AN
Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites so far! But I have one question for the Guests, Y U NO MAKE ACCOUNT?! I would love to be able to reply to you properly!
I know I said it in my last chapter for those who missed it, a BIG thank you to the Guest who reviewed and informed me of a timeline mix up I made. It has been fixed now, so hopefully everything makes sense now :D
Updates will be every second Sunday from today onwards (Sunday AEST), so unless life gets in the way, or I have enough chapters to update faster, then every second Sunday is the way to go.
Enough of my ramblings for now. I shall let you get to the story. ENJOY!
That was how Hermione found herself out the front of Malfoy Manor. Scared, angry, and unsure. Did she even really want these answers anymore? Couldn't she just leave it as it was and go on with her life?
No. Deep in her heart Hermione knew she couldn't just keep on not knowing. She had to know more of what was going on. She set a determined look on her face and raised her hand to open the gate. As she did this, the gate swung open of its own accord.
Hermione slowly made her way up the gravel drive towards the house. As she approached the stairs the wide double doors opened and out stepped an elegantly dressed woman in her mid-forties. Her blonde and black hair was pinned up in a sophisticated chignon and her robes were clearly the best money could buy. "Hermione dear. Come on in. I have tea waiting for us in the Lady's Room. I shall explain everything there. My husband and son will not be home till this evening so we can speak as long as needed." Narcissa Malfoy then promptly turned on her heel and walked into the house.
Hermione jogged up the stairs and followed the imposing woman, her second cousin, into the palatial house. There were paintings covering the walls and deep piled rugs covering the cold stone floors. It was hard for Hermione to imagine her childhood tormenter living in such a beautiful house.
Narcissa finally stepped into a beautifully decorated room. The walls were painted in a pastel pink, and the furniture was all in shades of pastel blue and purple. There were elegant flower arrangements in the corners of the room, and the back wall was made entirely of French windows. The view showed the picturesque landscape that surrounded Malfoy Manor.
"Take a seat, dear. I will answer whatever it is you have to ask. I know my aunt can be quite brusque, especially to those she considers undesirables." Narcissa herself sat on a velvet chaise lounge and started to pour the tea into the delicate gold rimmed tea cups.
"I honestly don't know where to start, Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione said in a whisper as she sat down on the edge of the opposite couch. "This is all so overwhelming and I just don't know what to ask or say. I don't know if I even want to know everything. But I do want to know, but I just don't know what to say at all!"
Narcissa took a sip of her tea before she spoke. "I can understand how you are feeling, child. And please, call me Narcissa, we are family after all."
Hermione nodded and she too took a sip from her tea. It was sweet and strong, just how she liked it. She gave a grateful smile to Narcissa. "Mostly Narcissa, I don't know if I even want to be a part of all of this. It is so much to take in. I am not who I thought I was at all. I am related to a vile and horrible man who has wanted to kill my friends and me for as long as I have known of this world."
Narcissa looked at her sympathetically. "I am certainly glad that my husband is not here to hear that! I, of course, feel much like you do, though our circumstances are very different. I can see how you would be so perturbed to find out you are related to a man like The Dark Lord. Even on a good day, he is not easy to get along with. I have met him a few times since his return, and he is as cold to those he claims he holds dear, as he is to those he holds as an enemy."
Hermione sighed and placed her teacup down. "What I really want to know the most is, why did no one know? Walburga told me she obliviated Sirius and Regulus, but you obviously know what is going on. We have met once before, but you never acknowledged me. Surely when you heard my name you would have known something. Hermione is not a common name. It is barely a muggle name, yet fairly common in the wizarding world. Did you not find it strange that a 'mudblood' like myself would have a wizarding name?"
"Hermione, it is more than that. How could I know? Yes, you have a wizarding name, a pureblood name. But how was I to know you were family? There is some resemblance now that I look hard. You have the Black curls for instance. And the eyes are Black eyes too. Remember how I was raised, though. Remember what it is I believe. You were a mudblood then. Why should I bother giving you even a cursory glance?" Narcissa took another sip of her tea. "Please take no offence, of course, none is intended. I believe now what I do because that is what I was raised to believe. It is what I know. Much like since you have joined our world you have been lead to believe my family and myself are evil. There are two sides to everything."
Hermione just nodded. She could understand where Narcissa was coming from, but it was a hard pill for her to swallow. She knew of course that there were reasons behind why everyone does anything, but it was still hard to get the image out of her head that all Death Eaters and their families did was sit around and plot the demise of the light.
