"Looking for a soft place
Nothing more than a small taste
Of a love that ended long ago
Looking for a place to hide
A warm bed on a cold night"
Allison Moorer - A soft place to fall.
Hermione had never been happy when the school year ended, yes it meant that she would get to see her parents and relax a little, but her mind was always eager to learn new things. However as the Hogwarts Express had pulled into King's Cross station and she saw the assembled guard waiting for herself, Harry and Ron she sighed. She had endured nine months of Umbridge and once again almost died. Dolohov's curse had left an ugly scar on her heart and along her ribs and still ached when she moved. Even Harry's paranoia had been draining on her but she found his new found enthusiasm even harder to deal with.
The knowledge of her parents not being her parents, her being Harry's aunt and daughter of his grandmother and a death eater made her stomach roll. She had been angry ever since she had been told the truth and angrier still when she was informed by Dumbledore and Dorea that they had removed the spells that had been placed on her parents and that they had been obliviated of all knowledge of her for their protection as well as hers. Hermione had managed to hold her temper until she dared to call her Cassiopeia. Then she had exploded in a rage she could still feel simmering in her veins. She yelled until her lungs gave out and then she whipped out her wand and Harry had restrained her from cursing the woman who had single-handedly destroyed her life in the ten days whilst she had slept.
Harry had spent the whole train ride trying to convince her that Dorea wasn't that bad but she was having none of it. That woman had erased all knowledge of her from her parents and then proceeded to ship them off to Australia for a new life. It was only after Dorea and Harry had left the Headmaster's office and she had been chastised for losing her control, that Dumbledore had deigned to ask some of her questions. Her father was one Rodolphus Lestrange and as his only child, she was now his heir, which meant legally of his accounts and properties were hers. Not that she really cared, she wouldn't touch any of it, the only reason she wasn't angry at him was because she had been assured he neither knew she existed or played a hand in hiding her in the muggle world.
She doubted Dorea's sincerity that she couldn't have left her with James, Sirius or Remus. She felt as though she was Dorea's dirty little secret and no matter how many times she had tried she could not wash off that feeling of being unclean since she gained this knowledge. It seemed however that no one cared how she felt, apparently she was meant to be grateful for now being a "pureblood" and all that sacred twenty-eight nonsense. Her inelegant snort had amused the twins but had earned the censure of one Molly Weasley but Hermione ignored the red-headed matriarch having no patience for her joining in on her misery. So she had fumed silently for the last six days of the term.
She unloaded her trunk, charmed to be weightless and cuddled Crookshanks close as she alighted the train and trailed behind Harry and Ron as they headed towards the crowd waiting for them. As the crowd made their way to the Dursley family and attentions were elsewhere Hermione slipped in with the moving crowd of students leaving the hidden platform and escaped. With quick steps, she slipped the hood of her jacket up over her head and hurried to the northbound train and slipped inside. The final stop was Leeds and she didn't really breathe until the train slowly pulled from the station.
Her head leaned back against the headrest and Hermione relaxed for the first time since she was cursed and woke up to this nightmare. She hadn't thought she would be able to escape but took her chance when she realized Moody was not part of the guard waiting for Harry. Whilst she knew what she was doing was risky she couldn't face an entire summer with that woman trying to replace her mother. No matter what way Hermione looked at it, she couldn't get past the idea that she had been disposable to the witch. She shouldn't let it hurt her, but Hermione found that part of her was destroyed with that knowledge. Her identity had been taken from her and Hermione wondered when she looked in the mirror now just who she was.
She always thought she looked a little like both her parents, but now she could see her wild hair was from Dorea, but all her other features came from someone else. She had gone to the Room of Requirement and stole the clipping from the Daily Prophet where the ten escaped death-eaters sneered from their mug shots. In one a tall man with dirty blond hair stared up at her with a bored expression. His eyes were similar to her own but in the black and white photo, she could not tell the color. She didn't know why but she had kept the image now safely hidden in the pages of her journal. The image filled her with a longing that she didn't understand and yet she felt it. Dorea was loud and forceful and she despised her for taking away her parents. She hadn't wanted Hermione, she herself had said she was a consequence. So why was she bulldozing her way into Hermione's life now?
