Misery Loves Company - Misery Loves Me
Summary: "Where are your parents?"
"You mean the people I thought were my parents my entire life but as it turns out they're just a random couple my real parents dumped me on so I wouldn't become Voldemort's breeding cow for the most ancient and purest of all wizarding bloodlines of all time?"
"Yes, those people. Where are they?"
After the defeat of Voldemort during the summer before her seventh year at Hogwarts Hermione is drifting away from Harry and Ron who seem more concerned with their girlfriends and life after the war than with keeping in touch with the third member of the Golden Trio. On top of that Hermione learns that she is actually the heiress to an ancient bloodline and all of a sudden her inner circle is comprised of Malfoys and Ackleys (OC). Her life as a Muggleborn seems to be just a dream as she's taught to be a pureblood heiress by none other than Narcissa Malfoy and she finds herself in the most peculiar of love stories, trying to differentiate between ferret-faced jerks and dark-haired charmers.
Author's Note: A few things to know: this is AU after the Order of the Phoenix BUT the general storyline from Book 6 is the same with a few (serious) differences: Draco did try to kill Dumbledore but the Headmaster was given enough time to convince him that he could help and so Draco switched sides. So in this story Dumbledore is still alive and well, currently still holding his position as Headmaster of Hogwarts. Snape is still alive and still holding the Defense Against the Dark Arts position (as Slughorn agreed to return as Potions Prof again). Also, Fred is alive (because I love him and am so pissed JKR killed him off for the hell of it) also, Hedwig and Dobby are alive too because I love 'em. Actually, now that I think about it, Lupin and Tonks should be alive too. Muwahahaha just waving my wand and bringing them all back to life! This is my perfect Harry Potter utopia...kind of, I won't bring back Sirius...although I miss him. Basically I completely disregarded Book 7...
Anyway, this story is inspired by Pride and Prejudice which isn't truly noticeable until much later.
This is my take on the PurebloodHermione theme as well as HeadGirlHermione/ HeadBoyDraco theme. Gotta love those classics!
Enjoy!
I DO NOT own Harry Potter.
CHAPTER 1
My Roots Have Grown But I Don't Know Where They Are
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour, comment allez-vous?"
"Bien, et tu?"
"Bien, merci. Comment puis-je vous aider?"
Hermione Granger smiled at the shopkeeper and ordered a pastry along with a cup of coffee. The sweet smell of the café filled her nose as she waited, her eyes fixed on a scratch on the counter. The shopkeeper sidled back breaking her out of her glazed stare and sliding her breakfast towards her. She paid and made her way onto the patio outside the café where numerous tables were set up. Choosing a seat facing the shops lining the cobblestone street, Hermione settled into her pastry.
The sunlight warmed the day and the air was crisp with the freshness of summer.
All around her wizards and witches were bustling around in Wizarding Paris.
Hermione watched as parents hustled their children along, undoubtedly keen to get their summer shopping over with before the start of a new term. Of course, unlike Hermione, these children were most likely attending Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. Hermione, herself, had already completed her shopping for her last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy.
Hermione's own parents were getting in some last minute shopping of their own in Muggle Paris leaving Hermione to her own devices.
This gave Hermione ample time to reflect over the happenings of the last term of her sixth year and the first half of her summer.
And reflect she did for Lord Voldemort had finally been defeated by her best friend, Harry Potter.
The defeat of the most powerful Dark Wizard of all time wasn't what made Hermione's stomach clench or her nerves to torment her mind. It was more due to the fact that neither of Hermione's best friends, Harry or Ron Weasley, had responded much to her letters. So much so that she had stopped writing them.
It was pathetic of her, and she would never admit it aloud to anyone that she was having such petty thoughts. Voldemort had finally been defeated and all she could think about was some teenage drama.
Of course she understood that their time was being taken up with the numerous ceremonies and celebrations being thrown in their honor, especially Harry's. They were being thrown in her honor as well but Hermione had become sick of the attention by the first week of Voldemort's defeat.
She knew Harry and Ron had other things vying for their attention as well, or more accurately, other people. Even more accurately, other girls.
