Holy shit on toast, this chapter took so much out of me. It took forever to to write and then type...but it's here, 5788 words...holy hell but it's done! Please enjoy!
Chapter One: Not of Mud but of Pure.
Hermione Granger had just completed her second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizarding. It had been a very trying year for the young witch, what with the chamber of secrets, Ronald's broke wand, being petrified, and Malfoy being plain horrid to her. You would think she would consider being petrified worse than Malfoys taunts, but just like her first year her priorities were a little askew.
She exited the train, waved goodbye to her two best friends, and looked around for her mother. As she was looking around she noticed Malfoy and his mother. His mother was very beautiful; she was wearing deep purple robes that hugged her figure. In Hermione's opinion she looked almost royal, guess that's why they call him the Slytherin Prince. Malfoy caught her attention and mouthed the word 'mudblood', well he might have said it actually, she was too far away to hear. She just glared at him until her eyes were drawn to something over his shoulder, her mother. Forgetting all about the blonde pain-in-her…well, word she wouldn't say, she ran to her mother and threw herself in her arms.
"Mum." She whispered as her mother held her. She was so wrapped up in her mother's hug that she didn't notice her mother was looking over her head at the woman in the purple robes that Hermione had been admiring just moments before. They shared a small smile, and with a nod of the blondes head she led her son out of the station. Jane Granger turned her attention back to her only daughter who was still holding on to her very tightly.
"Come dear." Her mother said pulling out of the hug and wrapping her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Let's head home." She said leading her out of the station. They didn't really talk as they loaded her trunk into the boot of the car and then climbed in. When asked about her school year, Hermione tried to be as vague as possible to not worry her parents. She could tell her mother was trying to puzzle why Hermione hadn't wrote for almost 2 months, in an attempt to stop the inquiring look in her mothers' eyes she quickly made up a story of how Harry had been injured in Quidditch and she spent most of her time in the Hospital Wing watching over him. Her mother smiled at her sweet daughter but the smile didn't reach her eyes, and for the first time Hermione noticed the tension in the car.
"Mum, what's the matter?" Her mothers' eyes widen a bit at the question before looking at her husband.
"Well sweetling we have some news for you." Her father said. "We moved into the house I grew up in while you were at school. It's a bit bigger then you're used to sweetling but it has a huge library which I am sure you will love." He smiled at her in the rearview mirror.
"We have some more news but that will come later. There are friends of ours waiting for us at the house." By then they had been driving for thirty minutes, and were well outside of town. They started pulling up to a huge manor. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise.
"This is where you grew up daddy?"
"Yes sweetling, welcome to your new home."
"It's huge!" Richard laughed at his baby girls expression. The car pulled to a stop, and they all piled out. Hermione went to the back of the car to retrieve her trunk but her father stopped her.
"We'll come get your trunk later sweetling." Her father said wrapping his arm around her leading her into the house. He lead her quickly into a sitting room without really giving her a chance to get a good look around the house but what she saw in the sitting room stopped her dead in her tracks.
"WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?" She yelled in complete unison with the blonde boy standing behind the chair his mother was sitting in.
"What am I doing here? This is my home, what are you doing here?" She yelled at him.
"Hermione." Her mother scolded. She did not expect this reaction from the two children.
"No mother. Why are the Malfoys here?"
"Sweetling, these are the friends your mother mentioned in the car."
"But they're the Malfoys, they aren't friends with muggles, everyone knows that!" Suddenly she went slack, the shock seemed to make her faint. Richard caught his daughter just before she hit the ground.
"I told you this wasn't the way to tell her Alexa."
"Tell her what? Father why are we at this Mudblood's house?" Had Richard not been holding his daughter he was sure he would have hexed the boy in to next week. How dare he call his daughter a Mudblood. His old friend Lucius caught his eye, he silently apologized for his sons horrible behavior, but before he had a chance to reprimand him his wife spoke up.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Narcissa yelled from her seat. "If I ever hear you call your betrothed that again, I will cut you from your inheratince and break every broom you own." The young Malfoy paled. Alexa saw the smirk on Narcissa's face, even though she was bloody pissed at her son she knew that what she said would no doubt torment him.
