The Darkest of Wishes

Chapter 11

The House of Black

"Not the pie!"

Hermione looked across the hall, the noise interrupting her thoughts. Two fourth year Hufflepuffs were causing a ruckus; a boy with a package under his arm was running away from a girl who was chasing him with a broom. The scene was rather chaotic and very funny. One couldn't help but laugh, then Professor Sprout stopped the commotion and shoved the two students away from each other.

"Bit odd, innit?"

"What?" Hermione turned around.

Pansy bit into her apple and nodded in the Hufflepuff's direction. "Those two are snogging now," Pansy took another bite of her apple.

Hermione looked back at the two Hufflepuffs and indeed they seemed to have made up rather quickly.

"Boggins! Do move with a purpose!" McGonagall shouted loudly at one of the Gryffindors. Her sharp tone caused Hermione to look up quickly.

The Great Hall was full of people finishing breakfast and getting ready to leave for Christmas holiday. Hermione and Pansy were still sitting, because Hermione had been told to wait until the crowd had thinned... by dear Mother Delilah.

"Your mum going to be late, is she?" Graham hurried up and sat down beside Hermione. Graham's luggage bag was following her in the air and dropped suddenly on the floor behind her.

"Yeah," Hermione nodded. A red-headed girl had caught her eye; it was Ginny Weasley toting a red and gold patched bag. She was going home for the holidays.

Graham had helped herself to some orange juice and a bagel. She and Pansy had started a conversation that Hermione didn't feel like adding anything to. Finally Graham stood up and waved her wand at her luggage.

"Happy Christmas you two. Be good!" She winked knowingly, and with that she walked off. Hermione was left alone again with Pansy.

Hermione wished that she could have invited Graham instead of Pansy. If it weren't for keeping up appearances, Hermione would have invited Graham. She was thankful that Draco was going to be at Grimmauld Place on Christmas Day. He had devised quite a nice plan to annoy Pansy, which Hermione had readily gone along with. No matter how weird she felt being chummy with Draco, she had noticed that he really wasn't all that bad. Sure he was a git, but if he thought that someone was his equal, he really didn't act like a complete moron.

"You okay?" Pansy had finally finished eating her apple.

"Oh, yeah," Hermione looked down at her watch. "I guess we should get going. It's almost time."

The two Slytherin girls grabbed their bags and headed out of the Great Hall. Hermione slowly walked to the horse-less carriages that would be taking them to the gate, where they would be picked up. However, when Hermione got to the carriages, she noticed that the carriages were no longer horse-less. She stopped suddenly and gasped. She could see the Thestrals.

Hermione hadn't expected to see them. She hadn't expected it at all. But she knew why... she had watched Karkaroff die. She had seen death and now she could see the Thestrals.

"Oy, Hermione!" Pansy's cry brought Hermione back to the present. "What are you waiting on?"

Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that Pansy was going to finish the sentence with, "Christmas?" But she never did. Hermione hurried to the carriage and hopped in.

x x x x x

Hermione had thought that Mother Delilah would have came to retrieve them, but she sent an elderly man that Hermione did not recognize. She was thankful, only during those few moments, that Pansy was with her. Pansy had seen the man and had called him Albert.

Now as she was slowly on her way to Grimmauld Place, a feeling of unease had settled on Hermione. She wished that the feeling would go away and bother someone else... but before she could think anymore, they had arrived.

Albert grabbed all of the luggage and dragged it in between door numbers eleven and thirteen. He pulled out his wand and a large black door - with a silver door knocker in the shape of a serpent - appeared. He tapped the door once and Hermione heard the familiar clicking of many locks opening.

"Hurry up, now," Albert croaked as he bent down to get the luggage.They entered the house and Albert dropped all of the bags in the hall. Hermione immediately wanted to shush him so that they didn't wake up any portraits, but then realized that this wasn't the Grimmauld Place that she remembered.

And living proof was standing on the staircase.

"Oh, Hermione! My darling!"

Hermione didn't know whether to stay put or go to her. But, Mother Delilah was already gliding down the staircase, her black robes billowing behind her.

"You look more beautiful than before," she pulled Hermione into a weak hug, then kissed her on her forehead. "How are you, love?"

Hermione forced a smile, "I'm doing much better now."

x x x x x

Hermione had finally gotten out of her mum's sight for a few moments. As she was re-familiarizing herself with the place, she found her way to the drawing room. It was only then that she realized where exactly she was.