Harry was dating Ginny Weasley and Ron was dating Lavender Brown.
Hermione was happy for Harry and Ginny. She always knew they'd eventually find their way to each other.
Ron, on the other hand, was a surprise.
Hermione had always imagined he would end up with someone entirely different from Lavender Brown. Gossipy, girly, ditzy Lavender Brown.
Hermione crossed her arms irritably at the thought.
She had always assumed she and Ron would end up together. She was even sure the entire world was waiting for she and Ron to end up together. Hermione had been shocked when she had first admitted this to herself, that she actually wanted to be the one with Ron instead of Lavender. By now she was becoming bitter and hurt beyond compare.
Ron had started dating Lavender Brown despite the fact she, Hermione, and he, Ron, were making moves, slight, subtle and very miniscule, but moves all the same, towards each other.
Hermione had even offered to take him to the Christmas Party during their sixth year arranged by Professor Horace Slughorn. She thought things were moving along quite positively until the night Ron had been outstanding as Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Everything had been wonderful until she saw Lavender Brown throw herself on Ron and start snogging him senseless.
Ron hadn't even tried to push her off.
From then on they were attached to the hips, or lips, however you wanted to look at it.
What was Hermione to do then? Harry tried to keep the peace but eventually his attentions were taken up with Ginny. He had finally gathered up enough nerves to make a move and he and Ginny had started dating almost instantaneously. This new development unsurprisingly caused Harry to forget Hermione's plight in favor of more pleasurable activities.
It was like some sort of plague had washed over the sixth years; everyone was snogging! Everyone except Hermione.
Not that she wanted to snog anyone, mind you.
She had her fair share of snogging in fourth year when Victor Krum had shown an interest in her and then again last year when Cormac McLaggen had gotten his grimy hands on her. Of course she did encourage McLaggen for a time to get Ron's attention. It worked for a little while until McLaggen decided to take it one step further and she had broken it off. And to Hermione's great chagrin Ron's full attention had gone back to Lavender.
Frankly, she didn't understand boys!
On top of all of her personal drama Draco Malfoy attempted to kill Albus Dumbledore! Bigoted, self-righteous, arrogant, spoilt, Draco Malfoy tried to off Hogwart's greatest Headmaster!
Fortunately, Professor Dumbledore was able to convince Malfoy that the Order of the Phoenix would be able to protect he and his mother, Narcissa Malfoy. These events are what triggered the war to its end. With Draco's help Dumbledore was able to aid Harry in defeating Lord Voldemort once and for all.
To put it lightly, Hermione's sixth year at Hogwarts was stressful. Unfortunately, it didn't stop there.
Under the pretense of a well-deserved break Hermione's parents had whisked her off to Paris despite her protests. She wanted to spend the summer with the Weasleys at The Burrow where many of the Order members met up frequently to celebrate the end of the war.
With much persuading Hermione's parents convinced Hermione she needed this break away from the Wizarding World. She needed this break to just be a teenager, not a war heroine.
Truthfully, she didn't feel like a war heroine.
She had seen too much and experienced too much to feel like a hero of anything.
So, she eventually welcomed this break and silently hoped it would help mend her sanity.
She just wanted her books and her classes and she wanted to forget!
In the back of her mind Hermione knew a deep depression was slinking its way into the forefront and she just felt too tired to do anything about it. She didn't want to think about anything anymore. She wished she had the ability to just shed her body for a little while, float in an abyss where nothing could touch her. Just soothe her mind into oblivion and feel nothing, no thoughts, no worries, no expectations, nothing.
Despite everything she had been through with the war and the fact that her best friends didn't remember her outside their own little world, Hermione knew this mood she found herself in was the result of something entirely different and entirely her own.
Hermione closed her eyes not wanting to think about it. She was trying to relax and as always her thoughts were riling her up. It was typical Hermione, trying not to think usually led to more thoughts and more thinking until her head was pounding and she just wanted to extract all of her thoughts and leave them in a pensieve locked away somewhere until she was ready to face them.
She leaned back in her chair, tying her bushy brown hair into a thick messy bun atop her head. A dull ache was beating a tempo behind her eyes and she really wished she had taken up meditation.