"Did you say…"
"Yes every broom Draco."
"No before that."
"You'll lose your inheritance."
"Mother." Draco said losing his patience causing her smirk to brighten. "What did you call Granger?" His voice cracked as he demanded her answer.
"Your betrothed." Unlucky for Draco Malfoy his father did not catch him as he passed out.
She was laying on something soft, she knew that much, her head was a little fuzzy. She heard voices around her, she strained to listen and understand.
"Alexa I can't believe you chose to tell her like this. I know Cissy and you have missed each other but we should have told her alone on our own terms." It was her father's voice, but who was Alexa? Her mother was Jane.
"I know, but I didn't know there was bad blood between her and the Malfoy boy, she's never written home about him. I figured they were imparticial at the worst. To think he called her that horrid word." It was her mother's voice. "I think Lucius counts himself lucky that his son was not at the bad end of your wand, Dom." Wand? Why would her dad have a wand?
"I thought we were muggles?" She said softly as she pushed herself into a sitting position. A couch she had been laying on a very soft couch.
"Hermione dear how do you feel?" Her father came into her view, worry etching his features.
"My head is a little fuzzy, but are we not muggles?"
"Hermione, that was our other news, with Voldomort finally gone we can come out of hiding."
"You know about Voldomort?"
"Yes sweetling, here let me explain. We are the Genevese's, a very promident Pureblood family. Your mother got pregnant during the war. Voldomort tried to recruit me but I declined. Of course he then threated our family. The Malfoys have been our friends since Hogwarts, Lucius was able to give us a warning before the Death Eaters had attacked. He had been trying to find a way out himself but at the time Voldomorts claws were just in too deep. We fled, found a nice little muggle town and changed our names. We couldn't risk being found out, even when the rumors started about Voldomort being gone. Lucius knew it to be false, he knew the diary needed to be destroyed he just didn't know how to do it." Hermione had been listening very intently. She was a pureblood but her parents weren't death eaters, the Malfoys were friends. "Lucius contacted us when he found out the diary had been destroyed and told us it was safe to return." It was a lot to take in but all Hermione could seem to ask was.
"Did you have to be friends with the Malfoys?" She groaned.
"I'm sorry to spring them on you honey." Her mother said. "I didn't know there was such bad blood between you and Draco, that will definitely make things hard."
"How will it make things hard, I'm sure we can just ignore each other." Hermione commented.
"Well sweetling, you can't ignore him. He's your betrothed."
"No! Daddy, I can't marry him! He's mean, he's horrible! He torments me and my friends every chance he gets!"
"Honey, we're sorry. You were betrothed before you were born. The contract can't be nullified until your 25th birthday. You just need to give each other a chance is all I'm sure you could love him."
"I don't want to!" She was being stubborn she knew that but she really did not want anything to do with Draco Malfoy.
"We'll talk about this another time sweetling. It's late let me take you to your room." He said scooping up his only daughter and carrying her down the hall.
"Daddy did you really almost hex Malfoy?" She asked as he carried her down the corridor and up a set of stairs. He laughed.
"Yes I almost did sweetling, no one calls my baby girl a Mudblood. Luckily for him I had something much more important in my arms, you." She smiled up at him. "I'm sorry we sprung this on you like this sweetling, but we were so happy to be able to come back into our world that we jumped at the chance."
"I understand daddy." He walked into her room and placed her on the bed.
"Goodnight sweetling."
"Goodnight daddy."
The next morning found the Malfoy's and the Genevese's sitting around a long dinning room table.
"I don't understand how she is a pureblood." Draco sneered. "She got petrified by that stupid Baskalisc." Hermione groaned as she heard all the gasps.
"Young lady?" Her mother questioned sterly. She looked up shyly at her mom hoping to sway some of her wrath but no luck. She sighed.
"I was afraid if I told you what happened that you wouldn't understand, I thought you were muggles! I figured you would pull me out of school." She looked down at her hands. "I love Hogwarts, I didn't want to get pulled out."
