Disclaimer - No mine, no sue.
-=-=-=-
Hermione laid awake most of the night thinking about what to do with the situation with Draco. She knew that she couldn't let him die. Her conscience wouldn't allow that. Something about seeing her enemy reduced to nothing had sparked a flame inside her that just would not let her ignore the issue. She had to do something; she had to save him.
Eventually her roommates came in and she was forced to pretend she was sleeping since that had been her excuse to escape questioning in the common room.
She could hear their hushed whispers as they chatted about boys, make-up, and then something that surprised her. They were talking about her.
"You really think she's gone nuts, Parvati?" Lavender asked, sounding a bit unsure. It wasn't everyday the smartest girl in the year acted like a complete maniac. No one knew what to think of it.
"Oh course." Her friend hissed back. "What other explanation is there? Unless she's just doing this for attention. Maybe that's it." Her voice trailed off as she thought of the possibility.
"That can't be it though. Parvati, her visions came true! She can't be doing that for attention. She gets enough of it anyway. I tell you that girl is too bloody smart for her own good." Lavender and Parvati giggled for a minute. Hermione turned over on her bed so that her back was facing them and they couldn't see the tears they had caused her. Both girls frantically turned to make sure she was still asleep.
"I'm going to bed. Do you have anymore of that mask you wear while you sleep to make your pores smaller?" Parvati nodded and the two girls began their nightly beautification rituals. Soon after they had fallen into a deep slumber.
Hermione's bed creaked as she tentatively crept out of it. She picked up her winter cloak and put it on over her lacy satin nightgown.
The sixth year boys were all asleep when Hermione tiptoed into their room. She silently removed Harry's invisibility cloak from the trunk located at the end of his bed. She told herself she would have it back before he even noticed it was gone.
Walking about the grounds had become a tradition for Hermione over the years when she couldn't sleep or had a lot on her mind. Now she had both. The cloudless sky calmed her as she took her first step outside and gazed up at the starts. Astronomy had never been her favorite subject but she did find the night sky quite beautiful. There was just some kind of mystery about it; it allowed room for fantasy and magnificence that no other thing quite allowed.
Using her invisibility to her advantage, she carelessly circled the lake and watched on in awe as the giant squid shot water up into the air with its many tentacles like a colossal fountain.
This was the first time her walk hadn't cleared her mind of her troubles. She still saw Draco vividly in her mind crumpled in a helpless pile on the ground, stained crimson red from his own blood. That wasn't something she would soon forget; it had left too much of an impact on her.
"I know I have to help him." She whispered aloud to herself. "But how? I don't know where he lives. I don't know how to get into his manor. I'm only sixteen. All of this really should not be happening to me."
She gazed back at the castle longingly, envying all of the students inside sleeping peacefully, not having to worry about saving the lives of their enemies or finding their true identities.
"Maybe I should just tell Draco about the vision. It'll save me the trouble of finding his house and everything. He could just stay here for the Christmas Holidays." As the plan formed in her mind a voice in the back of her head kept telling her, "That won't work. Lucius will just do it again next time he sees him. You have to put a stop to all of it, not just put it off temporarily."
She finally gave into the voice. She knew it was right. Lucius would probably just hurt him more the next time he saw him because he didn't come home for the holidays. She had roughly two months to figure out all the details she needed. She needed to start work as soon as she possibly could.
"We go to Hogsmeade in a week for Halloween. I can start after that."
Hogsmeade; the word struck the core of her body and she stopped mid-stride. Going to Hogsmeade meant she would see her parents, her real parents. With all of her visions the thought had completely skipped her mind.
"Oh God, I'm not ready for this. I was supposed to have been planning what to say, what to wear. What am I going to do?" Her breathing quickened and air became scarce in her lungs. She put her hands on her head, her fingers curling in her hair, frustration seeping in. "Deep breaths. Come on Hermione; keep breathing. That's the key." Her gasping slowed until she was once again breathing normally.
"I have so many questions for them. Should I write them down? No, they don't have to know I'm a complete book nerd. I'll just have to remember them really well." There was so much she had to do. She quickened her step and jogged back to her dorm room, only stopping to give Harry back his cloak.
