Hermione Learns A Secret

From: 339-555-3412

MSG: Hey Hermione, it's Caleb! Reid said you gave permission for us to have your number.

From: 339-555-8951

MSG: Hey Hermione, this is Tyler. This is my number!

From: 339-555-4646

MSG: Hey Hermione, its Pogue. Reid said the investigator ppl couldn't find your stalker. Want us to take care of it for you?

From: Reid

MSG: I gave the boys your # like you said I could. I apologize for their ignorance in advance. I was hoping we could meet up later. Text me when you wake up.

From: Cordelia

MSG: Seeing as how we couldn't find your stalker, would you want to come in today so we could get more details about him? Seeing as how we couldn't last night?

Smiling to herself, Hermione yawned as she read through all her new text messages. Faith and Angel were both waiting for the slightly arguing Hermione and Spike when they arrived outside the hotel last night, and explained that they couldn't find the stalker. Angel claimed it was because he could hear their bickering from miles away and didn't want to get caught. Whatever the reason was Hermione didn't care; she was just glad that he was gone. Spike and Angel both promised to hang around the hotel and keep an eye out for her in case he returned throughout the night. Faith walked Hermione up to her hotel room, and it turned out to be a good thing – seeing as how Spike was originally going to, but Faith claimed to want to get to know Hermione more – because Hermione's parents were also both just returning at the same time, and would have freaked out if they saw a man in leather pants walking Hermione up to their room at nearly two in the morning. After introducing Faith as a new friend who was kind enough to help her out when she got lost and ended up on the other side of LA, Hermione texted both Reid and Cordelia. She showered then continued texting Reid until she fell asleep with her phone in her hands.

"Mum," Hermione said, leaving her tiny little room and entering the main area of the hotel room they were staying in. Her parents had their own room and she had her own. A tiny loo was the only thing separating them, "I'm going to look around some more today."

Looking up from the newspaper she was reading, Jean Granger took in her daughter's chosen outfit for the day; tan colored shorts and a white blouse. "You look lovely dear," she smiled, also noticing that Hermione braided her hair back instead of leaving it wild.

"Thanks," looking around, Hermione noticed her father was missing. "Where's Dad?"

"He's down at the pool."

"Oh," blanching at the thought of her father lounging around a pool all day, Hermione was suddenly grateful for making new friends. Kissing her mum goodbye, she pulled out her phone and started texting Reid.

Caleb was teasing Pogue who was on the phone with Kate and telling her all about Hermione. Tyler was teasing Reid for staying up until three in the morning, texting a thirteen year old girl. They were getting stares from all sorts of people this morning. The girls would all take one look at them then instantly their eyes would become twitchy and their hair seemed to need to be flipped a lot. Reid looked down at his sagging black jeans and simple white t-shirt and shrugged his shoulders. Pogue was wearing his usual black buttoned down shirt and long black jeans as well. Caleb and Tyler both wore red shirts, but one had black designs and the other had white words on his. Caleb wore khakis, and Tyler was wearing blue jeans. Back in Massachusetts, they were always being chased after, but that was because the girls at Spenser Academy knew who they were – at least they heard the rumors, and suspected who they were. The girls in LA were just tacky.

"Sorry I'm late," Hermione announced when she ran up to the table they were all sitting at, "I got lost."

Looking up at Hermione, Pogue smiled then went right back to his phone, "Babe, Hermione just got here. I'll call you later alright."

"Bye Kate," Reid shouted into the phone.

Glaring at Reid, Pogue blushed, "I love you too."

Smirking, Tyler shouted into the phone, "I love you too, Kate."

Hanging up his phone, Pogue slammed it down. "Kate says she hates you all," meeting the amused girl's eyes as she sat across from him, he shook his head; "Not you Hermione; she doesn't hate you. She wishes you luck for having to deal with Reid."

"I always knew your girlfriend was smart," Reid laughed.

Rolling his eyes, Tyler grinned, "You get used to them after a while, Hermione."

"They remind me of Fred and George," Hermione laughed, "They're twins, and my friend's older brothers. Oh, well I guess they're my friends as well. More so like my own brothers really-"

"You're doing it again," Reid told her with an amused look.

Blushing, Hermione folded her hands on top of the table, "Oh, sorry."

Tyler was about to say something, but suddenly Hermione's phone began to ring. The brothers all laughed at the ringtone while Hermione blushed deeper and dug through her purse looking for it; it was a wolf howling.

"Sorry," Hermione muttered to the table as she answered the phone, "Hullo Professor Lupin."

