AN: This is just a tester chapter. At this point I have a rough idea of the plotline and a couple chapters but I figured it would be better to see the reaction of a first initial chapter before spending hours upon hours into something. Follows, favourites, reviews, pretty much anything to let me know it's being read will keep the story alive. Thank-you.
"You've got to be joking." Hermione hissed, stumbling against the wall as her legs refused to move, looking around for someone who could have cursed her noticed mistletoe hanging above her head, "Shit."
"Finite." She murmured, pointing her wand at the mistletoe to no avail, "Finite Incantatem."
"Give it up, stupid girl, not even I can break through that bloody charm." A raspy voice said from the shadows, "Your muggle ways won't help either."
"W-whose there?" Hermione's voice trembled on the first word, making her wince
"Someone whose very interested in what mudblood extraordinaire is doing in Knockturn Alley in the dead of the night on Yule's eve." The voice said slightly closer, "All kinds of people lurk these alley's, girl, all kinds of monsters."
"I'm not scared." Hermione said determinedly, clenching her jaw
"Ah, the Gryffindor bravery. Gryffindor foolery, if you ask me. There's no shame in being scared of the things that go bump in the night, especially not in our world."
"Let me guess, you're a thing that goes bump." Hermione said sarcastically
"No, darling." The voice chuckled, "Those things are scared of me."
"And who are you?"
"I think you know who I am." The voice said before a women stepped out of the shadows
"Bellatrix LeStrange." Hermione whispered, paralysed in fear
"Black, darling, Bellatrix Black." Bellatrix grinned, "I haven't been a LeStrange since I killed the swot. Even then, once a Black always a Black."
"W-what do you want?" Hermione stuttered
"Nothing, darling, not yet." Bellatrix said, slowly walking around Hermione, "You have no reason to fear me, girl."
"Now," Bellatrix continued when Hermione stayed quiet, "I can free you, you know how to break the curse so we both know it's going to be terribly awkward. But I do want something in return."
"What?" Hermione asked quietly
"Don't worry, it's nothing too scandalous. I will write you but be warned girl, I do expect answers and I don't like to be kept waiting. I do, of course, expect some confidentiality." Bellatrix said, standing close to Hermione, close enough that Hermione could smell her perfume and see the silver flecks in her eyes "Do we have a deal?"
"Yeah." Hermione whispered breathlessly before a soft hand cupped her chin and soft lips were pressed against hers
Hermione couldn't control her body leaning into the older witch but stumbled as a soft crack filled the silence around her and the dark witch was gone.
A week had passed since Hermione had visited Knockturn Alley and she had heard nor seen anything of Bellatrix but the witch hadn't left her thoughts. Bellatrix was known for her hatred of muggles and muggleborns alike, she was known for her favour of the Cruciatus Curse and she was known for being insane. The witch in the Alley hadn't mentioned a single racial slur, she hadn't raised her wand even an inch and she was entirely sane and well spoken. Hermione didn't know what to think of her, everything she knew was the complete opposite of what she saw. She knew she ought to stop thinking about Bellatrix, especially when she arrived at Grimmauld Place but when she found out that Bellatrix had grown up here she couldn't help herself but explore the house
"This the room you want, Hermione?" Sirius asked, slipping through the slightly opened door
"Yeah, I think so." Hermione said, looking around the room with more bookcases than walls
"Don't touch anything that's sealed or looks odd, not until we clean up in here properly. This was Bellatrix's room, she always did have a knack for booby traps and all sorts of dark things to keep people from snooping in her stuff." Sirius warned before leaving the room.
"Want to play a game of exploding snap, Mione?" Harry asked from his spot sitting crossed legged on the floor in front of the fireplace, looking up at her with a smile on his face
"No thank you, I'm actually quite tired. You should head to bed too, we're to spend the day cleaning tomorrow." Hermione advised, continuing her way up the stairs
When Hermione entered her room she noticed that the window that she was sure she had left closed was opening and blowing frigid air into the room and that there was a black owl sitting on the desk with a piece of parchment tied to its leg
Little Witch,
I apologise for how long it took me to get this letter to you, I'm sure Old Dumbles thinks Grimmauld Place is impenetrable and it is. To those who don't share Black Blood. Don't worry, darling, I intend to keep this knowledge to myself as should you. We wouldn't want any traitors whispering, would we? And be warned, there is a traitor in your midst. I won't tell you who because that takes away half the fun of it and I'm sure it'll be quite the brain teaser for you.
I do have a few questions for you, however they can wait until we know and trust each other more. For now, we can start with a game I believe the muggles call twenty one questions;
What is your favourite colour and why? I have two, green and red, I love Yule.
I will await your reply,
B.B
P.S. The owl's name is Leonidas. He bites.
Hermione read the letter three times over, trying to wrap her head around everything the Dark Witch had written. She didn't understand why Bellatrix would firstly freely admit that there was a traitor in the Order, that seemed like valuable information should it be kept a secret and there was nothing stopping Hermione from telling Professor Dumbledore. Secondly she was surprised at such an innocent question from the women who tortured Neville's parents into insanity. Thirdly, Christmas was a time for peace, generosity and happiness and Hermione couldn't see the witch being or enjoying any of that. She was half way through reading the letter again when her bedroom door slammed open making her hurry to drop the letter and hide it thoroughly. She had just managed to shove it beneath the mattress when a body dropped on the bed next to her with a loud groan,
"Um, hello?" Hermione asked uncertainly, not recognising the figure and jumped back when a wand pointed at her face suddenly
"Who are you?" The body, revealed to be a woman, asked
"I'm, um, Hermione. Hermione Granger. Who are you?" Hermione asked when the wand dropped to the women's side
"Tonks. Sorry about all that, bit jumpy after my shifts." Tonks said with an easy grin, "What are you doing in my room?"
"This is my room." Hermione said with a frown
"Pretty sure this is my room, love." Tonks laughed, hers quickly sweeping the room and making her smile drop, "Or not. My room doesn't have this many books."
"I'm sorry?"
"Nah, my fault, all these bloody doors look the same. I'll let you get back to your love letter." Tonks said with a wink before leaving the room
"It's no- "Hermione started weakly only to be cut off by the bedroom door slamming shut behind Tonks.
B.B
Indigo and silver, there is no reason behind it. They're pretty colours. Why are talking to me? I'm a "mudblood", you hate my kind.
H.G