Silence Unspoken

A/n: In a review for my oneshot Violet Crystals I was asked to expand upon that story line by Follower38. This is a oneshot follow up to that as requested. Hopefully I expanded upon it well enough and wrote their forbidden love as well as I did in the first. This takes place before the previous one.

This story is dedicated to my girlfriend, with whom I know the difficulties in separating for long periods of time and of love that can't be spoken in words. As always she beta-ed this for me so many thanks to her, my wonderful beautiful, sexy lady.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bellatrix Lestrange, nor do I make any claims that say I do so.

Harry bolted down the corridor avoiding the multitude of spells that collided with the stone wall behind him. In moments, he was beyond the spells and into an empty hallway; he gave himself the luxury of slowing slightly.

This was it, the final battle for Hogwarts and hopefully the defeat of Voldemort. He knew that the end was coming soon; all he had to do was reach Voldemort. He just had one thing to do first.

As he took a turn, he realized that was someone else there seconds before they collided together.

A spell was rolling off his lips before he had even realized who it was.

"Expelliarmus!"

Whoever it was, clearly had the same idea because at the same time a feminine voice incanted in a slightly crazed tone.

"Crucio!"

The pain spell collided with his body, sending the feeling of white hot knives throughout his already battered body; before the sensation was suddenly taken away as his disarming spell crashed into the body in front of him ripping her wand from her hand and sending it soaring towards Harry's downed position.

Harry lay twitching slightly from the after effects of the pain curse. Although the spell had lasted barely a few seconds, it was still enough to knock him down. A sharp gasp drew his attention back to the woman who he had crashed into.

A gasp of his own left his mouth as he saw who it was. Getting to his feet, he was instantly walking towards the woman. Moments later, he had his arms full of a curly black haired, dark witch.

No words were said as the two embraced for what they both knew would be the last time. The war was coming to an end either way in the coming moments. They both knew that after this, one of them would die and they were both fairly positive in which one that would be.

No words were needed in their embrace. There had almost never been words during their entire relationship. Sure, they spoke all the time, but words were a trivial thing. They were not needed to convey what they felt for each other, so they didn't speak of them. Their time was spent productively, because even then, all those years ago, they knew that their time together was limited. That was how it was and how it always would be.

Harry pulled away slightly from the woman and looked at her in the eyes. Her insanity driven violet eyes looked steadily back, but he could see in them something no one else could: emotion. He could tell that she was feeling sorrow for what was about to happen. Her death was coming and they both knew it. Even if she wanted for him to save her, it would be no use. Everything they had worked for would fall apart. Their daughter would be ridiculed and they both would be shunned. They couldn't afford for that to happen.

Harry Potter had to live on as the hero of the light and raise their daughter in remembrance of her. He needed to lead Wizarding Britain into the next age and stop the evil that was Voldemort.

Bellatrix Lestrange needed to take her last stand as the right hand of Lord Voldemort, and die in her eyes honorably. She would have no place in this world anymore once her master had been vanquished. No, that was her daughters' place now.

Their daughter would continue on the legacy of Harry Potter and Bellatrix Lestrange in secret. She would be the harbinger of the changes that would come, and she would do it in her mother's honor.

Harry could see all of this in Bella's eyes. The acceptance of what would come, the acceptance of not being able to see her daughter grow to the beautiful woman she would become, the acceptance that she wouldn't be with her love for some time again and the acceptance that this was the end.

Harry, with more grace than would be thought for one who was covered in wounds and exhausted, reached up, placed his hands on her cheeks, and drew her down for a final kiss. Their lips connected gently and that spark of passion and feeling that always occurred between them, instantly passed through them both once more as they poured their hearts and souls to each other.

This was not a kiss of passion, it was not one of fear, and it was not one of sorrow. No, this kiss was one of something else, one that cannot be fully explained. It was love. It was joy. It was sorrow. It was hope. It was everything that they knew it could be and more. It was the end.

As their lips parted, Harry looked up into her eyes again and saw for the first time more emotion than he had ever seen in them. It was as if the insanity that made up her personality had cleared and revealed the beautiful woman underneath. Someone only he could see, someone that only he knew existed and someone that only he had ever cared to look for.

Still no words were said between them as they heard the sounds of spell fire gradually grew closer. Their time was short and coming to an end. Soon they both would be parted until it came time for Harry to pass into the next great adventure and she would be waiting with open arms; the woman who she should have been.

Still nothing was said as Bellatrix pushed a long length of wood into his hands and Harry looked down and noticed for the first time that she held her original wand: the talon shaped dragon-heartstring wand that had always been hers. He had thought it was destroyed after Hermione had disposed of it after Malfoy Manor.

Harry gingerly accepted it with reluctance. He knew why she was giving it to him, why she was disarming herself of her most powerful possession. He knew she still had her second wand, but nothing could compare to that of her first one.

He held it with great reluctance, the meaning of her giving it to him not lost. She was going to die and she knew that their daughter would be just like her and wanted her to have it. To have a reminder of whom she was and who she would be. For their daughter, she gave up her wand.

Harry felt the beginnings of tears welling up in his eyes and he turned away from Bella. He knew it would only get harder as it got closer. Their end was near.

He could sense that she had not moved and knew that she would understand why he had looked away. For the first time in many years of her miserable life, Bellatrix Lestrange felt the stirrings of emotions she had long locked away. She felt sadness and she too turned away. The sounds of battle were getting closer and they had to depart momentarily. They couldn't bear to have them caught together like this. It would ruin everything. The end was upon them.

Bellatrix turned back to Harry one last time and saw that he too and turned back. No words were needed, just as they had never been before. They both knew.

But for the first time in their relationship as Harry turned away, Bellatrix spoke that which was not needed.

"I love you."

Those three words were so quiet that Harry almost didn't catch them, but he did and froze instantly. They had never spoken those words to each other, but for the first time, they were needed.

Without turning to her, Harry knew that she too had turned away and was just as frozen as he was, not believing that had come out of her own mouth.

"I love you."

His reply was equally as quiet, but he knew that she had heard them.

At the same time, they both started walking again to meet their destinies. Nothing more was needed beyond those three words. More could have been said, but nothing could match what was felt.

The end had come as the war washed over them once more. Taking with it the silence that had descended.