A/N – After writing for so many years and posting so many stories, I really didn't think I needed to clarify the pairing in this story as aside from my recent explorations into writing some Lucissa based stories, I only write Dramione. So just in case there was any doubt this trilogy is a Dramione.


Luck was very much on Hermione's side and the very next day, Severus Snape paid a visit to Grimmauld Place. In the time since she'd arrived at headquarters, Hermione had managed to deduce that the potions master didn't like being anywhere near the house and its occupants, in particular Sirius. Hermione knew the pair had a past, and she was hoping that past would help Snape save her from a wizard he clearly didn't like.

While Snape was talking with the Order members, the youngsters were sent out of the kitchen. The Weasleys all complained bitterly about being shut out, but Hermione just shrugged her shoulders and announced she was going to the library to read for a bit. However, instead of going to the library, Hermione hovered around the hallway leading from the kitchen and the second Snape emerged, she pounced on the head of Slytherin.

"Sir, I need to talk to you," she hissed quietly, not wanting anyone to hear them talking. "In private."

"And just what would you have to talk to me in private about Miss Granger?" Severus asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I can't say here," Hermione answered quickly, her eyes constantly darting from side to side to ensure they weren't seen talking. "Please Sir, it's a matter of life and death."

Severus didn't reply immediately and Hermione feared he was going to turn her away, but then he nodded once and agreed they could talk.

"Not here," Hermione whispered. "You need to get me out of here."

"Very well," Severus replied, not sounding too sure. "You can come back to my cottage. If we're quick, no-one will see us leaving."

"Thank you Sir," Hermione replied with a grateful smile.

Quickly checking that people were either still in the kitchen of upstairs, Hermione and Severus made a dash to the front door. With no-one in Grimmauld Place any the wiser, Hermione left the house with the potions professor and he whisked them off to his cottage without another word.

Hermione was silent as she followed Severus into a small cottage. The walls in the front room were lined with books, but Hermione ignored her urge to explore as she continued to follow Severus towards the kitchen at the back of the house. In the kitchen, Severus made some tea while Hermione nervously sat down and mentally ran over what she was going to say. Although it all sounded so crazy in her head she was beginning to doubt if Severus would even believe her.

"What is so urgent you had to talk to me, Miss Granger?" Severus asked as he sat down opposite Hermione, obviously uncomfortable with having a student in his home.

"My life is in danger," Hermione blurted. "Molly and Sirius plan to kill me."

Severus let out a sharp burst of laughter at the announcement, but he quickly calmed down when he saw that Hermione was deadly serious. In fact she looked as though she was on the verge of tears, and Severus felt guilty for laughing at what was obviously a very real concern for her.

"Sorry," he offered. "I didn't mean to laugh, but it's such a wild allegation."

"It is," Hermione agreed, blinking back the tears that she was determined not to shed. "If I hadn't heard them myself, I never would have believed it."

"I think you need to start at the beginning," Severus said gently. "Why would Molly and Sirius want to kill you?"

"They think I'm dangerous and they don't want me near Harry and Ron," Hermione replied.

"Tell me everything," Severus urged as he took a drink of his tea.

Taking a drink of her own, Hermione told Severus the entire story. She repeated what she'd heard virtually word for word as the entire incident was etched on her brain. When she was finished, she was aware how crazy the entire thing sounded and she was preparing herself for Severus to dismiss her and tell her she was being ridiculous. However, Severus's expression was shocked, but not disbelieving.

"It's true, isn't it?" Hermione whispered. "I'm Voldemort's daughter."

"I don't know," Severus admitted. "I've never heard of The Dark Lord having a daughter, but I know a man who will know."

"But you're not dismissing it out of hand," Hermione said. "You think Molly and Sirius could be right in who I am."

"I see no reason for them to make such a thing up," Severus said. "And from what you heard, it sounded like the Order snatched you when you were just a child. I wasn't really involved with them back then, and I was too lowly within the Death Eaters to know anything about The Dark Lord's private life. However, if he did have a child and the Order found out about her, I could very well picture them taking extreme action to remove her from him."