Even though her mind was spinning, the moment Hermione's head touched her pillow she fell into a deep sleep.
-=-=-=-
"Lavender." Hermione shook the sleeping blonde. "Lavender! For heavens sake wake up! I need fashion advice!"
That did it. Her eyes sprung open and she leaped from the bed.
"Hermione Granger is asking me for fashion advice? Wow. I never thought this day would come. Hold on a second, I need to get Parvati in here to see this." Her roommate left the room momentarily only to return with her best friend. "So what do you need help with?"
"I don't know what to wear!" Hermione motioned to her bed where all of her clothes were strewn about. The other two girls picked through the pile, every once in a while pulling out something they thought would be acceptable.
"Can you please hurry it up?" Hermione whined. "We leave for Hogsmeade in two hours and I want to look decent the first time I see my parents."
Lavender and Parvati quickened their pace. They put the pile of clothes they had decided upon in an armchair. They held up different articles of clothing, trying to decide what would look good on the petite brunette.
"So what's the look we're going for here? Smart? Cute?" Parvati said as she dismissed a knee length black skirt.
"Normal." Hermione answered. "I just want to look normal."
"Well that's easy enough to achieve." Lavender said. "Okay I think we have it."
Hermione was handed a gray skirt that fell just above her knee and a small pale blue short sleeve dress shirt, it was a little tight but still looked outstanding, just as her roommates knew it would.
"Wear these too." Said Lavender, who had been rummaging around in Hermione's trunk. She thrust a pair of black loafers into her hands. "Simple but still incredibly chic."
Hermione put on the shoes and modeled her outfit for the girls. They smiled before dragging her by her forearm and sitting her in a chair in front of a humongous vanity mirror.
"What are you doing?" Hermione said and tried to squirm away, but she was no match for the two of them together, especially when they were at the climax of making Hermione over.
"You cannot wear that hair with that outfit. It just doesn't go." Hermione sighed but eventually gave up the struggle and let the girls do their business. They said a few simple charms and her hair lost its frizz and fell in very gentle curls down her back and over her shoulders.
They applied small amounts of make-up to her face before standing back to admire their work. Hermione hadn't been able to see the finished product yet since they were standing in front on the mirror but she knew that their grins must be a good sign. They moved aside and she saw herself for the first time that day.
She almost didn't recognize herself. She looked almost completely different. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she looked cute, and she liked it. 'Maybe I'll let them doll me up every once in a while.' She thought as she ran a hand through her now smooth hair.
"Thanks a lot." She said and gave both of the girls a hug. "But I have to go. I'll see you later."
Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Gryffindor boys all gave her a wide-eyed stare as she entered the common room.
"Stop!" She yelled at them and they all blushed and looked away. She joined her two friends. "It's not that bad is it?"
"No. It's not bad. Not bad at all." Ron sputtered.
"Well that's a relief. Come on, well miss the train to Hogsmeade." She grabbed their arms and pulled them towards the door. The eyes of half the common room followed her but she took no notice. She could be quite oblivious sometimes.
-=-=-=-
"Good luck 'Mione." Harry and Ron both told her as the three friends stood in front of the only bookstore in Hogsmeade. "Be careful." She hugged them both and crossed her fingers as she went inside. She was practically shaking with nerves as she reached for the smooth handle.
A bell rang as she opened the door. A slender woman behind the counter looked up and gave her a warm smile.
"Can I help you dear?" She said and wiped her dusty hands on her robe.
"That depends, are you Joyce Kelgara?" Hermione took a tentative step towards the counter of the bookstore she had visited countless times before. Her hands were shaking and she held them together in front of her.
"Yes I am. What do you need?" Once again she smiled, but it was a confused one.
"Can you please get your husband? I have something I need to tell you." Joyce nodded and slowly backed out of the store. She came back with a tall man. They both looked rather perplexed.
"You are Josef and Joyce Kelgara?" She asked once more.
"Yes. What's all this about?" Josef said and closed some of the distance between him and Hermione.
"I am Hermione Alexis Granger. It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand and shook his. They still didn't understand exactly what was happening. "Perhaps I should rephrase that. I am Alexis Kelgara, and. . .and you are my. . parents."
