Return to Eden

Chapter 2: The Summer From Hell, Part One

After the meeting in the prefect´s bathroom, Hermione went back to her room and tried to forget everything that had happened between her and Draco. She was successful in her attempts, but stored it in the back of her mind for later thought. It wasn´t until later that she realized it had been the first time he had ever called her by her first name.

Final exams came and went with Hermione getting top marks and securing the top spot of her class. When she checked the list on the last day, it surprised her greatly that Draco was right behind her. She had never bothered to look at his grades before. Hermione then realized that she would most likely be sharing Head positions with him the next year, their final year at Hogwarts.

Soon, it was time to board the Hogwarts Express and go home for summer holidays. It was hard for Hermione to leave the place she had come to know as her second home knowing only one year was left, but she was anxious to see her parents after spending so much time away from them.

Hermione gazed out the window as the train cut through the countryside. She was trying to tune out Harry´s grumbling to Ron about spending another summer at the Dursleys, but was failing miserably. She turned her attention to him, agitated at having to always solve everyone else´s problems.

"Harry! If it´s that miserable, just go to Ron´s for the summer. Or go and see Professor Lupin. I´m sure he wouldn´t mind seeing you."

Harry´s eyes brightened up like the light-bulb finally came on. "Thanks 'Mione! That´s a great idea! I´ll owl Professor Lupin right now. Maybe he can make it to the train station to pick me up."

Hermione rolled her eyes at her best friend and resumed her gaze out the window reflecting on how much things had changed since their first year. All her thoughts gently fell away as she drifted off to sleep waiting for their arrival at Platform 9 ¾.

*~*~*

Draco was also eagerly waiting the approach of summer holidays. He was not recalling the past as Hermione was, but looking towards the future. He knew that once he received the mark and took his place in his father´s circle that he would be one step closer to inheriting the Malfoy fortune. The largest family fortune in Britain.

And also unlike Hermione, Draco had been thinking about the `encounter´ quite frequently. Once he had felt her body pressed against his and her lips quivering underneath his own, he knew he would give anything for her. It had all started out as a game to get her to turn against Potter, but that was before.

Before he had let his fingertips graze her soft skin. Before his eyes were opened to her flawless beauty. Before he had let himself see past the `know-it-all´ girl to see the intelligent woman.

In the span of a few moments, she had completely entranced him and continued to haunt him like a ghost. Not a moment went by where he couldn´t picture her face in his mind or remember her touch on his skin. He was enthralled by her.

The last two weeks of school had not ended soon enough for Draco. He had tried to avoid her and give her space to think about what exactly he had been proposing. He knew that she would come to him in her own time when she was ready.

Draco was looking forward to the summer where he could be away from her for a while. He knew better than to let his feelings get in the way, but he knew it was more than simply getting her away from Potter and the Weasel. Even if she didn´t take sides with him, he would do anything in his power to protect her. And the Malfoy power knew no limits.

*~*~*

Thomas and Diana Granger were your average every day citizens. They owned a small dentistry practice in a town south of London called Tonbridge and lived there with their only child, a daughter.

The one thing that was not perfectly normal and average about their lives was their daughter, a girl named Hermione.

Ever since she was a young child, Hermione was the apple of her parents´ eye. She always made them proud and gave them delight in her achievements. When Hermione got her letter, they were completely supportive of her becoming a witch. Everything she did pleased them.

However, there was a truth that the Grangers had been harboring from Hermione all her life. That she was in fact not their child, but a child they had adopted from an orphanage when she was only six months old.

Thomas and Diana had decided together that it was time to tell Hermione. She only had one year left of schooling and they felt it was best to let her know. Before leaving to pick Hermione up at the train station, they decided to finally tell Hermione on her birthday. A month before she was to return to Hogwarts.

*~*~*

Hermione awoke on her birthday surrounded by books and parchment. The vestiges of her late night studying. She had neglected to finish her schoolwork right away over the summer opting to complete it in the last few weeks. It had only been two days ago when she received the owl informing her that she was appointed Head Girl. Although she´d never admit it, she was somewhat pleased to know that Draco Malfoy was Head Boy.

She lifted her head off her pillow when beams of sunlight broke through her heavy-lidded slumber. The scent of crackling bacon and melted butter drifted up the stairs to her room. She threw off her comforter and bounded into her bathroom. After brushing her teeth and combing her hair, she strode into the kitchen with a grin in place.

"G´morning, Mum. Dad." She sat down at the kitchen table where her father was already present reading the morning paper.

Diana eyed her husband while she set a plate of food in front of her daughter. They both knew that today was the day. She sat down at the table and took her husband by the hand. They nodded to each other before turning to their daughter.

"Happy Birthday, Hermione."

"Is it my birthday already? It seems like the summer holidays have flown by faster than usual." She continued to eat through her breakfast as she spoke. She looked up at her parents when they didn´t respond. That´s odd. They look nervous about something. Surely nothing is wrong.

