Chapter Warning: Puking

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HouseOfSeekers: The reason for Bella's puking will become evident or at least strongly hinted at within the next few chapters. I hope you stay tuned to find out where this story is going and that you enjoy the journey!

The sound of retching echoed against the cold, tiled walls. Hermione pushed open the only stall that was closed and couldn't help but gasp at what she saw.

Bellatrix was breathing heavy with her head over the toilet bowl and unceremoniously wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. The witch turned when she heard the gasp and her eyes narrowed.

"B-Bellatrix?! Are you alright?" Despite herself the raven haired witch chuckled but there was no amusement in her remarkably dry laugh.

"Oh I'm just great, Granger. How are you?" She said sarcastically.

"Um...do you...?"

"Do I wh—" before she could finish her sentence her eyes widened and she began emptying her stomach into the toilet once again. Hermione's nose wrinkled. Vomit wasn't exactly an appealing sight. Regardless, she found herself grabbing Bellatrix's hair and gently holding it up so vomit wouldn't find it's way into the sickly witch's curls. When the heaving stopped Hermione let her hair go and Bellatrix leaned against the stall. "What do you want, Granger?" She groaned.

"Well I was looking for you so we could work on our project but you're sick so...I guess that's not really an option right now, is it?"

"I'm afraid not" She drawled.

"Do you want me to go get Madame Pomfrey or maybe walk you to the medical—"

"No!" She shouted causing the Gryffindor to jump slightly. "No" she said again, calmer now. "It'll pass. This isn't the first time this has happened and I know how to deal with it. It's probably better if you just leave me alone for awhile and go do whatever it is your type usually does." Hermione bit her lip and sat back on her calves for a moment. Why was this witch so adamant about avoiding the nurse? Something wasn't right but Hermione was dragged out of her thoughts when a sigh escaped the other witch. She noticed now what she didn't quite see before—Bellatrix was stunning. Right now she looked a little worse for wear but one couldn't blame her considering she'd spent the last 10 minutes or so emptying her stomach contents into the toilet of a less than private bathroom. She had a slight sheen on her face which was obviously most notable in the light. Her mascara was running down her face and her hair was a mess. Still, with her eyes closed she almost looked like she was sleeping and so she looked more peaceful than Hermione had ever seen her.

And Merlin was she gorgeous—even now. A beautiful disaster. Hermione put the back of her hand up to Bellatrix's forehead and forced herself to ignore how close the small bathroom stall forced them. The other woman sucked in a breath and her brows furrowed as she opened her eyes.

"You're burning up."

"What of it?" She snapped and pushed Hermione's arm away, albeit weakly. If she really wanted to she could've kept her hand where it was but decided that would be unnecessary and awkward although a testament to how fatigued Bellatrix was. She lowered her hand as physically requested and subtly wiped it on her robe as it rested back over her knee.

"You really want me to leave you here, Bellatrix? I don't know why you're sick and I certainly don't understand why you won't go see Madame Pomfrey but I'm not sure I can leave you here and not feel guilty about it."

"How you feel doesn't matter to me mud—"

"Don't! If you want me to respect you at all, don't call me that." Bellatrix grinned at this and leaned forward.

"And why should I care whether or not you respect me? I'm a member of the Most Ancient And Noble House of Black. I shouldn't even have to speak to the likes of you."

Ignoring how close the witch was and shooting only a quick glance at the woman's lips she bit back, "Sure, but nobody has to speak to anybody. I don't see what your family name has to do with anything. Not to mention I don't see any pure bloods here holding your hair up so you don't spew all over it." This caused Bellatrix to chuckle once more before quickly turning back to the toilet and retching again. Hermione found herself holding the witch's curls and sighing. I wish she'd get over herself and go see the nurse. This is ridiculous!

Bellatrix sighed and leaned back again as Hermione released her hair. Somehow she was even more pale than before.

"You've got bite for a kitten, Granger. I'll give you that," She croaked, "but I don't think there's anything you can do to help me." Kitten? Hermione thought for a moment and ignored the new nickname. Did that mean Bellatrix was willing to receive help so long as it didn't involve the nurse? Perhaps she didn't want the faculty finding something out.

"Do you think you're done vomiting?" This earned her a quizzical look.

"Why?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Because I'm going to walk you back to your common room." Again, Bellatrix's eyes shot open and her face adopted a scared or perhaps apprehensive look. It was hard to tell the difference with this witch. Her dark eyes shot between Hermione's brown ones as she spoke,

"No...I don't want my sisters to see me like this. I don't need them worrying about me." Her voice was small and pulled at Hermione's heart. The witch pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knee.

"Well where do you want to go, then?" Hermione found herself growing annoyed, which confused her. She wasn't exactly the one puking her guts out.

"Take me to Ravenclaw's common room. I bet I can convince that bastard to give me what I—erm...what he owes me."

"You mean that Claudius guy?"

"Yes...how do you know him?" Hermione put her hands together and looked at nothing in particular.

