Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I make no money from writing this story.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Snape asked without letting her in or even fully opening the door. His tone implied that the pleasure was dubious at best. His hair was shining wish grease and his robes were rumpled and stained with something green. In other words, Bella felt ridiculously underappreciated and immediately wanted to lash out. Then she remembered the reason she was doing this, reinforced her Occlumency shields and let a carefully measured portion of her indignation show on her face.
"If I say I was in the area and bored, will you let me in?" she raised an eyebrow. "Or will you entertain me right here, on your doorstep?"
Snape simply shrugged and turned away, leaving the door open behind him. Bella stepped into the crumpled shack he called home, slightly regretting the missed opportunity to brush up on her ward-cracking skills.
Frowning disdainfully in the direction of the gray sofa in the living room she followed the retreating figure of her friend to his potions laboratory in the basement behind the bookcase. After a couple of thorough cleaning and freshening charms she situated herself in the single chair watching as Snape resumed slicing whatever that was on his cutting board with quick but measured motions.
An hour passed by, with Bella pondering her truly superb plan and the many benefits she could rip from it in the long run, while Snape continued his work in silence.
Finally, after finishing his last fifty stirs, the long haired wizard turned to his guest.
"Are you sufficiently entertained then, Bella?"
"I must say, your skills in this area leave a lot to be desired, dear Severus," the witch answered after stretching her stiff muscles and yawning loudly. "But I will let it pass this time. I actually come to you with a proposition of sorts. I'm certain you'll be very interested." She couldn't resist a giggle at this, but quickly got herself together again.
Severus Snape just shook his head and sighed, ascending the stairs. This conversation would likely require some strong drinks. Meaning coffee for him and thyme tea for Bellatrix, which he stored for some reason even though this was the first time she visited Spinner's End in years. He absently cleaned himself up with his wand and poured the drinks. If he was honest with himself, it was mildly pleasant to have a visitor for the first time since his latest falling out with his best friend. Severus didn't mind solitude in general but in his current mood it was grating. His circle of acquaintances wasn't wide enough and unfortunately most of them liked Lily more than him. It's not like he wasn't subjected to the same bias though.
"How is your Nahuatl by the way?" Bellatrix asked after sipping her tea for several minutes. In true Bella fashion the question came out of nowhere and it took Severus some time to formulate his answer.
"Ancient Aztec runes?" he clarified. "I do not know them, as you are surely aware. Why? Just to be clear, I'm not going to the colonies with you again. I still like all of my limbs attached. You'll have to make do with the people mad enough to follow you. I wish you and Crouch my best."
Bellatrix rubbed her golden hand absently and Severus regretted his choice of words. After glaring at him reproachfully for a few moments, the curly haired witch responded.
"As if I would wish to deal with your whining for the duration of another trip. For a wizard who dueled Riddle and lived to tell the tale, you have the least adventurous spirit I have ever seen. Fortunately for you, I only require your potion expertise, since the tablets in my possession seem to describe an obscure recipe. As for the language, I have a firm grasp of it myself."
Severus leaned in, curious despite himself. "What kind of a recipe?"
Bella was trying hard not to appear smug. "Let's just say I know for a fact that it's something you've been struggling with for years."
Severus winced, never the one to be reminded of his failures. However Bellatrix found out about his little problem, her offer seemed too good to be true.
"And what is the price, may I ask? For the tablets and for your assistance with the translation?"
Bellatrix waived her good hand in the air, seemingly unaffected by the serious turn of their conversation.
"We will share credit when you eventually make the discovery public, of course. And any profits you may make before that."
Severus frowned. Something wasn't right here. He knew Bella for years, decades even, and she cared little for money or fame, or at least not when it came to research. He stared in her eyes expectantly. They were almost evenly matched in the mind arts and never attempted covert Legilimency on each other. Bellatrix was the first to end their mundane staring contest. She shrugged.
"I would like the entire first cauldron of the potion for myself."
His best estimation for the brewing time was two months. Bella's request seemed just outrageous enough to be genuine.
"I'll have to think about this, Bella," he said.
Bellatrix clapped her hands and got up. Everything went smoothly, as was to be expected, and she was ready for the next stage of her plan.
"Good, then we agree on the terms. I will be here promptly at seven every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. I expect the potion to be ready by the end of the August."
