Set in the AU two months after Some Things Aren't Seen. This is the idea that didn't make it into the first story. As always please R&R and thanks for reading I hope you enjoy it.
She turned her wand in at the entrance and took her slip of parchment to reclaim it at the end of her visit.
"This way please." The wizard said guiding Hermione through a set of iron doors, the wind howled at a gale force causing Hermione to grip the handrail. "Watch your step here Miss, it's a bit slippery." Hermione took care to step down into the darkened hallway.
She could hear the howls below them, "Right in here Miss. He'll be along in a few minutes."
Hermione sat in the chair and pulled her traveling cloak around her tighter. She twisted her silver ring around her finger and wished she were at home.
He came in the room, he was thin, Azkaban had aged him. The paleness of his skin made his ginger hair stand out even more. He took a seat and Hermione watched as the chains moved up to snake around his body and secure him in place.
He said nothing, he simply sat looking at her for a few moments as if he couldn't believe she was in front of him. The guard whistled a tune outside the door, Hermione twisted her ring around her finger again. She watched his eyes fall to it as he watched her. She had a quill and parchment on the table to record his statement.
"You told the Minister you wanted to see me, why?" Hermione said with a frown when it became apparent he wasn't going to speak; her eyes looked along the cold grey stone walls of Azkaban prison. She crossed her arms, she fought to keep the anger out of her voice as she looked across the table at the ginger haired boy sitting in chains.
"She's a murderer Hermione." He said, his voice rough and cracking.
"Really." Hermione sighed heavily, "I came all the way here after countless letters from you to my bosses to tell me that Bellatrix Black is a murderer. I am well aware that she is a murderer." Hermione rose to leave.
"No, wait. Please." He tried again. "I'm sorry."
Hermione did not sit back down. "What is it you want? You said you had new information so unless that is true I'll be leaving and don't contact my office again."
"I do-I have information-"
Hermione sighed and sat back down. She pulled her quill and parchment closer and waited.
"He isn't dead."
"Who isn't dead?" Hermione said, her quill posed above the scroll.
"Tom Riddle."
Hermione looked at him for a moment and then packed away her quill and parchment. She signalled for the guard and stood to leave. "He's very much dead. I saw him fall."
Percy shook his head, "He's found a way back. Death is not the end."
Hermione came home to find Bella swinging lazily back and forth in the hammock enjoying the afternoon sunshine. She tossed her cloak and bag down on the table and poured herself a whiskey, the fire whiskey warmed her bones from the cold grey of Azkaban. She downed the rest of her drink, poured herself another one and headed out to the garden to join Bellatrix in the sun. Bella turned her head when she heard Hermione approach, the hammock was a new addition they had added at the beginning of summer. It was currently Bella's favourite spot to read in the afternoon. She smiled at Hermione and set her book on the little table that held her lemonade.
"Bit early for fire whiskey Pet." Bella said holding her hand out to Hermione.
"Azkaban." Was Hermione's one-word answer.
"Hope you made it a double."
Hermione smiled and sipped her whiskey again before setting it on the table next to Bella's drink.
"Come, let me kiss away the dark grey walls." Bella said as Hermione laid next to her on the hammock.
Hermione curled on her side and snuggled into Bella's neck, the dark witch's curls protecting Hermione from the world.
Bella kissed her forehead and hugged her close. "It's a terrible place Pet. I know."
Hermione sighed contentedly and breathed Bella's scent in. "I'm so glad it's the weekend after tomorrow."
A smile crept across Bella's face, the weekend, the promise of a lie in and shopping. She felt Hermione dozing against her in the warmth of the sunshine and she held her closer. It felt so delicious having Hermione with her that Bella soon found herself with heavy eyes against the sunshine. She rocked them slowly back and forth, the breeze lifting Bella's hair every now and then.
The sounds of their house elf, Tinkie cooking supper lulled Bella into the final stages of falling asleep.
"Bella," The cold high voice spoke, "What news of the Order?"
"The fools, they mean to move on Hogsmeade tonight."
"And our prisoner?" came the voice expectantly
"Dead my lord, he was such a fighter." Bella said with a shiver, "I was sorry to see him die." She moved next to Voldemort, "I want another toy." She whispered to him, "My toys always break so easily."
"You play too rough Bella but soon I'll get you another play thing." Voldemort sounded amused.
Bella laughed at this and hissed quietly to Voldemort's snake, the creature encircled Bella's hand. The snake had been a gift from herself and Rodolphus. She was such a beautiful snake; she would get bigger soon but for now Bella could still cuddle her. "Come precious I've have yummies for you." She exited Voldemort's room, the snake in tow.
Bella woke with a ragged breath looking around the room. Her dark mark ached on her arm, she rubbed it trying to get the throbbing to dull. She didn't remember falling asleep in her bedroom, she looked around, the sunshine was gone, grey clouds had replaced blue sky and rain slashed at the windows. She wasn't in her bedroom; she was in Black Manor. She rubbed her arm again before looking down, the dark mark shone as clear as day as if Voldemort was standing next to her. She recoiled from the mark pushing back into the bed.
