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The halls were dark, eerily so. She cast a Lumos! to see around her.
"Blasted girl! Turn off that light!" The grumpy awoken fat lady howled at her. Hermione jumped a foot into the air at the sudden screech, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Sorry!" Hermione epped, scurrying off before the portrait yelled at her further.
"What? What are you doing girl?"
"Lower that light!"
"It's past curfew, you know girl!"
"Get back to your bed!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Hermione continuously repeated as she traveled the halls to the many grumpy portraits.
Ohhh! This is not a good idea Hermione! Not a good idea at all! Her mind screamed. Having never sneaked out past curfew before, Hermione was positively terrified that she was going to run into a professor at every turn. She didn't know how she could let those 'Pures' coerce her into coming out so late.
A sound punctured the dark halls ahead of her making Hermione squeak like a frightened mouse, jumping a foot in the air and holding her wand ahead of her with a clenched fist.
"A-are you there?" she whispered, raising her wand so the light could travel further down the hall, her frightened eyes wide as she tried to see but making no move closer. The 'Pures' had told her yesterday that one of them would come to help her to their meeting place and Hermione anxiously wondered who it was that they sent. It would be a lie if she said she wasn't hoping it was Potter, who seemed out of all of them the less hostile...she dreaded being alone with someone like Parkison or Malfoy who obviously had no qualms about showing her just what they felt about her. She warily waited for a response, thinking in her head that they probably would send one of them just to maybe get her to back out of whatever these deals would entail.
He melted out of the shadows soundlessly, his eyes peering out at her from beneath his red fringe. She watched his movements with a pounding heart as he stepped closer even though she was expecting him, or at least anyone of the 'Pure' she still was startled to see him. He looked like a ghost in the light of her wand, a scary ghost too in this unnervingly dark hallway with suddenly quiet portraits. Wordlessly, Hermione stood stock still with wide eyes as more details of his face came into her view with every step he took, getting closer to her than they had ever been their entire duration of Hogwarts.
Hermione immediately took note to how tall he really was, feeling completely towered over as he peered down at her a good head above. She had always known that he was tall but had never thought of how much taller he was from her and what it would feel like to be looking up at him as he looked down at her. It made her feel small, and not only in just stature. The next second though, Hermione could care less about his height as she finally saw his eyes in close proximity and bit back a gasp. His eyes were an intensive sapphire color the pupils dilated into cat like slits, so strangely beautiful on a human face.
He narrowed his eyes at her and it was only then that Hermione realized she was gaping at him with slightly parted lips she quickly snapped shut. Swallowing hard with a blushing face, Hermione averted her eyes, instead she watched his large freckled hand reach up to her. Lightly the tips of his fingers touched her forearm and applied pressure so she would lower her wand, the light following the movement, shrouding his face once again with darkness.
Wordlessly, he turned on his heel and moved back to where he came from. It took Hermione a moment before she started after him, running to catch up to his long legged strides. She burned with questions as she took turns she couldn't see, following the glint of his mane of red hair. Why did they have to meet so late at night? What were they going to do to her? Where was her necklace? Was he wearing it? Why had he even worn it in the first place?
Then even greater questions like, what happened to them? How was it possible that they could change into magical beasts? Why were they all in that clearing that night? How often did they change? Could they change at will? Where did they go when they weren't in class? Were there more like them?
And then further still, she questioned herself. Why was she even agreeing to this? Why had she stayed and watched them that night? Why hadn't she told anyone? Why did she even care that they could change in the first place? Why couldn't she just think of them as animagi? Why was she so curious about them? Why did she have this urge to speak with them? Why was she...why was there a part of her beneath the fear that was excited for this meeting?
An impatient huff brought Hermione out of her musings, her eyes shooting up to look at the boy in front of her. She realized with embarrassment that they had reached whatever the destination was and that Ron Weasley was waiting for her to open the door before them. It was then that Hermione realized that she was in the normally empty hallway by the tapestry she had pondered over once when she was in her third year, where a wizard was trying to teach a bunch of trolls how to dance ballet.
"Where did this door come from?" she murmured, reaching out to touch the wood, her eyes flickering questioningly to the red head next to her. He of course, did not answer her but just huffed at her with annoyance before reaching around her and opening it.
