Once Hermione was confirmed as being The Dark Lord's daughter, Hope, Lucius offered to show her to one of the guest suites at the manor as she adjusted to the news that she wasn't who she'd always thought she was. Even though Hermione had accepted she was Voldemort's daughter from the minute she'd heard Sirius and Molly talking, it was still a major thing to have it confirmed and she appreciated the offer of some time alone so she could get hold of her thoughts and feelings. Lucius also kindly promised to speak to Voldemort personally and explain the situation, and both he and Severus assured her that she wouldn't have to deal with anyone until she was ready to do so.
"If you need anything, just call for Misty," Lucius informed her as he showed her into a guest suite.
"A house elf?" Hermione asked with a frown. It had only been recently that she'd learnt about House Elves and the sort of lives they lead, and she didn't agree with helpless creatures being forced to serve the wizarding community.
"Yes, she's one of our house elves," Lucius replied with a puzzled nod. "Is that a problem?"
"I don't agree with House Elves being kept as slaves," Hermione answered. "Especially if they're treated badly, as I believe your former elf Dobby was."
"Dobby was an exception," Lucius replied quietly, trying not to show his annoyance at the mention of his former elf, who'd always been a troublesome little thing. "Misty is my wife's personal House Elf, and I can assure you Narcissa treats her like part of the family. Call for her and speak to her yourself, and you'll see she's perfectly happy."
"I'll take your word for it," Hermione said with a sigh. To be honest she had more important things on her mind than House Elves and how the Malfoys treated theirs.
"As I said, Misty is at your service if you need anything. I'll also get some fresh clothes and some toiletries sorted out for you. We can talk about any long term needs once we know exactly what will be happening."
"You mean once we know if You-Know-Who is going to accept me?" Hermione snorted.
"Why wouldn't he accept you?" Lucius asked. "You're his daughter."
"A daughter he's believed dead for over a decade," Hermione argued. "No doubt he's mourned for me and moved on. Maybe he won't want me back in his life, and I'll be left all alone with no-one to turn to."
"That won't happen," Lucius said confidently. "No doubt he'll be shocked when he finds out the truth, but he will never abandon you, Hope. He's your father and he loves you. But even if the worst did happen, you wouldn't be alone. Severus will look out for you, as will I."
"Why?" Hermione asked, scrutinising the older wizard, who'd surprisingly been nothing but kind to her all day.
"You're the daughter of The Dark Lord, and had things been different you would have known me and my family your entire life," Lucius replied. "You were meant to grow up surrounded by people who loved and would do anything for you, but the Order stole that away from you. I just want you to know that whatever happens, you're not alone any more."
"Thank you," Hermione whispered. "And what about him? When will I have to meet him?"
"Not until you're ready," Lucius assured her. "And don't worry, he'll understand. You're in charge, Hope. We do things as whatever speed you're comfortable with. You will be a part of every decision that is made, and you won't be forced into doing anything you don't want to to, or aren't ready to do."
"I appreciate that," Hermione said with a relived sigh, feeling some of the pressure lift from her shoulders slightly.
"I'll send one of the elves to see if you want to join us at dinner time," Lucius said as he made his way towards the door. "But don't worry if you're not ready, we can have dinner sent to you. Don't worry Hope, you're safe now."
As ironic as it was, Hermione believed Lucius and she did in fact feel safe as he departed the sumptuous guest suite and left her in peace. For the first time since she'd overheard Molly and Sirius talking she felt safe and she wasn't worried about what could happen to her. Although it was rather funny that she felt safe in the custody of the Malfoys of all people. A few days ago she could have thought of nothing worse than being at Malfoy Manor, but now it felt like a haven and she knew that she was in the right place for her own safety.
Not to mention she was in the right place to get to the truth about her life, as there was still so much more Hermione needed to know. Knowing she was Voldemort's daughter wasn't enough for Hermione. She wanted to know about her mother, about what her life would have been like if she hadn't been taken from her parents, and more importantly how she'd ended up been stolen in the first place. She had so many questions, and she knew that she would only be satisfied when she had all the answers and knew everything there was to know about her past.
Knowing that answers weren't going to come straight away, Hermione took some time to explore the bedroom which was far larger than any she'd ever stayed in before. Aside from the large four poster bed draped in deep purple sheets, the room contained drawers and a wardrobe for the clothes she no longer had. There was also a dressing table with an attached vanity mirror and a writing desk below the large window. Then there was a fire in the corner of the room, with a plush chair situated beside a large shelf full of books. Then there was was an en-suite bathroom, decorated in soothing shades of blue and green.
Settling into the comfy chair beside the fire, Hermione intended to explore the bookshelf, but her mind couldn't settle on the titles and she found herself wondering what was happening back with the Order and if she'd done the right thing in leaving the way she had. Hermione was sure she'd done the right thing in getting as far away as she could from Molly and Sirius, but she did wonder if there hadn't been another way to go about things. The trouble was, after what she'd heard, she had no idea who she could trust.
It had been clear that Molly and Sirius had both been part of her kidnapping as a child, but it was equally clear that other people had known about it both at the time and since her re-emergence into the wizarding world. The truth was, Hermione had no way of knowing which members of the Order knew who she truly was, or what they really thought about it. She could have tried talking to someone, only to find herself in yet more danger depending on how they reacted to what she had to say. In the end, she'd made the right choice in leaving as quickly and as quietly as she could manage.