"Hermione?" Bella whispered desperately, her throat was dry. She moved slowly out of the bed. "Hermione." Her voice louder. Why were they at Black Manor, they had agreed to make the cottage their home until Black Manor was made suitable to live in. She saw the baby cradle next to the bed, it was Carina's cradle. "Hermione!" she heard her behind the door and opened it quickly before she stepped into the garden.
"Ah Bellatrix, come meet Tom Riddle." She heard her father call. "This is Bellatrix, she's in her sixth year at Hogwarts, top of her class. International duelling champion." The pride in her father's voice was evident.
"Bella, it's a pleasure to meet you finally." Tom said extending his hand to take Bella's to kiss. "She is a picture of heaven sir."
"Ah now Tom don't you be getting any ideas my boy, she is promised already."
Bella walked away from the men sitting. "Wake up, wake up." Bella pleaded with herself. "Please wake up."
"Bella don't leave me." Bella looked down to see Cissy hugging her tightly at the train station. "Don't go off to that place and leave me and Andy."
Bella hugged her tiny sister close, she felt her in her arms, "Don't worry poppet I'll soon be home to give you kisses." Andy hugged her as well, pressing a kiss to Bella's neck and cuddling into her like Hermione often does when she was upset or scared.
"Stay with me Bella, who will hold me until I fall asleep?" Andy said her arms squeezing around Bella's chest.
She spotted her in the crowd, "HERMIONE!"
"Is that who you betrayed me for?" She heard his voice in her head, "A mudblood."
"Bella!" Bellatrix felt herself being shaken, "Bella wake up." Familiar lips pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Wake up dearest." Hermione said gently pulling Bellatrix awake.
Bella looked around the room and blinked, she touched Hermione's face and then looked down at her arm. She struggled to catch her breath, the dark mark all but completely faded, just an outline remained as it had for the last few years. She checked it again, it wasn't any clearer than it had been the day before.
"You were having a nightmare." Hermione said her eyes searching Bella's to make sure she was fully awake.
"Was I?"
Hermione nodded, "You were hissing." Hermione said softly with a shudder. The hissing had scared Hermione, even now it made her hair stand on end.
Bella's whole body ached, she sipped the water from the nightstand glass. "Did I say anything?"
Hermione looked down, "You were shouting for your baby."
"Carina." Bella whispered, tears stung Bella's eyes, she only remembered shouting for Hermione. She felt sick to her stomach, she sipped her water and looked at her arm again. Hermione shifted slightly on the bed before covering the dark mark's outline with her hand.
Bella took a steading breath, "Did I do anything else?" she said looking at Hermione, her eyes scanning her lover as if checking her for injuries. Hermione hadn't looked at her again.
"Did I do anything else?" Bella repeated the question.
"You shouted." Hermione said, her hand still covering Bella's mark.
"Look at me." Bella said, her fingers moving under Hermione's chin. "What did I shout?"
"You said get your hands off me you filthy mudblood."
"When?" Bella's heart sank, she knew when, before Hermione said it she knew.
"When I was trying to wake you up."
She had apologized, Hermione had assured her that she knew it meant nothing, that it had been a dream. Bella ate dinner in silence while Hermione told her about work. She avoided talking about Percy's mad ravings and Azkaban lest it send Bella into another nightmare. Bella was still feeling sick and hardly ate anything. She laid on the bed for ages after dinner watching Hermione work, she loved it, the little mummers to herself, the under breath swears, the sound of the parchment pages moving around and Hermione's quill scratching across the paper.
"How was it today with Percy Weasley?" Bella asked knowing full well Hermione had talked about everything under the sun except her trip to Azkaban and Percy.
Hermione stopped the scratching of her quill.
"I can take it Hermione I'm not broken, I just had a bad dream."
Hermione took a breath and turned in her chair, Azkaban she had been to before, she hated it, that she didn't need to describe. The other part, after Bella's nightmare, creeped her out more than it initially did.
"Ravings of a lunatic really." Hermione said avoiding the question.
"What. Did. He. Say?" Bella asked again, a smile was there just under the surface, but she let Hermione know she understood she was stalling.
"That Tom Riddle had found a way back."
Bella's eyes darkened and she frowned, "A way back from death?"
"That is what he said."
"Impossible, there is no way back from death. Only shadows of what was."
"He said they brought him back. I don't know who they are but he claimed they brought him back."
Bella rolled onto her back, "Fools playing with a muggle séance I'm sure. He was destroyed, the horcruxes were destroyed, he's gone."
Hermione still watched her, her heart a bit tender from Bella's outburst earlier. She bit her lip, she was afraid of Percy's words. Bella sat up and looked at her.
