, every word, but when he
heard it from Daphne’s mouth, it was much clearer than it was in his own mind. He knew that he
owed everyone an apology since he was preaching no bullying but he was saved by Hermione, once
again. His heart clenched at her words and she was that broken woman once again. It killed him to
know that it was his fault.

“It’s alright, Daph. Harry has apologized for bullying me. He doesn’t owe me an apology for what
Ronald has done. Eventually, Ronald will pay for what he’s done. If Harry wants to be friends with
Ginny, he’s entitled to make his own decisions. We’ll respect them. He needs to learn to make his
own decisions, after all. While Ginny most certainly won’t be welcome at Black Moor or the
Slytherin table, we can’t stop him from being her friend. He’s old enough to make his own choices.”
Harry could see that every word was a concession for her, that they cut her deep. He tried to reach
out for her but she pulled away, her eyes distant. She leaned into her uncle since her father was
seated across from her, Juliet snuggled into his side. Harry got the picture loud and clear and while
he wasn’t happy about it, he couldn’t blame her. As much as he was entitled to make his own
decisions, she was as well. It hurt that she pulled away from him but he supposed that that was his
own doing. Daphne gave him a reluctant nod before turning back to her food.

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence and once it was finished, Sirius, Uncle Lucius, Remus,
Tonks, and Aunt Cissy told them that they must go. Harry watched as Hermione cried silent tears
into her father’s robes, telling him how much she loved and missed him. She moved on to her uncle
and he smiled to himself to see the man dote on her, kissing her and telling her all the wonderful
things they were going to do over the summer. Harry was pulled into his own fair share of hugs, his
family ignoring his words about how they bullied others. Of course, after Daphne threw his own
bullying in his face, he didn’t feel like he could make any case that meant anything without sounding
like a complete idiot. After his family was gone, Hermione flashed a quick smile to everyone.

“I think I’m going to go take a nap. I’ll see everyone at dinner.” Harry reached out and grabbed her
arm. She gave him a tight smile.

“I’m not mad at you, Harry. I just want to go sleep. Why don’t you go reassure Ginny that you’re
fine. She seemed worried. I’ll see you at dinner.” Harry felt as though he had been punched in the
gut. It was what he had said he had wanted since the beginning, when he and Hermione had first
started arguing. Now, it seemed as though their interactions were fake. He hated it. Rather than say
anything, he gave her a short nod.

“Alright. I’ll see you at dinner.” She smiled softly again and nodded before walking off on her own.
Daphne just glared at him. Harry sighed and gestured for her to say whatever it was she wanted to.
She just shook her head slightly at him.

“You don’t even know what you’re losing right now. She loves you and you’re kicking her aside for
nasty Ginny Weasley. You’re dumber than I thought possible, Potter.” Harry smiled wryly at
Daphne.

“We’ve discussed our feelings for each other. We both decided that she deserved better.” Daphne
snorted.

“You’re right. At this rate, you’ll never be good enough for her. Step it up, Potter, or you’ll lose her
forever to someone who actually gives a fuck about her.” Harry watched as she stood and stormed
off in the same direction as Hermione. Harry sighed and shot a look at Draco. He met his eyes and
shrugged, showing that he wasn’t going to get in the middle of it. After all, he had already told Harry
that he thought he was a fucking idiot. Harry stood and with a wave, headed for the Gryffindor table.

Once there, he was bombarded with questions from everyone as to what had happened. He told them
the barest minimum, that Riddle was back, but they seemed incredulous. Ginny seemed truly shaken
and Harry attributed it to the fact that she had been possessed by the man for almost a whole year.
There were quiet tears tracking down her cheeks when Harry finally hugged her close. It was in that
moment that he realized that Ron was missing.

“It’s alright, Ginny. You’re going to be safe, I promise. Your family won’t let anything happen to
you.” She hugged him tight and he couldn’t help but make comparisons to Hermione. Ginny felt like
nothing compared to the Slytherin girl. She looked up into his face with sad eyes.

“Will you protect me, Harry?” Harry let go of her and started to back away, not liking where this
was going. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I’m going to do my best to protect all my friends, Ginny. I really need to go find Ron.” She smiled
brightly at him and nodded. Harry was just happy to get away with no other words.

Harry hurried on his way, quick to find his best mate, hoping that all would be well with his family
and friends in the long run. He hated seeing Hermione like she was and he hoped that Ginny stayed
away so he wouldn’t have to see it again. In fact, that night before bed, he would request it of Ginny
to stay away from the Slytherin table and Hermione in general. He was sure that she would comply
since he was doing her such a huge favor.

Of course she would.

-O-

Hermione wanted to barf. She hated being so nice when it came to

Ginny but she realized that it would get her nowhere to argue with Harry over it. He was going to do
as he pleased and if that meant Ginny, that’s what it meant. She had already decided that she didn’t
want to lose his friendship and she wasn’t going to make him choose, especially since she doubted
that she would win that choice. She would just grin and bear it, hiding her feelings of jealousy, self-
doubt, and disgust down deep where nobody knew that it was there. Even Draco was pulling away
from her and seemed to be less in tune with what was going on in her life these days. She didn’t
blame him, of course, it had always been inevitable. It just saddened her to realize that eventually she
would be alone unless she found a boy that could handle her strength and personality which she had
to admit was highly unlikely.

Hermione really was tired but decided to stroll the corridors for a just little while to stretch her legs
first. She had been cooped up in the Hospital Wing all night long and she was the first to admit that
she was stiff and sore. She was on the third floor, near the door where Fluffy had been housed their
first year, when a redhead appeared around the bend of the corridor, a scowl on his face. Hermione
sighed inwardly.

Ronald Weasley.

He already hated her, of that she was certain. After summer, he was likely to hate her even more but
honestly, it wasn’t up to her. Her father had made the decision and since he was Lord Black, it had
been solely his decision. Mind, she hadn’t been against it, but her father had left her out of the
discussion because he knew that she would get caught in the middle and it could potentially start
trouble for her. The redhead just sneered at her.

“You aren’t with Harry?” She shook her head, casting her gaze to the floor so he didn’t see how
upset she was at the situation.

“No, he went to go talk to your sister. I’m just stretching my legs before going back to the common
room to sleep. It was a long night.” Ron nodded and looked happy.
“Well, at least he’s gaining some sense. Ginny made a mistake but she isn’t all bad. She would be
perfect for him if they would both just admit it.” Hermione really had to bite her tongue since she
was sure that Ron was just saying this to hurt her. She nodded her head instead.

“Perhaps someday it will happen.” Weasley scoffed at her.

“Like you and your family will let him be with Ginny. You’ll do all you can to keep him away from
her. It’s clear to everyone that you’re in love with him. You won’t ever let him go to Ginny.”
Hermione gave him a cold, hard stare. She could see when the redhead started to squirm.

“You don’t know anything about me, Weasley. Trust me, if Harry really wants to be with Ginny, he
won’t let my family come in between them.” It killed her to say it but she needed to to protect her
heart. The last thing she needed was to have Gryffindor making fun of her as a whole for her feelings
for Harry. It was bad enough that he threw them in her face whenever he was angry with her.

“Besides, you should be focusing on being there for your friend. He just faced down Voldemort and
was tortured for it.” Ron scoffed.

“I’m sure he made the story more elaborate than it was. He probably wanted the attention.”
Hermione glared at him.

“If you’re going to spout that nonsense, get the fuck away from me, Weasley. You’re despicable and
you don’t know your friend at all. He deserves better.” Now she really didn’t feel bad for what could
be happening this summer. She lifted her chin and started past him. He reached out and snagged her
wrist, squeezing it tightly. She did her best to keep a handle on her magic, easier said than done since
she had faced down Viktor.

“You don't just walk away from me, Black.” Hermione was about to say something in retaliation but
Harry was walking up behind them and he called out angrily.

“Ron, let go of her. You don’t ever grab her.” Weasley let go of her instantly and Hermione didn’t
bother with him. She kept right on going, right past Harry. He reached out and caught her hand
gently. His eyes were worried when she met his gaze.

“Are you alright, Mia?” She gave him a short smile and nodded.

“Perfectly fine. I’m going to go lay down now.” He nodded and she could feel his eyes on her as she
rounded the corner of the corridor and headed for the steps that lead to the dungeons. Once she was
safely ensconced in the the dorms, she let her face go slack and her emotions flooded her features.
She had just crawled into her bed and let her tears start to flow when her curtain pulled back and
Daphne appeared. She crawled in next to Hermione and wrapped her arms around her. The dark-
haired girl buried her face in her friend’s chest and let her tears flow. Daphne remained silent while
she held her, slightly rocking her until she was quiet. When she was almost asleep, her blonde friend
finally spoke.

“The men we love won’t ever realize what they do to us. We deserve better, Hermione. I, for one,
am tired of being ignored while your cousin shags everyone in the school willing to spread their legs
for him.” Hermione nodded. She felt the same but was saddened still.

“I know. You should find someone that will honor you and appreciate you for what you have to
offer. I need to do the same.” Daphne chuckled.

“You should see if Cedric is interested. He always stares at you when you aren’t looking.” Hermione
chuckled softly and considered it.
“Maybe next year. I need to get my head together before I can consider another boy. Besides, after
Viktor, I might not want to have a wizard for my own. I never want to be touched like that again. It
scared me.” Daphne nodded and slid down to lay next to her.

“You say that now but you’ll grow past it. Take your time, there’s no rush. You’re only in your
fourth year, there’s plenty of time to figure that out. I’m in no rush but one thing is sure. I’m not
waiting around for Draco to pull his head out of his arse anymore.” Hermione smiled and pulled the
duvet up over the top of her. She smiled at her friend as she let her eyes fall closed.

“I really hope you don’t. He doesn’t deserve you, Daph. I’m so tired right now, I need a nap.”
Daphne threw the blanket over herself too.

“I’ll take one with you. See you for dinner.” Hermione smiled to herself. It had been ages since she
and Daphne had had a sleepover where they had slept in the same bed. It made her feel young again,
back when times were simpler.

Hermione cleared her mind of all her problems and all they would have to face in the coming months
and let sleep pull her under.

A/N- Nothing too catastrophic here, just a little sneak peak of how the school is going to respond to
Harry and his story. It isn’t going to be pretty as I’m sure you can remember from canon. Anyways,
leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think.

Next chapter, heading home from Hogwarts.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 83

A/N- Here we are again, y’all, with another chapter. Not quite as long as usual but I’m not going to
feel too bad after that 17,000 word chapter, haha. Anyways, thanks to everyone out there for reading
and reviewing, you guys are just so awesome. Your support is overwhelming. Enough for now
though. Enjoy this chapter!

P.S. I did have a few problems with responding to some reviews. I haven’t had problems in a hot
minute so I was a little surprised. If you didn’t get a response, I apologize.

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything about this story. The characters belong to our queen and the
original story line from Part One was gifted to me by Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. I’ve simply
twisted it and made it my own. I haven’t made a single knut from this story or any other. Someday,
I’ll publish an original work and make millions…(don’t crush my dreams, people).

Chapter 83
June 30, 1995

Hermione watched as all her friends finished their breakfast around her. Of course, since she ate half
the food they did, she had finished long before they had. Even Daphne ate more than she did and the
blonde was quick to point it out almost every meal time. Hermione assured her every day that she
was healthy, that her health scans proved it. She had just never been a big eater; she considered
herself more of a grazer when it came to food.

Harry was sitting with them, clearly upset that he had to return to the Dursleys. Hermione was still
unsure as to why that was but her father had reassured her that as much as he hated it, the muggle
abode gave Harry protection that Blackmoor could never give him. While she hated that he would be
miserable there for the month he would have to stay, she wanted him to be safe from Voldemort,
especially since he had now returned. Harry said that he understood but she was fairly sure that he
held it against the Headmaster. Truth be told, she didn’t blame him.

They were heading home today. Another year had come and gone and it had been a rough year to
say the least. Harry would bear scars from his ordeal with Voldemort for the rest of his life and she
was sure that he would never forget the things that he had witnessed. It was horrifying to think of
and she didn’t blame him for wanting to never speak of it again. However, he was dealing with it all
in familiar Harry fashion.

There were rumors all over school that even though nobody believed his story about what happened
the night of the third task, Harry was still sleeping with every girl that he could convince to do so.
She hadn’t asked her cousin about it, or even spoken to him about it, since he was more of a
common ground rather than just taking her side. Truth be told, she missed her cousin and the
closeness they shared but she supposed that growing apart was natural. She tried to reassure herself
that it would get better once she finally got over Harry for good. Maybe then Draco wouldn’t feel
like he was constantly in the middle.

Harry never said anything about the girls he spent time with but he didn’t really need to. Lisa Turpin
had cornered her and told her that he was spending time with her several times a week, probably just
trying to make her jealous. She had seen him sneaking off with Mandy Brocklehurst and Daphne
had told her that she had seen him heading to the quidditch locker rooms with Lavender. It hurt
down deep but she refused to let it ruin her friendship with him. If she couldn’t have him for herself,
she always wanted his friendship.
Their argument about Ginny was all but forgotten. Hermione had told him several times to just let it
go, that it wasn’t important anymore. In truth, that he believed her word over Hermione’s hurt more
than anything in the world, even him being with other girls. She had done nothing to make him
disbelieve her but he still took her word. It was frustrating and hurtful all at the same time. This was
something that she would have discussed with Draco before but now she kept it close to her chest.
She didn’t even speak of it to Daphne since it would really do no good.

Hermione made sure to keep her silence to her father. It would do no good for her to say anything to
Severus either since he was now spending time with Harry as well as herself. While she was thrilled
that she was able to see him once again now that Moody was gone, she couldn’t help but hate that
she now had to share him with someone that held her in such little regard.

Uncle Lucius was the only one that she could tell her true feelings to. Aunt Cissy would have been
sympathetic, but she would have wanted to scheme on how to get Harry to court her. Hermione
wasn’t interested in that. She deserved better than what Harry would give her and she didn’t want to
be with someone that thought so little of her word. As much as she loved him, she would never
allow him to court her while he believed Ginny Weasley’s word over hers. It was a slap in the face
and a blow to her honor and ego. She didn’t ask that he be perfect but she would certainly ask for
loyalty and that was something that he clearly couldn’t give her.

The rest of the school was acting horribly. They clearly disbelieved Harry and his story that the Dark
Lord had returned. It didn’t surprise her in the least, people would believe the story that made them
feel safest, after all. However, that didn’t excuse the fact that they were slandering his name and
spreading enough rumors about his sanity to make even a healer question it. Hermione had defended
him on countless encounters but it never did any good.

What surprised Hermione the most was that Ron Weasley was now his staunchest supporter. He had
told Hermione that day in the corridor that he didn’t believe Harry, that he believed that he was
seeking attention, and here he was defending Harry at every turn. She supposed that she should be
grateful that someone else was loyal to him but she didn’t think that that was the case. To be honest,
she thought that the red head was just biding his time until he knew what course of action to take.

Everyone stood from their tables and stretched slowly. Hermione was worried about making it to the
train on time. Their trunks had probably already been delivered and since they had all agreed to meet
and eat late, it was time for them to head to Hogsmeade. Hermione made sure that Juliet was close
behind her as they started for the doors that would lead them to the front gate. Since they had a little
bit of extra time, they were going to walk to Hogsmeade, if only to savor the companionship of their
friends for a little while longer.

Hermione was glad that the compartments on the train were quite large. Their group had all decided
to sit together, though Harry had promised the Gryffindors that he would sit with them for a little
while. Hermione couldn’t help but find it funny that he made a show of being loyal to the lions but
Neville and the twins didn’t worry themselves. They did as they pleased and told everyone else to
fuck off. Harry was much more likely to try to keep everyone happy. It was for this reason that she
had told him to go sit with the lions and feel free to spend time with them. Even though she hated it
with a passion, she could revel in the fact that she had been the bigger person.

The air was warm and the breezy was salty. Hermione wasn’t sure how far from the coast that
Hogwarts was but judging by the smell of the ocean, it wasn’t far. She closed her eyes and tilted her
head back, letting her mind go blank while they walked, sunshine warming her face. Once outside
the gates, Juliet let go of her hand to go walk by the twins. She loved them, that much was certain.
Hermione wasn’t sure if it was hero worship or something deeper but her little sister did seem to
prefer their company to almost everyone else's.
They strolled the ten minutes to Hogsmeade in blissful silence. Hermione didn’t want to talk and
have someone ruin it since it was the last day that they would all be together for a month. She and
Harry were doing better but she knew that he wasn’t fooled. He knew that she was hurt and though
he felt bad, he wasn’t willing to do anything to correct it. She simply linked arms with Daphne and
the two of them leaned against each other, both savoring the sunshine on their faces. It was quite
amusing to see that both Draco and Harry looked quite put out.

Once they reached the train station, Hermione was quick to board with her friends. They found a
compartment that was completely empty and they were quick to commandeer it for themselves. All
their things appeared in the storage above their compartment and Hermione still shook her head in
wonder at the elve’s magic. Truth be told, she was excited to see Dot and Sipsy. It had been ten
months since she had seen them last and she missed them.

Hermione couldn’t wait to be home. That was it in a nutshell. She felt bad that Harry couldn’t return
with them but that didn’t stop her from being thrilled to return to Blackmoor and Malfoy Manor; both
were equally her homes. Not to mention Bluebell was at home and she hadn’t rode her Abraxan in
ages. She was sure that her horse missed her as much as she missed her horse.

Since there were so many of them crammed into a compartment, there was very little room for them
to move around. Juliet quickly found a spot on Fred’s lap and Luna sat in Neville’s. Hermione,
however, would rather be uncomfortable than sit in Harry’s lap. She needed to put space between
them since they would never amount to anything more than friends; it was easier said than done but it
was needed nonetheless. Daphne also seemed just as resolute to stay away from Draco; instead, she
planted herself on Blaise’s lap and Hermione noted with an internal smile that her cousin looked
quite put out.

After the train was well on its way, Harry leaned forward and reached into his robes. He pulled a
large sack out of it’s depths and cleared his throat. He faced the twins and held out the sack. When
Fred took it, a confused look on his face, Hermione understood completely. She had to admit that she
loved her friend for it.

“It’s my winnings from the Tournament. After Viktor and Voldemort, I don’t want to win. I tried to
give it to Cedric but the Ministry wouldn’t hear of it. Therefore, I’m giving you my winnings, boys.
One thousand galleons. I want you to open the best joke shop in Britain with me as your financial
backer. With what’s coming, the world is going to need more smiles and laughter. I’m leaving how
that happens up to you.” Fred looked at the bag in his hand with reverence. George caught the
Gryffindor’s eyes.

“Are you sure, Harry?” He nodded at the twins and smiled.

“Absolutely certain. I have no need of the money and not only would I be seeing to the laughter of a
nation, I would be helping out friends. If you feel the urge to pay me back, you may. If not, just give
me a discount on goods. I’m happy with either or.” The twins grinned at him and reached out to
shake his hand. It was Fred that spoke, the more outspoken of the two of them.

“We appreciate it, Harry. You’ve just given us the money we need to start a shop of our own. We
already have enough products to start, we just need to mass produce.” He grinned at them.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” The twins started laughing and Harry was happy to see such
joyous looks on their faces. Hermione smiled his way but was surprised when his gaze caught on
hers. She felt herself blush but turned her attention back to her book before he could say anything. It
wouldn’t do for him to embarrass her in such an endeavor.

The journey to King’s Cross was long. Juliet had long since fallen asleep against George’s chest and
Fred was snoozing with his head against her chest. They looked very comfortable and quite happy.
Hermione wished that she could feel that level of comfort with those that were simply friends. She
was sure that there was something deeper between the three of them but Juliet was far too young for
any of that. If the twins wished to pursue that at a later date, she wouldn’t have a problem with it as
long as she was a decent age.

Daphne was sleeping against Blaise’s chest and while he looked quite smug, her cousin was
seriously angry. She tried to keep her amusement to herself but it was hard to do when she
considered it. Neville and Luna were the most serene of the bunch and she was quite sure that her
friend was smitten with her cousin. Not that she minded; actually, she felt they were well-suited for
each other. Not that she would ever tell them that.

Hermione had dozed on and off but not enough to miss anything that had gone on while she was
sleeping. Draco tried to hide the fact that he was jealous of Daphne and Blaise but Hermione just
glanced at him knowingly. However, since he had remained silent on the fact about herself and
Harry, she returned the favor. However, that spell was broken when they returned to King’s Cross.

Her father, Remus, and Uncle Lucius had spotted Harry’s uncle and taken him aside to speak with
ihm. Hermione knew that it was to warn him against mistreating Harry but the others might not
gather that. Hermione tried to keep that in mind as she went to face him for the last time before going
their separate ways. Harry sent her a grimace in her direction. She walked up to meet him face to
face while her family administered their threats.

“I’ll miss you this summer. I know that it’s only a month but it seems like forever.” Harry nodded
and refused to meet her gaze. He sighed and kept his eyes on the ground.

“I haven’t treated you right, Mia. You deserve much better and I’m sorry that you have to deal with
me while I'm surely breaking your heart. I want to thank you for sharing your family with me. I
know that you and Draco aren’t as close as you were because of me. I shouldn’t be happy about that
but I’m glad that I’ve become a part of you.” Hermione wanted to cry at his words but withheld them
ruthlessly.

“You’re right, we aren’t as close. I don’t tell him anything anymore. He’s become more neutral than
anything. I suppose that it was just a matter of time before it happened. You aren’t to blame.” She
floated forward and hugged him close. She breathed in his scent one last time before they parted for a
month.

“Stay safe, Harry. Use Hedwig and if the need is great, use a patronus. We will come.” She felt him
kiss her forehead and she pulled away, noticing the look of pure hatred on Ginny Weasley’s face
from a distance. After this summer, that was sure to get worse. Harry smiled down at her. Hermione
pulled away and headed for her Uncle Lucius; he was waiting for them now that the threats to the
Dursleys had been issued. Once she reached him, he put an arm around her shoulders and she turned
to smile at Harry. His uncle clamped a meaty fist down on his shoulder and with that, they turned
and were gone. Hermione sighed and Uncle Lucius smoothed her curls.

“Don’t worry, sunshine. We’ll get him back in a month. Keep your mind busy until then.” Hermione
sighed.

That was easier said than done.

-O-

Harry hated that he was being separated from his family. He absolutely hated that he was going to
the Dursleys and despite the fact that Sirius, Remus, and Uncle Lucius had threatened his muggle
relation, he was still desolate.

Harry had done nothing but try to bury what had happened in the graveyard. It was a horrible truth
that he tried not to acknowledge now that his truth had been told. However, this was easier said than
done. He was responsible for Lord Voldemort; if his blood hadn’t been used, he would never have
returned. It was a tough pill to swallow and he hadn’t dared tell anyone his feelings since he had first
woken up in the Hospital Wing. He was sure that they would guess his feelings the second he let
them show in the least. That was something he couldn’t stand.

Therefore, he buried his feelings of guilt in other girls. He had fucked more girls since the return of
the Dark Lord than he had all year long. He kept trying to bury his problems in them, kept trying to
act like he could fix everything as long as he was burying his cock in random women, but that
wasn’t the case. In truth, he felt even worse about himself after he had fucked another girl. Nothing
filled the void and nothing made him feel better. Honestly, the best he had felt since he had returned
from the graveyard was when he had been in the Hospital Wing and Hermione had been lavishing
him with attention. It was quite telling but he wasn’t ready to admit that she was the answer to
everything.

Harry had vowed to fuck all the muggle girls that he could through the summer while he was at his
muggle relatives. He hated that he was burying his problems, not dealing with them, but sex was the
only thing that made him forget for even the tiniest amount of time that he had been responsible for
the return of the greatest dark wizard of their time. It wasn’t his proudest moment but he felt that it
was excusable. He was sure that anyone he knew aside from Hermione would allow him that
weakness.

Hermione was just so bloody strong that it made him ache. He wished that he could be like her, that
he could stand up to those that would stand against him. He knew that he would have to before it
was all said and done, but he wanted the comfort of knowing that he could bury his pain if need be.
Hermione never allowed herself that and he respected it. He knew that she and Draco weren’t as
close as they were and he was partly to blame. As much as he loved being a part of their friendship,
he felt guilty for taking her sole confidant away from her. Now Draco was more of a middle ground
and she had turned more to Daphne. It was sad and Draco had yet to realize it. He just hoped that the
blond would accept it with grace when he realized that Hermione no longer wished to confide in him
like she once did.

He was in his uncle’s car and they were on their way home to Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon had yet to
speak to him but in Harry’s opinion, that was a good thing. He kept his eyes out the window so his
uncle wouldn’t think that he wanted to talk. The last thing he wanted to do was have a serious
conversation with his muggle uncle who not only thought that he was a freak, but had no idea what
he had been through in the last month.

The trip was just over an hour. They were pulling into the garage of number four Privet Drive and
his uncle had just put the car in park. He turned to face Harry and he was just waiting for the abuse
to start. It was inevitable; it started every year. However, his uncle seemed to take his godfather’s and
uncle’s warnings seriously.

“Will they really torture and kill me if you’re mistreated?” Harry couldn’t believe that he was actually
asking him. He gave the enormous man a resolute nod.

“They will. Neither have been good men for the whole of their lives and both have done
questionable things. I would believe them if that’s what they said.” Uncle Vernon met his eyes
briefly before he nodded. It was the most respectful he had ever been to Harry.

“You will still do your chores but you will not be confined to the house. You may come and go as
you please as long as it is within the hours of curfew that Dudley abides by.” Harry knew this was
the best deal that he was going to get so he nodded immediately.

“I’ll be in before ten every night. All my chores will be finished before I leave.” Harry wasn’t sure if
he should leave the house but he wasn’t going to worry about it. If he wasn’t supposed to leave the
house, Dumbledore would have told him so. His uncle opened his door abruptly and got out, leaving
Harry to open the boot to gather his things and cart them inside. He lugged his heavy trunk into the
house and he wished for the thousandth time that he was at Black Moor so he could do magic. His
Aunt Petunia was clearly in the kitchen, cooking dinner, but Dudley had no qualms of stepping
forward and kicking his trunk out of his grasp. Enduring his fat cousin’s brays of laughter was all his
patience could take. Harry pulled his wand and shoved it under his cousin’s chin and he instantly
went silent. He could feel his magic swirling just under the surface and he fought to keep it under
control.

“You will leave me alone this summer, Dudley. I’ve watched a full grown man be tortured and killed
and rest assured, I’m not concerned about missives from the Ministry about the use of underage
magic. Don’t fuck with me.” Dudley’s eyes widened and he scurried off, quick to disappear. Aunt
Petunia appeared before him, confused.

“Where did Duddikins go?” Harry smirked at her.

“I told him if he fucked with me this summer he would regret it. He scurried off to go hide from the
big, bad freak.” His aunt would never have taken his attitude before. He wasn’t sure if he was just
scarier now or if Uncle Vernon had somehow warned her before coming home. Either way, she
gave him a nod and turned back to the kitchen. Harry turned to go up the stairs himself, eager to put
his trunk away and let Hedwig out of her cage. He could hear his aunt and uncle conversing softly as
he left them but he didn’t worry about that. He found his room exactly as he had left it the summer
before; it hadn’t even been cleaned. Not that he was surprised, really, but it was disgusting all the
same. He vowed to clean first thing the next morning if Dobby hadn’t gotten it done before then. The
little elf did have a thing for cleaning.

He let Hedwig out of her cage and told her that she could come and go as she pleased from the
window. Harry bent to scribble out a quick message to Sirius and tell him that the muggles were
going to treat him better. Once it was written, he attached it to Hedwig and bid her to deliver it. After
she was gone, he was quick to unpack what little of his belongings he would actually use there.
Once that was finished, he threw himself on the bed to contemplate just what he wanted to
accomplish that summer.

First, he needed to get his homework finished. He didn’t want to show up at Black Moor with all his
homework to do. Once he got there, he wanted to focus on his dueling and other schooling. He
wanted to try to catch up to Hermione and Draco. He needed to finish his wizarding culture tutoring
and needed to further his studies in languages. He had lots of things on his list to do and none of
them could be accomplished there except his homework. Therefore, he vowed to start it the
following day after his room was clean and his chores were done. He wasn’t going to distract himself
with muggle girls until his work was done.

Due to the large meal he had had at Hogwarts, he wasn’t all that hungry. Therefore, he laid back on
his bed and let his eyes fall closed, trying to remember every last detail of Hermione and what she
was wearing before they had parted his ways. He didn’t think that he would ever forget how she
smelled, how she had smiled at him, how she had wished him well. He knew that it was selfish of
him but she was going to be what got him through this month-long stay with his relatives. He hated
it, he hated the weakness that she represented to him, but he could never hate her.
Harry worked on clearing his mind, trying to rid her from his thoughts at that moment. However, he
was too successful at his endeavor and ended up falling asleep, dreamless for the first night since the
third task.

It was bliss.

-O-

Sirius was on edge after leaving Harry with his relatives. Sure, he, Remus, and Lucius had
threatened the poor man until he had almost pissed himself but that didn’t really make him feel any
better. He was sure that Harry would be treated better, not like a slave, but he knew that he would
never receive the love that he deserved from his horrid relation.

Hermione had been quiet since they had returned to Black Moor. Juliet had been bouncing with
excitement at returning, said she couldn’t wait to explore her family home with her sister and Draco.
Sirius suspected that she had a small crush on Draco but Hermione had told him that he was wrong.
She had intimated that the twins were her crush and he wanted to groan at the thought. He loved the
boys, they were just as he had been in school, but that was what scared him most. He hadn’t been
kind to women, played them when it suited him, and he didn’t want that for his youngest daughter,
especially when the objects of her affection were so much older and experienced.

Draco and Lucius had traveled to Black Moor with them and he had seen immediately that things
were different between his daughter and her cousin. She had excused herself as soon as she had
arrived, telling everyone that she was tired and would see them for dinner. He knew that Draco was
planning to stay for the first couple days before the pair would go to Malfoy Manor. He and Lucius
had already discussed it. Draco looked just as confused as he was so once she and Juliet were out of
earshot, he turned to his younger cousin and questioned him.

“Did you and Hermione have an argument?” Draco shook his head.

“No, I haven't argued with her since she and Harry fought before the third task. I tried to get them to
make up and when it didn’t work, I gave up. Told them that I wasn’t going to take sides between
them.” This was the first that Sirius had heard of any of this. He turned to see that Lucius wasn’t
surprised at all. He glared at his friend and his blond counterpart just smirked at him.

“She didn’t feel that she could confide in you because she didn’t want you to have to choose
between herself and Harry.” Sirius sighed and supposed that he had deserved that. He had put Harry
first for years so of course she would assume that he would take Harry’s side. Rather than remain
silent, Lucius glared at his son.

“You realize you have lost her trust? She told me that you’re more of a middle ground so she doesn’t
feel that she can confide in you anymore.” Draco started to sputter.

“She never said anything. I would have changed how I acted if I knew that it bothered her.” Lucius
raised an eyebrow at his son.

“She didn’t want to make you choose between herself and your friend. You should know that
Hermione would never want you to be in the middle. I’m not angry, son. I’m just sad at the fact that
you two will never regain that bond you once had. She has already accepted that she has lost you in
that way.” Draco shook his head, his features determined.

“I won’t let her think that. I’m going to make sure that she realizes that we’re just like we were. I just
hate having to be in the middle of them when she’s demanding things of him that he’s never going to
concede on. That’s her problem, she thinks she’s always right. True, Harry was wrong for throwing
her feelings in her face but she should have never told him that he couldn’t be friends with Weasley.”
Sirius cocked an eyebrow at his cousin.

“Explain.” Draco sighed.

“Harry said that the rest of his House were refusing to be friends with Ginny Weasley. She begged
him to act like her friend so they would accept her again. He agreed. Hermione told him that it was
disgraceful, that he was dishonoring not only himself but his family. Harry told her that he didn’t like
that she was a bully. I agree that she shouldn’t tell him what to do but she doesn’t see herself as a
bully. She’s nice to everyone until you cross her. He told her that he didn’t believe that Ginny had
thrown stones at her or cast her into the Black Lake. Of course, last I knew, I thought that Ronald
had thrown her in. He fucking gutted her when he took Ginny’s word over hers. I tried to get them to
make up and Hermione told him what he wanted to hear but they both knew it was a lie. You heard
them at the third task. She’s let it all go, told him he can be friends with whoever he wants, but I
know it still hurts. I just didn’t want in the middle of it because until one of them gets over it, they’re
just going to be at odds.” Sirius groaned and raked a hand through his hair. He wasn’t the most
pleased that his godson was talking to that whore of witch again. However, Draco was right. He
couldn’t force him to do anything he didn’t think was right and neither could Hermione. However,
Harry had hurt his baby girl and he hated it. He remembered how broken she had looked just before
the third task. He felt that he needed to make a point to Draco, however.

“You say that she thinks she’s always right. When’s the last time she wasn’t?” Draco sighed and
closed his eyes for a few moments before nodding his concession.

“I’ll go talk to her. Can you keep Juliet busy while I do so?” Sirius smirked at his cousin and nodded.
He looked to Lucius and he grinned outright. After Draco had disappeared up the stairs that led to his
daughter’s room, his too for that matter, he let out a short chuckle.

“Those two are ridiculous. What the fuck are we going to do if they really do ever argue?” Lucius
was saved from answering by Severus flooing in. Sirius grinned at his friend and was quick to throw
his arm around him.

“Good to finally see you, Sev. I know you were keeping your distance to keep the fact that you were
recovering from torture from us. Hate to break it to you, friend, we aren’t stupid. You have to know
that we’re here and we want to know what you’re going through. You’re doing this for our family
and we want to do our part.” Severus stiffened up but finally nodded.

“It was bad. I couldn’t move for several days afterward, I was confined to my bed. The Dark Lord
was most displeased that Harry escaped. Please don’t tell Hermione. I can withstand her begging but
I would rather not.” Sirius nodded, knowing that it would kill his daughter to know what her
godfather was going through.

“I won’t lie to her but I won’t volunteer the information.” Severus nodded, his relief clear on his
features. They settled before the fire and Candy poured them firewhiskey. After several sips, Severus
spoke again.

“Where’s Hermione? I figured that she would be the first one to greet me once I got here.” Sirius
snorted and took another drink.

“She ran off to hide in her room the second she got here. I'm sure she’ll be out for dinner and then to
the stables.” Severus raised an eyebrow at his words.

“What’s wrong with her?” Lucius answered his question.

“She didn’t agree with Harry and Draco told them that he wasn’t going to be in the middle. She
hasn’t started any trouble, she’s just stopped confiding in Draco. I truly think she was tired but he just
charged up there to make things better between them.” Severus cursed under his breath.

“Idiot. He chose Potter over his own cousin?” Lucius shook his head.

“He didn’t choose Harry. He just didn’t want in the middle. He didn’t realize that she would take it
like she did and he also didn’t think that it would result in her no longer confiding in him.” Severus
sighed and Sirius agreed with him. It wasn’t something he wanted a part of either. Rather than
comment further, he smiled at his friend.

“It’s good you’re back home, Sev. Hermione will be down for dinner and she’ll be just as thrilled to
see you as we are.” Severus grunted his agreement and then turned his attention to his whiskey.

Sirius sat back and nursed his whiskey. It would get better once dinner arrived and Hermione and
Draco worked out their issues. Juliet would make sure that all would be well, she couldn’t stand for it
to not be. He heaved a sigh and hoped that Draco would work his magic.

-O-

Hermione heard the knock on the door of her room and sighed. She knew that it was Draco and that
they were finally going to talk about the distance growing between them. She called out for him to
come in and he cast a look around sheepishly.

“Can we talk, Miney?” She heaved a sigh and nodded.

“You realize that this was going to happen eventually. We were always bound to grow apart.” He sat
on her bed next to her and took her hand in his.

“I never wanted you to think that you couldn’t confide in me.” She sighed and leaned into his side.
His arm went around her shoulders and she smiled into his chest.

“I don’t want you in the middle of things. You shouldn’t have to choose between me and your
friend. I’m not going to be that person. I’ve just started talking to Daphne more.” Draco gave her a
pained look.

“I want you to confide in me. I want to be the person you run to. You’re my best friend, my sister.
Losing you like this would kill me.” Hermione sighed again and nodded.

“I know you have my back, Drake. I just didn’t want you to be hurt because of me. It seems that
that’s all I do to those I care about.” He pulled her hair hard enough to make her squeal. She sat up
and glared at him. He gave her a serious look.

“No more feeling sorry for yourself. If Harry is too stupid to see what a treasure he has in you, he
doesn’t deserve you. Move on and find someone else. I’ll still be his friend but you’re always going
to be come first for me, Miney.” She smiled at him and nodded.

“You’ll always be first for me too, Drake.” He threw himself backwards on the bed and pulled her
back with him. He wrapped his arms around her and they just laid there for a long time together. She
snuggled into his side and was seconds away from falling asleep.

“I love you, Miney.” She threw a blanket over them and laid her arm across his chest. He pulled her
closer and she was happy that they had cleared the air. She let sleep pull her under, sure that short
nap before dinner would make her feel better.
A/N- Just a short filler chapter to transition to summer, y’all. Nothing too exciting so I hope that you
enjoyed it all the same. Anyways, drop me a line and let me know what you think. Review are love
(:

Next chapter, dementors attack and the Weasleys are given the choice of a lifetime.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 84

A/N- Sorry this chapter took so long coming to you guys. I needed an extra couple days to write it
and then my internet went down. I just got it back, for once the electric company had their shit
together, and here we are. I hope you all enjoy. Thanks to everyone out there for reading. I really
appreciate the support.

Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story aside from the personal plot twist. The characters
belong to J.K.R. and the original story line belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. Unfortunately,
I haven’t made any money from this story or any other. I'm still a broke bitch even though I was just
paid yesterday. Sucks to suck.

Chapter 84
July 19, 1995

Harry wiped the sweat from his brow as he shoved the lawn mower back into the shed after mowing
the backyard. Since it was a large yard, it was listed as his only chore for the day; not that he was
complaining. He had been back at Privet Drive for almost three weeks and while it hadn’t been
pleasant, it had been better than it usually was.

He was usually assigned a few chores in the morning, nothing too terrible considering. It was usually
dishes, vacuuming, and some dusting, maybe some laundry thrown in. Nothing too taxing. His
relatives rarely deigned to speak to him, not something that really bothered him, truth be told. In fact,
it was rather relaxing. It was much better than being screamed at and told how much of a freak he
was and having punches thrown in his direction.

He had never been fed well at Privet Drive. While that tradition still held, he had been fed better. He
was allowed a small meal three times a day. Sure, it wasn’t enough to keep even Hermione alive, but
Dobby still brought him food from Black Moor every day to make sure that he stayed a healthy
weight. Harry appreciated it more than he could say. His relatives no longer questioned how he
stayed so healthy, not after last summer when Sirius told them that Dobby was responsible for him.

He hadn’t come out and told them that Dobby was still with him but he assumed that they knew. In
truth, the less they knew about the magical world, the happier his relatives were. Therefore, he carted
his things up to his room and when he needed to do his homework, he made sure to tell his family
not to disturb him because he would be working on unnatural things. They had caught him meaning
immediately and had always left him alone, even when they needed him to do something.

Harry had finished his homework for Hogwarts quickly, after just a few days. Hermione had told
him how proud she was of him. Of course, she had still beat him but that was no surprise. He had
been able to do some of his homework from Madam Cambridge since some of it didn’t require books
but for the most part, it would have to wait until he got to Black Moor. For now, he was being sent
books by Sirius and Severus to finish his wizarding culture class and he couldn’t wait until he was
done. It was easily the most boring class and it threatened to put him to sleep every time he opened
one of those books. He also started on Italian now, having mastered French by the end of the school
year. It was a feat that he was quite proud of, though he was the first to admit that he would never
have done so so quickly if it hadn’t been for Fleur making him converse with him daily in French.
Draco told him that he was going to learn Italian just as fast since Blaise was going to do the same
for him with his native language.

After the mower was put away, Harry moved to the hose coiled in the flower bed and turned on the
water, taking a long drink of the cool water. He didn’t want to go in the house where it was always a
possibility that his Aunt Petunia would put him to work at another task. He really wanted to go for a
run, something that he had only managed to do a handful of times since being back in the muggle
world. It was nearing dinner time so it was starting to cool off so it would be the perfect time to go
for a run.

Harry didn’t bother to tell his aunt that he was leaving; she would be happy if he was hit by a car or
was snatched off the street by a serial killer. He did a few stretches before rolling his sleeves up to
show his shoulders and starting out down Privet Drive at a punishing pace. He kept up that pace for
several miles even though he was out of breath from not doing it every day like he did at Hogwarts.

After running for two hours straight, he decided to take a breather at the local park just a few blocks
from Privet Drive; it was one that he had spent a fair amount of time at when he was younger and
hiding from Dudley. He settled on one of the swings and let his mind wander while he caught his
breath.

He had heard from numerous friends this summer but had only replied to his family, the twins,
Neville, and Ron. He wasn’t sure why the random girls that he fucked through the school year
would be writing him when he had made clear that there was nothing special between them but most
of them had wrote him all the same. He hadn’t answered a single one of them, hoping that they
would get the hint that while he was happy to be friendly with them, it was by no means serious
between them. He didn’t want to give them the wrong idea and make them think that there was hope
that he was going to date them. It just wasn’t going to happen.

Ginny had wrote him several times and while Harry thought that the letters were innocent, he
couldn’t help but worry that they weren’t. She never flirted with him directly and she never asked
him to have sex with her but he knew that she was still attracted to him and that if he were to want to
fuck her, she would jump all over it. It made him uncomfortable but he didn’t want Gryffindor to
turn their backs on her. She was trying to be a better person and he didn’t want to be the person to
ruin that for her. Therefore, he hadn’t answered her letters but he planned on continuing to be her
friend once they returned to school in September, despite knowing that it upset Hermione.

Neville, Ron, and the twins all wrote him often and he answered them as best he could. They were
there for him, told him that he could talk to them if he needed to. He appreciated the gesture but they
couldn’t understand what it had been like; not that Hermione or Draco did either but it was easier to
talk to them. He just told them that he appreciated the offer and that he could keep it in mind if he
ever wanted to talk, then skillfully (he hoped) changed the subject to quidditch or what he was
learning in his lessons.

Sirius wrote him every other day, Remus too for that matter, making sure that the muggles were
treating him well. His godfather made sure to tell him that as soon as the month was up he was
coming to stay the rest of the summer with them and he would make sure that he had a better summer
than last. Truthfully, it wouldn’t be hard to make sure that this summer was better than last. Last
summer had been terrible since Hermione had hated him and had felt that he was taking her place in
her home.

Harry had wrote Draco and told him that he was sorry for putting him in the middle of his and
Hermione’s argument. In hindsight, it probably hadn’t been an easy spot for the Slytherin to be in.
He felt bad that he had come between Hermione and Draco, more so that he had left Hermione with
nobody to confide in but he supposed that there was nothing he could do about it now. He simply
apologized and hoped that it would be enough. Draco had replied and told him that he and Hermione
had mended fences and worked out their problems and though he wasn’t sure if things were one
hundred percent back to normal, they were much better than they had been at the end of the year.
Hermione was who he conversed with most. It was surprising to him that she even wanted to talk to
him after what had been said between them, how he had hurt her. He knew that even though she told
him to drop the fight about Ginny, that she was over it, he knew that he had hurt her deeply. He
hadn’t meant to but he couldn’t help how he felt. He couldn’t help but believe that Ginny wasn’t
capable of throwing her in a lake. Sure, she was jealous of Hermione but she would never try to kill
her. She just wasn’t that type of person. Sure, he believed that she cursed her bald, possibly even
threw the rocks at her like she thought, Ginny wasn’t above trying to embarrass her but she would
never seriously hurt her.

Harry wasn’t sure why Hermione was so sure that Ginny was that type of person. He knew that she
was jealous of Ginny, she was jealous of the relationship that he had with the redhead. However, he
didn’t think that Hermione was that petty of a person to let that affect what she thought of a person.
She didn’t seem like a very emotional person but he supposed that she could just hide her emotions
that well.

Regardless, he took the most comfort in her letters and words. It was her that he looked forward to
seeing at the month’s end. He had seen his fair share of muggle girls this summer and they made him
feel better for the duration of the time for him to come; then it was gone. He was beginning to think
that sex wasn’t going to work to make him feel better. It was starting to scare him to realize that only
Hermione and her words gave him any lasting comfort when he thought about Voldemort and what
he was going to have to do if Sirius and the goblins were to be believed. He hated to think that he
relied on Hermione for anything; she deserved better than that but he was starting to realize that she
gave him the only comfort that was lasting. Truthfully, sex seemed pointless now.

Harry watched as Dudley and his gang of malcontents strutted up to where he was swinging softly in
the breeze. He would have been scared in the past but now he just raised an eyebrow at them as they
approached. He could see the fear in
Dudley’s eyes, it was clear that his cousin didn’t want to start anything but he had to follow through
for reputation’s sake. Harry smirked in his direction, making it clear that he wasn’t going to take pity
on him and let him win the fight just because he wanted to continue to look cool. Piers was the first
one to speak and Harry just wanted to laugh at him because he used to fear him but now he
genuinely wasn’t shite.

“Potter, why don’t you bend over so we can just start kicking your arse?” Harry started laughing, not
chuckling, but full on belly laughing. The whole gang looked quite affronted. When they finally
tapered off, he was smiling at Piers.

“I won’t be bending over and you won’t be kicking my arse. In fact, I’d like to see you try to make
me.” Dudley stepped in the middle of them and looked at Piers.

“I promised my mum that I wouldn’t bother Harry this year. We can go find some little kids to pick
on.” Harry chuckled at his cousin’s words. They were so typical that he really couldn’t even
comment on them. He let them wander off from the swings until they were at the entrance of the
park. At that moment, the setting sun clouded over and the humid warmth turned icy cold. Harry sat
up and took notice, as did the other muggles that were passing their time there. The Gryffindor had to
give it to them, they had good instincts. They all instantly started to pack up and leave, leaving only
him and his cousin’s gang behind, wondering just what was happening.

Harry stood and started for home, not sure just what was happening. Something niggled at his mind,
reminding him of last year. Something about the train ride of Hogwarts and after only a moment’s
thoughts, it hit him.

Dementors.
Harry felt fear hit him. Even though he knew that he could cast a patronus charm, he had never cast
one against a dementor. He would never forget how a dementor affected him, how he heard his
mother’s screams and how Voldemort had ordered her aside so he could murder Harry and she had
refused. It wasn’t the most horrid experience of his life so far but it was close.

Harry took off at a sprint, knowing instinctively that they were there for him. He ran right through
the middle of Dudley’s gang and grabbed his cousin’s arm as he did so. Dudley looked confused and
started to sputter an argument but Harry just dragged him, using all his strength to pull his behemoth
of a cousin with him. Dudley jerked his arm out of Harry’s grasp and yelled at him; it would have
caused a scene if there had been anyone around to witness it.

“I’m not going with you, Potter, you freak. Just leave me alone.” Harry pulled his wand and shoved
it under his cousin’s chin. Dudley cowered in fear but Harry was past the point of caring.

“Dudley, you fucking idiot, I’m trying to save your life. There are dementors out there. They suck
out your soul. If you want to stick around, be my guest. I’m getting the fuck out of here though.” All
the color drained from Dudley’s face and he was quick to follow Harry as he ran from the park.

Harry instinctively knew that the dementors were following him. He was most certainly the target.
The cold was getting closer, he could feel it clinging to his skin and the cold sweats were spreading.
Dudley was starting to slow down and a haunted look was overtaking his features even though he
wasn’t being kissed. Harry threw Dudley against the concrete wall of the walkway and stood in front
of him, pulling his wand and thrusting it in front of him. He gathered the memory of Hermione sitting
on his lap in the carriage on the way to Hogsmeade, telling him that she had feelings for him, her
peach arse rubbing on his cock and held it in the forefront of his mind and cast the curse that would
save his life just as the dementors showed themselves.

“Expecto patronum!!”

An enormous stag burst from his wand, bigger than he had ever seen. It was bright enough to blind
someone and he heard Dudley gasp behind him. His cousin’s hands were balled in his shirt, holding
him close and Harry was filled with warmth and happiness as the stag ran the length of the walkway.
His heart was light and he could feel Hermione’s hands in his hair and her lips at his temple and he
felt better than he had since leaving school.

After Prongs had raced the length of the walkway, driving off the dementors, he returned to Harry
and nudged his chest with his enormous head. Harry reached out and rubbed his face, connecting
with the one manifestation that made him feel like he was connected to his father. He was reveling in
it when Dudley loosened his grip on his shirt so he could speak.

“What is that?” Harry smiled softly to himself, knowing that Dudley could see it.

“That is a patronus. It protects a person from a dementor. Mine is a stag, just like my dad’s.” Dudley
was silent for a full minute before he spoke softly.

“That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It made me feel lighter than I’ve ever felt in my
life.” Harry turned to face his cousin as Prongs faded away. He gave his cousin a genuine smile.

“I know you think that magic is bad and that we’re freaks but not all magic is bad. Some of it are the
most beautiful things in the world.” Dudley nodded, clearly humbled.

“I believe it.” Harry took a deep breath before getting back to business.

“We need to get back to the house before they send more. I’m sure the Ministry will be sending me a
message for underage magic. I need to send a message to Sirius.” Dudley gave him an incredulous
look.

“You’re going to get in trouble for doing magic like that?” Harry nodded.

“Probably. I’m still underage. Sure, it was to save my life so it probably won’t be huge trouble but I
still need to send Hedwig to my godfather. He’s on the Wizengamot so he can make sure that I don’t
get in major trouble.” Dudley nodded and started for the house.

“Well, let’s go. You don’t need to get in trouble for saving our lives.” Harry couldn’t believe the
change he saw in his cousin. Was it possible that this could be permanent? As if he heard his
thoughts, Dudley turned his way as they walked.

“I should thank you for saving my life. I still don’t think I’m too comfortable with magic, I know
nothing about it, after all, but I could feel that you saved my life. I couldn’t see what you saved me
from but I could feel that it was evil. Thank you. I’ll try to ease up on you from here on.” Harry tried
to hide his soft smile in the fading sunlight. It was something that he had longed to hear for years but
never thought that he would. Rather than made a huge deal out of it, he clapped Dudley on the
shoulders and muttered a simple thanks.

They entered 4 Privet Drive together and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia gave them odd looks
when they did. Harry didn’t stick around to see what was said; instead, he bolted upstairs to hurry
and write a short note to Sirius. He jotted out what had happened and sent it off with Hedwig within
minutes. He ventured back downstairs to get his meager dinner to find that his muggle relatives were
staring at him as if they didn’t know him. He stared back for a few moments before finally breaking
the silence.

“What’s the problem? Yeah, I used magic. Yeah, the Ministry is going to send me a shitty letter. I’ll
probably get fined. No need to lecture me.” Aunt Petunia’s voice was somewhat shaky when she
spoke.

“Those guards were there? The soul suckers for the wizard prison?” Harry cocked his head to the
side. He had never told her that.

“How did you know that?” She sniffled slightly and looked to the floor.

“One of your mother’s old friends told us about them when we were little. He told us about
dementors because Lily was scared to death of them. Severus told her over and over that they would
never come for her.” Harry’s heart clenched at her words. He should have known that it was Severus
that would have told his mother about dementors.

“Yes, dementors were after me. Since Dudley was there, he was lumped in.” Aunt Petunia stepped
forward and wrapped her arms around him, the first time she had ever hugged him in all his almost
fifteen years. Harry was stiff and didn’t return it; he wasn’t sure that he would know how. He had
never hugged another female aside from Hermione, Luna, and Juliet. Even Ginny had limited her
affection to snogging and shagging. He supposed that Narcissa and Andie had hugged him but it
hadn’t been enough to consider affection in his book.

“Thank you for saving my Dudley. I know you didn’t have to after how we’ve treated you. You’ve
deserved better.” Harry pulled away from her and kept a neutral face. He was sure that Hermione
would have been proud of him.

“You owe me nothing. While you and Uncle Vernon did everything you did because you wanted to,
Dudley did what he did because he was taught to. He didn’t know any better. You’re going to go to
hell for how you’ve treated me and I don’t feel bad for you. You’ve chosen to dishonor your sister
and her legacy. You’ve chosen to mistreat me and abuse me. I can’t change that and I surely can't
forget that. However, I forgive you that. Make no mistake. It won’t ever happen again. I may get in
trouble but I will always protect myself from you now.” His aunt lowered her head and nodded,
accepting his word and judgement. Harry headed for the kitchen and took a seat at the table and
suddenly, it hit him.

He was no better than Hermione.

He had looked down on her for being a bully, for not forgiving and forgetting. Now, looking at the
situation that he was in, he was no better. In fact, he was the exact same. The exact same. He could
no longer cast stones. The only difference was that he was willing to try to mend fences while she
was not. He was going to try to make things work with Aunt Petunia if for no other reason than to
show that he was better than she was. He hated knowing that he was just as flawed as she was. But
truthfully, he knew that he was flawed, just in different ways. In the end, he sighed. There was no
way around it.

Just as he was about to head back upstairs to his room, an owl came winging through the open
window and landed on the couch close to him and offered him the leg that had a letter attached to it.
The owl wore an official necklace so he knew that it was a Ministry owl. With a sigh, he opened the
letter that the owl left him with before winging out the window.

Mr. Harry Potter,

It has come to our attention that you performed the patronus charm today in the presence of muggles.
As per Ministry decree, this is against our laws. This will go before the Wizengamot for full trial on
August 8, 1995. Until then, refrain from using magic or see your wand being broken. Please arrange
transport to the Ministry of Magic for the day in question.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Mafalda Hopkirk

Harry wanted to groan inwardly at how little information he had gleaned from the letter. There was
nothing there and he needed Sirius to look at it to tell him what he needed to do. He could feel his
family staring at him so he let his head fall to where it almost hit the table; he really didn’t want to
answer their questions but knew that it was inevitable. He stood up reluctantly and couldn’t help but
wonder if a full trial before the Wizengamot was normal for underage use of magic in front of
muggles that were in possession of the knowledge that magic existed. He turned and saw that his
relatives were indeed staring at him. Dudley was the one that broke the silence.

“How much trouble are you in?” Harry raked a hand through his hair and sighed. It would do no
good to keep it from them. Sure, it might give Uncle Vernon the idea that he could still beat him up
and he couldn’t do magic to protect himself but there was always Dobby, not to mention Sirius,
Remus, and Uncle Lucius had threatened him with his very life.

“I have to face a full trial in front of the Wizengamot on the eighth of August. I’m not sure if this is
normal or if it’s just because it’s me. Sirius should be writing me back soon and letting me know
what to do. He sits on the Wizengamot, so does Uncle Lucius, and they’ll do everything they can to
help me.” Aunt Petunia cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes.

“Lucius Malfoy?” Harry looked at her in confusion.

“Yes, why?” Her eyes widened and her fingers started tugging at the necklace that laid in the hollow
of her throat, the tell that she was nervous.

“Your mother spoke of him a few times and said that he was a truly evil man. Are you sure that you
should be trusting him? You call him uncle? How can this be?” Harry groaned, unsure of how much
he really wanted to explain to his relatives. However, it seemed as though his aunt seemed truly
concerned for him. He had no illusions that it wasn’t because he had just saved her son’s soul.

“He isn’t evil. He used to follow the man that killed my parents but he switched sides when his niece
was adopted by my godfather. My godfather told them that he wouldn’t allow them to be a part of
their life if they followed him. She was more important. Therefore, they left it all behind. They are
loyal to Hermione and Hermione is one of my best friends. I call him Uncle because his wife is my
godfather’s cousin. Plus, he asked me to.” Aunt Petunia still looked unconvinced but Harry didn’t
care. Just as he was about to start for the stairs again, Hedwig flew through the window and landed
on his shoulder, offering him the small roll of parchment with the Black crest in the wax. He took it
quickly and ripped it open, knowing full well that it was from Sirius.

Harry,

I can’t believe that there were dementors in Little Whinging. What in the world were they doing
there? Somebody had to have sent them there. I want you to promise me that you won't leave the
wards until we come to get you. Dementors can’t cross the blood wards and you’ll be safe there. I
know it’s like a prison and that’s terrible of me to ask it of you but I couldn’t live with myself if
something happened to you. I know Hermione would never forgive herself.

As for underage magic use, I got a notice that it had occurred and was informed that there would be a
full trial. This is not common practice and I can’t help but think that something is going on behind the
scenes. Trust me, Lucius and I are going to be doing our level best to discover what it is. As for the
trial, since Lucius and I will be sitting in, Remus will escort you.

Unfortunately, I can’t afford to break your mother’s protection early. It keeps you safer than I ever
could, especially now that Voldemort has returned. I wish more than anything that you could return
here straight away but that just isn’t the case. Hang tough for another week and we’ll be there to get
you. I won’t let you suffer there a day longer than is necessary. Trust in me.

I love you,

Siri

Harry sighed and folded the letter up so he could shove it in his pocket. His family was still staring at
him and he faced them since it was clear that they wanted an explanation.

“A full trial isn’t normal so he’s going to try to figure out what’s on. I still have to go on trial and I’m
still going to be here another week. I can’t chance breaking my mother’s protection now that
Voldemort is back.” His aunt’s face paled and she stuttered a little as she spoke.

“I-is he wh-who killed your m-mother?” Harry gave her a grim nod.

“Yeah. He used my blood at the end of the school year and returned. He’s very much back and is
going to start waging war.” He didn’t give that a chance to settle into the information; after all, these
people hadn’t given a fuck for him in all the almost fifteen years he’d been alive. Why should he give
a fuck about them? He was just about to head upstairs when Uncle Vernon broke the silence.

“Is this Voldy person going to come after us because you’re here? Is it you that he wants?” Harry
turned and smirked at his uncle. While his cousin had been cruel because he had been taught to and
his aunt had been more neglectful than anything, it was always his uncle that had been abusive.

“Oh, you can guarantee it’s me that he wants. I’m the loose end, the baby that banished him into the
unknown. He’s going to want to kill me. Lucky for you, thanks to my mother sacrificing her life for
mine, he can’t touch me here as long as I call it home. That means he can’t touch you here either.
Don’t worry, your fat arse is safe until I move out.” Uncle Vernon lunged at him but Dudley stepped
in front of him. While Dudley was still smaller than his father, it wouldn’t be that way for long.

“No, Dad, leave him alone. You’re safe as long as he’s here. He’s keeping you safe. You should be
nice to him. I never knew any of this but you did. How you could you treat like this?” Harry was
surprised to hear Dudley talk like this but shook his head at his cousin.

“It doesn’t matter, Dud. I’m out of here as soon as I can be. I don’t give two fucks about your dad,
I’ve had too many broken bones and bruises through the years to do so. However, I’m warning you
and Aunt Petunia that as soon as I leave for good, you should as well. They won’t be long after me.”
Dudley gave him a grave nod.

“Will they hurt us?” Harry gave an almost shrill laugh, unable to contain it.

“When he returned to life, his minion tortured and killed an eighteen year old man that was
competing in a tournament with me. He skinned him alive before finally killing him at the end. The
last thing you want to do is be caught by these people, especially if you’re related to me.” Dudley
gave him a serious nod.

“Thanks, Harry.”

Harry took this as his leave and started for his room. He closed his door behind him and found his
bed turned down. Dobby had been there and laid his pajamas out. He wasn’t sure where his
companion was now but he wasn’t there. He stripped quickly and crawled in bed, vowing to shower
in the morning. He laid there with his hands behind his head, trying to decide what to make of the
days events. He hadn’t gotten very far when a tapping at the window caught his attention and he
realized that it was an owl. He rose from his bed and let it in, instantly recognizing it as the owl that
Hermione used almost every time that she wrote him. He took the letter and the owl disappeared,
letting him crawl back in bed to read her letter.

Harry,

Daddy just told me what happened. I can’t believe there were dementors in Little Whinging!! I know
they were after you but I just don’t know why. I personally think that somebody from the Ministry is
trying to shut you up, they don’t want you to tell the world that Voldemort is back, but I suppose I
can’t be sure. I guess I’ve been wrong before.

I’m so glad that Remus taught you the patronus charm. I hate to think of what would have happened
if you hadn’t known it; I really can’t make myself care about your muggle cousin. He’s been terrible
to you, don’t try to tell me he hasn’t. Someday, I hope you’ll confide in me everything but I
understand your reluctance now. You have a family that cares about you now and you have to
understand that that isn’t going to stop.

As for the trial, I can’t imagine how they can even bring you before the Wizengamot. There is no
way that they can severely punish you for using magic outside of school; I researched it and the usual
punishment is just an official warning or maybe a small fine for the parents. Don’t worry too much, I
don't think there is any precedent of any major punishment of using underage magic, especially when
it was deemed necessary to save your life.
Nothing else of note has happened except for the meeting with the Weasleys yesterday. Daddy and
Uncle Luci are pleased but I think it’s going to cause more problems. I'm not going to explain right
now because it’s going to take years. I promise to explain everything when I see you in person. I
hope you continue to be well and can’t wait until you come to Black Moor. I miss you, as do Juliet
and Draco.

Love,

Hermione.

Harry let her words warm him, let her words sink in touch him down deep. They always did. They
made him feel better and even though her words about the Weasleys made him a little wary it was
clear that what had happened wasn’t her call. Maybe he could write and get Draco to tell him more.
While he couldn’t always be counted on to tell him more, there was the certain occasion.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes, letting his worries slip away as he practiced his occlumency,
silently thanking Severus for teaching him once again. It didn’t always keep him free from
nightmares but much more than he thought possible. Once his mind was clear, he let himself drift off,
dreaming of what the rest of the summer would be like once he was back in the wizarding world.

-O-

Hermione had been sitting with Juliet out on the lawn, reading a book on advanced warding while
Juliet looked at the stars. Draco was off a ways in the distance, flying and trying to hone his night
vision by catching the snitch in the dark. Hermione thought him quite foolish but didn’t have the
heart to tell him so. It would just make him mad, after all, and that was the last thing she wanted to
do. After the end of their school year, she didn’t want to argue with him any more.

Just as Draco swooped down towards the Earth and Juliet rolled over, indicating that she was
actually asleep, her father strode out on the lawn. He looked quite angry but she wasn’t sure why.
She had done nothing aside from spend time at home and Malfoy Manor, riding Bluebell and
brewing potions with Uncle Sev.

It was heaven being able to spend time with Uncle Sev again; truthfully, it was like they had picked
up like they hadn’t spent any time apart. She had missed him so much in the year of Moody and it
had been horrid. She could only only hope that the coming year would be better and she could sneak
time with her godfather; she truly didn’t think that she could take another year like the last. It had felt
like she had been denying a piece of herself and she had detested it. The first two weeks had been
spent almost solely in his presence. Not even Uncle Luci had protested; in fact, he had even come
down and helped them brew several times when he had started to miss her.

She had just returned from a week at Malfoy Manor with Uncle Luci; Aunt Cissy had taken her and
Juliet shopping in Paris for a whole day and it had been horrific. No matter how old she got,
Hermione still couldn’t develop a love for shopping like her aunt had. However, the whole day
hadn’t been a wash. Since Juliet, Luna, Aunt Andie, and Dory had also gone, it had been a great
day; the shopping had just been the worst part.

Hermione was happy to report that Uncle Luci and herself had taken Luna aside and talked to her
gently about her make-believe creatures and told her that they were the product of her father’s mind,
that he had always been fanciful. After explaining that her mother had always been aware of her
father’s downfalls, but loved him deeply anyways, Luna had broken down and cried. After crying,
she had raged. Though she hadn’t cast magic, she had said several hurtful words. Hermione had had
her feelings hurt but by the end of the situation, Luna realized that her mother had never wanted her
to live like her father did. She understood that it was understanding that her father needed. There
were still hard feelings between the pair of them but she hoped that they would fade with time.

However, Xeno had agreed to let Luna spend time with Hermione and Juliet at Sirius’ house, if not
Lucius’, which was beyond crazy. Lucius had proven that he wasn’t dark but that didn’t matter to
Luna’s father. However, since that was what he had ordered, that was what they had went by. She
visited when they were at Black Moor and Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy were there most of the time
anyways. Aunt Cissy took them shopping and Uncle Luci treated her no differently then he had
when she was a small child. Ultimately, Luna was a Malfoy and that wasn’t going to change. She
would be protected until she was properly married and if Uncle Luci had anything to do with it, that
wouldn’t be until she was in love.

However, that wasn’t meant to be. Unknownst to everyone else in the family, Xeno Lovegood had
signed a betrothal contract for Luna, sent forth by Augusta Longbottom. While Hermione was
secretly pleased for her cousin and friend, she was still horrified on their behalf. Her father and uncle
had promised that she and Draco would never have to deal with them unless they wanted them. It
was quite horrifying to realize that your parent had sold you in marriage to someone that could better
your situation in life. Hermione wasn’t sure what Lady Longbottom had gained from the betrothal
contract but she knew that Neville genuinely liked Luna. She just hoped that it was enough.

Luna was happy with the situation. It was as though she had known from the start that she was
meant to be with Neville. She hadn’t had a single complaint in being bound to him as an almost
fourth year; however, Hermione had had several. Finally, it had taken Luna telling her to bugger off
and mind her own business to get her to leave her alone. On top of the hurtful words that the blonde
had spoken to her, it was like salt on a wound. To say that she had taken the hint to leave her cousin
alone would be an understatement.

Since Luna had always been closer to Hermione than Draco, he had instantly been affronted that she
had hurt Hermione’s feelings. She had told him not to hold it against Luna but that hadn’t mattered in
the least. Luna had already told her that her father wasn't insane, that Hermione was blind and could
never hope to see. She had told her that she would never be true family because she couldn’t accept
her as she was, that she sought to change her. On top of that, hearing that she was too young for a
betrothed was just too much. Luna had refused to speak to her for a whole week. It had been
excruciating and when she had finally started speaking to her again, it was clear that it would only
continue if she walked the fine line.

Draco was pissed at her, of course, for giving in and doing what Luna wanted. He told her that she
was better than giving in to little girls whimsical wishes, that she should tell her that things didn’t
always work out as she wished they would. As Hermione wished that she could, she feared that if
she did, it would tear her family apart for good before the war even properly started. After the day
they had argued about it, Hermione had refused to speak about it any further. The last thing she
wanted to do was experience the heartbreak by day and relive it by night as she wrote it on
parchment to Harry as Draco suggested. Therefore, she let it go.

Neville and the twins had come seen her and Draco several times since the end of the school year. It
had been nice, to see her friends, but it had been strange as well. She wasn't used to being able to see
the Weasleys and she knew for a fact that at the time her father hadn’t launched his plan when it
came to the Weasleys. However how strange it was, it was nice to see them for a few days in the
summer regardless of how long the situation was going to last.

Before Hermione could ruminate on the situation, her father had arrived, his frown quite apparent.
Draco landed and Juliet looked worried.

“Harry just sent an emergency letter with Hedwig. Dementors attacked him at Little Whinging while
he was at a local park. He was able to drive them off but had to cast underage magic. I received a
notice from Mafalda just minutes later that my minor had done so. They’re bringing him in front of a
full trial on the eighth of August. I know that they’re trying to shut him up, I'm just not sure why.”
Hermione nodded absentmindedly. After a few seconds thought, she spoke.

“I have a feeling that whoever sent the dementors after him didn’t want him to tell his story about the
Dark Lord. Same why he’s being brought before a full trial. You have to find out all you can,
Daddy.” Her father looked down at her proudly before kissing her head softly.

“I’m proud of you, poppet. You made a far better Slytherin than you would have a Gryffindor.” She
giggled softly and nodded her agreement.

Her father wandered off, promising to speak to her uncle about who to pressure in the Wizengamot.
Her father had told her that they would still need to wait the full amount of time before bringing
Harry back but she had a feeling that it was intent. As long as Harry considered Privet Drive home, it
wouldn’t change a thing where he spent his time. Besides, if his words were anything to go by, he
hadn’t considered Privet Drive home in years.

However, Hermione wasn’t willing to risk her friend’s life on that theory. She knew that he hated it
there, that was no secret, she knew that he would do anything to get away from there. She knew that
they abused him but since it had started mattering, Hermione had seen no proof. She had nothing to
take the the Minister, or her father for that matter. If she had no proof, there was nothing she could
change and it pissed her off.

After Draco decided to not go back up, they retired for the night. Hermione was quick to go up to
her room and jot out a quick letter to Harry. She felt that she needed to send him something to keep
him calm because knowing her father, his words hadn’t been calming at all. Harry was volatile and
could most certainly be most unreasonable at the worst of times. He needed someone to talk to and
that's what she would be right now.

After sending Juliet back to her room and making sure that Draco was engrossed in his own interests,
though she had a feeling that they were closer to her own, she wrote out a message to Harry and sent
it off to him with one of the usual owls hat she used from the Black family owlery. She had never
gotten her own so it had made sense to use one of the family’s. It had never made sense for her to get
a familiar that was an owl, one that would get jealous of the post she sent with others rather than her
pet. It was more trouble than it was worth and she would rather have a pet that was truly a pet than
one that served a purpose for her life. Tenebris seemed to appreciate her thoughts on the matter.

After she sent the letter to Harry, hoping that it would cheer him up, she dressed and climbed into
bed. Once she made the decision to go to bed, she felt a little better. Nobody would bother her with
anything unless it was something seriously important. She just couldn’t see that happening, although
she hated to say so. So much had happened in the last few days, it had been tiring even though she
hadn’t been a main component of what had happened between the Weasleys yesterday. She had
been there, but it had more her father than herself since he was the reigning Lord Black.

*Flashback*

Hermione knew that the Weasleys had been invited over that day to talk about what her father and
Uncle Luci had been whispering about for months. While she agreed with it, she was quite sure that
it would cause nothing but arguments and they probably wouldn’t agree in the end. Meaning that
they would be left without an ally. However, her father and uncle would never agree to let Ron and
Ginny into the family so it could be no other way.

Hermione was waiting graciously in the one of the lounges of Black Moor; Juliet had once been by
her side, but had been sent to her room since she was too young. Hermione had been told to stay,
hoping that her fair words and silver tongue would keep the proceedings friendly. Even though she
had no fear that her father and uncle would let the Weasleys hurt anyone in her family, she still had
no urge to be in the middle of this issue. Making her be there made it seem like she knew what was
going on and that she agreed. While she didn’t disagree, per se, she also didn’t think that what was
about to happen was the best way to go about gaining the Weasley’s on their side.

Her father and Candy were graciously showing the whole family into the lounge, offering tea and
fire whiskey as they were seated. Hermione was happy to see the twins but she could see the
displeasure and distrust on Molly Weasley’s face. Not that she blamed her; after spending Harry’s
birthday at Black Moor last year, it was clear that she wasn’t welcome in the her home. She was,
however, surprised, that the woman was facing the fear head on. True Gryffindor, indeed.

The twins took the seats on each side of her and threw an arm around her shoulders, both kissing her
cheek in greeting. Her father smiled at their greeting and the Weasley parents grimaced. It was clear
that they didn’t approve but they didn’t say anything. Ginny and Ron glared at her but their manners
prevailed for once, urging them to keep their mouths shut. Percy was too busy looking around him,
clearly astounded at the splendor of her home, something that Hermione took for granted every day.
In honesty, though, her home had never been important to her. What had always mattered to her was
her family.

