Hermione knocked on Minerva's door, holding an envelope in her hand. She shifted her weight, backing away from the door when it opened. Minerva smiled at Hermione, briefly embracing the young witch. Hermione hugged her back, squeezing her tightly.
"It's so good to see you, Hermione," Minerva said, resting her hands on Hermione's shoulders.
"It's good to see you, too, Minerva. This is for you," Hermione said, handing Minerva the letter.
"Thank you. Come in." Minerva took the letter, stepping aside so Hermione could enter. They sat on the couch, a tray of tea and cookies on the table in front of them. Hermione tucked her legs under her, facing the Headmistress as she held her tea in both hands. Minerva opened the letter, smiling when she finished reading it.
"Congratulations, Hermione. I look forward to attending the wedding."
"Thank you. We're glad all this is almost over. Once the new Minister is appointed, we'll be able to live our lives in relative peace."
"I can imagine how frustrating it is. Have all the plans been finalized, then?"
"Not quite. Well, not at all, really. I've been so busy we haven't really had time. Bella and I chose the date last week and Cissy has been on us about planning. That's what we'll be doing, I imagine." Hermione took a sip of her tea, feeling the warmth spread through her body.
"I have no doubt it will be interesting. Narcissa is the best person to plan your wedding, though."
"She's the best to plan any party, I imagine."
"I imagine you're right about that." Minerva took a sip of her tea, watching Hermione over the rim of her cup. She was clearly nervous about something.
"Minerva?"
"Yes, Hermione?"
The young witch tapped her index finger against the rim of her cup, biting her lip as she looked into the dark liquid. "Would you walk me down the aisle? My parents had their memories erased and, well, you're the closest thing to a mother I have. I mean, Narcissa and Lucius are fantastic, but it's more of a sibling relationship than a parental figure one. It would just mean a lot to me if you did."
"You're the closest thing I have to a daughter, Hermione, I would be honored to walk you down the aisle." Minerva's green eyes gleamed with joy and she placed a hand on Hermione's arm.
"Thank you." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, smiling tentatively at Minerva.
"Absolutely, my dear. Now, let's get to the matter at hand, shall we?"
"I think it's about time."
"I've given your offer a lot of thought and I've decided to accept. I think it will be beneficial for the school to have another place for students to work, maybe do independent research. The extra land is also quite nice, though, I will have to implement a boundary. Thank you, Hermione."
"Of course. Like I said, Bella and I will hardly be using all our properties. We may as well make it useful. There's just one thing. Maybe you could build a second Quidditch pitch? It's big enough and two teams could practice without being in each other's way. I'll even pay for it."
"I thought you hate Quidditch?" Minerva's tone held a hint of amusement, and she smiled slightly at Hermione.
"Not everybody does, though. Just something to think about, you don't have to." Hermione set her empty cup on the table, trying to find something to do with her hands.
"I'll let the students decide. Have you seen the repairs to Hogwarts?"
"No. Everything was so hectic and I've been working on something for Andy, Bella, and Cissa. Draco's been helping me. It's finished, isn't it?"
"Yes. I was a bit surprised at how well Fred and George did. They're usually the ones causing destruction, not fixing it."
"About that. I'm really sorry I destroyed the school." Hermione twisted her ring around her finger, looking sheepishly at Minerva.
"I can't exactly say it isn't your fault, but the blame isn't solely on you. You defended yourself and others from an attack. Your safety is more important than a building. Besides, you provided an alternate location and the damage is repaired. There was no harm done." Minerva patted Hermione's knee, smiling gently at the young witch. Hermione nodded absently, picking up her now full teacup. Minerva looked about to say something when a jackrabbit Patronus bounded onto the couch between them.
"Hermione, I need you at the prison. It's urgent." Tonks's voice from her Patronus carried worry masked by forced calm.
"I'm sorry to cut this short, Minerva. I'll be back when I have a chance," Hermione said, standing and placing her cup on the table. She smiled at Minerva before turning on her heel and Apparating to the prison. Tonks was giving orders to Aurors but quickly stopped when she noticed Hermione.
"What's the problem?" Hermione asked, striding toward Tonks.
"Well, I was thinking about the guards because at Azkaban the Dementors weren't corruptible but Aurors are, so we need to address that before something happens."
"Oh. Erm. How about a dragon and Aurors? You know, additional security?"
"Kyndet?"
Hermione nodded, reaching out to her felt his magic curl around hers in response, and she knew he would be there soon. "He's coming."
No sooner than the words left her mouth, Kyndet landed in front of them. Twin jets of air shot from his snout, nearly knocking them to the ground with the force. He pressed his nose to Hermione's stomach, making her take a few steps back. She scratched under his chin, earning deep chirps. He let his weight fall onto Hermione, making the young witch stagger backward to keep her balance. Tonks steadied her with a hand on her back.
"Thanks," Hermione mumbled. She looked at Kyndet, his giant gold eyes wide and apologetic.
"No problem." Tonks stared at Kyndet, wary of the large dragon's movements.
"Don't worry, he doesn't bite unless I tell him, right Kyndet?" Hermione smiled fondly at the large dragon, and he nodded slowly, careful not to hit anything.
"That's comforting." Tonk's voice was sarcastic but she still believed Hermione.
"Would you mind acting as a guard for the prison?" Hermione scratched his chin again, her hands tiny against his massive head. He nodded again, gently and his eyes scanned the building.
"That's settled, then. Thanks, 'Mione. It's not that I don't have faith in the Aurors, it's just that I'd rather be on the safe side, you know?"
"I totally understand. We aren't infallible. Let me know if you have any other problems."
"Will do. I'll be home in a bit, I'm almost done here."
Hermione nodded, preparing to turn on her heel. At the last second, she decided to Apparate to Black Manor instead of home. She walked straight into the house, glancing briefly at the garden. It still looked tidy and the plants were doing well. The halls were dark and Hermione felt like she was being watched from the shadows. Suppressing a shiver, she walked toward what she hoped was the library. It took her a few tries to find the right door but she did. Her fingers skimmed the leather covers of the books. At random, she pulled one off the shelf, examining the black leather cover. Hermione sat on a chair, ignoring the dust that rose around her and opened the book.
The Black Family Curse
It is an unfortunate side effect of receiving our magic that the eldest Black will always go mad. Our human bodies are incapable of hosting such strong magic in our bodies. To alleviate the pressure, it will all be placed on the firstborn, protecting the younger children from insanity. The siblings can act as conduits, easing the pressure on the eldest without taking any themselves. The family bond is strong enough to slow the onset of insanity in early years unless the child is particularly troublesome. In the case of soulmates, the burden will be shared, having minimal effects on either. If the eldest Black dies, the burden will be shifted to the soulmate, assuming they have not perished, and upon their death, it will be transferred to the next eldest. Should the soulmate die before the eldest Black, the Black will descend into madness more intense than before.
Hermione set the book on the table, leaving it open to the page she had just read. After some thought, she made note of the page and closed it, tucking it into her robes. She ran her fingers along the spines of the books once more, a faint smile on her face as she turned on her heel. She appeared in her bedroom, placing the book on the bed and removing her outer robes. She crawled into bed, curling under the blanket and closing her eyes for a quick nap. She'd tell Bellatrix about it later, when she woke up.