The A/N - Here is the second part of Hermione's Memories. This chapter is focused primarily on Blaise and the Zabini family reunion. We find out who the trouble maker was. No one of importance so no worry or angst there. Just some made up little kid. As always, I don't own them, just like to play with them.
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The headmistress had been informed of the fight in the dungeons, how Draco handled the situation with the students and head of house (and the expectation for him to inform Minerva shortly), who exactly was part of the second fight, and the missing Zabini heir. With all that happened, Minerva allowed the foursome to leave. They quickly arrived to a plush study at Zabini Manor. Blaise hugged her and said that he would be right back. He bounded out of the room calling for his mother. Draco, having spent countless hours at the Zabini home, helped himself to a drink before offering something to the ladies. Draco settled on the couch next to Hermione. Hermione and Anna had made themselves comfortable while Draco procured the refreshments. The social skills drilled into him by Narcissa were the only thing that held Draco back from wrapping his arms around Hermione. He leaned toward Hermione just enough to retain socially acceptable but for her to sense his calming presence.
Hermione was a little tense. Not so much for herself, but for the young girl in her care. Anna was in awe and probably a little shocked. Hermione had no idea what sort of life Anna led until now but Hermione expected for her life, and by extension her entire family's life, to be changed drastically once Maria Zabini was informed of her granddaughter's (and son and daughter-in-law and grandson) existence. Hermione had only met Blaise's mother a couple of times and every time all Hermione could think was Maria Zabini was "force to be reckoned with". In a good way, of course.
Anna was in awe of her family's ancestral home. Just the one room was almost as large as her childhood home. Her only thoughts were hoping her grandmother would be as loving as Blaise. Her uncle had tried to calm those fears but the unknown is a hard thing to rationalize.
As Blaise left the room, they could all hear the excitement in his voice as he searched the home for his mother.
"Mother?"
"Blaise what is wrong? Why are yelling? Has something happened? School just started today!" Maria Zabini, despite popular belief, was neither a serial bride nor was she a black widow. After the death of Blaise's father she had married a few, different, older wizards who all ended up passing away but she really didn't have anything to do with it. She just liked older, wealthy wizards and there wasn't anything wrong with that!
"Mother I have some amazing news but I think we need to be seated." They started to move toward Maria's sitting room when Blaise changed his mind. "Mother I want to go into Father's study. I need to see the tree."
"Blaise, you that room is hard for me to be in. I haven't been there since your father died."
"I know but I need to see something and it is vitally important to this conversation." Confused but unwilling to deny anything to the only family she had left, Maria reluctantly agreed and turned to the closed door. She took down the wards and opened the room. Immediately her eyes flew to tree and where her eldest child and family should be. She was shocked to see him there.
"What?" Shock stopped Maria from forming a thought or fully understanding what she was seeing. What she saw was Xavier, alive and with a wife. And a FAMILY! Blaise strode to the tree and looked into the eyes of his dead brother. Except he wasn't dead and he had not been blasted from the tree. Xavier gave Blaise a cheeky grin and winked at him. Winked! At least the playful manner Blaise exuded was a family trait. Blaise was happy with that turn of events. It would be much easier now to correct part of the way Xavier had been treated. He was confused as to what had happened.
"Mother, as you can see Xavier is alive and has a family. I've met Anna." Blaise's fingers brushed her picture. She turned and smiled at her newly acquainted uncle. "She is at Hogwarts this year. She told me Xavier had been blasted from the tree because he fell in love with a muggle born. Father said that he was not allowed to be with, let alone marry, a muggle born witch. Xavier chose love and believed Father blasted him from the tree."
"I don't understand Blaise. I saw the tree say he was dead. There was no wife, no children. How?"
"I guess Father charmed the tree and when he died it ended. Since you never came in here you never knew. Anna is here, if you wish to meet your first granddaughter." Blaise had noticed that Xavier had 3 children and there was a 4th on the way.
"She is here?"
Blaise nodded and took his mother's arm and led her to the front study. The reconciliation was amazing; Hermione started to cry the moment that Maria had run into the room and grabbed her granddaughter. Decorum was an afterthought to Maria. The only thing that was important was meeting the child she had been denied. Maria's mumbled apologies for missing out on Anna's milestones sent Hermione into a more intense response. Her attempt to masked her sobs only made it more obvious to Draco. Blaise, Maria and Anna were in their own world of joy. Draco stood to the side holding Hermione as she cried. Hermione burrowed her face into Draco's chest. This attempt to smother the sobs worked. Draco just rubbed Hermione's back until the sobs quieted. The duo then watched as the unexpected reunion played out before them.
In the post war world reunions were rare; most ended when the family found their loved one's body or never found closure. All in the room knew of many people who would never know what truly happened and just lived with the hope their loved one's death was painless.
