Note: Title: Walk through the fire - Zayde Wolf, Ruelle
(…)
Hermione is not sure she heard right. And she falters a bit, feeling heavy, strange. Harry is right there to support her. And she leans on him.
Her aunt is looking at her with wide eyes. Bellatrix is silently crying, still shaking her head. Draco has his mouth open and she doesn't even know what the others are doing or thinking.
Swallowing hard, she snorts an incredulous chuckle.
"What?" Hermione asks Narcissa. "I think you might have-"
"You can read my mind if you want to!"
Her heart beats faster. Harry squeezes her waist.
"Narcissa!" Bellatrix reacts, "You can't be serious! Hermione is my daughter and I'm sure she's Tom's-"
"She's not your daughter either, Bella."
This makes Hermione stop. Her brain glitches. She blinks a few times. Harry lets out a strange sound by her side. Narcissa surely is not serious. What kind of sick joke is this one?
"How dare you?" Bellatrix asks her sister, shaken. Hermione tries calming her.
"I-" Hermione begins, confused and intrigued. "Aunt, what are you saying?"
This is a serious and very unexpected claim. And she fears for Narcissa's sanity. She can see that Draco also does.
"You're not a Riddle." Narcissa repeats. "Or a Black. I don't know who your parents were but-"
"This is nonsense." Hermione shakes her head, whispering.
And her mother backs her up. "Exactly! What the hell do you think you're-"
"Let her talk." Harry interrupts and Hermione turns her head to look at him. He's serious. And she can tell that he believes Narcissa.
"Harry?"
He looks at her, sighing. "Love." His voice is thin. "I- I don't think Narcissa is lying."
"What?" She takes a step from him, widening her eyes. "Are you going to back up this crazy idea because you can't believe I'm a Riddle? Because you don't want to accept that you fell in love-"
"That's not what I'm saying! You know my love for you is bigger than a fucking surname!" She inhales deeply. She knows. But she can't understand- "I just think…" He trails, Narcissa is looking at him and Harry shares a look with her aunt.
"You see it, don't you?" Narcissa asks Harry. "There's no resemblance whatsoever."
Hermione snorts. "Are you basing your accusations on this? Because I'm not a copy of my father or mother?!"
Narcissa sighs and sits down on the bed, Draco sits with her. The atmosphere is heavy. And now Hermione has no idea what she's thinking. This is certainly a surprise.
"No." Narcissa says calmly. "I know for a fact that you're not their daughter. Bellatrix was never pregnant."
And before Hermione or anyone else can react, her mother takes the few steps to Narcissa and slaps her sister across the face.
It makes a loud sound in the room. Draco sets his jaw, furious. But he doesn't say a thing. And Narcissa nods her head - as if agreeing that she deserved it - one hand over the redness across her cheek.
"You can be angry all you want, Bella. It won't change reality." Narcissa makes a face. "Tom turned against me because he realized I knew the truth."
Hermione squints. She wants to end this madness, but she stays in silence, waiting.
And Narcissa finally begins to explain. "You can't have children, Bella. You didn't know about it before you got married. But when you and Tom began to try, it became clear that it wasn't going to happen. He was furious. And your relationship was a mess. You wanted the divorce. He wanted it too, but you couldn't do it. You know how it goes." Narcissa stops for a moment. Hermione looks at her mother, Bellatrix is frowning, as if trying to remember this.
"I- I barely remember things before Hermione. Those first five years of marriage were…" Bellatrix whispers, "I was so confused all the time and-" She sobs. "He kept giving me love potions-" She breaks into a cry and Hermione moves to hug her mother.
"I know, Bella." Narcissa says, also crying. "It was terrible. He's a monster." And Narcissa says this with the utmost contempt. "He made you suffer a lot, and all you wanted was a child." Her aunt looks at her and Hermione sets her jaw. She still thinks this is ridiculous.
"I find it very hard to believe that Tom Riddle would take any child and raise as his own, aunt Narcissa."
Narcissa nods. "Yes. You're right. He wouldn't. Take any child, I mean." Her eyes are heavy on Hermione. "But you're not any child, are you, Hermione? You're insanely powerful. You always were."
Again, Hermione's mind stops working. It- her words make sense. Tom Riddle only cares about power, and if he came across a child that was-
"This is not possible." Hermione says in a low voice. "There are pictures of my mother pregnant. Everyone else knows that I'm their child-"
"Tom used Ancient Magic to blind all of us." Narcissa cuts her. "To make us believe in what he wanted."
Hermione feels cold. Narcissa seems to have plausible explanations for all her doubts and-
"How come you broke through his magic?" Harry asks. His arms are crossed and Hermione can sense the anger coming from him. It's faint, but it's there.
Narcissa sighs. "Years ago I had a conversation with Lucius one night," She looks down, "we were talking about Tom and his, sometimes distorted, way of dealing with things. We knew he had experimented a lot on Hermione when she was younger." Bellatrix whimpers, hurt. "And I'm so sorry about it, Hermione. So very sorry." Hermione has no reaction. It doesn't feel like this story is real. "You were around fourteen already and I mentioned that you didn't look like Bella at all. And that stuck with me. Lucius also agreed. We began to… think more and more about it. And the crazy idea that you might not be a Riddle came to the surface." She wets her lips. "I confess it was for the wrong reasons. I confess that we wanted to discover something on Tom so we could blackmail him in some way. We weren't thinking about the consequences of our crazy theory being true…" She wipes some tears from her face. "We talked about this with the Pettigrews. And since then we've met every week to try rituals that would be able to reveal the truth to us."
"Shit." Harry says under his breath. "Dobby talked about this." Hermione frowns. "That the Malfoys and the Pettigrews would plot behind closed doors. That you kept talking about Hermione."
