Title: Teaching with Bellatrix Black

Summary: An AU, in which the Wizarding Wars were thwarted before they began. Hermione Granger is a teacher at Hogwarts, and her newest colleague is proving to be…well. What more can you expect from Bellatrix Black? B/H

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story besides my own little filler characters. I am merely borrowing them to use as my little mind puppets. So if you recognize the name it most likely isn't mine or is a total coincidence.

*Any grammar and spelling issues are all my own problem.*

~ Chapter 1 ~

Hermione crossed her legs at the knee as she reclined in her chair in the Staff Room. There were 4 weeks of summer break left before the students returned to school for the next year. She'd spent the last month with various friends and family. She'd spent the first week with her best friend from school and remarkable auror, Harry Potter, staying with him at his partner and her friend, Ron's family. Then a week with her parents at their home. The rest of the time she'd decided to do some sight-seeing, staying a few nights with various friends and acquaintances and visiting landmarks until the day that she was needed back to prepare for the next year of Hogwarts.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as Crookshanks meowed loudly at her before jumping up to her lap. McGonagall was sitting at the head of the table looking over her notes for the staff meeting that should've began – Hermione checked her watch – should've began 8 minutes ago. She leaned forward to deduce who they could possibly be waiting on, as Minerva was usually quite serious about starting her meetings on her time and her time had demanded it start now 9 minutes ago, but obviously whoever they were waiting on was crucial to the topics needing to be discussed.

So who's here? She asked herself, she needed to take Minutes for the meeting anyways so she quickly jotted down the date and name of the meeting and began writing down the participants.

Minerva McGonagall (Headmistress), Hermione Granger (Transfiguration), Severus Snape (Potions), Draco Malfoy (Potions Apprentice), Pomona Sprout (Herbology), Neville Longbottom (Herbology Apprentice), Sybill Trelawney (Divination), Rolanda Hooch (Flying), Bathsheba Babbling (Ancient Runes), Cuthbert Binns (History of Magic), Charity Burbage (Muggle Studies), Filius Flitwick (Charms), Rubeus Hagrid (Care of Magical Creatures), Aurora Sinistra (Astronomy), Septima Vector (Arithmancy), Poppy Pomfrey (Matron), Imra Pince (Librarian), Argus Filch (Caretaker)

She looked at the long list of names. She didn't see anyone missing at first glance, and then she saw it. The only department left unrepresented, "Unsurprisingly we're missing our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." She looked over at Minerva, "I hate to say it…"

Minerva glared over at her apprentice, "Don't start."

"Did she even reply to your letter?"

"Yes, she –"

At that Crookshanks suddenly tensed up and hissed loudly as a figure stepped through the door of the staff room. Hermione gathered him up into her arms to prevent him from gallivanting off to chase, but was surprised when he merely wiggled until he had his head turned to the door and was holding onto her by her shoulders, using his bulk to cover her chest as he hissed at the newest occupant of the room.

"Bellatrix!" Hermione barely registered Minerva's greeting in the back of her mind as she tried to sooth her beloved pet into releasing the shoulders of her robes from his claws. She ran her hand through his fur whispering calming assurances that she was fine, safe. No Crookshanks shield needed for this meeting. She was happy when he huffed and calmed, lying back in her lap a low growl still in his throat as he watched the newest occupant get closer and sit down directly across from Hermione's seat.

She finally looked up and registered that sitting across from her, currently adjusting her skirts and the end of her long coat to sit more comfortably, was the fashionably late Bellatrix Black. Her near coal black eyes glanced up and her smile was wide and taunting (her teeth presumably whited and restored to their former appearance after her stint in Azkaban). There was no other action or body language to suggest she was keen to attack, but the glint in her eyes…Hermione could sense the danger, as could Crookshanks, and she could see the line of a crack in her sanity. She wasn't completely devolved, but it was obvious that she wasn't a force to be trifled with either. She'd heard of infamous temper before Azkaban and she would guess that her stay there had only made it shorter and more primed to blow open.

Hermione watched her carefully, examining the tangle of thick, raven curls piled in such a way that it the placement of every curl looked both careless and meticulous as it contributed to her beauty. Her lips were somewhat thin, but were brought out against her pale skin and given the illusion of fullness by the red lipstick she wore and her long lashes accented with the pull of mascara. She was obviously a woman raised properly as she sat with prefect etiquette in her chair showing her expansive chest held captive by a leather corset and accented by the bird skull pendant that lay perfectly to guide the eye to the valley between her breasts, and Hermione could only imagine the leggings and black skirt hidden by the table. She wore a long black leather coat that was still somewhat damp from her traveling in the rain from wherever she'd been before this meeting.

In that moment, Hermione was terrified. This woman was beautiful, but tainted by dark magic. She was enrapturing, and yet she was a monster primed with the knowledge and willpower to kill.

Bellatrix smirked and then turned her gaze, "Sorry I'm late."

She leaned forward and turned her head to Draco, "How's Cissy-dear, Draco?"

