A/N
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. The known characters belong to JK Rowling
Hi everyone,
Just wanted to say thanks for giving this fic a chance. Dramione in the making. There is some French in the story, but all translations are included (google translate is my best friend and if it is off I am sorry) I will try and include all translations as needed. Thank you all for taking the time to read and please review and let me know if you like it!
~Gimi~
Hermione Granger had a secret, a secret so big that if it came out she would lose everyone she loved. She hadn't meant to get swept up in the war, she hadn't meant to become friends with Harry Potter that first year at Hogwarts. She would have much rather flown under the radar and been left alone. Maybe if she had been sorted into Hufflepuff that could have happened. But no, she just had to be sorted into Gryffindor. Though truth be told, she was supposed to be sorted into Slytherin, but she could not let that happen. That was the one house she could never be allowed into, that would have completely messed up her plans to go unnoticed. So instead she was sorted into Gryffindor for her courage and bravery… the sorting hat is a joke...
What no one knew was that she was more cunning and self preserving than she was brave. She made the sorting hat chose another house. She couldn't be Hermione Granger, muggleborn, in a house of purebloods. She wouldn't have survived. So she was to be the snake in the lion's den, she spent her years at Hogwarts being the smartest and brightest witch of the age, just a point below completely infuriating with her intelligence in order to keep people at arm's length. That was her mother's idea, be an insufferable know-it-all and people will stay away. Most people are turned off by girls who are too intelligent.
Then she met Harry Potter and his friend, the idiot, Ron Weasley. At first it seemed like she would get her wish, they didn't particularly care for her. She was just too uppity for them, but then that bloody troll came and ruined everything for her! It had to find her in the girl's lavatory and Ron and Harry had to save her. Eleven years old and a life debt owed to two boys who didn't even like her! That was just her life, so she took the blame and ever since then she couldn't shake them. Sure she paid back the life debt many times over the years, saving their lives more than once, but they just wouldn't leave her be.
Not that she didn't love them, they were her friends even if she didn't want them to be in the beginning. Seven years of saving each other from near death will bond anyone together for life, but her secret was always on the verge of being found out. Especially in fourth year, she was sure that any day she would have been caught. She should have never said yes to the Bulgarian seeker, but she was so lonely. There was only so much loneliness a person can go through, so she caved into it and said yes. Then of course she was the lowly muggleborn slag in a love triangle between Viktor Krum and the Famous Harry Potter. That was the most nerve racking year of her Hogwarts days to date. No, if she would have been a Puff, she would have been overlooked, but that didn't happen.
Hermione sat in the Head's compartment alone, this year was her last one. Harry and Ron were not finishing Hogwarts but Hermione had to. She had been through so much the last seven years that not finishing and taking her N.E.W.T.S was never an option. She had barely seen her best friends this summer after the war. She had gone to Australia to retrieve her parents, or that was what Harry and Ron thought. She frowned as she stared at her hands, lying was second nature to her. She had told her friends she placed a memory charm on her parents and sent them away. The truth was they didn't need a memory charm, they just moved away when she told them to. It was to keep them safe, but they were never Jean and Richard Granger to begin with so there was no need to really hide them.
Hermione's entire life was a lie. Only one more year, she thought sadly, come on, you can last one more year. Harry and Ron aren't here to distract you or put any more of a spotlight on you. This was her normal internal dialogue for the past three months since she came back to London. She had spent some time with Bill and Fleur Weasley secretly during the summer after she got back from her parent's home.
Fleur was her saving grace fourth year, she was the only one who knew Hermione's secrets. Hermione always pretended to dislike the part Veela wife of Bill because Ginny didn't really care for her, but the reality was Fleur was very important to Hermione. Thank goodness Ginny began to warm to the French girl so Hermione could be friendlier to her.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Know-It-All," a silky voice drawled from the compartment door.
Hermione rolled her eyes, playing her part in her sleep. She bit back a retort she knew the owner of the voice was waiting for, and continued to sit there, moving only to find a note she knew was in her bag next to her. She could have pulled out a book, which would have been normal for Hermione, but she just wasn't feeling "Hermione" normal. She had been playing this role for seven years and just like a war heroine, she was just tired of it. She continued to ignore the boy as he walked in and sat across from her, putting his legs on her bag trying to get a reaction out of her.
