A/N: Hello and welcome to my first ever story. The idea came to me right before New Year's eve and i needed to do this. To be honest, i still have to figure out where this story is going to go from here but i promise - i'll get there. This will be Bellatrix/Hermione since i do find the pairing very interesting and the lack of stories - disappointing. I hope you enjoy reading as much as i do writing it.
Reviews are veeery welcome and strongly approved. It's always nice to write when you know that people are interested. So please, don't hesitate and review.
Text in italic is the past, memories.
Oh and i don't own Harry Potter. x
Chapter 1.
1999
'Five.. four.. three.. two.. one.. Happy New Year!' the voices of many witches and wizards shouted in unison as the clock started pounding at midnight.
Every person in the room seemed to be happy about the change of year, hugging and kissing each other. The crowded kitchen of the burrow was waving with life. There was, however, a lonely figure standing outside, seemingly untouched by the good vibes and emotions. Hermione Granger wanted to be alone for a moment, to cope with her own feelings.
It had been eight months since the Battle of Hogwarts. The wizarding world was finally in order. Lord Voldemort and his best lieutenants were dead and the last remaining death eaters were thrown into cold cells of Azkaban prison. There was nothing and no one to be afraid of. Or so everyone believed.
Hermione sighed and took another sip of punch. She didn't join her friends when they offered her shots of firewhiskey because she wanted her senses to be sharp and accurate. For only the bookworm knew the truth. A dangerous person was free and could interrupt their peace at any moment. Someone who was supposedly dead for eight months now.
May 3rd, 1998
'Hermione!' Ginny shouted as she ran after her friend.
'What is it?' the golden girl asked, still in grief for her friend's family.
'I know I promised to meet you at the great hall to help but… I think I'll go stay with George this evening. He's quite depressed, you know.'
'It's alright, Ginny. Do what you have to.' Hermione tried to force out a small smile but her attempts were in vain. There was too much pain.
She took her younger friend into an embrace and after staying that way for a couple of minutes, parted and turned to a very familiar corridor. She slowly walked to the Great Hall. There was no point in waiting any longer for help was necessary at all times. The bodies of those who had fallen had to be carried out of the castle. The families of the people who were now considered heroes, waited for their chances to say their goodbyes to their loved ones.
The girl pushed the heavy wooden door and stepped into the once-majestic hall. All one could see now were piles of ruins. Four house tables were nowhere to be found, the windows and walls – broken. At the very end lay a row of destroyed people. Hermione couldn't hold back her tears when she saw the bodies of people that were so dear to her lying there. Void of any movement. Lifeless.
She realised that there was no other living person in the room but her. The girl was the only one to see how many people sacrificed themselves for a better world before their bodies were brought back to their siblings. The heroes of the second wizarding war weren't the only corpses in the hall, however. Separated from everyone else lay the bodies of the ones who were responsible for the battle. The once feared death eaters and their very own Dark Lord were finally destroyed and harmless. Hermione didn't think she should walk near those people she was still afraid of deep down inside but the bald Gryffindor courage took her to the point of doing so. She approached the pale corpses with something, she knew, her friends wouldn't understand. Pain. No matter how evil and cruel these people were, the girl still couldn't feel good about their deaths. She grieved their families, tried to find an explanation for their actions. There must have been a reason for them to turn evil, to do the things they did. For some it was fear, others were raised to believe that the wrong was right.
Hermione didn't even notice how she walked up to a certain woman. She suddenly felt an itch in her forearm where Bellatrix Lestrange scarred her. Even in death the death eater looked fierce and powerful. Her pale skin was bruised and covered in blood here and there; the wild black waterfall of hair fell right under her corset-clad back. Her face, though a lot more peaceful, still had the evil glint in it. Maybe it was because of the sharp cheekbones and dark lidded eyes, the girl mused. Even though she was gaunt and dark, one couldn't deny the fact that after fourteen years of imprisonment and various battles, Lord Voldemort's right-hand woman was actually quite… beautiful.
Were it not for the family's obsession with blood purity, the now dead woman could've had a completely different life. No one was born evil. It's the environment and people around us that shape us the most. Only a few have the courage of breaking such ancient rules. Young Bellatrix Black was being fed the idea that those of pureblooded families are far more superior than any other kind and that muggleborns, or mudbloods, were the scum and vermin of their world, unworthy of having any magical powers, for breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day of her entire life. No wonder she turned to Voldemort's side. And after being next to a man as cruel as him there weren't many chances to stay human and not get killed.
Hermione sighed. She tried to shake the thoughts of the woman in front of her out of her head. She had enough of her for a lifetime. The girl was about to leave when it hit her. Something was actually different about the dark woman. She looked at all the bodies of now ex-death eaters and didn't feel any emotions. No one affected her the way Bellatrix did. The muggleborn turned to look at the body again. Then, she realised. Even though the dark-haired woman was still and her face emotionless, she wasn't exactly… cold. Hermione could still feel the warmth from her body, something that shouldn't belong to a dead person. It can't be.
She saw Molly Weasley's spell hit Lestrange right in the chest. At that moment the Dark Lord's last, best lieutenant was killed. The girl looked at her for the last time and decided that she was just imagining things. She couldn't actually believe their luck. The war was over and the evil ones were dead and gone. Hermione silently left the Great Hall and rushed to the already-repaired dormitories. She was tired and a good night's sleep would take care of everything. In time, she knew she would understand that they won and no one, not Voldemort and certainly not his woman death eater could harm them anymore. She was just as dead as her master.
