Summary – "Hermione should have thought up a better plan that day. Now she is hiding what happened from Harry, Ron, Ginny, the rest of The Weasley Family, and half of Hogwarts. Also on top of that other secrets are coming out and she is learning new things about herself that she never knew. Along with the troubles of two Veela, but especially one Fleur Delacour and her family."
Rating - Older Teen to Mature (For later chapters)
By- WolfDragonGod and Asher Henry
Beta - Lash_Larue
"Talking"
'Thinking'
To Hate is To Love -Chapter Four
When Hermione was woken up by Ginny to change into her uniform she saw that both Harry and Ron were talking about the international quidditch teams. Shaking her head, she and Ginny each went to one of the women's changing rooms and got themselves ready. When they got back Harry and Ron were still talking. Sighing, Hermione walked up and said, "Harry, Ron, you to need to go get ready or you're not going to have time," she scolded them, making both boys cringe and quickly go and get ready themselves.
It was around this time that Ginny made a comment... "Hey Hermione, I didn't notice until just now, but why are you wearing the pants for the boy's Uniform?"
Hermione paused think before looking towards the young redhead and saying, "Yeah, ummm, when I went to get my uniforms there was a screw up and uh, I got pants instead. It's okay though, they're quite warm and comfy." Hermione didn't feel good telling a lie to Ginny but she couldn't just tell the girl the real reason for her wearing the pants.
Ginny just nodded and accepted the answer Hermione gave her before moving to sit down once more in the seat and saying, "Hope things go smoothly this year."
Hermione nodded and grinned "Me too, I can use all the study time I can get."
Ron and Harry had just walked in when Hermione said this.
"Blimey, Mione, all you do is study! Why would you wish for more of that?" said Ron as he and Harry took their seats on the other side of the room. Hermione frowned and fought to keep her anger down.
"Because, Ronald, not all of us like to waste our days away doing nothing but talking about quidditch. Some of us want to go somewhere with our lives." Hermione knew she was being a little harsh towards Ronald but she could not quite fight off the anger in her voice. Clearing her throat she began to softly count in her head to cool her temper and keep her mouth shut.
Ron backed up a little and crossed his fingers in front of him. "Whoa, chill out, I was only joking."
Hermione was happy when the train finally came to a stop and the students began to pile out, meeting up with people from her year she tried to put as much room between her and Ron as possible right now.
Upon reaching the castle she had finally calmed down a little, and taking her seat at the table beside Ginny with Ron and Harry sitting on the opposite sides in front of them, she watched as this year's sorting went on. She clapped with the other students when someone was selected to join Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, but when someone was placed in Slytherin she just sort of felt bad for them.
When things had finally settled down and the Headmaster went over the usual rules Hermione thought that would be all, but Dumbledore went on to say more.
"This year I am pleased to say that we will be having some guests come to our school, because Hogwarts has been selected to host the Tri-Wizard Tournament! This unfortunately means no quidditch this year." Once everyone had settled down over the news and the food appeared on the table, Hermione dug in with a little more hunger then she usually had.
Ginny giggled and poked Hermione in the side. "Dang, Mione, you sure are starved! At least you still keep your manners though," Ginny said, looking at her brother Ron who was stuffing his face and making a mess of himself.
It was after everyone had eaten and begun to leave that Hermione was stopped by Professor McGonagall. "Excuse me Miss Granger, could I talk to you for a moment?" Harry, Ron, and Ginny all stopped walking and looked at Hermione.
"Go on guys, I will catch up later," said Hermione as she turned to face her teacher.
"What is it that you need Professor?" asked Hermione when the others were out of hearing range.
McGonagall just smiled and said, "I have to show you where your new room is. You will no longer be staying in the Gryffindor dorms, remember? You will be staying in the Gryffindor study."
Hermione nodded. She had forgotten about that little bit of information. "I did forget, Professor, but I am ready to get some sleep so let's get going if you don't mind."
McGonagall nodded and said, "Follow me, then."
Following McGonagall up the stairs and through a couple of hidden pathways, they finally stopped in front on a painting with a sleeping Griffin on it. It raised its head and stared at McGonagall before snorting at her, it had about laid its head back down before it saw Hermione. Rising back up to its full height, it looked at the girl and appeared to sniff her. Then it bowed to her and the portrait swung open.
Hermione watched the whole affair with a small smile, and then grinned. "I guess he didn't like you too well, huh, Professor?" McGonagall just huffed and mumbled something under her breath. Hermione heard it though and giggled a little before saying, "Well, goodnight Professor." She then walked through the portrait hole and looked at the room in amazement. The color scheme was like she had predicted it would be, and after her belongings had all been put up in the proper places in the room, she saw more stuff to explore as well. But she decided that she had best get some sleep if she was going to be up early enough to have breakfast and get to class on time. After taking off her uniform and putting on a baggy shirt and some flannel pants for sleep wear, she climbed into the massive bed and curled up under the red and gold comforter, snuggling herself into its silkiness.
