The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.
AN: Thank you to everyone who read or reviewed...and people have actually put this story on alert or their favorites? I am humbled..really... and blushing as much as a woman my age can still blush, heh. I have to say I love the reviews I get on my stories; not only do am I appreciative of the praise my stories receive and the fact that you get enjoyment out of them, but those reviewers who gave criticism or suggestions have made me realize things that I missed and make me endeavor to be a better writer. So..truly..thanks!(and forgive me for any spelling mistakes...I try to catch them all, but I've noticed that for some reason, some of my corrections don't 'stick' when I switch from MSWord to WordPerfect...no idea why..)
Also, just to warn you a bit...this story is not going to be as fast-paced as some would like. Many things have to take place beforehand...many 'veils' have to be lifted from the character's eyes. Ah, yes...there is more than one reason for my title...wait and see...
Chapter Four:
The next morning, after breakfast, Hermione went to the library to wait for Severus to make an appearance so they could run their errands with Harry. The Malfoys and Sirius had already left; Draco's whining about being dragged to an unending number of clothing stores thankfully ceased with their departure.
Just as Harry stuck his head in the library doorway, the fireplace flared green and the imposing figure of Severus Snape gracefully unfolded itself. Hermione was momentarily stunned speechless as she took in the lean frame exposed by Muggle clothing; solid black, of course. Never really have given her Potion Master's body much thought; it was his mind that she noticed. Hermione was surprised by the musculature displayed by the fitted t-shirt and slacks. If anything, she would have suspected Snape wore such a layered and voluminous wardrobe to mask a lack of fitness.
"Hopefully you are ready to leave," came the characteristic drawl. "Shall we, then?" he said, gesturing to the fireplace behind him.
"I had the floo to the house disconnected when my parents left," Hermione said softly. "But, we can Apparate directly into the house with no problems."
"I abhor side-along, Miss Granger," Snape said with a growl.
"I apologize, Professor, but if it is any consolation, I have yet to splinch anyone."
Sneering, Snape stepped up to the thin girl and took hold of her left arm. Harry stepped up hesitantly, and took hold of Hermione's left wrist; leaving her wand-arm completely free. Holding her wand firmly, Hermione took a breath and turned on the spot.
With a 'pop', the three appeared in a dim room that contained sheet-draped furniture. Snape quickly disengaged himself and took a few steps away. Hermione continued to stand there with Harry holding her wrist, this time in support, as she looked around her childhood home for the first time since she sent her parents away. It was dark and lifeless, and she bit back the sudden tears flooding her eyes.
Shaking her head, she addressed Snape, "There is a study off to the right, there. You can look through the books and borrow any if you'd like. I'll be only a second; all my things are already shrunk and I can grab them quickly."
With a nod, the dark man turned and stalked away into the room indicated. Harry bit back a grin and whispered, "Even without robes on, the man still reminds me of a bat."
Hermione tried to shoot a glare at her friend, then gave up with a chuckle. "It won't take me long, at all, to get my stuff. Take a look around if you'd like," she said, before darting up the stairs and heading to her old bedroom. Hermione went to the cubbyhole in the closet where she stuck her minimized belongings and grabbed all the miniature boxes she felt. She immediately stuck them in her bag, and left the room as quickly as possible. She knew if she looked around any longer, she would immediately break down in tears.
Running down the stairs, she stopped short at the sight of Harry on his knees rummaging through a box.
"I can't… Hermione! I can't believe you have this! Its been ages since I've seen these! We have to take these back home!"
"What are you on about?" she asked curiously.
Harry turned and showed her his armful, a huge smile on his face. Hermione tilted her head as she read the covers of some of the videotapes he was cradling in his arms.
"Star Wars?"
"Oh, come on, Hermione! They're only the best movies ever made!"
"Sure, we'll take them… only… how do you propose to watch them at Grimmauld Place?" she asked with a smirk.
"Um… we'll take the TV and the VCR… and you'll find someway to charm them so they work?" he asked, batting his eyes at his best friend.
Sighing, Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded her head. With a whoop, Harry gave her a hug, or attempted to while juggling the tapes.
Severus came back into the room holding a few books. "May I borrow these, Miss Granger?" he asked acerbically; hating having to ask anything resembling a favor.
