Chapter 3
A Daughter Returned
Lucius sat reclined back in his study, reviewing the quarterly reports of Malfoy Enterprises with half hearted interest when his Floo unexpectedly flared to life. Dropping the stack of reports onto his ornate desk, he turned his attention to glowing emerald flames, Severus's face coming into view.
"Lucius?" His old friend called out, the practiced hypnotic drawl of his voice gone and replaced with an unnamed emotion.
"Enter," Lucius responded, flicking his wand towards the grate to allow Severus to pass through.
Not wasting a moment, he strode through, dusting the soot from his robes as he called for the elf he inherited as the sole Prince heir.
With a faint crack of an old world trained elf, Tilley appeared before him dropping into a low curtsey.
"Master Severus, what can Tilly be doing for you, sir?"
"Go to Cissa for me and tell her I said to drop whatever she is doing and come immediately."
"Yes Master Severus," Tilly replied with another low curtsey, popping out in near silence before righting her small body.
"Severus, what is going on? You're acting possessed," Lucius, demanded pushing back from his desk.
He watched as the ever present mask Severus wore crumbled, emotions playing across his friend's face, his thoughts and feelings clearly written for anyone to read. It had been ten years since he had seen his friend be so open, the last time being the day his little girl had disappeared from their life without a trace.
"Not till Cissa arrives," he replied, walking over to the glimmering bar cart in the corner of the study.
Severus shakily poured himself and Lucius poured several fingers worth of Ogden's Finest, along with a large glass of crimson elf wine for Narcissa. He deposited Lucius's drink on his desk and then collapsed into the nearest armchair, tossing back a third of the overfilled tumbler in one swallow.
Narcissa's heels rapidly clicked across the marble floors as she approached her husband's study, alarm and confusion on her fair face.
"What's happened? Is Draco alright?" She demanded, worrying over the only child she had left.
"Cissa, you need to sit," Severus instructed.
The uncharacteristic shake to his voice was enough to make her comply without question, gracefully falling onto the couch, turning herself to face him wholly.
Looking between his two friends, the family he had crafted for himself back in their school days, Severus took another long pull of his whiskey, hissing at the burn in his throat as his final delay before diving in.
"I found her… I found Addy…" He announced softly.
The silence that followed hung between them like a suffocating weight, no one moving or even daring to breath.
The first sign of understanding happened in slow motion as the glass of wine slipped from Cissa's hand. Lucius pushed off from where he had leaned against his desk, his hand shooting out in a blur to snatch the crystal before it could shatter on the floor. With an absent flick of his wand, Severus vanished the dark red wine before it could penetrate and stain the fibers of the antique rug in the room.
"Don't," Lucius warned, pulling Cissa into his lap as he took her place on the couch, her fingers flexing and curling as she tried to stop their shaking. "We cannot go through these false hopes anymore. It nearly killed what remained of this family last time."
"I wouldn't lie about this, I wouldn't even be here if I wasn't certain that this was really her. Come to the school and see for yourself. Draco is with her right now."
Severus's normally stoic face was full of pleading and that coupled with the tug at their heart at hearing Addy's name for the first time since they had agreed to lay her name and memory to rest, was swiftly rekindling the long lost hope of ever seeing their daughter again.
Narcissa looked to her husband with guarded hope as she rose from his lap and offered her hand to him. Though they had agreed it was for the best to call off the search for Adhara, not a single day had gone by that Cissa hadn't secretly held out hope for the day she would be returned to them.
With a heavy sigh of reluctance, Lucius took his wife's offered hand and stood with her, glaring at Severus as they made their way over to the floo.
"I'll never forgive you for this, if you're wrong," he hissed behind his wife's back as the emerald flames flared back to life.
Each of three swirled out of the Manor and into Severus's chambers, Narcissa not bothering to clean herself off as she began a fast clip towards his classroom, her fingers woven so tightly around her husband's that the tips began to turn cold from loss of blood.
As they stepped into the room, they saw Draco and Hermione Granger sitting across from each other, their heads bent together as they spoke in hushed tones. The pair went quiet upon hearing the three adults enter the classroom, each turning their heads in a mirror of the other to see who had come in.
Squeezing Hermione's hand, Draco stood up, placing himself partially in front of her, as a human shield between her and their father's notorious temper.
"Why is the Granger girl here and looking rather cozy with my son no less?" Lucius asked, his voice sharp and controlled as his mercurial eyes narrowed in assessment of the girl before turning to Severus.
"Father please," Draco calmly asked, guiding his father's eyes back towards him. "Listen to Uncle Sev before you say anything you'll regret."
His son's earnest plea, brought Lucius up short. Acquiescing to his son's request, he gave a single nod towards Severus, prompting him for further explication.
Severus began by explaining where his fifth years currently were in his lesson plans, emphasizing Hermione's skill and accuracy with brewing along the way.
While he spoke, Narcissa half listened instead giving her attention to the young witch who sat behind her son. Feeling an electrical shock similar to the one Draco's magic gave off after prolonged time apart, she hesitantly reached out for the sparks with her own tendrils of magic. Not only did it closely mimic her son's, but the echoes of her daughter's magic lingered along the threads, a feeling she would never have forgotten no matter how many years had passed since Adhara became lost to them.
Draco's eyes had locked onto his mother's as he felt her unraveling her core to reach out around him to Hermione. Looking behind him at his sister, he took a small step to the side, opening the path between them a little more so that his mother could reach her and verify her identity for herself.
Eagerly wanting to feel the comfort of her mother once again and simultaneously back up her potions skills to her skeptical father, Hermione opened her magic up to her mother, letting the two stretched out cores meet in the middle with a jolting clash. They were mirror images of each other as their breath was stolen by the impact of familial magic reconnecting. Entranced by the other the two witches moved towards each other as if their magics were pulling them together of their own accord.