"I saw you guys fighting earlier" she admitted sheepishly. "He called me a mudblood when I asked him where I could find you and I may have...threatened to bombarda him through the wall." This wasn't the whole truth but she supposed it was close enough.

"Hah! Bastard deserved it. Not because he called you a mudblood, though. Oh don't give me that look, we've been over the house of Black shit already and old habits die hard."

She sighed but decided to humor the witch, "So why do you think he deserved it?"

"That's not important. Are you going to help me to the Ravenclaw wing or do I have to crawl there myself?" Her tone become sassy and almost childish. Hermione had to stop herself from grinning "Don't tell me you're going to leave me here now—not after annoying me for the last...how long have we been in here?" Hermione shrugged. "Well, you know what I'm getting at anyways. Are we going or not?"

"I suppose we are."

Bellatrix put her arm around Hermione's shoulders while Hermione grabbed her forearm and waist to help give her support. The black haired witch could barely stand and her breathing was labored. They'd been walking for some time and it was well passed curfew so nobody was out and about to see them.

"What do you need from him anyways?"

"None of your business" she snapped. Hermione sighed but continued helping her along. There was no point in trying to argue with the witch. Not right now, at least. She'd bridge the subject again tomorrow if she got the chance. Still, perhaps it would be wise to make small talk if only to find herself in the good graces of her project partner.

"So...did you get invited to that party Malfoy is throwing?" Bellatrix snorted despite barely being able to walk.

"Of course I did! Honestly I was surprised. I wasn't under the impression little baby Lucius enjoyed informal parties."

"As opposed to formal ones?" Bella's eyes narrowed at her and Hermione only dared to look at her through the corner of her eye because of how close their faces would be if she dared to look directly back.

"What's it to you?" She asked but there was a tone of caution rather than the usual hostility. Hermione chose to ignore the slight feeling of hot breath against her neck.

"Just making small talk. I thought you might find it boring if we walked the whole way in silence." Wow look at you go, making awful excuses on the fly. Why don't you be honest with yourself and realize you just want to take the chance to talk to this gorgeous albeit currently awful looking woman? A blush crept onto her cheeks as she mentally fought with herself. Hopefully Bellatrix wasn't good at Legilimency, and if she was then Hermione did all but get on her knees and pray that she wouldn't use it.

"You're a strange creature, Muddy." Now Hermione deigned to look directly at Bellatrix and stopped in her tracks.

"What did you just call me?" She hissed.

"Muddy." Anger welled up inside Hermione's belly and she felt like the look on her face would make Bellatrix catch fire if looks truly could kill. "Oh don't tell me you've got your knickers in a bunch! It's not like I mean much by it."

"I told you not to call me a mudblood but you think it's totally alright to call me something as ludicrous as Muddy?!"

"You know, I'm beginning to think you're becoming too comfortable around me. What don't you understand about me being a Black? My ancestors are probably rolling around in their graves knowing I'm talking to you and your kind." Hermione swallowed hard as she watched Bellatrix's altogether indifferent gaze linger and forced herself to calm down. There was no point in fighting. What would it achieve? She wasn't stupid, there was no way someone like Bellatrix would respect a muggle born. It was ingrained in her entire being that pure bloods were the superior race and simply helping her while she's down wouldn't change that.

But why did it matter if she changed her views or not? It's not like they'd be friends. They were only partnered up so their DADA professor could pass Bellatrix, really. Hermione was snapped out of her thoughts when Bella's posture faltered and she crumbled to the ground. Hermione rolled her eyes and offered a hand to help her but the witch slapped it away as if it offended her.

"What the hell?" Hermione scoffed.

"Leave me" Bellatrix hissed as she righted herself up and shuffled backwards so she was flush with the wall.

"Seriously? We're so close to the Ravenclaw common room. I might as well walk you the rest of the way."

"I don't need your help, mudblood!" she spat. Sighing, Hermione crouched to look into the dark eyes of the opposing witch.

"Apparently you've never heard the phrase: don't bite the hand that feeds you."

Bellatrix chuckled and a sick toothy grin that revealed one of her strangely sharp but incredibly white fangs appeared. She ran the back of her hand across her mouth as if she was wiping something off of her lips before speaking, "I've had to feed myself my whole life. Why should now be any fucking different, Muddy?"

Hermione cringed but not at the crass language, more at the way she said it. Her voice cracked when spoke, the Gryffindor noticed. It was an odd statement on its own. The Black family was incredibly rich and had many house elves to serve them. Why did Bella suggest she'd taken care of herself? Still, not one to simply take insults as they came at her without a rebuttal, Hermione found herself standing and shrugging her shoulders.

"If you can't respect me I don't see why I should help you. I really just wanted to know what spell we were going to use for our paper. I guess I'll ask you about it tomorrow." She turned to walk away but stopped when she heard Bellatrix mutter something. Raising a brow she turned around and looked back towards the witch. "What?"

"I said...wait." Then the Slytherin looked up at the Gryffindor and for reasons unbeknownst to Hermione, the lion found herself helping the snake back onto her legs and they began walking towards the Ravenclaw common room again.