The Given Choices

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter Thirteen *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The sun shone brightly on the lake during that beautiful November afternoon. A solitary figure had been standing by the edge of the partially frozen water for the past hour and a half. The only thing the young man with light blond hair did was stand still with his eyes focused on nothing in particular.

Blaise Zabini slowly approached his best friend, who looked deep in thought, and stood next to him as he watched the unmoving, slightly frozen, water. Five minutes had passed when the raven-haired Slytherin broke the silence, "So, how's everything going with Granger?" he asked.

Draco glanced at him momentarily and returned to stare at nothing. Finally, he stated, "It could be better, but then again, it could be worse. It's not exactly easy for her changing from hating everything that I stand for and have done in the past to falling for me. Then at the same time, I have to help change her mind about the Malfoys and the Blacks. It's not exactly an easy task."

"No one ever said it would be. Actually, I think it is a miracle that you were able to get her to consider you her friend," Blaise replied, as he shoved his cold hands into his pants pockets.

Malfoy turned to look at the large castle and started to walk towards it at a very slow pace. His voice was low as he spoke. "Yes, I think the fact that Harry and Hermione are still not talking has helped that effort. I am beginning to gain her trust, which is my first goal. I never thought it would be so hard."

"It's only hard because you are actually starting to fall for her. At first, this was all game to you with your main goal assigned to you by your family. But I don't think you ever suspected that you'd end up falling for the little 'Miss Know-it-all'," his best friend acknowledged as they walked up the path to the school.

"During the summer, it was hard to even contemplate the fact I was to get her to have complete faith in me by using whatever methods I needed. I thought about all the different methods like: lust, fear, control, curses, and even love potions. But the more I thought about what she was like, I knew I had to do this the hard way," Draco explained as they were about ten feet from the front entrance with his friend next to him.

As he watched an owl fly over head and go into the Great Hall, he continued, "She is too smart to pull off any of those. Then on the train ride back here you suggested that I should befriend her, I thought that it would be easy enough to fake. Yet the more time I spend with her, the more I wanted to be with her, hear her laugh, get into an argument to see how pretty she is when she's mad, or smelling her breathtaking aroma of her essence mixed with her enchanting perfume of jasmine. I think I am becoming a fool, hopelessly in love."

Blaise bit his bottom lip as they walked up the staircase of Hogwarts while he tried to find the right way to ask a question of his best friend. Before they were near the Great Hall, he asked, "Are you still planning on going with your family's plan for her?"

Draco stopped in front of the open doors and his silver eyes saw the single person he had thinking about every day since Bellatrix visited in June. There at the end of the Gryffindor table sat Hermione Granger with a large book in front of her. A sad expression crossed his face, but then he raised his head with determination and stated, "Yes, I have no choice but to accomplish it by springtime. Things will work themselves out. Somehow."

The Slytherin Prince made his way toward her, poured a cup of hot chocolate from a pot at the end of the table, and levitated it to Hermione. Then Draco took a seat in front of the brunette, who was completely unaware of the plans that were already made for her future. After he let out a heavy sigh and turned to leave the nearly empty room, Blaise whispered to himself, "My dear friend, I wish I could believe that."

*~*~*~* A few minutes before that from Hermione's POV *~*~**~*~*

Hermione sat at the end of the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. It had been two weeks since the game and she was interested in watching Harry ignore her. She had opted to read on werewolves in the quiet Great Hall. It was two o'clock on Sunday and she needed a break from the library.

The Gryffindors, in general, had been depressed since they lost the game and lost a lot of points from Harry's temper. Draco had ended up being in the hospital wing for three days until Pomfrey finally let him go. Hermione had gone to see him each day and almost every day since. Their friendship was becoming stronger as they had talked about a lot of things in a wide variety of areas; however, the only subject that was secretly forbidden was the topic of Harry.

Her ex-boyfriend still had not spoken to her; even Ron had talked to him. Their best friend stated that Harry needed some time to cool off, and needed to work on his studies more because Hermione refused to raise her hand in any of her classes to get points for Gryffindor. Until they were back to one hundred and seventy, which was the total before the match, she wasn't planning on earning a single point because she was not the one who lost them.

With a heavy sigh, she turned the page of her book and continued to read. Remus had sent her a letter last week with hopes that she was ready to talk. A reply was sent back that stated she was not yet ready, but maybe by the holidays. Dealing with the fact that Remus was her father and Bellatrix was her mother, Hermione had been very quiet to almost everyone with the exception of Ron, Ginny, Blaise, and Draco. No one else had known her secret; it was a lot to take in.

Remus, as a father, was not so bad of a thought for Hermione. Through her reading, she had read many different stories about the children of similar heritage and how much the children were affected. It seemed that everything had depended on what stage the moon was in during the time of conception. The fuller the moon the more chance of traits being passed along. The 'encounter' between Bellatrix and Remus must have taken place on or right near a new moon. Hermione had no traits of his condition; unless you count the little birthmark on the back of her thigh that was in the shape of a crescent moon.

Hermione chuckled to herself when she had remembered the mark but she knew it had nothing to do with Remus. Suddenly a mug of hot cocoa floated itself right in front of her. She smiled as she took it in her hand and looked around for the person who delivered it. Draco stood about ten feet away and was walking towards her with a smug look on his face. He took a seat across from her as she said, "Thanks. I think I needed this. Chocolate always lightens my mood."

"Yet another trait you get from your father, I am sure," the blond teased as she smiled and sipped the warm liquid.

Hermione closed her book and replied, "Maybe, but at least I don't look like my father, unlike someone else at this table."

