"My mother and father's last name's were LeStrange while-" Hermione said after a few minutes of stalling but was cut off by Draco going ridged and dropping her hand. The sudden loss of warm filled her with an icy shock.
"LeStrange? As in Bellatrix and Rodolphus LeStrange?" Draco asked his voice full of ice.
"How did you know their names?" Hermione asked confusion coloring her tone.
"They're my aunt and uncle." He said bluntly. Hermione just stared at him.
"As in they are my aunt and uncle." He said stressing the word are. He looked up at her and into her eyes. They were full of confusion, and then suddenly a light shone in her eyes. She had realized what Draco was referring to. Her parents were alive.
"Are?" She asked quietly, looking down at her now empty hands.
"Yeah they visit all the time." He said just as quiet.
"So we're cousins? And my parents are alive?" Hermione asked looking up with a desperate look in her dark brown eyes. He looked like he was about to say something but she quickly started talking again.
"You mean to tell me that I was dropped off at an orphanage, have no record of them, and I had to grow up with the GRANGERS?!" Hermione yelled the last words. During her questioning her voice had risen in level until she was yelling at Draco. She quickly stood up from her seat.
"Hermione calm down." Draco said reassuringly. She just shot him a dirty look.
"CALM DOWN!? I just found out that my bloody parents are alive and left me! They bloody dumped me at a muggle orphanage! I could have lived a good life! I didn't need to be living a lie!" Hermione said screaming the words at him. He just gave her a stoney look back.
"Hermione you're being absurd. They probably had a perfect reason-"
"PERFECT REASON?! A bloody perfect reason to dump their daughter as if she meant nothing? A reason to leave her to live a lie? Draco Malfoy I assure you that I am not being absurd. And you, my bloody cousin! I have a bloody crush on you and we are now going out! I am coming with you next time you go home. You had better make sure that your Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange had better be there this Christmas do you got it?!" Hermione yelled. By the end of her rant tears were running down her face at a fast rate, showing no signs of stopping. She turned herself away from him so that her back was to his face
"Hermione I-" Draco said putting his hand on her back. She shrugged him off.
"I don't need your sympathy. Just make sure that what I asked happens. I have some arrangements to change. Oh and Draco, I think that this relationship isn't going to work out." Hermione said walking back towards the castle, tears still pouring from her eyes.
"Hermione wait!" Draco yelled after her but Hermione never stopped. She didn't even look back.
When she made it inside she went straight to the dungeons, there was no way that she'd be going to classes today. She was going to lie down on her bed all day and cry her heart out.
Her parents had just dumped her at that place with no care in the world. They were not dead, at least then she could have accepted it and moved on. Just like she had for the past 4 years. But now there was just more salt in the wounds that never healed.
Hermione just laid there on her bed for what seemed like hours crying before she finally ran out of tears to cry. The anguish she had been filled with by the tears was gone, and in its place was a feeling of hollowness.
She went to her parchment and got her quill. She sat down on her bed again and wrote to the Grangers that she wouldn't be coming home in the 2 days she was supposed to, but rather going to her friend's house for the holidays.
She rolled the parchment up and wiped her eyes, only now realizing that she had worn make-up today and her mascara was all smeared down her face. She made a quick detore from her way to the owlrey the girl's bathroom to wipe at her face.
When she had finally gotten all of the mascara off of her she left the bathroom and walked to the owlrey. She called to a light brown bird that took her letter easily. She gave it a treat then walked off, knowing that her letter would make it to her 'parents' quickly.
She started walking back to the dungeons when she saw a flash of red head coming at her. She quickly dodged behind a pillar but to no avail.
"Come on out Hermione I already saw you." Ginny said much to Hermione's dismay. She didn't want to have to explain to her why her eyes were puffy and red. She didn't want to tell her that Draco and her were no longer together. She didn't want to have to tell her anything that would ruin her day as much as hers had been ruined.
Hermione walked out behind her hiding place and went to Ginny. Ginny gasped at her bloodshot eyes and immediately wrapped her in a hug. Hermione started to cry again, she didn't even know that she had any tears left to cry.
Hermione clung to Ginny like she hadn't clung to anyone in such a long time. Not since that day at the orphanage.
-:-:-:-
"I said I want my mummy!" Hermione yelled at Ms. Jayne. She had been here for two days and was really starting to miss her mum.
"I already told you sweety, mummy's not coming back." Ms. Jayne said pateinly.
"But I want mummy." Hermione said bursting into tears. Ms. Jayne immediately wrapped the little girl in her arms.
"Sh. There, there sweet child. It's all going to be alright. You'll find that you'll get a new mummy and daddy soon." She said gently.
