OpheliaBlack - Your review made me laugh so much... loving the use of a certain word there! Glad you like the song choices.
Kriszti7- I'm glad to hear that my updates brighten up your day and that you find the fic realistic. You're right on the psychology front, and I think in many ways that makes Psychology just as powerful as Legilimency.
ladygoddess8- Yes, that's exactly why Bellatrix resorts to inflicting violence on others. I always imagine Bellatrix to be a very lonely character which I think contributes to her insane behaviour, which is why sometimes when she is having conversations with Hermione she responds in a fairly normal and intelligent way as the loneliness isn't holding her back. Obviously that's a fairly basis analysis but I don't want to bore anybody too much with my thoughts when many of them are obvious from my writing. Thank you once again.
Anti-Gravity11- Thank you for calling me intelligent... I do try! I'm just the sort of person that works really hard at everything I do so I'm glad that shows through my writing. If you ever require any help with a HP fic if you do decide to write it then give me a shout and I'll do my best to be of use. Call it payback for the praise you've given me!
wolfzero7- I really want to answer your review fully as I sense you've discovered what I'm referring to but I don't want to ruin the surprise for people! I will however say this, there is actual ancient magic involved and it isn't as clear cut as a one word answer.
aurorstorm- I'm glad I inspire you! Thank you for considering this the best fic you've ever read... I won't get too excited until you see where I take this yet as you may end up hating it for all I know! I've already spent months working on this from start to finish so hopefully you will continue to enjoy it. Oh and I agree, I too love the intelligent and beautiful side of Bellatrix.
Mrs. Waffles- First point I'll make is that Hermione isn't yet in love with Bellatrix. Secondly, I hope you do consider what will be revealed in the future to be realistic within this universe. I understand your reservations and if it's bothering you massively then send me a PM and I'll explain more about where I'm taking this, but I don't want to reveal too much here as it may ruin it for some readers. Thank you for taking the time to let me know your thoughts, however, much appreciated.
Whurm- Glad I'm not the only one who finds an angry Bellatrix hot, hehe.
miluvrox- There will be more flashbacks. I suppose if you dislike them that much you can skip reading them, but I have included them so that the current plot makes more sense to people and they see more of who Bellatrix is. Also, this current flashback actually refers to the point you've made about Bellatrix marriage. Anyhow, thank you for the review!
greenelek- Third response. : P Thanks for the praise on Hermione as the protagonist, I actually found her really difficult to write in parts so I'm happy to hear you think I've done a good job! Totally agree with your point on people fearing what they don't understand, and I think in the world of HP, Voldemort uses the Death Eater's lack of understanding about Muggles to drive their hatred further.
Phew... lot of replies to reviews this time, but when people take the time to review with questions or detailed thoughts I feel it's only right to respond. As always, hope you enjoy the update and thanks to everyone else who reviewed as you've made months of hard work on this fic even more worthwhile!
So unimpressed, but so in awe
Such a saint, but such a whore
So self-aware, so full of shit
So indecisive, so adamant
Robbie Williams, Come Undone
6.
January 1968
Walking the corridors of Hogwarts late at night gave Bellatrix a sense of freedom. Most of the time it wasn't even like she was doing anything wrong; she just liked to be alone, prowling around with no one to answer to. The teachers didn't usually patrol the corridors; it was after all said that Hogwarts was the safest place in the entire UK magical kingdom. With Professors such as Dumbledore, (Headmaster of Hogwarts and genius of the wizarding world) that possessed intelligent minds, there was no need or reason to feel anything but safe within the school grounds.
For her part, Bellatrix didn't like to be protected, but rather to do the protecting herself. She may have been born a girl, but that didn't mean she couldn't be just as smart (smarter) or strong (stronger), than any male. Especially not Rodolphus Lestrange, she thought bitterly. Her parents had been hinting for months that when she left Hogwarts they expected nothing less of her than to become a kept woman, relying on Rodolphus for anything and everything she could ever need. In time, after they had enjoyed life as a newly-wed couple, Bellatrix would go on to have honourable, pure-blooded children, thereby upholding the Black family name. Or rather, Lestrange, as she would become.
It was enough to make her sick.