"Right, then..." Hermione responded with a 'wow what a jerk' look on her face. She took the hint though and opened the door the rest of the way and took a step into the mysterious room.
They were all there, lounging about in a room that looked like a sort of common room filled with armchairs and couches and tables. A raw, nervous spike of fear hit her when all their eyes all at once shot to her, making her palms sweat and her heart pound. The 'Pures' all still wore that blank bored expressions on their faces but their were new additions to the group that Hermione didn't expect that were actually smiling.
Remus Lupin, her defense Professor, along with his long time mate Sirius, stood at the back of the large room with a short pink haired tan skinned woman Hermione did not recognize, and they all looked highly amused about something. Curiously, potions master and renowned healer, Severus Snape was there as well but Hermione had no idea why he would be...why any of the adults would be here for that matter.
Suddenly, Hermione was overcome with the possibility that something very huge was going on and she had just unknowingly jumped head first right into the snake pit. She wondered if there would even be a way to come back out from it without harm...
In a nervous habit, Hermione reached up a hand to clutch her necklace, only to touch her bare skin and it was that simple to remind her of why she was here...she needed to get back her necklace, so squaring up her shoulders Hermione marched into the room with tall Ron following after.
The click of the door shutting, sounded oh so very final to Hermione as she stood in the silence feeling the probing stares of their eyes on her but no one said a thing. She stewed there uncomfortably for what felt like ages but could have only been less than a minute. She was very relieved when Professor Snape finally spoke from the corner of the room he stood in.
"Miss Granger," he started, his dark eyes hitting her the hardest with its unblinking focus. "I think you know why you've been asked to meet us here tonight. You have some knowledge we don't want known and we've got your precious necklace that you obviously want back..."
"Yes," Hermione responded because she didn't think she could even manage to say anything more the way her lips were trembling.
"So we've made a proposition up for you," he continued as telling shifts of positions through out the room showed Hermione how uncomfortable the others were about this.
"Merlin, Snivellus, can we just get to the point so we can all go to bed? Cut the dramatics already!" Pro- Coach Black interrupted rolling his grey eyes making the bone in Professor's Snape's jaw clench.
"I was getting to it you impatient ill-breed mutt!" her Professor hissed back callously.
"Why don't we start by asking her a few questions first." Professor Lupin cut it before an argument broke out. Hermione almost wished he didn't interrupt it since it was so slightly fascinating to watch the emotions brewing in the normally cold and despondent Professor Snape.
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Pansy suddenly bellowed, abruptly standing from her seat beside Draco on one of the leather couches, and turning her narrowed eyes on Hermione with her arms crossed.
"Why didn't you open that fat mouth of yours, bookworm, and spill our secret to anybody?" she asked with such force, taking Hermione aback.
"Er, becau-"
"And why did you follow us like a creepy stalker to the clearing in the first place?" Draco piped up from his spot still seated, not even turning his head to fully look at her but glaring at her from the corner of his eye.
"I did not-!"
"How come you didn't even confront us about it afterwards either?" Ginny Weasley asked with a suspicious glare but a curious lit to her voice.
"Wha-"
"Or even agreed to meet us here? Do you plan to black mail us?" Cho chipped in as Hermione indignantly opened her mouth to retort.
"Okay, okay enough!" the tiny pixie lady spoke up, cutting Hermione off again. "This isn't an interrogation. You have to give her enough time to answer the question before you ask the next, alright?"
"Tonks is right, you guys know better than that." Snape said with a narrowed eyed gaze. The way he said it made Hermione think she was definitely missing something as everyone reluctantly calmed down, Pansy sitting back down and Ron moving from behind her to sit up on an end table in front of Hermione.
"Right, so lets do this like its business as usual." Harry Potter suddenly spoke as he stood up from where he was leaning against the wall beside Sirius and moving closer to her. Hermione watched his movements warily, feeling a shift in the atmosphere as everyone suddenly became expressionless again.
"First question first. Why were you spying on us that night?" he continued, his green eyes narrowed behind his glasses.
