The Secret Riddle {Wattys2017}

2: Home

~ Hermione ~

"Am I moving in with you now?" I asked Arabella, my biological mother.

If I am that means I'm moving in with her and my biological father, Lord Voldemort himself.

"Yes, you are. At least for the night. You do have Hogwarts tomorrow" Arabella smiles brightly at me.

"Oh, okay. Can I gather my things?" I asked.

"Yes, of course" Arabella nodded.

I sat up and nearly dashed up the steps and into my bedroom. I'm Voldemorts bloody daughter and I'm moving in with him. What has my life become? What would Harry and Ron say if they found out? They don't need to know, do they? If I don't tell them they couldn't possibly find out...unless other people know. What if other people know. Voldemort's right-hand man must know and that's Severus Snape. Or Lucius Malfoy. What if both of them know?

I closed my bedroom door and surveyed the room for things that I couldn't possibly live without. This was going to be a slightly hard process, picking things that I couldn't live without from a lifetimes worth of possessions and keepsakes.

Thank Merlin most of my important belongings were already packed and ready to go for Hogwarts tomorrow. I open my slightly over-stuffed trunk and shove in a few more books and my favorite pictures. I delicately place my wand in my trunk before closing it for second time this summer.

After ten minutes I'm ready to go but instead of going downstairs, I sit down on my bed for the last time. I would be leaving this place and never coming back. I would never see Mum or Dad again. The mere thought made tears spring up, ones that I let slide down my face.

I spent a good fifteen minutes crying. After I was done, I try to rub the redness away from my eyes and wipe the tears from my face. I grab my trunk and open my bedroom door. I look around my room one last time before leaving. For the last time.

I lightly walk down the stairs and into the living room. Arabella, Mum, and Dad were quietly sitting in the living room. Waiting for me it seemed.

Mum and Dad looked as if they had been crying and Arabella looked as if she could barely contain her joy. For what though? Me? I am her only child and she hasn't seen me for nearly fifteen long years.

Arabella rises from the couch when I enter the room, Mum and Dad quickly following suit. Mum approached me first. She walked over to me and pulled me into a bone-crushing embrace. I hug her back but with significantly less force.

"We love you" She whispers into my ear before pulling away.

Dad hugs me for a few seconds less then Mum and doesn't say anything.

Arabella is already waiting next to the front door. I walk over to her after my farewells with Mum and Dad are done.

"Farewell, Mr and Mrs Granger. Thank you for protecting her" Arabella says.

She flashes the couple a bright smile before pulling open the front door. She walks outside and I follow her, closing the door behind us.

"Your father and I have been staying in a manor in the countryside. It's quite lovely, I think you'll enjoy it during the time you're there" Arabella says.

She sticks her hand out for me to grad. Side-Along Apparation. I grab her hand and I immediately feel the tug of the Apparation. I make sure to keep a tight hold on my trunk so I don't lose it and all of my belongings.

In the matter of seconds we arrive at the manor. It's a Victorian style manor and it seems to be a little smaller than Malfoy Manor. The manor is surrounded by sprawling hills and forests.

The discomfort from the Side-Along Apparation left almost instantly as I looked at the manor in awe. It's beautiful.

You could almost say it looked like a image from a book, perfect in nearly every way. Except for the black outer walls and almost all of the shades are drawn in the windows.

"Welcome home, Madeline" Arabella said.

Madeline Jade Riddle.

My real name.

My choice.