"Hermione, we need to tell you something."

Now Hermione was worried. A million thoughts passed through her mind. Are they getting a divorce? Maybe they´re having another child? Did someone we know die? What´s going on?

Diana looked at her daughter pleadingly. She took Hermione by the hand and looked back over at Thomas.

Thomas spoke for the first time. "Hermione, please understand that we love you and you mean the world to us. Nothing can ever change that. We will always be blessed for having you in our lives."

"Your father and I thought it was time for you to know the truth." Diana took a deep breath. "We did not conceive you. Hermione, you were adopted."

Hermione gazed at her parents in shock. She had never once in life thought she had been adopted. She needed answers.

"I was adopted?"

"Yes, you were."

"How old was I when you adopted me?"

"You were only six months old. Just a tiny baby."

"Do you have any idea who my real parents are?"

"No, we don´t. We were told that you had been brought to the orphanage by a strange man with only a few articles to accompany you."

"A strange man? How do you mean strange?"

"Well, at the time, we thought he was probably just an eccentric by wearing robes and a cloak. But after you, we realized he must have been some kind of wizard."

Hermione´s eyes widened at this remark. I have to get to Professor Dumbledore. He would know who my real parents are. I must go see him.

Hermione jumped up from her seat at the table. "I´m sorry, but I need to go think about this alone."

She raced out of the kitchen and up to her room where she laid down on her bed. She kept replaying the whole thing over in her mind when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Her mother entered the room and made her way to Hermione´s side. She seemed to be holding something within the confines of her closed palm. "I know this might not be the best time, but I felt you should have it nevertheless." Diana handed Hermione what she held in her hand.

It was a locket. It was silver and oval-shaped with a floral design engraved upon the front. Hermione turned it over and saw that an inscription had been engraved on the back. To my Delia, 1980. Hermione opened the locket and gasped. The picture in the locket was a moving picture. It was a woman who didn´t look much older than Hermione herself. She looked to be about twenty, but dressed to look much older. She appeared very elegant and sophisticated; two things Hermione was not. Her hair was done up in a very flattering twist and pearls hung about her neck. She was wearing a dress of white satin trimmed with fine lace. Hermione could see her own large, brown eyes and dainty nose in the face of this woman. So this is my mother. She was beautiful.

Hermione looked back up at the mother she knew and could see the emotions crossing her face. Hermione couldn´t stop herself from asking the question; she had to know.

"Have you ever opened this locket before?"

Confusion was now apparent on her mother´s face. "No, why?"

Hermione just shook her head. She rose from the bed and started scurrying around the room gathering things. "I need to go and see Professor Dumbledore. He will know who my real parents are. But first, I need to owl Ron so his father can open me on the Floo Network. Hopefully, it won´t take too long." She stopped moving about and turned to face her mother. "I know that you love me, you will always be the parents I know, but this is just something that I need to find out. It might change my future."

"I don´t understand, Hermione. How would it change your future? You´ll still be the top witch of your class."

"No, mother. You don´t understand. All these years I´ve thought I was muggle-born, when I might´ve been a pureblood."

Diana just nodded her head. She didn´t really understand exactly what her daughter was trying to tell her; it was a part of her life that she would never be able to partake in. She smiled at Hermione, then left as quietly as she had come.

Harry and Ron had chipped in together this past Christmas to buy Hermione an owl because Hedwig and Pig were getting tired of being the only ones to deliver letters. They gave her a screech owl that she affectionately named Rowena after the founder of Ravenclaw (A/N: tribute to Hermione being the Heir of Ravenclaw from D.S. by Cassie Claire).

She awoke Rowena in her cage and sent her off with a letter to Ron explaining that she was having an emergency and needed to be opened to the Floo Network. She was finished getting dressed so she just sat on her bed and waited for Rowena to return. She mulled things over in her head while gazing down at the picture of the woman in her hand. Nearing dusk, she heard a tapping at the window. She let Rowena in and the owl dropped a letter at her feet. She hurriedly opened it.

Hermione,

I don´t know what kind of emergency you´re having, but you are now hooked up to the Floo Network and will be until noon tomorrow. I hope that everything is alright.

So far, this summer has been a drag. There haven´t been any good Quidditch games to go to and the twins aren´t around because of their joke shop. I can´t wait to see you and Harry when we meet up in Diagon Alley. How´s three weeks from now sound? Just send Rowena to me and let us know. Ginny says hi.

Love Ron

P.S. I bet you already have all your work done for this summer and probably for most of the year.

Hermione set the letter on her desk for later reading and grabbed the bag she already packed earlier in the day. She picked up the locket and fastened it around her neck. She went downstairs and told her parents where she was going and that she´d be home later. She climbed back up to her room and stood before the fireplace.

Hermione reached into her bag and grabbed a handful of Floo powder. She walked into the fireplace and dropped the powder. The flames erupted around her and she tried to keep the soot out of her mouth as she spoke. "Hogwarts!"