"I-I wasn't spying..." Hermione stuttered feeling nervous all over again as she shifted from foot to foot and crossed her arms defensively in front of her. "I was..." blushing, Hermione averted her eyes as she told the embarrassing truth, "I was chased into the forest by Millicent and her lot and when I got lost and used a point me spell it lead me to the clearing and that's when I saw..." she trailed off, still shamefully avoiding meeting anyones gaze, that is until Draco, Blaise, Pansy and Professor Black started laughing hysterically, Ginny and Cho giggling slightly as well even when Harry shot them a look.
Just ignore it Hermione, don't get upset that they're laughing at your suffering...they're just ignorant, immature people...hardly worth two minutes of my time... Tears still pooled in her eyes though, that she hastily rubbed away.
"Enough," Professor Snape cut in, glaring darkly at them for a good minute as they quieted down. "Harry continue."
"Okay," he said suddenly awkward, throwing Hermione a sympathetic look, "And why didn't you tell anyone afterwards? A teacher? Some friends? The headmaster?" he asked as Hermione glared at him with watery eyes.
"Because," she spat though the watery tone quelled her fierceness "I don't make it a point to ignorantly judge and I figured that there would be a reason why you guys were there, why you guys can...become what you guys can become and I figured it wasn't my place to talk about it! Not until I had all the facts..." she said, glaring at the ones who laughed making Ginny and Cho look a little shame faced while Draco, Blaise and Pansy just smirked back at her. "Also, I figured that Professor Dumbledore already knew, as the rest of the staff since you guys do seem to often get special privileges."
At this everyone seemed to get peculiarly somber and uncomfortable much to Hermione's curiosity.
"Is that what it seems like to outsiders?" Luna Lovegood suddenly spoke up, her voice soft and yet strangely high pitched and very lofty. Hermione cocked her head at her.
"What do you mean-"
"Next question," Harry interrupted throwing a mollifying glare at the blonde who stared right back but shut her mouth. "Why didn't you confront one of us? Ask any questions or try to snoop around some more?"
Huffing, Hermione crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at his stupid question.
"I would hardly say it would be smart to go up to you all after finding out what you guys can turn into now would it? And quite frankly I wanted to just forget all about it and I would have since I was too busy trying to find my necklace." she spat heatedly, missing the glances that went subtly around the room at what she had unknowingly suggested.
"So then you didn't agree to meet us here in order to blackmail us with our secret?" Harry asked making Hermione throw him a 'honestly? do you think i'm thick?' sort of look.
"I came because I want my necklace back, that's all." Hermione responded her hand travelling again to her empty neck. It was Harry's turn to cock his head at her with curiosity.
"Right, you'll forgive us if its seems a little hard to believe that you would agree for a lousy necklace, Granger." Pansy spat immediately raising Hermione's ire.
"It is not just a lousy necklace, it's the only thing I have left of my parents, alright?" Hermione shouted, glaring fiercely at the girl who glared right back, though her eyes shot to Harry for a second.
"Alright Hermione," Harry spoke, his eyes filled with empathy as he looked at her, making Hermione gaze back at him confused, but still irritated.
"So does that mean you'll give me my necklace back?" she asked as he glanced questionably at Professor Lupin and Black.
"Yes, you get it back, kid." Professor Black spoke but Professor Snape cut him off.
"You may get back what is yours but we still need to decide what to do with you." he said, moving from his corner of the wall towards her, making Hermione gaze at him with apprehension and slight fear.
"What do you mean 'do with me'? This is a school and you can't-" Hermione started with outrage, to mask her mounting panic as he came up in front of her, placing a hand onto her wand.
"Relax, Miss Granger, " he said "besides it wouldn't be wise to draw your wand when your outnumbered twenty to one.
"Besides, the decision really lies with you, actually. You have two options you can take and both let you leave with your necklace. The first option is that you can agree to have your memories of that night and this night obliviated and you must leave Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry and be placed into a different Wizarding school of your choosing so there will be close to no risk that your memory can resurface or," he leaned in closer to her, the tips of his fingers meeting as he stared into her eyes with something she understood to be challenging.
"You can stay in Hogwarts, keep your memory but undergo an unbreakable vow of secrey and live with all of us until you are deemed trust worthy enough to walk around with the biggest secret the wizarding world has."
Stunned, Hermione stood in front of her Professor with her mouth agape and the horrific options placed in front of her.
