Oh, I got 124 more characters to summarize my story. The things I get excited about...
So here is the next chapter and we're definitely getting closer to the end. This is a flashback chapter with some of the stuff that happened before Hermione found out who she was. I know you're all waiting for the meeting with Lucius and want to know who the imperiused person is but there is some important stuff here that just didn't fit anywhere else. So, I decided to make it a standalone chapter. I usually enjoy getting background on a story like this and my head has been full of extra information since Chapter 1.
Just as a reminder, Hermione's mother changed her birthday. For my story, she was born in December but her mother changed it to September 19th when she went into hiding. I only briefly mentioned that in Chapter 3.
So, before I keep rambling on and making this seem like a bigger update than it is, I still need to thank all of you for the continuing support. I am very honored to see people are actually reading my little story. I also love the reviews and appreciate it when you let me know what you think.
Chapter 28
July 1st, 2002
"Malfoy," the guard sneered at Lucius as handed him his breakfast and the Daily Prophet. The former Death Eater silently took both. He knew the guards weren't happy about serving him but he had been placed in protective custody until his release was finalized. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was sure he'd be released at the beginning of August. At this point it was only bureaucracy that was holding everything up. He couldn't wait to see his wife without guards watching his every move. Furthermore, he hoped to finally get the chance to set things right with his son.
After all, due to his own failures his son had been forced to become a Death Eater before even graduating from Hogwarts. While it had always been his hopes for Draco to join their ranks, Lucius knew 16 had been far too young for his son to join the Dark Lord and be asked to kill a man. The Malfoy family's standing had been even worse after his breakout from Azkaban. Not only had they lost favor with the Dark Lord but Lucius and Narcissa had also been restricted to stay at the Manor until the Final Battle. Draco had only been given the additional privilege to attend Hogwarts. There had been times when Lucius had tried to regain the Dark Lords favor in hope that his family would remain safe in the world the Dark Lord envisioned. But in the end, he had turned against him.
"Interesting," he mumbled to himself as he picked up the Daily Prophet. "I guess this is one less thing I'll have to worry about."
He was looking at a picture of Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson. Despite knowing that he was looking at the Granger girl, for the first time ever he also recognized her mother in the young woman. Considering Hermione Granger was now back in the public eye, it was a good thing he had given the Aurors the location of the Lestrange safe house after all.
Late May, 1980
"Na-Na," Narcissa Malfoy was smiling at a little bushy-haired girl who was sitting in her stroller.
"Netti, my goddaughter is a genius," Narcissa turned smugly to her best friend. "And she's saying my name before yours. Yes, Ally, you love your Auntie Na-Na the most. Na-Na. Say Nar-cis-sa."
"Very funny Cissa," Jeanette Lestrange responded. "She's only babbling. She's barely six months old, it doesn't mean anything. In any case, she said Mama yesterday."
"Na-Na, Na-Na," Narcissa started laughing as little Alexandra continued babbling.
They were walking in the grounds of Malfoy Manor. Jeanette was pushing Alexandra in a stroller facing them. The little girl was sitting up and taking in her surroundings, babbling and pointing at everything from the peacocks to flowers. Just then Lucius Malfoy joined the three in the gardens, kissing Narcissa on the cheek, hugging Jeanette and patting Alexandra on the head. The little girl started giggling and continued babbling happily while handing various toys to Lucius.
"So Cissa, how are you doing," Jeanette asked watching her daughter play with her best friend's husband.
Narcissa looked down on herself as her husband steered them to a bench to sit down.
"We were at St. Mungo's yesterday," Narcissa sighed when she sat down on the bench. "My healer thinks he's going to be born on the 5th. We agreed on a name," Narcissa smiled at her husband.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy," Lucius announced proudly. "We wanted you to be godmother but ..."
"I understand," Jeanette interrupted him. "I don't even want him to be the father of his own child. You have to think about what's best for little Draco. Rabastan would practically raise him with me if I was godmother and - Merlin forbid - something happened to the two of you... Who are you thinking of then?"
"Lucius want Severus to be his godfather," Narcissa looked apologetic at her friend.
"Really, Severus," the young woman snickered.
"Oh, you know he isn't bad," Narcissa giggled as Lucius defended his friend. "He's not so bad once you get to know him. I know there is no love lost between the two of you but regardless he's a good and loyal friend."
