Chapter 3 - A New Beginning
The shrill whistle of the train sounded as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station. It was only eight in the morning and it would stay there at the magical depot until eleven that morning. Then it would take the long winding track up to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; carrying with it all the students and a portion of the school's staff.
Really there was no one at the station this early, ever, the conductor thought as he climbed out of the cab. Maybe he would have time to stop off at one of those Muggle restaurants in the station and get some kind of drink before anyone had time to notice his absence. Then again, there was already one girl sitting on the floor with her back to the wall while another was just entering the loading area from the magical passageway to London's train depot. Do drink this time. Oh well, maybe he could sneak some chocolate frogs off the trolley before that monstrasity of a woman got there. He ducked back inside the cab and pushed the button for the two bag loaders at the back that students had arrived and their luggage needed to be stored and then he hurried off in search of the candy laden trolley as the two girls boarded the train.
"Hey Ginny." Hermione said as she lugged her trunk over to the girl who was brushing off her jeans as she stood up.
"Hermione! I've missed you." the red-head said as she leapt into her friend's open arms for a hug. "I'm sorry I didn't write for most of the summer. It's just that...there have been...well...I left home." Ginny said haltingly as she tried to put together what she wanted to say in her head. She laughed. "Sorry. I just...can we talk about it onboard?"
The curly brunette smiled. "Yeah. I have some things I need to tell you too." Her smile disappeared as she contemplated what her friend's reaction could be like. "Good thing we got here before everyone else." She laughed half-heartedly.
"Yea." Ginny agreed as they stepped up onto the train. "We don't have to fight anyone for seats this time."
Quickly they collapsed into the first compartment they came to and for a moment they just stared at each other from the opposite seats before Hermione smartly stood up and locked the door and Ginny performed a Silencing charm on the room. Once again the girls faced each other, each trying to get up the nerve to tell the other news that they themselves weren't sure were good or bad.
Hermione cleared her throat. "Well about a month after we last saw each other I sent you a note but I didn't get a reply."
Ginny swallowed. "I left somewhere around the third week of the holidays. I've been in France. Paris actually. It was really nice."
Hermione smiled. "I've been in Scotland."
"Really? Highlands or Low?"
"Mainly Low. Unfortunately I needed to stay near the border for some business."
"That's too bad. The highlands in summer can be utterly beautiful. And actually comfortable to live in without tons of blankets." Ginny said as she fiddled with the backpack she had brought into the compartment with her. "Hermione?"
"Mm?"
"What would you say if I told you that for the time I was in France I lived as a muggle and had no contact with anyone or anything remotely related to the magical world?" Ginny glanced up and waited as her friend's gaze stayed calmly on her face.
"I'd ask what it was you found out that made you leave your family and the only home you'd ever known in order to try to be something you've never had any experience with before." Hermione said as she watched her friend bite the side of her lip.
Ginny gazed out the window and started to speak. "I was studying at the kitchen table one night when I heard my mum and dad fighting. I'd heard them fighting before, when I was younger, but it's been years since either of them have really raised their voices to one another. They were fighting about me. Mum wanted to tell me something but dad said that I didn't need to know. Eventually they got around to the fact that when Ron was barely a few months old Mum and Dad had been having problems and she had gone out for a drink at the Hogs Head in Hogsmede. There, once inebriated, she started talking to another patron who had a child about Ron's age and his wife was threatening to leave him. Apparently one thing led to another and they ended up sleeping together in one of the rooms above the bar. Mum told dad the next day when she went home and he was angry but he got over it with everything that was happening with You-Know-Who and all. A few months later mum found out she was pregnant from that night. I was the result. Mum and dad split up for a little bit but soon dad realized he couldn't take care of all the boys alone and asked her back. His only condition was that I never know about my parentage. Mum agreed but said he had to treat me like all the others. So life continued."
Ginny turned her glazed over eyes to Hermione. "I had never seen dad so furious. He admitted that if I hadn't looked so much like the others with mum's red hair then he wouldn't have accepted me. Now I know what's driving his hatred towards him though."
