Did She Want This?
She sat down at the table for dinner that night and stared at the two boys in front of her.
"You're not really going are you?" Asked Harry.
"What choice do I have. I'm a Malfoy."
'But you don't even look like one." Said Ron his mouth full of mashed potatoes and peas.
"Concealment charm. Apparently Lucius didn't want me at all for a daughter."
"How can you complain about that? Would you have wanted Lucius for a father?" Asked Harry.
"I suppose not. It's just coming to terms with the fact that my real parents never wanted me."
"But your adopted parents did. To them you were a great gift." Explained Harry.
"Besides, it sounds as though your uncle never wanted them to give you up." Said Ron who had finally swallowed.
"So you both think I should go then?" Their faces were both serious and stern.
"Yes, but if anything happens that seems out of ordinary, remember your training and get out of there right away." Harry said. They had trained their last and seventh year at Hogwarts with Alaster Moody and Remus Lupin. Fighting in skirmishes here and there the trio was beginning to understand battle and techniques for it.
"Alright then. I suppose I have a few things to pack then." She said getting up from her untouched meal and making her way to the stairs.
!O!O!O!O!O!O!O!O!O!O!O!O!
He arrived early the next morning to meet her. He wasn't sure as to why he was doing this. It was Granger after all. But his uncle had insisted and therefore there he was again in Grimauld Place.
"Draco." Harry greeted.
"Harry." Draco greeted back.
"I give you this warning. If she is hurt in anyway under your care I will find you and tare you limb from limb as slowly as possible so you feel every bit if the pain." Harry's voice was low and threatening causing the only answer from Draco to be a nod. They turned to the stairs to see Hermione come down them with a duffle bag in hand. She wore muggle jeans and a sweatshirt.
"Alright then. I suppose we should get this over with." She said trying to sound confident. Draco nodded and held the door open for her as she hugged Harry and Ron goodbye.
"You'll have to apparate with me seeing as you do not know where you are going." He informed her. She nodded and held onto his arm that he offered her.
Feeling the squeezing of apperation Hermione closed her eyes and only opened them when the feeling subsided.
What she saw in front of her however, was a sight to be hold. An almost castle like residence was constructed before her. Tall pillars stood before the doors as they made their way up the stone steps.
"This is beautiful." Draco only nodded not even noticing. Opening the large doors she found herself in a grand entry hall. The ceiling might as well have been as high as the sky. A mural made its way across it magicked to twinkle like the stars as constellations and such flew past. She looked to see a grand stair case on either side of her wide up to the second floor landing and then go up from there. She stopped at paintings and statues or busts along the way of the large entry hall. Draco seemed to slow his pace in order to wait for her "I cannot believe you actually live in a place like this." The hall as they went had doors leading to other rooms, ended at two large oak doors. They opened themselves as the two neared them.
Seeing a grand room open out in front of her she was wide eyed. A large sitting room was placed before her. Decorated in dark greens she saw the largest fire place she would ever see in her life, lit and warming the room nicely. A house elf popped in and took the bag from Hermione.
"Missy is mistress's House Elf. What ever mistress needs Missy with get." Hermione thanked the small house elf and it bowed low before snapping its fingers to disappear.
"Katherine! Awe good you have arrived. I was a bit worried when Draco came back alone yesterday." Hermione looked to see a man who looked to be in his late sixties standing before her. His own blond hair becoming a silvery white. He did not have the signature snarl on his face that she was used to from the last elder Malfoy.
"Sir I-"
"Uncle, you must call me uncle. For you are my niece. Now to do something about this concealment charm." He pulled out is wand and with a kind smile walked toward Hermione. She backed up a bit. "Still a bit unsure of all this are we? Well, it's alright then. This will not hurt one bit." He said tapping his wand on both her shoulders lightly. She felt a warm tingle rush through her and then she felt normal once more. Looking over at the two men in the room she saw Draco, whose eyes were as wide as saucers and his mouth hung open. Her uncle held a face of smug happiness until he turned o Draco. "Draco, close your mouth." Draco followed orders. Hermione didn't feel any different, but by the look on Draco's face she must have looked considerably different.