"And a hypocrite," Jeanette retorted. "Everybody knows he has been in love with Lily Evans for years. How does the Dark Lord feel about his little obsession, Lucius?"
The blonde looked disapprovingly at his wife's best friend. He had known Jeanette his entire life, just as long as he had known his wife. The heiress to the Bellas family was almost like a little sister to him, a bossy and annoying little sister at that. But he loved her regardless and hated the fact that she was stuck in an unhappy marriage.
"He's pushing for a betrothal for Alexandra," the brunette finally broke the silence.
"Oh, I thought we were going to wait for Draco to be born to see if they were a match," Narcissa sounded disappointed.
"Well, he has gotten offers from a few families," Jeanette wiped away a tear. "I don't want this for her, but 'her blood is purer than that of a lot of other eligible girls her age'. He's treating it like a business transaction. But knowing Draco is going to be born in a few days may sway him to wait a bit longer. After all, a union between the Malfoys and the Lestranges would be most preferable."
"I'd be pleased to enter a betrothal contract," Lucius announced. "As long as they're a match that is. I'd hate it if my son ended up unhappy."
"Ally," Narcissa turned back to the little girl. "Are you excited about meeting the baby? Can you say Draco? DRA-CO."
Alexandra started babbling excitedly as Narcissa moved to take her out of her stroller and placed her on her lap. The little girl placed her hands on Narcissa's belly and started giggling.
"Well, hopefully they're a match," Jeanette smiled sadly at her friends. "If I can't avoid her betrothal, the least I can do is to make sure she's happy."
Mid-June 1980
"He's a perfect match," the brunette pronounced happily. "As long as you two agree, Rabastan will make the necessary arrangements for the betrothal."
"Oh, Netti," Narcissa got up to hug her friend. "I am so happy. Lucius already agreed, your husband spoke to him yesterday after the meeting with the Dark Lord."
"I wish they weren't part of all this," Jeanette frowned. "I want Alexandra and Draco to grow up without knowing all this hatred. Don't you ever worry about how all this will affect them?"
Narcissa smiled at her friend.
"Unlike you, I chose to marry Lucius," Narcissa picked up Draco and kissed him for the millionth time that day. "For better or worse, Netti. I know you're not happy but I love Lucius despite his flaws. Look at Andromeda, she has lost everything because she chose that... man. I have never met my niece. Did you know she just turned 7 years old? I don't even know how she looks like. Once the Dark Lord takes over, things are going to change for the better. We won't have to hide anymore. Muggles will know their place in our world."
Jeanette looked at her friend with a mixture of pity and sadness. She knew absolutely nothing about the muggle world but she was sure the non-wizarding world couldn't be as bad as her husband and his fellow Death Eaters always made it out to be. Surely, muggles weren't as worried about keeping their families as pure as wizards were. Unlike her best friend, Jeanette had long been disenchanted by the pure-blood wizarding world. After almost five years of marriage, the only good thing that had happened to her was her young daughter. When Rabastan had started to insist on Alexandra being betrothed to the son of another pure-blood family to ensure the purity of their line and boost his own standing, she had decided that she would do whatever necessary to ensure her daughter's happiness.
Jeanette would have preferred her daughter choosing her own husband but Rabastan was only a puppet. It was his older brother Rodolphus, who was ironically in a childless marriage, that kept insisting on these things. Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange were the most loyal of all of the Dark Lord's followers and did anything and everything to please him. Rabastan always wanted to be just like his older brother. To him, betrothing the youngest Lestrange to another pure-blood meant showing his commitment to the cause, as would the birth of a male heir to eventually join the Death Eaters.
"You're right, Cissa," Jeanette had gotten good at putting on a front. "Things will be much better once he takes over."
December 1980
"Look, Draco, it's Ally," the little blond boy was babbling excitedly. "Can you believe my son is getting more excited to see your daughter than his own mother," Narcissa put on a fake pout. "I told him this morning that Alexandra is coming and he's been excited ever since."
Just as Jeanette was about to answer, two women entered the room. The brunette shivered at the sight of her sister-in-law Bellatrix who was visiting Narcissa along with Alecto Carrow. Bellatrix and Jeanette had never gotten along. The female Death Eater seemed to believe that it was Jeanette's responsibility to carry on the Lestrange name by creating a male heir as she herself was too busy to serve the Dark Lord and his cause.