"Hermione dear. I can't give you very much insight into everything that is happening. I don't know the whole story. The only ones who do are your parents. I know my Aunt obliviated my cousin, but you should still talk to your father more on this."
"I just don't understand why he never said anything before now." Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes. This would be the first time she had cried since this whole thing had started, but she didn't want to cry in front of this woman. She barely knew her. She was the mother of the boy who had bullied her for as long as she had been in this world. The tears came anyway though. "I don't understand why, after all this time, my father kept who I was a secret! I would never have told anyone. Except for perhaps Harry and Ron. And if he was going to lie, why not at least let me know I was a witch? Why let me suffer through years and years of bullying just because he couldn't accept who he is? How was that fair on me at all?"
Narcissa came over and sat beside Hermione, wrapping a slender arm around her shoulder. "I don't think your father meant to hurt you, dear. He was in a very tough position. If The Dark Lord knew he existed, he would have surely killed your family. Even if that didn't happen, even if The Dark Lord didn't come looking for you, then Dumbledore would have used you to draw him out, thinking perhaps that he would feel some kind of kinship to you. He might not have done the right thing, but he did the best he could."
Hermione nodded and sniffled. It felt strange to be comforted by this woman, who until an hour ago had been a mortal enemy. "What do I do now?"
"What do you want to do, dear? You are of legal age now. You can carry on the way you are now. You could move into your ancestral home. The world is your oyster. Do what you feel you should." Narcissa rubbed Hermione's back as she started to sob. Everything was just so overwhelming. Nothing made sense anymore. Nothing was the same anymore. Everything hurt and she was losing control of everything in her life.
Narcissa pulled her into a deeper hug. "If it helps Hermione, had I known we were kin sooner, I would have let you know. It wasn't fair for you to grow up so ignorant."
Hermione nodded, unable to talk. She just continued sobbing.
An hour had passed before Hermione finally managed to compose herself. She sat up and when what she had done finally registered in her mind, a deep flush spread across her face. Narcissa's robes were covered in tears and snot from her sobbing. "Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" Hermione pulled out her want to clean up the mess.
"It's nothing dear. I have a child, I may not seem like it, but I was a very hands on mother when he was younger. I have been covered in a lot worse." Narcissa pulled out her own wand and with a quick flick her robes were spotless again.
"Thank you so much for everything, Mrs. Malfoy. It really means a lot, all things considered." Hermione gave her a wet smile.
"Think nothing of it. I am one of the few family you have left remaining to you that knows what it is like in our world. I can't see either of my dear sisters feeling much like explaining too much to you. Or my niece. I will be honored if you would consider me a confidante. You are one of the brightest witches of your age dear. I won't lie. There is a selfish purpose behind this as well. If I am seen with you, it will only do good things for my family's name. That is not my only reason, though. You are blood. You are family. We are meant to look out for each other. And if you insist on using a title of respect, please call me Aunt. I only allow those I consider to be below me to call me Mrs. Malfoy." Narcissa wrapped her up in another hug. It was surprisingly comforting. Just then, there were voices outside the door. Male voices. Voices Hermione recognized all too well.
The male Malfoy's were home.
Hermione went ramrod straight. She jumped out of Narcissa's arms and started to look around for somewhere to hide. The memories of the Battle at the Ministry of Magic were still fresh in her mind, and she distinctly recalled Malfoy Senior throwing curses her way. It had been a bad idea coming here, a very bad idea.
"Calm down dear. I shall talk to them. They won't come in here. This is my space. They respect it. They might make as much noise as possible outside to get my attention, but they won't come in. Go over there and wait till I get you." With a final hug, Narcissa went to the door.
Hermione sat down on the chair Narcissa had motioned her to and waited. She was shaking slightly from a combination of fear and nerves.
Several minutes later, Narcissa returned. "Lucius would like to see you in the Drawing Room. Don't worry dear. I will be there with you the whole time. He has promised me he will do nothing to harm you."
Hermione followed Narcissa out of the room with trepidation. Less than a year ago the man she was about to see had tried to kill her. Had actually tried to murder her in cold blood. Now she was an extended part of his family.
They finally stepped into the drawing-room, and there he sat. Regal and imposing in a large leather wingback chair. Almost a throne. His elbows rested on the arms of the chair, his fingers meeting to create a pyramid. His face was completely blank of emotion.