Bill and Charlie were sitting there quietly next to each other and Hermione was thrilled to see that
Fleur was seated next to Bill, her hand ensconced in his own. Her face lit into a smile and Fleur met
it with one of her own. Hermione rose from her seat to hug the French girl and the whole room aside
from her father seemed surprised; Hermione didn’t let that bother her. They exchanged greetings in
French and Fleur whispered to her that Bill was her mate and they had met after the last task.
Hermione let out an uncharacteristic squeal but she had a feeling that Bill knew exactly what she was
squealing about when she hugged her friend tightly. After they separated, her father cleared his
throat, urging her to take her seat between the twins again. Once she was seated, he began.

“I know that this meeting is unorthodox, considering the history between our families in the last few
years. What I’m going to propose for your family is going to be the hardest decision of your life and
while I should be sorry, I’m not. I have my reasons for doing what I’m doing. For those that are
included, life will be infinitely better and it will be quite the adjustment. However, it’s going to cause
hurt. Do you wish to hear more?” Hermione knew for a fact that it was going to cause plenty of hurt,
plenty of hate for her family as well. She was actually surprised when the whole family nodded their
heads yes. Sirius leaned forward, no longer the affable Sirius that he had been, but the formidable
Lord Black that was known to stalk around the Ministry.

“As you know, Arthur is related to Blacks through his mother, his mother actually being one of my
aunts. All the pureblood families are quite inbred so it isn’t hard to find a way to connect our
families. This one is just the easiest.” He took a deep breath and met the eyes of Arthur Weasley.

“I was made aware of the fact that you were the head of your family and that you were struggling
under the weight of the family magic.” There were some angry hisses in the background and she
could tell that at least one of them were from Molly. The twins looked like they were very much put
on the spot, knowing that they were the sole reason that information was known to the Black family.
Hermione could see that their family was going to turn on them and Hermione felt her protectiveness
flare up. The only one who didn’t seem angry was Arthur himself. If anything, he looked quite tired.
After several seconds, he finally nodded.

“You would be correct. I was never supposed to be the patriarch of the family, it was supposed to go
to my older brother but he died of the dragon pox before my father passed. My magic has never been
strong enough to carry the whole families. I’m powerful but not that powerful.” Sirius nodded and
leaned forward again.

“I know it sounds crazy but that’s been the way of the Weasley family. Those that were powerful,
didn’t have many children. Those that weren’t as powerful, had many children. It’s just how your
family is. It’s not bad. Do you mind if I run a test on your two eldest sons to see if they are powerful
enough for my idea?” Arthur raised an eyebrow at him.

“I don’t care if they don't. They’re grown men and can make decisions for themselves.” Sirius gave
him a small smile and turned to Bill and Charlie. Hermione leaned into Fred a little and he raised an
eyebrow at her. She acted as though she hadn’t seen and kept her eyes on her father. Bill and Charlie
nodded their acquiescence and her father raised his wand. After casting on both of them, he turned to
Arthur.

“They are both equally powerful. This could be an option for either one of them if one of them
doesn’t want to take the option.” Bill and Charlie both raised their eyebrows at him and Arthur stared
her father down. It looked almost hateful and it made Hermione feel a frisson of irritation. Their
family had done nothing but treat her family like shite and they were trying to help them. The least
they could do is be polite. Her father took his seat once more and crossed his ankle over his knee
before speaking.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, some of the oldest families in our world, have titles in the muggle world
as well. I’m the Earl of Blackmoor, Harry will be the Earl of Gryffindor, Lucius is the Earl of
Northwood and Draco will someday inherit the title. They don’t mean much in our world but they
come with land, fortune, and a seat on the Wizengamot. It all comes back to when the magic once
served royalty, though it doesn’t so much anymore. Do you understand what I’m saying?” There
were nods all the way around. George nudged her with an elbow and smiled at her.

“Lady Blackmoor.” She glowered at him and pinched his side ruthlessly, hating that title since
childhood. This just made the twins laugh and the rest of the family to look at them as if they had lost
their minds. Arthur sat forward and kept his eyes on her father.

“This is all well and good but I'm confused as to why you’re telling us this. We know you’re wealthy
and well-connected. What does this have to do with us?” Sirius sat back and stared Arthur down,
showing them just why he was a force to be reckoned with in the Wizengamot.

“I have an unclaimed Barony on the Black side that has laid dormant for many many years because it
was a stipulation that it must go to a light family. As you know, that hasn’t fit anyone in my family
for quite some time. Since I'm the current Earl of Blackmoor, it wouldn’t make much sense for me to
claim the Barony as well. What I propose is to have your family claim it with some stipulations, of
course.” Hermione saw Ron and Ginny’s eyes light up and the greed was there front and center. It
pissed her off but if her father went through with what he had planned, they were going to be sorely
disappointed. It was going to cause a lot of hatred for her especially but hopefully they would realize
that she was still underage and her father was still the patriarch of her family. He made the decisions,
not her. Not that she disagreed, but it would be nice to let her father take some blame as well. Arthur
wiped his hands down his face and looked even more tired then he had when he had gotten there.

“What are these stipulations?” Sirius called for Candy and asked for more tea and fire whiskey. After
she had reappeared and everyone had been served, Sirius turned to Arthur once more.

“I would propose that your eldest son take over as head of your family, essentially taking the role of
Baron of Suffield. If he doesn’t want to take over the family magic, then Charlie could do so. I’m not
too picky. It’s clear, however, that both boys are more than capable of carrying the family magic of
everyone involved. You would gain an estate, a fortune, a seat in the Wizengamot. There are many
on the Wizengamot that are not conducive to keeping Voldemort at bay and we could use another
member voting with us. We need to gather allies to make sure that the Death Eaters in the Ministry
don’t gain more power. Our names and power carry much weight but we are still only two people.
However, since your family has shown my family such animosity in the past, there are stipulations.”
Bill leaned forward and cut keen eyes her father’s way. He wouldn’t be easily swayed their way if
he didn’t agree with their opinion; she was sure that he would make that quite clear. This is where
her father’s voice got hard.

“Your youngest son has struck my daughter; by giving you a Black title, I’m essentially taking you
into my family. I won’t bring someone who hurts my daughter in my family. Therefore, Ronald and
Ginevra won’t be welcome in this mix. I know that she cursed my daughter bald while she was sick
with wizard flu and she harmed her during her third year at Hogwarts. I don’t care if Arthur wants to
keep the Weasley last name to carry their magic until they’re of age or if Molly wants to keep their
magic under the Prewett name, but they won’t be welcome under the Black name. I won’t require a
name change to Black unless Arthur carries their magic as Weasleys. If Molly carries it as Prewetts,
then the name Weasley can carry on, linked proudly with the Black name from here on. I’m aware
that this is a hard decision for your family but you must understand my position as well. My daughter
is precious to me and is the next heir to the Black family. I will not have anyone in the family that
wishes her harm or ill will. Your twins have been some of her best friends for years and I welcome
them with open arms. I have nothing against your other boys. I have no reason to dislike them, in
fact, I’ve heard nothing but good about them. You’ve raised a fine set of children. You would do no
different than I if the tables were turned. If you find that you can’t do this to your family, I
completely understand and will bear no ill will towards any of you. Your boys will still be welcome
here and Hermione will still be their good friend. Juliet will still adore them as she does now.
Nothing will change from how it is in this moment. I just thought this was an option that would help
your family and help my cause at the same time.” Ron stood up angrily and started to sputter at
Hermione.

“You little bitch, how did I know that you would fuck me out of something good that finally comes
our way!?” Ginny looked just as angry but wasn’t stupid enough to make a scene in front of
everyone. Her attack would be once they reached school when nobody was watching. Hermione
kept her seat on the sofa and took a sip of tea while the adults all watched warily.

“In case you haven’t realized, Ronald, I’m not the matriarch of the Black family yet. Not for another
fourteen months. Even if I didn’t agree with this decision, I can’t overrule my father. He’s Lord
Black, the Earl of Blackmoor, and his word is law. He is my lord and while in his house, he is your
lord as well. You would do well to remember that.” He started to sputter again but it was Bill that
spoke this time since Arthur and Molly were clearly dumbstruck.

“Ron, shut up. This is what got you in trouble in the first place. Just leave her alone. She has no part
in this decision, like she said. She’s a fifteen year old girl. While she is the heir to the Black family,
she can’t do anything about anything until she’s seventeen. Back off.” Bill turned to her father and
bowed his head.

“Lord Black, we appreciate your gracious offer. Would you allow us a few days to consider this
between our family and let your know our answer?” He nodded his head as he spoke.

“Of course, I would never expect you to make this decision on the spot. It’s a big decision and could
be life changing for all of you. I would like to point out that if you were to take this option, your
family wouldn’t have to physically split up. Ronald, Ginny, and whoever carries their magic would
be able to live with them. I’m not asking you to give up your family, just that they not be
permanently linked with my family name.” Bill nodded and stood, the rest of the family following
suit. Hermione couldn’t help but think that he would be a great head of the family.
“We’ll get back with you soon. Thank you for your generous offer.” Hermione watched her father
usher them out of the library and towards the floo while she sank further into the couch cushions.

What a meeting.

*End of Flashback*

They hadn’t heard from the Weasleys but it had only been a day since they had dropped their offer in
their lap. She was fairly certain now that they would take them up on it. Not so much for the wealth
because it was clear that that really wasn’t important to any of the older children or even the parents,
but she thought that they would take it for the position in society, for the respect. They had been
looked down on for so long for being poor that she assumed they would want to make it better for
their children. Well, the children that they could.

Her father had promised that they would get Harry soon and since the dementor incident, she was
even more impatient to get him under their wards. She knew that there would never be anything
serious between them but she still loved him and wanted him safe. As much as Dumbledore talked
about how great the blood wards were around his muggle home, they couldn’t be anything in
comparison to those around Black Moor. Therefore, she would start wearing on her father the next
day to bring him home early. Besides, after years of mistreatment, Harry deserved better.

Hermione rolled over and closed her eyes, using occlumency to clear her mind and let herself fall
into a fitful sleep.

-O-

Sirius was furious. He had refused to join the Order of the Phoenix, as had Lucius and Remus, but
Albus had had no other options for Headquarters. However, now that he had offered the Barony to
the Weasley family, they were going to be a branch of his family, much like Andie and Ted. They
had joined the Order and he couldn’t let them endanger themselves when they had so many children
that would still need them. Therefore, he had donated his mother’s old townhouse to the cause, 12
Grimmauld Place. It was a horrible place, dark and dank, and some of his worst memories were
there. Kreacher still resided there and he hated to admit that the little blighter was one of the main
reasons he didn’t want to go there.

However, Albus was here and they were arguing over where Harry would go when he was able to
leave Privet Drive. Since Sirius was his official guardian, he had laid down the law and told him that
he would be coming to Black Moor and would be going back and forth between there and Malfoy
Manor, just like his own daughters. However, Albus was trying to convince him to send Harry to
Headquarters, the place of his nightmares. While he had had no problems telling him to fuck off,
Albus had pulled the hole in one that had Sirius doubting himself.

“His best friend will be there. Ronald Weasley, despite his faults, is still his best friend. He’s going to
want to spend some of his holiday with him. Since you refuse to have the boy in your home for any
time longer than a party, that means he would have to go to him. This would ensure that he’s still
safe. I’m going to cast the fidelius charm on it.” Sirius growled at him, his inner grim coming out.

“That ridiculous spell didn’t save James and Lily. Why should I put my faith in it for Harry?” Albus
cast him a warning sideways glance but Sirius didn’t give a fuck.

“I’m not Peter Pettigrew. Do you really think I’m going to hand the only hope our world has over to
Lord Voldemort?” Sirius sighed and raked his hand through his hair. This was a complete shit show
but there was no way that he was going to send Harry to the Order Headquarters by himself. That
meant facing the complete hell of his childhood.
“Fine, we’ll spend the last two weeks of summer at Headquarters. However, that means myself,
Helena, Hermione, Juliet, Draco if he wishes, and the Malfoys is they wish it as well. Don’t forget,
it’s my home and I will say who’s welcome. We won’t sit in on your meetings but know that we are
going to be there to make sure that he is safe. It will be properly warded so my children can do magic
as they please. They have independent studies that they do during the summer and I won’t have this
interfere with that. Harry is not to sit in on meetings and I won’t have him knowing any information
yet. I will tell him what’s important, not you. You lost that right. I told you that we would work
alongside you if our goals were the same and don’t think for a second that Harry will choose you
over his family. If you want his cooperation, I suggest you follow my rules. I’ll be going over all this
with him when I get him from his relatives house in a week’s time.” Albus finally nodded and let his
head droop.

“Fine, Sirius, you win. I just want him to be a beacon for the rest of the Order, something for them to
hope for. That can’t happen if he isn’t there. The Malfoys will of course be made welcome but I can't
guarantee what kind of welcome they’ll receive from the other members.” Sirius chuckled.

“Well, if they’re rude in front of Hermione, I’m sure she’ll give them a lesson in etiquette since it’s
her house as well. They’ll learn.” Dumbledore nodded and stood, heading for the floo.

“We’ll see you the fifteenth of August. Good night, Sirius.” Sirius didn’t bother standing as Albus
disappeared in a whoosh of green flame.

He swirled his fire whiskey in his glass he contemplated the days events. He was still appalled at the
thought that there were dementors in Little Whinging. Thank Merlin that Remus had taught Harry
how to cast a patronus, it had proven to save his life. He knew that Remus was proud of him, he had
told him so just an hour before when he had left to go home to Tonks.

He knew that Hermione was worried about him but he hadn’t expected any less. It had always been
that way and he only himself to blame. Both his daughters were in their rooms now, asleep in their
beds, Draco as well, and Sirius was happy. Helena was packing up her things this weekend and
would be moving in over the coming week and he was excited. He knew that Juliet was pleased and
Hermione seemed alright with the development though she still held herself slightly aloof from the
situation. Not that he blamed her. He probably would have done the same in her situation.

Lucius was currently at Gerald Greengrass’ house, trying to ferret out information on who could
have sent the dementors to Harry. Sirius suspected that Fudge was behind it but he couldn’t prove it.
Hopefully, Lucius and his sneaky, wily ways would turn up some information.

Sirius threw back his remaining fire whiskey and stood, heading for bed. Tomorrow was going to be
a long day as well and he needed his rest. Not to mention, he had a feeling that the Weasleys were
going to show up with an answer to his offer. While he already knew their answer, he needed to
officially hear it from their mouths. With another sigh, he headed for the stairs.

Long day ahead indeed.

A/N- Another long ass chapter, y’all. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks to everyone for reading and
reviewing, following and favoriting. You guys are my heroes. Leave me a message after the beep
and let me know what you think. Reviews are love.

Next chapter, Harry comes to Black Moor and an unexpected visitor.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 85

A/N- Thanks to everyone out there for reading and reviewing this story. I got mostly positive
reviews regarding the last chapter and I appreciate it. I did have a few problems responding to
reviews so if you didn’t get a response, I apologize. I’m not sure why ffn lets me respond to some but
not others. Anyways, on with another chapter. Hope you all enjoy!!

**Shout out to Cecily Mitchell for being my 4100th reviewer!! You’re freaking awesome!

Disclaimer: Nothing about this story belongs to me, nor have I made a red hot cent from it. Just
thought I’d let you know in case you hadn’t realized it from the 84 chapters that came before this
one. I swear, if my O.C.D. didn’t demand that I follow through and put one of these at the beginning
of every chapter now that I’ve started it, I would have quit a long time ago.

Chapter 85
July 26, 1995

Hermione breathed in the warm air from atop Bluebell, enjoying the summer sunshine and the light
tan that it was giving her. She turned her face skyward and let the sun warm her skin while she
listened to Draco cut through the air above her at speeds she didn’t even want to consider.

Her father had left with Dory, Uncle Luci, Remus, the real Alastor Moody, and the auror Kingsley
Shacklebolt. She didn’t remember much about him, only that every time she had met him, he didn’t
seem to like her very much. Surprisingly, the real Alastor Moody seemed quite taken with her. He
loved how powerful she was and adored how mistrusting she could be. It seemed that he thrived on
paranoia and spoon fed it to the aurors that he trained for the Ministry. He was less thrilled about
Draco but seemed to like him better than most other students their age.

According to her father, they were on a mission to retrieve Harry from the Dursleys. She wasn’t sure
why they were all going; she was quite sure that her father could have just apparated there and then
side-alonged him back home but it seemed that there were other things going on that she knew
nothing about. It irritated her to no end but her father had promised them an explanation later that
evening when they returned home. While she understood their need to protect herself, Draco, Harry,
and Juliet, she had been on the front lines of helping Harry for so long that she didn’t think she could
be on the sidelines now.

Luna was coming over in just a couple hours; she and Hermione had gotten over their argument.
Luna had apologized for being so harsh and Hermione had clarified that she didn’t think Luna was
crazy and that if she wanted to continue to believe in the creatures her father did, she would love her
just the same. Both girls had admitted to being hurt but said that they wanted to forget about it and
just move past it. Therefore, they were spending as much time as they could together; Juliet was
thrilled since she thought that Luna was the best person in the whole wide world. Sometimes,
Hermione wondered if she thought of Luna as her sister as well.

The best part of the whole summer was the time she got to spend with Uncle Sev. He was staying at
Black Moor this summer, even though it was the year he would normally stay at Malfoy Manor.
Hermione had spent almost the first two weeks of her summer with him, just spending time with him,
brewing, talking, reading, whatever they decided to do. It felt like she was finally complete and she
was thrilled to get to see her godfather for such long periods of time. Of course, he left several nights
a week and always returned late; he didn’t think that she knew where he was going but she wasn’t
stupid. She knew that he was going to the Dark Lord. She knew that he was bowing before him and
letting him torture him for not going after him and trying to find him as Rookwood and Pettigrew
had.

After the first month, the torture had started to lift but it was still horrid to watch him leave and act as
though she didn’t know where he was going. He used the excuse of having to go see to something at
the school, some mundane emergency that the elves could have seen to easily. Even though she
wanted to call him on it, she never did. It would only cause a fight and she didn’t want to fight with
her godfather; he was one of the bravest men she knew for returning to the evil bastard every time he
called, knowing what he had done to those he loved and knowing that every time he went, it could
be his last. It scared the life out of her but she supposed that it was his choice and there was nothing
that she could do to make him change his mind.

Uncle Luci had been great as well. He had spent a great deal of time with her, making sure that she
was alright from her ordeal with Viktor and then making sure that she was alright with the fact that
he was dead. Surprisingly, she felt nothing about the fact that he was gone. She had questioned her
uncle if this made her a heartless bitch, that she didn’t care that he was dead, and he had pulled her
into his arms and told her that she was the furthest thing from a heartless bitch that he could think of.
Hermione would never admit it to anyone but herself but his words had reassured her that she wasn’t
a monster because for awhile there, that’s exactly what she had told herself that she was. What else
could feel absolutely nothing when a person that they had considered a good friend was tortured and
killed?

Hermione had probably spent the least amount of time over the summer with her father and that
saddened her. She missed him greatly but she was heartened by the fact that it wasn’t just her that he
didn’t see. He didn’t have time for Helena or Juliet either. In fact, he spent more time with her than
he did the pair of them. He was caught up in meetings at the Wizengamot, trying to get them onboard
with believing that Harry was telling the truth about Voldemort, trying to get them to believe
anything about the night of the third task really. She tried not to complain that she missed him, she
tried to be understanding, but after hardly seeing him at all last summer, she couldn’t help but feeling
as though she was losing him forever. There had been one memorable night when she had cried to
her Uncle Luci and told him her fears and he had soothed her, leaving her after her tears were dried.
Her father had stole into her room later that night and climbed into her bed, holding her tight and
telling her how he loved her and would always have time for her. She fell asleep hugging him close,
only to wake the next morning to find that he had fallen asleep as well.

Things were better between them now that she realized that he was just busy and not ignoring her on
purpose. Juliet didn’t notice as much that he wasn’t paying attention to her since she had grown up
without a father. She glowed when he showed her affection but was just as happy when he wasn’t
there. Hermione was happy that her sister was happy either way; she didn’t want her to be unhappy
because their father was a busy man.

Helena had moved in with them just a few days before. It had been an adjustment but Hermione had
made peace with it. She wanted her father to be happy and she hated thinking of him being lonely
while she and Juliet were off at school. Having Helena there would solve his problems; however, if
her father was never home, she wouldn’t want to stay for long and Hermione had made sure to tell
her father that. He had chuckled at her mothering and told her that he would be home at a decent
time five nights a week. Helena understood what he was trying to do and promised to let him know
if it was becoming too much.

Hermione was getting to know the French woman better now that she was living there and she was
discovering that she liked her quite a bit. While she was quiet and shy, the complete opposite of her
father, she was also smart, witty, and sarcastic. Her humor was dry and always made Hermione
laugh. She was a sweet woman and genuinely cared for not only Juliet but Hermione as well. It was
easy to like her. Hermione couldn’t say that she loved her yet but it was only a matter of time. She
would never call her mum, that was certain, but Helena had assured her that she didn’t expect that. It
was nice to know where she stood with the woman.

Just the day before, Hermione had returned from a shopping trip to Paris with Aunt Cissy, Aunt
Andie, Dory, Luna, Daphne, Juliet, Helena, and Daphne’s mum. It had been a three day trip, one
that she had dreaded in the week leading up to it, but it was a summer tradition and her Aunt Cissy
had insisted. It was Juliet’s first and Hermione had to admit that she needed new lingerie. She had
outgrown the things she had gotten at Christmas.

It had turned into a girl’s weekend and Fleur and Apolline had even met them several times
throughout their weekend to get their nails and hair done, for shopping, for dinner and shows. It had
been fun overall but Hermione had always been one to complain about shopping. She had even
changed the blue streaks in her hair to blood red ones and her father had laughed deep belly laughs at
them while her Uncle Luci had scowled, telling her that she was a Slytherin, not a Gryffindor.

The craziest thing that had happened was receiving a letter from Cedric Diggory, inviting her to
lunch on Diagon Alley, telling her that he wanted the privilege of having the most beautiful girl on
his arm. She had gone a week before to one of the most expensive wizarding restaurants on the Alley
and let him seat her and play the perfect date. She had to admit that he was incredibly handsome and
had perfect manners. He was extremely interesting and very sweet and attentive. Overall, the date
had been a success.

Her father had been thrilled, as had Uncle Luci. Draco had been happy but she wouldn’t use the
world thrilled. She knew that he was still holding out hope for her and Harry but at this point, she
had given up hope on that. Harry was determined to do his own thing and she wasn’t going to be the
one to try to stop him. She had tried to get him to see reason about Ginny and that had only led to a
fight. That was the last thing she wanted so she was just going to try to move on.

She said she was going to try to move on but she wasn’t sure how well it was going to work out for
her. She liked Cedric and she thought that they would make wonderful friends but she wasn’t sure if
they connected on a deeper level. She longed for that deeper connection but she didn’t think that she
could force it. That was the last thing she wanted, in fact. She wanted something natural and fun,
something that she didn’t have to force. Truthfully, she knew that Cedric liked her on an intellectual
level as well as the physical, but she sometimes wondered if he wasn’t just a little intimidated by her
in every other facet. Most men were so she couldn’t blame him.

The Weasleys were settled in their new Manor, having taken the offer that her father had graciously
given them. Hermione had known that they would. Bill was now the proud Baron of Suffield and
until he had a son of his own, Charlie was his heir. He carried the family magic of his father, Percy,
Charlie, Fred, and George. They had all been at the Black Moor several times since bursting with
happiness, the twins to spend time with Hermione and Draco and Percy, Bill, and Charlie to use the
library to learn what was expected of them in their station. Her father had promised Bill to take him
under his wing and show him the ways of the Wizengamot and everything that it entailed, who to
trust and who not to. Arthur had cried tears of happiness, telling her father how thankful he was that
his boys had fallen in his good graces.

Molly, Ron, and Ginny had taken the name Prewett and Molly was carrying their magic now. They
lived in the Manor with the rest of the family but they were in no way associated with the Black
family. Any formal invitations that went out to the Baron’s family didn’t include them, though Molly
usually did come along as Arthur’s wife. They weren’t allowed at Black Moor unless they were
specifically invited. It was harsh but nobody in their family seemed to mind. In fact, they deemed it
as appropriate punishment for Ron and Ginny’s actions. Of course, Hermione expected Harry to
object quite loudly. However, since he had told her in no certain terms that she had no bearing on the
Potter family and what he did with it, she would tell him the same. He would have to live with it.

Night was drawing nearer; sunset had fallen and the lightning bugs were out. Draco had landed off
in the distance and was making his way to her on foot. She had since dismounted Bluebell and was
walking her to the stable so the stable hand could groom her and put her away for the night. It wasn’t
her usual practice but she wanted to be there when Harry came home. This once wouldn’t matter.
Juliet appeared at her side and gave her a quick hug before turning up her nose.

“You smell like a great stinky horse.” Hermione shoved her sister goodnaturedly.

“Don’t judge me. I don’t say a word when you don’t shower for three days because you’ve get
caught up in a book.” Her sister’s cheeks pinked and Hermione smirked at her. Draco laughed at
both of them from behind as he approached.

“You’re both disgusting. I’ve been flying all day and have already showered. I believe in good
hygiene and not foisting my stench upon the world.” Hermione stood and tackled her cousin to the
ground, making sure to rub herself on him as much as possible, rubbing her horse scent on him. Juliet
caught on instantly and started doing the same. Draco started to fight back after a few moments.

“I know what you two are doing. You’re evil, pure evil.” Hermione burst into laughter and let herself
be pushed off her cousin. They laid on the lawn looking up at the night sky, something that they
hadn’t done in quite a long time. After several minutes of silence, Draco reached out and squeezed
both their knees.

“Come on, you know they’re going to be home soon. We might as well go in and be ready for
them.” Hermione nodded and went to her feet. In turn, she held out her hand and helped Juliet to her
feet but left Draco. He gave an indignant squawk until she raised an eyebrow at him.

“You know as well I do that if your parents knew that you needed help to get up that you would get
your arse beat. They would say that you were more than capable, that in fact, it was your job as the
gentlemen to offer your arm to any woman in the vicinity.” Her cousin glared at her for a few
seconds before rising to his feet on his own and following them to the Manor. Once they were safely
inside, they met in the library and called Sispy to bring them hot chocolate. Draco snorted.

“I’m not sure why you even bother. You know you’re going to end up ignoring it in favor of a
book.” Hermione reached over and pinched his side ruthlessly.

“I don’t want Sipsy to think I don’t love her. I haven’t had her do anything for me today.” Aunt
Cissy joined them and chuckled as she took a seat next to her.

“Nobody can say you don’t love your elves, sunshine.” There was a whooshing sound from out in
the corridor and Hermione knew that Luna had arrived. Sure enough, just moments later, the blonde
girl entered and gave the room a wave before sitting down next to Juliet and taking a drink of her hot
chocolate.

“Dip took my things already, he said he was putting them in the room next to Juliet.” Juliet cheered
and Hermione smiled at her sister’s excitement. Helena entered and smiled warmly at them all, sitting
in an armchair before the fire, looking quite a bit more refined now that her aunt had taken her
shopping as well. Helena had balked, of course, telling her that she didn’t need new clothes, but
Aunt Cissy had insisted that if she was going to be with Sirius, she needed to look the part so she
didn’t embarrass him. It had been an awkward conversation while they were in Paris but in the end,
Helena had capitulated and let Aunt Cissy have her way.

Hermione pulled a book into her lap, determined to get some reading done on the advanced warding
technique that Uncle Luci had told her about in regards to ancient blood wards when the floo went
off again, signalling again that someone had arrived. Since Harry and the others were supposed to be
arriving by broomstick, of all things, she raised an eyebrow at her cousin. Draco gave her a worried
look but Hermione didn’t worry. Nobody who’s magical signature wasn’t imbued in the ward stones
could get through without permission from herself or her father. It was only moments later that Uncle
Sev came in, a book in his hand and small smirk on his face. He headed straight for Hermione and
sat next to her, waiting for her to finish her paragraph before speaking. When she turned her attention
to him, she could see the excitement in his eyes.

“I’ve been trying to cure lycanthropy for years. I’ve finally read a text that I think will help me on
this endeavor but I won’t have the time to donate to the cause like I would like. I was wondering if
you would like to help me, Princess?” Hermione stared at him, completely dumbfounded that he
would even have to ask. She threw herself into his arms and nodded against his chest.

“Of course, I would. Merlin, to come up with a cure, I can’t even imagine!” Her godfather chuckled
softly and kissed the top of her head before looking over to Draco.

“Would you like to help as well?” He shook his head, small smile on his face.

“I love potions, don’t get me wrong, Uncle Sev. I just don’t have the passion for it that Hermione
does. Plus, I have quidditch to keep me busy. I have a feeling that this potion of yours isn’t going to
be invented overnight.” Uncle Sev shook his head.

“No, it’s going to take quite a while if what I’m reading in this book is true.” He turned to Hermione
and handed her the book.

“I want you to read this and let me know what you think. Give me what you think a working potion
would be. If we can make this work, I’ll give you half the credit when it comes time to patent it. It
will look extremely good on your resume if you should ever want to apply to gain a Mastery.”
Hermione couldn’t help but squeal again and Aunt Cissy just shook her head ruefully.

“Where did I go wrong? That is how most girls sound when they get their first boyfriend or go to
their first ball. Not my sunshine.” She brightened considerably when she turned to Juliet.

“That just means that you’re going to have to fulfill that dream for me, Jules.” Juliet nodded, clearly
not unhappy with the thought. Hermione thought it was perfect. Her baby sister was far more girly
that she was and actually enjoyed shopping. In fact, maybe she could take some of the shopping heat
off of her so she could just spend time with her aunt riding.

There were no further words because the doors that led into Black Moor banged open and there was
chatter that couldn’t quite be understood. It was odd to think that they entered through the front door
since it was rarely used. Family used the floo and when they went outside, there were several side
doors that led to the quidditch pitch and the stables, not to mention the lake and forest besides.
Truthfully, Hermione couldn’t remember the last time the front door had even been opened. Aunt
Cissy gave them a bright smile and straightened her shoulders while Uncle Sev settled his arm
around her shoulders.

“They’re here.”

-O-

Harry was thrilled when he saw the contingent arrive to help him back to Black Moor. He wasn’t
sure why there were so many of them but he wasn’t going to complain; the last thing he wanted to do
was to stay at the Dursleys. Therefore, he kept his mouth screwed shut and listened to their
instructions closely. It seemed as though they were going to fly to Wiltshire rather than floo or
apparate. Harry was unsure why this was but he wasn’t going to complain. He loved flying and
would never turn down an opportunity to do so.

His muggle relatives watched from the sidelines as he received his orders from Mad-Eye Moody, the
real one that is. He was quite gruff and very paranoid but after his ordeal, Harry couldn’t say that he
blamed him. Sirius had seemed to have let him take control of the mission but he had no doubts that
if something came up that he didn’t agree with, his godfather would step in and take over with no
problems whatsoever. It reassured Harry that he could trust his godfather.

Tonks, Uncle Lucius, Remus, and an auror that looked vaguely familiar were also with them. He
knew that he had seen the man before but he just couldn’t place where. He must have seen Harry
staring because he finally smiled at him and spoke.

“I’m Kingsley Shacklebolt. You met me at the World Cup and then again at Peter Pettigrew’s trial.”
Harry narrowed his eyes at the man, remembering him quite well now.

“You were an arsehole to Hermione. I don’t appreciate that.” The dark-skinned man chuckled softly.

“Very upfront, I appreciate that. No, I wasn’t very kind to her but in my defense, I thought that her
family were agents of the dark. Would you be kind to those you suspected to be dark?” Harry didn’t
know how to answer to that so he just raised an eyebrow at him now.

“She isn’t dark, not at all. You’re going to treat her better or you’ll answer to me.” Kingsley gave
him a small boy and nodded his head.

“I’m going to apologize, I had already decided. Have no fear, young Potter.” Harry nodded, satisfied
that the man was going to stand by his word. He turned to Sirius and raised an eyebrow.

“Are we going to leave anytime soon or are we going to wait around here? I have everything packed
and it’s in my trunk.” Sirius nodded.

“Call Dobby and have him take your things to Black Moor. I would normally have him do the same
with you but there are confirmed Death Eaters watching your residence, Harry. We need to give
them a false lead, make them think that you’re going somewhere that you really aren’t. I’m not
worried about them breaching the wards at Black Moor but I don’t want to take the chance with
Hermione, Draco, Luna, Juliet, and various Weasleys there for the rest of the summer.” Harry
nodded and took a deep breath.

“So we’re going to lead them on a wild goose chase?” Sirius nodded.

“Yes. We don’t think they’re going to attack when we leave but we think they’re going to follow.
Once that happens, we’ll go all over and make them lose us. After we know they’re off our tail, we’ll
fly to Black Moor. If we were to just floo or apparate, that’s exactly where they think we would go.
This way, it leaves them questioning.” Harry nodded and grasped his broom, hoping that the rest of
them could keep up.

With one final wave to the rest of his family, he followed his rescue party out into the back yard.
They all mounted their brooms and pushed off, Moody taking point, Siri and Uncle Luci flanking
him, while Remus, Tonks, and Kingsley were bringing up the rear. Harry had no idea how long
them flew or how many times they backtracked. It seemed as though it was ages, thought it couldn’t
have been more than three or four hours. However, after only an hour in the high sky above the city
at night, it got cold fast.
Sirius finally gestured for them to head towards Wiltshire and he had never been more thankful. He
had a cloak on but it had done him no good that far up in the air. Once they had turned direction
toward Wiltshire, he was frozen to the bone. It was another hour’s flight before they landed in the
front lawn of Black Moor, somewhere Harry didn’t think that he had ever been last summer. He
dismounted his broom stiffly, the others did as well, and started for the door, wishing for nothing
more than a warm fire and maybe some hot chocolate.

Sirius led the way and it was clear that the others were in just as bad a way as he was. Remus was
probably the best and he attributed that to his werewolf blood since it was well-known that he
wouldn’t get as cold since his body ran hot anyways. Harry followed his godfather, the second one
in the door and sighed in relief as a whoosh of warm air hit him. It was heaven on earth.

He followed Sirius and the others into the library and was pleased to see that not only was Hermione
there waiting for their arrival, so was the rest of their family. It was a sight for sore eyes. He didn’t
wait for the others to find their seats, he threw himself onto the couch next to Hermione and sighed
as her elf Dot pushed a mug of steaming hot chocolate into his hands.

“That was a freezing cold ride. I love flying but that was beyond the pale.” Uncle Lucius chuckled as
he stood next to the fire, clearly warming himself at the flames.

“I would agree. Hopefully, it isn’t necessary again.” Harry snorted. Of course it would be. The
Headmaster would insist that he return to the Dursleys again next year and he would have to rescued
yet again. It would be never ending.

There were several minutes of small talk made by everyone but it was clear that it was strained. The
family didn’t interact well with those that they didn’t trust and Harry didn’t blame them. FInally,
Moody and Shacklebolt stood, starting the floor. Moody laid a heavy hand on Hermione’s shoulder
and gave her a crooked grin.

“We’re still on for later this week, right?” Harry raised his eyebrows at the older man’s words. They
were almost downright friendly. Hermione simply raised an eyebrow at him and shoved his hand off
her shoulder.

“Why should I trust you?” He barked out a laugh and Harry could see that the affection was genuine.

“I’ll teach you to take that power and hone it, to make sure that you won’t ever be victimized again. I
want you make you stronger, lassie. You might not believe it now but you’re going to lead this war
to victory.” Harry didn’t like the sound of his words and stood, not wanting Hermione anywhere
near the fighting that this war was going to bring.

“She won’t be anywhere near the fighting. I’m going to make sure she’s safe at home.” Moody
snorted at him and just shook his head.

“By your own words, boy, the Dark Lord wants her. I’d prepare her and show her how to fight
back. You’d cripple her and stuff her away in a home where she’ll eventually be vulnerable. Use
your head.” Moody didn’t say anything else to Harry but turned to Hermione and raised an eyebrow.

“Wednesday, here. Noon.” Hermione nodded at him, showing that she was agreeing. Harry hated it
but after Moody’s words, he couldn’t help but be thankful. It was true, Voldy wanted her and that
was the last fate in the world that he wanted for her. Truthfully, he would rather have her dead.

Moody left quickly, followed by Kingsley, and it was just family that were left. Even though it was
family, there was an uncomfortable silence that fell between them. Harry wasn’t quite sure what the
reason was but he was most interested in finding out what the reason was. Finally, Sirius spoke.
“We need to have a meeting. A family meeting. There are things that everyone needs to know but I
also need to be able to know that I can trust those that are present to keep the secrets. Therefore, I
need Severus to test the occlumency of Juliet, Helena, and Luna.” Helena gave him a shy smile.

“I learned occlumency when I was a child. My father taught me.” Severus nodded and stepped
forward, meeting her eyes. It was several minutes that went by before Severus sat back and nodded.

“She isn’t to the level of the rest of the family but she is proficient. I would suggest practicing with
her, Sirius.” His godfather nodded and turned his attention to the other two young girls in the room.
Harry already knew that Juliet wouldn’t pass so Luna gave her a small smile and took her by the
hand.

“Juliet and I both need to work on it. We’ll practice the rest of summer so we can be let in on the
secret by the end of summer. We’ll retire for now so you can continue without fear of your secret
getting out.” Juliet looked ashamed but Hermione was quick to volunteer her time.

“I’ll start tutoring you tomorrow.” Both girls perked up and started for the door. Once they were
gone, the atmosphere got far more serious. Her father broke the silence.

“There were Death Eaters watching Harry’s house. Macnair and Jugson. We’ve known since the
dementor attack. It’s why we took him by broomstick, so they wouldn’t just assume that we took him
by floo or apparition to Black Moor. I still have to keep Hermione, Draco, Luna, and Juliet as safe as
possible. That can’t be done if known Death Eaters know that the Boy-Who-Lived is most definitely
here.” Harry shook his head and buried his head in his hands.

“I shouldn't even be here. I’m a danger to everyone. I should just go back to the Dursleys.”
Hermione punched him in the side and shook her head when he met her eyes.

“No, you’re family and you’re staying here. Daddy was just taking precautions. You can’t blame
him for that.” Harry nodded but tried not to make eye contact with her. After several seconds, Sirius
started again.

“At the end of your last school year, Dumbledore took myself and Remus aside, trying to convince
us to join his band of renegade warriors. It’s a group called the Order of the Phoenix. While I don’t
necessarily disagree with the group, I belonged to it in the first Blood War, I do have a problem with
the fact that he asked us to join but not Lucius. Albus has an agenda and I don’t believe that it is the
best for anyone but himself. I do think that it will benefit the light in some way but in what way
remains to be seen.” Harry sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He looked up to meet the eyes
of his godfather.

“Remus and I told the Headmaster that we wouldn’t be joining and that we would only work
alongside the Order if it satisfied a goal that we had in common. That was what this evening was. A
goal in common with each other. We both wanted to make sure that Harry returned home safe and
that was what we accomplished. Moody and Shacklebolt are both members of the Order. As are the
four elder Weasleys.” Harry heard Hermione sigh heavily and wondered just what that was about.
He knew that there were plans for the Weasleys this summer but had heard nothing about them from
either side. Sirius continued with a grim expression.

“I think that the twins are going to refuse joining the Order just as Percy has once they graduate. It’s
only a matter of time.” Percy had in fact pledged himself to their little renegade pack rather than the
Order. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out that they were far more worried about surviving that
doing anything stupid. Harry couldn’t help his words.

“Why would the Weasleys join you and not Dumbledore? It just doesn't make any sense.” Sirius
sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

“By the time I brought my offer to the Weasleys, Arthur, Molly, Charlie, and Bill were already
ensconced in the Order. We can’t abandon it completely or we would be abandoning family.” Harry
was still confused though everyone else seemed to understand completely. He raised his voice just a
little to make sure that everyone knew he was serious.

“Wait, I don’t understand. How would that be abandoning family? I thought that Malfoys and Blacks
hated Weasleys?” Hermione groaned next to him and Sirius gave him a sad smile. It was with a sad
huff that he spoke.

“Before I explain that situation to Harry, I want everyone to know that this is going to be our own
personal war headquarters. I refused to join the Order the Phoenix and that means that the rest of you
are kind of thrown in by default. Honestly, I can’t just abide by doing things that others order without
having any reason as to why. I want everyone to know what happened to their families and I'm not
sure that Dumbledore is the way to doing that. Honestly, I wouldn’t have joined him anyways, not
after James and Lily.” Sirius laughed darkly for a good few minutes before quieting down and
gaining his composure. Once he was calm, he gestured for Harry to continue.

“I don’t why the Weasleys hate the Malfoys. The twins seem just fine with the Malfoys and if Molly
and Arthur were willing to let them go anywhere with Lucius, they must be alright with them as
well. Truthfully, I think it would be an amazing friendship if they could only make it work. Nobody
would ever expect it.” Hermione leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, taking him completely by
surprise.

“That’s exactly the kind of thinking we need right now.” Harry was so surprised that he just kept
quiet. He didn’t want to make himself sound dumber than he really was. Sirius finally interceded.

“We’re all family now, even the Weasleys. I know that they pledged to the Order before they were
family but that isn’t going to matter in the long run.” Harry could hear the determination in his voice
and he almost believed it. However, he needed to hear the rest of the story, especially how the
Weasleys fit into their story. Once everyone was focused again, Sirius started to speak again.

“I don’t plan on any of us joining the Order of the Phoenix. Albus cares nothing for its members,
only for the end result. I can’t abide by that. We will continue to fight the war but on our own terms.
We will fight the war on our own terms, not those set by Albus Dumbledore. I want as many of us to
live as possible through this war and if we let Albus or Voldemort have control, that will never
happen.” Everyone seemed to agree with his godfather so Harry nodded his head. The meeting
broke up quickly after a promise to tell Harry, Draco, and Hermione anytime that they were involved
in something that others had planned. Once they were all focused on their own conversations aside
from Harry, Hermione, and Draco, Hermione turned to Harry and smiled.

“I’m so glad you’re finally here, Harry. It’s been a full house but it still feels empty without you
here.” Harry smiled at her words but wouldn’t be deterred. He didn’t even offer a greeting back.

“What happened with the Weasleys?” Hermione sighed and started to explain what her father had
done, wishing against everything that he had offered to help explain. She told him how Molly had
taken on her maiden name to carry the magic of Ron and Ginny because her father refused to have
them related to the Blacks in any way. By the end of the conversation, Harry was fuming mad and
she could tell that it was going to be bad. He exploded and Hermione could only stand there and take
the brunt of it.

“You’re telling me that you gave the Weasleys an ancient Black title but left Ron and Ginny out of it
because you don’t like them? You forced them to take a different name than the rest of their family?”
Hermione could feel herself getting angry but she put a lid on it. She could feel Uncle Sev getting
angry next to her and she glared at Harry, wondering how they had gotten off to such a great start
this summer.

“For one, I had no part in any of this since it was my father that offered the barony to the Weasley
family in the first place. I simply agreed with it. Second, why would I want to be related to people
who fucking hated me enough to slap in the face and curse me bald? Family doesn’t do that to each
other and they have never been nice to me. No, I don’t feel bad for them. I don’t feel bad for Molly
either, she was horrible to me last summer for your birthday party, the party that took place in my
own home. You didn’t give two fucks about that, though, did you? You have done nothing but
throw me over for the Weasleys and I’m done with it, Harry. If you want to be their friends, fine.
You made clear that I can’t influence what you do and the choices you make for the House of Potter.
Same goes for you. I will be Lady Black until I have a son who is old enough to take over the mantle
of Lord Black. I will be in charge of my family and you don’t get to tell me how to keep my family
safe. You told me that you were going to do what you want in regards to Ginny, that’s fine. I
respected it and let it go, even though every instinct in my body told me not to. Now it’s your turn.
Get over it because the tables have turned and you don’t get to tell me how to run my House.”
Everyone in the room was silent as they watched the confrontation play out. Harry stared at
Hermione and even though he was livid, he couldn’t help but think that she was breathtaking while
she was angry. Before he could speak again, Sirius spoke.

“It wasn’t Hermione’s idea to offer the Weasleys the barony, Harry. I was the one who set forth the
stipulations, not her.” Hermione cut him off with an angry gesture.

“Don’t bother, daddy. He always wants to believe the worst of me, just let him continue. I’ll never
measure up to his precious Ron and Ginny. If it makes him feel better, let him continue. I'm used to
never being good enough.” Sirius’ eyes narrowed at her words but Harry refused to meet his eyes.
He knew that she had a point but he couldn't make himself speak right now, not to her. Instead, he
turned to Sirius.

“You think it’s not bullying to leave them out of something like that, to separate them from their
family?” Sirius turned cold eyes to him and for the first time, Harry realized that his godfather was
taking his advice and putting his daughter first.

“I won’t have the animal that struck my daughter protected by my name and fortune. I won’t have
the little whore that accused my godson of fathering her nonexistent child sullying my good name. If
you want to be friends with them, that’s fine. That’s your choice, Harry. I won’t stop you and neither
will Hermione. However, we are protecting our family and they aren’t good for our family.” Harry
sneered at his godfather.

“Good for your image, you mean.” Sirius shrugged.

“However you want to look at it. You want to capitalize on my image when you go before the
Wizengamot for your trial. You think my image would be worth anything if I brought those two into
my family and let them do as they pleased? No, I would be a fucking laughingstock. I think you
should also realize that their own family chose to do this to them. They realized that they brought this
on themselves and have decided to not punish the other members of the family because the two
youngest are fucking idiots. Everything we do has consequences and this is one of theirs. I haven’t
banned them from the Baron’s estate, I haven’t told them that they can’t live with their family.
They’re still benefiting from the fortune that came along with the title. They just no longer have the
name associated with the Baron or the family in which the barony originated.” Harry knew that he
was wrong. It was clear that the rest of the Weasleys had made the decision to do this but he couldn’t
help but feel that it wasn’t fair. However, Sirius was right. Every action had a consequence and just
because Ron and Ginny were his friends didn’t mean that they were exempt. He heaved a deep sigh
and nodded.

“You’re right, Siri, I’m sorry. It’s your family and you have the right to do as you please.” His
godfather nodded his acquiescence and cocked an eyebrow. Harry was just about to turn to
Hermione and apologize when her head turned to the door that led to the library. Sirius was on his
feet and Hermione was hot on his trail towards the floo. He raised an eyebrow at Draco and the
blond just shrugged his shoulders. He couldn’t help asking the next question.

“What’s going on?” Sirius looked very sidetracked when he answered.

“There’s someone not authorized trying to get through the floo.” Harry pulled his wand and followed
after the two Blacks, Uncle Lucius, Remus and Severus hot on their trail. Once they were outside the
floo, Severus pulled Hermione behind him and she glared at him but let him stand in front of her.
Harry slipped his hand in hers and pulled her further back to stand beside him. She glared at him as
well but he ignored it.

Sirius was using his wand on the floo and after a few moments, the floo spit out an elderly man that
Harry didn’t recognize at all. Sirius didn’t step forward to help him up, instead, he stood above him
with his wand trained on him while he struggled to his feet. Hermione let go of his hand and stepped
up next to her father and raised her chin as she spoke.

“What is your business with the House of Black?” The older gentleman finally got to his feet and
stared at Hermione, clearly leering at her. All the men drew closer to her but it didn’t stop her from
raising her wand at him. She stepped forward until she was just out of reach.

“You’ll answer or you’ll find yourself portkeyed right back out. Trust me, you’ll never make it
through our wards.” The older man cleared his throat and sighed.

“Apolline Delacour told me that you were here. She was describing your family and I knew instantly
that your family had stolen mine. My daughter is here, as is my granddaughter. I’m sure you know
Helena Bardon.” Harry saw Hermione stiffen and he supposed that it probably wasn’t good.
Therefore, he stepped forward and pulled her back away from the man and let the older men step
forward. It was Sirius that spoke next.

“What’s your name?” The man turned his attention to Sirius and squared his shoulders.

“I'm Alexandre Bardon, father to Helena. I’ve been searching for her for more than a decade.” Sirius
snorted.

“Did you ever think that she was hiding for a reason?” The man’s eyes flashed but he said nothing.
After several seconds, he spoke again.

“I’ve come for my granddaughter.” Sirius started laughing now.

“You won’t be coming anywhere near my daughter. I’ve already had the paternity tests done at
Gringotts and she’s legally taken my name. You can’t touch her.” Anger flashed in the man’s eyes
and Harry doubted that this would be the end of it. At that very moment, Helena walked out of the
library, calling Sirius’ name. She froze when she saw her father and started to back away. Alexandre
stepped forward but Severus raised his wand and the man walked into it.

“Helly, you need to come home. I’ve missed you. I’ve made you my heir, my legacy is your
daughter’s.” Helena shook her head and Sirius wrapped an arm around her waist, calming her.

“Like I told you, Juliet won’t be coming anywhere near you. She’s my daughter and you won’t win
against me in court. As for Helena, she’s far past the age to have chosen to leave home. She isn’t a
pureblood heiress so you have no reason to force her home before a court.” The man wilted and he
met his daughter’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, Helly. I just want to make things right before I die.” Harry could see that she was
faltering and Sirius held her tighter. When she spoke, her voice was soft and small.

“We’ll meet you in public, three days from now. Sirius will there and if you try anything, I’ll cut you
out of my life again and you’ll never see me or her again.” The man nodded happily and spit out a
time and place.

Harry heard them agreeing where to meet and was quick to head back to the library after Sirius had
shoved the man back through. Once they were all seated again, Helena sighed heavily and leaned
against Sirius.

“I’m going to have to tell her everything. It’s going to be horrible.” Hermione gave the woman an
encouraging smile.

“Juliet is strong. You just might be surprised.” Helena smiled at her but said nothing else. Harry took
the moment to look at Hermione and could tell that she was avoiding his gaze. He was getting ready
to apologize when an owl flew through the window and she jumped to her feet to take the letter from
it. Draco rolled his eyes and Harry raised his eyebrows at him questioningly. He leaned over to speak
quietly.

“Cedric is trying to court her. They went on a date last week. I’m not sure she’s really into it but
she’s finally gotten the hint that you don’t want to be with her. She’s trying to get over you, alright,
don’t ruin it for her.” Harry felt his heart clench at his cousin’s words.

The thought of Hermione moving on and dating someone else made him want to throw things. He
couldn’t complain either because Cedric really was a decent guy. He played around a little but as far
as Harry knew, he was loyal to girls that he actually dated. There were only two years difference
between Cedric and Hermione so they would probably work out quite well. What hurt the most was
that he had driven her to this. Rather than say anything of the sort to Draco, he gave him a nod and a
strained smile.

“I’ll support it until he hurts her.” Draco nodded but continued.

“I’m not sure if it’ll last. She told me she doesn’t really connect with him but she’s determined to
move on. She did say that he’s a great guy and that she hopes to stay friends with him.” Harry felt
hope blossom in his chest. Maybe if he changed his ways now he could convince her that he did
want her. That he wanted to date her.

After the summer spent with muggle girls, he knew that wizarding girls weren’t going to serve him
any better. None of them made him feel better, in fact, he usually felt worse about himself after
sleeping with them. Being around Hermione, talking to her, writing to her, those were the things that
lasted, that made him feel as if he could carry on. It was too little too late but it was the truth. It was
going to take a long time just to prove to her that he was serious, he had hurt her quite a bit, after all,
but if he could pull it off, it would be worth it.

Therefore, he swore to himself that he wouldn’t interfere in her relationship with Cedric. He would
just be a better friend and start to make sure that she knew that she was important to him. He wasn’t
going to let her run roughshod over him and his decisions, he was still going to be friendly with
Ginny, but he was going to prove to her that she worth the effort. Just as he should have done a long
time ago.
Harry watched Hermione take her note and excuse herself to her room and he vowed to give her a
heartfelt apology in the morning. He was going to make things right between them and he was going
to prove to her that they could be good together. He just hoped that he could remain celibate long
enough to make sure it happened. He didn’t want to cheat on her and he didn’t want to hurt her. He
was known for fucking up so it wouldn’t surprise him if he did hurt her. Therefore, he promised that
he wouldn’t tell her until he was sure that he could do it. He wanted to be able to tell her it had been
however many months since he had slept with a girl when he finally told her how he felt.

Harry excused himself with a new determination about him. He was going to make it work and he
only hoped that she noticed and appreciated it. He loved her and just hoped that he hadn’t ruined her
feelings for him for good.

A/N- There we are, folks, another chapter down. Hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone out
there for reading and reviewing. You guys are awesome. Anyways, let me know what you think, I
do so love hearing your opinions. Reviews are love.

Next chapter, court hearing and a birthday party.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 86

A/N- You guys are just awesome for supporting this story as you do. Well, most of you, haha.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm once again having problems responding to reviews so I
apologize again. I’m so tired of seeing invalid message and 503 unavailable...so frustrating! Also, to
those you that have asked me about my grandfather, thank you so much for your good thoughts,
vibes, and prayers. He’s rallied and has been moved to a nursing home and is completely lucid, quite
the change from how he was when this all started. Thank you for being patient and understanding, it
really means a lot.

**Shout out to Jamie Theobold for being my 4200th reviewer. You’re freaking awesome!**

Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story or any other that I’ve written. I suppose that I can
claim the personal plot twist but the original idea belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the
characters belong to our queen. I haven’t made a single knut off this story or any other.

Chapter 86
August 8, 1995

Harry crawled out of bed and couldn’t help the sense of dread that had settled in the pit of his
stomach. It was the day of his trial and he was scared of what would happen if he was found guilty.
Sirius and Uncle Lucius had assured him that there would only be a fine but he, Hermione and
Draco had found an old case some forty years years before in one of the old law books in
Blackmoor’s library and the fifteen year old boy had had his wand snapped, never to practice magic
again. Of course, this was the only case like this that they could find but he didn’t doubt for a second
that Fudge would push for this if he thought that he could get it.

Harry showered off quickly, knowing that the others would be waiting for him down at the breakfast
table. Unlike last year where he had to have Dobby show him where everything was so he didn’t get
lost, this year he knew where everything was and he had no problems finding everything. He dressed
quickly in his dress robes, knowing that he would need to look nice for his hearing. Sirius had
already warned his as to what to wear and what not to. Hermione had reiterated it.

Harry headed down the stairs in a set of black dress robes with emerald green accents that matched
his eyes perfectly. Aunt Cissy had taken him shopping for them and had insisted that they were
perfect, that they would blow everyone away because of how perfect they were. Harry had rolled his
eyes at the time but now he had to hope that she was right. His future was hanging on this one event
and he couldn't afford to get it wrong.

He entered the dining room to find that himself and Juliet were the only ones missing; even the
Weasleys were in attendance. At first, he had been surprised at how close the Weasley family had
been to the Blacks after they had posed the impossible choice of alienating Ron and Ginny to them.
However, it didn’t seem as though it had bothered them all that much. When Harry had pulled Fred
and George aside to ask them why that was, both boys had shrugged and told Harry that Ron and
Ginny had made their choices which meant that they had also made the choices of the Weasley
family, meaning that they didn’t have to be guilty. Why should the rest of them suffer because the
two of them had been selfish arseholes?

Harry could understand that outlook just a little bit. He didn’t necessarily agree with it but he could
understand it. It wasn’t fair to punish the rest of the family for the actions of Ron and Ginny but he
still couldn’t believe that the rest of the family had thrown their two youngest members to the side so
easily. When Hermione had walked in on his saying this to Remus in the library only a few days
after being back to Black Moor, she had raised an eyebrow at him and told him that maybe the
youngest members of the family shouldn’t have made it so bloody easy to be cast aside. Harry hated
to agree with her words.

Harry hadn’t seen Ron or Ginny since the school year ended but he had exchanged letters with Ron.
He had yet to mention the debacle with the name change and such but it was only a matter of time
before it was going to be brought up. Later that afternoon, there was a birthday party for all three
teens at Malfoy Manor and Ron and Ginny were both invited as Harry’s guests. They were both
scheduled to attend so they would get a chance to explain there. Since Harry hadn’t answered any of
Ginny’s letters, he doubted that she would tell him anything about the situation but that was fine with
him. They weren’t friends so much as acquaintances; he was strictly helping out a friend by talking
to her so she wouldn’t be shunned by the entirety of their house.

His whole family, the Weasleys included, were beckoning for him to sit down and eat. He joined
them, sitting between Hermione and Fred, and piled his plate high with Dot’s fabulous cooking.
Hermione watched as he started to dig into his food and he did his best to remember his manners. He
had done his best to act grown up, to show her how serious he was about her, but so far, she hadn’t
noticed. Not that he blamed her. She was caught up in Cedric right now and he couldn’t begrudge
her that. He had ignored her how many times for other girls so it was only fair that she put him on the
back burner for another boy.

Harry hated it though. He hated coming in second place to a Hufflepuff. He hated Cedric for it even
though he really didn’t. According to Draco, the boy treated her well. He took her out and treated her
right, made sure that she came first in everything. It made him sick to see someone else doing
everything that he should have been doing all along but there wasn’t anything that he could do about
it now except what he was already doing.

Harry had been far more attentive to her than he ever had been. Draco had noticed, of course, but
nobody else had seemed to. Draco had told him that Uncle Lucius had noticed but the man had said
nothing. He likely wouldn’t unless he hurt Hermione. Harry never wanted to do that, he had done
enough of that to last a lifetime. Therefore, he watched in silence as she smiled to herself at Cedric’s
letters and left the house to go on dates in pretty dresses that made her look amazing. It was torture
but Harry knew that he had done it to himself.

As he ate his breakfast, the rest of his family kept the conversation light around him. They would all
be going to the Ministry as a united front and he was happy to have the support. The twins were
joking around, telling him that they would fashion him a wand with his own hair if they snapped his
wand, telling him that it was probably more magical than a phoenix feather. Percy was chastising
them and Charlie was laughing at them, telling them to stop. Bill was rolling his eyes and telling
them all to behave. It was nice to have his Gryffindor friends around as well as his Slytherin friends
and he had to admit that Sirius making it happen gave him a bit of hero worship.

Breakfast came to an end and Harry stood, knowing that they needed to head to the Ministry. Sirius
came around the table and clapped him on the shoulder and met his eyes. Harry could see that he
was worried and he knew that it was because he never discovered who ordered the dementors to
attack him. It seemed as though the Wizengamot were getting more closed off as the waters got
murkier and Harry didn’t like it any more than his godfather and uncle did.

“Remus and Charlie are going to escort you since Lucius, Bill and I are going to sit in on this one.
You’re going to need our votes. We know that we have the Greengrass and Longbottom votes in the
bag. I want you to tell the truth and offer the memory if they’ll let you. There are several families that
are neutral, they’ll vote in your favor if you just show them the truth. Amelia is one of them.” Harry
nodded and lowered his head, ashamed of the fact that he was frightened. Sirius knew exactly what
his problem was though and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“We’re going to win this, Harry. Have faith in me. I know I let you down when you were a baby but
have faith in me now.” Harry gave him a jerky nod and met his godfather’s eyes. Before it could get
too uncomfortable, Hermione stepped forward and linked her arms with his, smiling brightly.

“We’ll be right there with you. You won’t be alone.” Harry smiled at her, thankful for her optimism.
Just as he was about to answer there was a pecking at the window and the owl was unknown to
them. Lucius stood and let it in, taking the owl and untying the letter from it’s leg. Once the letter
was free, the owl flew off through the window, clearly not needing an answer. Uncle Lucius raised
an eyebrow and extended his arm to Harry.

“It’s for you, Harry. It seems as though it’s from the DNA center.”

Harry had visited a DNA lab just a few days before with Fred and George in tow, Sirius still unsure
as to why he needed to know for sure why this was necessary. However, Harry did feel a need for
this information and he wasn’t going to stop until it was done. He had given his blood freely, as had
both twins, and their DNA had been tested against each other to see if there had been common
markers. Basically, Harry wanted to see if his mother had been a bastard Prewett child. It had made
sense that muggleborns were spawned from squibs or were bastards of pureblood families. He truly
believed that Lucius was onto something with that train of thought. Therefore, he had went and
gotten tested against Fred and George since they were both of Prewett descent and that was the most
well-known red-headed family that was quite powerful. If it was negative, he would approach
Amelia and ask her to give a sample to test against.

Harry ripped into the envelope, eager to read the results. If his mother did prove to be a Prewett, he
wondered how closely he would be related to the Weasleys. He knew that his grandmother was a
Black, the cousin to Sirius, but it wasn't close enough to make it weird for him to like Hermione. He
knew that Ginny still liked him and he hoped that it was close enough that it would end up being too
weird for him to continue with her. Not that it would probably stop her but it would be nice to have a
genuine reason.

He read the paper quickly and was thrilled and sickened at what he read. His hands shook slightly
but he tried to keep them under control. Of all days, today wasn’t the day to lose his control. After
reading the letter several times over, he smiled and looked up the see the rest of the room watching
him. He gave them a smile.

“The muggles tested my blood against Fred and George’s. They determined that we were first
cousins, meaning that my mum was somehow the illegitimate daughter of Molly’s father. He had an
affair somewhere along the way with my grandma and had my mum.” Silence reigned and Harry
wasn’t sure how the Weasleys would take the information since he was sure that they put their family
on a pedestal. However, it was Charlie that broke out laughing at the information.

“Horny old bastard. No wonder Grandma hated him. I wonder how many other bastard children
there are. It would be nice to know so we don’t end up marrying them. That would just be
disturbing.” Harry couldn’t help but agree. He shrugged his shoulders and gestured to the Weasleys
towards the paper in his hands.

“You could always demand the wife-to-be get tested before you marry. The muggle firm would have
no reason to lie. They have no knowledge of magic.” Bill nodded and it was clear that he thought it
was a good idea. He was no more enamored with the thought of inter-marrying than he was.
However, Harry couldn’t help but be disgusted at the thought that he had fucked his first cousin.
When he turned his attention to Hermione, he could see that she was frowning and she let her arm
fall from his, stepping back away from him.
Harry wasn’t sure what the problem was until it suddenly hit him. He was closer related to the
Weasleys than he was her and she wasn’t sure where she stood with him now. In her eyes, he had
already cast her aside when it came to Ginny and she was sure that it was going to happen again now
that he was related to them. It broke his heart when he realized that he had made her so unsure of
herself. Rather than make a big deal out of them being closer related, he reached out and tugged one
of her curls before waiting for her to give him a slight smile.

“Well, I already considered you all family anyways so I guess nothing changes there.” Harry could
see some of the tension leave her shoulders but her eyes were still downcast. He didn’t know what
else he could say or do without bringing attention to her actions and making her embarrassed.
Therefore, he just left it alone and promised himself that he would fix this if it took him ten years.
Fred and George were exclaiming to each other how completely awesome it was that they were
related to the Boy-Who-Lived, most likely with the express purpose of irritating him since they knew
he hated that moniker. The other Weasleys were all shaking their heads in exasperation at the twin’s
actions. Finally, Uncle Lucius cleared his throat.

“It’s time to go. We can’t put it off any longer without being late and that would look very bad.”
Harry nodded and laid the letter from the DNA center on the table, knowing that one of the elves
would have Dobby put it in his room. He wondered what the wizarding world at large would think if
they knew his mother was actually a half-blood. Sirius was giving Remus and Charlie last minutes
instructions and everyone else was gathering by the floo.

Since there were so many of them, they wouldn’t be using Sirius’ office floo in the Ministry but
rather the public entrance in the Atrium. It would be much more crowded but there wasn’t anything
that they could do about that. Harry knew for a fact that Dumbledore had tried to represent him in his
capacity as Head of the Wizengamot but Sirius had refused, telling him that his barrister would be
doing so. They needed someone on their side presiding over the whole thing, something that
Dumbledore didn’t seem to understand. If he didn’t preside, Fudge would take his place and that
could end up being disastrous. Uncle Lucius had made it clear that Fudge was out for blood and he
wanted Harry’s.

Without further ado, Sirius and Uncle Lucius disappeared into the floo and were gone in a flash of
green flame. Harry took a deep breath and stepped up to the fireplace, letting Charlie and Remus go
first. Hermione stepped up and took his hand, squeezing it softly. She gave him a soft kiss on the
cheek and smiled.

“Remember to keep your temper and to make sure that your expression is impassive. Don’t show
emotion, most of the members of the Wizengamot were Slytherins and they’ll see it as weakness.
Think before you speak and make sure that you can prove everything you say. Above all, be
confident. Believe what you say. If you don’t believe it, they won’t. You can do this. We all believe
in you.” Harry knew that she was saying this now because she wasn’t going to be able to say it once
they were there. She had just as much a part to play as he did and she couldn’t afford to show
emotion either. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead quickly before
releasing her.

“Thanks, Mia.” She nodded at him before gesturing for him to get in the fireplace and floo away.

Harry threw the floo powder and disappeared, only to reappear in the crowded Atrium of the
Ministry. It seemed as though the whole wizarding world knew that Harry Potter was on trial today
and they wanted to see the outcome. Hermione and Draco came out of the floo next and were
instantly behind him, clearly watching his back. Fred, George and Percy came through last, meaning
that they were free to move towards the bottom floors where the courtrooms were located.
Harry couldn’t feel Hermione touching him but he knew that she was right behind him. Charlie and
Remus led him through the corridors of the Ministry until they reached the ninth floor. Once they
entered the cavernous room that would serve as his hearing room, Harry was met by a man that
could only be the Black family barrister, Mr. Jamison Leevey. He held out his hand and Harry was
quick to shake it. When he saw Hermione, he reached out and kissed the back of her knuckles,
bowing over her hand.

“You look lovely today, Miss Black.” She curtsied to him prettily and Harry couldn’t help but be a
little irritated. He knew that he was only showering her with attention because she was technically
his client but it rubbed him the wrong way. After he released her hand, he turned back to Harry.

“You’ll sit up here with me. The rest of your family will sit directly behind us. Your godfather was
very clear that he wanted to present a united front.” Harry nodded and gave his family one last
glance before following the middle-aged man to the table at the front of the room. Once they were
seated, Harry met the older man’s gaze and he leveled with him.

“The prosecution says they have a witness that states there were no dementors in the area. He swears
that you must have been trying to send a message to Lord Black, begging for him to come get you
early because you hate your relatives.” Harry raised his eyebrow at the barrister’s words.

“If that's the truth, why wouldn’t I just send an owl? Or word with my elf?” Mr. Leevey shrugged
his shoulders but kept eye contact.

“It doesn’t matter what we say, it’s what they believe. You have to prove that there were dementors
since it’s quite clear that you are capable of casting a patronus and I'm fairly certain you can send a
message with one. You admitted to such while in Hogwarts. If you try to lie about this, they will
bring that up. Did you actually see the dementors that night in Little Whinging?” Harry nodded.

“They were chasing me and by extension my cousin. He couldn't see them but I could. I sent out my
patronus after them.” Mr. Leevy let out a sigh of relief.

“This should be cut and dried then. I’ll ask for your memory and as long as they don’t object, it
should prove that there were indeed dementors that were after you that night. They won’t convict
you if your life was in danger. That would be against the law.” Harry wasn’t so sure that they still
wouldn’t try but he didn’t voice this since it wouldn’t be very helpful. Therefore, he simply nodded
that he understood. He didn’t get to speak any further because the big doors on the one side that he
remembered from Pettigrew’s trial last summer opened and the Wizengamot members filed in and
started taking their seats.

Harry instantly spotted Sirius, Uncle Lucius, and Bill. He wasn’t quite sure which one was
Greengrass but he recognized Augusta Longbottom from Neville’s photo of her on his bedside table.
She was very austere, what one would call handsome, and she had the no-nonsense look about her
that screamed fairness. It heartened him. Once they were all seated, the prosecutor arrived and took
the table opposite of Harry and Mr. Leevey, though Harry didn’t know his name. He gave the pair of
them a smirk and even though Harry wanted to flip him the bird, he kept his face impassive like
Hermione had told him. Finally, the Headmaster entered in his capacity as the Head of the
Wizengamot and took his seat, banging on the gavel before speaking.

“This court will come to order. We are here today to determine the guilt or innocence of Harry James
Potter in the matter of using underage magic without cause on the date of July 19, 1995. To be more
specific, the patronus charm was used. Mr. Neebil, as prosecution, you have the choice to lead. Your
decision?” The prosecutor, Mr. Neebil as it was, stood and nodded.

“I’ll lead, sir.” Dumbledore nodded.

“You may begin your opening statement.” The balding man smoothed his robes and started to speak.

“You all know Harry Potter. You’ve heard the stories about him. Vanquisher of the Dark Lord,
Chosen One, the Boy-Who-Lived. I’m telling you right now, this boy has let his fame go to his head
and thinks that the rules don’t apply to him. At Hogwarts, he’s done nothing but get into trouble.
Disregards the rules, gets other students hurt, then gets rewarded for it so it’s no surprise that he
thinks that’s how real life works. I’m going to prove to you all that Harry Potter cast the patronus
charm that sweltering night in Little Whinging, not because dementors were after him, but because
he was tired of being stuck in the muggle world and he sent a message to his godfather, begging him
to come and get him early for his yearly visit.” Harry was seething and was glad that his counsel had
warned him. He would probably have exploded in anger if he hadn’t already known what they were
going to say. When the prosecutor took a seat, Mr. Leevey stood and flashed a smile to the members
of the Wizengamot.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Neebil has said some pretty compelling things today.
Spoke of a young man who has let fame go to his head. However, when I look at Harry Potter, that’s
not what I see. I see a young man who has been orphaned and has been without a loving family and
guidance for thirteen years. I see a young man that has had to adjust to a whole new world that he
should have grown up in. I am going to prove to you that there were indeed dementors that night in
Little Whinging and he cast the patronus charm to drive them away, thus saving not only his life and
soul but that of his muggle cousin’s.” There were soft gasps from the audience. Apparently, it had
been left out that his cousin had been with him that night even though the original letter from the
Ministry had been admonishing his casting the charm in the presence of a muggle. Mr. Leevey took
his seat and Dumbledore waved his hand at Mr. Neebil, gesturing for him to begin.

The prosecutor stood and the door opened, a weedy-looking man stepped through to take a seat at
the witness stand. He could hear Hermione whispering furiously behind him but he couldn’t make
out her words. Harry knew that the man looked vaguely familiar but he couldn’t place who he was.
He heard Draco shush Hermione quietly and though he couldn’t hear her anymore, he knew that her
anger was still silently raging behind him. Mr. Neebil started to wander the room, making a show of
questioning the man.

“I know that most of the people in this room know who you are but could you please identify
yourself for the court.” The man nodded.

“My name is Lord Thoros Nott.” Theo Nott’s father, he should have known. He looked just like
him, just a lot of hard years on him. Harry knew from Severus and Lucius that he was a Death Eater
and he was certain that he faintly remembered seeing him in the graveyard. It was no wonder that he
was trying to tell the world that he used magic for no reason. Voldemort would love it if his wand
was snapped.