"Jeanette," Bellatrix put on a fake smile just as Aleceto moved to stand next to her. "Alexandra is almost a year old. It is time to try for another child. A boy would be most preferable. Another Lestrange to serve our Lord. Isn't that what you want as well?"
Jeanette used all her willpower not to hex her best friend's sister. Bellatrix, Rodolphus and even her own husband have been talking about another child for months. So far Jeanette had been able to convince Rabastan to wait until their daughter was at least a year old. But she knew, she wouldn't be able to stall much longer. The thought of having sex with her husband made her skin crawl.
"Yes, Bella," Jeanette had became a master at disguising her own, very unpleasant feelings toward her sister-in-law. "Rabastan and I have been talking. We will start trying after Ally's birthday next week. As you know, he has only just escaped detection by the Aurors when they caught and killed Evan Rosier. But he was injured and I couldn't take him to St. Mungo's without raising any suspicions. So, I've been healing his wounds but his injuries were greater than I thought. And of course his service to the Dark Lord always comes first. I believe he is to join your efforts to search for the Potters once he's well enough."
The brunette could feel Bellatrix trying to probe her mind. But the heiress to the Bellas family had mastered occlumency and only let her sister-in-law see enough to prove she wasn't lying. Rabastan had been hurt but she had slowed down his healing enough to not have to be forced to start having sex with her husband without risking her own exposure.
"Very well," Bellatrix seemed to be satisfied with her probing. "But Rabastan may be called away on assignment soon. So do try to conceive a child beforehand."
Jeanette just nodded. Unless she managed to implant false memories in her husband's mind again, she may have to actually have sex with him. Luckily, she had secretly started taking a contraceptive potion and nobody could blame her for not getting pregnant right away. She simply didn't want to bring another child into the marriage when she had been desperately trying to find a way out of it.
"You know," Alceto, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up. "You are very lucky to have such a great husband, Netti. I've always envied you. You're rich, beautiful, come from one of the purest families not only in Britain but the whole wizarding world. My, my, Circe is one of your direct ancestors. And now you have this beautiful little girl who is one day going to marry none other than the young Malfoy heir. A son is the only thing missing in your perfect little life."
"Thank you, Alceto," the young woman bowed her head. "I am a very lucky girl I guess."
July 1981
Narcissa was sitting at the dinner table enjoying a rare meal with both her husband and son. Her husband had been gone a lot in recent weeks as part of his service to the Dark Lord. Lucius was currently telling 13 month old Draco about muggles and how they had sullied many good pure-blood lines in the past.
"Our magic is stronger, Draco," he explained to his son. "Muggle blood is filthy, tarnishing any pure lineage and diminish their magic. When the Dark Lord finally succeeds, we will come out of hiding and the filth will have to serve us or die. Luckily, you and Alexandra will have children with a impeccable lineage and strong magic."
"Lucius," Narcissa chuckled. "He is far too young to understand any of this."
"Narcissa," Lucius turned to his wife. "That may be true but we need to instill our values early. We don't want him to end up a muggle-lover like that old fool Dumbledore or your sister Andromeda. These things have to be taught early on. Fortunately, we won't have to worry with him. Alexandra is of good wizarding stock. Draco won't be sullying himself with anyone unworthy of magic."
"Yes," the young woman smiled. "He loves the girl more than anything. But I am worried about Netti. She's unhappy."
"Oh," Lucius' eyebrows shot up. "I thought she was doing better except for not being able to conceive. Rabastan is always talking about how they have been trying since Alexandra turned a year old. The Dark Lord would be pleased to have another pure-blood boy being born."
Narcissa nodded. She had a feeling that her best friend wasn't all too upset about not having succeeded in getting pregnant again. Jeanette talked about wanting another child but Narcissa knew her well enough to know it wasn't what she truly wanted.
"I think he's abusing her," she blurted out without thinking. "Just yesterday, I noticed a bruise on her arm. I think the glamour wore off. She claimed she ran into a door but she isn't clumsy like that. I worry about her."
"Are you sure," Narcissa nodded slightly. "There isn't much we can do... No, listen Narcissa, there is bond between the two of them. Even if we offer her a place to stay, Rabastan has the Ministry behind him. The bond would have to be broken first before we can do anything."
"But he'll never do it," Narcissa retorted.
