A small pop sounded as a Mr Black and Hermione materialized on the front walkway.
Hermione gasped as her stomach rolled she felt as though she had been squeezed through a small tube. Mr Black smiled down at her, " I should have warned you, apparition can be quite disconcerting the first time someone attempts it, in any case, welcome to my manor." Hermione gasped as she looked up to at the great sprawling manor. There were two large wings with multiple stories. She looked up at him, "you live here?"
"Yes it is my family home, my ancestors have lived her for since the middle also have a second family home in London, but the paterfamilias usually resides there. I am the current paterfamilias, but I have always preferred the country to the town home. I was never one for family politics and transferred the head of house rights to Pollux, lot of good that did our family.." he trailed off. Hermione looked up at him in confusion, Who is Pollux, she asked? He chuckled, " I apologize Hermione that would be your other great-grandfather, but before we go into all that let us perform a blood test to confirm your identity as I suspect."
Arcturus proceeded into the manor twin pops sounding as they crossed the threshold. Hermione gasped in shock at the two small creatures dressed in togas that appeared before them. "Hermione this is Libby and Tippy, they are two of the house elves that serve this manor." "House elves?" "They are magical creatures that spend their whole life devoted to one family, they live to serve us."
" That is awful!" Hermione exclaimed, " Awful? Why? They cannot survive without the bond they share with us, they are able to drain our excess magic and insure healthy magic is flowing through our family. In turn we protect them and give them purpose. I promise they are very happy serving us." She looked thoughtful as she processed that information, before she turned to the house elves, "Libby, Tippy, do you like to serve?" Both house elves squeaked "Yes miss, wes love to serves our masters!" She nodded before turning to Mr. Black, " Didn't you say we were going to perform a blood test?" He nodded handing his cane and cloak to the elves before walking through the foyer and up the stairs. As they passed through the halls, she noticed many paintings moving, and acknowledging the older man in front of her. As they passed more doors than she could count she noticed the dark wood lining the walls transitioned to a lighter wood tone with each passing floor they climbed. She noticed that the marble floors shined as the light from the windows glinted off of them. They stopped in the middle of a wall leading Hermione to look at him in confusion, he simply pulled out his wand and began to mutter under his breath.
The wall slid open to reveal a large study a large fireplace dominates the center of one wall with bookshelves lining the walls on either side of the fireplace, on another side of the room was a large desk with a weird tapestry situated behind it. The last wall was made up entirely of windows with a set of french doors leading to a veranda. Hermione looked around the room in awe, it was stunning. Mr. Black walked towards the large desk pulling out a small pen knife and bowl.
"Would you please come over here, I can now perform the test to determine if you are in fact my great- granddaughter." Hermione cautiously walked over to join him at the desk, she watched fascinated as the man made a small incision on his hand before holding it over the bowl. He indicated that she should hold out her hand so he could replicate the incision on her hand. She looked at him in concern, " Is this going to hurt," she asked, he answered to the negative showing with a wave of his hand his own cut was healed. She held out her left hand and allowed him to cut her hand, the blade so sharp she only felt a slight sting before he had healed her hand as well. She watched in awe as he chanted over the blood.
Before her eyes, she watched the blood flash gold and word began to write themselves on the tapestry behind his desk. He turned to her with a smile, " You are the one I have been searching for, you are the heir to the House of Black!"
Just a little teaser, the following chapters will be much longer I promise, please review and let me know what you think!