"Hermione," a scruffy voice said through the phone, "We've been through this. I am not your professor anymore. Call me Remus now."

"Sorry Remus," she said shyly. Hearing a noise, Hermione looked up and saw the confused look in Reid's face. "Is everything alright?" she asked, looking back at her purse on the table.

"Yes," Remus told her, "I'm calling to check on you. You were supposed to call me after your meeting with Angelus, and Padfoot said you didn't owl him either."

"Oh shoot," biting on her lower lip, Hermione sighed. "Sorry, I didn't leave Angel's office until one in the morning. We got to talking all about Hogwarts," the brothers noticed her voice was hushed as she said her school's name, "And then they told me all about themselves as well."

Remus laughed. He knew how Hermione could get once she was excited about something. "Did you even mention the vampire to them?"

"Yes I did," Hermione huffed out, causing the brothers to all smirk. Once again her mind wandered back to Malfoy. "William walked me back to the hotel last night while Faith and Angel scoped the streets for him. They couldn't find him though. I'm actually meeting up with them later on today."

"William? Who's William?"

"Sirius?" Hermione gasped, "Remus, have I been on speaker phone all this time?"

"Yes you have young lady," came the teasing voice of Sirius Black, "And I've told Professor Moony here all about your colorful choice of words."

"I didn't believe him at first, Hermione."

"Well you should have seen what he wrote to me first," Hermione whined before remembering where she was. "I'm not finished with you yet Sirius Black," Reid gasped at the mentioned name then blanched, and Hermione silently cursed herself. She forgot that Sirius was still wanted for murder. "I'll call you later Remus. I'm with some… friends right now."

"Very well," Remus said. "You be careful Hermione."

Sirius's tone was suddenly very… serious as well. "Owl me Hermione; like I said in my last letter, I'm willing to fly Witherwings all the way to LA if I have to."

"I'll be safe," Hermione promised them both. "Sirius, you need to stay in hiding. Remus, keep an eye out on him. And watch over Harry and Ron. Goodbye."

They ordered breakfast once Hermione hung up her phone. She noticed that American food was slightly different from British food, but she found herself addicted to it; they weren't huge differences, but the names were different from each other and it had a slightly different taste to it. Hermione was nervous because whenever she would glance up at Reid she would find him always staring at her. His eyes hadn't left her yet. Finally she got sick of it.

"What?" Hermione asked, causing everyone to jump in their seats at the sudden outburst. "Why do you keep staring at me?"

"Sirius Black is in Azkaban for murder," Reid replied in a low tone.

Shaking her head, Hermione leaned in towards him, which was easy since she sat right between him and Tyler, "Two weeks ago we found out that Sirius was innocent. Have you heard of Peter Pettigrew?"

"He's one of Sirius's best friends," Reid nodded his head, "He was murdered the day after James and Lily Potter. Sirius was the one who killed him."

"Nope," shaking her head, Hermione chuckled, "We found him, and confronted him. Pettigrew is still alive. He managed to transfigure himself into a rat and escaped, framing Sirius. Sirius escaped from Azkaban at the beginning of last year, and only two weeks ago we found him. He was captured by Professor Snape, and sentenced to the kiss. Harry and I rescued him two weeks ago. He's in hiding now."

"A kiss?" Tyler scoffed. "What kind of punishment is that?"

"It's a kiss from a Dementor," Reid stated. His brothers' faces all went grim when he said that. He explained to them all about the world he came from when they first met and realized they were brothers. They knew all about the Dementors. "So Sirius Black is innocent then?"

"Mhmm," nodding her head, Hermione sipped her orange juice. "Don't you keep in touch with your wizarding family?"

Reid shifted in his seat, and everyone else fell into an uncomfortable silence. "We lost contact."

Their food came and Hermione grinned at her plate, but the look that Reid had on his face worried her. He looked scared of something. After asking Reid if he was alright, Hermione saw the other three all with grim looks as well. Hermione took only three bites of her scrambled eggs before she sighed and pushed her plate away.

"Alright," Hermione said, "Why do you all look as if someone's been killed?"

"No reason," Reid quickly tried to make himself look all collected. "Sorry, I was just remembering when I lived as a wizard. Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Is it true that you have to give blood to find out what house you're sorted into?"

Laughing, Hermione had to wipe away her tears. "Oh Merlin no," she shook her head. "What is up with all of you guys being lied to about the sorting ritual? My friend Ron's older brothers told him that he would have to wrestle a troll."