The train ride to Leeds was uneventful, she purchased a ticket to Leeds from the conductor, bought a sandwich and drink and watched the horizon until she reached Leeds. The conductor, a young man with pretty blue eyes and a cheeky grin had stopped by her a few times to chat between stops and Hermione was grateful for the distraction. "Awfully big trunk you have with you Love, sure you can handle that thing by yourself?" He'd asked when they got to Leeds, but she had merely smiled and politely declined his offer of help.
From there she took another two short train rides until she found herself in the sleepy west Yorkshire village of Haworth. She fished into her coat and found the keys to the little house her Grandmother Audrey Granger had left her. It was a quaint stone cottage with Ivy growing up the side just off Main Street and she knew the order would not know to look for her here. It had two bedrooms and a small cellar and Hermione's Grandmother had chosen to retire in the village, drawn there by the history and had stayed there for the genuinely lovely people that lived there.
Hermione opened the door, reset the electronic security alarm and locked up behind her. She released an impatient Crookshanks to explore the little house and made her way to the kitchen. Opening her trunk she pulled out the snacks and drinks she had managed to convince the house-elves in the Hogwarts kitchens to give her. It wasn't much but at least she would be fed until the shops opened again in the morning. The kitchen was all cherry wood with eggshell colored walls and if she closed her eyes she could picture her grandmother pottering around the kitchen once more. She sunk into a chair at the small table and let her tears fall at last. Tears turned to broken sobs and Crookshanks, as though sensing she needed him, hopped up onto the table and wiggled his way into her arms.
Her chest ached, both from the curse and the pain of losing everything she had ever known. She didn't know how long she cried but eventually, she moved from her seat and slowly made her way up the steps to the bed she knew was waiting. The main bedroom was musty from being sealed so long so Hermione cracked the window. The room was decorated in purples and silver, a canopied bed loomed in the center, too big for the room but Hermione had never been happier to see a bed. Kicking off her shoes, she quickly changed, choosing her soft flannel pajamas that wouldn't irritate her wounds and she dropped into the waiting covers.
She didn't want to sleep in silence, too many nights in the hospital wing and no dreamless sleep potions had Hermione both bone weary and afraid to sleep. She had a feeling she would see Dolohov cursing her once more in her dreams. So she turned on the old stereo next to the bed, the radio playing country music helped settle her and she curled up on the sheets letting someone else sing the blues to her. Crookshanks had already curled up on one of the many pillows and was purring in contentment, his squished face a picture of contentment as he settled in for the night with her. She stroked behind his ears and let his purrs and the music lull her into slumber.
The next morning she was woken by Crookshanks yowling at the window, where she sleepily recognized Hedwig waiting patiently to be let inside. Hermione was not sure how owls always knew where to find people but she had not interested in being told off. She took the letter but sent Hedwig off without a reply, feeling a tad mean at the affronted look the snowy owl had given her. "Harry can just wait, I am in no mood for him right now." she had told the owl and then stomped to the bathroom for a hot shower. When she emerged from the steaming water she took some of the pain potions that Madame Pomfrey had sent her home with and whimpered at the almost instant relief it gave her. As she dressed for the day in a light tee and jeans she stared at the letter as though it might explode. It wasn't a howler, but she knew Harry would not be happy with her.
Steeling her nerves, she lifted the letter and opened it, biting her lip as she read the missive.
"Hermione,
I am hoping that you ran and that you weren't kidnapped by death-eaters because of me. If you are kidnapped and somehow still reading this, I am an arsehole and you can curse me when you escape. If not, you caused absolute chaos, Remus is mad at himself for not watching you and Ron thinks you're being selfish. I don't but I do wish you had talked to me, maybe had someone come with you. I am worried about you Hermione.
I know you're hurting, and I haven't really been all that supportive of you since Dorea arrived. I know you didn't ask for this and I got consumed in finally having family that didn't hate me and didn't stop to think just how much all of this must have hurt you. Before you wonder where I got so wise, I didn't. George pointed it out to me and I am sorry. You should also know he suggested to the order that you have a secret love nest and are currently shacked up with Viktor Krum. I look forward to seeing you hex him for that.
I want you to know that I love you, you are like the sister (calling you my aunt is too weird so let's not go there) I always wanted and a part of me is really happy that you are my family. If you get this, write me back even if it's just to call me a sod and to tell me to piss off. I just need to know you are okay.