Hermione nodded without even glancing his way. Not only did she trust Severus with any book, but she was currently focused on trying to shrink the Muggle electronics without damaging them. Clothing, books, and other objects were simple, but a TV and VCR, with the glass and delicate wiring was another story. After a few moments of concentration, she shrunk them down with intricate wand movements, wrapped them in a piece of fabric, and placed them in her bag. Turning to the men, she held out her left arm. "We could probably walk, but it would take a while. I can Apparate us to an alley nearby."
Severus shrunk the books, dropped them in a pocket, and took a few steps up to grab the proffered arm. Harry grabbed the available wrist.
The alley Hermione Apparated them to was quiet and empty. The three stepped away from each other, and after Hermione pointed to one end to indicate the correct way, they made their way out. Harry was obviously excited. It had been some time since he'd gone shopping in the muggle world, and was looking forward to getting some clothes and other necessities. He took a look around, and after locating a few stores, he told Hermione that he would be a few minutes and strode off. Hermione looked up at the dour man standing next to her. Clearing her throat, she murmured, "It should be just down there," she pointed.
Snape followed her in silence, carefully watching the passing Muggles out of the corner of his eye. Not having spent much time in the Muggle world since his childhood, he watched them in idle curiosity. They didn't appear to have changed much, although fashions and vehicles had obviously modernized. They passed by an electronics store, and he paused as he looked at the TV's, noting that they had grown larger, while stereos had gotten smaller. He tilted his head when he saw a round device next to a radio.
"It's a CD player. CD's are the main format for music, these days, and you can fit an entire album on one side of a small disc," she offered quietly.
He nodded, then pointed to a small monitor next to a box and keyboard. "And that display? It looks like television sets have gotten bigger, why is that one so much smaller?"
"That's a personal computer, with a processor tower and keyboard. It probably has a phone modem too, so you can get online. My parents had a computer at home, but I didn't use it much because I was usually at the Burrow for holidays…and it's too bad, because these days, a computer is like a virtual library, index, and owl service all in one. I heard that some of the libraries in the larger cities have started to digitalize their contents; meaning they copy the material into a form accessible by a computer. Imagine ten times the volume of the Hogwarts library at your fingertips," she said with a dreamy smile.
"I imagine it would be a know-it-all's paradise," he said with a sneer.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Who exactly is the know-it-all, Sir? You have always enjoyed correcting me at every opportunity that presented itself." And with a glance over her shoulder and with a flip of hair, she continued down the sidewalk.
Severus muttered under his breath and followed the girl walking ahead of him. After a moment a slight smirk crossed his lips as he watched her hair. The thick and riotous curls bounced and swayed with Hermione's movements, making it appear as if the locks had a life of their own. He was suddenly reminded of Medusa; the snake-haired Titan who could paralyze a man with a mere glance. A larger smirk erupted when he recalled how Hermione herself was paralyzed in her second year during the Chamber of Secrets incident. "Irony at its finest," he said softly to himself.
The smirk faded when he began to remember other things from that year. Things that made Black's earlier words about Hermione come into focus. What was it Black had said? Oh yes.., colors seemed to have dimmed and no one had smiled for months. 'It was like a light went out in the world'. Severus had never thought about it before, but looking back, he began to recall that not only had several students appeared much more morose, but the staff as well. He had thought it was just the stress and anxiety of dealing with a mysterious threat to Hogwarts, but that didn't explain the sad looks that many professors had cast to the empty spot at the Gryffindor table that was usually filled by a bushy-haired girl. It didn't explain the moment of silence and the sullen glances students in his second-year Slytherin/Gryffindor potions class sent a barren spot at a front-row table. Even Draco had been slightly subdued, at times, and he had quite vocally detested the Muggleborn girl that year.
Severus continued to follow the girl into a shop. He glanced around and was pleased to notice that all of the aisles had signs indicating what products were on the shelves. He immediately went to the vitamin aisle, and began to stock up on several bottles after perusing their ingredients. He was surprised by the supplements available as well. It seemed that Muggles had finally realized the benefits of several natural herbs and other plants that wizards had known about for centuries. He picked up a bottle of goldenseal and milk thistle, pleased that he could take those two things in capsule form and not have to brew them as a foul-tasting infusion.
