Patricia Granger was having a boring day. An ordinary Saturday, nothing exciting. Cleaning the house wasn't fun but it had to be done. Little did she know she was about to revisit one of the most painful parts of her past.
"Mum," said Hermione, walking into the kitchen as her mother was mopping the floor.
"Yes dear?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Do you know a man named Lucius Malfoy?"
Patrica Granger didn't answer, but the fact that she dropped the mop,
the blood draining from her face was answer enough.
There was a very awkward silence for a few moments. "How do you know
about him?" stammered Patricia Granger.
"You know that guy Draco I've talked about? That's his father."
"Oh my..." replied Mrs. Granger, still pale as a ghost. She looked at
her daughter, and with a more serious look than Hermione had ever seen,
she said "Please, please tell me that you have nothing to do with this
man. He's... he's... evil for lack of a better word."
"Gee, I couldn't have figured that out," thought Hermione, but didn't
dare say anything so acerbic. "Can I ask what happened with you two?"
"Its ancient history, long past. Why do you want to know?"
"Because he told me he had dated you and I want to know the truth."
"So you've met him??" asked her mother looking even more pale than
before. "Hermione," she said fighting back tears. "I will tell you
everything, but you must promise me to stay away from him!"
"I will mum." Hermione knew this was a lie. She would TRY to avoid
him, but it seemed as though he had sought her out the other day.
"Good. Come up in the attic with me. I have some old pictures and
things. I can tell you the story of how I met him."
As they headed upstairs Hermione began to wonder what her mother would
say. Deep inside she has a horrible fear that Lucius Malfoy was her father.
"First of all, I want you know that all of this happened many years before you born. I was about your age."
Hermione breathed a great sigh of relief.
Here, said Mrs. Granger, opening a large chest in the attic and pulling out a handful of pictures.
"This one was taken at my best friend's 18th birthday party." She said pointing to a picture of a couple. The man was handsome, sort of how she had pictured Lucius looking 25 or so years ago. Her mom however, looked exactly like Hermione did now. It was quite unnerving. It was as if she was looking at a picture of herself and young Lucius Malfoy.
"It all started the summer after my 18th birthday. I was a lifeguard at the local beach and one day I met this amazing guy. I later found out he was a wizard and was simply doing a summer research project on... muggles."
"So you were just a research subject?" asked Hermione.
"No. He hadn't planned on meeting a muggle girl. And he most definitely didn't plan on falling in love with one."
"You were... in love... with Lucius Malfoy?" asked Hermione feeling dizzy at this hideous revelation.
"Very much so. But please don't get the wrong idea... he was a very different person back then. Anyway, we were from two very different worlds. He was from a family that hated muggles, so our relationship was very secret, else he would be disowned. But it was magical while it lasted. For about a year it was amazing. He had an entry level job at the Ministry of Magic and I was in dental school, but we managed to spend every weekend together."
Hermione stared in disbelief.
"I swear to you, he was different then. He was a good person. I guess he always had a dark side, but it took me a long time to see it. We had been dating about a year, still in secret, when he started to change. His family began pressuring him to find a nice 'pureblood' girl and get married. His friends had started supporting the dark lord Voldemort and they began to question his loyalty to them and to the wizarding world. At his friends insistence he began to attend 'death eater' meetings."
"I was scared by his friends. They seemed evil in a way. I was also scared by him. He began to get violent. One day, when we had an argument about finally telling people of our relationship, he hit me... broke my arm." She broke off crying.
"Its ok mum..." said Hermione putting her arm around her mother's shoulder.
"I should have broken up with him then, but I was scared. He was becoming entrenched in the dark lord's inner circle and every time I saw him he seemed more evil and darker. There was a coldness growing in his eyes. It was weird to see someone you love change like that. But I stayed because I wanted to believe he continued to say he loved me, and I wanted to believe that the man I loved was in there under all that hate and anger."
"So what eventually happened?" asked Hermione.
"He tried to kill me."
"What??!"
"Yes." Said Mrs. Granger, trying to control her wavering voice. "You see, one of his friends found out about us. And for a servant of Voldemort to be in love with a muggle was unacceptable. This friend, Avery, sold him out and told Voldemort about us. One night there was a meeting of the death eaters. Voldemort, now having knowledge of our relationship insisted he bring me to the meeting."
"You've been to a death eater meeting??" said Hermione in utter shock.
"Trust me, its something I'd rather forget." Mrs. Granger began to sob, but composted herself and continued her story. "Lucius told he that Voldemort simply wanted to meet me... he said that if Voldemort deamed me worthy, he would make me his wife. I was terrified but I went."
