Panic at the Bank-oh
Hermione could feel her anti-perspirant and morning shower freshness vanish as she heard the goblins explain her situation. She looked over at her mom, who just shrugged and passed on her own papers.
How is this real life?
The Dagworth-Grangers have patents from Hector’s potions and lectures that are still making millions? Her mother was worth 17 million galleons in cash alone? What is happening? How is any of this wealth actually theirs?
Hermione tried to get her head on straight and concentrate on what the goblins were saying. If she did not want her inheritance, hundreds of thousands of wizards, squibs and even muggles would lose their homes and livelihoods. Looking at the papers in her hands, she focused on the housing and businesses that her father’s family has owned for generations. Construction, Land and Properties seem to be the main source of the family’s wealth, but there were interesting deeds for a couple of muggle hospitals and schools as well. How can she take care of all of this when she was barely even 20?
But then again, how could she not?
She fought a war for the sake of humanity and justice, how can she walk away from making sure that the people who depend on the Blacks continue to thrive?
At the back of her mind she thought, How could Sirius? but then again, maybe that’s why he was driven to drink. Aside from being locked away for years and then forced to be locked away once more in his torture home, he knew he had a responsibility to a lot of people and he could do nothing about it.
Hermione thought about those days in Grimauld Place where Sirius just seems to lose himself in thought in front of the Black Family tapestry.
Was he thinking like how she was now? How he was letting people down?
How powerless he was to do something?
She took a deep breath and took the quill from Rorrick.
She was Hermione fucking Granger and she NEVER shirked her responsibilities.
She was not about to start now.
>>>.<<<
As soon as Hermione and her mother signed the last of their inheritance papers, there were two loud pops of apparition beside them, startling them both.
Two house elves, both looking towards the elderly side appeared and bowed before them. One was dressed in red and silver livery while another was dressed in what was clearly rags like Dobby was.
The more elder looking of the two spoke first, the one who looked like he has seen shit and wearing rags. “Mistress Black, it is an honor to finally meets yous. I be Derby, head elf for the The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.”
“I bes Lewy, head elf of The Noble House of Dagworth-Granger, Madam Dagworth-Granger.” Piped in the other elf on his left.
Hermione was appalled and curious at the same time. The Black elf has never shown his face at Grimauld Place, it was only ever Kreacher who was there.
Before she could say anything, Jean got up from her chair and lowered herself to Lewy’s height.
“Nice to meet you Lewy,” she said, “Are you here to grant us access to the properties?”
The little elf smiled and bounced a little off its feet, “Yes misses. We be your guide. We help yous with reviving and managing the estates.”
Derby, her elf, Hermione realized, shot Lewy a nasty look before bowing towards her again. “The elf says true Mistress. Derby is honored to serve the House of Black.”
Hermione could not help herself. “But I don’t want you to be enslaved to me. How many elves does the Black family have? I would free you all.”
All at once, there was an uproar. Both elves started bawling and hitting themselves or grabbing onto chair legs and trying to hit their heads in, on their hands and knees begging forgiveness, the goblins were growling and even Hermione’s mother looked absolutely horrified.
“Hermione!” was all Jean could say as she started to soothe both elves who were desperately trying to harm themselves while simultaneously begging for mercy.
“The Goblin Nation would not tolerate this level of disrespect. If you want to commit genocide, do it outside of Gringotts.” Rorrick all but spat out.
Genocide? She only wanted to free the elves, like Harry did for Dobby. Dobby was happier when he was free, wasn’t he? She knew the Hogwarts elves hated her for trying to free them, and Winky all but killed herself when Crouch freed her but this was another reaction entirely. What was going on?
“No, no, no genocide is happening. Please forgive my daughter, she was not raised in a wizarding household. I will set her straight. Please.” Jean was still on the ground, soothing the elves, but her eyes were turned to Rorrick, pleading.
“Mum!” Hermione could not understand. “What are you talking about? They’re slaves! They should be freed.”
The last word had everyone restart the uproar all over again and it was all she could do to stand her ground. She could not understand how everyone was against what she wanted. All she wanted was freedom for everyone. The levels of bawling and scraping were hurting her ears and the goblins seem to be conferring amongst themselves as to what to do with her.
“Hermione!” Jean whisper-shouted. “Please stop, before we are dragged to the Goblin’s dungeons! Stop talking about things you know nothing about!”
“But mum…”
“NOW! Shut. Up. Right. NOW!”