The blonde boy frowned as he sat there watching the bushy haired girl. There was something off about this girl he knew for all of Hogwarts. The girl he knew was always up for a sparring match with him, always knew everything about… well… everything. This girl was just sitting there ignoring him, and no one ignored Draco Malfoy.
He nudged her leg with his dragon hide leather boot, "What's wrong Granger? Missing your boy toys?" She looked up at him finally, raised an eyebrow and then went back to her note.
Draco was incensed! How dare this muggleborn ignore him, "You know we'll be sharing a common room right? Do remember that the common room is not a place for your Gryffindorks to come visit or a supplemental library. I don't want to come in and find Madame Pince sitting on the couch."
Hermione looked up at him as he smirked at her, she sniggered at him and shook her head going back to her note. She knew what he was doing and she knew that the more she ignored him, the more upset he would get. She wasn't the brightest witch of the age for no reason. She snapped her fingers and his boots shot so fast off her bag he almost fell out of his seat.
Draco growled, completely caught off guard by her use of wandless nonverbal magic. Secretly he was mildly impressed by her self control and her use of such advance magic. Clearly the summer had changed her as well. It was no secret that the Malfoy family were spies during the war. His father had changed allegiance at the end of the first war to save his family. He had joined Voldemort's cause when he was young and foolish at the encouragement of his father. Once Draco was born, Lucius began to fear for his wife and son's lives. He had gone to his friend and Godfather to his son for help. Double agents during the war and now working with the Auror department to round up the last of the stray Death Eaters, Lucius had been able to keep the Malfoy name as prestigious as ever. Draco had even helped save the trio at the manor, he had dropped the chandelier on top of his crazy Aunt as Potter and Weasley came running from the dungeons. He knew a bit of wandless magic as well and the crazy bitch was too busy torturing Granger.
This all being said, he still loved to tease the trio, or rather Granger as it happens the other two were too busy continuing to be heroes in the Auror department to bother finishing school. Draco had been offered a position as well, but he rather liked school and was done chasing dark wizards after posing as one for two years, as well as being a blood purist asshole for the past seven.
Hermione giggled again, putting her note back in her bag and bringing out a book. She finally decided to get back into character, as she did the compartment door opened and Ginny Weasley walked in.
"Oh Hermione, I knew you would be here. How have you been? What are you doing in here Malfoy, they made you Head Boy?" Ginny's excitement burst out of her mouth sometimes.
"Of course they did Gin, why else would he be in here? For the scintillating conversation?" Hermione's words dripped with unfamiliar sarcasm. Her redheaded friend stared at her open mouthed. Hmm, guess I'm still not feeling Hermione-like yet. Must stay quiet I guess until I feel better. "Sorry Gin, I don't know what came over me," she apologized lamely. "Did you need something? This compartment is for heads only, I don't want to have to deduct points before we even get to school. Maybe you should head back to your compartment and I'll see you at the feast," she dismissed her friend and looked down at her book.
Ginny blushed as red as her hair and stared at her friend, then at Malfoy who was showing a bit more glee than was necessary. Huffing out a breath she slammed the compartment door as she left, clearly upset about being dismissed. Hermione would pay for that later, but right now she just didn't seem to care.
"What has gotten into you Granger?" Draco was sniggering at the exchange he just witnessed. He had never seen the Gryffindor Princess be so dismissive with her friends.
"Nothing Malfoy," she said, her eyes on her book. Looking up at him, "Do you mind? I would rather read than listen to you prattle on." She went back to her book ignoring him completely.
"Do you think you can dismiss me just like that Granger?" His question was met with silence. He fumed, he could not believe she was actually ignoring him. She would pay, no one ignored him. He grabbed her bag and began to rummage through it, finding the note she was so interested in when he first came in.
"What is so interesting about this note Granger?" he asked conversationally, twirling it between his fingers.
She narrowed her eyes. "Give it back Malfoy."
He laughed, "Not yet, just want something to read first. You know, it's a long train ride." Once he opened it the parchment burst into flames. Surprised he yelped and dropped it on the floor; it immediately stopped flaming.
