Chapter 2

Hermione stood facing the gargoyle protecting the Headmaster's office from unwanted visitors wringing her hands nervously. Her beloved professor had allowed her a few hours to compose herself before escorting her to the Headmaster's office to tell him of the abuse she had endured. A light touch to her hand informed her that she wasn't alone. "You have nothing to be nervous about Hermione," Minerva reassured her then added, "The Headmaster will know what to do to ensure you find an appropriate placement."

"I want to stay with you," the girl mumbled then sighed with resignation. She stepped closer to the gargoyle and waited patiently for Minerva to mutter the current password, "Lemon socks." She gracefully stepped onto the moving steps hidden by the huge stone creature followed quietly by her mentor and tapped her foot nervously as she waited to reach the Headmaster's office. She watched as her Professor raised her hand elegantly and knocked lightly on the large wood door before gaining entrance.

As she walked into the office, Hermione noticed the Headmaster sitting behind his desk sucking on a lemon drop. Papers littered his massive desk and laid hap hazardous about it, she briefly wondered how he found anything at all. She chewed nervously on her lip as he studied her over his moon shaped glasses. Unconsciously she moved closer to Minerva and fitted her hand into the older woman's. "Hermione," he asked, concern immediately filling his blue eyes.

Hermione's hold on Minerva's hand tightened prompting the teacher to say, "Hermione has just confided in me how she is treated by the Grangers."

"How are you treated Hermione?" he asked, the ever-present twinkle absent in his clear blue eyes.

"Terrible," she whispered as tears started streaking down her pale face.

"How so," he asked even though he didn't want to add to the young lion's heartache.

She gulped several times and wiped at her tears before repeating what she had told her Head of House, "Sometimes I am backhanded or locked in my room without food for a couple of days if my sarcasm or sharp tongue gets the better of me. Other times when my dad drinks I become a substitute for my mum."

The elderly wizard sat there shocked by her words, by the meaning behind her words, by what she couldn't say aloud. Her innocence had been stolen by the man who had raised her and no one had known of it until she felt the need to tell them. Albus frowned before he said, "I am truly sorry you had to go through that Hermione. If I had one inclination that you would suffer at the Grangers hand, I would never have placed you with them."

"Placed her with them," Minerva asked, obviously curious about the new discovery. She hadn't seen that coming!

Albus sighed loudly before admitting, "Hermione I am the one that actually delivered you to the Grangers on the day you were born."

"You were," the girl couldnt believe it. The Headmaster had gave her to the Grangers, anger coursed through her at the thought and her sharp tongue got the best of her. "Did you not think to look in after me from time to time to see if I was being cared for properly?"

"I did Hermione," he answered then added, "You were a very happy toddler. The few times that I did check on you, you appeared happy and content. How was I to know that was simply not the case?"

The wizard sighed in defeat and brought his hands up to cover his weary face. Hermione chewed on her lip before replying, "I'm sorry Professor. It wasn't your fault that my parents mistreated me, you simply found me a home, one that you thought I was happy at."

Albus frowned at her words, his guilt growing with each second. He waved his hand effortlessly and summoned a piece of parchment to him. Once it was spread out on his messy desk, he summoned a potion from his cabinet. Albus uncorked the bottle of thick amber liquid and moved from behind his desk to stand in front of it. He gave the girl a piercing look before saying, "This potion will show you the name of your birth mother and her side of the family. I created it the week after you were born in case you ever wanted to know who your mother was, is rather. Your birth mother was not attacked and killed by a Dark Wizard but very much alive and well."

"Alive," Hermione said bewildered, "Why would you speak untruths about something like that Professor."

"I needed to be sure you would not attempt to find your mother for both of your protection," he explained. "If you still want to find out who your birth mother is, all you need to do is coat your right hand with the potion and place it upon the piece of parchment. However, I must warn you that as soon as the results are shown on the parchment, a copy will be sent to the Ministry of Magic and your family name will revert to your birth mothers."

He gave his student a few minutes to ponder her options before he asked, "Hermione, do you want to find out whom your birth mother is?"

