This couldn't be happening. This wasn't happening.
It was happening.
Hermione watched as the group of future Death Eaters moved the young blonde boy who was undeniably Draco's father to the bed opposite hers, Madam Pompfrey quickly coming from her office to assess the damage as the group of Slytherin's muttered amongst themselves, trying to calm down the young Lucius while others threw distasteful looks over their shoulders towards the defiant other Slytherin.
"Someone tell me what's happened." She stated rather than asked as she pulled her wand out to run scans across the boy's body.
"That crazy witch purposely knocked me off my broom in Quidditch practice! My arm! Oh it hurts so much!" The boy cried as he laid in the bed, clutching his arm, writhing around in pain as the matron tried to assess his damages. His anguished cries reminded Hermione of Draco's carryings on after being attacked by Buckbeak for his own foolishness. She wondered if the damages were just as delusional as his future son's.
Another young blonde girl was kneeling at his bedside, trying to comfort him "I'm sorry Lucius, I'm really sorry."
The older girl who stood further away from the group scoffed and shrugged, arms crossed against her chest. "Well I'm not. As I said, you should learn to dodge better Malfoy. Quidditch is a rough sport. Don't think you can handle it? Then quit." Hermione's eyes were fixed on her, shorter than some of the others, yet the air of intimidation that hung around her. The way in which she carried herself with a sense of entitlement and power. The jet black hair, any trace of gray or age eliminated instantly and somehow it seemed much tidier than their previous, or rather future encounter.
"You crazy bat! My father will see you expelled for this!" He yelled from the bed as the matron took his arm to examine.
The girl laughed as she watched "Yes I'd like to see you try to expel a Black. My father would love to hear about that." Her laugh was not near as crazed and evil yet as Hermione had remembered, but it was still enough to send a shiver down her spine.
"Relax Mister Malfoy, it's merely a sprain," the matron said as she waved her wand over the boys' arm to scan the damages. "Nothing broken. You'll be just fine. Andromeda, could you head into my office and get me a vial of mussel relaxer?"
"Of course Madam Pompfrey." Another girl, similar in age and likeness to Bellatrix, but with lighter more tamed curls pulled away from the group to walk quickly back into the matron's office.
The young girl who was previously kneeling by the boys' bedside was quick in moving back across the room, loose hands hitting at the elder Black. "What were you thinking Bella?! You could have killed him!"
"Perhaps that was the plan Cissy. Oh relax, he's going to be just fine. Like I said, if he can't handle getting knocked from his broom then what the hell is he doing on a Quidditch pitch? And it's a weak sad excuse of a boy who has to run to his daddy every time something doesn't go his way. Honestly Cissy I don't understand what you see in that git."
"Hey! I can hear you you know!" He yelled back as the brunette girl rushed back over to the bedside to hand a glass vial to the matron.
"Yes I know ferret. I wasn't trying to be quiet about it." The older girl scoffed, rolling her eyes. Had Hermione not been terrified beyond measure, she may have laughed at the insult. It was amusing to watch a Black and a Malfoy bicker, and was good to know that the ferret nickname was an inherited trait.
"Okay, no more students, or I will begin deducting house points from Slytherin. Now drink this mister Malfoy and you'll be good to go by dinner time.
It stunned Hermione to watch the group squabbling like, well like children really. There was hardly much formidable bout this group, bar one.
The older matron finished force feeding the potion to the boy before performing a few additional charms. "That ought to do it. You'll be just fine, but perhaps Miss Black is correct and you should learn to move faster next time. Regardless, 10 points from Slytherin for excessive roughhousing on the pitch without a supervisor present." A few from the group shot the dark haired girl a quick glare. "And 5 points to Slytherin for your assistance Miss Black. You do very well under pressure." She said turning to the older girls look alike.
The brunette smiled softly and blushed a little at the compliment. "Thank you Madam Pompfrey. I enjoy working in here. I mean I practically spend enough time here as it is." She said casting another look at her older sister who merely stuck her tongue out.
"Lay off Andy. Judgement isn't very suiting for you."
Madam Pompfrey sighed and shook her head standing to dismiss them. "You may all return to your typical goings on. I will release mister Malfoy when he is feeling better."
Many of the group started to move back out of the hospital wing, giving short encouraging words to the boy as they passed, a few giving the dark haired girl dirty looks as they walked past. She turned to glare at a few and they quickly shrunk back, most likely afraid of whatever possible hexing she would throw their way.
The blonde girl moved back to the boys' bedside, sitting in the chair beside him. "I won't leave you Lucius. I'll stay until you're feeling better."
"Thanks Narcissa, just make sure you keep that troll of a sister of yours away from me." He said looking between the two sisters.
This all felt surreal to Hermione. While Dumbledore and McGonagall merely looked a few years younger, this was drastic, and a bit terrifying.
"Do you mind if I stay and help you out some as well Madam Pompfrey? I've already finished my assessments and have nothing better to do." The young brunette girl said.
It finally donned on Hermione that this was Tonk's mum. While she had yet to meet the woman herself in her own time. It was a bit surprising to think how the bubbly warm and inviting Hufflepuff woman came from the girl before her in the ward.
"That's quite alright Miss Black, I could do with the help actually. I need you to retrieve some other potions for our guest. Mind minder, an anti-scaring potion, and perhaps another sleeping draught as well. How does that sound dearie?" The older witch asked, turning to Hermione.
For the first time she felt everyone in the room's eyes on her. Her cheeks burned bright red under the fire of their gaze and she could merely nod.
Andromeda Black nodded, turning back to the care taker. "Right away."
Bellatrix Lestrange- Bellatrix Black? Took a few steps closer to her bed, looking over the frizzy haired girl. "You know you still never answered my question. Who are you? I've never seen you around the school before."