"Mum's fine." Draco was just barely smiling to her, and it was in that moment that Hermione recalled that Bellatrix was his aunt. His mother was a Black before she'd married into the Malfoy family. She'd have to ask him more about the woman if she made it through the first week of standing in front of a class.

Hermione leaned forward adjusting the still openly agitated Crookshanks in her lap to better take notes of the meeting. She wrote Bellatrix's name down and listened diligently as Minerva began.

"It's wonderful to see some of you back from your vacation, but unfortunately we have preparation to begin, so with that said: Let's get down to business, shall we?" She flicked her wand summoning the refreshments that had been lying on a side table to the center of the large staff table that everyone was gathered around. "Feel free to drink and eat as we talk."

"The first things I'd like to address are primarily the new positions at the school this year and the adjustments we'll need to make to accommodate these changes. As you may know we had two members of our staff step down at the end of the year last year, including our headmaster. It shouldn't be news to any of you that I am taking Dumbledore's place and I will be the Headmistress this year at Hogwarts, and Hermione, my apprentice for the last 5 years, will be taking my previous position as Transfiguration professor. What may have been news to some of you as that I've selected Bellatrix Black to take the position of Defense against the Dark Arts."

She was unfazed by the slight murmur at the end of the table, "I've chosen Severus to take on the role of Deputy Headmaster, and I've spoken with Pomona and we've decided to place Neville and Draco as Co-Heads of Gryffindor, just to…share the load between all our apprentices."

Draco's eyes immediately widened, "Gryffindor?!"

McGonagall gave a small frown, but upon closer inspection most of the table could see the smile in her eyes, "Yes, Mr. Malfoy. Is there a problem?"

"I c-can't be put in charge of Gryffindor! I'm a Slytherin!"

"Would you rather I put the load entirely on your two peers, or perhaps I should give Gryffindor to your aunt?"

Bellatrix laughed at the mere thought being put entirely in charge of her rival house from school. She wouldn't purposely make them lose the house cup, but she sure as hell wouldn't help them if they didn't deserve it. She smiled to McGonagall, "I'm up to the challenge!"

Hermione shook her head and smiled, "You can't be Head of Gryffindor. It's against the rules, in order to be Head of House you need to have been placed in that house. You were Slytherin in school were you not?"

"Awww." The older woman pouted, "And I was just beginning to fancy the idea!"

Draco sighed out a breath, "Then I can't be put in charge!"

"These are however special circumstances, Mr. Malfoy. I cannot keep the position, Hermione's under enough stress as it is, and none of the other staff members are Gryffindor that are willing to take the position. I was under the impression for disciplinary problems and other such things that it would be best for Neville to handle them and since you have experience with the sport that you'd take on the responsibilities of our Quidditch team. Which I'm sure you would be enough of a goodsportsman to head them well."

The meeting continued without much more occasion, changes to be made to schedules, some corrections to procedures. The meeting was adjourned and the staff stayed as the house elves from the kitchens popped in and began to place platters of lunch foods for the staff members on the table. The table dissolved from the stiff and professional etiquette of their first staff meeting of the year to friendly banter as plates were filled. Hermione took a sandwich from a platter and a handful of chips and began to eat slowly. Bellatrix across from her on the other hand was looking at the platters indecisively. It wasn't until Draco noticed that she wasn't eating that he leaned over and covered her hand with his, she turned her head to him and Hermione could see the stormy indecision in her eyes as he whispered to her.

Draco eventually leaned forward and began to choose items for her, placing them in front of her. Hermione could just barely make out his words, "It's okay, Auntie."

Hermione frowned very gently, but merely reached for her drink and sipped it before starting a conversation with Minerva asking about the older witch's vacation.

~ Bellatrix / Hermione ~

Hermione walked slowly through the corridors as she read through Minerva's notes from the days when she'd been training to be an animagus. The elder witch had given them to her when Hermione had expressed interest in being trained some time ago, with the advice that while it would help her understanding the key would be meditation and introspection, and of course the true wish to be become an animagus.

She'd been practicing for years, meditating on it trying to connect with that part of herself before even attempting to cast the spell. She was brought out of the journal by Crookshanks yowl and hiss. She stopped and looked up and once more there was the dark witch. She frowned down at Crookshanks, "Aren't you a pleasant one?"

The cat hissed in distaste. Hermione bent down and scooped up the large old cat, "Calm down, Crook. It's alright."

Bellatrix crossed her arms under her chest, "It's no problem. To be expected honestly, smart animals are very adept at sensing those who've dabbled in the Dark Arts."

"You shouldn't talk about that."

She laughed dryly, "I've yet to meet a single witch or wizard who either doesn't know who I am and the mistakes I've made or can't sense it from the moment they meet me." She walked past briskly and Hermione turned her head to look over her shoulder and watch her go.

"Bellatrix…"

She faltered in her stride, "Yes?"

"I'm sorry. What I said was insensitive I didn't think. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me."

Bellatrix nodded once and continued on her way, in the direction of her new classroom. Hermione sighed and continued onwards to her own classroom. God that sounds strange! My own classroom!