Hermione chuckled darkly. "Watch it Malfoy, they don't call me the brightest witch of the age because I'm stupid," she said leaning down to pick up her letter. Reaching for the book she left on the bench next to her, she tossed it to Draco, "Here, if you are really looking for something to read." She pulled out another book and began to read.
The compartment door opened once again, and Pansy Parkinson came sashaying in. Swaying her hips a bit too much, obviously thinking this was a sexy walk, she sat on Draco's lap. "Oh Drakey, was that you I heard a second ago? What are you doing in here with her? Why don't you come into my compartment?" she whispered in his ear, nibbling on his earlobe.
Hermione took a chance, glancing up through her eyelashes to see the look of horror on Draco's face, and almost terror at the prospect of being alone with Pansy in her compartment. He caught her eye, and she sniggered before he could put a look of disgust on his face.
"Not now Pansy! For fuck's sake get off of me! I've told you before, I'm not interested. I don't want to date you and I certainly don't want to fuck you, get the fuck out," Draco bellowed.
Hermione couldn't contain herself, her face completely red with the restraint she was trying to have. Trying to hold it in she couldn't and Hermione laughed openly, tears coming to her eyes as she saw Pansy's shocked and humiliated face as he threw her in the seat next to him.
Pansy stood and looked at Draco, then at Hermione who was holding her sides trying to contain the laughter. Draco smirked at the sight of the Gryffindor actually laughing at someone else's expense.
"What are you laughing at, you fucking little mudblood?" Pansy spat out.
Hermione, still giggling, stood up and looked Pansy straight in the eye with a look of amusement and said, "I thought it would be pretty obvious Parkinson, I'm laughing at you. Throwing yourself at someone who is clearly not interested, someone who would rather sit in here with a mudblood than fuck your pureblood cunt. Now do what Malfoy said and get the fuck out. I'm sure there are more snakes that haven't had the pleasure of your company, but to throw yourself where you are so unwanted is just... unsavory."
Pansy and Malfoy were both shocked into silence. Hermione sighed, pulled out her wand, and flicked it. Pansy went soaring out of the compartment and the door slammed. "You can go with her if you want. I just wanted her out of here, if you prefer her company don't let me stop you, but she can't come through the door again."
"Granger, where did this person come from?" Draco said with a laugh. He could hear Pansy banging on the compartment door, issuing threats to Hermione. Draco laughed again, opened the compartment door, "Ten points from Slytherin for threatening the head girl and detention for a week with Filch. Now get back to your compartment Pansy."
"Draco, you can't be serious!" Pansy seethed with anger. "You can't take points away from your own house! You can't side with the mudblood!"
"I can, and I did," he yelled now getting angry. "Say that word again and I will make it detention for a month! The war is over, don't let me hear that again." The brunette screeched, turned, and stomped away.
"Well that isn't going to earn you any points with your housemates," Hermione said dryly, sitting back down as he closed the door.
"What do I care? I live in the head dorms now. I never have to go down to Slytherin if I can help it and they won't dare do anything to me, I'm a Malfoy," he smirked.
"True," she sighed and picked up the book she was reading and sat back down. They sat in a comfortable silence until they got to Hogsmeade.
o0o0o
Once at Hogwarts, Hermione apologized to Ginny. She claimed lack of sleep for her ill attitude earlier and was forgiven. As they sat waiting for the feast to begin, Hermione's mind began to wander. She didn't hear the sorting hat's new song, she didn't see the first years get sorted, and she almost missed the announcements of the new teachers. Ginny elbowed her and Hermione jumped, guiltily looking up at Professor McGonagall as she stated the new appointments.
"First up this year, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Bill Weasley." Hermione looked up surprised, she was just at Shell Cottage this morning and Bill never mentioned a new job. Ginny and Hermione clapped loudly for the eldest Weasley brother.
"Next we have a new potions professor, Professor Fleur Weasley. Lastly, filling the post of transfiguration is Professor Julien LeClair. Our head students this year are returning eighth year students, Mr. Draco Malfoy and Miss. Hermione Granger. Prefects your first meeting will be tomorrow evening to go over the new years expectations in the Prefects lounge at eight o'clock after dinner."
