Chapter 31
Minerva easily noticed the griffin on Hermione's arm as sat down for dinner, the angry red lines having been replaced with gold and shadowed in black. Additionally, the griffin hadn't been charmed to remain invisible; nor was she wearing a long sleeve shirt.
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked as she sat opposite, concern lacing her features.
"I shall be fine, it merely took more than I realized it would to modify the hex in combination with fatigue from the repairs and the last several weeks."
Hermione's eyes didn't leave Minerva's, "Poppy never said it was even possible, and from what I read on the hex…" she shook her head, "what you didn't shouldn't have been possible either. Which brings me back to what did you do?"
"The reason it worked Hermione is that…" she sighed, "while I am not a pureblood, my family is. My mother opted to marry my father who was muggle; but her family was a pureblood. I transfigured the branding curse from the Black family brand, to mine. The curse residing in your arm is now of my magic," she solemnly gazed at Hermione, "and not Bellatrix's."
"That's why there is no more pain in my arm," Hermione breathed in realization, "and why I was able to heal it so quickly."
"Yes." Minerva quietly agreed.
"Thank you." Hermione sincerely stated, "What you did, I cannot thank you enough." She rotated her arm, a smile adorning her lips as she glanced at the tattoo now adorning her arm. "I don't have to feel ashamed or hide what happened."
"Then you mean to keep the griffin laced with gold and black versus permitting the skin to fade with the markings?"
Hermione's smile widened as she met green eyes, "Absolutely, why wouldn't I? I've never seen a griffin with such detail; it's beautiful." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she continued on, "Besides, how many persons can say that they have been branded by Minerva McGonagall?"
The discomfort of the conversation was plainly evident upon Minerva's features, "Hermione, I…"
Gently she reached across the table, "I was joking, Minerva." She squeezed long fingers, voice becoming tender, "I would never, ever tell another soul that the base of this tattoo is from a branding. But I was not kidding when I said it is beautiful, a true work of art. One I'm proud to display," her cadence dropping an octave as she finished, "that is if you are alright if I do so?"
"The griffin is similar to the one that rests on my family's coat of arms which I spent quite a few times in my youth drawing. You should know that the family branding is not a symbol rather a magical signature; so if you wish to portray the mark, be mindful that if a pureblood ever suspects it to be something other than a tattoo and runs their wand over your forearm, it'll reverberate with my family's signature."
Xoxo
a/n: Well...6 days, 6 updates and one more available for tomorrow; we'll see if I can manage to write some this weekend too and continue on this pattern. ;)