The Dark Lioness

Chapter 1

Long unruly oxyn black hair bled from her fingers. Smooth pearl white hands touched her face, giving the most gentle caress.

"Hermione."

Hermione jumped with a startle as she was shaken awake by her mother. Hermione looked at the woman through sleep glazed hazel eyes. Her mother gave her an encouraging smile,urging her to wake up. "Darling have a shower. The Weasleys will be expecting you at about half ten on wednesday.Your father and I have something to discuss with you later on. Hermione,dear?" Called Mrs Granger as her teenage daughter was in the bathroom. "You may want to sort out your extra appendage. Clearly you were having a good dream." Hermione heard the smirk in her mother's words and groaned.

As she went into her shower she whacked her forehead against the shower head. 'Weird. I must have had a growth spurt.' Hermione pondered during her shower.

"Mum, I need more clothes I think I had a growth spurt." Hermione stated as she sat at the kitchen table. Her mother scanned her daughter whilst standing from the kitchen stove. "Dear God Hermione!You're taller than me and I'm 5ft 7!" Hermione blushed and thanked her mother for the pancakes she was handed. "Darling,are you aware that you need to look in the mirror?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows and headed to the mirror in the lounge. As she walked into the lounge her jaw dropped. 

Her face had lost all signs of baby fat. Her cheeks bones were more pronounced, her skin now held a natural glow making her look more enticing. Her hair was now an ebony colour and was resting behind her shoulders in gentle waves. Her eyes glowed a beautiful emerald colour,framed with long eyelashes. Her frame was more feminine but held an air of masculinity that was almost unnoticeable. Her curves were fuller. 

Hermione looked at her mum in shock. When Hermione moved her hand up to touch her face she noticed her arm muscle was far more pronounced than it was before. She touched her abdomen and gasped. She slightly lifted her top and saw that she had defined abs with a 'V' line as most muggles called it. She turned her head slightly and saw she had a very defined jawline. 

After she got to grip with her new changes she sat back at the table and began finishing her waffles in shocked silence. Her mum looked at her and smiled. Jean was hoping that she would understand the news they were going to tell her. 

"Good morning my darlings," Mr Granger said as he kissed both of them on their foreheads and sat down with a mug of coffee. "Morning Dad." Hermione greeted after her mouth full of pancakes were swallowed. "Hermione you look.. Wow. Jean are you sure this is our daughter?" Mr Granger asked looking at his wife.
She smirked,"considering I had to wake her up and tell her to sort out her not-so-little friend she most definitely is our daughter." They all heard a choke as Hermione just choked on her morning tea. "Muuum!" 

After breakfast was finished,the small family sat in the lounge reading. "Mum you said earlier that you and Dad wanted to talk to me about something." Jean laughed as she looked at her daughter with love shining in her eyes. Mr Granger laughed as well as he saw the usual gleam of intellectual curiosity reside in emerald eyes. "Well we know you love it when we tell you things in a seemingly irrelevant story... so that's what we'll do.

So it was the night of the 20th of september 1982. Me and your dad were in bed when we heard a knock at our door. I went down and opened the door to find no one there. I looked down when I heard a little snuffling sound. 

I looked down and saw a small bundle of blankets with these little green eyes looking at me. I called your dad and he came rushing down. We both fell in love with the little bundle of blankets and knew we had to adopt the beautiful little child wrapped in them. Since then we've been blessed to have been called mother and father by our little girl. 

When we found you on the doorstep there was a box placed within the blanket." Jean pulled the box out from the cabinet under her stairs. "These belong to you. The person who left the box also wrote a letter. They left a separate letter for us and we made sure that you got these when you turned 17. We know that you aren't the age just yet but we know the time turner turned you a year older so now's the right time." 

Hermione knew that she was adopted and had heard the tale a few times. With shaking hands she reached towards the letter and slowly opened the wax seal. Unfolding the letter she took a deep breath and calmed her raging nerves before reading. 
 
'My darling Hermione,
I am deeply sorry that I can't give you all the parental love you need. For this I am deeply grateful for the people who have taken you in,and it is my deepest hope they have treated you as their own. 
I am not going to make excuses or try to persuade you into believing I am a good person. I have done many things all for 'the greater good.' I can only hope that this finds you well and safe. However I will tell you all about how you came to be.. Without the sex parts.' 

Hermione could envision a smirk on the persons face as she read the last part. She traced over the slightly shaky cursive writing. It was so similar to Hermione's yet was very different but familiar. 'The greater good? There is only one person who has ever said that... at least that I know of.' 

'It all started when I was in my last year at a special school called Hogwarts. I realised I loved woman as a man would (assuming a straight man,a homosexual may be sickened at seeing woman in that light). I fell deeply in love with a being of special blood. My more primal side would lately realise they were my soul mate. I spent a long time accepting myself and eventually told my mentor. After I graduated there was a war of which I  was held captive. 

I was convinced I would die. After the war was over I began my masteries and achieved a grade 5 in my field as well as several awards for my creation as several.. sp- specific things.' 

 "Spells?"   Hermione wondered out loud as she read the crossed out 'sp'. "Must be," she reasoned.

'A few months later I began teaching at my old institute. My old mentor became my best friend as I began to deal with my PTSD and other various conditions.

After several years the woman I fell in love with returned as a teacher as well. We became friends and I slowly convinced her to let me court her. A few years after we married, and it was the most amazing experience of my life.

You my beautiful kitten are the result of our love bonding. However, I want you to know that even though I do not know your adoptive surname I know you still have the name we chose. Hermione.

Your mother and I love you dearly.

When you were a 3 years old your mother was killed in a raid by a few 'friends'. It turns out my old mentor had sent them to kill all of us as there are several things our family had acquired through blood. We all fought but you and I were the only survivors. 

After the raid I took you several different places making sure they didn't know where we were. I calmed you to sleep than went to a close house I believed would look out for you. They were your adopted parents.

After I dropped you off I went to the man I had currently been fighting against. He was called Tom Riddle but changed his name after calling himself Lord Voldemort. 

I pledged my loyalty to him but kept that a secret only three others other than me and him know of this. Now you know. I have been kept in contact with my old mentor playing my part of spy very well. He believes he is my best friend and thinks I don't know that he was the one who ordered the attack on us. 

I just hope you know I love you so much as did your mother. 

I hope to see you again one day my beautiful daughter,
Love your Máthair.'

Sitting stunned,Hermione reread the letter making sure she had read right. Hermione can already guess who it was and has deduced the reason to why they have never spoken as anything other than mentor/student,is the simple fact that she doesn't know. Hermione looked up at her par.. Adopted parents and looked back at the letter. "I know who she is.. Minerva McGonagall." 
The the Granger's had their mouths agape. 

"You figured it out how? We had no idea who she was." 
"There was scottish gaelic in there as well as a famous Dumbledore quote 'greater good'. Just a guess." Mr Granger looked at her before something dawned on him. "She was the one that told us you were a witch right?" After her nod of confirmation he continued, "then how come she has only ever talked to you as a student?" Jean nodded in agreement with her husband. 
"Well I can only guess that she doesn't know."