Professor McGonagall continued on with her announcements but Hermione didn't hear a word of it. She looked up at the platform and caught Fleur's eye who looked at her white as a sheet. Hermione chanced a glance up at the new transfiguration professor and began to panic. The food appeared in front of her but she barely noticed. She began to put food on her plate, not really paying attention to what it was and was frantically thinking of what to do.
Oh Gods, what is he doing here? She screamed in her head, what if he realizes who I am? What if he finds out? Gods, I should have been a Puff! Life would be so much easier if I was a Puff.
"Hermione are you listening?" Ginny griped, annoyed that her friend was obviously not paying attention to her.
Hermione jumped out of her own thoughts, "Hmm? I'm sorry Ginny, what was that? I got lost in my train of thought."
"I said, did you know Bill and Phlegm were going to teach this year?"
"Huh? No, how could I have known? I've been with my parents all summer," her lie, she noticed, had a bit of a hitch to it. Already she could feel her armor begin to crack.
"Well you seem to hit it off with Phlegm, I thought maybe you owl each other," Ginny surmised as she dug into her shepherd's pie.
Hermione took a bite of her chicken, normally it was delicious but with her current dilemma, it tasted like muggle paste. "No, I mean we do owl, but I hadn't heard the good news. It'll be nice to have Bill and Fleur around."
"I don't understand why you are so chummy with Phlegm," Ginny sniggered. "She's a nightmare, always flipping her hair, and all over my brother."
"She is his wife, she's suppose to be all over him," Hermione pointed out rather crossly. Ginny could be a nightmare herself sometimes. "Look Gin, I'm really tired, I'm going to head to my dorm and I'll see you in the morning."
Hermione got up, took one more look at Fleur, her eyes flashed to meet her, and she walked out of the Great Hall. Hermione walked slowly back to her dorm, procrastinating until Fleur could catch up. A moment later, the silvery blonde made her way over to Hermione. Hermione gave her a hug and a sob. She grabbed Fleur's arm and dragged her to the nearest open classroom, locking and silencing the room she turned to the woman. "Fleur, what are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me? Did you know he was going to be here? Surely someone would have told you since you are in Britain. What am I going to do? What if he figures it out?" her worries burst right out of her mouth, as tears streamed down her face.
"Ma chère, calm down," Fleur hugged the young woman "It is ok, yes I did know he would be here, but I only found out last week. That is why Bill and I are here. Don't fret, it will be fine."
Hermione began to calm down a bit. "Fleur, I must owl mother, she will want to know he's here." She opened the door, and walked to her new dorm.
Draco was sitting outside the dorm, unable to get in without the head girl present as they needed to agree on a password. He was sitting back on the steps that led up to the portrait when a tear stained Hermione showed up. He looked up with a blank face, but inside he was slightly worried at the emotional girl. He had never seen this side of Hermione Granger, she was logical, not very emotional. Yes, he had seen her emotional when she punched him in third year, but anger was not an uncommon emotion for their relationship. He had never seen Granger sad or depressed, or cry even. He was not good with crying girls, they made him uncomfortable.
"Uh, Granger," he started slowly as if he was afraid she'd break out into fresh tears. "We need to set the password."
"Sure, whatever you want is fine Malfoy," she said tiredly.
"Okay, how about 'compassion'?" She nodded in agreement and the portrait swung open. She moved past him and into the room.
The heads common room was decorated in neutral tones, browns, creams, muted greens, and golds. There were couches around the fireplace, a large table for studying, and a couple of bookshelves. A staircase snaked around the fireplace and led up to an open hallway to the dorms. Hermione's dorm was the first door, and down the hall was Draco's with a door in the middle for the shared bathroom.
"Malfoy, I need shower and go to bed. Do you mind if I take one first?" Without actually waiting for a response she walked up the stairs and into the bathroom. Draco heard the water in the shower turn on and shrugged his shoulders. Normally he would have had a smart retort back to her or even beaten her to the shower, but she really looked like she needed a break. He must be getting soft. Might as well be a Puff, he laughed inwardly and walked into his room.
o0o0o
Ginny had noticed something strange about Hermione in the first few weeks of school. She was quieter than normal. Ginny had all the same classes as Hermione except for Ancient Runes and she noticed that she was still the same know it all, and answered every question in all classes except for transfiguration. Hermione would sit in the back of the transfiguration class and never answer questions in class. When Seamus asked her during lunch if she was ok she snapped at him that maybe the rest of Gryffindor's should earn some points and not rely on her anymore.