Joyce's knees gave way from shock and she fell into a chair. Josef nervously looked from his wife to his daughter, trying to decide what to say. "Maybe we should go into the office." He finally said. Hermione nodded and followed the couple into a small room. He pulled up three plush armchairs so they sat in a circle.
"I never thought this day would come." Joyce admitted. She took in her daughter for the first time.
"I had hoped it wouldn't." Her husband said. "Hermione, it is Hermione, isn't it?" She nodded. "Hermione we had reason for never trying to contact you. You don't want to associate with us. Trust me. We're not favored by most of the wizarding world."
"That doesn't mean I still don't want to know you. You're my parents! Every child should know their parents." She collected herself again, and taking a deep breath, she sat up professionally and began her interview. "Okay, the first thing I want to know is do you know anything about why I am having visions?"
"Well that's easy enough, I was always an exceptional student. Trelawney always said I would someday have her job." Her mother chuckled awkwardly.
"Why did you leave me?" Her parents both shifted uneasily in their seats, not sure how to answer that exactly.
"Well you see," Her mother said and paused. "You see, you weren't exactly born for the purpose most children are born for."
Josef leaned closer to his daughter and pulled back the sleeve of his robe. Hermione gasped as she saw the gruesome image pictured on his forearm.
"I am, was, a deatheater." He said quietly and covered the mark again. "I don't know how to put this gently. You're a big girl so I'm not going to spare you of anything. You were born to be Voldemort's heir. He wanted a boy, but since-"
"I was a girl he didn't want me. And you put me up for adoption out of shame." Hermione finished for him. She felt the familiar stinging burn in the corners of her eyes and she knew the tears would soon come. She looked back and forth between their guilty faces. "Please tell me that's not what you were going to say."
"I'm sorry." Her mother said and reached out to touch her shoulder. Hermione stood from her chair, recoiling from her touch. She glanced quickly between the two people in front of her, and a small tear escaped the threshold of her eyelids, rolling gently and sorrowfully down the curvature of her visage. Without another word she fled from the store.
She bumped into many people on the crowded streets outside the shop but she took no notice of them. She could only concentrate on getting as far from that place as possible. Her breathing became ragged and forced as she made her way down the street.
She finally came to a nearly deserted area of the street and curled up in a corner. Tears poured over her cheeks and made small wet spots on her shirt. She cried harder than she had ever cried before. People who passed her took little heed of the depressed girl. Only one person stopped. But she didn't notice them.
'I waited so long for this.' She thought, 'I worked so hard, thought so long. Why did this have to happen?' She seemed to be wondering that a lot this year. 'He was right. Malfoy was right about the entire thing. The shame; everything. God, that just makes it worse.'
Another burst of sobs shook her frame and she buried her head in her hands. The mascara that her roommates had so carefully applied was now in long black streaks down her face, and as she leaned her head back against the wall behind her, one passing on the street might have jumped back in shock at such a beauteous girl in such a deep and pitiful sorrow.
-=-=-=-
There was something about seeing how upset the girl was that stopped Draco. He watched her as she shook and muttered quietly to herself in between sobs. It wasn't until she leaned her head back against the wall that he saw who it was.
'What does Granger have to be this upset about? She's the perfect one who-' He stopped mid-thought when he remembered what today meant for her. 'Well now she knows at least. Doesn't have to keep wondering what kind of saints her parents were. Even though she already kind of knew. It's probably killing her that I was right.'
For some reason he didn't find any joy in the fact that he was part of the reason she was this unhappy. On the contrary, his blood turned cold and he felt like his insides had turned to stone. The feeling scared him. Giving one last glance to the crying girl, he backed away slowly, turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction.
-=-=-=-
And that's it for chapter twelve. I'm getting better at the long chapter thing. My problem is I don't have much to put into my chapters so I have to elaborate a lot and I'm not great at that.
Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I've been preoccupied with other things. I just started a website so I've been working on that a lot. I would love it if any/all (stress on all) of you joined. The URL is http://durmstrangacademy.tripod.com or the forum is http://selvagem.suddenlaunch2.com/. The website is also on my profile page. Thanks.
