A/N- Hello again my friends. That last chapter was a monster and I apologize. Some people have told me that they love the long chapters while some have messaged me and said that they're just overwhelming, that they don't have the time to sit down and read a chapter that long. For those out there that don't like the long chapters, I sincerely apologize. I adore long chapters, love it when one of my favorite stories updates and the chapter is more than 5,000 words. I will try to contain my chapters to an extent, but they're still going to be longer than what most people post. If you can't hang with the story, I completely understand. My life is crazy, and I happen to write on my phone. If I didn't, you wouldn't get near as many updates as you do. Lunch breaks at work are awesome for writing.
Now that that is out of the way, I want to shout out some thanks to everyone out there reading and reviewing. You people are the reason I give up my lunch breaks to write. Keep being awesome. Enough of all that now, let's get started!
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. J.K.R. owns just about everything in the wonderful world of Harry Potter. I haven't made a single dime off any of my stories. Trust me, my bank account tells no lies.
Chapter 28
January 10, 1996
Hermione was excited to be leaving Grimmauld Place. She would miss Sirius and Remus terribly, but she couldn't put up with Molly and Ron in close quarters anymore. While their treatment of her and open hostility towards her had decreased exponentially, they still managed to get little digs in whenever they thought that there was nobody listening.
Hermione really wanted to lose her temper on both of them, but she didn't want to put Sirius and Severus in a bad position with Dumbledore because of her actions. While she doubted that they would honestly care about whatever Dumbledore brought to their attention, she also didn't want to make life more difficult for either man. Both had their plate full of Order business, and in her father's case, spying on the most infamous dark wizard of the age.
Therefore, Hermione bit her tongue and did her best to keep her rage in check. She didn't take their slights lying down though, she merely didn't mention them to anyone else in the house. Molly had been making her famous beef stew for dinner one night just a few days ago and had made the comment under her breath that Hermione would never make a proper wife, that Harry deserved better. When she had gotten ready to set the stew on the table, Hermione had surreptitiously waved her hand in the direction of the large pot, turning it to gruel. Molly had been embarrassed beyond measure that nobody had wanted to eat her meal and Kreacher had been thrilled when Hermione summoned him and asked him if he could prepare the whole house dinner.
In Ron's case, Hermione felt that he had gotten what he deserved as well. The Gryffindor had been happily reading in the library by herself, both of her boys upstairs in Harry's room strategizing about quidditch plays or some such nonsense. Sirius had been in the library with her, everyone still implementing the "don't leave Hermione alone" plan but had been called away by the twins for some odd reason or another. She suspected that it had to do with a prank, but she really didn't care enough to ask.
Ron had strolled into the library, probably looking for something to do since she knew that he didn't read and stumbled on Hermione all by herself. He had sneered her way and taken a menacing step forward as if to intimidate her. The fact of it was, though, that Ronald didn't scare her anymore. She had faced her grandfather down, punished two Death Eaters for their actions against her mates, and brutally murdered another. Ronald was like a small kitten compared to them.
He had insulted her choice in men, nothing new there. The situation had almost been comical until he started making fun of the scar that was visible above her shirt. She couldn't wear anything that didn't show at least the top two inches of her scar except her school uniform or a regular tee shirt. Since it was so warm in the library, she almost always had on a tank top. Tears had pricked her eyes and shame had washed over her, but she had tamped it down, resisting the urge to hex her ex-best friend. She had told him that it was a good thing that she wasn't with him, that he wouldn't have to stare at the scar before excusing herself to go sit with Sirius and the twins.
Her honorary uncle and the twins had immediately realized that something was wrong and questioned her. Hermione had finally capitulated and confessed that Ron had made a scathing comment about her scar. The three men had wanted to go handle the situation themselves, but Hermione had made them promise not to, that she wanted to handle it herself. They had reluctantly agreed.
Ron's revenge was the best.
They had all come down for breakfast in the kitchen and Hermione knew that it had been a perfect time. There had been an Order meeting the night before that had run extremely late. Most of the members had stayed the night so breakfast was sure to be packed. Hermione had tweaked one of the twin's original spells that caused a person to only speak in rhymes. She cast it at Ron as they entered the kitchen and then sat back to watch the fireworks.
Every time that Ronald spoke, an insult towards his mother came out. Not just a simple "you're cooking is terrible" kind of insult, but a "you're a fat lazy whore" kind of insult. The first couple had warranted him a warning from his mother and father alike, but it went downhill from there. Every time that Ronald tried to tell everyone that he wasn't really saying those things, more filthy insults poured from his mouth. It had ended in Molly taking her sixteen-year-old son over her knee and paddling him with a wooden spoon in front of the whole of the Order of the Phoenix.
It had been beautiful.
The twins were blamed of course. They had protested vehemently, both saying that if it had been their prank they would have loved to have claimed it. Hermione knew that they were trying to get enough products to sell in their own joke shop, something she felt they would excel in, so she knew that if they had indeed come up with something like what she had done, they most certainly would have claimed it. In the end, there was no proof, so the twins were let off without any punishment.