“Please tell us what happened the night of July 19.” Thoros Nott crossed his ankle over his knee and
smoothed his robes imperiously.

“I was in muggle London visiting a muggle wench for pleasures. Her child was at the park and I
went there to retrieve her and the child. Potter was there sitting on a swing. There was a group of
boys there conversing with him. They stormed off and he started to walk away. It was as he was
leaving the park that I saw him pull his wand and cast his patronus. I was too far away to see what it
was but I could see it gleaming silver in the burgeoning moonlight.” Harry was gritting his teeth to
keep from bursting out in anger. He was using every occlumency shield he had to make sure that he
kept his anger firmly behind them. Mr. Neebil, however, seemed inordinately pleased.

“Thank you, Lord Nott. No further questions.” Mr. Leevey stood and smiled at Theo’s father.
“Lord Nott, you say you were in the same park as Harry Potter and you say you saw him pull his
wand and cast a spell in the moonlight. If you saw this, how did the muggles not see it?” Lord Nott
glared at him.

“I really don’t know. They must not have been paying attention.” The barrister gave him a friendly
nod, showing that he surely believed him.

“If this is the truth, why didn’t you go after your son’s friend and admonish him for using magic in
public, for using magic at all outside of school? Surely he knew the rules.” Lord Nott started to
sputter before spitting his words out in anger.

“He is not my son’s friend. The rest of the Slytherins may be friends with him but not Theo. He has
proper pureblood pride. It’s not my place to make sure the whelp doesn’t do magic outside of school,
it’s his godfather’s. It’s not my fault he can’t do his job correctly.” Harry clenched his hands together
under the table and hoped the Merlin that Hermione and Sirius kept their tempers under control. It
was no secret that they both had anger problems and it was likely that Thoros Nott was trying to
provoke them now. He was pleasantly surprised when Sirius simply smirked at the man and tipped
an imaginary hat at him. Hermione, he was so sure of but he didn’t dare look back at her to find out.
Mr. Leevey just smiled at Lord Nott and spoke quietly.

“No further questions.” Dumbledore waved the man from the seat and once he was gone from the
courtroom, he looked to Mr. Neebil.

“Do you have any further witnesses?” The prosecutor didn’t look too sure of himself anymore as he
shook his head in the negative. Harry tried not to openly grin as the Headmaster turned to Mr.
Leevey.

“The prosecution rests. You may present your case, Mr. Leevey.” His counsel stood and smoothed
his robes, something that would quickly get on Harry’s nerves if he had to watch every wizard do it
every day like his godfather and uncle did. Harry knew that this was the moment of truth.

“I’m going to call Harry Potter to the stand.” Harry stood and started for the seat that Lord Nott had
just vacated. Once he was seated, Mr. Leevey winked at him.

“Mr. Potter, I’m not going to mince words with you here today. On July 19th of this year, did you
indeed cast the patronus charm?” Harry cleared his throat before answering.

“Yes, I did.” Mr. Leevey gave him an encouraging smile.

“Did you cast the charm in defense against dementors for yourself and your muggle cousin?” Harry
nodded as he spoke.

“Yes, sir, I did.” There were whispers in the gallery but Harry paid them no mind. Mr. Leevey
reached in his robe pockets and pulled out a tiny bowl before waving his wand at it, enlarging it for
the courtroom to see.

“I have here a pensieve. I would like Madam Bones to come down and check it for tampering to
make sure that I can’t be accused of tampering with it later. I want Mr. Potter to produce his memory
of that night.” Mr. Neebil was instantly on his feet, shouting his objections so quickly that Harry
couldn’t even understand what he was saying. Dumbledore, however, could it seemed. Once the
man quit shouting, the Headmaster spoke calmly.
“I will allow it. This also means that I will allow Lord Nott’s memory to viewed as well. Both
memories will be viewed by Madam Bones and she will determine if they’ve been tampered with.”
Harry didn’t have to have supersonic hearing to hear this hiss of rage coming from Mr. Neebil. He
knew exactly why too. Lord Nott’s memory would never pass as being untampered and they all
knew it. This was why his father had wanted Dumbledore to preside over the trial, not Fudge. He
thanked Merlin that his family was looking out for him because it seemed as though Dumbledore had
too many things going on in his life to make sure that his wand wasn’t snapped.

Harry watched as Madam Bones vacated her Wizengamot seat and inspected the pensieve in her
position as the Head of the D.M.L.E. Once she had deemed it untampered with, Mr. Leevey came
over and explained to Harry how to put the memory at the forefront of his mind and to concentrate
on only that so he could extract it for viewing. Of course, he couldn’t let on that he already knew
how to do this because of his training with Severus. After the memory was floating from the tip of
the barrister’s wand, he dropped it into the pensieve and put the memory into a view mode so the
whole room could view it.

Harry watched himself grab Dudley and drag him through the park and flatten him against the wall
as the dementors drew close. He saw himself draw his wand as the dark figures drew close and he
could hear Dudley breathing hard behind him. He saw Prongs leap from his wand as he cast the
charm and watched it race up and down the way, chasing off the dementors and then finally come
nuzzle his chest while he petted his stag’s face. Dudley’s question about what the stag was rang
throughout the courtroom and it was clear that his cousin knew that he had just saved his life. When
the memory went dark, Harry let out the breath he had been holding. Madam Bones came down
once more and dipped her finger into the memory and watched for several minutes before pulling out
and looking at the Headmaster.

“The memory is authentic. It hasn’t been tampered with at all.” Mr. Leevey smiled at Harry and
looked at Dumbledore.

“No further questions.” He looked to the prosecutor and he shook his head.

“No questions, sir.” Dumbledore nodded.

“Would Lord Nott like to submit a memory?” Mr. Neebil shook his head.

“No, he declined at this time.” Harry wanted to cheer and dance a jig but refrained since it wasn’t
over yet. Dumbledore looked to both counselors now.

“Would you like to have closing arguments?” Harry stood at Mr. Leevey’s hand gesture and took his
seat at his table once more. He caught sight of a triumphant look on Hermione’s face before sitting
and he was happy that she was happy. His barrister shook his head.

“I don’t see the need.” Mr. Neebil sighed and hung his head, already knowing that the game was
lost.

“No, sir.” The Headmaster gave them a sage grin and spoke.

“Very well. We’ll call for a vote now.” He turned to the governing body of Wizengamot members.

“Those who find Harry Potter guilty of using underage magic but for good reason, please raise your
wand.” Three-quarters of the members wands went up and Harry breathed a sigh of relief for the first
time since he had gotten the notice from the Ministry. He noticed that Augusta Longbottom and
Amelia Bones had indeed voted his way. Dumbledore gestured for them to lower their wands.
“Those who find Harry Potter guilty of using underage magic for no good reason, please raise your
wand.” The rest of the members raised their wands and though Harry didn’t know who any of them
were, one of them stood out. Where most of the members were wearing their formal robes over dark
colored wizarding robes, this woman looked like a fat little toad that was wearing her formal robes
over baby pink robes. It was an awful color that he wasn’t even sure that Hermione could pull off.
She was glaring at him with such hatred that it seemed like he had personally done something to her.
He knew it wasn’t the case since he was sure that he would remember meeting the ugly woman
before now. Dumbledore’s eyes were twinkling when he turned to face Harry.

“Mr. Potter, your use of underage magic has been deemed necessary and you are free to go. Have a
wonderful day and enjoy your holidays.”

The Wizengamot instantly broke up and they started for the doors that they had come through. Harry
had known that the plan was to go back to Blackmoor before meeting with Sirius or anyone else. He
knew that there were friends at his hearing but he didn’t want to be stopped and talked to; he wanted
to get back to Blackmoor and find out who the woman in pink was and why she hated him so much.

Charlie and Remus took the lead, making sure that Harry was right behind them. He hated feeling
that he was being protected. He was the great vanquisher of Voldemort after all. It was Hermione
that the Dark Lord wanted, that he wanted to kidnap and impregnate. She should be the one that they
were all protecting. Not that she would ever let them. She, Draco, the twins, and Percy fanned out
around him and they started for the door, making it clear out of the courtroom before there was a
shout of his name. He turned to see Lavender running his way. She ran right through Hermione,
shoving her aside, to throw herself into his arms. He caught her by instinct but he felt a flash of anger
when he saw Hermione pushing off the wall she had fallen into. Harry thrust her away from himself
and glared at her.

“You ran right into Hermione. You need to apologize.” Hermione’s eyes were wide in surprise and
she started to stammer that it wasn’t necessary but Fred stepped forward and laid an arm around her
shoulders, silently telling her that it was. Lavender gave him an incredulous look that said that she
couldn’t believe what he was saying to her and he supposed that he couldn’t blame her. He had
never demanded respect like this for Hermione. Not past telling them that they shouldn’t prank her.

“You can’t be serious. That little bitch tried to kill me and you want me to apologize to her.”
Hermione looked to the ground and he could see that she was still ashamed of herself about that
incident. She started to pull Fred with her, trying to pass it off as though it was no big deal.

“It doesn’t matter, Harry.” She walked past him and the others before he could say anything else and
once she was several paces ahead of them, Harry grabbed Lavender’s arm and pulled her close
enough so he could speak low enough to where the others couldn’t hear him but she could.

“You will never touch her again. You won’t come near her again. She’s my family and she’s more
important than you’ll ever be, Lavender. Don’t think I’m kidding with you. I’m done with jealous
little cunts like you treating her like shite. Be nice or don’t come near me. It’s as simple as that. By
the way, we’re done. We’re not fucking anymore.” Lavender started to sputter at his words and he
knew that she had been looking forward to hooking up with him at their party later that afternoon.
She had wrote to him about it earlier that week. As had several other girls that were invited. He
leaned back and gave her a platonic smile that he knew Draco saw through instantly.

“I’ll understand it if you can’t make it to the party this afternoon.” He didn’t wait for her to say
anything else, just started again, making Charlie and Remus hurry ahead lest they get ran over. Harry
arched an eyebrow at Draco.

“You realize the girl that Voldemort wants to kidnap and impregnate just took off with only Fred for
protection, right?” Draco cursed and hurried them all along, both Remus and Charlie shooting them
questioning looks. Harry left it to Draco to explain and once he had, they were all hurrying quite a bit
faster than they had been. Just as they reached the floo, Draco hit him in the arm and scowled.

“Why did you finally have to pull your head out of your arse when she got a boyfriend?” Harry gave
him a sad chuckle.

“Not sure. I’m going to show her I’m serious. I’ll prove it to her. I don’t think she and Cedric will
last but I'm not going to do anything to break them up. I don’t think he’s a strong enough personality
for her. He won’t tell her to fuck off when she needs it and you know it.” Draco started to laugh as
Percy and George stepped in the floo. He clapped Harry on the shoulder.

“You’re right, of course. You know, she’s only dating him because you’re a prick. It’s your fault.”
Harry nodded, knowing he was right. He hit Draco right back, however.

“True. Now you better get your head out of your arse before Daphne starts dating someone else. By
the way, she doesn’t need someone to tell her to fuck off. She and Cedric would be perfect for each
other.” Draco growled at him but Harry sidestepped the swipe that was meant for him by crawling
into the floo. With a whoosh of green flames, he was gone.

-O-

Hermione sat in front of the mirror in her room at Malfoy Manor, getting ready for their party that
afternoon. It was her sixteenth, not really special in the wizarding world, but it meant that in just one
more year she would be an adult. She would be Lady Black. No longer a child. While it was
exciting, it was also scary. She knew that her father and uncle would always be there to help her with
her inheritance and everything that went with it but to eventually handle it on her own scared the life
out of her.

Her hair was hanging heavy down her back and her aunt and convinced her to leave it that way,
showing off the crimson streaks in it. She had orignially planned to wear crimson robes to go with it
but her aunt had talked her into black robes, telling her that it would look good with her hair and it
would make the red streaks pop. She had been correct; it was the first thing she noticed when she
looked in the mirror, that is, until her aunt had come in and insisted that she wore bright red lipstick
as well. Her father and uncle would likely faint on sight but they would have to answer to Aunt
Cissy since it had been her idea.

Harry had tried to catch her since coming back to Blackmoor after his trial but she had avoided him.
She didn’t like that he had seen her weak and embarrassed. He had seen her like that enough and she
was tired of being that person. She had disappeared into her room the second she and Fred had gone
through the floo even though he had told her that it wasn’t necessary, that none of them held her
actions against her. It had been sweet of her friend but she didn’t want to hear it at that moment. She
just wanted to forget that it had ever happened and forget that Lavender had thrown it in Harry’s
face.

It had been nice that Harry had tried to get her to apologize to her; it was something that had never
happened before. He definitely got points for trying. He should have known better, though,
especially against Lavender of all people. She was the one person who had a right to hate Hermione.
She had almost killed her and at the time that it had happened, Hermione hadn’t felt bad. It wasn’t
until after that she had felt remorse. Still, even though it had been sweet, Hermione couldn’t help but
wonder what was going on that Harry was demanding apologies for her.

Harry in general had changed since coming to Black Moor. Sure that first night had rough, that was
no lie. She would never forget that first confrontation about the Weasleys and how he had thought
that he had a right to tell her how to run the Black family.

*Flashback*

Hermione was sitting in her room on the window seat, looking out on the grounds of Black Moor
when there was a knock at her bed room door. She called out for whoever it was to come in, fully
expecting it to be Juliet or Luna. She knew that Draco had gone back to bed after their run. She was
surprised when the door opened to reveal Harry. He looked a little sheepish as he left her door open
to come inside and sit opposite her on the window seat.

“I wanted to come apologize for yesterday. I was a complete arsehole and you didn’t deserve that.
You were right. I was being a hypocrite and had no right to try to tell you how to run the Black
family, even if what happened with the Weasleys wasn’t your decision.” Hermione gave him a small
smile and reached out to grasp his hand.

“You were a total hypocrite. But I accept your apology. Just like you accepted mine. Now we’re
even. Let’s just drop it all. I won’t tell you how to conduct your family business and you won’t tell
me how to conduct mine.” Harry didn’t look too happy with that but Hermione didn’t care. She
wasn’t going to let him get away with telling her anything when she couldn’t tell him anything.
Finally, he nodded.

“Deal. We’ll drop it. Neither one of us will comment further.” Hermione could tell he really didn’t
like it but she didn’t either. She really wanted to tell him he was a fucking idiot for even making
Ginny Prewett an acquaintance but he was right. It wasn’t her business no matter how much it hurt
her feelings. He raised an eyebrow at her.

“You’re going to help me with my Italian lessons, right?” She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Now the truth comes out. The real reason you came to apologize. You need me to practice. I should
just send you to Blaise.” Harry laughed at her but held up his hands in surrender.

“You caught me. I can’t hide anything from you.” Hermione laughed and threw one of her throw
pillows at him.

“Alright, I’ll help you. Go get your books.” Harry grinned at her and she couldn’t help but feel her
heart beat faster, no matter how handsome Cedric was.

This was going to be a long summer

*End of Flashback*

Harry was much more attentive and kinder than he had been before. He had never been mean, per
se, but he had never gone out of his way to do nice things for her. Now, when he wanted a treat, he
had Dot bring her her favorite ice cream. When he wanted tea, he had Dobby make a whole pot so
she could have a cup as well. He was much more thoughtful and though she acted as though she
didn’t notice, she had. She just wasn’t sure why he was acting this way.

Things with Cedric were going well. He was sweet and handsome and went out of his way to make
sure that she was happy. He was smart and got good grades. He wasn’t the most powerful wizard
out there but he would make any witch out there a wonderful husband. As much as Hermione
enjoyed spending time with him, she also knew that he didn’t light her fire. Her blood didn’t race
when he kissed her and her knickers didn’t grow damp when he fondled her breasts.

In truth, the whole relationship was moving faster than she usually would have liked. She didn’t kiss
Viktor for ages and she had told herself that she would do the same for Cedric. However, she was
determined to feel something for him, to not feel like she was broken or there was something wrong
with her. She wanted to know that there was a man out there that was decent that wanted her and
made her feel like a woman, one that was wanted and desired as much as the women in the racy
romance novels that her Aunt Cissy sneaked her when her father and uncle weren’t looking.

In truth, she was a little disappointed in herself. Hermione didn’t want to be one of those girls that
was only with a boy to make herself feel good, to feel like she was worth something. Being with
Cedric is what that felt like and in truth, she knew that she was only with him because she was trying
to forget Harry. While she wasn’t opposed to trying to forget Harry, she didn’t like feeling that she
was compromising her morals to make herself feel like she was wanted. She just wasn’t sure what to
do about it. After allowing Cedric liberties like touching her breasts, how did she suddenly tell him
that she wasn’t alright with that without him getting angry with her? Besides, was it fair to continue
seeing him when she knew that there was no spark there, no feelings?

Dating was so confusing and she really didn’t have anyone that she could ask. She supposed that
Uncle Luci would be an option but she wasn’t sure how he would take the information about how
far she had gone with Cedric. Aunt Cissy would try to give her advice but she wasn’t sure that her
aunt would give good advice since she had never dated anyone aside from Uncle Luci. She
supposed that she could ask Dory but she had a feeling that she would just tell her to shag him rotten
and move on. It was Dory’s way.

There was a knock on her door and she called out for whoever it was to come in. She was surprised
to find that it was her uncle, meaning that he would see her lipstick beforehand. His eyebrow raised
when he saw it but he kept surprisingly silent. His fingers fluffed her curls as he watched her in the
mirror for a few moments before finally speaking.

“Your father asked me to come and inform you that young Diggory is here. I wanted to send Snitch
but he insisted that I come and make sure that you were dressed appropriately. I’m beginning to
doubt my wife after seeing the color on your lips.” Hermione couldn’t hold in her smile as she
looked down.

“Do you hate it? I'm not sure I like it but she says it looks great.” He bent and kissed her head.

“Of course I hate it on you but it does look amazing. You look too grown up.” Hermione let out a
small laugh and leaned back against him.

“Is Uncle Sev going to be here or is he keeping his distance?” He wrapped his arms around her
shoulders and gave her a small hug.

“He’s keeping his distance. Too many students and even though everyone knows he’s Draco’s
godfather, the connection won’t be enough for the Dark Lord to excuse it. He won’t be able to be
that visible. We’re going to have to start teaching the Weasleys occlumency if they’re going to know
that he’s around so much.” She sighed and nodded, knowing that she was going to be recruited for
teaching even though she had taken years to teach.

“You know Draco and Harry would be better to teach them. I’m terrible at occlumency.” He
chuckled and kissed her head again before releasing her.

“You were but it’s good for you. Humility is good for the soul and you’re perfect at everything else
you do.” She chuckled again and he raised an eyebrow at her.

“What’s bothering you, princess?” She sighed and decided that now would be as good a time as any.

“Have you ever done something to make you feel something, something that you aren’t necessarily
proud of?” He narrowed his eyes at her and she felt her cheeks flush.

“Please don’t make me explain.” He gestured for her scoot over on her bench in front of her vanity
and when she did, he sat next to her.

“Tell me. You know I won’t be angry.” Hermione knew he wasn’t lying. He wouldn’t be angry but
that wasn’t to say that he wouldn’t be disappointed.

“I'm scared you’ll be disappointed in me.” He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her
temple.

“I won’t be, I promise.” She sighed and leaned into his side.

“I think Cedric is a great guy and at first I started seeing him to make myself forget Harry. I’m still
committed to forgetting him, I don't want to be the pathetic girl that waits around for a boy that
doesn’t even know I'm alive. I made Viktor wait ages before he kissed me though. I’ve already let
Cedric snog me, even touch my breasts. I just want to feel something for him, something that isn’t
there, and I keep telling myself that if I let him do these things, I’ll feel it. But I don’t and I don’t
think I’m going to. I’m disappointed in myself for feeling like I need a man to feel like I'm wanted or
desired or like I’ll ever be whole. It’s just so confusing and I’m not sure if it’s even fair to Cedric to
keep seeing him when I have doubts like this. I just have no idea what to do.” Uncle Luci wrapped
his arms around her completely and hugged her tightly and Hermione felt tears sting her eyes. When
he released her, he cupped her cheeks so he could look directly in her eyes.

“Baby, I'm not disappointed in you at all. You are a young woman who wants to be loved as deeply
as you love. That isn’t a crime, it’s normal. You’re wise enough to know that physical love isn’t the
same thing as what you’re wanting, not even close. Sure, the physical is nice but it’s not what you
want most. You want the connection to another person, same as every other person in the world. As
for young Cedric, I can’t tell you what to do with him. If you truly don’t think that you’ll develop
feelings for him, you’re wasting your time and his. If there’s a chance, give it a little more time. You
never know what could happen. However, if letting him go as far as you have is bothering you, put a
stop to it. If he doesn’t like it, he isn’t the boy for you.” Hermione considered his words for almost a
whole minute before nodding and hugging him close again.

“Thanks, Uncle Luci. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about him yet but I guess we’ll see. I am
going to tell him that it’s going to slow down though. I suppose we’ll see how that conversation goes
first.” He kissed the top of her head again and stood, urging her to her feet.

“Well, don’t forget that he’s here already. Most of the guests are. You’re going to make an entrance,
that’s for sure. I just hope they don’t think you’re going to a funeral.” Hermione laughed and
threaded her arm through her uncle’s.

“Well, if they do, they can take it up with Aunt Cissy. She chose the robes. If I recall, she said they
were flattering.” He snorted, a sound she didn’t hear too often from her refined uncle’s nose.

Hermione let her lead him down the stairs to the ballroom where the party was being held. There
were dozens of people there, more than usual since Harry’s party had been added in with hers and
Draco’s. She had been sure that it would be disastrous, putting Gryffindors with Slytherins but
everyone had assured her that it would be fine. Probably only because Draco had threatened their
friends and Harry had threatened his. Hopefully their threats held.

Hermione saw Harry in conversation with Ron and Ginny and it looked to be quite heated. She was
fairly sure that it had to do with the fact that their last name was now Prewett, not that she really
cared. Like she had told Harry, it hadn’t been her decision and it hadn’t been her call, not that she
would have disagreed. The Weasleys were her worry now, or they would be when she became the
head of the Black family.

Draco was off with Daphne and Blaise, talking about she wasn’t sure what. They were all laughing
though and she was happy to see them enjoying themselves. She knew that Draco had been on the
fence about Daphne this summer. He had told her that he was considering asking her out but was
concerned about being faithful. She had wisely told him that she wasn’t going to give him advice
since the last time it had led to a fight. Although, judging by the way Blaise was eyeing Daphne, it
was clear that he was considering more with her friend as well.

The twins were off goofing with theirs friends somewhere by the punch and Hermione swore to
herself that she wouldn’t eat or drink anything. Groups of students dotted the dance floor while
others were taking advantage of the music; overall, it looked like it would be quite the party.
Hermione scanned the room to find her father speaking with Cedric. Uncle Luci led her in that
direction. Once they reached the pair, it was clear that her father had been tormenting her boyfriend.
She quickly saved him, wrapping her arm around his and chastising her father.

“Daddy, you’ve been being nice to Cedric, right?” Her father cleared his throat slightly and smiled.

“Of course I have, sweetness. Would I be mean to the boy who was dating my beloved daughter?”
She arched one perfect eyebrow at him.

“Yes.” He clutched his chest.

“You wound me, poppet.” She chuckled just a little.

“You aren’t wounded. Go find Helena and make sure that Juliet isn’t driving her mad by introducing
her to all her friends. I’m sure there are only so many eleven year olds that you can meet in one day
without losing your mind.” Her father laughed outright and tipped an invisible hat.

“Too right you are, princess. I’ll see you later.” Cedric bent and gave her a quick and rather chaste
kiss on the mouth before pulling her onto the dance floor.

“Thank you for saving me. He was detailing how his ancestors would ‘take care’ of suitors that
didn’t meet your family’s expectations.” Hermione groaned and he guided her through the steps of
the waltz that was playing.

“You didn’t actually believe him, did you?” Cedric gave her an incredulous look.

“Absolutely. You do know that your family is known for being insane, right?” Hermione couldn’t
help but bristle at his words. Who wouldn’t take those words as an insult? He instantly realized that
he had offended her and tried to soothe her.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to offend you. I'm just saying that your family did some crazy things back
in the day. How am I supposed to know if your dad is telling the truth or telling stories?” Hermione
wasn’t sure that was a proper apology but decided to let it go since it was her birthday and she didn’t
want to spend it fighting.

“If my family didn’t think that a suitor was up to their standards, they ruined them socially. Nothing
else to it.” Cedric cocked his head to the side, considering her words.

“Makes sense.” She gave him a small smile at how easy it was dropped.

Hermione let him lead her through several dances before Draco cut in and danced with her for a
couple dances. She saw that her boyfriend was dancing with her Aunt Cissy and then later Dory.
She seemed to be changing her appearance back and forth and he was laughing about it. It was when
Harry cut in that she smiled.

“You look amazing, Mia.” She could feel the heat in her cheeks but she willed it to fade.

“Thanks, Harry.” He led her through the dance beautifully and she grinned at him.

“You did that perfectly. Good job, Harry.” He reached up and tugged one of her strands of hair.

“I had great teachers.” He cleared his throat and she knew that he was going to bring up earlier.

“I wanted to let you know that I told Lavender that she was uninvited if she wouldn't be nice to you.
I’m going to tell everyone that. I realize that I’ve let people be mean to you and you’ve always
looked out for me. You deserve better from me, Mia, and it’s high time you got it. I just want you to
promise me that you’ll tell me if someone is rude to you.” Hermione sighed and started to pull away.
Harry’s hand tightened on her and he looked confused.

“You don't believe me when I do tell you.” Harry sighed and pulled her close again.

“Mia, please don’t make this about Ginny. She’s not messing with you, she doesn’t even want to talk
to you. She pretty much hates your family now. Trust me, she’s going to keep her distance.”
Hermione growled in frustration.

“You can’t ask me to tell you and then tell me to not make it about her when she has been mean to
me. Which do you want, Harry, because I’m fucking confused. Where it stands right now, you can
take your sudden good will towards me and shove it up your arse.” Harry stopped dancing and
shoved his hand through his hair. Hermione took that moment to find Cedric in the crowd and see
that he was dancing with Cho. He looked to be having a good time and it was just one more worry
as to them not being good for each other. Harry sighed.

“Fine, if Ginny is mean to you, tell me. I want to know.” Hermione knew that he really didn’t and if
she ever did tell him, he wouldn’t believe her but this was him trying to do the right thing. Therefore,
she didn’t want to shite on his efforts. She gave him a forced smile and nodded.

“Alright. Hopefully she keeps her distance like you said and stays away.” Harry pulled her back to
him and they continued to dance. He eyed Cho and Cedric and it seemed that he couldn’t help his
words.

“Are you okay with him dancing with his ex-girlfriend?” Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

“I can’t really stop him, now can I?” Harry glared at her but didn’t say anything else. After that
dance was over, Cedric came back over and claimed her again, leading her off onto the balcony.

Her boyfriend took a seat in a balcony chair and pulled her to sit on his lap; it was a position they had
been in several times before but it had always ended in them being more intimate than Hermione was
now comfortable with. Cedric wrapped his arms around her waist and hauled her in closer, moving
his lips to her neck. She wished that she felt the rush of heat in her loins that she felt when she
thought of Harry, or even that she had felt when Viktor had done that to her before he had attacked
her. However, it wasn’t there and it made her sad. However, she wasn’t ready to call it quits just yet.
She put a hand on Cedric’s chest, though, and pushed him away just a little.

“I know this must be confusing and I'm sorry. I’ve let you go further than I was comfortable and I
shouldn’t have. I don’t feel good about what we’ve done and I hate that feeling. If we further, I don’t
want to regret it.” Cedric picked her hand up off his chest and pressed a kiss to it.
“I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me?” Hermione dipped her head in embarrassment.

“I’m really not sure. I just knew that I needed to say something before it went too far and I ended up
hating you.” It was a lie but he didn’t need to know that. Not yet. If she decided to end things, she
would be honest. Cedric brushed her hair back and put a finger under her chin so he could raise her
face to meet his eyes.

“We won’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with.” Hermione gave him a small smile and nodded.

“Thank you. You’re better than I deserve.” He kissed the end of her nose and smiled.

“Nonsense. Now let’s get back in there and get cake before the twins prank it too.” The pair went to
their feet as Hermione laughed and let him pull her back in the ballroom.

After all, what was a birthday party without cake?

-O-

Harry was getting ready for bed in his room at Malfoy Manor. It wouldn’t be long before they would
be headed for Order of the Phoenix Headquarters and to be honest, he wasn’t that excited about it.
Especially after the conversation he had had with Ron and Ginny.

They were livid with Hermione and her family, of course. He didn’t blame them for being angry but
when he pointed out that they needed to blame their family as well, they wouldn’t hear of it. He told
them that Hermione hadn’t had any part of the decision but they hadn’t believed him. It was
frustrating to say the least; in the end, it had taken him telling them that they were free to go back
home if they couldn’t get over it long enough to enjoy the birthday party.

Honestly, he didn’t blame them for being angry. He would have been angry in their place. However,
he thought he would have been more angry at his family for ditching him though, not the people that
he expected would turn on him. On the flip side, though, he could see Sirius’ point as well. What
kind of father would he be if he brought people into his family that meant his daughter harm? If he
had a child he would never do such a thing.

It was a quandry to be sure, one that he really didn’t want to be a part of but seemed to be regardless.

By the end of the party, however, both redheads seemed to have cooled their tempers a little. Ginny
he wasn’t so worried about. After all, he didn’t consider her a close friend and likely never would
again. That ship had sailed. However, he still felt empathy for her as a person. Ron, on the other
hand, was his best mate and he didn’t want him holding this shite against him when none of it was
his fault. When he had told him that “his precious family” had done this to him, Harry had wanted to
knock him flat on his arse. He hadn’t, however, in fact, he had refrained quite well. Only because he
didn’t want to ruin the birthday party for Hermione and Draco. He supposed that they would have
time to work the problems out further once they were all at Headquarters together.

He knew that neither Hermione nor Draco were thrilled about going to Headquarters. They were
livid, actually, but they refused to let Harry go by himself. Therefore, they were sucking it up and
going, giving up the last two weeks of their holiday to live with the Weasleys. While the Weasleys
weren’t the problem, the Prewetts were. He could already foresee that Hermione and Molly Weasley
were going to go head to head and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

Hermione.

Harry was so conflicted over what he had heard when he had eavesdropped on her conversation
with Cedric. How far had she gone with Cedric? Why was she not wanting to go that far anymore?
Had he hurt her? Had he pressured her? He didn’t think that Cedric was that kind of guy but this was
Hermione. After hearing that conversation, he had almost given up his promise to himself that he
would be better and prove himself to her. He had almost given in to Mandy Brocklehurst when she
tried to drag him into an alcove off the ballroom and blow him. However, he hadn’t and he had told
her that he wasn’t interested anymore. He had stood strong against her, against Lisa Turpin too, and
when he had turned to see Uncle Lucius watching him, he had almost been fearful when the older
man had come up to his and laid a hand on his shoulder and smirked at him.

“Keep up the good work, son. She’ll notice eventually.” Harry’s heart had lightened at that and it
had renewed his resolve. If the man that might even love her more than her own father thought that
he could be good enough for her some day, he knew that he could do this. After that, he had shot
down every single girl that propositioned him with ease. He had even felt good about doing it.

As he crawled into bed, he let his mind drift to what would likely be waiting at Headquarters
between Hermione and Ginny. He knew that Hermione wouldn’t start anything but he knew that she
would damn well finish it. He would have to take Ginny aside as soon as he got there and make sure
that she understood that Hermione didn’t play around when it came to her family. She had been
saved from the whole pregnancy thing because of the public humiliation but now that he had lifted
some of that, Hermione wouldn’t stop if she fucked up again. There was no way in hell that he
would be able to sway her either.

Truthfully, if Ginny was stupid enough to fuck with Hermione again, he didn’t know why he cared
about what she did to her. That was his new outlook, to not let anyone fuck with her. Maybe he
wouldn’t warn her. Let what will be, be. If Ginny was that fucking stupid, it was on her. He had
helped her out once, it was up to her to make the best of it now.

That’s what he would do. If Ginny wanted Hermione to believe that she meant no harm now, she
was going to have to prove it. He didn’t think that was too much to ask. Besides, she had cursed
Hermione bald and he couldn’t blame her for holding that against her since she hadn’t done anything
to deserve it except lean against him as they walked into the Great Hall.

Harry snuggled under the duvet and let his eyes fall closed. It was going to an interesting two weeks,
that was for sure.

A/N- Lordy, another long chapter, y’all. Not sure how these filler chapters keep ending up so long,
haha. Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone out there for reading and reviewing.
Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think. Reviews are love.

Next chapter, Grimmauld Place and meeting with Alexandre Bardon.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 87

A/N- Here I am with another chapter, y’all. I hope that you guys like it. Thanks to everyone out there
that has followed, favorited, read, and reviewed my story. For those of you out there that are hating
on my story, keep on hating. I’ve decided that if y’all want to complain about my grammar, tenses,
and spelling, please let me know. If you’re going to bitch about my plot and how I’m bringing my
story together, just keep it to yourself. By all means, if you see a plot hole, please let me know. If you
simply don’t like how I’m writing it, find another story. Since I'm the one putting forth all the effort
into writing this monster, it’s going to be written the way I want it. To those of you who have been
amazing and supported me through this entire endeavor, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It
means more than I can say.

Disclaimer: Nothing about this story belongs to me. The characters belong to J.K.R. and the original
story idea belongs to a reader who gifted me the idea, Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. I haven’t made
any money from this story or any other. Someday I’ll come up with an original idea and make
millions but until then I’ll just continue to play around with fanfiction.

Chapter 87
August 27,1995

Sirius couldn’t help but admit how nervous he was about meeting Helena’s father today. He and
Helena had met with him a week earlier, just the two of them, to flesh out if he was a threat to Juliet
and just how serious a threat he was. He liked to think that he was a good judge of character but after
remembering that he had trusted Peter, he wasn’t taking any chances.

While Juliet was most assuredly family, Sirius considered Helena family as well. He had loved her
before, when Hermione had only been a small girl, and it was just as strong, if not stronger, now. It
was funny how time changed things. Made things clearer and murkier as needed. While his pain at
losing James and Lily had become fainter at times, his feelings for Helena had become even clearer
once he had realized that she was still around and not running for the hills after she realized just who
he was.

He counted his blessings every day that she had consented to give him another chance.

Life with Helena was wonderful. She was the most infuriating woman; she left her books all over his
room, her makeup on his bathroom counter and hair in his bathtub drain. He always managed to find
it all before the elves had been through to clean; in fact, he was determined that they did it on
purpose. After all, Hermione was the only one that had them wrapped around her fingers. Juliet was
a close second and Sirius had always been dead last. Candy’s favorite game was to hide his sober-up
potion.

However, as much as she infuriated him to end, she was the most loving woman he had ever met.
She held him in the dark of the night when the nightmares of the past overtook him, when his fears
of the future and what it could hold broke him. She stroked his hair and kept him strong, she made
him believe that he could help end Voldemort before the war really started. It was his greatest hope
and Merlin willing, he and Lucius would see it done.

Alexandre Bardon had been on the up and up as far as he could tell. He appeared to be an old man
that missed his family, that was lonely and was possibly on the brink of losing his mind. Helena had
told him what had occured between her and her father and while Sirius was far from trusting the
man, knowing that he couldn’t legally touch Juliet would temper his actions. He would consider
giving the man more access if he saw a mind healer but that was far off in the future. As of right
now, this moment was all that he could allow.

Helena had her arm around Juliet’s shoulders and the young girl looked a little bit angry. Even
though Sirius understood about being angry at your parents more than most children, he knew that it
was hurting Helena how she was taking it out on her. Juliet hadn’t known any of the information
about her grandfather, hadn’t even known that he existed, until her mother had told her that he
wanted to meet her. It had ended with Juliet screaming at her mother and Helena breaking down in
tears after Jules had stormed off in normal teenage fashion.

They were speaking again but the tension was still there. Juliet spend most of her time with Luna
now, even shutting Hermione out once she found out that her sister knew about her past and didn’t
tell her. He knew that Hermione was hurt but she had kept it to herself. Since Sirius had his hands
full with Helena and Luna with Juliet, Draco and Harry had been handling Hermione’s pain in the
matter since coming to Grimmauld Place.

Grimmauld Place. Hell on Earth. The home of his mother, the tormentor of his childhood.

Going back there for the last two weeks of the summer holiday wasn’t something that he had wanted
to do. In fact, he had dreaded it like he had dreaded nothing else. His mother had been pure evil and
had left her evil spawn of an elf behind; of course, the fucking shite stain bastard just loved
Hermione since she belonged to Regulus. Of course, she snapped her fingers, ordered his mother’s
portrait off the wall and burned and for the house to cleaned and in top condition as soon as possible.
He even let Sipsy come for as long as Hermione was there and help.

It was like Kreacher was a new elf. Of course, those that had been at Headquarters before they had
arrived understood what he was talking about but Draco, Harry, and the others had no idea.
Hermione had heard him tell her that his mother had been terrible and her elf just as bad but he had
never named him. He was sure that she had deduced which elf this was but being who she was, she
was going to take charge and make sure that Sirius was treated well and that he never had to deal
with him again.

He loved her for it.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Alexandre approaching and he hated to see the light in Juliet’s
eyes flare in hope. For his little girl’s sake, he hoped that this man wasn’t trying to cause problems or
try something underhanded. He wouldn’t lose her now he had her in his life. He could feel her
practically vibrating with excitement but her mother kept her arm around her shoulders. Alexandre
took the seat in front of them and gave them a smile.

“Thank you for meeting with me, especially since young Juliet goes back to school in just a few
days.” Sirius nodded and Helena spoke softly. She had once loved her father very much and it was
hard for her to try to deal with the person he was trying to be now and the person he had been when
she had left. Juliet, however, was bouncing with excitement and couldn’t be contained, much like
Hermione had been when she was small and had received a new book.

“You’re my grandpa and my mum kept you away from me. I wish I could have known you.”
Alexandre smiled at her and Sirius could see that he was astounded at her openness.

“Mon tresor, you are so very different than your mother was when she was small.” Helena couldn’t
hold back a smile.

“I had others constantly watching over me while Juliet has been free to learn and love as she
pleases.” Her father turned sad eyes to her and nodded.
“I regret everything, mon coeur. I wish that I could change everything.” Helena nodded and Sirius
just let them talk. He had no place in this conversation. He was only there to make sure that Helena
and his daughter were safe. Juliet was completely confused and cocked her head to the side.

“What are you talking about?” Alexandre turned calculating eyes to his daughter.

“You didn’t tell her?” Helena didn’t have to answer. Juliet did that for her.

“She just told me that you got in a fight and she ran away from home. It wasn’t right for her to keep
me away from you.” Sirius reached out and laced his fingers with Helena’s hand and she flashed him
a grateful look.

“That’s all you need to know, Jules.” His daughter flashed him an annoyed look.

“Oh, sure, Hermione gets to know because she’s your favorite. Don’t think I don’t see it, we all do. I
usually don’t care, I haven’t had a dad my whole life and she has. I love her enough to not care that
she gets more time with you. I’ve had a mum after all and she never takes time with mum from me. I
don’t hate her for it. Don’t tell me that I don’t get to know the truth about my own family but she
does. He isn’t her family, mum isn’t her family. You aren’t his family either. I am and I deserve to
know.” Even though he hated to do it, he couldn’t allow his daughter to speak to him like that. He
was her father and he was trying to do his job as a parent and protect her. He glared at her and made
sure that he had her attention.

“When we are in the privacy of our own home, you may tell me your opinion on things. When we
are in public, you will be silent because you are a twelve year girl that doesn’t know half of what is
going on around her. I am your father and I am trying to protect you from things that you aren’t
emotionally equipped to deal with right now. Since learning this, you’ve turned on your mother,
making her cry because you’ve screamed at her like a horrid little hag, not even giving her a chance
to explain. You’ve turned on your sister because your mother told her her story so she could help
you to understand when the time came to tell you the truth. I'm sure you don’t know or care that
Draco and Harry have been making sure that she knows that your words were spoken out of anger,
not because you really hate her.” Juliet started to speak but her father hissed at her angrily, pissed
beyond words at how childish she was being. He knew it wasn’t fair to compare her to Hermione but
it was hard to know how to handle this behavior after raising her. He turned to Alexandre.

“Time for a hard lesson in life. Tell her what happened between you and her mother. If you won’t, I
will. You have a right to tell it first.” Alexandre looked gutted that he was going to have to tell the
story but he was gave just a hint of a smile at Juliet.

“You have such fire, mon tresor. You remind me of your grandmother.” He took a deep breath and
launched into the story.

Alexandre told him how he had met Helena’s mother, a muggleborn that was on the verge of
starving on the streets, and how he had offered her a place as his mistress. He was already married
and had an heir and had hated his wife. They grew to love each other and had eventually conceived
Helena. She grew and they loved her, her the apple of her father’s eye. Sirius could see that that
much was true just by the emotion shining in Helena’s eyes as she listened.

The tale turned darker as Alexandre’s heir and Helena’s brother came to their home one day when
she was only sixteen and tried to kill her. Her mother stopped him but when Alexandre got there, he
was forced to kill his only son to keep Helena safe. In his rage and anguish, he killed Helena’s
mother and also his wife. Helena hadn’t come to harm but she had been confined to the house and
had been fearful of his intentions for her. He told Juliet how she had drugged him once she had
turned seventeen and disappeared, never coming back.
Sirius watched as his small daughter tried to process what her grandfather had told her and in the
end, she turned angry eyes to her mother.

“You watched him kill your brother and your mother and you did nothing?” Sirius wasn’t expecting
this and started to speak but Juliet wasn’t done.

“If Dad was trying to hurt me or you, Hermione would have stopped him. Did you even try?” He
could see the woman he loved crumbling and his daughter pushed away from her. Her father stood
and took his daughter in his arms and for the moment, Sirius let it happen. He faced off with his
daughter since he could feel her magic swirling dangerously, probably the first time she had ever lost
control like this. He shot a glance to her grandfather.

“Go to the just outside the wards of Blackmoor.” Sirius reached out and grabbed his daughter’s
wrist, apparating her away before she completely lost control. When they landed, her hair was
swirling much like Hermione’s did but he didn’t feel it pressing against him near as heavily as his
eldest daughter’s. His voice was low as he spoke to his daughter.

“You don’t get to compare your mother to Hermione. Hermione has been training for situations like
that since she was old enough to speak an incantation. Your mother was just a normal sixteen year
old girl that had the normal amount of fear for her pureblood father. Fear you’ve never experienced.”
There was a pop behind him as Helena and her father appeared behind Juliet. Alexandre’s eyes were
wide as he witnessed the power exchange between the two of them.

“She didn’t even try!” Helena had her face buried in her father’s chest and just as Sirius was getting
ready to knock his daughter out with his magic, Alexandre stepped forward, leaving Helena standing
alone, tears staining her cheeks. His arms were held out as though he were trying to placate her.

“It wasn’t your mother’s fault, it was mine. It was all my fault. I knew that Julian didn’t like your
mother, his own mother had poisoned him against her. I knew that eventually he would try
something against her because he knew that I loved her. When I got the patronus of Marguerite
telling me that he was trying to kill Helena, I got there as soon as I could. I killed him to save my
daughter, my heart. When that happened, I lost my mind. Marguerite tried to step in and help me, to
soothe me, but I pushed her out of the way and she fell. She broke her neck and I was heartbroken.
In a fit of rage for turning Julian against me, I killed Amelie. I don’t regret it. I was so scared that
something that would happen to your mother and I would be alone, that she would die too, that I
kept her close. None of it was your mother’s fault. I don’t blame her for leaving, I was suffocating
her and I needed help, help that I got years ago. I thought that your mother was dead, I even have a
gravestone with her name on it back home. It wasn’t until I met with the Delacours for dinner and
they told me of your family and lovely Helena that I knew she was alive and I had found her.”
Juliet’s chest was heaving and Helena was sobbing now. Sirius wanted a fucking drink but knew
that he needed to get things under control right now. He hated to do it but reached into his robe
pockets and pulled out a vial that Severus had handed him before he left. He thrust it in Juliet’s hand.

“Drink it, now.” She glared at him but did as she was told.

Her magic began to calm as she did and after several minutes she was just staring at all the adults.
Helena was trying to stop crying and Sirius held his arms out to her. She moved his way and let him
hug her close, breathing in his scent as he knew she did. He was no better. He did the same thing
when he thought she wasn’t paying attention. Juliet was staring at her grandfather and finally broke
the silence in a calm voice.

“You didn’t mean to kill my grandma?” He shook his head.

“No, I loved her. I was devastated that I had killed her. Now, my wife I meant to kill but I probably
shouldn’t tell you that.” She snorted at him.

“I’d rather you be honest with me.” He raked a hand through his hair.

“I would never hurt you or your mother. I was heartbroken when I killed your grandmother and I
was torn up that I had to kill my son. Despite that we weren’t close, I still loved him. Now I’m alone
and have no family and no heir. I wanted to meet with you to see if your mother would someday
trust me enough to let me make you my heir.” Sirius sighed. He really should have seen this coming
since he knew the man had no other family. Alexandre turned his way.

“I know you have another daughter, one that you claim as your heir. Will you at least consider it?”
Sirius raked a hand through his hair. This meeting hadn’t gone at all like he had expected.

“I will consider it if things go well in the next year or so. I think that we need to spend some time
together and make sure that we mesh together as a family. Like it or not, even if you do make her
your heir, she has a sister and she will never stop being a Black. Don’t think that this means I won’t
be watching you closely. I don’t trust you and I doubt that anyone will until you earn it. However,
our family is quite loyal so once you're in, you're in. Don’t fuck us over, Alex. You won’t live to
regret it and I'm not joking.” The man gave him a serious nod before opening his arms to his
daughter. Helena rushed into his arms, clearly thrilled at what was happening. After she pulled away
and swiped an arm across her eyes, she gave Sirius a soft, pleading look that he just couldn’t say no
to.

“Could he maybe stay the next couple days with us before the girls go back to school?” Juliet didn’t
seem to say anything either way so Sirius looked at her, raising an eyebrow as to ask her opinion.
She seemed surprised since she was taking his “stay silent” comment to heart.

“It would be nice to get to know him for a few days before I go back to school. As long as he isn’t
going to murder us all in our beds.” Sirius snorted.

“Do you really see Uncle Lucius letting that happen? You know he can be quite scary.” Since he
knew that his daughter still hadn’t quite warmed up the the blond man, it made his point. She gave a
conceding nod.

“He’s definitely not the sort to care about killing someone. He’s made that clear.” Sirius saw that
Alexandre swallowed hard but he didn’t mind. Let the man be nervous about visiting. It would serve
him well to remember what his family was capable of. He took the vial from his pocket that Juliet
had handed him back and tapped it with his wand, making it a portkey. He handed a slip of paper
from his pocket to the older man and let him read it, telling him just where to find the Headquarters
of the Order of the Phoenix. Once he understood, Sirius shoved it back in his pocket. With a sigh, he
held out the vial and gestured for them all to cop hold. Once they were all holding on, he activated it.

“Let’s get back to hell.”

-O-

Hermione looked up from the cauldron she was watching to see what her godfather was doing. He
was referencing something in the book that she had combed through three times when he had asked
her to help him with the cure for lycanthropy. His hair was hiding his face but she could see that he
was tense. She knew that he had met with his master the night before, hence, the reason she was
stirring and not him. Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, she spoke.

“Why, Uncle Sev? Why do you go back to him? I know you think you need to get information for
the family but I don’t want you to get hurt. He’s torturing you and it’s killing me to know it.” He
sighed met her eyes, pain hidden in his own depths. He pointed his wand at her potion, it was a
failure anyways, and vanished it and the heat beneath it. He took her hand and pulled her to the one
sofa off the corner of the room, one where she usually spent hours researching. He sat close enough
that their legs were touching and he kept her hands in his when he began to speak.

“You know my story, little one. I was in love with Harry’s mother and when she rejected me, I
turned to the Death Eaters. Your father was my closest friend and Lucius had recruited us both.
However, I realized immediately that it was a mistake.” She could hear the heartbreak in his voice,
probably for her father. She squeezed his hand and he smiled at her before continuing.

“You know that I went to Dumbledore and started spying. I wanted to make things right, mostly for
you and Draco. I knew that Lily would never have me by then, I had become the thing she hated
most. However, I promised Dumbledore that I would spy for him if he saved Lily and her family.”
Hermione had a bad feeling as to just what that entailed. Suddenly, it hit her and she started to shake
her head.

“Tell me you didn’t.” He nodded his head.

“I did. I made an Unbreakable Vow to Albus to spy for him until Voldemort was defeated if he
protected Lily. He protected her to the best of his ability, it was their judgement that got them killed.
Even if I wasn’t bound, princess, I would still spy because I want to keep you safe.” Hermione let
her magic explode out of her and her godfather couldn’t do anything to control it.

“How could he keep you to that Vow? How could he carry it over? It isn’t right and you know it.”
Severus hugged her tightly even though she knew that the magical output had to be hurting him. She
willed herself to calm down so she wouldn’t hurt him further.

“He does it because he’s a manipulative old bastard. I do it because I want to fight this war and kill
him. That means we need information and I'm the only one who can bring it. You know I'm right,
princess.” Hermione let a few tears free in his robes as the doors banged open, Harry, Draco, and
Uncle Luci rushing in. It was Harry that broke the silence.

“What has you so upset?” Hermione sniffled softly and pulled her face from her godfather’s robes.
He smoothed her hair and smiled at her before she faced those that had rushed in to make sure that
she was alright.

“Uncle Sev just told me that he’s under an Unbreakable Vow to Dumbledore to spy, regardless of
what he wants. Even if he wanted to quit, he can’t. I really want to go kill him right now.” Her
godfather shushed her, twirling her curls around his fingers.

“You aren’t going to kill anyone, little one. You’re going to stay here and let me do this. Even if I
wasn’t under the Vow, I would still spy. I told you, I want you to make it through this war, you three
are why I want to do this. I promised to protect you all, I want to do this for you.” Hermione hated it
but she supposed that she couldn’t stop him. It was his life and she would never want to make his
decisions for him, or even guilt him into what she wanted. She finally nodded and swallowed
thickly.

“I’m sorry for scaring everyone. Please forgive me.” Draco stepped forward and hugged her,
wrapping his arms around her tightly.

“We’re not mad, Mia.” Uncle Luci finally spoke.

“I’m glad you finally know, sweetness. It was Severus’ place to tell you but you deserved to know.
He’s going to go through a lot and he’s going to need us all to be there for him.” Hermione nodded
as Draco released her and she took a deep, steadying breath.

“Alright. I can do that. I will do that.” Uncle Sev smirked at her.

“I'm happy to hear that but now I must go. I have to meet with one of my old associates and now I
don’t have to worry since you ruined the potion.” Hermione stuck her tongue out at him but then
blew him a kiss.

“Go ahead and go. I’ll clean up here.” He dropped a kiss on her head before sweeping out of the
room. Uncle Luci rubbed her arms several times before kissing the back of head and then leaving.
Harry sighed and then spoke again.

“I’ll help you.” Draco clapped him on the shoulder and grinned.

“I’m going to get back to my book.” Hermione nodded as she started to scrub and sanitize the
cauldron and the stirring rods. Harry started to clean the counter and close the books so he could
stack them carefully. When they were finished, Harry paused next to her and took her hand, smiling
softly so he could pull her into a hug. She breathed in his comforting scent and she felt him nuzzle
her hair softly. It felt odd that she still felt at home in his arms even though she was seeing Cedric.

“He’s a smart man, Mia. He’s not going to do anything stupid. You have to trust in him.” She
nodded against his chest and tried to smile when he pulled away to cup her face.

“He’s going to come back to you. You’re the most important person in the world to him.” She
snorted softly.

“Except when he’s choosing you over me. Everyone seems to at some point, everyone except Uncle
Luci.” Harry tugged on her cheeks and made her look up at him.

“They always return to you. I'm a newcomer and mean nowhere near as much as you do.” She could
see the sincerity in his eyes so she sighed.

“Harry, you’re just as important. Like everyone says, I’m just spoiled. Don’t mind me.” He smiled
and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

“I always mind you.” She knew that she had to leave or she wasn’t going to be able to keep the
proper distance that she needed in order to make sure she didn’t throw herself at him. She didn’t
want to be rude so she reached and brushed her hand against his cheek and smiled.

“Thank you.” She slowly walked backwards until she was gone, leaving him there alone. She
walked through Grimmauld Place and ignored the hateful stares that she could feel from Ginny and
Molly.

Hermione went up to her room that she shared with Juliet. She and her sister were two completely
different people, herself neat and tidy and Juliet more slovenly. It would have been more fun if Juliet
hadn’t currently been hating on her for the last month. She refused to speak to her for anything unless
absolutely necessary, only turning to Luna and the twins for friendship, all because Hermione had
known about her grandfather. It was ridiculous but she understood. She only wished that she didn’t
scream her hatred for Hermione every other day or so.

After picking up a book so she could return to the main corridor, there was a window seat there that
she loved to sit in and read, Hermione turned her attention to the pages even though she really wasn’t
reading. Her mind was far too jumbled to comprehend anything that she was reading. Harry had
gotten her all out of sorts, holding her close and being sweet. It was disconcerting.
Although, it really shouldn’t be. Since the first few days at Blackmoor, Harry had been far more
attentive to her than he had ever been. It was like he was finally seeing her, not the things that she
was doing for him. She had no doubts that he was still going to be shagging the brains out of just
about every girl at Hogwarts when they returned, maybe even Ginny now that they were at
Grimmauld, but it was nice to know that he realized that she was there, that she was alive, and
treated her like she mattered.

However, Hermione did her best to act like she didn’t notice. It was hard since she wanted to squeal
and smile every time he did something exceptionally sweet for her like carry her books for her or
gently prod her to eat more at dinner when her appetite had left her because the Prewetts were
glaring at her. He always ignored the Prewetts in her presence and as much as she hated to admit it, it
made her feel special.

She wouldn’t give in, however. She refused. Harry had made clear time and time again where he
stood with girls in general, then Ginny in particular. She didn’t want to fall for him and believe that
they had a chance when they really didn’t, when nothing had really changed at all. Sure, he was
being nicer this year but she supposed that it could be attributed to the fact that he felt guilty for how
he had treated her before the last task. He could want to make sure that she stayed on his side and
was buttering her up. There were a dozen different scenarios that while they didn’t ring true, it was
clear that she wanted to believe because what appeared to be the truth was too painful. She didn’t
even want to consider it and then be hurt.

Hermione hated Headquarters, of that she was sure. Maybe if it wasn’t being overrun by Molly
Prewett, things would be different. As it was, though, she was there and she thought that she ran the
household. The scene from the second day they had been there played through her mind.

*Flashback*

Hermione headed downstairs to the dining room and sat at the table, not the head of the table, but
directly to the right, just as she did at home. Kreacher, whom she had had a long meeting with the
day before to give him his orders and what she expected of him, was bustling around the kitchen,
humming happily to himself, making occasional comments about how nice it was to have his his
mistress home. Hermione made sure to smile at him and be kind but she knew that he was the elf that
had been so horrid to her father. Of course, never in a million years did she think her father was
completely innocent in the relationship. However, as an elf, Kreacher’s loyalty should always have
been to the heir of the family rather than the wife. It was rather disconcerting and she wondered if
there had been compulsion spells cast on the poor being. It just wasn’t in a house elf’s makeup to
treat it’s family the way Kreacher had treated her father.

Hermione was reading through one of her books on the potion that Uncle Sev hoped to create for
lycanthropy and she was letting her mind drift about the ways that she could manipulate the
ingredients to do what she wanted. It was an interesting combination that would be volatile if mixed
improperly but could save lives otherwise. She was determined to make it save lives. Truth be told,
she still wasn’t sure where he had found the book with the barest hint of the idea for the cure; Uncle
Sev had just expounded on it and made the idea his own. She was startled from her thoughts and
reflections by a banging of the pots and harsh words.

“Elf, you will not be cooking in this house, you were told by the Headmaster. I am in charge of
cooking and cleaning. Go take care of your masters, they’re the ones that left you here.” Kreacher
started to swat at Molly with his wooden spoon and she started to shriek. Hermione snapped her
fingers and the elf’s spoon disappeared. Both Molly and Kreacher turned towards her and she knew
that she looked every bit the pureblood lady of the house in her tailored robes and done-up hair that
Dot had insisted on.
“Kreacher, we don’t harm humans unless they are trying to harm the family. If they are hurting you, I
order you to come to me no matter where I am and explain to me what is happening.” Kreacher hung
his head in shame but she could also see that his back was straighter at her words. She was sure that
it was due to the fact that she was charging him with protecting family.

“Yes, Mistress. Your will is mine.” She hated that he spoke like that, she wished that he talked like
Sipsy, Dot, and Candy, but she had a feeling that her grandmother had brainwashed him. She bent
close and took his hands in his.

“You don’t have to say that to me, Kreacher. I know you serve me but I want you to be my family as
well. I want to know that I can love you as I do my elves at Blackmoor. They were the first ones to
cast stinging hexes at my bum when I was small and I love them for it. Don’t say that your will is
mine. I want you to have your own will. I’ve seen elves with their own will and I love it.” Kreacher
looked at her with new eyes.

“Really, Mistress? Kreacher not thinks it possible.” Hermione smiled kindly at him before returning
to her seat.

“I assure you, it is. Please continue with the meal, Kreacher. I can’t wait for some porridge.” After
Kreacher turned back to the cooking, Hermione turned cold eyes to Molly Prewett.

“Let’s not mince words, you and I. You don’t like that my family has cut your youngest son and
precious daughter out of becoming part of the Black family. It’s no secret that the others are
flourishing under the fact of having my father for their Lord, even if your son is a Baron in his own
right. Everyone knows that an Earl outranks a Baron so never think that you can convince him to
overthrow my father or myself.” She took a deep calming breath and made herself calm down.

“Right now, I consider most of your family my own. Trust me when I say that’s a good thing. Make
no mistake, Molly Prewett, I am the next heir to the House of Black. I will be Lady Black until my
firstborn son reaches the appropriate age and takes the mantle from me. I promise you, I will be just
as fearsome as my father.” Hermione paused for effect.

“Make no mistake, Prewett. Grimmauld Place is where my grandmother lived, where my father lived
through part of his childhood. This house is my legacy. While you may find it foul and distasteful, I
find it enlightening and a learning experience. You are not the lady of this house, I am. Nobody
commands anyone in this house before me aside from my father. Trust you me, Dumbledore may run
your precious Order of the Phoenix but my father donated this location out of the goodness of his
heart. Believe me when I say that it’s more than the buggering old bastard would have got from me.”
Hermione wanted to laugh at the expression on the woman’s face. She turned her head just a little to
the side to see that Kreacher was starting to serve dishes to the table and once his arms were empty,
she reached out and grasped his wrist. Her grasp was soft, as were her words.

“Would you rather not cook and clean, Kreacher?” The elf burst into tears and shook his head.

“No, Mistress, never. I love to serve the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Don’t makes Kreacher
stop.” His words were peppered with sniffling snuffles but she supposed that was the best that she
could hope for.

“Mrs. Prewett, you just heard the wishes of my house elf. As Lady of this house, I have ordered him
to do as he wishes. He will cook all the meals and will clean with the help of Sipsy, my personal elf
from Blackmoor. You are relieved from cooking and cleaning and must fulfill your duty to the Order
in some other way until the Black family leaves this residence.” Molly started to sputter in her
disagreement.
“Y-you can’t d-do that. This isn’t your house.” Hermione let out one small laugh before turning cold
eyes to the redheaded woman before her.

“Actually, you’re wrong. My grandfather, Orion, hated his wife and gleefully signed over ownership
of this home to his wife, Walburga, to make sure that she never returned to Blackmoor where he
resided. When she died, it passed to my father Regulus, since she felt that the current Lord Black was
a waste of space since he believed in equality in the fight over blood purity. Since this house went to
Regulus, when he died, it passed to me. Yes, my father is regent over it since he is my Lord and I am
underage but in just thirteen months, I will own this house and can claim my title as Lady
Blackmoor. Make no mistake, I can do whatever the fuck I want when it comes to this house.” Molly
didn’t say anything but she could see the hatred in her eyes so Hermione made sure to continue to get
it over with.

“In this house, what I say goes. My father made that clear to Dumbledore and if he didn’t pass that
on, it isn’t my fault. You will do as my elf asks because he is obeying my orders. He is doing as he
wishes for the Black family and you will not step in the middle of it. While my family is in residence,
you will let Kreacher cook, mostly because I don’t trust you enough to eat your food. If he asks you
to help him clean, you may. Otherwise, stay out of my family’s heritage. The warning of a curse
probably wouldn't stop you but maybe you should warn your offspring. The Weasleys wish us no
harm so we have no worries; it’s only your family that poses a threat. Be very aware that you are all
being watched. I guarantee you that I own more elves than you own clothes. You will never be
without eyes if you mean me or my family harm.” Hermione felt just a little high-handed putting it
like that but it was what it was. The woman needed a threat and she needed to pass on how serious it
could be. To go against a Head of a major House, especially one like Black, while you were under
their roof would be social suicide. Rather than argue, Molly bowed her head meekly.

“I will abide by your rules until you leave, Lady Black.” She noticed that the truce only held as long
as they were in residence together but that was fine. With distance between them, Hermione could
hold her own. After all, what could she do her aside from send her a potion or something of the like
that would hurt her? Once her family was gone, Hermione could give two fucks less if the Order was
taken care of. It probably wasn’t fair or right but Hermione didn’t care about any of that. All she
cared about was that her family was cared for and that her family was safe.

“See that you do. Once I leave, I’ll send Kreacher to another property so you won’t have to deal with
him. Believe me, I don’t trust any of the Order to treat him as he deserves to be treated.” Molly
nodded and Hermione turned back to her reading as Kreacher puttered in the background.

It was about time that she had made clear her position in this house before she left for school.

*End of Flashback*

Since that day, Molly had secretly tried to go behind her back and make decisions that went against
the orders of her household. This was something that she wasn’t used to since her father generally
left the elves to her at home and Helena would never dream of treading on her feet like that.
However, since Kreacher was well-aware of his orders, he made sure to never let Molly get her way.
It was merely disrespectful and as much as Hermione wanted to do something about it, she didn’t. It
just wasn’t worth it since she was only going to be there for a couple weeks.

Ron and Ginny were just as terrible as their mother but far more disrespectful. Ginny didn’t speak to
her, rarely ever that is, but Ron had no problems making digs at her when there was nobody else
around. Hermione didn’t bother to fight back; Ron wasn’t worth it and he wasn’t worth the magic
that it would take to swat him down like the annoying insect that he was. Honestly, his barbs were
more amusing than hurtful.
This didn’t mean that she didn’t hate the animosity. She was used to spending her summers at
Blackmoor and Malfoy Manor, places that she loved and that was filled with people she loved and
that loved her in turn. Being around just a few people that truly hated her for only a couple weeks
were enough to wear on her. It was tiring, that much was certain.

Truthfully, she missed Blackmoor, she missed Malfoy Manor, she missed Bluebell, and she missed
feeling like she was welcome in her own home. She tried to keep herself busy at all times, keeping
her mind off being there and off the arguments with Juliet but it was getting more difficult. She
practiced magic as often as she could, another bone of contention with Molly Weasley. While
Hermione hadn’t been brought into that argument, she had heard it through the wards one night after
the adults had thought the teens had retired.

Molly had been haranguing her father for letting not only herself but Harry and Draco practice magic
outside of school while it was against the rules. Hermione had wanted to jump in and tell Molly in
which direction she could fuck off but her father and Uncle Luci had simply spoken confidently to
her, explaining in better terms than she could come up with.

“This is about to be a war, Molly. I'm not stupid enough to send my children out into a war with no
training. I’m also not naive enough to think that they won’t be pulled into it. I’d much rather them be
prepared and break laws than have them killed and tell their graves that I regret not training them.”

Molly had shut up after that and let them train as often as they wanted.

Hermione was getting better every time she practiced. Now that Bill was the Baron of Suffield, he
made the decisions for the family. Even though the twins weren’t seventeen yet, he granted them
permission to train with Hermione, Draco, and Harry, Ron joining here and there as well. While
Hermione was far more skilled than the redheads in general, she still learned several spells that would
come in handy in a tough spot. If she could say anything about her twin terror friends, they were
quite ingenious and had a dab hand at spell creation when they wanted to.

Remus and Dory still trained them but her father, Severus, and Uncle Luci took turns as well. They
were paired oddly at times but it gave them insight into how the others fought. Hermione had once
been paired with Ron while Harry, Ginny, and Draco faced off against her. She just didn’t think that
it was fair to put her against the two people she cared most about. Therefore, she only played
defensive and let Ron take the offensive. It wasn’t a surprise when they were beaten soundly. Once
Draco and Ginny had pounded on her shield relentlessly, she had fallen to a stunner from her own
cousin. It was quite humiliating and she probably would have lashed out and blamed in on Ron if
Harry hadn’t lost control of his magic when he saw her fall.

Despite the few times that she had been beaten, she had taken more than her fair share of victories.
Usually against the twins or Ron and Ginny, sometimes against Harry and Draco. It was harder to
beat her cousin and secret crush. While she had the power behind her spells, they had the speed and
agility. If she could get through their shields, she would win every time. It was just getting through
that proved to be the problem.

Parvati had come to stay with them just a couple days ago, wanting to spend time with Ron since
they were dating. Hermione supposed that she didn’t blame them for wanting to spend time together.
However, since it was automatically her fault that Ron and Ginny had been excluded from becoming
part of the Black family, Parvati had deemed her the newest enemy of the house. Her once support in
the face of Viktor was gone and it was so tiring.

Hermione had to give it to Harry; he did his best to keep the peace. He was the one person that Ron
and Ginny weren’t complete arses to. It seemed as though whatever Ron’s problem at the end of the
year had been had been gotten over at some point. She wasn’t sure if Harry knew what it was or
even if it existed but she wasn’t going to tell him. The last thing she was going to do was tell him
how his best mate had been telling her that he was claiming he had been tortured for attention. The
worst part was that she wasn’t sure if he actually believed his words or if he was just angry that
Harry was getting more attention than he was. It was all so ridiculous that it wasn’t even funny.

Cedric was one of the few things that didn’t directly stress her out. She hadn’t seen him since just
before going into Headquarters and she was thankful for the space so she could think and consider
their relationship. It was wonderful to be with someone that respected her as much as he did,
someone that acted as though he wanted to be with her as much as she deserved. It was nice and
even though she was happy that she was finally getting treated as she thought she was due, it just left
her feeling flat.

Cedric was wonderful; he was handsome, witty, intelligent, and hard-working. He treated her like a
princess and respected her wishes. Since they had talked at her birthday party, they had done nothing
more than snog and there hadn’t been a single harsh word about it. It felt nice to know that it wasn’t
being held against her and that being with her physically wasn’t the most important thing in his mind.
Cedric really was a treasure and would be a wonderful man for any woman that caught his interest.

However, Hermione had finally realized that the spark between them just wasn’t there. She had
snogged him numerous times, had let him stroke her breasts on several occasions, but none of those
encounters had left her breathless. It was as though they were brother and sister that were trying to
more, almost like dating Draco. Truthfully, the thought turned her stomach and while being with
Cedric wasn’t that extreme, it was the same concept.

Hermione knew that she needed to end it. It wasn’t fair to Cedric and she didn’t want to hold him
back. She wasn’t stupid; she knew that he was an experienced boy but he was respectful and never
made her feel as though she was just a piece of meat. He deserved to be treated with the same respect
he gave her every single day.

Hermione hadn’t discussed her decision with anyone; likely nobody would care.
Draco had made clear that he wasn’t going to get in the middle of her dating life unless she needed
him. He told her that he would listen whenever she needed to talk, that he wanted to be there for her,
but he wasn’t going to give her advice because it would likely be the wrong advice. He was her
protective male cousin, one who saw her as a sister, and he would never want her to date anyone.
Therefore, he decided to keep his mouth shut and keep her happy in the process. While Hermione
appreciated it, it also meant that she didn’t really have anyone to talk about her decision with.

Sure, she could talk to Uncle Luci again but that wasn’t something that she particularly wanted to do
again. It was something that she really wanted to talk to a girl about but with Juliet angry at her and
Luna catering to her in her time of need, that really left nobody but Dory. Not that she didn’t love
Dory to pieces but her cousin would advise her to shop around and try all the boys until she found
one that she liked. While that worked for Dory, it wasn’t Hermione’s way. Aunt Andie was quite
old-fashioned and Aunt Cissy would tell her how wonderful Cedric was and what a great husband
he would make.

She missed Daphne.

Letters just weren’t the same and this wasn’t something that she felt comfortable putting in a letter.
Therefore, she kept it to herself and was just biding her time until she returned to Hogwarts and
could talk to her best friend. She hadn’t broken it to her cousin, but Daphne had told her in her last
letter that she had agreed to see Blaise for a few dates; so far, the first couple had been quite nice.
She had reassured her that he wasn’t Draco but she was tired of waiting for the blond to pull his head
out of his arse. Hermione couldn’t say that she blamed her. It would be hell to pay when he found
out that she knew and didn’t tell him but she was past the point of caring. She was keeping her
friend’s confidence and at the end of the year, Daphne had been there for her more than Draco had.

There was a crack in the distance, softer than apparition, and Hermione couldn't help but wonder
who had arrived by portkey. She knew that her father had taken her sister and Helena out to meet
with Alexandre Bardon but she couldn’t imagine him bringing him back here. She rose from her
window seat and started for the stairs, taking them deliberately so she could see who had entered her
house. So far, she knew all the members of the Order who came and went.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she met Uncle Luci, Draco, and Harry as they rounded the
corner to see who had arrived as well. Hermione waited until the people who had arrived turned the
corner that led from the entrance hall into the corridor they were currently standing in, anxious to see
who had arrived. When they finally appeared, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

Her father, Helena, and Juliet were making their way to her and there were soft smiles on their faces.
Her father hugged her close so she didn’t see the reason for the gasps from the others. When she cast
her glance to behind the others, she pulled away quickly to pull her wand. Her father was quick to
put a hand on her wand and push it down.

“He’s going to stay here until you go back to school. He wants to get to know Jules better. Things
aren’t as we thought they were. I’ve already warned him that if he tries anything, he’ll be dead.”
Hermione snorted before hugging her father again, holding him close.

“Alright, daddy, I’m trusting you.” She heard her uncle snort in derision at her statement but he
remained silent. After only a few seconds of silence, Hermione spoke.

“Kreacher.” The elf appeared and looked so happy to serve.

“Mistress.” She smiled down at him before telling him what she wanted.

“I want you to find Mr. Bardon a room for the duration of our stay. Make sure that he’s comfortable
please.” Kreacher nodded happily and disappeared.

It was going to be a long four days until they returned to school.

-O-

Harry had never been more ready to return to school than this summer. Not because of his family; his
family was great aside from Juliet being mad at Hermione for knowing that she had a grandfather
and not telling her. Of course, he and Draco knew as well but Hermione hadn’t let that slip, which he
appreciated more than he could say. The last thing he needed in his life was more drama and right
now, Juliet Black’s middle name wasn’t Rose, it was Drama.