Still, she would do it, because that was the right thing to do. She would hate every moment of her wedding, of the marriage, but they were what was expected of her and therefore she would do as she was told. Bellatrix would not be the one to bring shame upon the family no matter how much she might find that Mudblood witch in Gryffindor attractive, because it was completely and utterly wrong, disgusting and vile. Pure-bloods could not even consider dating half-bloods when their surname was Black, so Mudblood's were out of the question entirely.
No matter how not-hideous they really were, and no matter how beautiful they appeared to be.
If she could abide by that rule, then why couldn't Andromeda? Her stupid sister had gone and fallen for a stupid Mudblood, and Bellatrix just knew the moment her parents found out there would be hell to pay. At the moment, the only people who had seen Andromeda holding hands with Ted Tonks had been Bellatrix and Narcissa. Seeing as Narcissa had ran off to her dormitory crying like a baby upon first sight, Bellatrix had been left to yell a few choice words at the startled teenagers before she stormed off, hiding herself in the Room of Requirement where she bounced curses and hexes off the walls, raging and screaming where nobody could hear her. Better that than cursing her own flesh and blood, she concluded angrily.
The worst thing was the fact that part of her, a tiny, miniscule piece inside, secretly envied Andromeda for having the guts to go after what she really wanted. For all her strength, power and intelligence, Bellatrix was far too proud to ever contemplate letting her parents down in such a fashion. Her parents would never understand for as long as they lived, and she would be an outcast, left to fend for herself in a world that she never wanted to leave. And besides, it was an unthinkable sin to allow dirty, revolting blood to touch and affect her in such a way.
No; Andromeda was weak. Weak, pathetic, and an utter idiot.
Still furious even after leaving the Room of Requirement, Bellatrix paced faster, not at all concerned that she may bump into another unsuspecting student. On the few occasions that it had happened, she had either slipped past unnoticed or else hexed the intruder who had dared to disturb her personal time there and then. More often than not it wasn't because she wanted to hurt anyone; it was just that she didn't want them to start talking to her, asking her why she was out of bed and roaming the corridors at three a.m. instead of tucked up in bed. Tonight though... well tonight she wanted nothing more than a good old-fashioned duel just for the sake of it.
"Bella?" A familiar yet shaky voice called out from behind. "Where are you going?"
Whirling around, Bellatrix hastily drew her wand, only to set eyes on her sister. Andromeda. She lowered her wand, because despite her anger, she was not yet at the stage when she wanted to hex her own sister. Not quite, anyway.
"None of your business, Andromeda," she spat. "I'd call you Black, but that would only be an insult to the family name!"
Andromeda looked hurt at this. "I'm still your sister."
"No, you're not," Bellatrix sneered. "You made the decision not to be my sister anymore when you allowed such filth to woo you."
"Ted will make a fantastic wizard," Andromeda insisted, pushing the dark curls on her head (so alike her own but a shade or so lighter) behind her ear. "And... and I love him."
"You love him?" Bellatrix said incredulously. "You have no idea what love is; you're just a child."
"Yes, I do. Don't tell me how I feel, Bellatrix. I'm old enough to know what I'm doing, to know that I'm going to lose mother and father because of my decision. But I... I can't help it. He's the love of my life... I can sense it," Andromeda said assuredly, a defiant look in her eyes. She paused, seeming to debate her next words. "Please don't hate me."
"You're a Mudblood-lover," Bellatrix taunted, ignoring her sister's words, not caring.
"Don't call me that!" Andromeda shrieked.
"You deserve to be hated," Bellatrix continued, ignoring her sister's protests. "Do you really think that I'm going to get used to this, side with you over our mother and father? Both Narcissa and I are disgusted with you."
Andromeda shook her head. "No."
"No what?" Bellatrix snapped.
"No, Narcissa doesn't hate me," she said quietly, avoiding Bellatrix's line of sight.
"What do you mean, she doesn't hate you?" Bellatrix asked, partly curious by this declaration, but mainly just impatient to know exactly what Andromeda meant by it. Surely Narcissa would stand by her on this matter? They had always had the closest relationship of all the sisters, hadn't they? There was a bond between them that neither of them had managed to form with Andromeda.