The pair had cornered her later and demanded to know if she had been behind it. Hermione had admitted that humiliating Ronald in front of the whole Order had been the objective. It was at this point that they had offered her a job with them, creating spells and pranks that they could sell in their shop. She would receive the credit and half the profits of anything that she created. While she knew that both Harry and Draco, not even mentioning Severus, would give her any money that she needed, she wanted to have a little bit of income on her own even if it didn't come until the end of the year when the twins opened their shop.
Hermione was pulled from her entertaining thoughts by everyone lining up to say goodbye to them. Since Ron, the twins, Ginny, and Luna would be returning when Harry, Hermione, and Draco would be, it was determined that all eight of them would return via the Hogwarts' Express. Hermione wasn't too thrilled with the notion, but there was nothing she could do about it. If they didn't return together after spending the holiday together, it would be suspicious.
Severus had been told by Dumbledore that he couldn't be seen escorting the three teens to King's Cross station, so he had handed the responsibility to Sirius and Remus. Hermione thought that it was rather mature of him since she knew that deep down he really wanted to see her off since he had missed so many opportunities in the past. Sirius, Remus, Molly, and Tonks were escorting the eight teens and Hermione could feel the tension between the adults.
Hermione was well aware of the fact that Sirius and Remus didn't much appreciate that Molly had stayed at Grimmauld Place for the whole of their holiday. Hermione hadn't minded that the twins, Ginny, and Luna were present, but she got the distinct feeling that both men had. Truthfully, Hermione thought that if it had been just those people, it wouldn't have bothered them. It was the fact that they had to deal with Molly, Ron, and the other Weasleys that were less than pleased with Draco's presence.
Honestly though, most of the Weasleys didn't patronize Draco. They accepted that he was there even if they weren't the happiest about it. It was quite obvious that Bill felt that way, and to a lesser extent, Charlie. Since Percy hadn't deigned to grace the home with his presence it was a given that he wouldn't have liked the situation. Arthur had been far more welcoming than Hermione had expected, not that she was complaining. It had been a pleasant surprise.
The Hogwarts' Express was before them, looming just as intimidatingly as it had during her first trip to Hogwarts. Hermione turned to Remus first and gave him a smile before she moved to give him a hug.
"I'll miss you, Remus. You're like the uncle I never had, and I miss our conversations. Please promise you'll write." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, quite the feat since he was over six feet tall and she couldn't have been more than 5'3" on her tip toes.
"I promise, Mina. I know you aren't mine, that privilege belongs to Severus, but you are pack. I'll be always be there for you." Hermione pulled the sides of his coat together in a motherly gesture.
"Take care of yourself. For the love of Merlin, let Tonks love you. We can all see it, just accept it. You deserve to be happy." Remus was struck silent by her words, so Hermione took the opportunity to kiss his cheek and then move on to Sirius. He opened his arms with a smile.
"How am I going to get Kreacher to do anything now that you're going back to school?" Hermione chuckled at his words.
"Very simple. You ask him nicely. I told him that it would please me very much if he took care of you and Remus, that I cared for you both very much. He grumbled a bit but agreed. Be warned, Sirius. I'll know if you're mean to him or mistreat him. He's a member of your family, you should treat him as such." Sirius rolled his eyes but hugged her close.
"I understand. You'll be very unhappy, and you'll hex my bollocks off. Perfectly clear." Hermione giggled at his words.
"I'll miss you so much while we're gone. You're family and I just want you to know that you're important to all three of us. I know Draco has enjoyed getting to know a member of his family that isn't all about blood purity." Sirius kissed her temple.
"I've enjoyed getting to see the side of him that you and Harry see, not the front that he shows the rest of the world. He's good for you, Poppet, just as Harry is. Make sure that they both treat you right." Hermione snorted as she pulled away.
"Do you see Dad allowing any less?" Sirius barked out a laugh, much the same as he sounded in his animagus form.
"Too true, Poppet." She stepped away from him and gave him a final smile.
"Take care of yourself, Padfoot. I'll see you at Easter break." He nodded and then blew her a kiss. She laughed and then made a show of catching it before she turned to Tonks.
"I know I don't you well enough to act like we're friends, but I just want to say that I hope you don't give up on him. He needs you desperately but is scared to death of ruining your life. Noble fool. Just be strong and eventually he'll cave in." Tonks gave her an astonished look.
"How did you know?" Hermione chuckled softly.
"You're very easy to read and the only person that knows Remus better than I do is Sirius. He cares for you more than he would like to admit, that's why he thinks that you're better off without him. He doesn't want to ruin your life. I hope that by Easter break, you've convinced him of what a prat he's been and you're together. Do your best to make my hopes come true." Tonks gave her a shining smile.
"I'll never give up, Hermione. No need to worry there." Hermione didn't answer but moved further down the line until she stood in front of Molly. She didn't expect a hug, or even a kind word, so therefore wasn't surprised when the woman sneered at her.
"I hope you aren't wanting well wishes from me for the next term." Hermione couldn't help but throw back her head and laugh. When she finally quieted, she met Molly's gaze and spoke in a tone that only the two of them could hear.
