Chapter II - the past is what makes now

Hermione could not believe it.

She sat in the front seat of the car, neither she nor her mother was speaking, there really was not anything else to say.

She was adotpted.

All these years her parents had been lying to her, they really weren't her parents...

That's when in hit her... maybe she wasn't a mublood, maybe her parents were wizards as well.

She turned to her Mu-Georgina Granger.

"From where did you adopt me?" she asked, her voice was devoid of all emotion.

Mrs. Granger shifted in her seat, she looked rather uncomfotable disscussing this.

She didn't answer.

Hermione nodded. she acknowleged the fact that her mother was not yet ready to tell her everything, she had a feeling it was better this way, she knew that she could not handle anymore truth but it still made her more angry than she could possibly put into words, first of all her parents were lying to her, and then they do not even think her mature enough to handle the whole truth.

Georgina chanced a look at her daughter as she pulled up in the Granger's driveway.

Hermione got out of the car and walked up the steps to the house she had not three hour earlier she had seen as her home, now she felt like an outsider, someone who had no business in this house and yet was here anyway.

Taking a deep breath she opened the door surprised at the fact that it was unlocked.

What she saw in ther living room was the very last thing she ever expected.

There, looking completely out of place with all the normal muggle furniture and and her normal muggle father, stood Albus Dumbledore and Lucius Malfoy.

"What is going on here?" Hermione demanded.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," the man she had once called father said. "It was Dumbledore who gave you to us. i sent him a message... its a strange contraption that looks sort oif like a curious old-" he stopped himself under lucius' glare.

Dumbledore nodded deeply.

"Ms. Granger," he said. "if you would follow me."

Before she could ask where she would be following him, the Hogwarts headmaster turned and threw some silvery floo power into her fire place where a crackling fire had just appeared.

"Ms. Granger." he said gesturing for her to go first. "I shally be taking you to hogwarts."

Catching on to his meaning Hermione nodded and stepped stepped into the fire, ignoring her Georgina Granger's sharp intake of breath.

"HOGWARTS!" she yelled in a clear voice.

She got to her school with a minimal ammount of dust on her robes but stumbled rather ungracefully out of the fireplace to find herself in Dumbledore's office. Not really knowing what else to do, she sat down on one of the chairs.

She occupied her self for a few seconds by looking around at the whizing contraptions and the portraits of the former headmasters, Harry had told her about this place and then there was Fawkes, the pheonix who had saved Harry's life in second year, but it wasn't the majestic bird she had thought he would be, instead he looked like a horrible little pink rat with wings. Suddenly he burst into flames. Hermione flinched and looked away from it, she knew that she was in no way responsible for what happened but she just felt uncomfortable being in Dumbledore's office when it happened.

Lucius chose that time to appear, stepping gracefully out of the fireplace, just before Dumbledore, himself came out next to him.

"what's going on?" she blurted out. Dumbledore had not even the time to sit down across from her. She blushed slightly, she hadn't meant for it to come out like that.

Dumbldore smiled.

"I believe," he started. "That i owe you an apology. I should really have told you sooner,"

Hermione shook her head.

"Why did you give me to my par-the Granger's? What happened to my birth parents?" Hermione asked catching herself before saying that the Grangers were her real parents.

Dumbledore frowned.

"Before i start, Miss. Granger, i want you to understand something." he said seriously.

"yes?" Hermione prompted. "and its just Hermione."

Dubledore nodded.

"The Granger's are you parents, they raised you and made you theirs, they are your parents no matter whose blood runs thru your veins. I just hope that you will understand that this is not their fault."

Hermione hesitated slightly but nodded, she wanted Dumbledore to continue.

"As for your bitrth parents, you were born to Luc Phillipe Ruseux and Renee Mercedes du Lac d'pointoirs." He paused for a minute allowing the names to sink in.

Hermione's eye widened, she had read about the Ruseux's, but they were...

Seeing the light of realization in her eyes. Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes, Hermione those Ruseux's, you see, the countries of the wizarding world, much like the muggle ones, were once ruled by monarchies which were later replaced by the different Ministries of Magic. The French monarchy was the last-is the last remaining and it was led by the Ruseux's with Phillipe as the last remaining heir, he was sent to hogwarts during the rise of the dark times due to an outside inteference and in his third year he met one of the french court who had been transferred from Beuxbatons for similar reasons her name was Mercedes. After gradution they married and had one child, a daughter," he paused. "Amelia Antoinette Hermione d'Pointoirs Ruseux, otherwise known as Hermione Granger, you."

