Chapter 9:
Hermione entered the Great Hall the next morning and instantly looked at the Head Table where Snape nodded at her in greeting. She smiled at him and let her gaze wonder to the Slytherine table, Draco wasn't there. She let out a sigh, this was good, if she could get into her seat before he arrived, and it would save a very awkward moment. She quickly walked to her spot where Harry was already sitting.
"Good morning Harry," Hermione greeted.
"Hey, where did you go last night?"
"What?"
"You didn't come back to the tower last night until late, I was just curious."
"Oh, no I had a discussion with Professor McGonagall, you know me, just getting a jumpstart on the school year."
"That's my girl; it's nice to see you taking the news so well."
"What news?"
"Wow, you must be back, the news about Karkaroff."
"Oh that, yeah, well I realized that you were right, with the recent events, it is just going to occur more often."
Harry smiled and turned back to his plate; Hermione smiled back and let her eyes glance toward the doors where her eyes were caught by a gleam of platinum hair. When she looked she confirmed that it was indeed Draco and she nodded at him when he caught her staring. He didn't let his expression change but he was happy that his long lost sister wasn't going to hex him, he could only imagine what curses she could thrown and that sent a shiver down his spine. As soon as he sat down, he noticed that the youngest male Weasley was running into the room.
"Have you guys seen my prefect schedule, I looked everywhere for it this morning and I can't find it anywhere," Hermione sighed reaching into her bag pulling out an extra schedule for her Prefect partner. "Thanks Mione, you are a lifesaver."
"Sure, but you need to keep a better eye on your things, I am not going to be around forever to take care of you and Harry."
"Hey, I resent that, I am good at keeping track of my things," Harry said.
"Yes but you obviously have a problem doing your school work without me."
"Touché." The trio laughed and turned back to their breakfast. After fifteen minutes, the owls came in and dropped off the daily mail. Harry and Ron both got letters from Mrs. Weasley and Sirius. Hermione got a letter as well but hers wasn't signed:
Hermione, Please give us a chance to make up the horrible things that have been done and said. We don't know you but you are a member of our family and we will take care of you and help you adjust. Please give us a chance and allow us in to get to know you.
Hermione gasped and looked at the Slytherine table, Draco had gotten her letter as well. He looked at her and nodded, then she looked at the Head Table and received a similar response from Snape and when she looked at Minerva, she received a smile and a nod. She smiled back and then she stood with the rest of the Gryffindor to class. Just before she reached the classroom she was pulled behind a statue.
"Draco, what is this, we are going to meet later, we can't be seen together, and it raises too many questions."
"I know, I just was wondering if we could meet tonight, seeing as it is the First day, there is bound to be at least one detention from Snape tonight, so we could meet before dinner."
"Ok fine, now let's get to class before we get detention ourselves."
Draco nodded and let her go first and after a few moments, he followed her into the Transfiguration classroom. They went through their day almost going out of their way to give each other a snide comment or look. It worked because if the boys were suspicious before, they didn't now. After lunch, the groups made their way to the Potions classroom. Gryffindor had potions with the Slytherines; therefore the groups didn't mix up houses at the tables. After the bell sounded, Snape burst into the room and told them to write the instructions on the board. That took all period and when the class started to come to a close, Snape assigned a six foot paper on the potions they were to be brewing on Thursday during class, he dismissed the class.
Just before Hermione and Draco could reach the door Snape said, "Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, Please stay behind, I would like to talk to the both of you."
"You all go ahead; I will meet you all in Defense." Hermione stated, and the boys left.
"You requested my classroom tonight Miss Granger."
"Yes sir."
"I assume that request still stands."
"Yes sir."
"Alright, I have detention with a first year at seven so you may use it before then."
"Yes sir, is six alright?"
"Perfect Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, I assume that you will be joining her."
"Yes sir."
"Very well, I will meet you here at six to let you in and then I will leave you to your discussions. Now go to class."
Both students left the room and headed to their next class, Defense against the Dark Arts with Professor Umbridge. During class, Harry had managed to get himself detention with the toad that evening so after a five- thirty dinner, Hermione headed to Professor Snape's classroom while Harry went to Umbridge. Draco was shortly behind her and to keep his cover, he slinked in the shadows, keeping a good distance between her and himself. Finally he followed her into the classroom of choice where they were both met by Professor Snape behind his desk reading a magazine.
"Are you two ready?"
"Yes sir, thank you for letting us use your classroom."
"No need to thank me Miss Granger, I'd do anything for family." With that, he left the rival prefects to have their conversation.
"So Granger, you wanted to see me?"
"Draco, can we drop this act of hate for five seconds? I really did want to go about this without hexing you."
"Ok fair enough, so what is it that you wanted to talk to me about," Draco paused waiting for her to answer him, after five minutes of silence he spoke, "Hermione, what is it that you want to know?"
"Everything, why me, how did you know it was me that was your lost sister?"
"Why do I have to answer these questions?"
