Inferno
A/N : What if Hogwarts didn't accept muggle-borns? Hermione learns about the Wizarding world a bit harder than we would have hoped. Wizarding war #1 happened, but the HP timeline does not exist in this world. Posting this on here and as it's own story! Just wanted to continue the storybook feel of this.
On a chilling New Year's Eve, shuffling along a deserted road, Hermione kept her head ducked and her hands cupped together, protecting the flame from the brutal winds that came only from England. She tried her hardest to get people to let her spend the night in this weather, but not many people were very understanding when it comes to an orphan knocking on their door for food and a place to sleep.
No one wanted to help her. Most importantly, they didn't want anything to do with her gift. Called her wicked, evil, a witch. The latter didn't bother her though; it only helped her create a story in her mind that got her through the days where her stomach clenched in hunger or she nights where she couldn't find warmth.
Pausing, she closed her eyes and bright fire danced behind her lids, attempting to spark a long forgotten memory. Shivering, she casted the thoughts out of her mind. No. Don't think about it. Move on. Glancing up, Her eyes widened in surprised when she spotted lights in the distance; Rubbing her eyes, she looked again to make sure she wasn't hallucinating from the hunger. No, it was a mansion sitting on a hill.
Staggering her way up to the gates, she kept the flame close to her body, fighting away the chill of the winter season and the cold settling into her bare feet. C'mon Hermione, you can do it. Hold on a bit longer. Hope that they'll let you stay. She heard a voice whisper in her mind, as she panted with exertion using the energy she didn't have.
Sitting in the mansion on top of that steep hill, Narcissa Malfoy sat poised in front of the raging fire, sipping her wine and smiling indulgently as she watched her 7 year old son play with his toys that he received just that Yule. Her gaze flickered to her stoic husband as he pretended not to be interested in his Draco's yells of joy and laughter, his own eyes twinkling with mischief. She knew he was holding out a gift on him, a gift that she knew she didn't approve of, more importantly, a broom. But boys will be boys and she loved hers dearly so.
Setting down her wine glass gently, she tilted her head slightly and made eye contact with her husband, Lucius, above her son's head. Just as he stood up to cross over to her, their magical instincts tingled with the Malfoy blood wards letting them know someone had just crossed onto their property. Brandishing his wand immediately, Lucius approached the door to peek out, while his wife shuffled their son to a different room with a house elf for distraction, away from any danger. Coming back into the room, Narcissa exchanged a glance with her husband, silently conveying their thoughts to one another using their marriage bond. Shrugging on their winter robes, they opened the front door and crept out into the night with wands drawn.
Hearing howls in the distance, Hermione glanced around nervously, wondering if there was something lurking on the grounds… Urging her fire to grow brighter for a better light, she squinted in the distance, catching wisps of silver reflected by the moonlight. Stumbling forward she squinted in the distance again, trying her hardest to make out the figures before it was too late.
"Who are you? What do you want from us?" She heard in the distance, muffled by the strong wind. Speeding up, she attempted to reach the person when she heard the voice call out again in fright, "Stop! Don't move or else!" and so she waited in the cold, her little flame keeping her warm; albeit barely.
Narcissa noticed a burst of something off in the near distance; edging closer to her husband she hend out her hand towards him for reassurance. "Lucius, what could be out here…? Did you notice that burst too?" Keeping her eye on the the growing light, she took one small step towards it, an unknown force urging her to go forward.
"Yes, it seems as though we might have a surprise visitor who lost their manners." Grasping her hand, he tugged her closer to him as though it would protect her.
"Should we wait until they approach us?" she took another step again, tugging him along slightly.
"Let's keep our guards up for now, the- Cissa, get back here." Lucius attempted to catch her hand again to pull her back against him, trying to protect her from what was lurking.
"No, I need to go see… I have this feeling…" Approaching the now unmistakable swirl of flames, Narcissa spotted a cloaked figure trudging up the hill towards their home. "Who are you? What do you want from us?" she called into the wind. The figure stopped before it sped up towards her. "Stop! Don't move or else!" She warned desperately, waiting for Lucius to stop dragging his feet.
