Chapter 7- Parents
The following months flew by quickly and before Draco or Hermione realized it, it was almost Christmas. Three weeks before Christmas, Draco and Hermione were sitting in their respective Tables eating breakfast when Dumbledore stood up, clearly intending to make an announcement.
"I want to inform all those who will be going home for the Christmas break that the Hogwarts Express will be bringing you to Platform 9 ¾ one week before Christmas. That will be all." Dumbledore said.
The rest of the students just continued eating, chattering, cramming their homework, cramming for a test, snogging, gossiping or whatever they happened to be doing before Dumbledore spoke, but Draco and Hermione had frozen, each thinking "I can't believe I forgot to tell them!"
What had happened was that both of them idiotically forgot to tell their parents about their… situation.
After breakfast, Draco cornered Hermione.
"What do we do now?" Draco asked, knowing that Hermione knew what he was talking about.
"I dunno, we could write a letter to them or something," Hermione said.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
That night, Draco sat by his desk, holding a quill and a piece of parchment before him, thinking hard about how his parents would react to his being a girl. He knew that his mother would be thrilled, she had always wanted a daughter, but he wasn't so sure about how his father would react.
After his two year stint in Azkaban, Lucius had come home a changed man. He no longer belittled Draco or his accomplishments, he was starting to be more of a father in Draco's eyes than an evil tyrant.
Lucius was starting to show the love he had for Draco's mother when they had first met, and not treating her like a mere possession.
But best of all, known only to Dumbledore and the Malfoys, Lucius had become a spy for the Order, resulting in Voldemort's easy defeat to Harry, as Lucius had told Dumbledore where all Voldemort's Horcruxes were, and had often told Draco how much he wished he could start his life again, fighting against Voldemort rather than fighting with him.
All in all, Draco was starting to know the life he had been deprived of for almost sixteen years, a life where he had loving parents who cared for him and didn't see him only as an heir to the marvelous fortune their family had.
After a while of pondering, Draco finally decided that he would rather tell his parents personally what had happened to him, and looked forward to the looks on both his parents faces when Lucius realized his son, who held the family jewels had turned into a girl and when Narcissa found out that she now had someone to go shopping with (in female shops anyway) and a whole room to redecorate with a female theme.
Hermione meanwhile, had written a letter to her parents and knew that her mom would probably have a heart attack and her dad would expect her to play golf with him.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Draco got off from the Hogwarts Express and looked around for his parents. When he found them, he saw that they were looking as haughty as ever, also looking around the station for him. Draco knew that their being haughty was part of his father's being a spy. What would Voldemort say if he saw Lucius being charitable, adopting the homeless, or even just smiling in public?
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Draco, Lucius and Narcissa had spotted him, but didn't know that he was their son.
"Look, darling Narcissa," Lucius said, elbowing Narcissa and speaking in an undertone, while the people around them looked terrified, thinking that Lucius was planning something evil "that young woman over there would do good to be Draco's wife."
"I know Lucius," Narcissa responded "she'd be perfect for making grandchildren with."
When Draco had finally made his way through all the bustling people to his parents, he found that both of them were smiling warmly at him.
"Lucius Malfoy," said Lucius, coming forward to shake Draco's hand warmly "have you met my son Draco, or are you here with him?" he asked, looking around.
Oh, so they think I'm my girlfriend or something and that I'm going to introduce me to them.
"Mum, Dad," started Draco, but was cut short when Narcissa, looking shocked interrupted.
"Well dear, it is obvious that you are with Draco, but don't you think that calling us your parents is a step too far for now?" said Narcissa.
"Unless…" said Lucius, obviously thinking very hard "you two are engaged!" he exclaimed suddenly, causing nosy passers-by to look and stare at the three of them.
It was Draco's turn to be shocked. Did his parents think that he would ask someone to marry him without letting that someone meet his parents first? He was expecting Lucius and Narcissa to be enraged with him.
But, for the second time, they shocked him. Narcissa hugged Lucius, who, like Narcissa, was laughing with joy.
"Finally!" said Narcissa "Our little baby has finally found his true love! Promise me dear, that you'll have lots of little children."
Draco was reeled. He made a mental note to himself, telling him that if he was ever going to bring his real fiancée to meet his parents for the first time, he would he sure that both their mouths were sealed with a Sealing Charm, lest his mother or father would start blabbering about grandchildren or whatever.
When his mother had finally stopped talking about stuff like family planning, their children's names, the wedding, their future house, safe sex, their honeymoon and a load of other stuff that greatly embarrassed Draco, she finally noticed that her beloved son was not there yet, and the crowd in the station was thinning.
"Where's Draco, dear?" she said inquiringly.
Draco exhaled, it was now or never.
"I am Draco."
His parents looked at him blankly, so he proceeded to tell them about the spell.
When he was done, several minutes passed before his mother squealed even louder than before and hugged Draco, yakking about clothes, his room, and goodness knows what else.
"Lucius dear, isn't this lovely?" said Narcissa, still hugging Draco.
There was a dull thunk and Draco and Narcissa turned around to find out that Lucius had passed out cold, clutching his chest.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Meanwhile, Hermione had to cross the barrier, carrying her luggage easily, to where her parents usually were to meet her, as muggles couldn't pass the barrier.
She spotted her parents and immediately walked over to them, whereas they ignored her.
Hermione was confused, didn't they recognize her? She had sent them a letter telling them about what had happened. She shrugged.
"Hi mum, dad," she said, stepping in front of her parents and towering over her mom but staying eye level with her dad.
They both looked thoroughly puzzled.
"I'm Hermione," she said, more confused than ever as to why her parents didn't recognize her. She knew that they were inexperienced about magic (duh!) but she had explained everything in her letter. "I wrote you a letter about what had happened-"
At this, her parents looked alarmed.
Oops. Wrong choice of words!
"Why?" said Mrs. Granger shrilly "What happened to Hermione?"
"Mum," said Hermione patiently "I am Hermione." She realized that the letter must have been intercepted or something, providing an explanation to her parents cluelessness.
"No you're not," said Mr. Granger, speaking for the first time.
"Yes I am."
Mr. Granger grew red, a sign that he was going to blow up anytime soon.
"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE REAL HERMIONE?"
Hermione noticed the uncanny similarity to her dad's reaction and Ron's. When both her parents had calmed down a bit, or at least when Mr. Granger had stopped yelling, she proceeded to tell them soothingly about what had happened.
"Y-you mean…" said Mrs. Granger with difficulty, forcing herself to absorb the load of information Hermione had just told her. "your, erm, well" she said, somewhat uncomfortably, gesturing to Hermione's more private regions.
Hermione grew beet red, comprehending what her mother meant. "Yeah," she answered, just as uncomfortably.
Mr. Granger, meanwhile, clapped Hermione on the back and said "That's my boy."
Both Hermione and her mom looked at him weirdly because of the seeming randomness of the statement.
"What?" said Mr. Granger "I had always wanted to say that."
After that, things seemed to go rather smoothly, aside from the fact that her mom kept telling her stuff like "Now don't you go sticking that in holes it doesn't belong in" or "Wait till you find the right girl" which was very embarrassing for both Hermione and Mr. Granger since they were in a public place.
When they reached their car, Hermione sighed. This was going to be a looooooooong Christmas.