She shifted in the uncomfortable chair, anxiously awaiting the
arrival of Professor Dumbledore. While she waited, she glanced around the
Headmaster's office walls, staring at the portraits she had seen so many
times before. Some of them were snoozing, as usual, but some were wide-
awake, staring back at her, whispering amongst themselves.
"Quiet," she hissed at the closest picture, as Armando Dippet began pointing his finger at her, talking in a hushed voice to anyone who would listen. Hermione gave him a dirty look.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore breezed into his office, a flurry of robes. His usually serene face displayed direct hints of discontentment. Some unknown force of unhappiness had speeded along his normally slow waltz into a room and Hermione felt her heart start to race.
Ever since her parents had confessed to her last year that they were pureblooded wizards, she had been unaware of everyone around her. What if all of her friends were lying to her, too? If her parents could deceive her in such a manner, who's to say that she should trust her friends and acquaintances? "We're sorry we lied to you," her mother had told her tearfully, "but we were afraid of what you might think. Your father and I only wanted the best for you in life and until you got your school letter, we weren't planning on ever telling you about your heritage."
"So instead you waited until my sixth year at Hogwarts to tell me that I'm a pureblood?" Hermione had replied angrily. She couldn't describe to anyone the feelings of deception and hurt that were flowing through her at that very moment. "You let me go through six years of hell, with that slime Draco Malfoy calling me a Mudblood every few feet? You let me suffer through all of that before alerting me to the fact that for those six years, Malfoy was wrong and I was just as 'pure and clean' as he was? Thanks a lot!"
It had been almost a year since that day and Hermione had forgiven her parents to some extent. Now, as she sat in Dumbledore's office, with only five months left until she left Hogwarts forever, Hermione waited to see what other surprises would be bestowed upon her before leaving school.
Dumbledore had sat down at his desk, opposite of Hermione, and folded his hands neatly in front of him. He wore a slight smile on his tired- looking face, but sympathy reigned in his eyes. "We're just waiting for two more members of our party," he said, glancing patiently towards the doorway. "I won't say anything until they've arrived."
Unable to speak for fear of what may come out of her mouth, Hermione kept quiet. She watched as the giant clock on the wall ticked the minutes away and wondered what Ron and Harry were doing back in the common room, where she longed to be. When she had left, being summoned to Dumbledore's office by means of an owl, they were playing a game of Exploding Snap, a game Hermione had long ago ruled indecent. But as her heart pounded faster and more furious than before, she would have given anything to be playing the silly game with them right then. Her instincts told her that nothing good was going to come out of this meeting.
Her worst fears were confirmed when seconds later, the office door burst open again, revealing Lucius Malfoy, closely followed by his son Draco. Bowing her head, Hermione swore under her breath. She hadn't liked Draco on the best of days, let alone his father. Lucius Malfoy had always been one of the more malicious wizards Hermione had ever known and he promoted purebloods one hundred percent. He had always looked down his nose at Hermione, but the news of her being a pureblood was just as shocking to him as it was to her.
"Good day Dumbledore," he wheedled in his sickening voice. "Miss Granger." He looked down at her, approval in his eyes, as he passed her by. Taking the chair one over from her, he offered the one in between to Draco. "I assume you've told Miss Granger why we've assembled here today, Dumbledore?"
"No, Lucius, I haven't. I've voiced against this from the beginning, but to no avail. As Miss Granger is not my child, I do not have a say and I will let you do the explaining." Dumbledore looked immediately regretful at the words 'not my child', as he had come to know Harry, Ron and Hermione as somewhat of his children over the years. He sat back in his chair, almost painfully, his hands still folded, and waited for the explosion.
"Miss Granger, as you know, your news of being a pureblood has reached me rather quickly," Lucius began, motioning to Draco.
"I guess that's why you waited an entire year to come and see me," Hermione quipped, shooting daggers at the both of them with her eyes. "It wouldn't make sense to see me right away, now would it?"
"Yes, well, I must apologize for that on my behalf," Lucius continued, his eyes darting from Dumbledore back to Hermione. "Nevertheless, I have a purpose here today." He smiled and sat up straighter. "My son is seventeen now and he is of wealthy blood. He will marry in a few years, and marry a girl of my choosing. A girl of pureblood. A girl of a good family name." His lips spread into a wider grin, as he looked Hermione up and down. "A girl with good brains, a good upbringing, not to mention good looks."
"No," Hermione said calmly, truly unclear of what she was actually saying. "You're crazy. The both of you. I will not marry Draco!"