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
"Toujour Pur"

Hermione stared at the tapestry in front of her. She scanned over the names and saw that her name was etched in gold beside a charred area. Hermione smiled to herself. That was obviously where Sirius's name had been. Then it dawned on her... Sirius was her brother. She smiled again and was thankful that he was good enough to be blasted off. Hermione continued to look across the tapestry. She realized, as a lump got caught in her throat, that she was cousins with Bellatrix Lestrange, Andromeda Tonks, and Narcissa Malfoy.

"Miss?"

Hermione jumped and looked down from where the voice was coming from. It was Kreacher!

"Cookies?"

Hermione looked at Kreacher, smiled, and then took one of the cookies. She knew that it was in her best interest to not say a word about elf rights. Even though it was taking a lot of her strength to not tell him that he should be getting paid for waiting on the Black's hand and foot. And that it was quite ludicrous for a house elf to want to get his head chopped off.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Hermione mumbled as she put the cookie in her mouth.

"They's still your favorite?" Kreacher looked up, his large eyes waiting for an answer. He really wasn't all that bad in this reality. He certainly wasn't talking to himself, which Hermione guessed was because he hadn't been left alone in Grimmauld Place for fifteen years with only a raving portrait for company.

"Air won'ful," Hermione said as she chewed. She had tried her best to say, "They're wonderful."

Kreacher grinned and then placed the plate on one of the tables. He placed his nose to the floor and muttered how wonderful she was and something about the Black lineage and then hurriedly ran off.

Hermione turned her attention back to the tapestry and stared at all of the names for a few more minutes. Right when she was in the middle tracing how she was related to the Weasleys, she was interrupted.

"Kreacher?" Mother Delilah's head popped into the room and saw Hermione. She smiled and crossed the room in an elegant fashion.

Hermione wished that she would trip on a rug. It didn't happen.

"Our beautiful family tree," she gushed. She gazed at the tapestry. Placing a finger on Hermione's name, Mother Delilah sighed, "One day soon your name will be connected by marriage and I will be the happiest mother in the world."

"I can't wait." Hermione tried to have the same dreamy tone that her mum had. She wasn't doing a good job of it.

"Come along, my darling," she pushed Hermione gently towards the door. "Dinner will be served. I made sure to have the best and most expensive food, since that Parkinson girl is here. She is adorable, really. Is she younger than you, dear?"

"No, mother," Hermione smiled. "We're both in the same-"

"It doesn't matter," Mrs. Black waved her long, elegant hand, "She will witness the greatness that is the Black family."

x x x x x

The past couple of days had gone by in a blur to Hermione. She remembered conversations here and there... but that was about it. She was getting ready for bed, because tomorrow was Christmas, and she wanted to have plenty of rest for tomorrow. She knew that some family members were coming over, but she had no idea how many, and how many she should know. Hermione wanted to make sure that her mind was free to contain more information. Even though, she couldn't help but think about the tapestry and what she had learned the past couple of days.

Albert, the main caretaker of the house, was her great Uncle, whom Mother Delilah had appointed to caretaker in his old age. She had said that it was the only thing he was actually good for anymore. But, Hermione found that she liked Albert, until they had had a discussion about Death Eaters. Voldemort had said that he, Albert, was too old and could be a hindrance ("Busted my knee about ten years ago, never quite healed, even with magic. I'd be an easy target."). Hermione had found out that he desperately wanted to be a Death Eater (he kept asking to see the Dark Mark on her shoulder), and he constantly wished that he could find a cure to time.

Regulus, her brother, had died in a tragic way. An Auror by the name of Alastor Moody killed Regulus. Mother Delilah was keen to say that Moody hadn't meant to... he had thought Regulus was trying to assassinate him ("Never mind the fact that the Dark Lord had asked Regulus to knock off the old fool.") and had gotten the upper hand before Regulus had a chance. Every time his name was said, Mrs. Black would sigh ("My wonderful son.").

Then there was the most interesting story... Sirius. Mother Delilah would sneer if Hermione tried to mention Sirius ("His foul ways of deceit... horrible... my own son... curse of my flesh... traitor..."). Albert would, however, tell the story of Hermione's lost brother. In fact, when he told the story, he made sure to make it like Sirius was a complete psychopath. Which Hermione found quite amusing. Albert had told her that Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor, then left home when he was sixteen, and finally had become an Auror after finishing Hogwarts. He mentioned that Sirius was one of the deadlier Auror's the ministry had at their call.