Professor LeClair was aware that there was something wrong. There was something familiar with the girl they called 'Gryffindor Princess'. He had talked to Headmistress McGonagall and knew that the girl was gifted at transfiguration so why was she so reluctant in class? She seemed to be good friends with his cousin and her husband, but Fleur had never mentioned her before. As the girl in question got up after lunch to go to class, Professor LeClair studied her, she had a very specific walk. No! He looked up at Fleur who was eating lunch with her husband with a look of astonishment. Quickly he looked back down, could it be? Jeannette had been missing for years, she was thought to be lost from the family, surely Fleur would have let the family know. He tried to do the math in his head, but decided it would be best to floo his father. He got up quickly and hurried away from the table. Fleur looked up at her cousin's frantic pace with a bit of worry in her eyes. She looked around and saw that Hermione was gone, it couldn't have been her. Maybe he was just not feeling well.
Hermione was feeling uneasy. Her next transfiguration class, the new professor was spending an awful lot of time studying her and asking her questions. The whole class was confused as to why Hermione Granger, known bookworm and scholastic showoff was trying to hide her intelligence. Once class was over, Hermione tried to run out of the room but was stopped by a fifth year prefect who told her she needed to go to the Headmistress' office. Confused as to why, she headed to the gargoyle guarding the office, gave the password, and walked up the steps. That is when her life completely went to shit.
o0o0o
Professor McGonagall was sitting at her desk with an older gentleman across from her and… her mother… Jean Granger was sitting there, silently fuming. Hermione sat next to her mother, Jean just shook her head. With a resigned sigh Hermione said, "You sent for me Headmistress?"
"Yes Hermione, um… it seems like we have a situation," Headmistress McGonagall stated clearly.
"There is no situation, this is finished, do you understand Jean? It is time for her to come back to the family, there is no arguing. She was supposed to have been back by now and here she is, still in school," the man yelled, his face a bright shade of purple. "I can't believe you did this, I can't believe you put our daughter at risk! I should have never let you take her, a muggleborn? In Britain? Why didn't you just put a giant bullseye on her back, oh wait, you did! She's a friend of Harry Potter! She was a muggleborn friend of Harry Fucking Potter! My daughter, she's not even a muggleborn! She is a LeClair, and to spite me you made her a muggleborn!"
"Papa," Hermione began, trying to defuse the situation. "Papa, I am sorry I didn't go back, but I couldn't! I couldn't leave Harry, I had to help him!"
"No Jeanette, no you didn't. It wasn't your place. It wasn't your war, and now you have a fucking filthy word on your arm that isn't you! You are now the champions of muggleborns and you aren't a fucking muggleborn!"
"Sir, I will have to ask you to calm down, I assure you, Miss Granger-" Professor McGonagall started, this was an odd turn of events.
"She is a LeClair, not a Granger," he yelled again.
"Pierre! Enough!" Jean finally yelled back. "You have no right to come here and yell at the Headmistress! Yes, Jeanette was suppose to be back months ago but things happened, she had to help Mr. Potter. You should be proud of your daughter!"
"I am proud of my daughter," he spat at Jean. "But what I don't understand is why you chose to hide her as a muggle when she is a pureblood LeClair?"
"Papa," Hermione said quietly, "I wanted to do it."
"Why Jeanie?" Pierre LeClair finally calmed down, looking at his daughter whom he didn't recognize. He hadn't seen her for many years. Jeanette Hermione Granier LeClair had left France when she was ten to live with her mother in Britain. She was supposed to come back to France to marry after she finished school, but after she left France they were not found again. They actually thought they had died. "Why would you want to pose as a muggleborn? Why make things harder for you than they needed to be? You should have been royalty at any school you went to, why did you deny your heritage?"