"Troll?" Reid blanched, and then he suddenly smirked at the idea of Draco having to wrestle a troll only to find out he was in Slytherin. "So then what do you have to do?"

"There's a hat," Hermione explained, taking another sip of her a juice.

"A hat?" Pogue had one of his eyebrows raised, showing he didn't believe her.

"I'd rather wrestle a troll," Tyler snorted.

"A bloody hat?" Reid said, going back to his British ways for a mere second.

Nodding her head, Hermione was still chuckling, "Yes, a hat. It's the sorting hat. You sit on a stool in front of everyone in the Great Hall and it's placed on your head. Then the hat sees into your mind and reads all of your thoughts; it determines which house fits you best."

"What house are you in?" Caleb asked. "I remember Reid told us all about Hogwarts and the houses."

Pogue also looked interested, "Yeah. He said that Slytherin only accepts bigoted purebloods that are sly and cunning. Then he said Ravenclaw takes in only the smart people; the ones that are quick witted. Gryffindor is the house full of only the bravest witches and wizards, and Hufflepuff takes in the rest."

"I'm in Gryffindor," Hermione beamed proudly, taking a bite of her link sausage. "The hat wanted to put me into Ravenclaw, but it takes your thoughts into consideration. It also said that I have more bravery than wit. I wasn't sure if I should be insulted or complimented at his words, but once I became friends with Ron and Harry I instantly knew I was in the right house. Harry was supposed to be in Slytherin, but he said he begged the sorting hat to place him in any house but Slytherin. We laughed when he told us he would have rather been in Hufflepuff than Slytherin."

"I don't blame him," Reid scoffed then frowned, "Harry Potter was almost put into Slytherin?"

"Yep," growled Hermione, catching them off guard, "But once he saw Malfoy get sorted into Slytherin, he instantly knew that he didn't want to be in that house. Apparently he and Malfoy met right before school started, and Malfoy rubbed off on him the wrong way. Then he insulted Ron right after Harry became his friend, and Harry just knew he would hate Malfoy."

Reid sighed. He always knew that Draco would end up in Slytherin. It was in the Malfoy and Black blood after all… especially with Lucius as his father. It seemed almost inevitable that Draco would be just as evil. But hearing it was different than thinking it; hearing it sickened him. "Yesterday," Reid's voice was low. He didn't want to know, but he had to know. He had to know everything. He needed to know everything. Some part of him did want to know everything. It wasn't his world anymore, but he still cared, "Yesterday you said that Lucius Malfoy almost killed a girl named Ginny?"

"Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister," Hermione grimly stated. Her voice was just as low as Reid's, showing this was something she didn't want to address either. "He snuck Tom Riddle's diary into her cauldron over the summer holiday-"

"Tom Riddle…" Reid was tapping the table with his fingers, thinking hard. Tom Riddle? He knew that name from somewhere. Where did he know it from?

"Voldemort," Hermione verified, "It's his real name."

"How is giving the old diary of the Dark Lord almost killing a girl?" Tyler was interested, but confused.

"Ginny was eleven at the time. It was her first year at Hogwarts, and our second. The diary is blank, so Ginny started writing in it. The spirit of Tom Riddle was living inside the diary and it possessed her. He forced her to open up the chamber of secrets and release a giant basilisk into the school."

"Your school was infested with a giant snake?"

"It kills muggle-borns," Hermione nodded her head. "It actually killed a girl back in 1943 when Tom Riddle first opened the chambers. She haunts the loo now that the chamber is in; we call her Moaning Myrtle."
"Was anyone killed this time?" Reid asked.

"No, thankfully not, although a lot of us were petrified by it."

"Us?"

"Yes, I was petrified as well. Luckily for everyone though, I was able to figure out where the chamber was and how to avoid being killed right before I was. Harry was able to open the chamber and rescue Ginny. If he went in only five minutes later, Ginny would have already been dead. He killed the basilisk and destroyed the diary. Everyone who was petrified was revived within a week after that."

"And that all happened because Lucius slipped the diary into Ginny's cauldron?" Hermione looked closer at Reid. He was sweating and he was paler than when she first met him. He reminded her right now of how petrified Malfoy looked when she held the wand up to his neck right before slapping him. "You look so much like him."

Reid heard her even though she meant for it to be a whisper… he still heard her. It pained him to know how much he resembled the young Malfoy boy. He always wondered what Draco would grow up to look like, but he knew that he would never get the chance to know… until now. Somehow Hermione was like a miracle; his second chance at life. Pushing his plate completely away from himself, Reid began running both of his hands through his hair. Caleb nudged Pogue and they both nodded their heads at each other. They both caught the way the younger girl's breath got caught in her throat at the sight sitting next to her when Reid did that simple movement.

