House froze at the sight of a slight, curly-haired girl sitting in his office. She was too thin, hugging herself around the middle and appeared close to falling apart.
“Who's that?” he demanded, his eyes on Cameron.
“We don't know,” she admitted. “She refused to give a name, refused to tell us why she's here, all she said was she’d wait.”
“Well get rid of her!”
“House…” she trailed off. “She looks ill.”
“New case?” Foreman checked, walking into the room, his eyes darting between the two of them.
“No.” House replied succinctly, walking over to the adjoining door, “She was just leaving.”
The girl turned slowly as if the movement was painful, wide dark eyes meeting his, the little colour she'd had in her cheeks leaving them.
“So you're Gregory House,” she mumbled, in a startlingly British accent.
“Yes, and I'm very busy so…” he stood back from the door, holding it open pointedly.
“You're Hermione Granger.” Foreman blurted.
Her eyes snapped to his widening in fright before she relaxed, “And you're Eric Foreman.”
“You know her?” Chase interjected.
Foreman shifted attempting to work out what to say, “She's ah…well known in some circles.”
“While this is all very fascinating, don't you have somewhere else to be?” House interjected.
“Probably,” she agreed, standing slowly.
“Are you alright?” Foreman checked, his face creasing into a frown as he watched her move, her arm banded around her middle as if she was holding herself together, small tremors wracking her body almost imperceptibly unless you were scrutinising her.
She hummed, “Does the name Lestrange mean anything to you?”
He grimaced, horror flooding him. “Only from stories.”
“I met Madam Lestrange personally,” she clipped, “The recovery is…slow.”
“Fuck,” he hissed through his teeth as he pieced together what she wasnt saying, her symptoms suddenly making sense. “Is that why you're here?”
“What? Oh. No.” she shook her head, her eyes moving back to House. “I just…I was curious.”
“Curious? About House?”
She sighed, “It's rather complicated. And perhaps…saiting the curiosity is not in my best interests, so I’ll just go.”
“You're bleeding.” Cameron cut in softly.
Hermione's eyes darted down to her arm and she hissed. “It’ll be fine.”
“It's dripping!” Chase contradicted.
“And it’ll stop,” she replied through clenched teeth as the tremors began to worsen. “Fuck,” her eyes met Foreman's, “Blue vial then green.”
He looked momentarily startled before he darted forward, barely catching her when the tremors turned into a seizure.
“What are you doing?” Cameron demanded running to cushion her head, as he reached for her bag. His eyes widened when he didn't feel the bottom as expected. Silently, hoping he got away with it, he summoned the anti-convulsive and pain potions, realising belatedly that he'd break her jaw if he tried to administer them the usual way.
“Get me a syringe.” he barked.
It took a few seconds before Chase complied, staring at him in disbelief.
Five minutes later, with Hermione finally close to still although not awake on the floor, he caught House with the vials.
“These aren't ours.”
“No.” he agreed.
“Who is she?”
“Hermione Granger. Which means I had better contact someone.”
“Why is she here?”
“I don't know,” he replied slowly.
“How do you know her?”
“She's… something of a child prodigy,” he murmured.
“In?”
“House, can I go and let someone know that she's here?”
“Interesting. You don't want to tell me.”
“No. I don't. Can I go now?”
“It's fine,” Hermione mumbled, trying to sit up. “Five minutes and I’ll go.”
“You're not going anywhere!” Cameron protested. “You're still bleeding and you've just had a seizure.”
“It's not the first and it won't be the last,” Hermione replied tiredly.
“There are medications…”
“No. I'm on the one that works. Thank you, truly. But there is nothing you can do for me.”
“How long?” Foreman eyed her.
“We think over two hours but it's not exact,” Hermione replied wearily, not even pretending not to understand him. “It was exacerbated by lack of rest and more strenuous activity than would traditionally be advised.”
“Can I contact someone?” he checked gently, knowing from the newspapers exactly what sort of strenuous unadvised activity the girl was talking about. “You're not in any fit state to get home on your own.”
“No!” she groaned, “They’ll bloody flay me alive for coming here.”
“Why did you come here?” House asked.
“You care now?”
“Now, you're interesting.” he shrugged.
“Jesus Christ,” Hermione muttered, accepting Foreman's help to stand, all but slumping into a chair when her legs protested the movement. Despite her posture, she eyed him sharply. “My parents are rather more than a little pissed off with me,” she admitted. “Apparently I reminded my mother far too forcefully of my heartless bastard of a sperm donor. I was curious.”
Foreman stilled. “You can't mean.”