"Because I wanted to be normal," Hermione reasoned. "I didn't want to be Jeanie LeClair and have people either friend me because they wanted something from me, or fear me because of my family. I know being Harry's friend didn't help matters in the normal department, but I rather liked being a Granger."
"You deny your birthright, your status in society just to be normal?" Pierre spat out incredulously at his daughter. "This is unbelievable, you are ashamed to be a LeClair?"
"I'm not ashamed," Hermione shrieked jumping up. "I'm not! I'm tired. I'm tired of the parties, I don't want to get married just to be a society wife. I want to have a career. I want to marry for love. I wanted to help Harry defeat Voldemort, and I couldn't do that as Jeanie LeClair!"
"You will come home! You will get married, you will be Jeannette Hermione Granier LeClair once again. There is no discussion, your ball will be next month."
"Pierre, be reasonable," Jean scolded. "How are we to prepare a ball by next month? The venue, the decor, the invitations, those all need to be sorted first."
"Do it here I don't care," he growled. Looking at Professor McGonagall, "I will pay a great deal of money to use the Great Hall for the ball. Jeanie's friends are all here, they are all invited, I will pay for the rest of the restorations of the school to have the ball here."
"Papa," Hermione whispered, sitting back down. Astonished at the expense her father was planning just to use the Great Hall. The rebuilding of the school was expensive. It was being paid, but slowly.
"I will pay it all now or I can go to the governors and pay them. I want this to happen before the end of the year," Pierre LeClair always got what he wanted. He was a bit like Lucius Malfoy in that way.
"It's the middle of the school year," Professor McGonagall said. "We wouldn't be able to put an event like that during the school year."
"What about the Christmas holidays? I can wait until then, the students will mostly be gone. The children who will attend the ball can of course stay, it can be a week long affair that way."
"Papa, no! A week? Who's coming out ball is a week long?"
"Exactly ma chere," Pierre had a glint in his eye, this was an idea. "We can have a week of events. You have been missing for a long time, we will celebrate your return befitting a LeClair."
"Fine Papa, but I will not be getting engaged," Hermione said, knowing this was the main reason for the ball. It was a tradition that LeClair women are engaged at their coming out ball and that was one thing Hermione did not want.
"You will, I will have to secure your fut-"
"No!" she screamed and shot up again. "I will not have an arranged marriage. I will not be getting married before I am twenty with children before I'm 25. I want a career, Papa, I will not be getting married."
Hermione ran, she ran to the Great Hall with tears in her eyes looking for Fleur and found Professor LeClair. Angry and not able to take it out on anyone else, she walked up to the staff table and began to yell in French.
"Julien, comment pourrais-tu! Papa veut organiser un bal ici à l'école! Pour une semaine, tu ne comprends pas comment je ne veux rien à voir avec cela! Comment pourrais-tu faire cela? Je sais bien que tu me reconnaisses comme Jeanette, arête d'agir comme un fou, si tu n'étais pas mon professeur, je t'ensorcèlerai jusqu'à l'année prochaine! Je ne veux pas me marier, et tu ne pouvais pas venir chez moi avant de rapporter tout à mon père! Je te hais, Julien, j'ai du mal à le croire. J'ai survie un monstre juste pour être mariée!" (Julien, how could you! Father wants to organise a ball here at school. For a week, you don't understand how much I don't want anything to do with that! How could you do that? I know well that you recognised me as Jeanette, stop acting like a fool, if you weren't my teacher, I'd hex you into next year, I don't want to get married, and you couldn't come to me before telling everything to my father! I hate you Julien, I'm having problems believing it. I've survived a monster just to be married off.)
"JEANETTE HERMIONE GRANIER LECLAIR! GET BACK HERE NOW!" Pierre LeClair bellowed from the back of the hall. Even though it was the start of dinner, the hall was pretty full of students and teachers alike. Hermione paled and shot her brother one last withering look and walked back to her father, head held as if she had a book on her head. Her mother walked in after her father and began to argue in rapid French.
"Papa, please! I go to school here, can we please go outside if you insist on this scene?" Hermione hissed quietly so only her parents could hear her.
"It is a scene you are worried about Jeanie? You pretend to be someone you are not, and it is my scene you are worried about?"
