Chapter 8
Her hands were shaking.
Why was she shaking?
This shouldn't be happening. She should be seeing her parents—no they weren't her parents anymore—she shouldn't be seeing the Grangers after all this time in wrinkled sleep shorts and the Weasley sweater one of her boys had shoved over her head before they guided her to the floo.
She could hear the crying from the dining room, where she was sitting between the twins. George to her right with his arm draped over her shoulders, Fred on her left with this hand on her knee giving her warmth.
Her hands were shaking in her lap, her fingers like icicles in their chill.
Order members were trying to speak, she assumed to her but all she could do was focus her eyes on her shaking hands as she listened to the crying coming from the kitchen. It was her mom—no it was Jean—she had to get that straight in her head. They weren't her parents, just the two people that had shoved their 12-year-old daughter to the first stranger that came along willing to care for a freak like her.
Augusta was her family, Neville as good as her brother.
Not these people crying in the kitchen, not even from anything serious just a few cuts and scrapes. Nothing like the curse that had sliced her open. How dare they cry because they were taken out of their home, saved from wizards, by magic, the very thing they had scorned her for.
"Hermione my dear," Mrs. Weasley's voice cut through the fog in her brain. "You are shivering. Let's get you some hot chocolate in the kitchen. I'm sure your parents would want to see you."
"Mum," Fred hissed summoning a blanket and tucking it around Hermione. "Have you not been listening. She does not want to see them."
"But Geor-"
"He's Fred, but what matters is that she will not be seeing them unless she is ready," George said squeezing her shoulder. "And she is not ready, right?"
"No, I'm not but can someone get Augusta and Neville. I think I'm going to need them here." Hermione said her voice as shaky as her hands.
"Course," Fred said leaving the room quickly to make the call.
"Can we go over what happened again?" Hermione asked her voice small and timid. "I don't think I heard the exact tale." After another large wail from the kitchen, she snapped. "And can someone please put a silencing charm up? I can't focus with her hysterics."
Sirius waved his wand from the head of the table and the room was silent for the first time since she had arrived that night. "Kitten, after the fight in the Department of Mysteries, I thought I would be best to put upwards around your house. All of the others involved lived in wizarding homes or had wards already in place like Harry."
"Thank you, I apricate you thinking of me but I haven't lived at that address since the summer after 1st year," Hermione said with a nod to Sirius.
"Where have you been living then?" Remus inquired from the left of Sirius.
"That would be with me, Mr. Lupin," Augusta said as she strode into the room followed by Neville. Neville quickly sat in Fred's empty chair and pulled Hermione into a side hug. While Augusta stayed by the door. "Albus will be along in a minute. He had to let our guest on our little secret hideaway."
"Guest?" Sirius asked. Standing as the door opened once again, the Headmaster walked in with the two Malfoy's trailing behind and Fred making up the rear. "Cousin."
"Cousin," Narcissa replied kindly. Her arm was clutched around Draco holding him to her side. "Auntie Walburga would simply hate you running a secrete organization that stood against everything she believed in from the house."
"Right you are, Cissa," Sirius said with a bright smile. "Such a long time since I've last seen you, was it your wedding to Lucy or did we ever meet on a battlefield during the first war. Being wrongfully imprisoned does addle the memory. So sorry for the loss of Cousin Bella, but she was trying to kill me at the time."
"Sirius," Dumbledore reprimanded but turned to the room at large. "Since it is still rather late or very early, in this case, I'm sure the children must still be tired. Miss Granger would you mind showing Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Malfoy to a room. We will wake you if you are needed."
"Of course, Professor," Hermione said releasing George's hand from under the table and motioning for Neville to stand and follow her. As they passed Gran pulled the young witch into an embrace.
"We will figure this all out. You will not have to see those people if you do not want to. No one is going to force you under my watch." The older witch fiercely whispered in her ear. Hermione nodded and sank further into the warm embrace. As they pulled away Augusta lifted Hermione's chin to get a better view of her face. "Off to bed with you, and we will be talking about how you were at the Weasley residence like I had been told."
Hermione shared a brief smile with Fred as he held the door open for the three teenagers to pass. The blanket Fred had summoned earlier still gave her a warm cocoon to burrow into as she led the two boys up the stairs and into the room she had shared with Ginny the previous summer. As she expected Ginny was sitting on one bed flipping through what looked to be a Witch Weekly while Ron was flopped onto his back tossing a baseball Harry had gifted him on his birthday. She flopped down next to Ginny on the tiny bed while Neville and Draco hovered at the doorway.
"I tried to tell them you weren't in that house Mione, but why would they listen to me. I'm just your best mate and all." Ron huffed.
"It's okay," Hermione signed as she curled the blanket around her tighter. "Can you show Draco and Neville a room? They sent the children to rest while the adults can make decisions about my life."
