Chapter Text
Draco Malfoy was not having a good few years. It had started almost two years ago when his father was arrested for fighting children, children his son’s age, that went to school with his son, in the Department of fucking Mysteries of all places. Of course that was just the catalyst for all of Draco’s misfortune. By the time he had gotten home it was already decided by the Dark Lord that he would be receiving the mark to take his father’s place. That branding made him feel like tearing his skin off, it certainly would have been less painful. The mark didn’t just brand his skin, it went deep. Through the muscle and the bone, right down to his fucking soul. Even if he somehow removed the mark, or cut off his arm, he’d still feel the dark mark inside him. Like he was permanently being summoned. But, oh no, the Dark Lord couldn’t just end his punishment at leaving Lucius in jail and branding his son, he had to give Draco a suicide mission as well. Absolute fucking psycho.
Once he had received his mission to kill Dumbledore, Draco didn’t really have all that much to live for other than his mother. His father wasn’t home to keep her safe and so that job fell to Draco. With his father incapacitated he was made Lord of the Manor. He was to take over as Head of House. He was made a man before he was legally able to perform magic outside of school. It was a fucking joke.
He spent hours working on that damn cabinet, skipping classes, meals, exams. He dropped out of the quidditch team despite the fact he had been named captain, he handed in his Prefects badge despite being so proud in receiving it the year before. Draco dropped from the face of the earth pretty much. His friends had cornered him many times during their sixth year, trying anything and everything to get him to come out of the shell he had warded himself into. But he couldn’t. Some of them gave up. Some of them stopped trying so hard. Some, like Theo, Blaise and Pansy just became quiet presences. Silent support until he would come to them. They did things like extra essays for him to hand in as his own. Made excuses when he didn’t show up to class. Brought him food when he hadn’t eaten for a few days.
Then the night finally came. The night he would go from a child dressed as a man to a murderer. The catalyst for the war becoming a reality. Of course, Draco requested the sanest of the Dark Lords forces. Rowle, Yaxley, Gibbon, etc. It was still a school. His school. With his friends and innocent children inside. But the Dark Lord wouldn’t be a Dark Lord if he didn’t dance to his own fucking tune. He sent Bella and the Carrows, Dolohov and worst of all, Greyback. What a wonderful idea. A rabid fucking werewolf with a penchant for biting children into a school full of… You guessed it. Children. Fucking psycho number two.
When he had finally cornered Dumbledore after months of almost killing several schoolmates, the old quack had the audacity to make him aware that he already knew what he was trying to do and instead of helping him thought an intervention moments before his death would be the perfect time. Another fucking psycho, only this one didn’t have a snakes head or fangs and fur. No this one had twinkling eyes and dressed like fucking Gandalf from that muggle book series he had read, Lord of the Rings. Of course, Severus killed him in the end, as he had recently found out was the plan all along but for almost a year they really had him believing he would be becoming a murderer by the summer holidays. Couldn’t have clued him in at any point, no, that would be too easy.
Of course, then they had to flee the Order and an incensed Potter who had apparently witnessed the whole scene on the Astronomy Tower. He then was tortured for not completing his task but not killed because, of course, the end result was the same. Dumbledore was dead. After, he spent the rest of the summer being sent out on Death Eatery tasks, like chasing seven Potters through the fucking air, or being sent to see if they could take Granger’s parents to draw her and Potter out, or being sent to rough up Lovegood’s father. Normal activities before his final year of school, what normal seventeen year old isn’t trying to capture or torture his schoolmates parents or attempting to capture his schoolmates so they can be killed.
Going back to school meant he had to deal with the Carrows, and all the students believing he was an attempted murderer or a murderer. That he would snap and just start killing students in the corridors. That if they didn’t avoid him, he may go after their families. Needless to say, his seventh year was rather lonely. Despite helping Longbottom get the younger students to safety, taking over detentions so that the crucio’s were weaker, keeping the Carrow’s busy so that students could get to the infirmary for treatment. No, despite all that he was still the evil wanker who helped murder the nice, old headmaster.
