something so magic about you
The sight of the Great Hall repaired to its prior glory, all four long tables bustling with student activity, and the feeling of childlike wonder in the air, nearly brought tears to Hermione's eyes. Taking her spot at the Gryffindor table once again felt right, as if she belonged nowhere in the world more than she did sitting at this table alongside her peers. Memories of the night before, of Sirius explaining the circumstances behind her adoption, trickled into her mind but she tried to shove them to the side the best that she could. She wanted to focus on the moment, not on something that had happened that she had no control over. She still had many questions she wanted to ask both Sirius and Remus but the time wasn't now, now was the time for her to focus on her studies and enjoy her final year at Hogwarts. This final year at Hogwarts would also give her the time to fully adjust to the revelation, as her mind was still reeling and hoping that she had somehow made it all up.
"You think you're gonna make Head Girl, 'Mione?" Ginny asks from her left.
Hermione looks over to the redheaded girl sitting directly to her left and simply shrugs. She knows that marks-wise, there were few in the school that could compete with her but that didn't automatically mean she would be appointed Head Girl. A small part of her wanted it and had coveted the position ever since she was a First Year, but a larger part of her didn't want any additional responsibility this year, as she had yet to be able to enjoy a year at Hogwarts without some sort of threat against the school.
"I'm not sure, Gin, but I'm fine either way" Hermione says.
"I thought you always wanted to be Head Girl?" Ron asks from directly across her, small bits of food spewing out of his mouth as he speaks.
"I did but I just want one normal year without added responsibility" Hermione says through her internal cringe at his table manners.
"Who are you and what have you done with our 'Mione?" Ron laughs.
Hermione laughs with him, a smile spreading wide on her face as she notices Ginny joining in with them. Harry is sitting next to Ron across the table, regarding Hermione with an inquisitive look on his face. He'd hardly spoken to her since her interaction with Sirius the night before but had been giving her that same look all day. Surely he wasn't treating her this way just because Sirius didn't tell him what they had discussed, right?
"You alright, Harry?" She asks softly, looking at him with a concerned look on her face.
"Yeah, I'm fine" He says sharply.
"You sure?" Ron asks, looking between Harry and Hermione with a confused look on his face.
"What did you and Sirius talk about last night?" Harry asks Hermione bluntly, his gaze not wavering from her.
"What?" Hermione asked back almost instantly.
"You and Sirius. He wouldn't tell me what happened, only that if you wanted me to know that you'd tell me" Harry says, dropping his voice down a decibel or two so just the three of them could hear him.
"It could just be a private thing, Harry" Ginny says, looking as if she was refraining from rolling her eyes at him.
Privacy had never mattered much in their friendship or group, as they all told each other everything, but for Harry to pry like this wasn't like him. The three of them, as well as Ginny, didn't have many boundaries with each other and, most of the time, Hermione appreciated the openness in their relationships. But they all deserved to keep some thing to themselves, regardless of how close they were, or wait to tell each other until the time was right. Hermione knew that his relationship with Sirius meant the world to him and he could just be jealous of herself and Sirius spending time together but that doesn't give him the right to pry into her personal affairs like this.
"You two aren't.....shagging are you?" Ron whispers, the tips of his ears twinging red as he looks at Hermione with a partially curious yet partially embarrassed look.
"Oh Merlin no! Jesus Christ Ronald what would make you think that?" Hermione all but shrieks at the red-haired boy, disgust evident in her tone and written across her face.
"Okay okay! I just had to ask" Ron says, raising his hands in mock surrender.
What? Why would he ever think something like that was going on between the two of them? Did it seem that way to everyone else, that there was something inappropriate about their relationship and that's why they stepped out of Harry's party together? Disgust and frustration tangled together in her stomach, hotly clawing up her spine in need of escape.
"Then what was it about?" Harry asked again.
Could he not let this go until she tells him? Was it just because it involved his godfather or would he be like this if it involved anyone else?
"Blimey, mate maybe she just doesn't want to tell you" Ron says with a huff.
"Can we just talk about it later? It is private" Hermione asks, hoping that Harry would just drop it.