"Yes," she answered, knowing the Headmaster would not even offer her this chance if the results wouldn't benefit her in some way.

Hermione held her right hand towards the Headmaster and patiently waited for him to pour the thick potion in her hand. The amber liquid was surprisingly warm and tingled ever so lightly. Hermione looked at her Head of House, who had remained silent throughout her exchange with the Headmaster, and received a reassuring smile. She took a deep breath and pressed her potion coated hand against the parchment.

A golden light shimmered into existence and flittered across the parchment for several minutes. She watched in amazement as the gold light started to form names, a family tree, her family tree she realized. She instantly spotted her name and eagerly looked to the name above hers, her mothers. The name she saw there caused her eyes to widen in surprised. "Is there a mistake Professor," she asked the Headmaster, her shock evident in her shaky voice.

"What's wrong Hermione," Minerva asked concerned as she took a step closer to the younger witch.

Hermione silently beckoned her mentor even closer to her and pointed to the name of her mother. Minerva looked at the name and gasped loudly. Her hand automatically covered her mouth as she stared at the parchment before her. There in gold script was her name in the place designated for Hermione's mother. "Albus," Minerva questioned, tears already forming in her emerald green eyes.

"It is correct Minerva," Albus said regretfully as he summoned his Pensive to him. He took a small glass bottle from his locked desk drawer; swirling silver liquid informed the witches that it was a memory of some sort. Albus uncorked the bottle and tipped the contents into his Pensive. He gave them a guilty look before saying, "I hope this will help you understand and find it in your hearts to forgive an old man of doing what he thought was for the best."

Minerva's hands closed in fists in her anger as she met the eyes of her best friend. His blue eyes lacked the twinkle normally found there but she did see his regret through the flood of tears streaming down her face. Her catlike senses picked up Hermione's quiet sobs and she quickly turned her attention to focus on her. Her star pupil was trembling with the shock of events, her face ashen with hot tears trailing down her cheeks. Minerva offered the girl her hand and gently pulled her closer to the Pensive waiting for them.

Minerva smiled reassuringly to the girl before asking, "Are you ready?"

Hermione just nodded as she stepped closer to her mentor and prepared to enter the Pensive. Minerva tightened her grip on Hermione's hand and touched the swirling liquid with her free one. Both witches closed their eyes as they felt the familiar tug on their bellybutton as they were transported into the memories Albus deemed necessary to witness.

Minerva and Hermione found themselves in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts Castle. Albus was pacing back and forth across the room, occasionally looking towards a bed that was blocked from his view by a white sheet. His weathered face was etched with worry as he sighed loudly." Albus, you can come on back now," Poppy the medi witch said tiredly.

Albus slowly made his way towards the white sheet and then walked to the bed hidden behind it. His blue eyes, short a twinkle, found his best friend Minerva McGonagall lying on the bed with a bundle of pink resting against her chest. Minerva was covered with sweat but she had a radiating smile gracing her face. Her hair was in a loose ponytail and several strands were plastered to her face but it didn't faze her. "Isn't she lovely, Albus," Minerva asked obviously smitten with her pink bundle.

Albus carefully sat down on the edge of the bed and peered at the sleeping baby nestled in Minerva's arms. He sighed heavily before stating, "Minerva you shouldn't be holding her. It will just make it harder for you to give her up later."

Minerva frowned before tightening her hold on her pink bundle. "I will not be giving Hermione up Albus. I have decided to raise her myself, dam the consequences."

"Minerva you said yourself that her father is a Dark Wizard and shouldnt be trusted. How can you even consider raising her? You will be putting both of you in danger if you keep her!" he tried to reason.

"I am keeping her and that is final," Minerva barked at her best friend.

Baby Hermione chose that moment to make her hunger known and screamed to the top of her lungs. "Shh my wee one," Minerva cooed as she shifted her gown so that her daughter could eat her fill at her bosom.

"I do hope you reconsider Minerva," Albus said solemnly as he left.