Then the worst day of all came. Potter, Granger and Weasley had to break the taboo and be dragged into his drawing room. Of course, Granger was the only one with a brain and tried to somewhat disfigure Potter. It gave him an excuse and he fucking clung to it. That however didn’t stop his father from identifying her. The feeling of being petrificused by his mother and being forced to do nothing while the girl he’d had a crush on since third year was tortured in front of him, her skin cut, branding her a muggleborn for all to see. He didn’t think he’d ever remove the feeling of revulsion that crept through his nerves. He had thrown up and showered numerous times after they had escaped and he had finished being tortured for letting them escape with his wand.
Everyone had noticed the thousand yard stare that graced his face when he returned to Hogwarts after Easter. She was dead. She had to be dead. Or mad. Lost inside her brilliant mind. No one survived so much torture, carved up to boot and remained in tact. He was fairly certain no one would leave an imprint on him like Hermione Granger did and she was insane or dead. By his aunt’s hand no less. And he had been forced to witness the moment it happened. It wasn’t until he found her in the Room of Requirement whilst chasing Potter for his wand that he took in his first invigorating breath of air since that day in the Drawing Room. She was alive and seemingly still sane.
He had prayed to every god he had read about, all the founders and Merlin himself that she would survive the battle. Of course, he didn’t simply rely on faith and had a constant eye out for her, at one point taking out Rowle before he shot off an avada at her back. That was enough for him. When all was said and done though, the aurors finally showed up and shoved him in a holding cell for a week whilst they cleared out the manor and set up wards and sorted rota’s for his family to return there till their trials. The cells were too full, the death eater army too many for them all to remain in the holding cells beneath the Wizengamot chambers.
He had been returned to this hell hole of a house, with his mother, father and an auror, wandless, traumatised and so fucking tired. Killing himself would be the coward's way out and he had been a coward too much in his past. Draco also believed that he deserved whatever punishment was coming his way. He had committed so many crimes and so he had to pay for it. Just as he expects all the other Death Eaters to pay. So what if he didn’t believe in the cause, he was still part of the movement’s force and acted as the catalyst. So he grinned and bared it. Floating through hallways and blinking through days.
No one told him what was happening outside. Until Theo showed up. Theo with his energy and optimism and suspiciously Slytherin sob story about being unable to step foot in Nott Manor because of the horrors. Draco looked past it for he wanted the company of someone other than his parents and the rotating auror on watch duty and also for his subscription to the Daily Prophet. Theo’s wand had been warded by the aurors before he was allowed to bring it into the Manor. No one other than Theo could touch his wand. Draco didn’t care. He had company and access to knowledge of the outside world. It was more than he would get when he was sent to Azkaban.
Draco flipped idly through the Special Evening Edition of the Daily Prophet.
BREAKING: GOLDEN GIRL’S HERITAGE REVEALED
Oh so we’re sharing with the entire wizarding world, blood purist fanatics included, the whereabouts of the muggle parents of the girl who saved the world. Brilliant idea journalists. Draco rolled his eyes at the idiocy of the supposed adults. He, an almost eighteen year old boy who was likely about to be charged with crimes related to murder, terrorism and torture, could have told them that was a bad idea.
Draco blinked. He had forgotten about Granger obliviating her parents. He had figured that one out through his assignment to find them for the Dark Lord. Of course he told no one, just said they were hiding in an Order member’s safe house. But he knew. 2/52a Sir Thomas Mitchell Road, Bondi Beach. They were a friendly expat couple looking to spend their early retirement 300 metres from Bondi Beach. Draco had placed a bunch of protective wards around their complex. He wasn’t taking any risks. He wondered if Granger had found them and got them back. He hoped she did.
Earlier today, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice, Chosen One, Golden Boy, Saviour of the Wizarding World, Gryffindor’s Prince, one third of the Golden Trio, Hermione Granger, the Brightest Witch of Her Age, the Golden Girl, Harry Potter’s Best Friend and Rumoured Lover, Gryffindor’s Princess, Most Infamous Muggleborn in the Country, one third of the Golden Trio, Sirius Black, Lord of the Noble and Ancient House of Black, Wrongly Imprisoned War Hero, Harry Potter’s Godfather, and Remus Lupin, known Werewolf and Order of the Phoenix member were seen entering the Ministry through the Atrium. After almost two hours of secret meetings and sightings in various departments they tried to quietly slip past us again.