He made his purchase and waited outside for Hermione. She only took a little longer as she had gone through the food section to see if there was anything that looked simple enough for her system. She bought the protein powder, along with a couple of bags of granola. Hermione met back up with Severus, and the two silently made their way back to the alley to join Harry, who was wearing a bright green shirt and smiling at the pair. Hoisting a few bags in each hand, he said, "I had to get some new things, but with this much, I almost feel like a Malfoy!"
Hermione giggled, and Severus shot him a dark look. Harry ducked his head and walked ahead of them. They made their way to the apparition point and disappeared.
Back at Grimmauld Place, they arrived to a silent house. No one had returned from Diagon Alley yet. Severus nodded at Hermione, then immediately left for Spinner's End through the floo.
"Glad he didn't stick around…" mumbled Harry.
"Nothing wrong with a man not wanting to hang out with a couple of kids, Harry, especially two that he never particularly got along with," Hermione retorted crisply.
"We're not kids anymore, 'Mione," he said softly.
"I know…but we were his students, he'll probably always see us as children; like how Mrs. Weasley still tries to coddle Bill and Charlie. They're grown men, and Bill is married with a child of his own, but to their mother they'll always be little boys."
Harry shrugged and went upstairs to set his bags down in his room. Hermione followed more slowly, and had just opened her bedroom door when Harry came barreling down the hallway.
"So, you set up the TV yet?"
Hermione just rolled her eyes and started taking shrunken items out of her pockets. Waving her wand, several boxes expanded, and she levitated them to her closet. "Where do you think we should set it up?"
"How about the library? No one but you goes in there." At her glare, he shifted his feet and said, "Alright… the study?"
"That's Sirius' study, and the Order still uses it. Same thing with the parlor and dining room at times. Why don't I just set it up over there," she said, pointing to a corner that held a loveseat, small table, and armchair. "My room is large enough and I only use it to sleep in. It wouldn't disturb anything if people came in here to watch movies during the day."
"Great, 'Mione! You set it up, I'll get some snacks!"
"Harry! I'm not going to do it right this minute. I would like to go through those boxes and take a bath. Perhaps try my protein powder and see if I can stomach it."
Harry grimaced and looked extremely sheepish. "Sorry. I just was really excited."
"I know...are you sure you're not a kid still?" she asked with a laugh. "I'll get to it, either later today or tomorrow. Just give me some time. I get tired easily still."
Harry stepped up to the thin girl and drew her into a hug. "I know, I'm sorry, 'Mione. You know me… I just get carried away with things at times. Take all the time you want, its not important."
Hermione squeezed him back, then nudged him towards the door. "I'm going to have that bath now, and change. Scram!"
"Alright, alright. I'll see you in a bit. I think Kreacher's making lunch."
"Could you take this down to the kitchen for me?" she asked, handing him the canister of powder.
Harry nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. Hermione sighed and went to open a couple of boxes, seeing if she could find anything to wear. Finding some clothes from years before, she rolled her eyes when she realized that she would be able to fit into the jeans and shirts that she wore during her fifth year. "I really need to gain a stone or two," she mumbled to herself.
After a soak in a hot bath, she dressed and made her way down to the kitchen to have lunch. Draco and Sirius had returned from Diagon Alley and were sitting at the table with Harry while Kreacher set the table. The ancient house elf gave Hermione a disdainful glance as he set a full glass in front of her.
Picking it up curiously, she took a sniff. "What did you put the powder in, Kreacher?"
"I be putting it in your orange juice, Missy 'Mione," he rasped. "Master Harry said that it would be tasting like something called a 'creamcicle'...drinking silly powders whilst I have a full lunch..." Ever since the end of the war, the old house elf had been polite to the residents and visitors to the House of Black, especially to Harry and his best friends, although he was still prone to grumbling at them.
Hermione took a tentative sip. With a small moan and a grin, she downed a huge gulp as quickly as she could. "That was good! You're right, Harry. It tastes exactly like a creamcicle!"
"Do I even want to know what a 'creamcicle' is? Probably some Muggle garbage.." Draco muttered.
"Don't knock it until you try it, Draco," Hermione retorted.
"Aren't you going to be having anything else?" Harry asked when he noticed she wasn't putting anything on her plate.
