A/N: The "What if Hermione was a Pureblood" story. I'm kind of excited! I do love hypothetical situations. Especially when they're the gateway to Dramione. Thank you for reading.
Disclaimer: As my love of Dramione probably attests, I am not J. K. Rowling. Therefore, I own nothing. Thanks for bringing down my day, FanFiction.
Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave
Happiness. It flooded my whole being as I sat on my bed at my home. It was the summer after the defeat of Lord Voldemort. In one week, I would be going back to school to repeat my seventh year. Why was I deliriously happy? The letter I was holding in my hands.
It was from Ron. I had missed him over the summer. Our relationship was uncertain at best. Sure, we had that whole destroy-the-Horcrux-save-the-world-kiss-me-we-almost-died moment. I really liked Ron, and I was pretty sure that he liked me; we just hadn't talked about it yet. Ron never really saw the need to discuss things like feelings and relationships. That's why this letter was revolutionary.
I had to read past all the awkward bits, and the pointless stories, but just before the end of the letter was the sentence I had been waiting for. He had asked me if I would be his girlfriend!
It wasn't quite what I had pictured, really. I had dreamed of something a bit more romantic. Obviously, the letter was far from perfect. But isn't that why I loved Ron? His imperfections? Except the way he ate. Or the way he never seemed to properly value studying. But all that was beside the point. The point was he had finally asked me to be his girlfriend! I was too excited to write a reply. I had to show my mother. She knew I was close friends with Ron, and I knew she'd be happy for me.
"Mum!" I yelled, darting into the kitchen. "Mum! I've got the most exciting news!"
My mother looked up expectantly from her tea. I took this as a sign to continue.
"Mum, the greatest thing's just happened! I've only just received the letter!" I said waving the letter for emphasis.
"That's wonderful, Darling. Are you going to tell me what it is?" My mother asked with a smile.
"Right. Well, it's Ron. He's just written me. Mum, he's asked me to be his girlfriend!" My mother's face lost all color. Her eyes registered a mixture of horror and shock. Needless to say, I did not see that reaction coming.
"Mum? What's wrong? You'll love Ron. I promise. Mum?" I was getting worried. My mother fiddled idly with her blue china tea cup.
"Hermione, there's a . . . complication. I'm afraid you can't date Ron." My mother's eyes were avoiding my gaze. My parents had never enforced a 'no dating' rule before and now was hardly a good time to start. I was almost 18, for Merlin's sake.
"Why?" I voiced my confusion. My mother's gaze was fixated on something outside the window that she was facing. The sunlight streamed in through the pretty yellow curtains. As it hit my mother's face, I was suddenly struck by how old she looked. Fear started creeping up my spine.
"You'd be in violation of your contract," she whispered. I couldn't think clearly enough to form a question; I just bored one into my mother with my eyes. Why on earth would my love life be under the regulation of a contract?
"Mum. What are you talking about?" I sat down. I couldn't breathe. My heart was thudding painfully in my chest.
"Hermione, your father and I have not been completely honest with you," Mum began. I looked into her brown eyes, so very much like my own.
"Which is to say the both of you have been lying to me?" I quickly accused. My mother's face fell. Calling her a liar was not the nicest thing I've ever done, but she raised her head to continue.
"Hermione, just before you were born the world was experiencing dark and trying times. Everyone was afraid of You-Know-Who. He was still at large. Harry had yet to defeat him." My jaw dropped. My mother knew the background of the defeat of Lord Voldemort? The woman had obviously done more than told me a few simple lies. She had created an alternate reality. One she had not deemed fit to tell me about.
I shot her a glance. She continued awkwardly; her hands still toying with her tea cup.
"Darling, your father and I are wizards. Purebloods, at that," she added, her voice tinged with pride. "But when we refused to join You-Know-Who, we had to flee. We erased our memory from most of the Wizarding world and gave our location to a Secret Keeper— your old Headmaster, Dumbledore. When he died so did the secret of our whereabouts. A few families still know we exist; they just don't know where," Mum explained.
This was more than I could bear. Everything I had known was a lie. Everything in my life that I had I prided myself on didn't actually exist. I had loved the fact that I was a Muggle-born; it had always been a boasting point for me. It had all been a lie. I was in shock. But one single question wouldn't leave me alone.
"Why is dating Ron a violation of my contract?" I was scared of the answer. My mother bit her lip and swallowed.
"You've of course heard of Unbreakable Vows?" At my nod she continued. "Well, we made a Vow with a Wizarding family, who was very close to us, but who was also close to You-Know-Who, that if they would keep from Voldemort that we were alive, our soon-to-be daughter would marry their son. Assuming they had one, of course. They were sure that they would. Said their family always had first-born sons." My mother seemed to be talking to herself. The apprehension iced my stomach. I was sure of three things. My parents were liars. I was a pureblood. I was betrothed.
"Mother. Who am I to marry?" I said through gritted teeth. To think that a look of actual embarrassment crossed her face! She dropped her gaze and mumbled. It was so quiet that I barely heard her. Looking back, I wish that I hadn't.
"Draco Malfoy." My life was over.
