On her Birthday
This story came to me while I was reading others of the same plot. In them Hermione accepts the news instantly, finds love and new friends. This would not happen to the Hermione we all know and love. So I decided to write an account on what I guess should be the real story.
Read On...Read On…
You're not alone,
Together we stand
"Hermione?" Hermione rolled over in bed and groaned.
"What Mom?"
"Time to get up, breakfast is nearly ready"
"Coming" Hermione rubbed her eyes with her hand. It was all red and marked from the creases on her bed sheets. Sitting up she looks around her blue room.
I need a change in here. Maybe I could ask mom to buy me a new duvet set?
Hermione was trying to think up a good excuse for her mom when it suddenly dawned on her as she stared at the calendar on her wall.
Today's my birthday! I'm seventeen! I'm of age!!
Hermione jumped onto her double bed, suddenly filled with energy. Without thinking, she pointed at her CD player and on came her favourite band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Whoa! I could never do wandless magic like that in Hogwarts.
Hermione then froze and waited for five minutes, just to be sure. When she saw no sign of an owl from the Ministry saying she had done underage magic. She started jumping on her bed to 'Californication'.
After awhile Hermione decided she better get ready. She grabbed her bathrobe from the hook on her bedroom door. She stepped into the hallway, only now realising the quietness of the house. She felt guilty as her CD player blared inside her room.
Quiet!
The song stopped and she could now hear nothing.
Not that quiet just so that I can hear a murmur of it out here.
I'll be by your side,
you know I'll take your hand
Hermione had never attempted wandless magic like this before. She didn't know what to say but her CD player became a bit louder. Just loud enough to hear a murmur of 'Tell me Baby' from where she was standing outside the door. She walked along the landing and opened the hot press. She took out a towel and headed into the bathroom for her regular morning shower.
Twenty minutes later Hermione was back in her room staring at her clothes. She didn't really have much selection.
Thank Merlin I'm going shopping with my mom and Ginny today!
Eventually, she decided on her white dress that had puffy sleeves. Hermione had always been tanned, the total opposite to her parents. The dress looked great on and she slipped her feet into fuchsia pink beach sandals. She turned off the CD player and then turned toward her wardrobe which had a mirror fronting on it. She dried her hair and put some serum in it to stop frizzing. She gave herself one last look over and headed downstairs.
"Morning sunshine! Your breakfast's gone all soggy. What were you doing for forty-five minutes?"
"I – forty-five minutes? Sorry, I didn't realise" Hermione replied sheepishly.
"That's okay hunny. Sit down and I'll get you your cereal instead."
Ellen Granger was a beautiful woman. She was around forty-two and had brown hair, the same colour as Hermione's. She was really tall though, another difference between Hermione and herself. Ellen had a slim figure, as opposed to Hermione's curvier figure. She put down a bowl of cornflakes with raisins mixed in them and handed Hermione a spoon.
"Thanks mom" Hermione started eating and five minutes later she was putting her now empty bowl into the dishwasher. Ellen was shaking at the kitchen counter, staring out on their back garden through the kitchen window.
"Mom, are you okay?" Ellen turned around and there were tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, a trace of panic in her voice.
When it gets cold,
And it feels like the end,
"Oh, 'Mione, you're growing up so fast" Hermione, sighed relieved that's all it was.
"Yeah, I guess I am" Hermione hugged her mom, to try and stop her crying.
"You're so beautiful love, you know that?"
"Uh, thanks"
"Happy birthday my baby girl" Ellen murmured into her daughters neck. She then took control of herself.
"Silly, mustn't be crying over such trivial things, eh?" Hermione chuckled.
"It's okay mom."
"No, it's not. I'm ruining your birthday. When are we due at The Burrow?" Hermione checked the clock on the kitchen wall.
"In two minutes. Mom, go get ready and be down here in one minute. The Floo network will only involve our house for three minutes." Hermione ran up to the bathroom and quickly, brushed her teeth. She ran into her room. She put on a tiny bit of brown eyeliner and some Vaseline on her lips. Hermione grabbed her big pink bag that matched her shoes; she put some hairspray in her hair and ran downstairs. Thinking of the mess in her room a wave of guilt overcame her.
