Author's Note: WHAHAHAHA! See me mess around with your minds. Chapter two up and third is coming (this evening quite surely).
I guess it's really easy to guess when I wrote some of these chapters. Mostly I just transform the text so its more understandable.
Oh, I would need a beta for this story. Anyone interested?
Chapter Two: Confusions and Confessions…
Hermione was brought to Hogwarts where she was during a few days, she couldn't remember how many exactly. Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall and Twinky tried to comfort her. The days went by a sort of strange blur, where she only heard distant voices.
Albus Dumbledore had an emergency meeting in Hogwarts staff room. Lupin, Snape, Tonks, McGonagall, Flitwick, Shacklebolt and Moody were there. Strangely, Hermione didn't want to inform neither Harry nor the Weaselys about her parents' death. In fact, she didn't even want to see them.
This was strange considering that they were as good as her only family left. She requested that she'll be in the orders meeting when they talked about her future.
"- Thank you everyone for coming, I'm sorry for bringing you here for such a dramatic reason. As we all know, Miss Granger's parents have been murdered by death eaters."
Every one in the room, except for Snape, who was staring at the table, turned their head in Hermione's direction and gave her a sympatric smile. She didn't smile back.
"- We all know Miss Granger is a target. She's a very powerful, Muggleborn witch. Although the strong spells Moody and I putted on her house, the death eaters broke through the defences. Both of her parents were immediately killed by the killing curse. There's no sign of a visible struggle. Chaos and mayhem yes, but no struggle."
At this point, Snape made a strangled noise.
"- Something to say, Severus?
"- No, nothing in particular. I found it a bit odd that Miss Granger parents have been hit directly by the killing curse.
" - Enlighten this point to us, please…"
"- Normally, Death eaters like to torture people." He said, and looked at Hermione for the first time. " Especially muggles"
After a moment of silence, he added
"- Muggles they know that they have some relations to other people."
He was surprised as Hermione didn't show any emotion at all. Her eyes could have been buttons, because they just reflected the light back, neutral and cold.
Professor McGonagall blinked angrily at Snape. Everybody was silent. It wasn't really the best thing to say when the victim's daughter was in the room.
Surprisingly, Hermione said with a cool, calm voice:
"- So they killed my parents directly, without any pain. It looks like a mark of respect to me. Why would a Death Eater show mercy to one of Voldemort's enemy? Especially to my … parents. If they have tortured them, it would have been a warning. They would have wanted that I suffer."
Everybody looked at her. Snape stared in awe at her. I admitted long ago, that that girl was smart. But she's smarter than I thought. Strangely emotionally detached.
" - Well, we have some problems. Who should take care of Miss Granger? She's not even 16 yet." Dumbledore said.
"- Maybe someone from her family could take care of you?"
"- Funny Professor Dumbledore that you suggest that…. You see there is this … err… a relative… I have never seen my grandparents in my whole life.
Hermione didn't have to finish her sentence as everyone started talking at the same time.
"- Albus, maybe the Weasely's…"
" - Professor McGonagall could be her guardian…"
"- We all know you have a soft spot for that girl…"
"- Umm… I would really like to be with Professor McGonagall but…"
"-Sachklebolt, how long would it take for becoming someone's guardian?"
"- I think it would go quite quickly, thinking the situation"
"- We must remember the bloodlines, like with Harry. She would have the best protection from someone of her own blood."
" -Listen I really appreciate your concern, but I really think…"
"-Now, now girl, don't worry we'll take care of every thing."
" -I'm not sure you're not listening for what I have to say…"
Everyone continued to search ideas for Hermione's guardianship. Every time Hermione tried to say something, she was cut by someone else. The only one who hadn't said anything except for her parents murder was Snape. His eyes were locked on Hermione. But Hermione didn't take notice.
Hermione tried to say something again but was another time ignored. Finally she stood up and screamed:
"-Listen I'm trying to say something here! I already have a new guardian! I want to be with him and NO ONE ELSE! And he'll decide everything about school. "
That sentence dropped like a bomb. Everyone stopped talking immediately. Many mouths were hanging open from the shock and even Snape's eyes had widened.