"We'll figure it out, Hermione," Ginny said patting the older girl on the arm. "We always do."
"But we shouldn't have to figure it out at the last minute like we always do." Hermione huffed. "They are going to send us out to war on the battlefront without any training or information on how we can help. We've all seen things no child should have done to our parents, guardians, and teachers doing a terrible job trying to protect us."
"It's bloody insane being trapped upstairs when for the last five years it has been Harry, Mione, and I fighting these dark wizards for them. And they all talk about Mione like she had gone off the deep end by learning dark magic but maybe that's what we need since no one else is helping us," Ron grumped as he moved to stand pacing in the small room. "We might not have always known who the bad guy was but every year we were there to help Harry save the day and they won't bloody listen to us. And it wasn't just the three of us. Gin was possessed, Nev had to grow up without his parents, sorry mate, and it was five students who fought Death Eaters because they wouldn't tell us anything. And Malfoy I'm sure you had to deal with your fair share of it, He probably is living at your house."
It was silent for a moment as the four other teens watched a now red-faced Ron move back to the bed out of breath from his rant.
"He is," Malfoy confirmed with a shrug and he leaned against the door frame.
"Bloody-fucking-hell," Ron cursed. "I was joking but Merlin's balls that's – that's,"
"Terrifying," Ginny said her hand gripping on to Hermione's for dear life.
"More than terrifying," Hermione agreed.
"As much as I am loath to admit it, Weasalbee is right. No one in his inner circle or their children has failed to notice how important Ron and you are to Potter's success in staying alive. Now with you showing how proficient you are at dark magic and killing Aunt Bella your head is going to be hunted almost equally to Potter's in this war. It's why they went after your parents. Easy target and the least protected out of all of the others included in what happened at the Ministry." Draco again shrugged. "Now I would rather go to bed if you don't mind. I assume you have a plan already working in that big brain of yours Granger, so do share in the morning at a decent hour."
"I'll put them in the twin's room from last summer. I don't think they'll be using it tonight anyway." Ron said as he ushered Neville and Draco off and closed the door behind him.
"Malfoy had to live with him," Ginny whispered with a shiver. Hermione wrapped the girl in her blanket cocoon. They were already laying down on the younger girl's bed and in all honesty, she didn't want to move or sleep alone and with the way, Ginny was starting to tremble Hermione thought Gin could use the company too. "I can't even imagine how bad that had to be. Having Him in my head for less than a year was already a nightmare and that was just a teenage version of that bastard."
"It's going to be okay Gin," Hermione said tightly wrapping the girl in her arms. "We'll figure it all out like we always do."
"You already have a plan don't you," Ginny asked letting herself relax against her friend.
"Partially," Hermione admitted. "But let talk about that later. I already have enough to face in the morning and I would much rather have some decent sleep before facing my—the Grangers."
"I don't know if I can do what you do," Ginny said with a shake of her head. "I—I swear I still hear Him in my head sometimes. Whispering how easy it would be to just follow down his path and I'm already tainted by dark magic. I don't know if I could look myself in the mirror if I tried to hurt anyone else like I did that year."
"Gin, you won't have to," Hermione whispered to the girl who she considered a sister in everything but blood. The young girl was such an important part of her chosen family that it hurt her to hear the normally confident redhead so scared. "You have much more to offer than learning dark spells. I started this whole thing to keep Ron, Harry, and everyone safe so they wouldn't have to make that same decision."
Hermione pulled away from the younger girl so they would shift to a more comfortable position on the bed. She had only been awake for a few hours at this point but already her body was filled with such deep exhaustion she could barely lift her arms to drag the blankets back over the both of them.
"You better not hog all the blankets," She joked as she turned onto her side away from Ginny.
Despite the warning's Hermione woke up cold and to the sound of Ginny snoring in her face. Hermione rolled her eyes and shifted to a sitting position. A glance out the window told her it was morning as the sun was shining unnaturally bright for the dreary London weather. It was only fitting she would face her worst nightmares on such a delightful day. Hermione snorted to herself before sliding off the twin bed and stretching, not unlike Crooks after a good mid-day nap. She was still in her nightclothes of sleep shorts and George's yearly Christmas sweater. She had no clothing stashed in the bedroom but she doubted Ginny would be angry if she borrowed a pair of jeans. Hermione would rather face the day fully clothed, thank you very much.
A quick stop to the bathroom and she was on her way to face her demon's downstairs clad in Ginny's clean jeans tucked under George's overly large sweater. Her hands twisted in the excess sleeves that hung past her arms as she made her way down the stairs. The house was oddly quiet compared to the scene she had witnessed last night. As hesitated at the dining room doors when she heard the hushed voices she recognized.
"My estate is just as secure as this moth-ridden hell hole, Sirius."
"They will be looking for her and it's not a jump to think she could be staying with you and your grandson. Neville and Hermione have been friends for years."
