The Cat & The Canary

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - MEETING A MATRIARCH

Hermione sips lightly from her pitcher of Butterbeer as she sat at her lonely table in one of the corners of the Three Broomsticks - for once, she was without her siblings. Neville's Parents got permission to take him for a family outing, imagine everyone's surprise when the Longbottoms come into the Great Hall and took their son for a long-overdue family trip - it was Friday and he would be gone for 2 days. During those 2 days, Luna and her Father were working on some new articles for the next few issues of the Quibbler; this left Hermione alone. Her parents were still getting everything sorted out but they offered for her to join them, she declined - she had work on her end to take care of herself. At the moment, she had nothing to. She left Hogwarts after Ginevra tried to seduce her and Pansy Parkinson tried to get her into Draco's Pro-Pureblood Group; it was annoying and insulting. Hermione needed to get away and that was why she was here - at Diagon Alley in the Three Broomsticks having a nice cold Butterbeer.

Hermione's Knzeale Ears darted around picking up on any and every sound: glasses clinking against each other or on the wooden tables, conversations, the crackling of the fire and the latest sound - the door opening. Hermione's nose twitched at a familiar scent, opening one of her eyes she felt her ears dart back in aggression as the fur on her tail puffed up; she could feel a growl rumbling in her throat but she kept to down in hopes to remained unseen but the person's eyes landed on her ears and they smirked, knowing she was there before making their way over to her.

"Good Evening, Miss Granger." The voice called out. Hermione lightly scoffed.

"Lady Malfoy." Hermione's deep voice rode out on a growl as the smiling face of the Malfoy Family Matriarch stood before her; Hermione's hand clenched the handle of the Butterbeer's Pitcher as the black-blonde haired woman sat in the empty chair before her, making herself comfortable.

"I must say, I didn't expect to see you here today but I'm not complaining. I've been meaning to talk to you since my son sent me a very interesting letter." Narcissa smiled as she leaned on her elbows on the table, her eyes trained on Hermione's lightly flustered buzzed face. Hermione closed her eyes before she raised the glass to her lips again but spoke before she sipped.

"What does Draco's Letter have to do with me?" Hermione huffed before she gulped her drink. Her uninvited guest smiled wider and chuckled.

"I know of your true lineage, Miss Granger; however, I don't think I should even call you that. That name is beneath you, possessing 4 powerful names and you still go by the name of your old life; why is that?" Narcissa asked with a raised eyebrow. Hermione opened her eyes, that were now glowing a light hue of yellow before she placed her drink down.

"My Business has nothing to do with your, Madame Malfoy." Hermione hissed at Narcissa, who just waved off her obvious anger.

"There's no need to be so formal, Hermione. Just call me 'Narcissa', after all; you are Draco's God-Sister; we're almost like family." Narcissa's eyes gleamed with a slight desire but Hermione was not happy.

"I would never be a member of your damn family, Malfoy. I know about what Bellatrix was going to do to me." Hermione's eyes narrowed, Narcissa's matched her before he woman exhaled and looked off.

"Bella only wanted what was best for you." Narcissa whispered.

"It was not her place to ask Voldemort to have me. To raise me as her own to replace the one she lost. I was not hers to make plans for!" Hermione's rant was broken off with the sound of a chair being pulled out and a harsh slap to her right cheek. Hermione bolted from her seat, spilling her Butterbeer, glaring and hissing at the woman who just struck her.

"You...You do not talk about Bellatrix like that or Delphi; you don't take about them like them. You..." Narcissa exhaled before she looked at Hermione with the Pureblood stare before she spoke again. 

"You were meant to be ours, Hermione; your existence should have been brought up in the House of Black and you would have been the Perfect Heir. Bellatrix would have been a perfect mother and I..." Narcissa's hand reached out and gently caressed Hermione's right cheek as she looked into the girl's eyes. 

"I would have been a great aunt to you, My Little Heiress." That remark was met with Narcissa grunting in pain as she drew her hand back and cupped it in the other, she looked at the 3 fresh dripping claw marks on the back of her hand before she looked at Hermione, who was looking at the red tips of her claws. Hermione said nothing as she grabbed the satchel that was sitting beside her on the floor and walked away, bumping shoulders with the Malfoy Matriarch as she left the Three Broomsticks.

Narcissa looked at the door, then at her hand before she lightly chuckled to herself. "My Little Heiress...Bella will have you. I will make sure of that."

- Deep in the Hall of Azkaban -

The tangled black mane of a woman chained to the wall by her wrists and the floor by her ankles sat against the wall across from her door; the well of voices whispering different things in her mind - about her lord, about her sister, about the one that escaped her. Eventually, the voices slowed as the 2 men guarding her door began speaking.

"Did you hear that Alice and Frank Longbottom are cured, now?" The first asked. This caused the woman to raise her eyebrow; 'cured'? Impossible.

"Yeah. It was in the Quibbler. Some girl used family magic to cure them. I think the sire name of Saber-Lobos." The second spoke. The woman's eyes widened again at the mention of that name - the same name of that woman who took away what was rightfully hers.

"Yeah. I heard that she's the Brightest Witch of her Age - Hermione Granger. She was friends with Harry Potter and the Weasley Family until they abandoned her because of her Knzeale Features." That...Girl...That Name...

"My Baby..." The woman's face contorted into a wide grin as wicked joy filled her and let loose a wild and loud echoing cackle. "MY BABY HAS RETURNED TO ME!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! MOMMA'S COMING, MY PRECIOUS GEM! I'LL SAVE YOU FROM EVERYTHING!!!" 

QUESTIONS?
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A/N: (Appears out of a cloud of smoke): Greetings, Frosty Pups. Amaterasu No Mangaka, Speaking. Do you have a question or request for a potential one-shot? Hit me up in either the Comment Box or PM me and I will see what magic I can work. Later! (Disappears)