Note: i don't own any of this apart from the plot, it's all thanks to JKR.
HPOV
'Do you think the teachers stopped it?' I whispered into the silence 5 minuets later.
I looked at Harry who was pacing in front of the embers of the fire and saw him shake his head.
'McGonagall didn't seem very positive when we spoke to her.' He said quietly without looking up from his feet. A faint bang came from somewhere in the castle. 12 or more heads shot up in the direction of the portrait hole and each person had a wand drawn from their robes.
'It could be nothing' I said trying to calm myself more than anyone else.
'Or it could be the Death Eaters.' Ron replied.
'What're we waiting for? We don't know how many there are and if they're looking for me then they'll come up here and do we really want unnecessary deaths?'
'Harry!' Ginny cried, I'd forgotten that she'd been sat next to me.
'It's true though Gin, you know that they'll kill anyone in the way and if the underagers are down here they'll just get killed!'
'He's got a point' someone said and that was all it took for everyone to get up and go. We couldn't get through the portrait hole fast enough and I stopped once everyone was through. The Fat Lady merely looked at me.
'Can I help you dear?' she said in a friendly tone.
'Please don't let anyone out of Gryffindor tower, they're all underage and they'll get themselves hurt or even killed.'
'I can do my best child.'
'Thank you.' I sprinted off after Harry and Ron and began to hear the first shouts and screams from the floors below. We still had no idea exactly how many Death Eaters were being sent but I had a fair idea considering all of the people that they were planning to take back with them. The first groups of fighters were coming into view as we hit the fourth floor; I could see Death Eaters, teachers and members of The Order all fighting in between and around each other, each fight looking more dangerous than the last.
'Come to join us Potter?' I heard Bellatrix shriek from the floor below. Before anyone could stop him Harry had raced off towards her.
'HARRY!' I shouted after him and before I knew it I, too, was racing off in Bellatrix's direction.
'Leave it Hermione.' He said as I caught up with him.
'This isn't worth it Harry, you know that,'
'She killed Sirius, the only family I had left; she has to know his death came with a price for her.' Before I could say anything else to him he was running after Bellatrix again, shooting spells at passing Death Eaters. I turned and located the nearest Death Eater who happened to be already duelling Tonks but I figured two wands were better than one.
'Hermione! You need to get everyone out of here; it's no place for any of you.' She said as she blocked a killing curse.
'Tonks you need us!' It was true, the teachers and Order members were outnumbered at an average ratio of 2:1.
I silently sent a stunning spell which hit the Death Eater square in the back, he fell backwards to the ground and I realised that it was none other than Snape.
'Good shot Hermione! If you insist on staying please watch your back, these people will kill anyone regardless of age.' Tonks turned on the spot and went to assist Lupin against another Death Eater. I looked around at my friends as they fought in a war that we didn't need to be fighting in. I tried to find Ron or Harry and sent out as many spells and hexes as I could at Death Eaters.
A hand clamped over my mouth and as stupid as it was, I still screamed.
'It's me.' A familiar voice said into my ear. Draco was keeping his promise. He relaxed his hand and pulled me to the tapestry that had a hole in the wall behind it.
'I'm sorry Mia.'
'You've got nothing to be sorry for.'
'Not yet, but I will do in about ten minutes.'
'Draco I don't understand.'
'You're on the list Mia.' He said softly.
'The list?'
'The list of people that are being taken from here tonight. I don't know why you're on it but as much as it's killing me to do this, I have to take you. They figure it'd be easier for me to get close enough to you than one of the Death Eaters.' My face fell and my heart felt like it was going to explode, the pain was unbearable. I suddenly realised that the past few months with Draco were as good as fake.
'So you've strung me along all this time for this. I can't believe I fell for it Draco!'
'It wasn't an act Mia!'
'I don't believe you. Go on then, take me if it's more important.' I shouted, feeling my temper continuing to rise.
Mia....don't be like this, you know exactly how much I care for you.'
'Draco in the events of the past few hours I don't know what to think about us.' I now knew the meaning of the phrase "The truth hurts."
'Hermione, I don't want to have to do this.'
'Just do it Draco, and then you can run back to mummy and daddy and be safe whilst the rest of us are constantly in fear.'
He pressed his lips to my forehead and uttered three simple words that should have meant absolutely everything, 'I love you.'
'Don't Draco; it'll only be harder that way.' I walked out from the tapestry and waited for Draco to come out. After what seemed like half an hour he emerged and grabbed onto me tightly.
'We've got to go now Mia. But I'm sticking to my promise, no one's hurting you.'
He led me through side corridors in order to avoid meeting anyone and as soon as we reached the Room of Hidden Things I began to panic. I struggled as fear smothered me but Draco pretended not to notice and opened the door. Bellatrix had obviously managed to escape from Harry and the other people fighting for our side as she stood next to the Vanishing Cabinet with what looked like a list of names.