Everything else in his life was full of drama as well and to be quite frank, he was over it. He didn’t
blame his family; it wasn’t their fault and they didn’t bring up the issues. It was everyone else that
continuously brought up the issues that were fought over and he was beyond over it.

The Blacks in general were issue number one, brought up by Ron, Ginny, and Molly almost every
chance they got. He was so sick of hearing them complain about his family that he actively avoided
them now and when he was cornered by them, he only told them that they did what they thought
was best. When they glared at him and told him that they were insane, he remained silent, knowing
that it wouldn’t get him anywhere to argue with them. He could never tell his family that he caught
this much grief about it from them because it was likely that Sirius, or even Hermione, would kick
the Prewetts from Grimmauld Place and tell them to fuck off for the remainder for the war.
Once they learned that he wasn’t going to do anything about the Blacks, they had ceased
complaining to him about Hermione, only to start about the Malfoys. It hadn’t really changed his
stance on anything. Harry had finally taken Arthur aside and told him that it made him uncomfortable
and asked that he take Molly aside and ask her to stop. He didn’t want to break ties with the Prewetts
but the Malfoys and Blacks were his family and he wouldn’t stand for speaking badly of them in his
presence.

Ron and Ginny had cooled off in his presence after that. Now, it was just like last year in the
common room; wizards chess and exploding snap among other games that they played every single
day. Harry didn't remember playing games every day in the common room but Ron seemed happy
enough so he wasn't going to complain. He had tried to get the boy to work on his homework and
get it finished, reminding him of his promise to get his work done and such. Ron had made a half-
hearted attempt before returning back to wizard’s chess, citing a match against Bill as his excuse.
Harry had written it off as a lost cause and hoped that his best mate would get his homework done
before returning to Hogwarts.

The best part of their time at Grimmauld Place was the time he had spent with Hermione. Since they
weren’t at Blackmoor or Malfoy Manor, she was much more bored than usual, leaving him to spend
more time with her than usual. It was nice to spend time with her and know that there would be no
repercussions for doing so since she was the technical owner of the house. Sure, Molly, Ron, and
Ginny hated her guts but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that he got as close to her as possible
so he could make sure that he left his mark on her, same as Cedric.

He had kept his word, not doing anything to keep her from Cedric or to make her break up with him.
In fact, he had told her that he was glad that they were together, that Cedric was a great guy that
would treat her well. Hermione had seemed surprised that he had spoke those words to her but had
nodded her head in the end. Honestly, it was easy to see that she was still in love with him and was
trying her hardest to protect herself against him. He didn’t blame her in the least; if he hadn’t changed
his ways, it would have been necessary. Now that he had decided that he was going to change his
ways and make Hermione his, there was no need to hide her feelings and the fact that she tried was
sweet.

He remembered when they had all gone shopping on Diagon Alley for their supplies for school;
everyone had gone and even though they had all split by group and he had been tugged between
both groups, he had favored Ron and Ginny since they were by themselves since it was the day
before Parvati had arrived. Both were talking animatedly to him of joining the quidditch team the
following year and he was trying to encourage them both as he watched Hermione and Daphne
ahead of him. They had met up with the blonde Slytherin in the magical pets shop and she had been
more than willing to continue on shopping with them through the rest of the afternoon.

Halfway through the afternoon, Hermione had met up with Cedric and she had been laughing
through the rest of the day. He had caught them snogging later that afternoon and a blazing hot
jealousy had burned through him as he saw the Hufflepuff holding her close and his hands squeezing
her arse. He wanted to rip his hands off but he had only cleared his throat and told her that her father
was looking for her, doing nothing that would anger her. It had only strengthened his resolve to stay
celibate and prove to her that he was serious about wanting her and needing her in his life.

Now, watching Hermione step forward to welcome/protect the rest of the family against the newest
addition to the house, he was proud of her. Nobody could ever say that she shirked her responsibility
by letting others take over making decisions regarding her house. No, she made all decisions and the
ones she didn’t, she had a hand in. It was clear that Sirius had made the decision to bring home
Alexandre Bardon but Hermione wasn’t going to let him be a danger to anyone, hence her sending
Kreacher to make his room ready. The elf may hate Sirius but he would never let anyone to harm
Hermione, not even close to it. Therefore, he felt alright with the elf making his room ready. He was
sure that there would be numerous little booby traps ready for the wizard if they were needed.

The wizard disappeared with the elf and Hermione sighed once they were out of sight. She glared at
her father and Sirius winced a little under the weight of her stare. Harry didn’t blame him; he had
been under her stare a time or two before and it wasn’t pleasant. Finally, his godfather sighed.

“I couldn’t leave him there, poppet. He saw a mind healer years ago after accidentally killing the
woman he loved and his son. He was scared to death that Helena would die as well, that’s why he
kept her locked up too.” Hermione merely cocked an eyebrow at him.

“You believed every word he told you just like that? Are you losing your touch?” Her father
chuckled but ruffled her hair like he would a small child.

“I’m not that far gone, sweetness. I warned him that if he stepped out of line that we would let
Lucius kill him. It’s been a long time since he got to properly kill anyone. I’m sure he’s missed it.”
Hermione started to hit her father’s chest repeatedly and though her father laughed at her actions, she
was lecturing him.

“How dare you make light of that? He would never kill someone and make light of it like that.”
Harry caught the look between his godfather and uncle and almost snorted. Sirius nodded.

“Of course not, poppet.” Uncle Lucius, however, stepped forward and started rubbing her shoulders,
digging deep to massage deep at her muscles.

“Princess, I would kill anyone that dared to threaten you or my family. You and Draco are my heirs
and I would do whatever it took to keep the pair of you safe.” Hermione turned and buried her face
in his chest, hugging him close. Harry barely caught her muffled words when she spoke.

“I don’t want you to have to kill anymore.” Uncle Lucius smiled softly at her words and kissed the
top of her head.

“I know you don’t, little one, but if I must to keep you all safe, I will happily. Would you think less
of me?” Her head jerked up quickly so she could glare at him.

“Of course not, don’t be stupid.” Her uncle smirked at her.

“Then stop this. Your father will do as he must and if I must kill him to keep you safe, I will.”
Hermione deflated and leaned into her uncle.

“Very well. I hope that he’s ready for dinner because I'm betting that Kreacher has it ready.” Harry
chuckled to himself.

“Sounds like Bardon is going to get thrown into the deep end.” Hermione chuckled and nodded.

“Suppose you’re right.” Harry turned and left then, knowing full well that she was going to need to
get her composure before dinner and that he wasn’t going to help with that.

Harry was well aware that he put her on edge and he revelled in that fact. He liked knowing that he
made her just a little uncomfortable; if he didn’t, it would mean that she felt nothing for him and that
would be a bad thing. This was a good thing so he would happily leave her be for a few moments to
gather her thoughts so she could appear completely put together for dinner.

Harry went to the room that he shared with Draco and cast the usual charms to make sure that his
robes looked fresh for dinner. He knew that Molly didn’t care how he looked for dinner but in the
Black and Malfoy household, it was expected that they look presentable for dinner. Harry really
didn’t mind; after all, it was a long way from having to make every meal and then shove his meager
portion down his throat over the sink and then do the dishes before slinking off to bed. Draco came
in as he was pulling a set of robes from his closet, wondering just where Dobby had been. Usually
he was had his clothes for dinner laid out on his bed so they would be ready to go. Harry was always
most grateful since he still struggled with knowing exactly what was appropriate for what occasions
and what wasn’t.

“So what happened after I left you two alone in the potions lab?” Harry smirked at his friend.

“Nothing much. She told me that she was basically always second to me and then tried to take it
back, blaming it on how spoiled she is. She told me not to mind her and I told her that I always did.
Her face flushed all over and she hurried out of the room. I let her go; I don’t want her to break up
with Cedric because of me. I want her to break up with him because she realizes that they aren’t right
together. I don’t want her to hold it against me later that they didn’t work out.” Draco snorted but
said nothing. Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

“What’s so bloody funny?” Draco cast a disbelieving look his way.

“You don’t think she’ll hold it against you when it doesn’t work anyways? She’s been in love with
you for how long and if she breaks up with Cedric, she’s going to have to admit it’s because those
feelings are still there. It’s still going to be your fault. You think she won’t eventually throw that in
your face? Sure, she’ll try not to, especially when she’s not mad. The second you piss her off, just
you watch. It’s going to come out, just you watch.” Harry sighed. Deep down, he knew that Draco
was telling the truth but that didn’t mean that he had to like it.

“When it happens, I suppose I’ll deal with it then.” Draco nodded and continued to dress himself for
dinner. Harry waited for him so they could go to dinner together.

Once he was finished, they started down the stairs for the kitchen. Since the kitchen was enormous,
there was a large dining table located on one end. It made serving extremely easy and Hermione had
told Kreacher that she was fine with them eating there in the kitchen since he was the only elf in
residence to serve them. Even though she hated it, it was her concession to make Kreacher’s life
easier.

Harry and Draco entered together and found that Sirius was already seated at the head of the table,
Hermione directly to his right. Uncle Lucius was at the other end of the table since he was the other
pureblood Lord in attendance. As Baron Suffield, Bill was seated to Sirius’ left while there were
spots to Lucius’ right and left for Harry and Draco since they were scions to a pureblood house. The
rest of the family and the Order members were scattered in between, though Harry had to admit that
Dumbledore looked quite put out to be between Molly and Percy. Harry really wanted to chuckle but
frankly, he was going to count himself lucky that he was next to Uncle Lucius and Aunt Andie.

Conversation was stunted all through dinner; Juliet did her best to draw her grandfather into a
conversation with the rest of the family but nobody seemed to be in the mood to talk. Hermione
herself was quiet though Harry couldn’t blame her. Juliet had been terrible to her so far over this
business with her grandfather and it was killing her. The only people that she would speak to were
Luna and the twins, none of who would tell her to pull her head from her arse. Even Harry had been
relegated to the back of the pack and while he normally wouldn’t mind, it pissed him off that he
couldn’t help her see sense about Hermione.

Once the meal was over, everyone was excused to follow their own personal pursuits. Since it was
clear that Juliet wanted to speak with her grandfather, Hermione offered everyone goodnights and
started for her room. Harry hated that she didn’t feel welcome, especially in her own house. No
doubt that as soon as Juliet entered their room, she wouldn’t feel welcome there as well either.

Harry hadn’t offered to clear out yet but it was apparently clear that he wasn’t expected to. He hated
that Hermione had been run off while the others were all just too shy to say anything, to shy act any
differently. It was frustrating to say the least. Once they were all settled in the parlour, Harry turned
his attention to his Alexandre.

“You’ve met Juliet now. What’s the most surprising thing about her?” It was clear that he wasn’t
expecting this question. His eyes jumped all over the place but finally found a place to fixate before
he answered.

“Her power. I’ve never seen a twelve year old girl that powerful.” Harry snorted before chuckling
softly. He had seen Juliet’s demonstration of power before and it was nothing compared to
Hermione. However, he nodded when the older man gave him an inquiring look.

“Yes, Juliet is powerful. She’s a Black and they tend to be very strong in magic, though they can
also be insane as well.” His eyes grew as large as saucers.

“Are you saying that my granddaughter is insane?” Harry shook his head.

“Absolutely not. It’s just a trait of the Black family.” The man’s hands steepled under his chin and
was inquiring about his favorite Black family member.

“Tell me about Hermione. I had understood from Helena that Juliet was quite taken with her sister
but had gotten the impression from Juliet that they weren’t close.” Draco growled softly but Harry
laid a warning hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Juliet loved Hermione more than anything until she realized that Helena had told her about you.
Now she feels like her sister has somehow betrayed her and is being quite horrid to her. As for
Hermione, you don’t want to cross her. That’s as much a warning as a friendly reminder. If you think
Juliet is powerful, multiply her by fifty and you’ve got Hermione. She is very loyal and she will end
you if she thinks that you're trying to hurt her family. I’m not lying about that.” Harry watched the
man’s eyes bug out slightly but saw that he took his words to heart.

“How could she possibly be more powerful than Juliet?” Draco glared at the older man.

“Don’t worry about how my cousin is more powerful than your granddaughter. She just is. My
family has made you welcome in this house but make no mistake. If you throw that back in their
faces, my father will be the first in line to kill you. He adores Hermione so much that he made her his
heir and he won’t let anyone hurt her, not even her feelings.” Harry watched as Alexandre nodded.

“I get the hint, boys. I won’t do anything to hurt Hermione or the family. I just want to get closer to
Helena and Juliet. They’re the last of my family and I don’t want to lose them.” Harry nodded,
satisfied at his words. He flashed the older man a smile before standing.

“I’m exhausted, I think I’m going to turn in. I’ll see everyone in the morning for breakfast.” Draco
flashed him a look of annoyance, probably because he was leaving him there by himself. Alexandre
nodded his goodnight and Harry was quick to leave.

He found his way to his room that he shared with Draco and changed into his pajamas. After
washing his face and brushing his teeth, Harry climbed into his bed and laid there in the dark. He
knew that Draco would be along shortly. He was almost asleep when he finally heard the door open
and shut, a wand sending off light to show that Draco had arrived.

“You’re a fucker, you know that?” Harry chuckled tiredly.

“I’m well aware. You could have bailed when I did.” Draco grumbled but said nothing. Once he
was changed and fully ensconced in bed, Harry spoke softly.

“Night, Drake.” Draco answered in turn.

“Night, Harry.”

It had definitely been an interesting day.

A/N- Here we are, folks, another chapter done. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone out
there for supporting this story and reviewing all that you do. It means so much to me. Anyways,
leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think. Reviews are love.

Next chapter, return to Hogwarts.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 88

A/N- Here we are with another chapter. My internet is back on, my chapter is written, and even
though my son is still sick, I’m posting this chapter. Please forgive the mistakes. Thanks again to
everyone out there who are supporting this story. It’s a massive undertaking and you guys keep me
going. Anyways, enough for now. Hope you enjoy!

**Shout out to tezifujilove for being my 4300th reviewer! You’re freaking awesome!**

Disclaimer: I don’t own a thing about this story aside from my own personal plot twist. Believe me
when I say that I have most assuredly made this story my own. The characters all belong to J.K.R.
and I haven’t made any money from this story or any other. Someday I’ll make millions on an
original idea.

Chapter 88
September 1, 1995

Harry hated to admit it but he was ready for summer to be over with. If he had been at Blackmoor or
Malfoy Manor, it would have been different, but being at Grimmauld Place had been completely
different and he was not only tired of the location but also of the animosity in the house. It was so
fucking tiring playing peacekeeper and nobody seemed to realize it other than him because nobody
else gave enough of a fuck to keep the peace.

That in and of itself disappointed him. He would have thought that Fred and George, even Percy,
would have cared enough about Ron and Ginny to try to keep the peace, try to make sure that they
were doing alright and they weren’t growing to hate everyone around them. However, there was
none of that care to be seen and it frustrated him. They were supposed to be family and if it were
Hermione and Draco, nothing would have separated them. He had thought that the Weasleys were
just as strong a family as his own but apparently he had been wrong.

Even Alexandre had shown more loyalty than the Weasleys and that was saying something. The
older man hadn’t been at Headquarters long; today would be his last day and it would be day number
five. As far as Harry knew, he was returning to Blackmoor with Siri and Helena and would be
staying there for he wasn’t sure how long. He had a feeling that it would end up being a permanent
thing if Helena and Juliet had anything to say about it. Siri didn’t seem opposed to it but Hermione
still wasn’t sold on it. She hadn’t come out and said it but it was easy to see that she wasn’t thrilled
that the man was there. Sometimes he wondered if it was because Sirius was gaining a whole new
family that had nothing to do with her. He wouldn’t blame her but it would still be pretty fucked up if
that was the case.

Harry had to concede, however, that she should be considered before Alexandre was asked to move
in permanently. Sure, Sirius was Lord Black, but he was the first to admit that he only held the title
by default. It had rightly belonged to Regulus, Hermione’s father, hence why the title would go to
her no matter what children he had after Juliet. In just a year’s time, Hermione would officially
become the matriarch of the Black family. While her father would still be considered Lord Black and
sit before the Wizengamot until she turned twenty-one, she could take over the rest of the family
responsibilities if she chose. He doubted that she would but the fact that she could remained. It would
only be right to consult her before moving in a member of Helena’s family.

Things between Hermione and Juliet had gotten better. He wasn’t sure if the young lion had
apologized or if Hermione had just let it go but they were speaking again and she hadn’t told her that
she hated her in several days. It was a nice change and it was great to see that Hermione wasn’t upset
every single day because her little sister had told her that she hoped she would die. It had taken all
Harry had not to curse the young girl when he had made Hermione cry over her harsh words,
especially when she was just acting like a spoiled little brat.

Harry was pulled from his thoughts by everyone gathering around the teens as they started for the
floo. During their two week stay, they had all grown close to several Order members, surprising not
only Harry but everyone else as well. Even though McGonagall had refused to join the Order, she
was a regular visitor and had even told Harry, Hermione, Draco, and the twins that she would start to
teach them the basics of becoming an animagus. Ron had thrown quite a fit about not being included
until Professor Cat had fixed him with a glare and told him that he wasn’t advanced enough in his
studies to even start contemplating becoming an animagus. Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Juliet had
consoled themselves with an extra helping of ice cream that night.

Surprisingly, Mad-Eye Moody couldn’t get enough of Hermione. He liked Harry and Draco but he
was quite taken with Hermione. He loved how powerful she was, how paranoid she was, and how
willing she was to learn. Moody had watched her train with Tonks and Remus, taking pointers from
the pair of them, only for him to kick them both out of the room when they kept telling her that she
needed to control her power or she would never be in control of a situation.

Harry and Draco had taken a seat on the sidelines, watching carefully how Moody was going to
coach her. It was no secret that the man was known for being a little barmy and they wouldn’t let
him do anything crazy with Hermione. However, there was no need to worry. Maybe it was
knowing how powerful she was that put him on his best behavior but Moody was downright
delightful to Hermione. He coached her every single day for the entire two weeks that they had been
there and there was already a vast improvement in her dueling skills. Harry could see that she was
proud of herself and she had even kissed Moody on the cheek in thanks the night before. He had
blushed furiously but hadn’t reprimanded her, merely sent her off to bed with a gruff goodnight and a
promise to see her off in the morning.

Harry and Draco had managed to learn from the Master Auror as well. Ron had been included in the
training as well, though he was nowhere near as skilled as they were. That was to be expected,
however, since he didn’t practice magic near as often as they did. Not that it was all his fault; Molly
was still grumbling about the fact that they were practicing magic outside of school. Harry had tuned
her out a long time ago.

Kingsley, who had started out hating Hermione and Draco, had turned out to be quite friendly once
they got past the exterior of being the big, bad auror. Hermione still wasn’t quite sure of what to
think about him but she wasn’t opposed to having a debate with him about Arithmancy or Magical
Theory. When they did debate, the whole table would go silent and just listen, caught up in the sheer
intellect that they would spew at each other. When they would finish, boht would burst out in
laughter at each other and others would soon follow. It was nice to see after witnessing the animosity
the auror had had for Hermione in the beginning.

Most everyone else was friendly enough with the teens even though they weren’t involved in the
Order. It was nice to see that while they weren’t a part of what was going on at Grimmauld Place,
they were still being respected while there. Most of them were, anyways. Harry knew that Molly was
trying to undermine Hermione whenever she was out of earshot but Kreacher never let it happen.
Harry had to chuckle when he caught the elf locking Molly out of the kitchen one day when she
insisted that it was her duty to cook for the Order meeting.

Molly was hugging and kissing all her children, telling them that they needed to write once they got
settled into Hogwarts once more. Harry waited because he knew that his turn was coming. After she
had smothered Ginny with an overbearing hug, Molly moved onto Harry and pulled him against her
considerable chest and hugged him tight.

“You’ll do your best to stay safe, Harry. Keep an eye on my children and let me know if they’re
behaving. As much as I hate that they’ve been separated from the rest of the family by name, it
wouldn’t do for them to act out and sully the name Prewett either.” Harry gave a jerky nod, not sure
he liked having this added responsibility on his shoulders. However, Ron was his best friend and he
would help him where he could.

Hermione and Draco were telling their family goodbye, though Severus was missing. He had spent
time with all of them at Grimmauld Place and the Weasleys had agreed to work on occlumency to
help conceal the fact that he was indeed Hermione’s godfather. Surprisingly, the twins were quite
gifted at it, something that still irritated Hermione when she heard about it. Draco was teaching them
while Harry focused on teaching Ron and Ginny. It wasn’t ideal but he would never ask Hermione
to immerse herself in the minds of two people that really didn’t like her.

Much to his surprise, Ginny was already a fully functioning occlumens; Harry had gone to Severus
for an explanation how it could be possible but the only thing he had been able to come up with was
that it much have had something to do with having Voldemort in her head for the whole of her first
year. Harry supposed that it made sense if he thought about it but it didn’t make him feel any better
when he stopped to consider it.

Ron was the one that would be the problem in teaching; Sirius and Lucius had taken it upon
themselves to teach the older Weasley brothers. Harry knew that they were struggling with it but they
were at least trying. Ron just didn’t seem to care enough to practice. It was frustrating because no
matter how much he told Ron that it was important it didn’t seem to matter.

Harry was pulled out of his thoughts by Kreacher appearing in front of Hermione with tears
streaking down his face. Hermione knelt in front of the elf and he could see Aunt Cissy cringing at
the dust gathering on her robes. Uncle Lucius was standing above her and watching with an
impassive face.

“Miss, what is Kreacher to dos while you is gone to school? Don’t makes me stay here without
yous.” Harry watched Hermione look up to her father and it was clear by the look on his face that he
didn’t want him anywhere near him. She sighed and gave the elf a small smile.

“Very well, Kreacher. If you can promise me that you’ll conduct yourself properly, I’ll allow you to
travel to Hogwarts with me. You may take care of my needs there until summer. We’ll figure
something else out when that time comes.” Kreacher began to sob in happiness and Hermione stood
and used a strict tone.

“Kreacher, stop this at once. No such displays, alright?” Kreacher nodded his head happily.
Hermione took her shrunken trunk out of her pocket and handed it to the elf.

“This is my trunk. Please take it to Hogwarts and make sure that my things are put away.” Kreacher
took the trunk happily and nodded his head.

“Yes, mistress.” Hermione smiled at him.

“Thank you, Kreacher. You may go now.” The elf was gone with a pop and the rest of the those
departing just shook their heads. Hermione smiled at the rest of them.

“I think it’s time.” Hermione started for the floo but stopped in front of Molly before taking the floo
powder in her hands.
“I’m leaving and Kreacher is gone. You may now take over the cooking and cleaning as you see fit.
Just remember that this is still my house.” Molly didn’t say anything but Harry didn’t think that she
would. Hermione obviously didn’t either because she took a handful of floo powder, threw it in the
flames, and stepped through.

They all followed, one by one, Tonks, Kingsley, Remus, and Moody coming through as well. They
were just going to make sure they boarded the train with no troubles. Once they were all on the
platform of the Hogwarts Express, they were met with the sounds of a crowd. Friends were hugging
their families goodbye and their was excited chatter as friends saw each other after a summer apart.

Tonks and Remus hugged everyone one last time and Kingsley wished everyone a good year.
Moody scowled at everyone except Hermione, telling her that they would continue their training
come Christmas and that she should read the booklist he gave her. It was comical to see the old
bastard with a soft spot, though most of them had one for Hermione.

They boarded the train and Hermione claimed the same compartment as the year before. They all
squeezed in with the exception of Ron and Ginny, both of them insisting on going to find their other
friends. Harry felt guilty for feeling a little relief at the distance between them. He really was tired of
playing peacekeeper and it wasn’t needed if Ron and Ginny weren’t there.

Neville, Blaise and Daphne all joined them, eager to hear about their summers. Blaise was the only
one who really didn’t know what all had transpired over the summer so he was quite surprised to
hear that the Weasleys were now an official branch of the Black family. He wisely kept his mouth
shut when it was revealed that Ron and Ginny had taken the name Prewett. They hadn’t made the
news public at their birthday parties so it would be a surprise for everyone returning to Hogwarts.

Harry was also surprised to see that Blaise had wrapped an arm around Daphne’s shoulders. She
leaned into his side and it was clear that they were a couple. He wondered how long it had been
going on and when he looked to Hermione he could tell that she had known. He wondered how it
would affect the relationship that Hermione and Draco had rebuilt since he knew that Draco fancied
the blonde witch.

Draco’s eyes blazed with anger but he kept quiet. Harry knew that Draco was getting what he
deserved, just like he was. They had treated Hermione and Daphne like shite and it was only right
that they had gotten tired of waiting and moved on. He had hated seeing Hermione with Cedric at
her birthday party but he couldn’t blame her for finally getting tired of waiting on him.

The trip passed pleasantly, Harry catching up with Neville and the rest of their friends that they
hadn’t seen for the summer. Greg, Vince, Millie, and Tracey stopped in and spent caught up for a
short time but moved on after an hour or so. Harry was reading up on wards, almost caught up to
Hermione and Draco thanks to the brutal pace he had set this summer. He could also now speak
passable Italian but Draco told him that he still needed to practice with Blaise once they got back to
school.

The best moment of the whole trip was Hermione falling asleep and leaning against him, her weight
warm and welcome. He knew that she was still seeing Cedric and he was surprised that she hadn’t
gone to find him during the trip. He wondered if she was angry at him and they were fighting. As
much as he wanted Hermione happy, he wouldn’t be unhappy if they were fighting. He promised
that he wouldn’t break them up but if they broke up on their own, he wasn’t going to let the
opportunity to show her he was changing pass him by.

Harry gently shook her awake just a few miles from Hogsmeade station. She gave him a sleepy grin
and started to pull her robes on over her witch’s robes. Everyone started to follow her example and
by the time they pulled into Hogsmeade station, they were all ready to head to the castle.
Cedric was waving to Hermione once they were off the train and he watched as she straightened her
shoulders and headed his way, waving to her friends as she went. He figured she would ride with
him to the castle and he wondered if that was how she felt every time he had left her to go shag
another girl. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling and to be quite frank, he hated it.

With a sigh, Harry headed for the carriage that Neville was climbing in. This was going to be a long
year.

-O-

Hermione had to admit to herself that it felt nice to wake up against Harry. He had changed so much
this summer and she enjoyed it when she let herself. She tried to keep her distance, however, because
it didn’t make it any easier to remind herself that he didn’t want her like she wanted him.

Once they had left the train, Cedric had waved her down. Hermione knew that she needed to break
things off with him but she was dreading doing it. She knew that he really liked her and she didn’t
want to break his heart. Cedric had been wonderful to her and had been very respectful. Even her
father hadn’t found a single thing wrong with him.

Hermione gave her friends and family a quick wave as she headed off in the direction of Cedric. She
silently gave herself a pep talk, telling herself that she could do what needed to be done. However, as
she grew closer, she started to tell herself that she could do it tomorrow, that it would be better if she
waited until after she had had a good night's sleep. Cedric smiled at her, holding his hand out and
waiting for her to take it.

Neither one of them spoke but they got a carriage to themselves and he handed her up into it like a
true gentleman would. She knew that her friends were ahead of her and wondered if Cedric was
wanting her to eat with him at the Hufflepuff’s table. It wasn’t that she had something against
Hufflepuffs but she wasn’t sure how well received she would be there. He helped her sit and took
the seat across from her rather than next to her as he usually did. He reached out and took her hands
in his with a small smile.

“Hermione, you know that you’re a wonderful girl. I really like you and couldn’t have more respect
for you.” She sighed and felt like a complete coward that he was having to do this for her. She
squeezed his hand to silence him.

“I can’t let you do this, Cedric. You know you aren’t the problem. You’ve been perfect.” He gave
her a half-smile.

“It isn’t just you, Hermione.” She felt her cheeks color and tried her hardest not to stutter.

“I didn’t want to hurt you. I just don’t feel a spark and I’m beginning to think that I never will. It’s
very disheartening.” Cedric chuckled softly.

“I understand. Trust me, you’re beautiful and the smartest girl I’ve ever known but I don’t really feel
that emotional connection with you either. You’re going to meet the right person, I promise.”
Hermione gave him a half-smile in return.

“Thanks. I know you will too. We’re still going to be friends, right?” He moved over to sit next to
her, throwing his arm around her shoulder.

“Of course, we’re going to be friends. Just because we didn’t work out as more doesn't mean that we
aren’t going to talk anymore.” She gave him a genuine smile.

“I’m glad. I’m really sorry we didn’t work out.” Cedric kissed the side of her head before letting his
arm fall from around her shoulders.

“Me too but it’s for the best. We’re parting as friends and that’s what’s important.” She nodded.

“I’m glad.”

Their conversation came to an end when the carriage came to a stop outside of the castle. Cedric
offered her his arm and escorted her into the Great Hall so she could join her friends and family. He
bowed to her as he left, winking enough for her to see it but doubtful than anyone else had.
Everyone else eyed her closely and she finally laughed a little.

“Why is everyone staring at me?” Daphne cocked an eyebrow at her from her seat next to Blaise.

“You just declared yourself quite publicly to be with Cedric.” Hermione let out a short laugh.

“Funny since that’s quite the opposite of what we just did.” Draco raised an eyebrow now.

“What do you mean, Mia?” She shot him a sideways glance.

“Cedric and I just broke up.” Hermione refused to meet Harry’s eyes and instead let Draco put an
arm around her shoulders. His voice was low when he spoke.

“Are you alright?” She smiled at him and leaned in to give him a side hug.

“I’m perfect. We both decided that it wasn’t working and we parted as friends.” Hermione let him
hug her again before Dumbledore stood and started to speak.

“Welcome everyone, to another year at Hogwarts.” He continued on with all the standard warnings
and greetings before holding his arm out in the direction of a woman wearing pink that was seated at
the High Table.

“Before we start the sorting, I want to introduce you to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts
teacher. Her name is Dolores Umbridge and she is also the Under-Secretary to the Minister. I’d like
you all to give her a warm welcome to Hogwarts.”

As the applause started in the Great Hall, Hermione began to worry. She had seen this woman
around the Ministry and she was bad news. Fudge couldn’t afford to go against Harry and her family
as publicly as he would like since they were still powerful, despite the other members of the
Wizengamot making things harder for them. Hermione had a feeling that she had been stationed at
Hogwarts to spy or start trouble. Fudge’s lackey would be an appropriate term to describe Dolores
Umbridge.

Hermione watched the woman closely during the sorting, not even paying attention to the new
snakes that were arriving. She and Draco had been made prefects so it would be important to make
sure that she knew which ones they would be leading to the dungeons. When it was finally over and
the feast began, Hermione turned a serious eye to everyone that sat around them.

“We all need to be very careful this year. That woman does whatever Fudge wants and I don’t trust
her any further than I can throw her. I think she’s here to cause trouble.” She turned to look at Harry.

“You need to be so careful, Harry. Draco and I are protected a little more than you are so we have to
make sure that you keep safe.” He gave her a small smile.

“I’ll do my best, Mia. I’ll be careful, I promise.” She gave him a nod and left it at that.
The Welcoming Feast lasted over an hour and once everyone had eaten their fill, Dumbledore
shooed them out to their common rooms. Hermione and Draco called for the first years to follow
them and took them the most direct path towards the dungeons. Hermione recognized Greg’s little
sister and a girl that looked like one of Juliet’s friends from Gryffindor. She wondered briefly if they
were related but decided that it probably didn’t matter.

Hermione showed them their dorm and the bathroom they would all share. After they were all settled
and had their beds chosen, she told them to meet them all downstairs once they were unpacked.
Since Kreacher had surely unpacked her things so she went straight to the common room to wait for
them. She knew that Draco had told the boys to do the same. Since the Head Boy and Girl weren’t
in Slytherin this year, it was up to the prefects to give the younger years the House Rules. Hermione
waited thirty minutes before the girls started to trickle in, most of them looking exhausted. Draco and
the boys joined them almost ten minutes later and her cousin looked irritated. Once they were all
seated, Hermione began.

“Since it’s our first year as prefects and your first year at Hogwarts, we’re going to learn together.
The first thing we do after showing you to your dorms is explain the House Rules. I don’t know if
the other houses do this and it really doesn’t matter because we do.” She paused for a moment to
make sure that the first years were listening.

“There aren’t many. Number one is that no matter what, we respect our Head of House. Professor
Snape is a Potions Master and has worked hard to get where he is. If you break the rules, he will
support you and do what he can for you but you better believe that you won’t escape his wrath. Trust
me when I tell you that you don’t want to feel his wrath.

Second, we all try to do our best in our studies. Salazar Slytherin was a very powerful wizard and a
founder to the school. We want to bring honor to his House and win points towards the House Cup.
Most of all, we want to be able to say that we’re the best. If you need help, you ask your professors
or your prefects for help. Failing is not an option in Slytherin House.” She sighed and hoped that this
last rule didn’t scare them.

“The last rule is that we always have each others backs. It’s getting better but other houses don’t
always treat us favorably because of our reputation. I’m not saying that you are supposed to go and
start a prank war or anything like that. I’m saying that if someone attacks a fellow Slytherin, you
protect them as best you can. You tell a professor if one of us is getting bullied. We all look out for
each other here. Do you all understand these rules?” Eleven small faces nodded her way and she
smiled at them. Draco stepped forward and finished off the speech.

“Hogwarts is a wonderful place and we want to make sure that you enjoy your time here. Like
Hermione said, you can come to us or the other prefects if you’re more comfortable with them, for
anything you need. If we don’t have the answer, we can get it for you. Just follow the rules and
make sure that you enjoy your time here.” Hermione gestured with her hands that they were to head
to bed.

“Off with you, be back down here at 7:30 and we’ll lead you to breakfast in case you’ve forgotten
your way to the Great Hall. You’ll get your timetables from Professor Snape tomorrow at breakfast.”
All eleven of the first years scurried off and Hermione watched them with an amused grin on her
face. Once they were all gone, Draco hugged her close.

“Are you sure that you’re alright? I didn’t know that you were going to break it off with him.” She
wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him, thankful he wasn’t angry at her for keeping
Daphne and Blaise from him.

“I’m alright, I promise. I just didn’t feel the connection with him, the spark. I really tried but it just
wasn’t there. He said that he could feel it wasn’t there either. Neither one of us were upset. I wasn’t
trying to keep it from you, I just wanted to do it before I lost my nerve.” He chuckled softly and
Hermione asked the question that she knew she was scared of getting the answer to.

“Are you angry at me for Daphne?” He snorted softly in her ear before releasing her.

“I was at first but I realized that I’ve done it to myself. I wouldn’t just volunteer something that Blaise
had told me if he told me not to tell you. I’m sure that she told you to keep it to yourself.” Hermione
shrugged slightly.

“She didn’t say outright not to tell you but I got the hint that she would rather you not know. She
loves you, Drake. Don’t give up on her.” Her cousin snorted again and she glared at him.

“Aunt Cissy would have your hide if she heard you snorting like that.” He laughed at her.

“I know she would. I won’t give up, Miney. I guess I deserve it and only hope that she doesn’t last
with Blaise so I have a chance.” She cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Make sure you don’t break them up. She would never forgive you for it.” He nodded, a smirk in
place.

“I’m not a complete idiot, Miney. I’ll try to show her that I’m interested without breaking them up. If
they stay together long term I have nobody to blame but myself.” Hermione nodded, pleased at how
mature he was being. She rose to her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Good night, Drake. Love you.” He tugged a curl before heading for his own dorm.

“Love you too, Mia. Night.”

Hermione sighed as she headed for the stairs. It had been a long day and she would need to send a
letter to her father and uncle first thing in the morning. It was important that they knew about
Umbridge. With one last sigh, Hermione entered her dorm to find it dark. She quickly undressed and
thanked Merlin that Kreacher had done everything she had asked. Without dallying over her books
for the next day, she crawled into bed and pulled the duvet over her. She closed her eyes and started
to clear her mind to ensure that there wouldn’t be any dreams.

After all, tomorrow was the first day of classes and she needed her rest.

A/N- Nothing too exciting in this chapter, y’all, except the breakup. I know a lot of you were pulling
for Cedmione but this remains a Harmony story. However, I didn’t want Cedric to be a dick so they
parted as friends. Hope you all approve. Anyways, thanks to everyone out there reading and
reviewing, you guys are the bomb. Leave me a message after the beep, reviews are like chocolate
and whiskey shots.

Next chapter, first lesson with Umbridge.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 89

A/N- I’m back, y’all. Real life has been crazy round here so thanks for understanding about the
longer than usual wait on this chapter. For those that continue to ask, my grandfather is holding
steady but the outlook isn’t good. Thank you for the good thoughts and prayers, they’re appreciated.
My son had the flu but is almost back to one hundred percent. Enough for now, let’s get this party
started!

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything in this story. Anything you recognize belongs to J.K.R. and the
plot line, while I have most certainly made it my own, belongs to a reader who gifted it to me. I
haven’t made any money off this story or any other. My kids would have sucked it all out of me even
if I had. They’re mooches like that.

Chapter 89
September 11, 1995

Hermione was pressed and dressed, waiting for Draco to come down after showering. They had
gone on their run together and split ways to clean up; it never ceased to amaze her that it took him
longer to get ready than it did her. She used to walk with Daphne but since she had started seeing
Blaise, they usually went to meals together. Not that Hermione blamed her; Blaise treated her well
and was always going out of his way to be sweet to her. Although, she was sure that some of it was
just to make Draco angry, Hermione could also tell that he really liked her best friend.

Daphne told her that they were getting on well. She was happy to hear that they were enjoying their
time together. If anyone deserved to have a boy who treated her well, it was Daphne. Draco was
even taking it surprisingly well, not commenting or being hateful. It was this that had sparked the first
argument between Hermione and her best friend since they were small children.

*Flashback*

Hermione was sitting on the couch closest to the fire in the common room, reading a book on the
four founders. She had finished all her assignments and wanted to finish the book before she started
on the second book that Moody had told her to read for their lessons come Christmas. Her cousin
was seated across the room, playing chess against a seventh year boy and judging by the expression
on his face, he was winning. Daphne sat down next to her and leaned over her shoulder to see what
she was reading. Hermione smirked at her.

“I thought you were off playing with Blaise.” Daphne giggled softly for a few moments before
casting a look at Draco as he declared checkmate against his opponent. She cocked her head to the
side and looked curious.

“Does Draco ever say anything about me and Blaise?” Hermione knew she was being snappy but
she didn’t care. Daphne seemed to realize instantly that she was angry too, her eyes growing wide as
Hermione hissed out her response.

“I really hope that you aren’t asking me to tell you things that my cousin has told me in confidence?”
Daphne gave her head a quick shake in the negative. Hermione narrowed her eyes at her friend.

“I fully supported you moving on and doing your best to find love in someone other than my cousin.
Merlin knows that you deserve it. Daphne, I’m warning you though, if you just went out with Blaise
to make my cousin jealous, to play some game with him, I'm going to be very angry. Yes, he’s been
an insensitive prat and he’s been a manwhore of epic proportions but he has never once told you that
he was going to court you, never once told you that he had intentions to be with you. It isn’t right if
you’re playing games with him because he has never once played one with you. If you want to move
on and find happiness with Blaise, I fully support that. However, it isn’t fair to Blaise or any other
boy you see if you’re just using them to make Draco jealous.” Hermione could see that her words
had struck home because not only were Daphne’s cheeks flaming red, there were tears welling in her
eyes. She regretted how harsh she had been but not the point she had made. Daphne nodded her
head after dropping her eyes to her lap.

“You’re right, Hermione, I'm sorry. I shouldn’t worry about him when I’m with Blaise. It’s hard
sometimes to not wonder if he ever saw me as more than a childhood friend though. I can’t help but
wonder what if.” Hermione sighed because she realized that she was just as guilty of that. She
hugged Daphne close.

“I understand about that. I still longed for Harry, I can’t help how I feel about him, but I didn’t date
Cedric to make him jealous. I truly want to find someone that will make me forget about Harry.”
Daphne nodded against her.

“I did too. Draco has shown he isn’t ready to date anyone and I’m tired of waiting for him to notice
me. That’s why I’m dating Blaise. At least that’s what I tell myself.” Hermione smiled at her friend
before letting her go to stand.

“Just forget this whole conversation, Daph. For now, I’m heading to bed.” Daphne gave her a small
wave as Hermione disappeared to her dorm.

*End of Flashback*

Draco appeared and interrupted her thoughts, offering her his arm like he usually did. She kissed his
cheek good morning as he lead her out of the common room and towards the Great Hall. As they
entered, Hermione saw that Harry and Juliet were already seated at the Slytherin table with Luna.
Her blonde cousin rarely dined at the Ravenclaw table anymore and she didn’t blame her. The girls
were no longer horrid to her but they weren’t very friendly or welcoming either.

She and Luna were much better than they had been over the summer. Time had faded the hurt and
anger between them and they were no longer awkward around each other. Hermione missed talking
to her as much as she used to, however. She had grown closer to Juliet over the summer, even more
so than she had been before. It saddened her to know that she wasn’t as close to her cousin but
happy for Juliet since she knew that Luna related to her better than even Hermione did. Besides, she
had Draco and knew that she couldn’t begrudge anyone else having a good relationship if she was
happy.

They reached the Slytherin table and took their usual seats; Draco, Hermione and Harry were on one
side while Daphne, Luna, and Juliet were on the other. They were joined by the twins, Neville, and
Blaise, Greg, Vince and her other girlfriends just a little ways down. Through the years, they had
grown a little further apart then they had started Hogwarts as but they still studied together and
helped each other in classes. Hermione, however, couldn’t help but notice that Greg and Vince
gravitated towards Theo most days, Pansy joining them. It worried her that they would eventually
turn on her friends and family as Theo had but she tried not to borrow trouble. Harry threw an arm
around her shoulders as soon as she took her seat, kissing her quickly on the cheek.

“Morning, guys. Ready for Charms?” Hermione rolled her eyes at him with a small smile. Harry had
become quite affectionate with her since she and Cedric had broken up. She tried not to notice and
did her best to ignore it when it was out there for everyone to see. She was scared that it would get
her hopes up again and that was the last thing she wanted. Torturing herself thinking she had a
chance with Harry was the one thing she refused to do this year.
The one thing she had noticed was that girls always seemed to be angry with him. She had come
upon him several times in the corridors with witches yelling at him but they always quieted the
second they saw her and disappeared. After the fourth such encounter, she had finally gathered the
courage to ask what they were angry about. Harry had given her the most beautiful smile when he
had told her that he was refusing to sleep with them and they were angry with him. Hermione had
been dumbfounded and couldn’t believe what he had told her.

Therefore, she sat back and just listened and watched. Harry didn’t disappear with girls, he wasn’t
caught in compromising positions with them, and there were no rumors going around about him
sleeping with who only knew what witch that week. It was disconcerting and though she wanted to
let her heart flutter at him leaving all the girls behind, she refused to be swayed by only a couple
weeks of celibacy. Harry hadn’t even told her that he was interested in her so she had wisely left it
alone.

“I was ready for Charms almost two years ago. I swear, how are we going to not die of boredom in
the next three years?” Harry chuckled at her and Draco snorted, causing Hermione to shoot him a
glare.

Hermione dished up her breakfast, porridge, fruit and a slice of toast. Kreacher had served her well
since coming to Hogwarts. He kept her clothes in order as well as her books, kept their dorm room
clean too. She could only imagine that he told the other elves to stay out of her domain since she had
yet to see evidence of any others. Since he kept running out of things to keep him busy, she sent him
to tidy up after Draco and the boys in his dorm. None of them aside from Theo seemed to mind.

The conversation around the table was light-hearted and happy even though they all had Defense
Against the Dark Arts that afternoon. While they hadn’t had Umbridge’s class yet, the other years
had and it wasn’t a good report. There had been a brief meeting in the common room of Slytherin
about how she wasn’t allowing them to use their wands and how it was going to affect the O.W.L.
and N.E.W.T. students. Hermione herself wasn’t worried but knew that her friends, including
Daphne, weren’t as far along in their studies as she was and they really needed the practical side of
Defense. Now that Voldemort had returned, their education was crucial.

The entire Gryffindor and Slytherin fifth year age group were dreading the class. Tales of how the
woman handed out detention to just about everyone that spoke in her class had reached all houses
and they were none too pleased. Nobody said a word about the detentions but it was a general
consensus that none of them wanted to repeat them. Not that any detention wanted to be repeated but
she got the impression that they were worse than even her godfathers.

After breakfast, the group bid farewell to Juliet, Luna, and the twins. They started for the Charms
classroom and Hermione made sure to walk with Draco. She was even more surprised when she
realized that her cousin was no longer seeing witches in his free time either; she was sure that
Daphne seeing Blaise was the cause but since he hadn’t been negative in any way, she couldn’t be
sure. She hoped that he had taken her advice to leave the Slytherin girl alone and find her own way.

They entered the Charms classroom and took their seats, Hermione next to Harry this time while
Draco took the seat next to Neville. Ron sat next to Lavender and looked as though he wanted to
speak with Harry. Her friend, however, seemed to ignore him. Hermione leaned over and whispered
in Harry’s ear.

“Ron looks like he wants to speak with you. Is everything alright?” He snorted and she elbowed him
in the ribs. He grinned at her action before looking back down at his text book.

“I told him off a few nights ago, told him I didn’t want to hear him whinge about your family cutting
him out anymore. I told him I couldn’t listen to it anymore. He wouldn’t talk to me for a bit but
apparently, he has something to say. Maybe he’ll find me later.” Hermione felt her heart swell at his
words. Before she could consider the repercussions, she threw her arms around Harry and gave him
a side hug. He looked surprised but pleased at the same time.

“Thank you for showing us some loyalty, Harry. I know you didn’t agree but I appreciate it just the
same.” He reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, hugging her for a few moments.

“Honestly, after I thought about it, I was more angry at the Weasleys for going through with it. You
and Draco would never have done that to each other and I just thought that they had a family as
strong as yours.” Hermione was surprised to hear him say that. She had been sure that he held it
against her family that they had cut his best mate out of being from a titled family.

“I guess I never thought about it like that. In their defense, however, do you think it’s fair that the rest
of the family suffer because of the pair of them?” Harry sighed as he raked his hand through his hair.

“No, I suppose not. I guess I just thought I’d see a bit more loyalty.” Hermione let the subject drop
since it didn’t directly affect her.

Professor Flitwick entered and called the class to order. He started in on revision, the mending spell
to be exact. Hermione wanted to groan. They had learned this ages ago and herself even longer
before that. However, she kept quiet since it would do no good to complain. She proved in class that
she could cast the charm and started the essay that the professor assigned as homework as soon as he
realized that she had no need of practice. She was pleased to see that Draco, Harry, Neville, and
Daphne had no need of revision either.

After they were dismissed, they made their way to Transfiguration. Since they had started their
meditations towards their animagus forms over the summer, Hermione was excited for the subject.
However, she was not excited for the subject in school. It meant that she would be thrown back
several years in her ability. Her professor gave her an apologetic look as she assigned the revision of
the orchideous spell. It was something they had learned last year and nothing remotely new for
Hermione. However, it was nice that Professor Cat held their group back after class.

“I know this is nothing challenging for you. I want you to read chapters eight through thirteen before
the weekend on animagus transformation and their relationships with nature in your text. We’ll meet
on Saturday at six.” Hermione nodded happily and made sure to link arms with Harry and Draco as
they left. She was so excited to work on her transformation that she didn’t keep her usual distance
from Harry and she noticed the last second. He merely grinned at her but kept quiet.

They made their way through the corridors until they reached the Great Hall. After going inside,
Hermione watched Harry split ways and head to the Gryffindor table. Juliet was already over there
with a few of her friends so Hermione knew that she would have Luna and Daphne to herself.
Hermione turned her attention to the Slytherin table and realized that her best friend was seated with
Blaise so she amended her statement. She would have Luna all to herself.

Hermione took her usual seat and gave Luna a smile from across the table. Her cousin returned it but
turned back to her food, very intent on the pudding in front of her. Hermione didn’t take offense;
Luna had always been very serious about her pudding. There was light conversation around her,
mostly about classes and homework. Since Hermione was caught up in everything aside from what
had been assigned that day, she had no worries and tuned the conversations out.

When the meal was finally over, Hermione shoved her plate away and smiled at Draco. They had
Herbology next and she had to admit that she wanted to see the look on Ron’s face when attendance
was called and he was called Prewett. It annoyed him to no end and it was clear to the rest of the
students. Some of them poked fun at him but most just left it alone; nobody wanted to deal with a
wound up Ronald Prewett.

As far as Hermione knew, Bill had no problems carrying all the Weasley’s family magic; in fact, he
had power to spare and would have no problems carrying the next generation as well. Her father had
told her that it was as if he had been made to rule an Ancient House but she hadn’t commented
further. The last thing she wanted was for her comments to further insult Bill or the Weasleys.

To be honest, all the Weasleys were very good to her. The twins always had been aside from that
one incident in her first year and Percy loved to talk intellectual things with her. Charlie, after visiting
most of the summer, had shared her love of animals and had even gone riding with her multiple
times, choosing an Abraxan horse of his own to ride when they went together. He told her all about
the dragon reserve and she told him all about their horses; both considered it a fair trade. Even Bill
treated her as a little sister who needed to be taught as much as possible; maybe not so much in the
ways of her estate but he taught her all he could in the ways of curse breaking. She quite enjoyed
what he taught her and looked forward to their lessons very much.

Arthur, while he never meant to snub her, was always very aloof. Hermione didn’t blame him, after
all. Her family had split his own, making him make the decision to do so. However, what he had
never known was that he had never been needed in the equation; all that would have been necessary
was Bill or Charlie and those that were willing for him to carry their family magic to come over and
swear their allegiance to the Black family. It was quite a humbling experience even if she was the
one that was receiving the oath. Of course, they would have probably been required to take the
Black name but if it had come to that point, she doubted that it would have mattered.

Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and smiled at her, pulling her towards the entrance that
would lead them towards Herbology. Hermione smiled back and allowed him to guide her.

-O-

Harry was at the Gryffindor table speaking softly with his friends there. Ron was sitting next to him
but they hadn’t spoke yet. Pav was smiling at him, as was Ginny, but it was Seamus and Dean that
were carrying most of the conversation. Dean was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that
Ron’s last name had changed.

“Mate, I just don’t understand.” Harry sighed, hating that their friend was asking this in front of Ron
and Ginny. Since when did he become the go-to for information in this sort of thing? He raked a
hand through his hair and decided to just answer the question as honestly as possible, not pulling any
punches. It would end it quickly and they would leave him alone.

“Ron’s dad is related to Hermione’s family. Her father offered his family a Barony that was only
meant for a light family; since Arthur admits that he isn’t strong enough to carry the family magic,
they offered it to Bill or Charlie. Since it is still under the Earl of Blackmoor as Head of the family,
they were bound to abide by his rules and cast Ron and Ginny out of the family for their treatment of
Hermione. They still live with them of course, Sirius isn’t heartless, but Molly carries their family
magic under the name of Prewett now.” Seamus just shook his head in disbelief as Dean was still
having a hard time believing his words.

“Why would his family do this if it didn’t benefit him and Ginny as well? How could Hermione
stand for it?” Harry was already wishing that he had just sat at the Slytherin table; over there, they
didn’t ask questions. They already understood and didn’t ask questions. Harry tried to answer
honestly while not offending his best mate.

“I’m not one hundred percent sure but I'm sure that his family went with it because it did benefit
some of them. Better some than none, right? Hermione could stand for it because Ron and Ginny
have been terrible to her. Ron struck her, remember? She has no outstanding love for him. Ginny at
the very least cursed her bald when she was very sick. No, it was never proved but we all know it
was true. Besides, none of this matters because it was Lord Black that made the final decision and it
had nothing to do with myself or Hermione. We were forced to live with it just the same as Ron and
Ginny.” He could tell that Ron was listening but he wasn’t reacting.

Dean and Seamus turned to their meal and let the subject matter go. Harry refused to start a
conversation with Ron; he was sick of listening to his friend whinge to him when it wasn’t his fault,
when it wasn’t even Hermione’s fault. If he had such a problem, he needed to take it up with Sirius,
yet he hadn’t gathered the guts. He doubted that Ron ever would to be entirely truthful. It was in the
last ten minutes of lunch that Ron finally turned his way and gave him a sheepish look.

“I’m sorry for putting you in the middle of things. I'm still mad at her and her family and I probably
always will be. I also know that it isn’t your fault and I’m sorry that I tried to put you in the middle. I
know you couldn’t do anything about it.” Harry sighed, knowing this was probably the best he was
ever going to get. His fingers went through his hair and he met his best mate’s eyes.

“I have no influence as to what the Black family does. Hermione was pissed as fuck when I started
to be nice to Ginny again so Gryffindor wouldn’t shun her. I told her that it was my decision and she
couldn’t make that decision for me. Well, it goes the opposite direction as well. I’m not part of the
Black house and I have no say as to what they do regarding their house and it’s future. I hate to say
it, Ron, but you’ve made your bed regarding Hermione and now you’re going to have to lie in it. Just
accept it and be grateful that they haven’t made you leave your family. They could have. Instead,
maybe you should consider that your family decided that they should cast you out. It wasn’t
Hermione or Sirius’ decision to have your family turn on you. I think you’re a fool for laying any
blame at all but if you’re going to, at least lay it where it belongs. You really have harmed the Black
family and you can’t possibly blame them for protecting their own.” Ron sighed. His voice was
whisper soft when he spoke.

“I know. It just sucks trying to live with it.” Harry gave him a small smile.

“I’m sure that it does. Just try to make the best of it.” Ron nodded and he gave his best mate a grin.

“We better get to Herbology before we’re late.” Harry glanced at the time and almost groaned.
Unless they ran, they were sure to be late.

They gathered their things and hurried on their way, meeting almost nobody on their way. They ran
the last leg of the way to Herbology and were just moments before the final bell; Professor Sprout
gave them a displeased grimace as they slid into their seats just as the bell went off.

“Now that everyone is here, we’ll begin.” Harry felt his cheeks color slightly but nothing that he
couldn’t easily hide. Ron, however, couldn’t hide the deep red that spread from the back of his neck
up his face to stain his cheeks.

Professor Sprout started her lecture on fanged geranium, all pure review. Harry hated review
chapters and understood now why Hermione and Draco had been bored all those years in class now
that he was in the same boat. After lecturing half the period, she turned them loose to work with the
actual plant. Harry successfully fed the plant and then helped Ron, who’s strongest subject had never
been Herbology.

Professor Sprout assigned them a short essay, one that he could easily accomplish in a half hour,
before sending them on their way. Harry already dreaded the next class and there was no logical
reason why. He hadn’t had the class yet and hadn’t been taught by the teacher yet. Sure, there was
nothing good to hear about her yet but that didn’t mean anything. Maybe she would be wonderful to
their class. However, he sincerely doubted it.

Ron stood and exited the classroom with him, his redheaded friend sighing loudly as they headed
back to the castle. Harry raised a questioning brow at him and Ron gave him a slow grin.

“Everyone has told us that Umbridge is horrid. How are we supposed to learn to defend ourselves
without our wands?” Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head lightly.

“I know. We’re just going to have to play it nicely so we don’t get in trouble. I heard her detentions
are horrid.” Ron nodded and kept his eyes forward.

Hermione and Draco were further behind him so Harry entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts
classroom with just Ron for the first time. All the desks were lined up perfectly spaced through the
room and the professor was dressed in a hideous titty pink cardigan. She was seated at the large desk
at the front of the room. Harry wasted no time in finding a desk in the middle of the classroom. He
knew that Hermione and Draco would probably gravitate towards the front of the room but that was
fine. He felt if they were spread out more, it would be better.

As predicted, Hermione and Draco took seats at the very front of the class. They quickly unloaded
their bags and gathered their parchment, ink, and quills. Harry decided to follow suit, leaving his
wand in his bag. If everyone else was to be believed, he wouldn’t be needing it. He had just gotten
his things out and set up when the woman in the front rose and clasped her hands in front her,
pasting a sugary smile on her face before speaking.

“Alright, children, it’s time for class to begin. I have your books here. Take one and pass the others
back behind you.” Harry watched as the woman sent a stack of books to each line of desks and they
were forced to take one and pass the others back. When he finally got his, he almost cringed at the
title.

Basics for Beginners.

He could almost see the steam coming from Hermione’s ears and he hoped that she took her own
advice and kept her mouth shut. Umbridge was ordering them to turn to page three and read the
chapter on conflict avoidance. Harry turned his eyes to his page and did his best to concentrate on the
words. He really did try. However, he just couldn't focus on the words and when he looked up, he
saw that Hermione’s hand was in the air. He knew that Umbridge had seen it and was merely
ignoring it; therefore, after nearly ten minutes of it being in the air, she finally sighed and smiled
sweetly at her.

“Yes, Miss Black, is there something that I can help you to understand?” The Gryffindors tittered
softly at the slight but Hermione just smiled slightly back at the woman. Harry knew that this didn’t
bode well.

“Actually, professor, there is something. I’ve read the syllabus and I’m confused as to how we’re
going to actually pass the O.W.L.s if we don’t learn to cast the spells. Surely you don’t mean for us
not to practice them?” The rest of the class gasped softly, clearly not having read the syllabus like
Hermione had. Umbridge glared at her but finally gave her a nothier sugary smile before answering.

“The Ministry has stepped in due to the irregularities at Hogwarts. They believe that students don’t
need to practice the spells until the day of the exam. If they understand the theory, they’ll understand
the practice.” Harry could see her jaw drop in disbelief.

“You can’t be serious. I understood the theory of the patronus long before I mastered it. It took ages
to master. Students must be allowed to practice or they’ll fail their exams.” Harry could see that the
woman was getting angry.

“Miss Black, it doesn’t matter what you think. Your failing when it comes to the patronus charm
doesn’t mean that the rest of your fellow students will have the same problems. The Ministry has
stepped in to make sure that Hogwarts is finally doing things as they should have been done long
ago.” Harry felt his anger flare at her making fun of Hermione. He glared at the woman and couldn’t
keep the bite out of his tone when he spoke.

“Her failing when it comes to the patronus charm? You’re aware that she saved numerous students in
Hogsmeade and on the Hogwarts Express last year with that patronus because the Ministry fucked
up and sent the dementors around school children. Maybe the Ministry needs to re-evaluate how they
do things.” Harry could almost hear Hermione groaning at his words. Umbridge was looking at him
as though Christmas came early and it made him extremely uneasy. Her grin was almost feral when
she met his eyes.

“Detention tonight, Mr. Potter. My office at six.” He said nothing, just stared at her.

Umbridge continued with the lesson as though nothing had happened. They were instructed to copy
the lesson from the book as though reading it wasn’t going to mean that they would learn it quick
enough. Harry discreetly used a copying spell when she wasn’t looking, not about to do this useless
assignment if he didn’t have to. At the end of the period, he turned the assignment in and glared at
the toad in pink. She merely smirked at him and told him that she would see him in just over an hours
time.

Hermione and Draco flanked him as they left the classroom, both of them vibrating with fury. Harry
sighed inwardly, not wanting to deal with their anger at the moment. He was already dreading the
detention to come; he knew without a doubt that he was going to hate it. They rounded the corner
heading for the Great Hall when he spoke, cutting them off before they could speak.

“Don’t start lecturing me. Trust me, I’m not excited about this detention but there’s nothing for it
now.” Hermione sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her
shoulders and held her against him tightly. Her voice was soft when she spoke.

“I’m just worried for you.” Harry sighed and realized that he couldn’t hold that against her.

“I know. It’s going to be fine. What’s she going to do, make me write a thousand lines?” Hermione
shrugged her shoulders delicately. Draco sighed this time.

“I’m not sure. Just be careful, mate.” Harry nodded.

“You guys go to the library and I’ll meet you there afterwards.” Both Slytherins nodded and it was
dropped.

The three of them entered the Great Hall for dinner and took their seats at the Slytherin table. They
didn’t speak of his detention but it was clear that the rest of their friends were just as worried as
Hermione and Draco. Dinner was subdued, the conversation quiet and light. He knew that Juliet and
Luna were confused as to what was going on but they didn’t ask. Just before the meal ended, Neville
and the twins came over and clapped Harry on the shoulder. Fred gave him an apologetic look.

“Hang tough, mate. Nobody has given me details on her detentions but they’ve all said they’re
terrible.” Harry sighed, trying not to get irritated with his friends for showing him support. Instead, he
gave them a small smile.

“Thanks. I’m going to be good, promise.” He rose from the table and Hermione snatched his hand
before he could leave. Her eyes were wide and Harry wanted to fall in them and never come out.

“Remember, meet us in the library afterwards.” Harry nodded and dropped a kiss on her head before
waving at the rest of his friends. Without a backwards glance, he strode out of the Great Hall,
heading for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors office. He had spent plenty of time there
his third year when Professor Lupin had taught there.

It took him no time at all to reach Umbridge’s office. He knocked on the door and she was quick to
bid him to enter. Harry didn’t speak as he took the seat that she gestured to. She slid a long piece of
parchment in front of him as well as a quill. She gave a him a sweet smile that reminded Harry of a
damn snake.

“You’ll be writing lines for me, Mr. Potter. We’ll see how many you can write in three hours time.”
Harry wondered why everyone hated this so much. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t wrote lines before.
Three hours was longer than he had ever wrote them but it wouldn’t kill him. He had wrote longer
than that in a marathon homework session at Blackmoor. However, he realized there was only one
problem.

“You haven’t given me any ink.” She gave him that same smile that he was starting to grow uneasy
about.

“You won’t need it, Mr. Potter. You will write ‘I will learn to respect my betters.’ You may begin.”

Harry took a deep breath and put the quill to the parchment. It felt odd to drag the tip across the
parchment without ink but did as she asked. He was well into his second time copying the phrase
when he felt the pain in the back of his left hand. He pulled his sleeve up and watched the words that
he had just wrote etch themselves into his hand.

I will learn to respect my betters.

His head came up to see that Umbridge was grinning at him now and Harry just glared. She gestured
for him to continue.

“You owe me three hours, Mr. Potter. You’re wasting time.”

Harry knew that it would do no good to complain. She wouldn’t relent and she would just make his
punishment worse if he left. He put the quill back to the parchment and continued with his lines. The
Gryffindor could feel her eyes on him as he wrote and they were burning a hole in his head.

For three hours, he wrote the same phrase over and over on the parchment. He had no idea how
many times he copied it but he supposed that it wasn’t important. There was blood steadily dripping
from his hand onto the floor and he feared that the cuts were going to scar. He knew that Hermione
was going to lose her temper when she found out. He wondered briefly if there was any way to keep
her from finding out but knew deep down that there wasn’t. If he did, she would think that he was
trying to keep her out to be malicious. Finally, Umbridge broke the silence with a breathy little laugh.

“Your three hours are up, Mr. Potter. I hope that you learned your lesson.” He stood as calmly as he
could and made himself meet her eyes.

“You know that you won’t get away with this for long.” She cocked her head to the side and gave
him another sweet smile.

“I think you’ll find that you’re wrong. Minister Fudge is tired of having children that are out of
control in this school. He has given me official dispensation to do whatever it takes to bring this
school under control. For the record, Mr. Potter, there are now ministerial decrees in place that will
keep personal tutors out of Hogwarts. The Board of Governors are just a show piece, Mr. Potter. I
suggest you learn your lesson this first time.” Harry wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or just
trying to scare him but either way, he needed to speak with Severus. He pulled his wand and pointed
it at his blood on the floor, vanishing it with a small smile. She glared at him but he said nothing.
Harry turned on his heel and left.

The Gryffindor traversed the corridors quickly, guarding his injured hand and hiding the blood inside
his robe. He found the library quickly and entered without hesitation, finding Hermione and the rest
of their friends quickly. He took the seat next to her and she flashed him a worried look. He just
shook his head, silently telling her that he wasn’t going to talk about it in the library. Draco leaned
forward and whispered to him.

“Are you alright, mate?” Harry shook his head. In truth, he felt a little lightheaded. He was sure that
it was due to blood loss but he didn’t think that it was urgent. Hermione slammed her book shut and
shoved her things into her bag. Neville and Juliet were the only ones there with them so she gave
them a small smile.

“We need to get Harry to Professor Snape. We’ll see you both in the morning.” Juliet looked as
though she was going to protest that she wanted to come but in the end, didn’t. She nodded and let
Neville help her gather her things so he could guide her back to the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione stood and pulled Harry back to his feet and out of the library. She darted into the first
classroom she found that was empty, locking, silencing, and warding it once the door was shut. She
turned expectant eyes to Harry and he sighed. Rather than explain, he pulled his hand from his robes
and showed it to her.

Hermione stepped forward and took his hand in hers, more gentle than she had ever touched him
before. Her fingers traced the words soft as a feather but he could see the fury building in her eyes.
Draco’s hands were clenched in fists and he could tell that his friend was barely keeping his temper.
When he spoke, his voice was restrained and his teeth were gritted.

“A fucking blood quill.” Hermione was clearly struggling with keeping her temper under control; her
whole body was shaking ever so slightly and he worried that she was going to lose it and catch
Umbridge’s attention. Seeing her hand cut up would be the worst thing he could imagine right about
now.

“That fucking cock-sucking cunt used an illegal blood quill on you. I'm going to have her job by the
time I’m done with her.” Harry jerked his hand out of hers to put them on her shoulders. He made
her meet his eyes and the blind fury in them almost scared him. If it had been aimed at him, he would
have been terrified.

“Don’t lose your temper. She told me that she has Minister Fudge’s backing on this, that he’s given
her dispensation to do whatever it takes to get Hogwarts under control. She also said that there are
now decrees saying that we can’t bring tutors in to teach us. We have to be careful, Mia.” She hissed
in rage and jerked away from him. Hermione started to pace and Harry was at a loss. Draco just
shook his head at him.

“Let her pace; she isn’t mad at you. This is why nobody has said anything about why her detentions
are so bad.” Hermione stopped pacing and came forward to grab his good hand. With a wave of her
wand, she cancelled all her spells and started for the door.

“We’re going to Uncle Sev. Hopefully he can heal your hand. He’ll get ahold of daddy and Uncle
Luci. We may not be able to do anything but it’s best they know what’s going on.” Harry wound his
injured hand back in his robes and let her pull him through the corridors towards the dungeons,
Draco bringing up the rear. It took them several minutes to get clear to Severus’ quarters but once
they were there, he felt better. She beat on the door and dragged him through the door
unceremoniously when the Head of Slytherin House opened the door. Once the door was shut, she
was hissing her words again.

“That fucking cunt is using a blood quill on the students during detentions. Show him, Harry.” Harry
held his hand out to Severus and let the man take his hand to examine it. He could see the fury in his
expression as well but he controlled it much better than Hermione did. He released it after several
seconds and disappeared through a door, returning seconds later with a jar of a putrid-smelling
cream. He opened the jar and dipped his fingers in, spreading the cream liberally on the wound. The
fire in his hand instantly ebbed and the breath he didn’t realize that he was holding released. He tried
to smile at the sour-faced man.

“Thanks, Severus.” He gave him a curt nod but Harry knew that he wasn’t angry at him. He looked
up and met Harry’s eyes.

“What did you get detention for?” Harry didn’t even get to answer. Hermione beat him to it.

“I asked how we were supposed to pass our exams if we didn’t practice the spells. She told me that if
we understood the theory, we shouldn’t need to practice. I pointed out that I understood the theory of
the patronus charm long before I could perform it. She then told me that my failing to perform the
charm didn’t mean that anyone else would. Harry told her that I didn’t fail the patronus charm, that in
fact I saved numerous students from dementors our third year because the Ministry set them around
the school and they attacked.” Severus snorted and kissed Hermione on the head before turning to
meet his eyes.

“I’m going to go speak with Dumbledore but I’m not sure what he’ll be able to do. I want all of you
to be extra careful around that witch. She’s vile, that's certain, and until we know for sure what their
plan is, we need to stay behind the scenes. Promise me that you’ll all be on your best behavior
around Umbridge.” Harry watched as Hermione glared at him but in the end, nodded her head. He
and Draco also nodded, knowing that there was really nothing else they could do. Severus met all
their eyes.

“Tell the others. It wouldn’t do for them to find themselves in detention either, especially since I can’t
help everyone.” Harry nodded.

“I’ll tell everyone in Gryffindor to keep their mouths shut.” Severus nodded. Hermione sighed.

“We’ll spread the word in Slytherin. I’m sure that Luna can tell someone in Ravenclaw and I’ll have
Cedric tell everyone in Hufflepuff.” Harry felt a flare of jealousy at her words. Sure, they were
broken up but it was clear that they were still friends. He had no right considering he still spoke with
Ginny occasionally but he knew that Hermione genuinely liked Cedric. Severus nodded and started
to head for his desk. He jotted out two notes on separate sliips of parchment, handing one to
Hermione and one to Harry. His expression was serious.

“A pass for all of you since it’s past curfew. Straight to your common rooms. I’ll let you know
tomorrow what I find out from Albus.” Hermione stepped forward and hugged her godfather tight,
burying her face in his robes. He knew from experience that she was inhaling his scent since it
calmed her. She did it quite frequently to Uncle Lucius as well. Harry gave him a nod once they
separated.

“Thanks again.” Severus nodded and started to shoo them towards the door. Once they were in the
corridor again and the door was shut, Harry turned to Hermione and Draco. He hugged Hermione
quickly and clapped his friend on the shoulder.
“I’ll see you guys at breakfast. Be quick, I don’t know if the note would save us anyways.”
Hermione nodded.

“You too. See you in the morning.”

With that, the pair turned on their heel and started for the Slytherin common room. Harry had quite a
bit farther to go so he stayed to the shadows as he traversed the castle. It took him almost twenty
minutes to get back to the Gryffindor common room but once he was safely ensconced inside, he
breathed a sigh of relief. He noticed that most of his house was still awake and up in the common
room. He took a deep breath and spoke loudly.

“I know that some of you know all about detention with Umbridge. I just had my first one and I’m
going to let those of you that haven’t had the privilege know that it isn’t an experience you want to
have. I’m not one to take it lying down, however, and I went to a professor. This professor isn’t sure
that they can do anything since Umbridge seems to think that the Minister is backing this sort of
punishment but they’re going to see what they can do. I’m supposed to spread the word that until we
know what we can do, everyone is to be on their best behavior around Umbridge. Give her no
reason to punish you.” There were several frightened faces in the crowd and as much as Harry
wanted to reassure the firsties that it would be fine, that they would protect them, he couldn’t. They
needed to be careful because he doubted that Umbridge would care that they were only eleven years
old when she forced them to carve words into the backs of their hands. He started for the stairs to his
dorm but made one last parting comment.

“Everyone make sure to tell those that aren’t here right now. Consider this a House meeting and that
the House message. It’s important.” He wasn’t sure how Professor McGonagall would take hearing
that they had a House meeting without informing her first but figured that she would understand
when she realized just why they had held it. He assumed that Severus would inform her in the
morning.