Hermione and Minerva found the scene quickly change before their eyes. They were still in the Hospital Wing; however, now it was dark outside. They quickly turned around towards the same hospital bed as they heard hushed voices.

"Albus you cannot expect me to go along with this," Poppy argued. "It is cruel and unnecessary."

Albus sighed heavily before admitting, "It is cruel but necessary Poppy. Minerva simply cannot raise this child. She admitted the father was a Dark Wizard and untrustworthy. She was quite distressed when she confided her story to me and continually voiced that the child's father must never find out the truth. How can we stand by and allow her to place both of their lives in danger?"

Poppy sighed in defeat before uttering, "Oblivate me Albus. I do not think I could ever stand to be around Minerva again if I remember this cruelty."

Albus nodded his head as he picked up the baby lying in Minerva's slack arms. He called a house elf and handled the baby to him. "Take Hermione to my office," he commanded as he pulled a letter from inside his robes then gave it to the house elf, "I will be taking her to her new family shortly." The elf nodded before disappearing with the child.

"I am sorry my dear friend," Poppy whispered brokenly as she knelt by Minerva's bedside. "I am a horrible person."

Albus watched Poppy cry by Minerva's bedside for a few minutes before he cast the Oblivate spell at her and fed her the false information of Minerva's baby dying unexpectedly.

Hermione and Minerva were thrown out of the pensive and back into the Headmasters Office. Albus started to speak; however, Minerva held up a hand to silence him. "Not now Albus," she gushed, "I need time to process everything."

The old wizard nodded his understanding as he sat heavily in a nearby chair. Minerva watched him with tears streaming down her face but she was too angry to deal with him right now. His actions, no matter how right he felt they were, had destroyed her in a way. She had closed off her emotions, not just from those around her but from herself as well. Closed off wasn't really correct, it was more like becoming void inside. She felt nothing and it had resulted from losing her child.

Minerva turned her attention to the sobbing girl standing next to her. "Come Hermione," she whispered emotionally as she lead the way out of the Headmaster's office and to her personal chambers.

***

As soon as they entered Minerva's chambers, the emotions that the older woman worked so hard to keep under control ruptured and she broke down. Minerva fell to her knees sobbing as the floodgates burst open. Hermione quickly warded the door, knowing Minerva would not want to see anyone for the remainder of the day, and gently levitated her mentor to the sofa in front of the fire.

A few spells later Minerva's outer robe and wand was laying in a nearby chair and her shoes resting against an armchair. Hermione quickly shed her own outer robe and shoes as well. She laid her wand next to Minerva's before she climbed on the sofa behind the sobbing witch and offered her comfort. They both drifted off to sleep as they allowed the tears to fall.

Minerva woke up a few hours later and found Hermione snuggled against her. The young witch had an arm and leg thrown over Minerva while her head rested on the witch's shoulder. Hermione was sleeping peacefully so Minerva decided not to wake her yet and instead studied her features closely. Her button nose and curly locks were just like Minerva's; however, her chocolate eyes and full lips were inherited from her father. Her lovely pale neck was just like her mothers but her beautifully long fingers were her father's. She had her mother's courage and her father's sharp tongue but the brilliance of both of them combined. Hermione was a perfect mixture of both parents. "You are absolutely perfect," Minerva whispered as she placed a gentle kiss on the girl's forehead.

Hermione sighed in her sleep and nestled her head in Minerva's neck. Minerva chuckled before drawing her daughter in her warm embrace and simply holding her. "What time is it," a sleep filled voice question.

Minerva smiled as she pushed a few unruly locks of hair from Hermione's face before answering, "It is almost curfew. You should return to your dormitory for the night and then I will answer all of the questions I know you have for me tomorrow."

"First thing tomorrow morning," the young witch asked, suddenly afraid that her mentor, no mother she corrected, wouldn't answer her questions at all.

"Yes," Minerva promised before she added, "I will answer all questions that you have wee one."

"Very well," Hermione gave in as she stretched and then disentangled herself from Minerva. "I will come back in the morning," she said before gently planting a kiss on Minerva's cheek before quickly exiting the room.