“Oh, yes apparently no one thought to tell me that Dad wasn't actually Dad.” she gave a mirthless laugh that was contradicted by the flash of pain on her face, “Anyway, as I said they're not happy with me and thought that screaming it at me during an argument was the best thing to do. And so I was curious. And now I'm not. So.” She pushed herself up from the seat, clinging to the table for balance for a second.
“I don't think that's a good idea,” Foreman interjected, catching her arm when she wobbled.
“Who's your mother?”
Hermione's eyes darted to House. “Stacy,” she sighed, “My mother is Stacy.”
He froze. “Stacy who moved to Britain, oh I don't know…eighteen years ago. That Stacy?”
“That would be her,” she agreed. “She married my…stepfather when I was two.”
“What did you do to piss her off?”
Hermione shrugged, “It doesn't matter. She won't be forgiving me any time soon.”
“And if I was to contact her…”
“You have no idea how to contact her,” Hermione scoffed. “But do feel free. She is currently in Australia. Melbourne to be exact.”
“What on earth is she doing there?”
“Feel free to ask her. I’m sure she’ll be delighted to tell you how badly I fucked up. Now. I'm going to go.”
“Hermione Jean!”
Hermione froze, her eyes meeting the furious green ones of Harry Potter from the other side of the glass.” Fuck.” she hissed, going paler at the sight of Kingsley appearing behind him, his arms crossed over his large chest.
“You were surprised when they told you he wasn't Daddy?” House quipped slightly incredulously.
“He's not my dad,” she groaned.
“Boyfriend? Little old for you isn't he?”
Kingelsy strode into the room, his anger palpable. “What were you thinking!” he demanded. “You just disappeared! We had no idea where you'd gone! Have you any idea how difficult it was getting information from your mother! We weren't sure someone hadn't taken you!”
“I'm sorry,” she murmured.
“NO! I'm trying hard not to shake you, Hermione! You know what they'd do to you if they caught you! You can't just disappear!”
“I mean, he sounds like your dad,” House injected.
Kingsley drew himself up to full height, looking distinctly unimpressed, “So you're Dr House.” he mused. “Harry, take your sister back to the hotel before I strangle the infuriating witch.”
“Hold on a minute,” Foreman interjected, “She's just had a seizure, I don't think…”
Kingsley turned to look at him, arching an unimpressed brow. “I’ll thank you not to interfere, Dr….”
“Foreman, Eric Foreman….Mr Shacklebolt.”
Kingsley froze. “And just how do you know my name?”
“It's been rather well publicised of late,” Eric countered.
“In certain places,” he mused.
“Well, I happen to be subscribed to the publications who are printing your name.”
“Do you indeed. And in your medical opinion…”
“Miss Granger needs rest.” he ran a critical eye over her, “Food and supplementary nutrition and a more regimented medication routine. The tremors are less but they are not gone. She is clearly underweight, and as understandable as it is given the circumstances, if her body has no reserves to draw from then recovery is going to be longer.” he paused, well aware he was about to tell off the interim British Minister for Magic. “And she needs less stress, however ill-advised her visit was, shouting at her isn't going to help.”
“No.” Kingsley sighed, turning to Hermione, “Not that I’ll be apologising for it, you frightened the life out of us when you weren't where you were meant to be.”
“I’ll organise a bed.”
“What? No!” Hermione protested. “I just want to go home.”
“And what do you think travel is going to do to you just now?”
“I made it from Australia to here,” she muttered petulantly.
“How did you manage that?” Harry asked, speaking for the first time.
Hermione froze. “Ah. I…”
“Tell me you didn't?” begged. “Please for the love of Godric. Tell me you did not get here how I think you did.”
Slow understanding dawned on both Kingsley and Foreman's faces, “I am going to lock you up!” Kingsley growled, “What were you thinking!”
“Care to share with the class?” House asked.
“No!” All four Wix replied as one.
“Jeez, I was only asking. Now as fun as this has been, I don't believe you and it's time you were out of my office.”
“Believe her,” Foreman retorted, “Trust me, she has nothing to gain by lying.”
“Everybody lies.”
“It doesn't matter,” Hermione protested, “Can we go?”
“Why don't you believe her?” Harry asked, ignoring her.
“Because Stacy would have told me.”
“We've spoken to Mrs Granger, she maintains the story,” Kingsley shrugged, “It's easily checkable. You work in a hospital.”
“It doesn't matter,” Hermione repeated more forcefully.
“It mattered enough for you to come here,” Harry countered, keeping a wary eye on her.
“And I've seen what I came to see. We can go now.”
“No,” he replied flatly, staring her down, utterly ignoring their audience.
“I beg your pardon.”