"I've spoken to her," Andromeda admitted, still not facing Bellatrix directly, and appearing to talk at the floor. "She said... she said she's scared for me. That she wants me to stop because she loves me, and she always wants to be able to see and talk to me. Because I'm still her sister."
It was in that moment that Bellatrix realised how truly different from her sisters she was. There had always been slight, subtle personality differences between the three, but never more pronounced than now. Andromeda had always been the outsider, mainly because she had refused to respect the family name and realise what it meant. It had been a miracle she had even been placed in Slytherin; what Bellatrix had started to learn at eight years old, Andromeda still had not gotten to grips with at the age of fourteen. Narcissa was easier-going, far more likely to keep the peace and to do as she was told. His Golden Black Girl, their father called her.
Everything would changed entirely now. Andromeda had ruined it all.
"You're a Mudblood-lover," Bellatrix repeated, unable to do as Narcissa had and admit that she still loved Andromeda. Even if she did, she could never say it, because that would be going against her family, their beliefs.
My beliefs, Bellatrix corrected.
Andromeda laughed, more bitterly than Bellatrix had ever heard her laugh before. "You think deep down I really care that you call me names? Insult Ted's blood status? Say what you want Bellatrix, see if I give a damn!"
"You'd give a damn if I cursed you," Bellatrix said threateningly.
Andromeda gazed at Bellatrix, almost sadly. It was as though her eyes were talking at her saying, "Really? Is that the best you can do?" and for a moment, Bellatrix felt ashamed.
Until Andromeda took a step forward, and made everything a hundred times worse. "You're not very original, Bellatrix. Nothing I haven't heard before from father," she informed her. "Why don't you call me Tonks... considering I'll be moving in with him this summer after father throws me out, it seems somewhat appropriate."
Unable to hide her disdainful surprise, Bellatrix gasped. She watched as Andromeda shook her head pitifully, and turned her back, walking away. Her sister was going to confess the truth to their parents? And leave? No, she wasn't ready. If she just waited, then maybe she would meet a pure-blood that she fell wand over robes for.
Except she most likely wouldn't, Bellatrix cursed inwardly, putting her wand away. Because I haven't either, so far.
Two years later, married not-so-happily to Rodolphus, she was drawn to a man calling himself Voldemort and saying that he was a pure-blood. Although she didn't find him attractive, she became infatuated with his ideals and his beliefs, and suddenly, the Mudblood witch in Gryffindor didn't matter so much after all.
All things considered, Hermione felt that she'd got off rather lightly. After throwing her back into her cell, Bellatrix had stormed off, leaving her alone and shivering even more than usual until her hair had properly dried hours later. She tried to focus on the fact that at least she was now clean, and so she inhaled the scent of the soap she had used, breathing deeply until she fell into an uneasy sleep about vampires chasing her for her blood, only to reject her at the last moment. Her nightmare was no doubt inspired by Bellatrix' insults about how impure her blood was, and upon waking, she vowed not to let the older witch get to her as much as she had been.
Got to be strong.
Unexpectedly, Bellatrix had not bestowed her presence upon Hermione for the rest of the day. Hermione had thought that within a couple of hours at most the Death Eater would have entered the cell only to place curse upon curse on Hermione, torturing her until she screamed so much that her throat was raw. The entire evening she had been terrified, worried that the moment she let down her guard would be the moment Bellatrix appeared to do the worst damage she had yet to inflict upon Hermione, and maybe this time she would manage lasting damage of some sort.
It appeared to be the middle of the night by the time that Bellatrix returned, though Hermione couldn't be sure considering that she didn't have a watch. She supposed she could try asking Lemmy the time the next time she appeared, but there was no guarantee that Lemmy would provide such information considering it may not be allowed, and the house-elf may inadvertently get into trouble. Besides, it would only benefit her for as long as she counted from that time onwards, and despite her miserable circumstances she wasn't going to sit around counting every second of every day.
"Sorry I'm late sweetie, business to attend to," Bellatrix announced her presence, as she unlocked the cell and took a seat opposite Hermione, on a pillow she conjured with her wand. She sat down gingerly as though in pain, and when Bellatrix looked up and lit the room with her wand, Hermione caught sight of her split lip and bloody ankle.