"And do you think I'm in danger now?" Hermione asked.

"I certainly do," Severus replied with a severe nod. "Even if they're on the wrong track, Molly and Black have this idea in their head and I doubt either of will be persuaded they're wrong. They're both stubborn, and Black may have been wrongly imprisoned for years, but he's no angel. If he's set his sights on you, you're not safe."

"Will you help me?" Hermione questioned pleadingly. "Please Sir, you're my only hope. I can't go back to the Order. If I do Molly and Sirius will make sure I'm killed."

"I'll help you," Severus promised. "But I think one of the first things we need to do is establish if you are The Dark Lord's daughter. I can promise you that if you are who the Order think you are, The Dark Lord will protect you."

"He'll expect me to fight alongside him though, won't he?" Hermione said with a sigh. Part of her longed for his protection, but she hadn't even dealt with the fact she was possibly his daughter, let alone given any consideration to switching sides and joining the dark.

"I don't know what he'll expect," Severus replied honestly. "But I do know he'll protect you and ensure no harm comes to you. Right now, that's exactly what we want."

"So are you just going to go up to him and tell him about me?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"Definitely not," Severus replied with a chuckle. "If you don't mind I would like to send for a friend of mine. He'll know if The Dark Lord has a daughter, and if so what happened to her."

"Send for your friend," Hermione said, already suspecting that the potions master would be sending for Lucius Malfoy.

Sure enough fifteen minutes later, Lucius Malfoy arrived at the cottage. His surprise at seeing Hermione sitting at Severus's kitchen table was evident, but he held his tongue as Severus gave him a cup of tea and asked for his help.

"I do hope this is not some sordid affair you're about to reveal Severus," Lucius drawled, his grey eyes studying Hermione. "Not only is she a muggleborn, but she's under-age. I have influence, but not enough to make this acceptable."

"Don't be so disgusting Lucius," Severus snapped. "Hermione is a student, and she came to me for help."

"Hermione is it?" Lucius raised a blond eyebrow at Severus's use of Hermione's first name.

"Lucius behave," Severus warned. "Hermione, tell him what you told me."

Trying not to be too intimidated by Lucius's piercing grey eyes watching her every move, Hermione repeated her story for the second time. The second she mentioned being Voldemort's daughter, Lucius drew in a sharp breath and she felt his scrutiny grow more intense. By the time she was finished her story, Lucius was gazing at her in wonder.

"It is true," Hermione stated in a whisper. She knew just from the way Lucius was looking at her that everything she'd heard was true. She was Voldemort's daughter.

"The Dark Lord had a daughter?" Severus questioned, looking at his friend.

"Yes," Lucius replied in a stunned whisper. "Her name was Hope."

"Was?" Hermione questioned. "What happened to her?"

"She died," Lucius answered. "Or at least that's what we thought. Now it's looking like Dumbledore took you and faked your death. How did he even know about you?"

"I could hardly ask questions," Hermione said with a snort. "I was lucky not to be seen as it was. I could hardly pop up and ask the details of my kidnapping. What happened to make you think Hope was dead?"

"Hope was taken ill and having trouble with her breathing. The nanny rushed her to hospital, but there were difficulties and she died," Lucius said. "Obviously it was all an elaborate scam on Dumbledore's part. Staff at the hospital had to have been involved, and likely the nanny. I'm sure The Dark Lord will find everyone involved and punish them."

"What about my mother?" Hermione asked.

"I'm afraid she's dead," Lucius replied regretfully. "She couldn't cope with losing her daughter and she took her own life. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Hermione whispered, her mind stuck on all the lives that had been destroyed by her kidnapping. Not only had the Order messed with her life, they'd caused her mother to take her own life.

"What should we do now?" Severus asked. "Hermione can't go back to the Order. Molly and Black want rid of her, and it was clear they'd willingly kill her to have her out of their lives."

"First we need to be sure that Hermione really is Hope," Lucius said. "I can't go to The Dark Lord and tell him his daughter is alive without proof."

"How do you plan on getting proof?" Hermione asked.

"There's tests we can do," Lucius replied. "It'll take a few hours, but by tonight we'll know for sure who you really are."

