Inside

Chapter Nine: Impossibilities and Probabilities

Hermione's POV

"It's barbaric!" Ron bellowed as he led the way, storming angrily to the Great Hall for Breakfast. "Honestly, why'd he lay it off so easy on you!?" He shot at me as he plopped down and began piling his plate.

"Really, Ron, we've been over this. If you did your homework once in a whi-"

"Eighteen inches of parchment! It's mad! It's insane! It's impossible! He made me read a hundred page chapter, then write on it. Eighteen inches!" He repeated.

"We'll, you did do it, didn't you?"

"Of course I did! Only took me 'til the sun was coming up though! And you, you! All you had to do was sit there, doing nothing!" He scoffed. "And Harry, why'd you only get twelve inches?"

"Well my chapter was shorter; it was forty-nine pages."

"Honestly Ron, you're only letting him get to you by acting this way. Or did you forget we still all have detention again tonight with him? If he see's you acting this way about it it will only give him pleasure and in turn make him make tonight even more difficult for you."

"You know Hermione," He sighed dejectedly, "it really is annoying how right you can be sometimes."

"Yes, I can be a difficult little thing can't I?" I asked sarcastically as I gathered my bag about my shoulder.

"Where you headed off to?" Ron asked with his mouth full. "You haven't even ate anything yet."

"I'm not really hungry," I told him. "And besides, seeing as I have two more nights of detention and McGonagall watching me like a hawk I figured I better get to class early. Even if I do hate the damn Professor that teaches it."

"What, Slughorn? Why?" Harry asked after he wiped his lips and set down his mug of pumpkin juice.

"Ha! Don't even mention his name!" I screeched.

"He's the reason she nearly bled to death." Ron mumbled through another mouthful of biscuits and gravy.

"Well thanks for sugar coating it Ron!"

"It's what happened isn't it?" He asked after swallowing. "Yeah, he got all pale and awkward when he saw Hermione's arm; the blood. It's the reason Snape had to help her instead. She's had a problem with old Slugho- the new Potions teacher ever since." He quickly said, seeing my angered expression.

"Yes, that's what happened." I nodded before turning to face Harry. "The old bastard who calls himself a teacher panicked and backed away in a dire situation.

"Anyways, I've got to get going. See you in class."

Dear Narcissa, I began while taking in a deep breath,

I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond to you; as everything you told me was so much to absorb.

I have never met you before, yet alone do I even know what you look like. And yet, what you told me, as impossible as it sounds, and how much I don't want to believe it… I can't help but to believe it. I would not expect a stranger such as yourself would make up something so vile and crude and, frankly, bold.

Of course I want to meet you; you are, after all, my birth Mother.

And Draco and Harry… I can hardly believe they are my brothers. But as I did a bit of digging, after I read your letter for the first time, I did discover that Draco was born on 19 June 1980… exactly nine months after I was born. And my being a full blooded witch, it is quite a change. As if the whole of my life before I received your letter was a lie. Why didn't my parents tell me I was adopted? And, they are muggles, so, why did you choose them as my parents? Why not give me up to a magical family?

I am sorry; I am asking you too many questions… I am just so nervous.

Class is to start soon, and I want to be able to write this and send it immediately. But before I do… how am I to go about informing Harry, and Draco, that I am their sister? Harry has believed for so long that his Father was a wonderful man, and if I were to tell him otherwise… oh, he would hate me! I know he would! And I could never live with that…

Please write back as soon as you can.

Love,

-Hermione Granger

I folded the letter and slid it smoothly into the properly addressed envelope entitled 'Narcissa Malfoy' and shoved it neatly into my inside robe pocket. Then, looking at the clock and seeing I had exactly four minutes until class started, decided against my own better judgment and bolted off as fast as I could out of the classroom, past walking, talking students and headed towards the Owlery.

"Oh!" I heard a familiar female voice fume. "Miss Granger!" Professor McGonagall proclaimed with obvious shock in her tone. "Class is about to begin! Where is it do you think you are going!?"

"I'll be back!" I shouted, not slowing my pace nor looking back. "I promise! Won't miss a word!"