"What!" she exploded outraged. "what kind of options are those? Do you honestly expect me to believe that you can just-"
"Believe it," he cut in, his voice dangerously low as he stared back at her, and Hermione could see in his eyes, she had no choice it was one of those two options or face something even much worse...
"Is that why you guys are here?" she asked, her eyes flickering to the other adults in the room. "because you guess wanted to stress how serious this is or-"
"No," Professor Lupin spoke, his voice grave as his eyes tried to convey his sympathy for her. "Sirius, Severus, Tonks and I are all like them," he said nodding his head to the 'Pures' as Hermione's eyes widened in understanding.
"And if you take the second option you'll be living in Grimmauld Place where we all stay so you would find out eventually, and if you take the first then this conversation wouldn't matter anyway..." The pixie pinked haired woman said with a shrug of her tiny shoulders.
"How many are they like you guys?" Hermione asked her eyes incredulous as she stared at them.
"Thirteen," Luna piped in making Hermione turn slightly to look at the whispy girl "Or at least there's supposed to be but Sevy isn't really like us anymore, he lost his Griffin a long time ago."
"Quiet Luna," Professor Snape bit out harshly making the girl gaze at the professor before shutting her mouth again.
Completely befuddled Hermione could only stand there like a gaping fish with at least a thousand question running through her mind.
"What did-" Hermione started only to be rudely cut off by Professor Snape.
"We won't answer anymore of your questions until you make a decision," he stated making Hermione glare at him.
"But Professor-!"
"This isn't a classroom lesson Miss. Granger. You don't get to take lecture notes or wave your hand in the air and get points for answering something right. You either agree to be obliviated or you take the unbreakable vow...what will it be?" he asked intensely.
Hermione could feel a well of panic shooting into her as her heart started pounding a mile a minute in her chest.
"May I ask something to do with my options?" she asked to which Professor Snape inclined his head every so slightly rather reluctantly. "If I take the second option how long would I have to live with you guys? What does until I'm trust worthy enough mean? What if I fail and you never deem me trust worthy enough? And if I take the first does that mean I can't live in England anymore or work in the Ministry of Magic? For how long? What other wizarding schools?-" Hermione mused started to pace as her questions continued to pile up.
"Alright, alright enough with your endless questions!" Snape suddenly cut in drawing her attention "If you take the first option you can never work in this Ministry, you can choose a school far away like Beauxbatons, The Salems Witch Institute...there's even one in Japan you could leave to! It would be for an indefinite amount of time just like if you choose the second option and decide for the unbreakable vow. You'd live with us all through the rest of your Hogwarts years, definitely and if you are incapable of being trust worthy then you will forever in Grimmauld Place." he said as Hermione's mid wheeled with the information.
"I just don't understand this..." Hermione murmured "How can those be my only choices. There has to be another way!"
"There is no other way Miss Granger!" Professor Snape hissed as Hermione started to tremble. "Either you can make this choice or we can make it for you." he threatened raising Hermione's panic further still.
"No! If those are my only options than I want to be the one to make it!" Hermione responded shortly to which the older man smirked.
"Then make it!"
"I choose..." Hermione trailed off biting her lip, her eyes roving around the room at the faces staring back at her. She just didn't know what to do... "I..."
"Oh come on Granger! Use your words! Aren't you programmed to answer a professor?" Draco suddenly bit out making Hermione's fists clench as she whirled around to glare at him.
"Yeah, where's that incessant know it all behavior now?" Pansy shot out infuriating Hermione.
"Easy for you to say! It's not your life being meddled with like a peon in a chess match!" Hermione said shrilly feeling angry hot tears forming in her eyes. "I need to think!"
"Your wrong, though. It will affect us all if you take the second option." Harry said, his stare penetrating but not unfriendly, just stating a fact. "You and I will be living together for one thing, since I live at Grimmauld too."
Frazzled and feeling very pressured, Hermione turned away from everyone in the room and faced the wall in front of her trying to think. She felt like she couldn't even breath; she had thought that nothing could stress her worse than her third year when she took all the classes Hogwarts had to offer but this was worse! This was a decision that would affect her future! It made her feel so small and unprepared and if there is anything Hermione hated it was being unprepared.
Gazing over her shoulder, Hermione glared at her Professor.
"Can I have my necklace?" she asked as the Professor rolled his eyes.