Scourifgy
She hoped it had worked and raced into the living room. Her mother was waiting for her with a slightly nervous smile on her face.
"Don't worry mom, you'll be fine. Just make sure to keep your elbows tucked in!" Her mom nodded in reply. Hermione stepped up to the fire and took a small pot of blue powder out of her bag.
"Mom, here, take some of this, stand in the fire and say very clearly 'The Burrow'. Got that?"
"I think so!" Ellen stood in the fireplace and very clearly said "The Burrow". In a flash of green flames she was gone. Hermione did the exact same and not even thirty seconds later appeared in the Weasleys kitchen.
There's no place to go,
You know I won't give in
no I won't give in,
"MIONE!" before she could even open her eyes Hermione was being hugged on all sides, when finally let go of she saw Ron, Ginny Harry, Fred and George surrounding her. Hermione gave Ron a shy smile then turned her attention to the rest.
"Hey guys! You know that only Ginny's coming shopping yeah?!"
"Huh, no fair!" Hermione playfully smacked Fred's arm.
"Course we do, we just wanted to say Happy Birthday and give you your presents!" Hermione got really excited.
"Where are they?" She asked Harry.
"We'll never tell!" Hermione knew that if she didn't do something quick Fred and George would join in and the game would never end.
Accio presents!
A few seconds later the presents came zooming in to the kitchen and knocked Hermione over. It kind of happened in slow motion. Ron tried to stop her but tripped over his shoe lace and fell over himself. Then out of nowhere extremely strong arms wrapped around her upper body and pulled her out of the fall just in time. Hermione turned to thank Ron as she hadn't noticed him fall and had assumed he'd caught her. Instead she found herself staring into eyes that were of a golden colour and a face that had a tan the same as Hermiones.
"Hiya Charlie!"
"Hey Hermione, watch yourself next time"
"'will do" Hermione tore her eyes from Charlie's and helped pick Ron up off the floor. Turning to her mound of presents she picked the one on top.
"That's from me!" Hermione opened up the black box and inside it was beautiful bottle of perfume.
"Thanks Ron" Hermione squealed. She opened it and a smell of the sewers revolted her senses. She quickly closed it and gasped for fresh air.
"What was in that Ronald?"
Keep holdin' on,
Cause you know we'll make it through
We'll make it through
"Eh…I never really smelt it"
"Why?"
"'cause I, uh, I ordered it from one of Ginnys mail order things" Ron mumbled. Hermione shook her head ruefully and then started unwrapping all her presents. She'd gotten a voucher for Mirror Mirror, off of Ginny, a charm bracelet off of Harry, from Fred and George she'd gotten a telescope – the exact same one that had given her a black eye last year! And from Mr & Mrs Weasley she'd gotten a bouquet of wild roses in every colour.
"They're Ever Blooming. That means they will live forever, even if it's just in a vase with some water!"
"Wow, that must of cost-"
"You're worth it!"
Hermione hugged Molly and gathered her mother and Ginny and walked towards the fireplace. Ginny stepped into the fire and shouted "The Leaky Cauldron", her mother did the same. Hermione hugged everybody and then just as the green flames engulfed her, she noticed Charlie giving her an unreadable look.
Shopping was great. Hermione had gotten loads of new dresses, shoes, jeans, shorts and tops, books, plus make-up and some more serum for her hair.
Hermione staggered into her house at eight o clock. She saw her father watching the news on the TV. Dropping her bags she ran to him.
"Dad!"
"Happy birthday Pumpkin! How was shopping?" Tom Granger was a tall man, like his wife. He had brown/blonde hair and green/brown eyes. He had a handsome smile and was in good shape for forty-three.
"Shopping was great! I got so many clothes!"
Just, stay strong,
Cause you know I'm here for you,
I'm here for you
"That's great hunny! Elle?"
"Yes Tom?"
"Did you show it yet?"
"No, we just got back!."
"What's all this?" Hermione asked, feeling a bit left out.
