So this is the longest chapter I've ever written :] I hope you like it. And if you don't, just pretend to for my sake.
Hermione looked at the strange woman sleeping in her bed. Dark curls fanned out wildly from a pale delicate face. How was it possible that this woman that everyone feared was so small and childlike? It seemed so inappropriate, so strange that something so evil could possess a body that exuded an aura of innocence. Hermione had half carried, half dragged her up five flights of stairs and was surprised how small the fearsome Bellatrix Lestrange actually was, Bellatrix was actually just over five foot tall and very thin after her years in askaban. It was easy to forget how tiny she was when her insane cackling filled an entire battlefield, but when her body lay in front of you, helpless and covered in blood, it was an instinct as natural as breathing to want to protect her.
It was wrong. it was so, so wrong. Hermione knew that, what she had already done had gone far beyond stopping her from dying, she had given up her own bed, watched her while she was asleep, committed at least three crimes in not reporting her alive. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Harry Potter himself had tried to give Tom Riddle a second chance in front of a crowd of hundreds, friends and foe alike. So could Hermione, Harry's second in command offer that same second chance to Voldemort's second in command? Probably not, but she would anyway, she already knew that. She'd already come this far she might as well go the distance and try to make a difference. Hermione had made her mind up and all she could do was hope that Bellatrix had not done the same.
Running through the pitch black forest barefoot, shadows of leaves and braching looming overhead, tripping over logs and roots, younger than I am now but not a lot smaller. I've always been so damn small, too small to do anything, too small to run... But I have to keep going, have to push my short legs to run faster, work harder, until my muscles are burning and sweat dripping, but its not good enough. I know what will happen to me if they catch me, when they catch me. I can't bring myself to give up even though I know it will be over all too soon. Tears of terror overflow and drip down my flushed cheeks. I can hear dogs barking not far enough behind, hear the laughter and shouts of excited men hoping for a prize at the end of this; me. So with tears dripping down my face, I push myself harder than I'm meant to go, harder, faster, I'm panting, lungs burning and I know already that I've not done enough. Not tried hard enough. I can hear them clearly behind me, laughing. I know its my fault but all I can think of is that I'm so young... so damn young... just fourteen... I'm panting, diving wildly searching for a way if not to escape then to die. I don't find it. A rough hand on my arm; they have me. They've caught me. I'm lost. but its enough, it shocks me out of my memories. My nightmares.
Bellatrix Lestrange sat bolt upright, breath only escaping in ragged pants from her heaving body, her forehead beaded with sweat as the terror of the nightmare overwhelms her, tears escape her eyes; they're running from the terror too. As her hands reach out in the darkness for someone; anyone. Hermione is there, the answer to the beckoning hands in the night. The warmth that somehow, inexplicably comes from the cold. The last light available in the darkness. So for a reason Bellatrix can't quite understand she holds her and comforts her, cradling her like the child she seems to be inside. And for another reason, one Hermione can understand well enough but wishes she didn't, the two 'enemies' fall asleep entwined, both scared but for such different reasons. Hermione with the mind and body of a woman with the age only of a child, and Bellatrix the other way round.
Hermione woke first, to find a mass of dark hair and pale face cradled in the crook of her neck, both of their arms were holding the other closer, for comfort and sheer need of human contact. The situation she found herself in was almost overwhelming, but not quite, for a moment Hermione just lay there, welcoming the warmth of another body; but then she looked down. Bellatrix's dress had been covered in blood and now so were Hermione's clothes. Hermione managed to detangle herself from the mass of human limbs and retrieved her wand from her desk, she couldn't help but wonder for a second what would have happened if Bellatrix had awoken first, would she have killed her saviour? Of course she would have, it was stupid to believe a mass murderer would behave otherwise. Hermione stood wand pointed at Bellatrix for a minute, unsure of her next move before the woman in question chose to speak.
"So are you going to use that wand or am I free to go?" Bellatrix's voice had a mocking edge to it too dark to belong to that of a child. The sudden lack of innocence in her voice strengthened Hermiones resolve.
"Get up and get changed, we're leaving in fifteen minutes." Hermione ordered. Bellatrix groaned and flung herself dramatically backwards into the rumpled duvet.
"But I don't want to!" she whined petulantly.
Bellatrix's eyes widened when a second later a wand tip was nearly embedded in her neck.
"Watch where you point that thing mudblood or you may find it shoved somewhere painful." Bellatrix spat.
"Just get dressed Lestrange. You're a mess." Hermione snarled.
The deranged beautiful woman made her way over to a chest of drawers and began rifling through its contents. Pulling drawers out and empting them onto the floor. Hermione just watched in faint amusement at the expression on her face at the things she found. She even managed a laugh at the disgust on Bellatrix's face when she found a dildo. After a few minutes she had chosen which of the girls clothes to wear and looked at Hermione strangely.