"What happened?" she asked curiously. The cuts looked fairly deep.
Bellatrix grinned. "Nothing I couldn't handle. You be careful now though or I might start to think you care..."
"I don't," Hermione said, flushing. "Just curious."
"Well, you know what they say. Curiosity killed the kitty cat. Best you don't know, ickle one," Bellatrix said mockingly.
"Have you killed someone?" Hermione blurted out, unable to stop herself. She hoped that even if she got tortured for this, she would at least find out what had happened and if her friends were ok.
"Nope!"
"Tortured someone?" Hermione guessed once more.
Bellatrix seemed to ponder this. "Not that I remember, but it's a bit of a blur if I'm honest. I've never been Muggle-hunting before, you see, I've only ever targeted Muggles because I have been specifically ordered to."
"Muggle-hunting?" Hermione repeated, feeling sickened. Had her stomach not been entirely empty, she would have vomited there and then.
"Yes. We were chasing them through some woodlands when I got my leg caught in some hideous Muggle device," Bellatrix said, almost knowledgeably.
"What do you mean?" Hermione was entirely confused by what Muggle device Bellatrix could have been referring too. "Do you have it with you now?"
"Of course not," Bellatrix said impatiently. "I used the Reductor Curse to free myself from it straight after I fell into it. I blew it into tiny pieces... sodding well hurt though!"
Hermione racked her brains, trying to work out what Bellatrix could possibly have stumbled across. And then, it hit her. It was more than likely that Bellatrix had fallen into a Foothold trap designed to catch animals in forests. She didn't even know it was still legal, so she had no idea where on earth Bellatrix had been hunting. Deciding not to get too much into the specifics, she explained to Bellatrix, "I think you stood on what Muggles use to trap animals. If the injuries aren't too deep then you can just use basic healing spells on them."
"I plan too," Bellatrix snapped, a sign that she was annoyed at being told how to treat her wounds. "Before I track down the Muggles who are responsible and introduce them to Crucio... see how they like some pain for a change!"
Hermione surveyed her in disgust. How could she say such a thing, especially considering that she frequently tortured Hermione for no valid reason? To think that Bellatrix had harmed many others over the years was a horrendous thought; especially considering what she had put some of them through and the permanent damage she had caused. When she remembered such horrible facts about Bellatrix, Hermione was fully aware of just how dangerous a Death Eater she was faced with and that she would most likely not get out of this situation alive. One day Bellatrix was bound to go too far, and Hermione would either be a prisoner of her own mind forever, or lose her life entirely.
"Is that what it was like when you tortured the Longbottoms'?" she asked, knowing that she was provoking Bellatrix, especially considering that she was already in pain.
At once, Bellatrix's expression formed into something that Hermione couldn't fathom, no matter how hard she tried. There was no regret or remorse, or even amusement. Only fury. It wasn't the irritated anger she expected though, there was a real intense ferocity in Bellatrix's eyes that actually frightened Hermione enough to stop her wanting to make Bellatrix any more incensed. "Don't pretend to understand such things," she said coldly.
Where did that come from? Hermione wondered, unable to see why Bellatrix would react in such a way. Immediately she was eager to learn why, and so she decided to gently push Bellatrix for answers without infuriating her to the extent where she hurt her. "Fine, I don't understand," Hermione agreed. "So explain it to me."
"You're just a dense little girl," Bellatrix sneered. She scraped a finger along Hermione's cheek, causing her to flinch. "And you also have a hint of that infamous Gryffindor stupidity that I so loathe and detest. Ugh."
Shakily breathing in and out, Hermione didn't feel very brave at the moment. Bellatrix terrified her at the best of times, but when she bore witness to the sort of calm fierceness from Bellatrix that she was performing right now, it was far worse than her insane shrieking fits of rage. "I just want to know what you mean," Hermione said, nervously.
At first, her question was ignored. Bellatrix had begun to attend to her injuries, cleansing the blood away before healing the wound itself. She did so methodically with a steady wrist, and from the looks of it she was more than capable of performing a decent Healing spell. It made sense, Hermione supposed. Considering the sort of activities she usually took part in, she would need to know how to look after herself or she would probably wouldn't have lasted this long throughout the war.