Narcissa lead he to a couch beside her husband. She sat between them, keeping them at a slight distance. Gratitude flooded Hermione's system when she did that. It felt nice to have someone on her side through all this.
"So, you believe you can waltz in here and claim to be kin to my wife do you? How do you prove this? You wouldn't be the first piece of filth to try and do something like this to us in the past." Lucius was straight to the point it would seem.
Anger filled her. How dare he think she would be here for such a preposterous reason! Did he really think she would be here if she didn't have to be?
"Lucius! I have it on good authority that she is who she claims! Walburga came to her portrait after having a discussion with this girl. Do you really think my Aunt would waste her time like that on a mudblood?" Narcissa was clearly angry herself with her husband. Hermione couldn't help but flinch at the derogatory term.
"I think the young lady can speak for herself Narcissa." Lucius snapped. "Well? Why should we believe your story?"
Hermione took a fortifying breath. She did not want to discuss this with this man, but it seemed she had very little choice.
"My father came to me not long after the last battle," She noticed with satisfaction Lucius flinched at the mention of the battle. "He explained to me that he was not a muggle, but in fact a squib. He has some magic, but he has no control of it. He told me how Walburga had obliviated my mother after when she had found out that she was in love with a squib, a squib who wanted to live as a muggle as well. That's about it. He told me he could prove it by the Black Family Tree at Grimmauld Place. That's about it."
Lucius sat there with a pensive look on his face after a few minutes he asked; "And what family did your father come from? I remember Norma Black. She may have been soft when it came to who she associated with, but never would she have considered marrying a mudblood. So this man must have been at least a half blood. Tell me, what line your father belonged to?"
"I don't see how that is important, husband. All that is important is that my cousin's daughter has found her way back to her true family." Narcissa responded, panic showing in her eyes.
Lucius' eyes flashed with anger as he glared at Narcissa. "It is of the upmost importance! Unless you would trust Bellatrix or Rudolphus to find her a suitable match in the future, then let me ask the questions. If this girl is really a Black, then who she marries is of upmost importance. We cannot have her marrying someone who will dilute her bloodline!"
Narcissa cowed to her husband's anger. "Of course." She said meekly.
"So child, who were your father's parents? It will be in your best interests to tell me now."
With a sigh, Hermione spoke quietly. "My Grandmother was Nemesis Carrow. My Grandfather was…" Hermione couldn't get the words out of her mouth. She felt as if she was choking. "I can't breathe!" She managed to squeak out.
Narcissa stood. "Really Lucius, after everything you have put this poor girl through in the past, after everything you have trained your son to put this girl through… you think she will just simply answer your questions like we are having a pleasant morning tea?" The regal woman walked over to a small bar and produced a glass, with a flick of her wand, she filled it with water and brought it to Hermione. "I think that is enough for today."
"No Narcissa, it is not enough! It is important that we know these things!" Lucius stood and slammed his hands down on the table in front of him.
"My grandfather was Morfin Gaunt." Hermione whispered, half hoping Lucius wouldn't hear her. She knew Narcissa knew, and that didn't bother her. But she felt as if Lucius shouldn't. With his connection to Voldemort, it seemed a very bad idea.
"Get out." Lucius' voice was deceptively soft. "Get out of my house with your lies and your filthy blood. I will not have you taking advantage of my wife's kindness anymore."
"No, Lucius. She is welcome here whenever she likes. Do you think I do not know my own blood? Can you not see the family resemblance? How many people know what my cousin did? How many people even remember Morfin Jr? Like all pureblood scandals it was soon forgotten. Three children in the same generation disowned. It's easy to forget one of them. Especially when they haven't been seen in public. Where else could Hermione gotten her information from, but the source themselves?" Narcissa was out of breath after her rant. "She is my family, and I say she stays as long as she wishes to."
"If your story is true, you are aware I will need to tell The Dark Lord." Lucius said with a horrifying smirk.
Hermione felt her heart jump into her throat. "Please! No! I want nothing to do with him."
Lucius' smirk grew bigger. "But surely you wish to meet your great uncle? After all you wish to see your cousin. Well there is one final way to find out if it is lies coming from your filthy mouth, or the truth. Let me call him."
In the space of a few seconds, Lucius had flicked his wand at Hermione, wrapping her body in tight rope.
Lucius rolled up his sleeve. "I am sure the Dark Lord will be very interested in your lies, Mudblood."