Harry crawled up the stairs to his dorm and dressed for bed quickly. He decided that he would
shower in the morning, not wanting to wash the cream off his hand too soon. Severus hadn’t told
him how long to leave it on but he wasn’t going to take a chance. Therefore, he was just crawling
into bed and under the duvet when Ron and Neville came up. Ron sat on the edge of his bed and
watched him carefully.

“What did she make you do, mate?” Harry sighed, knowing that he needed to tell his friends so they
would take him seriously.

“She made me use a blood quill for three hours straight.” There was a sharp intake of breath from
Neville, telling him that his friend knew exactly what he was talking about. Ron, not so much.

“I’m not sure what that is.” Neville raked a hand through his hair and started to explain. Harry
interrupted them.

“Neville can tell you what it is, Ron. I'm tired so I’m going to head to bed. I’ll see you in the
morning.” Ron nodded his way absentmindedly. Harry pulled his curtains and settled against his
pillows.

He cleared his mind to make sure that all his barriers were in place, not wanting to slip now that
Voldemort was back. It was only a matter of minutes before he felt sleep pull him under.

-O-

Severus was livid. While he would have murdered someone if Hermione had been the one with her
hand cut up the way Harry’s was, he was none too happy to see his charge injured as he was. He
would never be as close to Harry as he was to Hermione and Draco but he still held the boy as dear.
He was Lily’s son, after all, his best friend, the woman he had loved. He had vowed to protect him
and seeing him injured for doing nothing more than telling the truth to Umbridge made his blood
boil.

He strode through the corridors on his way to Albus’ office. He was determined to see something
done about this; if Harry was suffering through a blood quill, it was a sure bet that other students
were as well. Sure, he wished that he could curse the little brats most days but he would never dream
of actually doing it.

Just three corridors from Dumbledore’s office, he passed the witch in question. Dolores Umbridge
gave him a simpering smile but Severus just kept walking. He refused to stand there and act like he
liked her, like he agreed with her methods. Therefore, he continued on as though he didn’t see her.
She started to say something but he didn’t give her a chance; just swept past, his robes billowing
behind him.

Severus didn’t wait for the gargoyle to acknowledge his presence; he muttered the password of sugar
quill and followed the stairs up to Albus’ office. He didn’t bother to knock since the Headmaster
knew that he was coming. If he didn’t want him to come in, he would lock the door. When he
entered, he saw that Minerva was already there, looking quite incensed. He raised an eyebrow at her
but when she remained silent, he turned to the Headmaster.

“We have a problem.” Albus gestured for him to take a seat but Severus started pacing instead.

“Harry, Hermione, and Draco just came to see me. Harry had detention with Umbridge and she
made him use a blood quill for three hours. His hand was bleeding profusely and needed healing.
She told him that Fudge was behind her punishing students like this, that she was to get Hogwarts
under control. She also intimated that the governors were going to be useless this year and that there
would be decrees in effect that stated that there would be no tutors allowed in the school.”
Dumbledore nodded his head sagely while Minerva exploded in anger. Her quiet anger was almost
as frightening as the Dark Lord’s. However, when she realized that Albus wasn’t acting surprised,
she turned her ire his way.

“You mean to tell me that you knew that this was happening and have done nothing about it?”
Dumbledore nodded his head, refusing to meet their eyes.

“Fudge himself came and told me that the Ministry had lost faith in me after the debacle last year
involving Krum’s death. They aren’t acknowledging that Voldemort is back but they can’t afford to
tell the world that Harry is lying either. No matter what they say, Sirius and Lucius still have an
insanely large amount of power in the Wizengamot.” He sighed and started to stroke his beard before
continuing.

“Fudge told me that he was sending Umbridge to make sure that the students were behaving, that she
was going to have permission to use whatever means necessary to make them comply. He made
quite clear that he would make her position Ministry-appointed to keep her here. I’m quite sure that
whatever she is telling young Mr. Potter is the truth. As for the decree about no tutors, I'm sure it’s
the truth. I’ll check, of course, but it was no secret that Sirius and Lucius used a tutor last year rather
than Master Auror Moody. It was an embarrassment for the Ministry and they can’t afford that again.
As for the Board of Governors, if it’s Ministry-decreed, I doubt there is much they can do.” Severus
picked up a knick-knack off the Headmaster’s desk and threw it at the wall.

“You know that if that fucking bitch does that to Hermione I will fucking kill her, right? I won’t give
two flying fucks about the Ministry. When I justify it to the Dark Lord, I’ll just tell him that I was
keeping the woman that he wants to bear his heirs safe from harm.” The Headmaster’s aura flared in
anger but said nothing until he had himself under control.

“You mustn’t blow your cover, Severus.” Severus leaned over the desk and made sure that he was
eye-to-eye with the Headmaster before he spoke.

“I think you’re confused. Me keeping Hermione safe for the Dark Lord would be making my cover
stronger. Just because it offends your sensibilities means nothing to me. I suggest that you do your
best to get her under control. After all, you want me as your resident Death Eater spy. Guess what,
Albus? Now you’ve got me.” Severus stood and brushed his hair back from his face.

“I’ll be writing a letter to Lucius tonight. He needs to know what to expect as the Head of the
Governors. Maybe he can still do something. I hope you can do something, Albus, because I truly
fear for Umbridge’s safety if not.” Severus didn’t wait for him to say anything else. After all, there
was nothing else to say.

Severus returned to his quarters and sat before his desk. He pulled out parchment and his quill,
dipping it in ink so he could pen a letter to Lucius. At the last moment, he decided to include Sirius
so he wouldn’t have to write two separate letters. They were probably together anyways. After a
moment to consider how he wanted to word it, he began.

Lucius and Sirius,

I’m hoping that this letter finds you both together and well. I wish that I could find the time to leave
and explain in person but I must sleep since I have an early class. I’ve just left Albus’ office and am
greatly disturbed by what I have learned there tonight.

Hermione and Draco dragged Harry in here just a little while ago with an injury to his hand. He had
been assigned a three hour detention with the new Defense professor, Dolores Umbridge. I’m sure
you know her and just what kind of person she is. It was revealed to me that she made him write
lines for three hours with a blood quill.

Of course I healed him to the best of my ability. I warned him and the others that I would go to
Dumbledore and do what I could to put a stop to her punishments. However, we all know that this
isn’t going to last for long. They’re children and they thrive on mischief.

Umbridge also told Harry that Fudge was giving her official dispensation to bring order to Hogwarts.
Dumbledore confirmed it. She told him that there were decrees that would keep tutors from being
welcome in Hogwarts and Albus also all but confirmed that as well. She also told him that the Board
of Governors was going to be useless this year.

Lucius, I’m not sure if this is true but Dumbledore thinks that it very well may be. I need you two to
see what you can find out and what can be done to get around it. As much as I hate the little beasts,
I’m still a professor and won’t stand to see my students punished in such a way. I have warned all the
children to be on their best behavior around Umbridge but it won’t hold. Please advise me as to what
I can do since Dumbledore is going to be no help at all.

Awaiting your reply,

Severus

Severus rolled the parchment up and sealed it before sending it off with one of the school owls. He
should have asked Hermione to have Kreacher deliver it but it was too late now. He knew that the elf
wouldn’t respond to him if he tried to call him. For now, he would just have to content himself with a
reply in the morning.

With a tired sigh, he wiped a hand down his face before standing and heading to his quarters. He
really did have an early class and he intended to be early. If there was one thing that he knew for
sure, all rule-breakers in his class would no longer be serving detention. He would have to content
himself with point losses.

It would just have to be enough.

A/N- There you go, folks, another chapter in the books. I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks again for
reading and reviewing, y’all are my heroes! Anyways, let me know you think. I do so like hearing
your thoughts.

Next chapter, our favorite character gets detention.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 90

A/N- Big thanks to everyone out there supporting this story and reviewing every chapter. You guys
are the bomb. As for how long this chapter took to get to you, I apologize. I have so much going on
that it’s insane. Thanks for being understanding. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

**Shout out to heeeeeem for being my 4400th reviewer!! You’re freaking awesome!**

Disclaimer: After 90 chapters, I still don’t own much more than the twist on the story line of this
story. If y’all need to see who the story idea and the characters belong to, refer back to the 89
chapters before. Still haven’t made any money off this story or any other since I’m still a broke bitch.

Chapter 90
September 30, 1995

Hermione had had plenty of unpleasant experiences in Hogwarts since starting her education there.
There had been times that she hated it there, times that she wanted to go home because the students
were so terrible to her. However, none of these experiences came close to what she now dubbed as
the Terror of Umbridge.

Dolores Umbridge was a horrible woman who had no problems with using her place as an authority
figure to get what she wanted from both staff and students. She had managed to coerce students
against each other, turning on each other just so they didn’t have to serve detention with her. Thus
far, Hermione had managed to keep her mouth shut in her class but she knew that it wasn’t going to
last.

Uncle Sev had made clear to her just what would happen if the woman used that horrible quill on
her. He had begged her to be careful, to make sure that Draco and Harry were kept in line. She had
told him that she would do her best but it was so hard to keep her word when she was constantly
targeting not only her family but her friends. Just three days before, Fred and George had spotted the
horrible hag berating a pair of first years for being late because they had been waylaid by Peeves.
They had started mischief to distract her but hadn’t escaped her blood quill in the end.

Hermione had learned quickly the formula for the cream that Uncle Sev had treated Harry’s hand
with. She made it often and handed it out to her friends and family like it was candy. The twins were
always in need of it since they had taken it upon themselves to protect the younger students from
Umbitch, which was the name that Daphne had started using for her. When Blaise had found himself
in detention with them one day after handing in an essay half an inch too short, she had made sure
that he had a supply as well.

The worst part of the whole situation was that there was nothing that they could do about because
Fudge was a useless fucking Minister that would rather subdue his subjects rather than make sure
that they were safe. He had made Umbitch the High Inquisitor, a title that apparently gave her the
right to visit all the classes and make judgements as to whether they were teaching their classes
properly or not. If it was found that the classes weren’t being taught properly, they would be sacked.
As much as Hermione would love for someone like Professor Trelawney to be sacked because she
was a complete charlatan, she didn’t want her sacked because Umbridge wanted her out of the castle.

Even the Board of Governors were rendered useless. Her uncle had been livid when he had stalked
into Hogwarts two weeks before after they had heard about Harry’s detention. He had done
everything he could to make sure that it couldn’t happen again but Fudge had done everything in his
power to cover his bases before putting Umbridge in place. Even if Hermione hated to admit it, she
had say that he had outplayed them all, which surprised her immensely. Fudge was not a smart man,
which meant that someone else was pulling his strings. When it came down to it, she felt that it was
Umbridge.

It was well-known that Harry was the descendant of Godric Gryffindor. If he had wanted to claim
ownership of the castle, he probably could have. However, this couldn’t have happened until he was
of the age of his majority. Since the only other heir of a founder that was known was in fact
Voldemort, there was little hope of him taking control of the castle and keeping it out of Ministry
hands. SInce there was nobody to fight them at the time being, the Ministry had passed numerous
bills in the recesses of the Wizengamot, mostly right as they were called for a vote. These determined
that the Ministry would ascertain control of Hogwarts and the Board of Governors would step back.

Her father, Uncle Luci, and Bill had been livid. They hadn’t even been aware of the bill before it had
been put to vote before the Wizengamot. It was clear that it had been engineered that way and it was
clear the purpose as to why. Even though they had voted against the bill, Augusta Longbottom,
Gerald Greengrass, and Elora Zabini along with them, they were soundly defeated. Lucius had
wondered which Death Eater had paid the bribes to the other members since most of them had family
in Hogwarts and couldn’t possibly have known what it would be like for them once the Board was
rendered useless.

Of course, this had caused some tension between herself and some of their friends. Even Greg and
Vince’s fathers had voted for the Board to be rendered useless and it was clear that they weren't
going to try to convince them otherwise. As much as Hermione hated to do it, she started to consider
the possibility that they were going to follow in their father’s footsteps and continue to serve the Dark
Lord. It hurt to consider since she thought of them as her friends but she also knew how hard it
would be to go against her family. She wasn’t sure if she could ever do it and she thanked Merlin
every day that they had the same convictions that she did. Truthfully, it was hard enough not
knowing for sure where Daphne’s family stood on the war between blood prejudice.

Therefore, this meant that they were stuck with the evil bitch and had to dance to her tune. There was
nothing that her father, uncle, or Dumbledore could do about it since their hands were tied politically.
As much as her godfather said that Dumbledore was angry, she felt like her father and uncle were the
most angry. They had been out-Slytherined and the children were the ones paying the price.

Hermione picked at her breakfast while she waited for everyone else to finish. It was hard to find
anything to get excited about now that Umbridge was constantly haunting the corridors. They had
Transfiguration first and she was sure that the hag would be there to harangue Professor Cat. Of
course, this meant that there wouldn’t be any staying after to discuss the lessons on becoming an
animagus. It was the one bright spot of being at Hogwarts and she was even stealing that joy. Draco
nudged her and gave her a small smile.

“Don’t let her get you down. Don’t let her win.” Hermione sighed, knowing that he was right. She
wasn’t a quitter and there was no way that she was going to let the toad win. She gave herself a
mental shake before nodding her head.

“You’re right. Thanks.” Hermione felt someone behind her and judging by the look of distaste on
Daphne’s face, it was clear that it was probably Ronald or Ginny. She turned slightly to see that it
was the both of them, along with Seamus and Dean. Ron didn’t give the Slytherins the time of day,
just met Harry’s eyes.

“You still walking with us today, mate?” Harry nodded and wiped his mouth before standing. He
dropped a kiss on Hermione’s head and squeezed her shoulders before picking up his bag. Hermione
gave him a smile and waved, though before she could tell him she’d see him later, Ginny’s voice cut
into the conversation.

“Isn’t that sweet? It looks like Hermione is finally getting her wish. Harry’s paying her a little bit of
attention.” Hermione did her best to control the color that threatened to rush to her cheeks. She
hadn’t let herself even consider what Harry’s attention meant. She had accepted that they weren’t
meant for each other and she was fine where she was, just being his friend. Harry, however, was
livid.

“Really, Ginny? That’s rich coming from the girl who begged me to be her friend again so the rest of
Gryffindor wouldn’t shun her completely. Jealous much?” Hermione couldn’t believe that Harry had
told her off because she had been mean to her. It hadn’t ever happened before, not that she had seen,
and it made her heart warm. Ginny’s face was scarlet red and she was glaring. Harry laid a hand on
her shoulder again and she could feel the tension radiating from him.

“I warned you before, Ginny. Hermione is my family. I won’t stand for you being a vicious cunt to
her. She’s not out to get you, in fact, she acts as though you aren’t even around. You should be able
to do the same. If you value the tiny shred of friendship we have, you’ll back the fuck off and leave
my family alone.” Hermione held her head high while Ginny was clearly holding back so many
things that she wanted to let fly. Rather than stay and fight, Ginny spoke through gritted teeth.

“I’ll just be on my way then. Enjoy time with your family.” Ginny melted into the crowd and Harry
sighed. He kissed the top of Hermione’s head again before he followed his friends from Gryffindor
out of sight. Once they were out of sight, Hermione sighed.

“We better get to class.” Draco rose and offered his arm to Hermione while Blaise put his arm
around Daphne’s waist. She felt her cousin tense at the sight but he remained silent.

They made their way to Professor McGonagall’s classroom and took their usual seats. Harry barely
made it to class on time but took a seat with his Gryffindor friends. Hermione did notice that there
was less bullying towards the Slytherins and likewise now that he was more onboard with embracing
his Slytherin family.

Professor McGonagall entered and began her lesson and Hermione was happy to see that there was
no sign of Umbitch. They were now reviewing switching spells since some of the other students
were still having problems with them. It wasn’t challenging in the least but it was one class that she
didn’t have to worry about Umbridge. Unlike the next class, since it was with the devil herself.

Class dismissed and as much as Hermione wanted to speak with Professor Cat about her discovering
her animagus form soon, she didn’t. Umbridge’s class was next and she didn’t want to take the
chance of being late. Draco grabbed her elbow and kept her close, probably because he knew
exactly where they were headed. Daphne, Blaise, and Neville followed behind them and Hermione
could feel the tension building inside her.

They entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and took their seats. Harry entered right
after them and rather than sit with Ron and his friends, he took the seat next to Hermione. Hermione
stowed her wand in her bag and made sure that her parchment, quill, ink, and text were ready. She
was sure that they would be copying from the text like they always did, which was frustrating. Did
she really think that asking Death Eaters not to kill you would work?

Professor Umbridge stormed into the class early and promptly assigned detention to Lavender and
Parvati when they walked in a minute before the bell. As much as Hermione didn’t like them, she
vowed to give Harry a tub of cream for their hands. They were both terrible to her most of the time
but nobody deserved to carve words into their hands for being a minute early.
As predicted, Umbitch launched into what chapter they were to read that day and then told them to
copy the entire chapter after reading it. Since Hermione had already read it, despite the fact that it
was complete rubbish, she started instantly on copying the chapter. Umbridge was wandering the
room and stopped directly in front of her to glare at her in disbelief.

“Miss Black, you’re telling me that you’re done reading the chapter already? I know that you can’t
read that fast.” Hermione set her quill down and met the gaze of the professor. Her voice was flat and
lacked anything that resembled anything close to the hatred she wanted to spew at her.

“I read the chapter last night, profess, and then again at breakfast.” Umbridge gave her a predatory
smile.

“What did Slinkhard say about using counter jinxes in regards to Unforgivables?” Hermione fought
the urge to roll her eyes at the pathetic question that was meant to throw her.

“He says that using counter jinxes is hardly ever needed if the witch or wizard properly de-escalates
the situation at hand.” Umbridge gave her a saccharine sweet smile before she spoke again.

“Detention with me, tonight, Miss Black, for not following directions. You were told to read the
lesson, then copy it.” Hermione wasn’t scared. She was furious. However, she bit her tongue and
merely glared at the woman. After a quiet little giggle, she walked off, leaving Hermione to open her
book and start acting like she was reading.

By the end of the class period, Hermione had copied the chapter, as had Harry and Draco. When the
bell rang, they gathered their things while Umbridge called out to Hermione to meet her in her office
at six that night. Hermione didn’t acknowledge her, merely walked out of the classroom, head held
high. Once they were in the Great Hall and she had taken her seat, she let out a breath that she had
been holding. Draco was vibrating with rage and she knew that it wouldn’t take much for him to
explode.

“I can’t believe that amphibious cunt gave you detention for proving that you had read her stupid
fucking chapter. You know that Uncle Sev is going to lose his mind.” Hermione shook her head, not
wanting to consider what her godfather would do. She didn’t think that she would be sad if he killed
Umbridge but she didn’t want him to go to Azkaban. With the state of the Ministry at the moment, it
was a very good possibility. Hermione reached out and grasped his hand, Harry’s as well.

“We aren’t going to tell him. You know that with Fudge wanting to hurt us politically, but not
having the bollocks to say Harry is lying officially, he’ll do whatever he could to get to us. Uncle
Sev would end up in Azkaban. Nobody can know.” Harry gave her a serious look.

“Mia, this isn’t something that we can hide forever. Maybe once but if it happens again, she’s going
to gloat to him. He’s going to fucking pissed that you lied to him.” Hermione shook her head.

“It won’t happen again. I’ll be careful. Besides, I don’t think she’s going to have the balls to punish
me like she does everyone else. Not only does she know how powerful I am, she knows that our
family isn’t going to take it lying down.” Draco gave her a disbelieving look but said nothing. Harry
hugged her close from the side and made sure to speak loud enough for them all to hear.

“You’ll meet us in the library before going back to your room.” Hermione gave him a nod, knowing
that he was going to be livid with her.

She knew exactly what awaited her in detention and she had no urge to tell anyone what happens. It
would keep them from losing their tempers and it would also give them plausible deniability when it
came to Uncle Sev. She wouldn’t allow them to be punished because they reacted to her punishment
and she would keep her godfather out of Azkaban.

Even if it was the last thing she did.

-O-

Harry was so pissed. He couldn’t believe that Umbridge had given Hermione detention for proving
that she had done the assignment. He knew that her hopes were up that she wouldn’t be subjected to
the blood quill but he knew better. There was no way that the evil bitch would go out of her way to
punish her with detention if not using the blood quill was her intention. It just didn’t make any sense.

Their group ate quietly, nobody telling Luna or Juliet just what was wrong or why everyone was so
somber. He had a feeling that Luna had an idea but she wisely stayed quiet, reassuring Jules quietly
that all was well. The bell rang and dismissed them to Ancient Runes, meaning that only himself,
Draco, and Hermione were going to be going.

They headed off to Runes, the three of them staying close. Hermione’s detention wasn’t mentioned
since it really wouldn’t do any good anyways. They settled in their seats a few minutes before
Professor Babbling arrived and started class with no fanfare. They were learning about how Celtic
runes related to the Nordics and what impact they had on magic, something that actually interested
Harry a lot. However, it was hard to focus since he was now worried for Hermione. It was a crime to
even consider marring her perfect skin.

Professor Babbling gave them their assignment and turned them loose a few minutes early, which
was greatly appreciated since they had to make their way clear down to the dungeons for Potions. He
knew that Draco was feeling just as protective over Hermione as he was so it was no surprise that
even though they were in Severus’ classroom, they refused to let her sit with anyone else. Neville
took the table with them, evening it out at the even four.

Severus was about to start his lesson on moonstone. It wasn’t a practical lesson so they were able to
just bring out their notes and quills. Harry, Hermione, and Draco already had their notes so they were
just going to make sure that everything mentioned in the lecture was written in their notes. However,
just before Severus started his lecture, the door to his classroom opened and the pink toad entered, a
clipboard in her hand. Harry wanted to groan inwardly. Severus already wanted to murder the
woman; having her in his face wasn’t going to end well.

Severus didn’t let her presence hinder his teaching. He lectured just as he always did, urging the
students to take notes as he went. Potions was the one class that nobody fucked off in and everyone
had a quill and parchment out in. Umbridge didn’t even say anything when she walked past and saw
that the three of them already had a complete set of notes that they were comparing the lecture to. Of
course, she had no idea that their set of notes had been based off Severus’ lecture anyways.

At the end of the class period, they were gathering their things to head to dinner when they heard
Umbridge questioning Severus. Judging by the sour look on his face, he was just as unhappy with
the situation as they were.

“So you’ve taught Potions here for more than ten years?” Harry wanted to laugh when he heard the
Potion Master's snark.

“You have my employment records. You know exactly how long I’ve been employed at Hogwarts.”
The woman gave him an appraising look before setting her clipboard down.

“You seem to have firm control over your class. I have to admit that it’s refreshing to see since the
other teachers appear to be rather lax.” Her godfather just arched a bored eyebrow at her.
“Potions is a dangerous class. It’s imperative to keep control of the class lest people get hurt.”
Umbridge gave an approving nod.

“I’ll give you a glowing report when I tell Cornelius how the teachers are doing.” Severus gave a
curt nod before shooing them out of the room.

Harry and Draco escorted Hermione to dinner and stayed close to her as they sat down to eat. There
was tension all down the table and he was sure that word of her detention had spread. He was
waiting for someone to let the cat out of the bag around Severus; in fact, he couldn’t believe that
Umbridge hadn’t bragged to him about having her in detention after their potions class.

As the hour drew closer, Hermione grew stiffer and stiffer next to him. Draco was hovering over her,
urging her to eat more and telling her that she needed to take better care of herself. She finally
brushed him off with a hard smile before standing, her impassive mask falling into place. Harry knew
this Hermione; she was a badarse witch who refused to show weakness.

“It’s going to be fine, Drake, I promise. Have faith in me.” He reached out and squeezed her arm and
nodded.

“I have complete faith in you, Miney.” Harry mirrored his friends actions and when Hermione met
his eyes, he gave her a serious look.

“Meet us in the library afterwards. Promise.” She gave him a sharp nod.

“I promise.”

Harry watched her leave, for once not watching her arse. He hated seeing her walking off to sit for
hours in pain but he supposed that there was literally nothing that they could do. All he could do was
be there for her afterwards.

-O-

Even though Hermione was putting on a brave front, she was trembling on the inside. However, she
had learned from birth to hide her emotions and put them behind a wall of expressionless impassivity.
Of course, it was always harder to do in front of her family, but doing so in front of Umbitch would
be a piece of cake.

She knocked on the door of Umbridge’s office and was beckoned to enter. Once inside, she
remained silent, not sure that she could keep her mouth shut if she spoke. Umbridge gestured for her
to sit in the chair next to her desk and Hermione couldn’t help but notice that there was a quill and
parchment waiting there for her.

“You will write lines for me, Miss Black. Just because your father and uncle are powerful
purebloods in the Wizengamot, it doesn’t mean that you are above the rules and the law.” Hermione
remained silent, knowing that she needed to bite her tongue.

“You will write ‘I will always do as I’m told.’” Hermione used every last bit of control that Moody
had taught her to keep her magic from lashing out. It was funny that she learned how to control her
magic better from a half-crazy Master Auror rather than her own cousin and Remus. Hermione
picked up the quill, knowing full well what was going to happen and started to write.

I will always do as I’m told.

Hermione felt the bite of the quill and knew that it was tracing the lines into her hand. She remained
silent as she wrote, carving the phrase into her hand. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, writing
her lines, but night had fallen and her hand was dripping blood onto the desk when Umbridge finally
called for to stop. Hermione kept her impassive mask on her face as the evil hag took the quill from
its resting place on the desk before her.

“You are free to go, Miss Black. Make sure that from now on you follow my directions in class.”
Hermione pulled her wand and vanished the blood from the desk, making sure that she didn’t leave a
single drop behind. Her father and uncle had made very clear that blood could be used against you
and you should never let someone you didn’t trust anywhere near it.

Hermione swept out of the room and made sure to keep her hand hidden in her robes. She had
promised that she would go to the library but there was no way that she could show them the bloody
meat that was left of her hand. She knew that she had written lines for longer than Harry; truthfully,
she would be surprised if it wasn’t past curfew already.

The Slytherin pulled the cream she had learned to make out of her pocket and spread it liberally on
her hand. The sting instantly subsided and she could feel the skin slowing knitting back together.
Knowing that Harry and Draco would come look for her if she didn’t show, she started for the
library after slipping the cream back in her pocket.

Just outside of the library, Hermione paused and pulled her wand, pointing it at her hand. The words
were now just barely visible and couldn’t help but hope that they would be gone by morning. She
silently cast a disillusionment charm on it, hoping that it would be enough to fool them. She slipped
her wand back in her pocket and entered the library to see her family gathering their things in their
bag. Instant relief colored their expressions when they saw that she had arrived.

Hermione let them get their things together and then take her by the arm to lead her out of the library.
Neville and Juliet started for the Gryffindor common room while Daphne and Blaise headed on their
way. Draco pulled her into the same classroom she had taken them to when Harry had suffered
detention. Once the door was locked, silenced, and warded, Draco gave her a look that showed he
meant business.

“What happened?” Hermione met his eyes and shook her head.

“She just made me re-organize her personal library and clean the shelves. I told you that she
wouldn’t punish me like that. She’s too scared.” Draco looked skeptical but Harry gave her an angry
look. He reached out and grabbed her hand and Hermione couldn’t help but to cry out. She instantly
glared at him but Draco just looked hurt.

“Why would you lie to me, Miney?” Hermione started to pace, knowing that Draco was likely to
hold a grudge about this.

“I didn’t want you to get angry and react. I don’t want you in there, Drake. It’s horrible. I thought if
you didn’t know, you would be able to lie to Severus easier.” He still looked remarkably hurt but he
hadn’t turned from her. It was Harry that spoke next.

“What did she make you write? You might as well show us.” Hermione sighed and lifted the
disillusionment charm. She held her hand out and let the two boys look at her hand. Draco picked up
a glass of quills from the desk and threw it against the wall. Hermione turned her eyes to the floor but
Harry stepped up and hugged her close.

“I understand why you tried to lie but we’re in this together, Mia. We have to be honest with each
other.” She nodded against his chest and let just a few tears leak out. His shirt soaked them up,
hiding her shame. Once she knew that they were gone from sight, she lifted her head to give him a
small smile.
“I know, I was just trying to keep everyone from getting angry and getting hurt.” Harry leaned
forward and kissed her forehead before turning her in his arms so Draco could hug her tightly. She
could feel his fingers bunched in her uniform shirt and she could tell that he was genuinely
distressed.

“I’m not mad at you, Miney, but don’t lie to me anymore. I won’t do anything stupid, I promise.”
Hermione nodded against him and she felt him kiss the side of her head.

“We need to get back to the common room. Once we’re there, you’re putting on more of that
cream.” Hermione nodded and pulled away, knowing she got off easy. Of course, Draco might
decide to lecture her later once her hand was better and they weren’t in danger of getting caught out
after curfew. Hermione went forward and hugged Harry once more, kissing his cheek quickly,
before letting Draco pull her out of the classroom.

Hermione wasn’t worried about Harry; he was quite sneaky when he needed to be. She and Draco
were almost caught by Filch but were saved by a quick disillusionment charm. It took them almost
twenty minutes to get back to the common room but once they were inside, Hermione relaxed and
couldn’t help but realize how bloody exhausted she was.

The common room was empty so she took that as a sign that they should head to bed as well. Draco
took the cream out of her pocket and applied another dose himself, slipping it back in her pocket
before kissing her forehead. His eyes were serious as he met her gaze.

“Promise me you won’t lie about this again.” She nodded guiltily.

“I promise, Drake.” He smiled at her before giving her a good natured shove towards her dorm.

“Go to bed and get some sleep. I’m sure tomorrow is going to be just as terrible as today.” Hermione
nodded and listened.

After all, every day that Umbridge was there was fucking terrible.

A/N- Not as long as my usual chapters but it still needed to happen. Hermione and her good
intentions...smdh. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks again for reading and reviewing, you
guys are great. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think.

Next chapter, Trelawney gets the boot.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 91

A/N- Alright, y’all, I’m back. I have so much stressful shit going on right now that I literally buried it
in a chapter, which is good for you guys. I did have a bit of a problem replying to some reviews so if
you didn’t get an answer, I apologize. Fanfiction hates me some days and loves me others. So fickle.
Anyways, special thanks to everyone out there for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting this
story. You guys are just awesome for supporting me like this. Anyways, enough for now, hope you
enjoy the chapter!!

Disclaimer: Just the same as before: I still don’t own a thing and still haven’t made any money off
this story or any other. Still a broke bitch. Look up J. Rowling if you want to see who owns this
wonderful world of Harry Potter.

Chapter 91
November 15, 1995

Harry raked his hands through his hair as he sidestepped Mandy for the fifth time that week. She still
reached out and caught the back of his robes, keeping him from making a clean escape. He sighed as
he turned to face her, so tired of having the same discussion with her over and over. Honestly, how
hard was it to understand that he didn’t want to shag anymore?

“Harry, I just don’t understand. What did I do wrong?” Harry growled under his breath, wishing that
he could just be on his way to breakfast where the others were surely waiting for him.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve told you already, I just don’t want to sleep around anymore. It
makes me feel like shite. It isn’t just you I’ve stopped fucking, it’s everyone. Ask around, I’m sure
they’ll tell you.” Mandy sniffed delicately.

“I asked Lisa and she said that you were still fucking her. What does she have that I don’t?” Harry
groaned loudly. Leave it to Turpin to stir the pot.

“I’m not fucking Lisa. I haven’t fucked anyone from Hogwarts since last year. I told you the truth
when I said that I wasn’t going to fuck anyone anymore. I don’t like how it makes me feel so you all
need to just get over it.” Mandy slowly spread a smile across her features.

“What about if we dated for awhile before we started sleeping together? Then it wouldn’t be fucking,
it would be making love. We’d have a connection and it would be meaningful.” Harry wanted to
barf on her shoes but he didn’t want to make her cry. He knew that he was a fucking arsehole but he
didn’t want to make her cry.

“No, Mandy, I don’t want to date you. I don’t want to date any of the girls I’ve been fucking. I just
want everyone to leave me alone.” Mandy’s face fell for a few minutes before his words finally
registered and she glared at him.

“You want to fuck someone that you haven’t been fucking. You want to date her.” Harry knew that
his face was flaming red but there was no controlling it. Rather than speak, he lowered his head and
stared at the floor. Rather than be a complete cunt about it, Mandy reached out and took his hands,
squeezing them softly.

“I’m not happy about it, Harry, not a tiny little bit. However, if she makes you happy, I wish you the
best. Don't fuck it up.” Harry looked up at her and could see that she was genuine. He gave her an
honest-to-goodness smile in return before speaking.
“Thanks, Mandy. That means a lot.” He considered hugging her but decided against it. He was
already suffering because he hadn’t had sex in just over three months. While that wasn’t a long time
for most people, it was a very long time for him. He didn’t want to ruin his streak by tempting
himself. She gave him an understanding smile before turning on her heel and walking in the opposite
direction.

Harry didn’t wait around to be accosted again. While he was thrilled that Mandy would now leave
him alone, he wasn’t holding his breath for the other girls to do so. They were all after him, all of
them cornering him as often as they could to try to pin him down and get answers out of him as to
why he no longer wanted to spend quality time with them. He tried to be honest with them but it was
clear after the fourth or fifth time of answering them that they didn’t want the truth. They just wanted
him to change his answer and give them what they wanted.

Lisa Turpin was by far the worst of the lot. She was close to stalking him; the only reason he got any
rest from her following him was because she was terrified of Hermione. He made sure to name-drop
her whenever she cornered him too. It probably wasn’t right but he could see no other way out of the
situation. Besides, he doubted that Hermione would be angry in this incidence.

The other girls chased after him but usually left him alone once he told them that he wasn’t
interested. There were a few die-hards that continued to chase after him, Cho Chang being one of
them, but they were easily enough brushed off. He felt terrible for doing so but there was only so
many ways that he could tell them that he wasn’t interested. Besides, he had noticed that Cho was
panting after Cedric again since Hermione and Cedric had gone their separate ways. He wasn’t sure
if the older boy would give her another chance after she had essentially sent him packing to sleep
with Harry but he supposed that it was better than chasing after him.

Aside from dodging girls numerous times a day, life at Hogwarts really wasn’t much different than it
usually was aside from the Toad’s Rule. Ron and Ginny were settling in well with their new last
name; those in Gryffindor hadn’t really asked much about it though Harry knew that Fred and
George hadn’t made it a secret. Most of their house had refrained from speaking about it in front of
them so as not to anger them. While it was clear that the pair of them were still quite angry about the
situation, neither one of them complained to Harry about it anymore.

He knew that there was a bit of teasing done by the Ravenclaws and Slytherin but since he never
witnessed it first hand, there wasn’t much that he could do about it. He wasn’t the most thrilled about
defending Ginny in the face of her peers but decided that his conscience wouldn’t allow him to do
otherwise. He wasn’t sure why he was acting like that since she hadn’t made a single move on him
since they started speaking again. Even though she had been a little creepy at times, her actions
didn’t scream of someone that was stalking him.

Ron seemed to be having a harder time adjusting to the new last name than Ginny. He wasn’t sure as
to the reason but he supposed that it didn’t matter. Harry had made clear where he stood on the
matter and since he refused to listen to the redhead complain about his family, Ron instead turned his
story to the aspect that would gain him the most attention. Harry normally wouldn’t have minded
except he was part of that angle that Ron was now working.

Ron told everyone that would listen that he was Harry’s first cousin and just how they were related
through Lily Potter. Of course, the half-bloods and muggleborns were easily convinced since they
were aware of D.N.A. was and what genes were and how they affected you. The purebloods,
however, gave him a confused look that spoke volumes as to how they thought he was as stupid as
they came, and walked away. Harry probably would have been offended on his best mates behalf if
it hadn’t been at his expense.
Harry had tried to tell Ron to stop, that it would just paint a bigger target on his back now that
Voldemort was back. Ron had openly scoffed at him, telling him that he doubted that Voldemort
knew what D.N.A. was. Harry told him that he was a fool if he believed that, telling him that Tom
Riddle had been a half-blood, which meant there was a good chance that he was educated in muggle
sciences as well.

It hadn’t deterred either Prewett; Harry had finally let it go, telling himself that if something happened
to them because of their mouths it wouldn’t be his fault and there was nothing else that could have
been done. Of course, he knew that he would still feel guilty. Therefore, he decided to write Molly
and tell her, hoping that she would tell her children to stop capitalizing on his name because of the
danger it put them in. It hadn’t worked so far but he had high hopes.

Harry was waved over to the Gryffindor table, mostly by Ron and Dean. He gave Hermione and the
rest of his friends and family a small wave, showing that he would sit with them at their first class.
He took the seat next to Dean and watched as Ron threw an arm around Parvati’s shoulders. The
Indian witch smiled at him sweetly before turning her attention back to her toast.

“Hey, mate, you going to sit with us in class today?” Harry shook his head.

“Nah, I promised Hermione that I would sit with her during Potions. She said that she has to show
me something about the Draught of Peace. Who am I to turn down hints when it comes to Potions?”
Ron scowled at him but nodded.

“What about Care of Magical Creatures? It's our first class. She can’t possibly need you for both
classes.” Harry groaned inwardly. This was the worst part of having two sets of friends that didn’t
like each other. Ron always made him feel like he was choosing his family over him and he hated it.
He was sure that Hermione and Draco didn’t like him sitting with the lions but they never made him
feel bad about it. He wished that Ron could be the same way. Harry nodded.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll stand with you during Care.” Ron looked so happy about him agreeing to spend
time with him that Harry didn’t bother getting angry about him almost guilt tripping him into
spending time with him during class. Honestly, Harry should want to spend time with Ron and Pav.
They were his best mates and he had cared about them since his first year. It wasn’t right for him to
throw that all away just because he had found his own family and had separate friends now.

Harry ate the rest of his breakfast in quiet; it wasn’t hard to do since the rest of the lions were
shoveling food in as fast as Ron did. Harry had to admit that table manners were far more prevalent
at the Slytherin table. He wished that Ron would gain a few, if only to keep the food from flying out
of his mouth when he spoke with his mouth full.

When the bell rang, dismissing them to their first class, Harry gathered his things and waited for Ron
and Pav to do the same. Once they were ready, they started outside to head for Hagrid’s hut. Hagrid
had just arrived, late for the start of the school year, so this would be the first class they had had with
him. Harry knew that Hermione was sad that they were going to lose Professor Kettleburn but Harry
was still a staunch Hagrid supporter. He knew that his friend made terrible judgement calls about
certain things but the fact remained that Hagrid was still his first friend since entering the wizarding
world.

The class gathered around and waited impatiently for Hagrid to show. He could see Hermione and
Draco on the other side of the circle, Daphne and Neville standing with them. Harry felt a tiny
twinge of guilt when he realized that he wanted to be over there standing with them rather than with
Ron and Pav. Just as he was about to spiral into his melancholy thoughts, Hagrid appeared out of the
Forbidden Forest and started class.
The lesson wasn’t anything to get excited about, just a review lesson over nifflers. It was a lesson
that Harry would have skipped if Umbridge hadn’t been in residence. They were assigned an essay,
something that Hagrid rarely did, for homework. Harry could see the surprise on his classmate’s
faces; Hagrid was more likely to assign a sketch of the beast you were learning about or a diary of
what the beast did throughout the day. It just went to show that not only were the students suffering
under Umbridge’s rule, the teachers were as well.

Class dismissed and Harry bid his friends farewell, hurrying along to walk with Hermione and his
other friends. She gave him a soft smile but said nothing; he realized that she rarely spoke after he
had spent time with his Gryffindor friends. He wondered if it was because she didn’t want to take the
chance of them arguing or if she was angry that he had spent time with them in the first place.

Harry watched Hermione shiver in the cold November wind and even though they were close to the
castle, he drew his wand and cast a warming charm on her robes. She flashed him a grateful smile
and looked up just in time to see that Draco was smirking at him. Sure, the blond knew what he was
doing but he hated having him rub his face in it.

They found their way through the corridors to the dungeons, taking their seats in the Potions
classroom. Hermione was seated next to him while Draco and Daphne were seated across from
them. They had managed to pull their texts, quill, and ink out before Professor Snape entered the
room, his robes billowing behind him. Harry quirked an eyebrow at Hermione; even though Severus
was rarely in a good mood when he had to teach, he seemed especially bitter today. However, the
Gryffindors seemed to have missed the memo since Ron and Pav were laughing softly over
something that Dean and Seamus had said.

“Mr. Prewett and Miss Patil, that will be twenty points a piece for laughing at frivolities during class
time. I expect you to be focused the moment you enter this classroom, not gossiping with your
friends.” Both of them flushed with anger and embarrassment and stared at the texts in front of them.

“We are going to be brewing the Draught of Peace today. You have your notes from the last class.
Don’t show me what complete idiots you are by blowing up your cauldron. Don’t be a complete
disappointment.” Harry hated days like this. He knew that Severus didn’t hate him but he was
always on the receiving end of his ire because it was expected of him to keep his cover. Didn’t mean
that it didn’t suck for him though. He had already served two detentions with the Potions Master for
this very reason. Of course, they were merely spent doing homework and being tutored by dark-
haired man, but it was still embarrassing to be on the receiving end of his ire.

He assigned them their potion and bade them to begin. Harry was always happy when he was paired
with Hermione. Not only was she brilliant when it came to Potions, she took the time to explain to
him if he didn’t understand something. Which is what he assumed the lesson was for today. He had
told her that he didn’t understand why you had to use powdered ingredients rather than crushed. To
him, it sounded as though they were the same thing but she had promised him that this wasn't the
case.

Harry listened carefully as she explained, teaching him as he knew that she had been taught. They
brewed the potion together, mostly her brewing it and him preparing the ingredients and handing
them to her when she needed them. It wasn’t the best system but it worked for them. He got to see
her brilliance in Potions firsthand and get a good grade while at it so he considered it a win.

They turned in a perfect potion and he was rewarded with a curt nod from Severus. There was the
lightest of brushes against his mind so he was reassured that he had done well and the professor
wasn’t angry at him. Daphne and Draco were quick to hand in a potion after himself and Hermione,
earning them an O as well.
Harry was still gathering his things when the bell rang, dismissing them to lunch. Once he had his
bag slung over his shoulder, he turned to offer Hermione his arm, something he rarely did. She
looked quite surprised but took it goodnaturedly in the end. She gave him a small half-smile before
acting as though it was an everyday occurrence that they did every day after class.

Harry led Hermione to the Great Hall for lunch; they took their usual seats and he smiled as
Hermione started to load his plate with food. Since it was shepherd’s pie, she gave him a massive
heaping, one that he normally wouldn’t have even dared to put on his plate. However, since
Hermione had dished it up, he would do his best to eat every last bite. He could barely contain his
laughter when she only have herself an eighth of what she had given him and was only nibbling on
what she had served herself.

“You’re going to waste away if you don’t eat more than that, Mia.” Hermione smiled at him and
shook her head.

“No, I’m just not that hungry. I promise you, I’m completely healthy. I have to practice health scans
for Daphne at least once a week because she’s convinced I don’t eat enough.” Harry let out a laugh,
one that could be heard clear down the Slytherin table.

“Alright, I believe you. I wouldn’t want to wear you out by making you cast one too many health
scans.” She cracked a smile at him and continued to eat her meal. Draco and Daphne were sitting
next to them and even though Daphne was talking to Blaise, he could tell that her attention was on
Draco. Harry leaned over and spoke softly.

“Has she shown any inkling of splitting with Blaise?” He gave a firm shake of the head but kept his
eyes downcast. Harry knew exactly how he felt. Like a fucking idiot for letting the best thing in the
world slip through your fingers because you were too fucking blind and stupid to realize that it
wouldn’t always be there. Harry clapped a hand down on his friend’s shoulder in a show of support.

“She’ll figure out what she wants eventually. Just hang tight.” Draco nodded but stayed quiet. Harry
understood; there really wasn’t anything that he could say and if there was, the dining room table in
the Great Hall wouldn't be the appropriate place to say it.

Harry turned to watch the rest of his friends interact together; Juliet and Luna were sitting off to
themselves, seemingly discussing something important. He was still confused as to their relationship.
Hermione had told him that Luna was a first cousin to herself and Draco but had never met Luna
until she started hanging out with them again. Yet, she seemed closer to the young Gryffindor than
she was to anyone else. It was just so strange that he usually left the relationship alone in his mind.

Daphne and Blaise were whispering to themselves. He wasn’t sure what they were talking about but
Daphne didn’t look pleased. Neville and the twins were laughing with Millie and Tracey, telling
them some prank that they had played. He caught Juliet giving them a long stare and he wondered if
she was jealous. It was clear that she had a crush on the twosome but they were still seeing Angelina
and Katie. Though, from what Harry had heard through the grapevine, those relationships were
rocky as well.

Harry sighed as he considered his own predicament. In love with a woman that was convinced he
didn’t like her like that and he had done nothing but prove it to her. He knew that he should talk to
her now that she wasn’t with Cedric but he wanted to have more time away from the girls to prove to
her that he was serious about her. In time, he would tell her how he felt and just what he was hoping
for.

-O-
Hermione gathered her things together as the bell dismissing them to class rang. Harry and Draco
had Divination next while she had Magical Theory. Hermione couldn’t be more excited; after this
year, they would start spell creation, something that she looked forward to.

Both boys wished her well and started off together for Divination. Hermione smiled to herself and
started for Magical Theory, held in the Transfiguration classroom since Professor McGonagall was
the professor. Today they were going to be learning of how the theory of magic was applied to the
muggle world and the things that could be changed just by the knowledge alone. It was probably
going to be the hardest class for Hermione yet since she had never been in the muggle world and had
no idea about anything to do with it.

She took her usual seat at the front of the class and got her things out to make sure that she took
superb notes. Since it was a class that she wasn’t the most confident in, she was determined to take
the best notes possible. Just as she had readied herself, the door to the classroom opened and
Professor Umbridge entered, trusty clipboard in hand. Hermione wanted to groan but made sure to
only lower her eyes so she couldn’t see the hatred in them when she looked at her. None of her
classmates appeared all that excited to see the woman either. It was only a moment later that
Professor Cat entered and sneered at Umbridge.

“You couldn’t ruin someone else’s day, Dolores?” Hermione wanted to giggle at her professor’s
words. However, she made sure that she remained silent. The last thing that she wanted was another
detention.

“This is the last class that hasn’t been graced with my presence, Minerva. I would have thought
you’d be grateful to be told how you’re doing as a teacher.” Professor Cat just arched an eyebrow at
Umbridge.

“Since you’re hardly a teacher yourself, I fail to see how your opinion would matter. You may be
here at the behest of Minister Fudge but let’s not fool ourselves into thinking it’s because you
actually know what you’re doing when it comes to teaching. If you did, you’d have your students
doing more than copying text out of a book.” Hermione wanted to fucking cheer but remained silent.
She could see that the other students were just as happy as she was but they were practicing
prudence as well. Umbridge, however, wasn’t pleased.

“You will keep your opinions to yourself, Minerva, or you’ll find yourself out of this castle and on
your arse.” Professor Cat merely snorted at the older woman before turning to her class and
beginning her lecture.

Hermione took careful notes and made sure to ask questions when she wasn’t sure about a point in
the lecture. She usually had no problems in this class but since it had to do with the muggle world,
she was very unsure of herself. She could also admit that Umbridge being there was making her a
little bit nervous. When the lecture finally ended, McGonagall gave them their assignment before
turning her attention to Umbridge once more.

“Shall we go over your problems with my teaching right now or will it keep until there isn’t an
audience to realize how ridiculous you are?” Umbridge gave her a sickly sweet smile before turning
her head to look out at the class and speaking.

“Miss Black.” Hermione knew that no good could come of this but there was no way that she
couldn’t answer. Therefore, she kept her eyes cast downward even though she wanted to let her
magic free and disembowel the woman.

“Yes, Professor?” The High Inquisitor gave her just enough of a smile to show her her teeth.
“Do you think that Professor McGonagall is a good teacher? I know that she’s the Head of
Gryffindor and shows favoritism to her lions over the Slytherins. I’m sure that’s quite vexing.”
Hermione knew exactly what the woman was trying to do. She wanted Hermione to turn on
Professor McGonagall and tell everyone that she favored the Gryffindors over the Slytherins. Of
course, while that might have been true in her first and second year, it was hardly the truth now.
Professor Cat had gone a long ways to changing her ways and Hermione wasn’t about to throw her
under the bus for it now, no matter what the cost.

“Professor McGonagall is an excellent professor. She’s always fair and never favors one student over
another. In fact, I think I win more points from her than I do any other professor, including my Head
of House.” Umbridge’s eyes hardened and Hermione knew that she was in trouble. Professor Cat
was giving her a saddened look that showed just how much she knew those words of loyalty were
going to cost her.

“Detention with me, Miss Black, for your blatant lies. Meet me tonight at six.” Hermione felt her
stomach drop, knowing that she was going to be subjecting herself to another however many hours
to self-torture. Rather than give the woman the pleasure of her unease, she gave her a nod and turned
back to her assignment. The rest of the class remained silent until the bell rang, telling them that they
were dismissed.

Hermione stood and gathered her things, not really wanting to speak to anyone. Umbridge was gone
and the rest of her peers were mostly gone as well. It was Professor Cat that approached her and laid
a soft hand on her shoulder. Hermione could hear the regret in her voice and she fucking hated it.

“Next time, I beg for you to lie, Hermione. You know what that hag is going to do to you.”
Hermione shook her head, hoping to make her lie believable. She couldn’t afford for McGonagall to
tell Severus and make him think that she was torturing her. Him ending up in Azkaban wasn’t an
option.

“She doesn’t make me use the blood quill. I think she’s too scared of my father and uncle.”
McGonagall narrowed her eyes at her before finally relenting.

“Don’t lie to me, girl. I know the truth and I know there a good reason why you lie. I’ll keep your
secrets for now.” Hermione nodded and gave her a grateful smile.

“Thank you, professor.” Since there was nothing else that needed to be said, Hermione hurried on
her way, sure that she was going to be late for Herbology.

The November air was brisk and cold on her cheeks; it served its purpose to wake her up and make
sure that she was in the proper state of mind to deal with dangerous plants. Professor Sprout was
standing outside, quick to direct them to Greenhouse Three where the more dangerous plants were
held.

Hermione knew that Draco and Harry were watching her closely but she was hoping that she could
just attend the detention and not have to tell them. It would be a lot less complicated that way. She
followed Professor Sprout’s instructions perfectly when it came to the venomous tentacula and
proudly showed off the vial of venom that would fetch a pretty penny on the market on Diagon
Alley.

They were assigned an essay and released a few minutes before the bell. Hermione was thankful,
grateful to spend a few extra moments in the bright sunshine and fresh air before it got too cold to
enjoy anything of the sort outside. She felt an arm slip around her waist and saw that it was Draco,
looking at her quite expectantly. With a soft sigh, she smiled at him.
“How was Divination?” He gave a short bark of laughter.

“Umbridge was there. I’m pretty sure she’s going to sack her. It just sucks because I actually feel bad
for the old broad.” Hermione nodded and sighed. She understood completely.

“Maybe we can do something to help.” Draco shook his head in the negative.

“No, we can’t. We aren’t going to do anything that will bring more attention to us. Just sit back and
stay quiet.” Hermione couldn’t help but squirm just a little at his words. However, it was Harry that
caught onto her discomfort.

“What happened?” Hermione sighed and raked her hand through her hair.

“Umbridge showed up in Magical Theory. She and McGonagall were having gos at each other and
she asked me what I thought of McGonagall’s teaching. I told her I thought it was fine and she
assigned me detention.” Harry cursed loudly before throwing several air punches. Hermione
cowered back, not because she was afraid, but because she was tired of having to deal with shit like
that. Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulder and sighed.

“There’s no way to get around it?” She shook her head, already knowing the answer. Draco sighed
now, completely forlorn.

“Just get through it as quickly as you can and I’ll help you put the cream on afterwards. Are you sure
you won’t let me tell Severus?” Hermione shook her head vehemently. Uncle Sev had already told
her that he would kill her if he forced her to use the blood quill. Azkaban would be the next stop and
she couldn't bear to think of him locked away in that horrible prison.

“No, we mustn’t tell him. I don’t want him in Azkaban on my account.” Draco sighed but nodded.
He reached out and pulled Harry into their small circle by the shoulder.

“You can’t tell Uncle Sev. He’ll go to Azkaban if you tell him.” Harry just glared at the both of then.

“Somebody is going to have to do something. We can’t keep on living like this.” Hermione’s eyes
were blazing in fury, that much she knew as fact.

“It won’t be Uncle Sev. He has given up more than enough already and that’s not even saying what
he’s going to have to give up yet. Leave him out of it.” Harry finally sighed and looked down at the
floor before nodding.

“You're right, I’m sorry.” Hermione gave him a stiff nod, telling him that he was forgiven. Rather
than say anymore, Hermione pulled them out of the greenhouse and into the cool afternoon air.

They made their way through the grounds to the castle, the three of them taking their usual seats at
the Slytherin table. Hermione was sure that Harry’s Gryffindor friends were feeling pretty ignored
right about now but that wasn’t her fault. He needed to get his shit together and handle his own
friends. It wasn’t her job to do so for him.

Draco dished her up some pot roast, potatoes, and carrots. It was usually one of her favorite meals at
Hogwarts but since she had a detention from hell to look forward to, she really wasn't all that hungry.
She picked at her meal while the other devoured theirs, Harry and Draco included. She noticed that
Draco was hanging on every word that Daphne said since it was clear that she had Blaise were
arguing.

As the hour drew closer to six, she pushed her plate away from her and tried to calm her nerves. If
there was one thing that her uncle had taught her when he had shown her how to master
occlumency, it was how to always meet things with a calm face and to show no fear. It wasn’t
always easy but it was more so when she knew that there were only so many hours in a day that the
woman could punish her.

Hermione wished her fellow Slytherins and family good night and started for Umbridge's office.
Once she was outside of her office, she took a deep breath and made sure to fortify herself in case
that was what she needed to do. After her knock was answered with the customary ‘come in’, she
made sure to always note how the woman’s office was arranged. This time it was different and
Umbridge didn’t seem the type of person to embrace change. Once again, she was beckoned to sit in
the chair next to her desk, quill and parchment in front of her. Her hand was already throbbing and
she hadn’t even started. Umbridge started softly.

“I can’t have you mocking me day in and day out in classes. That’s the reason for your punishment. I
could care less what you actually think.” Hermione remained stoic and silent before picking up the
quill and beginning.

“What shall I write today, professor?” She smirked at Hermione.

“I like what we used last time. ‘I will always do as I’m told.’” Hermione gritted her teeth but turned
her attention back to the parchment in front of her.

This time, the burn of the quill wasn’t a surprise. If fact, she was able to tune most of the pain out of
her mind until the very end when she was quite sure that she cut through a tendon. Blood once again
dripped onto the floor beneath her and it was clear that the woman was going to continue the torture
until her hand was completely ruined. However, her inner thoughts were interrupted by the toad
herself.

“Please put down the quill and leave. I have a Divination teacher to fire and can't do that while I’m in
here with you.” Hermione, while she fully believed that Professor Trelawney was a complete sham
of a teacher, didn’t want her fired by Professor Umbridge. However, that didn’t mean that she
wanted to stay and continue her detention. Hermione was quick to set down the quill and even
quicker to disappear. However, rather than go to Harry and Draco, she hurried to Professor
McGonagall. When the older woman answered the door to her quarters, Hermione breathed a sigh of
relief.

“Umbridge is getting ready to fire Trelawney. I can’t stand the woman and I think she’s a complete
charlatan but I don’t want her fired like that. Can you help her?” McGonagall straightened her spine
and nodded.

“I’ll do my best. Make sure you go spend time with your friends so she can’t blame you.” Hermione
nodded, already knowing that she was headed for library.

It wasn’t a long walk from Professor McGonagall’s office to the library. Once she was there, she
took her seat between Harry and Draco and pulled the cream out of her pocket while everyone was
watching. After she slathered it on nice and thick, she made sure to meet both their eyes.

“Umbridge is going to fire Trelawney. She told me so and I told McGonagall before I came here.”
They were interrupted by a shrill shriek of irritation. Hermione wanted to laugh when she heard the
sound; it was clearly Umbridge and it was also clear that she had thwarted her when it came to firing
Trelawney.

The group that had attended the library stood and gathered their things, making sure that they had
everything so they wouldn’t have to come back. Harry’s hand was soothing in hers and she tried not
to let it get to her, tried not to get used to what it represented. However, in this moment, his hand in
hers wasn’t what was important. It was Trelawney and what was happening with her. They rounded
a corner and found that they were the last of many students to gather round the scene at hand.

Trelawney was in the middle of the circle, tears down her cheeks, her trunk packed and at her side.
She was begging Umbridge not to cast her away, telling her that she hadn’t been outside the castle in
over a decade. It was clear that Umbridge was enjoying the scene, the power she held over the
woman, and the sheer torment she was inflicting. All in all, it made Hermione sick. Umbridge’s
voice was steady and just barely contained her glee when she spoke.

“If you wanted to keep your job, you should have taught the children as you were charged to do.”
Hermione glared at her but it did no good. The woman was clearly enjoying herself. McGonagall
went to Trelawney and pulled her into a hug, whispering in her ear, though what it was that she was
saying, Hermione couldn’t say. After Trelawney quieted, Umbridge turned a sneer to Professor Cat.

“You’re going to be next, Minerva.” This time, it was Minerva that laughed. Her laughter wasn’t that
of the amused, but more mocking than Hermione had ever heard. It seemed as though Umbridge
wasn’t expecting it either judging by the look on her face.

“You won’t be able to fire me. The only person in this country that could teach Transfiguration like I
do would be Dumbledore. Since you’re well on your way to outlawing him as well, I doubt that
would happen. We all know that your N.E.W.T. score of a D in the subject won’t see you teaching it
in my place.” Umbridge turned red and it was clear that she was furious. However, she was saved
from speaking further when Dumbledore arrived and gave a serene smile to those still watching the
scene unfold.

“As High Inquisitor, you have the right to banish my teachers. However, you do not have the right to
order them from the grounds. That power still lies with the Headmaster.” Umbridge gave him a
sweet smile before speaking softly.

“For now.” Hermione didn’t wait for her to say anything else because she knew that she wouldn’t.
Umbridge turned on her heel and stalked away, leaving a silent crowd in her wake. Hermione
couldn’t help but want to lash out at the Headmaster for allowing this horrid beast of a woman into
their realm. Her hand was no longer twinging in pain but it would be hard to forget just what the
woman was capable of.

Professor Cat led Trelawney away, her trunk magicked away by the elves, while Hermione sagged
against Harry and Draco. She knew that Neville and the twins were around somewhere since they
had been in the library with them. Hermione turned to the pair of them and saw that they were
watching her carefully. She gave them both a soft smile before speaking.

“I’m exhausted and I need to sleep. I’m going to head back to the dorms and sleep until it’s time for
breakfast. I’m not even going to get up and run tomorrow.” Harry stepped forward and hugged her
close, his arms holding her tight and making her feel safe. He kissed the side of her head while she
wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight.

Once she pulled away, she gave him another smile before linking her arms with Draco. She gave
him a hard smile.

“Take me home, Drake.” Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave Harry a wave
before leading her down towards the dungeons.

After all, it had been a long day.

A/N- Another chapter done, y’all. I hope you enjoyed it. It seems as though the chapters for year five
haven’t been as long so far. Not sure why that is. Anyways, thanks to everyone out there reading and
reviewing, you guys are awesome. Thank you for taking the time to let me know how I’m doing, it’s
greatly appreciated.

Next chapter, the idea of the D.A. is born.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 92

A/N- Again, thanks to everyone out there who are reading and reviewing my story. You guys are
seriously awesome. My son is better, I'm no longer sick, and my grandfather is still hanging in there.
To everyone that are still sending good thoughts, vibes, and prayers, thank you so much. All are
appreciated and my family needs them. My poor grandma is at her wit’s end. Hope you all enjoy this
chapter!

**Shout out to Snowflake Dazzle for being my 4500th reviewer! You’re one of my most loyal
reviewers and you're freaking awesome!!**

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything in this story except the personal twist on the plot line. The
characters belong to our queen and the original story line belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle.
I’m still a broke bitch so I haven’t made any money off this story or any other.

Chapter 92
November 23, 1995

Hermione scooped the last of her eggs onto her spoon and made herself eat it. She could feel the
tension at the Slytherin table and even though it had nothing to do with her, it was starting to wear on
her.

Blaise had broken up with Daphne just three days before; Daphne wasn’t overly upset. It was
mutual, after all. However, she was more embarrassed because of how he had done it. Rather than
do it quietly and privately, he had done it right before Potions in front of the whole class. To say that
she had been mortified had been an understatement.

Of course, everyone tried to stay out of it. Hermione didn’t want to take sides but she was supporting
Daphne as best she could. She was her best friend, after all. Pansy especially was giving her a hard
time about it. Draco had been the one to hex her the first time he had heard it, surprising Hermione
and Daphne alike.

Both Daphne and Blaise were both quiet at meal times now. Neither one of them were trying to turn
their friends against each other or start arguments; they just simply kept to themselves and tried not to
cause a fuss. Hermione knew that her cousin was thrilled that the pair had broken up but was waiting
until Daphne was in a better spot in the break up to make his move. Hermione could only hope that
he was serious about her friend and wouldn’t end up hurting her.

The bell rang, dismissing them from breakfast to their first class of the day, in this case,
Transfiguration. Hermione hoped against all hope that she wasn’t going to stare Umbridge in the face
for this class because she wanted to know if Professor McGonagall thought that she was ready to
begin the second part of the meditation to find her animagus form.

Harry was sitting with his Gryffindor friends and for once, the twins and Neville were over there
with him. Luna and Juliet were still sitting with them but they were carrying on a conversation about
one of Juliet’s tests she was going to take that day. Hermione gave them both a smile, happy they
were growing closer even though she was just a tiny bit jealous. Draco stood and offered her his arm,
smiling down at her as if he could read her thoughts.

“Shall I escort you, Lady Black?” Hermione growled at him using her title but nodded in the end.
She stood and threaded her arm through his and let him pull her out of the Great Hall and through the
corridors. She could hear her friends behind her, speaking softly about she didn't know what. Vince
and Greg continued to pull away from herself and Draco and were starting to hang around with Theo
more; it was sad to watch but Hermione knew that there was nothing that she could do to stop it.
Who they followed was going to have to be a personal choice and following in their father’s
footsteps appeared to be what the two boys wanted. Hermione was thankful that Draco still had
Blaise since he came from a more neutral family.

After entering the Transfiguration classroom, the Slytherin pair took their usual seats in the front of
the class. Harry usually sat there with them but today he was caught up in a conversation with Ron
and Dean. They seemed to be arguing animatedly, probably about quidditch, so Hermione paid them
no mind. Daphne took the seat on the other side of her and Hermione flashed her best friend an
encouraging smile.

Professor McGonagall entered and called the class to order, beginning her class with no fanfare.
Hermione liked that about her teaching; she never beat around the bush and she never wasted time.
They were learning to turn a dinner plate into a mushroom, something that Hermione had learned
ages ago and hadn’t used since. More than once, she wondered why nobody had come up with a
way to cast spells that would change the object into whatever you wanted that was intent-based. It
would be much easier than remembering a million and one spells in the end.

Hermione still compared her notes to those of Professor McGonagall’s lecture, finding no new points
that needed to be wrote down. Once they were done with the lecture, Professor Cat passed out stacks
of dinner plates and bid them to start practicing. Hermione changed hers to a mushroom on her first
try, same as Draco. Professor McGonagall just shook her head and smiled at them before taking their
plates back.

“You may work on homework while I supervise the rest of the class.” Harry crowed in triumphant at
the exact same time so she hurried to his side and Hermione watched as she patted him on the
shoulder and took his plate from him as well. Professor McGonagall shot a look at her and Draco
and spoke softly.

“Stay after class. I need to speak with the pair of you.” Hermione gave her a happy nod before
pulling her warding homework from Madam Cambridge out of her bag. Draco heaved a deep sigh
and did the same.

A half hour later, most of the class had successfully transformed their plates to mushrooms and
turned them in. It was almost unheard of for Professor McGonagall to dismiss class early so they
were happily surprised when she let them go five minutes early. Since Charms was so close, they
didn’t even spend it hurrying to the next class. Hermione, Draco, and Harry dragged their feet and
were the last ones in the classroom when their professor finally turned sharp eyes their way.

“I think you’re all ready to progress to the next stage of meditation. Usually the first stage takes the
longest since it’s finding your center and blocking out everything but what you’re focusing on but
since you’re all three trained in occlumency, it was far easier for you to accomplish. That is why it is
almost impossible to read the thoughts of an animagus. The inner animal clouds the mind and makes
it impossible to understand.” She paused and gave them a small smile.

“I want you all to start tonight before you retire for the night. Be together or in your beds, make sure
that there is quiet and you won’t be disturbed. I want you to meditate like you did before, but this
time, rather than focus on clearing your mind, I want you to focus on your personality traits. The
good, the bad, what makes you the person you are. Dig down deep and let your mind lead you to
where it will. You won’t discover your form the first night so don’t get discouraged. It’ll take awhile;
I had a Mastery in the subject when I completed my transformation and it still took me a month to
discover my form.” Hermione nodded, beyond excited to begin learning what her form would be.
She could see that Draco and Harry were just as excited as she was. Professor Cat saw their
expressions on their faces and gave them an indulgent smile.

“You’re going to be late and Filius won’t happy. Off with you. We’ll meet again next week and
discuss your progress.” Hermione happily wrapped an arm around both boys’ elbows and started to
pull them out of the classroom. She looked over her shoulder and tossed one last thank you to her
professor before leading her boys through the corridor to Charms.

Everyone was already in place, seated and waiting for Professor Flitwick to arrive. Hermione took
her usual seat at the beginning of the class while Harry took the open one next to her. Draco sat
between Neville and Daphne, clearly happy to be sitting next to the girl that he planned on asking to
court very soon. Just as she withdrew her text, ink, and quill, the pint-sized professor arrived with a
smile on his face and a spring in his step. Hermione wasn’t sure what he was so happy about until he
shut the door and turned to his class.

“Professor Umbridge has fallen ill today. She isn’t going to be visiting today.” There was a small
burst of applause from the Gryffindors and as much as Hermione wanted to join in, she refrained. It
wouldn’t do for her to show her hand and her loyalties in public for no good reason. She did make a
mental note to speak to the twins and ask exactly what they had done to her to make her sick. It
would most certainly need to be repeated.

Professor Flitwick started the lecture on the color change charm, a spell that Hermione had had fun
with in the past. She remembered changing the color of her father’s shoes when she was only ten
years old after stealing his wand, making one blue and one black. He had thought that he had mixed
them up the first day and changed them. However, when he had the same thing happen a second day
in a row, he caught on and then caught her. There had been no punishment, her father had only
laughed with her, telling her that he was happy that was taking after him just a little bit.

Harry compared his notes while Hermione let her mind drift. The day after her last detention with
Umbridge a week before, the Slytherin had had an epiphany. Nobody else seemed to agree with her
but they had finally agreed to it once she wouldn’t let it go.

*Flashback*

Hermione sat in the library with her usual group of friends though she wasn’t really paying attention
to what she was doing, let alone what they were doing. Her mind was still on her detention from the
night before and how the hag was getting away with not only giving horrid detentions, she was
getting away with not teaching them proper defense. Now that the Dark Lord was back, learning to
protect themselves was the most important thing they could possibly do. Suddenly, she sat up straight
and smiled, an idea hitting her.

Harry could start an illegal club where they could learn defense. Nobody would ever want to learn
from her or Draco, even though it was proven that their fathers were no longer dark, there was still a
lot of mistrust between them and some of the other houses. Most of Gryffindor still didn’t like them,
let alone trust them. Sure, the purebloods in the other houses didn’t have many problems with them
but there were far more half bloods and muggleborns. Harry would be the one that they would all
listen to, even if they didn’t believe what he said about Voldemort being back. Draco shot her a look
that was clearly questioning, arching a brow at her until she spoke.

“I know how we can get around Umbridge not teaching the students anything.” Daphne leaned in
closer. While she was one of the better students, she still needed to do the practical work. Hermione
knew she had a mischievous smile on her face as she spoke.

“I think we should start an illegal defense club. Run it behind Umbridge’s back. See how the toad
likes it when we all get O’s on our O.W.L.s then.” Daphne’s eyes widened and she started to shake
her head no. Draco looked at her as if she were mad and Harry looked intrigued. Only the twins
looked as though they were already on board. Daphne was the first to break the silence.

“Hermione, you can’t be serious. Do you know what she would do to us if we were to get caught?”
Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

“She’s already doing it. She’s already putting half the school in detention for the stupidest reasons.
At least if it were for this, it would be for a good one.” Draco cocked an eyebrow at her and titled his
head.

“You really think this would be a good idea? Nobody is going to want to learn from you. According
to them, you’re just a dirty snake.” Hermione cut her eyes over to Harry and the Gryffindor started to
shake his head.

“Oh no, you aren’t going to get me roped into teaching this thing. I have no idea how to teach. You
know that you’re a much better teacher, Mia, you teach all of us every single day.” Hermione shook
her head impatiently.

“That may be but the other houses won’t listen to me and you know it. Most of Gryffindor still hates
my guts and the other houses aren’t much better. Only the purebloods really know me. You know
that it has to be you.” Harry shook his head, raking a hand through his hair. Neville and the twins
were watching with trepidation. Daphne was still shaking her head no.

“They all think I’m a liar, Hermione. None of them believe a word out of my mouth. No, Fudge
hasn’t come out and said that I’m a liar, that Voldemort isn’t back, but everyone knows he wants to.
All the articles in the paper imply it. Everyone is saying it behind my back, I’m not stupid. They
won’t want to learn from me.” Hermione shook her head, exasperated.

“That’s why they’ll want to learn from you. At first, they’ll show because they’re interested in the
real story and they think that you’ll tell them what really happened. After a few lessons when it’s
clear that you aren’t going to tell them, they’ll realize that they’re learning loads and need the class in
order to pass the exams at the end of the year and continue on. It isn’t just about the exams, Harry,
it’s about saving lives. You saw Voldemort return. He’s going to start a war, he’s going to come after
all the muggleborns, and he’s going to come after me. Those were your words. Would you leave us
all without defense?” Hermione knew that it was a low blow but she was determined to do this.
Besides, she was a Slytherin and was not above manipulation if it served her purpose. Harry growled
at her, anger on his face.

“You’re more than capable of protecting yourself. You worked with Remus and Tonks all summer
long. You’re just as good as Draco and I. More powerful too.” Hermione knew that he hadn’t
mentioned Moody and Kingsley because Daphne and Neville were there. She gave him a
beseeching look.

“I know I’m more powerful than Draco but not you. I know more spells, I admit that. You’re both
still better though because you’re faster and more agile. I’m not sure that I would win in a duel
against one of the Dark Lord’s best. I know that none of the other students in this school would
either.” Harry groaned and fisted his hand in his hair.

“We have nowhere that we could even hold a class like this. Absolutely nowhere. It would take
Umbridge all of twenty minutes to discover us and we’d all be in detention until summer.” Hermione
could tell that he was weakening. She latched on and dug in like a dog on a bone.

