Disclaimer: All the characters are property of J.K. Rowling.

The Ultimate Betrayal

Bellatrix Black had always known it would have happened sooner or later. Her girlfriend was twenty-three years younger than her after all, it was only natural that at some point in their relationship she would want to try something new, someone different. She had just hoped this moment would never have come.

Hermione was twenty-five and she was in her late forties. Deep inside of her, buried underneath the pain she had been feeling in these last months, she understood her girlfriend's need to experiment.

They'd been together for six years now. In Bellatrix' opinion they had a stable and loving relationship but in light of recent events she guessed that wasn't enough anymore. There must have been something Bellatrix hadn't been able to give her or the girl wouldn't have felt the need to seek comfort in the arms of another. She had hoped this was only a fling, that maybe it would have passed in a few weeks' time and Hermione would have come straight back to her. So far it wasn't going away and Bellatrix was seriously considering the idea to let her girlfriend know she knew and do something about it, even if it meant breaking up with her.

This was the first time in six years the older witch found herself doubting the strength of Hermione's feelings towards her. The girl made sure she knew how much she loved her everyday but still it had been three months since she started cheating on her. Obviously the younger witch was oblivious to the fact that she knew but Bellatrix, being the good Auror she was, had noticed the signs since the beginning.

First of all she came home late almost every night with lame excuses. Usually Hermione told her she'd been held up at work but the older witch knew better. They worked in the same department after all and her heart broke a little every time someone told her they saw the girl leave her office on time and then Bellatrix didn't find her at home when she too left the ministry.

Then when the girl did come home she smelled different, it was subtle but Bellatrix could pick up a scent that wasn't hers. It was a male fragrance, she suspected it was the Weasel boy since she knew he'd had a crush on her Hermione for years now, well at least since he left to go to Romany to work along with his brother.

The older witch wasn't exactly angry at her though, just hurt. Hermione was young and she knew that at this time of her life she needed to experience new things. Bellatrix knew for a fact Hermione was a virgin when they started dating so it was probably normal she wanted to know what sex with a guy was like. At least this was what the woman told herself when she was alone in their home at night, waiting for Hermione to come back home to her.

Bellatrix tried to hold back in these two months, she really did, but her patience was coming to an end. She just couldn't pretend everything was fine anymore. She wanted to confront Hermione about their situation but she didn't know how to approach the subject.

What if one day Hermione wouldn't return? What if she decided she needed a man, a man her own age, in her life?

In the last weeks Bellatrix had often wondered what had happened to the strong, independent woman she was before she met the young witch. Of course everybody else still feared and respected her but Hermione like the others, she had somehow managed to domesticate her. She was probably the only person who could flaunt some kind of control over her and the worst thing was that Bellatrix was fine with it.

Was she ready to give up everything she had built with Hermione? Obviously no, but the strong witch wasn't going to spend the rest of her life being cheated on and always in fear of being left alone by the person she loved the most in the whole world.

It was with this newfound strength that Bellatrix decided to talk to Hermione. It was time for the girl to choose between the witch who was willing to give up everything for her and whoever it was she was with somewhere in that very moment.

The older witch stood alone in front of the fireplace in their living room for what felt like a lifetime, but probably was just a few hours, before it finally roared to life and her girlfriend emerged from the green flames. The woman's heart broke a little bit more when she took in the girl's appearance. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was a mess but what hurt the most was the very visible hickey on the left side of her neck she hadn't even bothered to cover up. The horrible mark was still bright red meaning that her lover gave it to her no more than ten minutes before. It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Since she found out Hermione was cheating on her, never had she witnessed such an obvious display that all her suspicions were indeed true. Bellatrix could almost hear her heart shattering in her chest but she fought to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. She had to look strong at least on the outside if she wanted to go through with this.

"Hey," Hermione greeted as she stepped out of the fireplace like nothing was wrong, "What are you doing still up?"