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Hermione awoke early that morning to a soft mewling sound, ears twitching, she cracked open one eye and sat up a little in her bed before looking down near the end. Seeing Crookshanks, she grinned. "Can't get up here can ya?" She remembered the cat seeming to hate her for a little while when she first returned home as her new self, but seeing it sitting down at the bottom of the bed mewling softly and looking so pitiful she sighed and said, "You better not scratch me once I put you up here, cat." Reaching down she gently picked up her cat, who seemed to have changed his opinion of her once he was on the warm bed beside her. He cuddled up near one of her pillows and began to purr as he drifted off into a little cat nap.
Hermione grinned and petted him softly, glad that he finally had come around to her. She had missed him terribly, he was after all her only pet. Shaking her head she went about getting ready for the day before heading back down to the Great Hall to get some breakfast. Spotting the near-empty table she was glad to note that none of the others had yet to make it down. It wasn't long after sitting down and putting some butter on her toast that Ginny came to join her at the table.
"There you are. I saw Lavender and she said you hadn't gone to the dorm and that your things hadn't arrived."
"Oh, yes, about that" she began, but was cut off by Ron.
"Mione, where've you been?" He sounded a little miffed and Hermione once again found herself trying to suppress her anger. Harry appeared behind the boy and sent Hermione an apologetic look.
"Must you be so rude, Ron?" Ginny snapped at her brother after seeing that he had upset Hermione yet again.
"Sorry, I was just worried is all." He said, sounding genuinely sorry, though a bit confused as to why Ginny snapped at him. He and Harry took their seats across from the girls and began to serve themselves.
"As I was about to say, Ginny," Hermione began again, "I will no longer be staying in Gryffindor tower."
"What? Why?" the three nearly shouted at her.
Looking around she saw the great hall beginning to fill up. "I'll tell you what, meet me by Gryffindor's portrait before lunch and I'll tell you why."
The three wanted to ask why the secrecy but decided to go ahead and wait. As breakfast finished they received their schedules for the year. The trio had most classes together, as expected, with only Hermione's schedule differing. Ginny griped about having double potions for the first time and the others knew nothing could take the sting out of that. They waved bye to Ginny and headed towards the greenhouses.
"What do you reckon we'll have to dig up this year?" Harry asked when they saw Professor Spout levitating several pots into the classroom.
The three didn't recognize the relatively plain looking plants, but Hermione was hit with a foul odor as they neared.
"What's with you?" Ron asked, taking in her reaction.
"Can't you smell that?"
"Smell what?" Harry asked. They were too far away for the boys to pick up the scent.
Hermione was searching for an answer when the wind shifted and brought with it the foul odor from the plants.
"Aww Merlin, what is that?" Ron asked, covering his nose like Hermione and Harry.
"Smells like bubotubers." Neville said walking up alongside them. The trio looked at him completely confused. Before they could ask any questions he scurried off to talk with Professor Sprout.
By lunch time the three were completely wrecked. Between learning about and 'milking' the bubotuber plant and being introduced to the blast-ended skrewts, they needed time to relax and recover.
"I can't believe Hagrid would be proud of those…things," Ron shouted, counting his fingers again to make sure they were all there. Harry nodded his head in agreement as he rubbed some dittany onto his burned arm. Hermione was the only one to leave the class relatively unharmed as the skrewts for some reason shied away from her.
"There you are," Ginny cried out, getting their attention. The three were about to enter the great hall for some much needed food when she spotted them. Walking over to her they noted that she seemed anxious about something.
"What's up with you? You're bouncing from foot to foot." Ron said.
"I've had a very dull morning, only Hermione's secret kept me awake." She told them.
"Oh yeah. What about that, Mione?" Harry asked. They had nearly been seriously injured and killed several times since breakfast and had forgotten about Hermione's secret.
"Aww, can it wait?" Ron whined as his stomach growled.
"No." Ginny snapped at him and turned her attention back to her friend.
"Follow me." With that Hermione lead them towards the transfiguration wing. They walked along the courtyard and then rounded a hall headed for the astronomy tower, but stopped half way there.
Ron, Harry, and Ginny looked around the hall and saw no one and nothing except for an old portrait of a Griffin.
"Well?" Ron asked impatiently.
Hermione took a deep breath and walked up to the portrait. The Griffin looked at her and then back at them a little apprehensively.
"It's okay." Hermione told the portrait. The Griffin looked unconvinced but slowly swung open. The three looked at Hermione a little confused as she pulled the portrait open more. "Come in," she told them and walked into the room.
The three looked at each other and then entered the room.
"Whoa," was their collective response. They stepped in and looked around the room. It was bathed in their house colors, stocked with books and many other strange antiques. There was an intimate sitting area in front of a fireplace dominated by large painting of a wild moor and small village.
"I didn't even know there was a room behind here," Harry said, taking in his surroundings.
"Well, most people don't." Hermione replied, taking a seat on one of the couches near the fire. She gestured for the others to do the same.
Once all of them were seated, a soft pop got their attention. Standing in front of the fireplace was a house elf. This elf however did not wear the usual Hogwarts elf uniform. This elf wore what appeared to be formal robes, cut to fit him. The robes themselves were red with a gold trim and a lion embroidered on the left breast pocket. The elf bowed to Hermione and then to the rest of them.