Lucius studied his wife. Jeanette was one of their oldest and best friends. He loved her like a annoying yet adorable little sister. Rabastan, on the other hand, was brutal and used his wand without thinking many times. Lucius knew for a fact that his hotheadedness would land his fellow Death Eater in Azkaban one day.
"I will figure out a way get her out of there," Lucius finally conceded. "I just have to be careful. I cannot risk angering the Dark Lord by creating conflict among us Death Eaters."
September 20, 1981
"Where is she," Rabastan had his wand pointed at Narcissa's neck.
"I don't know," the blonde was shaking. "She didn't tell me anything."
"Don't lie to me," the Death Eater snarled viciously. "You are her best friend. She wouldn't leave without telling you about it. So I ask you again, where are my wife and daughter?"
"Get your hands off of my wife," Lucius Malfoy was seething. He had pulled his own wand out the second he had entered the drawing room at the Manor. "If she says she doesn't know where Netti is than she's telling the truth."
Rabastan sneered at the man who had moved next to him. But Lucius Malfoy didn't care. Nobody threatened his wife without consequences. He shot a quick disarming spell at the man threatening his wife. Rabastan quickly moved away from Narcissa, and Lucius shot a 'Crucio' at him when there was a safe distance between the youngest Lestrange male and his wife.
"Lucius," Narcissa ran toward her husband. She started crying the second he wrapped his arms around her. "He said she's gone and took Ally with her. Lucius, Netti is gone."
"Don't worry," Lucius' heart sunk. He had just gotten permission from the Dark Lord - who admired Jeanette's lineage and approved of Draco's bond with her daughter - to protect her and Alexandra claiming he was worried about his son's betrothed life. "We'll find her."
Late August 1992
"The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger, " Lucius was getting frustrated with his son. Ever since his son had returned home from his first year at Hogwarts earlier that summer, he wouldn't stop complaining about the muggle-born girl that outshone him in every subject except for flying lessons.
"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam," he finally snapped back and moved to finish his business at Borgin and Burkes before they went to Flourish and Blotts to purchase Draco's schoolbooks for his second year at the Hogwarts.
The second they entered the bookstore he wished he had chosen another day to do Draco's school shopping. He hated being surrounded by blood-traitors, muggle-borns and even muggles.
"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley," he started an argument with the redheaded pain in the arse while studying the people around him. His eyes fell on a girl his son's age who fit Draco's description of Hermione Granger.
Lucius had been wondering about the girl. Due to her high marks and raving reviews from most of her teachers at Hogwarts, she was on the top of his list of muggle-borns that could possibly be Alexandra. He continued fighting with the muggle-loving redhead - after all he had other plans to follow as well - while also observing the girl and her parents. Mr. Granger was watching nervously. However, he believed to have seen a flash of recognition on Mrs. Granger's features before her face went blank. He would have to investigate the Grangers in further detail.
September 1992
"Do you think she could be Alexandra," Lucius looked at the dark-haired man in front of him.
"She's an insufferable know-it-all," Severus Snape sneered. "A goody-two-shoe who doesn't know when to mind her own business. A Gryffindor and she's friends with Potter. I doubt she has any relations to a Slytherin."
"I remember how much you and Netti despised each other," Lucius chuckled darkly. "You were always a thorn in the eye of our dear Head Girl with your brooding ways"
"Is that what your basing your theory on," Snape asked coldly. "I don't like the Granger girl so she must be the daughter of Jeanette Bellas who I despised just as much? Well, there are a lot of students I hate. Granger is just one of the more annoying ones."
"Do keep an eye on her though," Lucius asked his friend.
"You do realize that Draco hates her," Snape's lip curled as he examined his friend.
"Yes," the blonde responded curtly. "He has been taught to hate muggles and muggle-borns. So it is only natural to dislike her. But he has been obsessing about her all summer. All I heard were complaints and rants about Hermione Granger. The bond he has with Alexandra could cause something like that especially if he thinks she's below him. I looked at her grades. There is no way a lowly mudblood can ever be as smart and gifted as her."
Snape frowned at the older man. Lucius knew he had hit a sore spot with the Head of Slytherin House who had loved and worshipped a muggle-born witch himself.