"Narcissa's my mother."

The fork clattered against the table and Hermione stopped breathing. Tyler sensed the girl's features paling, and he placed a hand on her thigh. Allowing his eyes to turn black for a quick second, he gave her air forcing her to breathe so she wouldn't pass out. "W-What?" Hermione found her voice after a long pause.

"Abraxus Malfoy set up a contract with Cygnus Black once Lucius was born. In the beginning the contract was written out for Andromeda, but she fell in love with a muggle-born and ran away to get married once she became of legal age. Abraxus and Cygnus agreed to rewrite the contract. At the time they both knew that Narcissa was in love with Marcus Garwin, but to them Marcus wasn't a pureblood. They didn't even consider him a wizard, and they both felt that a marriage contract would tear Narcissa away from Marcus."

Hermione held both of her hands to her mouth. She had never felt anything for Narcissa Malfoy before, and considered her to be a cold woman, but hearing that she was forced away from the man she loved because her father wanted her to marry the man her sister was originally meant to marry, sickened her. Hermione now felt pity for the woman she loathed. "What happened?"

Reid had both of his elbows on the table while holding onto his head. He tried to forget about them for so long. "Lucius and Narcissa married when she turned eighteen and was only a month out of Hogwarts. Narcissa hated it but she wasn't strong like her sister, so she stayed and went along with the marriage. One night Lucius was gone, he had went out on a mission with the rest of the Death Eaters and Narcissa ran away to be with Marcus. Lucius found them, and called in the rest of the Death Eaters. Barely escaping with his own life, Lucius killed Marcus. Nine months later I was born."

Hermione gasped. "He-he killed your father?"

"I didn't know Lucius wasn't my father," Reid nodded his head. "He raised me as his own. Then Draco was born," his voice was starting to get deeper, and he kept his head facing down. "We were raised as normal brothers in the beginning, but when I was five I began to show my powers."

"Accidental magic," Hermione nodded her head.

"No. My real father Marcus wasn't a wizard, Hermione. I'll explain that part to you afterwards. My magic was different from Draco's and I noticed that my mother was getting worried by what I could do. When I would do magic she would stop me and tell me to hide it before my father got home. But when Draco would do magic, she would praise him. I was able to hide it for a whole year before Lucius found out what I could do. I didn't mean for him to catch me, but Draco stole my broom and was flying on it and my eyes turned black. I was six years old and Lucius crucio'd me because of it."

"He did what?"

"Yep," Reid took in a deep breath, "That was when I found out that he wasn't my father. That was when Lucius started treating me like a stepson, and my darling mother stood by him each time. Draco would often take my side or sneak into my room to play with me. He was so innocent, Hermione; just an innocent little boy who didn't understand why his father was being mean to his brother. We were close then."

Hermione felt the tears in her eyes before they fell onto the table. She looked around and saw the three others watching her carefully, as if waiting for her to react some way. Shaking her head, Hermione looked back at Reid as he continued, "When I was nine, Lucius came into my room. He seemed to be annoyed about something, but I didn't understand why he would be. I was in my room all week. I didn't do anything to him or even play with Draco that week. I didn't use my magic, but then he lifted his sleeve and showed me his dark mark. He told me that when I become sixteen I would follow after him. I told him I didn't want to. I didn't want to become a Death Eater, but he wouldn't listen to me. He said that as long as I was his son and living under his roof, I would follow his rules. I told him I wouldn't and he kicked me out."

"Sixteen?"

Reid nodded his head. "It's when you get your mark; on your sixteenth birthday. I was only nine, but he was already planning on training me. He told me that day, that he was feeling better and that he realized my powers would help them to bring the Dark Lord back. Draco pleaded with me to do whatever Lucius said, but he was only seven years old; how could he understand what Lucius was asking me to do? He was already planning for me to bring back the Dark Lord, help kill Harry Potter, and then give up my powers once I ascended. I may have only been nine, but I knew what that meant. When I was seven my real father would visit me in my dreams. He told me who I was; what I was. I knew I couldn't do what Lucius wanted."

"And Malfoy?" Hermione was trying to hide her tears, but she knew that it was pointless to do so. Her tears were freely falling, and it was because of Malfoy. She had an image of a crying and pleading innocent Malfoy; begging his big brother to stay. And it broke her.