"Sweetling, next time you need to tell us these things, we're your parents we deserve to know."
"I know daddy."
"So." Narcissa started, content with acting like the two people she was about to discuss were not there. "What shall we do about this betrothal?"
"Well, what do you have in mind?" Alexa asked.
"How about they spend their summers together?" Immediately the protests started.
"No I don't want to spend my summer with her."
"Can't you cancel the betrothal?"
"She wont be any fun."
"If we spent summers together then we would have to deal with each other all year, isn't the 9 months we're at school enough?"
"Enough!" Narcissa and Alexa said at the same time.
"We are not stupid enough to believe you will be nice to each other, or even be around each other at Hogwarts, here we can monitor your activity." Narcissa explained.
"There will be no further arguments." Alexa added. Both children grumbled their annoyance but did not argue. "Cissy I do agree, but Dominic and I wish to have this summer to focus on Hermione. She has much to learn about who she is and our family. Could we start next year?" Surprisingly Draco and Hermoine looked at each other, a moment of pure relief washed across their faces, before they realized who they were looking at. Glares were shared before they both looked back at Narcissa half pleading.
"I could not deny your time with your daughter Alexa." Narcissa half whispered.
"Thank you for understanding Narcissa." Dominic said looking at his daughter.
"May I be excused?" Hermione suddenly asked wishing she could be alone for a bit. Her father nodded. Silently she got out of her chair and walked out of the dinning room. Though the Manor, yes it's a manor, though it is huge, Hermione found that it is easy to navigate. She found her room quickly. She hadn't paid much attention to it last night or even this morning, walking in she took a good look around. It was blue much like her old room a strong mixture of a sky blue and an ocean blue, two things Hermione loved. She had a big wardrobe which she found out this morning had tons of robes and formal gowns along with her normal 'muggle' clothes. At the foot her bed was her school trunk, her father had brought it inside sometime the day before. The wall on the left side of the room was built in bookcases filled with more tombs then she could count. She was examining the various titles when the door opened.
"I figured you would like the bookcase." Her mother said from the doorway. Hermione sighed, she shoulders slumping just a bit.
"Every summer mum?" She said. "What about my friends?"
"Oh darling, your friends are welcome here."
"No mum, that's the point Malfoy…"
"Draco darling."
"We aren't friends mum, he's Malfoy."
"Hermione you will call him Draco in this house." Her mother said sternly.
"Fine, Draco doesn't like my friends and they don't like him. They fight every chance they get."
"Fighting will not be tolerated."
"Exactly. You're forcing me to choose between my family and my friends. Either I listen to you and I'm miserable without my friends, or I have my friends and you're disappointed in me."
"Darling it can't be that bad, maybe your friends will surprise you."
"Mum, Draco called me a mudblood and Ron tried to hex him." Alexa rubbed her temple.
"Well then you have the school year to get them to make nice." Hermione snorted. "I'm serious Hermione, Draco is a part of your life from now on." There was a knock at the door before Domique poked his head in.
"Is everything alright sweetling?"
"As alright as it can be daddy." Hermione said as her dad walked in and sat on her trunk. "Dad, what house were you in at Hogwarts?" Domique laughed as he patted the spot next to him on the trunk. Hermione made her way over from the bookcases to sit next to him as her mother sat in the chair close to the bookcase.
"Slytherin. Lucius and I were in the same year. Narcissa and Alexa were in a year younger then us.
"You were a Slytherin too mum?"
"No." Alexa said shaking her head. "I was in Ravenclaw."
"Your mother was a very weird pureblood. Everyone loved her. She had the sweetest soul in the school. She didn't care about blood status and would be friends with anyone. All she cared about was heart. She was very good friends with Narcissa and Lily Evans."
"Lily Evans, isn't she Harry's mum, Lily Potter?"
"Yes, Lily married James Potter, shortly after 7th year."
"You were friends with Harry's mum?"
"The very best. I was friends with their whole group, Harry's mum and dad, Sirius, Harry's godfather and Remus."