"So you're just going to watch me get changed?" Bellatrix smirked and raised and eyebrow suggestively. After laughing at Hermione's expression she shocked Hermione by turning away and slipping her dress off, baring pale flawless flesh that Hermione's eyes were drawn to. Hermione swallowed and realised somehow her mouth was completely dry, she knew she shouldn't be looking at her like this, she was a woman, too old for her, and a murderer. But somehow even though she knew she shouldn't her eyes would never stray far from her before they were lured back in.
Bellatrix finished five minutes later pulling on her own boots while wearing a pretty daring dress of Lavenders. It was purple in colour and flared out at the hips only covering the legs up to halfway down the thighs.
"So mudblood, am I decent? Fit to be seen in public?" Bellatrix laughed, a child's giggle instead of her usual maniacal cackle.
"Shut up." Hermione snapped. It was far too easy to feel at ease with this woman, a dangerous thing to do was to relax, especially handling a bitch like Bellatrix.
"So what next? " She asked in a singsong voice before sobering up quickly "You do owe me a torture session, but that doesn't seem like your style. I don't think you'd keep me this long to just kill me. So what do you want? Information? Names? Sex?" clearly ignoring the harsh words administrated by Hermione.
"I want to keep you alive." Hermione answered with no hesitation.
"You're protecting me?" Bellatrix whispered in shock.
"Yes. But I'm not setting you free."
"Free" Bellatrix snorted lying back on the bed "I've never been free."
"You think you weren't free Lestrange?" Hermione laughed
"I know so Granger" Bellatrix retorted. Hermione froze instantly.
"Stop trying to make feel sorry for you. It isn't working." Hermione demanded,
"Whatever you want mudblood." Bellatrix drawled.
"That's enough talking. We have to go" Hermione said grabbing Bellatrix's arm and dragging her downstairs.
Hermione grabbed a handful of floo powder threw it in the grate and stated their destination, she pulled Bellatrix close to her, both of them fitting in the fireplace at once in what was almost an embrace. Then both tumbled out of the fireplace on the other side Hermione landing on top of Bellatrix in what would have seemed a compromising position if anyone had walked in.
"Getting a bit too friendly mudblood." Bellatrix sneered trying to push Hermione off her
"You wish Lestrange." Hermione spat
"As much as you like to flatter yourself Granger, I really don't wish that; so get off me." she demanded.
Hermione picked herself up and brushed the soot off her bloody clothes, groaning as she realised she forgot to change.
"I realise I am quite tasty mudblood, but you don't have to moan like a dog in heat whenever you're around me." The laughing woman had somehow sat on top of the large fireplace. Bare legs dangling down and swinging at her command as she grinned like a Cheshire cat.
"Once again Lestrange in your dreams. Do you have any clothes that aren't freaky black dresses?"
Bellatrix pondered this for a second before just saying "Nope." and continuing grinning eerily.
Hermione walked through the manor with Bellatrix a wands length in front, marvelling at the dark beauty she never expected the Lestrange manor to posses. It was Gothic and dark but everything was finely made and intricate in a way that couldn't help but suggest beauty. The unlikely pair kept walking round the impossibly large house until they came to Bellatrix's bedroom, which surprised Hermione in both its size and contents. The room was decorated in Black and green like anyone with a brain would have suspected but the two full windows on either side of the bed stopped the room from seeming dark and oppressing in any way. The bed was a huge king sized mahogany four poster bed with gauzy black drapes that were almost as fine as lace. Bellatrix ran to the bed with ill disguised glee and dived on it nearly being swallowed by the impossibly thick duvet.
"Aaaah." She sighed "Finally a comfy bed again." Hermione watched in abstract amusement and was more than tempted to join her in her revelling. Only being stopped by the one thought that kept chanting itself in her head. "She's a murderer. She's a murderer. She's a murderer." Hermiones inner monologue would not shut up.
"Pack a bag Lestrange we're leaving soon." Hermione ordered sounding bored of her antics.
"No Granger. You're leaving soon. I'm staying." Bellatrix stated as if it were a fact.
"Ms. Lestrange with all due respect..." Hermione started before being cut off by the ex deatheater
"Jesus Christ! lighten up mudblood!" She drawled before strolling over to the chest of drawers with a honey coloured liquid filled decanter on top. Unstoppering it she poured herself a generous glass and downed it before pouring herself another. Hermione walked up behind her and took the decanter away from her after she poured herself a fourth glass.
"Hey!" She protested quite weakly
"Shut up Lestrange. If we're going to stay here we do it my way."
"Stop calling me Lestrange!" she shouted, looking for the first time like the madwoman she was "call me Bella or failing that Bellatrix."
"Fine, Bella." Hermione spat
"Thank you, Hermione." Bella said smiling, now completely calm. Hermione shook her head; this woman was going to be impossible.