She blinked at the sunlight streaming through the clouds as she inhaled the scent of her coffee hoping it would soothe her frazzled nerves.
She sighed, her honey brown eyes running over the crowds of people going about their day as she willed her mind to go blank.
And just at that moment a flash of blond caught Hermione's attention and she turned in confusion.
She did not expect, of all people, to find Draco Malfoy in Paris a week before school started.
She had expected he and his family to be milking the media for all it was worth. Despite Lucius Malfoy's big role as Voldemort's follower, and the fact that his son had tried to kill Dumbledore, the Malfoy family really redeemed themselves. First with Draco's help with relaying everything he knew to Dumbledore and then father, mother, and son fighting valiantly at the last battle. They defeated a great number of Death Eaters and other dark followers. Draco even saved Ron's life at one point, knocking a Death Eater back who was about to deliver the Killing Curse on the redhead.
He became one of the many War Heroes celebrated at the numerous Ministry approved ceremonies.
Hermione wondered that perhaps he and his family needed to get away from it all too.
She watched him run his hand through his blond hair as he passed a group of well-dressed girls, giggling into their hands and sneaking glances at him. He still seemed confident and proud.
Hermione felt her mind erratically going through the memories of the war, this time centered on Malfoy.
Malfoy at a reclaimed Grimmauld Place, sitting in a dark corner alone as the house filled with Weasleys, Gryffindors, and Order members. Fighting with Ron, his snark comments flowing from his mouth as if on instinct, as if it were a self-defense mechanism. Glaring at everyone, faltering only when Mrs. Weasley turned her kind, motherly eyes on him.
It was a slow process but Malfoy started to transition into the side of "good". After his many sessions with Dumbledore and countless letters from his mother, who was safely hidden away somewhere even he didn't know, he started to let his guard down. His snark comments turned into dry jokes, usually at the expense of Ron but there was an air of good humor that even Ron's hot-headedness didn't flare up at so seriously like he used to.
He was very polite to Molly and Arthur, laughed at the twin's jokes and pranks, and he even started conversing with Harry. Those conversations started out awkward, filled with long silences, and were only filled in with one or two words from both parties but eventually both boys allowed a shaky friendship to form. There were many times when Hermione entered the common area, with the moth-eaten furniture and moldy carpet, to find Malfoy sitting with Harry and Ron playing a game of wizard's chess with one of them or watching silently.
He never acknowledged her.
And Hermione made herself believe that it was because he had more to relate to with Harry and Ron because they were boys. There wasn't much he could talk about with her.
She never let her mind settle on the fact that he still held a prejudice about her blood. That he couldn't just let it go. That she was a Muggle-born and that was okay.
But there was always that niggling feeling in the back of her mind, when he didn't even try to tease or taunt her, never even made fun of her once, that he just couldn't bring himself to befriend a Mudblood.
And it confused her, made her think that either his hate for her had reached a peak and he never wanted to ever look at her again or she was such an unimportant nothing to him that he couldn't even be bothered to hate her or tolerate her presence. He just pretended she wasn't there and she still couldn't decipher which was worse!
As she thought more and more on it she realized there was also one other option and that was he just didn't like her as a person. This was what hurt more than she expected and so she locked it away, ignored it. Letting herself think on it just led to more depressing thoughts like maybe there was something wrong with her otherwise Harry and Ron would have sought her out more and not just for her brains. Back during those times in Grimmauld Place she couldn't let herself be affected so she just lugged her books to a vacant chair and buried her nose into it. If he never wanted to acknowledge her presence, so be it. She wasn't going to stand there and scream in his face until he looked up and realized she existed.
She had contented herself with her best friends and that had been enough for her even if they never did notice the awkward emptiness between her and Malfoy, even when they abandoned her company for their girlfriends. Even when they had stopped asking for her help so much.
Now, with the war over, her traitorous mind couldn't stop from wandering over that last option, dissecting it and analyzing it until it became almost-truth in her. It's stressful and depressing and Hermione really wished she'd taken up meditation.
