A Black Family Reunion

"Uncle Orion and Auntie Walburga must be turning in their graves" is the first thing my mum said when we found ourselves on the street outside Grimmauld Place.

I don't say anything. In fact I haven't said anything for a good ten minutes now. A side effect of finding out your real mother is Bellatrix Black; mental shellshock.

However not quite knowing how to get in was something tedious enough to mention.

The woman beside me chuckles at my expense. "You silly girl. Perhaps we can wait until someone comes along, or use a Patronus if you're too impatient for that."

I feel myself blush, this is so embarrassing "I haven't learnt the Patronus charm yet."

Bellatrix laughs again. "A little bit of advice, you should take care with conjuring up plans on the spot, you might pick up a few snags if they're not thought through properly."

I don't like being the butt end of someone's mocking, even if I deserve it. "You could laugh at me, or you could help me."

She composes herself and directs me to stand in front of her, face on. "Just relax and stop thinking. This may tickle but don't resist."

"What are you going to do?"

"Trust me darling, I'm trying to help you. Close your eyes, it will be easier this way."

I strangely do trust her. Whatever she's going to do she better do it quick.

Hee hee. Ooo, that feels strange... wait it's coming from INSIDE my head.

"It's okay, I'm just looking for something, it'll be over soon."

I really wish she wouldn't say it like that. I wouldn't put it past her to **** me or something.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of forcing myself on you...I hopefully will enjoy your body with your consent soon though. And who exactly are you talking to in that head of yours?"

Can you get on with finding whatever it is you're looking for, and stop reading my thoughts.

"It's not exactly easy to ignore them when one is inside your head, but nevermind I've found it."

The tickling has stopped, I think. Is that sensation real, or ghost sensations? Like that feeling of a spider crawling over you, and you have to check even though it's probably just your body playing tricks on you.

"You can open your eyes now."

I open them and see her with her wand out (I gave it back to her because like I said, I weirdly trust her...and she needed it to apparate us).

"Expecto Patronum" a silver whiff oozes out of the wand, and it transforms into an otter.

"Hmm...I'd have never guessed your Patronus would be something so cute" I comment.

"It's not mine dear, it's yours."

Huh? "You're using my Patronus?"

"Well yeah, I'm pretty sure my cousin will recognise mine. Whilst it would succeed in them coming out, it won't end very well for me."

Well, that's likely to happen either way. Although I'm much more interested by how she did it.

"But how is it possible to use someone else's patronus?"

"I used Legilimency to find your Patronus and used one of your own happy memories to conjure it. It's really quite simple."

Well she didn't have to rub it in, I guess I know where I get my magical skills from.

"Now, your message?"

I cite the message and the otter disappears with it. Now we're waiting to see if it worked, and I can't help but be curious. "What memory of mine did you use, I don't have too many good ones?"

"It was a very fresh one, the moment I told you I'd continuously break out of Azkaban to see you, you seemed to really like that" She warmly supplies.

And here's another warm fuzzy memory to consider in the future. I know I'm smiling when I say "yes, I really liked it."

In a matter of moments a whole new terrace is beginning to grow, a lot more gloomy and uninviting than its neighbours.

Well, it's apparent that this is a surprise, me being here. The occupants of the house are piling out the moment the creaking of bricks ceases. Calls and exclaims of my name occur a split second before my companion is identified.

Bellatrix is in ropes instantly and it's only as she and I are getting pried away from each other that I react. "Hey, stop man-handling me".

"Hermione, I don't know what you are doing here, but just get inside where it's safe. We'll deal with this." Tonks assures me with ****.

"I was handling things perfectly fine before if you hadn't noticed. Now let go off me."

She does so, only for Lupin to grab at me. "Are you okay, are you hurt?"

"No, but you will all be if you don't stop grabbing me." I anunciate my point by heavily dislodging my arm out of his grip.

There was three people on Bellatrix who is docile and smiling in amusement, and two on me that were really starting to annoy me. I look over at Bellatrix, trying to apologize for this treatment...but then again it was expected.

"Come Hermione, let's go inside."

"Fine Tonks, but she comes in too."

Remus patiently tries to talk down to me, like I'm too pure to understand the nature of the woman who happens to be my mother. "The only place she's going is back to Azkaban."

"Yeah, right after the interrogation." I'm not stupid, and they know that.

"Hermione...this woman-"

"Is my mother, but I'm not supposed to know that am I?"

Remus stops in his tracks and Tonks tenses up. I know I've been heard by the three assailants dragging my mum also, as it goes virtually silent and still.

"I don't know what she's told you, bu-" Oh, I'm not having this "don't you dare try and say it's not true Lupin. I've got more truth out of her than any of you have given me, and I've only met her tonight."

"This person is no mother Granger" Moody gruffs, his magical fixed on Bellatrix like it had permanently stuck. His real eye looking at me. "Something this poisonous isn't capable."

Bellatrix defends "and how would you know, where's your kids?"

"That's enough out of you wench."