She walked over to an elegant mirror that hung on the wall across the room. Standing in front of it she was shocked at her appearance. There staring back at her was a girl, around nineteen of age sporting now long blond hair. Not one ounce of curl laid there. She reached up to touch her now pale face to see that her skin was soft at the touch. The girl looked to be an inch or so taller than Hermione was suppose to be. It was the eyes, however, that made her catch her breath. There staring back at her were blue-grey orbs. "This is not possible." She said in a state of shock as her hand still rested on her face. Looking down at her body she saw herself to be lean and skinny, but not to the degree Narcissa Malfoy ever was.
"I assure you Katherine it is. You are Katherine Karissa Malfoy." She turned to face her uncle.
"But I'm Hermione Jane Granger. Brown bushy hair, brown eyes…I" She seemed to not know what to say. It all felt like an impossible dream. Although she couldn't really say if it would be a dream or a nightmare.
"I know this is hard, but both Draco and I will be there to support you in this new found information." Se nodded at her uncle and looked down at her feet. She then noticed her pants were a bit too short for her. Flicking her wand they grew to her desired length.
"Alright then. I wish the information I had stopped here, but I'm afraid it doesn't. I wish I could keep this from you longer so you have time to adjust, but I cannot. Draco, you have been wondering where I have been for most of your life and now I will tell you." He sat and the other two followed his action sitting across from him in separate chairs. "There is a rather large wizarding island between the countries of Africa and Australia in the Indian Ocean."
"I've never heard of this?" Said Hermione now very interested.
"It is not well known, nor is it taught and is in very few books. This country if you will is usually only known by word of mouth and that is only from the secret keeper."
"The Fidelius Charm?" Whispered Hermione to which her uncle nodded.
"A rather large secret to keep, I must say."
"What is so important about this island?" Asked Draco now leaning forward a bit as interest came to him.
"This Island is known as one of the only wizarding nations.'
"A wizarding nation? As in a country?" Asked Hermione. He nodded.
"This is why a form the Fidelius charm was used centuries ago. We had no want for muggles to find our land and take it as they have taken most the land on this planet."
"If it is a secret than how do people live there? How is it populated?" Asked Draco.
"During ancient times and times turning which the wizarding world has been greatly threatened either by wizard or muggle, the secret keeper makes it a point to go about telling those of its existence, only to those of great trust an honesty. The right of the secret keeper is only given down through the royal family."
"There is a ruling family?"
"Yes, but it is now more and more becoming modeled after the muggle parliament. However, the royal family has much more power over its citizens than the muggle royal family does."
"Wait, you are allowed to tell us this information then either you gained permission somehow or you are the secret keeper." Hermione reasoned. Their uncle nodded. "So which is it?" Asked Hermione.
"I am the secret keeper."
"But that would make you…"
"Ruler and King of Kruphios." He said nodding.
"Greek?" Asked Hermione. Uncle Evander nodded. "For…secret?" He nodded once more.
"But that would make us…" Draco began to speak.
"Prince and Princess of Kruphios." He stated. "Draco you are the heir to the throne."
"I don't understand. My father? Why didn't he stay and try to obtain the thrown."
"When your father left Kruphios to go to Hogwarts he was pulled farther into the dark arts than our family has ever been. When I heard of this I sent people from our nation to pull the information of Kruphios from his mind. I could not allow this Voldemort to attack the island."
"So you took any memory of him being a prince from him?" Asked Hermione. Her uncle once again nodded.
"It grieved me to do so for it stripped his right to the throne, but he chose his course. Once this happened the throne would go to the next in the family which would be Draco." Both glanced at each other and then back to their uncle. "I know this is a lot to take in especially for Katherine. But hear me when I say it is important you know. There is more to come, but I will refrain from telling you until tomorrow." Hermione looked at a clock to see that time had flown by quickly and it was now afternoon. So much information had been brought to her. Her mind was swirling with facts and reasoning. "Take the rest of the day and rest." He ordered and soon left the manor to apparate.
"He leaves every day and returns the next. We will not get any more answers until tomorrow." Stated Draco as he stood. He turned to look at her. "Malfoy suits you Granger, but it will take a lot of work I see for you to become the pure-blood you are." She glared at him. "And now to add royalty to that…" he laughed and left the room. However some how she knew he was right. One question now lay at her lips: Did she want all this?