Author's Note: I'm back sorry guys I haven't abandoned this one, but time got away from me as I got busy in RL and before I knew it a year has passed, and honestly what a year! Writers' block caught me, then I redid the story outline (several times) and now although it's a bit different to what I initially had planned I'm ready to update with a chapter each week, to 10 days, between now and Christmas. With the last one going up around Christmas as my gift to you!
I hope you have all stayed safe and found ways to keep sane over the past year. One thing I have been doing is getting involved with one of my favourite online Harry Potter Communities – myHogwarts you should check it out if you're interested.
Anyway, here is a new chapter for you to enjoy. ~ Nx
Hermione flopped onto the sofa in the library, curling up with a book she had chosen at random from the shelves. She pointed her wand at the fire stoking it magically. As it started to flicker and come to life, the photos above the mantle were illuminated and Hermione saw her younger self, along with her parents staring back at her.
Banbury House in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, had been Hermione's childhood home – she had hidden behind couches and curtains, joked with the house staff and generally enjoyed her childhood here. Although since she first started having bouts of accidental magic at age 3, there had been a revolving door of nannies, cooks, and housekeepers. However, Wright the butler had always remained constant and no instance, and there had been some truly strange happenings, had managed to scare him away. In fact, when Professor McGonagall had arrived on their doorstep on Hermione's 10th birthday to inform the family of her magical talents Wright had been told the secret as well. Hermione knew he wouldn't be far away now, ready to chastise her for flopping onto the furniture, so for good measure Hermione took off her shoes and put her feet on the couch as well.
Hermione had always known there was something different about her, aside from the odd things that happened around her, growing up as Lady Hermione Granger the only child of the 13th Earl of Banbury was definitely not normal. It was something along with her swotishness, bushy hair and buck teeth, that had been a source of teasing throughout her primary school years. When she had arrived at Hogwarts, she took advantage of seemingly no-one knowing anything about the muggle aristocracy and became just Hermione, the daughter of dentists. Her mother was an orthodontic surgeon, so it was half true, meanwhile her father worked for the Foreign Office. As it was, it didn't really matter how true her story was, as not only did people not know much about the muggle world, they took even less time to trouble themselves to find out about 'muggle teeth healers'.
Her parents… Hermione pulled herself from her reminiscing, thinking of her parents made her heart ache and she wiped a tear from her cheek. She had felt sick altering their memories and sending them into hiding, worse still that she had made Wright help her. She had erased her parents' memories and sent them into hiding. She then requested McGonagall change her Hogwarts address to a small suburban London home, that Wright had purchased under the names Anthony and Helen Granger. She then kept Wright and her Granny hidden in plain sight, assuming the Death Eaters would not do enough research to connect the dots and discover her parents' real identities, beyond simply being 'The Grangers'. Thankfully her assumption proved correct, although Hermione's resolve had almost broken when she learnt that the Death Eater stronghold at Malfoy Manor was only a few miles from her grandmother's house.
She shook her head, it wouldn't do to dwell on a past she couldn't, and more importantly wouldn't, change. Wright had a more than capable P.I looking into her parents' disappearance, it would seem that as the Wilkins they had strayed from the life Hermione had set-up for them, Australia was a large place, and the search was proving rather challenging, although Wright assured her everything would work out in the end.
Hermione laid back on the couch, putting her book to one side, she couldn't concentrate now anyhow. She was still lost in thought when she heard Wright clearing his throat behind her, feeling suddenly self conscious like a child caught misbehaving, Hermione righted herself, sitting up straight and taking her feet off the couch – so much for her earlier sense of rebellion!
"Excuse me my lady, I just wanted to inform you that a car has been ordered to take you to Standlynch Park tomorrow, also these were delivered just before you arrived home.'
Wright handed Hermione two parchment envelopes, she recognised Harry and Ron's handwriting on the front.
Wright continued, "If I might be so bold my lady, don't you think it's time you invited your friends here, and told them the truth about who you are?"
Hermione looked up at Wright "I'm not sure. Every time I think I ought to, I worry about how they might react. You're right though they'll have to find out eventually, and the longer I keep it from them the worse it will be. Please let me get through Christmas, and telling Granny the truth and then I'll tell my friends when the new term starts?"
Wright smiled slightly, "As long as you're thinking about it my lady, you know you don't need my permission as to when to reveal it to them"
Hermione nodded and said, "No, but I value your opinion as much as I would my parents' Wright, so your approval is appreciated all the same."
