The Geminus
Chapter Eight
"Hermione?" Harry asked, as he browsed through yet another book.
Hermione looked up from the dusty tome she was reading. "Yes, Harry?"
"You do know this is completely pointless, don't you?" Harry was exasperated. Hermione was trying to find the secret of her identity the only way she knew how. The Hogwarts Library. Harry strongly doubted that the answers she needed would be found in a book. After all, there was no precedent for long-term glamours in children. Always exempting those disfigured children of course. "You're not going to find what you're looking for here. You're better off asking the Malfoys."
Hermione tossed her hair over her shoulders. "You know as well as I do any information from them won't be completely accurate."
"Yes, but we've looked everywhere! And all we have to show for it is what Dumbledore's already told you. And Sirius still won't tell me anything." Harry sighed, pushing back his errant dark hair. He started stacking up the books they had been reading. "It's late. We better go now. I think Mrs. Norris intentionally waits at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower to catch me.
Harry got an amused smile in return. "You probably shouldn't have stepped on her tail then. I'm positive she can see through invisibility cloaks."
Harry stood up, picking up their bags. "Yes, well I wouldn't have stepped on her if someone hadn't desperately needed to check a book before submitting her Potions homework" Harry said grinning.
"Harry Potter, if I hadn't checked that book I would never have known that it was written by Gilderoy Lockhart! Honestly. I knew there was something wrong with the potion about Cornish pixies..."
As they made their way out of the library, Harry was faced with the enormity of what had happened in the last year. She was completely different. She had gone from brunette to blond, from petite to statuesque, from muggle-born to pureblood. It struck him how painfully Hermione-like she still was. She was still the girl who had bossed he and Ron around in first year, the same girl who had harbored a secret crush on Gilderoy Lockhart, the same girl who cared about the freedom of house elves. She was his Hermione, and being a Malfoy hadn't changed it a bit.
Hogwarts had moved past the new Malfoy incident. After the initial shock had faded, and the hidden death eater rumors died, aided by Dumbledore's statement, everything had gone back to how it was. For the most part. The only difference was the Slytherins had stopped calling her names. And Ron of course. Ron never spoke to Hermione anymore.
Hermione was made head girl, no surprises there. Her schoolwork was still as excellent. All the same on the school front, Hermione was Hermione after all.
Harry was the only one who called her Hermione. Everyone else had been forced to call her Tatiana. Or Malfoy.
"Flibbertigibbet."
Harry snapped out of his reverie as the portrait door swung open, and followed Hermione inside.
His relationship with her had changed also. After dating briefly, he and Hermione had decided a relationship was not for them. Both their futures were too uncertain. Harry knew how much Hermione worried about the prophecy, and enabling the rise of the dark side. He was also worrying about another prophecy, this one a little closer to home. Hermione had maintained that divination and prophecies were imprecise, of course. Practical as always. Hermione always made doubly sure though never to be alone in Malfoy's presence or alone with Restricted Dark Books. "Doesn't hurt to be careful," she had said sheepishly when Harry asked.
It hadn't stopped a nagging "what-if" in his head though. Having Hermione as his girlfriend had been amazing. They had only ever argued about one thing. Draco Malfoy.
Hermione insisted that she was his brother, and had proved himself to her several times over. Grudgingly, Harry had to agree. Draco had been on the receiving end of many of Ron's bouts of temper, enduring them all without a word. He had gone out of his way the last year to kill rumors regarding Hermione. He had also as Harry discovered, kept quiet about Sirius. Snape had confirmed as much.
Harry would never be able to be Draco Malfoy's friend though. He would never trust him either. He would respect the truce they both had formed. Harry knew that Malfoy had a hidden agenda, but also knew that his affection for Hermione was real. He trusted in that, if nothing else.
&..:..&
"I apologize, Master. But understand that we cannot rush-"
Red eyes flared.
"I do not wish to hear excuses, Lucius."
"Of course not," Lucius said, head bowed. "I apologize Master."