That moment didn't leave Hermione's mind ever since it happened. Every single day she thought about it. She never told about her suspicions to anyone, nor did she mention what happened later that night. Hermione emptied another glass of the dark red drink. She closed her eyes and saw it crystal clear, as if it was happening right now, in front of her.
The girl's eyes shot open all of a sudden. She was woken up by a strange feeling of another's presence. She looked around the dark room but saw no one.
'Looking for me?' a low voice purred from the other side of the room.
'W-Who is it?' Hermione jumped out of the bed and started rapidly searching for her wand. It wasn't there.
'Oh calm down, mudblood. I'm not going to kill you… yet.' A very alive Bellatrix Lestrange revealed herself and grinned.
The older woman quickly reached the girl and Hermione felt as if she were a prey. Cornered up, without any weapons. She opened her mouth and screamed. As loud as she could, she shouted for help. But Bellatrix only laughed.
'Is the ickle baby mudblood afraid of the big bad Bewwatwix?' she pouted, 'No one can hear you so you might as well shut up.'
Suddenly, the older woman jumped on her victim and pinned the girl under her own weight. She sat down on the muggleborn's stomach and Hermione felt tears in her eyes. The situation was all too familiar.
'I see you remember our last encounter, mud pup.' the death eater cackled, a look of insanity in her coal black eyes.
'Get off me!' the girl squirmed under the grip of the crazy woman but it was all useless.
'Feisty, are we?' Bellatrix smirked and leaned close to the younger woman's face; too close, 'I like that.'
Hermione's breath hitched as she felt a warm tongue on the side of her neck. Once a wet trail was made, the dark haired woman bit her. Hard. The girl screamed in pain but she was soon shut up by a cold, bony hand of her captor.
'I thought I made it quite clear when I told you to shut up!' she roared, 'Besides, I only came here to give you a little reminder. After all, it's because of you I am free. Anyone else would've told the aurors about me… but not you.'
Hermione's eyes widened in shock. No, it wasn't her fault. She didn't know for sure if her assumptions were right! She thought she was being bonkers…
'Oh but you did. Deep down you knew I was alive.' Bellatrix grinned and let go of the girl, 'I have to go or your 'help' will be in vain. But don't worry mudblood… I'll comeback for you. Soon enough.'
She remembered how she woke up the next morning – as if nothing happened. She was in her comfortable bed and the room didn't show any signs of intrusion. Moreover, had the death eater come to her dormitories, she would've killed her without thought. The girl tried to convince herself that it was just a bad dream. But why did it feel so real then? And why, in her own world, didn't she fight the psychotic woman?.. Hermione looked through the window and realised that most of their friends were already asleep. She saw Ron lying on the couch and sneered. How typical. When her mind finally decided that it was best to go to bet too, she took in a deep breath of fresh air once again and walked into the burrow. Quietly, so no one could hear her, she ran upstairs and into her room. She locked the door and fell onto her soft bed. The girl wanted to finally get some rest but the memories of that particular morning were still invading her mind with great force.
Hermione quickly put on her robes and ran downstairs to the Great Hall, not even sparing a glance to the people who tried to approach her. When she finally reached her destination, the student stormed into the room and started rapidly searching for a particular person. And then she saw her. Slowly, the girl walked up to the death eater. It didn't feel the same, seeing the witch. She didn't seem at all different from the rest of the corpses that still lay in the hall. She wasn't warm, nor was she intimidating. Still, Hermione needed to make sure. She fell to her knees next to the pale woman and put her trembling hand on Bellatrix's chest. Inside of it, where the heart should be beating like a drum, was nothing. Emptiness. The witch was dead.
'What are you doing?' Hermione almost jumped upwards when she heard the voice of Molly Weasley coming from behind her.
'I was just making sure that she, well... that she is actually gone.' The girl tried not to sound awkward but she realised that she was unsuccessful when Mrs. Weasley arched her brow.
'Well why wouldn't she be?' the redhead asked, confused, 'I finished her off. And I hope you're sure of it too now?'
'Positive.'
'There's nothing to be afraid of anymore, dear.' the woman gave her a knowing smile and walked away.
She was right. For the first time after their encounter in the Department of Mysteries, Hermione looked at the death eater and didn't feel fear. Or so she thought.
The girl screamed in frustration. It had been eight months and she still couldn't get rid of these thoughts. She knew it was pointless. Bellatrix was dead. She wouldn't harm her anymore. Still, her last words ringed like an alarm in the head of Hermione. 'I'll comeback for you. Soon enough.' She even heard the woman's voice. It was so clear, as if she was standing right next to her.
The girl shook her head and decided to try and get some sleep. She needed to be in her full strength since it wasn't long before she would come back to Hogwarts. Hermione decided to continue her studies after the war and, since this was her year of N.E.W.T's, she needed to focus on education, especially after New Year's. Quickly, the girl jumped into her night robes, lay down and closed her eyes after a long day. It didn't take too long for Hermione to finally fall asleep.
It didn't go unnoticed by a dark clad figure standing on a hill right in front of the burrow when the lights in the golden girl's room switched off.
'I found you.'