There was a tapping at the window and when opened Draco's owl flew to Anna. She removed the letter. Draco gave him a treat before it left returning to the owlery at Hogwarts.
"It's from Father and he would love to see you both; assuming you want to see him that is." Blaise and Maria and quickly nodded in agreement and they headed to the floo.
"Anna would you like Hermione and I to go or do you feel comfortable with Blaise and Maria?" Draco quietly asked, wanting to know where Anna's mind was.
"No, Professor Malfoy, I think I'll be ok with my uncle and grandmother. Thank you both for escorting me and please let Headmistress McGonagall know that I will be back before curfew. Father will not let me get a detention on my first day."
Draco and Hermione quickly returned to Hogwarts and told Minerva what had happened. The evident pleasure in hearing the positive results of the trip were displayed on the Headmistress's face. Minerva turned more reserve as she informed them the duo that all of the issues from the day were the fault of one boy; a second year by the name of Bernard Sedgewick. This was his first year at Hogwarts. He had been privately tutored as his parents feared sending their only child to school with Voldemort running around. What they failed to know was the tutor they hired believed in the pureblood doctrine and taught his students those beliefs. Bernard had been expelled and his parents went to the Ministry to determine what could be done to the tutor. Draco realized that Bernard was what Lucius wanted Draco to be. He was glad he didn't turn into the complete arse he met in the dungeons earlier that day.
Minerva also explained the house meeting that was occurring in the Slytherin common room. Bernard had spent almost the entire prior night explaining the "truth" about the war. Apparently Hermione's introduction as the Transfiguration professor during the Welcoming Dinner had triggered Bernard's response. All of the parents had been contacted and would be arriving shortly to discuss what their children had been told by their former housemate. All the students involved in the physical assault on Anna would be dealt with individually and there was a potential for a few additional students to be expelled. Hermione hoped after discussions with their families the students would understand what they did was wrong.
While Hermione and Draco were with Minerva; Blaise, Anna and Maria were learning about each other.
Anna took Blaise and Maria to her home. Maria was shocked. The Zabinis were a rather well off family and to have her eldest living in such a state was not acceptable. The home was small and clean. It was not beautiful but seemed sturdy. You could tell that the home was well cared for and filled with love.
"Father we are here!" Anna yelled as she ran toward the back of the home. A deep voice was heard responding to Anna.
"I'll be right there Anna. I was just telling your mother." Maria let out a little gasp. Xavier sounded just like his father. The voice was warm and powerful. After losing their father, Maria hoped some of his love and warmth would be evident in the boys. The warmth in Xavier's voice was just like how their father spoke to them. A smile crossed Maria's face as she heard her son's steps get closer.
Xavier Zabini walked around a corner and stared at his younger brother and mother. They were two people he thought he would never see again. Momentarily the pain of being blasted from the tree was forgotten. He ran to his mother and hugged her tightly.
"Mother, I have missed you." Xavier held the sobbing woman and looked at his brother. The last time he had seen Blaise was when he was just 11 months old. Blaise had grown into a man. Xavier had heard about Blaise's part in the war. He was glad Blaise was making the Zabini name a proud one again. Xavier wished he could have fought for the light as his brother did. It was then Xavier caught sight of his wife and the reason he would relive the last seventeen years exactly the same way and without a second thought.
"Xavier, you have to know that I was told you were dead. You had been killed. You are my child and I would have protected you if I had known."
"Mother, there isn't anything you could have done once Father blasted me from the tree." Xavier knew he had made his decision and he would do it again. He was happy in life; it was a little more difficult than he imagined as a younger man but there wasn't anything wrong with putting in an honest day's work. Blaise started to speak.
"Xavier you weren't blasted off. I don't know what Father did but he spelled the family tree to show that you were dead." Xavier was stunned he didn't know what to say. Suddenly it dawned on him.
"Blaise, did Father force you to agree with blood purity?"
"No. He said that it caused too much grief and that the Zabinis would remain neutral. This was years before the second war and I was a child but I remember how insistent he was on this point. Obviously I didn't listen since I fought with the light but that is what he always told me. Why do you ask?"
"When I told him about Celeste, my wife, he said that I could not be with a muggle born. It wasn't safe. I had always thought the intent was that she wasn't worthy; that was the prevailing thought then. Now I wonder that he was just trying to protect us." Xavier sat stunned momentarily thinking through this revelation. His father had loved him. Celeste came into the room carrying their youngest boy.
"Xav you ok?" Celeste knew who the people in the room were but wasn't sure if she should introduce herself. She was from America and was raised in a middle class household. While she was polite and well mannered, British etiquette was far removed from her experiences. She stood awkwardly looking at her husband.