REVIEW!
-=-=-=-
Hermione laid awake most of the night thinking about what to do with the situation with Draco. She knew that she couldn't let him die. Her conscience wouldn't allow that. Something about seeing her enemy reduced to nothing had sparked a flame inside her that just would not let her ignore the issue. She had to do something; she had to save him.
Eventually her roommates came in and she was forced to pretend she was sleeping since that had been her excuse to escape questioning in the common room.
She could hear their hushed whispers as they chatted about boys, make-up, and then something that surprised her. They were talking about her.
"You really think she's gone nuts, Parvati?" Lavender asked, sounding a bit unsure. It wasn't everyday the smartest girl in the year acted like a complete maniac. No one knew what to think of it.
"Oh course." Her friend hissed back. "What other explanation is there? Unless she's just doing this for attention. Maybe that's it." Her voice trailed off as she thought of the possibility.
"That can't be it though. Parvati, her visions came true! She can't be doing that for attention. She gets enough of it anyway. I tell you that girl is too bloody smart for her own good." Lavender and Parvati giggled for a minute. Hermione turned over on her bed so that her back was facing them and they couldn't see the tears they had caused her. Both girls frantically turned to make sure she was still asleep.
"I'm going to bed. Do you have anymore of that mask you wear while you sleep to make your pores smaller?" Parvati nodded and the two girls began their nightly beautification rituals. Soon after they had fallen into a deep slumber.
Hermione's bed creaked as she tentatively crept out of it. She picked up her winter cloak and put it on over her lacy satin nightgown.
The sixth year boys were all asleep when Hermione tiptoed into their room. She silently removed Harry's invisibility cloak from the trunk located at the end of his bed. She told herself she would have it back before he even noticed it was gone.
Walking about the grounds had become a tradition for Hermione over the years when she couldn't sleep or had a lot on her mind. Now she had both. The cloudless sky calmed her as she took her first step outside and gazed up at the starts. Astronomy had never been her favorite subject but she did find the night sky quite beautiful. There was just some kind of mystery about it; it allowed room for fantasy and magnificence that no other thing quite allowed.
Using her invisibility to her advantage, she carelessly circled the lake and watched on in awe as the giant squid shot water up into the air with its many tentacles like a colossal fountain.
This was the first time her walk hadn't cleared her mind of her troubles. She still saw Draco vividly in her mind crumpled in a helpless pile on the ground, stained crimson red from his own blood. That wasn't something she would soon forget; it had left too much of an impact on her.
"I know I have to help him." She whispered aloud to herself. "But how? I don't know where he lives. I don't know how to get into his manor. I'm only sixteen. All of this really should not be happening to me."
She gazed back at the castle longingly, envying all of the students inside sleeping peacefully, not having to worry about saving the lives of their enemies or finding their true identities.
"Maybe I should just tell Draco about the vision. It'll save me the trouble of finding his house and everything. He could just stay here for the Christmas Holidays." As the plan formed in her mind a voice in the back of her head kept telling her, "That won't work. Lucius will just do it again next time he sees him. You have to put a stop to all of it, not just put it off temporarily."
She finally gave into the voice. She knew it was right. Lucius would probably just hurt him more the next time he saw him because he didn't come home for the holidays. She had roughly two months to figure out all the details she needed. She needed to start work as soon as she possibly could.
"We go to Hogsmeade in a week for Halloween. I can start after that."
Hogsmeade; the word struck the core of her body and she stopped mid-stride. Going to Hogsmeade meant she would see her parents, her real parents. With all of her visions the thought had completely skipped her mind.
"Oh God, I'm not ready for this. I was supposed to have been planning what to say, what to wear. What am I going to do?" Her breathing quickened and air became scarce in her lungs. She put her hands on her head, her fingers curling in her hair, frustration seeping in. "Deep breaths. Come on Hermione; keep breathing. That's the key." Her gasping slowed until she was once again breathing normally.
"I have so many questions for them. Should I write them down? No, they don't have to know I'm a complete book nerd. I'll just have to remember them really well." There was so much she had to do. She quickened her step and jogged back to her dorm room, only stopping to give Harry back his cloak.