"I already told you you'll get it-"
"No, I mean right now, I need to hold it." Hermione cut in, satisfied that she could interrupt him after all the interruptions she had to go through. Sighing a long suffering sigh, Professor Snape nodded and waved his hand.
"Yes, yes, fine. Weasley!" he snapped making both Weasley's in the room glare. Ron stood up though and came to her, his tall gangly frame towering above them all.
His face was an unreadable mask as he looked at her, though his blue eyes never once wavered from her all night long...something Hermione had dimly noted during all this. She was curious why he was looking at her so fixedly but found she didn't mind the feel of his stare half as much as the others since there didn't seem to be anything unkind or suspicious there just observation.
He took off the necklace from around his neck as he came to her, holding it out for her to take with a freckled hand. Eagerly, she grabbed it and held it tight with both hands feeling the warmth of his body seep into hers.
"Why are you the one always wearing my necklace?" she asked curiously as his gaze flickered away from hers and he shrugged his broad shoulders.
"I'm the one who found it so it was my responsibility." he said, his voice surprisingly more confident than she thought it would be "plus you kept accio it so I constantly had to finite it..."
A spark of anger ignited in her at his words, remembering her desperate attempts at finding her necklace that they didn't have the decency to give back to her once they realized whom it belonged to. No, instead they were the ones who black mailed her with it! And then they had the gall to act suspiciously with her because she didn't do anything!
'Honestly, what audacity!' she thought angrily, glaring down at her necklace and absentmindedly opening the locket. 'And what's worse is if I take the second option I'll be trapped with these people for who knows how long!'
'But,' she continued, her expression changing as she stroked the picture of her mum and dad 'I can't leave England! This is where mum and dad were raised, where they feel in love, where our memories are...This is my home! And I really hate the thought of someone messing with my mind, especially my memories... But can I live with them...?
Raising her head, Hermione gazed at all the faces around her, most impatient like Draco, some bored like Professor Black, others, like Ron, just staring back at her... it wasn't very welcoming. Clenching her eyes, Hermione took a breath and knew her decision was made when she opened them.
"I'll take the unbreakable vow of secrecy." Hermione said, raising her head and squaring her shoulders as she placed her necklace back around her neck.
Professor Snape smiled for a span of half a heartbeat before he swooped over to her and started barking out orders.
"Come on, you know what to do," he said as everyone leaped into action, coming to crowd around her. Ron reached her first, taking her left hand with his left hand and everyone else followed suit after that so it looked fairly odd with all twelve of the people in the room clasping there hands on top of hers like it was some sort of huddle. Professor Snape stood the closest next to her, his wand touching the top of the pile of their hands.
A nervous flutter hit Hermione as she realized how final it was for her from here on out; it made her unable to look at all the faces swarming in front of her. She focused on all the hands on top of hers some pale, like Harry's and Pansy's, some freckled, like Ron and Ginny's, some tan like Blaise and Tonks...She concentrated on that as Professor Snape spoke.
"Will you Hermione, protect and never speak of the secret of all the wizarding families here; the Malfoy, Parkinson, Wealsey, Potter, Black, Zabini, Lupin, Tonks, Longbottom, Lovegood, Snape and Riddle?' he asked.
Riddle? she thought but nodded her head nonetheless and nearly screamed as a vibrant red wired light shot out from the tip of his wand and trickled down through all of their hands.
"Yes,"
"And will you, for as long as it is deemed by Riddle or anyone of his approving, live with us at any of the families mentioned estates?"
"Y-yes." she stuttered out, her heart pounding as the light flared for a moment. Who is Riddle?
"And will you never speak of the secrets that surround these families that you may discover while living with them to any outsiders?" he continued surprising Hermione.
"Yes." she said as red wired light flared once more between all of their hands before it faded completely when Snape took his wand away.
"Then we are done here." he finished, leaning back away from her with, Hermione could only perceive as satisfaction in his eyes. "I've got to go and report right away." he announced, very abruptly turning and vanishing out the door without a backward glance.
Feeling shaken, Hermione retracted her hand and stepped back away from the ones she just irreversibly bonded herself to. Her eyes raised to gauge their expressions and found varied mixes of emotions staring back at her.
