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Location: Hermione's mindscape, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
~ November 1st/2nd 1995 ~
Hermione frowned as she looked around at the magnificent hills that surrounded her, miles of various colours of green, as far as the eye could see, with trees littered around sporadically.
In simple terms it was gorgeous, the type of scenery that dreams were made of, which was only fitting considering the fact that she was pretty sure she was currently inhabiting her own mind. In the far distance she could make out the outline of a stone structure, it looked like nothing more than a spec of something from this distance but she was sure up close it would be nothing less than impressive.
"Hi" the soft voice of another startled her from her silent appreciation and the young brunette found herself whirling around, instantly having her wand pointed at the intruder. A woman she realised with long dark golden hair that hung half up in a sophisticated knot, the rest trailing down her back, she had the bluest eyes she had ever seen and a soft smile that Hermione found rather disarming.
She was tall in stature. Much taller than Hermione was herself and if the brunette had to guess she would put the woman at about five nine in height. She wore an elegant blue witches robe that cling to her slight curves, the over all look was regal, elegant and powerful and it sent a slight shiver of anxiousness down the teens back.
"Who are you?" Hermione demanded, trying desperately to keep the uncertainty from her voice, after all this witch radiated power and the brunette didn't know whether that made her want to run away or run towards the woman because despite the slight fear their was a part of her that told her this woman was safe.
"My name is Marlene McKinnon little one, you must be Hermione no?" The woman replied, the soft smile not wavering for a second as she took a slow stop forward, her head tilting in curiosity when she spotted the relief and... was that recognition on her child's face?
"Mum" the word was breathed out in a whisper, the brunette turning hopeful eyes on Marlene as she sighed in relief. Lowering her wand as she fought the well of emotion that was bubbling within.
"Mum?" She repeated, her voice a little louder, stronger and a little more questioning this time around.
"That's right darling" the witch in front of her replied, making her way over quickly and Hermione could only guess her Mama could see the overwhelming emotion in her eyes, either that or her mother was just as desperate to hold her as Hermione was to be held by this woman.
"Oh my darling girl, it's alright, your mum's here now" the blonde whispered in her ear as she was held tightly against her chest. Strong, sure arms held her tight, as she was rocked side to side and Hermione had never in her life felt more comforted than she had in that moment. She wanted to bask in it. Drown in the affection and protection she felt here, wrapped in her mothers arms. But she knew she couldn't. Shouldn't.
She had too many questions. Too much she needed to know and she was so very aware that this was all happening in her mind and therefore she didn't have an unlimited amount of time to get those answers.
"How?.. why?... I..." she stuttered, unable to form any sort of sentence as she pulled away slightly to look up at the woman she knew now to be her mother, or one of her mothers at least. Her voice betraying the million and one thoughts whizzing around in her mind and Merlin if she didn't shatter just a tiny bit more at the soft, affectionate yet understanding look on this woman's face as she conjured a swing seat and pulled Hermione down into her lap once she had sat on it. Cocooning the young witch in her arms and Hermione couldn't for the life of her find it in her to fight the comfort this woman was offering with her mere presence and as she let her head rest against the woman's chest she could smell the vanilla and rose perfume she wore, the smell only adding to the feeling of safety she felt here in her mothers arms.
Her mother gently swung them back and forth on the swing seat. Running her fingers through Hermione's hair, encouraging her to relax against the older witch.
"We are in your mind darling, because we share a bond. I will explain more about that later but first I want to know what you know about all this" her mothers voice was soft, calm but enquiring and Hermione could tell her mother was trying to keep things peaceful but was also desperate to know about her and all she knew.
"I didn't know anything, not until tonight anyway. I thought I was muggleborn Hermione Granger until professor Umbridge had us all take heritage tests today. They're being kept private thankfully because I'm not sure I'd be entirely safe if it was discovered by my housemates" she told her mother, not lifting her head from its position on her mother.
"So you know who your other parent is? How did Dumbledore react to you taking the test?"
"He wasn't around today, he hasn't been around much at all this year. He keeps disappearing this year and yes I know my mama is Bellatrix Black" Hermione murmured back unwilling to dispel the tranquillity they had settled in. Though she did cling tighter to her mother when she felt her tense slightly at the mention of her mama's name.