"No, I just wanted to inform you that I'm the one who embarrassed you in front of the whole of the Order with that slop you called stew. I'm also the one who placed that spell on Ronald which caused you to spank him like a small child in front of all of not only your peers, but his. Trust me, you won't receive another invitation to Grimmauld Place, so I hope you enjoyed living there free of charge for the length of the holidays. This is your personal warning, Molly. If you fuck with those that I consider to be mine, and that includes both Harry and Draco, Severus, Sirius, or Remus, you will rue the day you came up the idea. I know they told you what I did to Bellatrix, Remus told me that they did. Don't think you're any better. You sure haven't acted like it anyways. Just food for thought." She stepped away and gave the woman a bright smile.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Molly. I hope that you're able to keep busy while all your children are away at school. Have a good year." Her tone was overly cheerful, but she didn't care. She had wanted her stance on things to be crystal clear and she had made sure that that was exactly what had happened. She usually didn't like tipping her hand in the matter that she had, but sometimes it was necessary.
There was nobody left to bid goodbye since Severus had told them the night before that he would be leaving for Hogwarts before they even rose for the day. Hermione turned to make sure that her two boys had said their farewells and it seemed that they were finishing up. She couldn't tell the two Marauders how much she appreciated them giving Draco a chance and taking him under their wings in much the same way that they did Harry.
Once Harry and Draco had finished saying their goodbyes, neither one of them bothering to stop in front of Molly. The trio boarded the Hogwarts' Express, doing their best to find an empty compartment on the train. While they weren't necessarily against sharing a compartment with other people, it would just make life a lot easier if they had one just to themselves. Or at the very least, themselves and their friends.
They finally found one at the very end of the train. It was completely empty, so Hermione was quick to snatch it up even though the boys whined that it was so far from the loo. She stowed her luggage quickly and took a seat while the boys attempted to do the same. They hadn't even managed to all sit down before the compartment door opened and Ginny, Fred, George, Luna, and Neville filed in. It made for a tight fit, but they all managed to find seats. Hermione wasn't sure what they had done with their trunks, but she assumed that they had it under control and left it at that.
The Express took off on their journey and Hermione brought out a book to help the time pass. Neville and Draco faced off in a wizard's chess game while the rest of the compartment played a game of Exploding Snap. She had learned how to play in her first year and she could admit that she just didn't find it as thrilling as her friends did.
The first half of the journey continued in this way; playing games, sharing stories with friends, and buying treats for everyone off the trolley. Draco especially seemed to like buying more than his fair share of treats to share with his new friends. The Weasleys usually didn't like to feel as if they were being pitied because of their lack of funds, but when Draco had gifted them with their treats, it had been in a way that made them feel as if he would be offended if they didn't accept. None of the Weasleys wanted that.
It was a pleasant trip, much more pleasant than some Hermione could recall from her past. They were only two hours from Hogwarts when their compartment door slid open and Slytherins entered. Hermione groaned inwardly; the last thing that she wanted to deal with was Slytherin politics on the way back to school. Pansy, Daphne, Theo, and Blaise sneered at the odd members of their compartment, but they gave the trio a civil look. It was Pansy that broke the silence that fell over the compartment.
"Happy to see that you're alive and well, Granger. I was worried for you after I heard about Bellatrix over the holidays." Hermione glared at the Slytherin girl, wondering if this was the only punishment that the girl could get away with for taking Draco away from her. She didn't get to speak before Neville broke the silence.
"What happened with Bellatrix, Hermione?" Hermione wasn't entirely sure as to how much she should reveal to Neville. She didn't want to hurt her position as the Dark Lord's granddaughter, but she didn't want to keep major secrets from her friends either. The twins, Ginny, and Luna all knew of her true parentage. Could she trust Neville? She didn't get the chance to decide, however, since Daphne was the one to speak.
"We didn't get the details, but we learned the goody-goody Princess here killed Bellatrix. We didn't hear why, but we heard that it didn't end well for her. She's got an ugly scar to show for it." Hermione wanted to bury her head in shame. Everyone was going to know about her scar now. Who had told people? Draco and Harry both went to their feet menacingly.
"How do you think the Dark Lord would take you spreading this information?" All the Slytherin's eyes went wide at Draco's remark. Neville didn't give them a chance to explain however. He stood and moved towards the door.
"I need a moment's fresh air. Please excuse me." While Hermione understood exactly what Neville's problem was, none of the others did. Therefore, she turned a cold eye to the younger generation of would-be Death Eaters.
"Just what do you think that you're doing?" The Slytherin's looked up but didn't quite meet her eyes when she spoke.
"Shall I tell my grandfather that my cover was blown by the idiot younger generation all because they wanted to gloat in front of a harmless Gryffindor?" All the Slytherins cringed at her words. It was clear that they hadn't followed their plans through with thoughts about the conclusions that would be made from them.
The twins, Luna, and Ginny had never seen this side of Hermione, she had only shown them the side that they were used to seeing. They sat silently in the compartment next to her while she continued to rip into the Slytherin's hides.
