Chapter Text
I can't believe this. I can't believe they just left me here.
I kept crying silently in the changing room of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
Actually, no. I can believe it. They hate me and what I am.
I turned around when I heard the door open and I looked up and saw the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen in my life.
She's stunning.
The woman smirked and then frowned.
"Hi," I said, sniffling.
"Hello," the woman replied as I kept crying. "Who are you?"
Why does it feel like she already knows who I am?
"I'm Hermione Granger," I said as I tried to stop crying. "And, you are?"
"Narcissa Malfoy," she said. "Is there a reason you're crying? Where are your Parents?" I cried harder.
"They left me here. They said to never go back home because they don't want a freak like me anymore. I don't know what to do. Why... Why aren't I good enough?" I whispered as I finally stopped crying. I looked up at Narcissa only to see anger, pain, frustration, guilt and hatred on her face. I flinched and she immediately sighed and just looked at me with a soft look.
Why does she feel guilty?
Narcissa winced.
"You're more than good enough. They're the ones who aren't good enough, little one," she softly said before she pulled me into a hug.
I haven't been hugged in years... This feels nice.
Narcissa sighed again as she soothingly rubbed my back for a few minutes.
"How about we get your school stuff and then take you to the Ministry? I'll ask them if I can take care of you. My Son, Draco, is going to start Hogwarts this year. That way, you'll also have a friend. Your Parents..." She sighed again.
She seems to sigh a lot.
Narcissa chuckled.
"The Ministry doesn't have protocols for this sort of thing because Magicals have blood relatives, even if distant, and Muggles deal with the custody of Mud- Muggleborns." Narcissa winced.
What was she going to say?
"For example, other than my Husband, Lucius, there aren't any Malfoys left and there aren't any Blacks, my Family, who could take Draco in because those that are left are deemed 'unsuitable'. So, if anything happened to Lucius and me, Draco would go to my disowned Sister, Andromeda, or her Daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, who just graduated. After them, he'd go to Xenophilius Lovegood to be raised with his Cousin, Luna. Her Mother was Lucius' Half-Sister. Luna's a year younger than you, by the way. Those raised properly don't frown upon incest like Muggles do, so many Purebloods are inbred but we're also related to each other because proper Purebloods, like my family, frown upon outside breeding. My Sister was disowned because she married a Muggleborn. That's why her Daughter is considered a 'Half-Blood'... What's happened to you is one of the many reasons why we despise Muggles."
"Really?"
"Yes. Children are important. More and more Wixen are being born Squibs. Squibs are Non-Magicals born to Magical Parents. The opposite of Muggleborns, who are Magicals born to Non-Magical Parents. With more and more Non-Magical children being born into Magical families, children are more important than ever. They should be protected and cherished. They are our future. What's happened to you has happened before. Usually, the Muggles abuse the Muggleborn child or ignore them or drop them off in an orphanage. Children should never be treated in such a way. They continue the line and family legacy. They're a part of you and your House... A House is a family, by the way. Like my family is referred to as 'The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black'. I love nothing more than my family. I never have and I never will. Family is everything, Hermione. Never forget that. You choose who you consider family. Anyway, because the Ministry doesn't have protocols and it's me asking for custody of you, after talking to your Parents to allow you to become mine, I'll be your Magical Guardian... And just your Guardian in general, too."
"Magical Guardian?" I asked.
"Everyone has a Magical Guardian. Usually, it's your Parents or your legal Guardian but Muggleborns have the Headmaster as their legal Guardian. That's why we'd have to go to the Ministry. We'd need to get me approved as your Magical Guardian as well as your legal Guardian."
"So, is the Ministry like the government?"
"Yes, basically. Now, Draco is currently getting fitted for his school robes. Have you gotten fitted yet? How long ago did your Parents leave? How did they get into the alley? Was it a Professor?"
"Professor McGonagall let them in. I haven't been fitted for my robes yet and I don't know how long ago they left but it was at least ten minutes before you showed up... But how am I supposed to pay for them? I don't have any money." Narcissa chuckled.
"Sweetie, you're going to be mine. I'm paying for you, just as a Mother should. No arguments," she said as I opened my mouth to protest. I mean, I don't have any other way to pay for my stuff and I need them for school, so if she's offering... I can always pay her back when I'm older.
"Okay."
"Good girl." I blushed at her words and Narcissa smirked. "Now, let's go and introduce you to your future Brother." Narcissa and I stood up and left the changing room after wiping away my tears.
She's so sweet and gentle and kind and caring and charming and she's so gorgeous...
Narcissa blushed as we reached two boys on stools. One was a blonde with perfectly groomed hair and the other had messy, black hair. The boy with the messy hair had broken glasses on his face and green eyes. The other boy had Narcissa's strikingly deep blue eyes.
"This is my Son, Draco Malfoy," Narcissa said, gesturing to the blonde boy. "Draco, this is Hermione Granger. I've decided to adopt her." The boy's eyes went wide and he looked at me in awe.