"No you don't!" I heard her voice boom. "You two are in enough trouble as it is, let her make her own for once!"

"But Professor!" Harry and Ron complained in unison as I forced my pace to quicken.

I ripped the letter quickly from my pocket and handed it to the beak of the first owl I saw, and said quickly as I could, "Narcissa Malfoy!" It made a hissy and irritated gesture and seemed to be about to drop the letter, so I added quickly. "I am in a hurry! I will give you three mice for this when you return!" Its attitude quickly changed and off it was, and, following in sync, I quickly descended back down the stone steps and rushed off towards Potions.

The stitch in my side worsened and burned with each step, but I refused to give in and rushed at what seemed to be lightening speed.

"Told you!" I said breathlessly as I passed a shocked and impatient looking Professor McGonagall and bounded into the Potions classroom with a mere three seconds to spare.

"Glad you could join us, Miss-?" Slughorn said with a wide smile on his irritatingly goofy face.

"Gran- Gran- Grang-" I breathed loudly, falling into my seat and dropping my head backwards.

"Granger, Professor." Ron told him.

"Yes," I breathed quickly, "That."

"Where were you?" Ron hissed, leaning towards me with an irritated look playing about his face.

"Does it matter?" I whispered as softly as I could, which came out as no less than an inside voice. "I made it in time, didn't I?" Smiling and looking over at him, he shook his head and dropped his eyes down to his desk, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"Honestly, Miss Granger!" McGonagall continued as I sat silently before her desk, looking over at her with innocent eyes. "What was it that was so important, that couldn't wait, that you nearly missed yet another class for?"

"Professor, I don't see what the problem is; I made it in time, didn't I?" I asked her seriously.

"Yes, you did, Miss Granger, but that is not the point! The point is that you went rushing off like that! And yes, your speed was impressive… however; I am going to have to give you another detention."

"What!?" I bellowed, shooting up from my seat. "Why! By what means!? I made it to class on time, I didn't miss anything! Nothing! He hadn't even begun his introductions yet! You have no grounds for this! This is ridiculous! I've done nothing wrong!"

"Sit down, Miss Granger." Obediently, reluctantly, I obliged. "Though you did make it to class on time, you shouldn't have left in the first place. Whatever it was you had to do could have waited until after classes were finished. I am sure it wasn't so dire you had to do it so soon. Surly you could have waited."

"No, Professor, it couldn't have. I had to get to the Owlery to send a letter, it can't have waited. And it was, as much as you protest to the contrary, dire."

"And still you will not tell me what all of this is about?" She asked after a moment. Slowly, I shook my head.

She let out a short sigh and drummed her fingertips along her desk. "Very well, I will give it to you this once, Miss Granger, but only this once. I expect you to, from now on, be to each of your classes no less than two minutes early. I will speak to each of your teacher's personally to see that you do this. Understood?"

"Yes, Professor." I nodded.

"Very good. You may go."

"She what?" Harry asked skeptically after I had explained to him and Ron of my discussion with McGonagall as we walked side-by-side-by-side to detention.

"It's mad! Man Hermione, she's really got it out for you this year, McGonagall has." Ron shook his head.

"Yes, well, I'll just have to be a bit sneakier from now on is all."

"Alright, that's it!" Harry demanded as he stopped, holding his arm out to block me from going any further. "Tell us what is going on Hermione, we are your friends! We care about you, and since our first year here we have been a trio. Don't break it now, not when we're so close, let us in."

I took a moment to find my words as he and Ron looked at me longingly. "Alright, you're right, I'm sorry I didn't let you in on it sooner. It was just… just so much to absorb.

"Remember how my parents took off this past summer, not to return, or even get a hold of me?" I asked them, and they both nodded. "Well… that's because they aren't really my parents, I found out I was adopted, and, I've been so secretive because I've been in contact with my birth Mother; we've been writing letters. Or, more, I've only just responded to her this morning."

"Oh, that's… well, who's your birth Mother?" Harry went on.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I… I can't…" I told him softly, with pain in my heart from having to hide such important information from my own brother. "But we're going to be late, we need to keep going." And, pushing his arm away, I marched on.

TBC