“I’ll find us somewhere, I promise. I’ll set up the initial meeting to see who’s interested and I’ll even
make the lesson plans if that’s what you want. Just please say you’ll do it.” Harry put his head on the
table in his arms. Hermione knew then that she had won but she wasn’t going to gloat yet. After
almost a full minute, Harry raised his head and glared at her.

“Fine, I’ll teach it but you’re going to help me come up with material and what needs to be taught to
whom. Everyone is going to be at different levels.” Hermione nodded enthusiastically.

“I’ll do it all, I promise, Harry.” She hugged him tightly from the side and let out a little squeal of
excitement.

“It’s going to be fun, running a secret organization right under the Toad’s nose.” Harry arched a
brow at her this time.

“Are you sure that you were put in the right house? That sounds remarkably Gryffindor.” Hermione
reached over and pinched his side while the others laughed. Madam Pince shushed them loudly and
Hermione leaned her head on his shoulder for just a moment.

“Thanks, Harry. They’re all going to thank you someday.” He kissed the top of her head before she
could pull away.

“I really hope so.”

*End of Flashback*

Professor Flitwick called for them to change the hair color of the person next to them to a different
color as practice with the spell. Hermione could see that Harry was nervous about it so she offered to
go first. In only a moment, his raven-colored locks were a platinum blond much the same as Draco’s.
It looked absolutely horrid with his coloring but Professor Flitwick was thrilled, jumping up and
down clapping his hands.

“Miss Black has done it!” Harry glared at her but she simply smirked in return. However, she should
have realized that he would get her back in turn because when he waved his wand and muttered the
spell, her hair turned the same vivid red as Ron and Ginny Prewett’s hair. It was absolutely awful
and she couldn’t believe that he had done it to her. She was just getting ready to lay into him when
he waved his wand and changed it to platinum blond like his own. It still didn’t look quite right but it
looked much better than the red it had been. She glared at him.

“It’s a good thing you changed that quickly. You wouldn’t have liked the consequences.” Harry
chuckled at her before Professor Flitwick started to croon over his spell work as well. Once he had
walked away, both of them changed the others hair back to normal. After the rest of the class had
performed the spell to perfection, Professor Flitwick dismissed them for lunch.

Hermione stuffed her things back in her bag and started for the door. Harry and Draco were both
right behind her with Daphne lagging just a little behind. She decided to lag back with her friend and
tell her that she needed to stop with the moping at meals. Since Harry and Draco were immersed in a
conversation about quidditch practice, Hermione took the opportunity to thread her arm through
Daphne’s and start to pull her with a little more speed. Daphne started to protest but Hermione
stopped her with just one look.

“Daph, you have to stop with the moping. He dumped you. It’s over and done with. He didn’t cheat
on you, he was honest and told you that he wanted to see other people. I’m sure it hurt your pride but
you have to let it go and move on. Who cares what Pansy says about it? She’s only trying to hurt
you. The rest of Slytherin doesn’t care that you two aren’t together anymore. He isn’t flaunting girls
in your face. What’s the real problem?” Daphne sighed and finally met Hermione’s eyes.
“I think I’m ashamed of myself. I told myself that I was going to do my best to make it work with
Blaise. I was going to move on from Draco because I deserve better than what he’s done to me. I’m
not sure if I did that. I still thought about Draco and I still wished that it was him that I was with
instead of Blaise. I guess I just feel guilty because Blaise deserved better than that. I want to tell him
that but I don’t want to hurt him either.” Hermione raised an amused eyebrow at her best friend.

“Daphne Greengrass, you must be completely blind. Everyone knows that you’re in love with
Draco, even Blaise. Yet he still asked to see you exclusively. He knew what he was getting into.
Sure, he was probably disappointed when seeing him didn’t make you forget how you felt about
Draco, but he didn’t enter into your relationship blind. He knew there was a possibility that you
wouldn’t end up liking him like that. He broke it off when he realized that you weren’t going to
change how you felt about my cousin. Sure, he could have done it in a better way, but he did the best
thing for the both of you.” Daphne gave her a small smile and nodded.

“You're right, of course. Then again, you usually are. Thanks, Hermione.” She bumped her friends
shoulder as they entered the Great Hall.

“Any time.”

-O-

Lunch had been uneventful. Daphne seemed to open up a bit and talk more which Harry laid at the
feet of Hermione. He wasn’t sure what she had said to the girl but it had obviously worked. Even
Draco looked happier as he watched the pretty blonde girl start to smile and speak again.

Next on the list of classes was Divination. He hated it with a passion but wasn’t able to drop it until
after this year. Draco and Ron were both in it, as was Neville, so he had plenty of people to sit with.
He wondered who Hermione sat next to in her Magical Theory class that was held at the same time
as Divination. He knew that Lisa Turpin was in that class but as far as he knew, she left Hermione
alone now.

He followed Draco and Ron up the ladder that took them to the North Tower. Once inside, he sat on
the little cushion next to Ron while Neville sat next to Draco. They were going over reading tea
leaves yet again. Harry didn’t understand how they could learn the same exact thing year after year
and still manage to gain a grade?

The truth was, he was shite at reading tea leaves; in all honesty, he was shite at everything divination.
He really wished that he could have chosen something different, something a little more challenging,
but at the time during third year when he had chosen his electives, he hadn’t been friends with
Hermione and Draco and he hadn’t realized what a farce Divination really was.

Sure, he believed that some of it was real. There was no way that it was all a lie. The way that
Professor Trelawney and now Firenze taught it seemed fanciful and make-believe. It was quite
frustrating when he really wanted to learn something that would be useful in his life, something like
arithmancy. He had started to learn it with Madam Cambridge, of course, but since he didn’t have it
for a class, he doubted that Hogwarts would let him test out in it at the end of the year. Without an
O.W.L., there was no way that he would ever get into the N.E.W.T. class.

Firenze had them clear away all the chairs and desks so they could lie flat on their backs once the tea
leaves were put away. The centaur was making an effort to follow Trelawney’s lesson plan but
always through his own lesson in as well. They gazed up at the stars that had appeared on the ceiling
while Firenze told them to spot the shapes that they made up and tell him what they meant. Harry
couldn’t see a single shape so he kept his mouth shut. Draco, however, was quite good at this game.
After winning Slytherin thirty points, class was dismissed and they all headed out of the castle as
quickly as they could to Care of Magical Creatures. Harry always looked forward to this class
because he liked Hagrid as a teacher. However, he knew that Umbridge was out to get his job. She
had made that clear the last time that they were in class when he had tried to show them what a
thestral was.

Umbridge had lectured him on how irresponsible it was to bring school children down to meet
thestrals, that they were associated with death. Of course, some of the students then panicked, but
Harry and Draco surprisingly, stayed calm. They had calmed the students and when Hagrid told her
that they weren’t truly associated with death, that it was only how they were seen, she had growled
at him and stalked away.

Hermione was the last student to arrive, clearly annoyed but he wasn’t sure why. He knew that she
had a long ways to come from Magical Theory but she usually didn’t look so irritated. She was quick
to pull her parchment, quill and ink out so she could take notes on whatever it was that Hagrid was
going to teach them about today. Of course, Hagrid didn’t stick with his syllabus, probably giving
Hermione a heart attack for a year.

“Today, we ain’ gon’ learn tha lesson I tol’ ya ‘bou’ las’ time. I caugh’ me a unicorn.” Harry could
see that the girls were all intrigued. Hermione looked scandalized. He raised an eyebrow, just waiting
to see what she was going to do now. Before Hagrid could even start lecturing, she raised her hand.
When he called on her, her question was acid sharp.

“Isn’t it illegal to keep a unicorn against its will?” Hagrid reddened slightly before nodding.

“It is. It ain’t tied, it’s in a pen wit’ the gate bein’ on’y a coupl’ feet tall. Unicorn coul’ jump if it
wanted ta.” Hermione sighed in relief. Hagrid seemed to realize that she was worried about the beast
and didn’t comment on what she had almost accused him off.

Harry listened to him lecture on unicorns, making several new notes that he didn’t have in his notes
from Madam Cambridge. After Hagrid had lectured for half the class period, he waved for them all
to follow him, taking them closer to the Forbidden Forest. Just on the edge was a small paddock that
housed a single unicorn and the gate, as Hagrid had described, was most certainly low enough to
jump.

It was absolutely beautiful. It’s coat gleamed silver and it appeared to be very soft. It’s horn was
spiraled and golden, as were the hooves, showing the it wasn’t very old. Hagrid had explained that
the men were to stay away from the beast, as unicorns didn’t like males as a general rule. The girls
were welcome to step forward and pet the beast as it allowed.

Harry stood next to Draco and Ron and watched as Hermione approached the silver creature, hand
outstretched. The filly stepped forward and nudged her hand, nibbling on her fingers, making
Hermione giggle just a little bit at the show of affection. The unicorn let her rub her head and down
her neck, standing still and clearly enjoying the attention it was receiving. Daphne stepped forward
and started to rub her face as well, then moved down the opposite side of the neck. Harry stood
watching, transfixed on the sight before him. He had never seen anything more beautiful than
Hermione with a unicorn before.

Finally, both girls stepped away and let the other girls have a turn. The creature didn’t seem too fond
of Pansy but still let her pet her. The other girls were welcomed just as Hermione and Daphne were.
The class time slipped away and before Harry knew it, the bell rang and the unicorn startled, jumping
away from Parvati and Lavender, trotting to the other side of the paddock.

Hagrid dismissed them, assigning them a ten inch essay that would be due at the end of the next class
period. Harry walked with Ron since Draco started for Daphne and Hermione. His best mate was
still staring at the creature in the paddock, eyes glazed over. Harry smiled and nudged him.

“Beautiful creature, huh?” Ron blushed a little and nodded.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen anything like it. I wish I could have touched it. Too bad they don’t like
blokes, not even the males.” Harry chuckled, for once understanding exactly what his best friend
meant.

They made it back to the castle and took their seats at the Gryffindor table. Harry had wanted to sit
with the Slytherins tonight but decided that he would just sit with them all day tomorrow. Besides,
Ron had gotten better about not badmouthing Hermione and Draco and was seeming to get used to
his new last name. They weren’t there all the way but it was much improved from the summer.

They took their seats and Ron instantly piled his plate high with chicken and potatoes. Harry laughed
to himself, knowing that some things just wouldn’t ever change. There wasn’t much conversation,
which surprised him since all they had been talking about at breakfast was the new Defense Club.

*Flashback*

Harry sighed in irritation, wondering how he had let Hermione talk him into teaching this ridiculous
class. He knew that the students needed to learn how to defend themselves but why did that mean
that it was his responsibility? Shouldn’t it be Dumbledore’s? Or their own parents? Sirius was
making sure that he was prepared, why weren’t their parents?

He glared at the sign that read The Hogs Head over the bar. It was one of the seedier bars in town
and he wasn’t sure how Hermione even knew where it was. He doubted that it was the kind of place
that Sirius or Uncle Lucius would frequent. However, she assured him that the people there kept
their mouths shut and it was never frequented by students.

They were off to one end of the bar and there was quite a crowd. Hermione had ordered everyone a
drink and the bartender wasn’t complaining that there were so many of them. Once they were all
settled in the seats and on the floor around him, Hermione stood and called them all to attention.

“I know that not many of you like me. I don’t really care about that. Right now, I care about learning
defense and passing my O.W.L.. I care about not being killed in the upcoming war. I’m hoping that
some of you have the same hopes.” She paused for a few moments and when nobody spoke, she
continued.

“Harry has agreed to teach you all what he knows. He’s faced Voldemort more than most adults; I
think that gives him an edge, gives him the right to be able to say that he can teach you something.
It’s always going to be a risk with Umbridge in the castle but if we let her have her way, we’ll all die
when outright war breaks out. I, for one, think it’s a risk worth taking.” Harry thought it was a pretty
good speech but those in the crowd didn’t look convinced. A Hufflepuff, Zacharias Smith, glared at
her.

“Since when are you worried about tests? You’re the best student in school. Don’t tell me you’re
worried about test scores.” Hermione’s eyes flared with anger but she buried it deep.

“I could pass the theory, yes. I need to practice the practical. There’s no way that anyone can get it
all right on their first try on test day.” It seemed the Smith couldn’t come up with something to say to
that so Lee Jordan spoke next.

“Did you really face him last year? When Krum died?” Harry sighed and raked a hand through his
hair. Hermione stepped in front of him and he could tell by her stance that she was livid. He laid a
hand on her hip and pulled her to stand next to him, giving her a soft smile. He turned his attention to
Jordan, somebody quite close to the twins.

“I did face him but I’m not going to talk about it. I watched a man be tortured and die. The last thing
I want to do is relive it.” Lee nodded, his dreadlocks moving with him.

“Fair enough. I'm in. Anything to stick it to that old cunt.” Most of the Gryffindors agreed straight
off. Seamus, however, glared at them.

“How many of the Slytherins are going to be joining us? You know they’re going to snitch us out. I
heard Nott telling one of our firsties that they’re starting an Inquisitorial Squad and it’s going to be
made up of students that Umbridge can trust. How much you wanna bet that they’re all snakes?” The
rest of the houses looked suddenly wary and Harry wanted to groan. Hermione was ready to spit fire
again and Draco now had her wrist in his hand. Harry stood and held out his hand, trying to placate
the masses.

“It wouldn’t be all the Slytherins. Hermione, Draco, Daphne, Blaise. Maybe Tracey and Millie. I
don’t trust the others to keep their mouths shut. As for the ones I just listed, they might not want to
join. They might not want to take the risk.” Seamus laughed.

“Yeah, because they’re bloody cowards.” Hermione ripped her wrist from Draco’s hand and Harry
stepped in front of her as he shot a silencing spell at Seamus.

“If you want to be a part of this, you’re going to keep your comments to yourself. I don’t want to
hear shite about how Slytherins are evil and how they all want to be Death Eaters. Obviously that
isn’t true. If you don’t want to be a part of this because you can’t handle that, I’ll memory charm you
right now so you can’t snitch us out and I’ll send you on your way.” Seamus’ eyes widened at his
words. Of course, they hadn’t discussed this; originally, they were just going to take their chances
with those that knew about the meetings and chose not to attend. Now, after Seamus, that didn’t
seem wise. Finally, the Irish boy nodded and Harry lifted the spell.

“Alright, I’ll play nice. I still want in.” Hermione took a piece of parchment and laid it on the table in
front of Harry. In bold letters across the top were the words “Defense Association”. Under those
words were the names of Hermione, Draco, Harry, Luna, Juliet, and Daphne. Hermione laid a quill
down on top of it and met the eyes of the room.

“If you want to participate, come up and sign your name so I know how big of a space I need to find
to practice. For the first meeting, we’ll spread the time by word of mouth. After that, I’ll have a better
method in place that will be far less conspicuous.”

The twins and Neville were the first ones up to sign their name, followed quickly by Ron. Ginny and
Blaise were next, followed by the rest of Gryffindor. Harry was surprised when everyone signed,
giving them a total of over fifty names. He was even more surprised to see that Hermione had
included some of his more well-known flings. For a moment, he wondered if she was over her
jealousy. After the very last person had signed, she dismissed them, calling out to them that she
would spread the word soon as to when and where the first meeting would be. Once they were
alone, Hermione sagged and Harry put an arm around her shoulders.

“You know they’re all going to clash, right?” She nodded against his shoulder and her words were
slightly muffled.

“I know but we still have to try. It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t.” He chuckled softly.
“You know, for such a Slytherin badarse, you’re quite the softy at heart.” She pinched his side
ruthlessly as she glared at him. Before flouncing out of the Hog’s Head, she turned and gave him the
smallest smile.

“Make sure you don’t tell anyone.”

*End of Flashback*

Currently, they were still looking for somewhere to practice but Hermione was determined to find a
place. One thing he had learned to never do was doubt her when she got it in her head to do
something.

Harry finished his meal and told Ron and Pav goodnight and that he’d see them before curfew, he
headed over to the Slytherin table to see that his friends were all gathering their things to leave. He
threw his arms around Neville and Draco’s shoulders and grinned.

“We have to skip the library tonight. We need to do something fun. I’m tired of studying.” Neville
and Draco nodded enthusiastically but Hermione started to frown. He decided to just blurt out his
idea and see what they all thought.

“Let’s go find an empty classroom, have Kreacher ward it to hell and back, bring us some snacks,
and just lounge around.” Hermione arched an eyebrow at him but Draco was nodding vigorously.

“That’s a great idea.” Hermione sighed but finally nodded her consent.

In the end, they found a classroom on the third floor and they all piled in, Draco and Harry
transfiguring the chairs into couches so they could all together. Hermione called Kreacher and had
him ward the door and bring snacks for them. The elf was thrilled, happy to serve his mistress and
the rest of his family, which mostly meant Draco and Juliet. Harry didn’t mind, though, he just
accepted that Kreacher didn’t like him and moved on.

Once Kreacher had returned with snacks, they all took seats on the couches and got comfortable.
Harry found himself between Hermione and Neville, while Luna, Draco, and Daphne were on the
couch across from them. The twins and Juliet all squeezed into the loveseat just in front of the fire.
Bowls of popcorn were passed around and ice cream was handed to the twins since they had
specifically asked for it.

Even with the fire in the room, it was still chilly. Harry saw Hermione shiver slightly and he
considered casting a warming charm on her but in the end he didn’t. Mostly because she scooted
closer to him and settled her head against his shoulder and hugged his arm close to her chest. She
gave him a smile.

“Is this alright? I’m cold.” He smiled back and nodded.

“It’s fine. Why don’t you have Kreacher bring you a blanket with a warming charm? It would keep
you warm.” She shook her head, letting it fall back against his shoulder again.

“What are we going to do now that we’re here?” Draco laughed a little.

“I’d say we could play Wizard’s Truth but I don’t think that’s appropriate with Juliet. How about we
all ask a question and everyone has to answer it?” Harry nodded, game for anything. Honestly, he
was a little thankful that they couldn’t play Wizard’s Truth. The last thing he wanted to do was spill
his secrets about his sex life when he had the girl of his dreams snuggled into his arm. Draco grinned.

“Alright, I’ll start.” He thought for a moment and smiled.

“We’ll start off easy. Everyone will get a question and then it’ll be curfew. What’s your favorite
color?” Daphne smiled at him, dimpling slightly.

“Pink.” The twins were predictable with red, Juliet said yellow, Draco was green, Harry was blue,
Luna was yellow, and Hermione was also blue. Neville was the one that surprised them all with
orange. Luna went next.

“What’s your favorite subject at school?” Draco said Potions, Juliet and Daphne said Charms, the
twins said Transfiguration, Neville said Herbology, Harry said Defense and Hermione said it was a
tie between Potions and Magical Theory. They all pulled a face at that answer but nobody
commented. Daphne smiled at them all as she asked her question.

“What’s your first goal in life?” Luna cocked her head to the side.

“I suppose either finish Hogwarts or get married to Neville.” Draco’s goal was the win the Quidditch
Cup, Neville’s was the graduate and get a Mastery in Herbology, Daphne’s was the start a charity
wing in St. Mungo’s, the twins was to start their own joke shop, Harry’s was to defeat Voldemort.
Hermione’s didn’t surprise him.

“I want to finish curing werewolves and then invent a potion that cure the after-effects of the
Cruciatus Curse as I get numerous Masteries.” Draco snorted in her direction.

“Just outdo us, alright?” She smiled at her cousin sweetly. Neville went next.

“Who was your first crush?” Luna was honest when she said Bill Weasley, Draco said Pansy, Juliet
named a muggle boy she had gone to school with. Fred and George had both said Angelina’s name,
Harry had named a muggle girl he went to primary with, and Hermione had blushingly said Theo
Nott. Juliet cocked her head to the side as she considered what her question would be.

“Who do you admire most, your mum or your dad?” Harry felt as if someone had kicked him in the
gut but he kept quiet. Hermione’s arms tightened around his and he knew that she was trying to
support him without bringing attention to his distress.

Neville answered both his parents, Juliet said her mum, Daphne admired her mother, and Luna also
said her mother. The twins both said their father, as did Draco. Hermione sighed and looked up to
meet the eyes of the room.

“I’d have to say my father since my mother is dead.” It seemed to dawn on everyone, Juliet included,
just what that question meant for Harry. Her face crumpled and he knew she felt terrible. Before she
could apologize, he help his hand up.

“It’s fine, Jules. I’m going with the same answer as Nev. Both. They both died for me.” George
cleared his throat before asking his question.

“What’s your favorite quidditch team?” Hermione snorted.

“None. I don’t watch unless my friends are playing.” Harry nudged her teasingly.

“You went to the World Cup.” She snorted again, something she never did.

“I was dragged and you know it.” He laughed outright before answering with Puddlemere United.
The others named numerous different teams and Harry had a feeling that the team that Luna named
wasn’t an actual team, though he wasn’t about to say so. Fred tapped his chin as though he were in
deep thought.
“How many kids do you want to have?” Harry hadn’t thought about this and he wasn’t sure that he
could give an honest number without considering it. However, Hermione already had an answer.

“At least three. I need an heir for the Black name, an heir for my husband’s name, and maybe a
daughter to enjoy as well.” Harry had to say that that sounded just fine to him. However, he croaked
out that he had never thought about it and passed it on. Draco wanted two, Juliet four, Luna two,
Neville four, the twins with six. Harry knew that it was his turn to come up with a question and he
was struggling to think of one. Finally, he blurted out the first one he could think of.

“Do you believe in true love?” Everyone looked surprised and Harry was just as surprised when they
all answered yes. It was now Hermione’s turn and she looked like she had no idea what to ask.

“Who do you want to grow up and be like?” Harry wasn’t expecting such a deep question from her.
She met the eyes of everyone in the room and even though she couldn’t say the name of her
godfather, she still spoke.

“My Uncle Luci and my godfather. They would do anything for family, no matter the cost.” Harry
nodded, acknowledging that her words were the truth. Draco also said his father, Daphne said her
mother, Luna wished to also be like her mother, Juliet wanted to be like Professor Cat, the twins
wanted to be like Prongs, Moony, Wormtail, and Padfoot, Neville wanted to be brave like his
parents. Finally, it was Harry’s turn and he met everyone’s gaze again.

“I hope I’m like my parents. They gave up their lives for me, their child. I hope that I'm brave
enough to do that if it ever comes down to it.” Hermione smiled softly at him and hugged his arm
again.

“You are. I know you are.” Harry smirked at her but the spell was broken when Draco cleared his
throat.

“Curfew is in twenty minutes. We need to go so we don’t get detention.” Harry sighed as Hermione
let go of his arm and levered herself off the couch. They returned the classroom to the way it was and
said their goodbyes.

Harry walked in silence with Juliet, Neville, and the twins. Once they reached the common room,
they nodded their goodnights and went to their dorms and changed into their pajamas. Ron was
already in bed, snoring loudly. Harry gave one final nod to Neville before climbing into his own bed
and pulling the curtains around him.

It had been a long day and even though they hadn’t done anything exciting in the classroom, he was
glad they had played their little game. He could always learn more about his friends and he hoped
that they wanted to learn more about him. He made sure to clear his mind and focus on the
meditation that Professor Cat wanted them to do before letting the sleep pull him under.

A/N- There we are, folks, another chapter down. Not the most exciting but we’re getting there. Hope
you all enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone out there for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting.
You’re my heroes. Let me know what you think, reviews make me smile.

Next chapter, first D.A. meeting.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 93

A/N- You guys are just awesome. Your reviews are seriously the bomb and keep me going, even
though they aren’t always good. The amount of haters have finally went down. I really appreciate
those that have stayed on reading and supported me fully. I warned you all that it would be a long
and winding road and you have stuck with me like you said. You have no idea how much it means
to me. Let me know what you think of this chapter, I really hope it meets your expectations.

**Shout out to Lonelywicked for being my 4600th reviewer. You’re freaking awesome!**

Disclaimer: Still don’t own the story or the characters. Still haven’t made any money from this story.
Still broke as hell. ‘Nuff said.

Chapter 93
December 1, 1995

Harry took the seat next to Hermione at the Slytherin table for breakfast. She was already there,
eating her porridge and chatting quietly with Daphne. The twins were sitting across from her and
they were laughing about whatever they were whispering about. Blaise and Draco were on her other
side and they were talking about quidditch. It was a normal day at Hogwarts and Harry just basked
in it. Their days in the recent months had been anything but normal.

Umbridge was still ruling the castle as the High Inquisitor; Dumbledore said there was nothing that
he could do about it. As much as Harry didn’t trust the man in some things, he was sure that the
wizened wizard was now telling the truth. Sirius and Uncle Lucius had confirmed that the laws had
been changed, showing that the Ministry was now in charge at Hogwarts. Harry really wanted to
know who was supplying the bribes to get most of the members of the Wizengamot to vote in favor
of that.

Harry and Hermione had suffered more than their fair share of detentions so far. Harry managed to
keep his quiet so Hermione wouldn’t worry; he would get the cream needed to heal his hand from
Draco. Hermione, however, had a harder time hiding her detentions since she always had a class
with one or both of them. The only class that she was on her own in was Magical Theory and aside
from the one time, Umbridge hadn’t visited McGonagall. Harry was quite proud of the fact that the
Toad avoided his Head of House.

The twins had also suffered under her reign of terror. They were constantly taking the punishments
of the younger children and playing pranks on Umbridge. Harry, Draco, and Hermione still laughed
about the day that they had slipped a mixture of a laxative and a sleeping draught in her morning tea.
Even though none of them had been in her class first period that day, the second year Hufflepuffs
and Ravenclaws had made sure to tell the whole school how she had fallen asleep at her desk and
promptly shit herself. The students still tormented her with fart noises and things of the like, causing
her to blush furiously and assign detentions to whoever was present.

Of course, the twins had been questioned ruthlessly. However, due to Draco’s coaching and their
natural abilities, there was no way for the Toad to break into their mind for the answers if that’s what
she so chose. Instead, they denied everything and said that it must have been her body’s reaction to
the new brand of tea. It was one of the only times Hermione could remember ever seeing Professor
McGonagall belly laugh in front of students.

Harry served himself some eggs, bacon, and toast, letting his mind drift to later that evening. It would
be their first meeting for the Defense Association. He still wasn’t sure how they had gotten lucky
enough to find a spot so soon after deciding to hold the meetings but he wasn’t going to look a gift
horse in the mouth.

*Flashback*

Harry was sitting in the library with only Draco and Hermione, studying for their Runes test the next
day. He really didn’t think that they had anything to worry about but Hermione had insisted, quite
certain that she wanted to keep her record of getting a perfect grade on every test. Therefore, he had
capitulated, as had Draco. It was a blustery sort of day so practicing quidditch wouldn’t have held
much appeal. Just as he was about to start quizzing Draco on their latest set of Runes, Neville slid
into the seat next to him and grinned impishly.

“I have to show you guys something. It’s important.” Hermione frowned at him.

“More important than studying for a test?” Neville rolled his eyes, something that he rarely did to
Hermione.

“I found the perfect place for the D.A. Believe it or not, Kreacher helped.” Hermione frowned again
but started to gather her things together.

“How did Kreacher help you?” Harry and Draco followed suit and started to gather their things.
Honestly, Harry was grateful for the distraction. He really didn’t want to study things that he already
knew. They followed Neville out of the library as he spoke to Hermione quietly enough for only the
four of them to hear.

“I was visiting the kitchens, I missed lunch and wanted a snack to hold me over until dinner, and I
saw Kreacher there. He made me a sandwich and asked if you needed anything. I told him that I
didn’t think so, that you were studying, that nobody could help with what we really needed.” Neville
took another breath and Harry could still sense the growing excitement in his fellow Gryffindor.

“Kreacher demanded that he be told what you needed and that he would get it. I didn’t really think
that he could but didn’t see the harm in telling him. I told him we needed a room to practice defense
in because the Toad wouldn’t let us. He got all quiet and told me to bring my sandwich and follow
him.” Harry realized that they were now standing in front of a blank stretch of stone wall on the
seventh floor, not far from Gryffindor Tower. He remembered studying the tapestry with Barnabas
the Barmy in his first year.

“Kreacher brought me here and told me that the other elves are under orders to not tell the students
about the Come and Go Room but since he’s a personal elf, he wasn't bound by their orders. He
showed me how to get in and how to work it. Watch.” Harry watched as he paced in front of the
empty expanse of wall three times, his forehead creased in concentration. After the third time, a door
appeared. Neville was quick to open it and shuffle them all inside.

It was a training room, a large one. It would easily house a hundred people if needed and give them
room to practice spells or physical combat if that’s what they chose. Needless to say, it was perfect.
Hermione was still staring, her mouth hanging a little, and Harry couldn’t remember the last time she
had been speechless. He looked to Neville to see that he was now beaming.

“How did you get it to work? Is it always this room and just invisible?” Neville shook his head.

“No, it becomes whatever you need at the time. Hogwarts, A History calls it the Room of
Requirement. You get it to appear by pacing in front of this wall three times, repeating in your head
exactly what you’re looking for. This time, I chanted “I need a place to train many students.’” Harry
let out a whoop and clapped Neville on the shoulder.
“This is perfect, Nev.You did good. Now we can get started on the meetings. Mia, you need to give
Kreacher some sort of treat. He might spit at me if I try.” She tried to glare at him even though she
was fighting a smile.

“I will reward him, have no fear. As to spitting on you, he would never embarrass me like that. He
might only mildly curse you.” Harry and Draco both laughed at her words. Draco threw an arm
around her shoulders.

“That elf is still barmy. It’s a good thing he loves you though.” She stuck her tongue out at him as
Harry turned serious.

“December 1, 7:00 p.m. That’s our first meeting. Spread the word. Mia, you need to start working on
our communication devices that you’re going to make. Trust me, we’re going to need them.”

Hermione’s only response was a smile.

*End of Flashback*

Harry stayed quiet for the duration of breakfast, finally letting his nerves get to him just a little. It was
one thing to learn and teach at Blackmoor or Malfoy Manor, even Grimmauld Place. He was among
friends and family. Now he would be the teacher of more than fifty students and some of them
clearly hated him and thought that he was nothing more than an attention-seeking liar.

The bell rang and Harry was quick to gather his things. Hermione had a smile on her face, though
she usually did when they were headed to Potions. He knew that she had spent time with Severus the
night before, both brewing and just lounging around. She wouldn't give him details but she had said
that they had had a breakthrough on the potion they were creating for curing lycanthropy. She had
insisted that they were still far from a cure but it had been a nice change from the constant failures.

Harry stayed quiet on the way to Potions, though he noticed that none of them really talked. It
seemed as though they were all affected by the nerves for that night. He wondered if the rest of the
students were just as nervous. They were breaking the rules too. He followed Hermione and Draco
into the Potions classroom and took a seat with them, Neville sitting with them this time.

Professor Snape entered not long after and didn’t comment on the somber mood in his class. He
knew what they had planned, Hermione had insisted on telling him. He had cautioned them to be
careful but knew that they were going to go through with it regardless of what he said. Hermione had
told him that he had chosen to support them and try to keep Umbridge busy on their meeting nights
to keep them safe. It was a huge help and Harry was eternally grateful.

Harry knew that if they were caught, he was going to catch all the blame. He really didn’t think that
Hermione had considered that when she had asked him to teach it, but it was the truth. Sure, he knew
that Hermione and Draco would never let him take the fall completely but he also knew that he was
the reason that Umbridge was in Hogwarts. She would delight in tormenting him. She would get her
rocks off on expelling him. He had a bad feeling about this whole idea but he couldn’t bear to
disappoint Hermione. More than anything, he wanted her to be proud of him for something and to
know that he took a chance for her.

Professor Snape ordered them into pairs and he ended up with Draco. It wasn’t as good as being
with Hermione but that was alright. Draco was still a very competent brewer even if he didn’t have
the passion for it that Hermione did. They were assigned to brew the calming draught, something that
he had brewed his first summer at Blackmoor with Severus. Since he was fairly confident in his
abilities with this potion, not to mention having Draco as a partner, Harry didn’t worry about his
grade for the day.
They turned in a perfect potion and Professor Snape dismissed class. Ron caught up with him as they
were leaving, an excited gleam shining in his eyes. Harry tried not to snap at him when he
commented on how excited he was for that evening. Ron really was doing better, acting better as
well. It was as though being around other people in the castle had made him forget his animosity for
the Blacks and Malfoys. Harry was thankful; he hated playing peacekeeper. It made him want to say
fuck it more than once.

Even Ginny had done better since he had told her off for being rude to Hermione. He still didn’t talk
to her much, maybe an exchanged greeting here and there in the mornings. Here and there she would
sit next to him during meals and he would talk to her. More often, though, he kept to himself when it
came to Ginny. It wasn’t that he hated her, it was more along the lines that she made him nervous
now. Since learning that she had fully functioning occlumentic shields from her run-in with Tom
Riddle, Harry wasn’t sure what she was hiding.

Sure, it was possible that there was nothing. It was possible that they were there because Tom had
built them up so nobody could see that it was her that was opening the Chamber of Secrets. Severus
had told him that that was possible. However, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was hiding
something behind them that Tom wanted kept hidden. Since Tom wanted Harry dead more than
anything, it made him a little leery. He was never mean to her, or even rude, but he watched his
mouth and his step around her.

Harry had even sent Sirius a letter telling him about her shields and what he feared. He asked him to
offer to pay for the cost of her seeing a mind healer and Sirius had agreed. However, when Lord
Black had broached the subject with Arthur, the conversation had turned cool. Apparently, since
Sirius had made sure to not include Ginny in his family, he wasn’t in a position to demand anything
for the Prewett part of his family. Even though it wasn’t well done on Arthur’s part, both Sirius and
Harry admitted that they had no right to demand anything of the Weasleys when it came to Ginny,
especially since they said she was the same as she had always been. In honesty, even Harry had to
agree with that. Ginny was the same she had been since he met her; it just made him worry that she
was now hiding things behind her shields.

Ron was doing a little better with his occlumency than he had in the summer. After realizing that
Umbridge could learn the secret of their meetings from his mind if she knew legilimency, he had
buckled down and was working harder. He was still far from what Harry would call accomplished
but he was getting better. Regardless of the reason why he was working harder, Harry could only
sigh in relief. The last thing his family and the Order needed were their secrets getting out because
Ron had been a prat and wouldn’t commit himself to learning.

Harry entered Ancient Runes with Hermione and Draco, the rest of their friends heading off for a
free period. Harry found the Runes were easy for him, much easier than Hermione and Draco found
them. He wasn’t sure why but he wasn’t going to complain. Hermione was especially gifted in
Potions and Transfiguration so maybe Runes was just his subject. Therefore, when they were
assigned a study period, he didn’t bother cracking his book for Runes.

Harry pulled his book from Madam Cambridge on Arithmancy out and started working on it. He
knew that he needed to get through at least the fifth year of work if he wanted to try to convince
Professor Vector that he could take the O.W.L. He wanted to drop Divination more than anything
and pick up Arithmancy, even though it challenged him like nothing else ever had. Hermione and
Draco were both tutoring him when he needed it and he was confident that if he kept up the way he
did, he would be ready.

Harry found that he was quite advanced compared to the students in his year. While he knew that
Hermione and Draco were in their seventh year of study with their tutor, he was about a third of the
way through his sixth year. He had worked hard all summer long to get where he was and he had
sacrificed a lot of free time. He wanted to catch up to them desperately because he hated feeling like
he had been left behind. While he was doing double the school work to catch up to them, he still
lagged in subjects like Arithmancy that were especially difficult for him.

As for the rest of his education, he was up to speed. Sirius, Severus, and Uncle Lucius had made
sure that his etiquette and wizarding culture was up to par with Hermione and Draco. He would still
need training in how to manage his estate but that wasn’t a priority at the moment. He had powered
through his languages as well, being cleared as fluent by Blaise in Italian. With French and Italian
under his belt now, he had started Spanish to be on par with Draco and Hermione. Hermione had
promised him that if he could learn it by the end of the year, she would learn German with him over
the summer since she had never gotten around to it when she had been a child. He very much
wanted that bonding experience so he was pushing himself as hard as he could.

After completing two assignments for Arithmancy, they were dismissed from Ancient Runes.
Hermione and Draco had both worked on their own assignments for Madam Cambridge as well,
Draco in Transfiguration and Hermione in Magical Theory. Harry knew that she looked forward to
Spell Creation next year so it made sense that she would doubly apply herself there.

The three of them headed for lunch in the Great Hall. Since Harry had spent breakfast with the
snakes, he broke off from his Slytherin relatives at the door to head to the lions. He kissed Hermione
on the temple before leaving, enjoying the light blush that colored her cheeks. She still treated him no
different than she had before but it was clear that she noticed his actions. Truth be told, going without
sex wasn’t as hard as he thought it was going to be.

Harry plopped down between Ron and Seamus. Pav was on Ron’s other side and snuggled into his
side. He was insanely jealous sometimes of how his best mate had found a steady girlfriend, one that
had sex with him on a regular basis if Ron was to be believed. Ron didn’t play the field though; he
was more than happy to stick with Pav and ignore the taunts of the other boys of how he was
missing out on experiencing other witches. Sometimes, Harry wished he was more like his best mate.
He wished that he could have been like that. He might have already been with Hermione by now.

The lions were all talking about their meeting that night. He worried that they would be the ones to
blow it because they were the ones with the least amount of fear when it came to getting caught.
They were all proud of the fact that they were doing something against the rules and had no
problems flaunting it. It was maddening but nothing he said made a difference. He would make sure
that Hermione would issue a warning that night at the first meeting. He really couldn’t afford to be
caught if the hag caught wind of their meetings.

Lunch was boring, nothing happening except for chatter about the meeting. Ginny had sat across
from him and flashed him a smile when she saw him looking at her. It unnerved him for the fact that
when everyone else was preoccupied with their conversations, she had leaned forward and given
him a predatory look that made him feel like prey. He wasn’t sure why, since it was just a sweet
smile, one he had seen before, but it unnerved him.

“I heard that you were worried for me, Harry. Daddy told me that you were worried that I needed to
see a mind healer because of what Riddle did to me my first year. I really appreciate it and love that
you care so much. I promise you, though, there’s nothing wrong with me. I barely remember those
times. That’s why I’ve struggled so much in the years following; I can't hardly recall my lessons that
year. He blocked everything. I just wanted to reassure you that I'm fine and to say thank you for
caring so much.” Harry gave her a soft smile and nodded, mostly just to placate her. In truth, it gave
him the fucking creeps.
“I just worry about you, Ginny. I don’t want you to suffer from a side effects from that sick bastard
being in your mind. Those occlumency shields aren’t normal.” Ginny shrugged.

“I didn’t even know they were there. I guess that’s a good thing though. Means I can’t give away the
secrets of the Order or your secrets either.” Harry gave her a small smile.

“That’s true, Ginny.”

He ended the conversation after that. After turning his attention back to his shepherd’s pie, she did
the same and nothing else was said. Harry only hoped that she was right.

-O-

Hermione ate her lunch at a leisurely pace. In truth, she was nervous for that night but she was trying
to keep her attention on other things. The last thing she wanted to do was worry about things and
then make them worse. The shepherd’s pie was great, as it always was, and Kreacher had appeared
to make sure that she found her meal to her liking. After reassuring her that she was pleased, she sent
him on his way to help organize the library. She was sure that Madam Pince would be livid but the
job was far too big for only one woman.

The bell rang and dismissed them from lunch. They were headed to Defense Against the Dark Arts
next, her least favorite class. By this point in the year, she had had numerous detentions with the
witch, had carved words into her hand several times. Harry had been right alongside her some of the
time. Draco had still managed to stay out of trouble but that wasn’t any fault of his own. Umbridge
had a hard on for Harry and Hermione, she just wasn’t sure why.

The reasons for Harry were obvious, of course. As for herself, she assumed that the problem was
with her father personally. She never fretted with Draco even though they were cousins and quite
close. It made her wonder if her father had spurned the Toad’s advances at some point. It would
make sense and even though it made her sick to consider, she was going to have to ask him over
Christmas. It wasn’t something she particularly looked forward to but she supposed that if it affected
her, she deserved an answer.

Hermione had been able to keep her detentions a secret from Uncle Sev so far. She had made her
whole house take a vow on their magic not to tell him; of course, due to his Death Eater standing and
her father’s clear light leanings, it was assumed that it was to keep her out of trouble. They had no
idea as to the truth and that was the way she wanted to keep it. She hadn’t demanded the vow from
her family and friends but she knew that they would never deceive her unless they had no other
choice.

Hermione knew that she was a victim of the detention abuse to make a point to the other students that
nobody was safe. While she understood the woman’s motives, that didn’t mean that she was going to
take the treatment lying down. Already, she was devising little ways to drive the woman mad so as to
drive her from the castle. While she hated Dumbledore with every fiber of her being, he was better
than being controlled by the Ministry. She would do whatever was necessary to keep the Ministry
out of the castle. Not only was the castle legally Harry’s property that he wasn’t able to claim yet, it
was just plain rude. She wished that her father could claim regent over that part of Harry’s legacy but
he couldn’t. It would have to wait until he was twenty-one.

After lunch dismissed, Hermione locked arms with Daphne and fortified herself for the lesson to
come. She could hear Harry, Draco, and Neville talking quietly behind her, with a mix of Ron and
his friends behind them. Hermione had detention after almost every class they had with Umbridge. It
was as though her vendetta against Hermione was personal.
They entered the classroom and took their usual seats, taking out only their parchment, quill, and ink.
They were waiting silently for the hag to appear and Hermione let her mind drift just a little to the
past week. They had found the Room of Requirement, well, Neville had, and they had set the first
date for their meeting of the Defense Association. She was excited but she knew that Harry was less
so. She knew that he would take the brunt of the blame if they were caught but she would never
allow that to happen. She had plans in place to make sure that he was safe, that there was nothing
that could break what she had planned. It wasn’t a perfect plan but she wasn't going to let him suffer
for her plan to teach the other students. If it meant an Unforgivable on her part, so be it.

Umbitch took a seat behind her desk and smiled sweetly at them before she spoke. Hermione wanted
to stab her in the throat for how fake she was. She could forgive her if she was just honest about how
evil she was. Voldemort was. There was a certain amount of respect there, respect you didn’t get
when your enemy pretended to be your friend.

“I’ve heard from Cornelius that your parents are complaining about how I’m teaching this class. That
means that you’re complaining to your parents. Now, we can’t be having that. Therefore, you’re all
going to copy the text from the beginning to our current chapter.” There were a few groans but at her
raised brow, they were silenced. Hermione sighed internally, trying to tell herself that it wouldn’t
matter because they had a real lesson that night.

The class worked silently as they copied eighteen chapters. Hermione wasn’t sure if this was
supposed to make the students complain less or her punishment for them because the Minister had
heard complaints. She supposed that it didn’t matter since they were still copying the text either way.
Only five minutes before class was set to dismiss, Umbridge called for them to send their parchment
forward. She inspected how far they had gotten and called for them to go once she had approved
their progress. Finally, she had three papers in her hand and she smiled that sickly sweet smile again.

“Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, and Miss Black, would you like to tell the class how you cheated on your
assignment?” Hermione knew that this was just another bullshite reason to give them detention. She
sighed, knowing that she wasn’t going to let them go without answering.

“We didn’t cheat, professor.” She hissed in anger.

“I know you did. The three of you made it a full chapter further than the rest of the students. You
used to copying spell, don’t lie to me.” Draco had his impassive mask on as he spoke.

“We didn’t cheat. We write quickly because we do twice as much schoolwork as the rest of the
students. We still have a tutor even though we’re here, we have since our first year.” Hermione
wanted to stomp on his foot to shut him up but it was too late now. Umbridge sneered at the three of
them.

“You will cease seeing this tutor now.” Hermione knew that she couldn’t let the boys answer so she
was quick to capitulate.

“Yes, ma’am.” Umbridge still grinned at them.

“I have plans tonight but the three of you will come see me at six tomorrow evening for detention.
We can’t allow cheaters to go unpunished.” Hermione wasn’t surprised so she merely nodded.
Saying anything at this point wouldn’t make a difference.

They were dismissed and Hermione didn’t say anything. She didn’t know if the others were going to
follow her but she was going to the library for their free period. Harry and Draco seemed to have the
same idea and they all found their usual table in the library empty. Daphne and Neville had followed
as well and they were giving the three of them pitying looks. Hermione rolled her eyes at them and
spoke more briskly than she had intended.

“It’s just detention. Not like it’s our first.” Draco shoved her with his shoulder.

“It’s my first. I'm rather dreading it actually.” Hermione cracked a smile at him but turned back to her
text she had just taken out.

The five of them passed their free period catching up their homework. Harry had started to learn
Spanish and he was studying that, occasionally asking Hermione or Draco if he got stuck. Hermione
and Draco were both working on Charms assignments from Madam Cambridge while Daphne and
Neville were working on a Transfiguration essay.

The bell rang, signalling that it was time to head to the Great Hall for dinner. Hermione had caught
all but a couple of her assignments up so she was happy with her progress. Harry and Draco were
lagging behind, laughing about something. She turned and arched a brow at them but Draco shook
his head at her.

“No, we’re not telling you. You’ll just nag at us for our language.” She stuck her tongue out at him
before entering the Great Hall.

Juliet was sitting at the Gryffindor table with her friend today but Luna and Blaise were already
sitting there waiting for them. They took their seats and started to dish up their plates. The twins
joined them and started laughing about the latest joke they had played on Umbridge. Even Hermione
had to laugh when they told her that they had levitated a niffler through the window of her office and
let it destroy the inside.

Everyone was full of nervous energy, laughing about things that they normally wouldn’t. Harry was
the only one that was quiet and Hermione finally leaned over and bumped his shoulder with hers.

“You know that I wouldn’t ever let you take the blame if we get caught, right?” He gave her a tight
smile.

“I’d rather you did. You’ve had too many detentions as it is. I can take it.” She shook her head with a
hard look on her face.

“Not going to happen. Get used to it.” He grinned at her but said nothing else. Finally, everyone
started to slow down on eating and the whole of the Great Hall seemed to be watching their table.
Hermione felt a current of excitement go through her body as she stood.

“Come on everyone. It’s time.”

-O-

The Room of Requirement looked just as it had when Neville showed it them. Harry had paced the
corridor to make sure that he got what he had envisioned for their lesson. His friends all filed in after
him, exclaiming softly at how amazing the room was. He had planned a simple lesson tonight to start
them off; it would probably offend some of the students but he didn’t care. If they didn’t like his
lessons, they could always leave.

In pairs, the other students started to trickle in until they were all present right at the time they were
supposed to begin. They were all giving him a look of anticipation and Harry took a deep breath,
trying to calm himself down so he didn’t fuck up. Hermione and Draco both stepped up on either
side of him, a show of support that he greatly appreciated.

“Alright, we’re getting ready to begin. I want to say a few things before we do though. First,
Hermione spent several hours of her time making galleons for us to communicate through. I hold the
master and I’ll send a message through the galleon for the next meeting time and date. You’ll know
there's a new message because the galleon will grow hot until you clear the message. Always clear it
after you read it. If Umbridge ever takes it from your pocket and keeps it, she’ll be able to see the
message just as easily as you can.” Harry paused for a second, intending to issue a warning next but
Hermione beat him to it.

“This is Harry’s show but I want to warn everyone. You have to stay quiet about this out in the
corridors and the Great Hall. I heard so many conversations today about tonight and it’s going to get
us caught. As soon as Umbridge starts suspecting something, she’s going to pay attention. Let’s just
say that if one of you is careless and gets us caught, I;m not going to be happy.” Harry gave a quick
nod.

“Exactly what she said. If you want to practice or discuss the lessons, your common rooms are the
best place. You’ll always know when Umbridge is there. Basically, let’s be smart about this,
people.” Harry started to get his groove and his nervousness melted away. He gave the crowd a
small smile before continuing.

“I know you guys are going to think I’m crazy but for our first lesson, we’re going to start with the
disarming spell.” There were several groans and it was Seamus that hollered out.

“Are you serious? That’s a second year spell that we all mastered ages ago.” Harry was surprised
that Seamus had even come. He was one of the students in Gryffindor that was usually cold to Harry
because he didn’t want to talk about the night in the graveyard. Harry decided that he needed to put
the whole lot of them in their place.

“If you’ve mastered it, prove it. Disarm me.” Seamus raised his wand and Harry could tell that he
was waiting for him to move or cast first. Harry, however, just stood there with his wand in his hand,
patiently waiting for the Irish boy to cast.

“Expelliarmus.” The spell hit Harry but did nothing. His wand didn’t even wiggle. There were
several titters in the back of the group and Seamus turned red. Harry, however, ignored them.

“Your wand movements are wrong. Watch carefully. Hermione, disarm me.” Harry stepped away
from her and she raised her wand, speaking the spell clearly and making the wand movement perfect.
Harry felt his wand jerk out of his hand and into Hermione’s. She quickly handed it back and he
thanked her. He turned back to the students.

“Did you see how Hermione’s wand moved? It was a perfect disarming spell. I want you all to
partner up and myself, Hermione and Draco will come around and show you the correct movement
and pronunciation of the spell.” Harry hadn’t really discussed having Hermione and Draco help him
but it made sense. They were just as skilled as he was and they would be able to teach everyone
twice as fast.

Neither one of them complained. Harry was pleased to see that everyone was quick to split up and he
started down the center row while Hermione and Draco each took the row to the side. It was
disheartening to see that the Slytherins were still paired with each other while the rest of the houses
were all mixed together.

The first pair he came to was Alicia Spinnet and Cho Chang. Cho was able to cast the spell perfectly
while Alicia just needed to tweak her grip a little. He continued down the line to help Neville and
Blaise, helping the pair of them for several minutes. He could see Hermione helping Susan Bones
and Mandy Brocklehurst to his right and Draco with Seamus and Dean to his left.
Two hours passed quickly, more quickly than he would have expected. At ten minutes to nine, he
called for them all to gather around once more. Hermione and Draco went back to his side and stood
next to him in a show of support. He smiled at the students as he spoke.

“You all did great today. Some of you are still having problems so we’ll continue with the disarming
spell. Don’t worry, we’ll get past this and move to more exciting spells. Remember, we’re doing this
so we can pass our exams and protect ourselves.” Hermione spoke up now.

“You should all leave in pairs to head back to your common rooms. Harry will send the date and
time of the next meeting so keep your galleon on you.” Nobody seemed to acknowledge that
Hermione had spoken so Harry made sure to nip that in the bud.

“I want you all to know that Hermione and Draco have been instrumental to making this happen. If
this class is going to continue, you will give them the same respect that you give me.” Even though
there were several faces in the crowd that looked unhappy, everyone nodded.

It took almost ten minutes for everyone to leave, leaving Hermione, Draco, and Harry by themselves.
After they were alone, Hermione turned to him.

“Don’t worry about how they treat me. We need to keep teaching this class.” Harry knew that he
was guilty of letting people treat her like shite. However, it was going to stop. He should have
stopped it a long time ago. He stepped up to her and cupped her face in his hands so she would have
to look at him.

“Mia, I know that I was an arsehole in the past and I let people disrespect you. I disrespected you.
That’s not going to happen anymore. If people are arseholes to you, I’m going to do my best to stop
it.” She smiled softly and laid one hand over the top of his.

“Thank you, Harry. That really means a lot.” He let her face go and hugged her just a moment,
unable to help realizing that her breasts were warm and soft against his chest. He released her and
gave her a good-natured shove towards the door.

“You two have the furthest to go. You better start towards the dungeons.” Draco threw an arm
around her shoulders as she smiled and waved to him. He bent to pick up his bag as they left,
following quickly behind them. It took him only a couple minutes to make it into the common room.
Once inside, he was bombarded with the students that had been there, telling him what a good class
it was and that they couldn’t wait until the next one. He escaped after only a few minutes, slipping
into the dorm to change into his pajamas.

After he was in bed with the curtains pulled and the duvet pulled up to his chin, he let his mind drift
over the day. The worse part was that he now had a detention to look forward to tomorrow; he
couldn’t help but wonder why Umbridge had it out for Hermione so badly. Him, he understood. But
Hermione left him confused.

The D.A. meeting had gone better than he had thought it would. There hadn’t been any fighting and
nobody had stormed out pissed off. He hadn’t even been asked about what happened that night in
the graveyard. He was sure that someone would eventually ask him but it was nice that they had let
the first meeting go by without hounding him.

Harry started to clear his mind and do his animagus exercises before bed. He still hadn’t discovered
what his form was but McGonagall had warned them that it would take time. After meditating for
almost an hour, he stopped searching for his form. The door banged open and he heard the others
come to bed. Once it was all quiet again, Harry let himself drift off to sleep.
A/N- There you have it folks, another chapter done. I really hope you enjoyed it. Big thanks to
everyone out there still riding this crazy ride with me. You guys are awesome. Leave me a message
after the beep and let me know what you think.

Next chapter, Hermione formulates a plan for Umbridge.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 94

A/N- You guys are just awesome, thank you so much for your wonderful reviews and kind words.
They keep me going which means you keep getting chapters! I know you've had to wait a few days
longer than usual for this chapter but my kids are on Spring Break and life has been nuts in general.
Thanks for understanding! Anyways, I’m going to get started and hope you enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: None of this story belongs to me except the personal plot twist. The original idea belongs
to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to J.K.R. I still haven’t won the lottery or
published a book so I’m still broke as hell.

Chapter 94
December 15, 1995

Hermione sighed as she pushed the food around her plate at breakfast. She was exhausted and she
knew that there was only one person to blame. Dolores fucking Umbridge. Not only was she in
detention at least twice a week, they were staying out of the common room for D.A. meetings until
curfew at least once a week. This normally wouldn't bother her but as of late, nightmares had been
plaguing her sleep, another indicator that she wasn’t sleeping as well as she should. Her occlumency
should be protecting her from nightmares but it wasn’t and she was beyond frustrated. She was
pushing herself too hard and that’s all there was to it.

Hermione hated to admit it though; Harry and Draco both had begged her to slow down, to stop
working so hard on the homework that was due to Madam Cambridge, telling her that she needed
some sleep instead. They had begged her to spend less time with Uncle Sev researching his potion
and brewing the variants that they were coming up with. She knew that they were right but she
didn’t want to disappoint anyone, most especially herself.

Umbridge hadn’t let up on the students in any way; in fact, she was cracking down even harder on
what she considered to be bad behavior. There were all sorts of ridiculous rules now, rules that had
cost Hermione a detention when she had rolled her eyes at them. Boys and girls were no longer
allowed to be within eight inches of each other unless classwork called for it and the full uniform was
now required at all times no matter how hot or cold the student was. It was infuriating but there
wasn’t much that she could do about it when it was just her.

After the class where Umbridge had told all the students that Fudge had been getting complaints,
nobody was brave enough to send a letter home to continue complaining when one of the
Ravenclaws, Marietta Edgecomb, told everyone that she had received a letter from her mother telling
her that her job had been threatened if her daughter didn’t keep her mouth shut. Since there were
many students that had family working at the Ministry, it wasn’t hard to figure out that they wouldn’t
be making a public stand on their treatment anymore.

It was for this reason that Hermione had sent a letter to her father and Uncle Luci with Kreacher. It
had detailed the events at Hogwarts and just how ridiculous it had gotten under Umbridge’s rule.
While neither her father nor her uncle wanted to bring it directly to the Wizengamot for fear that
Hermione would be the one to pay the price, they were able to send an anonymous letter to the Daily
Prophet.

The resulting article just a few days later hadn’t been quite what Hermione had expected but had
been better than nothing. It was clear that the reporter, not Rita Skeeter for once, was scared of
retaliation, not only from the Ministry but her boss as well. It had reported that Umbridge was taking
corporal punishment to a new level at Hogwarts without the permission of parents, that illegal dark
artefacts were being used, and that not only the Board of Governors had been rendered useless, but
the Headmaster as well.

There had been a public outcry against the Ministry, mostly by parents that weren’t employed there.
Fudge had put them all off, telling that there was an investigation pending, that he was getting down
to the bottom of these accusations. It was all a lie, of course, since Amelia Bones arrived at Hogwarts
just three days after the article was printed wanting to speak to not only Umbridge but Dumbledore
as well.

*Flashback*

Silence fell over the Great Hall as the door opened and admitted the Head of the D.M.L.E., Amelia
Bones. Her face was impassive but Herione could tell that she was livid. Even though Susan was her
niece, she paid her no mind as she stalked up to the Head Table and spoke clearly.

“Madam Umbridge, you will follow me to the Headmaster’s office. You as well, Headmaster. We all
have some questions that need answered.” Hermione was dancing and cheering on the inside, hoping
against hope that the old hag would find herself inside of an Azkaban cell before the day was out.
Umbridge stood and gave the room a sickly sweet smile before following after Bones, her smile
turning into a sneer when the older witch wasn’t looking. Hermione knew that look promised
retribution so she really hoped that she was going to be packing her things after the interview was
over.

Since they had Defense next, there was no point in leaving the Great Hall when the bell rang.
Professor Cat had told them to just wait for their professor there and that she would come and
retrieve them when she was ready for them. Hermione sincerely hoped that that would be never.
However, just an hour later, the toad in pink arrived with a smile on her face and gestured for
everyone to follow her to the classroom. Once they arrived and took their seats, Umbridge turned to
face them, her smile gone only to be replaced with another sneer.

“You were all hoping that I would be gone, I can see it on your faces. You were fools to think that I
would leave that easily. You don’t grow up as I did and not become immune to the effects of
veritaserum. Now all the aurors think that you're all horrid little children that are just looking to start
some trouble because you don’t like my class. You just made sure that I won’t be leaving any time
soon. Since you did me such a great favor, I’ll only make you copy the first ten chapters of the book,
due to me by the end of the day. I don’t care what other assignments you don’t get done for your
other classes. This takes precedence.” Hermione sighed, realizing that she was right. Now all the
students looked like childish liars and she looked like a hated teacher that they were trying to run out
of the school. This left only one thing for them to do.

Take care of the problem themselves.

*End of Flashback*

A few of the parents had arrived and removed their students from Hogwarts, not believing that
Umbridge was innocent like the Prophet had claimed. Most were first years that were too scared to
hang around, not that Hermione blamed them. Umbridge did seem to have a penchant for picking on
the smallest of the students; she often wondered if the woman wanted to be a Death Eater and this
was the only way she could prove to herself that she could be accepted.

It had been only a couple of days after that that Hermione had decided on a plan to get rid of
Umbridge. It wasn’t elaborate, it wasn’t fancy, and it wasn’t difficult. If anything, it was overly
simply but she hoped that that was the beauty of it. Something that the toad could see but not really
put together as a plot against her.
*Flashback*

It was the end of another D.A. meeting and Hermione was exhausted. They had just learned the
blasting hex and while she already knew how to cast it perfectly, her small group of students didn't.
Needless to say, teaching was just as tiring as learning. There were only twenty minutes until curfew
and she really wanted to speak with the group about Umbridge so she went up to Harry’s side and
gestured with her eyes that she wanted to speak. He rubbed a hand down her spine and nodded,
telling her silently that the floor was hers. She cleared her throat and waited until all eyes were on
her.

“I know that we all had our hopes up when Madam Bones arrived to question Umbridge. I know
that I did. It was that day that I realized that the fat toad was right. Nobody is going to believe us
now; they see us as errant children that are complaining to get rid of a teacher that we just don’t like.
We all know this isn’t true. It was when I realized that she was right that I also realized that it’s up to
us to get rid of her. Our parents and the Ministry aren’t going to do it. We’re going to have to do it
for ourselves.” A quiet burst of whispering erupted and Hermione let it go on for almost a minute
before she shushed them again.

“I know it’s risky but look at us already. We’re holding secret meeting to learn defense behind her
back. We would all be in detention for the rest of the year if she found out. We might as well take it
one step further and get rid of the old hag if we can. I know I want her out of here. I want a teacher
that’s worth a damn, one that actually teaches us. If you don’t want in on this, go ahead and go. If
you have no idea what we’re planning, you’ll have plausible deniability. If you want in, stay and
listen up to how you can help.” Not surprisingly, Fred and George let out whoops of joy and rushed
up to where she was standing, linking their arms with hers. Juliet was laughing at them, as was
Daphne. Hermione had to admit that she was only a little surprised to see a couple first year
Hufflepuffs slink out the door so they wouldn’t have to help. Once they were gone, Hermione
disentangled herself from the twins and pulled a box out of her bag and passed it around.

“Everyone take one of the crystals from inside and pass the box on. There should be enough there
for everyone in the room.” It took several minutes for the box to make its way to everyone in the
room but she began again when everyone had one.

“As I’m sure that some of you have guessed, these are recording crystals. They’re all set to start
recording the images and sounds around you at the key phrase ‘Umbridge is going down’. Say that
phrase and it will record everything that is going on around you. Now that we have these, I want you
to do everything you possibly can to piss the woman off. Play pranks on her, call her names, get
detention, I don’t care. The point is, we’re going to record her being a complete hag for however
long it takes to get enough proof to get her sacked. If you get a detention, I want the crystal recording
the whole time you’re using that damn quill. Every time she’s berating you for something stupid, like
standing six inches too close to the opposite sex, I want you to record it. It might take a little while to
get enough proof to show the Ministry that we aren’t liars, but we’re going to get her sacked.” The
twins were both hugging her now, both at the same time, and thanking her over and over quite
loudly in her ears. She was laughing at them but trying to pay attention to the questions from the
others as well. It was Ginny that asked the question she knew was going to come to her.

“So you want us to get in trouble and get punished? That doesn’t make any sense.” Hermione sighed
and then fortified herself. She really hated dealing with Ginny Prewett. She always let Harry deal
with her when they were teaching the D.A.

“We get detention anyways, whether we deserve it or not. At least if we do something to deserve it,
we know we’re going to record her and eventually her thrown out on her arse.” Ginny sniffed
imperiously her way.
“I haven’t had a detention yet. Maybe she just likes me.” Hermione couldn’t hide her snort, thinking
that maybe the two were a lot alike but decided maybe that wasn’t fair. Maybe Ginny was just
forgettable in Defense class.

“Maybe. Like I said, you don’t have to participate. If you see her acting like a hag while punishing
someone else, you can still record that.” Ginny nodded but still looked skeptical. Hermione turned
her attention to the rest of the group.

“Any other questions?” There were several calls of no so Hermione bid them goodnight and to leave
carefully and quietly, not wanting anyone to give their meeting times and place away to the toad.

*End of Flashback*

So far, Hermione had recorded two detentions, as had Harry. Draco had recorded Umbridge pulling
a first year Ravenclaw to his feet by his hair and shoving him towards a staircase so hard he fell to
his knees. The twins had recorded the most, numerous detentions and several occasions where the
woman had cursed them with her wand. She knew that Juliet had a couple recordings from her class
and Daphne had a recording of her threatening Hermione to tie her up in the Forbidden Forest and
leave her there to starve.

It wasn’t nearly enough to take to Bones yet but soon enough, it would be. The crystals that she had
handed out were the same ones that aurors used when they took down statements of victims of
crimes so she knew that there would be no way they could dispute the method of retaining the
memories. There was an infinite amount of space on the crystal so that wasn’t going to be a problem
either. Honestly, the biggest problem was going to be how she was going to get the crystals to
Madam Bones and get her to believe her long enough to start viewing them. She had hoped they
would have enough by Christmas break but she wasn’t sure that they would. Maybe she could ask
the woman to meet her in Hogsmeade sometime after the new year and beg her to view them then.

The one memory that Hermione had made sure to record was Hermione sitting in her detention and
asking Umbridge how she had become immune to veritaserum. Umbridge had gone on about how
her occlumency helped quite a bit and then she had subjected herself to the potion over and over,
increasing the dose over time so she grew immune to it. It really was quite genius and Hermione was
considering doing it herself. It was no secret that there was going to be a war and there were secrets
in her head that absolutely nobody could know. While her occlumency protected them to a certain
degree, being immune to the truth serum would further protect it.

The bell rang, startling Hermione from her thoughts. She reached down and grabbed her bag, only to
find that Harry was already holding it in his hands, handing it to her with an impish smile on his face.
She smiled back and took her bag, throwing it over shoulder. They were growing closer, she could
feel that, and as much as she hated to get her hopes up that there was still a chance for them, it was
hard not to.

Harry never paid attention to the other girls now and he rarely spoke to any that weren’t his friends.
Ginny was the one exception but even that was limited. Hermione had been surprised to find that
when they got back to school that he had seriously distanced himself from her. Sure, he still talked to
her here and there and sat next to her occasionally at the Gryffindor table but it was almost like she
unnerved him. She had once asked him (quite tentatively since she didn’t want to start a fight) why
he acted like that and he had explained about her occlumency shields and where Uncle Sev thought
they had originated from.

After hearing that, Hermione couldn’t help but be a little creeped out about Ginny as well. It seemed
like her father had made the right decision to keep her out of the family now more than ever. While
Hermione wasn’t sure that the girl was evil, there was definitely a dark streak there, a spoiled child
that was used to getting everything that she wanted and if she was refused, she reacted violently
without a care in the world. Since Hermione was the person she seemed to hate most in the world, it
didn’t bode well for her if things ever went bad.

The group of friends made their way to Transfiguration. It was just a review class today so Hermione
was excited to continue with the process of becoming an animagus. She had finally discovered what
her form was in meditation just a couple nights ago and even though she had swore to herself that
she would keep it a secret until she could actually transform, she just couldn’t. She had blurted it out,
insanely proud of herself.

A clouded leopard.

Hermione had researched them ruthlessly and was quite happy with her form. They were a medium
sized cat and considered the most beautiful. They were quite clever and could protect themselves
rather well. Hermione decided that it fit her rather well. This was going to be the first class with
Professor McGonagall since discovering her form and couldn’t wait to tell her.

The group of friends took their seats and Hermione patiently waited for her to set them to studying
the last few chapters that they had been assigned. Since she was quite certain she needed no studying
of switching spells, she made her way up to Professor Cat’s desk and cast a silencing spell once she
had her professor’s attention. She was nearly bursting with excitement when she finally spoke.

“I met my form two nights ago, professor. I’m so excited!” Professor McGonagall dropped her quill
and met her eyes with excitement of her own. Hermione wondered briefly if she had ever guided
anyone to finding their animagus form before.

“What is it? Tell me everything.”

Hermione spent the next thirty minutes telling her every small detail about her encounter with the
clouded leopard and what her thoughts on the matter was. By the time she was done speaking,
Professor Cat was grinning from ear to ear and it was as though she had forgotten that she had a class
in her room.

“I’m so very proud of you, Hermione. It hardly took you any time at all. All that’s left for you is
taking the potion and turning for the first time. However, I think we should wait for Mr. Malfoy and
Mr. Potter to do that. Maybe they can be done by Christmas and you can all do it together then. It
would be a nice project to do over the holidays. Less prying eyes if you know what I mean.”
Hermione caught her drift immediately and nodded.

“I’ll see if I can prod the boys into working harder to get to their forms. I’m so excited to meet her
but I do want to wait and do it with the boys.” Her professor gave her one last smile.

“Work on them to meditate longer. If we have to wait, we will. We can’t hurry it too much or they’ll
have a set back. That won’t do us any good at all.” Hermione nodded and smiled one last time.

“Thank you for taking the time to teach us, professor, it really means a lot to me.” Professor
McGonagall put her hand on her head and smiled softly.

“Who knew this is where we would end up after your first year? Neither one of us could stand the
other. I'm so very glad that we gave each other a chance, Miss Black. My life would have been
poorer without you in it.” Hermione gave her a genuine smile.

“Mine as well, professor. Mine as well.” Hermione didn’t wait for her to respond, just turned and
went back to her seat.
Since there was little else she could do in class, she pulled out a book she was reading for pleasure,
one on how ghosts could impact a dwelling if they decided to haunt it. It was quite interesting and it
made Hermione wonder if there was a reason that there were no ghosts at Blackmoor. Surely there
had been Blacks through the years that hadn’t been ready to cross over? There was only one ghost at
Malfoy Manor and Uncle Luci had spelled him to where he couldn’t leave the dungeon because he
was quite inappropriate and had once been caught peeking at Hermione when she was changing
clothes when she was only eight. Uncle Luci had been furious, more furious than she had ever seen
him, and it was hours later that he had informed her that Shireford Malfoy would never leave the
dungeons.

The bell rang soon after, dismissing them to Potions. Hermione picked up her own bag this time but
waited for both Harry and Draco to catch up to her. She was a little surprised, however, to see that
Draco fell back behind to wait for Daphne. Since it was clear that he was finally warming up to the
blonde Slytherin, Hermione hooked her arm through Harry’s and leaned against his arm as he led her
out of the classroom.

As they turned the corner, however, they were quick to pull apart since Umbridge was coming up
the corridor. Before they could say anything to anyone, the hag had swooped in and given Ron and
Parvati detention for walking too close together. Hermione could only hope that they would
remember to activate their crystals during their detention. As quickly as she had appeared was as
quickly as she left.

Hermione didn’t dare hook her arm through Harry’s again on her way to Potions but they did walk
together, discussing the lesson to come. She knew that her godfather was giving them a review
lesson, something that he hated as much as she did. Since she was caught up on all her homework
and had nothing else to do, she was going to read through the journal that he had given her over the
summer and see if she could find a way to tweak the original potion he had come up with to cure
lycanthropy to get a better result. She wasn’t holding her breath, her godfather was a bloody genius
after all, but she was still going to try.

Her uncle swept into class, his robes billowing behind him. He called for the class to come to order
and instantly ordered them to review and work on their homework. He rarely gave them these days
so when he did, the whole class took advantage. Even Draco was working on Potions work, though
it was work from the seventh year curriculum that they were going to test on sooner rather than later.

Uncle Sev had already told her that she was N.E.W.T. ready. Therefore, with her father’s
permission, she was going to skip the O.W.L.s this year in Potions and take the N.E.W.T.s with the
seventh years. She was scared out of her mind but her godfather assured her every single time he saw
her that she was ready without even studying. If she was able to pass, he could start apprenticing her,
meaning that she would be ready for her Mastery no later than a year after her graduation, perhaps
even sooner. It was everything she had ever dreamed of but it scared the life out of her when she
thought about it. However, she trusted her godfather and knew that he wouldn’t send her off to get
slaughtered so she trusted that he thought she was ready. Therefore, she did her best not to worry too
much.

Hermione started to break apart the aconite to a cellular level when the bell rang, signalling that it
was time for lunch. She reluctantly rose, stuffing her things in her bag. She really could have skipped
the meal and stayed to work on her breakthrough but knew that she never would have heard the end
of it from Harry or Draco, let alone the twins or Neville. She allowed the pair to escort her through
the crowds through to corridor to the Great Hall, where the both let go of her arm so they wouldn’t
gain another detention.

They took their seats and Hermione listened to the boys ramble on about their quidditch practices and
how they were having to practice in the rain and the mud and how unfair it was. Hermione found it a
little amusing but decided to refrain from commenting on that. After all, if they chose to play in all
those conditions, what right did they have to complain?

Dinner passed with no fanfare, everyone eating their fill and laughing at jokes. There were no
detentions assigned and no arguments to avoid. In fact, it was a rare meal at Hogwarts since the
peaceful ones were so rare and far between. Hermione had just pushed her plate away when the bell
rang again, signalling the end of lunch.