"You had better hope that I can spin this story into something that Neville will support. If not, he's likely to tell everyone and that wouldn't be good for the Dark Lord's plans. I suggest that all of you find somewhere else to be and hope that my lying skills are better than your logic. If not, I promise you that I will not be the one writhing on the floor in pain for this one." Theo gave her a curious look, but the other three Slytherins looked terrified. It was quite comical to see that they couldn't make it through the door fast enough. Once they were gone, Hermione buried her face in her hands. Ginny was who was the brave one to break the silence.
"This isn't a huge deal, Hermione. You can trust Neville with your secret." Hermione shook her head slightly before she raised her head.
"That isn't the point. The point is that they were stupid enough to come rub it in Neville's face. How am I supposed to know that they didn't do it to anyone else? Not to mention, they did it to Neville of all people. I know they knew the history he has with Bellatrix Lestrange." Ginny and Luna both cocked their heads to the side in confusion at her words. Hermione sighed and answered before they even asked the question.
"Have you ever wondered why Neville lives with his grandmother?" Ginny's hand went to her mouth.
"Bellatrix killed them?" Hermione shook her head.
"Worse. She tortured them until they were insane. I'm not sure if they're at home or St. Mungo's, but they're still alive." Harry's eye brows went into his hairline before his face crumpled.
"That's even worse than having your parents die like mine. They're there, but they're not." Hermione didn't speak, only nodded.
The seven friends sat in quiet companionship as they waited for Neville to return. It felt like ages, but, it was only a half hour or so. When he did finally return, he was sheepish as he opened the door to the compartment and slid in. He didn't meet anyone's eyes as he took his seat. Ginny leaned over and hugged her friend before any of them said anything.
"We didn't know about your parents, Nev. Why didn't you ever tell us?" He gave a small shrug.
"I didn't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I didn't exactly hide it, I'm not ashamed or anything, but people already pity me because I'm so hopeless at school work. I wasn't about to give them another reason." Ginny swatted his shoulder as she pulled away.
"Trust me, we wouldn't have pitied you. We've never pitied Harry and his parents were killed." Neville gave a non-committal shrug. He finally raised his eyes and met Hermione's gaze.
"I take it you're the one who knew about my parents?" Hermione nodded.
"I've known since before we started school. I got a book from Flourish and Blotts that detailed the First Blood War. That's how I knew who Harry was. It talked about your parents in there." Neville cringed at her explanation.
"You've never said anything." It was Hermione's turn to shrug.
"I figured that if you wanted to talk about it, you'd bring it up. It wasn't my place to pry into your personal life." Neville snorted but didn't comment on her words. Instead he asked her a question.
"Did you really kill that evil bitch?" Hermione raked her hands through her curls and Harry reached out to start rubbing her shoulders. She met his gaze and asked him seriously.
"I need an Unbreakable Vow that what I say to you right now doesn't leave this compartment." Neville's eyes bugged out just a little. Unbreakable Vows were nothing to joke around about so the fact that Hermione had asked for one was indicative of just how serious the matter was. After almost a minute had passed, Neville finally nodded.
"Alright, who will bond us?" Draco leaned forward, wand in hand. Hermione was glad. She doubted that Harry had any experience with them. Truthfully, she doubted that Draco did either, but she was assuming that he had at least seen a couple done since he was raised in a wizarding family with questionable morals.
Hermione held her hand out and Neville grasped it firmly in his enormous hand. His palm was sweaty, telling her exactly how nervous he was about making this Vow. Draco held his wand over their clasped hands and spoke.
"Do you, Neville Longbottom, vow to keep the contents of this conversation to yourself, speaking of it to nobody that isn't in this compartment at this moment?" Neville gulped.
"I do so vow." A thin red string of magic wrapped around their fists and tightened almost painfully. Draco's voice was steady as he finished the Vow.
"So mote it be." The red string of magic disappeared, and it was as if it had never been there.
Hermione and Neville separated, and she leaned back in her seat once more. She knew that she couldn't tell him everything, but she knew that she could tell him at least what everyone else in the compartment knew. To be truthful, the Gryffindor was nervous that Neville would hate her because of who her family was. Her grandfather had tried to kill his parents after all.
Hermione began at the beginning. She told him of her parents' death and how she had been shunted into foster care because the Headmaster had been made her guardian and was unavailable. She shared how she had made a deal with Professor Snape to brew her a paternity potion and the results that she had discovered.
Hermione had been unhappy when Neville cringed at just who her father had turned out to be, but he had quickly gotten over it. It was honestly more than she could have asked for considering the level of hell that her father put Neville through. He turned bright red with rage at the story of Ron attacking her and trying to rape her.
Hermione was quite happily surprised when she revealed that her father was indeed the son of the Dark Lord and evil wizard wanted her on his side. She enumerated her experiences with her grandfather and told him how she had extracted a promise from him that nobody would harm either Draco or Harry if she switched sides. Even though everyone else in the compartment had heard the story already, they were all sitting on the edges of their seats as she told the story.