"Towards who Ginny?" Hermione asked.
"Malfoy."
Hermione's brow furrowed. "I don't understand."
"The drunk man that my mum had an affair with, my biological dad, is Lucius Malfoy."
"Oh my god. Does he know?" Hermione asked stunned.
"Know that I am his daughter?" Ginny asked, "Yes. Know that I now know that fact? No. I don't know if I want to be a part of his life at all. Besides, he's in Azkaban. How would I tell him?"
Hermione tilted her head to the side. "You really lived completely like a muggle didn't you Ginny?"
"Yea, so?" Ginny said, feeling a bit irritated that it should surprise Hermione so much that she could do such a thing.
"The dementors left Azkaban. They deserted it, after they unlocked all the cells setting every single prisoner free of course."
Ginny stared blankly at her friend. "What? When?"
Swallowing the strange lump that seemed to be stuck in her throat, Hermione started to tell the red-head about the article that had been all over the front page of the Daily Prophet the week before, when an extremely loud and angry voice rose above the din that could be heard outside to reverbrate inside the walls of the small compartment.
"Young lady you get back here and apologize to your mother and me this instant! You don't just disappear out into the night and not call or write you little whore!"
Outside the train on the platform hundreds of pairs of eyes were swiftly turned upon the red-faced giant of a muggle and the tiny cowering woman beside him to the object of his anger who'd appeared in the opening next to the compartment entrance from which she had come. After calmly staring at the man for a few eerily silent minutes the girl opened her mouth, "Fuck. You.", and with that being said she stepped inside the compartment. Leaving the stunned crowd to merely stare at the empty spot where the beautiful but strangely rude girl had been standing. Slowly the crowd outside began to get back to the business of hugs and tearful goodbyes, all the while giving the man, and now slightly trembling woman a wide birth. At five to ten there were only a few students left to board the train and the woman bravely placed her hand on her husband's arm. Barely had her fingertips touched the fabric of his coat before the cold concrete of the floor was against her skin and the echo of his slap was left resounding in her abused ears.
A pair of steel grey eyes watched the encounter from the shadows and they narrowed as the man walked off leaving the woman to pick herself up and follow in his wake. He hated men like that, and with that thought still echoing through his mind Draco Malfoy stepped up into the train, without a glance behind him, seconds before the Express took off.
Hermione remained as fake and composed as she had been on the train ride after the confrontation with her stepfather as she stepped off the train and up into one of the waiting carriages. She ignored the beast that pulled it pretending she was just like all the rest of them, never knowing about the magnificent creatures that pulled the carriages. Sitting back against the black velvet seat she watched Ginny fall asleep across from her and then she began to replay the incidents on the train in her mind.
After her mother's husband had yelled at her, Hermione seethed with anger. How dare he act like she had done something wrong! How dare he stand there and yell at her! She remembered how she had beenmanaging to keep her anger under a tight leash for a bit but then once more her control had broken as it had been doing so often lately and she spoke the first thing that came to her mind. "Fuck. You." After watching his face turn practically purple with rage her anger died down a bit and Hermione had been able to unclench the sides of the doorframe long enough to walk into the compartment, where Ginny waited for her, locking the door behind her. She had waved off Ginny's questioning gaze and had continued to tell her about the article that had been the most shocking bit of news all summer long until both of them had fallen prey to the rocking motion of the train and fallen asleep on the seats in the compartment.
A few minutes later unknown to Hermione and Ginny two very annoying some ones had entered the compartment while they slept. A pair of sleet grey eyes slowly traced every detail of Hermione as she laid there sleeping, as if memorizing a forbidden spell. Slowly his eyes roamed over her face, watching the way her hair cascaded over the side of the seat to spill onto the floor, a smile tugged at his lips when he noticed the way her arm was bent so that her gently closed fist was resting softly against her cheek.