Sighing deeply, she watched Draco Malfoy for a little while more until he disappeared around a corner, a shop for fashionable witches's robes blocking her view.
Then her senses sharpened when a shadow fell over her table and she looked up quickly before sighing in exasperation.
Here, standing above her table, was the reason for all her current worries and stress.
"How did you find me?"
"Easily."
Hermione watched the young man smile tenderly at her before pulling out the chair opposite her, its legs scraping against the cobblestone.
He sat down, crossing his legs in that elegant way men do and still he smiled at her.
Hermione watched him as she fought down her annoyance, "Care to elaborate?"
His light brown eyes sparkled mischievously, "Of course not."
Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation before taking another sip of her coffee because she didn't know what else to do.
Ladon Lamoureux was the true reason Hermione's parents insisted on taking their daughter to France right after the defeat of Voldemort.
He made her uncomfortable because Ladon Lamoureux was Hermione's older brother. Her long-lost older brother to be more precise. Or was Hermione the long-lost sister?
Either way, Hermione's entire life was turned upside down by the introduction of Ladon Lamoureux into her life.
If Hermione wasn't living in a waking dream then Ladon and Hermione's parents, her true parents, died after Hermione was born. More specifically they were murdered by Voldemort after Hermione was born.
The Lamoureux bloodline is an ancient wizarding family, older than the Malfoys, the Blacks, and most other pure-bloodlines. The Lamoureux bloodline rivaled the 'ancientness' of the Gaunts. Yes, Gaunt as in Voldemort's ancestors. Gaunt as in Slytherin's descendants.
Unlike the Gaunts, however, Hermione's Lamoureux ancestors did not practice dark magic nor revere it. They fought for the good.
Although this did come to (more than) a shock to Hermione, what shocked her more was that when Voldemort was at the height of his power he sought out Hermione's parents when word spread that her mother was pregnant again. If her mother gave birth to a girl (which she did) then he would take the newborn to cultivate her into his follower. From there he would breed the purest of all bloodlines bringing together the bloodlines of Gaunt and Lamoureux. Of course it didn't occur to him that he wasn't pure because he was a half-blood and would therein be contaminating the Lamoureux bloodline, if there ever was such a thing as 'bloodline contamination' which Hermione believed there wasn't.
When Hermione's parents learnt that they were going to have a girl they went into hiding. When Hermione was born word reached them that Voldemort was out for their blood. Fearing for their newborn daughter's life they entrusted Hermione to a Squib who was married to a Muggle. The couple were unable to have children and were both at the time employed by Hermione's true parents so they had little objection.
Being extra careful, Hermione's parents modified the Squib and his wife's memories so they believed themselves to be Hermione's true parents. The Squib had no memory of the wizarding world and his wife believed she was married to a perfectly normal non-magical person. They both became dentists in England. What could be more normal than dentistry?
When Voldemort finally found Hermione's parents they had just sent six-year-old Ladon to hide with a trusted friend of theirs in England. Voldemort killed Hermione's true parents in his anger and that was the end of the Lamoureux bloodline as far as he was concerned. He didn't give a second thought to Ladon because not soon after Voldemort tried to kill an innocent baby boy by the name of Harry Potter, thus rendering himself useless for years to come.
When Ladon got in contact with Hermione's acting parents after the defeat of Voldemort he remodified their memories, which is dangerous in itself, and restored the truth to their minds. It could have driven them mad but Ladon was a sort of prodigy with memory charms and they had come to no harm, if not a bit of shock.
If truth be told Hermione was still in a bit of shock herself, falling ever so slightly more into depression.
She was staring at Ladon over the rim of her coffee mug.
When he wouldn't break eye contact she looked away.
"Where are your parents?"
Hermione's eyes flicked back to Ladon.
"You mean the people I thought were my parents my entire life but as it turns out they're just a random couple my real parents dumped me on so I wouldn't become Voldemort's breeding cow for the most ancient and purest of all wizarding bloodlines of all time?"
Hermione noticed Ladon's smile become a little strained but refused to tamp down on the anger bubbling up inside her. Anger was good. She knew heart-wrenching agony was right below that anger and so she hung on to it for dear life.