Fleur came running up followed by Julien, "Uncle, Auntie, please. Let us go to the staff room, people are beginning to stare."
"Fleur how could you keep this a secret?! You have been in Britain for years and you do not tell me my daughter is here? Friends with Harry Potter? Fighting in a war? Explain this to me."
"Uncle, as you said, we were in the middle of a war! Once I found Jeanie, I didn't want to lose her again and I was a bit preoccupied trying to stay alive."
"Yes, but we could have gotten you both out of here, this was not your war to fight! You could have married in Paris, Jeanie could have finished school at Beauxbaton, and we could have avoided the horrendous things that happened to you both."
Hermione gasped at the words that came out of her father's mouth, "I would never have left Harry! He needed me, he couldn't have done it without me. If I wasn't around this would be a completely different place and then what would have stopped Voldemort from going to France? Papa, you are not thinking clearly, I would have never gone to Beauxbaton."
"You would have been safe Jeannie," Pierre grabbed her left arm. "You would not have been branded something foul that you should never have been. I don't give a damn about blood, my blood is a red as any muggle, half, or muggleborn. But you are my daughter and it's my job to keep you safe. You should not have gone to Hogwarts, you should have been in France."
"Hermione," Ginny Weasley called out from behind Hermione's father. "What's going on? Hello, Mrs. Granger, what are you doing here? I thought muggles couldn't get into the castle?"
Julien looked over to Jean, his stepmother, "You are posing as muggles? Are you insane?"
"Not now Julien!" Hermione cried out, tears starting to flow. She ran past her family and her friends out of the great hall and out the front doors of the castle. She ran to her choice spot for comfort. Gods, what is happening to her life. The whole school now knew she is a liar.
Hermione sniggered, she's always been a liar. The stupid hat tried to put her in Slytherin after all, the house of liars, though nothing as bad as making up their entire lives for the sake of evading impending marriages at the age of eleven.
Sitting by the shore, watching the giant squid lounging at the top of the lake, Hermione lost in thought of what was to come when a voice broke through her reflections.
"What are you doing out here Granger?"
Hermione groaned, of course it would be Malfoy. "Not now Malfoy. It's been a rough couple of hours and I could really avada someone… better yet, keep bugging me, you can be my victim."
Draco laughed, "Did you just threaten the head boy? I could take off points you know?"
Hermione laughed in spite of herself. "Yes, if my life was as easy as taking off house points right now, I would be in heaven, but as it sits…"
"Jeanie," Pierre called from halfway up the lawn.
Hermione groaned, standing up. Draco looked up and saw the man, behind him was a crowd of people, a woman he didn't recognize and the three new professors. Draco was not at dinner, he had gone for a walk after class and ended up at the lake.
The man walked up to her, ignoring Draco and began to speak, "Jeanie, I am sorry for what I said. It has been a whirlwind of a day for me as well. I did not mean that I am not proud of you and what you and your friends did. I just meant, I am your father, I am suppose to protect you, but how can I do that if I don't know what is going on. Don't be mad at Julien, we have all missed you very much as well as your mother. We will have the ball during the Christmas holidays, your mother will send out invitations, we don't have to have the week of celebrations but I would like to have a family holiday after the ball. I want you to acknowledge your proper birth, enough of this Granger business, you are a LeClair afterall, we are not ashamed of anything."
"I don't know Papa, I'm pretty ashamed that my brother is not my professor," Hermione joked quietly. "I am sorry I stayed away for so long Papa, but once I got involved with Harry, I couldn't stay away. He needed me more than anyone else, I had to help him. And I was serious Papa, I will not be getting engaged just for the ball. I am a grown woman now who has been through war, I will not be auctioned off to the highest bidder."
"We will discuss this at a later date Jeanie," Pierre conceded to his daughter, but not fully. She would be getting married and the proper way. He was just as stubborn as she was, "It's been seven years and you are still my little Jeannie beannie. I've missed you my little one."
Hermione hugged her father for the first time that day and started to cry, "I've missed you too Papa. I will write to you all the time and maybe we can meet up during weekends to catch up, but please consider my feelings. I'm too young to marry, I want a life before I have children."