She wasn't expecting to have to deal with this, not yet at least, and certainly not with this crowd. Hermione's hand involuntarily gripped her wand under her pillow, somehow afraid that she would see through everything from the get go, and the crazed witch would attack her again. But she didn't. And honestly, the girl before her didn't look quite as insane as the one whom attacked her inside of the ministry.
"H-Hermione... Hermione Gr- uh Green." Mentally Hermione was slapping herself in the head repeatedly. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
The dark haired girl raised an eyebrow as she looked her over. "Green? As in Greengrass?"
Hermione shook her head and Bellatrix stared at her as if studying her. "Green, That's no pureblood name."
The Gryffindor girl shrugged a little. "My father is a muggle."
The Slytherin girl sneered as she looked down at her "I see. A half-blood." Not true, but Hermione didn't exactly feel like correcting her and earn another crucio. "I've still never seen you around before. You look my age as well."
Hermione wanted to scream Dumbledore's name and have him rescue her from being berated by the Slytherin crew, but she knew it was hopeless. So she stuck to what Dumbledore suggest earlier. Lie and secrets. "I'm new here. I'm a transfer student."
She was quickly interrupted by the middle Black sister returning with a number of vials, all already opened and ready for her. "Here, take these."
Hermione smiled softly, grateful to be interrupted and took the vials, more willing to take the potions than converse with the other witch any longer.
"Transfer? Transfer from where? You sound English, and the only wizarding school in the country is Hogwarts." The oldest sister was managing to get closer and closer and Hermione felt as though the would piss herself.
She had to think fast. Mentally she went over the situation in her head before answering. "Ilvermorny." She knew that during World War II it wasn't uncommon for even witches and wizards to flee Britain for the states, and for many it was still a common practice to send their children to school there, even though Hogwarts was obviously the better school in her opinion. "My mum is American and my father is English but they live here. She used to lecture at Ilvermorny as well, so when I turned of age, my parents thought it was best for me to go to school there." And now she was lying about her blood status. Oh well, if it saved her some pain down the road, what did it matter?
Bellatrix sneered a little as she looked over the messy haired girl. Had this girl never heard of a sleakeasy hair position before? "I see. And what is it then that brings you to this shithole of a school?"
Hermione was a bit taken aback by the comment but dismissed it. "My mother died recently and my father wanted me closer to home. I wanted to finish out my schooling though so we compromised." Hermione was also a bit surprised at how easily she put together a lie.
Andromeda's face pulled down in a frown as she handed her another potion "I'm so sorry to hear that. That's awful. But how did you get so injured?"
Hermione took the potion from her, grateful to have another moment to pull something from her arse as she drank it. It tasted vile. She pulled a face before handing the glass back to the girl and sighed. "I had just arrived with a ministry official and my father and I were waiting on the Headmaster. I decided to take a quick look around some of the campus and got too close to a Womping Willow next to the lake. I didn't notice until it was wrapped around my ankle, thrashing me through the limbs. It had hold of me until the Headmaster arrived to stop it."
Bellatrix laughed, a loud, unashamed superior laugh. "You got bested by a tree?! Bloody hell! Even Malfoy isn't that idiotic."
"Hey!" The young blonde boy exclaimed from the bed opposite him.
"Bella!" Andromeda chilled as she glared across at her. "Have some respect. Womping Willows are indigenous to Europe. They probably don't have many in the states, she most likely didn't know. I'm sorry, my sister can be a bit... brash."
Hermione scoffed internally Sure, that's one way to put it. Demented insane bitch being the other.
"Here, have a sleeping draught, It'll help you get to sleep. My sister won't be able to disturb you then." Andromeda said handing her the final potion.
Hermione nodded, accepting the final drink. "Thanks."
Andromeda smiled softly down at the girl. It surprised Hermione just how much the girl looked like her older sister, the key difference being the soft kind look in the younger girls' eyes. "Madam Pompfrey is on of the best medi-witches I've ever met before, and it looks as though your injuries are healing up really well. I'm sure you'll be back to normal in no time. "
Hermione sighed a little, nodding as she laid back in the bed. The girl had no idea how untrue that really was.
"Bella, you know you don't have to hover around here right? Cissy and I can take care of ourselves. Don't you have transfiguration or care of magical creatures work to be doing?" Andromeda asked, clearing up the empty vials and Hermione's breakfast tray.
"Oh pish, I finished those the days they were announced Andy. Honestly, I don't have time to dilly dally around with such useless pieces of work. Mother taught us how to transform objects into food when we were still in nappies. As for magical creatures, I could barely care about them at all." Hermione could still hear the girls bickering as she laid there. The potion was already beginning to take its affect on her, but her nerves of having Lord Voldemort's right hand woman in the same room as her kept her just off the verge of sleep.
"Bella go! I don't want you harassing Lucius anymore either." She could hear the youngest girl argue from across the room. The elder sister growling, heeled boots tapping against the stone floor towards the exit.
"Whatever. I'll go find someone else to play with instead." Before the doors of the medical wing slammed shut behind her.
Hermione had never felt so thankful of Narcissa Malfoy- Black! Merlin, she really needed to work on that. It could get really messy to call someone by the wrong name.
Chapter 3! A bit shorter than the last but we get our first look at some of the people that Hermione will be spending time with! Not to worry, I will most likely be adding another update on Wednesday to make a regular updating schedule of Wednesdays and Saturdays. Still no beta, so if there are any issues, please be gentle with me.
Kottonmouth 216 - Thanks for the follow! I hope this chapter delivers.
omaribacache316 - Why thank you :D
AlsethGosia - Ahh that's the all important question isn't it? Did she know her before? Is time even linear? I'm not giving anything away too early ;)
GuardianD - Thanks! I hope I don't disappoint!