"You are no mudblood Hermione, you are the Heir to both the McKinnon and Black families" her mother replied vehicle, grasping her chin and bringing her head up from where she was snuggled so that they were face to face. Hermione was surprised by the burning ferocity in her mothers eyes and suspected there was something behind that statement that she wasn't privy too. If this conversation had happened even a year ago she was certain she would have accepted that statement at face value, but as it was, too much had happened, to much of her life had been out of her control for her to let it lie.
"What happened?" She asked softly, bringing her hand up to rest on her mothers cheek as the woman brought their foreheads together after pressing a brief kiss to her forehead.
"Its a long story darling" Marlene whispered back, sighing deeply.
"Please" the brunette murmured. "I need to know the truth Mum, what happened, why was I raised by muggles, why is the headmaster manipulating everyone, why have I felt your emotions all my life and why does nothing make sense anymore?" She pleaded unable to keep the strain from her voice.
Her mother pulled her back tightly, hugging her close as she shushed her. Sighing again as she rested her cheek against her child's.
"I attended school with your mother, James Potter and Lily Evans. I was friends with James, Lily, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin for years. I believed in all they did. I didn't question the beliefs we were being taught about equality of blood status and I was blind to what was really going on, until your mama's sixteenth birthday. I was already sixteen, but on her birthday we locked eyes and she realised that I was her soulmate. She was disgusted at first. Furious that her mate was a blood traitor and although I didn't understand why it hurt knowing she hated me. For nearly a year she circled me, staying close but never acknowledging me in the slightest. She couldn't stand me but couldn't stand anyone near me either. It drove Lily mental." Her mother chuckled, clearly lost in the memories and Hermione couldn't help but smile along. Content to let her mother explain everything to her in her own time.
"Just shy of a year I confronted her, I cornered her in the library and demanded that she tell me what was going on and why she was so against muggle-borns and she took great pleasure in explaining it all to me, she told me about The Dark Lord, his wish to stop muggleborns diluting wizarding culture. She told me of how the muggleborns were opposing traditions that had existed for hundreds of years and bringing prejudices where it had no business being. It startled me and I asked her for some time to think things through which she told me to take as long as I needed. So I did. I asked around, I investigated as much as I could and was ashamed to realise that she was right. While Dumbledore painted the dark lord as someone evil and vile who was against muggleborns because of their 'dirty blood' he took the attention away from the true fight which was the dark lord and his ally's trying to stop those that didn't understand our traditions from wiping them out. The dark lord had tried talking to them, negotiating, educating but he was met with resistance and the more he tried the more aggressive his opposition became until it escalated into war. When we left school I broke ties with Dumbledore and Lily and moved in to Black Manor with Bella, we married and a few months later I fell pregnant with you. I found out at the beginning of February 1979, I didn't get a chance to tell Bella about it, Dumbledore ambushed me the same night I found out when I was on my way back to the Manor from Diagon Ally, I had gone out to get Bella a gift to surprise her with the news of our first baby. He took me, kidnapping me from the street and locking me away in Azkaban. I'm currently still their, somewhere in the basement I believe. He convinced the world that I had died" her mothers voice was full of anger and Hermione could feel herself getting angrier with each word her mother spoke.
It made so much sense, she could quite believe that Dumbledore would twist things to suit himself, from what she had seen if him he was an expert at playing people, using them as pawns in his own game, despite the fact no one knew they were playing. And the information about prejudices from muggle-borns wasn't anything new to her. She had cane to the same conclusion herself recently.
"As he took me I cast a spell wordlessly and wandlessly to connect me to Bella's mind but I was convinced it didn't work when I couldn't connect with her. I didn't realise that it had worked but instead of connecting me with her it connected you and I. The day the dark lord rose again I felt the connection between our minds connect. I felt you, saw a little of what you saw and it gave me hope that I'd be found. Though the longer you didn't connect with me, the longer I waited to hear from you the more I felt that hope shatter. I thought you hadn't realised, I thought you didn't know how to strengthen the connection and darling I was losing hope, I didn't think I'd ever be found" her mothers voice broke as she spoke and the brunette didn't understand how she could have been locked up for so many years and still remain her sanity. She was in awe truthfully of this woman. Merlin knew lesser witches or wizards would have crumbled in weeks in isolation let alone years.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know" Hermione's voice cracked like her mothers had, both witches trembling in their own anger and anguish at all that Marlene had been through.