"I will let it go for now," Pierre looked up from his daughter and noticed they were not alone. Draco was standing there a bit uncomfortable by the exchange, though clearly listening to what was just said. "Hello young man, are you a friend of my daughter's?"
Hermione looked up and paled. Of course he would have to be there. She had forgotten he was teasing her just before her father came down. "Um, yes." She ignored Draco's look of shock, and continued, "Papa, this is Draco Malfoy. Mal- er Draco, this is my father, Pierre LeClair."
Draco looked up at the last name, it sounded familiar but not completely, "LeClair? As in our new Professor?"
Hermione sighed, "Yes, Julien is my older brother and Fleur is my cousin."
"But that means you aren't muggleborn," Draco realized what he said sounded foolish. Of course she would know if she wasn't muggleborn if her brother was a wizard.
"No, she isn't," Pierre stated. "She is Jeanette Hermione Granier LeClair, she is a pureblood."
Hermione grimaced at this as she was not ashamed of being a pureblood. She would never be ashamed of being a LeClair, but she was ashamed of her behavior. She was ashamed of the fact that she was a liar and now all of Britain will know that their muggleborn heroine was in fact a pureblood liar.
"Malfoy." Pierre questioned, "You must be Lucius' son? I just met with him last week over some business ventures. I didn't know you were friends with the Malfoy's, Jeanie."
"I'm not," Hermione said quickly. "I go to school with Draco, but his family does not like me. Muggleborn and all," she said grabbing her arm unconsciously.
Pierre had noticed the action and his eyes harden. He looked at Draco who had paled. "Did you do this to my daughter?"
"No Papa!" Hermione said quickly. "It was not him or his parents, but it was his Aunt. She was crazy, but she is dead now. I don't blame Malfoy or his parents for what happened." This was news to Draco, he was sure she would hold his father responsible at least.
"Jeanie, are you sure? Wait, didn't I read somewhere it happened…"
"At Malfoy Manor yes, but it was where Voldemort's headquarters were. Draco tried to tell his Aunt it wasn't us, he tried and that is all I can ask for. Papa don't get upset, it is ok. I'm alive and that is more than I thought I would be at the beginning of the year."
"This is not the way your life should have turned out," Pierre mumbled, hugging his now grown daughter and kissing her forehead. "You should have been married by now, hoping for a child of your own. Not a war heroine, not at eighteen Jeanie. I missed so much of your life, I can't miss anymore. I must go for now, but have lunch with Julien and myself this weekend. I will floo into Hogsmeade and we can have lunch wherever you like."
"Yes Papa," Hermione said with a small smile. No matter how long it's been and how angry her father was with her and her mother, she had missed him terribly, "I would love that."
Pierre grinned at her, gave Draco a nod, and went back to his family. Jean and he walked to the gates of Hogwarts still animatedly chatting and disapparated beyond the barrier.
"You are a LeClair," it wasn't a question, it was more a statement from Draco. "My father's been doing business with your family for years."
"I know, I've met your father when I was a child, before I came to London." Hermione mentioned as she started up the lawn, Draco following in her wake.
"Jeanie, I'm sorry, but I had to tell father," Julien said as soon as they walked up. He grabbed her into a big hug, "I've missed you Jeannie, I knew you couldn't have died. Don't ever do that again."
"Julien it's fine," Hermione accepted his apology and gave him one in return. "I understand, and I am sorry as well. I should have never talked mother into this, this is so much more complicated than I thought it could be when we first thought of it."
"Hermione, I am sorry," Fleur started with tears in her eyes.
"Fleur, I love you, you have no reason to apologize, it is all my fault." Hermione told her firmly, "This was my choice, but now I have told Papa I will go by Jeannette LeClair again, so there is no longer Hermione Granger. I must embrace my family that I have denied for so long, the wizarding world will love that muggleborn Hermione Granger is now Jeanette Hermione Granier LeClair, pureblood daughter of Jean and Pierre LeClair. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to owl Harry and Ron to tell them that their best friend is a liar, that should go over really well."
A/N
A special thanks to Angy2015 and a special Wandlore friend, (Ilse) for help of the French Translations. Google Translate can only do so much and the verb usage and the tenses of words are lost to the computer. Thank you again for your help Angy2015.