Hermione has not heard her mother use that tone with her in years and it effectively silenced her.
It did not, however silence the two elves who were still on their hands and knees, almost crawling to get to Hermione and beg her not to free them. She always thought this reaction was such an exaggeration and a result of millennia of mind conditioning, but her mother’s glare at her and the real fear that she can see in the elves’ big wide eyes were making her rethink her stance.
Hermione was about to open her mouth, when someone cleared their throat from the doorway of the room and said, “What in Salazar’s name is going on in here?”
It was like a scene from a movie where all of the actors just stop mid-whatever they were doing to swivel their collective heads to the door.
It would have been funny if not for the three people looking on in shocked horror.
Namely, Narcissa Black Malfoy, Andromeda Black Tonks and Draco Malfoy to be exact.
To say that no one knew how to react was a big understatement.
It was Derby, who, upon seeing the members of House Black hurriedly kneel-crawled over to where the elegant witches were and grasped onto Narcissa’s expensively clad leg with all his might that sort of broke the stillness.
“Missy Narcissa, Missy Andy!!! Yous be helping us Black elves, pleases miss! She… She… Wants to… Free us!!” Derby was heaving and almost choking on his tear infused words. The little elf made such big and horrid noises that it unfroze everyone else.
Narcissa only raised one perfectly manicured eyebrow and addressed the room in general. “Would someone please explain what is happening? We received summons through the family magic and we arrive here with our elf screaming bloody murder!”
Jean was the first one to recover. Hermione could only stare wide eyed at Narcissa, trying her best not to look anywhere in Draco Malfoy’s direction. She could still remember the last time she saw the wizard, gaunt and lifeless during his trial in which Harry and herself had spoken for him and his mother. Was it only a month and a half ago?
Detangling herself from a still distraught Lewy, Jean straightened and pasted a polite smile on her face. She walked over to the newly arrived group and held her hand out to Narcissa.
“Hello, Jeanette Dagworth-Granger. I’m Hermione’s mum. We’re here about our inheritances, I’m guessing you’re Blacks? It’s wonderful to meet you all, Hermione here is Sirius’ daughter and your new Head of House.”
For a second time in less than ten minutes, a pin drop could be heard in the still silence that permeated the room. The only movement seemed to be the three Blacks’ eyeballs all zeroing in on Hermione.
Andromeda cleared her throat and tried for a smile. She gingerly shook Jean's hand and looked at Hermione.
“Hermione,” she said, moving toward the other witch, “How come you never told me this? We’ve been working together for years. Did Sirius know about this? How did this happen?”
Hermione held on to both of Andromeda’s hands that she held out to her and nearly collapsed from the relief. Finally, a witch that knew her. She can barely understand her mother these days and some familiarity was more than welcome.
“Oh Andy, I only found out about it myself a week or so ago. It’s all been such a blur, and now with Hogwarts set to start in less than a month, my mum and I are just hurrying everything along that I haven’t really had time to take it all in, you know? It’s all rather overwhelming!”
She knew she was half rambling, but she couldn’t help it. Andy was always a comforting presence, specially during the war.
Andromeda gently patted her hand and smiled her motherly smile. “I can only imagine dear, how about we all just breathe a moment.” She said and then looked around.
“Maybe the goblins could get us some tea? The family needs to have a small chitchat, don’t you think?”
With a nod towards Narcissa and Draco rather curtly or so Hermione thought, Andromeda led Hermione over to the comfy chairs that were littered around the room. Taking out her wand, she rearranged the seats into a semi circle around a small coffee table near the corner. Andy did not even look back to see if the goblins would follow her, but instead just ushered everyone, including the two still teary elves, carefully making sure she herself was not sitting beside her sister. Huh. They must not have made up yet.
Making sure that everyone was seated, along with the two, still hiccupping elves, Andromeda led the charge with “So, tell us everything you can, starting with how did you end up as a Black and our Head of House.”
>>>.<<<
The tea came, along with some questionable quality biscuits.
The whole time that Hermione and Jean were trying to recount what had happened, Hermione could not help but keep on looking at Draco for his reactions. She expected his usual air of superiority, maybe some sneering and jeering, but all she got was a blank face of cold indifference.
She could not tell if he was using Occlumency or if he just really didn’t care.