"I'm getting a Sister!?" Draco exclaimed excitedly. He spotted the grin on my face and he blushed and coughed. "I mean, wow, Mom. Only you would go into the changing rooms and come back with another kid."
"Her Muggle Parents decided they didn't want her just because she has Magic. They left her here and told her not to come home." Draco glared at his Mother's words.
"Filthy Muggles," Draco muttered. "Just abandoning children like that... What's wrong with them? Actually, what's right with them is the better question."
"Draco," Narcissa harshly said as I turned to face the other boy.
"Hi, I'm Hermione."
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter," the boy said. Draco turned to the boy with wide eyes.
"Harry Potter? The Harry Potter!? Why didn't you say something!?" Draco asked.
"I'm sorry but what's the big deal?" I asked and Draco turned to me with wide eyes.
"He's famous is the big deal! He killed You-Know-Who when he was a baby!"
"Who?" Harry asked and Draco and Narcissa stared at him in disbelief.
"You don't even know!?" Draco yelled.
"Draco, calm down," Narcissa said before looking at Harry with a slight pity. "I'm Narcissa Malfoy, Harry. Everyone believes that... Well, your Parents were targeted by The Dark Lord. He was a powerful Dark Wizard. He targeted them because they fought against him but... Mainly because of you. He wanted you dead. No one knows why. He managed to track you down because one of your Parents' friends betrayed them. He killed your Father and then killed your Mother. He tried to kill you but instead he disappeared and you were left with a scar... The Dark Lord was feared because he and his followers, the Death Eaters, killed and tortured people during the war but the Light Side killed too. Sure, they didn't torture people but they put those they captured into Azkaban Prison. Azkaban is crawling with Dementors and Dementors suck out all the happiness you feel, leaving you only with your worst thoughts... They can even administer the Dementor's Kiss, which is when a Dementor sucks out your soul, leaving you nothing but an empty husk... My Sister and Cousin are in Azkaban and have been for almost ten years... They've had to deal with those... Things... For almost a decade. Sure, my Sister was... Messed up... She killed and tortured for The Dark Lord but... She's family."
"What was the war about?" Harry asked.
"Muggleborns and Muggles," Draco said.
"Yes and no," Narcissa said. "The Dark Lord fought against Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. The Dark Lord wanted things to go back to the way they used to be. He wanted Wizard culture to be widespread and celebrated. As more and more Muggleborns were born, to accommodate them and make the culture shock not as bad, Dumbledore started making changes. He got rid of some classes at Hogwarts; he made Muggle Studies an elective, getting rid of the mandatory Wizard Studies classes for the first years and second years that had educated the Muggleborns on our culture, claiming it wasn't fair for them to have to leave their world and then learn so much about another world so fast. He got rid of Wizarding Holidays at Hogwarts like Yule and replaced them with the Muggle equivalent, like Christmas. Slowly over the years, he changed more and more. Wizarding society became more and more accepting of outsiders and we kept losing our culture. Now, even many Purebloods, the Blood Traitors (as those who follow proper Pureblooded custom refer to them as), are accepting Muggle traditions over Wizarding ones."
"Really?" Draco asked.
"Proper Purebloods fought for The Dark Lord not because he was Anti-Muggle and Anti-Muggleborn, as many believe due to Dumbledore's lies, but because they wanted to restore the true Pureblood ways. Dumbledore was celebrated for fighting for the Muggles and Half-Bloods but we are Wixen. We should be Wixen, not Muggles with Magic. The Muggleborns and Half-Bloods have the Muggle World for their Muggle beliefs... Soon, the Purebloods won't even have the Magical World for their beliefs. The Muggleborn will have that too. Not to mention how Muggles treat those with Magic. What happened to Hermione is just one example of how Muggles treat those who are different. The Dark Lord believed that because of the Muggles' treatment of us and the Muggleborns taking over our culture, we are better than them. That we should separate both worlds completely. A year before Hogwarts, there should be a school educating all Wixen children, regardless of Blood Status, on Wizarding World customs. Then, upon entering Hogwarts, everyone should take a Heritage Test and find out their Blood Status before being separated by it. That way, the Muggleborn can celebrate their ways while we celebrate ours and the Half-Bloods can celebrate both without risking taking our culture from us," Narcissa said.
"I... I guess I can understand why that might seem like a valid idea," Harry said with a frown. "But then... One, why did Dumbledore lie? And, two... Wouldn't the separation just cause problems upon graduation? Wouldn't the different Blood Statuses cause people to be treated differently? And... Since they only had the year before starting Hogwarts together, wouldn't there be too many differences between them without getting used to those differences, like you would without the separation, cause problems too?"
"True," Narcissa said. "However, The Dark Lord didn't see any other way. Muggleborn unknowingly push their culture on us because they don't know any different, because of Dumbledore. Most Muggleborn don't even know Purebloods celebrate holidays other than their ones. Half-Bloods don't see the problem with it either because they either grow up with both customs, so they don't care which holidays they celebrate, or they grow up with just the Muggle ones... As for why Dumbledore lied, isn't it obvious?"
"Not really," Harry said with a frown.