The "adults" in the order are all fighting in the kitchen of the manor, they won't let us know what is going on as usual and Fred and George were sent to shoo us away. George upon hearing Ron and I arguing decided to enlighten us just what a pair of inconsiderate gits we are. George said a lot of things but the gist is that Ron and I are prats and that you deserve better friends. They also said to tell you their flat is warded and you are welcome to crash there. I don't know how you're feeling, for me finding my family has been a happy thing and I blindly assumed you would feel the same way. I know you already had a family that loved you and loved them back. I am sorry Hermione and if you need me, just send word I'll figure something out.
The grown-ups are arguing over whether you ran or whether you were taken, but personally, it just seems like a whole lot of arguing and blame throwing and not much else. We are at Potter Hollow, it's a manor house that's pretty much like someone expanded the Gryffindor common room into an estate house. Ron's annoyed that they won't be staying here, Mrs. Weasley has decided to take her children home to the burrow so it will just be me, Remus, Sirius, and Gran when the order leaves. In the letter there's a shard of glass, it's part of a two-way mirror, I already nicked the other one from Sirius' room so you can talk to me if you want.
Love you, Hermione, please let me know you're okay.
Harry."
Hermione scowled in annoyance even as she reached for the mirror and peered into it. She was torn between wanting to kiss George for talking some sense into Harry and wanting to hex him for the love shack comment. Either one or both was very likely right now and she was grateful he wasn't with her right now. After a moment an image of a snoring Harry, glasses askew and messy hair fluffed up by tossing in his sleep. Hermione smiled in spite of herself.
"Harry" she called and laughed as he jumped out of his skin, wand drawn and searching the room before looking at her reflection in the mirror. "Hey, shh… Don't talk and I will make this quick. I will be sending this back to you, and I am safe and I am not anywhere you all know to look for me. I need space Harry, I need to figure this all out and I can't do it with her breathing down my neck trying to play mother to me. I had a mother, a wonderful charming mother who instilled a love of books and learning in me and now she's been taken from me and I'm left with a mess. Please just give me that time to sort things out."
"Hermione…" Harry sighed and shook his head, clearly not happy with keeping secrets. "Fine, I will give you space, but keep that mirror with you. I almost lost Sirius and I am not losing you if I can help it. The order is keeping secrets from me again so I'll keep this one for you. Everyone is worried, but I'll stay quiet for now. You can have a week, if you don't call or send word that we can come and get you, I am raising all hell and coming for you myself." He sat up against the pillows righting his glasses even as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"I will call, in a week." She promised "Same time as today and don't try and call me here. I am putting this in my underwear drawer so all you'll see is darkness if you try." Hermione twisted a curl around her finger knowing she really needed to attend to her hair before the frizz had a chance to settle in. "And Harry, this is a woman who was willing to die and sacrifice her own children's happiness for a cause. Do not get suckered in, she might be in the order but that doesn't mean we just trust her."
Harry grumbled but agreed and they said their goodbyes. She knew Harry would spend all week trying to figure out where she was regardless of having promised to give her a week. She also knew that unless they actually looked at muggle records they wouldn't know she owned this house. It was her secret and she hadn't told anyone, well nearly anyone. She had mentioned it to Luna when they were talking books and Luna mentioned she had read Wuthering Heights, which was set where Hermione was right now. Whether Luna would remember or be asked to share this knowledge was such a small chance that Hermione didn't worry too much.
Hermione finished getting ready and headed out into the morning sunlight, walking up the hill of Main Street. She stopped in a bakery and ordered tea and a bacon sandwich for breakfast. She spent her morning milling around the shops, finding old books and a few essentials she would need for the week. It was a routine that she kept up over the next few days and her evenings would be spent in the house, curled up on the plush sofa reading well into the night. By Wednesday she had been there for five days and she felt safe and secure in her routine.
She went to the park as the sun was shining and sat beneath a large tree watching as kids chased each other through the bandstand and down to the playground area, their parents following at a much more leisurely pace. She sat drinking a soda and reading Paint the Wind by Cathy Cash Spellman, and as Hermione fell more and more for the kind natured Hart and lamented Fancy's choices she lost herself in the beautifully spun heartbreaking tale. She didn't know how long she had been sat there but she was startled when someone sat down beside her and placed a bottle of water by her knee.
Her eyes shot around and a gasp left her. "You…?!"