"Your birthday present darling"
"B-but I thought shopping was my birthday present"
"It was – part of it-"
"There's more?" Her mother laughed, a sweet sound.
"Yes! Come on and we'll show you" Hermione's dad covered her eyes and led her up to her room. She heard her mom open the door. Her dad took his hands away from Hermione's eyes. She gasped in shock. Her room had transformed. The walls were now painted a gorgeous mellow yellow; her duvet was now chequered yellow and white with daisies on it. Her old blue carpet had been replaced with a light pine wooden floor.
"Oh, wow" Hermione said in awe, "It's absolutely divine! How did you-"
"Your father stayed off work, and with the help of your uncle Jeremy, fixed this place up in no time"
Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!!! It's beautiful!
Hermione and her parents, twenty minutes later were eating a delicious stir fry. When there was a CRACK, outside the front.
That sounds like someone's just apparated in our garden!
Hermione now suddenly fearful realised her wand was upstairs.
There's nothing you can say (nothin you can say),
Nothing you can do(nothin you can do),
there's no other way when it comes to the truth,
Accio wand!
She caught the wand in her left hand as it zoomed towards her.
"Honey-"
"Shhh, somebody's outside" Hermione crept to the door and readied herself. Instead of hearing curses she heard people talking quietly. Then the doorbell rang. Hermione warned her mother but Ellen opened the door anyway, much to Hermiones annoyance.
There in here doorway stood none other than Blaise Zabini and three people she couldn't recognise.
"Zabini?"
"Grange-" The woman to his left poked him and he said, rather stiffly, "Hermione" with a nod of recognition to Hermione's being alive. Hermione was about to ask why he was there when the woman enveloped her in a hug, worthy of Molly Weasley.
"Uh, mom?"
"Yes hunny?"
"Why are these people here?"
"Ellen, Tom, can we come in?" Hermione stared at her mother and father who were both extremely pale.
"Yes. Just through here" The group at the door entered the living room. Hermione stood in the hallway, shell-shocked.
What in Merlin's name is going on here? How do they know my parents names?
She closed the front door and walked dreamlike into the living room. She sat in between her mother and father.
"Oh Hallie you're beautiful" She said in an odd accent. Hermione looked around the room.
"Er, mom?" Ellen Granger leaned towards her daughter.
"Yes honey?"
So, keep holding on,
Cause you know we'll make it through,
We'll make it through.
"Is she a bit cookoo? There's no one here called Hallie"
"Hermione, Rena here, has something to tell you."
Rena? So that's her name!
"Seventeen years ago, Voldemort was stronger than ever, he p-p-put a ban on female children. I was so tired and weary and fed-up. I never supported him. But we had to; it was our only chance of survival. I'd put on a lot of weight. I put it down to the war. I was vomiting all the time. On the night of the 29th of June I felt my waters break. I hadn't known I was pregnant, but Calvino brought me straight to St.Mungos. I gave birth to Blaise at a quarter to twelve. I was relaxing and breathing heavily when around five minutes later a searing pain overcame my body – I was having twins! I pushed and pushed and pushed. Eventually, after fifteen minutes or so out came my second baby. You were my second baby. You Hallie Dasia Zabini came into the world on the 30th of June"
Everyone looked to see Hermiones reaction.
"I-I-I…WHAT? That couldn't have been. My parents", she said pointing at Tom and Ellen, "have pictures of me with them in the hospital and a video of my birth. I'll show you." Hermione stood up but her mom, Ellen, tugged her back down. Turning towards her, Hermione's eyes were brimming with tears.
"Mom? T-tell me it's not true. Is this some birthday prank?"
Ellen Granger looked into her daughters eyes and with the tiniest of movements nodded her head, indicating that all of this was true.
A jolt of a feeling Hermione had never experienced washed over her body.
But I'm Hermione Jane Granger. I can't be Hallie Dasia Zabini?
"You are now of age so the adoption rights are useless. You can now be our little Hallie, finally, after seventeen years of waiting." Hermione looked at the man who had just spoken, Calvino was his name.
So far away,
I wish you were here,
"But I look nothing like you. I'm the same as my parents"
What should I call them now? My parents? My step-parents? My foster parents? Ellen and Tom?