"Hermione, want to exchange gifts now?" Pansy sat down on the bed next to Hermione's. "Or in the morning?"

Hermione shrugged, "In the morning, before we go down for breakfast." She was thankful that her thoughts had been interrupted. She needed some sleep... badly.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Pansy yawned and snuggled under the covers. "Christmas dreams..."

"You too," Hermione muttered, almost inaudibly. She really didn't enjoy Pansy's company in the slightest...

x x x x x

"Happy Christmas!" Hermione poked Pansy in the side. "Wake up!"

"Er... wha... five more... presents... I'm up." Pansy muttered as she ripped the covers off. She hopped down to the floor and held out a parcel, which Hermione took. Hermione then handed Pansy her present.

"Same time?" Pansy asked, her eyes still foggy.

"Yeah," Hermione then opened her present. It was a diary. Hermione stared at the black leather cover and the bone-colored pages. There was a small nagging from the back of her mind about something with a diary. Hermione flipped through the blank pages. A wish about... no... she was being silly. She knew what was bothering her... it was when Ginny had been possessed by Voldemort in Ginny's first year at Hogwarts. He had used a diary to come back to power. That had to be the only thing that was bothering her.

"Like it?" Pansy nodded, her eyes starting too look more awake. "I noticed that you lost your other one."

"I love it," Hermione said. She watched as the niffler she had given Pansy was now rummaging through some of their things.

"I always wanted a niffler," Pansy squeaked as she gave Hermione a hug, then watched the animal run around. "You didn't pay too much for him did you?"

"Oh, just a bit," Hermione muttered. She had gotten the niffler cheaper than what the diary cost, she was sure. A guy in Hogsmeade a few weekends ago had just given her two nifflers for free ("Bloody rascals! Done took all me wife's good jewels!"). Hermione had asked Hagrid to watch them for her until Christmas, then she had let him keep the other niffler as her Christmas present to him. She remembered him being so flustered from her kindness. He had made her an entire bag of his special cupcakes. They weren't too bad if you liked to chew your cakes for twenty minutes. "I'm so glad you like him."

x x x x x

Breakfast went by in a blur. Right after Pansy had given her a glass of orange juice, the Malfoys (Hermione noticed that Lucius was fashionably missing. She hoped he was having a blast in Azkaban.) had arrived. Then, not minutes later, the Lestranges had arrived along with an elderly couple and their son, who Hermione recognized as Antonin Dolohov, a Death Eater who had hexed her in fifth year.

After everyone had opened presents, Hermione realized that she was standing in front of the family tapestry again.

"I'm glad you're adopted." Draco's voice seemed foreign, since she was only halfway listening.

Hermione didn't say anything but continued staring at the names on the family tree.

"I want to thank you," Draco continued. He continued to talk, but Hermione wasn't listening anymore. She was tired and needed some sleep.

"I'll see you in the morning," Hermione muttered. "I'm tired."

"Here," Draco shoved something into Hermione's hand. "You'll appreciate it, I'm sure. Sleep well, Hermione."

"You too," Hermione put the papers under her arm and headed up to bed.

x x x x x

Twilight stared at the scene. How could she remember? There was no possible way that the little witch could remember her wish. Twilight had made sure of that. Incredibly sure of that, if you wanted to get technical. And, yet, this little girl, who was no more than seventeen was overriding the tremendous power of the Darkness Fairy.

Twilight flung the swirling mass, through which she was watching the girl's new life unfold, against the dark gray wall. It made a splat and slowly melted to the floor in a dark pool of purple and black.

Cursing under her breath, Twilight slunk through the darkness and picked up the mass. She was getting upset over nothing. That the girl could remember was just a glitch. Besides… she passed on the memory very quickly. Everything was okay. Everything was just fine.

x x x chapter end x x x

Author's Notes: Well, I don't really have any thoughts about this chapter to share with you. Except that the Draco/Hermione bit at the end, is supposed to seem rushed... But, other than that, I hope you all liked it!

And much thanks to my wonderfabulous Beta, Bella. She is fantastically talented and a wonderful working partner.

Coming Soon
Chapter 12 : Speak No Evil