The Gryffindor finally came to the part where Bellatrix had trapped Draco in his room overnight and tortured him for hours and Hermione's subsequent rescue. She didn't go into detail, but she made sure that the young man knew that the witch had suffered. If anyone deserved that bit of information, it was Neville. The witch had stolen his parents from him in the most cruel way possible.
When it came time for her to tell him that Dolohov had cursed her, she was embarrassed. Hermione hadn't gone to any lengths to hide her scar, she swore to herself that she wasn't that vain, but that didn't mean that she wanted everyone to know that it was there. Nobody had seen the entirety of her scar except her boys, her father, and Sirius. Sure, the rest of the house had seen the top two inches of it when she wore something other than a tee shirt, but that didn't mean that she had planned on blurting out its existence at Hogwarts.
Neville looked happy when she told him that her father had killed Dolohov on his father's orders. She had figured that that might bother him, knowing that his professor had committed murder, but it didn't seem to. Hermione finally fell silent only ten minutes away from Hogwarts. Neville gave her a disbelieving look.
"All that is true?" Hermione nodded silently as did boys her boys and the Weasleys.
"Fucking merciful Merlin, Hermione. How are you sane?" She snorted.
"Some days I wonder the same exact thing." She heaved a deep sigh.
"Now you see why I made you take an Unbreakable Vow. While the Slytherins are idiots for telling you, it really is information that can't get out. I would lose the element of surprise that may come in handy later if people were to discover the truth now. Not to mention the whole school would hate me. Well aside from the Slytherins, but it's obvious why they love me." Neville nodded and scratched his chin for a moment before speaking.
"That means that Theo is your brother. Is that why you've become friends with him?" Hermione nodded.
"Yes, that's why I originally started talking to him. Now we really are brother and sister." Neville narrowed his eyes at her and Hermione cursed inwardly. Neville had always been far more perceptive than any of the other boys.
"Does he know that you're not really on your grandfather's side?" Hermione shook her head and she felt the weight of guilt on her shoulders. She slumped slightly. She dreaded that conversation because she was scared to death that he wouldn't want anything to do with her once he discovered the truth.
"No, I haven't told him. I will eventually, but I haven't yet." Neville nodded slowly as if he knew exactly what she was thinking regarding her brother. She really hoped that he would keep his mouth shut. She ended the conversation with a reminder as to how close they were to Hogwarts. It was with a flurry of robes that they dressed. They were just in time for the announcement that the had arrived and that they would be exiting the train forthwith.
The group of eight left the Express, their trunks left behind for the elves to fetch for them. Hermione sincerely hoped that the elves just put her things in the Room of Requirement, but she wasn't holding her breath. They made their way to the carriages, splitting in two so they wouldn't be overcrowded. Neville rode with Hermione, Harry, and Draco and they all laughed as the twins both hurried along after Ginny and Luna, almost as if they were trying to keep anything dirty from occurring. She wondered if she needed to point out to the twins that while Ginny and Luna might get personal with each other, they wouldn't be getting each other pregnant any time soon.
The trip to the school was uneventful. The boys made small talk about quidditch while she watched the scenery out the little window. For some odd reason, she could see the carriage ahead of them, the one that carried the twins, Ginny and Luna, shaking from side to side. She couldn't help but laugh.
They reached the school and were shunted through the main doors by Professor Flitwick, urging them to attend the Welcoming Feast. While Hermione wasn't very hungry, she decided that it would look out of place if she didn't attend, especially since the boys would follow her lead. She could admit to herself though that stopping into the kitchens sounded much more appealing.
All eight of them made their way to the Gryffindor table and took their seats. Ron was already seated with Lavender several people down and was waiting impatiently for the Feast to begin. The conversation between the eight of them was getting louder so Hermione was quite pleased when the Headmaster finally stood up and spoke.
"We have all made it back from the Christmas holidays, our bellies fuller and our hearts happier. Let us not waste time on talk, dig in." The food appeared before them all and Hermione watched in thinly veiled amusement as the rest of her friends dug in.
Hermione placed a few items on her plate, but she really wasn't that hungry. She didn't seem to have the appetite that the rest of her friends had and refused to make herself eat more than she truly wanted. She knew she was finely boned and was what some would consider to be small, but she ate the portion of food that would normally fill someone her size.
As she ate, Hermione turned her gaze to the Headmaster. He seemed to be in good spirits, making jokes with Professor McGonagall. She couldn't help but think that he looked pale and tired. She wondered just what the potion was that he had been forced to drink. Not that she was planning on going to the cave and find out, but one did wonder.
Her father was eating heartily, something he rarely did. Hermione had never noticed him do more than pick; in fact, she had wondered how he kept the weight he had when he rarely ate. She had decided a week ago that he must take nutrition potions to make up for what he didn't eat. It was nice, though, to see him finally eat like he should.
The rest of the feast passed by without interruption. Ron glared at her, but then again, he always did. Lavender and Parvati spoke loudly amongst themselves about how tired Hermione looked and how her pale skin looked washed out. She couldn't get angry. She was sure that she did look pale, but her father had told her that time and rest was really the only cure for her exhaustion.