It was time for Herbology, probably her least favorite class.

-O-

Harry led Hermione across the grounds to Herbology, the snow crunching under their shoes. Her
hair was blowing softly in the December breeze and the snowflakes were getting caught in her curls.
She was beautiful and she didn’t even know it. He was pulled from his thoughts by entering the
warm greenhouse and taking a seat next to her in his usual spot.

Professor Sprout entered and called the class to attention. Draco and Daphne were settled behind
them while Neville was with Blaise to their right. They were listening raptly as Professor Sprout
lectured them on the more dangerous plants in Greenhouse Six. It really wasn’t anything new for
Harry so he just compared her lecture to his notes from Madam Cambridge.

Nothing of note happened in Herbology; they were assigned an essay on one of the many plants and
sent on their way. This time, Harry let Draco escort Hermione out of Herbology and across the
grounds back to the castle. She had Magical Theory while he and Draco had Divination. He dreaded
it but there was nothing else for it.

Once inside the castle, they split ways. Harry and Draco chatted about quidditch practice and the
upcoming match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. They kept the required eight inches away from
each other at all times and when they passed Umbridge, she gave them a smug look. They entered
the classroom to find Firenze had changed the ceiling had been turned to the starry night sky. Harry
sighed again; it wasn’t that he disliked the centaur, he just really got nothing out of Divination.

They spent the next hour and a half looking at the night sky, trying to decide what Saturn was telling
them about what was to come. At the end of the class period, they were set free with no homework
though so he considered it a win. He and Draco made their way to the Great Hall, knowing that it
was time for dinner. Just as they were getting ready to enter, Lisa Turpin stepped out from an alcove
and gave him a winning smile. She stepped forward and rubbed her hand up and down his chest, her
nails lightly scraping his skin through his uniform shirt.

“Hey, handsome, let’s get out of here and have some fun.” Harry reached out and grabbed her wrist,
pulling it away from his chest. He gave her a tight smile but shook his head.

“No thanks, Turpin. I told you we were done.” She curled her lip in what he was sure she thought
was an attractive way but he just cringed.

“Let me know if you change your mind.” Harry didn’t bother to answer, he just started for the Great
Hall again. Draco chuckled under his breath before speaking.

“How long have you gone without sex now?” Harry glared at his friend.

“A couple weeks before I came to Blackmoor. I decided that I had to prove to her that I could go
without before I ever had a hope of her saying yes to me.” Harry expected Draco to make fun of him
or at least have a few laughs at his expense but instead he clapped Harry on the shoulder.

“You’ll get there, mate. Good job.” Harry smiled just a little.

“It’s easier than I thought it would be.” Their conversation was cut off since they took their seats and
Hermione, Daphne, Luna, and Juliet were already there. The conversation was centered around their
plans for the upcoming summer and what they thought they would be able to do with Voldemort
now alive. Harry didn’t contribute since he never knew what his summer was going to consist of
until right before the holidays anyways.

They ate their meal quickly since they had a D.A. meeting that night and they needed to open the
room for the other students. It had only been a couple weeks since their first meeting but they had
already come a long ways from where they had started. It had only taken two meetings for everyone
to master the disarming charm, including the second years. They had made the rule that first years
couldn’t join since their magical cores just weren’t strong enough to handle the magic that they
would be teaching. Harry had hated to do it but it was the only option they had that would keep the
little firsties from injuring themselves.

Everyone was excited for the meeting and were in a hurry to finish. Harry and his group of friends
were the first to leave the Hall but it wasn’t long before the other students were right behind them.
Harry opened the Room of Requirement and let all his friends in. The twins entered with a whoop,
excited to get started.

Harry readied the room while Hermione browsed the bookshelf that had appeared at the back of the
room. Draco was talking and laughing with Neville and the twins while Luna, Daphne, and Jules
were chuckling softly in the corner about who knew what. Harry stepped closer to where Hermione
was browsing and tugged one of her curls. She shot him a guilty smile before turning back to the
books.

“You caught me. I can't help reading the titles at least.” Harry chuckled at her.

“I’m sure that the Room wouldn’t mind if you borrowed a few.” She smiled but was saved from
having to answer by several Hufflepuffs arriving.

After everyone had arrived, Harry called them all to order and spaced them apart so he could give
them each a target. They all looked at him with eager eyes since he had told them at the last meeting
that they would be working on the blasting curse. After everyone had a target, he stood at the head of
the room and started.

“Today, we’re going to start learning the blasting curse. The incantation is ‘confringo’ and the wand
movement is like this. Everyone watch closely.” Harry performed the spell perfectly and they all
watched as the dummy in front of him exploded. He quickly repaired it before turning to his students
once more.

“Practice the wand movements first.” Everyone did as they were told and Hermione and Draco went
up and down the line to correct the movements that weren’t quite right. After he was certain that
everyone had it down, he bid them to start practicing the actual spell.

Most of the students had no problems with the spell; they caught on pretty quickly. Some of the
second years were struggling, however, Juliet being one of them. Hermione was standing behind her,
trying to correct her wand movement and whispering softly in her ear. The girl was still flustered and
upset which meant that she wasn’t ever going to succeed in that state. Harry went over to her and
tugged her hair lightly, catching her attention. He grinned at her.
“What relaxes you, Jules?” She gave him a confused look as she answered.

“Spending time with my friends and family. I love sitting in the library at Blackmoor with hot
chocolate while we’re all just quietly reading.” Harry nodded, taking the place behind her when
Hermione moved out of the way.

“I want you to imagine that you’re back at Blackmoor and you’re sitting in the library. You’re
relaxed because everyone is there and you’re having a great time.” He could feel the tension leave
her body. He pushed her wand arm up and guided her hand through the movement.

“Say the incantation.” Juliet let him guide her hand but she spoke the incantation.

“Confringo.” A large blast shot out of her wand and hit the dummy in front of her, completely
destroying it. A huge smile broke out on her face and she turned around to throw herself into his
arms.

“How did that work?” He smiled at her as he hugged her back.

“You were upset. Once you relaxed and you let your intent be known, your magic took over. Now
you’ve been successful at casting a blasting curse.” Juliet was clearly happy and ran forward to repair
her dummy so she could do it again.

The meeting went for two hours and by the time the meeting came to an end, everyone in the room
could cast the blasting curse. He told them that he wasn’t sure if they would have another meeting
before the end of the term and that he would let them know. Everyone left in good spirits and Harry
himself was feeling light of heart. He threw an arm around Hermione’s and Luna’s shoulders and
smiled at the rest of their friends.

“You think we have time for another meeting before we all leave for Christmas?” Hermione leaned
into him and rested her head against his chest. Harry couldn’t resist resting his cheek against her head
and smell her hair. Her voice was soft, almost as though she were about to fall asleep.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to. We leave in a week and we still have exams to study for.”
Harry kissed her head and smoothed a hand down her curls.

“Alright, no more meetings. Let’s get back to our common rooms though, everyone is tired and we
don’t want the hag to catch us.” Harry handed Hermione off to Draco who also wrapped an arm
around Daphne’s waist. He watched them leave so he grabbed Jules’ hand and made sure that
Neville and the twins were following closely behind as the exited the room to head for Gryffindor
common room.

They made it to the common room easily and after Harry had wished Jules a good night, he climbed
the stairs to his dorm. Ron was already snoring and Neville was already changing into his pajamas.
Harry followed suit, promising himself that he would shower in the morning. Once he was under the
duvet and behind his curtains, he relaxed and started to meditate for his animagus form. Hermione
had already found hers and he was so jealous he couldn’t hardly stand it.

After meditating for an hour unsuccessfully, he finally gave it up and just let his mind relax.
Tomorrow was another day and he was going to have to be rested to make sure to stay ahead of
Umbridge. With that last thought, he closed his eyes and let sleep pull him under.

-O-

Sirius was so angry he couldn’t hardly see straight. He wasn’t fit to spend time with but Helena kept
insisting on being there with him. He knew she was bearing the brunt of his rage and he felt terrible
but Umbridge was fucking with his kids and that was one thing you just didn’t do and get away with
it.

He and Lucius had done all they could to thwart Fudge and Umbridge without declaring an all out
war in the Wizengamot. If he thought that he would win, he would be all for the war. However, he
wasn’t sure now that Voldemort had returned and there were so many Death Eaters in the Chambers.
Yes, he and Lucius were powerful and had the money to back just about anything but they were
only two people. Sure, Bill made a third and Greengrass and Longbottom made four and five but that
was nothing compared to the rest of the Death Eaters.

Therefore, they had contacted the Daily Prophet. The journalist had been afraid of retaliation, not that
Sirius blamed her. Hermione had told him that Bones had showed up to investigate Umbridge and it
had come up empty. While he had been told that Hermione hadn’t received any detention, Harry had
and the bitch was making him carve words into the back of his hand with a blood quill. The dark
artefact was illegal unless it was used for the signing of legal documents.

He and Lucius were still doing all they could to figure out a way to get Fudge out of office. They
were actually trying to convince Amos Diggory to run for Minister against Fudge in the coming
months, telling him that they would completely fund his campaign and throw their full support
behind him. While he wasn’t averse to running for Minister, he didn’t want to be the Minister to fight
the war with Voldemort. He wasn’t sure if they would convince him in the end but they were giving
it their all.

Alexandre was still at Blackmoor and Helena couldn’t be happier. Sirius still didn’t trust him
completely but he was growing to like the old man. He gave good advice and seemed invested in
making it work with Helena and Juliet. Sirius still needed to have a conversation with Hermione
regarding Alexandre but it was going to have to hold until Christmas. She was the Black heir and he
didn’t have the right to make decisions about if someone like Alexandre could permanently stay
without her input.

Things with the Weasleys were going well. Arthur still worked at the Ministry in his muggle
department but people treated him with more respect. Bill was coming along in with his Wizengamot
training quite well; he was picking it up as quickly as Hermione and Draco had. Charlie had
transferred from the Romanian reserve to the English one and now apparated back and forth from
their estate every day. He was helping Bill with the day to day running of the estate, more work than
either one of them had expected.

Fleur was also staying at the estate with Bill since he had proposed to her just a couple weeks before.
They hadn’t been together long but Bill was Fleur’s mate and there was no separating them. They
were happy together even though Molly was not. In fact, she couldn’t stand Fleur which Sirius found
absolutely hilarious. She deserved some strife in her life, if only from the sweet person that Fleur
Delacour was.

Severus had just left and he was certain that Umbridge was getting suspicious of the defense class
that the children were having. He did his best to distract her on their meeting days but it was getting
harder and harder to come up with excuses. The one thing Severus refused to do was bed her. He
hoped that they weren’t going to have any more meetings before the end of the year because he
really didn’t have anymore reasons to keep the old bitch from patrolling.

Sirius threw back his whiskey and stood, preparing to head to bed. Helena had left an hour ago and
he had promised to follow behind shortly. He would meet with Bill and Lucius in the morning to
update them on Severus’ words. In just a week, the children would be heading home and he could
see for himself that they were well and truly as alright as they claimed.
He trudged up the stairs and tried to be quiet as he entered their bedroom, stripping naked so he
could climb into bed. Helena was still awake since she instantly moved to snuggle into his side,
wrapping her arm around waist. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, pressing his lips
to her temple.

“Goodnight, love.” She kissed his chest and laid her head back down.

“Goodnight.” Sirius let his eyes fall closed, let his mind fall silent.

There would be plenty of time for that in the morning.

A/N- There we are, another chapter finished. Hallelujah. Hermione found out what her animagus
form is! Go google a clouded leopard, they are freaking awesome looking! Anyways, I hope you all
enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think, I love hearing your thoughts.

Next chapter, Nagini makes an appearance.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 95

A/N- I’m back, my lovelies, with another chapter. It’s going to be crazy so hope you’re ready for a
wild ride! Big thanks to everyone that’s reading, extra thanks to those that review. Y’all are
awesome. Anyways, I’m going to start, I can’t wait to get writing!

This chapter is dedicated to rabradley09 for her birthday...it’s a couple days early but there’s no way
I’ll have another one ready by then. Have a great birthday, girl!!

**Shout out to bexis1 for being my 4700th reviewer! You da bomb!**

Disclaimer: I still don’t own this story or the characters. I still haven’t made any money off this story
or any of my others. Trust me, my bank account tells no lies.

Chapter 95
December 21, 1995

Hermione nudged her best friend in the shoulder and mock glared at her over their roast beef
sandwiches and vegetable soup. It was lunch time and even though they had Defense Against the
Dark Arts later that afternoon, Hermione was in a great mood. They were going home the next
morning and she was going to get to see her family and Bluebell. To say that she was excited was an
understatement. Surely she could make it through one more class with Umbitch and not get a
detention. Daphne turned wide eyes her way and smirked just a little when she saw the look on her
face.

“So, how are things going with Draco? I notice the two of you go everywhere together and he offers
you his arm all the time.” Daphne shrugged her shoulders and Hermione could see a glimmer of self-
doubt in her eyes.

“I’m not sure how things are going. He hasn’t said anything and he hasn’t asked to court me or
anything like that. He’s asked if he can escort me and such but that’s it. I don’t know if he’s just
messing with me to get me back for going with Blaise or what. It’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but I
hate not knowing where we stand.” Hermione rolled her eyes at her friend, an act that she rarely let
herself indulge in.

“Why don’t you just ask him what’s going on? He might appreciate you showing that you want to
know.” Daphne’s mouth dropped open before she shoved her shoulders against hers in laughter.

“The same could be said for you, Miss Black. Don’t think the rest of us haven’t noticed that Harry
has quit seeing all the girls he was sleeping with last year. He’s much more affectionate with you this
year. He stood up to Ginny Weasley for you. What’s going on there?” Hermione felt her cheeks
color slightly and hoped that neither Harry nor Draco noticed. She glared at Daphne for real this time
before answering.

“He was very clear when he said that we couldn’t be together. I’ve already made peace with it,
Daph. As long as we can be friends, I’ll be happy.” Daphne rolled her eyes now but said nothing
else. Hermione’s attention was drawn to Harry choking on his pumpkin juice, eyes watering slightly.

“Does that pumpkin juice taste funny to anyone else or is it just me?” Hermione’s eyebrows drew
inward as she picked up her cup and tasted the juice. It tasted perfectly fine to her. Draco followed
suit and shook his head.

“It’s just you, mate. Tastes fine to me.” Hermione nodded her agreement.
“Me too.” Before they could say anything else, the bell rang, dismissing them to their first afternoon
class. That meant that Harry had a free period and Hermione and Draco had Arithmancy. Hermione
turned to gather her bag, only to find that Harry already had it in his hand and was waiting for her,
hand outstretched. She smiled at him and took it, standing to have him hand her her bag. He kissed
her forehead and brushed her hair back from her face, giving her a smile.

“I’m going to go work on my Spanish. Remember our deal, Miss Black.” She laughed and stood on
her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

“I wouldn’t dream of forgetting. I’ll quiz you when we get to Blackmoor. Though, it is Malfoy
Manors turn for Christmas this year.” Harry laughed and gave her a gentle shove towards Draco. Her
cousin held out his arm and she took it, smiling. She really was excited for the Christmas holidays.

She already had most of her shopping done; there was only one person that she needed to shop for
and that was Alexandre. She didn’t know him at all so she had no idea what to get an old man that
claimed that he was dying. She had planned to discuss it with her father and uncle but that would
have to wait until the next day.

Hermione and Draco strolled through corridors until they reached the Arithmancy classroom and
took their seats. Professor Vector was already there, seated at her desk and concentrating on
whatever she was working on. They were careful to be quiet so they wouldn’t break her
concentration as they began to unpack their text, parchment, quill, ink, and homework. Even though
she was still further ahead in this class than where the rest of her class was, Arithmancy was one of
the harder classes for her that Madam Cambridge taught. Where Potions was by far her easiest,
Warding and Arithmancy were her hardest. She loved the challenge but constantly worried that she
was getting it wrong.

After everyone arrived, Professor Vector rose and started her lesson. Hermione and Draco had
already learned this lesson almost a year and a half before so they weren’t worried about the
assignment that they were given. Once the bell rang, the pair gathered their things and left their
professor to whatever she had been working on when they had arrived. Hermione sighed heavily as
she realized just what this meant.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was next.

She took a deep breath and promised herself that she would be good. She told herself that she would
keep her mouth shut and she wouldn’t stand up for anyone in the class, that they could suffer their
own punishments, she had suffered more than her fair share after all. Unless it was Draco or Harry.
They were the only ones she would speak up for. Draco had his arm securely around her waist and
when they entered the classroom, it tightened around her before it finally released her. He shot her a
look, a look that told her to keep her bloody mouth shut, before taking her seat and removing her
text, parchment, quill, and ink.

Harry and Daphne entered with Neville, Blaise following quickly behind them. They just barely took
their seats when Professor Umbridge entered and used her wand to slam the doors shut, barring
anyone else from entering. She turned her sickly sweet, evil smile on the class and gestured for them
to open their books. Hermione kept her eyes on her book and bit her tongue so would keep her
mouth shut when the hag started speaking.

“I want you all to start copying the twenty-third chapter out of your text. If you finish with that, feel
free to start reading the next chapter.” Hermione did as she was told, copying the chapter that she
was bid. It took half the class period but when she turned it in it was perfect. Umbridge just smiled at
her as she returned back to her seat to start reading the next chapter. She noticed that Harry was
doing the same as she was and Draco was only a little further behind them.
Hermione had always been a fast reader so it took her less than ten minutes to read the chapter that
she had already read twice over. Once she was finished, she put her book away and sat quietly,
having had no more instruction from the fat toad. Only minutes later, Harry did the same as her but
took it a step further and laid his head on his arms. Moments after he had laid his head down,
Umbridge walked between them and looked between them and smiled.

“I see that Miss Black and Mr. Potter have once again considered themselves above the rules.”
Hermione sighed to herself. It seemed as though once again she was going to be in detention. Harry
was gritting his teeth next to her and she could tell that he was on the verge of losing control.
Therefore, she did the only thing she could to keep him from doing so.

“I’m not sure how you think we consider ourselves about the rules, professor. We copied the chapter,
we read the next chapter just as you asked. You gave us no other tasks. It’s not our fault that you
didn’t expect some of us to be overachievers. You should know which students are able to
accomplish the assigned tasks by now and which ones aren’t.” Hermione was sure that it was going
to be bad when she saw the look on Umbridge’s face. She didn’t expect that hand to reach out and
coil in her hair, yanking her head back as far as it could so Umbridge could whisper harshly in her
ear. She hoped against hope that Draco had his recording crystal recording because she didn’t have
hers going. Just as she heard Draco and Harry both stand, her magic reacted and blasted the woman
away from her. Umbridge hurried to her feet and the look on her face was pure fury. Hermione,
however, was having none of her treatment.

“You may be able to force me to cut my hand up in detention but you don’t get to touch me. If you
ever touch me again, you’ll regret it, I’ll make sure of that. Not only is that a threat, it’s a promise.”
Umbridge pulled her wand but the magic was swirling around Hermione, lifting her hair with an
invisible wind. Hermione made her eyes steel as she faced her down.

“Do it, I dare you. I guarantee you, I’ll hand you your arse.” Umbridge clearly thought better of her
actions and put her wand back up her sleeve before glaring at Hermione.

“You and Mr. Potter will have detention tonight. He will report after dinner, you will report right
after class. You won’t be needing dinner tonight, Miss Black.” Hermione knew that her punishment
was going to be bad but she hadn’t expected to get that many extra added hours of detention. Not
that it mattered; she would endure it silently as she always did and treat herself afterwards.

The rest of the class was silent, watching as they sat on the edge of their seats. Hermione knew that
she had just painted a huge target on her back but at this point in time, she didn’t care. There was no
way in blue hell that she was going to let that hag jerk her around by her hair when she could do
something to stop it. Draco was watching her closely, as was Harry. Where the rest of the students
looked at her as if she were crazy, Draco’s face was shuttered and impassive, a sure sign that not
only was he livid, he was scared shitless too. Harry, though, was staring at her, his eyes telling her
that he knew exactly what she had done and just why she had done it. She was sure that she would
get an arse-chewing later that evening from him.

The bell rang, dismissing the rest of the students to dinner. Hermione remained in her seat while
Draco and Harry slowly gathered their things. Daphne looked as though she were ready to cry; even
though she had never had detention with Umbridge, she knew all too well what happened in them.
Neville was the first to leave, his hand landing on her shoulder as he passed, silently telling her to
stay strong and to not let the toad win. Hermione took the moment of confusion while everyone was
leaving to turn her recording crystal on; there was no way that she was going to suffer through who
knew how many hours of detention without having it on. Draco pressed a kiss to the top of her head
as he left, his eyes telling her that there would be retribution. As Harry was getting ready to walk out
the door, Umbridge called out to him.
“Don’t forget, Mr. Potter, be here by six.” Harry didn’t even turn to acknowledge that he had heard
her, he just kept walking. Hermione was laughing on the inside when she saw how much it pissed
Umbridge off. The woman turned her way and crooked her finger at her, indicating that she should
stand and follow her. Hermione obliged since she really didn’t want to make her situation worse.

Umbridge led her through the door that went to her office, pointing to the chair closest to her.
Hermione took the seat and stared at the woman impassively when she sat, watching her, considering
if she wanted to say anything. Finally, Umbridge seemed to make up her mind and spoke.

“Why do you fight me so, Miss Black? You could be great under my tutelage, you know. I could
teach you things that you haven’t even dreamed of. They would give you power that you clearly
deserve and Mr. Potter would flock to you once he saw how powerful you were.” Hermione reached
for the blood quill and held it poised above the parchment before finally looking at the woman who
demanded she be there.

“I will always fight you. I already know things that you couldn’t dream of. If you’re referring to the
darker side of things, don’t forget who my uncle is and just what he was. My father was also raised
to be just like him. Don’t you worry about the power I deserve and what Harry does. He is of little
consequence to you. We’re going to bring you down, Umbridge and when it happens, you’re going
to be ruined. I’ll make sure of it.” Umbridge lifted her nose imperiously in the air and sniffed before
glaring at her.

“You know what to write, Miss Black. Same as always. You might think I’m stupid and don’t
realize you’re making that healing balm for everyone but it won’t work forever. Those cuts will
eventually do enough damage to scar your hand. The pretty and perfect Hermione Black will always
have ‘I will always do as I’m told’ scarred across her hand for the whole world to see. You may
succeed and eventually get me fired but with the extra spell I put on your quill tonight, you’re going
to remember me forever.” Hermione felt her stomach clench at her words but did her best to show
nothing on her face. Umbridge knew, though, and grinned.

“Begin.”

Hermione started writing like she had been told and the familiar burn of the words etching into her
skin began. She could tell that Umbridge wasn’t lying, however. The burn was much more
pronounced this time. This level of burning didn’t usually occur until she had been writing lines for
an hour.

The Slytherin wrote lines all through dinner, the toady cunt sitting at her desk eating a bowl of soup
and a sandwich watching her while she wrote. Her hand was already bleeding and the only thing she
did about it was conjure a towel to put underneath it to soak up the liquid. She covered her wound so
Harry wouldn’t see how bad it was when he arrived. It had seemed like ages had passed when he
finally arrived, his eyes finding her before he even took his seat. Umbridge noticed and smirked his
way.

“Don’t worry about Miss Black, Mr. Potter. She’s paying for her crimes of disrespect in my
classroom. Maybe she’ll be kind enough to warn you as to just what can happen if you speak out of
turn in my classroom.” His eyes were filled with even more worry now but Hermione tried to make it
better by not meeting his eyes. There was no sense in letting him see just how much pain she was in.

Hermione tried to concentrate while Harry was told to write the same thing that he always did too.
She briefly wondered if his quill had been spelled like hers but decided not to ask. Not only would
she earn herself another detention, it would likely clue Harry in to the fact that her quill was giving
her more pain than usual. However, Umbridge seemed to realize where her thoughts had wandered
and gave her a simpering smile.
“Don’t worry, Miss Black. I didn’t give his quill the same treatment as yours. If he continues to come
see me in detention, however, I just might have to.” She could feel Harry’s eyes boring into her head
but she kept her head down and her hand moving. If she stopped, she would likely not start again.
The only thing that made her feel better about the whole situation was that her crystal was recording
every single word that hag said. When it came time to expose her, this would be another nail in her
coffin.

They sat there for hours, writing lines on the parchment and their hands. Umbridge graded exams
from the day before and hummed happily to herself while Harry and Hermione wrote their lines in
silence. Darkness had fallen outside and Hermione was starting to feel lightheaded from the blood
loss in her hand. She noticed that Harry’s hand was bleeding as well, indicating that they had been
there at least three hours since Harry had joined her. Finally, Umbridge sighed and cast a tempus
charm, showing that it was close to ten o'clock.

“You’re both free to go. Let this be a lesson to you. Don’t even bother with your cream, Miss Black,
it won’t work this time.” Hermione kept her face impassive but Harry hissed in anger. Hermione
shoved her good arm through his and dragged him through the door, moving quickly away from him
when Umbridge called out about being eight inches from each other as the rules stated. They turned
the corner and started for the classroom they always met in, Harry wanting to say something more
than anything but Hermione keeping her hand clenched on his wrist to keep him quiet. Once they
were inside the room, they found Draco, Daphne, Neville, and the twins waiting for them. After the
door was locked, silenced, and warded, Draco spoke.

“We had Luna take Juliet. The less she knows the better. She’s getting better at occlumency but still
has a ways to go.” Draco held out a jar of the cream but Hermione shook her head. She knew that
there was no way it was going to help tonight. The damage was too great and she feared she needed
an actual healer. She gestured for him to do Harry’s hand and they all watched the words all but
disappear from Harry’s hand. Draco turned his gaze her way again and she grimaced, pulling her
hand out of her robes.

Hermione herself hadn’t seen it; she had been too scared to look at it with Umbridge there watching
her. She hadn’t wanted the witch to see the horror cross her face at seeing the damage to her hand,
knowing that it was going to stay on her hand for the rest of her life. The whole room gasped in
shock, even Draco losing his iron grip on his emotions when he saw the ravaged mess that was now
her hand.

Harry reached out and gently took her hand in both his, bending down to examine it closer. Dried
blood was stuck on the edges of her palm, clearly where the cloth had stuck to her hand in the liquid.
Fresh blood was still flowing from the words that were literally carved into her flesh. Where the
words had been smooth lines before, they were now thick and jagged tears that resembled words.
They were obviously deep and Harry had a worried look on his face.

“Can you even move your fingers, Mia? Your hand at all?” Hermione did her best but found that she
couldn’t make all her fingers work and her hand wouldn’t draw up all the way. Harry’s magic was
swirling on the surface and she knew that it wasn’t good. Everyone could feel his magic and the
twins, Neville, and Daphne were all backing away, fearful at what they could feel. Hermione knew
this was his reaction whenever she got hurt so she moved closer into his side, shooting Draco a look
to tell him just what was going on. Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulders and nuzzled her hair
was his nose, still gently holding her hand with one of his. Her voice was soft when she spoke.

“Don’t lose control, Harry. She’ll find a way to do this to you and I couldn’t stand for that to
happen.” Harry was suddenly pulling away from her, his hand like steel around her uninjured wrist.
His eyes were dancing with fury, the green so much more vibrant than they normally were. He was
yelling at her now and Hermione couldn’t help but to shrink back from him.

“I can’t believe you did this, Hermione! This should be me and we both know it. You only said
something because I was getting ready to lose my temper. You fucking know better and I don’t want
you doing this shite for me. I’m not an eleven year old kid doing stupid shite anymore, I don’t need
you to protect me all the time anymore. You’ve done enough of that.” Hermione felt her bravery
return and she yelled back, everyone taking a step back as her magic flared to match his.

“No, you aren’t an eleven year old doing stupid shite anymore, you’re a fifteen year old doing stupid
shite. You were going to be the one in my shoes and it was going to be worse because she hates you.
She hates what you stand for, she hates that you’re good. She offered to teach me things tonight that
I had never dreamed of. You wouldn’t have gotten that; ultimately, she wants me because I’m
powerful and come from a dark family. You’re good clear to the bone and knows she’ll never be
able to turn you. She wants to discredit you and make people believe you’re crazy, they just can’t
come out and say it because of who your godfather is. I saved you from looking like a fucking loon,
getting angry and going off on a teacher. Can you imagine how she would have spun that story for
the fucking Prophet? The whole world already thinks we all lied because she can beat veritaserum.
You would have looked like you needed a bed in the mental ward at St. Mungo’s. You don’t want
me to jump in and save you, don’t be a fucking idiot!” Draco stepped forward now and got between
them while everyone else stayed back, well out of the line of fire. Her cousin’s voice was strong and
firm but she could tell that he was scared.

“Both of you need to stop. You’re turning on each other and the only enemy here is Umbridge. We
need to focus on that and quit fighting each other when it’s clear that you both have each other’s
backs. That’s not a bad thing, you two. Please, let’s argue about this another time and figure out how
we get Hermione’s hand fixed.” Hermione felt a few tears slip down her cheeks and she dashed them
away angrily, disbelieving that she had shown even an ounce of weakness. Harry was known for
seeing her weaknesses and using them against her, throwing them in her face to hurt her when he
was angry or hurt himself. She put all her walls up and made her face go impassive, trying to reign
her emotions back in. Harry saw what she was doing and came forward, his wand appearing and
casting a silencing spell around them. She hardened herself for what she was sure to be an attack but
it didn’t come. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her gently and hugged her close. His words
were soft in her ear and she wiped the tears that escaped on his shirt.

“I’m sorry for losing my temper, Mia. I saw what you did there and I deserve it. I’m famous for
throwing your weaknesses back at you. I’m not doing that this time. I hate that you did this for me
but you’re right. I was a fucking idiot and I should have known better. I’m sorry and I feel so fucking
guilty it makes me sick. I’m so sorry I made you cry. That bitch made you cut your own tendons,
you have to see someone to heal it. It hurts me that you are hurting like this because of me and I
yelled at you when I should have just hugged you. Please forgive me.” Hermione slithered her good
arm around his waist and held him tightly, enjoying his comforting arms around her and how he
smelled so bloody good. After almost a full minute of enjoying his embrace, she finally pulled away
and gave him a small smile.

“I forgive you. What do we do?” Harry brushed her hair back and let her pull away but kept an arm
around her waist as he faced the others.

“We have to go to someone. However, we can’t let Severus know. I think McGonagall is our best
bet.” Hermione nodded against his shoulder, her head a little woozy from blood loss. Draco stepped
next to her and said in a worrying tone.

“I think you might have nicked an artery or something. It shouldn’t still be bleeding.” Hermione
nodded and listened as Harry told the twins, Neville, and Daphne to head back to the common rooms
before they got in trouble. After only a few minutes, Hermione felt herself being led out of the room
and through the corridors of the castle, most assuredly on her way to Professor Cat.

-O-

Harry was so fucking mad he could hardly see straight. However, he was keeping a lid on it because
Hermione was right. The last thing he needed was more detention. That was the whole point of
giving him detention, after all. Hoping he would lose his cool and then lose it on Umbridge, that way
she could claim that he was crazy and everyone would discredit what he was saying about
Voldemort being back. While the Ministry wasn’t calling him a liar, they sure weren’t taking him
seriously either, despite the fact that Viktor Krum had been returned to them dead with most of this
skin missing.

He refused to let go of Hermione as they traversed the castle; he was exhausted from his own
detention but he wasn’t going to rest until he saw her getting treatment for her hand. That psychotic
bitch had made her slice through her own tendons during her detention and he could only imagine
the pain she had been in while she had been sitting there for hours on end. It was no wonder that she
had refused to look at him and to stop when he had arrived. It was likely that she wouldn’t have
started again.

Draco had his arm around her waist on the other side and he could feel Hermione getting slower and
slower as they made their way to the seventh floor. He knew that she was suffering the effects of
blood loss and he was starting to worry that they wouldn’t get her there fast enough. Just as they
reached the sixth floor, Draco stopped and gave him a look.

“She’s going to need potions. I can get into Uncle Sev’s lab where he stores all his extras. His wards
won’t trigger if I go in. I'm going to go get some blood replenisher and a few others that I think will
help. Get her to Professor Cat and start healing her.” Harry nodded while Draco slipped back into the
shadows. Hermione lifted her head and called out.

“Wait, Drake!” He stopped and turned as she spoke again.

“Kreacher.” The elf appeared and he started to fuss over her injury. Hermione was having none of it
though.

“I need you to take Draco wherever he needs to go and then bring him back to me. Then you may
help me.” Kreacher bowed once before taking Draco’s hand and popping out of existence.

Harry continued along the way, helping Hermione as much as he could. Even though she was
injured, her body was still warm and soft pressed up against him, her breasts in his side sending him
into overdrive. He tried to block out those thoughts but it was quite difficult. Finally, they climbed
the last set of stairs to find the door to Professor McGonagall’s quarters and knocked as loudly as
they dared. After only a minute, Professor McGonagall answered in a robe. She saw who was at the
door and ushered them in quickly, making sure that nobody was watching. Harry sat Hermione on
the sofa and leaned her back, brushing her hair back from her face as he spoke.

“We can’t go to anyone else, Professor. She got detention with Umbridge so I wouldn’t lose my cool
and do something stupid. We were using a cream on our hands to heal them but the old bitch spelled
her quill and it’s worse. She’s cut some of her tendons and Draco thinks she might have nicked an
artery. He’s sneaking into Severus’ lab right now to get potions for her. You have to heal her and
Severus can’t know. He told Hermione that he would kill Umbridge if she hurt her and Hermione
would die if he went to Azkaban. We’ve been hiding it since school started.” McGonagall looked
like she had been slapped in the face. It took her a moment to get her shit together and even then it
took Harry yelling at her.
“Professor, get it together. We need to heal her before she bleeds out. Kreacher took Draco to get
potions but we need you to heal her. Umbridge watches the Hospital Wing and we can’t trust
Pomfrey to not tell Severus since he’s her Head of House. She doesn’t know that he’s her godfather,
that would just make her tell him even quicker.” Professor Cat finally got to moving and sat down on
the table in front of Hermione to take her hand and examine it. Harry was unsurprised at her
language.

“That dirty cock-sucking cunt-faced whore. How dare she do this to a student? Does she not know
who she’s messing with here?” Harry shook his head, sitting next to Hermione, his exhaustion
catching up with him. His eyes were growing heavy and he was trying to fight it.

“I don’t think she cares. She knows she has us right where she wants us. We looked like a fool after
Bones was here and she beat the veritaserum. Don’t worry, we’re going to bring her down. She
doesn’t know about Hermione’s plan to bring her down and it’s going to work.” Harry had thought
that Professor McGonagall knew everything that Severus knew so he was genuinely surprised she
didn’t know.

“Hermione got recording crystals and handed them out at a D.A. meeting. We’re recording
everything she does and says. We’re going to hand them over when we have enough proof. We’ll
get that bitch thrown out one way or another. She has Fudge’s backing right now and she beat
Bone’s investigation but it won’t last after we turn these in. There’s no fooling these, they’re auror
grade. I don’t even want to know how much Hermione spent on them.” McGonagall gave him
another confused look as she pulled books from her bookshelf bearing titles that referred to healing.

“D.A. meetings?” Harry yawned and snuggled closer to Hermione. He could tell that she was asleep
or unconscious, one of the two.

“We’re teaching everyone defense on the sly. The club is called Defense Association. I think
Hermione is unconscious, we need to hurry.” Her voice was soft when she spoke.

“Not unconscious, just tired. Professor McGonagall is doing the best she can.” Harry nodded even
though he was quite sure that she couldn’t see him.

He let his eyes fall closed and he heard Professor McGonagall start speaking quietly to Hermione.
He heard the soft tones that meant she was casting a spell and then the tell-tale pop that meant that
Draco and Kreacher had arrived. Even though he didn’t feel completely asleep, Harry could tell that
he had dozed off when his mind started to wander and dream.

The dream was pleasant at first, him and Hermione sitting on the shore of the Black Lake and
sharing a picnic lunch. They were laughing together about he wasn’t sure what and she looked
beautiful in the early summer sunshine. Just as he was settling into the wonderful dream, a sharp and
horrendous pain struck his mind like a knife, tearing away at his occlumency shields that he hadn’t
put into place before falling asleep anyways. It continued until it felt as though someone had taken a
jackhammer to his brain, his shields finally giving way to see exactly what he was meant to see.

There was a long corridor before him, the same corridor from when he had gone to trial over the
summer for fighting off the dementor. Whereas the corridor had been packed over the summer, it was
now completely empty. He could hear his footsteps echoing as he walked further down the corridor,
eventually taking an elevator down into the very bowels of the Ministry.

Harry got the feeling that he wasn’t supposed to be there; not from anything he saw or encountered
but just a general feeling. He finally went through a door that saw shelves as high as the ceiling filled
with milky white orbs. He wasn’t sure what they were but they were all labeled with words he
couldn’t quite make out. The only thing he could see was the large number marking the row as 97.
Just as Harry decided to step closer and get a look at some of the orbs that were on the shelves, a
figure appeared on the floor next to him. There was a shock of red hair but he couldn’t quite make
out who it was since there was an enormous snake attacking him.

The man was screaming and it took several seconds to realize that it was Arthur. The snake kept
lunging and even though Arthur was quick to dodge, he eventually slowed and the snake latched
onto his neck. It stayed there for only a few seconds before releasing him and slithering off into the
shadows. Arthur was twitching on the ground, bleeding from the wound, and fighting to stay awake.
Harry wasn’t sure what he could do and even though he knew that it was a dream, it felt so fucking
real he wasn’t sure that it wasn’t.

He jolted awake with a scream to find that McGonagall, Hermione and Draco were all staring at him
as though he had lost his mind. Hermione, who had no right to be worried about anyone but herself,
gave him a worried look as she spoke softly.

“What’s wrong, Harry?” He scrubbed his eyes, sure that they would think he was crazy but knowing
that he couldn’t keep quiet. If it was real, Mr. Weasley was laying somewhere in the Ministry dying.

“I’m not sure if it was a dream or a vision but Mr. Weasley is laying in the Ministry, somewhere with
a bunch of shelves filled with milky orbs. An enormous snake attacked him and bit him in the neck.
He’s dying.” He noticed that Hermione’s hand was mostly healed, only a tiny scar remained. She
looked much better than she had when she had arrived and she gave him a small smile.

“Draco and Kreacher brought potions and Professor McGonagall and Kreacher healed me.” He
nodded and went to his feet.

“I need to go tell Dumbledore.” Professor McGonagall nodded and ushered them all to the floo.
Without a second thought, they all flooed to the Headmaster’s office. Harry was surprised to see that
he was still awake and quite honestly, he didn’t seem surprised to see any of them arrive with the
Head of Gryffindor. He gave them a serene smile and folded his hands under his chin.

“Is there a problem, Minerva?” She gestured for Harry to explain and he wasted no time in doing so.
Dumbledore looked quite worried at the fact and spoke quickly and quietly to a portrait on the wall,
telling them to report back. After only a few minutes of silence, the man in the portrait returned.

“Arthur Weasley was found by Alastor. He’s on his way to St. Mungo’s but it’s unsure if he’ll live. I
think all his children should be sent on just as a precaution.” Dumbledore stood and faced Minerva.

“Please gather all the Weasley children. Have them brought here as quickly and quietly as possible.
We’ll go ahead and send both Miss Blacks and Mr. Malfoy along with young Harry as well. They’re
all going to go to Grimmauld Place.” Harry frowned since he knew that they were bound for
Blackmoor and then Malfoy Manor. Dumbledore seemed to know he was going to speak and held
up his hand.

“I know that you have other plans but this is to get you out of the castle without Madam Umbridge
interfering. If I could send Miss Lovegood I would but her father has not sent in permission. You
will travel from Grimmauld Place to your Christmas destinations at a later time.” Harry nodded and
put his arm around Hermione, pulling her in closer since she had started to shiver.

McGonagall disappeared and Harry began to wonder how long it was going to take her to gather the
twins, Ginny, Ron, and Juliet. None of their things were gathered and he was just wondering how
they were going to go about getting their things when Hermione seemed to be a step ahead of him.

“Kreacher.” The elf appeared again and bowed low before her. She bent down to get on his level so
she could explain quietly.

“We’re going to leave the castle tonight for Grimmauld Place but probably won’t be staying there. I
want you to gather my things, as well as Draco’s and Harry’s and take them to Grimmauld Place for
now. Once we figure out where we’re going, I’ll give you more instructions.” The elf bowed low
before her before popping away.

Severus strode in moments later, his eyes hopping mad as he ignored the Headmaster and went
straight to Harry. He cradled his face in his hands and Harry could feel his mind probing his. Harry
let him in, not sure what he was looking for. He made sure to his Hermione’s injuries behind his best
shields but before Severus had even gotten that deep in his mind, he was cursing. He released him
and turned to Dumbledore.

“You have a fucking traitor in this castle. He’s been potioned. Somebody gave him a fucking potion
that would weaken his shields. It’s a long-acting potion so it isn’t something that we can just give
him a potion to fix. That’s how the Dark Lord broke through his barriers, that’s how he got the
vision through. Your number one suspect is that fucking cunt in pink.” Harry could feel Hermione’s
magic stirring next to him and he hugged her tighter so he could whisper in her ear.

“Stay calm, this won’t help anyone.” She hissed at him in anger but spoke to the Headmaster and
Severus.

“He said that his pumpkin juice tasted odd at lunch. Draco and I both tasted ours and it was fine.”
Severus spat out in anger.

“It’s too late now to figure out who did it. Now we have to deal with the Dark Lord being able to
break into your mind again if he so chooses. Harry could inadvertently give away everything that
would make sure I end up dead.” Harry felt his insides freeze at Severus’ words. The last thing he
wanted to do was to blow the cover of Hermione’s godfather. Not only would she never forgive him,
he would never forgive himself. His words were desperate.

“How long does this potion last?” Severus just shook his head angrily.

“I’ll have to test your blood to see how long the potion will last. I doubt it’s strong enough to last
longer than a year but I could see Umbridge having the knowledge to brew one that could last for six
months, maybe a little longer. There are several recipes out there that would work.” Harry raked a
hand through his hair and growled in frustration as McGonagall started to appear with children.

“Is there anything I can do to stop this potion from working?” Severus gave his head an angry shake.

“Enforce your shields even more but there’s no guarantee it will work. The potion is designed to
punch holes in your shields.” Harry nodded and let Dumbledore start to organize them. Juliet came to
their side and Hermione wrapped an arm around her shoulders to let her know that all would be well.
Fred and George were demanding to know what was going on. Finally, the Headmaster sighed.

“Harry had a vision of your father being injured by Voldemort’s snake. He was found quickly and is
probably at St. Mungo’s by now but they aren’t sure if he’s going to survive. Everard suggested that
his children be sent home. I’m sending you all to Grimmauld Place. Molly won’t be there and Bill
might be gone as well now but Sirius has received a message by now to meet you all there. Either he
or Bill will act as your guardian until your parents return. Please do not make things harder by being
immature.” All the Weasleys were pale and nodding their agreement. Hermione let go of him to
stand between the twins and wrap an arm around each of their waists in comfort. Her voice was soft
as she spoke, though the whole room heard her.
“We’ll all be there with you until you hear news. Let’s go and be strong. Don’t give Bill any shite if
he’s there.” Both twins were silent but they nodded. Even though Ron and Ginny weren’t being
addressed, they both nodded as well. It was a rare show of solidarity that was nice to see.

One by one, they all disappeared through the floo. Harry heard Severus telling the Headmaster that
he was going to head to St. Mungo’s and see what he could learn so he could bring news to the
children. Harry was the last one through the floo and Professor McGonagall gave him a soft smile.
He remembered that he hadn’t thanked her for rendering aide earlier in the evening.

“Thank you for helping, Professor. We didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier.” She gave him a brief
nod before she gestured for him to get in the fireplace. He threw the powder and the flames turned
green, sending him spinning through the floo system until he came to a halt in Grimmauld Place’s
floo in the library.

Remus, Sirius, and Lucius were all waiting there for them; they were worried and quite anxious.
Once they were all there, their faces slackened slightly and they smiled. Hermione eagerly threw
herself in everyone’s arms while he and Draco shook hands in greeting. While Juliet hugged her
father, she didn’t seem too enthusiastic to see Lucius or Remus. The Weasleys weren’t sure what to
do with themselves so they just took seats while their greetings were underway; once that was done,
everyone joined them and Sirius tried to make them feel better.

“Severus was going to head to St. Mungo’s to see how things were going. He’s going to report here
and let us know as soon as he knows anything.” Fred and George both nodded gratefully while Ron
and Ginny were both silent.

They tried to pass the time with small talk but it was hopeless. They ended up sitting there in silence
while they waited for news. Hermione was sitting between her father and Uncle Lucius and they
both had an arm around her. She had nodded off half an hour ago, not that he blamed her. She had
had a rough night and deserved the rest. Draco was sitting by himself in an armchair, the twins were
sharing a loveseat, while he shared the other couch with Ron and Ginny. Harry was almost used to
the silence when Ginny finally spoke.

“Our dad would have been dead without you, Harry. You saved his life.” Harry shook his head.

“I haven’t saved anything yet. Let’s wait and see what Severus has to say when he gets here.” Ginny
threw herself in his arms and kissed him right on the lips. Everyone glared at her but everyone
remained silent. Harry understood that these actions were why Sirius couldn’t allow her to be
connected to the Black name. He shoved her back and wiped his mouth as he realized that
Hermione’s eyes were open and watching him. When she saw him watching her, she turned her
head to rest against her uncle’s arm and closed her eyes again. His tone was harsher than he meant it
to be but he was scared that Ginny had just ruined what little ground he had gained with Hermione.

“I’m glad to have helped your dad, I really hope that he survives. Don’t kiss me. I’ve made clear
more than once that that isn’t happening between us anymore.” Ginny turned a bright scarlet color
and he could see that the twins were glaring at their sister. Even Ron was staring at her like he
couldn’t believe what she had done. It was Fred that spoke.

“I swear, Ginny, Dad would embarrassed by you tonight. We’re sitting here worried about him and
you’re putting the moves on Harry. It’s despicable.” She gave a huff and stood angrily.

“Nobody understands. I wasn’t meaning it like that. I’m going to go see if I can find some hot
chocolate. Unless that elf wants to do it.” Harry looked over to see the tiniest smile on Hermione’s
face but when she didn’t offer up the use of Kreacher, Sirius spoke.
“I may not like the little cretin but he’s my daughter’s elf. He doesn’t serve the House of Prewett.
Until Hermione wants something, you’re on your own, Ginny.” She glared at Sirius but said nothing
else before disappearing down the corridor with a huff.

Ginny didn't return before Harry leaned against the side of the couch and let his eyes fall shut to rest
them. Honestly, it wasn’t a surprise when he felt himself fall into a fitful doze, waiting on information
on Arthur.

-O-

Severus had never been more ready for the holidays to begin in his life. He had just left St. Mungo’s
and it was well past three a.m. He still had to go to Grimmauld Place and update the Weasley
children, the Prewetts too he supposed, before returning to Hogwarts to serve his last day before term
ended. What he really wanted to do was floo to Malfoy Manor or Blackmoor and stay in his room
there and sleep for the next twenty-four hours.

He stepped out of the floo at Grimmauld Place and sighed when he saw what was waiting for him.
Hermione was sitting between Lucius and Sirius and she was sprawled out between them, her head
in Lucius’ lap and her feet in her fathers. Her face was drawn but she was sleeping with a blanket
over her that he suspected Kreacher had thrown over her. Remus was still awake, sitting in a chair by
himself reading quietly. The twins were leaning against each other on a loveseat, sleeping; George
was even drooling. Draco was also asleep in his armchair, his head leaned down to where his chin
rested on his chest.

On the other couch, Harry and Ronald sat on either end, both leaned against the arm fast asleep.
Ginevra was in between them and appeared to be asleep but with her head in Harry’s lap. He wasn’t
quite sure if Harry was aware of it so he didn’t wake her up and rip her a new arsehole for being
improper. Harry had made clear his stance on his friendship with the girl and he wasn’t going to get
in the middle of that. Both Sirius and Lucius were asleep as well, neither one of them looking too
comfortable. Severus sighed and went to Lucius first, shaking him awake. His wand was instantly in
his hand but when he saw that it was Severus, he lowered it and shook Hermione softly.

“Wake up, princess, Severus is here.” Hermione was groggy as she sat up, her feet moving being
enough to wake Sirius. Both men stood and stretched, hoping that the crinks in their necks would
pass. As soon as Sirius saw how Ginny was lying, he cursed.

“That disgusting little tart. He told her earlier not to kiss him. Now she’s laying in his lap.” Severus
saw that Hermione was doing all she could not to look at the picture the two of them made, rather
she tried to work on flattening her hair and straightening her clothes as he started to wake everyone
else in the room. As soon as Harry woke and found Ginny in his lap, he shoved her off of him and
glowered at her. She looked quite affronted and confused before realizing where she had woken up
at. Her words were soft when she spoke.

“I didn’t go to sleep like that, Harry. I must have laid down once I fell asleep.” Harry was glaring at
her but for some reason, Severus believed her. Once everyone was completely awake, he sat on the
arm of the chair that Draco was sitting in.

“First of all, Harry saved Arthur’s life. If he hadn’t got to St. Mungo’s when he did, he would have
bled out and that would have been all there was to it. As for now, Arthur is out of danger. Since it
was the Dark Lord’s snake that attacked him, her venom was very poisonous. None of the
conventional ways to close wounds magically were working so they had to revert to the way
muggles do it. They literally took a needle and thread and stitched his skin back together. For now,
it’s holding. It isn’t a guarantee that it will but the healers are optimistic. The dangerous part is that he
got a full dose of venom from Nagini. The healers are pumping him with every antivenin they have
but none of them seemed to be working. I have just spent the last three hours developing a potion
that worked specifically against her venom. It will be a potion regime for him for the next month but
as long as he sticks to it, he should be fine. He’ll be in St. Mungo’s for a few days for observation
but should be home in time for Christmas as long as nothing else goes wrong.” The Weasleys all
cheered and as much as Severus didn’t care for children, he wanted to smile. Most of the Weasley
children weren’t that bad and Arthur was a good man. He didn’t mind putting in the work for man.

Before he even realized what was happening next, he was caught in the middle of a twin Weasley
hug and they were squeezing the life out of him. He squirmed and fought for a few seconds and even
though he could have gotten free, it would have hurt them and he didn’t want that. Therefore, he
stood there and just took it, with a cold glare on his face. Fred (or was it George?) laughed at him.

“You can glare all you want, Professor. Thank you for helping save our dad. To show our eternal
gratitude, we promise to never play another prank in your class. We won’t let our friends call you the
Bat of the Dungeons either.” Severus knew this was a deal of a lifetime so he stuck out his hand,
even though it was totally out of character.

“I don’t care what the monsters call me. Deal, no more pranks in my class until you graduate.” Both
Fred and George shook his hand and he knew that Ron and Ginny were staring at him in disbelief.
Once the twins released him, however, Hermione floated forward and hugged him close and this
time, he hugged her back. He kissed her forehead and smoothed her curls.

“Thank you, Uncle Sev. You’re a hero.” He snorted at her words but didn’t dispute them. They
would begin an argument and that was the last thing he wanted right now. When he pulled back, she
went to her tiptoes and gave his cheek a kiss.

“Stay the night here with us?” He shook his head and smiled at her tired face.

“I can’t, poppet. I have to get the students to the Express tomorrow. After all the heathens are gone,
I’ll be here though. I’ll be wherever you are for the holidays. Are we still planning on the Manor?”
Hermione turned to her father and he nodded.

“We were at Blackmoor last year so it’s only fair.” Hermione was now bouncing on her heels.

“You’re going to move Bluebell, right? I miss her so.” Her father laughed as he kissed the back of
her head as he passed by.

“Yes, I’ll have Dot start moving her tomorrow. We can go visit Arthur tomorrow, we’ll all go. Bill
should be back by then and take this brood back home with him. We should see each other over the
holidays anyways. After that, we’ll head home for a day and then head to Malfoy Manor. You know
that Sipsy and Dot are going to want to go with you. They’re very jealous of Kreacher.” Hermione
laughed.

“The problems in my life. Alright, I’ll speak with them. For now, I’m going to bed.” Severus
seconded that statement and watched all the children file upstairs to their bedrooms from the summer.
He heard Hermione call Kreacher but didn’t hear what she asked of him as she disappeared up the
stairs. Once all the children were gone, he met the gazes of Remus, Sirius, and Lucius. Lucius was
the one that spoke. Even though he still wasn’t the most fond of the elder Weasleys, he had a soft
spot for the twins and Bill. Charlie was growing on him as well.

“How bad was it really?” Severus sighed as he sank into the chair that Draco had abandoned.

“It was bad. When I got there, he was spurting blood from his neck like a fountain. They were
constantly pouring blood replenishing potions into him just to keep him alive. I had to jump in and
help. I didn’t want to tell them that though. It would have scared them.” Sirius nodded.

“I agree. The twins might have been able to handle it but Hermione would have been upset. She
sincerely likes Arthur now that she knows him. Not that she felt that way after the fight he had with
Lucius in Flourish and Blotts.” There were several chuckles and Severus wiped a hand down his
face.

“I’ve got to go. I’m exhausted and have to get all the students to the Express tomorrow. I want you to
keep an eye on Hermione though. She’s had numerous detentions with Umbridge this term; she
doesn’t act like she’s been subjected to the blood quill like Harry but I want to make sure that she
isn’t still tormenting her somehow. I really will torture and kill that vicious cunt if she hurts her.”
Sirius nodded, as did Lucius.

“I think she would tell us. She knows we have her back.” Remus snorted softly but said nothing.
Severus glared at him until he finally spoke.

“I don’t think she would tell you in a hundred fucking years. You clearly told her that you would kill
the hag. She knows that the bitch beat the investigation of Bones and has Fudge’s backing. Everyone
knows that Severus has the Dark Mark and if he were to kill someone, he would instantly go to
Azkaban. Do you think that she would ever let that happen?” There were dumbfounded looks all the
way around so he continued.

“I don’t. I think she would do whatever it took to hide it and keep it secret. It’s no secret that fourth
year was hard on her because she couldn't spend time with Severus. How do you think she would
feel if he went to prison? She would suffer in silence before that ever happened and you all know it’s
the truth, you just never considered it.” Severus swore and so did Sirius. Lucius just sat there and
glared. Sirius turned to his best friend.

“I’ll keep an eye on her and see if I can spot anything to show that she’s been under that fucking
quill. If she has, I’ll kill that cunt myself. I’ve turned her down enough times for her to hold it against
Hermione, in fact, I should have warned her that it might be worse for her. That woman has wanted
my cock since Hermione was a baby and I refuse to fuck her. She finds the fact that I’m now with a
muggleborn a personal insult.” Lucius snorted.

“She tries to say she’s a pureblood but she’s really a by-blow of Selwyn’s. Her mother is as muggle
as they come. Everyone knows, they just let her have her little fantasy because she’s so close to
Fudge. Unnaturally close if you ask me.” Sirius acted as though he was throwing up and Severus
couldn’t help but feel the same way.

“Alright, let me know what you find out. I’ll keep my ears open at school as well. I’ve been keeping
her busy during their little club hours but that won’t last forever. It’s only going to get more
dangerous.” Lucius nodded.

“We’ll talk more about it over the holiday. For now, let’s end this and go to bed. Severus still has a
long day ahead of him and we have visiting St. Mungo’s with that herd of children to look forward
to. We’re going to need our rest.”

With that, the group of friends disbanded and Severus headed for the floo. He was met by Minerva
on the other side and he quickly gave both her and Albus a quick update on Arthur. He could see
that Minerva was acting oddly but put it down to it was late at night and they were all tired. He
excused himself and headed for the dungeons, hoping at least for a couple hours of sleep before he
needed to be up for breakfast. He consoled himself with the thought that he could go to bed early the
next night and sleep in as long as he wished. None of his family would care; Hermione would leave
him be as long as he still promised to brew with her.
Severus didn’t even bother to change clothes before falling in bed and letting his eyes fall closed.
Tomorrow, he would have to worry about testing Harry’s blood to see how long the potion he had
ingested would last; it really didn’t work out for them that the Dark Lord could now breach his
defenses if he really wanted. However, he also got the hint that Voldemort really didn’t like to do
that unless he had to. Something about being in Harry’s mind was abhorrent to him, though Severus
wasn’t sure what it was.

Deciding to think on it later, he let his mind relax and let Morpheus take him in to his care, if only for
a couple of hours.

A/N- Holy balls, y’all, one of my longer chapters in quite awhile. A lot going on this chapter though
so I hope you enjoyed it and think I did it justice. Thanks again to everyone out there reading and
reviewing, you guys are seriously the bomb dot com. Anyways, let me know what you think, I love
hearing your thoughts.

Next chapter, visit to St. Mungo’s.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 96

A/N- Again, I can’t thank you enough for the support you show my story. Again, your reviews
make me smile and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate hearing from you all. Thank you all from
the bottom of my heart. That is all (:

Disclaimer: I still don’t own anything. I still haven’t made any money from this story or any other.
You should know this from the previous 95 chapters by now. If you don’t, please refer to them.

Chapter 96
December 22, 1995

Hermione woke slowly, a little stiff from how she had slept on the couch the night before. She
stretched for a long moment, luxuriating in how comfortable the bed felt and how much she really
didn’t want to get up. However, smells from the kitchen were calling and the visit to St. Mungo’s
was lingering in the distance. As the future Lady Black, it was her duty to see to those in her family
when they were ill. Beyond that, however, she cared for Arthur and wanted to see with her own eyes
that he would be well.

She rose, hissing slightly at the cold floor when it hit her warm feet. She dashed for the bathroom,
relieving herself first before hopping in the hot shower. She washed off quickly, hoping that she
wouldn’t be the last one down to the table. While she knew that Kreacher was the one cooking and
he would save her something so eat, she would never hear the end of it from the twins. It really
wasn’t worth it to get an extra thirty minutes of sleep because they wouldn’t shut up for the rest of
the day.

After she crawled out of the shower and used a drying charm on her hair and body, she wrapped
herself in a robe and found that Kreacher had already been through her room. Her bed was made and
a lovely set of bright blue witch’s robes were laid out on the bed. Hermione was quick to shed her
robe and dress for the day before sitting at her vanity to style her hair and cast a quick charm on her
eyes, brightening them slightly. It was the only makeup charm that she used regularly. After slipping
on her shoes, she slid her wand up her sleeve and started down the stairs towards the kitchen where
the others would surely gather for breakfast.

Just before she reached the kitchen, she looked down and caught a glimpse of the slight scar on her
hand from her time spent the night before with Umbridge. She hurried to pull her wand and cast a
glamour spell on it so nobody else could see it. It just wouldn’t do to hide the information if she was
going to let everyone see the end result of her time spent with the horrid hag.

When she entered the kitchen, her father, uncle, Remus, Harry, Draco, and the twins were already
there. Ginny and Ron were the only ones missing. Percy was even spotted down at the very end
drinking a cup of coffee while he read the Prophet. She briefly wondered where Molly, Bill, and
Charlie were but decided that they must have stayed at St. Mungo’s with Arthur; surely, the hospital
hadn’t denied him visitors all night. She settled in a chair between her father and Uncle Lucius and
smiled brightly at everyone before reaching for the tea pot.

“Good morning. How did everyone sleep?” Kreacher hurried to her side and swatted her hands
away. She gave him an affronted look but let him pour her her cup of tea. He served her a plate of
his food as well but this didn’t bother her as much as it should have. She found that she was starving
since she hadn’t ate since lunch the day before. As everyone assured her that they had slept well, she
began to eat the largest meal she had ate in quite a long time. In fact, it was Harry’s comical look as
she finished off her plate that made her realize that she had behaved quite out of character.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” He just shook his head slightly and gave a small laugh.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat that much at one time.” She knew that her cheeks were pink but
she refused to act embarrassed. Just because she was a girl didn’t mean that she wasn’t allowed to eat
a decent meal here and there.

“I was hungry. I got busy and forgot dinner last night, remember? You and Draco both scolded me
for it. I forgot about it once we got here too.” A dark look passed over both Harry and Draco’s faces
but they both nodded and remained silent. She pushed her empty plate away and sipped her hot tea
while the others finished. It was when everyone was almost done that Ron and Ginny appeared, both
looking tired and drawn. Hermione supposed that she could understand; she would feel much the
same way if her father was injured and had it had been unsure if he would survive the encounter.

Of course, this meant that they had to wait another forty-five minutes until the pair were done eating
before they could even think about being able to leave for St. Mungo’s. However, this didn’t seem to
bother either Ron or Ginny. The twins were both annoyed, that much was clear. They both tapped
not only their feet under the table but all their fingers on both hands. Percy glared at them for being
annoying themselves but it didn’t deter them. Hermione, Harry, and Draco all hid smiles of
amusement behind their hands when their snickers caught the attention of the redheads.

After Kreacher was finally able to clear the table, everyone rose and the redheads started for the stairs
so they could retrieve their cloaks. Hermione simply turned her attention to Kreacher and called for
his attention. Once he was in front of her, she bent to his level and gave him a smile while the others
watched in silence.

“We’re going to visit the elder Weasley in St. Mungo’s. After that, we’re going to travel to
Blackmoor for a day or two. If you could gather all the belongings of myself, Draco, Harry, Lord
Black, and Lord Malfoy and transport them there, I would greatly appreciate it. Once we get there, I
will give you further instructions.” He bowed low before speaking.

“Am I to clean my mess up here first?” Hermione gave him a solemn nod.

“Of course, Kreacher. Clean up the messes left here and then move our things. I will see you at
Blackmoor.” He nodded his head excitedly and hurried back to his cleaning. Hermione let Harry
take her arm and pull her towards the floo. The redheads all returned from their rooms with their
cloaks, even though they wouldn’t be going outside at any given point. Harry’s hand tightened on
her waist and she wondered if it was because Ginny’s eyes had locked on how he was holding on to
her. She gave a bright smile to the room.

“I’ll go first.” She stepped up to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. She stepped into
the flames and threw the powder, turning them green. She spun away, only to step out and find Bill
waiting for her on the other side. He held his arms open when he saw her and she didn’t hesitate the
walk into them and let him embrace her. He kissed the top of her head and cupped her cheeks when
she pulled away. She gave him a small smile.

“Your family has been such a blessing through this time. Severus saved his life.” Hermione laid her
hands on his as the others started to come through the floo.

“They’re your family now too.” He smiled at her before releasing her so he could hug his siblings as
they started to come through.

Harry and Draco went to her side while the Weasleys and Prewetts all went to Bill’s, hugging him
close and begging him for an update on their father. Her father, Remus, and Uncle Luci were the last
to come through and they were quick to usher everyone towards the fourth floor where Arthur was
being housed. Bill’s words were hushed as they walked but Hermione was close enough to hear
perfectly.

“The muggle healing of his wound is holding. It’s odd to see the stitches in his neck but he doesn’t
care as long as it holds. The healer still thinks it’s going to scar but Dad says that it’s not important.
As for the venom, he has to take the potion for ages but it should work it’s way out of his system
eventually. All in all, he’s going to be fine. Don’t get too emotional when you get in there, the
healers don’t want him to get too worked up.” Hermione could see the worry on the Weasley and
Prewett’s faces and she couldn’t help but feel badly for them, even Ron and Ginny. She would have
been worried sick if had been her father in there.

They all entered the private room that held Arthur and Molly. Arthur was propped up in bed on
several pillows and she could see from several feet away that his throat was bruised under the
bandage. Ginny rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly while Molly fussed with the blankets
that covered him. The boys each took a turn hugging their father once Ginny released him. Once
everyone had pulled away, Arthur gave them a wan smile.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be home for Christmas. I want you all to go home with Bill today. Do your chores
and help your mother.” Molly started to sputter.

“I’m not going home until you do, Arthur. You’re my husband and I’m going to make sure that they
take care of you.” He laid a hand on her arm and gave her a gentle smile.

“I know and I love you for it, Molly. Our kids need you though and I'm fine. Charlie and Percy are
going to stay and keep me company. Make a good dinner so one of them can bring me a plate. You
know St. Mungo’s food is terrible.” Molly smiled just a little and finally nodded her agreement.
Hermione decided that now would be a good time to add her well wishes. She stepped forward and
gave him a small curtsy, bowing her head slightly.

“I’m sorry to hear that you were injured, Mr. Weasley. I hope that you recover quickly and are able
to enjoy the holidays with your family.” He gave her a smile and bowed his head in return. While
she enjoyed the redhead’s company quite a bit, she wasn’t close enough to hug him as she would
Uncle Luci or Severus.

“Thank you, Hermione. Please pass on to Severus that I appreciate him making that potion for me.”
She nodded her head that she would do so. Draco, her father, Remus, and Uncle Lucius all passed
on their well wishes as well and Arthur received them happily. However, when Harry stepped
forward, Molly rushed forward and smothered him in a hug, his face buried in her abundant bosom.
Hermione was trying to hide the smile she was wearing at his discomfort.

“You saved him, Harry, how can we ever repay you? If you hadn’t told Albus, Arthur would have
died in the Department of Mysteries!” Bill was quick to shush his mother but Hermione’s mind was
already going a hundred miles an hour. Department of Mysteries? Why had Arthur been down in the
Department of Mysteries? It was clearly Order of the Phoenix business, meaning that her father
probably didn’t know either, but she intended to dig around and find out the answer herself.

Her father laid an arm around her shoulders and told Arthur that he was going to let him get his rest.
Harry and Draco were quick to move closer to her while Uncle Luci and Remus started out of his
hospital room. Hermione gave the twins a final wave as she was led away and towards the floo. Her
father put her in first, instructing her to head for Blackmoor. Hermione sighed in relief. It would be
nice to go home.

She spun away through the green flames and stepped out of the fireplace as soon as she stopped.
Hermione found herself in the main entryway of Blackmoor, also where the main floo was located. It
was hooked up to the main locations in the wizarding world while the floo in the library and her
father’s study were only hooked to private destinations such as Malfoy Manor or Grimmauld Place.
Only those that had been added to the blood wards could floo from the public places. Kreacher was
standing there waiting for her, as was Sipsy and Dot. The latter two elves threw themselves at her as
soon as she saw them, hugging her legs tightly.

“We’s missed you so, Mistress! We is happy you is home!” Hermione laughed and went to her
knees, hugging them both tightly.

“I’ve missed you both too. I’m so happy to see you. You know we’re spending Christmas at Malfoy
Manor this year, right?” Both nodded solemnly.

“We knows. We is getting along with Snitch.” Hermione laughed and hugged them again. Kreacher
looked like he was going to expire with anticipation so she looked to both elves and spoke.

“This is Kreacher. He’s a Black elf but was at another residence. He was left there by Lady
Walburga and we didn’t know it. Since he doesn’t get along with Daddy, he’s going to be my elf
too. I want you two to show him around and help him when he needs it.” Dot narrowed her eyes at
Kreacher and glared at him before turning back to Hermione.

“Miss, his was a bad elf. Hims was mean to Master. Dot remembers when Master would comes here
and tell us about the elf that would punish hims.” Hermione knew that her elves were just trying to
watch out for her so she was going to have to go about this carefully. She was almost positive that
her grandmother had cast a spell on the elf to make him act the way he did. There was no way to
prove it but since he didn’t seem to act that way towards her father now, it made sense to her.
Kreacher looked like he was about to burst into tears so she gestured for him to come stand next to
her while she spoke.

“Dot, I know that you heard about Kreacher from Daddy when he was little. However, Kreacher has
been a wonderful elf since I have taken him. He has been loyal and obedient and has never tried to
harm me.” Kreacher couldn’t seem to help himself. He was tugging on his ears as he burst out
emphatically.

“Kreacher would never hurt Mistress, never hurt Master. Hims would die to protect them!”
Hermione gave him a stern look.

“Kreacher, I told you that you were never to punish yourself. Don’t pull your ears.” He instantly
stopped and she hugged him, only grimacing a little as his snot smeared across her robes. She knew
that the others had arrived behind her and knew that they were going to make so much fun of her
after she dealt with this.

“Dot, do you remember Mistress Walburga? If so, tell me your honest opinion of her.” Dot nodded
and started to squirm a little. Hermione waited patiently, knowing that her elf would eventually do as
she was told.

“Mistress Walburga was a terrible Mistress. Hers beat us all the time and hers never say thank you.
Hers liked to watch us punish ourselves. Hers especially hated Candy.” Candy was the Head Elf and
had belonged to her grandfather. It made sense that she would hate Candy since she hated her
husband with a passion. Hermione nodded at her words.

“Kreacher was Mistress Walburga’s elf, just like you’re my elf. She was like that to him all the time.
You know that it isn’t normal for a elf to want to harm their masters, quite the opposite. I think
Mistress Walburga spelled Kreacher to hate Daddy, to punish him like he did. He certainly doesn’t
hate him now.” Hermione hadn’t even known that Candy had arrived until she spoke.
“Candy can see Mistress Walburga doings that. Hers hated Master.” Hermione smiled as she
watched both her elves pull Kreacher away from her and down the corridor, to where she had no
idea, but they were taking him under their wing and showing him the way things were done in their
home. Her father sighed behind her and helped her stand. He turned up his nose at the mess on her
robes.

“Now I have to be nice to the little blighter. Why do you have to do things like that, poppet?”
Hermione laughed as she pulled her wand to clear away the snot that Kreacher had left behind. The
rest of her family were just shaking their heads in amazement at the things she had to deal with on a
day to day basis.

-O-

Harry was laughing on the inside at the conversation between Hermione and her elves. Only she
would have three elves that were jealous of each other and she would have to set them straight.
Although, he did have to agree that Kreacher had probably been spelled. He hadn’t seen a single
moment of antagonism between the elf and Sirius. The only person the little guy seemed to genuinely
hate was Molly Weasley, although Ron was pretty close.

They took their leave to the library so they could sit and relax. He was pleased to see that Narcissa,
Helena, Juliet, and the entire Tonks family was already there waiting on them. They were passed
around for hugs and it was nice to feel as though he were part of a family. When he had traveled to
the Weasleys for Christmas, it was true that he had felt a part of something but it had never felt like it
did at Blackmoor or Malfoy Manor.

Remus sat in an armchair and Tonks stood and plopped herself down in his lap; Harry settled on the
couch next to Hermione while he listened to her mother and aunt berate her for being improper.
Tonks was insisting that since it was just family that it wasn’t improper but nobody was buying it. It
seemed as though Remus and Sirius were staying out of it, as were the rest of them, though it looked
as though Severus and Lucius both wanted to tell the witch exactly what they thought of her bold
actions.

Harry let his mind drift to what was to come during their holiday. He knew that they were going to
Malfoy Manor the next day. Everyone was staying at Blackmoor tonight, mostly since it was
tradition, but would move along tomorrow. He was much more at home there but he loved Malfoy
Manor as well. He had his own room there as well, right across the corridor from Hermione and
Draco’s. Juliet now had one as well, one that she had decided to share with Luna if she was ever
allowed to stay there. He knew that Sirius was still working on Xeno to let their cousin spend the
holiday at Malfoy Manor but so far, he was holding strong on his rule of not going to the Manor.
Harry wasn’t sure why the rule was so important but it seemed to be a big deal for the wizard that he
had still never met.

