Hermione sat bolt upright ,sweat pouring down her forehead ,her chest heaving rapidly as she swept her long curly locks out of her face.

She was back to normal.

That was the first thing she noticed

The second thing she noticed was that she wasn't in the hospital wing this time ,instead she seemed to be situated in the small alleyway that usually separates the shops in Hogsmeade. Overflowing bins were about three metres away from her and she was surprised that the revolting smell hadn't reached her.

'I placed the non-detection charm,' Draco explained ,noticing where Hermione was looking as he gently directed her to lean against him ,so she could catch her breath. Rubbing soothing circles on her shoulder, Draco asked, 'Are you alright?'

Hermione shook her head. She felt like she should be crying. Her whole world had just been tipped upside down. She wasn't Muggleborn anymore, she wasn't the proud daughter of her parents anymore...Should she even be calling them parents?

'Did she tell you?' Pansy asked ,kneeling beside Hermione ,her feminine intuitiveness coming into play.

Hermione couldn't bring herself to nod.

'Where's everyone else?' she asked ,noticing that Ginny, Theo and Blaise weren't to be seen.

'They're trying to hold off...' Pansy started wringing her hands ,as she decided whether to go on.

She needn't have worried ,though ,as at that moment Harry Potter rounded the corner of the alleyway ,marching up towards Hermione ,the other three in tow.

'Leave her alone!' Ginny barked ,as she tried to catch up with him. She didn't have to walk far ,though ,for he stopped in his tracks once he was about a metre away from Hermione and crouched down.

'I thought I was hallucinating' he said slowly ,more to himself than anyone else.

'Unfortunately, you weren't' Theo sneered ,panting slightly as he stood behind the boy ,glaring at him.

'You are a girl and Hermione Granger of all people' Harry breathed ,'How-?' he was cut off ;however, as Hermione made to get up but was pulled firmly back down by Draco.

'You're not going anywhere by yourself' He pulled himself up using the wall behind him and then helped Hermione

'I can stand up' Hermione said ,but her voice was weak and she took Draco's offered hand anyway. 'Thanks'

Not looking eye to eye with anyone ,as if afraid that if she did they would realise what Bellatrix had said ,Hermione staggered through the narrow alleyway ,Draco right behind her.

Not many people were in Hogsmeade ,but they were enough to easily spread the word of Hermione Granger's presence.

'What do we do?' Draco asked her ,expecting her to transform into her disguised self ,but feeling too weak and dazed to do so, Hermione just stood there with her eyes glazed ,letting the others decide what to do.

She wasn't in the mood. Not now ,at least.

'Theo, you're supposed to be intelligent' Blaise asked.

Theo shook his head 'Unless she wants a beard or moustache, I can't help'

'I can colour her hair' Pansy offered 'But it won't really change much'

'You want to disguise her?' Harry asked ,just catching onto what they were trying to say 'Because of that prophecy ,is it?'

Theo gave the boy a calculating look ,before nodding 'Yes, those escaped Death Eaters are after her. We don't know why ,though?'

Hermione tried hard not to blanch. She knew now.

Harry seemed to be contemplating something for a few moments before looking up at the six Slytherins ,who were still discussing what kind of disguise would work the best.

'I think that if I transfigure her hair shorter then you give her a moustache or beard ,it'll look much more realistic than-'

'I've got something' Harry volunteered cautiously. They all turned to look at him. 'I don't give this out much. Only Ron knows about it ,actually, but as this is a matter of-'

'Just spit it out!' Draco yelled.

'I've got an invisibility cloak' he said quickly ,bringing it out from inside one of his duffel coat pockets 'It's how I came into Hogsmeade today'

'You were banned from further Hogsmeade trips' Ginny breathed before looking at him and taking the cloak from him gently 'So this is how you get around the school without being caught' She gave him a small smile in thanks and he nodded sheepishly ,the complete opposite of the Potter they knew and hated.

Using the cloak, they got Hermione into to school and to the library ,Ginny promising Harry that she'd return the cloak to him later on as he hurried to the Gryffindor common room.

Once they were safely in their favourite corner of the common room and muffliato charms were up, Hermione collapsed into a chair and the others scattered themselves around her.

'All that for a nice evening out' Blaise said ,shaking his head. 'This is ridiculous.'

Hermione wasn't listening ;however, she was flicking through the same book she had been reading when the others had been doing their homework with a pensive look on her face.

She was scared.

There was no point beating around the bush. She knew that she should know better than to doubt their friendship ,but what else could you do when you'd just been told that your biological father had been the darkest wizard of all time and had ruined countless lives ,including their own.

'You're nervous' Draco said ,snapping her out of her reverie.

'What?' Hermione asked ,not really wanting to reply to the statement.

Draco's smirk widened, 'And you don't want to talk about it'

Hermione sputtered, 'Wha-Umm-No-I don't'

'We won't judge ,Hermione' Pansy promised.

'Whatever it is ,we'll help you' Ginny agreed.

'We always have' Theo agreed .smiling.

'Just spill' Blaise said impatiently and Hermione laughed shortly.