"The meeting was in a dark, cold basement. Lots of men in black robes and hoods. I knew immediately that I had to break it off with Lucius. Anyone who could live this sort of life was not someone I wanted to be with. Anyway, the meeting started... I was so terrified that I could hardly move or think. Then it happened. Voldemort handed Lucius a knife and told him to kill me."
"Oh my god..." was all Hermione could manage to say, as both Granger women sat on the floor of the attic pale and crying.
"I can still hear that horrible evil voice. 'Kill the common muggle slut. Prove your loyalty to the dark side. Prove that you belong here and you will be my right hand man.' I can still see Lucius Malfoy, the man that I had loved, standing over me with a murderous look in his eye, no remorse what so ever. I can still see him, his cold eyes meeting mine, raising the knife to my throat." She paused.
"How did you get away?"
"He probably would have killed me if it weren't for another death eater who stepped up and spoke up for me. I don't know who it was because all the men were hooded, but one of them saved my life. Just as Luicus was about to slit my throat, one man spoke up, asking Voldemort to spare me. He gave an eloquent speech about how Lucius would have killed me and that should be enough. He also pointed out that I showed bravery and that even though I was a muggle, Lucius should be allowed to take me as a wife."
"I don't know what it was, but Voldemort relented. He agreed that I showed great courage, and that Lucius held true to his convictions. He agreed that we should be rewarded by being allowed to be together. Lucius seems quite pleased with this. I on the other hand, was mortified. I truly believe he would have killed me! It was then and there that I decided that we were done."
"The next day he had the balls to ask me to marry him. He nearly killed me the night before, but today he was being sweet as pie. I said no. I told him that I was scared of him and that we couldn't be together. That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Not only because I had loved him once, but I was also scared he would kill me."
"What did he do?"
"Nothing. When I told him, he said nothing for the longest time. I expected anger... I was actually scared he would kill me when I told him. But instead, there was sadness... a deep consuming sadness like I've never seen. He almost started to cry. He asked me how I thought he could ever hurt me." Patricia Granger broke off into tears.
"Oh mum..." was all Hermione could manage to say.
"Hermione, he CRIED! I couldn't believe it. Right then, I saw the man I had fallen in love with almost two years earlier. But of course I realized how much he had changed. The events of the previous night came flooding back and I stuck to my convictions. He kept saying he didn't mean it, that he wasn't going to kill me that night, that it was all an act. But I saw his eyes that night. It wasn't an act... he would have killed me. He said that if I married him he would give me everything I'd ever wanted. But I was scared of him. I remember I was crying too, and all I could do was mutter 'no.'"
"Then suddenly, when he realized I wasn't going to change my mind, he became angry. All the sadness went away and I saw a furious hated in his eyes. He shoved me against a wall and called me a number of choice things I'm not going to repeat here. Then he said that he would get me back. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but he would get me back. He said he could kill me right then, but that would be too easy. He swore that somehow, someday, he would make my life a living hell. Then he left and I've never seen him since."
"Oh my god..." choked Hermione through tears. There was a long silence. "But mum, weren't you scared that he would attack you?"
"I was... but then I received this." Patricia Granger pointed to an old, worn out piece of parchment that was lying in the trunk. Hermione opened in, and was very surprised to read what was on it:
Dear Miss Howard (A/N: Maiden name)
I am aware that you have been threatened by a wizard in our community. I would like you to know that I have placed a spell on you and your family, protecting you from any harm this man may wish to do. Please do not be afraid. It has been seen to that this man will no longer harm you.
Normally, muggles who have contact with the wizarding community are put under a memory charm but such a charm would counteract this protection spell. It is therefore imperative that you speak nothing of this incident to anyone in the muggle world. If you do, the penalties will be extremely severe.
Hermione Granger looked at the letter. It wasn't signed, but she recognized the handwriting. She had seen it numerous times at Hogwarts. She clasped her hand over her mouth in shock.
"What is it?" asked Mrs. Granger.
"I know who wrote this letter."
"How?"
"I've seen the handwriting a thousand times... on my papers at school. He's a professor at Hogwarts. His name is Severus Snape. I bet he's the one who saved your life that night too."
"So this man... he teaches at Hogwarts... and he's a death eater??"
"He was. But he was also a spy for our side."
"Oh good," said Mrs. Granger, relieved.
The Granger women got up, and headed downstairs.
"Oh Hermione," called her mother. "I have one more thing to ask you. Your father doesn't know about this. The letter said not tell anyone, so I didn't. Its not that I don't want to tell him its just that well... I couldn't. So please don't mention this to him."
"Ok mum." Said Hermione as she hugged her mother. "You know I love you so much mum. And I'm proud of you for what you did. You stood up for yourself."
"Thank you Hermione. You have no idea how much that means."