Shaking her head, Hermione replied, "No. I want to see how I stomach the powder first."
"I cannot fathom how anyone can stomach that."
"Malfoy,' Hermione said, gritting her teeth, "It's not really any different from a Nutrino potion, and a lot more palatable."
"Really?" the blond asked, slightly intrigued, as potions were universally abysmal tasting.
"Here, I'll make you a small glass," she began, started to get up out of her seat.
"Oh, give me that," Draco said, as he grabbed her glass. He upended it and took a small sip, shocking Hermione and Harry.
Smacking his lips, Draco's eyes widened before a grin settled on his face. "That is good.. could I have a full glass?" he asked, finally noting the stunned looks on the other's faces. "What…?"
"You just took a sip from my glass. The glass I was drinking out of…" Hermione said, trailing off.
Draco quirked his brow, looking confused. Harry said, heatedly, "Not afraid of catching Mudblood germs, Malfoy?"
The blond's face fell, as he darted his eyes to the table. "I…I never really believed all that, you know," he said softly.
"What?" Hermione nearly screeched.
Draco rolled his eyes and fixed his gaze on the confused and angry brunette girl sitting across from him. "All I ever wanted, my whole life, was for my father to be proud of me… the first time he has ever said that he was, was when we were in the Great Hall after the battle. The first time! Ever!" he said heatedly. "What I did hear a lot of, was that as a Pureblood I was better than everyone else. As a Malfoy, I was the heir of the most prestigious Pureblood family in British wizarding society, if not the world. Imagine my father's joy when he saw that my grades after our first year had been beaten in every single class by a Muggleborn witch of no great family or consequence. It was the first time I had ever heard the word 'Mudblood'. I hated you for my father's disappointment in me…not for your blood. Snape is my godfather, and he is a Halfblood..it never mattered to me, really." Shaking his head, Draco dropped his eyes to the table once more.
"I kind of always figured it was something like that…" Hermione said softly. Both Harry and Draco glanced at her in curiosity. "Well, it is rather easy to deduce. As often as Malfoy here rubbed his family's status in everyone's face, combined with the fact that most of his taunts and insults focused on things and attributes that could be construed as a threat to said status, I always believed that you acted the way you did out of a pressure to do so. Not only by your family but also by your peers in Slytherin?"
"You really are the brightest witch of the age…" Draco said with a self-deprecating smirk. "But, whilst I personally do not see any importance in blood status among wizards; a wizard is a wizard, regardless of blood… I still think that wizards are better than Muggles," the blond said with a sneer and a challenging glint in his eye.
"Malfoy," Hermione spat, rolling her eyes, "the only difference is magic ability. Muggles are people too!"
"Muggles are not people! From what I have seen, Muggles are dirty, stupid, barbaric animals," he snapped back.
Glaring at him, Hermione screeched "Knockturn Alley is a thousand times dirtier than anywhere in London, and the wizards there can clean everything up with a wave of a wand! Barbaric? What about everything that You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters did to innocent people? To children, even! And stupid? How can you call a people that walked on the moon, stupid?"
At each point, Draco looked more and more flustered and confused. At the last, he snapped out of his consternation and barked an incredulous laugh. "Walked on the moon! I do not believe you, Granger! Walked on the moon, indeed!" he said, bowing over while he sniggered. Wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, he looked up at Harry to witness the other boy's mirth. When he saw that Harry's face was set in serious and wry lines instead of laughter, he turned back to Hermione. She was sitting with her arms crossed, lips thinned, and eyes shooting fire.
Draco straightened and shouted, "You cannot be serious!"
"What do you mean I can't be serious? It's the lunar mission! Neil Armstrong? 'One small step for man…'?" she said, looking at Draco like he was crazy.
Confused silver eyes darting back to Harry caused the Boy-Who-Lived to interject softly, "You've never heard about the lunar landing?"
"No," Draco said in a shocked whisper. "You mean that really happened?" When the two Gryffindors nodded, Draco asked, "How did they get up there? Are they still up there? Why did they go?"
"They built a ship.. a few, in fact. No, there hasn't been a lunar mission in years… and they went to gather scientific data about the moon. What it was made out of. What the atmosphere was like… things like that. They brought back a ton of rock and sediment samples with them, that they've studied," Hermione said. "Hold on, I think I have a book on it…" she said, getting up and leaving for her room.
