Hermione opened her eyes the next day, only to see blond haired twins staring at her in surprise. Both had the golden hair and green eyes of Tywin and Joanna. Hermione was oddly reminded of a golden haired version of Fred and George. However, one was wearing a gown and the other wore a tunic.
"She is a bastard", the girl declared. The boy nodded in agreement.
Hermione gaped at the girl's dismissive tone and the word used for her.
Joanna was by her side instantly. "Cersei, where did you hear that word? You will never use it again. I forbid it. This is your younger sister, sired by your own father and I carried her in my own womb for nine moons. You cannot make such wild accusations".
Hermione understood that the girl was Cersei, which meant that the boy was Jaime. She realised instantly that her siblings would not be as warm as the Weasley family. Cersei reminded her of Lavender Brown, with her airy, dismissive attitude.
"Aunt Genna told us that a bastard was a child who isn't truly our sibling", Cersei explained with an indifferent shrug.
Hermione wondered if the word 'Bastard' was a replacement for the term 'Mudblood'. She realised that some members of the family was quite judgemental and inconsiderate. She shuddered at that thought.
Joanna disapproved of the same, "I will have a discussion with her on what lessons and values she is teaching you and your brother. But I do not want either of you to use that word ever again. Promise me".
Jaime reached into the crib to tug on her baby hair. Hermione realised that he may have tried to be gentle, but the act hurt her scalp, making her cry out in pain. Joanna released the grip he had on her hair and harshly pulled the twins away from her. "What are you doing?", she questioned sharply.
"Mother, her hair is brown, unlike ours. Surely she cannot be our sister!", he exclaimed.
"Your grandmother, the late Lady Jeyne Marbrand had brown hair. It is clearly evident that the child has inherited the Marbrand traits. I will not have you, or your sister troubling her any further. You have a duty to care for your younger sister and I expect you to do it without expressing scepticism about her birth", Joanna said fiercely.
Joanna was a short woman, petite and delicate. But she could pack power and authority in her voice when it was needed. Hermione was reminded of Molly's protectiveness and was filled with a surge of affection for her new mother. It was clear to her that Joanna would take up a fight with the world for her children. It was a real pity that Cersei and Jaime were her children, as Hermione expected her to have kinder children who would match her temperament.
Hermione remembered a dinner her muggle parents hosted for their geneticist friend. He had explained to Hermione that it was very much possible for two blond haired parents to have a brown haired child. He explained that one gene, MC1R was responsible for hair colour. This receptor would determine how much melanin was produced by the melanocytes. Hermione must have inherited MC1R in the active condition, which increased the production of eumelanin and gave her brown hair. It was a very recent discovery and the geneticist friend had been extremely excited by the pathbreaking study.
She realised that she could not expect her new family to understand how genetics worked, given their obvious old fashioned ways. She resigned herself to tolerating all kinds of rude comments about her appearance.
Joanna shooed both siblings to the door. Hermione watched in satisfaction as Cersei clutched Jaime's hand and dragged him away. Joanna pulled out a crimson baby cloth, which was embroidered with a golden lion and wrapped her in it. Hermione's excitement increased when she saw the symbol of Gryffindor. She extended her hand to the face of the embroidered lion and patted it with her clenched fist.
"That is right, my sweet lioness. They will hear you roar today", Joanna cooed at her. She picked up Hermione in her arms and walked slowly to the door. Hermione marvelled at her resilience. She had just given birth the day before and was already back on her feet.
Tywin greeted them by the door. He made to take Hermione in his own arms, adjusting his grip to support her head. Joanna looped her hand around his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder briefly. "You are strong, my love. Banish your fears", Tywin said encouragingly. It was clear to her that her new parents loved each other fiercely, something that reminded her of Arthur and Molly.
They made their way down the long corridors, until they reached a huge hall. It almost looked like a courtroom, with a high ceiling and a chair that looked like a throne. However, Hermione's curiosity was piqued by the man who occupied the chair.