Even though her mind was spinning, the moment Hermione's head touched her pillow she fell into a deep sleep.
-=-=-=-
"Lavender." Hermione shook the sleeping blonde. "Lavender! For heavens sake wake up! I need fashion advice!"
That did it. Her eyes sprung open and she leaped from the bed.
"Hermione Granger is asking me for fashion advice? Wow. I never thought this day would come. Hold on a second, I need to get Parvati in here to see this." Her roommate left the room momentarily only to return with her best friend. "So what do you need help with?"
"I don't know what to wear!" Hermione motioned to her bed where all of her clothes were strewn about. The other two girls picked through the pile, every once in a while pulling out something they thought would be acceptable.
"Can you please hurry it up?" Hermione whined. "We leave for Hogsmeade in two hours and I want to look decent the first time I see my parents."
Lavender and Parvati quickened their pace. They put the pile of clothes they had decided upon in an armchair. They held up different articles of clothing, trying to decide what would look good on the petite brunette.
"So what's the look we're going for here? Smart? Cute?" Parvati said as she dismissed a knee length black skirt.
"Normal." Hermione answered. "I just want to look normal."
"Well that's easy enough to achieve." Lavender said. "Okay I think we have it."
Hermione was handed a gray skirt that fell just above her knee and a small pale blue short sleeve dress shirt, it was a little tight but still looked outstanding, just as her roommates knew it would.
"Wear these too." Said Lavender, who had been rummaging around in Hermione's trunk. She thrust a pair of black loafers into her hands. "Simple but still incredibly chic."
Hermione put on the shoes and modeled her outfit for the girls. They smiled before dragging her by her forearm and sitting her in a chair in front of a humongous vanity mirror.
"What are you doing?" Hermione said and tried to squirm away, but she was no match for the two of them together, especially when they were at the climax of making Hermione over.
"You cannot wear that hair with that outfit. It just doesn't go." Hermione sighed but eventually gave up the struggle and let the girls do their business. They said a few simple charms and her hair lost its frizz and fell in very gentle curls down her back and over her shoulders.
They applied small amounts of make-up to her face before standing back to admire their work. Hermione hadn't been able to see the finished product yet since they were standing in front on the mirror but she knew that their grins must be a good sign. They moved aside and she saw herself for the first time that day.
She almost didn't recognize herself. She looked almost completely different. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she looked cute, and she liked it. 'Maybe I'll let them doll me up every once in a while.' She thought as she ran a hand through her now smooth hair.
"Thanks a lot." She said and gave both of the girls a hug. "But I have to go. I'll see you later."
Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Gryffindor boys all gave her a wide-eyed stare as she entered the common room.
"Stop!" She yelled at them and they all blushed and looked away. She joined her two friends. "It's not that bad is it?"
"No. It's not bad. Not bad at all." Ron sputtered.
"Well that's a relief. Come on, well miss the train to Hogsmeade." She grabbed their arms and pulled them towards the door. The eyes of half the common room followed her but she took no notice. She could be quite oblivious sometimes.
-=-=-=-
"Good luck 'Mione." Harry and Ron both told her as the three friends stood in front of the only bookstore in Hogsmeade. "Be careful." She hugged them both and crossed her fingers as she went inside. She was practically shaking with nerves as she reached for the smooth handle.
A bell rang as she opened the door. A slender woman behind the counter looked up and gave her a warm smile.
"Can I help you dear?" She said and wiped her dusty hands on her robe.
"That depends, are you Joyce Kelgara?" Hermione took a tentative step towards the counter of the bookstore she had visited countless times before. Her hands were shaking and she held them together in front of her.
"Yes I am. What do you need?" Once again she smiled, but it was a confused one.
"Can you please get your husband? I have something I need to tell you." Joyce nodded and slowly backed out of the store. She came back with a tall man. They both looked rather perplexed.
"You are Josef and Joyce Kelgara?" She asked once more.
"Yes. What's all this about?" Josef said and closed some of the distance between him and Hermione.
"I am Hermione Alexis Granger. It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand and shook his. They still didn't understand exactly what was happening. "Perhaps I should rephrase that. I am Alexis Kelgara, and. . .and you are my. . parents."