Thoughts ran rampant through his mind as he watched her sleep. The first and foremost being that she had changed, a lot. The summer had altered her somehow. The thought that automatically followed, was that it was all wrong. Or maybe it had been wrong before and this was what was right. He just didn't know anymore. For Merlin's sake, he shouldn't be thinking about whether she had changed or not and he definitely, definitely should not be noticing how tight those pants were or how low they rode on her hips or how that little black shirt seemed to be practically molded to her skin. And he really shouldn't be thinking about how kissable she looked right then with her lips slightly parted and all. If only her eyes were open, he thought, like they were right now. Shit. This is not good.
"Malfoy, what the fuck are you doing here? How did you get in here? I locked the bloody door!" Hermione sat up and angrily yelled at the boy now sitting next to her. She tossed her head quickly so she could see without her hair getting in the way of the death glare she sent his way.
Merlin, she's even more beautiful when she's angry. Especially with her hair falling down her back and her eyes flashing like that, Draco thought erratically.
Ginny sat up after Hermione's yelling and she in turn began to yell at Blaize who was casually sitting on the bench next to her. For a full minute Draco and Blaize could think of absolutely no excuse for them having decided to join the girls' in their compartment. Thankfully they were saved from having to make a crappy excuse when the door suddenly opened. But then again it was no where near a blessing; Potty and Weasel walked through the door to stand inside the compartment.
What is it? Asshole day? Thought Hermione and Ginny simultaneously as Harry and Ron entered the room without even knocking.
"Hello. What the fuck?" Hermione asked calmly as she moved her angry gaze from one male to the next so they'd all know they were in deep shit, "I was sleeping here."
Draco, being the complete asshole that he was, merely smirked. At least Harry and Ron had the grace to look ashamed. Both began to stumble out an apology but Hermione had had enough, "Whatever, just get the fuck out", she growled as she slid off the seat and began pushing them out of the compartment.
When they had reached the doorframe Potter managed to find his voice. "Hermione, what are you doing? We're your friends remember? You completely change your appearance and disappear like Ginny and neither of you have responded to a single letter all summer and now you're sharing a compartment with Zabini and Malfoy while shoving us out! What the hell's wrong with you?"
Exasperated beyond words the girl merely shoved her middle finger at the 'boy wonder' and pushed him out the door only to have him and his sidekick fall directly into the path of Professor Snape.
Severus Snape stopped abruptly before stepping upon the two bodies that blocked his path and looked up at the adjacent doorframe only to find a pair of cold brown eyes staring back at him. Smirking slightly he watched as the two boys picked themselves up off the floor, mumbling something about stumbling, before turning his attention back to the girl who was standing so coldly in the doorway only to notice a shock blonde head hovering behind her.
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, there you are. I've been looking for you. When we arrive at the castle you need to see the headmaster immediately. Any questions you have regarding your sister can be answered later at her convenience I'm sure." And with that he ignored the four boys whose mouths were hanging open as he walked over to the girl and enveloped the red-head in a hug. "Welcome home." he whispered quietly in her ear. Then just as quickly as he'd come Snape made his way back to the front compartment leaving two softened faces and four stunned ones in his wake.
Thankful to the Professor for the distraction, Ginny used the petrified stances of the boys to close and relock the door with the four of them still standing outside it with their mouths hanging open. Humming to herself she laid back down on the seat where she had been sleeping before as Hermione did the same. After lying there for a few minutes Ginny fell asleep and Hermione stared up at the ceiling. After a few more minutes Hermione turned over on her side and rummaged through her bag on the floor. Finding what she was looking for she re-curled up and let her breath deepen until she was lulled back into a deep sleep.
If anyone had walked in at that moment they would have smiled at the sleeping form of a slightly altered Hermione Granger clutching a wizarding photograph of a dark man tossing a small child up into the air and then catching her in his arms with the biggest smile anyone had ever seen him have on his face. Soon, however, their smile would have turned to an icy fear as they realized that the dark haired man was Tom Riddle, more commonly known as Lord Voldemort, and the child was none other than Hermione herself.
