Chapter Text
“I think it’s best if we break up Hermione. I want kids, a family…”
Hermione didn’t know exactly what she said but Ron stood up and walked away. She was still sitting in the booth at the Leaky Cauldron pub numb from shock and humiliation. She was fairly confident no one had heard them speak but she also knew Ron had no sense of discretion. Within a couple of hours most of their friends and acquaintances would know. Within a few days it would be in the Daily Prophet and complete strangers would know.
Carefully she removed a few sickles from her purse, to cover the tea and pasties, then she stood up and hurried out, making her way to St Mungos. She needed to know why.
~ooOoo~
It took several weeks and a whole slew of specialized tests before Hermione received an answer from a Dark Arts specialist Healer. And it wasn’t a pretty one.
“You mentioned you were hit by a purple curse cast by Antonin Dolohov when you were sixteen.”
Hermione nodded. “Madame Pomfrey healed it. I needed to take a set of three potions over the summer as well.”
Healer Dreyfuss nodded. “The curse is an obscure one designed to instantly kill Light oriented wix. Not one would survive it.”
Hermione went still. “He cast it wandlessly.”
“It doesn’t matter. It also causes severe damage in Dark oriented wix. In a few rare cases the survivors recover stronger than they were before. Your Merlin index tripled after that incident.”
“I had a magical maturity when I turned seventeen.”
“It couldn’t have caused such a significant increase in your power levels.”
“So I’m Dark oriented?”
Healer Dreyfuss gave her a kindly look. “Most likely yes. I would recommend keeping the information confidential. I’m certain you are well aware most would not take kindly to it.”
Hermione nodded wordlessly because she understood. Her lower lip quivered as she struggled to control her emotions. “What do I need to know?”
“I’m going to discuss the effects of the curse only. I strongly suggest you reach out to anyone you know from the Darker families, someone who can give you advice and lessons. There are reasons for the older traditions, to help the Darker oriented wix remain stable and in control.”
“Would Andromeda Tonks know? She was born in the Black Family.”
“Yes, she would have received the necessary training. If you believe she can be trusted, to keep your secrets, I would talk to her. If you cannot find anyone let me know. I will look abroad to find a suitable tutor.”
“I will. After. But what about Dolohov’s curse? Why can’t I have children? Did it make me infertile? Madame Pomfrey did not say anything about that!”
Healer Dreyfuss sighed. “It is not common knowledge. Only a Dark Magic specialist would know, but if victims aren’t treated promptly their innate magic shifts towards the Dark end of the spectrum; a witch’s fertility is strongly linked to her magic.”
“Which means what?”
“Your magic becomes resistant to the average wizard, you cannot conceive with them. It’s why Dark families marry among themselves; marriage to a Light family would be barren.”
Hermione’s eyes widened in shock because this made a lot more sense than the prejudice everyone was always spouting about. Though prejudice was also a factor.
“So I should try to find a husband from a Dark family?” she asked.
“Unfortunately it won’t work in your case. The curse was left without the correct purification treatment to reverse the damage. You cannot conceive with a wizard, even a Dark one.”
There was something in his phrase that made Hermione frown. “But there are possible partners who I can conceive with,” she deduced.
He inclined his head. “Yes. Dark creatures.”
Hermione recoiled reflexively before forcing herself to think logically, not emotionally.
“A werewolf?”
“You would be at risk of being infected and Turned. I would recommend seeking a vampire. One from an established coven.”
“How is a vampire that better than a werewolf as a potential partner?”
“There is historical precedent, treaties. And covens tend to be wealthy and powerful, more capable of supporting and defending you and any children. Purebloods used the curse on their daughters before offering them to covens to seal alliances. This was before it was made illegal and the treaties were modified to keep vampires out of the enclaves.”
The knowledge that vampires could have children with witches, that they had in the distant past, before being forced out of the enclaves by the Ministry, it did not surprise her. The Ministry and most of magical society were so rigid in what was acceptable-good-moral. Hermione didn’t care about morality, not when it would keep her from becoming a mother. She hadn’t realised how much she wanted it until she had been told it was not possible.
“The treaties… do you know where I can find out more about them? Secretly of course.”
“I would recommend Gringotts. For a fee you can access their public archives. They are less slanted in their record-keeping.”
~ooOoo~
Hermione retreated from her social circle, burying herself in work, her lessons with Andromeda Tonks, and researching in the main Gringotts archive. The goblins had been surprised when she filled the forms and submitted her request with the fee. Wix never requested access though it was available as per a grandfathered clause from one of the older treaties negotiated.
Hermione spent weeks going through the records, making friends with the junior archivists. In it she found information about horcruxes, how to track and destroy them. Information that could have saved Dumbledore. In a fit of spite she was pleased; pleased that the man’s hubris resulted in his death. If he had bothered asking others, sharing information, Bill Weasley could have located this information for the Order before the War even started.
And she also found versions of the old laws, treaties with other magical races, including the vampires. The last set was negotiated with the Volturi Coven of Volterra, Italy. The Vampire Kings had accepted being denied access to the enclaves but they had managed to insert clauses that did not allow any Ministry to interfere if a wix approached the vampires first.
Carefully Hermione finished off her notes and set down her fountain pen and considered the information and her options. The Ministries encouraged the fear and hatred of Dark Creatures until even the Dark oriented wix, their natural allies, started looking down on them. Hogwarts had never provided a good Defense Against Dark Arts education. Information about Dark Creatures was taught rather haphazardly in a clearly incomplete fashion. Hermione needed to do some firsthand observation and to make her own opinion. But first she needed to talk to Andromeda Tonks about her decision.
~ooOoo~
Andromeda Tonks carefully set down her teacup and studied her student in Dark Magic and Rituals. When Hermione had first come to her Andromeda had been skeptical; that is until her own borderline illegal spells confirmed Hermione Granger had a Dark oriented core. Andromeda had been baffled and horrified in turn; baffled because Muggle-borns were always Light or Grey oriented, never Dark; horrified because it was a miracle Hermione had grown up sane and stable, with only a few obsessive compulsive character traits that actually helped her. The lessons had been hidden in the guise of tea and play dates with Teddy, and Hermione had come a long way in four months.
“You’ve made a decision.”
Hermione set her own cup down. “I’m leaving Britain.”
Andromeda nodded. “Of course. Which Coven are you going to approach?”
“The Volturi. I don’t want any misunderstandings and the current Kings are the same ones that negotiated the last treaty. I believe they will honour it.”
“Make sure you think about what you want to ask, what you are looking for in a mate. Decide on these before even meeting with them,” Andromeda advised.
“I will.” A pause. “I’ll miss you. And Teddy.”
“Don’t be silly. Once you settle down we’ll visit at least one weekend a month. You’ll need help when you are closer to your due date. And for the first few months.”
Hermione’s eyes widened and shimmered as she blinked back tears. “Are you sure?”
Andromeda knew Hermione was essentially an orphan. She had been unable to reverse the Obliviate on her parents and the Muggle couple were currently living in Australia, not knowing they had a witch-daughter. They thought Hermione was the daughter of their neighbours from when they had lived in Britain.
“Of course. In fact I’m going to research moving to Italy. The weather is definitely better and it will be nice to not be confronted by painful memories and scandal-mongers.”
“Thank you.” Hermione’s response was simple but heavy with meaning and emotion.
Andromeda nodded sharply and focused on refilling her teacup. She was determined to support Hermione on this new unknown path the younger witch would be taking. Especially since no one else would.