A/N: Here's the newest installment! So stoked to see how many people are following this already & I hope it continues to hold your interest. Enjoy!
o.o.O.o.o
Severus made his way into Grimmauld Place, suppressing a shudder at the atmosphere of the mouldering old house. He swung by the sitting room and spotted Potter sitting there, staring into the fireplace. He didn't see anyone else around. "Potter," he called the boy's name.
Green eyes swung around to look at him. "Is there any news about Hermione?" he asked.
"Yes, I was able to see her, and she sent a letter for you. Do not read it where anyone might see and hide it afterwards. The Headmaster would not want you to have it." He said carefully, holding his eyes. "If you have questions after, I will try to answer them," he said simply and left the boy, heading into the meeting. He nodded to Molly and took his usual place at the back of the room.
"Ah Severus, any word about Miss Granger?" Albus asked.
"It's Miss Dolohov now, isn't it?" Severus said drily, enjoying the flinch from Albus and Molly. "I've been to see her. She is healthy and recovered from her injuries, but she is frightened and confused to learn that she is not who she thought she was. Someone placed an elaborate glamour on her as an infant, and to repair the damage done to her, they had to remove it. She looks very much like her mother now, and that has been another difficult adjustment for her."
"Is there no way you could remove her, and bring her here to safety, Severus?" Albus asked.
"No, and to be perfectly frank, she's in no danger." He said, taking in the shocked looks around the room. "Given who she really is, they'll protect her fiercely. I highly doubt they'll risk taking her within a hundred yards of any of you before September to give her time to accept her new identity and learn the truth of her mother's murder," he said quietly.
"Murder! It was a fair duel!" Molly shouted.
"Your brothers killed a young mother in front of her infant daughter…it wasn't a duel, it was an execution. Not the finest moment for the Order," Severus responded hotly, eyes glittering dangerously.
"That's neither here nor there," Moody interrupted. "The fact is, the girl can't be trusted any longer. We have to assume that she'll turn on us after a summer with those snakes. Best to prepare the boys for that, and make sure they tell her nothing."
Severus just sneered, but knew better than to argue with any of them. To them the girl was tainted, an easy write-off, just as he had been. He listened as the conversation turned to the inaction of the Ministry, and their continued denial over the Dark Lord's return. Severus knew Albus had been counting on drawing him out during the battle at the Ministry, but it had not gone to plan. Albus' position as Headmaster was now very precarious.
"What news from Voldemort, Severus?" Albus asked.
"He's ordered us all to lie low, for the time being. He won't risk confirming his return while things are on the fence." Severus said. "I will of course keep my ears open, but for now he seems content to play a long game."
Albus looked troubled and nodded. "Very well, same time next week everyone." He dismissed them. "Severus, a moment please." He said, asking him to remain. "You've spoken with Miss Granger, what is your read on her? Do you really believe she'd turn to their side?"
"No. She cares too much for the Potter boy to ever wish him harm, but after learning about your deception…I do not see her aiding the Order per se," He admitted.
"You believe she will remain neutral then?" He seemed to relax somewhat.
"Yes, or aide Potter independently of the Order." He said, occluding heavily as he lied through his teeth. The girl was caught in the middle, and he would not allow the Headmaster to make her a target.
He nodded. "It is unfortunate, but perhaps in time she can be brought to understand why we had to hide her in the muggle world."
Severus just nodded, as if he understood. "I will keep as close an eye to her as I can."
"Good…good. That's all then Severus."
o.o.O.o.o
That night, while Ron snored loudly in the bed beside him, Harry finally opened Hermione's letter. He had been dying to read it earlier, but he couldn't shake Ron and Ginny.
Harry,
Professor Snape told me that everyone else managed to get out of the DoM with only minor injuries, so I hope that he was being honest. When I woke up, I was afraid you'd all been killed and now…I worry that you'll hate me. I don't know what, if anything, Headmaster Dumbledore has told you, but I'm not who I've always thought I am. I'm not a Granger, or even a Muggle-born at all. I'm a pure-blood witch and my real name is apparently Alexandra Dolohov. My mother was killed in an Auror Raid gone bad, and Mrs. Weasley's brothers took me from the House and gave me to a muggle family to raise. They let my father believe I was dead, killed in the fire that consumed the house.
So the Headmaster and Mrs. Weasley knew all along who I was, and they kept it from me. I honestly don't know what to think or feel about any of this. The fact that I'm Dolohov's daughter is the only reason I survived his curse, otherwise I'd be dead. Any of us could have died that night, because the Headmaster kept things from you and from all of us. Please, even if you never trust me again, promise me that you'll be careful and start to think about what he tells you. You're my best friend and I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you.
I'll be staying with my cousin, Theo, for the rest of the summer and I don't know if I'll be able to get a letter to you again. If I don't, just remember that I'm still me and still your friend. I'll see you on the Hogwarts express. Meet me in the compartment at the very back of the train, and I'll try and explain everything else.
Yours,
Hermione.
He folded the letter back up and felt a familiar rush of anger. The Headmaster had PROMISED that he'd told him everything that night, that there were no more secrets. And here in his hand was proof that he'd lied to him. Again. Sirius and Remus had nearly been killed, Hermione had nearly been killed, and all because the Headmaster loved his secrets. He was done listening to him, done being his faithful pawn.
o.o.O.o.o
The next morning Hermione woke up, had a shower, and got dressed. Professor Snape had been right, hiding was the coward's way out. She couldn't hide from the truth, not when it was written all over her face. Once she was dressed, she headed downstairs still feeling a bit weaker than normal but at least there was no pain. Her souvenir from her father nearly killing her was a vibrant purple streak across her torso. It wasn't a scar you could feel, more like a piece of that purple fire forever caught just under her skin, as much a part of her as the man's blood seemed to be.