“You heard me. No. You've never backed down from anything in your life. For fucks sake, you were less disturbed by Bellatrix than you are by him.”
“It's not him you utterly insensitive arsehole!” she screamed at a volume that made them all jump. “My parents hate me! My mother told me I'd ruined her fucking life!” She cut off abruptly a sob tearing out of her throat.
Harry merely nodded, wrapping his arms around her as she collapsed into him, sobbing hard enough that he had to tighten his arms to keep her upright. “And instead of admitting that you ran off to another continent without telling anyone when there are people who want you dead,” he murmured softly. “When are you going to cry without being goaded into it?”
“For the love of Salazar,” Kingsley muttered exasperatedly.
“Who wants her dead?” House asked suddenly.
“People,” Kingsley replied shortly, “we’re dealing with it.”
“What did she do?”
“Saved the world,” he replied dryly.
“Oh, you!” House replied jokingly, “So fond of your jokes.Now what did she actually do?”
“Dr house, you've just said you don't believe Hermione is your daughter, why do you care?” Kingsley replied exasperatedly.
“Because it's interesting,” he countered. “She's what? 18? You're both pissed she ran off, Foreman recognises her, tells me she's a child prodigy but won't tell me what in. She's pissed off her parents enough that they're no longer speaking to her and she has tremors, seizures and unexplained bleeding that she knows exactly how to treat using medication I've never seen in my life. Now. Maybe she's a prodigy who's fed up and ran away from home. I'm an unusual choice to run to but stranger things have happened.. Drugs and alcohol explain the tremors, some sort of injury on the arm. Self-inflicted maybe? However ..none of that explains him shouting her into crying on him.”
“Take a DNA test,” Kingsley sighed wearily. “After that, if you intend to stick around I can answer some questions. Until then it's classified. Harry?”
“She's out,” He muttered, manoeuvring a sleeping Hermione more firmly onto his knee.
“Good. Are we doing this test?”
“Fine,” House declared, “But when it comes back negative I'm going to say I told you so.”
Foreman rolled his eyes, “I'll do it. I’ll get them to run it through quickly. We’ll have the results by tomorrow at the latest.”
“Or you could do it and have the results in a few hours,” House interjected.
Foreman’s eyes narrowed before they darted to Hermione, “She deserves that at least,” he murmured.
House frowned, “Seriously? What did she do?”
“I'm sure Kings told you,” Harry replied coldly, “she helped save the world.”
“Who even are you?”
“Her brother,” he replied shortly.
House frowned, “You're claiming to be Stacy’s too?”
“No. We don't share parents. I…used an obscure ah..law to adopt her into my family.”
“You know that doesn't make sense.”
Harry sighed, ” Perhaps not to you. Know much about old English laws?”
House’s eyes narrowed, but Kingsley interjected, handing a card to Foreman. “Let me know when you have results. We’ll take her back to the hotel.”
“Who are you to her?” Cameron stopped him. “We can't just let you leave.”
“The closest thing to a father she currently has,” he replied pointedly. “It doesn't matter who I am, I’ve been partially responsible for her since she was fifteen. The two people who were actually responsible for her are dead.”
“She said her parents…”
“I wasn't talking about her parents, they checked out of any real parenting years ago.”
“Stacy wouldn't check out of being a mom.” House eyed him with suspicion.
“There were extenuating circumstances.” Kingsley brushed him off. “Now. I expect to hear from you tomorrow.”
“She's yours.” Foreman threw the results down in front of him.
Silently House picked up the results, scrutinising them, his mind whirling. He was wrong. The girl was his. Which meant Stacy hadn't told him. Deliberately hadn't told him. Apparently, she hadn't told her either.
“Get them here,” he demanded, standing abruptly.
“Stacy never told me I had a kid.”
James Wilson blinked stupidly up at his friend. “What?”
“Stacy. Kid. Apparently, we have one.”
“No.” he shook his head, “I don't believe that.”
“DNA test results say otherwise.”
“DNA tests…they were here?”
“Yes,” he agreed, pacing, “Hermione. Not what I would have chosen.”
“Hermione,” Wilson repeated incredulously, “You have a daughter?”
“An eighteen-year-old daughter who Stacy is currently not speaking to because she reminds her of me.”
“That seems unlikely,” Wilson scoffed.
“And yet, apparently true. Kids brother and her…I don't know what he is, confirmed it.”
“Brother?”
“Some kid who used an obscure English law to adopt her into his family.”
“House. Make sense,” Wilson begged.
“What do I do?”
“You're asking me?”
“Yes, Wilson. I am asking you.”
“Get to know her.” he countered, “What else can you do?”