Glacier blue eyes filled with mirth met hers. "Careful now Princess, we wouldn't want to attract any attention now would we?" Thorfinn Rowle, the bane of her existence during her first year at Hogwarts was reclining next to her, broader than she remembered, braids in his blond hair and a scruffy beard lining his features. He looked even more like a Viking than she remembered. His long legs were stretched out before him and he seemed to have filled out even more over the last few years.
"What do you want?" she huffed, even as her eyes scanned the area to check her escape routes, she couldn't believe she had been so foolish as to lose herself in a story when she knew she might be being watched. Her wand, which was in her bag beside her, was useless to her as the hulking Viking made himself comfortable beside her.
"Rude, did McGonagall forget to teach you manners since I left or have you sunk to the levels of your delinquent house's morals." He shifted and placed an arm around her shoulders laughing when she stiffened. "Not even a pureblood for a month and already you adopt the puritan style behaviors, your father will be proud."
Hermione scowled and tried to dislodge his arm but it was like dealing with an overgrown mutt that wasn't house trained. She moved and he followed, annoying her all the way. "Urgh, pureblood my arse, there's no such thing it's all political propaganda and I don't give a flying crup about it." The comment about her father stuck a nerve and she turned to face him, whacking his leg with her empty drink bottle when he didn't let her go. "Stop that. And what do you mean my father would be proud. He's a muggle they gave up caring about that nonsense decades ago."
"Ahh Princess you're still such a crappy liar. You know what I am and I know who you are. I even know your old man, not well mind you, his wife tends to be the more vocal of the two. What I don't know is why the order is searching for you in Wiltshire when your pretty little behind is sunning herself in Yorkshire. I'd almost think you are hiding from them, or should I say her." He lifted her into his lap when she moved to escape, sitting her on his lap so she straddled him and wrapped her tight in his arms so she couldn't escape.
"Keep struggling Princess, and this time you'll feel what you couldn't tear your first-year eyes away from." The reminder of that embarrassing moment in her first year, when she had walked into what she thought was an abandoned classroom only to see Thorfinn and a pretty Ravenclaw fucking on a desk. That image was seared into her brain. Her scream had summoned Professor Vector and the ensuing chaos had earned her his wrath for the rest of the year.
Hermione growled out at him, wriggling to get free even as he held her close, determined to be free of the lumbering oaf. "Let me go" she enunciated slowly only to whimper in pain when he squeezed to hard along her ribs. His eyes narrowed and despite her protests he lifted the side of her top until he could see the purple angry scar and swore, his thumb gently tracing the mark. His hiss of sympathy did little to appease the wash of shame at him seeing the scar she had quickly grown to loathe. When she tried to hide it from him, he gently pushed her hand aside, wandlessly casting as spell that helped her a lot with the pain. She didn't know who was more surprised by his gesture, him or her.
"I see you met Dolohov, not that you need to worry, the dark lord is content to let him rot in Azkaban for his mistakes, for a while at least. Even then Lestrange might just kill him for daring to point a wand at you." When he waited for her to comment, only to be met by an angry stare he shrugged and continued, his thumb still tracing her scar in an oddly soothing motion. "Not going to lie to you, so in the interests of full disclosure, yes I am a death-eater, but no it was not my choice. My father set himself on fire in a snit and in a bid to gain some kind of power sold me out to the dark lord. Didn't work for him, I am still lord of my house but I have to serve to keep my mother and sisters safe." He was quiet for a few moments, his hands holding her in place even as he searched her face, watching for her reaction.
"Well all was quiet and boring until two weeks ago. I was stuck in this gargantuan estate with a psychotic witch babysitting her whilst she set her mind to destroy everything around her in a snit because she had angered a man she considers her personal god. Most of the time it's all bile and rage and ducking flying objects, but then she would get really quiet, like that small broken remnant of sanity peaks through the veil and you see why she is his favourite. She tells me a story of her bribing a house elf throughout the year, killing her cousin only for him to walk out of the veil with a woman in tow. This woman, mind you she seen leaving her house looking thoroughly fucked and finds her naked husband in the same state.
"She hates his guts anyway so she doesn't really care. Except the house elf tells her that months later his name on the family tree had a child coming from him and when he eventually managed to find it on another branch, the name of the woman who'd conceived her husband's child. She is bound by the magic of her marriage that she can't harm any child of his house before you panic but she is angry. He has denied her a child, instead professing he would rather see his line end." He shook his head. "So years later they escape Azkaban and the same house elf after the events at the ministry tells her the name of the child. Her nephew Draco, who had been in the hospital wing himself when you are all brought in, even hears members of the order confirm it.
