A/N: I'm still alive! I want to apologize for not updating in months; I really am sorry. I barely had time to write, and when I did, my muse didn't want to cooperate. I've had this half written just sitting on my computer, but only just finished it today. I do have a better idea of the next few chapters, and I'm going to do my best to update weekly, but we all know I'm not reliable. For those of you who lost interest in or hope for this fic, I'm sorry. For those of you still sticking around, thanks! I love you!
The Weasleys had taken her in. They had all but adopted the muggleborn who was lost in their world. She'd considered the Burrow home for ages, still going over for Sunday night family dinners, even after her amicable breakup with Ron. It hadn't been awkward then, not for her, nor for him. She was simply ingrained into their family. But now, she had a family of her own, even if there was no one there for her to celebrate that fact with. Oh, it was certainly a terrible situation, her adopted family partially responsible for ensuring the near extinction of her biological family. It was a terrible decision, to choose between those with whom she could have had a different life, and those whose influence shaped her into the person she was today. It was a terrible ordeal for sure. But blood runs thicker than water. With that in mind, Hermione knocked on the door of the Burrow, with all the air of a queen.
Molly swung open the door and smiled a warm motherly smile at her. She pulled the girl in for a hug, which the latter returned with precisely the actions that would be polite but nothing more. For all her resolve, the knowledge that it was them hurt her. This betrayal was by far the worst. Molly immediately noticed the coldness and pulled back, holding the girl at arm's length and looking her over. "Are you okay, my dear?" she asked, her voice full of concern.
For a moment Hermione nearly broke. Tears gathered in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Slowly, she nodded. She was ushered into the house and into the living room where the rest of the family was gathered. Ron looked up from his game of chess with Bill. "Mione! Are you okay now?" The last time they'd spoken, she'd thrown a vase at this head.
Tersely, she replied with a simple no. She sat down on one end of a couch, her back stock straight. Immediately, a flood of Weasleys rushed to her, trying to figure out what was wrong. She simply sat, waiting for the crowd to quiet down, attempting to do her best imitation of the elite she knew. Unfortunately, that drew mostly from the Malfoys and Andromeda, a fact they quickly noticed. Questions upon questions were thrown at her.
At that moment, Harry flooed in, but everyone was too busy to notice. He cleared his throat as he worked his way over to the couch. He stood at the arm next to Hermione and convinced everyone to back away and prepare for the story of a lifetime. They all sat back, waiting and watching, wondering what story was dire enough for this sort of reaction. Hermione began delicately, but with an ever-growing steeliness in her voice. "I've been doing some research…" Everyone chuckled at this, and she narrowed her eyes slightly. "The research was into the history of Wizarding Britain. I came across a lot of information on lost families, some who'd disappeared, and others who had died out. In previous studies, of course, I'd heard of all of them. Except for one. The Sagitta family."
"The who?" asked Ron eloquently.
"The Sagitta, Ron. Pay more attention." Molly snapped at her youngest son. "Who are they, Hermione? Are you sure they are from Britain? I've never heard that name."
Harry was watching the others carefully. Molly seemed as sincere as ever, concern lining her face. Charlie, Fred, George, and Ginny sat in anticipation waiting for her to tell more of her story. Ron just looked confused as was his norm. Bill and Arthur however, exchanged and uneasy glance, before schooling their expressions into something much more curious and confused. Harry's eyes narrowed. A quick glance to Hermione let her know that the two knew more than they were letting on.
Percy self-importantly cleared his throat. "I'm surprised the rest of you don't know. Then again, it's somewhat of a Ministry secret. They were an ancient family who reigned terror upon Wizarding Britain. Horrible, really, the kind of devastation they caused. They all had to be put down like the vile creatures they were. However, when the Hit Wizards went to exterminate them, the cowards set their Manor aflame." Hermione bristled slightly, but only Harry noted her rising anger. Arthur nodded along, again shooting a glance towards Bill.