It's a shock to hear this. Harry never mentioned such a thing to her. But Narcissa is nodding, crying even more now.
"Yes. But we failed. We consistently failed. And after a while we gave up on it." She shrugs. "I mean, it was clear to us that if our theory was even correct, whatever magic Tom used was too strong." She looks down. "And deep down it never really mattered to me. I consider you family, Hermione, regardless-"
"Go to the point." Hermione snaps. She's tired of hearing this. Tired of seeing her mother suffer. "Because you keep talking, but your words are just conjectures. Your sister is suffering and I don't like this conversation either."
"Fair." Narcissa glances at Draco. "After Lucius died, I- I lost it. I was so angry. Yes, he treated me poorly and he was awful to me. I don't think I loved him either." Draco cocks his head, taking his mother's hand is his. "But I was angry because I had endured so many years of that marriage for nothing. I knew that after his death Tom only kept me around because I'm your sister, Bella. Otherwise he would have discarded me immediately." Hermione can't say she's wrong. Tom Riddle never liked Narcissa and her opinions. Or the way he felt that she bossed Lucius around. "So, I went back to this. I had to have some leverage. I'm not proud to say that I used Moritz's powders. A lot."
"Mum." Draco whines, squeezing her hand, visibly shaken.
"I'm sorry, darling." She says to him, one hand on his cheek. "I knew it was the only way. These powders are insanely strong and Tom abuses them. Peter started to abuse them too, and then, Asmodeus." Hermione purses her lips. "I got some with them without revealing why. I think they forgot about the rituals because since Asmodeus was meant to marry Hermione, it was in their best interest that you remained a Riddle." She's talking directly to Hermione again. "I failed a few times, but it finally worked. You remember that day you were at the Manor? I received some strong powders from a man called Ludwig. He works for Moritz. And he said that it was going to work. The ritual."
Hermione can't help looking at Harry. He stares right back at her. It's like Ludwig has a finger in everything.
"You performed the ritual?" Harry asks in a low voice.
Narcissa nods, truly shaken. "Yes. It- the truth was revealed to me." She stops talking, her eyes on Bellatrix. "I'm so sorry, Bella, I-"
"I don't need to hear this anymore." Bellatrix says and leaves the room.
"Mum!" Hermione calls to her, but she doesn't come back. And now she's torn. She wants to hear what else Narcissa has to say, but-
"Hermione." Narcissa calls to her, standing from the bed and putting both hands on her arms. She looks deep into her eyes. "You appeared in our lives when you were around two-years-old. On a day you didn't exist and on the next one you were my niece. And I love you. I really do." She squeezes her arms. "But Tom fooled all of us. He hid the truth about you and he made the Wizarding World believe that you were their legit child." Narcissa glances at Harry. "You should ask your grandfather. He might know about this."
Harry frowns.
"What day?" Hermione whispers her question. Even if her ears can't believe what she's hearing, she can see the truth in Narcissa's eyes. "When I came into your lives?"
"It was December. Late December, 1981."
A terrible chill runs down her spine. She feels tense and dizzy.
"Did you investigate it any further?" Harry asks, his voice strange.
"No. I- I didn't have the time. But I confronted Tom when we were at the Mansion by the sea." She closes her eyes. "I couldn't stand what he was doing to you. I- even if I'm not your fan, Potter, I would never separate soulmates. I was appalled since the Ball that you didn't marry after the Traditional." She opens a tiny apologetic smile. "Tom didn't react well to my… accusations."
"I can imagine." Hermione says, taking a step away from Narcissa. It's too much. Again. It's too much. "But you don't have actual proof, do you?"
Narcissa nods. "Well, no, but-"
"Only a ritual that we're not even sure if it's real. What if this ritual made you believe in a lie, instead?"
It's obvious that her aunt hadn't considered this. "But-"
"So, that's it." Hermione says sharply. "I need to talk with my mother."
She leaves the room. She has no idea where she's going and she hopes Harry doesn't follow her. There's nothing to say. Not now.
Hermione doesn't even know what to do with this information. What does it all mean? Is it true? At the same time that it feels absurd, it feels real. She can easily see Tom Riddle seizing a child from a family just because he thought she was powerful, just because he wanted to nurture and raise her so he could later take her power-
She stops walking. Hermione is standing in the middle of a hallway. Alone. It's dark. And she begins to shake. A painful cry leaves her. She kneels on the floor, covering her face with both hands. All her emotions are battling inside her. She can't even remember how many times in her life she wished she weren't a Riddle. Every time she fought with her father she always felt a detachment from him. He was never loving. He never took care of her. She never truly felt she belonged.
But she can't accept this craziness that easily. Maybe Narcissa is wrong. Is Tom Riddle so powerful that he would have been able to blind practically the entire Wizarding Community to this? Did he truly convince everyone that a two-year-old child they've never seen before was his daughter? People talk about her mother's pregnancy! There are photos of her as a baby!
She shakes her head, trying to stop some tears. This… if this is true-
"Oh, fuck." She lets out, trying to ease the pain inside her chest.
If this is true, then her entire life has been a lie. A cruel lie. She wasn't even supposed to be here now. And there's a simple way of knowing: a blood test. Like the one Asmodeus had of Harry and James. If-
He crouches in front of her and Hermione raises her head to meet his gorgeous eyes.
Harry is serious.
And she's angry with him. Hermione doesn't let him touch her while she stands up. She's still dizzy.
"Hermione-"
"No!" She says sharply. "You-" She inhales deeply. "You suspected this and you never said a word! Not about this or about what Dobby told you!" She moves her hands, exasperated. "I thought we were supposed to share everything!"