"Our protections have never been breached and I'm not having her ripped out of her home just because you want to be overly protective. She is MY CHILD."
"I owe her two life debts at this point Augusta. I just want her to be safe."
Hermione sighed as she opened the door. The two adults snapped their heads at the intrusion. Augusta was the first to recover and smiled brightly.
"Good morning, my dear," She greeted Hermione before standing and pulling her into a warm embrace. "Did you sleep well? Are you hungry?"
"No thank you," Hermione said with a shake of her head and she settled into a chair across from Sirius. Augusta took her seat next to her at the head of the table. Hermione surveyed both of them. While Augusta was as always polished and put together Hermione could see the beginning of dark circles to form under her eyes. Sirius was much the same. "Sirius, you don't owe me anything. I would never call in on those debts and you know that."
Life debts were a topic still relatively unknown within the magical world. While the owed of the life debt would feel a pull to the individual that saves them it would take a significant life event to repay the life debt. Magic acknowledged the debt in these life or death situations, which could not be settled without significant sacrifice. At least was what she read after third year when she had learned that life debts existed. Neville had educated her that within the pureblood culture it was ingrained in children to never put themselves at the mercy of others as these life debts had ruined family lines.
"It is not about that," Sirius said with a shrug. "You just need to be safe and I would feel better you being here without you being able to sneak off to the twins."
"How—" Hermione questioned.
"You weren't with lovely Madam Longbottom so you had to be with the twins since you are still wearing one of their jumpers. I used to be a mischievous teenager too." Sirius said with a jaunty smirk.
"We'll talk about this later," Augusta said with a raised eyebrow to Hermione. "We need to discuss what you would like to do with the Grangers. They are currently in a guest room, sleeping after that dreadful woman finally stopped screaming."
"What are the options," Hermione questioned, refusing to look at Sirius unless a blush settled over her cheeks showing her embarrassment of being caught.
"They want to go back to their home, refusing to listen to the danger they are in," Sirius said with a scoff. "They will be killed within a week if they go back."
"We could make it that they didn't have a choice," Augusta said. "I do not think their opinion on the matter matters. It would be safer for you if they went to a safe house that way this wouldn't be held over your head."
"Were they hurt?" Hermione asked. She felt like it should have been her first question asked last night but was far too busy having a panic attack at the thought of seeing them.
"No," Sirius said with a scoff. "Just scared by their door being ripped off its hinges. "The order got there before anyone got injured, not that you would believe it with all the screaming that was done last night."
"Did—," She paused so her voice wouldn't crack over the question. "Did they ask about me?"
"It doesn't matter my dear," Augusta said placing a warm hand on top of the younger witch's hand.
"That would be a no," Hermione said with a watery laugh. "I want to see them. Maybe I could convince them that staying at a safe house would be the best."
"I don't think that would be a good idea, Kitten," Sirius said his eyes full of sympathy. "Augusta filled me in on what is going on during your first year. They are next to my birth givers on the miserable things they did to an 11-year-old. I would just like to say several members of the Order had to be forcibly removed from the Granger's presence when they started spouting off about you. You shouldn't have to face them."
"But I need to," Hermione said ducking her head down close to her chest letting herself hide behind her riot of curls. "I think I need to be able to face them at least once more."
"Oh, my sweet girl," Augusta murmured as she moved from the head of the table to crouch next to Hermione. Her index finger gently lifted the young girl's gaze to meet her own. "You do not have to see them. They do not deserve to see what a wonderful young woman you have become despite them."
"I know," Hermione said with a small smile to Augusta. "But I need to do this for me. They wrecked how I saw myself for so many years that I need to face them one-on-one."
"If you are sure," Augusta said still holding her gaze as cupped the girl's cheek at her nod and brought a comforting kiss to the top of the girl's head. "I'll set it up for this afternoon but you need to eat something first. I believe Molly is stress baking in the kitchen let go get you some food."
Hermione nodded and watched as Augusta moved towards the kitchen. Sirius stood and offered Hermione his elbow with a slight bow the picture-perfect Pureblood gentlemen he was raised to be. She let out a small laugh as she slipped her arm into his. And moved into the crowded kitchen filled with Molly at the stove with bowls and pans raised in the air, her wand conducting a culinary orchestra. Neville was sandwiched between a boisterous Ron and a glowering Malfoy, while the twins attempted to slip several of their tricky treats into the unsuspecting blonde's plate. Arthur stood to the back of the kitchen leaning against the counter with the daily prophet raised in front of his face with the practice easy of ignoring his surroundings that only came with having seven children. Standing at the doorway with Augusta and Sirius at her side she knew that this was her chosen family. The ones she would protect at all costs.
A/N: Hello my dears! It has been one hell of a year let me tell you but I finally have an update! Boy do we deal with some tough things in this chapter. Let me know what you think!
Have a safe beginning to the new year.