A/N: I feel now is the right time to apologise for all those loyal readers who had to wait a very long time between updates. I have started my first year on a Forensics degree course and have been spending a lot of time juggling between my weekend job, planning a wedding (I got engaged just over a year ago and marrying next year), and studying. However, I have now freed up some spare time and planned this story properly and hence know where it's heading. Therefore, I hope that updates will be a lot quicker! This will be the second one this week – you lucky people!

Happy Easter break everyone =D Hope the weather is lovely!

Chapter three

Going against the advice of her mother, Sarah continued to meet and build a friendship with Malfoy even after they began at Hogwarts. It was fortunate, in Sarah's opinion, that she had been sorted into Ravenclaw as the friendship was not entirely out of the norm and it did not venture its merry way to her mother.

Lucius could not help but be entranced by the young women before him. They were both sat in the Library studying for their OWLs. Presently, the light was shining just so on Sarah's face and she looked radiant in the light.

"Lucius, did you hear me?" she questioned, "I asked you what charm would you use to illuminate a candle?"

He snapped back to earth, it was important he passed these exams…

One year later

It was Lucius' birthday yesterday and Sarah had already prepared her gift – a magnificent eagle feather self-inking quill. Presently, she was making her way over to the table her friend was studying on.

"Can I join you Lucius?" she asked calmly.

Something didn't seem quite right for a second as his eyes flashed momentarily silver when he turned to face her.

"I would rather you didn't," he replied shortly, "Also, I should make you aware that I shall not be in Hogwarts for my birthday. I would rather you didn't write."

She felt for a moment as if she had been stunned. This seemed a sudden turn of character.

"Why? What have I done?"

"It is not always about you McGonagall," replied the young man before her, "It would be better if you didn't know. Now, would you mind leaving me in peace?"

Sarah fled the scene. Tears leaking down her cheeks…

It was the beginning of their final year of Hogwarts before the pair spoke again. However, this was more a chore and duty as they both found themselves now residing in the Head boy and girl's quarters.

It was the day of Hermione's seventeenth birthday. She had spent most of the morning opening a small mound of present from family and friends. However, after dinner she had retreated to her room once again to look through the small pile of items her mother had sent to her this morning – they had been buried in a long-forgotten corner of the loft.

The treasure trove that was all that physically proved Hermione had not always been a granger was not altogether earth shattering. There was a rubber duck, the faint traces of magic the still clung to its surface lead Hermione to suspect it was likely to be a portkey of some sought. The blanket that she had been wrapped in was relatively ordinary. However, it was a small key that intrigued her.

This item was approximately an inch long and silver in colour. The head of the key was decorated with an elegant engraving of a raven in flight. A matching chain could only lead Hermione to conclude it was some sort of necklace. With the idea it may have belonged to her mother, she fastened it around her own neck.

One day later

After the end of her first lesson – potions – she waited for the class to filter out before moving to the front to speak with her teacher.

"Professor?" she asked shyly, "I need to ask you a favour."

Severus turned slowly to face the younger women. He was aware that she had turned 17 yesterday. However, there seemed to be no change about her and so his original theory could not have been correct. Perhaps he had been wrong – there was always a first.

"What is it?"

"I really would like it if you were able to brew the paternal version of the ancestry potion please. I feel like I'm missing part of who I am," she explained, "something doesn't make sense."

He nodded, that would certainly allow him to answer his own personal questions about the young women before him,

"Of course Miss McGonagall (he refused to call her by her muggle name in private)" he replied, "may you leave a sample of you blood in a vial for me please? Around 10 ml shall be plenty."

"Thank you Sir," she responded, a gentle smile now fixed on her face, "If I can help you with anything, please ask."

He gave her a polite nod, dismissing her from the room.

Leaving the room, Hermione found her best friend, Harry Potter, and boyfriend, Ron Weasley, waiting outside in the corridor.

"Thank you for waiting for me."

She had told them the truth about her maternal family the previous day – she had taken a few days to process the information completely. They had both seemed excited by the news and Harry seemed pleased that she had established some sort of link in the magical world – aware of how many barriers a muggle born witch or wizard had to contend with to 'make it'.

It was later that day when her boyfriend invited her out for a sunset walk around the grounds.

"Hermione, you know I love you don't you?" he asked.

She looked at him quizzically, "of course Ron. I love you as well."

The young women continued walked until she was pulled round to find that Ron was on one knee was a ring box in his hand.

"Hermione, will you marry me?"

"I though you would never ask!" she exclaimed happily, waiting patiently as her fiancée slipped an elegant silver ring onto her finger.

As this was occurring Severus Snape was beginning to brew the paternal potion that the young women had requested. He had calculated that it would take until around the beginning of October to brew – this part of the ancestry potion was a lot more complicated and could only be undertaken successfully by someone who held potions mastery.

Even so, he decided to brew this with cheap ingredients as some of the rarer ones could take months to arrive on order and he had a feeling that these answers were urgent. Severus knew that he would be able to reveal a minimum of around three generation back if he brewed it correctly. This would certainly answer his questions.