That was really the only symptom she had from her curse from Dolohov. Her wound was healed, the pain was still present if she did something too quickly or too crazy, and she was able to mostly act like the situation didn't bother her. It was the ever-present exhaustion that irked her. She had spoken with her father about it, who had in turn asked her grandfather what could be done about it since he was the expert in dark curses.
Severus had returned from his father's side with nothing but a simple solution. The Dark Lord had told him that while he didn't know the exact nature of the curse cast upon her, all dark spells were made to leech the strength from the person that it hit. Since it had almost killed her, it was logical to assume that it had sapped much of her strength in the time that she had been affected. Her grandfather had prescribed a healthy diet, lots of time with her mates, and plenty of rest. Hermione didn't mind his suggestions. It gave her every reason to nap several times a day while they were at Grimmauld Place.
It would be much more difficult to abide by those suggestions now that she was back at Hogwarts. Hermione had promised her father that she wouldn't do any extra studying for her O.W.L.s yet, nor would she work in the library past eight o'clock unless it was absolutely necessary. However, since she was so far ahead on her homework, she didn't see the extra time in the library being necessary.
The students were dismissed from the Welcoming Feast just over an hour after it began. Harry and Draco had put away enough food to feed a small country, the twins and Ginny eating even more. Hermione found that while Luna wasn't stick thin, she ate around the same amount as Hermione. She was what Hermione would consider to be healthy. Just outside of the Great Hall, Hermione was stopped by a hand to her arm from behind. She whirled around, no longer as laid back as she had been when it came to being startled.
"Theo! How was your holiday?" He shook his head and motioned for them to go into the nearest empty classroom. She followed him wordlessly, the boys behind her. Once inside the classroom, Draco waved his wand and cast not only a locking charm, but a silencing charm and a set of wards as well. Theo exploded at her.
"Did you really kill Bellatrix?" Hermione crossed her arms, not really liking how her brother was handling the situation.
"I did. She had been torturing Draco for hours. That bitch got what she deserved. Nobody touches Harry or Draco." Theo groaned and buried his face in his hands.
"I was hoping that it was my father embellishing things. You realize that the other Slytherins are calling you their queen?" Hermione shook her head.
"I haven't talked to any of the Slytherins except for what you were there to witness." Theo let out a nervous laugh.
"They liked you before because they wanted to gain favor with the Dark Lord, I'm fairly certain that that much was obvious. Now, they positively worship you. Everyone is saying that you are taking Bella's place as his right-hand witch." Hermione snorted.
"Next time they go on about it, tell them they don't know anything. I'm far above the right-hand witch. I wouldn't have touched that psycho bitch if she had just left Draco alone." Theo nodded, finally calm.
"I know you are, it just makes me nervous. I'm scared that they will openly start worshipping you and then the gig will be up. The Dark Lord will kill them no matter how young they are if they ruin his plans." Hermione heaved a sigh knowing exactly what it was she had to do. She had never asked it of her brother or boyfriend before, but she turned to both.
"Take me to the Slytherin common room." Both nodded, instantly understanding just what it was that she was getting ready to do.
The four of them made their way down the sets of stairs, entering the freezing cold dungeons. Hermione did like a cold room to sleep in, but to live in such frigid temperatures would never fly with her. One more reason why she was glad that she wasn't a snake. Once they reached the flat expanse of castle wall, Theo turned to make sure that she was ready. It was then that Harry spoke.
"Maybe I should wait out here." Draco shook his head.
"No, they need to see you as someone to respect. You need to be here for this." Harry gave a silent nod before turning back to Theo. Her brother turned his attention to the wall again.
"Basilisk." The wall disappeared before them, leaving a door in its wake. Hermione let everyone pass in front of her, leaving herself as last to enter.
To her surprise, her father was inside, glaring at every single one of his charges. Hermione didn't let his presence phase her or the reason behind why she was visiting. The room fell silent when they realized that she had entered, and Hermione hated how they were staring at her. She gave her father a nod before she spoke.
"There was an incident on the train where a student became over-zealous and spilled the fact that I killed Bellatrix Lestrange over the holidays. This is unacceptable. Even though I am a Gryffindor, as is Harry, I expect a certain level of loyalty from the snakes in school. You are the prodigy of my grandfather's followers, I should be able to trust that my secrets are safe in your minds. The only legilimens in this school aside from my father is Albus Dumbledore. As long as you don't make eye contact with him, you will be fine.
Essentially, I'm asking if I can trust you all to know the truth about my parentage or if I need to start obliviating the lot of you. I won't have you destroying my grandfather's plans." There was a voice in the background. It appeared to have originated from a sixth-year boy that she couldn't quite put a name to.
"Did you really peel her skin from her bones? My father said that you exploded her chest." Hermione heaved a sigh. This was the last thing that she wanted to talk about.