"Yes, those people. Where are they?"
Hermione shrugged.
"Shopping. In Muggle Paris."
Ladon nodded but didn't say anything for a while.
"Mon trésor, I know it is all hard to grasp but just imagine-"
"Why do you call me that?"
Ladon's calm expression at Hermione's rude interruption only seemed to fuel her anger more.
"Because that is what you are, my treasure. My little sister."
Hermione shook her head, "I'm not though! Only by blood I'm related to you, if your insane story is to be believed! But as far as I'm concerned, I am an only child!"
Ladon smile sadly.
"And as far as I'm concerned, you always have been and always will be mon trésor."
Hermione fought down an uncharacteristic growl and slammed her coffee mug onto the table, the half-full contents sloshing violently over the rim.
"I don't get it!" Hermione stated harshly.
"What don't you get?"
His patience made Hermione's eyes flash in anger again but then as if all of it were sucked out of her in an instant she slumped in her chair.
"Why me?"
Her eyes burned but she swallowed and blinked rapidly. There was no way she was going to start crying now.
Where was her anger? She couldn't possibly think of what would happen if she lost that sweet anger.
"It has nothing to do with you actually."
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise at his answer and she looked up quickly.
Ladon looked tired and resigned but he still managed a crooked smile.
"It has everything to do with a madman too drunk on power and too keen on destroying people's lives. How many people do you think he affected horribly and are saying the exact same things you are? Why them? Why you? Why me? When truthfully we are all just us trying to live our lives the best we can when this crazed monster threw it off course. The only thing you can do is live your life no matter what is thrown at you. You have the power to pull it back on course, you have the power to mold it into happiness or destruction. Take your pick."
He reached over and patted Hermione's hand that was clenched into a fist on the table. Then he slid his chair back and stood swiftly.
Hermione blinked rapidly, her anger ebbing away at his words.
"W-Where are you going?"
This time Ladon gave her another tender smile that warmed his honey-colored eyes that mirrored her own.
"I'm actually supposed to be meeting an old friend right about now. I'll see you back home." He winked and then he was striding off into the crowded cobblestone street.
Not too long after he disappeared around a corner and Hermione lost sight of him.
Home.
Is that what she was supposed to consider the gigantic Lamoureux Estate? It was situated in the French countryside and it was so unbelievably vast that her mind could not quite grasp that it was all hers. Hers to share with Ladon, of course, but hers nonetheless.
Ladon kept it well-attended by about thirty house-elves. Hermione was still learning all of their names. When she had first discovered that the estate she was supposed to have inherited was taken care of by enslaved house-elves she, to put it lightly, had a fit! She had insisted they were to be freed that instant. Ladon had tried to explain that she was causing them great distress at the mention of freedom and that their entire lineage was intertwined with the Lamoureux bloodline. Ignoring this Hermione kept trying to give them clothes which had caused each one of them to burst into tears and fall to their knees begging for her to forgive them! As if they had done something wrong! Confused and taken aback Hermione had ceased her attempts at freeing the Lamoureax house-elves, just so they would stop being so distraught. She had also noticed Ladon never mistreated them so she had grudgingly left them alone. Instead, she contented herself with giving them proper 'attire'. She bought them fancy silk pillowcases and embroidered towels to wear instead of the old rags they had been wearing before. Their happiness and exuberation had settled her guilt, atleast for now. Until she was able to find a way to free them without causing emotional breakdowns.
Despite her passion for freeing the house-elves Hermione couldn't help the smile that spread her lips at the memory of their gratefulness to her.
That smile soon faded as the thought of her brother flitted across her mind again.
Sighing, Hermione slid back her chair before heading back to Muggle Paris to find her parents, guardians, whatever they were. But Hermione knew that no matter what title they held in her life, they were hers. If nothing else they were still hers.
There it is, the first chapter to my new story. I do love my OC's and there will be a few more of them next chapter. The Pride and Prejudice theme will be hinted at next chapter as well.
Chapter title comes from The Head and the Heart "Cats and Dogs"
Please leave a review letting me know how you like it so far.
Thanks for reading! 3