Grabbing his wife's hand, they both briskly headed down the hill towards the firelight.
Tugging off her hood so the approaching figures could see her clearly, Hermione moved the fire to one hand, while the other attempted to hold back her hair from blocking her vision. Nibbling her bottom lip nervously, she began to wonder whether she should be scared for her life. A grumble from her stomach told her she might not have a life left if they turned her glanced up at the sky, catching a shooting star flying its way to heaven. Sighing heavily, she steeled her spine and awaited her fate.
Narcissa's eyes widened as she took in the small figure before them, hair whipping around in the wind as the fire in her hand grew hotter. No, not ordinary fire. FiendFyre. Clenching her husband's hand, she stepped towards the young girl, barely any older than her own son.
"Lucius… she's just a girl. Oh Merlin, we need to help her." she gasped out as tears threatened to fall. Rushing towards the girl, they stop a few feet away from her, taking notice of how tense and scared she seemed.
"No, don't be scared little one. We're going to help you. Come closer?" She cooed out reassuringly, hoping, just hoping the girl wouldn't run off scared like a doe.
Holding out her hand for the girl to take, she let her eyes wander across the girl's appearance, taking in her lack of shoes and a thin cloak covering her even thinner form. Her heart tightened in her chest, wondering if this would be what Draco would be going through if the roles were reversed. Holding her breath as the little girl reached out slowly and held her hand, she let out a sigh of relief knowing the little girl accept their help.
Crouching down to the girl's eye level, she spoke softly, "What's your name, little one?" But as the girl opened her mouth to answer, she promptly fainted. Alarmed, she caught the girl in her arms, holding her cold frame tightly, trying to heat it up with her own body heat.
"Lucius, we need a Healer. NOW!" Turning to her husband, he shrugged off his cloak and draped it across the girl before taking her into his arms instead, disapparating all three of them to the manor. He settled the girl down while Narcissa fire floo-ed for their personal Healer to come urgently. Hurrying back to the girl's side, Narcissa arranged blankets and pillows around her, levitating the couch closer to the flames to get her temperature rising. Walking briskly to the kitchen, Lucius ordered the house elves to make a bowl of soup for their newest guest, murmuring about the cold of the outside and how it could affect their guest's health.
"Mother?" Draco popped his little silver blonde head into the room, taking in the hustle of the Healer as he worked over something on the couch. Stepping into the room, he began to toddle towards his mother who hadn't heard him. "Mother? What's happening? Is something wrong with father?"
Jumping at her son's voice, Narcissa rushed to her baby boy, picking him up and holding him tightly as though he'd disappear. "Oh my dear sweet boy, everything's okay. Mother loves you, okay?" She whispered in his ear, tears threatening to fall; Lucius came back into the room, taking in the scene. Glancing at his wife and son, he crossed the room to speak to the healer, conversing in low tones.
"What's wrong with the poor girl? Will she make a full recovery?" Lucius demanded.
"She's recovering well, Mr. Malfoy; But so very lucky you found her when you did. She was on the cusp of death in this condition. Hypothermia, malnutrition, broken bones and" whispering further "evidence of abuse." Shuffling his feet, the Healer glanced across the room to Mrs Malfoy and the young Malfoy heir. Meeting Lucius' eyes again, he asks quietly "After she recovers, do you wish I bring her to the orphanage?"
"I'll need to discuss this with my wife. She already seems enamored of the young girl. You may go, we'll floo you in case anything else arises. Thank you for your help, Healer Smith." Dismissing him, Lucius watched as the Healer disappeared through the floo, a brief flash of green smoke signaling his departure.
Carrying Draco over to the couch with the little girl, Narcissa puts him down and sits on the floor next to the couch, brushing her hand across the girl's forehead lightly. Tucking the girl into the blankets, she sighs heavily and begins humming a tune softly to soothe the girl's furrowed brow as she slept.