The carriage jolted to a stop and threw Hermione forward into the sleeping form of Ginny, on the seat across from her, jarring her from her thoughts. After reassuring Ginny that everything was alright and that she had just lost her balance Hermione opened the carriage door and hopped outside to find that the threstle pulling their carriage had stopped and was standing still while the other carriages continued on towards the castle until they were out of sight.
Hermione approached the threstle slowly and carefully, not wanting to spook it; but then again, Hermione thought nervously, it wouldn't take much for her appearance to spook every living thing in the world, especially during the night. Her hair was so dark that it almost became the night around her, her clothes disappeared into the cloak of darkness and the pale skin of her face and stomach seemed to be as translucent as a ghost. Breathing slowly and evenly she took the distance one step at a time until she was standing directly beside the threstle. Having managed to approach the creature without it running or balking Hermione reached up and stroked its neck while looking it over.
It appeared to be fine; which meant, Hermione thought, with a shiver of anxiety, it had been told to stop. But she honestly couldn't think of a single person besides herself that could speak to threstles. Swiveling its head around to watch her with it's dark swirling eyes the threstle watched the flash of annoyance flicker across Hermione's face an emitted a shrill noise akin to a purr. She hated not knowing something.
Hermione watched as a carriage coming from the direction of the school rolled along the path towards their own still one. When it had drawn abreast the strange threstle trilled a welcome while Professor McGonagall leapt down from the carriage.
"Ms. Granger, why is your carriage so far behind the others?" Without waiting for an answer she raked her eyes over the threstle, "It appears to be fine." Suddenly the threstle emitted a piercing shrill as if in pain and lifted its foreleg. Quickly Hermione glanced at the threstle as the Professor bent down for a better look, and swore that the threstle winked at her.
"Well then, I'd better send Hagrid back to fetch this one so he can tend its leg before it has to walk any farther." McGonagall said as she straightened up, "Naturally you'll ride back to the castle with me. By the way", she added as she clambored up into the carriage, "the headmaster would like to speak to you Ms. Granger when we arrive."
While the Deputy Headmistress settled into the carriage Hermione went and woke Ginny up again and explained the situation to her. As they climbed up into the working carriage and settled into the seat across from their teacher Hermione couldn't help but feel that the Professor had been stressing her last name both times she'd been addressing her. Hoping she was misunderstanding the reason why she shivered a bit inside her skin before relaxing her body for the long ride to the castle.
The moment the carriage rolled away behind the threstle towards the stables Ginny had a sense of foreboding as she stood in front of the castle. A vision of ruins stood in front of her with wizards and witches she knew and loved amongst the rubble. But as quickly as it had come the vivid vision left and she was alone with Professor McGonagall staring at her impatiently as Hermione disappeared through the doorway, tapping her foot on the elaborate tile just inside the hall. Striding quickly so as not to delay the inevitable any longer, Ginny slipped past the door just as McGonagall was shutting them. Both were so caught up in their own thoughts that neither noticed the two small slivers of stone that separated themselves from the Gryffindor Griffin statue and then crashed to the floor breaking into hundreds of pieces.
By the time Hermione and Ginny had entered the Great Hall everyone had already been sorted and taken to their dormitories. The only thing living in the entire room was Filch's shabby cat, Ms. Norris, who was eyeing the two of them with frank curiosity.
Sighing with a slight hint of annoyance Hermione rubbed a hand over her stomach which rumbled gently in return. She was hungry. She'd been too busy to eat breakfast that morning and then she'd missed lunch on the train. She'd been looking forward to this meal with great relish. Oh well. She'd better skip the idea of going down to the kitchens for a snack and instead head straight for Dumbledore's office.
Hermione turned and headed back down the hall and entered the maze of hallways and byways that it took to get to the headmaster's office while Ginny went ahead and turned down the hall that led towards the dormitories. Finally Hermione stopped in front of the great stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Once it had looked grotesque to her, Hermione thought, but now it looked...was that a meow?