"Well wotcher Hermione! Welcome to the family!" The pink haired pixie like lady greeted with a smile, clumsily tripped over to her and holding out her tan hand for Hermione to shake. It didn't pass Hermione that Pansy was the one to trip her, as she glared daggers at Hermione rather intimidatingly, Draco scoffing next to her and mumbling.
"Thanks?" Hermione said questionably, reaching out and taking hold of hers as she shook their hands rather enthusiastically. Remus smiled and inclined his head slightly behind her as Sirius smirked and crossed his arms.
"Poor thing probably won't know what she got herself into." he said rather ominously with a mischievous glint in his eyes "Moving into a home filled predominately with men." Remus elbowed him in the side which knocked the smirk quickly off his face.
"Ow Moony!" he said rubbing his side as Remus smirked and Tonks, Harry and Luna laughed. "Shut it Nymphadora!"
"I keep telling you to stop calling me that." Tonks responded as Hermione watched with fascination as her pink hair turned a vibrant maroon color, missing the glare that Draco sent her as he stormed away and out the door with Pansy hot on his heels.
Luna surprised Hermione by reaching out her hand and placing it on Hermione's shoulder, her smile very ethereal as she gazed at Hermione.
"I for one am glad that you took the second option Hermione. I have always thought you had wonderful wrackspurths swarming around you and living in your hair." she said as Hermione cocked her head at her with confusion.
"Wrackspurths? But those aren't-" Hermione started but was cut off by Ginny.
"Leave it Granger, if your stuck with us then you better learn today that Luna can see things others can't." she said, swinging her long flaming hair over her shoulder and giving Hermione a wink.
"Alright, but-" her own yawn cut her off from speaking as she quickly covered her face and blinked her eyes feeling suddenly exhausted. "Oh, pardon me! That was terribly improper." She said but found that her yawn seemed to be contagious as Ron, Neville, Tonks and Ginny all yawned too.
"Well your not the only one then," Harry said appearing beside her suddenly with an amused expression. "We should all go to bed then."
"Yes, yes, off to bed with you children," Sirius said with a shooing wave ushering us all towards the door. "We grown ups need to discuss some things you youngsters are to young to hear, like bdsm and other nasty sex things...!" making Ginny laugh, Cho giggle and Ron blush as Harry shook his head and Neville just yawned again.
Frowning, Hermione glared back at the smirking man which made his smirk widen as he winked at her.
"Don't worry Buttons, in a few years you can give shoot me an owl and I promise I'll change your world-"
"Azkaban awaits you Sirius, really." Tonks said distastefully as Remus just shook his head and Hermione glared at him with a disgusted look which made him cackle.
"Should I-?" Harry started uncertainly changing the expression on Sirius face to a kind warm smile as he gazed at the boy and ruffled his hair.
"No Harry, you can sit this one out, you've had a long enough week." he said with surprising tenderness and a slightly morose look in his eyes.
"Okay," Harry responded, with a barely audible relief in his voice catching Hermione's curious eye before quickly looking away and following after Cho who was waiting at the door for him as the others had already left.
"I still have a lot of questions." Hermione stated making Professor Lupin smile and Sirius roll his eyes.
"I'm sure you do-"
"We can discuss them tomorrow after classes Hermione. You've been through a lot yourself this past week so I daresay you need to get as much sleep as you can now." Professor Lupin cut Sirius off with a pleasant smile as Hermione sighed and was about to argue when another yawn broke free.
"Alright, tomorrow then." she said reluctantly making his smile widen to which she returned with a small one of her own.
"Goodnight Hermione!" Tonks called as Hermione exited the room. Waving, Hermione closed the door and looked down the empty dark hallways, this time unafraid of casting a Lumos as she took strength from the necklace nestled by her chest.
It was only in the dark comfort of her room that Hermione was once again plagued with an anxious sort of feeling, questions zooming a hundred miles a minute in her head.
Who was Riddle? Why had she not hear of him? He couldn't be a part of the thirteen cursed since he wasn't present tonight and they had already said that Professor Snape had been one of the thirteen... Why was it that he wasn't any longer? What if a few years done the line she realized she had made the wrong decision? Would she be able to change her mind and ask to be obliviated? What if they changed their minds and decided to obliviate her?
Questions upon questions upon questions but sleep eventually won; the last thought in Hermione's head,
I can't believe I'll be living with Harry Potter!