"But I-I don't want a new mummy or daddy." Hermione sniffed into Ms. Jayne's shoulder, clutching to the woman for all the support she could get from her.
"But you'll get a new family and you'll be happy. I promise that they will love you very much."
"No. I want my mummy. Not a new one." Hermione sobbed. She clung tighter than before. The terrible truth dawned on the little girl that her mummy and daddy were not going to come back.
"There, there you poor thing." Ms. Jayne said gently stroking Hermione's back as she cried.
"There, there."
-:-:-:-
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ginny asked a few minutes later to a now subdued Hermione. Hermione shook her head and pulled away from Ginny. Her eyes that were just slightly red before looked even more horrible than before.
"Not really."
"You'll have to talk about it sometime. Maybe it'll help with your release?" Ginny suggested.
"Draco and I…we're not going out." Hermione said looking down at the floor, a lone tear streaking down her face.
"Oh you poor thing, what did the ferret do?" Ginny asked.
"I told him about my family."
"And he ditched you?" Ginny asked a murderous expression on her face.
"No, no. We're cousins…"
"Oh. To the Grangers or your real parents?" Ginny asked. This brought on another round of tears to where Ginny just held Hermione again.
Finally Hermione stopped crying. Again.
"Oh Ginny my real parents. The ditched me! They're still alive. They've visited Draco but they didn't give a care in the world about my existence. They don't care." Hermione said tears welling up again in her eyes. She brushed them away, she would not cry again, no matter how hard the subject proved to be there was no way she would cry again.
"They just ditched you at the orphanage?" Ginny asked disgusted. Hermione could see the anger and disapproval at someone doing it there in her face.
"Yeah I guess." Hermione said quietly.
"Those-those URG!" Ginny yelled out.
"I can't believe that they did this to you!" Ginny yelled again. Classes seemed to be over and soon people started looking at the murderous Ginny and the red eyed Hermione.
Hermione knew exactly what was going on in their heads.
What did Ginny do that made the Slytherin ice queen cry?
What did the Weasley do to Hermione?
OHMIGOD the great Ice Queen has finally fallen.
Weren't they friends?
Did Weasley finally get to his sister?
What is going on?
Why isn't Hermione yelling back?
How could Granger show such weakness, especially in front of this crowd?
These thoughts came from every house. Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw alike sat there and watched as Ginny yelled and Hermione sat there with red eyes watching her.
"BLOODY IDIOT!" Ginny yelled one last time and looked around. She seemed surprised that there were people watching, as if she hadn't noticed them the whole time she was ranting.
"I've got to go." Hermione said quickly and ran off.
"Hermione!" Ginny yelled, but just like she had done to Draco earlier, she ignored her.
Hermione kept running blindly, not paying attention to where she was going until she ran into something hard.
"Oi watch where it is you're going Granger." Weasel snapped at her.
"Just shut up." Hermione said and tried to pass by. But Weasel wouldn't let her.
"What happened Granger? Someone finally put you in your place?" He taunted.
"Weasel just shut the bloody hell up if you know what's good for you." Hermione said and she tried to go around him again but he stuck his arm around her waist, not letting her go.
"I just want to tell you that who ever it was that showed you your place is a brilliant person. I should have done it years ago."
"Let me go." Hermione said quietly, not even attempting to get away.
"And why should I?" Weasel asked with a smug expression on his face.
"Let her go Weasel." Hermione heard Draco's voice behind her. She didn't even look back but took that moment to get away from Weasel.
"Oi get back here you coward!" Weasel yelled after Hermione. At that moment Harry came into view.
Could my day get any worse? Hermione thought.
"What are you doing calling Hermione a coward Ron?" Harry yelled at his best mate.
"Just letting her know that she's finally gotten what she desirved." Weasel said smugly. Hermione whipped around to see a vexed looking Harry and Draco.
You bloody git!" Hermione shrieked and Weasel turned around and looked at her.
"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled at Weasel's chest, he flew backwards and hit his head on the stone wall. As soon as that happened Hermione felt regret.
"Ohmigod." Hermione whispered.
The only answer was a groan coming from Ron's unmoving form.
"Hermione what've you done?" Harry asked his face paling as he went over to Weasel.
"I-I didn't mean f-for th-that t-t-to happen." Hermione said her lips quivering.
"Well it's happened so I guess we'll be bringing him to the hospital wing. Come here Pothead and help me pick up this weasel." Draco said crouching down next to Weasel and lifting Weasel's arm over his head. But before Harry could get there Hermione already had Weasel's arm around her shoulders and was lifting him.
"Harry grab his feet." Hermione ordered and they made their way awkwardly to the hospital wing.