When cornered by various members of the press, Hermione Granger (see titles above and go to page 3 for her accolades and known achievements and O.W.L scores) looked visibly distressed. Remus Lupin (see page 4 for the copy of his registry entry, Hogwarts scores and known missions with the Order) seemed to grow in size, scaring some of the civilians around them. The werewolf took on an almost protective stance around the three war heroes next to him. Sirius Black (see page 5 for the false rap sheet, Hogwarts scores, known Order missions and reports from the day Black was arrested) seemed startled by the crowding which we at the Prophet understand after spending so many years in isolation at Azkaban prison where he was wrongfully imprisoned without a trial, and then being thrust into another war. Finally, Harry Potter (see pages 6-8 for his timeline of events, including his participation in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the rumours surrounding Quirinous Quirrels disappearance and Harry’s involvement and the Battle of Hogwarts, as well as his O.W.L scores and statements from members of Potter’s illegal defence group, Dumbledore’s Army) who is known to be a friend of the press screamed an expletive at the gathered press to get them to move when someone questioned Lupin’s constant presence with the gathered war heroes. Is this the start of a forbidden ex-professor/student love? Or is Lupin trying to take the place of beloved war hero James Potter, known school associate with Lupin?
After the group made their escape from the Atrium, Lupin at the rear pushing the group toward the fireplaces and manhandling them into a single fireplace, the Prophet received some shocking news. An anonymous source from the Department of Magical Law showed us some eye-opening documents. Hermione Granger’s parents are-
A high pitched scream came from through the wall. Theo. Assuming it was a nightmare or some horrifying news, Draco raced out of his room and into Theo’s. The door burst open without him touching it, his magic pulsing for him to get to his friend before the monster that was clearly trying to hurt him damaged him too badly. When Draco took in the room he saw a distinct lack of monsters, no Theo in bed, in fact he was standing at the open window, holding something. Bad news it was.
“Theo, mate, what’s happened?” Draco asked, already fearing the worst.
Theo audibly swallowed before turning slowly, his eyes wide and slightly haunted.
“I’m a godfather.” Theo whispered.
Draco blinked.
“You are a godfather? Who would be stupid enough to make you a godfather of an actual child?” Draco asked in disbelief.
Theo blinked and shot his eyes to the end of the letter.
“Erm- Someone called Marlene,” Draco took a deep breath. His stupid fuck of a best friend didn’t even know who had just entrusted him with their child.
“Explain. From the beginning. Please,” Draco said shortly.
Theo nodded like this was the most important task he had ever been given. He drew his shoulders back and took a deep breath like he was about to begin monologuing Shakespeare. Draco sighed, already done with his best friend's bullshit. He wanted to scream for him to just fucking start already but he knew from experience that would only prolong the torture.
“So, here I was, on this glorious Tuesday evening,” thunder rumbled loudly from outside. “As I was saying, glorious Tuesday evening, casually reading on the chaise in front of the fire. When an impotent little ministry owl decided to interrupt my quiet solitude with life changing information.”
Draco bit his lip to stop himself from interrupting and shaking the man in front of him to get to the fucking point. Then again, he had asked Theo to explain from the beginning. It was his own fault really.
“After carefully breaking the ministry seal, the letter revealed to me was most shocking. You see, it was addressed to me but the letter on the inside addressed my dearly departed mother. Now, after getting over my shock I was able to take in the contents of the letter. I am now a godfather to the child of a Marlene Unknown-Last-Name who was apparently my mother’s childhood best friend who died in the midst of the first war.”
Draco furrowed his brows. Confusion. That was the only thing Draco could register in the strange torrent of information Theo was throwing at him. A letter to Elora from a Marlene who died in the first war that said Theo is the godfather to the mystery baby despite Theo likely not even being born yet or at the very least very young himself. Theo was just over one when the war ended. Who would make a one year old a godfather? None of it made any sense.
“So yes, I am now the godfather to one Hermione Granger,” the room stilled. Draco’s eye twitched. He tried to swallow but his mouth was dry.
“I’m sorry, Theo but I’m going to need you to say that again,” Draco’s voice was hoarse.
“I am the godfather to one Hermione Granger,” Theo said slowly, like Draco was the idiot in this situation.
Before Theo could even think to move, Draco had crossed the room and tore the letter from his hands.