Draco, curious about who this new person is, tugs on his mother's sleeve. "Mother? Who is this?" Casting a look of contempt to the girl that was sprawled on his favorite spot, he huffs and pouts when his father looks at him scoldingly at him. Lucius sighs and rolls his eyes, striding over to his little family. Summoning a chair, he sits down and motions for Draco to come sit on his lap. Pouting and thinking it would be a lecture, Draco drags his feet and climbs on slowly to try to buy time for the inevitable. Chuckling at his expression, Lucius thinks over his words carefully, looking over at his wife and their new guest thoughtfully.
"Draco, not many people have the same pleasures as we do. You know what it means to be a Malfoy, don't you? Well people live by different standards unlike the other pure blooded families we associate with. Some families are worse off than us, which is why your mother holds charity events every month. To help those families in need. Well, this little girl right here, she's had a tough life so far. She's going to need kindness from us while she recovers, okay? Can you be a Malfoy?" Lucius asks, his gaze never leaving Narcissa's profile- taking notice of the slight stiffening of her back when he mentioned a vague sense of her situation.
Draco sat and thought. And thought. And thought. Climbing off his father's lap, he summoned his house elf, Dobby. Popping into the room on command, Dobby immediately kneeled, his large floppy ears hanging down, curtaining his face. "Young master draco is in need of something?"
"Yes. Go grab my Otter and bring it here." Popping out and back in the room in seconds, Dobby presented his master's beloved Otter that he just simply couldn't sleep without. Grabbing the stuffed toy out of his elf's bony hands, Draco pads over to the couch where the strange girl was sleeping and tucked it into the crook of her arm, not noticing how his father smiled proudly and his mother's eyes flowed with tears of joy.
"She'll feel better in no time!" he declared softly so he didn't wake the girl. He leaned forward and kissed her slightly on the forehead like he's seen his father do for when mother was sick and crying in bed. He frowned at the memory of his father telling him that sometimes life is funny and people only have one child and that makes his mother sad. Shaking his head, he padded back over to his mother and cupped her cheeks with his tiny hands, kissing her forehead too. "Don't cry, mother. This way you get another child!"
Unable to express himself in any other way, Lucius stood up and strode over to his family and enveloped them in a big hug, holding them tight and thinking about if the roles were switched.
Only hours later when the family had retired for the night and their guest was moved into the medic room with the house elves watching her did Lucius tell his wife what the healer had assumed.
"Oh Lucius, can't we keep her? From the looks of her condition, she doesn't seem to have any family of her own and I know we don't know her blood status but did you see that FiendFyre? Surely it must be a sign that she's a powerful enough witch to be able to control it at her age!" Narcissa begged her husband, eyes shining with more unshed tears.
Kissing her forehead lightly like his son had done earlier in the night, he murmured "Already on it, my love. I'll have the papers drawn up in the morn'. We can just claim her as a war orphan from an obscure Death Eater and take her on as our ward." Tugging her to bed, he settled down and waited for her to snuggle into him like she always did.
Brushing her hair out of her face, he kissed her gently, savoring the feel of her being in one piece. Tonight's occurrence had him think more about his family's safety more than ever before. Brushing her fingertips against his Dark Mark, she kissed him back just as softly, reveling in the feel of having her family together. Pulling away, Lucius rubbed her back to soothe her into a restful sleep, listening for her soft breathing to lull him away as well.
Sometime in the night, Draco crawled out of his bed and padded down the hall to the room where he knew the elves were keeping their guest. Tippy toeing in the room quietly, Draco shushed the elve's protests and climbed into the bed with her, carefully slipping into the blankets. Pulling his otter halfway between them, he grasped one of her hands and held it, brushing his thumb lightly against her palm. Feeling someone watching him, he glances up to the girl's face and holds his breath when two amber eyes blink owlishly at him, sleep still lurking in her irises. Taking a chance, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead, before pulling back and burrowing more into the blanket, a blush warm on his pale cheeks. She blinks at him again and scoots closer, burrowing against him, the otter pressed between them.
This was how they found them in the morning, curled up with each other like a pair of baby kittens. One glance at his wife's face and Lucius knew that a betrothal was in the works.