Title: Isabella's Secret
Author: OneSmartCookie
Summary: When Hermione is at her house during the summer of her sixth year, she learns something important about herself. She isn't Hermione Granger. Please R&R!
o.O
Hermione Granger sat in her room, reading over her Charms book for her Sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when she heard her mother calling from the stairs. "Just a minute," She called back, marking her page and setting it down on her bed. She stood and crossed to her door, glancing at her reflection on the way. Today was her birthday, and she was now 16 years old. Though that didn't mean much in the wizarding world, it meant a lot in the muggle world. She was able to get her license to drive, stay out later, and in general have more fun.
Her room was painted an apple green color, with white trim and a crème colored carpet. Her furniture was all dark cherry and her bed was a king sized four poster. The linens were white with black sheets, and she had crème colored fabric that was hanging from the beams on the posts of her bed. There was a desk in the far corner where all her Hogwarts work was spread out, and a bookcase next to it. The other side of her room was a large window seat facing her backyard and the grounds beyond. She loved that her parents had decided to live in the country. The nature away from the hustle and bustle of the city was absolutely breathtaking. They even had a pond with benches around t so she could read outside on nice days.
She paused for a brief second in front of the mirror and studied her reflection. She was now 5'3", with caramel colored hair that fell in beautiful ringlets down her back, her eyes were the color of dark chocolate and there were gold flakes scattered around her pupils, making them sparkle. Her skin was tanned, with a healthy sun-kissed glow, and her body had developed curves over the summer she never would have dreamed to posses.
She was currently wearing a khaki mini skirt with a black camisole layered over a white camisole, black etnies, and black ankle socks. Her hair was straightened and put up in a ponytail and she had on earrings that were little black skulls. The outfit worked really well for her surprisingly. She smiled at her reflection, pleased with the way she looked, before exiting her room and going down the stairs. Her family was wealthy since her parents ran their own dentist firm, meaning they had a larger than average home.
There was a sitting room to her left, and the main dining hall to the right. If she were to look straight ahead, she would see the reception area where guests arrived through the massive front doors and were greeted by Butler. Currently, Butler was not standing guard over the doors like a watch hound, but was in fact entering the sitting room with a tea tray. For four. Hermione thought it slightly odd that her parents hadn't informed her earlier that they were entertaining; otherwise she would have put on something more presentable. As it was, she was already outside the room and couldn't delay her parents and their guest any longer.
As she opened the doors to the sitting room, she looked around but only saw her parents sitting on the sofa. So who were they expecting? Instead of voicing her question aloud, she greeted them properly instead. "Mother," she said, as she gave the older lady a kiss on each cheek, "Father," she moved over to him before doing the same. She then sat on the loveseat opposite her parents and watched them, curiosity painted across her face.
"Now, Hermione, your mother and I called you down here this afternoon because we have something very important to tell you." Her father said, looking at her very seriously. "It is crucial you hear us out before you ask any questions or interrupt. Am I understood?"
"Yes daddy," Hermione responded, placing her hands in her lap, looking back and forth between him and her mother.
"Now, sixteen years ago, there was a war going on in the wizarding world. Voldemort was in power and causing destruction everywhere he went. No one was able to escape him unless they joined his ranks or died. Do you follow?" He asked, and when she nodded, he continued. "During this time, it was extremely dangerous for any families to give birth to children, especially girls, so many either went into hiding or gave their children to close friends or relatives who lived in the muggle world and could keep the children out of Voldemort's path. You are one of those children."
Hermione just stared at her father as he talked about things like Voldemort and the wizarding world like they were common everyday discussions. How did he know all of this? We're they really wizards, and not muggles? Who was she really? Am I a-?
She was thinking all of this that she had tuned out her father and did not hear the last part of his discussion. "Hermione! Are you listening to me?" He seemed angry with her, and her father angry was never a good sign. She nodded, so he continued. "As I said, you are one of those children."
Here, she gasped. Overly dramatically, mind you. "You mean I'm not really a muggleborn? Are we some powerful wizarding family that went into hiding because we didn't want to be part of Voldemort's inner circle?"
She was taking this a lot better then they had previously anticipated, but they weren't finished yet. "Not exactly," Her mother now spoke, sadness in her eyes. "We're more of the, close friends who lived in the muggle world and could keep you safe, type deal."
"WHAT!" Hermione screamed. Apparently they were expecting this type of reaction because they didn't even flinch. "What are you saying? You're not my real parents? But how could that be? I was born here, in the muggle world, a Granger! I was raised by you, my parents, the Grangers! I look just like you! My Birth Certificate has your names on it!" She was wheezing by the time she was done yelling, and sat back on the loveseat, not having noticed she was standing.
"Actually, it doesn't," came a mysterious voice form the shadows. But she recognized it, long before he stepped into the light and made himself known. "It has mine and your mother's names on it." He said simply, looking at her as if daring her to object.
Wearing a pair of black dress pants and a white button down shirt, Severus Snape walked over to where Hermione was sitting on the loveseat and plopped down next to her. She just looked at him in shock for a few minutes before noticing her staring was making him uncomfortable. "It's just, I don't even look anything like you," she stated, as though that made the whole situation false.
"On the contraire, you look just like me, Isabella," he said, smiling as he said the name.
"Isabella? Is that me?" He nodded.
"Would you like me to remove the glamour so you can see what you truly look like?" He pulled out his wand, one that he used rarely as he was a potions master, and said an incantation Hermione had never heard while swishing his wand around. She felt something cold move through her body, almost like a disillusionment charm, but not at the same time.
Once the feeling was gone, she saw Snape smile again, which was completely weird for her, and gave her a hug. "Welcome back, Isabella." She patted his back awkwardly, and when he let go, stood to look at herself in the mirror above the fireplace. What she saw there made her immediately black out.
o.O
A/N: So that's the first chapter in hopefully a very long story… Hope you liked it and please R&R!