~***~
A/N: So what did you think? We'll get back to Lucius and Hermione in the next chapter... I just had to establish the past in this chapter. As always, PLEASE PLEASE review! Thanks!!
"Mum," said Hermione, walking into the kitchen as her mother was mopping the floor.
"Yes dear?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Do you know a man named Lucius Malfoy?"
Patrica Granger didn't answer, but the fact that she dropped the mop,
the blood draining from her face was answer enough.
There was a very awkward silence for a few moments. "How do you know
about him?" stammered Patricia Granger.
"You know that guy Draco I've talked about? That's his father."
"Oh my..." replied Mrs. Granger, still pale as a ghost. She looked at
her daughter, and with a more serious look than Hermione had ever seen,
she said "Please, please tell me that you have nothing to do with this
man. He's... he's... evil for lack of a better word."
"Gee, I couldn't have figured that out," thought Hermione, but didn't
dare say anything so acerbic. "Can I ask what happened with you two?"
"Its ancient history, long past. Why do you want to know?"
"Because he told me he had dated you and I want to know the truth."
"So you've met him??" asked her mother looking even more pale than
before. "Hermione," she said fighting back tears. "I will tell you
everything, but you must promise me to stay away from him!"
"I will mum." Hermione knew this was a lie. She would TRY to avoid
him, but it seemed as though he had sought her out the other day.
"Good. Come up in the attic with me. I have some old pictures and
things. I can tell you the story of how I met him."
As they headed upstairs Hermione began to wonder what her mother would
say. Deep inside she has a horrible fear that Lucius Malfoy was her father.
"First of all, I want you know that all of this happened many years before you born. I was about your age."
Hermione breathed a great sigh of relief.
Here, said Mrs. Granger, opening a large chest in the attic and pulling out a handful of pictures.
"This one was taken at my best friend's 18th birthday party." She said pointing to a picture of a couple. The man was handsome, sort of how she had pictured Lucius looking 25 or so years ago. Her mom however, looked exactly like Hermione did now. It was quite unnerving. It was as if she was looking at a picture of herself and young Lucius Malfoy.
"It all started the summer after my 18th birthday. I was a lifeguard at the local beach and one day I met this amazing guy. I later found out he was a wizard and was simply doing a summer research project on... muggles."
"So you were just a research subject?" asked Hermione.
"No. He hadn't planned on meeting a muggle girl. And he most definitely didn't plan on falling in love with one."
"You were... in love... with Lucius Malfoy?" asked Hermione feeling dizzy at this hideous revelation.
"Very much so. But please don't get the wrong idea... he was a very different person back then. Anyway, we were from two very different worlds. He was from a family that hated muggles, so our relationship was very secret, else he would be disowned. But it was magical while it lasted. For about a year it was amazing. He had an entry level job at the Ministry of Magic and I was in dental school, but we managed to spend every weekend together."
Hermione stared in disbelief.
"I swear to you, he was different then. He was a good person. I guess he always had a dark side, but it took me a long time to see it. We had been dating about a year, still in secret, when he started to change. His family began pressuring him to find a nice 'pureblood' girl and get married. His friends had started supporting the dark lord Voldemort and they began to question his loyalty to them and to the wizarding world. At his friends insistence he began to attend 'death eater' meetings."
"I was scared by his friends. They seemed evil in a way. I was also scared by him. He began to get violent. One day, when we had an argument about finally telling people of our relationship, he hit me... broke my arm." She broke off crying.
"Its ok mum..." said Hermione putting her arm around her mother's shoulder.
"I should have broken up with him then, but I was scared. He was becoming entrenched in the dark lord's inner circle and every time I saw him he seemed more evil and darker. There was a coldness growing in his eyes. It was weird to see someone you love change like that. But I stayed because I wanted to believe he continued to say he loved me, and I wanted to believe that the man I loved was in there under all that hate and anger."
"So what eventually happened?" asked Hermione.
"He tried to kill me."
"What??!"
"Yes." Said Mrs. Granger, trying to control her wavering voice. "You see, one of his friends found out about us. And for a servant of Voldemort to be in love with a muggle was unacceptable. This friend, Avery, sold him out and told Voldemort about us. One night there was a meeting of the death eaters. Voldemort, now having knowledge of our relationship insisted he bring me to the meeting."
"You've been to a death eater meeting??" said Hermione in utter shock.
"Trust me, its something I'd rather forget." Mrs. Granger began to sob, but composted herself and continued her story. "Lucius told he that Voldemort simply wanted to meet me... he said that if Voldemort deamed me worthy, he would make me his wife. I was terrified but I went."
"The meeting was in a dark, cold basement. Lots of men in black robes and hoods. I knew immediately that I had to break it off with Lucius. Anyone who could live this sort of life was not someone I wanted to be with. Anyway, the meeting started... I was so terrified that I could hardly move or think. Then it happened. Voldemort handed Lucius a knife and told him to kill me."