"Yes, both statements are true. Bellatrix did not die a pretty death, nor did she die a quick one. Let that be a lesson to anyone who dares to harm Draco or Harry." She heard both of them sigh beside her. It was obvious that their male pride was at stake and her threatening students to keep them safe was a hit to it. All the Slytherin students looked at her with wide eyes, fear lurking in their depths. Hermione tried to bring the room back to point.
"I need to know if I can trust you. If I can't trust you to keep your mouths shut, I need you to come forward, so I can obliviate you. Obviously, your Head of House can't since he is bound by certain oaths he has taken as a professor, but I can. Now is the time to decide." Nobody stepped forward and the room remained quiet. Hermione took this to mean that her secret would be safe. She gave them all a smile.
"Thank you for supporting me and my family. Your loyalty won't go unnoticed." Hermione didn't want to hang around any longer. She turned to leave but was impeded by a first year that stepped up and looked at her with fearful eyes.
"Would you really hurt us if we hurt your mates?" Even though it was an innocent enough question, Hermione knew that the whole room was listening. Therefore, she could show no weakness.
"I wouldn't hesitate to skin you alive if you hurt Harry or Draco. I hope you make the right decision. I'd much rather count everyone here as a friend." She turned to leave again but was stopped once more by Crabbe and Goyle.
"My queen, let us protect both your mates. We won't allow any harm to come to them." She could hear both Harry and Draco hissing in the background at their words. She had to bite back a grin.
"I love your enthusiasm. However, we must make things look as normal as possible. If you suddenly start protecting Harry Potter, people will become suspicious. Don't go out of your way to protect them unless you see something happen to them. If they are being injured and Slytherins don't step in to protect them, I will be most unhappy." Both boys gave a nod as they stepped back and finally let her make her way to the entrance.
Once she was outside, she realized that her father had followed them out. Hermione had honestly figured that he would. She turned to wait for his verdict on her performance and was surprised to see that he was holding his arms open. She floated into them without a second thought, inhaling the familiar scent of potions from his robes.
"You did a fabulous job. I know that wasn't easy, but they needed to be reigned in before they ended up dead. Who did they out you in front of?" Hermione snorted.
"It was everyone from Headquarters and Neville. I had to tell him the truth, but I made him make an Unbreakable Vow to keep his silence. He actually took the truth better than I thought he would." Severus snorted as he released her.
"I may get irritated with the boy in Potions, but he is a loyal friend. You did the right thing. I really do want this thing contained, but there was nothing else left for you to do." Hermione nodded and stood on her tip toes, so she could press a kiss to her father's cheek.
"I hate to cut this short, but I'm exhausted. How long did the Dark Lord say that I would suffer from the effects of Dolohov's curse?" Severus raked a hand through his hair. Hermione knew that he still blamed himself for her being hit with the curse at all.
"He didn't say. He only said that you would be able to recover with a good diet, time with your mates, and plenty of rest." Hermione gave him a soft smile and nodded. She should have known that her father was doing the best that he could for her. She reached up and kissed his cheek again.
"I don't blame you, Daddy. Stop blaming yourself." Her father sighed as he nodded.
"Make your way to the Room of Requirement so none of you get detention. I will be most displeased if you do." Hermione gave him another grin.
"Yes, Daddy. We'll see you tomorrow in Potions." He ran a hand down the length of her curls before he turned and made his way towards his quarters.
Hermione turned to see her mates glaring at her. Both took one of her arms as they began to pull her towards the stairs that would take them out of the dungeons. It was Harry that spoke first.
"You know, I'm supposed to be the Boy-Who-Lived. I defeated the darkest wizard of all time at only a year old. I swear, you protect us like we're going to keel over and die from the slightest curse." Hermione grinned slightly at his words. She really wasn't surprised at what he was saying, she was more surprised that it had taken this long for him to complain.
"I know you and Draco can take care of yourselves. What would you do if you could make sure that I was protected just a little bit more though? Would you do it even though it made me mad or would you leave me on my own?" Harry huffed loudly but didn't respond. It was in that moment that she knew that she had won. They were almost to the seventh floor when he finally answered.
"It's still a disgrace that we're hiding behind your skirts. We're both extremely capable wizards and we don't need the likes of Crabbe and Goyle to protect us." Hermione gave him a side long glance where she couldn't help but smirk.
"Well, I'll tell them to leave you on your own the next time your groupies get you cornered." Harry turned disbelieving eyes towards her.
"You're just cruel, woman. Nobody would do that." Hermione gave a nonchalant shrug.
"Stop whinging then."
The trio reached the Room of Requirement and Draco did the pacing in front of Barnabas the Barmy. When the door opened, it was like coming home. Sure, her room at Grimmauld Place was amazing, she would even say that she loved it, but the room that the Room of Requirement provided was her idea of heaven. There were windows lining every wall of the room, leaving the sun to be her alarm clock. There was a large fireplace on one wall that left a fire blazing in it always, with a large king-sized bed in the middle with the duvet in a bright blue color.
Hermione was happy to see that not only had her trunk been delivered to their room, both Harry's and Draco's had as well. Hermione started stripping clothing as she made her way to her trunk. She was standing there, looking at all her clothing, completely naked. Both boys stepped up next to her and wrapped their arms around her. She knew exactly where this was going to lead, and she couldn't say that she was disappointed.