"Cel, I'd like to introduce you to my mother and brother. Mother, Blaise, this is Celeste, my wife. She is holding Daniel." Maria and Blaise stood.
"Celeste, I am sorry that I have not been here for you and the children. I swear that I will correct that starting now. I would love to meet my other grandchildren. Anna is a wonderful young lady."
Maria wanted, more than anything, for her daughter-in-law to accept her. Celeste was at a loss. She knew what Xavier had told her but he seemed so confused right now. Xavier nodded and Celeste allowed Maria to hold Daniel. Maria sat with her grandson and quietly spoke to him as Xavier and Celeste discussed everything equally as quiet. Anna came back into the room and sat by Blaise.
"How's it going Uncle Blaise?" Anna whispered to Blaise, as if it were a big secret.
"Good, I think. Mother seems smitten with your brother."
"Yeah Daniel is a good baby. Gregory is at school right now but should be home soon."
"School?"
"Yes, there is a preparatory school for young witches and wizards in town. I went there. It's nothing as amazing as Hogwarts but it helps kids learn so there is less accidental magic. We are very close to a muggle village and the adults were having to oblivate muggles much too often because of the children." Blaise thought that was a good idea. Xavier had finished explaining everything to Celeste who seemed to visibly relax. She looked at Anna who was contently sitting next to Blaise. It was then that she noticed the tear in Anna's robe.
"Anna what happened to your robe? Let me have it so I can mend it." Anna, again, had forgotten the horrible afternoon in the dungeons quietly handed her robe to Celeste. Blaise saw that Anna didn't know how to explain.
"Xavier and Celeste there was an incident in the dungeons. Anna was attacked; however, she must be a scrapper because she was able to get away and find help. Draco Malfoy, one of her professors, and I took care of the situation already. For the short term Anna will be staying with Hermione Granger until she can be resorted and placed in a different room." Xavier didn't like what he heard.
"What happened? Why was she attacked?"
"I told Hermione, I mean Professor Granger, she was my hero because she made being muggle born ok. Apparently some of the people in the house disagreed with that statement. I still don't think I did anything wrong." Blaise smirked at his niece he realized then the girl would end up in Gryffindor. He shook his head slightly.
"No, Anna you did nothing wrong. Those children were following old and outdated prejudices. But you did nothing wrong because Hermione is pretty amazing. If she and Potter hadn't been as brave as they are then we wouldn't have won. And I wouldn't suddenly have a family..."
Looking directly at Anna "...remind me to thank them both at dinner." Anna nodded and laughed.
"Xavier, Anna and I need to get back for dinner would you mind if we used your floo? Celeste, Anna can just wear one of her other robes until you get that one mended. I can send one of the house elves over to get it later." Celeste looked to Xavier sadly.
"Uncle Blaise that is my only robe so I'll have to wait for mum to fix it." Anna stood a little embarrassed to admit that they could only afford one robe. Maria suddenly realized that her son was living near the poverty level. This would not do.
"Anna, there will be robes for you when you get back to your room. If we need to have new patch sewn on them we can handle that too. No reason for you to worry my child. Xavier, you and Celeste will be coming with me to Gringotts immediately. Is there someone who can watch the children for a short while? This should not take longer than an hour. I cannot believe he didn't give you anything. Honestly that man never thought ahead." Maria mumbled.
Celeste nodded and went to the next door neighbor who agreed to watch Daniel and Gregory until they returned. Blaise and Anna returned to Hogwarts. Immediately upon arrival Minerva placed the sorting hat back onto Anna's head. This time the hat happily roared and Anna was thrilled to be a Gryffindor. Calling for the 7th year prefect from Gryffindor, Minerva and Anna discussed her new dorm mates, the password and how her class schedule would change. None of the items concerned Anna all that much. Her biggest reservation about being resorted was how she could spend time with her newly acquainted uncle. Laughing Blaise promised Anna he would not be too far. When Ginny Weasley walked in she was shocked to see the sorting hat, two Zabinis and the headmistress laughing.
"Ah, Ginny. Thank you for coming so quickly. Miss Zabini has been resorted to Gryffindor. If you would escort her to the tower, introduce her to the first years and make sure she gets to and from the Great Hall tonight I would appreciate it."
Ginny just nodded and smiled at the newest lion. All three students left the office.
Once at Gringotts Maria did what her husband should have done all those years ago; Xavier was given his vault. Celeste was added and Maria set up a vault for each of her grandchildren, including the as-yet-to-be-named Zabini. When Anna returned to her new dorm before dinner, she found half dozen new robes along with uniforms and casual clothes. The note from Maria said that if they didn't fit perfectly that they would meet one weekend and pick out clothes together. Anna knew that Maria wasn't trying to buy her love but was trying to make life easier for her family.