"Oh my god..." was all Hermione could manage to say, as both Granger women sat on the floor of the attic pale and crying.
"I can still hear that horrible evil voice. 'Kill the common muggle slut. Prove your loyalty to the dark side. Prove that you belong here and you will be my right hand man.' I can still see Lucius Malfoy, the man that I had loved, standing over me with a murderous look in his eye, no remorse what so ever. I can still see him, his cold eyes meeting mine, raising the knife to my throat." She paused.
"How did you get away?"
"He probably would have killed me if it weren't for another death eater who stepped up and spoke up for me. I don't know who it was because all the men were hooded, but one of them saved my life. Just as Luicus was about to slit my throat, one man spoke up, asking Voldemort to spare me. He gave an eloquent speech about how Lucius would have killed me and that should be enough. He also pointed out that I showed bravery and that even though I was a muggle, Lucius should be allowed to take me as a wife."
"I don't know what it was, but Voldemort relented. He agreed that I showed great courage, and that Lucius held true to his convictions. He agreed that we should be rewarded by being allowed to be together. Lucius seems quite pleased with this. I on the other hand, was mortified. I truly believe he would have killed me! It was then and there that I decided that we were done."
"The next day he had the balls to ask me to marry him. He nearly killed me the night before, but today he was being sweet as pie. I said no. I told him that I was scared of him and that we couldn't be together. That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Not only because I had loved him once, but I was also scared he would kill me."
"What did he do?"
"Nothing. When I told him, he said nothing for the longest time. I expected anger... I was actually scared he would kill me when I told him. But instead, there was sadness... a deep consuming sadness like I've never seen. He almost started to cry. He asked me how I thought he could ever hurt me." Patricia Granger broke off into tears.
"Oh mum..." was all Hermione could manage to say.
"Hermione, he CRIED! I couldn't believe it. Right then, I saw the man I had fallen in love with almost two years earlier. But of course I realized how much he had changed. The events of the previous night came flooding back and I stuck to my convictions. He kept saying he didn't mean it, that he wasn't going to kill me that night, that it was all an act. But I saw his eyes that night. It wasn't an act... he would have killed me. He said that if I married him he would give me everything I'd ever wanted. But I was scared of him. I remember I was crying too, and all I could do was mutter 'no.'"
"Then suddenly, when he realized I wasn't going to change my mind, he became angry. All the sadness went away and I saw a furious hated in his eyes. He shoved me against a wall and called me a number of choice things I'm not going to repeat here. Then he said that he would get me back. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but he would get me back. He said he could kill me right then, but that would be too easy. He swore that somehow, someday, he would make my life a living hell. Then he left and I've never seen him since."
"Oh my god..." choked Hermione through tears. There was a long silence. "But mum, weren't you scared that he would attack you?"
"I was... but then I received this." Patricia Granger pointed to an old, worn out piece of parchment that was lying in the trunk. Hermione opened in, and was very surprised to read what was on it:
Dear Miss Howard (A/N: Maiden name)
I am aware that you have been threatened by a wizard in our community. I would like you to know that I have placed a spell on you and your family, protecting you from any harm this man may wish to do. Please do not be afraid. It has been seen to that this man will no longer harm you.
Normally, muggles who have contact with the wizarding community are put under a memory charm but such a charm would counteract this protection spell. It is therefore imperative that you speak nothing of this incident to anyone in the muggle world. If you do, the penalties will be extremely severe.
Hermione Granger looked at the letter. It wasn't signed, but she recognized the handwriting. She had seen it numerous times at Hogwarts. She clasped her hand over her mouth in shock.
"What is it?" asked Mrs. Granger.
"I know who wrote this letter."
"How?"
"I've seen the handwriting a thousand times... on my papers at school. He's a professor at Hogwarts. His name is Severus Snape. I bet he's the one who saved your life that night too."
"So this man... he teaches at Hogwarts... and he's a death eater??"
"He was. But he was also a spy for our side."
"Oh good," said Mrs. Granger, relieved.
The Granger women got up, and headed downstairs.
"Oh Hermione," called her mother. "I have one more thing to ask you. Your father doesn't know about this. The letter said not tell anyone, so I didn't. Its not that I don't want to tell him its just that well... I couldn't. So please don't mention this to him."
"Ok mum." Said Hermione as she hugged her mother. "You know I love you so much mum. And I'm proud of you for what you did. You stood up for yourself."
"Thank you Hermione. You have no idea how much that means."
~***~
A/N: So what did you think? We'll get back to Lucius and Hermione in the next chapter... I just had to establish the past in this chapter. As always, PLEASE PLEASE review! Thanks!!