"I suppose it was a blessing actually, I mean a kid of yours would be an abomination." She really makes it difficult to defend her when she's adamant on antagonizing everyone.

"Mum, you're really not helping." What? Why did I call her that? She was nothing to me five minutes ago let alone my mum.

"Regardless of her relation, she's still a **** Eater, and a very dangerous criminal" Hestia Jones (I think that's her name) states.

"Hestia!" Boom, got it right "shut up!" Tonks warns her.

"Why Tonks? Why should she not acknowledge that this woman she's apprehending is the mother that you all tried to keep me from knowing about?"

Knowing the pretense was pointless, Remus begins to counter-argue. "What would your reaction have been if we'd told you that you are a daughter of the most evil woman in Britain, perhaps the world?"

"She's a bit insane, and you could even call her sick-minded. However this woman has the right to some answers that I think are warranted."

"Hermione, do you know what you're saying? She's my aunt, and I feel ashamed to be related to her." Tonks softly informs me.

"So is that why your mum Andromeda didn't step up to care for me when I was left parentless as a baby? Were your parents scared i'd turn out like my criminal mother?"

She doesn't like being given the third degree judging by her flushed cheeks. "I don't know."

"Andy wanted to take you" a new voice spoke, only just joining the group outside. Sirius appears to be resigned and ready to make an explanation. "Look, bring them both inside. Keep my cousin bound just in case, but I don't think they'll be needed."

Mad-eye appears enraged, Hestia and Kingsley awkward, Tonks is hard to read but I do sense a bit of guilt, Remus is annoyed and playing it off well.

My mum of course looks like the cat that got the cream, I can't help but feel she knew that exactly this would happen. Banking on it you could say.

Me? I just wanted to tear into any defense they might have for concealing this from me. The more I reflect on the truth, the more offense I seem to take from it.

Sirius gathers myself, Bellatrix, Tonks and Lupin in the living room. Mad-eye lingers at the door, not wanting to be too far away from Bellatrix I'm sure.

I pull Bellatrix towards the sofa, urging her with my eyes to behave. At the moment I'm finding that Bellatrix has the roles reversed, I feel more like HER mother.

Sirius serves out some firewhiskey for himself, Remus and Tonks. You know a matter is serious if one is passing the hard stuff around.

"You were saying?" I say.

Sirius reclines in his favourite armchair, scratching his beard trying to work out where to begin I imagine. "Before I get into anything, I want it understood that I'm only allowing this for Hermione's benefit. Treat this as a peaceful commune where everyone can speak their mind; attempts to ****, disrespect or disregard that peace will result in immediate expulsion."

"I do hope you are not talking to me specifically cousin, because I've wanted this opportunity for fifteen years. I'm not about to jeopardize it." She puts her hand on my knee to emphasize that point. Well, perhaps from an innocent point of view...however with her it could mean something completely different.

"I was speaking generally, I can't guarantee that privilege will extend beyond this discussion." Sirius explains.

"And what happens to her afterwards?" I ask.

I can see Moony desperately trying to send some sort of opposition to Padfoot through his eyes and body language. He knows what Sirius is going to say. But Sirius either doesn't notice or pretends he doesn't. "Bellatrix can have one night of freedom, as long as she cooperates with the conditions I just laid out."

Moody curses unhappily from the doorway and Lupin subtly dips his head to hide his disapproval. Tonks however appears to be eager to cooperate, perhaps curiosity is to blame for that. After all, we are talking about her aunt as well as my mother.

I still can't get over that I'm a cousin to Draco Malfoy and Nymphadora Tonks. A complete mismatch trio that you'd think would be the least likely trio ever to be related.

"Well I want it understood that if it appears she has no recent affiliation with You-Know-Who, I want a relationship with my mother" I inform them. "Whilst I understand you can't not pursue her given that she is indeed a criminal, I won't assist in any attempts to capture her. I also will keep personal matters or information secret, unless I say otherwise."

"You can't be making such demands! She's a **** Eater!" Moody barks.

"Au contrare, I do not bare the Dark Lord's mark. I support his ideals no longer." Bellatrix shows them her arm like she did with me.

"Bearing no mark does not mean you do not serve him" Remus points out. "What you did to Alice and Frank Longbottom shows exactly what you are."

"The Longbottom **** was a mistake, I jeopardised my involvement in my daughter's life. And I was horny."

Moody is really living up to his name today. "There is no remorse in this woman! I'm seriously questioning your sanity Miss Granger!" Oh, how that name boils my blood.

"That is NOT my name. My name is Hermione Black" I was going to include my middle name, but I'll need to actually confirm that with my mum at a later time. "I never was a Granger, and I'm damn glad of that."

Sirius has a weirdly effective aura of authority. I'm not sure whether this is Sirius Black, or Dumbledore under polyjuice. "Enough. I will have no more outbursts or interruptions. When another person is speaking the only time you can talk is to ask relevant questions."

"What is this pre-school?" Bellatrix responds.

"Mum" I say to her warningly.

I think Bellatrix likes me calling her that too, considering there's an upwards twitch to her lips every time the word comes out of mine.

