A/N: Alac, I return. In between dying from pneumonia, losing my job and also a pet, writing has been a struggle. (Also that one ass that leaves a shitty non-constructive comment on every chapter didn't help, but not to feed the trolls, I digress).
On with the show~
"To Ron and Harry,
Sorry for sending your mail to Hagrid, but I know he'll keep it safe until you can read it. Also, sorry it's been almost a week. I've had an insane amount to do considering I'm all but on the run.
I want you to know I'm okay, and that I miss you and Ron both very much. Living in Malfoy Manor is a level of weird I never thought I'd observe so closely. Snape always seems to be here, Draco's bedroom is only three doors down, and Mrs Malfoy is always unnervingly nice to me at all times. Mr Malfoy has yet to show himself, odd, considering it's his house. I would have tried to leave by now I think, but in a surprising turn of events, Bellatrix has turned out to be great company. I hope that doesn't upset you. For god's sake, don't tell Neville- he wouldn't understand.
I'm not really sure how it happened, but just this morning she set fire to Dolohov for being rude to me. It was actually quite funny. Merlin, how must that sound to the outside world?
Anyway. I met my parents a few days ago. I went to visit my Ancestral home and there they were, still ambling about in the paintings. They weren't bad. That must sound heartless- I just meant that they were so different to me, yet at the same time, I kept noticing uncanny similarities. I haven't had time to go back yet, and I'm not really sure what I'll say to them when I do.
By the way- Ron; Tell Molly to check in with Gringotts. I left her a gift to thank her for her kindness and generosity towards me over the years. It was the least I could do.
I don't know when I'll be able to see you again. I suggested polyjuice, but Bellatrix shot the idea of me going out alone down in flames, regardless of disguise. I know she's right. It's just frustrating. Besides, there's nobody here whom I could masquerade as without drawing just as much attention to myself as with my own face.
Keep yourselves safe, and don't keep this letter. Minerva would probably have Filch fetch those 'well oiled chains' from his office and string you up with them should she find out we've been in touch.
All my love, Hermione.
P.S. Draco keeps making attempts to befriend me. Not really sure what to do about it?"
The letter was rolled, sealed, charmed, and held up in the air for the albino owl that represented the Malfoys to take.
"To Hagrid."
It swooped down obediently from somewhere behind her and closed it's pale talons around the parchment, carrying on straight out of the open window without so much as a look back. Hermione had calculated the owl's journey time and had written the letter so that it would be ready to send at about half past two, and would then arrive under the trusted cover of darkness. That way, the bird was less likely to be seen arriving at Hagrid's hut.
She watched it fly away before getting up to find Bellatrix. Being around Bellatrix had become her default position over the last week. She felt comfortable around her, and as an added bonus, safe. Whenever Bellatrix was out on 'business', Hermione would read in the library or talk to the elves, who each had an extensive knowledge of fascinating subject areas that even the Malfoy library didn't cover much. Mostly, though, sad as it sounded, Hermione mostly just waited for Bellatrix to come back.
In the main hall on the second floor, Hermione turned a corner only to have to throw herself against the wall out of the way.
"Merlin, what happened to him?" Hermione asked, watching as a bloodied death eater was carried past her by two other death eaters.
"Believe it or not," A voice drawled from behind her. "An unfortunate incident with a boggart that was hiding in Borgin and Burkes."
Hermione paled a little. She turned to look at Snape.
"A boggart did that?"
"In the shape of a very disappointed Dark Lord, yes. Just imagine what ours could have done as an angry Bellatrix, had it actually been quite so angry as it was-"
"As it was what?"
Hermione felt her face flush hot immediately but Snape just chuckled.
Bellatrix had her hands on her hips, in a very good impression of Narcissa if someone was late to dinner- an impression Bellatrix loved to pull for her own amusement whenever she could, though never when Narcissa was actually watching.
Hermione spluttered and tried to think of an excuse, but the older witch's eyes already had a gleam of amusement to them.
"Am I your boggart?" She exclaimed, throwing her head back and laughing loudly when Hermione's face answered for her. Hermione couldn't see it, but Snape was smiling with a very uncharacteristic lack of malice behind her.
"Merlin, Hermione, I can't have scared you that much." She was still trying to suppress her laughing.
"Well, whatever you did, it left quite an… impression. Did it not, Miss Granger? I'm almost surprised you haven't asked Bellatrix's opinion on the mirro-"
In a panic, Hermione's wand shot out at the professor, aimed right at his nose. For a moment, the world froze as her inner child realised what she was doing, but to both women's surprise, Snape laughed louder than Bellatrix had.
"In that case, I'll bid good day." He bowed slightly, daring to bring his face even closer to Hermione's wand, before turning on heel and following his patient, still, apparently, giggling.