"Of course she has a book on it…" Draco said softly, still in mild shock.
"I can't believe you never heard of it. It was big news the world over… at least, the Muggle world over," Harry said, shaking his head.
The boys sat there in silence until Hermione came back, clutching a large book. "I figured it was probably in one of my old Encyclopedias; luckily the set was in one of the boxes I grabbed from my parents'." Flipping to a page, she set the book in front of Draco and pointed to a picture. "That's Neil Armstrong. He was an American astronaut, which is the term they use for people trained to fly and do missions in space, and the first man to walk on the moon."
Draco poked at the non-moving picture and read the caption underneath it. "'One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind'? You said something like that… what is it?"
"It was Armstrong's words as he stepped out of the ship they flew onto the surface of the moon," Harry said. "It is probably one of the most famous quotes in the Muggle world."
"How do you know he said that?"
"The whole thing was broadcast to radios and television stations. People watched and listened while it was happening. My parents told me all about it. They were in school when it happened," Hermione said.
"In school?" Draco asked, confusion apparent on his face.
"Well, yeah. It was years ago, Malfoy. It happened in 1969."
"You mean to tell me that this happened almost thirty years ago? I thought something like this would have just taken place… and it is history?"
"Yes. Since then the Russians built a space station that orbits the Earth , and the Americans have just started building an international station and sending probes to Mars. I think just a year or so ago they had something land there to start taking photos and recording data about the soil and atmosphere," Hermione said. "It's been a while since I've read a Muggle paper, so I'm not sure when it happened."
"Merlin," Draco said in a low whisper. "So, they keep sending all these things out there, just to see what is there?"
"That's one thing about Muggles; if they don't know about something, they try to figure it out. What the planets are made out of. What is the process that drives the Sun. What's at the bottom of the ocean. What is inside the body and makes it work the way it does…"
"Is that why you are the way you are?" Draco asked Hermione, causing her to frown in confusion. "Is that why you read and learn all the time? Is it a Muggle thing?"
"I guess you could say that… in part, anyway. I also just love to learn new things. My parents got me my first encyclopedia set when I was six. After that; I was hooked. All that interesting knowledge, at the tips of your fingers… it was amazing! I couldn't wait to learn more," she said with a soft smile on her face as she was immersed in memories of a simpler, more innocent time. "Most Muggle cultures and inventions are driven by the need for change, curiosity, imagination, adventure, and the search for the unknown. From what I have seen of wizarding culture, it seems to be quite dependent on tradition and ritual; the following of what was laid down centuries ago."
"That is why so many Purebloods are against Muggleborns. They think that you lot are going to come in and try to change everything; corrupt everything with your Muggle ways. No respect for tradition or things that have been held sacred for generations," Draco said, looking at the Gryffindors critically.
"I can understand why that would be a concern. It has been seen often enough throughout Muggle history when one culture meets or clashes with another. At times, there have even been wars as a result, but other times, the older culture just absorbs the newer culture, and you kind of end up with the best of both worlds," Harry said, somewhat surprising the other two with his insight.
"Do you really think that could happen here?" Draco scoffed.
"I would like to think so. I think people have seen what happens when fear and intolerance reign," Hermione said with a meaningful glance at Draco's left arm. "Maybe now more people will be open to the possibility of adapting to change, because leaving things they way they were will only lead to more trouble down the road."
"But it is the change that worries people, Granger… especially those families that have been around for a long while, like mine," Draco pointed out.
"I don't mean that everything has to change at once. That would be inadvisable, not to mention stupid," Hermione scoffed.
"What would you suggest?" Harry asked, interested.
"Well… to start, I think you should begin at Hogwarts. Change minds when they're still young enough to be changed and molded."
"How, exactly?" Harry demanded, waving his hand about.
"Well, you aren't born knowing intolerance or how to hate; that's something that is taught. So, you redesign the Muggle Studies to make it more accurate and more in-depth, and make it mandatory for Purebloods the first few years, and for Muggleborns, you create a new mandatory class."