Narcissa seemed to be very uncomfortable with the whole thing, though being the perfect lady that she was, she did a good job of hiding it. It was only the tell-tale little twitches of her mouth and narrowing of her eyes every time Hermione or her mum would talk about the war or Sirius that belied her unease.
Hermione could definitely understand, after all, not only did Narcissa and Draco owe their freedom to her and Harry’s testimony, Hermione was also tortured in their home by her sister. Tortured not only because of her perceived blood status – which was obviously false, but also tortured, as it turns out by her own cousin. Not that it wasn’t on brand with Bellatrix, she did kill her cousin and Hermione’s father Sirius after all.
The only one who seemed to be accepting and open of the whole thing was Andromeda, but then it was very like her. Cast out of the family and living amongst muggles, she knew and experienced both sides of the story that Hermione was painting and was being very supportive. Hermione could not have been more grateful and held on to her like a lifeline.
She was currently nodding along to Jean’s recounting of the signing of the inheritance papers.
“Well, thank you, Hermione, I have not felt the Black family magic in more than almost three decades. Thank you for accepting me back.” Andromeda had tears in her eyes as she said it.
It was news to Hermione that she did that, and she told them so, “I have no idea how I did that? I’m not sure how this whole family magic thing works, really. I only remember thinking that you’re the first Black I want to contact after signing and that I would need to figure out how to accept you back into the family.”
This brought smiles all around, except for Draco who remained stoic though he was looking at her. It was a bit unnerving how much he was focusing on her, to be honest.
Jean let out a small laugh. “It’s all about intention, dearest. You wanted Andromeda back so badly that your magic and the family magic welcomed her without you even casting a spell! The Black Family magic reacts strongly to you since you’re the Head, but also it may be because there hasn’t been a Head of the Family for almost a decade, I believe.”
Narcissa looked thoughtful at this, “Did you also think of me and Draco, Ms. Granger?”
“Please, call me Hermione, after all you are my aunt now.” Hermione replied. “I was thinking of a list of things to do and informing you and Draco were part of that list.”
“I see.” Narcissa said nodding, “And please, you may call me Aunt Cissa.”
Hermione could only smile. Draco said nothing, just continued staring eerily at her. It was beginning to really get under her skin how much he was staring with his steely grey eyes. That he looked good doing it did not even register to her. Not really.
There was a small lull in conversation as there was nothing else to say.
Derby used the silence to voice out his concern however. “But mistress did not thinks of the elves? Yous not be concerned about us?”
The accusation hung in the air like a thick smog and Hermione could almost choke on it. She really didn’t. As much as she prided herself for her advocacy for all living and magical beings, she did not for one moment think that inheriting her father’s estate also meant house elves. She really should have.
With all eyes on her, all of them with varying degrees of accusation and in one instance even contempt, Hermione for the thousand time since she found out she was a Black, thought, “What the hell have I gotten myself into?”
Hermione made the executive decision to ask help from Andromeda and Narcissa while they were there. Disregarding the elves and her rather unhelpful mother for a time, she asked them for their opinion of where she should live. She need to focus on something she can do rather than the uncomfortable issue of what else can she do wrong?
Finding out that she owned so many properties made her think of her childhood home. The tension between her and her mother regarding Richard was so suffocating there, she needed an out. She had several houses, apartments, townhouses, mansions and manors - even castles at her fingertips, why should she stay where it pains her everywhere she looks?
Her mother can come with her or not, it was her choice really. She had her own inheritance and properties. Hermione was a grown witch and with everything that has happened, she really didn’t know how to think or feel at the moment.
Andromeda and Narcissa, though strained, consulted with each other and both agreed that Hermione should stay at the Black Hogsmeade property to be nearer Hogwarts and possible help. It was “small”, according to them. A cottage, they said.
When Hermione looked at the pertinent document, she all but sighed. These purebloods. Since when was an 8 bedroom country house, “small”?
It hasn’t been used in more than 50 years, but it was still standing according to the papers. Narcissa quickly started issuing orders to Derby to make sure that Primrose Cottage was habitable by the end of the week. Hermione guesses she should be offended that Narcissa was ordering her elf, but she really was out of her depth.
Also, seeing how happy it made the elf to be getting orders, Hermione could not bring herself to say anything. That was another discussion she needed to have with her mother and the elves, but for now, she just needed the space to breathe, because Godric help her, she really felt like she was drowning on dry land.
It may also be partially due to the stormy grey eyes that tracked her movements everywhere, making her conscious of everything she says or does.