My dearest Elora,
It has finally happened if you are reading this letter. My girl has found out her heritage. Whilst I love you and know you would protect my daughter as though she were your own I do hope that she lived her life with the Grangers. I know as her godmother you should have raised her upon my death but our world is no world for a baby. My friends in the Order may disagree but you and I know the truth.
I’m sure you miss me, El, and I know a small part of me would have made that grief easier but I also know that you are made stronger by what you lose. Your armour forms from the grief you are surrounded by. You always were like that. I want you to find my daughter. Tell her about me as a child. Guide her in the ways of pureblood society, she will need it. She may not be a pureblood herself but she is the Scion of the House of McKinnon. She will have to learn to navigate that world. If the war is still going then please help her, make sure she isn’t a target.
I hope you lived a long and happy life, had children you loved and maybe even fell in love. Your husband was a fucking brute and we both know you deserved better. In case you didn’t know I aimed for his throat during every skirmish we had together.
Now, down to business. I know you likely have not forgotten but just in case: Hermione Granger, Jean and David Granger are her adoptive parents, she will be cast as a muggleborn. Love her for me, and tell her I’m sorry. Also get in touch with Remus if you can and help him, I don’t know how many of our friends will still be around to guide him. He’s now the father to an eighteen year old. He’ll need it.
Love,
Marlene xx
Draco was fairly certain he couldn’t breathe. Hermione Granger is the daughter of Remus Lupin and Marlene McKinnon. She’s a halfblood and scion to the House of McKinnon. Elora Nott was her godmother. She was adopted by the Granger family when she was a baby and Remus Lupin had no knowledge of his daughter until now. Granger was no longer off limits according to his father’s inheritance stipulations. Draco blinked, he would get back to that after. He glanced up at Theo. This stupid fuck before him had an eyebrow raised as if to say ‘see, I told you’.
“You are not Granger’s godfather. Your mother was her Godmother. That does not then transfer the role down to you. Fucking hell, mate. You’re basically siblings. Now, I’m going to get back to readi- Oh. No, no, no. Please don’t tell me,” Draco raced from the room and back to his own where the copy of the Prophet was still lying on the floor where he dropped it when Theo screamed.
He picked it up and fell back into his chair, Theo who had apparently followed him leaned against the back.
“Oh, that’s not good,” was all Theo added. Draco rolled his eyes so hard he feared they may be stuck that way.
Hermione Granger’s parents are not her parents. It was revealed through some concealed documents for the past almost nineteen years that Marlene McKinnon is her true mother. The scandalous mystery of the missing baby has finally been solved. Marlene McKinnon got pregnant after a run-in with Remus Lupin at the height of the First British Wizarding War. She then hid this from him, having the baby in secret whilst he was away on missions and set up delayed release forms about Hermione’s heritage, changing her name, blood status and allowing her to inherit from the McKinnon family, even so far as claiming the family seat.
Granger was adopted out to the muggle family and was raised by them ever since. Suspicions are rising though about the whole tale. Miss McKinnon, a known associate of Lily and James Potter, somehow had a baby who, although raised by muggles and supposedly had no information of the truth, became friends with said associate’s own child and is even rumoured to be in a relationship with him. Furthermore, Hermione is known to be proud of her muggle heritage, often said to be flaunting the status but it’s all been a lie, so did she know and used it to not be accused of holding blood purity beliefs or was she being genuine in her believed truth? And where does that leave Remus Lupin, her supposed father? Was she playing up the muggleborn status to get away from her known werewolf father, to distance herself from the rumours and stigmas? Or even to get the limelight away from her own furry little secret? We have been unable to contact anyone available for comment on the shocking news but we will be back in tomorrow morning’s Prophet with more information. For now, keep an eye and ear out for any information and send me an owl, my loyal readers, if you have anything to add to this juicy tale. Bye for now, Rita Skeeter.
Oh this was not good at all.
“So…” Theo starts, using a singsong tone of voice. “What should I do about my goddaughter?”
Trying not to groan at the idiot behind him, Draco turned to face him.
“You need to talk to Granger, she’s likely at Grimmauld Place so you should- Wait. Where are you going? Theo. I meant send an ow- And he’s gone.” Draco sighed at the fireplace that was turning back from green to its usual orange. God he hated Theo sometimes. That boy belonged in Gryffindor, he was sure of it. It had been nice knowing Theo for he was surely about to have his dead body returned through the floo for daring to encroach on the Lioness’ den.