"Harry's godfather?" Hermione asked shocked. If Harry had a godfather why did he have to spend his summers with his horrid Aunt and Uncle who didn't love him?
"Yes but that's a different story for a different day darling." Hermione almost pushed the subject but she noticed how her mother looked sad. She understood that bringing her friends up brought a lot of memories to the surface. Memories she might not want to deal with just yet.
"So a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw?" She asked changing the subject for her mother. Her father laughed.
"Shocking I know, but your mother and I were betrothed since birth, and like I said everyone loved your mother. There was no chance for me not to fall for her." Alexa smiled at her husband, the sadness erased from her face.
"You're father wasn't too bad himself." Hermione laughed.
"Was it hard to be friends with Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Malfoy at the same time?" Hermione asked.
"Not at all, Cissy and Lily were friends, secretly of course. During our third year we were grouped together on an Ancient Runes projected. It started off a bit rocky because of the Slytherin/Gryffindor nonsense, but the two quickly realized they were very much alike. They became friends publicly, but it caused a lot of problems in the school, seeing the two together. At first they fought it, but it only made things worse, so they staged a horrible fight in the corridors of the school, a screaming match to match no other. After that we all met in secret, they wrote owls to each other daily, almost like pen pals. They were actually both at each others weddings, polyjuiced of course, but still there none the less. They remained very close, it's part of the reason Lucius was trying to get out. He knew about the friendship, and approved. He liked Lily."
"But if Mr. Malfoy liked Mrs. Potter, why has he been so mean to Harry? Why is Malfoy…"
"Draco dear."
"Fine, why is Draco so mean to Harry?"
"I'm not sure about Draco, but Lucius has been acting for the past 12 years. Lucius knew there was a chance the Dark Lord could return, he had to look loyal to those who could tell the dark lord otherwise. In the dark lord's followers eyes, Harry Potter is the reason their lord fell. He couldn't go being nice to Harry until he knew the dark lord wasn't a threat anymore."
"I think that's enough for today." Domique said cutting in. "Let's let Hermione get settled in. We have the whole summer to tell her stories." Alexa got up and headed to the door. Domique hugged his daughter before getting up and following his wife. "I love you sweetling."
"I love you too daddy."
The weeks passed by. Hermione spent most of her time in the family library, reading various tombs. When she wasn't reading she was visiting with her parents and learning about her family. Her father's line, Genevese, descended from Switzerland, but her mothers line, Rallis, decended from Greece. While the Genevese's had attened Hogwarts since the beginning, Alexa was only the second generation of Rallis to attend.
"Can we visit Greece? Please, oh please, mother! I would love to see the world!" Hermione asked bouncing in her seat. Alexa laughed before answering her excited daughter.
"Of course darling. We can plan trips, just the family, during the summers." The smile that covered Hermione's face was brighter then any lumos spell.
"Sweetling, how about we go for a fly?" Domique had been working on flying with Hermione since she got home. 'My sweetling will not be afraid to fly.' He said very often in the beginning. Hermione was slowly coming around and actually starting to enjoy flying.
"Not today daddy, I need to go reply to Ginny's letter."
"Ok sweetling, rain check then." He said smiling at her.
Hermione went upstairs into her room. On her desk infront of the window were notes from all her friends. She picked up the top one and reread it.
Mione
Life at the Dursley's is not too horrible this time. They have just been leaving me to my own. It's been, well, nice. You said you have some big news? What is it? You know I will always be here for you.
I'm trying to get the Dursley's to sign my permission slip for Hogsmead but Vernon keeps putting it off. Maybe McGonagall will allow me to go anyways? Probably not, but it's worth a shot.
Write soon, I miss you nagging, I mean encouraging me, to finish my school work.
Love Harry.
Hermione laughed at her best friend. Of course McGonagall would never allow him to go without his guardian's permission. She picked up the other letter sitting on her desk.