She headed to the room where everyone had eaten dinner and saw Lucius Malfoy sitting in there reading the paper and sipping coffee. There was no one else there. He picked that moment to spot her and nodded elegantly.
"Good morning, seems that everyone else is enjoying a bit of a lie in," Lucius said. "Please, sit and have some breakfast. You must be hungry."
"Did my uncle and Theo leave after dinner?" she asked and sat down across the table from Draco's father. She smiled as fruit, scrambled eggs and toast appeared on her plate. She poured herself some orange juice from the pitcher, trying to focus on the little things.
"Yes, it was quite late when they left," he explained. "They'll return likely at the end of the week to collect you. Things should have settled enough back in Britain by then."
"How do you mean?" She resisted the urge to frown, trying to figure out why it was so important that she be kept out of the country.
"Your father is a wanted criminal. Naturally, the Aurors were searching quite diligently for you after the events in the Department of Mysteries. We needed time for the furor to die down and to make certain that there was a suitable story in place. You were dropped in the care of your Uncle, and healers have been tending to you non-stop since. You will make a few public appearances in August, and then return to school as expected in September. Your uncle gave a statement to the Aurors yesterday morning, and they seem to have given up on speaking to you for the moment. We will wait another week to be certain," Lucius said.
Hermione just nodded, again realizing this wasn't actually a discussion…she was being told what would happen. It seemed to be a trend. "Who has my wand?" she asked after a moment.
"Narcissa has it, but I'm sure she'll be happy to return it to you now that you're up and about," Lucius said, flipping a page of the paper.
Hermione nodded and sipped her juice, looking up as Draco stumbled in…looking mostly still asleep.
"Morning…" he muttered and sat down.
"Morning." Hermione replied automatically. "Is there a reading room here, Mr. Malfoy?" She made herself be polite, as much as it killed her. Merlin she wanted to Hex him, smug superior bastard that he was.
"There is, after you've finished eating I can show you where it is," Lucius said. "Draco, do sit up straight." He fixed hard eyes on his son, who instantly straightened.
"Yes, father," He said, pouring himself some juice. "Did you sleep well?" he asked Hermione, clearly struggling with what to call her.
Hermione nodded. "I did. Listen Malfoy, this is awkward enough…you can call me Hermione or Dolohov I guess," she said and saw a bit of relief cross his face.
"You'll call her Hermione, or Miss Dolohov. She's not a member of your Quidditch team, Draco," Lucius interjected from behind his newspaper.
Draco's cheeks coloured a little. "Yes, Father."
Hermione just laughed a little, and once Lucius finished his paper, folding it and laying it aside, she put her utensils down.
"I'll show you to the reading room. Draco, tell your mother that her post arrived and is by her tea." Lucius said. "Miss Dolohov, this way," he said solicitously.
Hermione stood, nodding to Draco who was sleepily putting jam on his toast, and she followed Lucius out of the dining room and down the hall.
"You're taking this better than I imagined you would." Lucius remarked as they walked.
"I guess I just don't see the point in throwing fits and tantrums when it won't change the facts," she said quietly. "Professor Snape said my…father," she hesitated over the word, "isn't taking it well. Is that true?"
"The daughter he imagined dead for a decade and a half, was nearly killed by his own wand…how well do you imagine he could be taking it?" Lucius looked down at her for a long moment and then turned down another hall, and opened a set of double doors. "Your father is many things, but he is still your father. I've never seen a happier wizard than he was the day your mother had you. Some men would have lamented their firstborn being female, but your father was over the moon about his little Princess."
Hermione felt a twist of guilt in her gut. "Could you…tell me a little about him?"
Lucius nodded and entered the room with her, sitting down in one of the arm chairs. "He did not attend Hogwarts, he was a Durmstrang graduate, but his father had many business interests here in Britain so after graduation he came here. He was older than I was, but because our father were…well-acquainted he tolerated me and my friends. He met your mother at her sister's wedding to Darius and he fell utterly in love. They were engaged by the end of that summer, though he had to wait for her to finish her Newt Year before they married. He supported her in pursuing her Charms Mastery, where many wizards would not, and from what I knew…they were very happy," Lucius said.
Hermione nodded. "Where did they live?" She asked.
"Your grandfather had an old Tudor estate in Norfolk, but your parents had a little place in the country in Surrey." Lucius said, still studying her speculatively.
"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" she asked.
"I'm just curious how this revelation will shift things. I like to see all the angles and you've quite neatly disrupted things. It will be intriguing to see where you fit in the new order," he said simply. In truth Lucius was wondering what exactly his Lord planned to do with the girl. His orders on the matter had been clear, she was to be protected and all prior transgressions were to be forgiven. She'd been deceived and manipulated after all. It was clear the Dark Lord had plans for the young witch, he was curious to see what they were.
"Why do you hate muggle-borns?" She asked then, quite abruptly.
"I agreed to answer questions about your father, not myself. I've been generous enough to answer one personal question this morning, you'll find I do not so readily share my thoughts with relative strangers, Miss Dolohov."
"Then why does my father hate muggle-borns?" She raised her eyebrows.
"You'll need to ask him that." Lucius chuckled. "Though I might broach the topic somewhat more delicately than you are doing now." He stood. "The books on the far bookcase are warded, and not for your perusal, but anything else in here you are free to read. Ultimately, the easiest way to learn about your father will be to meet him. I seem to remember you, at the tender age of twelve, feeling no fear at all in correcting me. I'd suggest summoning some of that bravado." He left her to read, still quite unsure how to categorize the girl. She was playing things very close to the vest, unusual for a Gryffindor. He wondered what other surprises she'd have for them.