"So what happens until then? Do I stay here?" Hermione questioned.

"I think the manor will be better," Lucius said. "Sooner or later the Order are going to realise you're missing, and with the talents of their members they should be able to track you easily enough. However, even if they track you to the manor, they stand no chance of getting to you. You'll be safe there."

"And what if I'm not Hope?" Hermione asked with a frown. "What if someone's got their wires crossed along the way, and I am just a simple muggleborn? Will I be thrown to the wolves?"

"No," Severus said with a shake of his head. "I promised I would look after you, and I will. If you're not Hope, Lucius can bring you back here and I can make sure you're safe. I won't let anyone kill you, Hermione, you have my word."

"Thank you," Hermione whispered, shooting her professor a grateful smile.

"Although I have to say, the more I'm seeing of you, the more convinced I am you are Hope," Lucius said. "You've certainly got your father's fire and your eyes are so very like your mother's. But still, tests need to be done before we can approach The Dark Lord."

"Are we leaving now?" Hermione asked as Lucius rose to his feet.

"Unless you've got things to pack," Lucius replied.

"No, I never thought to grab anything," Hermione said with a frown. "All I've got is my wand and the clothes I'm wearing."

"Then you've got the most important thing," Lucius said. "As long as you have your wand, everything else can be acquired new. We can sort you out with a change of clothes once you're settled in at the manor."

"Are you coming with us?" Hermione asked Severus. The thought of going off alone with Lucius Malfoy was making her nervous, and for some reason she felt safe with Severus around.

"I can if that's alright with Lucius," Severus said.

"Come," Lucius said with a nod. "We can get the tests started and have the results by this evening."

Without further ado, Lucius gently took hold of Hermione's arm and apparated her to Malfoy Manor. They landed in the centre of a warm, welcoming room and seconds after they'd landed the fire in the corner lit up and Severus alighted, brushing a few stray bits of soot off his shoulder.

"I think we should start the tests straight away," Lucius said. "I can then have one of the elves show you to a spare room."

"I'd rather wait for the test results," Hermione said. "There's no point getting settled unless I'm staying here."

"As you wish," Lucius replied with a nod as he led the way to the door and out into the vastness of the manor.

Hermione silently followed Lucius and Severus, taking in the opulent decorations and elegant feeling of the manor. She hadn't given much thought to Malfoy Manor before, but if she had she would have thought of it as cold and unwelcoming, a bit like its owners. However, the manor was glorious and felt like a real home, and it wasn't as if Lucius was the cold, uncaring wizard she'd always thought he was. Aside from his first crack about her being Severus's lover, he'd been polite and considerate and he and Severus were chatting away like the good friends they clearly were.

Eventually they entered a room that was set up like a potions laboratory. Hermione was seated on a chair, where she watched Lucius and Severus set up several different cauldrons and prepare different ingredients. At one point Lucius summoned a house elf and spoke quietly to it before it vanished before Hermione got a chance to complain about the use of house elves. Two minutes later the elf returned and again she didn't have time to protest before it had handed something to Lucius and vanished again.

"I just need a few things from you," Lucius said as he approached Hermione. "A strand of your hair, a blood sample and your magic."

"How do I give you my magic?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"Easy," Lucius replied with a smile. "You merely cast a spell over the cauldron I tell you to."

Hermione gave the samples Lucius had asked for and watched as her hair was dropped into one cauldron and her blood into another one. She was then taken to a third cauldron and sent a spell into the bubbling liquid as directed.

"Now what?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Now we wait," Lucius replied.

Waiting took nearly two hours, but finally a timer Severus had set went off and he and Lucius rushed over to the first cauldron. They took a sample from all three cauldrons and carried them over to a bench where Lucius had laid out a scrap of black robes which he explained belonged to Voldemort. One by one they poured the potions over the robes and when the final potion touched the robe, it began to shimmer and the black material turned gold.

"What does that mean?" Hermione asked.

"It means that you're The Dark Lord's daughter," Lucius said with a smile as he turned to Hermione. "Welcome back, Hope."