By the time Bellatrix had finished healing her ankle, there were only faint marks remaining. Hermione knew that over time they would vanish completely, and she stared, amazed at the skills Bellatrix possessed. She was able to move her ankle around without wincing in pain, and didn't even look as though it affected her at all. In fact, she seemed entirely unfazed by the entire event, as though it were an everyday occurrence. Probably is, Hermione thought.
Eventually, Bellatrix raised her head to gaze at Hermione once more. She smiled. "You want to know the truth about Frank and Alice Longbottom?" She leaned closer.
"Yes," Hermione said, though she didn't sound at all sure. Did she want to know? No. Yes. No.
"Ohh, but the truth is so unimpressive," Bellatrix hissed through whiter than white teeth. "I wish I could say otherwise, but I wasn't even there until the end."
"Wh-what do you mean?" Hermione stuttered. Her eyes widened, and she forced herself to make eye contact with Bellatrix. "You didn't torture them?"
Bellatrix shook her head.
"But you went to Azkaban for fourteen years!" Hermione exclaimed. "You didn't deny it!"
"I didn't deny my Lord," Bellatrix corrected. "I never explicitly came out and said that I was responsible for the torture. I knew of the torture immediately after it had taken place and attended. I believe it was the right decision to make for information, but I did not participate. Although I did attempt to find my Lord by searching for him myself, yes. That much I achieved."
Hermione stared. Bellatrix had gone to Azkaban, convicted of a crime that she had never committed in the first place? It didn't make sense. Why would she do such a thing, when she could have been free, trying to find Voldemort. "I don't see why you didn't deny it... you could have... tried to find Him if you hadn't been in Azkaban, right? But you let yourself be locked away!" Hermione said, aghast.
"Oh wake up, sweetheart! The entire wizarding world was against very few of us, and without the power of our Lord we were nothing. We had tried everything in our power to get him back, and still we had failed. I was defeated, I'll admit. But there was no way that at that time I was going to allow everyone else to know that, and so I stood up and told everyone the Dark Lord would return! I had no way of knowing it would be true, but it was," Bellatrix grinned. "I chose to believe it was."
Still watching Bellatrix, fascinated and horrified both at the same time, Hermione couldn't think straight. There were a million thoughts running through her head, and she couldn't get to grips with them all. "Anything else you want to confess?" she asked faintly, only half-joking.
"Are you hoping I will suddenly pledge my allegiance to the Order and renounce my evil ways?" Bellatrix asked, seeming exasperated by the question. "Not going to happen."
I wish it would, Hermione thought. To have someone like Bellatrix on their side would be a distinct advantage. She was second only to Voldemort when it came to duelling, and with Dumbledore dead, she would prove useful. Maybe, just maybe, there was the chance. Hermione had to allow herself to believe that, no matter how unlikely it seemed. Moreover, without hope, was there any point in fighting a losing battle? She may as well spend her time here trying to be useful rather than just moping about how she was trapped and unable to help the Order.
"Don't start thinking of me as human," Bellatrix warned, seeming to understand what was going through Hermione's mind. "The only reason I'm telling you this is because you will never get the chance to tell your little friends."
"I just can't believe what you've said," Hermione divulged, ignoring the last comment. "Next you'll be telling me that it wasn't really you who killed Sirius."
For a brief nano-second of a moment, Bellatrix looked startled, uneasy. It was such a small flicker in her eyes that Hermione noted, but still, it was there. Nowhere near enough to call Bellatrix on it (and she would only be risking serious pain if she did anyhow) but it was more than a sufficient length of time for Hermione to be sure of what she had seen. What it meant, she had no idea, but once more Hermione suspected that it was a case of Bellatrix taking the credit for someone else's actions.
Of course, there was the obvious problem of the fact that she herself had seen Sirius die and had witnessed Bellatrix's curse hit him square in the chest before he toppled backwards beyond the veil. Had that been a fake Bellatrix, under the influence of Polyjuice Potion? Or had she been under the Imperius Curse? Neither made sense, and Hermione knew that now was not the time to wonder about this in case Bellatrix decided to attempt to break through into her mind as she had on previous occasions when she wanted to know what Hermione was thinking about.