There was never a quiet moment with them.

Steeling herself, Hermione took a deep breath.

'She told me' Hermione admitted before she could loose her nerve. She stared determinedly at the page she'd read the most of all of them: 'The Lost Daughter'. 'She told me my true name'

'Your surname?' Pansy breathed.

'Are you pureblood?' Blaise asked.

Pansy smacked him on the head. 'Is that really important right now? Pureblood or not-'

'He's just curious ,Pansy' Ginny admonished ,impatient to hear more from Hermione. 'Go on ,Herms'

'She told me that I was the Death Eaters only hope to bring his regime back again' Hermione continued ,her voice partially cracking with emotion, 'She told me that I was a beacon of light for them'

'Because of your parents?' Blaise asked.

'Your parents were Death Eaters' Draco gasped.

Hermione shook her head.

'But you said-' Theo began before his eyes widened in realisation. 'Wait, if you're not...' his voice trailed off before he and approached Hermione carefully and enveloping her in a tight embrace. Hermione choked on a sob. The tears were beginning to catch up with her now.

'I don't get it' Draco frowned ,a small balloon of jealousy blowing up inside him.

Hermione withdrew from the embrace and looked down at the book in her lap.

It was still on the page she had been reading. Tilting it around, she held it so the others could read the page too.

Curious, Ginny took the book from Hermione ,being the closest ,Pansy, Blaise and Draco reading over their shoulder.

There was a full minute of silence before-

'You're the Lost Daughter!' Pansy cried and ,to Hermione's surprise, a smile was playing on her lips. 'The number of times my mother has admonished me for not being like her ,even though she'd never met the girl, and to think all along it was the girl she hated!' A laugh broke out from her lips ,as she went to hug Hermione 'I guess I did become more like you in the end.'

Hermione sat stunned at Pansy's reaction. She'd never even entertained the idea of any of them having heard of 'The Lost Daughter' beforehand and she said so ,causing Blaise to shake his head in disbelief.

'I just hope you don't expect us to bow to you' he said with mock formality.

'Oh shut up' Ginny rolled her eyes with exasperation 'Hermione would never do that. She's too good.' She flashed Hermione a grin. 'Now we can be called the Sacred Six'

'Not that name!' Theo whined playfully. 'Anyway, she's not technically pureblood. She's got the surname of a Muggle'

Hermione ignored them ,fixing her eyes upon Draco ,who had yet to speak. He'd taken the book from Ginny and was skimming through the page about 'The Lost Daughter' ,a ,in Hermione's opinion, cute crease between his eyebrows.

She gulped in anticipation.

The others bickering died down.

'There's nothing here about why you were given to Muggles or whether you were even given away or not' He grumbled ,slamming the book shut ,apparently oblivious to the five pairs of eyes that had been and still were fixed upon him. 'Why would The Dark Lord give you away anyway? He'd want to keep his heir ,right?' He didn't wait for an answer. 'Maybe your mother gave you away ,but why? She could've run away herself or maybe she did. Your mother might've-'

'Stop right there ,Malfoy' Hermione said firmly 'We're not even entertaining that theory'

Draco jerked his head up at her ,only just realising that he was talking out loud. Getting over the realisation, he reasoned 'It is a possibility ,though. You haven't got the letter back from your parents yet'

'I wonder who your mother is?' Ginny asked.

'Whoever she is, she probably isn't a Death Eater' Theo said 'If she was, there would've been no escape for her ,as the mark would've deemed her trackable'

'That is ,unless, he'd authorised her whereabouts' Pansy countered.

'Can't imagine that ,though' Blaise shook his head 'The Dark Lord letting his only heir grow up with Muggles? No way'

'Poabably' Theo mused

'This solves a lot of our questions ,though ,doesn't it?' Hermione said logically. 'Dumbledore either knows or suspects my heritage and the prophecy is most likely predicting that the Voldemort's daughter will help the escaped Death Eaters. It all makes sense now'

'No wonder hasn't trusted you with the prophecy.' Ginny said.

Suddenly, Blaise let out a bark of laughter, 'Imagine his face ,when the old codger saw you sorted into Slytherin and making friends with us'

'Must've regretted letting us return to Hogwarts' Theo agreed.

'It also explains,' Hermione continued ,as if she'd never been interrupted 'why Bellatrix has been so nice to me. She hasn't tried to hurt me once and I've got a feeling that she could've entered my mind a lot more times this year ,than she has chosen to. She's been holding back considerably.

'She'll get impatient ,though, I know she will' Draco said worriedly.

'Now, aren't you a bright ray of sunshine' Ginny said with sarcasm ,rolling her eyes.

'I'm only being realistic' he snapped ,but his tone was softer than it could've been and he looked more resigned than angry.

'What forsaken girl would have you as a boyfriend?' Ginny muttered ,tactfully and she got the response required.

Draco's ears went pink and looked pointedly away from Hermione.

Hermione blushed a pretty shade of magenta and looked down at the ground.

A/N: Love this chapter! It's also far longer than I would usually make it ,but we can paste that to the fact that it's still my birthday week.

Please read and review!