Before either of her boys could say a word, Hermione dropped to her knees and waved her hand just enough to leave them both naked. They both gasped quietly, something that she had discovered that she loved. While she stroked Harry firmly, she turned her mouth to Draco. She put his cock in her mouth and swirled her tongue around the head just as he liked.
Hermione made sure to continue to stroke Harry as she worked her mouth up and down on Draco. The blond was groaning, making it obvious that he was enjoying himself. She could taste the precum that flooded her mouth every so often, making her more eager for the real thing.
Hermione was unsure as to how long she sucked on Draco's cock like it was her own personal lollipop, but she wasn't surprised when he exploded in her mouth. She made sure that she swallowed down everything he offered to her, slurping slightly so she wouldn't choke.
Once she had licked Draco clean, she turned to Harry's cock. Hemione didn't hesitate to take him in her mouth, giving it the same treatment that she gave Draco. Harry had his fingers buried in her hair, pulling her closer so she could take his cock deeper. She felt Draco kneel behind her and pull her closer. She couldn't hold back the gasp of surprise when he began frigging her relentlessly as she sucked Harry off.
Hermione did her absolute best to keep her attention focused on Harry's cock, but it was hard now that Draco was playing with her clit. His fingers dug deeper in her hair, pulling her closer and closer, but Draco didn't relent with his fingers in the least. She tried to give Harry the same consideration that she had given Draco, but she really didn't think that she had succeeded. This didn't stop him from blowing his load in her mouth.
Hermione gulped down his seed, doing her best to lick him clean as Draco continued to stroke her inside her knickers. She could attest to the fact that his fingers were magic. She had just pulled off Harry's cock when he had taken her clit in his fingers and did the same exact twist that she had performed on both of them.
Her world came apart, her moans splitting the silence of the Room of Requirement. Harry leaned forward and kissed her deeply, swallowing her screams of pleasure. Even though there was nobody there to listen or tattle on them for doing immoral things, Hermione appreciated this. She was still self-conscious about how much she came and how loud she was when she did it.
Hermione came down slowly, Draco stroking her slowly as if he knew that she couldn't handle anything more. Harry pulled her to her feet, so he could drop to her knees and lick her. She truly thought that he only meant to lick her clean, but that wasn't what ended up happening.
Once his tongue touched her clit, she was instantly ready to go again. She was exhausted beyond measure, but nobody had told her sex drive that she needed to rest. It was as if Harry knew exactly how she felt, because his lips attached to her clit with a purpose in mind.
He sucked the small bud into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue relentlessly. Hermione didn't have any control over her actions and keened loudly when he began to suckle at her most intimate place. It didn't take Hermione long to explode once again, her thighs wet again with her liquid arousal.
Hermione felt Draco turn her, so he could bury his face in her pussy. Harry was pressing the softest of kisses to the cheeks of her back side while Draco lazily licked her clean. It was so laid-back that Hermione wasn't quite sure what she should do next. It was decided for her when Draco finally pulled away and Harry stopped kissing her bum. Both stood and helped her up. Draco broke the silence.
"We hate it when you wear clothes to bed. We like your skin against ours." Hermione snorted slightly but gave them a nod.
If she was honest with herself, Hermione didn't like to sleep with clothing either. When she was at home, she had always slept with a sports bra and panties. Now that she had boyfriends that didn't care for clothing, she was more than happy to sleep naked or in only panties. The boys had made it quite clear that they preferred her naked.
Hermione chuckled as she climbed into the bed with nothing on. Both boys were quick to follow, both snugging up to her as she got comfortable. Harry pulled her close into his side, her head laying on his shoulder, while Draco threw his arm around her waist, his hand laying on Harry's belly.
Hermione wondered briefly if there would ever be anything between the two boys. While she could see herself being turned on if the two of them were to shag each other, she also didn't think that either of the boys would go there. Neither one of them held an attraction for the other; affection, sure. They both loved each other as brothers, but she truly didn't think that there was an attraction between them.
Hermione could only vow to be understanding and supportive if it developed in the future.
The Gryffindor was warm and safe in the arms of both her mates. She reveled in the fact that both boys seemed to enjoy touching her despite her hideous scar. She no longer doubted that they cared about her scar. Several encounters between them had made her a believer.
It was with happy dreams that she drifted off to sleep with her mates, even though she had had to be a hardarse with the Slytherins. It would keep everyone safe. Hermione's last thought was that she would do whatever it took to keep both her mates safe from both sides of the war.
A/N- So this chapter wasn't near as long as the last chapter. For the complainers, that's a good thing. Honestly though, I didn't even try to edit this chapter down. Screw the people that don't like long chapters. For those that love my story, I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for not complaining and telling me to keep up the good work. Leave me your thoughts, they make happy and keep me motivated.
Next up, Draco meets up with goblins to inherit Bella's vault and the trio finally take their relationship to a new level.
Love,
Alicia