She spun around and searched the dark corridor behind her with her gold eyes shining bright, until they alighted on the figure of Ms. Norris waddling along after her. Hermione smirked and turned back around to face the statue again before whipping back around to face Ms. Norris again. Wait a minute, Hermione thought, waddling? Quickly she gave Ms. Norris a thorough once over; well, well, well. Didn't Ms. Norris look a bit fuller around the stomach and not from catching mice either. Hermione chuckled and waited for the tabby to catch up. Once the cat had drawn alongside her Hermione motioned toward the stone gargoyle "chocolate frogs" and as the staircase appeared she glanced down at the cat "After you mommy" and then stepped up onto the staircase only after Ms. Norris had managed to leap onto the top stair.
She'd thought getting to the headmaster's office had been tedious, Hermione thought as the clock struck yet another quarter hour. She sighed again and re-crossed her ankles. It'd been thirty minutes of her, alone, in Dumbledore's office with only Ms. Norris. Even the pictures of the former headmaster's were empty. Ms. Norris was all she had for company and if she stopped rubbing the cat's stomach the mommy would raise her head languidly while her claws scratched up Hermione's leg. Not that she minded, Hermione thought, it had surprised her really that Ms. Norris would allow her to pet her and then when she had felt the kittens move it had produced excitement and then something else...a longing?
She shook her head gently and picked up her new, awkward burden. It had been a long day and was now proving to be an even longer night. She turned towards the entryway and just as she reached to grasp the handle, the door opened to reveal the headmaster, in torn and dirt-stained robes, entering the room.
"Ah, Ms. Granger. I did not expect to have found you actually waiting this long", he said as he walked over to his desk.
"Well, sir, Professor McGonagall made it sound really important," the girl said as she stepped back towards the chair she had so recently vacated and sat down with the now sleeping cat on her lap.
"We need to discuss a few things for this year but seeing as how it's so late in the evening we'll keep it to the bare minimum, is that alright with you?", at Hermione's nod he continued, "The first thing, and most obvious really, is that I will not tolerate any more songs being written about students that go to this school." There he stopped and leaned his elbows upon his desk while he waited to see if the dark-haired girl would reply. He was not kept waiting long as Hermione had already figured out that he, of all people in the wizarding world, would know what she had been doing over the summer.
"Well seeing as how I do not write the lyrics I can easily agree to your request. All I do is sing what the words make me feel. And there is no crime in that." she replied. The headmaster's eyes barely widened as he nodded and opened his mouth to continue along with other matters that he deemed important.
Bored, Hermione let out an exaggerated yawn and bit down a smile, as the Headmaster glanced up at the clock and grudgingly agreed that it was late and that they would continue the conversation at a later date.
Doing her best to appear grateful Hermione nodded as she scooped up Ms. Norris and began to run as fast as she could, without jarring her burden awake, towards the prefect's common room. When she reached the portrait she stopped and stared, almost forgetting about the need she felt to be completely alone. This was a portrait like none other she'd ever seen. Almost all the portraits in the school contained people who had already died. But here in this scenic picture were small replicas of her and all the other prefects.
"Hello," said the miniature version of Ginny, "can you tell us the password?"
"Or else we can't let you in." added the miniature of herself.
Oh, Merlin, thought Hermione, he told me right before I left, what was it? "Unity", she guessed quickly and when the portrait swung open she heaved a sigh of relief. It was one minute to midnight exactly and it would have been a pain to have to stand there all night.
Slowly she trudged up the stairs towards the girl's dormitory, fatigue beginning to envelop her as she found the empty alcove with her trunk waiting at the foot of the bed. I'll decorate tomorrow, she thought as she looked at all the snow white furnishings. Gently she laid Ms. Norris down at the foot of the bed and stripped down to her cami and matching thong before sliding under the sheets. Just as her breath was evening out and she was falling asleep she felt something curl up next to her on the opposite pillow. Glancing over through her slitted eyes Hermione found that Ms. Norris had moved to an apparently more comfortable position on the other side of the bed. Hermione smiled softly as her mind drifted into complete and utter darkness.
