Hermione Granger and Rodolphus Lestrange
September 22nd 2003, Gringotts
There hadn't been a question whether Rod accompagnied Hermione to Gringotts two days later and she was very glad for the support. So far she hadn't talked to anyone else about their suspicion.
"Greetings, Rawclaw, may your coffers flow over with gold and your enemies tremble."
"Likewise, Mr Lestrange. You requested the use of a ritual room?"
"Yes. This is Hermione Granger, my intended. We thought it prudent to do an inheritance test."
"If all wizards were as wise. Follow me."
The goblin was hardly acknowleding the witch but Rod did not seem perturbed by it. Hermione remembered Bill explaining that gruff civility was about the best one could expect from the goblins, too fraught with power struggles was the history of the two races.
The actual test was rather anti-climatic. Hermione was handed a special dagger and had to let fall exactly seven drops on a special parchment. Rawclaw then took the parchment away as the following part of the ritual was a secret of the goblin nation, to be done far away from wizarding eyes. Rod tried in vain to keep his witch's attention with talk about Rab and Luna, about his work. In the end he drew her on his lap, stroking her back.
It did not take more than ten minutes but to Hermione it felt incredibly long before the door opened again and Rawclaw entered, followed by an unknown wizard who seemed agitated while he seemed to do his best to keep calm. The witch heard Rod draw a sharp breath.
"Ms Granger, here is your result."
The goblin laid the parchment down in front of Hermione who saw their suspicions confirmed:
Nadeshda Antonovna Dolohov
Mother: Katarina Ivanovna Dolohov née Gelashvili
Father: Antonin Michailovitch Dolohov
She kept staring at the parchment, her thoughts a tumble. How had she survived the fire? Had her parents known? Had Dumbledore known? After a while she became once again aware of her surroundings, of Rod's slow, calming strokes on her back, of the other man, tensely hoovering at the edge of her vision. The witch addressed the goblin.
"Thank you, Rawclaw, may your gold flow and your enemies tremble. May I take this parchment with me?"
"Yes, you may. Due to Mr Dolohov's association with Gringotts you also may use this room for a while longer."
When the goblin had left Hermione took in the third person in the ritual room with them. He looked wastly different from that day in the Ministry and even more from his wanted posters but there stood Antonin Dolohov, her biological father, according to the parchment on the table. The man trembled and his cheeks were wet and he obviously put a tremendous effort into holding himself back from rushing towards her. Rod went over and put a hand on the older wizards shoulder.
"Antonin, there is no room for error, is there?"
The wizard seemed to realise Lestrange's presence only now, so focused had he been on his daughter.
"Njet, njet, nevasmoshny, Nadeshda!"
"English, tovarish, please."
"No, Roddy, the goblins don't make mistakes when it comes to inheritance and parting with their gold." Turning once again towards Hermione he exclaimed, "You look like your mother!"
Hermione finally turned to face the man. He had dark curly hair with some silver strands, deep-set blue eyes. There was something in the slant of his eyes and eyebrows that was very familiar to her, she saw it everytime she looked into a mirror. Dolohov was searching for something in his robes with trembling hands. He held the small paper square towards her. The quality of the picture on it was fuzzy.
"This is your mother and you when you were three days old. I had the picture done from a memory, that's why it is so blurred after Azkaban. Katarina was exhausted but ever so happy and I was the proudest man on earth."
The witch took the offered photograph reverently. It was true, Katarina Dolohov looked a lot like herself, especially around mouth and nose. Her chestnut hair was put up in a messy bun and her smile was radiant. The infant on the picture was even more cloudy. Hermione could not distinguish anything special that made her look apart from any other newborn – scrunched up face and quite a lot of dark hair on her head. Rod took the picture from her hands when she made a move towards the other wizard. Hermione only meant to take her biological father's hand but suddenly found herself drawn into an embrace. Closing her arms around Dolohov's back she tucked her head under his chin and listened to his rapid heartbeat. The man was mumbling words in Russian while his tears trickled down her neck. Later she would realise that it had been a long time since she'd had any kind of parental comfort and therefore would have enjoyed any sort of physical assurance from someone of the elder generation but for now she relished in the feeling of absolute rightness.
After a few minutes Rodolphus cleared his throat.
"The goblins will keep our confidence for sure, but wouldn't you two be more comfortable somewhere more private? Antonin, we had planned to go to Lestrange Manor after Gringotts, you are of course welcome to join us, if that is what Hermione wishes. Rab is keen on showing off his garden but he will understand."
Dolohov put a bit of distance between himself and his daughter.
"Ms Granger, will it be all right if I tag along? We need not talk about anything, if you do not wish so. You got my apology for hurting you?"
"Yes, Mr Dolohov, I sent a letter back with my acceptance of your apologoy. It was war, I have long since forgiven you. I may not be much of good company today but I want to get to know you and to learn more about my mother, of course you can come."
She might need time to process the news in peace and quiet but for now setting foot into what could become her home for the first time and trying for a better start with her would-be brother-in-law was a good distraction.
Njet = no, nevasmoshny = never