Harry knew that Hermione had plans to ride Bluebell every day, something that she loved to do. He
had witnessed her love for riding over the summers he had spent at Blackmoor and remembered
quite clearly how Sirius had tried to hold her horse over her head that very first summer he had come
to stay with them. Harry had tried riding the last summer and while he was fair at it, it wasn’t
something that he loved doing. He would most assuredly do it for Hermione, but it wasn’t something
he would do on his own.

He also knew that Hermione had made plans to brew with Severus. They were going to work on
their potion for lycanthropy since they had to be especially careful at school. With Umbridge on the
prowl, it wouldn’t be good for her to discover that Hermione was working in the private lab of her
Head of House on a potion that was still in a discovery phase. Not only would Severus probably find
himself sacked, Hermione would most likely find herself expelled.

Harry had plans to finally master his Spanish so he could hold Hermione to the bargain she had made
him to learn German with him. It wasn’t so much that he wanted to learn German, he wanted to
spend time with her, just the two of them. He wanted to get closer to her and show her that he was
still interested in her. He knew that she assumed that he didn’t want her anymore, that he was still
finding comfort with other girls. He wanted her to know that he wasn’t and that he was changing,
growing up.

However, the thing he was most looking forward to aside from spending time with Hermione was
Professor McGonagall coming to Malfoy Manor to work with them on becoming animaguses. Since
Hermione had met her clouded leopard in meditation, he and Draco had stepped up their time and
effort, determined to be ready by Christmas with her. Four days ago, Draco had met his form, a
falcon. Harry was thrilled for him but so jealous at the same time. Not only had he met his animagus
form, he was a bloody falcon. It just didn’t get any cooler than that.

However, the very next night, Harry had surprised himself and met his own animagus form. While it
wasn’t avian and it wasn’t as ferocious as a big cat, it was rather crafty and sly. Overall, he was
happy that his form was a fox and he thought that it fit his personality quite well. He was almost put
in Slytherin, after all. He wouldn’t stand out like Hermione so his form could be used for
reconnaissance and he wasn’t a bird that wasn’t indigenous to the area, immediately telling people
that he was an animagus. It was rather brilliant, he thought. He wasn’t sure when the Transfiguration
Professor was planning to come by and work with them but she had promised that she would at
some point over the holidays.

Harry realized that Helena and Juliet had gotten up and left, though he wasn’t sure where they were
going. Nobody else seemed to comment on it so he assumed that he had missed something while he
had been lost in thought. Conversation flowed around him, Aunt Cissy talking to Aunt Andie about
something in Paris while Severus spoke to Remus and Uncle Lucius. Ted was quietly chastising his
daughter so Harry remained quiet, as did Draco. It was at this point that Harry heard Sirius speak.

“Hermione, I feel that we need to talk about Alexandre. I realize that I’m the Head of House Black
but that is rightfully your place. In just nine months time, you’ll be able to take up the mantle of
Matriarch of your House. You should have a say in what we do.” Hermione’s eyebrows drew
inward and he could feel the tension in her body skyrocket. She leaned forward slightly and clasped
her hands together, a rare sign of emotion that people outside of the family never got to see.

“What about him?” Sirius sighed and leaned forward as well.

“He wants to claim Juliet as his heir. His son is dead and he has nobody else aside from Helena. He
says that the healers told him he’s dying, something about his liver not functioning at full capacity
anymore. They haven’t given him a time limit but it won’t be a hundred and fifty like normal
wizards. He also wants to stay here with us, to be close to Helena and Juliet. They’re his family and
he doesn’t want to lose them again. I told him that I would need to see proof that he’s not the same
person who killed his wife and son all those years ago but from what I’ve seen so far, he’s gotten the
help he needed.”

To Harry’s utter surprise, Hermione’s eyes teared up, though she fought letting the tears fall. He
couldn’t help himself from reaching out and rubbing small circles in the small of her back. She
glanced at him quickly and tried to hide the tears. Once again, he didn’t blame her. Everytime she
had cried before, he had thrown it in her face. Her father looked just as surprised.

“What’s wrong, sweetness?” She did a quick swipe under her eyes and shook her head, showing that
it was nothing. Draco reached out and tugged her hair while everyone else acted like they were
ignoring her so she wouldn’t be self-conscious.

“Don’t lie. It isn’t ladylike.” She punched him in the arm and he scowled at her. She finally spoke.

“It just feels as though everyone has a family that wants them but me. My mum and dad are dead.
Juliet has you and Helena, now her grandfather. Draco has his parents, I’m just an interloper that
stole part of his limelight, he can’t even say that it isn’t true. You only took me because I kept you
out of prison for Harry. I guess I just wish that I could talk to my mum and dad.” Harry knew that
nobody else was going to be able to make her feel better about this except for him. He wrapped an
arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. His other hand found the back of her head
and held it close. His voice was low as he spoke.

“I wish I could talk to my mum and dad everyday. You aren’t alone.” She snorted at him.

“Yes, you might want the same things as me but you had my father. He wanted you so much that he
took in the daughter of the brother that he hated, that he hadn’t spoken to in years. He didn’t know
me, he didn’t want me, I know that. I know he loves me now but it still feels like I’m just a
temporary fixture in this life sometimes. He has you and his real daughter now. I’m just here because
nobody can dispute the fact that I’m the real Black heir.” Harry shook his head against her head.

“That’s not what you are at all.” It was Severus that spoke next and while his words were harsh, his
tone wasn’t. Hermione turned her face out of his chest and met his gaze.

“You need to quit feeling sorry for yourself, princess. We all suffer in life. My parents hated me and
beat me. My mother was murdered by my father while I was still in Hogwarts and I killed him when
I was only a seventh year. Sirius’ family disowned him because he didn’t follow their ideals and
beliefs. Lucius was forced to take the Dark Mark by his father and he grew to love what he did in the
service of the Dark Lord. Nobody’s life is perfect. You make the best of it and you move on.” He
sighed as he continued.

“Yes, your father only took you because he wanted to stay out of prison. However, he did the best
he could to take care of you and always made sure that you were provided for. He has since
apologized for it and tried to make up for his shortcomings. Lucius gave up a whole way of life for
you, you know that. He was a devoted Death Eater and he decided that having you in his life was
more important. He gave it all up and is now working to rid the world of his Master, all for you.
Your father asked me to be your godfather the day you were born and I accepted because the
moment I saw you, I fell in love with you. Unlike all the hatred and ugliness in the world, you were
pure, beautiful, and wonderful. I wanted that in my life so I said yes and I haven’t regretted it a single
moment. Juliet, while immature and sometimes quite bratty, is your sister and she looks to you on
how to act and how to be. You are her role model and she wants to be just like you someday. She
loves you and has loved you since she knew who you were. Draco is your cousin and has loved you
since you shared a crib together. Harry is doing his best to mend his ways and show you that he’s
changed, that he’s someone you can depend on. You have all these wonderful people in your life
and you want to feel sorry for yourself. Never stop missing your mother and father but remember that
they’re always with you. Keep your chin and keep moving forward.” Hermione just stared at him for
several moments before sitting up straight and drying her cheeks. She faced her father and gave him
a slight smile.

“As long as Alexandre remains respectful of our home, rules, elves, and guests, I see no problem
with him staying. I’m happy that you’ve gained a father-in-law that has proven to be an asset.” Her
father gave her a soft smile.

“Thank you, princess.” She nodded and stood.

“I’m a bit tired. I think I’m going to go take a nap before dinner.” Harry glanced at the clock to
realize that it was almost three in the afternoon. He watched as Hermione kissed her aunts and uncles
on the cheek before leaving, Kreacher hurrying after her. Once she was gone, Severus sighed in
relief.

“I was scared to death that she was going to curse me bald. Could you imagine me teaching all the
monsters bald?” Draco snorted, as did Harry. However, it was Draco that finally spoke.

“She adores you. You really think she would curse you bald?” Severus snorted this time.

“She has every right to feel the way she does. I fully expected her to curse me when I said it.
However, I’m thrilled she didn’t. I just hate to see her when she’s so down like that. I hate it when
she feels like nobody cares about her. I know that I’ve contributed to that in the past but that isn’t
how it’s going to be anymore. If I can make it better, I will.” Harry nodded and decided that he
needed to say his piece as well.

“I’ve been terrible to her in the past but I'm done with that. I'm not letting anyone be mean to her
either. I’ve already ripped into Ginny once since school started for being a bitch to her. She has every
reason to not want to show weakness to me but I’m going to prove to her that her vulnerabilities are
safe with me from now on.” His godfather gave him a hard look that he knew meant that they better
be.

After he spoke, the conversation changed again to lighter topics. He wasn’t a part of them and he
mostly just listened. Nothing about Umbridge or the school was brought up but he knew that it
would at some point during the holidays. It was just a matter of time. Now that Tonks and Remus
weren’t allowed in the school to give lessons, there was nobody but Severus and McGonagall to give
everyone updates on what was going on. Even Harry had to admit that they had limited information.

Dinner was eventually served and even though they all went to the dining room, Hermione stayed in
her room. He saw Sipsy retrieve a tray for her so he knew that she was awake. He figured that she
was embarrassed about her dressing down and needed time to get over it. He understood that
completely. After the meal was over, they dismissed to the library again where everyone pursued
their own pursuits.

Harry read but when the clock chimed nine, he closed his book and rose, telling everyone that he
was going to go to bed. He was wished a good night and told to make sure that Dobby packed for
him for his stay at Malfoy Manor. He laughed since he was sure that the elf had had him packed
since he had arrived earlier that morning. He climbed the stairs to his room and paused for a few
moments outside of Hermione’s room since he saw that the light in her room was on. After only a
few moments hesitation, he knocked on the door and waited until the door swung open to reveal
Hermione in the shortest shorts he had ever seen and a camisole tank top that revealed she wasn’t
wearing a bra. It took all the willpower he had to not drool at the sight. His voice caught when he
first started to speak and he hoped against hope that she didn’t notice.

“I just wanted to stop and tell you that even though what Severus said is true, you have a right to feel
what you do. Anything negative you feel towards me is probably deserved too and I want to
apologize for it all right now. For everything I’ve ever done to hurt or embarrass you, I sincerely
apologize. I’m working very hard to change so if I fuck it up, please let me know.” She gave a short
laugh that sounded kind of bitter at the end. She looked at the floor for a few moments as she spoke.

“Thanks. He was right, I need to get over it and move on. You can’t heal if you’re constantly living
in the past.” He reached out and took her hand.

“That may be but that doesn’t make the past hurt any less.” Sh gave a soft nod.
“True. But it is what it is. Like he said, everyone has a part of their life that’s shitty. You just have to
learn how to get past it. I get that now. I’m going to work on getting past mine. That’s what I’ve
been trying to do.” He laughed now.

“Did you even take a nap like you said you were going to ?” She shrugged.

“I tried. Does that count?” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

“I suppose it does today. I’m going to bed. Is there anything you need before I go?” She finally
looked up at him and he could see her vulnerability shining back at him. Without a word, she stepped
forward and hugged him tightly, her chest pressed tightly against his. He fought his erection,
knowing it would be bad form to have his cock poking her in the belly while he hugged her. When
she finally released him, she smiled at him.

“Thank you.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead before backing away and taking the few
steps to his bedroom. Once his door was closed, he leaned his back against the door and took a deep
breath. Walking away from her like that was the hardest thing he had ever done.

This was going to be a long night.

A/N- There we are, folks, another chapter finished. Nothing too exciting but another chapter closer
to the end. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone out there reading and reviewing, following
and favoriting, you guys are the best. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you
think. Reviews are love and they make me smile.

Next chapter, Christmas at Malfoy Manor.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 97

A/N- Here we are again, my friends. I’m not going to lie, this chapter is pure fluff. After dealing with
Umbridge and her awfulness, I felt we needed some cotton candy. Big thanks to everyone out there
reading and reviewing, you guys are awesome. Your support keeps me going, guys. Anyways,
enough for now. Make sure you brush your teeth after this overdose of sugar (:

**Shout out to Black Banshee for being my 4800th reviewer and promising her help in all things
French...you da bomb, girl!**

Disclaimer: As usual, I don’t own anything except the twist on the plot. The characters belong to our
queen and the original story line belongs to Hermione Lyra Malfoy-Riddle. Since I’m still broke as
hell, it’s pretty clear that I haven’t made any money from this story or any other.

Chapter 97
December 25, 1995

Hermione felt the last vestiges of sleep fall away and she woke to find herself in her room at Malfoy
Manor. Her fire had died away sometime during the night and the air was cool. She dreaded getting
out from under the covers but the fact remained that it was Christmas. She was going to have to get
up so she could go open presents with the rest of her family.

Hermione threw her blankets back and didn’t bother with her slippers before slipping into her
bathroom to shower. Knowing full well that one of her elves would know she was awake, she
trusted that they would have not only her bed made but her clothes for the day laid out as well. She
showered off quickly, knowing that everyone would be ready to eat and open presents.

After using a drying charm on her hair, she wrapped her robe around her and went back out to her
bedroom. Even though Snitch loved to take care of her when she was there, her three elves had
insisted on traveling with her to meet her needs. Everyone else thought that it was hilarious to watch
them fight amongst themselves who was going to take care of her but she found it tiring. She had
spoken to them several times to see if they would stop but it hadn’t done any good yet.

Hermione found that whichever elf had cleaned her room had set out an icy blue set of witch’s robes
that matched the color of her eyes. She knew that it had to be Sipsy because she always favored that
color for her. She quickly dressed and decided to just leave her hair down for the day. It wasn’t
something that she did all that often but it was nice to do around family.

Once she was presentable, she hurried down the stairs to see if anyone else was awake. She knew
that her father was famous for sleeping in if they let him so she was surprised to see him awake and
drinking coffee rather than tea in the library. Helena and Alexandre were there with him, softly
discussing something that she couldn’t quite hear. Uncle Luci and Aunt Cissy were standing before
the fire together and his arm was wrapped around her waist so he could whisper in her ear.

Hermione heard the floo activate and wasn’t surprised to see that Aunt Andie, Uncle Ted, Dory, and
Remus stepped out of it. They all wore bright smiles, even Uncle Ted, who usually wasn’t the most
thrilled about spending time with the family. Hermione found herself in a hug from Dory and she
was ruffling her loose hair. She scowled at her but her cousin only laughed harder. Aunt Cissy
ushered them all in and found them seats by the fire. After they all had a cup of tea in hand, she
turned to Hermione.

“Will you go wake up Draco, Harry, and Juliet? I just don’t understand how they could forget that it
was Christmas.” Hermione grinned, knowing that Draco was probably doing it on purpose. She
nodded and rose to her feet, sweeping out of the library to go wake her relatives. She knew that she
could get Kreacher to wake them up, he would even pour water on them if she asked, but she
wanted to be the one to be mean and wake them up.

Draco was first. Even though she had thought that he would probably just be making them all wait
on purpose, she found him fast asleep in his bed, no shirt on. Deciding that she was going to take a
page from her younger self’s antics, she crawled on her cousins bed as quietly as she could. After
edging as close to him as she dared, Hermione started to jump, startling Draco awake and bouncing
him right out of his bed and onto the floor. Draco cursed loudly while Hermione laughed. His head
popped up above the edge of the bed and he glared at her.

“What the fuck was that for? I would never do that to you.” Hermione snorted at him, something she
didn’t allow herself to do very often. She climbed off his bed with a grin.

“You most certainly would. Besides, it’s Christmas and I’ve been sent to wake you all up.” Draco’s
eyes brightened at her words.

“You mean you’re going to do this to the others?” Hermione gave him a smirk as she nodded. He let
out a whoop of laughter as she sauntered out of his room and headed to Harry’s across the corridor.
She let herself in quietly, making sure that he wasn’t dressing first. When she saw that he was still in
bed, she tiptoed over to the side of bed as she had Draco’s. She was even more careful as she
climbed onto his bed, not knowing how deeply he slept. After she had gotten as close as she dared,
she started to jump, bouncing him off the bed as well. Harry woke with a loud curse and glare while
she collapsed on his bed in laughter.

“What did you go and do that for?” Hermione was laying on his blankets and trying to get her
laughter under control. When she could finally speak, she was grinning at him.

“I was sent to wake you up. It’s Christmas, after all. I already woke Draco and still have Juliet to
go.” Harry raised an eyebrow at her as he picked himself up off the floor. She felt her cheeks flush
when she realized that he was only wearing a satin pair of pajama bottoms that were slung low on his
hips. His chest was bare and she could see just how much running and quidditch had done for his
physique. He grinned at her when he saw her colored cheeks so she shoved him away from her
while she climbed off his bed.

“Don’t be a prat, Harry Potter. Everyone is waiting for you to eat and open presents. You better
hurry and get dressed.” He let her go without another word but she knew that he was silently
laughing at her. She made sure to slam the door as she left, hoping that it would hurry him up and
warn those downstairs that they would be showing up shortly.

Hermione entered her sister’s room last to find that she was already awake and mostly dressed. Dip
was with her and they were trying to decide what to do with her hair. It was still far shorter than
Hermione’s but it was longer than it had been last year. Juliet grinned at her when she entered and
Hermione ran her fingers through her sister’s pin-straight hair. She looked to Dip and smiled.

“Pin the top half back with comb that Daddy gave her for her birthday. It’ll go great with those
robes.” Jules beamed at her and gave her a quick hug.

“Thanks, Hermione. I’ll see you down there.” Hermione kissed her little sister’s head and left,
leaving her to finish getting ready.

Hermione made her way back downstairs to the library to see that both Harry and Draco had beat her
down. Harry was still smirking at her when she caught his eye and realized that he had dressed in
dark trousers and a soft button-up. It was fancier than he usually went for, especially when it was just
family, but she would be the first to admit that he looked nice. Draco was the one that had dressed
down, for once, in designer jeans and a turtleneck. He wore them so rarely that Hermione smiled at
him and complimented him quietly. He grinned back at her.

“I have to wear them some of the time. It would be nice if you could let loose enough to wear them
at times other than riding.” Hermione rolled her eyes at the age-old fight. Just before she could get
drawn into a conversation with her father and Uncle Sev, who had came down from his room while
she was gone, Snitch appeared and gave a slight bow. Uncle Luci liked his elves to be a little more
pretentious than usual so she refrained from laughing.

“Breakfast be ready. No presents before a proper breakfast, Sipsy tell me to say so.” Hermione bit
back a laugh as Uncle Luci turned to glare at her.

“Your elf is taking over my household, sweetness.” Hermione let her laugh out and moved to hug
her uncle around the middle.

“She is but I can’t help it. You know she doesn’t listen and I would never punish her. She just wants
us to be well-fed, look at it that way, Uncle. She doesn’t want us to waste away from starvation.”
Her uncle snorted before he kissed her temple and gave her a playful shove towards the door.

“No, she’s just a bossy hag. Very well, we wouldn’t want to disappoint Sipsy. Let’s adjourn to the
dining room for Christmas breakfast.”

Everyone rose and followed Hermione into the dining room. She waited for Uncle Luci to stand
before his chair as etiquette demanded, herself and Draco taking the seats on each side of him as his
heirs. Aunt Cissy took the one at the opposite end of the table and everyone else filled in as they
chose. Once they were all situated, the food appeared on the table and they were bidden to start.

Hermione found herself next to Harry and he was quick to help her serve herself breakfast. There
were so many different choices today, it was Christmas after all, and she intended to try all of her
favorites. The Malfoy elves were superb cooks and they loved to make her favorites. It was as
though Harry knew her as well as she knew herself because he piled her plate high with her most
favorite breakfast foods. She quickly forgot her embarrassment from earlier and grinned at him
before she piled two cinnamon rolls on his plate.

Hermione dug into her breakfast with relish, watching as her Uncle Luci ate ravenously next to her.
Her father was seated next to Draco and he had his arm thrown around the back of Helena’s chair
while he started on his second plate. Uncle Sev was watching Remus eat with distaste, clearly put off
by his ravenous appetite, but Dory just smiled and brushed the hair back from his forehead when he
wiped his mouth with his napkin.

Hermione managed to eat most of her plate of food, surprising to everyone who knew her well. She
never ate that much but it really had been too delicious to pass up. Her uncle looked over and
chuckled, before reaching over to ruffle her hair.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat so much, princess.” She felt her cheeks color again and she
glared at him.

“I usually don’t. The food was delicious and it’s Christmas. Don’t judge me.” He burst out laughing,
as did the rest of the table. It was Dory that spoke first.

“It’s about time you had a proper meal. I'm not sure how you keep up with training with that tiny bit
of food you live on.” Hermione rolled her eyes but said nothing. She supposed that it was true.
Since they had left Grimmauld Place, Hermione had had daily visits from Master Auror Moody. He
had continued her training, as promised, though Draco and Harry had joined in each day as well.

Moody hadn’t pulled any punches; he had worked her hard, pushed her harder than Remus or Dory
ever did, but she felt so much more in control of not only her magic but her body as well. He was
pleased that she already had amazing stamina but had recommended that she start taking physical
training to protect herself. She wasn’t sure where she was going to get that while in Hogwarts,
especially under Umbridge’s rule, but she supposed that it was something to consider for the future.

More than anything, Hermione felt that her agility was getting better. Sure, she had more than
enough power to spare but she was slower than the boys were. She was always the first one to get hit
with a spell because she was too slow. This, of course, set Harry off and he would let his power take
over and blast whoever had hit her. It was disconcerting to say the least. However, the Master Auror
had set her up with drills and exercises that she could do on her own in the Room of Requirement so
she could continue to improve.

The boys always ate as if they were starving after training with Moody but Hermione never seemed
to. She wasn’t sure why. However, after her display today, it was clear that she could put away a
decent amount of food when she wanted to.

The thing she couldn’t wait for most was the visit that was supposed to come from Professor
McGonagall in the next few days. They were going to work on taking their animagus forms and it
excited her beyond belief. Her father still couldn’t believe that they had already discovered their
forms; apparently, it had taken him months to get that far.

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts by her father pushing his plate away, the last one to be
eating, which was hard to believe since Remus was there with his werewolf appetite. He gave his
belly one last rub and laughed when he saw both Helena and Aunt Cissy glaring at him and his
improper manners. Uncle Luci saved him a tongue lashing, however, when he stood.

“I think it’s time for presents.” Hermione grinned and rose; this was her favorite part of Christmas.
She loved passing out the gifts and seeing the looks on her family’s faces when they saw what she
had gotten them. She had missed it last year and she intended to enjoy every second this year.

Hermione made sure to get out in front so she could be the first one to the tree. It was tradition that
she pass out the gifts, though now that Jules was there, she supposed that she should probably let her
have a turn. It would make it a family affair, that much was sure, but she hated to give it up. Just as
she decided to let her sister have the honor, her Uncle Luci put an arm around her shoulder and
smiled down at her.

“While we celebrate here, it will always be your job.” Hermione smiled at him before she frowned in
confusion.

“How do you always know what I’m thinking about?” He hugged her shoulders tightly to him
before releasing her with a smile.

“It was all over your face. You don’t hide your emotions well around family, poppet.” She cursed
herself inwardly as she vowed to work on that.

Hermione took her usual seat on the floor before the enormous Christmas tree. Everyone took seats
on couches and armchairs that surrounded it and it felt nice to know that her family was gathered
around her. The years that Aunt Andie and her family were gone had been so quiet, with only her
father and the Malfoys. They were never lonely but it was nice to finally have some life in their
holiday celebrations. Uncle Luci spoke after they were all settled.
“As tradition in the Malfoy household, Hermione will pass out gifts. Let’s let her pass everything out
before we just go crazy.” Her father was pouting as Helena gave a small laugh and smacked him in
the back of the head. Hermione glared.

“Daddy, show Jules that you have patience. I know it’s buried down deep but try to find it for her.”
He mock-glared at her while the rest of their family all laughed.

Hermione started to pass out the massive mound of gifts. She had only bought one gift for everyone,
as had Draco, Harry, and Juliet. However, she knew that Aunt Cissy hadn’t felt the need to limit
herself just as her father probably hadn’t either. Aunt Cissy believed in buying a whole new
wardrobe for you as a single Christmas gift. Though Hermione had noticed that her lingerie was only
a tiny bit tighter since the summer holidays so she was probably just about done growing. That didn’t
do much for her confidence; she was still easily the tiniest girl in their year, even in fourth year. She
knew that her uncle had assured her that her small stature came from her mother but it was tiring
always having to look up to others.

It took almost ten minutes for her to pass them out completely but was happy to see that everyone
had quite a large pile in front of them. After she told them that there were no more to pass out,
everyone started to dig into their pile and begin opening.

Hermione had always been one to open her gifts slowly and savor them. Draco always ripped
through them as fast as he could and it appeared that Harry and Juliet were the same way. For this
reason, she still had half her pile when they had finished. They were all looking over their gifts and
shouting out thanks where it was due.

Hermione had received numerous wonderful gifts. Daphne had sent her a beautiful set of hair combs
while Neville had sent her a blooming rose bush for her to plant in their garden. The twins had given
her numerous trick items that she intended to put to use on Umbridge. Dory and Remus had gone
together and bought her a set of defense books that she had been wanting and Aunt Andie and Uncle
Ted had bought her charmed set of earrings that would change colors with her outfit.

Master Auror Moody had sent her a gift of an auror-grade wand holster, one that strapped to her
inner arm and became invisible. There were anti-summoning charms on it, meaning that her enemy
couldn’t just summon her wand from her while it was resting in her holster. Juliet had found her a
beautiful cloak in a scarlet color, one that would look lovely with one of the sets of robes that Aunt
Cissy had bought her. Draco had decided that he would go out of the norm and buy her a beautiful
emerald charm bracelet, one that Aunt Cissy had bought half a dozen charms for. Hermione still
hadn’t had a chance to inspect them all but she knew that she was going to love it.

Uncle Sev had bought her a brand new cauldron and potions set, telling her that hers was several
years old and that if she was going to be trying for her N.E.W.T. at the end of the year, she was
going to need new equipment. Uncle Luci had asked her over the summer if she wanted to breed
Bluebell and she had told him that it would be nice once she was out of school and could be there for
when her baby was born. Knowing her luck now, she would be in Hogwarts and miss everything.
Therefore, he had bought her the stud time of the best breeding stallion in England for whenever she
decided to breed her. She wasn’t above squealing in happiness, which is exactly what she did when
she read the voucher.

Her father and Helena had decided to buy her a gift together since it was clear that Helena didn’t
know her all that well. Even though it hurt just a little, she decided to just brush it off. Her father had
still chosen the gift, of that she was sure. She was thrilled to see that he had in fact gifted her with a
set of ruby jewelry that was much like the sapphire set she had gotten last Christmas. When she met
her father’s eyes, he gave her a sad smile.
“I found this set deep in the Black vault. There was a notation in the ledger about it and after reading
it, I felt it was only right to give it to you. Your father had bought that set for your mother to give to
her that Christmas before he disappeared. He just never got the chance. It’s been sitting there
gathering dust and when I saw that it was meant for your mother, I knew that you needed to be the
only witch to ever wear that until you pass it to your own daughter.” Hermione stared at the pieces in
her hand, admiring the brilliant rubies that lined the necklace, bracelet, ring, and earrings. They were
beautiful and they should have been her mothers. It was like a punch to the heart. Hermione couldn’t
help it when she burst into tears. Her father was instantly at her side, arm around her shoulders,
trying to help her handle the rush of emotion.

The room was silent as she brought herself under control. Her tears dried up and she cast a spell to
get rid of the snot that was dripping from her nose rather unlike a lady. Her father had her face in his
neck, stroking her hair, until she pulled back and gave her family a weak smile.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. It was just actually touching something that was my
mother’s. I know I have her necklace but that’s it. The fact that this came from my father means so
much more. Thank you, daddy.” He kissed her temple before rising to his feet and taking his seat
again. Hermione gave her family a smile before she continued with her gifts.

There were only two left, one from Alexandre and one from Harry. She decided to leave Harry’s for
last so she reached for Alexandre’s. Since she didn’t know the man well, she really didn’t know
what to expect from him. She knew from what Harry and Draco had told her that he was interested
in how powerful she was but beyond that, she had never held an actual conversation with him.
Maybe she needed to change that over the holidays since she was allowing him to stay in her home.

Hermione opened his gift to find that he had bought her something that a typical pureblood head of
family would buy a female member of his family. Rather than choose her clothing for her, however,
he had gifted her a voucher to the most exclusive boutique in Paris. When Aunt Cissy saw what she
held, she squealed in delight, telling her that they must go shopping before they return to school. It
was nice to hear her aunt intended to include Fleur since she was the only friend she had from France
currently. Even though it was a very impersonal gift, it was more than she expected so she thanked
him genuinely and turned to her last gift.

Hermione could see that Harry was watching her as she opened his gift. Her insides fluttered with
anticipation as she carefully opened the paper to reveal what was inside. Since she was the only one
still opening gifts, she knew that all eyes were on her. She found a book under the paper, one that
looked to be yellowed with age. She carefully set the wrapping paper aside to examine the book. On
the cover was a single golden embossed lily. Inside, she found the inscription of Lily Potter inside
and her gaze flew Harry’s. He gave her a sad smile.

“I found it in my trust vault. Siri says that my mother was just shy of a mastery in Charms when she
was killed. This book contains all her notes on spell-making. She apparently loved it but she was
most interested in creating charms rather than curses or hexes. I know that you want to create your
own spells so I thought this would help you.” Hermione felt tears prick her eyes as she stared at the
lily on the cover and his mother’s girly handwriting on the inside cover. She looked up to meet his
eyes and she could see that they were sincere. Therefore, she moved closer to him and pulled him
into a heartfelt hug that had her feeling closer to him than she ever had before.

“Are you sure you want me to have this, Harry? I can read it and return it, I know how special it is to
find something that belonged to your parents.” He gave her a stiff nod as he wrapped his arms
around her and put his mouth to her ear so he could whisper softly.

“I trust you to hold it as dear as I do. She would want someone like you to have it.” Hermione let out
another sob at just how fucking sweet he was and how perfect his words were. He buried his hand in
her hair and held her face to his neck, letting her hide her face until she was under control. His other
hand snaked around her waist while her hands clenched in the front of his robes. The room was quiet
until she finally pulled away and gave him a soft smile, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

“I will cherish it as I do Uncle Sev’s books. Thank you, Harry.” He kissed her forehead and smiled
at her.

“You’re welcome. Enough of the sad now. It’s Christmas, we should be happy.”

Hermione stepped back and smiled, nodding her agreement.

It was Christmas.

-O-

Harry was thrilled with his gifts. He had received so many he had a hard time remembering who had
gifted him with what. Uncle Lucius had given him a dueling robe made of dragon skin, one that he
couldn’t wait to try in training with Moody. Draco had gifted him with a ring that was of the Malfoy
line, one that he had needed to get Lucius’ permission to give him. It would protect him from any
further potions that anyone decided to slip him. He intended to never take it off. Of course, Aunt
Cissy had gifted him an entire wardrobe, probably the last thing he needed, but he thanked her
nonetheless. He had no idea what to do with so many clothes when he had grown up with three
outfits that looked like tents on him.

Remus and Tonks had given him a wand sheath while Siri and Helena had given him his father’s
journals on becoming an animagus. Even though he was well on his way, he would still enjoy
reading about his father’s journey. It was more sentimental than a learning piece. Juliet had given him
a book on how to snare the right witch, something that he glared at her for but she had just smirked at
him. It seemed as though the youngest in their family was also well aware that he had a crush on her
sister.

He hadn’t known what to expect when he pulled Hermione’s gift in front of him; in the past, her gifts
had always been great and he only hoped that his compared to whatever she had gotten him. When
he opened the box, he found a scrapbook. As he flipped through it, he found dozens of photos of his
parents from their Hogwarts days, articles in the Prophet, detailing his mother’s success in Charms
and her N.E.W.T. scores. There were pictures from their wedding, even photos of all three of them
together in the house in Godric’s Hollow. A photo of him zooming around on a toy broom, chasing a
cat, made him laugh out loud. The best picture was one that had his parents dancing in the backyard
of the cottage in Godric’s Hollow and he was floating in the air around them. Both his mother and
father were laughing so he assumed that one of them was levitating him.

It was the best gift he had ever been given.

Hermione had called Dot and asked her to take her gifts to her room and put them away in safe
places, sinking back into the couch that had a seat open. Harry had made sure that it was one that had
an open seat next to him. Kreacher made sure to bring her hot chocolate and after a pointed look
from her, he disappeared and reappeared with a platter of hot chocolate for everyone. Hermione gave
a contented sigh and was staring at the Christmas tree, wonder in her eyes. He reached out and
picked up a lock of her hair, twirling it around his fingers. She gave him a soft smile but said nothing
about her hair.

“There’s something about Christmas that can make anyone feel better. Even if you don’t get a single
gift, it’s knowing that this is a time for family and that those you love are thinking of you.” Harry
tugged her curl slightly and gave a self-deprecating smile.

“Now that’s what it means. It hasn’t always been that way for me. I used to hate the holiday.”
Hermione reached out and took his hand, her thumb rubbing over his knuckles.

“You don’t have to worry about spending Christmas with those horrid muggles anymore. You’re our
family and you’ll always be welcome here.” Harry smiled at her but reached out and poked her side.

“No more sad. I’m sorry I started it. Only fun for the rest of the day.” She smiled at him and reached
out to tug his hair. When he glared at her, she laughed.

“You’re forever pulling on my hair. It’s only fair I get to do it every once in a while.” They were
interrupted by Juliet speaking from the window closest to the books.

“There’s snow. We should go play in it.” Draco stood and smirked at them.

“I think that’s a great idea. We can have a snowball fight.” Hermione groaned next to him and buried
her face in her hands.

“Drake, you know I'm not built for the outdoors, especially snow. I’m terrible at snow everything.
You always complain I make you lose.” Harry reached out and tugged her hair again, making her
smile.

“If you go play with us, you can be on my team so Draco can’t complain. I bet we can even get
some of the adults to play.” Hermione smiled at him for a moment before finally nodding.

“Alright, but if you complain I make you lose I'm never playing again.” Harry stood and reached
down to pull her to her feet.

“I promise I won’t complain. Who else is in?” Sirius stood instantly.

“I’m in. Remus, don’t even think about not playing.” Remus laughed and stood, followed instantly
by Tonks.

“Me too, I’m just a big kid, after all.” Draco counted.

“That’s only seven. If we want to have even teams we need one more.” Harry saw Aunt Cissy
nudge Uncle Lucius and he glared at her for just a few moments before standing.

“I’ll play but I insist on being on Hermione’s team.” Draco snorted at his father.

“Typical. That’s alright, we’ll still kill you out there.” Harry threw his arm around Hermione and
Uncle Lucius and looked to the others.

“Who else wants to be on the winning team?” Tonks stepped forward with a smile and Uncle Lucius
groaned. It was no secret that he only tolerated Tonks so Hermione laughed and hugged his arm to
her chest, hushing him quickly.

“Alright, downstairs in five minutes. Be ready for the snow.”

Harry watched Hermione dash upstairs and wondered just what she was going to change into. He
wasn’t sure that witch’s robes were a good idea for the snow but he supposed that he would see. He
didn’t bother going upstairs, he just summoned his cloak, gloves, and scarf. He noticed that Draco,
Sirius, Remus, and Uncle Lucius did the same. Only Juliet dashed up the stairs with Hermione.

Sure enough, five minutes later, they were all heading outside. Hermione had changed into a pair of
yoga pants that didn’t look very warm but did indeed look very easy to move in. Her jumper looked
to be cashmere but warm and comfy. Her boots reached her knees and he watched her cast a
warming charm on all her clothing. Just before the walked outside, Kreacher appeared and waved his
hand over her clothing, probably adding his own long-lasting warming charm. Once the cold air hit
him, he wished that he had one for himself.

After they found a stretch of hill that wasn’t hindered by too many trees or limbs, they split off to
discuss strategy. Harry found that he enjoyed hearing Tonks and Uncle Lucius argue about the best
way to go about winning. It was after five minutes of listening to them that Harry finally stopped
them with a laugh and threw arms over both their shoulders.

“It’s just a snowball game, guys. Just go out there, throw snowballs, and have fun. Make sure you hit
Siri and Draco in the face though, they deserve it.” The other three members of his team started to
laugh and finally stopped being so competitive. After their planning session, they all returned to the
field of battle and began.

It was an epic battle that ended up lasting hours, far longer than any of them had ever anticipated. It
was a battle that went back and forth between both teams, each taking the lead numerous times
throughout the time they played. Harry had ended up with numerous snowballs down his back,
though to be fair, one of those had been from Hermione and one from Tonks. He had taken one right
to the face from Uncle Lucius but he had been quick to return that in kind.

In the end, they had called it a draw. All eight of them were exhausted, cold, and ready for the fire.
Not to mention, Harry was starving. In fact, they had only been halted by Sipsy appearing on the
field and telling them all that Christmas dinner was almost ready. Hermione was the first one to say
that she was done and ready to go inside. Even though nobody wanted to admit it, they were just as
ready to go in as she was.

Harry was stripping off his cloak and gloves when Dot appeared and told them that dinner was
ready. He was able to cast a drying charm on his clothes and one last warming charm before the little
elf was herding him towards the dining room. Hermione seemed to be suffering from the same
treatment, only from Sipsy. It truly was humorous how her elves just took over wherever they were
staying. Not that Harry minded; he liked that the elves cared enough to take care of them. While
Dobby was never as demanding as Hermione’s elves, he always made sure that Harry’s needs were
taken care of. Truthfully, he wouldn’t know what he would do without him and he let Dobby know
that every single day.

They all took the same seats for Christmas dinner as they had for Christmas breakfast. Harry settled
in next to Hermione and as soon as they were given permission to begin, he started serving
Hermione her favorites. After watching her serve herself food for a year and a half now, he knew her
favorites and what exactly she didn’t like. She flashed him a grateful smile but then returned the
favor by piling his favorites on his plate. He hated to consider the thought that she had probably
known his favorites far longer than he had known hers.

The whole family shared an enjoyable meal together, talking and laughing about their snowball fight
and laughing at some of the pictures that the elves had sneaked out and gotten. There was one that
Harry was determined to get a copy of, one where Hermione had tried to run around him but he had
reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to where she lost her balance and fell directly on top
of him. Their faces had been close enough to kiss and while Harry had been tempted, he hadn’t.
There was no way in hell was he was going to rush this and ruin it. Therefore, he had smashed a
snowball on Hermione’s head and laughed when she smashed one in his face before crawling to her
feet.
After dinner was over, they retired back to the library to spend quiet time together. Everyone had
gotten a book of some sort for Christmas and they were all planning on pursuing their own interests.
Harry was reading a defense book he had gotten from Severus while Hermione curled up against
him with his mother’s charms diary. Everyone in the family settled in with a book and Harry had to
admit that it was quite touching to see not only Uncle Lucius and Aunt Cissy curl up together on a
couch, but Sirius and Helena as well.

Randomly, they would all call out odd things that they came across in their reading. Tonks was
reading about werewolf mating habits and Remus turned bright red every time she shared a fact.
Aunt Cissy and Aunt Andie were both reading on fashion trends through the ages so their facts
didn’t really interest anyone except Juliet. Hermione was the only one who remained silent as she
devoured his mother’s book, taking in all her intellect.

It was much later in the night, after the fire in the library had started to dwindle, that everyone started
to say their goodbyes. Hermione had long since fallen asleep against Harry while Juliet had fallen
asleep against her father. Remus and Tonks left with Aunt Andie and Uncle Ted. Uncle Sev shot
Harry a hard look before dismissing himself to bed as well. Just as Harry was getting ready to
suggest that they head to bed as well, Hermione shifted and stretched out, laying her head in his lap.
Dot appeared instantly and placed a blanket over her, taking his mother’s journal and marking her
spot. She popped out of existence and left Harry with Hermione’s head in his lap and his imagination
going wild.

Draco was smirking at him as he excused himself, telling everyone how tired he was. Juliet was the
next one to go to bed after her father had woke her, her grandfather offering to escort her to her
room. Uncle Lucius and Aunt Cissy rose next, his uncle giving him a hard look as he met his gaze.

“I expect her to find her way to her room with no problems.” Harry swallowed hard and nodded.

“I promise, I’ll make sure of it, sir.” he gave Harry a respectful nod before he turned and left, Aunt
Cissy on his arm. It was Sirius’ turn to stand and meet Harry, even though he couldn’t stand.

“I know how you feel about my daughter. I also know I’m trusting you to not take advantage of her.
It would tear our family apart.” Harry reached his hand out to shake that of his godfather’s.

“I would never betray your trust, sir, let alone hers. I want this to work and it will never work if she
doesn’t trust me.” Sirius gave him a nod and turned on his heel, leaving him alone with Hermione in
the library. Not for a second did he think he was alone with her; her elves were always watching and
would never allow anything inappropriate.

Therefore, he continued to read his book for another hour after everyone had gone to bed, mostly so
he could enjoy feeling Hermione so close to him. His hand was constantly in her curls, playing with
them, twisting them around his fingers and just enjoying the silky softness of her hair. After his
fingers tired of her hair, they moved to her skin. The skin of her cheeks, jaw, and neck were whisper
soft compared to his own. He wished that he could kiss them all over, like he had other girls, but the
truth was that Hermione was like no other woman he had ever met. Definitely like no other woman
he had ever kissed. This was the reason he hoped to never kiss another woman but Hermione for the
rest of his life.

Finally, after almost two hours on the couch together by themselves, Harry knew that it was time to
head to bed. Rather than wake Hermione and make her walk to bed, he maneuvered out from
underneath her and then turned to lift her into his arms. She didn’t wake but snuggled ever so softly
into his chest when he held her close. He reveled in the feeling of holding her close, knowing that it
likely wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
He carried her all the way up the stairs and to the door of her room. He paused for a moment, unsure
if he should enter her private domain or not. Of course, she hadn’t hesitated this morning when
entering his but she was a girl. She could have knickers laying around that would later embarrass her.
He went ahead and opened her bedroom door and glanced around to make sure that there was
nothing that would embarrass either one of them.

When he didn’t see anything like knickers on the floor, he smiled and wandered further into the
room. Since he had no idea what was normal for her bedtime routine, he called out tentatively for
Kreacher. To his utmost surprise, the elf appeared.

“What is master doing with his mistress?” Harry tried not to be intimidated by his question.

“I carried her to bed, Kreacher. I just don’t know what I need to do for her. You know her routine
better than I do.” Kreacher snapped his fingers and Hermione disappeared from his arms and
appeared in bed. With another snap of his fingers, she was in her skimpy pajamas as usual. Harry
gave Kreacher a smile and turned to Hermione in her bed. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and
then her cheek before pulling away. He turned to Kreacher and gave him a solemn nod.

“I know you already take good care of her but can you make sure that her fire doesn't die? That way
she isn’t cold in the morning?” Kreacher gave him a genuine smile.

“Kreacher is not usually in charge of her fire but he will be tonight since Master insisted. Master
takes good care of Mistress. Even though Master is not of pure blood, he is good man. He takes good
care of Mistress.” Harry wasn’t sure what to make of this comment but decided to take it as a
complement.

“Thank you, Kreacher. I just want you to make sure that she stays warm through the night.”
Kreacher bowed before him and gave him an almost-smile. The only person who rated a full-on
smile was Hermione. Not even Juliet, the same standing as Hermione, rated as much from Kreacher.

“Consider it done, Master. Kreacher will care for yous Mistress. You never hurts my Mistress.”
Harry knew that was a fucking lie but decided not to bring that up. He needed all the help he could
get and having Kreacher on his side would definitely help.

“I love your Mistress, Kreacher. I hope to someday marry her, even though I don’t deserve her.”
Kreacher smiled once again.

“We shall sees, Master.” With that, the little elf was gone.

Harry pressed one final kiss to her cheek and left, finding his room quickly. Once he was changed,
he headed for his bed, only to find that his own fire had been stoked and was blazing. He couldn’t
help but wonder if Kreacher had stopped in or if Dobby had checked it later than usual since he had
been up later.

Harry changed quickly and crawled into bed, exhausted now that his bed was in sight. He was more
than ready to get some sleep. After meditating lightly, mostly thinking about his day spent with
Hermione and how well it had went, he let the world of sleep pull him under.

After all, Christmas was a day for family and he had exhausted himself reveling in it.

A/N- There we are, folks, another chapter in the books. I’m ready to drop dead, ready to fall asleep,
but I just had to finish this chapter. I hope you all liked it, it was rather fluffy. More of Harry getting
closer to Hermione. Anyways, let me know what you think, I do love hearing your opinions. Let me
know your thoughts, reviews are love.
Next chapter, return to Hogwarts.

Love,

Alicia
 Chapter 98

A/N- Here we are again, my lovelies. Sorry it’s been a few days, I haven’t been very motivated to
write these last few days. Hopefully my mojo will return, lol. Anyways, thanks to everyone out there
reading and reviewing, following and favoriting. I really appreciate it. Hope you all enjoy this
chapter.

Disclaimer: Nothing about this story belongs to me. The original story idea belongs to Hermione
Lyra Malfoy-Riddle and the characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Still haven’t made any money from
any of my stories, this one included, since I still have no money.

Chapter 98
January 8, 1996

Harry waved his wand at his trunk, shrinking it. Dobby glared at him, stepping forward and swiping
it before he could. Harry just grinned; he knew that it irritated the elf when he did things for himself
and he liked seeing the little guy in a huff. He was gone with a pop, meaning it was time for Harry to
head downstairs to the dining room.

They were still at Malfoy Manor but they were heading back to Hogwarts today. It had been the best
holiday of his life and he was thrilled that he got to spend it with family.The twins and Neville had
come by the day before to play a game of quidditch; since Blaise had been there as well, they had
played five on five, making Siri, Remus, Juliet, and Helena play as well. Hermione had stayed on the
ground with Uncle Lucius, Severus, and Aunt Cissy. Tonks was off doing something with her
parents and had joined them later in the day.

Hermione had kept score of the match and everyone on the ground had laughed wholeheartedly
everytime one of them made a blunder. It had ended up being a race for the snitch between Harry
and Draco, Draco losing out again. However, he had taken it well and they had laughed about it as
they warmed up with hot chocolate afterwards.

All in all, it was a holiday that he definitely wanted to experience again.

Everyone was already at the table, eating their breakfast and laughing about he wasn’t sure what.
Jules waved him over and gestured for him to sit next to her and he ruffled her hair as he did so.
While Sirius and Uncle Lucius were sitting there sipping their tea and reading the Daily Prophet,
Alexandre was watching the scene silently, almost fondly.

Through the holiday, he had relaxed a little bit around the older man. There wasn’t much cause for
them to talk but the one conversation he had shared with the man had been about things he could do
to strengthen his magic. It had been quite the conversation and while Harry wasn’t entirely sure that
all his suggestions were legal, he did learn a lot.

Moody had been there almost every day, working with the three of them in the training room. His
main focus remained to be Hermione but Harry and Draco both benefited from his teachings. He
wasn’t sure what it was about Hermione that drew him to her but he wasn’t going to complain. He
had asked Draco after their last session with the Master Auror and the way he had explained it really
hadn’t cleared anything up.

“He’s a pureblood. Most purebloods aren’t used to seeing women in positions of power; sure,
Amelia Bones in the Head of the D.M.L.E. but most pureblood witches are more into marrying well
and then contributing to charities. I love Daphne and that she’s smart as a whip but even she says that
her dream is to add a wing to St. Mungo’s for magical creatures like werewolves. Clearly a charity.
To see Hermione in the position of being the true matriarch of a family as powerful as the Blacks is
enough to draw someone like Moody’s attention. Add in that she’s smarter than he is and more
powerful than anyone we know except for you and he’s definitely going to want to keep his eye on
her. We just got lucky that he wanted to train her. Plus, it’s clear he has a crush on her. Not a sexual
one, that’s obvious, but he definitely likes her. Otherwise he wouldn’t allow her to be affectionate
with him, he’d treat her just as though it were you and I giving him that hug. He’d cut our balls off
and shove them down our throats.”

Harry had nodded his head slowly, trying to process his explanation. Since the wizarding world was
stuck in the dark ages, he supposed that it made sense. After all, who was he to judge who Hermione
was friends with as long as they treated her right? Moody certainly did.

Harry ate his fill at the table, knowing that it would be much later that night before they ate again. He
was sure that Kreacher would bring them food if Hermione asked but he would much rather be full
to begin with. He knew that Hermione was dreading returning to school, he was too truth be told.
Umbridge was still a problem and now that she had made Hermione’s hand scar permanently, it was
only going to get worse.

He really wasn’t sure what they were going to do in regards to Umbridge. He had sneaked into
Hermione’s room a few nights ago with Draco and talked with her about going ahead and turning
Umbridge in. He was sure that they had enough evidence to at least get her fired. Hermione had told
him no, not yet, and begged him to just stay out of detention. She wanted enough evidence to put the
bitch in Azkaban, not just get her fired. Of course, Harry assumed that it would mean her getting
more detentions on purpose but he hoped that he was wrong. He had vowed to get with Draco and
attack the crazy bitch if he saw Hermione doing just that.

Harry watched as Hermione, Juliet, and Draco all excused themselves from the table to go and make
sure that all their things were gathered and packed away for the trip back to Hogwarts. Of course,
Hermione would be sending hers with Kreacher but the others were going to send theirs like every
other kid going to school. Draco just said that his elves were always busy doing other things for him
so he could live with knowing that his luggage was traveling the peasants way. Juliet didn’t care
either way.

Hermione returned first, followed by Draco, only for Jules to bring up the rear. It had been decided
the night before that Uncle Lucius and Sirius would be the ones to deliver them to Platform 9 ¾ so
they were lined up to tell Aunt Cissy goodbye. Juliet went first and Harry could see that even though
the girl hadn’t grown up with her aunt, they still adored each other. After she was done with her
aunt, she moved to her mother and grandfather while Harry himself stepped forward. Aunt Cissy
smiled at him and tried to make his hair lay flat. He snorted, knowing full well that it was a lost
cause. She finally gave up and wrapped her arms around him.

“I want you to promise me that you’ll be careful this year; no needless adventures. With Umbridge
there, we can’t protect you as we normally could.” Harry pressed a kiss to her cheek and nodded,
smiling softly.

“I promise, Aunt Cissy. I’m going to be careful. I’ll miss you.” She stepped back and gave him a
smirk.

“Silly boy, trying to charm your aunt. It won’t work. However, I’ll miss you as well.” Harry burst
out in laughter and moved so Hermione could step forward.

Harry didn’t listen to the goodbyes between Hermione or Draco and Aunt Cissy; he supposed that
they deserved a level of privacy when they spoke to their loved ones. Once everyone had stepped
back, Sirius spoke aloud.

“Alright, we’re getting ready to leave. Everyone step forward and touch the belt please, it’ll portkey
us to Platform 9 ¾.” Harry followed everyone else as they stepped forward to grab hold of the belt
that his godfather had produced. With a wave of his wand, Sirius activated it and it jerked them out
of sight with a harsh hook around his navel.

They landed right in front of the Hogwarts Express. Students and parents alike filled the Platform
and the younger years were all begging their parents not to make them go back. Uncle Lucius and
Sirius raised eyebrows at each other at the sight but remained silent on the matter. Of course they
knew it was because of Umbridge and her Reign of Terror; they just couldn’t do anything about it.

Both had asked himself, Draco, and Hermione what was really going on at school; they already
knew from what Severus was telling them but they wanted to hear it first hand. Harry had wanted to
tell them exactly what was happening to Hermione at school but she had shot him a warning look
and sighed. It was clear that she was determined to continue to protect Severus; he didn’t blame her
but it was very frustrating that she was getting hurt and wanted it to continue. Harry just wanted the
old hag to keel over and die in her office. At this point, he didn’t give a fuck about exposing the
truth, he just wanted her gone.

The Weasleys were just a little ways down the Platform and it didn’t take a genius to see Molly
glaring at their family. When she caught him watching her, she gave a him a smile. Harry returned it
but turned his attention back to his family. Hermione was in her uncle’s arms and they were speaking
quietly while Draco was shaking Sirius’ hand as he wished him well. They both switched after
several minutes and Hermione was wrapped in her father’s arms. Once they separated, Harry stepped
up to his uncle and held out his hand. Uncle Lucius gripped it firmly and gave him a respectful nod.

“I know my niece all too well and know that when she is determined to do something, she’s going to
do it no matter what you do. I just ask that you do your best to keep her safe.” Harry gave him a nod,
agreeing wholeheartedly. That was exactly how Hermione was.

“I’ll do my best, sir. She means the world to me, the last thing I want to do is let harm come to her.”
Uncle Lucius leaned forward so he could whisper in his ear.

“I know she’s lying about her detentions. She thinks she hides the glamour on her hand very well. In
fact, she does. I’ve just always been able to see the spell. I’m not sure why she’s lying to everyone
and why you and my son are letting her, but I expect you to do all you can to stop her from getting
these detentions. She’s going to be Lady Black very soon so she needs to make her own decisions.
It’s very hard to sit back and do nothing. However, it makes me feel better knowing that you and
Draco will be there if she needs help.” Harry felt his stomach drop. All that lying and Uncle Lucius
knew anyways. He knew that his voice was unsteady when she spoke.

“Have you told Sirius or Severus?” Lucius pulled away and shook his head.

“No, their reactions can’t be trusted. While I want to rip that fucking bitch’s head off her shoulders
and feed it to a dragon, I am going to bide my time until Hermione has enough information against
her. Then, I’m going to do all I can to see her thrown in Azkaban. I just hope she knows what she’s
doing.” Harry nodded.

“Severus told her that if she ever hurt her, he would kill her. She knows he would do it and she can’t
bear to see him in Azkaban. Therefore, she’s hiding it. It’s beyond stupid but I understand her
reasons.” Uncle Lucius nodded, understanding clear in his eyes.

“Let her make her own decisions. Be there to help her if they blow up in her face.” Harry nodded
again.

“I promise, sir.” With that, Lucius stepped back and went silent. Harry moved to his godfather and
gave him a manly hug and laughing when the man ruffled his already unruly hair further.

“Be safe, pup. Be strong, don’t take any shite, and protect your family. They'll do the same for you. I
love you, kid.” Harry smiled at his godfather and ruffled his hair back. Sirius squawked in
indignation, mostly because his perfect hair was now mussed.

“I love you too. I’ll do my best to keep them safe. I always do.”

Nothing else needed to be said between Harry and his godfather. With a final wave from all of them,
they started for the Express and boarded. Hermione chose their compartment and once they were all
inside, they settled. Juliet was seated for all of two minutes before one of her friends knocked and
asked her to come sit with them for a little while. Hermione waved her on just as Neville and Luna
entered. Since she wasn’t allowed at Malfoy Manor, she had spent time with Neville and Lady
Longbottom at Longbottom Manor. The Longbottom betrothal ring rested on her finger just like it
had before but they seemed closer. His arm was around her waist and he pressed a kiss to her temple
after they were seated.

The Express took off shortly after, the twins joining them just before it pulled away. There had been
scowls on their faces but since they had just parted from their family, Harry wasn’t about to ask what
their problem was. Everyone was quiet and he wasn’t sure if it was because it was the end of their
vacation or if it was because they were returning to the Toad. Honestly, he thought that it was a
combination of both.

Hermione was seated next to him and was reading a thick book on who knew what. Draco and
Neville were playing chess while Luna and Daphne shared the newest fashion magazine from Paris.
The twins were napping against each other so that left Harry alone with his thoughts.

He had used his time over the holidays well in his plan of getting closer to Hermione. She had tested
him on his Spanish while he had helped her in the greenhouse to harvest potion ingredients for
Severus. They read together in the library and there had been one memorable time where she had
smarted off to him and he had taken her to the ground in laughter, tickling her sides. It had been
wonderful to see her laughing and carefree because of his actions rather than crying or upset.

There had been a few nights that she had fallen asleep against him in the library; on those nights, he
lifted her into his arms and carried her to bed himself. He knew that Kreacher, Sipsy, or Dot would
have been thrilled to take her but it made him feel closer to her. He would also admit only to himself
that she felt delicious in his arms. It was hard to ignore her scant weight and warmth pressed against
him, making it seem like everything was right in the world.

Much like this current moment. Hermione had been reading as she sat on the seat in their
compartment. She was now leaning heavily against his arm, drooling slightly. She was clearly asleep
and he wondered if she hadn’t slept well the night before. He knew that she was worried about
Umbridge and having to face her in detention again. However, she was also determined to see the
witch ran out of the castle. He was pretty sure that she wouldn’t have protested having the bitch’s
head on a stake.

Harry shifted her to where she was more comfortable. Her head was resting in his lap and Draco was
quick to reach down and pull her legs up so her feet could rest in his lap. Harry pulled her hair back
from her face and silently played with her curls behind her head so nobody could see what he was
doing. Her ebony strands were silky soft and curled around his fingers perfectly.
Harry lightly dozed as the train drew closer to Hogsmeade station. He heard scuffling and opened his
eyes to see that everyone was starting to stand. Harry reached down and gently shook Hermione’s
shoulders. Her eyes fluttered sleepily open and she smiled at him softly. Once she realized just where
she was laying, she sprang up and her cheeks flushed.

“I’m sorry, Harry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.” He reached out and tugged one of her curls.

“You were fine, Mia. If you hadn’t been I would have told you.” She gave him a shy nod and started
to stand herself, throwing her robes over her day robes. They were all getting ready to exit when she
spoke again.

“I can’t believe I slept most of the way. Now I probably won’t sleep tonight.” Harry kissed her
forehead.

“You’ve been stressed and we all know that you aren’t sleeping well at school. You sleep all you
can now.” She nodded and stepped off the train.

Since she was a prefect alongside Draco, they were required to help the younger years into carriages.
Harry, Neville, and the twins stayed with them so they could all ride together. Once they were
ensconced in the carriage, Harry recalled a similar ride that took them to Hogsmeade. Since they
were close to overloaded, Harry pulled her into his lap and settled her against him. It was dark but he
knew from experience that she was blushing. His arm settled around her back and rested on her hip,
holding her in place. After only a minute, she settled her head against his chest and relaxed against
him.

The carriage ride wasn’t very long, only ten minutes, but it was a wonderful ten minutes. He had
rested his cheek against her head and could smell the scent of cherry blossoms on her hair. After the
carriage came to a stop, he helped her stand. Since they were the closest to the door, Harry exited
first so he could help Hermione and Daphne out of the carriage. The sight of Hogwarts looming
above them used to be a lovely sight; however now, it reminded them that they were getting ready to
step back into hell.

-O-

Hermione was pulled up the steps that led to the Entrance Hall. Dread settled over her and she took a
deep breath. She was going to have to stay on her toes and do her best to stay away from Umbridge.
While she did want information to use against Umbridge, she didn’t want any further scarring on her
hand. Call her vain but she couldn’t change how she felt.

They entered the castle and since it was a Welcoming Feast, they were to sit at their house tables. It
had never been that way before but Umbridge had deemed it a rule when she all but took over the
castle. Harry squeezed her hand and pressed a quick kiss to her temple before he started for the
Gryffindor table. Even though she didn’t care for Ron, he would have a friend to sit with there. Of
course, this also meant that Luna had to sit with the Ravenclaws, the same girls who hated her. She
hoped that the rules would go back to normal if they got rid of Umbridge.

Hermione settled next to Draco while Daphne sat across from them. She knew that her cousin
planned to ask her best friend to let him court her soon; he had contacted Daphne’s father over
Christmas holidays to ask his permission. Gerald Greengrass had granted it happily and Hermione
could only hope that this meant that the Greengrass family had made their choice when it came to
which side they would serve in the upcoming war. It would kill her to lose her best girlfriend because
her parents chose to follow Voldemort.

Food appeared on the table after Dumbledore stood and welcomed them all back to school. She
knew that he had to notice the lack of response and laughter. Draco piled her plate high with food
even though the last thing she wanted to do was eat. She let her mind wander to the Christmas
holidays and how they had been so much better than last years. She had spent quite a lot of time with
Harry and they hadn’t argued at all. In fact, he had been very solicitous of her and it was more than
she had expected. Draco had told her that he was changing and she was starting to believe that
maybe it was real.

Umbridge was sitting at the High Table, smiling primly and dabbing at her mouth. She wondered if
they could get away with poisoning her tea but quickly dismissed the idea. Uncle Sev was a marked
Death Eater; he would be the first one that was a suspect. She couldn’t bear for him to go to
Azkaban, that’s the only reason she hadn’t let him follow through on his promise and tear the toad to
pieces.

She let her mind drift as she started to pick at her food. Hermione was still confused as to just why
Umbridge seemed to hate her as much as she did Harry. At least her hatred for Harry made sense.
She could only smile when she remembered the conversation with her father a few days after
Christmas.

*Flashback*

Hermione was settled on the couch in the library while the boys had gone outside to play quidditch
with Juliet. She had plans to go riding in just a short time with her Aunt Cissy but decided that she
wanted to question her father about Umbridge. He was reading a book and sipping a glass of
firewhiskey. She cleared her throat to get his attention and when he looked at her, he smiled.

“What’s wrong, poppet?” She looked at him curiously.

“Umbridge really hates me, daddy. I understand why she hates Harry; he’s telling everyone that
Voldemort is back and they can’t just come out and say that the godson of Lord Black is a liar. It’s
twisted but it makes sense. Why does she hate me? Aside from not wanting her Dark Lord to return,
I’m everything she finds ideal. Pureblood, heiress, powerful, Slytherin. She should love me. I just
don’t understand.” Her father stood and came to the couch she was seated on so he could sit next to
her and throw his arm around her shoulders. His eyes were soft and his voice was soothing.

“Umbridge hates you because of me. She’s six years younger than me, only a few years younger
than you dad. I don’t know if she even knew Reggie but I remember my father saying that she had
her father send a betrothal contract to him for your dad. He didn’t honor it, of course, since he was
already involved with your mother. However, when you were six or seven, she started working at
the Ministry. She would follow me everywhere and continuously tried to proposition me. I’m sure
that by now you know of my extracurricular activities in the muggle world. I stayed to women in the
muggle world because I didn’t want witches to get the idea that I was going to marry them.” He
paused and took another sip of whiskey before continuing.

“She propositioned me for years. I finally lost my temper and was quite terrible to her. I told her that I
would never have sex with her and that I would surely never marry her. I made her cry, of course,
but she left me alone after that. I truly thought that she would hate Juliet since she was born out of
wedlock but it seems that you’re bearing the brunt of her hatred. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for
that, sweetness.” Hermione leaned into her father’s side and smiled even though she knew the torture
was just going to continue.

“It isn’t your fault, daddy. You tried to be nice for years but she didn’t take the hint. Nobody can
make you sleep with someone when you really don’t want to.” Her father kissed the top of her head.

“If she gives you any hell, you let me know. I’ll do worse than make her cry this time.” Hermione
felt her stomach tighten in dread so she made sure to lie again about her punishments.

“I will, daddy.”

*End of Flashback*

There was soft conversation going on around her but she didn’t listen to any of it. Daphne was quiet
as well but she wasn’t sure what that was about. If she didn’t tell her what was wrong in a few days,
she would question her friend. Draco was laughing with Blaise and she couldn’t help but notice that
Vince and Greg hadn’t spoke to them for ages. The pair of them and Pansy spoke exclusively to
Theo now and she hoped that they would be smart enough to pull back from Voldemort when the
time came. She knew that all their fathers were marked Death Eaters.

Hermione waited until the meal was over and they had been dismissed to think about when she
would find the time with their new transformations. Professor Cat had told them that they would
have to transform quite often at first since it was a new talent but after their bodies got used to it, all
would be well and they could transform whenever they wanted. She still remembered the first time
they had transformed; their family had been blown away.

*Flashback*

Her father was standing firm against Professor McGonagall. She was determined to have them
transform in private but he was demanding that he be allowed to stay and help. After all, he was an
animagus and could help. Hermione didn’t blame him; she would want to be a part of it as well.
Finally Professor Cat had capitulated and let him stay. However, she put her foot down at Remus
and Uncle Luci staying as well.

Professor McGonagall handed them each a vial of potion with a serious look on her face. All three of
them waited for her instruction. With a sigh, she spoke.

“You’re going to take this potion and it’s going to force you into your animagus forms. Once you’re
transformed, you need to spend a few minutes adjusting. Afterwards, you must meditate like you did
when you were searching for your form to transform back.” Hermione gave her mentor a sure nod
and downed the potion. Harry and Draco followed suit, draining their vials as well.

Hermione felt herself start to get a little queasy but stayed strong. After a few moments, she started to
shrink down and her body started to rearrange itself. It was quite disconcerting. Once she stopped
changing, she looked down at the floor to see that instead of hands and feet, she was crouched on
four paws. Her ears could hear EVERYTHING and her sense of smell was much better too. She
took a tentative step and a thrill went through her as she felt the cold floor on the individual pads of
her paws.

Off to her side, Harry was already darting around the room in his fox form, clearly curious about
everything around him. Draco was hopping around as a falcon and she could tell just by looking at
him that he was itching to fly. Her breath caught when she saw him leap into the air and take off,
flapping his wings repeatedly. Hermione walked around in her form and sniffed everything. Finally,
Professor McGonagall held up a large mirror and she stepped up to admire herself.

Her fur was a darker grey and brown color with black and brown spots all over her body. She
looked to be three and half feet or so long but didn’t look to weigh more than fifty pounds. Her
canines were abnormally large but she had read that the clouded leopard had the longest canines in
respect to their body size. She didn’t get a chance to admire Draco or Harry before Professor
McGonagall took the mirror away and gave them a stern look.
“Alright, it’s time to change back. Remember what I said, center your mind and concentrate on
becoming human, the changes that will occur to make that happen.”

Hermione sat back on her haunches and centered her mind on changing back to her human form. It
only took her a few minutes to finally feel herself starting to transform. Much to her surprise, Harry
was the next to return to his human form, followed by Draco. They were all grinning broadly.
Professor Cat even graced them with a brilliant smile.

“Beautiful transformations! Very well-performed. The first time, you almost always have to have
help to transform back. It’s why it’s dangerous to do this by yourself.” Her father stepped forward
and hugged her tightly.

“You all did wonderful! I remember when James tried to change back for the first time and only
managed to get it halfway. He walked around with antlers until I finally managed to find the spell
that would change him back to normal.” Hermione shot Harry a glance and saw an amused smile on
his face.

“My dad really did that?” Her father laughed and nodded.

“We weren’t smart and didn’t get help. We did it all on our own. It was definitely an experience.
One that was incredibly stupid but I’ll never forget it.” Harry chuckled softly.

“Well, I’m glad I asked for help. I wouldn’t want to walk around with a fox tail until I was able to
figure out how to change it back.” Draco was grinning broadly at his success.

“I’m a freaking falcon.” Hermione laughed at his words, letting go of her father to go and hug her
cousin. After a kiss to his cheek, she grinned at him.

“You’re a freaking falcon.” He laughed at her as Professor McGonagall spoke again.

“Now, I’m assuming that the three of you are going to remain unregistered until after the war,
correct?” They all nodded so she continued.

“I must impress upon you all that nobody can know that you’ve completed your transformation. If
they know, they could turn you in. While you probably won’t suffer time in Azkaban, you will end
up with substantial fines and your reputations would suffer. I know that’s important in your circles.”
Hermione gave her a serious nod.

“We aren’t going to tell anyone. You’re the only one that knows that isn’t family.” She gave them a
reassured nod.

“Good to hear. Now, make sure you practice together so if you run into problems, the other can get
help to get you turned back. Do I have your word?” All three of them nodded.

They were finally animaguses.

*End of Flashback*

Hermione was sure to make sure that all the younger Slytherins were herded back to the common
room. Slytherin took care of themselves and she and Draco were going to make sure that their
smallest snakes didn’t end up in detention unless it was absolutely necessary. She had just ushered
them through the common room door when Umbridge herself appeared behind them.

“I see that you returned after the holidays. I really wasn’t sure that you would.” Hermione kept her
face impassive and she felt Draco step up beside her.
“I never back down, Professor. Rest assured, I was always going to return.” Something akin to
respect shined back at her in the awful toads eyes but Hermione didn’t care. She was pure evil. After
a moment, she gave Hermione a tight smile.

“I look forward to having you in class, Miss Black.” Without another word, she was gone with a
swish of robes. Hermione let out the breath that she had been holding. Draco slipped his hand in hers
and kissed the side of her head.

“Stay strong, Mia. We’re going to bring that bitch down.” Hermione nodded against him before
stepping into the common room.

It wasn’t that late but the room was mostly empty. She was sure that everyone was unpacking and
getting ready for bed since there were classes the next morning. Even though she had slept half the
day, Hermione still felt tired. She supposed that she should probably just go to bed since it was
entirely likely that she wouldn’t be getting much rest until Easter break. They planned to hit the D.A.
meetings hard now that Christmas was over.

Hermione bid her cousin good night and went up to her dormitory. Of course, Kreacher had come
back with her and had all her things unpacked like she liked. She grabbed her nightgown and headed
for the shower. She stripped quickly and hopped in, reveling in the hot water. She cleaned off
quickly and got out, ready for bed.

She climbed into bed and laid there, contemplating just how they were going to get rid of Umbridge.
She hoped that they would have more evidence than they did right now. It seemed that the other
students were forgetting to record when they got in trouble. It was highly frustrating. They had to
prove that the abuse was school-wide, not just against her and Harry.

Hermione glanced over to see that photo from the Malfoy New Year’s Eve ball on her nightstand. It
was a wonderful picture, one that she planned to treasure the rest of her life. Even though Hermione
had attended on Draco’s arm, she had danced with Harry numerous times, as well as the twins,
Neville, and Blaise. She had even danced with Bill and Charlie.

The photo was taken of everyone in her family; originally, it had started with just Hermione and her
friends. However, she had begged the adults to join them and it ended up being a hilarious photo.
Her father had his arms thrown around Helena and Uncle Sev; he had been able to be in the photo
since it was after the ball had ended. They were all laughing about a dirty joke her father had told.
Dory was under Remus’ arm and they were both standing beside Aunt Andie and Uncle Ted. Uncle
Luci had his arms around Aunt Cissy from behind, leaning down to kiss her cheek. Alexandre was
standing on the edge, laughing at everyone. Hermione was held in Harry’s arms bridal style while
Draco was trying to tickle her sides. Juliet was standing between the twins and they both had arms
thrown around her. Luna, once again not allowed to be at Malfoy Manor, was the only one missing.
It was a picture that she had to keep hidden with a glamour, it wouldn’t do for anyone to see how
close they were to Uncle Sev, but it would remain her favorite for years to come.

Hermione let her eyes fall closed and smiled to herself. It had been a great holiday but they were
back at Hogwarts and it was back to business. They had a toad to exterminate.

A/N- Kind of a shorty but hope you all liked it regardless. Just a chapter to go over their break
basically. Thanks to everyone out there for showing this story so much love, you guys are seriously
awesome. Anyways, let me know what you guys think.

Next chapter, trip to Hogsmeade.

Love,
Alicia

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