"That can be easily fixed. You see we were planning on changing your looks, but we couldn't, you were too beautiful. So in the adoption papers, there was an enchantment. One that changed, not yours, but Ellen and Tom's features" Hermione gasped in shock. She turned to see her mom, or Ellen's hair turn form dark brown to blonde and her fathers, or Tom's eyes, change to blue and his hair to black. Hermione then felt some change take place in her. Her hair had changed from light brown to dark brown. She stood up, looked in the mirror and then felt tears roll down her face.
Look what they did to my parents, or Tom and Ellen, as I should call them now. And my hair looks horrible when it's dark brown.
Realisation dawned on Hermione that her whole life had been a lie. This year, she thought she had finally figured out who she really was and now this. She ran out of the room and up the stairs to bathroom.
The sound of her vomiting could be heard downstairs where everybody sat in an awkward silence. The two Grangers were trying to come to terms with their looks again.
Hermione was up their for an hour. When she came downstairs she looked pale and red-eyed.
"I think you should leave" She said to the Zabini's. She still didn't know who the fourth person was. They all stared at Calvino. He in turn stood up and spoke softly to Hermione.
"I think you misunderstood. Tom and Ellen no longer have control over you. You are of age and must now, come live with us, in our manor, with your real family" His voice had an Italian sound to it. Hermione stared in shock. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she couldn't think.
Before it's too late,
This could all disappear,
"Please go upstairs, pack and come back down. Blaise, Damen, go help her."
Damen, so that's the other guys name. Hermione thought as she walked up to her room.
She walked in and looked around. She could tell the two guys did not want to be here. Not caring about them she set about doing the hardest thing she ever had had to do. She took down pictures, teddies and trinkets off of shelves. She then went to her wardrobe which was now full of clothes from her shopping spree and took them down off their hangers one by one. Ten minutes later her room was empty except for the wardrobe and the bed with the new duvet set on it. Damen took two of the heavy suitcases, Blaise took the other two. They both left in silence, not having spoken one word to Hermione.
She walked over to the windowsill, picked up Crookshanks and walked out of her room, her footsteps echoing on the new floor. She gave the room one last look, wiped away stray tears from her eyes and the shut the door.
She entered the living room everyone was standing. Her suitcases had been sent somewhere, probably to their manor, and the two boys Blaise and Damen had gone too.
"Come now, say goodbye, we must be off" Rena, her biological mother had said. Hermione walked over to Tom and Ellen and hugged both of them for a very long time. Kissing them both on the cheek she whispered, "I will always love you". She then took some Floo powder from Rena and stepped into the fire.
"What do I-"
"Zabini Manor" Hermione gulped, mouthed I love you one last time to Tom and Ellen and said, very clearly, "Zabini Manor".
Hermione steeped out of the fire in Zabini Manor and looked around. The place was magnificent. Damen got up off the chair he'd been sitting on and walked over to Hermione.
"I'll show you to your room" His voice, though he looked foreign, was English through and through.
Before the doors close,
And it comes to an end
She followed him up two flights of stairs. He stopped infront of double doors.
"Here it is." Hermione opened the door and found no lights on. One thing she knew for sure, this was not a mellow yellow room.
"See you in the morning" Hermione turned away from him and he said something else.
"What did you say?" Damen looked Hermione straight in the eye and answered.
"It's not that bad here" He closed the door behind him.
Hermione felt her way to the huge bed that was alien to her. She climbed under the duvet and sheets and broke down. Hermione had never cried this much in her life. She cried for hours. Eventually she fell asleep, to exaughsted to cry anymore.
Maybe I'll wake up and this will all just be a dream.
With that final thought Hermione Jane Granger drifted into sleep, not knowing that tomorrow she would wake up and be Hallie Dasia Zabini.
A/N:
Hey! I hope you all like. The song is Keep holding on – Avril Lavigne.
All types of reviews accept once you have a point to make and not, "I don't like it"…why don't you like it??!!
Thanks a hunch of a bunch if you review it...
Love,
FireboltPheonix
xxxx-xxxx
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