"Come Pet." She said as Hermione left her desk to walk to the bed. "Don't let that Weasel scare you. He's not back, he can't be. He's gone."
Hermione swallowed and moved to sit in Bella's lap facing her, Bella's arms wrapped around her. "And if he is?" She whispered against Bella's mouth.
"Then I'll keep you safe." Bella said closing the distance and kissing her. "See this Pet?" She said holding out her arm where the faint scar outlined her tattoo. "That has never been more faded. If he were back or gaining strength it would darken. Hmm" She said bending her head down to meet Hermione's eyes. "It's not real Pet, he just had a nightmare or he's trying to get released or he's trying to scare you. Think about it, why didn't he ask for Tonks? An Auror with experience fighting with Voldemort. He asked for you to scare you."
Bella kissed Hermione's shoulder and her neck. She loved sitting this way with her, Hermione wrapped safely against her. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier in my sleep."
Hermione kissed her gently. "It wasn't you."
Bella kissed the ugly word that was carved into her lover's arm. "I love you." She said kissing it again.
Hermione smiled and kissed Bella's dark mark, her tongue flicked out over it. The scar was very sensitive and made Bella shiver. I love you too." She kissed the mark again and whispered, "She loves a mudblood now."
Bella laughed and pushed Hermione back into the bed laying over her. Their mouths pressed together, her tongue waging a gentle assault against Hermione's.
Bella watched Hermione sleeping, her fingers trailing along where their bond tattoo glowed faintly in the moonlight. She wouldn't let anyone hurt her. Hermione moved a little at Bella's touch and let out a small whimper in her sleep.
"Shhh Pet, I'm watching I'll keep you safe."
As she said it their fireplace lit up with green flames, Bella's wand in her hand as she pointed it towards the flames; almost immediately Andromeda spun out of the fire.
"Oh bugger, I thought this was the living room." She said in a whisper when she saw Hermione sleeping.
"Andy what the hell, don't you know not to floo in unannounced in the middle of the night." She whispered back moving off the bed, she grabbed a robe and covered up the remainder of her tattoo.
"What is it, what's the matter?" She asked, her hand reaching out to steady Andromeda who looked a bit dizzy.
Andromeda looked at Hermione and shook her head, "Not here. Come." She said walking through the bedroom door. Bella was still holding her wand as she followed Andromeda out into the summer night air.
"What is the meaning of this Andy." Bella asked in a hiss, she was still aware to keep her voice down.
"Lucius has disappeared."
Bella huffed, "You came to my house unannounced, nearly had me kill you in the process to tell me that our no good brother in law is off whoring in London?"
Andromeda shook her head, "He's not whoring in London Bella. Look."
Andromeda thrust a piece of parchment at Bellatrix, it was written in a hasty scrawl.
Death is not the end.
"Again, I am going to ask, you woke me, came to my house unannounced-"
"This is serious Bellatrix." Andy said pulling the parchment back,
"Well with any luck the bastards done himself in." She said with a smile.
"Cissy is beside herself. Tonks is out looking for him."
"Oh for- really? He's just Lucius, he'll be back in the morning Andy. Really all the fuss."
"He wrote this three days ago and Cissy hasn't seen him since. She said he was acting strange and tearing the room up. Said he was shouting out his mother's name when she tried to wake him. He just said he had had a nightmare but the next morning he was gone and had left this for her."
"What's happened?" Hermione asked from the doorway to the cottage, her bushy hair stuck out at all angles, her tattoo gleamed in the moonlight as she moved to stand by the two women.
"You should be in bed Pet." Bella said putting her arm around Hermione and kissed her head. "Just Andy and I talking angel."
Hermione looked at the parchment and frowned, "That's what Percy said."
Bella and Andy looked at Hermione, "What love?"
"That's what Percy said, when I spoke to him today."
Andy did not expect Bella's reaction and jumped when Hermione did. Bella let go of Hermione and stepped back from her as though she'd been burnt. "You didn't tell me that." She took another step back, she looked down at her dark mark still relieved to see it was just as faded.
"I didn't- well I didn't think it mattered."
Bella looked around them, her wand out, Andy did the same looking around. Hermione was wandless and confused.
"Bella-" Hermione whispered.
"Shh Pet." She said looking in the direction of the trees. She shifted her body to stand in front of Hermione. "Call your wand." Bella said barely moving her mouth to speak.
Hermione called her wand silently and felt relief when it was in her hand again.
"Do you have wards?" Andromeda asked. Bellatrix nodded, neither woman lowered their wand.
Bella nodded, her eyes scanning the darkness. With a flick of her wrist the lights went out in the house to help them see better.
"I don't see anything." Hermione whispered after a moment. Andy and Bella still scanned the tree lines.
Hermione didn't even see him, didn't even hear him. A red flash shot out of the end of Bellatrix's wand into the tree line. There was a scream and then silence. Not ten meters from Hermione lay the body of Antonin Dolohov stunned.