Apologies for the long gaps between updates, coursework and exams have not be kind to me. Hope you're all well xx
The room was dark, with cold green decor, a large fire was crackling at the far side of the room, making the figure before it tiny as it curled up in a grand leather arm chair. The figure was dressed in silk pyjamas and a black dressing gown and her untamed curly hair hinted to multiple attempts at sleep, yet here she was wide awake. Bellatrix stared into the flames of the Slytherin common room's fire, a small house elf had seen her sat there and lit it for her, it reminded her of the house elves at home who has basically raised her, and it brought her a bit of comfort. It felt like it had been days since she had been in the room of requirement with her, but in fact it had only been a few hours, what was she going to do? She was the one who had kissed the other girl, so it wasn't like she could shed the blame, and she couldn't exactly pretend it didn't happen, Granger wouldn't take that lying down. Could she beg a Gryffindor to keep her secret? Fake her own death perhaps? Or…wait and see what happened next? No, she had backed herself into a corner for some stupid kiss.
Bellatrix sighed as her eyelids lowered shut, yet again her mind was back in the room of requirement. The heat from Hermione's soft cheeks radiating into her palms as she pressed her rouged lips against rosy ones, the growing fear at the younger girl's hesitation and then the blissful relief of her affections being returned. Grabbing the Gryffindor's waist to bring her closer had all but happened without her knowledge, her body simply needed the contact, the sudden push back had brought her mind back into her head. Yet, she wasn't angry at the rejection, she had felt breathless and shaky. She recalled turning and saying goodnight, tempted almost to turn back and kiss her again, knowing this could never happen again. All evening it had been that final thought that had kept her awake, her throat going tight with the knowledge that she would have to close off the vulnerability she had allowed out of herself. There really was no other way than to move on coldly and hope Hermione would get the message, if her family found out she would be excommunicated and left with nothing, as her eldest sister Andy was. It wasn't as though she could send off an owl and live with her and her mudblood husband and their new offspring with that ridiculous name she struggling to place, she had found the news in a letter to her other older sister Narcissa before it was thrown on the fire and banished from mention, unlike Bellatrix she was a talent at obedience.
Eventually morning came, and the sleep deprived young woman was getting ready to face what was to come: the heartfelt confrontation about the previous night, the piercing look of disappointment and hurt and then the inevitable avoidance. Thoughts of curly brown hair and an intoxicating smell popped into her fatigued head, she shook them away berating herself, the kiss was a strange whim after all the adrenaline and she was stupid to be having such thoughts. With a final stern look at herself in the bathroom mirror, Bellatrix Black left the Slytherin dormitories, her usual mask of indifference and spite set perfectly on her face.
Elsewhere in the grand hall sat Hermione, face fresh and content as she sat across from Harry and Ron, they were talking about the previous year. Hermione had gone to simply speak to Professor Moody, for what reason she couldn't even recall, and had watched a ripple across the false face, immediately she thought back to the changing of her own face years ago as she had watched herself ripple from cat back to girl. She had rushed to tell Ron, who had the level head to inform Dumbledore. Watching the headmaster demolish the maze within moments was a sight engrained into them all, his wand had subdued the towering hedged into weeds and the creatures within the maze had cowered out of his way. As others detained crouch a handful of teachers had investigated where the Triwizard cup had been. All in all the group effort took only a matter of minutes and a large dose of Veritaserum to find where Harry and Cedric had been taken and prevent the return of Voldemolt. The conversation grew quieter then, as they passed over the part where they had been too late to save Cedric, instead they wondered if the death eaters that had been detained that day were all the death eaters left. The curly haired girl remembered their faces plastered all over the papers, she especially recalled Cygnus Black, his regal and handsome face twisted in disgust as it stared out, as though he could sense Hermione's heritage through the paper. When she had imagined Bellatrix's father she had expected the high symmetrical cheekbones and thick dark hair, but she wasn't expecting the piercing blue eyes. Bellatrix had dark eyes that almost looked all black in certain lights, at times they scared Hermione and yet at other times they seemed to drink in her attention, making her want to stare for hours. Cygnus's eyes were purely unsettling, as though they weren't natural and had instead been implanted into his head to intimidate wherever he gazed.
A growing rumble of muttering from across the room captured the attention of the trio, they followed the eyes of the majority of the Slytherin table to the door of the great hall and saw Bellatrix striding in with her head held high, it was the first time she'd been seen outside of lessons or her dorm in a week, the refreshed fear of her victims was almost tangible in the air. Harry and Ron grew uninterested immediately and changed the topic to tomorrow's Gryffindor versus Slytherin match, however their female friend's attention was still thoroughly occupied. Hermione stared so intently her eyes began to sting from lack of blinking, at which point she looked down at the cup of juice on the table and instead stole glances every now and then at the girl she had been thinking about all morning. As she watched the Slytherin join her friends she noticed that she hadn't tried to look towards the Gryffindor table and already Hermione could sense what was going to happen next, same old Bellatrix Black but with extra denial, though disappointed she was not at all surprised and forced her attention back onto Harry and Ron who, without her knowledge, had been watching her with puzzled expressions.
The day had dragged by painfully as Bellatrix waited for Hermione to track her down, she had aimlessly teased some of the younger years and had a productive chat with peeves about how to best avoid being caught teasing the younger years. Eventually the final lesson of the day was finished with Snape reeling off a list of homework tasks. Feeling the itch for action Bellatrix decided to head to the library to look for the irritating Gryffindor, she needed to put all this abnormal behaviour behind her for good. Bellatrix strode though the tall shelves, allowing the heavy smell of the pages to soothe her nerves, if there was one thing she enjoyed, it was an empty library. Taking her time, she passed row to row scanning the barren seats with a sense of déjà vu. Finally, she spotted a frizzy mane. As she walked closer to Hermione's side she saw her face leaning on one hand and her eyes dropped down at the thick volume on the desk, her attention clearly wavering as the afternoon matured.