She approached Bellatrix, raising a hand to caress the woman's black hair.

"Please don't touch me."

The older woman took a step backwards to put some distance between them. She couldn't stand Hermione touching her in that moment. She was sure that if the girl touched her right then, the wall she had put up would crumble, crushing her already broken heart once and for all.

The younger witch sensed that maybe it was better to keep her distance for the moment and stayed where she was.

"Bella, what's the matter? Are you okay?"

It was clear to Hermione that something was up with the older woman even if she was an expert at concealing her pain. She didn't have her usual aura of confidence around her, her eyes were watered and her voice trembled as she spoke.

"No, I'm not okay Hermione. Do you think I'm stupid?" she said raising her voice.

The younger girl was taken aback by the outburst. Bellatrix realized she had startled her and although she had the right to, she didn't want to sound angry at her.

"You waltz in here pretending nothing happened and ask if I'm okay" she took a brave step towards the girl and narrowed her black eyes "I'm the head of the Auror department, did you really think I wouldn't have noticed the signs of your betrayal?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

The older witch was almost offended by Hermione's stuttered words. The girl was insulting her intelligence by denying the obvious, but of course cheating was always to be denied.

"I'm talking about you coming home late almost every night, I'm talking about you saying you've been held up at work when it's clear it's not true and I'm talking about the hickey I can see on your neck right now."

Maybe what hurt the most, her girlfriend, the one person she'd trusted the most until that moment , lying to her so plainly.

Hermione's eyes widened at Bellatrix words and she quickly put a hand on her neck right were the hickey was.

"Bella, I can explain."

The girl was surprisingly calm despite the situation she was in and she even took another step toward Bellatrix.

"Well, start explaining then!"

The older witch was doing her best to keep calm and don't snap at the girl. She was determined to remain strong for as long as she could but she was already starting to feel her defenses crumbling underneath Hermione's intense glare.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry is not an explanation!" Bellatrix snapped but then she took a deep breath to calm down. She needed to keep her cool if she wanted to go through with what she was trying to do.

"Hermione, you've been cheating on me for at least two months now," she raised a hand to prevent the girl from saying something, "Please don't deny it, I know it's true." It was getting harder and harder to keep her tears from falling but she had to manage, "I can understand if you realized that you need a man your own age in your life rather than me. I'm aware that I'm over twenty years older than you, I've always been aware and you know it. All I'm asking is that you stop betraying me, it's not fair."

"Bella it's not…"

Hermione touched the woman's hand but Bellatrix tore it away like she had been burnt and then took another step back. In that moment she couldn't stand smelling the girl's scent mixed with somebody else's.

"Let me finish, please," Her voice was trembling but it was now or never, in her mind this was the right thing to do. "I love you, Hermione. I have for the last six years and I think I'll always do but I can't go on like this. I thought we were happy until three months ago but clearly I'm not what you need anymore so I'm leaving for a while. I need to think and so do you."

Bellatrix turned around without looking at Hermione. If she had she would have seen the tears that were pouring from the girl's eyes. As soon as she wasn't face to face with her, Bellatrix broke down and the tears she had been holding finally escaped.

"Bellatrix please wait!"

Hermione reached out to take the woman's right hand into her own and making her turn around. The girl was shocked to see the tears and the pain on Bellatrix face. In the years they had been together she had never seen her cry. Hermione didn't have an explanation for her actions, she knew what she'd been doing was wrong but she just couldn't bring herself to stop. She loved Bellatrix with all her heart but it had all been too alluring.

"I love you."

Hermione's whispered words almost made Bellatrix want to stay but she knew they both needed some time apart to cope with what was happening so she retreated her hand and stepped into the fireplace.

"You broke my heart."

These were the last words she said before the green flames engulfed her body. She saw Hermione's mouth moving again but she couldn't hear what she was saying. Maybe it was because the sound of her heart shattering in her chest was too loud for her to hear anything else.