Joyce's knees gave way from shock and she fell into a chair. Josef nervously looked from his wife to his daughter, trying to decide what to say. "Maybe we should go into the office." He finally said. Hermione nodded and followed the couple into a small room. He pulled up three plush armchairs so they sat in a circle.
"I never thought this day would come." Joyce admitted. She took in her daughter for the first time.
"I had hoped it wouldn't." Her husband said. "Hermione, it is Hermione, isn't it?" She nodded. "Hermione we had reason for never trying to contact you. You don't want to associate with us. Trust me. We're not favored by most of the wizarding world."
"That doesn't mean I still don't want to know you. You're my parents! Every child should know their parents." She collected herself again, and taking a deep breath, she sat up professionally and began her interview. "Okay, the first thing I want to know is do you know anything about why I am having visions?"
"Well that's easy enough, I was always an exceptional student. Trelawney always said I would someday have her job." Her mother chuckled awkwardly.
"Why did you leave me?" Her parents both shifted uneasily in their seats, not sure how to answer that exactly.
"Well you see," Her mother said and paused. "You see, you weren't exactly born for the purpose most children are born for."
Josef leaned closer to his daughter and pulled back the sleeve of his robe. Hermione gasped as she saw the gruesome image pictured on his forearm.
"I am, was, a deatheater." He said quietly and covered the mark again. "I don't know how to put this gently. You're a big girl so I'm not going to spare you of anything. You were born to be Voldemort's heir. He wanted a boy, but since-"
"I was a girl he didn't want me. And you put me up for adoption out of shame." Hermione finished for him. She felt the familiar stinging burn in the corners of her eyes and she knew the tears would soon come. She looked back and forth between their guilty faces. "Please tell me that's not what you were going to say."
"I'm sorry." Her mother said and reached out to touch her shoulder. Hermione stood from her chair, recoiling from her touch. She glanced quickly between the two people in front of her, and a small tear escaped the threshold of her eyelids, rolling gently and sorrowfully down the curvature of her visage. Without another word she fled from the store.
She bumped into many people on the crowded streets outside the shop but she took no notice of them. She could only concentrate on getting as far from that place as possible. Her breathing became ragged and forced as she made her way down the street.
She finally came to a nearly deserted area of the street and curled up in a corner. Tears poured over her cheeks and made small wet spots on her shirt. She cried harder than she had ever cried before. People who passed her took little heed of the depressed girl. Only one person stopped. But she didn't notice them.
'I waited so long for this.' She thought, 'I worked so hard, thought so long. Why did this have to happen?' She seemed to be wondering that a lot this year. 'He was right. Malfoy was right about the entire thing. The shame; everything. God, that just makes it worse.'
Another burst of sobs shook her frame and she buried her head in her hands. The mascara that her roommates had so carefully applied was now in long black streaks down her face, and as she leaned her head back against the wall behind her, one passing on the street might have jumped back in shock at such a beauteous girl in such a deep and pitiful sorrow.
-=-=-=-
There was something about seeing how upset the girl was that stopped Draco. He watched her as she shook and muttered quietly to herself in between sobs. It wasn't until she leaned her head back against the wall that he saw who it was.
'What does Granger have to be this upset about? She's the perfect one who-' He stopped mid-thought when he remembered what today meant for her. 'Well now she knows at least. Doesn't have to keep wondering what kind of saints her parents were. Even though she already kind of knew. It's probably killing her that I was right.'
For some reason he didn't find any joy in the fact that he was part of the reason she was this unhappy. On the contrary, his blood turned cold and he felt like his insides had turned to stone. The feeling scared him. Giving one last glance to the crying girl, he backed away slowly, turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction.
-=-=-=-
And that's it for chapter twelve. I'm getting better at the long chapter thing. My problem is I don't have much to put into my chapters so I have to elaborate a lot and I'm not great at that.
Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I've been preoccupied with other things. I just started a website so I've been working on that a lot. I would love it if any/all (stress on all) of you joined. The URL is http://durmstrangacademy.tripod.com or the forum is http://selvagem.suddenlaunch2.com/. The website is also on my profile page. Thanks.
REVIEW!