With that Hermione rose and made her way to leave the room, she turned back when she reached the door, "Goodnight, Wright."
Draco was staring into the fire lost in thought, his mind drifted off to earlier that week sitting in a train compartment along with Pansy, Theo, Daphne, and Blaise, each discussing their Christmas plans. Pansy was lamenting Draco going to spend time with muggles, Daphne whose family, like Blaise had remained neutral during the war was curious, as was Theo whose father was even more strict on pureblood protocols than Draco's. They kept asking Draco question after question about his upcoming holiday.
Wanting the conversation to end Draco said frustrated, "If you're both so keen I'll see if mother can speak with her friend get you invited for Easter," he crossed his arms in a huff and went back to gazing over the biology textbook his mother had sent him.
Blaise, who delighted in Draco's frustration wasn't going to let the conversation die off without a fight, "Well technically she'll need the girl's permission…"
Draco eyed Blaise suspiciously, "Go on you obviously have a point, do try to make it before we get to London"
Blaise smirked he loved knowing something that no one else knew, especially when he had one up on Draco, "In your mother's letter she mentioned you were staying with Lady Sybil the Dowager Countess of Banbury."
Draco said, "Blaise if you're just going to repeat what my mother wrote…"
But before he could finish Blaise interrupted, "Last year the Dowager's son, the current Earl, went missing. My mother and I heard the news where we were staying in muggle Paris. Ever the opportunist my darling mother tried to discover who the heir apparent is. There wasn't a whole lot of information available. Certainly, none that my mother cared to discover once she learnt that not only is the heir apparent almost 90, and married happily for more than 60 years, he's also not inheriting anything beyond the title and a small annuity."
Blaise looked over to Draco seeing if he had managed to connect the facts, but Draco just shrugged at Blaise waiting for him to continue, "There's no entail, that's why the next Earl has nothing my mother is interested in. The current, albeit missing, Earl has managed to ensure his daughter will get as much as possible, that's why she technically owns the house."
Draco stared at Blaise before finally saying, "It never ceases to amaze me, just when I think you could almost be normal, you manage to come out with something like that, as if deep down inside you there's a gossipy old society matron fighting to get out."
The others laughed, Blaise scowled before saying "She's called Maude and she would very much like to be respected by a whipper-snapper like you."
Draco just rolled his eyes and threw a Bertie Bott's Bean at Blaise, "Git."
The train was pulling into King's Cross when Daphne suddenly said, "Still she must be lonely, her parents disappearing and it being nothing more than a headline for the muggle press."
The others in the group agreed silently, Draco and Theo whose prominent fathers being arrested, had resulted in similar media scrutiny, drifted off into their own worlds briefly. Draco caught sight of Granger standing to the side of the innumerable red haired Weasley clan, her own parents conspicuously absent and he realised how much they all had in common with the muggle girl he'd be meeting for Christmas. Maybe someone else's perspective might be helpful to him heading into the New Year.
A knock on the door distracted Draco from his thoughts. He looked up as his mother entered the room.
"It's time we were leaving Draco, I see you're all packed at least"
"Yes Mother, although the elves had more to do with it than I did."
His mother smiled "Yes, well they are so pleased to have their young master at home. Mitsy has mentioned you intend to drive us to Standlynch Park."
"Of course, mother, we can hardly apparate onto the doorstep of your friend's house with our luggage. That would raise eyebrows guests who seemingly appear out of thin air."
Narcissa smiled please how her son had grown over the last few months. When the Ministry had ordered Draco to complete in muggle studies bridging programme after the war, she had worried his resentment towards muggles might increase. However, her naturally curious son thrived, seemingly reclaiming some of his lost innocence in the process, as after each lesson he described many muggle inventions to her with Unadulterated joy and wonderment.
They summoned elves to bring the luggage down while Draco offered his mother his arm and walked her downstairs and outside to where he had built a large garage off the drive to the South side of Malfoy Manor. During his muggle studies of all the things that caught Draco's interest, muggle transportation had become a keen hobby that had resulted in the purchase of several vehicles then the construction of the garage - which was now filled with a variety of vintage and modern automobiles, and several motorcycles. Most were small sleek, and importantly fast, sports cars. But Draco had purchased one or two sensible cars, including the large SUV, that upon arriving in the garage he began helping the elves to load their luggage into; something which caused many high-pitched protests from said elves. One of the older elves meanwhile helped Narcissa into the front passenger seat, Draco soon joined her in the car and with that the Malfoys were off to enjoy their first muggle Christmas.