Severus shook his head. "I never said I agree. I do have other projects right now."
"Nothing truly important, I'm sure," Bellatrix dismissed. She offered her good hand and looked at him. Eventually, Severus surrendered and shook it. Her palm was dry and unnaturally warm. He would never understand the older witch. Come to think of it, women in general continued to baffle him. That was his last thought before Bellatrix with no further ceremony strolled out of his house and apparated silently away.
"So, how are your holidays going?"
Bella was reclining in a very comfortable chair and flicking through the endless muggle 'tee-vee' channels with her wand. The living room was airy and well lit. The whole house, if on a smaller side, looked inviting and well cared for, unlike the one she visited recently.
"As well as can be expected."
Lily Potter was sitting in another chair arranged around a small coffee table and nursing some colorful beverage. The younger witch was not looking her best, and her latest fight with Snape was likely not the only reason. Lily was starting to gain weight, her hair was carelessly thrown into a ponytail and she had bags under her eyes. In other words, she let herself go. Getting a messy divorce could do that to a person, especially if said person felt like she wasted twenty years with no children and no money to show for it. Keeping the Potter name was the only concession she was provided with. Probably as a joke, since Professor Potter was such a nice alliteration and it's not like there was going to be another Potter teaching at Hogwarts any time soon.
"Didn't your sister offer you a ticket to wherever they are going this summer?"
Lily frowned at Bellatrix, unimpressed. The Black witch always knew where Petunia's family was at any given time. And Lily wasn't going to impose on them and deal with their pity for a whole month. She had her pride.
"I'm staying home," she answered shortly. "What do you want, Bellatrix?" It's not like the two of them were friends of any sort.
"Why, just to check on you, my dear," Bella smiled. "We are family, are we not?" Lily glared at her and she relented. "Very well, I have come to ask for your help with a project of mine."
"You need a potion, you go to Sev- Snape," the red haired witch stuttered slightly, remembering she was angry with her best friend. "I don't want to see another cauldron until September."
"Understandable," Bellatrix nodded. "I don't want a potion, I want you and your wand."
"Why?" Lily asked suspiciously. The older witch had never shown any appreciation for her spellwork.
"I do quite admire your talent with charms," Bellatrix admitted reluctantly. "And I need a reliable partner to study a certain technique of casting."
"Why don't you just ask your niece? She'll go along with anything you say."
"Ah, I usually would. But in this case the other caster should not be related to me by blood."
Lily's eyes widened. She could guess what Bellatrix was talking about. "You want us to attempt joint charms? Casting with one wand? Us, together?"
"Don't sound so incredulous, Lily. Who else would I ask? There are precious few people I trust who are not related to me."
"You trust me? I'm touched. Why not Crouch?"
"Me and Barty are distant relatives. Besides, his understanding of charms is purely academic."
Lily fell silent, her arguments exhausted for now. For all appearances, this looked like an honest offer which would benefit both of them. Still, she knew to be wary around the former Death Eater.
"I'll think of it, Bellatrix. I'll owl you later."
"So nice of you to agree, Lily! I'm free on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday each week until September."
"I said I'll think about this, I didn't say I'll do it!"
"Nonsense, Lily! Just imagine all the great things we'll be able to achieve!"
"This sounded very Slytherin. You are slipping, Bella."
Bellatrix was getting tired of the stubborn mudblood. She went for her best weapon.
"You know, this could be the start of a new career for you. Didn't you say you are getting tired of Hogwarts? This is the chance you wanted."
"Alright, stop!" Lily raised her hands. "I'll try this project of yours with you. But if it turns out we can't work together peacefully, we will end it. Immediately."
"I fully agree." Bellatrix's smile was almost predatory. She was really slipping, but everything was coming together, and she couldn't help but feel giddy.
They shook on it. Bella made a show of looking at a calendar on the wall.
"It's Thursday today, isn't it? Why don't we see if we are compatible right now?" She offered her wand arm, palm up.
Lily chuckled and shook her head. Waving her wand she summoned a heavy book from her library upstairs and thrusted it in the other witch's direction.
"First, we review the theory. See you in two days."
Taking her cue, Bellatrix nodded and left, taking the book with her. She still had plenty of time to worm her way through the muggleborn's defenses. She wondered who would fall prey to her sooner – Snape or Lily. In any case, she was going to have a lot of fun this summer.