"It was just a fucking thought!" He says, also exasperated. She can see some despair in his eyes. "I- when we went to Malfoy Manor, I couldn't help noticing that you didn't resemble any of them. When I first met your mother at the Ball, I also thought that you didn't look like her! But I never spared another thought on this! And Dobby told me about the Malfoys and the Pettigrews a long time ago, I think it was right after our date with Bellaverde-" He stops, looking down and groaning. Taking a deep breath, he continues, "I just thought it was because they wanted Asmodeus to marry you! I- Look, we don't even know if this is true!"
"You apparently think so." She says through her teeth.
He madly chews the insides of his cheeks. "Love," There's pain in his voice and it squeezes her heart. "I'm sorry. I- it was never my intention to keep this from you." He's whispering. "I just-" Harry shakes his head. "If this is true, we- we need to dig deeper."
She shakes her head. "No. I don't wanna know. It doesn't matter."
"It does."
"It doesn't!" She yells. "I- if this is true, he- he killed my real parents, Harry. And I can't deal with this!"
He sets his jaw, closing the distance between them. And she lets him embrace her. It's painful. The moment. To even imagine that-
"Okay." He whispers in her ear, kissing her neck gently. "I- I think we should talk about this tomorrow." He kisses her again and she relaxes a bit more. "We're tired. It's been a crazy day. Let's go to bed." He squeezes her in his arms. Hermione squeezes him back.
"I'll be right there. I just need to see my mother. Make sure she's fine."
He nods, kissing her cheek and touching her forehead with his.
They share a small kiss.
"I'll be waiting for you."
She nods and they go their separated ways.
It's been more than two hours and Hermione hasn't come back to the room. Harry tried to distract himself with the White Book and the many spells inside, but his mind is not into it right now. He can't stop thinking about Narcissa's words.
He knows he should have talked about this with Hermione before, but it slipped his mind and now she's angry with him. Her anger will pass, though, but the probable truth of what Narcissa said, won't. And this will consume Hermione.
Sighing, he puts the Book inside the drawer and pets Crookshanks. The cat is lying down over his chest and Harry tries to relax. Hermione and Bellatrix have a lot to talk about. And even if he wants to pursue this, even if he wants to find out who she is… he knows this decision is hers. If Hermione refuses he won't act behind her back-
He looks up when she enters the room. Her face is calm and he can tell that she's not angry anymore. But, oh, she's sad. Shaking her head to him and opening a side smile at the way Crookshanks is over his bare chest, she enters the bathroom.
Harry patiently waits. He puts Crookshanks down and the cat meows at him with some indignation. Harry snorts. And when Hermione comes to bed only in her panties, he inhales deeply. He absolutely loves that her tattoo is there all the time now.
She doesn't shy away from him when he opens his arms for her to lie down on his chest. They hug tightly and she spreads kisses all over him. It eases his heart. And for minutes they don't say a word.
"Was Crook angry that I took his spot?" She asks.
Harry chuckles. "He was."
She squeezes his waist. "I-" He keeps caressing her arm, their legs together. "We did a blood test." There's silence after these words. Harry waits for her to be ready to share. His heart is beating faster. And when she does speak, he closes his eyes. "I'm not her daughter." Hermione's voice cracks and Harry squeezes her even more. "I wanna know the whole truth." She whispers. "I talked a lot with my mother and… regardless what we find out, she's never going to stop being my mother, this won't change. But I- I need to know who I really am."
"I'm here for whatever you need me." He whispers.
"Thank you, my love."
"I love you. I-" Harry wets his lips, even if the idea crossing his mind is absurd, it's not impossible. "Narcissa said you appeared on December, 1981." His voice is strained.
Hermione visibly tenses. She knows what he means. "Do you think-" She stops and sits on the bed by his side, her hand on his chest. "Harry. I- do you think it could be related to what happened to your parents? To you?"
He sets his jaw. "Maybe."
She bites on her lower lip. "No, it can't be, it-"
Harry takes her left hand in his. The sensation feels strange but he doesn't show it. "We share a magical bond." He says, "We're soulmates. I wouldn't be surprised by it, Hermione."
Pulling her hand back - because she doesn't want him to keep feeling how weak she is now - Hermione lowers her eyes, thinking.
He can see the moment she realizes something, her expression changing and her eyes getting lost. He sits too, his hands on her thighs.
"What? What is it?"
There are tears running down her face. "Harry." It's a plea. She inhales deeply. "That couple. The Muggle couple."
He widens his eyes. "Oh, shit." He talks slowly. "Hermione. Oh, shit." She's hyperventilating and he tries calming her. Even if she doesn't want to, he takes her left hand in his and the bond calms her. "Breathe with me. Deeply, beautiful."
It takes her a lot to calm down, but when he thinks she's finally well, Hermione runs to the bathroom to throw up. Harry closes his eyes, running a hand through his hair. And he stands fast from the bed.
The phoenix fire is burning inside and outside.
They're not sure of what they're talking about, but deep down he knows. He knows. That couple. They were her parents. And she saw the way they were brutally murdered.
He's furious. He feels homicidal. When it's ever going to be enough for Hermione? How can she still pull herself together? He feels deeply for her. For everything. He can't stand how much she already suffered and how much she continues to-
"Calm down." She's in front of him. He hadn't even noticed. He's snarling. The fire burning bright and hot. "Harry!" She says more firmly and he makes an effort to stop the fire.
He looks down, breathing hard. The floor is burnt around his feet. "Shit." He murmurs.
Hermione hugs him, needing his comfort. "I wanna go there. To the house. Now."
"Love, we're tired-"
"I need this, love." And she moves to look into his eyes. "I won't be able to sleep or function before I know everything. It could lead us to more answers." She takes his left hand. "It could explain our bond." She whispers. "If- if this is really it, then we've known each other since we were babies."