"You will finish her indoctrination by the end of the year. I do not wish to see you again, unless you have completed your task. Is that understood?"
"Of course, Master."
The Dark Lord turned to the rest of his death eaters. "You have your orders. All depart."
Severus Snape apparated back to 12 Grimmauld place with his head reeling. So Lucius Malfoy had already begun changing his offspring.
&..:..&
"This is certainly a mystery. I must say I am at a loss," Dumbledore sighed, from behind his desk. His eyes did not hold their usual twinkle.
Snape understood. He had not even an inkling how to deal with the problem. From what he had gathered, Lucius Malfoy had tried to subconsciously introduce the Dark Arts to Hermione. First through a journal much like the one he had given in second year, but Ms. Malfoy had been intelligent enough not to use it. Then, through several books he knew would catch her attention. During her month-long stay at Malfoy manor, Hermione had owled the teachers regulary, sending them sample pages of the books. They had, of course, enchantments in the writing. Tatiana Malfoy had admitted to reading a few, realizing their enchanted nature only after. Dumbledore had immediately concocted a reason to end Hermione's stay at Malfoy manor.
He remembered the controversy when it first arose. When the light side had come to know of the prophecy, several members of the Ministry had sought to take the children from Lucius Malfoy's clutches. They knew that leaving a child in the care of one of the Dark Lord's own death eaters would ensure its own evil nature. They only succeeded in taking the girl, one Auror loosing her life.
"The answer is simple. We kill the girl," Bartemius Crouch stated flatly. "It is cruel, but it must be done. We cannot take risks."
"An innocent child! How can you even think it Barty-"
"You must be mad."
"It is cruel, but any other way-"
Albus Dumbledore sighed. The decision at hand was mind boggling.
James Potter stared at his wife, who had said nothing in the cacophony of opinions that had followed Barty Crouch's announcement. She was staring at the floor, eyes filled with tears.
"Lily?" he asked. "Are you all right?"
She sniffed. "I'm sorry James, but I just can't help it. James, she's only a baby, look at her!" James followed her gaze to the crib with magical bars the child had been imprisoned in. "How can she be evil?"
"The prophecy states that she and her brother ensure the rise of the Dark Lord, that they will be his most powerful allies. We have a chance to stop that from coming true-"
"Don't talk like Barty, James" Lily snapped. She sniffed again. "It's not her fault, the poor dear. She doesn't deserve this. She's only a baby."
James sighed. Killing a child was unthinkable. He couldn't fathom it. His thoughts went to his own child. Harry was an extraordinary child, James maintained. Sirius. Peter, and Remus laughed at how much James worshipped his son. A baby.
Lily spoke the words they were both thinking. "What if it was Harry?"
&..:..&
Draco Malfoy was unaccustomed to caring for anyone else. The extent of his personal attachment to anyone was only if it would get him something in return. He didn't expect to actually care for Hermione Granger. Well, Tatiana Malfoy now.
Tatiana was the only one though who understood him, as strange as that sounded. It was not a pleasant thing of course. She could see through his intentions far too easily. She was by no means helpful or nice to him. She tolerated him, speaking to him only out of obligation. The closest they had ever been was when the school had alienated her and she had no one else to turn too, but she was back in the good graces of Hogwarts now. She had first clung to Potter like a lifeline, afraid of the growing connection between her and her brother.
He knew she could read his emotions and he just as easily could read hers. She was afraid. She knew of his less-than-good inclinations. After getting close enough to read him, she had bolted away. He had found it harder and harder to read her after that. He acknowledged that she was a more talented legilimens then he was. Of course, she didn't realize she was doing it.
Author's Note:
I began this story pre OOTP, and pre HBP. Therefore, Dumbledore and Sirius are still alive, Harry and Ginny were never together… I haven't quite worked out what plots I'll keep and which I won't. I have changed my pen name, since I've joined the fandom again- hopefully older and wiser. Feedback is much appreciated.