House sighed, “She's coming in today. Foreman recognised her, said she was some sort of prodigy but won't say what in.”
“Foreman knows her?”
“She recognised him too.”
“That's…odd.” Wilson settled on as Foreman burst in.
“They’ll be here within half an hour.”
“Right,” House nodded, looking pensive.
“Do I get to meet this daughter you apparently have?”
“Why not?”
“I think they’ll want it just to be you.” Foreman cautioned.
“Why? What do you know?”
“More than you,” he countered, “And I can't tell you anything so don't ask.” he paused. “Her life has been…difficult. Don't make it more difficult, she doesn't deserve that.”
“What did this girl do!” House demanded.
Foreman levelled him with a stare. “I'm sure they told you. She helped save the world. Or Britain at least.”
“How!” House called as Foreman walked away from him, ignoring him completely.
“Dr House.” Kingsley eyed him warily, “And…”
“James Wilson,” he held out his hand.
“Kingsley Shacklebolt.” he offered, “I'm Miss Grangers…guardian.”
“Guardian. Not parent?”
Kingely scoffed, staring at the man incredulously, “No. Not parent. I’d have thought that was obvious. Hermione?”
Hermione eyed him warily.”Why are we here?”
“Results say you're mine,” House replied
“I know.” she agreed.
“They say you helped save the world.”
She scoffed, “And?”
“How did you save the world?”
“Murdered some people.” Hermione shrugged.
“Hermione!” Kingsley proteststed. “For the love of Merlin, you spent too much time with Sirius.”
“I’d argue that we spent nowhere near enough time with Sirius," she countered bluntly, making him flinch.
“Poor phrasing,” he apologised.
“Why did you come here?” House interrupted.
“I told you, I was curious.”
“How do you know Foreman?”
“I’ve read some things he's published.”
“Where is the brother?”
“Running interference.” Kingsley supplied.
Both Wilson and House looked slightly surprised at that. “With?” House checked.
“Me. He failed.” a hard voice came from the doorway as a tall teen with livid bruising across his face limped in.
“Theo.” Hermione groaned. “Why are you here?”
“Oh I don't know,” he scoffed, “Something to do with a message saying my girlfriend was missing and had I seen her?” Hermione flushed, “What the fuck were you thinking?”
“I've already had this lecture,” she muttered.
“And you’ll be getting it again!” he hissed, “Andromeda is going to murder you.”
She went pale, staring at him in horror, “Who told Andy?”
“Who do you think?” a woman's clipped voice came from the doorway. “Hello darling, it’s nice to see you're not dead. Of course, you pull another stunt like your little trip here and I will be forced to rectify that.”
“What is going on?” Wilson demanded.
“Andromeda Tonks,” Andy held out her hand, “Hermione's guardian,” she nodded at Theo, “The boyfriend we’re not sure we approve of and…” she waited, smirking as Harry barreled through the door, gasping, “I tried…” “And the brother.”
“Dr House, do you intend to get to know your daughter in any way?” Kingsley sighed.
House’s eyes slid to Hermione, watching as she relieved her brother of the baby he was carrying. “You have a child?”
“No.” she replied shortly, “I do not.”
“Dr House!”
“If I say no?” he asked.
“Then we’ll leave you to it,” Kingsley sighed, standing.
“I didn't say no.” he countered. “I was asking what you'd do if I did.”
“Stop.” Houses’ eyebrows rose at the hard eyed boy who had spoken,. “Whatever games you want to play, stop. We’ve all had enough of those.”
What happened to your face?”
“My father was less impressed with my choice of girlfriend than Hermione's guardians were with her choosing me.”
“Good god,” Wilson murmured, “Your father did that to you.”
Theo shrugged, “He's dead now he won't be doing it again.”
Kingsley groaned in defeat as Wilson's jaw dropped. “You killed him?”
“Actually, I did.” Hermione countered, her face hard.
There was a ringing silence, before, “Should I be worried?” House quipped.
“Do you intend to try and murder me?”
“Not today.”
“Then I imagine you’ll be fine.”
“Hermione!” Kingsley scolded. “For the love of Merlin. You two,” he gestured between House and Wilson, “Are you together?”
“Together?” Wilson spluttered as House beamed, “Yes.” he wrapped an arm around Wilson's waist.
“No, you're not.” Theo sighed, “Which I assume means we need to deal with the other one.”
“Deal with me?”
“You shouldn't be here.”
“Then lets pretend he’s not,” House countered.
“Sorry, can’t.” Theo dismissed.
“Is this where you murder me?” he checked.
“Not today,” Andromeda murmured, raising her wand. “Obliviate.”