"My dear girl, you have no choice," Lucius continued, looking somewhat relieved that he didn't have to say the words aloud. "Your parents have already agreed."
"My parents would not agree to that!" Hermione said, rising to her feet. "They care about me! They wouldn't let me suffer like that!"
"Much like they wouldn't let you suffer, thinking you were a Mudblood?" Lucius' voice had become colder and crueller than before. "When all along you have been a noble pureblood? Any time, they could have told you, but they failed. What makes you think they would spare you this time?"
"You're a liar!" Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs. "I won't marry him! I won't do it!" She looked to Professor Dumbledore for help. "Please, Professor, say I don't have to marry him! Surely you can do something."
"As I said before, Hermione, regrettably you are not my daughter." His face looked sadder than Hermione had seen him in years and she felt the floods of tears pouring down her face. "You can't do this," she hissed at Lucius. "You won't get away with it."
"We'll be in touch soon," Lucius called as Hermione fled the office. Down the spiral staircase she ran and through the halls. She passed by Professor McGonagall, who called after her, but she didn't stop. She didn't stop running until she had reached the portrait hole for the Gryffindor common room. She muttered the password and entered the room, grateful to see that it was nearly empty. Only Harry and Ron remained, playing a solid game of chess in the corner.
"What happened?" Ron asked, seeing Hermione's tear-streaked face and astray hair. "What was the meeting about?"
Hermione collapsed on the sofa beside Harry. "They want me to marry Draco Malfoy!"
Silence reigned in the room after this statement. Ron, who had knowingly had strong feelings for Hermione for years, looked on in shock. "They can't force you," he said unconvincingly. "Your parents won't allow it."
"That's just the thing," Hermione cried, burying her face in her hands. "Lucius Malfoy said my parents had already agreed to it!" Hermione relived the entire scene in Dumbledore's office as she explained it to her friends, sobbing hysterically the whole time. "It's so wrong!" she cried.
"Surely there's something that can be done," Harry said quietly and Hermione looked up at him. Ever since Sirius had died in their fifth year, Harry hadn't been the same. He was more quiet, more subdued. Sometimes he would fly off into a rage for no reason and other times, things never seemed to bother him. Hermione felt bad for wallowing in her own problems when one of her close friends was in such anguish, but this time, she couldn't help it.
"I think I'll write my parents," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "That's it. I'll write them and ask and they'll write back and say the whole thing is absurd. Right, that's what will happen." She smiled through the remaining tears. "Everything will be okay," she assured herself. "Just fine."
"Quiet," she hissed at the closest picture, as Armando Dippet began pointing his finger at her, talking in a hushed voice to anyone who would listen. Hermione gave him a dirty look.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore breezed into his office, a flurry of robes. His usually serene face displayed direct hints of discontentment. Some unknown force of unhappiness had speeded along his normally slow waltz into a room and Hermione felt her heart start to race.
Ever since her parents had confessed to her last year that they were pureblooded wizards, she had been unaware of everyone around her. What if all of her friends were lying to her, too? If her parents could deceive her in such a manner, who's to say that she should trust her friends and acquaintances? "We're sorry we lied to you," her mother had told her tearfully, "but we were afraid of what you might think. Your father and I only wanted the best for you in life and until you got your school letter, we weren't planning on ever telling you about your heritage."
"So instead you waited until my sixth year at Hogwarts to tell me that I'm a pureblood?" Hermione had replied angrily. She couldn't describe to anyone the feelings of deception and hurt that were flowing through her at that very moment. "You let me go through six years of hell, with that slime Draco Malfoy calling me a Mudblood every few feet? You let me suffer through all of that before alerting me to the fact that for those six years, Malfoy was wrong and I was just as 'pure and clean' as he was? Thanks a lot!"
It had been almost a year since that day and Hermione had forgiven her parents to some extent. Now, as she sat in Dumbledore's office, with only five months left until she left Hogwarts forever, Hermione waited to see what other surprises would be bestowed upon her before leaving school.
Dumbledore had sat down at his desk, opposite of Hermione, and folded his hands neatly in front of him. He wore a slight smile on his tired- looking face, but sympathy reigned in his eyes. "We're just waiting for two more members of our party," he said, glancing patiently towards the doorway. "I won't say anything until they've arrived."
Unable to speak for fear of what may come out of her mouth, Hermione kept quiet. She watched as the giant clock on the wall ticked the minutes away and wondered what Ron and Harry were doing back in the common room, where she longed to be. When she had left, being summoned to Dumbledore's office by means of an owl, they were playing a game of Exploding Snap, a game Hermione had long ago ruled indecent. But as her heart pounded faster and more furious than before, she would have given anything to be playing the silly game with them right then. Her instincts told her that nothing good was going to come out of this meeting.
