The Divided Dragon - A Dramione Fanfic

New Heights

Hermione was sure she looked as confused as she felt. One minute she had been asking what it was like to grow up in a magical family and then in the next Tracey and Ron had been shouting at each other. Mentally she reviewed every word that had just been spoken until she hit on the pivotal moment.

"Do your parents know about Malfoy? About who you're associating with?" Tracey asked.

Ron frowned, "Of course they know. Why wouldn't they?"

"Oh, I just never imagined they'd be alright with..." Tracey trailed off and made a gesture with her hand.

Ron's face grew red, "What?"

Tracey shrugged and Hermione began to get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, though she couldn't say why. "You know, what with his family history and your family history...not really compatible, is it? I mean, families fall from position all the time, but to go that far—"

Ron's face had been rapidly growing redder and at these words he exploded like a popped balloon. "Oh! Like you're one to talk!"

"Tracey..." Hermione started before growing silent, unsure of what to exactly to say. She didn't really understand what had set Ron off. Had her new friend said something terrible? Or was Ron just easily hurt? Sadly, Hermione didn't know either of them well enough to figure it out. So, instead, she cast Harry a pleading look, hoping he could help her figure this out. Unfortunately, he only looked as confused as she did.

"I never meant..." Tracey said softly, her eyes following the two Hufflepuff boys as they headed towards the castle.

"You never meant what?" Harry asked.

Tracey shook her head and stood up straight, "It doesn't matter. Ron can think what he wants. I know what I meant. And I didn't mean what he apparently thought he meant. I didn't mean anything bad. I was just asking questions."

"Shouldn't you apologize?" Hermione asked. "I mean, if you really didn't mean to imply Malfoy was bad for the Weasleys? Just explain it was a misunderstanding."

"No. It doesn't really matter. It's not like we have to share a class with them. Harry can be friends with Malfoy and I'll just avoid Weasley when possible. I'm not going to explain myself. A Selwyn never does."

Personally Hermione was sure that wasn"t the best idea. It would be better to apologize and get it all over with. Explanations always solved problems. She opened her mouth to say as much, but Harry spoke before she could.

"A Selwyn? I thought you were a Davis?"

Tracey grimaced, "Legally my name is Tracey Marie Selwyn-Davis. My mother is Lady Selwyn and I'm the Heiress of Selwyn."

That piqued Hermione's curiosity enough to temporarily set aside the storming off of the two Hufflepuff boys. "You're the heiress? Do you have no brothers? Is magical inheritance for nobility agnatic-cognatic or absolute cognatic? I assume it's primogeniture?"

"Ag-what?" Harry asked, looking completely out of his depth.

"Agnatic-Cognatic Primogeniture means girls inherit only if they have no brothers. The royal family is like that. Though there has been talk of changing it to Absolute-Cognatic Primogeniture, which means that the oldest child, no matter their gender, inherits. Some countries are Agnatic Primogeniture, so only boys can inherit. Like the Imperial Family of Japan," Hermione explained, quite proud of that book she'd read last summer on noble and royal inheritance around the world.

Tracey made a face, "Technically the magical world is Agnatic-Cognatic, but the Selwyn family has always been Absolute-Cognatic. Before my mother the husbands changed their name if they married the Selwyn Heir."