He's overwhelmed. She's right. "Okay." He agrees. "But we need to be extremely careful."
In a blink they dress themselves and Harry magically sends a note to Chiara. He explains where they're going and he tells her to go check on them if they don't come back before morning.
Even if it's hard to contain the nervousness inside him, he does his best to be strong for Hermione.
With the Cloak under his arm and their coins inside their pockets, their wands ready, Harry and Hermione leave.
The Muggle Village
She's barely standing on her own. Hermione is just acting on sheer adrenaline. Deep down she knows her real parents are dead. And she saw the way they were murdered. There's no doubt in her mind.
And now it feels like everything is falling into place. And apart.
Her connection to Harry. They never fully comprehended their bond or what it meant. The many coincidences. The toy phoenix- A chill runs down her spine when they step onto the street. The Potters' house is the first one they see, and on the other side, two houses down across from it, is the one she saw Matteo gently putting the dead couple inside. She internally thanks the man. He was decent. Way more decent than what she expected.
Harry squeezes her hand. They're walking in silence and Hermione knows that he's aware of any threats close to them. She can't think about it now, she can only think about what they're going to find inside. The house is clearly abandoned. And it breaks her heart.
They were Muggles.
For the first time it strikes her that- I'm a Muggleborn. The notion takes her breath away and she stops walking. Harry stops with her, the clear worry all over his face. He cups her cheek.
"Are you okay?" His voice is low.
The street is silent and dark. People are already asleep, unaware of the two wizards out there. She looks at him. She wants to cry. She doesn't, though. The only thing she does is nod. Harry kisses her forehead and waits for her to resume their walk.
She wants to go through the front door. There are no wards or protections around the house. Why would it? They were nothing. Nothing to the Aurors. Nothing to Riddle. Nothing to Matteo either. Her chin trembles and she squeezes Harry's hand. Hermione can't put into words what it means to have him there with her. And she hopes he felt the same support when they were together inside his parents' house.
They climb the few front steps, reaching the porch. Swallowing down her anxiety, Hermione opens the door.
The foul smell is the first thing that assaults them. Of a closed and abandoned house that probably has rotten food inside or-
Harry waves a hand and the smell is gone in a second. His jaw is set. And she can't help kissing his cheek in thanks.
Apart from the clear way the house is abandoned, it's a nice house. Hermione can imagine it being cozy. A home. And when her eyes set on a few frames resting atop a side table at the living room, she finds herself glued on the spot.
If there are pictures of her with them- she briefly closes her eyes. You can do this. You can.
She feels Harry's arms around her. And it gives her the courage she needs to do this.
The living room is fairly big, bigger than the Potters'. She can see the mold taking over the ceiling and some walls. There are some objects laying about and when she steps further inside, she can see the enormous shelves filled with books. Her heart squeezes inside her chest. They surely loved reading. They surely read for her.
Harry is a few steps ahead of her. He's curious. And he's heading to the pictures. She follows his steps and holds her breath when he takes the first frame, cleaning away the dust with his hand and then blowing at it.
The shock on his face pushes her to him.
And when she sees the picture-
It's them. The couple Hermione saw murdered. Gregory and Serena. And the Potters. They're at the park close by, having a picnic. There are huge smiles on their faces and Harry is sitting close to his parents. And a little girl has her arms around him.
It's her.
Hermione chokes, squeezing his arm with extreme force. Harry is in total shock. Even if they were ready to face the truth, reality strikes differently. This is proof that, indeed, their parents were friends. And they've known each other since forever.
Harry exhales heavily, his fingers brushing against their little selves. Hermione is one year older. And it seems like this picture was taken close to-
"There's a date." Harry whispers, brushing more dust. Then, he gets impatient and opens the frame to take the picture out. He exhales heavily. "July 31st, 1981." He makes a face, stopping his tears. "I was turning one."
They stare at each other. Hermione has no idea what to say. So, she cups his cheek, bringing him closer to her, their foreheads touching.
"It was always Destiny, my love." She whispers. There's a faint voice at the back of her mind telling her that she sounds like Trelawney, but how could she not? This is undeniable.
He hugs her. "I'm- I love you."
It was impossible for them not to be soulmates. Their connection was already unbelievable, and now… Hermione wants answers. She wants to understand. She wants to know exactly what happened.
"We need to search the house." She says, kissing him. "Let's take all the pictures we can find, everything."
He nods, already magically tucking away the picture he's holding. Then, he takes the other frames and its pictures. Hermione gulps. One is of her parents' wedding. Another of them with her. It seems to be the same day of the picnic at the park.
With their hands clasped, they walk out of the living room, there's nothing more there. The dinning room is also empty, but when they reach the kitchen, they can see that the young Muggle couple was really not prepared for what was about to happen to them. The stench they felt when they entered the house was probably coming from there. The food is exposed and-
Harry uses another spell. It's all gone.
They reach the stairs and he stops her before she takes the first step.
"Look. Termites." Indeed. The stairs are hanging by a thread. With a spell he puts it all back together for them to climb it safely.
They reach the second floor fast, and the first door they see, is open. Hermione puts a hand over her heart.
It's clearly her room.
Harry waits for her to be ready. She wonders if there is such a thing. Doesn't matter. They take the few steps together.
Tears start to fall from her eyes. The room is small, the crib is against a wall, there's a big dresser and a corner filled with stuffed animals, dolls, a little house to play with and stacked books. The floor has a nice rug that Hermione can almost visualize herself sitting and drawing something - there are childish drawings laying about. And on the wall-
The woman that gave birth to her, smiling, pregnant. It- Hermione looks a lot like her. Her real father is there with her. She's shaking a bit. And Harry moves to take the picture. Hermione doesn't move. She's not sure she wants to enter this room. So, she lets Harry open the drawers for her. She observes while he takes care of things, while he searches for hidden clues or anything of the sort.
