Gryffindor's Forgotten Princess.
A/N: I do not own any of these characters, I am just borrowing them from JK.
Summery: Hermione is Minerva's daughter, though most of the staff assume she's the daughter of Elphinstone Urquart, so when Minerva gave the girl up after his death no one questioned it. Only Minerva knows the truth.
CHAPTER 1
1985.
Hermione was almost six years old as her mother held her in the drawing room, the young girl didn't understand why her mother was so upset. As a child she didn't know what she could do to make her mummy stop crying.
Minerva held Hermione close as she cried over the death of her husband Elphinstone who had helped her raise the girl in her arms until his death only a few days before. She knew she couldn't continue to live in the home they shared or raise her daughter without him. She wiped away her tears and took her baby to Hogwarts.
"Pop!" Hermione said excitedly as they reached the hospital wing and Poppy Pomfrey came into view. Poppy took the girl from Minerva's arms and held her close.
"Poppy, I need you to find her a family." Minerva's voice was broken she couldn't even look at her little girl in her friends arms. "I cannoe do this without him." She admitted before kissing Hermione's head and leaving her with Poppy so they couldn't argue about it. Quickly she made her way to her own chambers in the castle.
Poppy watched her friend leave, shocked at how dejected she was from the whole situation. "It's okay." She cooed at the girl in her arms, who had started to cry when her mother walked away.
That night Poppy kept Hermione with her hoping Minerva would change her mind by morning, but sadly that wasn't the case and with Hermione showing accidental magic she couldn't just give the girl to anyone. She sighed and alerted the headmaster that she would be gone from the hospital wing for the day.
She took the child to some old muggle friends that were struggling to have a child of their own. She gently knocked on the door and Mrs Granger answered with a smile. "Poppy, come in." She greeted stepping aside to let the mediwitch in. She knew Mr Granger was a squib so having a magical baby in the house wouldn't be as much of a big deal though Mrs Granger was a muggle. Poppy made her way into the sitting room, Hermione still wrapped in her arms. "Jean, this is Hermione Minerva McGonagall.. Her mother is no longer able to care for her, and I know you and John have been trying for many years." Poppy started to explain softly. "I have the paperwork with me, I suggest you change her middle and last name for her safety." She added watching Jean for any sort of reaction.
Jean listened to her friend and watched the little girl in her arms, she had curly auburn brown hair with hazel eyes. "John will be home for lunch in ten minutes, we can figure out the details when he gets home…" She smiled reaching out to the young girl. "Hello, Hermione." She cooed at the girl who looked at her and stretched her little arms towards the stranger. Jean smiled and took the girl, placing her in her own lap. "Would you like me to be your mummy?" She asked the girl softly who seemed to think for a moment before nodding.
As she watched the scene her heart swelled. Hermione was going to grow up in a loving home and in six years she would be a student at Hogwarts. "I will let you spend some time with her, I will go set up a room for her." Poppy smiled before heading upstairs to the spare room next to the couples. With a wave of her wand the bed had turned into a stunning ebony wood crib with cravings of the four founders on each corner, this confused Poppy for a moment but she just shrugs and continues on setting up the room. The walls became a muted green. After she was done, she pulled a McGonagall tartan blanket from her pocket and enlarged it to place in the crib.
Once she was done she headed back down stairs to find John and Jean playing with Hermione. "Her room is now set up." She announced before sitting back down and taking out the paper work.
"We have spoken about her name, John suggested we name her Hermione Jean Granger." Jean spoke up happily as the form filled itself out and the new parents signed the bottom. Hermione was now their daughter.
Poppy took the forms and put them back in her pocket, taking out a wooden jewellery box with a lock. "Hermione will be the only one who can open this besides her biological parents, it has a letter explaining who her mother is and why she couldn't keep her, it also has some photographs of her parents and herself in the last year and a half." She placed the box gently on the desk. "I don't want her to forget where she came from." She added in a whisper causing John to wrap his arm around his old friend.
"We will give it to her when the time is right." He promised. "Thank you for this, Poppy. We were almost ready to give up."
The Mediwitch just nodded with a small smile and whispered a spell towards the girl so her memories of Minerva and Elphinstone were covered by false memories with the Grangers. "I will come back and check on her at least once a month until she starts school. If you wish I will be her Aunt Poppy." She offered as she stood up and said goodbye to Hermione.
John walked her to the door and gave her a hug. "I may not be magic like you are Pops, but you will always be family." He whispered.
Poppy nodded with a smile. John after all was her second cousin, but being born a squib he decided to live in the muggle world and change his name. "On my next visit, I will bring an owl so we can keep in contact." She told him before leaving.