"Enough," Bellatrix said, standing up and avoiding Hermione's eye. "I can't believe I am going to say this... but now is not the time for curses and pain. I'm too tired." Unconsciously, she jerked her healed ankle, as though it still ached despite the Healing spell.
Relieved, Hermione shrank into her towel, bunching it up around herself. She felt horrible in it, but supposed she should be thankful that Bellatrix had given her any clothes at all. "Ok," she said simply. It was best not to react at all, for she didn't want Bellatrix to change her mind and stay to hand out punishment. There would be time to spend on fruitless attempts at converting her to the Order's way of thinking tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that. She had the rest of her lifetime here, didn't she? How brilliant.
Bellatrix exited and sealed the cell shut once more. "Until tomorrow, Mudblood."
She left.
"Until tomorrow..." Hermione whispered to the empty room.
When Lemmy next visited, Hermione gratefully took her usual meal of bread, and wolfed it down with some water from her bowl. The constant hunger was beginning to get to her; she was colder and colder the more weight that she lost, and weaker in general as she wasn't getting the necessary nutrients to survive. Although she hadn't been able to look in the mirror, she guessed that she looked pretty hideous, and her nails and hair were dull and lifeless after just a few short weeks of mistreatment. Considering everything, she was most likely a walking freak show, and as if that wasn't bad enough, she was so bloody uncomfortable! More than ever before she had the desire to just wrap herself up in a warm cosy duvet, and desperately wished to just lie in bed all day, doing nothing.
Warm. Safe. Happy.
"Is Miss ok?" Lemmy piped up, standing next to Hermione, who was seated in the corner of her cell, staring blankly ahead after quickly finishing her meal.
"Fine," Hermione lied. How could she tell the truth? There was absolutely no way that she could say disrespectful things about Bellatrix to her house-elf, because Lemmy would more than likely pay dearly for it if Bellatrix found out. She could blow up at Bellatrix herself because ultimately, it would be her who suffered, but she would not be responsible for another creature's pain and suffering. No way.
"Is there anything Lemmy can do for Miss?" Lemmy asked.
"Nothing you'd be allowed to do," Hermione said sadly.
Lemmy surveyed her briefly. "Lemmy could ask Mistress Bellatrix if she would like you to be happier, and then maybe you would be allowed more things in here," Lemmy suggested. "Like a proper toilet."
Not even bothering to spare a glance for the now empty bucket, (thanks to Lemmy) Hermione shook her head. "No, Lemmy. She might get angry, and then you would be in trouble. Don't worry about me, I can look after myself."
"But you shouldn't have to, Miss!" Lemmy squeaked.
Hermione smiled fondly at the elf. "Your Mistress hates me, Lemmy. She thinks I have unclean, dirty blood, and that I deserve to suffer."
Lemmy remained silent, looking at the floor and biting her nails nervously.
"I know it might not make sense to you, but she likes to see me suffer. It makes her happy. Merlin, it's probably the only thing that truly does make her happy these days," Hermione said, partially talking to herself. "Although I'm sure whenever something happens to benefit her Lord that has her rolling around in ecstasy."
"Lemmy doesn't think Mistress does hate you," Lemmy stated. "She said that she thinks you're smart and that she enjoys talking to you."
Hermione gawped at this revelation. "What?"
In a second, Lemmy had thrown herself into the bars, and began to bash her head into them. Having witnessed such behaviour from Dobby, Hermione immediately jumped up and wrenched the house-elf back. "No, Lemmy!"
"Lemmy is a bad house-elf!" she squealed. "Mistress Bella said not to say anything to you! Lemmy forgot!"
"It's ok," Hermione said soothingly. She kept a grip on Lemmy, not wanting her to run away and start hurting herself again. "Don't worry, it was just an accident. I won't tell her."
"Lemmy was still naughty," the elf moaned. "Lemmy should be a better elf."