After a moment, Harry relents and slowly nods his head. Hermione gave him a small smile before turning her attention back to her plate, no longer in the mood for conversation. She had wanted to wait a little while before telling them about what Sirius had told her but it also didn't matter much if she told them today or next week, she was still adopted and the biological daughter of Regulus Black and Phoebe Travers.
~*~
The Gryffindor Common Room was exactly how Hermione remembered it from their Sixth Year, as Gryffindor Tower was mostly untouched during the Battle of Hogwarts and only needed a small amount of reconstruction. The only difference was the addition of the Eighth year boy's and girl's dormitories, a new addition to the castle entirely following the war as every house got these new dormitories as well for the returning students.
A couple of students that Hermione didn't recognize were huddled together at the table on the other side of the common room while she, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were seated on the couch and chairs in front of the unlit fireplace. The four of them had been all but silent since they returned to the common room following the welcoming feast, none of them wanting to be the first one to talk. Hermione and Ginny were seated on the couch together while Harry and Ron took the chairs next to them, Harry next to her while Ron sat next to Ginny.
Anxiety entangled itself deep in Hermione's stomach, her heart racing as its influence spread throughout her entire body. Deep down, Hermione knew that her friends would love and care for her regardless of what information she was about to share with them but another part of her was worried about how they would handle the news. Would they begin to treat her differently because of who her biological family is? Would she no longer be Hermione Granger to them but instead a daughter of the House of Black?
Hermione took in a deep breath, the other three looking over at her immediately.
"I'm adopted" Hermione says bluntly, looking forward at the unlit fireplace instead of at any of her friends as tears began to prick her eyes.
The weight of what she was saying hit Hermione like a ton of bricks, she hadn't fully accepted that Sirius had told her the truth but she knew that it was, that he'd have no reason to lie about something like this. By telling Harry, Ron, and Ginny she was making it real, not something she could deny and hide from for the rest of her life, or until Sirius was to bring it up again.
"What?" Harry and Ron ask in near unison.
"The Grangers adopted me, they're not my biological parents. That's what Sirius and I talked about" Hermione says after a moment, swiveling her gaze over to Harry with tears still in her eyes.
"How would Sirius know about that?" Ginny asks, her confusion palpable in her voice.
"He's....not your dad, is he?" Ron asks in an almost whisper.
"No, he's not. He's my uncle" Hermione clarifies.
"Regulus is your biological father?" Harry finally asks, the look from earlier in the day gone from his face and now replaced with one of remorse.
"Yes, he is. My biological mother was a witch named Phoebe Travers" Hermione says, wiping the unshed tears from her eyes.
"Was?" Ginny asks softly.
"Both she and Regulus were killed by Death Eaters the year I was born" Hermione adds sadly, a frown forming on her face.
A small squeeze on her hand brought her attention away from Harry. She looked down to see Ginny giving her hand another supportive squeeze. Wordlessly, Hermione leaned slightly against the red-haired girl next to her, appreciative of her friend's show of silent support. She could see Ginny give her a small smile out of the corner of her eye as she laced their fingers together, squeezing once again to prove to Hermione that she was there for her.
"I'm sorry 'Mione, I shouldn't have pried to begin with" Harry apologized after a moment of silence.
"It's okay, I was planning on telling you guys soon. I just haven't fully processed everything yet" Hermione admitted.
"We're here for you 'Mione, if you need anything" Ron said.
"Thanks, Ron, I appreciate it" Hermione says through a watery smile.
"Does anyone else know? Apart from Sirius, of course" Harry asks.
"Remus does, he knew that the Grangers adopted me and pieced it together" Hermione explained.
Harry nods.
"As far as uncles go, I would say that Sirius is a pretty decent one" Ron says with a shrug, clearly trying to lighten the mood somehow.
Hermione nods, thinking of all of the times that she saw Sirius and Harry together and all of the times that she and Sirius interacted. He was a good man and had given her away so she'd have her best chance, something that she was sure weighed heavy on him for years. And possibly still does. Although this wasn't how she envisioned how her life would change this year, was it truly all that bad?