"Now, I'm afraid my knowledge of events isn't as expansive as others, considering I was imprisoned roughly the same time as Bellatrix. However most people here won't know that Andromeda came to visit me in Azkaban, about a month after I was sentenced."

Sirius allows a pause before continuing "She primarily came to tell me how ashamed of me she was, how she thought I was different to the rest of the family and how i proved her wrong. She was disgusted by my continuous denials." Heck, she must be really struggling with herself now, knowing Sirius was innocent all along. "But she mentioned in her rage that she was ashamed of other people as well. Mainly Bellatrix and Dumbledore."

"Was her shame with Dumbledore because of me?" I ask.

He nods and explains "Andy specifically told Dumbledore that Ted and her were willing to raise you...but he completely ignored her."

"Why did Dumbledore believe I had to be homed with muggles? I mean, even though Harry's aunt and uncle were muggles, they were his relatives first. I have family in magical society, yet I was sent away?"

Sirius looks to Remus to continue. "Dumbledore believed a loving muggle family would eliminate ideas of magical superiority. Andy and Ted may have tried to discourage that in your upbringing, perhaps they would've succeeded. However he believed that being raised by muggles would be the most likely."

"That is the biggest pile of dragon shit I've ever heard." Indeed I admonish my mother on her bad language, but I cannot deny I agreement of her assessment.

"I second that" Tonks' voices to Bella's and Remus' surprise.

I had to admit if I took the personal affiliation out of it, the theory does seem solid. However, the muggles who raised me certainly didn't deserve any appreciation. And it is clear the hidden message behind the theory is that Dumbledore does anything and everything to ensure that people don't become future **** Eaters.

Bellatrix is thinking exactly the same thing. "He's such a megamaniac that he'd rather rip families apart then have a possible **** Eater in the making."

"Like you ripped the Longbottom family apart?" Remus challenges her. "How do you deserve the very thing you tried to take from someone else?"

"We've all established I'm not a very nice person, I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy that a so-called "leader of the light" is allowed to getaway with. He may not have harmed her, but he certainly robbed her of the family where she belonged."

They both make good points, and this might not exactly be the time to entertain, however I can't help but enjoy this. It is like I am on that muggle TV show with the Jerry Springer bloke. Except both parties actually had a good case.

The mediator (or the equivalent of Jerry Springer in this situation) Sirius speaks to me directly. "What of your adopted parents Hermione. They raised you, educated you, and from what I can see produced a brilliant, kind-hearted girl. Do you spare them a thought?"

I couldn't be more confident of my answer. "No."

"But-"

"Remus let the girl say her piece" Sirius firmly interrupts him. Remus must be incapable of defying Sirius because he immediately stops his tirade.

I take a breather to reconsider my view. "Maybe I appreciate that they raised me okay; in shelter, food and necessities. But emotionally I got nothing but their resentment, their disapproval and their indifference to anything good about me."

I can sense that Mum wants to stroke my hand in encouragement, but I somehow communicate to her that it isn't necessary. Everyone is hanging off my every word, including Mad-eye.

"As it happens, I am naturally smart. The only thing they approved of was my brain, and they'd only care for it so long as it reflected well on them. I was never encouraged to use it for my benefit, I was **** to use it for theirs'. If that is what you call parents, then you know what..." I look to the dark-haired woman beside me with pride. I'm not sure if I'll regret saying it later, but I mean it right now. "...I'd happily swap."

Whilst the others are soaking in that admission, Bellatrix adds. "My daughter was always going to be the absolute flower you see before you. All the pain my girl went through with those scumbag muggles, that is on your heads."

The group is silent. Blended shame, guilt and sympathy festering in the air. "Is there anything I need to know? Anything else you can't tell me?" I ask.

I see eyes dart around, probably praying for someone else to pluck up the courage. Ironically it's a Slytherin that supplies an answer, of course in the form of a question. "Oh yes Sweetheart, now you come to mention it, you still don't know who your real father is do you?"

My father. I just met and accepted my real mother, now I've got to repeat the process with my father. Who would have a kid with the sex mad succubus beside me? "No, I thought if you're my mother, than Rodolphus was my father."

Bellatrix bursts into laughter. Sorry scratch that, she screams into laughter. Doubling over, head between her legs and clutching her abdomen like she's got stomach ache.

I'm missing the joke, but I'm understanding her reaction means I thought wrong.

"R...R...Rodolphus...he fucking wishes hahaha" She flicks at the tears leaking out her eyes. "Sorry me Darling, but you don't get much juice out of two grapes."

Lupin looks at her disgusted. "No Hermione, Rodolphus couldn't be your father. I personally think even he could not be a worthy accomplice to your mother's sickness."

What is he suggesting? "Is that what I am, a sickness?"

"No!" Sirius roars, glaring daggers at Remus. "My friend here got his words mixed-up. He means your mother wasn't quite compatible with Rodolphus. She was much more...interested in someone else."

"For Christ sake's, who? You still haven't told me?"

My mother has recovered and also loses her patience. "Why it's Regulus of course."