Her worst fears were confirmed when seconds later, the office door burst open again, revealing Lucius Malfoy, closely followed by his son Draco. Bowing her head, Hermione swore under her breath. She hadn't liked Draco on the best of days, let alone his father. Lucius Malfoy had always been one of the more malicious wizards Hermione had ever known and he promoted purebloods one hundred percent. He had always looked down his nose at Hermione, but the news of her being a pureblood was just as shocking to him as it was to her.
"Good day Dumbledore," he wheedled in his sickening voice. "Miss Granger." He looked down at her, approval in his eyes, as he passed her by. Taking the chair one over from her, he offered the one in between to Draco. "I assume you've told Miss Granger why we've assembled here today, Dumbledore?"
"No, Lucius, I haven't. I've voiced against this from the beginning, but to no avail. As Miss Granger is not my child, I do not have a say and I will let you do the explaining." Dumbledore looked immediately regretful at the words 'not my child', as he had come to know Harry, Ron and Hermione as somewhat of his children over the years. He sat back in his chair, almost painfully, his hands still folded, and waited for the explosion.
"Miss Granger, as you know, your news of being a pureblood has reached me rather quickly," Lucius began, motioning to Draco.
"I guess that's why you waited an entire year to come and see me," Hermione quipped, shooting daggers at the both of them with her eyes. "It wouldn't make sense to see me right away, now would it?"
"Yes, well, I must apologize for that on my behalf," Lucius continued, his eyes darting from Dumbledore back to Hermione. "Nevertheless, I have a purpose here today." He smiled and sat up straighter. "My son is seventeen now and he is of wealthy blood. He will marry in a few years, and marry a girl of my choosing. A girl of pureblood. A girl of a good family name." His lips spread into a wider grin, as he looked Hermione up and down. "A girl with good brains, a good upbringing, not to mention good looks."
"No," Hermione said calmly, truly unclear of what she was actually saying. "You're crazy. The both of you. I will not marry Draco!"
"My dear girl, you have no choice," Lucius continued, looking somewhat relieved that he didn't have to say the words aloud. "Your parents have already agreed."
"My parents would not agree to that!" Hermione said, rising to her feet. "They care about me! They wouldn't let me suffer like that!"
"Much like they wouldn't let you suffer, thinking you were a Mudblood?" Lucius' voice had become colder and crueller than before. "When all along you have been a noble pureblood? Any time, they could have told you, but they failed. What makes you think they would spare you this time?"
"You're a liar!" Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs. "I won't marry him! I won't do it!" She looked to Professor Dumbledore for help. "Please, Professor, say I don't have to marry him! Surely you can do something."
"As I said before, Hermione, regrettably you are not my daughter." His face looked sadder than Hermione had seen him in years and she felt the floods of tears pouring down her face. "You can't do this," she hissed at Lucius. "You won't get away with it."
"We'll be in touch soon," Lucius called as Hermione fled the office. Down the spiral staircase she ran and through the halls. She passed by Professor McGonagall, who called after her, but she didn't stop. She didn't stop running until she had reached the portrait hole for the Gryffindor common room. She muttered the password and entered the room, grateful to see that it was nearly empty. Only Harry and Ron remained, playing a solid game of chess in the corner.
"What happened?" Ron asked, seeing Hermione's tear-streaked face and astray hair. "What was the meeting about?"
Hermione collapsed on the sofa beside Harry. "They want me to marry Draco Malfoy!"
Silence reigned in the room after this statement. Ron, who had knowingly had strong feelings for Hermione for years, looked on in shock. "They can't force you," he said unconvincingly. "Your parents won't allow it."
"That's just the thing," Hermione cried, burying her face in her hands. "Lucius Malfoy said my parents had already agreed to it!" Hermione relived the entire scene in Dumbledore's office as she explained it to her friends, sobbing hysterically the whole time. "It's so wrong!" she cried.
"Surely there's something that can be done," Harry said quietly and Hermione looked up at him. Ever since Sirius had died in their fifth year, Harry hadn't been the same. He was more quiet, more subdued. Sometimes he would fly off into a rage for no reason and other times, things never seemed to bother him. Hermione felt bad for wallowing in her own problems when one of her close friends was in such anguish, but this time, she couldn't help it.
"I think I'll write my parents," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "That's it. I'll write them and ask and they'll write back and say the whole thing is absurd. Right, that's what will happen." She smiled through the remaining tears. "Everything will be okay," she assured herself. "Just fine."