By Reason Of Birth

a/n I had contemplated writing this before, but I couldn't think of what to write. But then lvswtht left a review asking about it and the inspiration came, so this chapter is for her!... oh, and since i forgot to post here for so long, i think i'm going to post a couple chapters now, lol.

The Interview

The next morning at breakfast, an owl arrived for Hermione. She opened it, sighing and rolling her eyes as she read the enclosed letter. It was from Rita Skeeter, requesting an interview for that day. Hermione handed the letter off to her parents to see what they thought about it.

Caoilinn made a disgusted noise as she read the request, knowing that Skeeter would write whatever she felt like, no matter what the truth was. Brisco was pretty much of the same mind, also remembering all of the slanderous stories they had read of their daughter that had been penned by the woman.

He had been surprised that Skeeter hadn't had much to say on the demise of the Dark Lord other than the same thing that everyone else had been writing at the time; no nasty comments or anything of the like, just an account from a witness of the Final Battle.

"What do you think, Hermione?" he asked, not knowing if she would even be willing to sit an interview with the woman.

"I might as well get it over with," she sighed. "I'm just surprised she didn't ask sooner, to tell you the truth."

"You have no problems with being interviewed by Ms. Skeeter?" Caoilinn asked, knowing how the woman worked.

"None whatsoever," Hermione replied, a mischievous look in her eyes. "She wants an interview as soon as possible. How about this morning? Caoilinn, would you mind sitting with us?"

"No, not at all," Caoilinn smiled, glad to be invited since she planned on being there no matter what. There was no way she was going to leave Hermione and Skeeter alone.

Two hours later, Rita knocked on the front door and waited until a house-elf answered it. The lone reporter was led into Brisco's office, having been informed that she could not bring her photographer.

Hermione had taken pains to make everything perfect for Rita's arrival. Both she and Caoilinn were wearing fancy casual robes, her hair and make-up perfectly manicured. On Brisco's desk she had parchment and a Quick Quotes Quill of her own, that was charmed to only write exactly what was said. Next to the parchment was the glass jar she had kept the reporter in two summers before, greatly confusing the Nott matriarch.

Rita walked into the office to see Hermione sitting sublimely behind Brisco's overlarge desk, looking perfectly at home. Caoilinn was seated in a chair off to the side, near the small fireplace that could only be used for Floo calls, as it was too small for traveling.

Hermione stood up and slid around the desk, extending her hand to the blonde woman. "Ms. Skeeter, have you met my mother, Caoilinn Nott?" she asked, motioning to Caoilinn. The two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries as Hermione sat back behind the desk.

Rita sat in a chair in front of the desk and started to pull out her own parchment and quill when Hermione stopped her. "Ms. Skeeter, I am sure you are aware that there are... stipulations... to this interview. You will be using the parchment and quill that I have prepared for you," Hermione motioned to the desk, drawing Rita's eyes not only to the parchment, but her former habitat as well.

The reporter's eyes went wide for a moment before she quickly composed herself. "I understand," she replied, glancing back to Caoilinn, who looked slightly curious. "Can we start?"

"I'm ready when you are."

"Miss Granger-"

"Nott," Hermione interrupted.

Rita nodded, having been testing the girl to see whether or not she would be corrected, and how long it would take. "Miss Nott, how long have you known about your parentage?"

"Since the eighth, so eight days today."

"What was your reaction to learning that you were adopted and your that you were not only a pureblood, but that you had a twin brother you had known since starting Hogwarts?"

"I have always known I was adopted. I was taken aback by their identities, but the shock wore off after I started to get to know them. I have never had issues with Theo. I'm sure you recall that he was never one to pass information or gossip along, unlike many of his Hogwarts house mates."

"If you have always known you were adopted, did you try to learn who your real parents were and why they didn't want you?"

"I did not try and learn who my birth parents were. No one ever said they didn't want me; and that will be the end of that line of questioning."

Rita looked put out for a moment, but continued on, never being one to give up control, or in the case of Hermione Nott, never again. "Were you put up for public adoption or were the Grangers chosen to be your guardians for any particular reason? Was it because they were Muggles?"

Hermione opened her mouth, but Caoilinn answered in her stead. "We knew who she was going to and that they would take excellent care of her. They were chosen for a variety of reasons that you will never learn."

Rita was wishing dreadfully for her own quill, just to fill in the blanks, but one glance at the glass jar knocked the notion right out of her head. Truth be told, she was lucky to be the first person interviewing Hermione Nott since her introduction into pureblood society, even if it wasn't on her own terms.

"Hermione-Miss Nott," she amended at the look on the young woman's face. "You are well-known for being friends, and possibly more, with Harry Potter, the Saviour of the Wizarding World. How has he felt about the news that his Muggleborn best friend is really a pureblood?"

"Harry is my friend and has never been more, despite what you yourself have printed. He will stand behind me in anything I do, and with any changes in my life, as I will for him. It's what friends do."

"How is Harry doing after the fall of You-Know-Who? Has he-"

"I have answered the only question I intend to about my friends. This interview is about me and my family, not about them. If you have nothing else to ask, then Mipsy can show you out."

"I understand that you have personally known our new Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, for almost two years now. What are your feelings on his new policies and where he is trying to take the Wizarding World? Do they differ from the opinions of your family and if so, how?" Rita asked in rapid succession.

"I have known Minister Shacklebolt for a couple of years, but you are not going to print that. Here is what you may print: I believe that he will do wonders for the Ministry and public morale in general. He cannot be bought and he stands firm in his beliefs and that is something that this country needs at the moment. I stand behind him one hundred percent and wish the best for him and everyone else working to make our world a better place to live."

"And the opinions of your family?"

"That would be for them to say, not me. Rita, I think we're done here, don't you?"

Rita narrowed her eyes. "I also want to interview your mother for her perspective on how she thinks the Wizarding world is going to take this news. After all, Miss Nott, you are a well-known young woman and this will be big news."

Once again, before Hermione could protest, Caoilinn responded for her. "That would be fine, Ms. Skeeter, though you must realize that more than likely I will not be answering most of your questions."

Rita didn't answer, she just started in on her new barrage of questions, now facing Caoilinn. Fifteen minutes later, Rita was escorted off the property, Hermione quite happy that nothing would be printed she would be overly upset about. She knew Rita would still probably try and get in a dig or two, but she had greatly withheld the woman's quill.