But there's nothing there. It's just a two-years-old girl's room. He comes to her, the look on his face saying it all. He's completely devastated for her. And his love soothes her soul in a way. They don't remember each other from when they were toddlers, but their hearts do, their souls do.
Taking his hand, they walk to the room beside this. It's a study.
Hermione bites on her lower lip. There are more books there and her eyes recognize at least four photo albums. She gulps.
"Love, take those." She points at them, her tone indicating that she doesn't want to look at the photos right now, maybe later.
Harry magically puts away the photo albums and she takes a few steps to the beautiful desk there. Her fingers brush the dust away. It's a strange sensation. She wonders how many times they sat there for hours, studying something or-
Who were they?
And she opens the first drawer while Harry keeps searching the shelves. Papers, some pens. The usual you would expect. She opens the second drawer and something catches her eye, a leathery notebook.
Hermione takes it, feeling the air closing around her. And when she opens it, she closes right after. It's a diary. Oh, shit. She shuts her eyes with force, holding the notebook with both hands.
"Hermione?"
She opens her eyes to look at him. He's worried. She hands him the notebook. "We're taking this too." Without a question he magically pockets it away with the rest of the stuff.
Opening another drawer, she finally finds something that tells her more about them. Degrees.
"Dental surgery. Dental medicine." She whispers.
"Dentists."
She swallows the lump in her throat. "Serena and Gregory Granger." The surname burns her tongue. Hermione Granger.
Harry stops in front of her and she puts the degrees back inside the drawer. There's nothing more there. They were not magical. There aren't hidden memories or any other stuff of the kind. Slowly and with their hands together, they keep going. The master bedroom has another few pictures of them. There's no attic. And when they go down the stairs, they notice a door that leads to the basement. Harry descends alone.
Hermione is exhausted. The adrenaline rush is gone. And now she can only feel the utter sadness taking over her. She wants to curl into a ball and cry. When she thought she couldn't hate Tom Riddle more-
Harry comes from the basement. "Nothing there." He whispers, his arms closing around her. He kisses her cheek and she returns the gesture, holding on to their love. Holding on to his warmth.
"Let's go check our house." She whispers.
In a silent agreement they apparate inside their house by the lake.
As Dobby said, it's not compromised. The wards are strong. The place wasn't breached. And she tries to feel some happiness about this small victory. But she's numb. They go to their room and she sighs, sitting on the bed and supporting her head with both hands. Harry is using spells to erase the wall with informations.
She can't stop thinking about it all. About their deep connection. About the fact that they live together here, in the same place their parents met. The same place they met.
Harry comes to her and takes her left hand in his, crouching in front of her, kissing her hand. Their bond feels strange. Wrong. Weak. It bothers her. A lot. She can see that Harry tries not showing any kind of discomfort, but it exists. Of course it does. And it breaks her heart.
He's so amazing. He doesn't deserve someone so broken like her.
"Let's go?" He asks, his eyes keen on her. It's like he knows what she's thinking.
She only nods in answer.
June 14th, 2006
The Palace
Hermione is still knocked out by his side. And he's going to let her sleep. When they arrived from their house she completely blacked out. Harry knows she was trying to keep up but once the adrenaline left her, Hermione was acting like a zombie.
It's the middle of the morning and he's looking at the photos they got from the house. He was having a hard time in believing the one where they're all at the park, but when he opened the first photo album, Harry indeed lost his breath.
There are many pictures of them as babies. Always together. He has no doubt that the photos from the empty slots from the photo album he found in that trapdoor are in these albums the Grangers owned. Harry can see a story being told. There are photos of when his mother was pregnant, little Hermione already there with them. It's hard to find a picture where they're not smiling, it feels like they were good friends. Hermione's mother in particular had such a warm smile. And eyes. Harry can easily see her welcoming Lily and James into the Village, being nice and such. The Grangers were not that older than his parents, maybe seven years top.
Harry sighs, taking one photo and closing the album. It's him and Hermione. And he recognizes his parents' living room. They're sitting on the floor, playing together. With their phoenixes. He can tell that these toys were relatively new. They only appear in dates that are closer to that Halloween night. Chewing the inside of his cheeks, he keeps looking at it, hypnotized. It's all connected. Hermione was there when Harry was born. She was his friend. He can't help wondering if their bond happened naturally when they were toddlers or if something else made it happen.
Hermione stirs on the bed and her hand searches for him. She squeezes his thigh, mumbling something. He opens a tiny smile. This woman. This incredible woman. My wife.
"Morning." He says in a low voice, bending over to kiss her cheek.
"Morning." She mumbles, holding him there and kissing his neck. "Hm. I don't think I'll ever love something more than waking up next to you."
His smile gets a tad bigger. "Are you trying to get into my pants, Mrs Potter?"
She opens a small smile and kisses his neck again. But then she sighs and opens both eyes. He can see the moment everything comes back to her and she turns serious. Hermione looks out the window, assessing the hour.
"We need to have a meeting today. Talk about our next steps." She says.
"We'll."
"Were you looking at the photos?"
He nods and shows her the one he's holding. Sitting on the bed, she does her best not to cry.
"Unbelievable, right?" He asks.
She nods. "It is. I wanna know what happened. How Tom Riddle seized me."
Harry sets his jaw. Whenever he thinks about Riddle he feels murderous. It's getting harder and harder to control his fire when it comes to this psychopath. She puts one hand on his thigh again, trying to calm him down. It works.
"We were so cute." She states after a while, still lost in the picture.