"I would rather hear it from someone who is going to be just as impacted by this as me… as a sibling and not a parent or a teacher."
Draco sighed, "As for why you, fate, for the how, when you said Mia Bear, that hit home, Father used to call my sister that either in the private of our home or when they were completely alone."
"How can you be sure that my dad didn't call me that?"
"Hermione, how many other people do you know named Hermione, or people named Amilia for that matter?"
Hermione thought about this and said, "I know a few people named Amilia but I don't know of any other person named Hermione."
"Exactly and your family, the Grangers have no other family member with magic correct?"
"No."
"Ok and you are extremely intelligent in the ways of our world, almost as if it all comes naturally to you even though you were raised in the Muggle world."
"I like to read."
"Sure but tell me something, when you were reading those books, did any of it, anything at all sound the least bit familiar?"
Hermione thought back to everything that she had read since receiving her letter, some of it did have a slight ring to it, according to Lucius, he gave her up at the age of three almost four, she would have been showing her powers by then, not Unforgivables necessarily, but simple things like Levitation and transfiguration, sure. "A few of the simpler magic yes."
"Ok well it is nearly impossible for a muggleborn to have that kind of recollection."
Hermione sighed and slumped onto the desk next to her, "Ok so I am your sister, where do we go from here?"
Draco took the open spot next to her and sighed himself, "I think it would be a good idea to contact Mother and Father, ask to have something like a family dinner or something at the house, and get to know them. Hermione, they were heart broken when you disappeared all those years ago, Father became cold toward Mother and I, and he blames himself for your life that he missed. After talking with them, maybe asking questions about you as a baby or something, go from there, go for a girls day or something, I don't know Hermione it's your choice."
"Ok," Hermione started to cry; Draco instinctively wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. He held her as she cried into his chest. "Draco, they deserve a better daughter, I am not good enough for them."
This made Draco pause his soothing actions, "Hermione, don't you ever think or say something like that again! You are a brilliant witch, smarter than me; you have the gift of love, loyalty and courage. Our parents couldn't ask for a better daughter." Hermione smiled at her brother and leaned into him calming her breaths. They didn't know how long they sat there for but they were found that way by Snape who arrived fifteen minutes early for his detention. It warmed his heart to the fact that Hermione had accepted her brother and that he openly accepted her in return, this situation could work after all.
"Excuse me but are you two almost finished, I have my detention to serve." Severus said clearing his throat.
The two fifth years looked at him and smiled, "Yes Professor, I believe that everything is going to be OK now, we have a strong lioness on our hands." Draco said hugging his sister one last time before breaking their connection.
"Thank you again Professor for letting us use your rooms, it was generous of you." Hermione said.
"Well don't let it get out that I am a nice guy Miss Granger, it could ruin me," He smirked and allowed the two to leave the room.
Draco and Hermione walked around the corridors in a fair amount of a distance. They whispered comments as they walked and Hermione was told how to get an owl to her parents. They whispered all the way up to the hall leading to Professor McGonagall's classroom, Hermione had told him of Minerva's light lecture and how she felt it right to tell her how the conversation went and what the plan was. However, their merry whispering was brought to an end when they ran into Dolores Umbridge.
"Well Hello children and where might you both be heading this evening?"
"Oh good evening Professor," Hermione greeted.
"We were just going to inform Professor McGonagall that we have resolved the issue between a first year Gryffindor and a second year Slytherine. We just finished informing Professor Snape, and he told us not to stall but go straight to her and inform her." Draco lied, a bit too easily.
"I see, and why is it that the Head Boy and Girl are not handling this matter?"
"Well we just came across it and Professor Dumbledore told us to handle it to the best of our abilities and if the need to bring in the Head Boy and Head Girl then we could but it was an easy resolve." Draco lied again.
"I see, well you two had better be off so that you don't catch her at a bad time."
"Yes ma'am," both students replied before continuing to their destination.
When they were out of ear shot Hermione leaned over and said, "You lied just a bit too easily Draco."
"It's a Slytherine trait dear sister." They chuckled and finally reached Professor McGonagall's office; they knocked and waited for a response.
She answered in a good minute, "Oh hello Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, how are you two this evening?"
"Alright Professor," Hermione replied, "We just thought that we would tell you that the problem was resolved without a single hex thrown."
"Good, now off to bed both of you, I want you fresh for tomorrow for your classes."
"Yes Professor, good night." Both students replied before going off in their respectable directions.
Hermione arrived in the tower relieved; she saw Ron and Harry sitting on the couch in front of the fire place. "Hey boys."
"Hey Hermione," Ron greeted, Harry simply smiled. She plopped down next to them, she looked over at them and something caught her eye.
"Harry, what is wrong with your hand?"
"Nothing."
She grabbed his right hand and gasped, "Harry, you need to report this."
"I WILL NOT give her the satisfaction."
"This is ABUSE Harry!"
"Hermione, please just drop it." and with that, he walked up to his room and barricaded himself inside. Hermione sat bewildered at what had just unfolded; this was going to be an interesting year already.