Mione,
I miss you something dreadful. After a school year of being around other girls, it's hard to come back to this house. I can't wait until September and we're on the train back to Hogwarts and I can be around girls again. Don't get me wrong I love quiditch but it's all Ron talk's about, Percy is a pain and stuck up, and the twins lock themselves in their room, propably working on something amazing but they wont let me in. Please write! I look forward to any messages from you! I understand that whatever your news is you want to wait til we're together but anything you want to talk about I'm up for.
Ginny
Hermione sighed before she grabbed some parchment. It was hard not to tell her friends everything that was going on in her world but she wanted to tell them together, in person, on the train. Not telling them made her letters over the summer very short and boring. Even though she knew Ginny was just ranting, she had no idea what to say.
Ginny,
Maybe a good idea would be to go out for a fly? It will get you out of the house and away from Ron's Quidditch talk. I'd be careful around the twins those two are always up to some kind of prank. Or maybe you can lock yourself in your room and study? I know I know no-one but me likes to study but it's an escape route if you really need it. Or maybe help your mom in the kitchen, I'm sure she wouldn't mind teaching how to cook! And I'm sure she could always use the help cooking for your brothers, Ron especially eats so much! Well other then reading for fun which I know no-one else besides me does I have no other suggestions. I hope to hear from you again soon though.
Hermione
~~I can't wait to see you either!
Weeks passed, thankfully Hermione didn't have to see any more of Draco Malfoy, though her mother brought him up as often as possible. Hermione got lectured numerous times for not calling him Draco.
Eral flew into Hermiones window pulling her from the tomb she was reading in her reading nook. School started in two weeks but she had already purchased all her books so she hoped it wasn't an invite to go school shopping. She purposely got all her school stuff without them because she knew her story would be hard to explain over shopping and she didn't know if she could make it a whole trip without saying something.
The letter was from Ginny and as Hermione could see written very hastly.
Hermione,
You were right, getting out of the house was the answer! I met a Ravenclaw from your year, Luna Lovegood. She's a bit on the loony side, she thinks the craziest things exist, but she's fun to be around. We've been hanging out for the past few weeks, when I haven't been taking cooking lessons from mum. I'll introduce you to her on the train. She's smart like you, so I'm certain you'd both get along. Thanks for the great advice 'Mione, you're the best.
Ginny
Hermione smile at the fact that Ginny made a friend. She remembered Luna, she seemed sweet but Hermione had never really had an actual conversation with the witch. She looked forward to being introduced to her. She was pulling out some parchment, a quill, and some ink so respond to Ginny's letter when her mother walked into her room.
"Good morning Hermione dear." She said.
"Good morning mother, how are you today?" Alexa smilled.
"It's a good day dear, Sirius Black has been released from Azkaban."
"What's Azkaban?" Hermione asked confused.
"Azkaban is the prison in our world. Guarded by horrible creatures that drain the happiness from you." Hermione shuddered.
"Harry's Godfather was there? Why?"
"He was framed. After Voldomort killed Lily and James, Sirius confronted their secret keeper." When Hermione looked at her confused again she explained. "There is a charm you can put on a house that makes it completely invisible, the only way to access the house is by having those who placed the charm tell you or the single person they entrust the address to, or their secret keeper. A man named Peter Pettigrew was their secret keeper. Sirius confronted him, yelled at him for betraying their friends to the Dark Lord. It was said he went crazy, killed Peter and twelve muggles. The Ministry sent him straight to Azkaban without a trail, calling him a supporter of the Dark Lord."
"But he was framed?" Hermione asked, Alexa nodded.
"I knew all along he would never serve the Dark Lord and he would rather die a million deaths then sell out James and Lily, but a few days ago, Pettigrew was dumped all tied up and unconscious at the Auror's office in the Ministry."
"Auror?"
"Think wizard police officer." Hermione nodded her understanding. "So when he woke up they used veritaserum on him and found out that he staged his death after he killed all those muggles. They released Sirius this morning." Alexa couldn't help but smile that her friend was finally free.
"Will I meet him soon? Will he go get Harry?" Hermione was bouncing up and down in her seat. "Harry's home life is miserable. If Sirius is his Godfather I'm sure he would much rather be with him." Alexa pondered it.