"So many ancient and noble families have certain traits, like the Malfoys have blonde hair, the Blacks have curly, black hair, and the Longbottoms have a slow-growing magical core that only becomes powerful later in life. Is there anything about the Sagitta family like that?" Hermione made sure to keep her voice curious and not vicious.
This time, Arthur spoke up. "Well, from what I know, they had very dark brown eyes, seemed like honest, straightforward people, until they were exposed to be what they were." Bill looked down at the ground. "They were rather intelligent; one of them invented Apparition, actually. Hated flying." This time it was Harry and Hermione who exchanged a glance. Arthur continued to list traits that described Hermione, without actually realizing it.
Molly cut in, "How do you know all this Arthur? I'd never even heard the name." Her husband's jaw snapped shut and he chuckled nervously.
"Ministry records, of course, love."
"But Dad," Percy chimed in, "I've never seen anything of the sort." The head of the Weasley household made some excuses about old paperwork, and looked more and more uncomfortable.
Ron made a comment about how Hermione made not knowing about something sound like a national crisis. The others laughed along with him, none of them having drawn the conclusion. Hermione saw Arthur join in as well, and the rage built up inside of her. The others watched aghast as he began to splutter and began clawing at his neck a second before he was dangling in midair, almost as if an invisible hand was holding him off the ground by his throat. Harry snapped out of his shock, and placed his hand on Hermione's arm, calming her enough to let the man she'd once seen as a second father back down. He fell back heavily against a wall, gasping for the breath, he'd been denied for nearly a full two minutes. Ginny didn't miss the interaction between Harry and Hermione and called them out on it.
Hermione nearly cracked, but managed to snap her mask in place. "I hate liars," she said by way of an explanation, before turning to Arthur again. "Now, the truth if you will." The man was still struggling to breathe, and she sighed. She looked at Bill. "And how about you? What is it that you know?"
"Me? I don't know anyth-".
The witch cut him off. "Really? You might want to rethink that answer." Bill felt invisible fingers against his neck and gulped. The rest of the family snapped out of their shock and confusion, yelling at Hermione.
Bill spoke up. "No. Sit down, you lot."
"Bill, stop. You aren't supposed to share." Arthur wheezed.
Molly spun around to him. "Share WHAT?" She glowered at him, her look promising a lot worse than his recent ordeal, and he gulped.
Out poured the story. Arthur shared the true version as had been passed down to him, which he had then passed onto Bill, as the eldest son. The Weasleys were in fact one of the families who had actively worked to cover up the history, rewriting the Sagittas into infamy. The Daily Prophet had been filled with people "finally speaking up" against the horrors the Sagittas had committed, all given false memories.
The mother of the family looked more and more upset as the tale unfolded, hurt and betrayed. As Arthur wrapped it up, he reached for her, but she shrugged him away.
Fred and George looked at Hermione, then at each other, then back at the young witch. "You're one of them," they spoke together. "You are, aren't you?" They turned to their father.
"You shouldn't have hidden this from us-"
"Especially not from mum."
"It's despicable."
"Disgusting."
"Horrific."
"Hey, Hermione, we just want you to know-"
"We have your back."
They finished with a flourish and a hug, which she accepted. They looked expectantly at the rest of their family. Arthur was still slumped against the wall, Molly swaying where she stood, looking so unsure of herself. Bill stared at the floor, and Charlie moved to wrap an arm around his brother. Ron spoke up, defending his father, and Ginny voiced her agreement, while also moving towards her mother.
The twins scoffed and put their arms around Harry and Hermione, leading them away from the house. Hermione spun on her heel, transporting them all to Sagitta Manor. If any of them had looked back, they would have seen Molly gazing after them, her heart torn.
A/N: Huge thanks again to those of you still reading. I can't believe so many people are still interested, and your lovely reviews do make my day. Also a huge thanks to my best friend and beta, RealInMyMind! Now the question is... am I still allowed to ask for reviews? Or should I wait til the next chapter is posted?