He chuckles softly. "You still are."
She looks at him with a soft expression, filled with love and affection. Then, it changes to something darker. "I wanna end this, Harry. I cannot take this hell anymore. I wanna end this and live my life with you. In peace. Is that too much to ask?"
"Not at all." He kisses her cheek. "I promise you we're going to have this life. I promise, my love."
She hugs him tightly and he closes his eyes, inhaling her scent.
"I wanna tell them everything." She whispers into his neck. "I- I need to talk with my mother."
Harry nods. "Okay. Whatever you want."
"Finding Tom Riddle is our priority." Harry says.
Hermione watches the others. She told them the truth about who she is. To say that they were shocked is an understatement. It's too hard to wrap their minds around this reality. Too hard to understand that she's not Bellatrix's daughter. That she's not a Riddle. Before talking to them, she had a deep and serious conversation with her mother. She showed her pictures of her with the Grangers. Bellatrix cried more than Hermione thought possible. And it broke her heart. It infuriated her. Tom Riddle keeps breaking them. Over and over again.
In a way she's relieved she's not his daughter. It washes away a sticky feeling inside her. As if she were tainted because she had the Riddle blood. But that's not the case. It never was. And it gives her some peace of mind amongst so many doubts and lies.
Her relationship with her mother won't change because of this. Bellatrix raised her. Bellatrix gave her love. And they continue to love each other as mother and daughter.
Hermione knows that they should try to find Riddle.
But right now her priority is not this one.
She wants to read the diary she found inside the Grangers'. She wants to find out how Riddle seized her that night. Matteo's memory didn't show any clue to it. In fact, Matteo has no idea who she is. He doesn't know Riddle took her. She needs to know why she was spared. How. Maybe the answer she seeks lies deep inside Tom Riddle's mind. But she'll try to find answers in other ways.
Harry keeps talking about what they should do next. She knows he wants to burn Riddle down to ashes, but the man vanished. Neville is their best contact at the moment and he's talking about how the IWO is stepping in. They want Bellatrix to take over the Ministry. Which is logical. Hermione is a Potter now. Even if people are on their side, it would be too much to put a Potter in control of the Ministry while Tom Riddle is still out there. While he could come back with Pureblood families by his side. Bellatrix Riddle on the other hand will appease things more.
And I'm not strong enough to do that anymore.
"What do you wanna do, mum?" Hermione asks her directly and the conversation dies down while they wait for an answer from Bellatrix.
Her mother is clearly shaken given everything that happened on the last 24 hours, but she inhales deeply and Hermione can see the determination in her eyes, Hermione can see the way Bellatrix is not going to back down from this responsibility. And it makes her so fucking proud.
"I think it's due time I take over things." Bellatrix says in a firm voice. "I've been in Tom Riddle's shadow for far too long. And I'll have you as my counselors." She's talking to Ron, Ginny and Draco. "You'll be there with me and we're going to secure that Ministry. We're going to make sure that Tom Riddle doesn't step inside ever again." Hermione shares a look with Harry. This is perfect. "And you." Bellatrix points to Snape. "If you want to, you can be a counselor too."
Snape squints. Hermione is sure this is the most shocked he can look. And he shares a glance with Petunia. The woman nods, a tiny smile on her face. Pursing his lips, Snape nods, accepting Bellatrix's offer.
"Well, until we have a clue on where to look for Riddle, we need to wake up the counselors." Hermione states. They all agree. "We could move them to St. Mungo's since my mother is going to step in as Minister, but maybe it's too risky. What do you think?" She's asking all of them, but she knows she and Harry are the ones deciding in the end.
"Too risky." Harry says, narrowing his eyes. "We have no idea what Riddle did to them. I don't want anyone else finding out about the Palace." Hermione nods. A Healer at St. Mungo's could accidentally release and see a memory they aren't supposed to. "I don't think we should stay hidden anymore, Riddle knows we outnumber him, but we still need to be careful. We need to set a new tone at the Ministry. You guys need to be there, show yourselves while me and Hermione try to solve a few other things." Harry fists a hand. "I want answers from Ludwig. I feel like he knows more than what we imagine. Maybe he could lead us to Riddle."
She stays silent while they continue to talk. Hermione is a bit numb. She's still trying to process the truth she discovered. And it frightens her that Riddle was able to fool everyone. That he convinced people that Bellatrix was pregnant. He implemented false memories of Hermione as a baby in everyone's head…
Harry squeezes her hand and she realizes the others are standing up, their little meeting is over. He kisses her cheek and his mouth moves closer to her ear.
"What do you wanna do now?" He asks.
"I wanna read that diary."
He nods, kissing her again.
And they go to their room, their hands together, a comfortable silence between them. Hermione has nothing to say. She feels like she's on an entire different frequency now. Harry is focused on torturing Ludwig and finding Riddle, but she can only think about that Muggle couple that she saw murdered on that bed. My real parents. It's so hard to focus on anything else, think about anything else.
So, it's no surprise that the walk to the room feels like a blur and when she comes to herself they're already sitting on the bed, the diary in her hands.
But she takes a moment. Closing her eyes, Hermione accepts that this is not going to be easy. Harry respects her time. He stays there in silence, his presence warm by her side.
And when she's finally ready, Hermione opens the diary:
June 4th, 1979
We love the house! When Greg suggested I confess I was a bit resistant in moving here. I told him that it was too far from work, I told him that maybe a house this big wasn't a necessity. But well, I'm glad he insisted. I'm glad we're here! I'm sure our baby will love to grow up in this place. There's a park close by, a lake and it's so peaceful it could even get a bit boring.