"What the fuck was that about?" Bellatrix asked, pushing Hermione's arm down against her side where it was still stuck out at nothing.
"I- Nothing-"
"Hermione you nearly blew the man into next week, I saw that look on your face. Am I seriously your boggart? Because even so, I'm not sure that warrants blowing someone up- that said, why did he seem so pleased with himself?" She began to walk and Hermione trailed along after her, trying to think of a way out.
"Nothing, it wasn't that-"
"There's something else?"
"No- I mean-" For god's sake Hermione.
"Come on." Bellatrix said. "What is it? Did something happen with the boggart?"
Silence.
"So something happened with the boggart. It didn't hurt you, did it? Because I do do that sometimes." Bellatrix was frowning.
"No, it didn't hurt me, as such."
"Then what did it do?"
"Nothing…"
"Okay, okay. Moving on, then, what did he think my opinion would have been drafted in about?"
"…Nothing…" Hermione's hear was pounding.
"Something about a mirror?" Bellatrix continued, ignoring her feeble protests. "Funny, the Dark Lord was looking for a mirror not long ago, some enchanted thing that shows you what you want most in the world. Gave up fairly soon though because it was hidden away at Hogwar-" Bellatrix stopped walking suddenly and slowly turned to look at Hermione, whose eyes were firmly fixed to the floor.
"No way. No way in hell. Did you find that mirror? Am I- Am I what you see in the mirror as well?"
"How the hell could you possibly have worked-"
"I can see it on your face."
"You did not get that from my face."
"Remember, I was the brightest witch of my age, too. That, and I don't believe in coincidence."
Hermione sighed. Snape had really done it this time.
"So… When did that happen?"
"Just before I saw you in Hogsmede."
"Makes sense."
"How so?"
"Because you lied to Minerva about me."
Hermione looked thoroughly exasperated. "How do you know I lied-"
"Hermione, if you'd like to carry on with your plans for the day, now would be the time."
The youngest witch was interrupted as Narcissa appeared at the end of the hall holding a large hessian sack.
"My-" Oh shit. She had forgotten about her plans.
"You're really married to doing this, then?" Bellatrix sighed.
"I just want to see them. Just for half an hour."
"You might not get half a minute before we're swarmed by Aurors."
"But I might."
Narcissa held her hand up for silence. "As long as Bellatrix stays with you. And at the first sign of trouble-"
"Yes, yes, I'll put her over my shoulder and run down the street with her to safety, I know."
"Please don't do that." Both other women said at once.
Bellatrix just rolled her eyes. "Come on then. You can tell me all about that mirror on the way."
Narcissa watched them go, wondering what that was supposed to mean. Judging by the blush on Hermione's face, she didn't want to know.
Bellatrix pulled her cloak on, eyeing Hermione overtly. The younger witch glanced at her, and then sighed again.
"You're not going to let it go, are you?"
"Not in my nature."
"If I tell you, you have to promise not to bring it up until we get back. Or ever, preferably."
"I can promise to try, best I can do."
Rip it off fast, Hermione. Just like a plaster. "Your boggart kissed me. Right after your reflection- ugh, you don't wanna know. And Snape saw both- at least, he saw the first one and knows about the second." Hermione grimaced. She had never experienced the suicidal view point in full colour before.
"Oh wow." Bellatrix surmised, still sounding pretty amused. "Oh- wow-"
Hermione looked up in confusion right as Bellatrix's face lit up. The older woman laughed with her hand before her mouth like she did when Narcissa got flustered over something comparably trivial.
"You know, there's a nice way to do that." Hermione huffed, not knowing what she had expected.
But Bellatrix wasn't looking at her. In fact, the other witch was looking right past her and over her shoulder through the cloak room's small circular window.
Out side, struggling along with the same bag Narcissa had been holding a few minutes ago, was Lucius Malfoy.
"Oh. I didn't realise he was back." Hermione said uncertainly, confused as to Bellatrix's reaction.
Bellatrix smirked. "Nor did I."
"What's he doing? What's in the bag?"
"He's feeding those stupid bloody peacocks- look at them all waddling up to him like he's some sort of lanky, bird-seed messiah."
Hermione was still staring at Bellatrix's mean grin nervously. Words failed her for a response to that one.
"Come on, before we go- quickly, go, go, before they all run away."
Hermione was ushered out of the cloak room and through the front doors into the sunshine. The well mown lawn shone a happy sap-green in the fine weather, and the pale grey garden statues looked far nicer in the day time than they did in the rain at night.
"Bellatrix, what are we doing?"
The older witch was peeking around the corner of the house at Mr Malfoy, who was now surrounded by at least ten huge white peacocks.
"Come here." She motioned with her hand without looking behind her.
Hermione approached slowly, feeling regrettably like she was being involved in crime.
"Watch this."