"Would Mistress like Muir to bring tea for her and her guests?" the creature asked. Harry, Ron, and Ginny looked in shock at Hermione, who herself was at a loss for words.
"Um…I'm sorry, but who exactly are you?" Hermione asked the creature when she recovered.
"I be Muir, mistress's personal elf." The creature said to her.
"Why do you have an elf?" Ron shouted out. "And why do you have private rooms? What the hell is going on, Hermione!"
"Shut up Ron!" she shouted back at him, and turned to the house-elf. "Um, yes, Muir, was it? Please bring up some tea." The small creature took a deep bow and popped out of the room.
"Hermione," Harry's calm, questioning, voice asked, "what's going on?"
"Over the summer I received a letter from Dumbledore asking me to return to Hogwarts along with my parents. When we arrived my parents informed me that I was adopted." Ginny let out a slight gasp and took Hermione's hand. "I was told that while sending out this year's acceptance letters my birth parent's names appeared next to mine on the list. As it turns out, I'm a descendent of Godric Gryffindor." The three went slack jawed at her last statement. "We're sitting in Gryffindor's study." At that they began to take in the room with renewed wonder.
"Blimey," Ron breathed out, looking around the room.
"Oh, there's more," Hermione said, and the three turned back to her. "That was my mother's side. My father on the other hand happened to be a descendent of Rowena Ravenclaw." Their eyes bulged out a little more and their jaws sank a little lower. Hermione Granger, previously thought muggle-born, was in fact the descendent of two Hogwarts founders.
Another pop interrupted them and Muir returned with the tea and sat it on the table between them. He levitated a cup into each of their hands and waited for further instructions. When he was met by the sound of four growling tummies he immediately popped out and to the kitchens. Before they knew it the coffee table was full of food and four empty plates with a silverware set on each one. Their hunger getting the better of them, they began to eat in silence.
After several helpings of everything in front of them the four sat back and relaxed on to the very comfy couches.
"So," Harry began, looking over at Hermione, "now we know why you're the best out of all of us at magic," he quipped.
"Really, with Gryffindor and Ravenclaw's blood, you were bound to be the best duelist or the smartest witch around," Ron added.
"Do you know what this means?" Ginny asked with that devious grin of hers.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Next time Malfoy calls you a mudblood you can tell him your blood in purer than his."
"That'll teach the git," Ron said with a smirk.
"No, you guys," Hermione told them. "I don't want anyone knowing yet. I've just found out myself and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it." She sent the two redheads a pleading look, and they caved.
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything," Ron said looking very unhappy. Ginny gave her a reluctant nod.
"Whatever you say is fine with me, Hermione," Harry told her. He knew all too well what kind of problems a name can cause.
Hermione nodded. "Thanks, you guys, I know it's a lot to take in." Hermione moved to hug all of them, starting with Ron and ending with Ginny. Ginny seemed to want the hug to linger but let Hermione go anyway.
A few minutes later they all left the room to head quickly back down to the Great Hall. Luckily no one noticed their late entry or the fact that they didn't even eat.
It was a few days later that classes were cut short and the students were gathered in the Great Hall before supper time. Dumbledore stood up once the hall was full and asked for the students to come and join him and the other teachers outside to welcome their guests. Hermione stood in between Ginny and Harry while they waited for the other schools to make their appearance.
Ron was standing beside Harry, and asked, "You think they are going to Apparate here?"
Hermione sighed. "Ronald, how many times do I have to tell you no one can Apparate into Hogwarts, there are defenses against such things." As she finished saying this she heard the soft murmuring of students grow louder and followed their gaze. Looking into the sky above the forbidden forest she could see something flying closer.
As it neared they could see eight beautiful Abraxans pulling a carriage closer and closer to the school. Some of the students scattered out of the way when they realized the carriage was going to land right where they stood. When the carriage finally landed a tiny little girl with brown hair scurried out of the side door and unfolded some steps before backing up with a little bow.
Out of the carriage stepped a huge woman that Hermione was sure had to have giant blood in her, followed by many girls in a blue silk outfit. All of them stood huddled together shivering against the cold English air. Hermione shook her head before turning her attention to Ginny, who was pulling on her sleeve. She didn't notice the set of piercing blues eyes that were watching her from the center of the huddled mass.
It wasn't long after that the other school arrived by an underwater ship. Ron almost busted Hermione's ears we he started screaming about Victor Krum being at Hogwarts. Once finally back inside Hermione sat down and watched as both schools were introduced and joined two of the house tables. Durmstrang sat with the Slytherins, which didn't surprise anyone given their reputation, while the Beauxbatons were seated at the Ravenclaw table.
"She has to be a Veela," Hermione heard Ron whisper. Turning her eyes to where his were locked she saw a beautiful blonde girl chatting with one of the Ravenclaws.
Hermione watched the girl for a moment before saying, "Ron, just because the girl is pretty doesn't mean she is a Veela."
Before the boy could protest Dumbledore took to the podium and welcomed their guests.