"I'm not sure dear. There are only two weeks before school and these things take time. He might wait to get his affairs in order before he contacts Harry and tries to build a relationship with him." Again Hermione nodded. "If Pettigrew hadn't framed Sirius Harry would have gone to him instead. You and Harry would have grown up together."
" Harry and I would have been friends our whole life?" Alexa nodded.
"If Sirius hadn't been thrown in Azkaban I think your father and I would have come back to the wizarding world years ago."
"Well you have your friend back now." Hermione said making her mother smile and nod.
"Yes." She stood back up and walked to the door. "Come to lunch today. Draco and Narcissa will be here."
"Mum!" Hermione groaned.
"No buts Hermione, you will be there."
"Yes mother." Hermione sighed.
"Thank you dear, they will be here in an hour." Hermione decided to wait on her letter to Ginny, for when she was sure she wouldn't slip something about Harry's Godfather, so she decided to read a bit longer. When she had about 15 minutes left, she got up and went to find something appropriate from her wardrobe. She chose a light blue sundress, after putting it on she pinned her curls back with blue clips. After looking in the mirror and approving she made her way downstairs. She was turning the corner right before the stairs when Narcissa's voice carried up.
"…Lucius Malfoy you will be nice to your future wife, am I understood?" Hermione softly walked down the stairs so as to not interrupt the conversation.
"Yes mother." Draco grumbled. He looked up as Hermione made it down the last few stairs. He grumbled again and sneered at her. She glared at him in return before softening her features when she looked at Narcissa.
"Hello Mrs. Malfoy, how are you today?" She asked with a smile, though she still hated Malfoy she adored Narcissa very much.
"Hermione dear, you must call me Cissy." She said smiling at the young witch. "I am very well, thank you. How are you dear? Have you been able to come to grips with everything?"
"Yes Mrs. Mal…I mean Cissy. I've read many books about my family." She heard Malfoy snidely call her a bookworm, his mother, however, did not. "And spent a lot of time hearing stories from my parents. I was very shocked to hear that you and Mrs. Lily Potter were friends."
"What?" Draco yelled. Narcissa ignored her son as her face fell.
"I was, I miss her dearly every day." Her voice was soft. Draco looked back and forth between his mother and Hermione.
"You were friends with Potter's mother." Draco sneered.
"Yes, I was Draco. She was one of my best friends."
"But she's a Mudblood!" Hermione gasped and Narcissa did something she never thought she would, she slapped her son.
"Don't you ever call Lily Evans a Mudblood, do you understand?" Draco nodded as he held and nursed his cheek.
"What's going on?" Alexa asked walking in from the parlor.
"Herminoe and I were just talking about our old Hogwarts years, and I had to teach Draco here where my loyalties lied when it came to Lily."
"Well, lunch is on the table, so how about we eat." Hermione followed her mother, with Draco and Narcissa following her.
The parlor was Alexa's favorite room in the Manor. It had a cute little table for eating. Some cushioned window seats and the outer wall was nothing but glass, it had a beautiful view of garden.
"I was very shocked to hear that you and Mrs. Potter were friends." Hermione commented again, wanting to hear about the friendship.
"Lily was one of the kindest witches at Hogwarts." Narcissa smiled. Draco watched in fascination as his mother spoke softly about a woman he thought she hated. "Along side your mother that is."
"Oh please Cissy, I had my moments." Alexa said with a laugh.
"The three of us were quiet a little trio."
"How come I've never heard you were friends with Potter's mum?"
"Their friendship…well…" Alexa tried to explain.
"Malf…I mean Draco," Hermione corrected when her mother glared. "Think of what school would be like if you and Harry were friendly." Malfoy made a face.
"Oh that reminds me Draco dear, you will try to make friends with Hermione's friends." Narcissa said.
"But mother!"
"No buts, Draco!" Her firm voice clearly ending their conversation.
"Same for you Hermione." Alexa added.
"Yes mother."