Meanwhile, in the dungeon common room of the Slytherin house, another figure sat still awake at one of the tables putting the finishing touches on a rather long piece of parchment. A dark haired boy entered the cold room with an eagle owl on his arm.
"Did you finish it yet?"
The blonde nodded as he rolled up the long parchment. "Just now."
The other boy sat down and looked at him piercingly with his blue eyes, "So when do you think he'll respond?"
"Oh, father will respond immediately. We might as well stay awake." Draco said as he tied the letter to the owl's leg and watched as Blaize took the bird to the open window and released him into the night air.
Blaize took a seat in one of the gilded hunter green chairs near his friend and propped his feet up on the table near them. "So do you think Snape was telling the truth? That the red-head is your sister?"
"It would explain a few things." Draco said as he leaned back in his chair.
"Like what?" Blaize asked with a smirk as if he knew some of the things that the blonde was about to list.
"Like how she is the only one in her family actually able to do complicated spells decently. Not to mention the fact that she actually has a cunning mind. She really only has two setbacks."
"And what are those?" Blaize asked as he lazily flicked his wand in the direction of the fireplace and watched as flames erupted and slowly began to leak warmth about the room.
"Well there's her infatuation with Potter."
Blaize shook his head, "She didn't appear too happy to see him on the train earlier though Draco. Maybe it was just a fleeting thing of being star struck."
"True," Draco said inclining his head a bit. "True. But she still hangs out with that mudblood bookworm all the time."
"Oh come on now Draco." Blaize said, sitting forward a bit in his chair begging the flames to warm up the cold room faster. "It's just you and me right now and we both know that the only reason you dislike Hermione Granger is because of three things. One: she befriended Potter and not you. Two: she was sorted into Gryffindor. And Three: she manages to beat you in every class except Potions by a few measly points and that really irritates you."
"Alright fine. But she's still just a mudblood." Draco said with a snarl.
Blaize nodded, "But let's just say that the world changed and she wasn't. Let's say she's pureblood and sorted into Slytherin. Would you still hate her?"
"But she's not a pureblood so this entire line of questioning is pointless." Draco said after a minute of silence when he heard the flapping of wings coming near the open window. "Ahh, it appears that your owl is back Blaize. Hold him while I get father's response. I do believe it is time for some questions to be answered."
Blaize eyed the thick roll of parchment. "And some instructions if I am not mistaken."
"Please," Draco said with a sneer in his voice as Blaize let the owl fly outside to the owlrey. "When has either of our fathers ever written something or spoken to us without managing to insert some sort of instructions?"
Blaize laughed, the sound hollow, as he sat back down in the chair next to his friend who was blanching at the length of the parchment as he unrolled it.
"Dear Merlin, it's the length of one of Snape's assignments."
"Well get on with it." Blaize said impatiently.
"Hold on," the blonde said as he re-read the three foot length of parchment. "Alright, here is the gist, since according to this, we are not to be given any details until we visit for the winter holidays. "Yes, Ginny Weasley is my half-sister. Snape was right. We are not to mention any of this to my mother. We are to be nice, or as nice as we can be, to Hermione Granger as not all is as it seems. And somehow we are to bring them back with us to the manor for the holidays."
"Oh," Blaize said slinking down a bit in his chair. "Is that all? Wouldn't he like us to also capture the gilded girdle of an amazon queen while we are at it?"
Draco eyed his friend warily, "Father may be making outlandish demands but there might be something to it. In fact I think I'll ask Snape about doing a certain potion soon. It may clear up a few things."
"It's too late for me to attempt to follow the line of your thinking. Let's go grab a few hours of sleep."
"Sure. But I am still talking to Snape in the morning."
"Whatever."