Hermione peeked around the corner at the scene right as Bellatrix muttered a spell, flicking her wand at the sky above Lucius' head. A pale, almost translucent orb shot silently into the sky above the crowd of oblivious, munching peacocks, stayed still for a few seconds, and then BANG, exploded with the sound like every pot and pan in London falling onto the floor at once.
Grain flew up into the air, and Mr Malfoy fell onto his behind immediately- looking to Hermione rather like he might need resuscitation- until he realised the peacocks, now with their tail feathers up and splayed, very much blamed him for the noise. He jumped to his feet at a run, the grain bag flying high into the air behind him, great white birds squawking and hissing their feathers at him as they chased him onto the patio and around the other side of the house.
"What in the world!" Narcissa's furious shouts could be heard from the open kitchen windows, and Hermione felt herself jerked quickly away from the scene by her arm as a howling Bellatrix pulled her into apparition.
When they reappeared, Bellatrix had to use a lamp post to support herself.
"Did you see his face?" She gasped between laughs.
"I think you nearly killed him, Bellatrix."
"Oh, that'll be the day." The older witch sighed wistfully, still leaning against the lamp post, the smile still lingering on her lips.
"Stupid birds, serves him right." She mumbled. "Come along, then. Put your hood up and let's get inside before we're captured and killed."
"No need to be cheerful." Hermione said as they reached the Granger's front door.
Bellatrix reached out and knocked whilst Hermione watched with a funny look on her face.
"You know, I used to have nightmares about this exact situation." She said, dryly.
"What? Bringing me home to introduce me to your parents?"
Hermione fixed the older witch with a sarcastic look. "About you knocking on my parent's door."
Bellatrix frowned. "Seems kind of a tame nightmare. Was the door on fire, or-"
"Hermione!" The door had opened and Jean Granger was peering out from behind. Beaming, she opened the door more fully and stepped aside to let them in, not knowing how grateful for it they really were.
"Well, this is a surprise! Why aren't you in school? Pete- Peter! Hermione's here!" She shouted over her shoulder into the house. "Oh, and who is this?" Jean Granger asked with a nervous smile at the intimidating looking woman at her daughter's side.
"This is Bellatrix. She's uh, a friend." Hermione said quickly before Bellatrix could say anything. The younger witch still wasn't quite sure of Bellatrix's feelings on this situation.
"Oh- ah… from your world?" Miss Granger said delicately, still speaking to Hermione but, looking meekly up at the death eater who just smiled briefly at her, guarding any true emotion.
"Yes. Well. Not really. But yes, in the way you mean."
"Well, any friend of Hermione's-"
"'Mione!" Her dad's far deeper voice cut through the conversation in the fuzzy warm hallway as he thumped down the stairs, grinning broadly as he reached the bottom.
"Not skiving, are you?" He asked conspiratorially, poking her in her ribs.
Hermione just laughed and swatted his hand away.
"And you must be Bellatrix." He said suddenly, looking up at Bellatrix with a polite smile.
Bellatrix's head turned very slowly to fix Hermione with an unreadable look. The Gryffindor was staring at Mr Granger like a rabbit in the headlights.
"Well! Standing here all night's not going to get us anywhere, come in, come in." Mr Granger announced loudly, before Bellatrix could either confirm or deny his declaration.
The Grangers filed down the hall and out of sight as Hermione looked up at Bellatrix with a wince.
"Well, first I'm not from the same planet, now I'm famous." Bellatrix said, in a tone that suggested Hermione owed her answers.
"I may have mentioned you to him once. And I didn't say you were from a different planet, I just meant that in terms of upbringing…"
Bellatrix raised her eyebrows and shook her head slightly for Hermione to continue.
"In terms of upbringing, no, we're not from the same world."
"We're from exactly the same world, you just didn't know it."
"Either way, I was brought up like this, you were brought up… like…you were."
Bellatrix's eyes were wondering across the photo-lined walls and she started to wonder after the Grangers. "Swap you." She mumbled, still apparently enwrapped in her surroundings.
Hermione stood in stunned silence for a moment, before shaking her head, and assuming she hadn't heard correctly.
"So, what is it that you do in the wizard world?" Mrs Granger asked once they were all seated in the living room, looking at Bellatrix only slightly less unsettled than before.
Hermione snorted and smirked into her mug of fruit tea. "Bella's got too much money to be counting to have time for work."
"And black, too, said the raven of the crow." Bellatrix muttered under her breath, not looking at Hermione.
She had a point, Hermione realised. Her fortune wasn't separated from the Black fortune by even one zero.
"Doesn't sound bad." Mr Granger chuckled, ignoring Bellatrix's comment.
"What's got you here, then, Hermione?" He asked, leaning back in his chair. "Not that your mother and I aren't happy to see you, of course." He added quickly.
Hermione swallowed hard at the addition. "I- I have something I need to tell you." She stuttered after a few seconds.