"You're an amazing elf!" Hermione said encouragingly. And she meant it. From what she had seen, Lemmy was good at what she did, and was also very kind and caring. The opposite of Kreacher, (if Hermione was truly honest about his nature) which gave Hermione hope that if Lemmy could be around Bellatrix and be such a lovely creature, then maybe if Bellatrix was around her and Hermione for long enough, some of their traits would start to rub off on the Death Eater.
Hah, Hermione thought. Wishful thinking.
She sighed. Bellatrix confused her beyond belief, it had to be said. Sometimes she spoke to Hermione like she was an actual human being, and other times, it was like she couldn't hate her more if she tried. From what Lemmy said this apparently wasn't true, but that still didn't mean that Hermione wasn't mystified by this. How was it possible that Bellatrix thought her smart? And more to the point, that she actually enjoyed talking with her? It didn't make any sense. But then, nothing made sense to Hermione anymore; being locked in a cell alone, with only a woman who hated you for company or the aforementioned woman's house-elf tended to drive someone crazily out of their thoughts.
"Such a kind girl," Lemmy said, shaking her head. "So thoughtful."
Hermione blushed, feeling a warmth inside at the compliment. It was a simple one, but considering that she was locked up away from her family and friends, it was one that meant a great deal. She did her best to be a good person and treat others the way that she wanted to be treated, and even if she did occasionally slip up, she had never caused irreparable, everlasting damage. Moreover, she usually corrected her mistakes, and even if she didn't (Marietta Edgecombe had deserved those pimples after all...) they were not the sort of mistakes that ruined someone's life.
"Thank you, Lemmy," she said genuinely. "That means so much, especially considering the... situation I'm in."
Lemmy didn't comment on this, and Hermione surmised that she couldn't, bound by Elf Laws that prevented her from saying anything against the family she was bound to, or more specifically, Bellatrix. She couldn't imagine not being allowed to voice her own opinions by law; it was bad enough living with Voldemort having so much control over the wizarding world and kept by Bellatrix, but to live like this for the rest of her life would be unbearable. Shivering, Hermione tried not to think about how hard it must be for Lemmy, or that this may be what the rest of her life was all about. Torture. Stavation. Humiliation.
"Is you cold, Miss?" Lemmy asked.
"Yes," Hermione said, nodding and wrapping her arms around herself. "Very cold."
She had never dealt well with being cold. Since she was younger, Hermione had always been of a slight built despite being five foot six inches in height and therefore not petite. The constant lack of nourishment had meant she'd lost an awful lot of weight, and consequently, she had been even more cold due to her lack of body fat than when she had first been brought here. At night she would wrap her arms around herself and desperately beg everyone she could think of to get her out of there, even if they couldn't hear her. She dug her nails into her arms, curled herself into a ball, and tried imagining she was on a boiling hot beach.
None of it worked.
Lemmy surveyed her, looking her up and down. "You is dressed like a house-elf, Miss."
Not taking offence to Lemmy saying this, Hermione smiled. It was the truth. "Yes, I am." Don't I look attractive?
"Humans do not usually dress like this," Lemmy shook her head. She seemed to consider something. "Lemmy has an idea, Miss. Lemmy has not been forbidden to do it, and it would just be one time..."
Hermione raised her eyebrows. "What's that, Lemmy?"
Lemmy watched Hermione, determined. "Lemmy is not breaking any laws, this is ok, Lemmy thinks." She raised her right arm, swung it forward, and suddenly, Hermione was enveloped in a warm, cosy feeling.
"What did you do?" she groaned, feeling utterly fantastic.
"Lemmy cast a heat charm," Lemmy said, beaming brightly at Hermione's obvious pleasure.
Close to tears through sheer joy, Hermione returned the smile. "Th-thank you," she said gratefully. She tried not to think about what would happen if Bellatrix found out, and the price they would both pay for doing something without her explicit permission. Hopefully it wouldn't reach the stage when the Death Eater did discover their secret, but you could never be too sure. Just in case, Hermione would always be on her guard, if only so she could prepare herself for what was to come.
"It will only last for a few hours, Miss," Lemmy warned.
Hermione nodded. "That's ok. You've done more than enough; thank you so much!"
Beaming once more, Lemmy said, "No problem, Miss," and with a crack, she disappeared from the room.