EDIT! Amendments have been made to this story, due to several requests. The story is now set ONE MONTH AFTER Malfoy Mannor

This is a special Christmas present to the one I love.

Though I wish I did, unfortunately I do not own the wonderful characters of the Harry Potter novels.

This is a very smutty femslash set ONE month from the incident at Malfoy Mannor. Will also include Blackcest, don't like, don't read. Rated M due to heavy adult content. You have been warned.

The Midnight Hour

Chapter One

Darkness suffocates. Perspiration engulfs. Fear incapacitates. The blinding flash of malevolent light and the screams of a tortured soul awakens the host from their recurring nightmare. Shaking, the dark mark lingers in their mind, the laugh of the devil rings in their ears as cold shivers coarse their body. Harry wasn't the only one to suffer from nightmares in Grimmauld Place.

Six months had passed since Malfoy Manor. Hermione's physical scars had healed, as had those of Dobby's death. The mental scars of the events of that night were, however harder to erase from memory. No matter how she tried, no spells or potions could prevent the nightmares from invading her mind as she slept.

Rising from her bed, Hermione made her way to the open window. Staring out at the warm summer night's sky she sighed. Somewhere out there was her captor. The woman who stole her sense, and corrupted her nights. She knew it was wrong. She didn't understand why. How. With the aftermath of her fear still lingering in her mind, on her skin, her mind digressed. Wandering to the forbidden. The illicit. The depraved. Letting her eyes flicker close she let her imagination run wild, the cool gentle breeze on her diaphoretic skin, was the breath of the woman... No, monster that had attacked her. Tried to kill her. A shiver running down her spine, as her hand snaked its way down into her panties. Caressing and teasing herself to ecstasy. Her pink lips eliciting a primal moan of desire for the one she knew she could never have.

Grabbing the windows ledge to steady herself, she rode the waves of pleasure coursing through her nubile body. An insuppressible smile played upon her lips as she crawled back into her bed, leaving her to fall into a happy, dreamless sleep.

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"No you tell her, you love her!"

Hermione walked in to see red faced Ron wrestling a chortling Harry to the kitchen floor. "Do not four-eyes!"

The kitchen lay in disarray, with chairs and crockery strewn across the room. "Tell me what?" Both boys sheepishly turned to face their best friend, and looked blankly at her. Rolling her eyes, she ran some spells to set the room straight. After a hearty breakfast, Hermione made her excused and left for her room, but not before placing an extendable ear by the door.

Her mind flitted back to her midnight activities. So many things were wrong with the thoughts that ran through her mind. Not only was she having illicit thoughts of another woman, the woman was none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. The psychotic murderer of many of her friends, and their loved ones. Of Sirius, Dobby, Neville's parent's. The very woman that would have killed her, had it not been for Harry and Ron's rescue. But try as she had, she couldn't banish the thoughts from her once sound mind.

Hermione was brought back to earth by the voices on the extendable ear.

"I'm telling you mum, there's something wrong with Hermione" Sighing she leant her head against the banisters. So she hadn't been portraying normality as she had thought.

"Come on Ron, Harry. She had a tough ordeal, there's no time limit on recovery from something like that." Hermione smiled; at least she could rely on Molly to keep them off her back, at least for a few more days. Charming the twins' gift to her, she held it in her hands.

"I've got to get out this house" She whispered under her breath. Hermione hadn't left Grimmauld Place for six months. That was about to change.

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Standing in the centre of Diagon Alley Hermione felt the fear creeping back into her mind. The crowds. The voices. The faces. Scurrying, like a hunted mouse, she hurried to find place of safety. Heart pounding in her chest, head spinning, the young wizard collapsed back against the cool damp wall of a backstreet. Dressed in a cloak covering all but her eyes, she wished to feel invisible to the world. The chatter of shoppers and pub goers reverberated off the street walls, the smell of butter beer and stagnant water hung in the air, like the bitter sweet aroma of a party the morning after. Her posture regained, she looked about her and gasped inwardly. Nockturn Alley. The socially forbidden street filled with vendors specializing magic of the darkest kind. Though every part of her body screamed at her to turn back, to head to safety. Hermione couldn't help but take another step into the alley. Into another world. A world of gruesome looking and smelling delicacies, of dark potions and evil spells. A world full of dark corners, for doing dark deeds. The air of danger pushed Hermione on, as she absorbed the darkness of the night. Curiosity took the better of her, as she made her way over to a stall selling baby dragons and she smiled to herself, remembering times long forgotten of Norbert, and their first year at Hogwarts. The belch of a small dragon sent a flame towards her, who abruptly stepped back into someone behind her.

Turning she saw another witch, almost disguised identically to herself, only her eyes visible to the world. And oh those eyes. Hermione would know them anywhere. Those eyes, dark as the night, framed by thick long lashes. As she looked, those forbidden eyes widened. The owner too recognised Hermione through her eyes. Time slowed down, it seemed almost to come to a stop. Both witches just staring at each other, surprised to see the other. Then all of a sudden time sped up, almost in double time. Quick as a flash the stranger turned on her heels and fled off into the crowds. Catching her breath Hermione sped after her, wand in front of her, ready to fight. To the death. This was her revenge. This was fate.

Stumbling out into the open she looked around her. The street was clear. "She can't just disappear" She muttered to herself, knowing only too well that she could do just that. However out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other witch slip into an old disused shop. Fast to follow, she clambered up the steps and flung the door open.

The shop creaked as the door swung close, dust swirling around the fusty room. Nervously she stepped into the room. The other witch was nowhere in sight. But Hermione knew she was here. She could smell her intoxicatingly devilish scent.

Anyone notice the Quote from Love Actually? So there's chapter one. What do you think?