Bellatrix snapped her head up to look at the brunette. She didn't realise she was intending to have that conversation.
"Oh? Well, go ahead." Mrs Granger said, ever kindly.
Hermione did that, all right. Starting at the beginning and sparing very few details- except of course, the boggart and the mirror- Hermione told her parents everything. By the time she had gotten to the events leading up to her visit that day, they had been sitting in the living room for over an hour, and as aware as Bellatrix was that this wasn't something to be hurried, she was getting restless. She just didn't trust how quiet it was as she stared out of the window into the empty street.
"I just want you to know, that… Well, you're still my parents, regardless. You did everything for me, and I'm just sorry this is all happening."
Hermione went quiet and the Grangers went quiet too.
"Oh, Hermione." Jean sighed eventually. "Of course you'll always be our daughter. And we'll always be mum and dad. I can't say it isn't a lot to take in, and the gall of that McGonagall… Well. It's done now. But you are safe, aren't you? With the Malfoy's, I mean."
"She's safe." Bellatrix said heavily, not looking away from the window.
Mrs Granger looked at a loss. "Well, Hermione, you were very brave to tell us. Your father and I appreciate it very much, even if we wish it weren't true. How about some more tea, mm?" She asked getting to her feet just for the sake of doing something.
"I think I'm going to go upstairs and get a few of my left over clothes. All the rest of them are at Hogwarts."
Her father smiled and got up to follow Jean into the kitchen. "Let me know if you want me to get a bag down from the loft." He offered as he passed her.
Hermione nodded and looked back to Bellatrix. Her hands were still shaking, but overall she was happy with the outcome.
"Are you okay here for a minute? We wont be too much longer." She added, equally aware of how strange it was that no aurors had shown up.
Bellatrix just dipped her head.
Upstairs, everything was as Hermione had left it. She was shovelling some of her clothes into a hand luggage bag when the was a tap at the door.
"Knock knock." Her dad said quietly, peering around the door frame gingerly.
"Hi dad." Hermione said, a shirt folded over one arm.
"So. Bellatrix. That was unexpected." He said, sitting down on the edge of her bed.
Hermione hadn't been completely truthful with Bellatrix earlier. She had told her dad all about Bellatrix, the Malfoys, Voldemort, the whole lot. Her dad was child-like in his excitement about magical things, and so every time she visited she updated him with the chronicles of her life at Hogwarts, including the Department of Mysteries.
"You can say that again." Hermione said quietly.
"But she's alright, though?"
"She's actually the closest thing to a friend I have there. Still not a witch you'd want to cross, though."
Pete nodded and looked about the bedroom. "I don't suppose, uh, y'know. Since you're technically over 18 now…" He trailed off, wanting to lighten the mood.
Hermione smiled with her back turned to him. She pulled her wand from her sleeve, levitated a pair of jeans, and plopped them down into her bag with a soft huffing sound.
Pete Granger was grinning from ear to ear. He had been waiting for what felt like forever to see real magic, and magic performed by Hermione at that, but the restrictions on her as an under-age witch had meant he had never seen so much as a lumos.
"Wow, do it again!" He pleaded, looking like an excitable puppy.
Hermione laughed, but rather than levitating more clothes, she used the bird charm she had attacked Ron with once to make tiny birds fly around the room. She transfigured a sock into mouse- which Pete quickly caught and put into a box- and put beauty charms on the furniture to make it all look new, she even opened the window up and shot a huge stream of water out over the rose bushes, as her father laughed and clapped beside her.
Finally, after having gone through all the indoor-appropriate spells she could think of, the pair sank back down onto her bed, giggling.
"Usually I'd offer to tell you a story about our world, but I don't think I have the time." Hermione said, sighing.
"I think the magic more than made up for that." Pete reassured her.
"There's far better magic than that," Hermione said, "But I don't want to risk taking any walls out."
Bellatrix hadn't moved when the pair made their way down stairs, but did seem to be engaging in conversation with Mrs Granger. They both looked up as Hermione stood in the door way.
"Time to go, is it?" Jean asked, sadly.
Bellatrix stood up silently in the background. "Well, be sure to write, wont you? You know we always love to hear from you."
"I will, mum, don't worry."
Mrs Granger seemed a little happier after hearing the word 'mum'.
"Alright, well- Pete did you water the rose bushes?" Mrs Granger cut herself off as she peered out of the open front door and across the garden. It was evening time, now, and just as quiet as before.
"Oh, no, that was Hermione." He grinned.
Jean shrugged and hugged her daughter and Peter did the same.
"See you soon?"
"Definitely." Hermione smiled, clutching her luggage in one hand and Bellatrix's arm in the other.
"Oh, and Bellatrix- thank you."
Bellatrix nodded her head, and in a second, they were gone.