She stops and sighs, wetting her lips. Harry moves closer to her on the bed and their eyes meet. Hermione decides that she won't be able to read everything, so, she turns the pages, her eyes on the dates, trying to find any mention of the Potters.
December 3rd, 1979
Oh, a nice young couple just moved in across the street! I've talked with them a bit. They're newlyweds and they look so happy together. I invited Lily to come over for some tea later. Since Greg is working like crazy, sometimes it's just me and Hermione, so, it's going to be refreshing to have other adults to talk to. The neighbors around here aren't that welcoming, and in honesty they're way older than us, so, sometimes it's a bit hard to find common ground.
Harry clicks his tongue. "December 3rd." He whispers. Hermione nods. This is her mother's diary, but it hits her that they're going to learn a lot about the Potters too. Her eyes go through the entries…
February 5th, 1980
Oh! Lily is pregnant! I knew it! I could tell! But I have no idea why they were so hesitant in sharing. It almost feels like they wanted to keep it a secret. Well, in truth, there are many moments that they behave oddly. As if they're waiting for a tragedy to happen. I see the way James is always looking over his shoulder. I perceive the way Lily is not 100% honest. I love the Potters, they're amazing and we've become good friends, but Greg agrees with me on this one: they're hiding something.
March 1st, 1980
Hermione loves the Potters too. They get along so well. And she's fascinated with Lily's belly. They told us that they decided on a name, Harry. Strong. Beautiful. They're sure it's a boy. I have no idea how. I've suggested Lily went to my doctor, but she told me there was no need. And this is so strange. I can't stop thinking that they're hiding something. Not in a bad way, they're good people. But there's a shadow behind them, there's something they're running away from and I really hope it comes a day they'll feel comfortable enough to share.
March 10th, 1980
Something strange happened yesterday. I was spending my afternoon with the Potters like we're used to now, and I swear, my glass started to float right before my eyes. I was so shocked! It was fast but I'm sure of what I saw. I freaked out. Lily and James, however, were so calm. I'm not even sure it happened at all. They didn't even bat an eye.
March 12th, 1980
Okay, I'm sad. The Potters might be crazy. I think we might need to move from here! We were having dinner yesterday and out of the blue they started to talk about MAGIC. Yes, M-A-G-I-C. As if it's something that exists! As if this is real! And they looked so sure of it! They said Hermione is magical! This is absurd. Ridiculous. I don't know what they want with this. Greg said that maybe they don't want to be our friends anymore and came up with a crazy story so we would stop talking to them. I still don't know what to think, but this is so… impossible. Isn't it?
Hermione snorts, shaking her head. Harry chuckles.
"I think they weren't very subtle about it." He says in a low voice. Hermione can hear the faint sadness in his tone.
"Yeah." She says. Her heart is beating so fast. These entries are a glimpse into the life they had. The life that was taken from them. She doesn't want to stop reading, but she fears it might be too much.
March 15th, 1980
I lack words. James and Lily proved to us that magic is real. They showed us. And I can't deny the truth of it. Magic exists. It's real. They're magical. And they told us that Hermione also is. That she's strong. Powerful. We had a hard time wrapping our minds around the idea, we're not magical. Lily said that it's not uncommon for non magical parents to have a magical child. They said Hermione is called a Muggleborn. It's a strange word and I keep repeating it. It's hard to accept this, but it changes nothing. We're good friends and Hermione continues to be my amazing daughter. If she's truly magical, then I'm glad James and Lily are here. I'm glad they can help us with a few things. Hermione is so small, but it's undeniable that she has shown a few signs. The day the glass floated before my eyes, it was her. And this has happened a few other times.
Hermione closes her eyes, leaning on Harry. He puts one arm around her shoulders and kisses her temple.
"We can stop if you want to." He whispers, comforting her.
She shakes her head. "No. I want answers."
July 31st, 1980
Oh! Harry is so beautiful! He's a charming baby. So much black hair! Just like James. They're so happy. Their happiness is rubbing on us. Greg even suggested that we should have another child. I told him we can wait more, there's no rush, we have the rest of our lives ahead of us. It goes without saying that Hermione is fascinated with the baby. She's not even one yet but she understands so much, she's so smart. And she keeps trying to say his name. It's so cute. They're adorable.
Harry chuckles, kissing her neck. "You've loved me since you first laid your eyes on me, huh?"
She lets out a small chuckle, turning her head to kiss him. "Harry, this is so unreal." She whispers then, their eyes locked.
"I know."
September 19th, 1980
Hermione is one today! We had a nice celebration with the Potters. And she started walking! I never expected her to do it so soon. We all have such a tight relationship, it's so nice. I told Greg that I didn't think we would make such good friends after a certain age, but we did! Hermione continues to be fascinated with Harry and even if he's barely aware of his surroundings, he's always squeezing her tiny hands with his even smaller ones. Lily said she never saw such a connection. I agree with her.
November 4th, 1980
The Potters finally opened up to us. They told us that they're being hunted down by a crazy wizard. His name is Tom Riddle and he's after power. Lily told us that there's a book that holds many powerful spells and Riddle is after this. They fear for their lives. They fear for little Harry. But we told them they can count on us, for anything! We're never going to let our friends alone on this. We're even thinking about escape plans, but I'm confident this threat will go away eventually.
Harry squeezes her and they share a look. Hermione can see the clear gratitude in his eyes. She can see how much it means to him that her parents were there with his. It also means a lot to her. To see how brave they were. It stirs a bittersweet feeling inside her. They were there that night because they would never abandon their friends.
She gulps, squeezing the diary.
"Fuck, this is hard." She whispers.
"I know."
But she's not stopping now.