"She excels in every class," the blonde continued. "Netti was brilliant at Transfiguration and Charms which seem to be the girl's strongest classes as well. And even you cannot deny her brilliance. I've read your reports on her. Annoying, incapable of keeping her mouth shut, insufferable, I believe those were some of your words about Ms. Granger. Very similar to what you used to say about Netti."
"Do you really want to have Ms. Granger as a daughter-in-law," Snape drawled.
"No, but I want to find Alexandra and Jeanette," Lucius Malfoy responded coldly. "My wife misses her best friend and Alexandra is the only way for my son to have a legitimate child. The future of the Malfoy family depends on finding the girl."
April 1998
"Bella," Lucius hissed quietly so neither Narcissa nor Draco would hear him. "If she really is Alexandra she can be helpful to our side. She would be bound to Draco and we could get some valuable information out of her."
"The mudblood has no relations to me, Lucius," Bellatrix Lestrange sneered. "Anyway, we've got Potter in the dungeons. What do we care about her? She is either a mudblood or a blood-traitor."
"Even with Potter gone, there will be resistance," Lucius sneered. "Also, if she is a blood-traitor it's her mother's fault for disguising her as a mudblood. She has useful information on the Order. Imagine the blow to the other side if we managed to turn their Golden Girl."
"Your loyalty to Jeanette is ridiculous," Bellatrix hissed under her breath. "She never lived up to her responsibility of creating a male heir. She betrayed her husband, denied her daughter her impeccable heritage. Even many pure-bloods envied her lineage. This girl is nothing but a blood-traitor at best. Your son will be better off without her," Bellatrix jeered before moving toward the body on the ground. "I'll prove to you what she really is!"
Bellatrix was now screaming at the girl on the floor. Her anger seemed to have intensified after her argument with Lucius. "I am going to ask you again. Where did you get this sword? Where?"
Lucius was watching in disgust and confusion as another curse hit the girl. He wouldn't care if this was truly just another mudblood but he couldn't stomach the idea that this could possibly be Jeanette's daughter, his wife's goddaughter. He watched as Bellatrix Lestrange replace her wand inside her cloak and pull out a silver knife.
"Well, if you're not going to tell me, I will make sure you regret it," Bellatrix ridiculed her as she cut off the left sleeve of Hermione's shirt.
Lucius immediately noticed her birthmark and the scar from the betrothal ceremony. After all these years he had finally found Alexandra. He was conflicted. He didn't have a wand anymore. He was able to do some wandless magic but nothing to stop the girl's torture.
"You... you have been inside my vault at Gringotts!" Bellatrix screamed at her with increasing fury. "Tell the truth, tell the truth! What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife! What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME!"
"I can't believe this happened right in front of us," Narcissa was crying. "I hate all this. We are prisoners in our own home, nothing more than servants. Lucius, we're disposable. Next time this could be Draco. No matter who wins this war, our family is never going to be what it used to be. But if the Dark Lord wins we'll always be in mortal danger. Draco is going to be in danger."
"Narcissa," Lucius embraced his wife. "You have to be careful with these kind of thoughts," his wife nodded. "we'll have to wait for an opportune time to act."
"I will make sure to close my mind. Lucius, we just watched a girl our son's age being tortured. Do you still think she's Alexandra? Do you think my sister just tortured my goddaughter," Narcissa was still crying as she asked again. "Do you still believe her to be Alexandra?"
Lucius was feeling sick to his stomach. Hermione Granger was Alexandra. Of course, he had always suspected it but knowing it was much different. He was sure Bellatrix had recognized her as well and had intensified her torture just because of it. He had watched his sister-in-law torture others many times but this time had been different. It had been brutal, vicious and ruthless. Lucius was sure that the girl had only been a few curses away from the same fate as the Longbottoms. There had been nothing he could have done to stop her though. However, just before she had been rescued, Lucius had muttered a wandless 'oblivate' to erase the girl's memories of her appalling torture. He knew the spell wasn't as strong as if he had done it with his wand but he couldn't bear the thought of his friend's daughter remembering her torture in his home. Hopefully it would be enough to erase the most horrific moments of the worst hour of her life.
"No," Lucius Malfoy lied. "I don't think she's Alexandra anymore."
His wife was already upset enough over someone getting tortured in his home. She would be devastated to find out it had actually been someone she loved. He was in the girl's debt and hopefully he would have a chance to make it up to her one day. After all, Slytherins didn't like to be in debt to anyone.