"The pain in arse witch who had helped foil Draco and again was actually related to him and he tells his aunt the girls name. One Hermione Jean Granger or on the tapestry Hermione Cassiopeia Charlotte Lestrange. Quite the mouthful there Princess. Almost as bad as mine." He smirked, adjusting her on his lap as he scanned the park around him, looking for any who might be watching them. "Well, she asked me to find you and bring you to her, after all as your stepmother she has parental rights to you as all pureblood children belong to their fathers. What better way to acknowledge your birth of course than to have you join your family?"
When Hermione paled, he rubbed his thumb along her lower lip, easing it from where she had been gnawing on it and shook his head. "I am not taking you there, at least not today, you wouldn't want to join them today and she would not welcome you there. Your uncle Rabastan is an acquired taste and his parties would probably make your skin crawl. No, today I wanted to see your reaction for myself before I agree to any final decisions. I did however bring you this."
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a roll of parchment and then lifted her left hand placing a ring on her index finger. "Relax Princess, the ring is a mark of what house you belong to so that anyone from that house who sees it on you will know you are to protected not harmed. A gift from your father, who heard his wife's request and came to me with one of his own. I have no idea what he wrote so don't ask, today I am just the messenger.
"I will say this though, the man is actually quite honorable all things considered. His mind is intact although Merlin knows how he managed that as everyone else who escaped that hell hole is slightly unhinged. You lucked out there whether you agree with me or not." She huffed and tried to escape his hold once more, smacking his chest when her attempts were foiled. Princess, don't blindly follow Dumbledore, I was sold into my slavery, don't walk yourself into that man's noose. He preaches the greater good, and so did Grindelwald and look what that man tried to do.
"Secondly, if you are staying around these parts and get lonely, my little twin sisters Astrid and Anya are usually on main street muggle watching in the afternoons. I'll tell them to keep an eye out for you. A pair of Hufflepuffs without a mean bone in their bodies and a couple of years younger than you. Would be nice for them to spend time with someone who isn't drunk and bitter." He ended, and she knew he was talking about his father. She remembered him all too well. Thorfinn intimidated her, but that man terrified her and she couldn't find it in herself to feel sorry for him having set himself on fire.
"Why would your sister's be here and why would I ever seek anyone in your family out?" Hermione just wanted him to let her go, but she knew, just knew she wasn't escaping until he let her.
His slow grin did things to her she would rather die than ever admit to. He licked his lips, clearly enjoying himself and having her undivided attention. "My family home in Ireland is being remodeled, my father having burnt half of it to the ground after all. So the family and I are staying here. We have a home, hidden from muggle eyes just up there on Brow Top. My sisters get bored and sneak out with our house elf Flora who keeps them from being harmed. I am sure they would love to see you, as I assure you the company at home is rather foul. Although it is far more pleasant than where I am currently forced to stay. Princess, you're going to need allies when news of who you are becomes public knowledge because most people will turn on you as the child of a killer. They are kind and better yet, they know how to walk into the snake pit that is pureblood society and not get bitten."
With those words hanging in the air he stood with her in his arms, sliding her down his torso so she could feel every ridge of his abs as she slid across them. She remembered them all too well and she had thought she had gotten over the crush she had stupidly developed for him. Yet there it was, bursting to life as he smirked knowingly at her and he lifted her hand kissing it. "I'll see you soon Princess, feel free to write to me if you get lonely, I have a feeling you've become a whole lot more interesting than the little swot I remember."
With that, he left and Hermione clenched her hand around the parchment, watching him go with equal parts fear, confusion and lust. She let him get almost to the exit before she ran, bolting in the other direction, slipping into an alleyway and leaning with her back against the wall, heart pounding in her chest. A Step-mother that wants her kidnapped, possibly branded as scum for being the daughter of a death-eater and now a letter from her father. So much for a safe place to hide.
Author's Note.
For those of you that have been waiting so patiently for this next installment I hope that it was worth the wait. I debated a lot about who would meet her in that part, there are several written versions, but Thorfinn won in the end. Thank you for reading and remember, I own nothing, I just play in the sandbox. If you haven't already head over to the Death-Eaters Express group on facebook, you'll find some amazing authors there.