"My friendship with Lily was a secret." Narcissa said changing the subject from the two children. "it made both of our lives easier. Although most days I wish we had just said sod them all and were just publically friends. I would have had more time with her."
"Cissy, it's ok. Lily knew how much you cared." Alexa said placing her hand on Narcissa's arm to calm her down.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Malfoy, I didn't mean to upset you." Hermione said seeing how worked up the older witch was. Narcissa smiled at the young girl.
"Hermione dear, don't worry." She said softly. "Now." She said clapping. "On to better news. Have you heard from Sirius yet?"
"I have."
"You have mum?" Hermione said, her head snapping in her mothers direction.
"Yes." Alexa's smile covered her face. "He owled me right before you got here Cissy."
"And how is my cousin?" Narcissa asked. Draco leaned in to whisper to Hermione.
"Who is Sirius?"
"He's Harry Godfather!" Hermione whispered excitedly. Alexa smiled at her daughter.
"He knows about Harrys situation at home and plans on getting his parents home fixed up by Christmas so he can have Harry come live him, if Harry wants. He also sent the permission slip to Dumbledore allowing him to take his Hogsmead trips this year. He should contact Harry soon." Hermione smiled at the good news for her friend.
"We should all do Christmas together!" Narcissa said smiling.
"Wait! I'll have to spend time with Potter too?" Draco groaned.
"My cousin just spent twelve years in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit Draco, so yes you will spend time with Harry." Draco groaned again.
"Draco dear, you can bring your friends around too, I'm sure Sirius wont mind." Alexa commented. Draco nodded his understanding.
It was the night before Hermione was to go back to school. She had her trunk already packed for the year. All her school books, plus various tombs from the family library that she was interested in. Alexa had taken her shopping a week ago for new school uniforms and robes, along with clothes for relaxing and her Hogsmead trips. Hermione noticed that her mother had slipped quiet a few blue and green tops along with her red ones, trying to get Hermione to support the houses her parents had been in. Hermione just shook her head but didn't say anything. She had everything all packed up ready to go when her mother walked in the room holding a box with holes cut in it.
"What's that?" Hermione asked from her window seat where she had been reading.
"A present." Alexa said smiling.
"Mum, you and dad have been spoiling me all summer." She said thinking of the Numbius 2001 her father just bought her for the school year. "You didn't have to get me anything else." Alexa just shrugged as if to say 'oh well' and smiled even bigger.
"I can take her back, but I think she would be upset." Hermione smiled, her excitement building.
"Ok tell me what it is." Alexa just handed the box to her daughter and stood back and watched as Hermione opened the box to reveal a small white cat with a blue ribbon tied around her neck.
"Oh mum, she's so pretty!"
"She's all yours to take with you to Hogwarts."
"What's her name?" She asked; the kitten already curled up in her hands.
"Whatever you want to name her." Alexa replied. Hermione thought for a few moments before she figured it out.
"Athena." The cat purred in response. "Look she knows her name!" Hermione exclaimed, Alexa smiled at her daughter.
"I know this summer has been really hard for you, and I know you aren't excited about the betrothal but Narcissa and Lucius raised him right. I am sure Draco Malfoy will be an amazing husband."
"Mum!" Hermione groaned.
"Give him a chance darling." She groaned again. "Please Hermione." Hermione continued to pet Athena. Alexa grabbed her hand stilling her movements. Hermione looked at her mothers face and sighed.
"I will try mother, but I can't make any promises." Alexa nodded her understanding before standing.
"Get some rest darling. Tomorrow's a big day. You start your third year." Hermione smiled. "Are you excited?"
"I am! I can't wait to see my friends again!"
I'm sure you'll have a wonderful year darling." Alexa walked to the door. "Goodnight darling." She left and shut the door.
"Goodnight Mum." Hermione said to the closed door. Athena purred. "Goodnight to you too Athena."
Next chapter will be year 3 at Hogwarts...I haven't written any of it so please bare with me, I'm not sure exactly how I'll have the next chapter go but I hope you enjoyed this painstakingly long chapter...