"What year is it, how old are you my darling?" Marlene whispered and Hermione winced not wanting her mother to be further upset at just how long she had been locked up.
"I'm sixteen mamma, it's November 1995" she replied seeing her mothers eyes widening in shock.
"Sixteen" her mothers tone was laced with both awe and pain as Hermione leaned into her mothers hand that had come up to stroke her face. They say like that for a time. Neither willing to break the silence that was now so fraught with emotion. Heavy and tense as it hung between them yet it hadn't lost its comforting touch despite the heaviness of their reality.
"Tell me more about you please darling?" Marlene enquired once she had collected herself, placing her hand back on her daughters head and stroking through her hair soothingly.
For the next few hours that was how they sat. Hermione divulging all she could think to share about her life. Her childhood, her strained relationship with her birth parents. Their fear of her magic and the way they were openly against anything they considered different, such as gay relationships. She told her of her distrust for Albus, how she had figured out things were not as they seemed last year. Her attraction to a certain French witch and her growing resentment of Harry and Ron and her place among them.
Hermione had never spoke so openly to anyone but she felt so much lighter for it, her mother reassuring her that her attraction to Fleur was natural and she had nothing to be ashamed of, she had pointed out that her muggle parents reaction was a prime example of everything she and her mother fought to change. It felt good to finally have someone to talk to that understood her and who was willing to talk to her about all her doubts and worries.
Though she was especially pleased when her mother had seemed more than proud at her exploration of the darker arts and her title as the brightest witch of her age.
"Merlin my darling girl, you are so like your mama, it is rather uncanny" her mother had told her proudly, kissing her cheek affectionately and Hermione had preened, divulging her secret admiration of her mama which made her mother laugh.
"Tell me about the soulmate thing Mum?" She enquired eventually, unable to hide her curiosity about it any longer.
"All Black heirs have what is known as the curse of madness, something that was put upon them many generations ago. In simplicity it means that the heirs are prone to insanity unless they find their magical soulmate. Which they can find any time from the age of sixteen upwards. Their soulmate is their balance, the one person that keeps the madness at bay. It was designed to ensure that the Black line would remain, encouraging the Heir to seek their soulmate and therefore provide an Heir." Her mother replied and Hermione bit her lip nervously, wondering how it would affect her and if her own growing darkness was a part of it.
Seeing the worry on her child's face her mother chuckled quietly before bringing their eyes to meet once more. "Don't worry Hermione, you will find your soulmate and until then your mama and I can act as your balance, your mama especially can help you keep grounded and keep the madness at bay. You're not alone in this" and Morgana knew that it was what the brunette needed to hear to relax slightly. Her mothers words soothing her more than she imagined possible.
"Okay, mum what do we do now, Dumbledore will know I know my true heritage when he comes back. I don't know if I can conceal what I know or my anger at him" the brunette asked, a little panicked at the thought.
"You have to Hermione, you cannot reveal who you are until you can get word to your mama, she will know what to do but do not reveal what you know until then. Play innocent, pretend that your confused, that you hate the knowledge that you are related to Bella, anything but reveal what I've told you. I will not risk you being harmed by him. Promise me darling, please?" And darn it if she couldn't help but agree to her mothers plea. She hated the idea of upsetting her or adding to her stress in any way.
"Okay I promise mum" she whispered, offering her mother a reassuring smile. Pleased to see her words were enough to relax her mother for now.
"When I wake up, will I still be able to communicate with you? Or does it only work in our dreams?"
"I'll see you in your dreams darling, we would have to have met in person for us to be able to communicate with our minds outside of your dreamscape but it's okay I will be waiting for you tomorrow night, and every night until I can see you properly hmm?" Her mother comforted, kissing Hermione's nose and the brunette got the impression that her mother would smother her in love if she could and it only made her heart swell.
She could get used to this feeling, it was one she hadn't ever felt before and it made her feel safe. Safer than she had ever felt. She smiled tenderly, enjoying the feeling, pressing a kiss in return to her mothers cheek before she lay back down against her mothers chest, content to enjoy the love and safety she felt in her mothers arms for the remainder of the night.