Hermione looked at Dumbledore incredulously, and then she realized something.

"So that explains why you were looking for me but why was i given to the-my parents?" she asked, just catching herself before she said 'the Granger's' again.

Dumbledore smiled slightly.

"The Ministry was after your birth parents, they were really more of neutral in the fight against Voldemort, the Ministry thought of this as if they were one his side and not theirs, some even went so far as to convince them of taking the Ministry's side by using their daughter."

Hermione looked horrified.

"What?" she demanded aghast. "Who? Who would take and inocent child from her parents and used as a bribe?"

Dumbledore looked grim.

"Who, headmaster?" hermione repeated, more forcefully. "Aren't we supposed to be the light side? The good side?"

"Hermione,"

"WHO, Proffesor Dumbledore? Who?"

Dumbledore sighed.

"Authur Weasley, Cornelius Fudge, among others," he said. "but before they could, I took you from your birth parents and gave you to the Grangers, they never knew who you came from nor did they know who you really were."

Hermione nodded, it took a while for everything to sink in, she wanted more than anything to shake Dumbledore, scream at him to take back what he had said. It was all too much, all this new information, about her real paretns, her heritage, about Aurthur weasley, after all, he had been a second father to her he could never have dome the things he did, however Hermione also had an inkling to believe the old headmaster. Somehow, she had a feeling he was not lying, but finally telling her everything after all this time.

"Where are they?" Hermione asked finally. "My birth parents, i mean."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Right here." he replied.

"What??" Hermione sputtered her eyes widening. she was rather glad they were not dead, had they have been at the hands of the so-called Ministry, she would have located Aurthur Weasley herself and decapitated him.

Even Lucius smiled, as Dumbledore opened the door revealing a tall, dark haired wizard in an expensive looking robe, next to him was an auburn haired witch, her robes were just as expensive looking and exsquisitely tailored. Upon seeing Hermione the woman gave a small cry of delight. The man beside her seemed too happy to express in words.

"My Amelia!" she cried. Running into dumbledore's office, she embraced Hermione tightly, and after a moment's hesitation Hermione hugged back.

"Easy, Mercedes." Lucius said, he was smiling slightly.

After a moment Mercedes released her long lost child, and Phillipe took his turn to hug her.

"Mercedes, Phillipe, i believe it is time for the entire story to be revealed." Dumbledore said.

Hermione, in a daze, returned to her seat. Lucius, Mercedes and Phillipe followed her example.

When they had all fallen silent Dumbledore started.

"Not long after you were born, Hermione," he said. "Phillipe was accused of being a death eater, hence they wanted to use you to force answers out of him."

"Bloody Weasley." Phillipe muttered.

Ignoring him, Dumbledore continued.

"So i took you and brought you to the Grangers, the Ministry interrogated both Phillipe and Mercedes, in the end Mercedes was released and Phillipe taken to Azkaban, not too long after that, however, Harry defeated Voldemort and thankfully, in that same year Phillipe was released. He was proven innocent and publicly apologised to, i knew that it was in your best interest for you to stay in custody of your adoptive parents. Phillipe and Mercedes were under the impression that you were safe but in hiding and they trusted my judgment, but now, that you have found about you adoption yourself, I believe it is time you claim you rightful place in wizarding society. However as to taking your place in society and, indeed, royalty it involves great consequences, privileges and responsibilities and only you, my dear, can tell me wether or not you think you are ready to take on this challenge," He finished with a deep breath. "Do you wish to, Hermione?"

Hermione stared at him, and then looked around the room.

"You have explained everything, Professor Dumbledore, but one," She said deciding to stall, prolong the time until her final decision until the very last moment. "What is Lucius Malfoy doing here?"

"i believe i can answer that." phillippe spoke up. "lucius and i were very close in school, and remained close after we had married, Narcissa and Mercedes were very close as well, and we had an arangement of sorts with them."

Hermiones looked curious.

"What sort of arrangements?" she asked.

"He is your godfather." Phillippe continued. "and should anything happen to me or your mother, he will be the one to take care of you, as we would to Draco."

Hermione nodded.

"Say i agree to stay with you." she said quietly. "What happens now?"

Mercedes looked delighted.

"Now, my dear, we show you where you are to live."

Author's note: well, that was it, constructive criticisim (unless you are Mishi) is gratefully accepted.