At the boys' raised brows, Hermione continued, "Oh, its so simple, really. Wizarding Studies!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands. "Malfoy, do you have any idea what its like to grow up, not knowing why you're able to do the things you can do? Having everyone around you, even your parents at times, thinking there is something wrong with you or that you're a freak? And then, one day, someone shows up at your house and says, 'by the way, you're a witch!', and from there on out you're lost in a world that you know nothing about the rules, or how to act, and you scramble every single day to try to find a place in it?"
Draco furrowed his brow. There was a drawn-out silence before he softly said, "Actually… no. I have been around magic since the day I was born. Its all I know. I cannot imagine a life or a world without it."
"Exactly. And it's the same situation for Muggleborn kids, in reverse. They've known nothing but a world without magic, then get dropped into a world full of it with very little real guidance. Is it any wonder why Muggleborns tend to hold onto Muggle culture and beliefs? We aren't taught anything to replace it; only spells and potions, and our ignorance is held against us, even though its not our fault."
Draco sat back in his chair, and stroked his chin. "So, you are saying that by learning about the other's culture the first few years, then Purebloods and Muggleborns would be able to meet in the middle?"
"Maybe not completely, but it would be a start as there would be a better understanding in the differences in cultures. Perhaps that could be what the later years would do. Have a joint class where you compare the differences and discuss them."
"What good would that do?" Harry asked.
"It would foster more understanding," Hermione said with determination. "I know a lot of people at school made fun of me for trying to free house elves," she said, ignoring the boys saying 'spew!' under their breaths," but did anyone ask me why I felt the way I did?"
Malfoy quirked a brow. "You mean there was a reason other than you just being annoying?"
Hermione shot him a glare, and said, "Of course there was a reason! If you knew anything about the history of slavery, you'd know exactly why I felt the way I did!"
At this declaration, Harry's face fell, and he took on a pensive, saddened mein. "Is that why? I mean… I knew… but I didn't really connect it to all that, for some reason…. Merlin, I'm sorry, 'Mione," he said sheepishly.
"What…" Draco began, gazing between Harry and Hermione.
"Slavery. One of the darkest periods in Muggle history…." Harry said, shaking his head.
"In the seventeen and eighteen hundreds, white traders from Europe and the Americas kidnaped millions of people from Africa and sold them into slavery. It was justified, in their way of thinking, because since the Africans had darker skin, they were inferior…"
"Darker skin?" Draco spat. "That makes no sense, whatsoever!"
"Makes as much sense as thinking people who have no magic are inferior to those that do, Malfoy. They're both things controlled by genetics and things that people have no control over," Harry said, cutting off Hermione.
At this pronouncement, Draco fell back in his chair, chagrined.
"That is the kind of thing that could be brought up in the discussion classes. I think a lot of the current cultural differences tend to center around social issues, not just traditions," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Things like equal rights between the sexes and classes… its all changed in Muggle culture over the past hundred years, so when Muggleborns come into the wizarding world, a lot of it seems backward and archaic…because we've already been there, generations ago. That could be why it seems we want to change things too quickly at times…"
"I noticed a lot of similarity between what Voldemort wanted to do, and what Hitler tried to do. In a lot of ways, it does seem that the wizarding world is about fifty years behind the Muggle one.." Harry said, shaking his head.
"Hitler?"
"Another long, drawn-out, disturbing story for another time… or I could just give you a book on it…" Hermione said, suddenly tired.
Draco shook his head and crossed his arms, pursing his lips in thought. After a moment, those lips crept up into a smirk.
"What's that look for, Malfoy?" Harry asked, mildly alarmed.
"I was thinking… my father was given his school governorship back, and McGonagall has been made Headmistress…between the two of them, if they brought the idea up for these classes at the next governor meeting, they would not have a problem getting it passed."
Meeting two incredulous faces, he continued, "Honestly, Granger, I think it is a great idea with the potential to work. If you can open my eyes in a mere hour, I think great strides may be made over the course of years, especially if they will teach younger kids things like this," he said, gesturing to the encyclopedia, "and, if they are going to be teaching Muggleborns about the time-honored and beloved traditions that Purebloods follow, it would alleviate the concerns of the older, more rigid members of the leading families."
"Mark this day down on the calendar, 'Mione… Malfoy actually agrees with you…" Harry said, half jokingly and half in awe.