A/N: Hello my darling readers! I'm incredibly excited to unveil the re-written opening chapters of what used to be called "Hermione Adopted?" I do apologize for the re-write having been necessary, but what's done is done. I hope everyone enjoys the new version, and that I can avoid running into any clichés within this particular subcategory of Harry Potter fanfiction.

Without further introduction, I give you the first chapter of " Ties And Lies that Bind Us"

Chapter one: Finding Out

It was an abnormally perfect morning.

Too perfect. Hermione Granger thought as she lay in her bed, enjoying the lingering effects of a good night's sleep.

Ever since she returned home for the summer holidays, sleep had been difficult for Hermione. The events of her fifth year were still plaguing her thoughts, making Hermione a bit restless and anxious to return to the wizarding world. She could only imagine how everyone else, especially Harry, was holding up with the untimely death of Sirius Black looming over their heads like a lone storm cloud.

Today, August 4th, was Hermione's sixteenth birthday (A/N: kindly bear with me on the date. It doesn't make much of a difference if she's a month and 11 days older). While celebrating her birthday was a bittersweet feeling this year, Hermione roused herself from bed and got ready for what would be a quiet birthday with her parents.

While she was deliberating between a skirt and jeans, a series of noisy taps on her window pulled her out of her wardrobe debate.

Perched on her window sill was a snowy white owl with a package in her talons, while a feathery blur fluttered around above her head, also carrying a package.

Hermione couldn't help but smile when she saw the birthday parcels from her friends. With everything going on in the wizarding world, Hermione wasn't expecting anyone to make a big deal out of her birthday, but was thrilled to see that they remembered.

Hermione walked over to the window to let the birds in, Hedwig, the snowy white one who belonged to Hermione's best friend Harry dropped her package on the bed and gracefully glided over to Hermione's desk, and waited for an owl treat. Pig, the small twitchy one, who belonged to Hermione's other best friend, Ron, ditched his package on the ground and continued to flutter around Hermione's room.

Hermione brought the packages to her desk and began to read the cards and open the gifts. From Harry, she received an assortment of Honeydukes sweets and a crimson hooded sweatshirt with gold writing that said "Gryffindor Girl!"From Ron, Hermione was given "Hogwarts, A History special edition, Volume II. As well as a variety of Zonkos products.

Also enclosed in Harry's package, was a response letter to the one she had written him a week or so ago.

Dear Hermione,

I'm doing alright. I won't lie to you and tell you I'm doing just fine, but I'm getting through this summer as best I can. I don't think Sirius would want me to sulk around all the time, so I'm trying not to do that. Being at the Weasleys has helped keep my mind off it. Don't worry, Ron and I are working on our summer assignments… we have almost three of them done! I wish you could come to the Burrow this year, we miss having you around. Hopefully we'll see you at Diagon Alley for school shopping.

Happy Birthday Mione!

--Harry

Not knowing when she'd have an owl again, Hermione quickly wrote a thank-you note back to the two of them, also informing them to owl her when they were going shopping, and that she'd try to make it then.

Sending Hedwig and Pig off, Hermione put her gifts away and finished getting ready for the day. Settling on the dark wash jeans, she paired it with a grey fitted t-shirt with the image of a rose. She let her hair hang loose, pleased that it was finally beginning to relax… at least a little bit anyway. After examining herself one last time she mentally proclaimed herself presentable, and headed downstairs to breakfast.

I wonder what mum is cooking. Whatever it is, it smells delicious.

Hermione smiled to herself. Her mum was a great cook all year round, but on birthdays, she went all out.

When Hermione got to the kitchen, she was not greeted the way she expected to be.

Instead of being her usual cheerful self, Hermione's mum was nearly in tears as she was frying up the French toast.

Her father, instead of calmly sipping his tea and making small talk with his wife, was nervously flipping around in a magazine about new age dentistry which he was holding upside down.

Hermione got the oddest feeling that they were just talking about her before she entered the room.

Unable to make sense of what was going on, Hermione broke the stressed silence with the blunt question.

"Does someone want to tell me what's going on? Did someone die or something?" Please! No more deaths. I don't think I can handle more deaths.

"Oh no dear, it's nothing like that. Everyone's fine." Hermione's mum answered with a fake smile, whilst trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Then what is it?" Hermione prodded.

"Why don't we all sit down and eat your breakfast Hermione. It's your 16th birthday after all." Her father suggested in an equally falsely cheerful tone, completely ignoring her question.

Now I just know something is up. They're never like this.

"Okay, but only if you promise to tell me what's going on, and why you guys are acting so strangely." Hermione argued

"We'll have that discussion after breakfast. For now, dear, let's just enjoy our meal. I made it especially for you." Mrs. Granger recommended weakly.

Hermione considered this for a moment until she finally agreed.

"Fine."

Breakfast went by in complete silence, except for a few muffles sobs that escaped from Hermione's mum, and the rattling of a tea cup being picked up with her father's shaking hands.

Finally the distressing meal was over, and Hermione's growing anxiety was about to be put to an end. Mrs. Granger was fighting a losing battle with her despondent emotions, with tears streaming down her face. And her husband was visibly full of nerves.

"Okay." Hermione started, pushing away her empty plate. "Breakfast is over. Now you promised to tell me what' wrong. So let's have it."

"Well, Hermione dear, there's really no easy way to explain this, but…" Mr. Granger started, only to be cut off by his wife.

"YOU'RE ADOPTED!" Mrs. Granger cried.

A/N: So… I decided to keep the overly dramatic ending, mostly because I have a flair for the theatrics and because what I couldn't come up with anything better… ah well. I made the most changes to the beginning of the chapter. I wanted to create more of a contextual setting for the story. The original posted version, I believe, didn't achieve this and I was worried it came off a little too fluffy, like nothing bad had happened in Hermione's life recently, and sadly that's not true (R.I.P. Sirius!) Anyway, I hope my previous readers like this re-written chapter, and that any new readers are enjoying themselves as well. If you are a new reader and you have no idea what this incredibly long rambling author's note is about, here's the "Reader's Digest" version: This story used to be called "Hermione Adopted?". I decided to do a re-write to make things clearer and to fix some of my poorer sections of writing. I also changed the title to something more creative. That's pretty much it.

In other news: I positively ADORE getting comments and messages from my readers, so please…humor me. The re-write of chapter 2 should be up sometime this weekend.. latest Monday evening (I have some school work I really ought to be doing).

XOXO

Dreamysilverdragon08