January 20th, 1981
There's something curious happening with Harry and Hermione. Lily and I were discussing it yesterday. We have no idea what's happening but they don't let go of each other. It's like they're jointed by the hip. And Hermione is insanely protective towards him. In an insane way, Harry behaves the same. James joked that the first word he's gonna say is Hermione and not mama or dada. We had to laugh because it sure does feel like it.
April 7th, 1981
Things are a bit tense. James and Lily are worried, they feel like the threat is getting closer. Lily wants to use the spells inside the book to protect Harry. She also wants to protect Hermione. I'm not sure about it. James isn't either. This book could be a double-edged sword. Lily fears the power inside, but she talks about using it. We're still not sure what's going to happen.
April 29th, 1981
Lily performed a spell to protect Harry from his enemy. She wished she could have done it for Hermione too, but since Riddle doesn't know she exists, we hope things will continue that way. I'm glad the spell worked out. We're all a bit calmer now. James came by yesterday and put up a protection around our house. He said that as long as they're there, they're going to do whatever they can to protect us. I talked with Greg about this. It doesn't cross our minds to leave.
May 5th, 1981
Lily asked me if I would mind if she tried something with Hermione. We've been talking a lot about the way Harry and her seem to have a connection. We all think it's odd. Strong. They're so young. But it's fascinating to watch. James told us that he knows of magical connections that happen early in life. Destiny stuff. I can't help believing it. It's incredible how Hermione protects him. How she cares about him. And when they're together they're always smiling, happy, carefree. So, with the uncertainty of the future, Lily asked if it would be okay for them to perform a bonding spell with Harry and Hermione. She explained to us that this would connect both forever, that it would make their already existing connection stronger. It's harmless. But it could be a good thing. We're considering it.
"Fuck, Harry."
He's madly chewing the inside of his cheeks.
"It was them. My parents made our bond official. They performed a spell and connected us forever."
Hermione inhales deeply. "That's why it's so strong." She swallows hard, trying not to think that the bond is not that strong anymore. "It's old. It's based on a feeling and protection that already existed between us."
Harry takes her left hand in his and she does her best not to flinch away. It's broken now. Their bond. Their connection. Riddle ruined it. He did what the Potters tried so much to avoid. She can't help feeling the pang in her chest.
So, to ignore it, she keeps reading.
June 1st, 1981
Lily and James both performed the spell to strengthen the bond between Harry and Hermione. It worked. It was beautiful to watch. The magic. The bright light. They didn't stop smiling not even for a second, their little left hands clasped together while they waited for it to be over. From what I understood, this is forever. They're always going to protect each other, they're always going to find each other. We have no idea what the future holds, but I'm glad they did it. It felt right and I hope it's something that grows stronger and deeper as time goes by.
August 1st, 1981
Harry turned one yesterday and we had a blast. Lily and James are thinking about a ritual. Something about a phoenix. James even bought small toys for Harry and Hermione and they love them. They're very reticent about this ritual, though. But Lily is hopeful that this could be the answer to end Tom Riddle. She thinks this might be it and if it means that this awful man is going to let them be, then Greg and I are on board. We're ready to do whatever they need.
She flips through the pages. It's over. This was the last entry. She sighs, angry, closing the diary and putting it down on the bed. Harry moves too, standing up and running a hand through his hair. They don't say a thing. Hermione can't stop thinking about her parents. It burns inside her to discover what happened that night. She's sure only Riddle and-
"Dolohov." She whispers to Harry. "We need to see his memory. He remembers that night."
Harry is walking from one side to the other inside the room. It takes him some time before he says, "Ludwig. He knows what happened." He looks at her and she can feel and see the murderous rage inside him. She faintly feels the fire he has burning inside her. Like a shadow of the power. "And I'm getting answers from him."
Not waiting for her answer or anything like that, Harry leaves the room. She exhales heavily, holding her head with both hands. Inevitably the tears start to fall. Crookshanks climbs the bed and lies down by her side, his fur warming her leg. But she doesn't move. She keeps crying. This kind of pain is new to her. She misses something she never had. She misses a life that was taken from her.
Riddle has been ruining them for so long. But she's had enough. Hermione won't take any more bullshit from this man.
"I don't care if it kills me, I'll stop him." She whispers to herself.
And when she raises her eyes, a bright red light coming from the nightstand gives her pause. Blinking and not understanding a thing, she opens the top drawer. The White Book is tainted red. Blood red. And it's calling to her.
Harry strides inside the dungeon. He can hear Ludwig in pain. He likes the sound of it. And he bangs a hand on the bars, stopping the torture. It does seem like Ludwig is finally going to crack.
"Do you know where Dolohov is?" Harry is practically hissing.
The diary. Reading about him and Hermione. About his parents. It- the Grangers. He cannot take this anymore. They need to end Riddle.
Ludwig only raises his eyes from the floor, a maniacal smile on his face. "I have something even better, Potter." He spits. Harry can see that he's trembling. Ludwig is not that unbreakable. Some torture is showing to be more than enough. "Where's Hermione? Doesn't she want to hear more stories about her father?"
"Shut up, Ludwig! My patience is over. Give me an answer or I'll let you rot here. I don't care anymore."
Ludwig squints while Harry waits. This is for Hermione. She deserves to know what happened. And he won't think about consequences. He's getting answers.
Ludwig makes a face and sits on the floor, tilting his head.
"I know where the memory from that night is." Ludwig says slowly. "Dolohov's. I have no idea where the man is, but I know he kept the memory hidden in a place."
"Where?"
"Gringotts." Harry inhales deeply. "Vault 899."
"You're not lying to me, are you? Because," Harry takes a step closer to the bars. "If you are, I'll come back here to kill you very slowly."
Ludwig doesn't say a word.
And Harry leaves the dungeons, going to Hermione. They have a memory to steal.
(…)