'I've got Granger.' Draco said without an ounce of feeling in his voice.
'Very good Drakey, can't think why she's needed but if the Dark Lord asks of her then he shall get her. You're to accompany her; it saves someone having to come back for you after we're done. We've already gotten Slughorn and a few kids from families of the Order. I'll be through in about a half hour, your fathers expecting you.' She told him as she opened the door and pushed me into the Vanishing Cabinet. Draco silently stepped in after me and the door was closed. It was the oddest experience I'd ever felt. I thought apparating and Flooing were difficult ways to travel; travelling through the Vanishing Cabinet was as if every part of my body was dissolving and then reforming at the other end of the journey. I decided I preferred apparating by far, no matter how uncomfortable it was. My thoughts were broken by Draco's voice.
'Get out Granger, and don't touch anything.' His voice was harsh and it didn't sound like it was an act because there were other Death Eaters around. The light in the room hurt my eyes. It was brighter than the lights at Hogwarts had been and compared to the darkness of the Vanishing Cabinet it was like looking directly into the sun.
'Hermione!' a female voice shrieked as I strode into the light. I didn't recognise the woman at all. She was quite tall and incredibly beautiful. Her blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head, although strands of hair were falling out and framing her perfectly chiselled face. She began to be familiar, I'd seen her before but I couldn't place her face or her voice.
'Hermione, this is Olivia Zabini, mother of Blaise Zabini.' Draco told me. Immediately she embraced me into a warm hug, something which scared me. Of course she was Blaise's mother, she'd looked at me once on Platform 9 ¾ whilst her son placed his trunk on a trolley but that was the only time I could ever recall her noticing me.
'My Hermione, you are a beautiful young witch.' She said after she hugged me. Without any opportunity for me to thank her she launched into a conversation.
'Come, there are many things that we must discuss. We can start with the truth.' As confused as I was I followed her through the dim green corridors until we reached a small study opposite what looked like a bedroom. 'In here Hermione.' She said kindly. I entered the small room and took in the interior, once again it was green and a large wooden desk filled most of the space. She pointed at me to sit in one of the two chairs in front of the desk as she sat behind it.
'I imagine this is all very strange, if not, scary for you.' Mrs Zabini began 'I want you to know that this was never meant to be kept from you so long. You were supposed to be told all of this once you were of age but unluckily the Grangers didn't adhere to their side of the deal.' I had been waiting for her to torture me or kill me but this sounded like I was going to be kept very much alive.
'When you were a baby you were given away to a muggle family as to escape the war. The Ministry knew of this and as much as they hated the thought of a pureblood integrating with muggles, it was allowed. You were placed in the care of the Grangers and have been there ever since.'
'So I'm....I'm adopted?' I whispered.
'Hermione we don't think of it as adoption, it was never official. The Grangers just looked after you until it was safe for you to come home.'
'Because it's incredibly safe now!' I said sarcastically.
'Hermione please let me finish. You're not an only child either. The reason you were placed in the car of the Grangers was because it was a very dangerous time for a baby girl to be in the wizarding world, even more dangerous for a pureblood baby girl. Your twin brother has lived with me and your father since the time of his birth.' Not only was I adopted but I had a twin brother who'd bee able to stay with our parents for his entire life?
'Do I get to meet him? Do I already know him? Who are my real parents?' the questions came out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Mrs Zabini was more than happy to answer them though.
'Yes you can meet him once we're done here. You do most likely know him already and you can meet your parents as soon as we're done here, your father is waiting with your brother.' I shouldn't have been excited but I was. I was a pureblood, not a muggle born like everyone, including myself, thought. I had a brother, something I'd longed for as soon as I'd met the Weasleys.
'Can I meet them all now?' I asked quietly after Mrs Zabini had finished talking.
'Of course dear, if you'll follow me through to the lounge down the hall.' Doing as I was told, we left the study and passed 5 or 6 doors until we reached the lounge. I pushed the door open and walked past Mrs Zabini. In the centre of the room stood a tall, blonde haired boy that I almost mistook for Draco and a man who was a similar height but with light brown hair. The boy turned around and I was stood face to face with my brother. I gasped as I realised who it was. My brother was none other than Blaise Zabini, one of Malfoy's closest comrades and one who'd taken the piss out of me many a time in the past seven years.
'B-Blaise?' I stuttered.
'Yes Hermione?' he replied, it was the first time I'd ever heard him say anything nice to me.
'You're my brother?' I asked stupidly.
'Better get used to it sis.' He laughed and pulled me into a hug that seemed strangely natural.
Sorry this took slightly longer to upload, it's been ready to go up for a couple of days but the systems not been working for me, i don't know about anyone else. i wasn't going to leave you all on a cliffhanger so i added in the all important information in this chapter :) let me know what you think R&R!
Li x
