Summary: Muggleborn Hermione starts at Hogwarts in 1952. She meets Bellatrix Black, who hates her instantly. Somewhere along the way hate turns to begrudging respect, and respect turns into something else. But Bellatrix can't escape her family expectations. Or her own demons.
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world belongs to JK Rowling. I'm only borrowing.
Pairing: Bellatrix/Hermione
Authors note: AU. This is my first story but the ideas been kicking around my head for a little while. Even though Hermione is as important to Harry's success as he is, for the purpose of this story he'd just have had to get on without her. Everything would happen the same way but Ginny takes Hermione's place. This is based around the older version of Hermione so it won't really come up besides for in the prologue.
Angst warning: This story does not have a happy ending. Our girls are the ultimate star-crossed lovers. It doesn't mean there isn't some happiness along the way.
Prologue: All that we lost
Hermione moved through the debris of Hogwarts Castle. She was beyond exhausted, the kind of tired you feel behind your eyes, in depths of your skull. Members of the Order were scattered throughout the Great Hall, tending to the wounded and comforting survivors.
An eerie silence had settled around her. Conversations had fallen into whispers. As if anything louder would disturb the first sense of calm that had been felt in months. Hermione had first stepped foot in this Hall over 35 years ago. She had never seen it so still.
Her eyes settled on the bodies of her goddaughter and husband, peacefully on the floor side by side. Their senseless deaths were too much to contemplate. The loss of a happy future together, watching their son grow. it was already too much knowing that her best friend, Teddy had been murdered. Hermione knew she needed to leave, to be at Andromeda's side. Someone needed to tell her. As much as it pained Hermione, she knew it had to be her. There was one thing she had to do first.
She moved past the rows of bodies in the hall, and out into the court yard, where the bodies of the dead Death Eaters had been placed, away from the fallen heroes. A coldness swept through her body as her eyes moved over the body of Voldemort. She attempted to squash the feeling of hatred and that filled her at the thought of the man who had taken everything for her, there was no place for hatred in healing.
She moved past him, further along and found the body she was looking for. Bellatrix.
Hermione hadn't laid eyes on the Death Eater in over 15 years. Not since the night she saw the last of her humanity disappear. She had retained her striking features despite the years in Azkaban. Her raven black hair was lying around her shoulders untidily, her cheek bones prominent on her face, as if she had not had a good meal in awhile, which, Hermione thought bitterly, was likely the case. Hermione doubted that anything could change the regal presence that surrounded Bellatrix, even in death she was a force to be reckoned with.
She looked almost peaceful. The haunting, unhinged intensity Bellatrix had retained her entire life was missing. She could have been asleep. Looking at her now, you could not tell that she was one of the most powerful dark witches in history. It was hard to imagine this body had held so much hatred, had been responsible for so much death and destruction. She had always been good at breaking things. Hermione took a deep breath, trying in vain to choke back tears. She was determined not to mourn the Death Eater. She had convinced herself she had come to terms with the death of the person she loved years ago, but seeing her in the flesh was a painful reminder of all she had lost. Two years of happiness followed by 30 of heartache and regret. She ached for all of the things that could have been. Nostalgia is a seductive liar, she thought bitterly.
Bellatrix's unique curved wand was lying by her side. Hermione had heard about the break in at Gringotts, and supposed the Weasley girl had reclaimed hers, not wanting to be associated with something so evil. Hermione picked it up and twirled it in her fingers. Even after all these years she felt a spark of recognition. Although Bellatrix had won back the allegiance of her wand embarrassingly quickly after their ill-fated duel in 4th year, it still retained an affinity with it's temporary master, but then some argued that a bond between two people extended to their wands, and despite everything that had happened, she knew her bond with the Death Eater remained.
After a moment of internal debate she pocketed it in her robe.
"I haven't seen her look this peaceful since she was a student here" said a voice behind her. Hermione turned slightly to the shaking Narcissa Malfoy and nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
"I know what she has done, the pain she has caused, but she is still my sister" said the quiet voice beside her.
Hermione remained silent for a moment measuring her words before speaking "you have another sister, one who feels the same way you do. Who has lost more than you could imagine."
Narcissa shook her head, "it's too late, after everything.. all of these years, she will never forgive me"
"it's never too late for forgiveness" Hermione replied, her eyes not leaving the body in front of them.
Narcissa looked thoughtful, as if struggling with something in her mind, "Can you... could you take me to her?" after a minute "please? Draco will be alright for now, he will understand".
Hermione nodded and moved towards the Hogwarts gates, not bothering to see if Narcissa would follow. upon leaving the Hogwarts grounds she turned to the pureblood and held her arm out. To her suprise, the witch gripped it without hesitation. With a crack, Hermione and Narcissa disappeared.