"He hated me," Reid shrugged his shoulders. "Lucius told him that I was abandoning him and that I didn't want to stay with him anymore. He told him that I was a horrible brother and I didn't love him. I tried to talk to Draco, but Lucius pulled him away from me and ordered a house-elf to take me away. It was Dobby who grabbed me-"

Hermione smiled at the name, "Dobby," she perked up, "He's free now. Harry tricked Lucius into freeing him at the end of our second year."

"Good," Reid's shoulders shook as he chuckled; his face still turned downwards. "Dobby took me to Massachusetts. He knew my real father, and he liked him. Knowing that I would be killed within the first hour on my own in the wizarding world, he took me to Caleb's family. They raised me up, and I haven't heard from anyone in the wizarding world until yesterday."

They gave her time to absorb everything she was just told. Hermione would pick up her purse strap, pet it then drop it; pick it up, pet it, drop it; pick it up, pet it, drop it; she kept up the routine until she heard a car honk its horn somewhere nearby. Her eyes were stinging with the collected tears, and she looked up at Reid. He was looking at her now; watching her, observing her, reading her. He wanted to know what she thought about everything he just said, and honestly… so was she. How was she supposed to feel? Just because Malfoy lost his big brother, and his father was a git didn't mean he had to pick on her all of the time. Losing Reid didn't give him an excuse to become prejudiced. It didn't give him the right to be so cruel towards her.

"Right before I left," Reid whispered, "Lucius told me that he would train Draco to kill me. He told me that in the end, Draco would become what I turned down. He would turn Draco into a Death Eater and after they killed Harry Potter, he would find me and Draco would force me into giving up my powers to the Dark Lord; killing me."

Hermione was sick. Her stomach was quivering and she couldn't breathe again. Feeling Tyler touch her thigh again, she thanked him when she took in a deep breath. "You're the Sons of Ipswich," it wasn't a question or a statement, but more of a memory. "Professor Binn taught us about them and I remember turning around to tell Ron and Harry to stop talking because I couldn't hear the lesson, and that was when I spotted Malfoy. He was shaking and paler than usual. There was sweat dripping from his forehead and he had this… this look in his eyes. I couldn't describe it. I still can't describe it; it was like he was scared, nervous, excited, nauseous, curious, bored, determined, longing, desperate, upset, and grateful all in one. Zabini and Nott were whispering things, trying to get him to calm down, but it was like he couldn't hear them."

"Lucius probably already started preparing him to kill me then," there was remorse laced in the hatred of Reid's voice.

"So Malfoy knows you then?"

"Yes," Reid nodded his head, "He was seven when I left. Nearly eight really; it was two weeks before his eighth birthday and four months before my tenth birthday. He also knew I was a Son because of Lucius. Draco asked him one day why he treated me mean and unfair, and Lucius hissed out that I wasn't his, that I was different from them."

"Why didn't you go to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked him, finally voicing the question that she had wanted to know from the moment he mentioned he knew about the wizarding world. "If you're a Black, you should have gotten your letter."

"Caleb's mom wouldn't let me go," Reid explained. "She knows my situation, and when the owl delivered my letter she refused to let me attend. I wouldn't be protected by my brothers if I was on my own in the wizarding world."

"Oh."

It was silent again for a while. Caleb wanted to explain more about the Sons to Hermione, but she seemed to already understand who they were. Tyler made sure to keep his hand on her thigh just in case he needed to help her out again, and Pogue stared blankly at the five full plates. Reid and Hermione kept their gaze on each other; not once looking away. Brown stared into blue.

"Tell me about him," Reid said suddenly. "I know that you hate him and vice-versa, but I think about him all the time."

"Well you look just like him," Hermione softly smiled. "As you know, I've pointed it out many times. I mean it's uncanny how much you two look alike. He's more slender though, now that I think about it, and his eyes are silver. He plays Quidditch; he's the Seeker for Slytherin," when Reid said how much Draco used to love playing Quidditch when they were younger, Hermione held in the fact that Lucius bought Draco's way onto the team. She didn't want to be the one to ruin the image of his brother for him. "He wins against every house except for Gryffindor. Harry always wins for us. And he's very smart."

"Behind you in every class by only two points," Pogue suddenly grinned, reminding them that the others were still with them, and also proving that he was paying attention to everything the young witch said.

And just like that, Reid found comfort in the young witch as she began to fill them in on everything that happened from the moment she stepped onto the train to go to Hogwarts.

Woohoo! A lot of you guys favorited and alerted this story even if only some of you reviewed. Thank you to all of you. It makes me only that much more excited to keep posting up the chapters. I'm already writing the sequel just to let you guys know(:

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