At first sight, she had nearly started at the long silver hair that reminded her of the Malfoys and the Lovegoods. The man occupying the chair didn't resemble either wizarding family, thankfully. He had fascinating purple eyes, as opposed to the steel grey eyes of the Malfoys and the silvery eyes of the Lovegoods. Hermione would have considered him to be handsome, if not for the mocking expression he had when he greeted Tywin. It reminded her of a smug Draco Malfoy, whenever he came up with a half-witted insult for her, Harry or Ron that he must have spent an entire sleepless night thinking of.
Hermione realised that such purple eyes could be possible only due to albinism or due to an abundance of magic in the bloodstream. It reaffirmed her belief of being born into a wizarding family, with the subtle reminders of Gryffindor and her friends.
"The child does not look like you or sweet Joanna in any respect but for the eyes, Tywin. Are you japing by making me carry a low-born servant's child", the man remarked when he held her. His purple eye glinted with malice, and Hermione recognised with horror the leering look he gave her new mother. She was filled with revulsion for this man, who made Lucius Malfoy seem like a saint in comparison.
"She has taken after the Marbrands, your Grace. She does resemble my mother. It is the reason why I have named her after her grandmother", Tywin clarified. His facial expressions did not reflect any offence taken by the king's wild theories, though Hermione could see the flames of anger in those green eyes. Hermione realised that the man holding her was the king, though he didn't resemble any of the royal families of Europe. Pity, she thought. Surely he must be a poor king, if he was extremely rude to Tywin and openly antagonised Joanna.
The king examined her again, with remote interest, "I hope I must not expressively forbid you from bearing more children, my sweet. The rigours of childbirth can never be good for your body. I can already see the changes it has made to you, ever since you left King's Landing to wed my Lord Hand". With that outrageous comment, he passed her to a beautiful silver haired woman with the same purple eyes. Hermione realised that the two could be siblings, as they did resemble each other. The woman was wearing a delicate crown, which made Hermione realise that she must be a princess or a queen. She was mercifully kinder than the king, as she held Hermione to her and cooed gently, calling her 'my sweet child' and 'lovely girl'.
A silver haired boy walked up to the woman and stood by her side, peering over her shoulder to examine her. Hermione was surprised to see that the boy had deep indigo eyes, as opposed to the purple eyes she expected to see. He was just as handsome as the king, except for the look of melancholy on his face. Hermione was oddly reminded of her friend Harry. The boy had the rude king as a relative and must have been subject to abuse by him.
"Would you like to hold the babe, Rhaegar?", the woman questioned him. Rhaegar shook his head, "No, mother. I am afraid I may drop her. I am happy to see her this way", he clarified. Hermione realised that Rhaegar was polite, when compared to the king or even the golden haired twins. Perhaps the immortal beings above took note of her discomfort and decided to give her a person that reminded her of Harry.
"If you are afraid to carry a babe, you must be weak, boy", the king stated. Hermione felt her disgust for the king rising again. If only she had her speaking capability and her wand, she could teach him a lesson or two.
The woman walked up to Joanna and handed her over. "She is perfect, Joanna. One day, I may reach out to you to see if we can join our houses. Both daughters of yours are perfect for my Rhaegar".
Hermione was not surprised that the woman who held her was Rhaegar's mother and the queen. She was mildly disgusted with the realisation that the king may have married his own sister or a cousin. Incest could never be good for the children, as it passed down the negative traits. Rhaegar did not seem all bad, though the king exhibited the moodiness one may expect from a product of incest. Perhaps, both the king and the queen were born to close relatives themselves.
The king did not seem happy at his queen's suggestion. "We still have many years to decide for a bride for our son, Rhaella. Mayhap you could keep these ideas to yourself until then". He turned to Tywin with an expression of boredom on his face. "I have ruled the seven kingdoms from the Westerlands for nearly a year now and I have grown to tire of the same. I am returning to King's Landing now, with the rest of the court. You will join me in a moon". Tywin did not seem happy to hear of a departure, though he voiced his affirmation of the order.
Hermione realised that she was not in the known world of England, or any other country she was aware of. Westerlands and King's Landing were not places she had heard of, until that day. The Lannisters were unlike any wizarding family she was familiar with, and the king, the queen and Rhaegar did not resemble any known royal family.
She wondered how she ended up in a world which was entirely alien to the one she was familiar with for nearly eighteen years of her life.