Hermione's real regrets in leaving the way she'd done so was that it had denied her a chance to find out what her friends thought of her situation. She knew Harry hated Voldemort with a passion, which was understandable considering her father had killed his parents, but she wasn't sure if that hatred would have extended to her. Would he have turned on her the second he discovered who she was, or would he have been the good friend she'd always hoped he was and supported her and agreed that it had been the Order that was in the wrong in taking her in the first place. Either way, Hermione wasn't sure if she would ever find out what Harry truly thought of who she was, and who her father was, as she didn't even know when, or even if, she would ever see him again.
As for Ron, she was fairly sure she could predict his reaction, and it wouldn't have been good. One of the reasons Hermione hadn't confided in Ron, despite the fact he was at Grimmauld Place with her unlike Harry who hadn't yet joined them, was because she didn't expect him to support her. She'd witnessed his dislike of anyone associated with the dark, so she could only imagine how he would react to the daughter of The Dark Lord himself. Ron would have disowned her there and then, and likely exposed her to everyone and supported his mother and Sirius's plan. It would have been the end of their friendship, Hermione had known that, so instead she'd chosen to leave without telling him the truth so that she would always have good memories of him and the friendship they'd shared for four years.
Turning her attention to what her life would now be like, and if she was ready to face life as the daughter of The Dark Lord, Hermione remained curled up on the comfortable chair as she let herself finally process everything that was happening to her. Her entire life was changing, and like it or not, Hermione had to be ready for the changes. Nothing was ever going to be the same again – not now she knew that her entire life had been a lie, and worse still it had been the people she'd trusted who'd lied to her. Now she had to figure out who she could really trust, and she just hoped that she would find some people she could rely on as she adjusted to her new life as Hope Riddle.
Hermione wasn't the only one grappling with the thought of what life would now be like now the truth about who she was had been revealed, and back in Lucius's study, he and Severus were sharing a stiff drink and digesting the days events. Both of them were still slightly stunned by everything that had happened, and even though they'd been calm and collected in front of Hermione, they were both still reeling from the revelations. Severus especially was stunned, as not only had he found out for the first time that Voldemort had a daughter, but he'd then discovered the identity of the daughter.
"This was a day I wasn't expecting," Lucius remarked, finally breaking the silence in the room.
"Tell me about it," Severus snorted. "When Hermione approached me and said she needed to talk to me, this was the last thing I expected."
"It was the last thing anyone expected," Lucius agreed. "Least of all The Dark Lord. He's going to be blown away when we speak to him."
"But will he be accepting of her?" Severus checked. He'd never known Voldemort as a father, so he had no idea of the dark wizard had a paternal side, or if too much had happened since he'd first lost Hermione and he would be unable to connect with his long lost daughter.
"He will," Lucius confirmed with a thoughtful nod of his head. "I'm not sure things will always be easy between himself and Hope, but I do know that he won't abandon her. Like it or not, she's his daughter and he won't lose her a second time."
"When are you going to talk to him?" Severus asked.
"I think tonight is the best option," Lucius replied. "Even if she's not ready to see him tonight, he deserves to know his daughter is alive as soon as possible."
"We're also going to have to discuss my position with the Order," Severus said.
"Why?" Lucius asked with a frown, his mind still lingering on the best way to inform Voldemort that his dead daughter wasn't dead after all, and was currently staying in one of his guest suites.
"We brought Hermione here for her safety," Severus began. "We know the Order will eventually trace her to the manor, and when they do, it'll be easy enough for them to work out how she got here. Besides, I'm not sure I'm being much use where I am. I've been around Dumbledore for years, and not once has he ever revealed that Hermione was The Dark Lord's daughter. He clearly doesn't trust me as much as we thought."
"And if he hasn't confided in you about Hope, what else has he cut you out of?" Lucius finished, understanding where his friend was coming from.
"Exactly," Severus said with a nod. "If The Dark Lord is agreeable, I think my time with the Order is over."
"That will also mean losing your job at Hogwarts," Lucius said with a frown.
"It will," Severus agreed with a slightly regretful sigh. Even though he would have loved to have been teaching Defence, he did have a passion for Potions and he would miss certain aspects of his life at Hogwarts.
"In that case, we might also have to discuss Draco's future," Lucius said. "Once the Order know where Hope is, they might target Draco once he's back at school. Especially if you're not there to offer him your protection."
"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it, Lucius," Severus advised. "We've got all summer to make some decisions. But I think right now, it's time to fill The Dark Lord in on today's events. I think it's time he found out that his daughter is alive and well."
Nodding his head in agreement, Lucius pulled up his shirt sleeve and removing his wand from his cane, he pressed it against his Dark Mark. The action had sent a message to The Dark Lord, and Lucius knew he would arrive at the manor when he was ready. All he and Severus could now do was wait and try and work out what they were going to say when Voldemort arrived and they had to tell him that everything he'd ever thought about his daughter and her death was a lie. Hope hadn't died in hospital, instead she'd been kidnapped and now she was alive and well and preparing to meet the dark wizard she'd only just learned was her father.