" - P…Pardon… What did you just say, Miss Granger?"
"- You heard me perfectly well. I have a guardian. He would can – and will, deciede what's for the best for me. I appreciate your help, but concentrate yourself on something else than me. Right now there's some, um, unfinished business at home and I should take care of that first before starting worrying about school. It might take a while. "
"-You can't be serious, child."
"- I'm bloody fucking am."
"- We could try to help you…"
"- NO! You have nothing to do with it. It has strictly to do with me and my parents and well, my guardian to be. I … It's nothing of your concern."
"-Listen to us, we just…"
But Hermione wasn't listening anymore. She jumped out of her chair, and opened the door. She opened it and ran out. She ran and ran and ran.
She couldn't stop running.
She remembered the mornings her mother waked her up and wanted her to go jogging with her.
She remembered when her father used to chase her through the house when she didn't want to go to bed.
She remembered when she was taken from her parents. She remembered how she had ran back then. She had ran for her life, but was caught by him, her kidnapper. The kidnapper she called father.
Now she ran away from the pain. She ran so fast that her vision blurred. Nothing mattered to her anymore.
Then, she saw the office. She went in it. Then she saw the other, smaller room, filled with those little things, she used to have… As in a trance, Hermione's hand touched one of the objects and snatched it. Looking around, she checked that no one had seen her, and she ran away, but this time because of fear.
"- That was unexpected"
Those words pronounced by Severus Snape broke the silence.
Everyone started to talk at the same time. Snape was the only one who got up and went out of the room. Maybe he didn't like Miss Granger officially but he was truly fond of the girl. He knew she needed to be alone.
He was sure to found Hermione in the hospital wing crying over her dead parent's bodies. When he reached the hospital wing he noticed that Hermione wasn't there. He hadn't seen the bodies yet, because he came just a few hours ago.
The bodies weren't harmed at all. It looked like the two adults were having a peaceful sleep.
Well at least they died cleanly. I'm sort of happy for them that they died like this. They died together in their home.
Mrs. Granger was a rather tall woman with glossy dark auburn hair that framed prettily her face. Her skin was slightly golden, not a deadly pale colour the dead usually have. Long thick lashes framed her eyes. Her lips were slightly parted. Her face was peaceful and it looked like she was smiling. Severus wouldn't have recognized her in a million years. She wasn't – couldn't- be the same girl he knew years back.
Well he didn't know her, no one did. But everyone knew her boyfriend, Seth Granger. The blindly devoted Seth, called most of the time Seven. Seven and Angela, the perfect couple. Years could definitely deform one. Angelic Angela looked plain now. And it's strange how tall she was now.
Sebastian Granger looked like his daughter. Only his hair was darker and his face was squarer. Half of his face was covered by a beard. He was quite tall too. Severus wouldn't have recognized him either.
Somehow he was relieved that Hermione's parents weren't horribly mutilated.
He heard light footsteps behind him. He saw Hermione with her arms full of flowers.
"- They look peaceful, don't they?"
He only nodded. Hermione smiled shyly and sat down carefully beside her mother.
She looks so much like her mother with those flowers in her arms. She had the same washed away look in her eyes.
She took out a comb from her trousers pocket and started to brush the dead woman's hair. It was a heartbreaking scene, even to Severus Snape (which really meant something).
He said nothing and stood there to look when Hermione bearded her mother's hair and decorated her parent's bed with flowers. When she was finished, it looked quite pretty, in a retro hippies-ish style.
"- Could you please help me push the two beds together, please?"
"-Whatever for? They are dead, it doesn't matter if they're together or not."
Hermione smiled. At least Snape still was the same.
"- It's important for me. Mind help?"
"- Fine."
They pushed the two beds together and she put her parent's hands together. She looked peaceful and serene. She looked at them fondly.
"Incedio"
Severus jumped about a half meter in the air. The girl was burning her parent's corpses!
"- WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE YOU'RE DOING?"
"- What does it look like?"
"- I t looks like you're putting your parents on fire."
"– Exactly"
"- In HOGWARTS INFIRMARY! ARE YOU OUT OF YOU MIND? All the potions I had to brew for Madame P. are lying around here! Do YOU have ANY IDEA how long it took me to do all those potions?"
"- Well. . . I guess I'm out of my mind. And as for your potions, they are not going to get harmed, I'm only burning this part of the infirmary. "
Severus looked at the girl next to him. She looked strange. He remembered a shy, annoying Know-It-All, bucked teeth, bushy haired, brown eyed girl who was scared out off her wits. Next to him he saw a young girl with golden eyes, honey-coloured hair with straight white teeth who was obliviously out of her mind. But still she was nice to look at.
Did I just think that she was adorable five minutes ago? She's a raving lunatic. Not as innocent as she pretends. But she's pretty nonetheless.
Quickly, he cast a counter spell on the fire. Luckily the bodies were intact. Only the beds were a bit black.
"- Listen to me and listen to me well. You're NOT going to burn them here! What on earth was going through your stupid mind? Are you completely daft? 5O points from Gryffondor and you're going to have a month detention with me whenever you come back. There's no excuse for what you did! I swear I never seen someone as stupid as you!"
The girl wasn't moving, but was looking him straight in the eyes.
She looks like Béhotéguy. And she's also behaving like Béhotéguy.
If Hermione hadn't been to busy staring angrily at Snape, she would have noticed that a strange flash went through his eyes.
"- Well what do YOU know, huh?
"- I used to know your parents a little bit, a long time ago."
At this, Hermione's eyes went round in surprise. Severus took the girl by the hand and accompanied her to the Headmaster's Office.
Severus would have rather have a Christmas tree shoved up in his arse than admit that sometimes, he wished he could lecture his class only to her. Because she was the first student he actually enjoyed teaching too. But he knew he couldn't show her that; that's why he barked at her so often.
Hermione was in Dumbledore's office again. Only this time she was calm but looked uninterested at all the things that surrounded her. She patiently waited for Dumbledore to start the conversation.
"- Miss Granger, I muss admit I was really surprised as I heard that you won't come back to Hogwarts for your sixth year."
"- I never said I wasn't coming back. It depends on my guardian. But in case I wouldn't be coming back, you'll understand that under the circumstances I need some time to cope with everything. I also have to prepare the funerals and everything. I would come back as soon as I think I'm ready."
"- Miss Granger I'm very aware about you're delicate position. You must have a tutor. Even through using the time turner you're six month older than you really should be, but you still need a guardian. This guardian you're talking about, is he of your family?"
"- Yes, he's my closest living relative."
"- You mean by that…?
"- My grandparents kicked my parents to the street when they were teenagers. When I was born, they tried again to gain some contact but it obviously didn't work. I don't even know if their still alive. As for other family, I don't have any. And when I mean anyone, I really mean nobody at all. The only person who could guard me could be my godmother, Vivica. But she lives if France. And she's also a muggle and she knows that I'm 'special' but she no idea I'm a witch."
"- Are you sure you wouldn't like stay here? I understand you're traumatized by what happened but the death eaters would come back again, and this time, they'll kill you. I don't really see a choice here. We could take care of your family business and then you could come and life here with your Muggle guardian of course…"
"- I fully understand that I create big problems with my stubbornness. But I have to stay in the muggle world. My guardian is maybe a muggle, but he at least knows what I am. A witch. You could provide us with an emergency Portkey we could use in need."
"- May I inquire about the identity of your guardian?"
Hermione was now looking at her hands. She was thinking. She was thinking very fast.
"- This guardian of mine…. He's name is Seth. Seth Seven Granger."
Thanks for all those who kindly reviewed me.
Panthatlon: Hope you understand what Seth Granger is to Hermione...
Lady Urquentha: Hah! Nope, the remaining member of Hermione Family is...