"I didn't know you had a thing for my father, Hermione. But it's a good thing to know," he stated playfully with a wink. Draco flashed her that brilliant, sexy smile that caused her to roll her eyes and blush at his flirtatious gesture. Hermione looked away from him as she tried to force the redness off her cheeks.

The light touch on her hand that lay on the table diverted her attention back on him. With his soft fingertips, he gently traced invisible patterns on the top of her hand. A gentle smile was on Draco's perfect lips as he slipped his hand under hers and held it. Hermione berated herself as she felt herself blush again and she couldn't stop smiling. For some reason the room got quite a bit hotter as his eyes found hers in the long stare.

Suddenly, a letter dropped right in front of Hermione and practically made her jump. She reluctantly removed her hand from his and lifted the letter; however, she was unfamiliar with the handwriting.

Draco's eyes stared at the back of the letter. He rose to his feet and walked over to her side of the table. With that incredible smirk, he reached down to raise her hand and placed a soft kiss on it, "I'll see you later, Hermione," he said.

"O-okay, Draco," she replied, as he released her hand and walked out through the hall doors. Again, she found that she couldn't stop smiling. Hermione remembered that she had a letter in hand and turned it over.

She discovered that on the back of the envelope in small print, it read: Ouvrez-vous dans privé

Open in private? Who is this from? Hermione decided that is was better to go somewhere more private, but not totally secluded, just in case. With her book under her arm, she left the hall and headed to her second home; the library. Since it was Sunday, there was just a few younger Ravenclaws that sat at one table near the entrance. Hermione opted for her usual table, sat down, and began to read the letter. On he single stiff piece of parchment it read:

Dear Hermione,

I want to first introduce myself to you. My name is Bellatrix Black and, as you recently found out, your birthmother. Secondly, let me apologize for not raising you myself. But let me assure you, I had my reasons.

This is not the most appropriate way to explain my past decisions. I would like to meet you and answer the many questions you must have for me. I know that there is a Hogsmeade weekend coming up soon, and I would like to meet during that time. Please feel free to bring a friend, but I don't want any people who would hand me over to Aurors or to know about our meeting. I think a short introduction meeting without wands would be most appropriate and necessary. Being my daughter, I want to give you a chance to meet me, as I would also like to meet you.

Also, I want to tell you how very proud I am to have such a brilliant daughter. I have heard many good things about your intelligence and skill. I am sure you know by now that I sent you the book for your birthday. It was mine that I received for my sixteenth birthday. Unfortunately, I did not read it until later.

Anyway, please send me word on a time and a place to meet. Somewhere in the village would be best and neutral territory.

Until then,

Bellatrix Black ~

The piece of parchment fell from her hands as if it had bitten her. As soon as Hermione had let go of it, the paper shrunk to the size of a Galleon and disappeared. I guess to make sure that didn't fall into the wrong hands.

Hermione sat there and went over the words in the back of her mind. Luckily for her, these were the moments when her photographic memory helped her tremendously. Frankly, she never thought that Bellatrix would want to meet her. The woman practically left her in the Muggle world to die for all she cared. Yet, after she found out, from the most unlikely source of Draco, Bellatrix contacted her; well, it was more likely that he told his mother or father and they in turn had told Bellatrix. For some reason, she was not certain that Draco was responsible. However, she was relieved to know that she didn't have to inform the female Death Eater herself.

Many possible scenarios pasted through her mind as she sat there in the library, lost deep in her thoughts. After about an hour, she was brought back to reality by a hand waving in front of her face. Next to her stood an amused Blaise Zabini, "Are you all right, Granger?" he asked.

"Yes, I mean no," she replied and then let out a heavy sigh, "Bloody hell, I don't know at the moment."

He took a seat next to her as he leaned back and wove his fingers in the dark curls behind his head. "Anything you want to talk about or need help with?"

Hermione looked at the Slytherin she had became friends with since the beginning of term. An idea suddenly bestowed upon her, she bit at her bottom lip as she began, "Yes, on both counts actually. Could you do something for me without telling Draco about it? I mean, I will tell him once it happens, but at the moment I'd rather not have him know."

"Depends. You tell me what you need. No matter whether I do it or not, I will not tell him. Deal?"

With a nod, Hermione looked around to ensure her privacy and then leaned forward and whispered, "I just got a note from Bellatrix asking me to meet her in Hogsmeade during the next authorized visit. She stated that I can bring someone and that there was to be no wands; by neither her nor us. If I do meet her, I want someone I trust and that is impartial. You meet both requirements, but I want you to take a wand; just in case."

The tips of his fingers drummed on the table, as he seemed to consider the idea. Finally, he spoke, "If you decide to meet her, I'll be there for you and will keep it a secret. But tell me why you want to meet her."

"Well, I haven't made up my mind completely yet, but I would consider more if I had someone to go with me. I want to know what she wants; now that she knows that her daughter is the best friend of Harry Potter. Okay, maybe not best friend at the moment, but she doesn't know that. At least, as far as I know," she stated. There were so many things that she wanted and it was very dangerous to meet privately with a deadly Death Eater. Yet, there were things she wanted to know, and why Bellatrix wanted to meet her was at the top of the list.

"I think that if you do this, you need to protect yourself against being captured. If this is a trap, you need to be prepared. I can only do so much, but I will do my best. I suggest that we look up a way to make sure that you are not portkeyed somewhere or that she can't Disapparate with you anywhere," the Slytherin commented as he rose from his chair and headed to the closest aisle of books.

Hermione gave a small smile as she looked down at the small pile of ash that was her first contact with the woman that gave birth to her. She quietly remarked, "Yes, some planning is in order. Much planning."