"Trust you to pick something easy and exciting Granger" Bellatrix was surprised that Hermione didn't jump at the sudden sound.
"exciting might be my thing, but easy clearly isn't" The younger girl sat back in her chair to look up at the new company and delivered her wit with a relaxed grin.
That was brave thought Bellatrix as she huffed out a short laugh "the little lion does jokes, and here I thought you were in bad spirits today"
"oh? Why would I be in bad spirits" Hermione replied with faked ignorance
"I guess I just assumed since you've been out of sight all day, forgive me for expecting a run in Granger"
"My first name isn't cursed you know, Bellatrix. Also, I know you seem to think all us Gryffindors are optimists but I'm not an idiot, I know what's coming next and I didn't like the idea of doing it in a populated corridor"
"What is it you think it going to happen then, Hermione?"
"I think that you're going to get scared and try and cut me off to stop yourself feeling anything other than indifference" Hermione tried to keep her voice calm as she produced the words, but she couldn't deny that she felt a throb of frustrated rejection.
"well, I think you're the one making assumptions now" Bellatrix purposely avoided the other girl's eyes and considered her next move.
"So, I'm wrong, am I? You're here to confess you like me or something?" Hermione threw up a sceptical eyebrow and crossed her arms, waiting for an answer.
"For Merlin's sake Muddy it was a simple lapse in judgement and you're acting as though it was a big deal, I was just coming to tell you that as a courtesy, so you didn't start hassling me about it" Bellatrix spat the words, waiting on the expected reaction to divide them for good as she had planned.
Hermione winced slightly at the name but didn't hold on to it long "right then, glad we cleared that up." She turned back to the desk and forced her eyes to the book.
Bellatrix had essentially achieved her goal and yet, she wasn't remotely pleased. She shifted her weight and thought for a moment, she should leave, but the niggling notion that she had been dismissed bothered her greatly. "I won't lie Granger, I was expecting a touch more resistance"
"I don't see why, it was you who kissed me, not the other way around" Hermione felt a flutter in her chest, and the hint of a smile on her face she kept her face turned away.
"I think I recall you kissing me back" Bellatrix threw back
"well like you said, a lapse in judgement" With that Hermione rose from her seat, performed a quick spell to shrink her book and put it in her robe pocket as she began to move past Bellatrix, she turned her head and said "goodnight" with a smirk at the attempted reference.
Bellatrix's hand on the younger girl's arm had stopped Hermione before her brain had decided why, she needed more time, but for what reason she didn't know. She looked at the other girl, her hand lighting gripping her arm still as Hermione turned her body to face her completely.
With little warning Hermione moved forward, trapping Bellatrix between herself and the desk behind her. With bated breath she leaned in and pressed her lips against the other girls. There was no hesitation this time, instead their mouth began to move in a slow rhythm, Hermione gently placing her hands on Bellatrix's waist with nerves still sitting in her chest.
The pace increased, and Hermione allowed her body to move closer. The older girl carried the aroma of rich roses mixed with a subtle musk of leather, it was a sweet but majestic and Hermione could imagine the perfume being wildly expensive
Suddenly slender but strong hands wrapped around Hermione and spun them around, swapping their positions. With the new advantage Bellatrix deepened their kiss, sliding her tongue across Hermione's lips and nipping her bottom lip. Bellatrix gripped the desk behind Hermione, her body pushing against Hermione until the younger girl had unconsciously mounted the desk and thrown her arms around Bellatrix's neck which allowed Bellatrix to stand between her legs and hold her flush against her.
The minutes had blurred when suddenly a soft thud somewhere close by brought them back to earth, instantly Bellatrix jumped back as though scolded, her pale cheeks now rosy as her chest heaved in air. Hermione stared back at her, equally as breathless. Both looked around to see no one around them before the Gryffindor spoke.
"Do you still want that talk?" Hermione croaked out
"Maybe we could…talk about something else?" the older girl replied, a rare expression forming
To Hermione's surprise Bellatrix gave her a genuine smile that sharpened her rosy cheek bones, for a moment no thoughts came to Hermione, only a feeling of awe before she agreed and sat with Bellatrix.
Hours went by as they spoke of funny stories and book they enjoyed. Hermione told Bellatrix all about her time as Millicent Bullstrode's cat, the obstacles to the philosopher's stone and her crisis about the lack of wood to defeat the devils snare. In return Bellatrix spoke of the elaborate pranks she would play on her sisters and fondly recalled a week where she had made her sister Andy bald with a rather potent potion. They laughed easily at one another's adventures and both girls found themselves growing more comfortable as they went back and forth about some book or idea after another. It was only when the sound of a passing owl made them realise that the evening had long evolved into the night and with shy smiles they left together still chatting easily before coming at to the stairs where their paths were forced to part.
"well, goodnight Gr…Hermione" Bellatrix rocked on her feet, feeling nervous but strangely giddy.
"Goodnight, maybe I'll see you tomorrow? At the quidditch match?" the Gryffindor asked tentatively.
"maybe you will" Bellatrix winked and turned on the spot to walk away.
Yet again Hermione was left watching her go, her chest swollen with emotions.