AN: Just a freakin' reminder to you people, I don't own Harry Potter or anything even remotely related to it. This takes place after HBP but Dumbledore doesn't die and Malfoy isn't involved yadda, yadda, yadda. Oh and one more thing, all of these song quotes I use at the beginning of the chapters are typically from sound tracks that I own, which means I don't have the words to them sitting in front of me. I have to listen to the songs over and over again to get the words. So if I get them wrong please correct me.

Thanks – Mirioux

Sympathy

Stranger than you sympathy,

This is my apology

I'm killing myself from the inside out

And all my fears have pushed you out

I wish for things that I don't need

All I wanted

And what I chase won't set me free

All I wanted…

News

Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley, and Harry Potter sat in the train compartment silently on their way back to London. They had just finished their sixth year (well, Ginny finished her fifth year) at Hogwarts school of witch craft and wizardry, and they were sad to have only a few hours left before they would say good bye for the summer to each other.

Hermione's parents had sent her a letter the last week of the term, telling her that she would be undergoing quite a few changes this summer. Her parents had written that they had a lot of things to explain to her before beginning her seventh and final year of school. She had a sinking feeling as she read and re-read the letter every day that week. She had read it at least fifty times not counting all the times she had read it since the start of the trip home.

The silence didn't last nearly long enough between the foursome for Hermione, but knowing Ron and Ginny they just wouldn't be able to stand the silence or help but talk. "Hermione, why so sad," Ron wondered casually throwing his arm across the shoulders that he had been secretly and hopelessly in love with for the past six years now.

"I'm not sad, I've just had a lot on my mind lately, I'm not quite sure why though." She lied. She knew exactly what was troubling her mind, but she hadn't told her three friends about the letter she received from home. She didn't want them wasting their time worrying about the issues she would have to deal with at home. She sighed and began to stare out the window, watching the scenery wiz by, not registering the rest of the conversation that was going on between her friends.

Nearly four hours later, Hermione was snapped out of her trance-like state and back to reality by Ginny shaking her shoulders, "Hermione, we're here." She whispered.

She looked at her friend and nodded as she stood up and began to follow suit by filing out of the train in the massive sea of student cramped into the corridor of the train, "So, we'll see you in August then Hermione?" Ron called as they stepped on to the platform and went their separate ways.

"We'll see I guess, I will write to you to let you know what happens to me this summer!" She answered, 'No hugs this year, not even from Harry or Ginny, maybe things really do need to change for me.' She thought dragging her trolley over to her parents miserably.

Her Mother Jane and her Father Bryan hugged her and guided her out to their car "So, are you ready for the summer dear?" Jane wondered with a look of excitement on her face.

"Oh, yeah, of course mum, can't wait to start having fun!" Hermione giggled in the most fake tone she had ever heard uttered from her mouth, not fooling either one of her parents even for a moment.

"Look dear, I know in the letter we told you a lot of things would change, but that doesn't mean that it won't be fun, or for the better. Give us a chance before you try to drown yourself in misery and self-pity." Bryan patted her shoulder as they entered the car.

'Misery, Self-pity, what the hell was that all about? It's going to be a long summer if that's what they think this is.' Hermione found herself thinking, pretending to listen to what her parents had to say about the 'fun' summer they were going to have.

When they arrived at the Granger residence, Hermione let out a small sigh of relief, finally, the end to the pointless banter of her Muggle parents. "Hermione, before you go up to your room to unpack we do need to tell you a few things that we talked about in the letter." Jane told her as Hermione mounted the staircase. She turned on her heel and made her way to the couch across from where her parents were currently seated.

"First of all, we want you to understand that we never intended to keep the truth from you in this matter for so long, we just didn't want you to be completely devastated." Bryan assured her, "But we feel that now you are old enough to handle knowing that you are adopted as an adult,"

'That explains a lot.' She thought as she nodded her head in response, she wasn't angry, or sad, or even happy, she wasn't sure how she was going to feel about this.

"The second thing is that your parents were witch and wizard, we don't know much else about them, they passed on right after your birth, but they left us a letter explaining a few things." Jane continued to explain.

"So, that might explain why I'm the top ranked witch in my class then…" Hermione realized. This came as a slight shock to her; she was no longer a 'mud blood' as the foul Draco Malfoy would refer to her as.

"They third thing is that your birth parents signed a binding magical contract betrothing you to the son of a family friend, this agreement was made even before you were born. You two will be meeting in August, which was one of the main reasons for the letter so close to the end of the term." Bryan commented.

"Oh…but I thought that only pureblood wizarding families did that…oh bloody hell…" She gasped; there was not a doubt in her mind that she was pureblooded now. 'So now I have to get married to some one I don't even know, let alone know if I'll like…but if he turns out to be prince charming, things could go wonderfully…' she thought happily looking on the bright side of her new situation.

"That last bit was too much too soon wasn't it dear?" Jane wondered a worried look spread over her face.

"No, no, I'm glad that you guys told me mum, it's just a little bit shocking that's all. It's not every day that you get such exciting news as this." She smiled contently; she finally knew why life at Hogwarts seemed so natural to her.

"The last thing is that we will soon be moving into the Wizarding world, to ease your transition into your engagement." Bryan sighed slightly.

"Are you all right with all of this sweet heart?" Jane asked.

"Uh, yeah, I think so. I always kind of knew in my heart that I was adopted, but who could ask for better parents? I'm happy to know that I'm from a wizarding family, but I still love you because you are the parents I've always wanted." Hermione told them, "Will I still be able to see Ron, Ginny, and Harry at the Burrow?" She wondered looking down at the floor for a moment.

"Of course Hermione, however, we did arrange a special birthday slash engagement party for you to meet your fiancé, but that of course is before your customary visit to your friends house."

"Do you know his name…my fiancé's?"

"I'm afraid we aren't supposed to release that information. You will know him when you see him though," Bryan hesitated, he hated holding such things from her, "you should write to him though, his parents sent an owl here today as a way for the two of you to communicate and get to know each other a little. Now, you should go upstairs and get some rest."

"Good night Mum and Daddy." Hermione said hugging her parents and rushing to her room where a giant Eagle Owl sat perched on her window sill. There was a letter attached to the Owl's leg, it read:

To My Beloved,

This owl's name is Denali, she was sent to you as a personal correspondence messenger. She knows you, and she knows me and will send letters only between the two of us. I look forward to meeting you in August.

Only yours for all eternity,

The Lone Dragon

"So your name's Denali then," Hermione questioned the owl, stroking her head.

The owl hooted softly and hopped onto Hermione's arm, nuzzling her head into Hermione's hand. Hermione laughed and hung Denali's cage from a hook, "we'll have to buy a perch for you, so you won't be stuck in that bloody cramped cage all summer."

As soon as Hermione opened Denali's cage door the owl flapped effortlessly in and settled her self down in the cage. Hermione decided to leave the door to the cage and her bedroom window open in case Denali needed to do any hunting.

Hermione changed into her pajamas and climbed into her bed. She turned on her bedside lamp and yawned slightly, as she opened the book that she had been reading last summer. Within a half hour she was nodding off and finally decided it was time for her to actually go to sleep. As her head hit the pillow and her heavy eye lids dropped she was sent straight to her favorite dream.