"Mama," Hermione choked out around her emotion filled throat.
Her soft voice though older, still held traces of the little girl Adhara had been. The simple word and faint sound of her child snapped the last threads of control Narcissa had struggled to hold on to. Closing the distance to her daughter in two long strides, she enveloped her sweet daughter, now known as Hermione, in her arms, tears freely falling down her high cheeks, as she stroked the wild mass of curls that were unique to the Black family.
"My sweet, little Adhara," she murmured into her hair as she kissed her crown.
Despite the easy acceptance of everyone else in the room, Lucius remained on guard, the countless false claims from years ago still fresh in his mind as he watched his wife embrace the Granger girl.
Sensing his father's reluctance, Draco handed over the parchment from their assignment that detailed Hermione's lineage for his inspection. He scrutinized the parchment looking for any indication that they had been duped, coming up short as Minerva McGonagall entered the classroom, the door softly closing behind her.
"Lord Malfoy," she said cooly, observing his distance from the rest of his family as she handed over the heavy response from Ragnok.
Reading over the massive with a quick and practiced eye, Lucius refolded the letter and handed it back to the Deputy Head. Drawing himself up even taller, he straightened his robes and cleared his throat.
"Well, Gringotts will have this sorted out for us rather quickly. Their inheritance test is infallible."
Taking his wife's hand and pulling her away from the thorn in his side sidekick of Harry Potter, he motioned for Draco to follow him out of the classroom, not looking back to see if he complied.
Unimpressed by his cold display, Minerva passed off the letter to Hermione for her to read as well, not wishing for the young witch to be further unfooted by not knowing what was happening.
Opening up the expensive stationary, Hermione read over the responses her professor had received while she had sat with Draco.
Mistress McGonagall,
It has long been a speculation amongst us goblins that the Lost Heir was hidden in plain sight. No one would have thought to look among her peers for her instead believing her abductors would have fled the isle with her to avoid recovery and capture.
With the agreement of the Malfoys, we will conduct our inheritance test upon your young student with haste. If our findings are inline with that of the girl's, we shall proceed with employing one of our curse breakers to run a full diagnostic upon her person for any blocks, compulsions, glamours, or other nefarious means that have been used to keep her hidden and compliant these last ten years.
When they are ready, please direct the Malfoys and Miss Granger to floo directly into my office so that they may avoid any prying eyes.
Polite regards,
Ragnok
Goblin Chieftain
Head of Gringotts Bank
Squaring her shoulders, Hermione stood tall, handing the letter back to her Head of House. Pulling on her Gryffindor courage she made to follow the Malfoys out of Professor Snape's classroom.
Looking to the transfiguration professor she said, "Professor, would you please let Harry know that I'm alright and I will explain everything just as soon as I am able to? He'll worry a hole into the common room floor otherwise and the last thing anyone needs is for him to work himself up into some acting on some rash decision, thinking something has happened to me, involving the Malfoys."
A conspiratorial glint sparkled in Professor McGonagall's eyes at the all too true assessment about her other favored charge.
"You do have a point, Miss Granger. I'll see to it that your message is relayed after class. And not to worry about your own, I've already sent word to the other professors that due to a personal family matter, you are to be excused from classes for the day."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione replied, smiling through her drying tears.
She had always been able to count on Professor McGonagall and this world tilting revelation was no different.
Professor Snape, stepped up to her side and placed his hand high on her back as he addressed his fellow teacher.
"I'll escort Miss Granger to the floo in my chambers, along with the rest of the Malfoy family, and see to it that she and Draco are promptly returned at the conclusion of their meeting," he informed, moving to guide her ahead of him, out of the classroom and down the dungeon corridor to his rooms.
"This way, Addy… Miss Granger… Hermione," he softly directed, his steel nerves still not recovered from the shock as he stumbled over how to address her going forward.
Reaching his rooms, the pair saw the Malfoys gathered in front of the door awaiting their arrival, the heads of the family whispering to each other in harsh tones, while Draco helplessly shrugged at them from the side.
Knowing she was the cause for strife between her mother and father, Hermione stepped away from Severus's hand and approached them.
Turning to face her father head on instead of her mother, she said, "Lord Malfoy, I cannot begin to fathom the pain of losing a child in such a way as you have and I understand your skepticism of my results from class. Frankly the whole notion that I am your daughter, long lost at that, was, is, rather ludicrous to me. All I ask is that you keep an open enough mind to allow the goblins to do their job in discovering the truth and to not doubt your wife and son who have taken the leap in opening themselves up to gauge the truth for themselves."
Lucius further examined the girl before him, ignoring the smug looks upon Severus and Narcissa's faces. If her impassioned little speech was anything to go by, this small, slip of a girl was in fact every inch and ounce of what a pureblood heiress was expected to be.
"Lucius, love, let us continue this at home. We mustn't waste any more of Ragnok's time doodling," Narcissa sweetly commanded, as she admired her daughter's way of subtly calling her father out and putting him to place.
She is a fine representation of the Black women, she thought.
"Of course, you are right my dear. Shall we?" He asked, offering his arm to her as Severus stepped around them to murmur his password to the portrait guarding his chambers.
Following suit, Draco promptly took his place beside Hermione's side and offered her his arm as well. She smoothly slid her slender arm through his, her small hand resting delicately atop his roughened knuckles as though she hadn't been away from society for even a day.
Severus watched on in amusement, thinking that the Malfoy Family was about to have their world rocked as their sweet but fiery finely bred Adhara blended and reshaped with the bossy and opinionated muggle raised Hermione.