Hermione yawned and sat up in bed, stretching to chase the tired feeling out of her joints. She had just had the displeasure of experiencing another nightmare, but they didn't really feel like nightmares, they weren't particularly scary, they felt more like memories than nightmares, because the most disturbing factor of them was that they felt so eerily real. Trying to think of lighter topics, she quickly showered and dressed, thankfully not hearing any 'voices' this time. She knew that hearing voices was usually associated with being mentally disturbed, but she wasn't losing her sanity, just her self-respect, day by day and night by night, as every second went by, she felt an ounce more of guilt.
She knew that she would find today challenging. She had been given a break from lessons for a few days to 'get used to her surroundings' and to build her 'relationship' with Bellatrix, but that break ended today, and although she quite enjoyed lessons (they made her feel useful almost, as if she had a purpose), she did not enjoy keeping the company of other people her age. People, who she just had to look at, just had to listen to, to be reminded that she was responsible; she was responsible for the death of Harry and Ron.
Oh, various adults had patronized her, "It's not your fault" they would say "Harry and Ronald died willingly for you, out of their love and friendship, they didn't 'sacrifice' themselves for you, and they would have been killed anyway". Somehow though, it did not make a difference to Hermione what elder witches and wizards would say, even the opinions that came from the adults that she respected and admired the most, because she could never shake of the feeling that those 'opinions' were just empty lies, lies spun like finely woven thread to make her feel better.
Suddenly, a shrill voice shrieking her name, grabbed her attention. "Hermione, come here for a second, I need your help for something!" Hermione frowned in puzzlement, wondering what on earth Bellatrix Lestrange would need her help for, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she quietly slipped out of her room. Padding into the main room, she raised an eyebrow at the sight of Bellatrix sat on the sofa…buried under a mountain of robes. "What robe do you think I should wear? It's my first day of teaching, I want to make a good impression!" shouted Bellatrix, her voice sounding slightly muffled under the many folds of fabric, (she had a lot of robes). "It doesn't really matter," replied Hermione "nothing could be worse than what Lockhart used to wear, as long it's not powder blue or bright yellow, I think you should be safe" she stated, shuddering slightly as images of Lockhart swishing around in his robes came back to her.
Eww gross, I cant believe I used to have a schoolgirl crush on that jerk…not that having a schoolgirl crush on a middle-aged, ex-death eater is better
Shut-up brain, I didn't ask for your thoughts on this matter, piss off and remember the revising we did this morning…
"Does it look like I own any brightly coloured clothing?" hissed Bellatrix, suddenly popping up out of the mountain of material to glare at Hermione. "Well no, actually it looks like most of your…" her eyes widened as she examined the rumpled clothes that lay on the sofa, "seriously? All of them? ALL of your clothes are BLACK? How is that even possible? I mean, I guessed you weren't one for cheerful clothing, but seriously?" she asked, in an amazed tone of voice.
"I don't see why you so surprised, but yes, seriously" Bellatrix confirmed, "anyway, back to the matter at hand, what should I wear?" she asked, holding up a robe in either hand, (robes which were identical to all of her other robes). Hermione shrugged, eyeing the robes with an air of indifference,
"I don't know, I'm not what someone would describe as 'fashionable', anyway, I think that everyone will be too awestruck by the fact that they are being taught by Bellatrix Lestrange, to care about what you are wearing" she said truthfully. Bellatrix raised one dark eyebrow and gave Hermione an amused smirk, "perhaps I should turn up naked then," she snorted. Hermione blushed at Bellatrix's comment and tried not to picture the woman naked, meanwhile Bellatrix mentally cursed and resisted the urge to facepalm herself.
"Oh damn, forgot my potions textbook" Hermione lied, practically bolting to her bedroom to get it, leaving Bellatrix to sink down onto the robes-laden sofa with her head shoved firmly into her hands,
Why, oh why, do I have to blurt out whatever is running through my head at that particular moment, thus putting those around me in extremely uncomfortable situations?
Umm…because you're an idiot?
Noted!
"So, what lesson do you have first?" Bellatrix asked in a conversational tone of voice. She and Hermione were now both sitting at the breakfast table, (Bellatrix unsurprisingly clad in black robes), trying to look at anything but each other. "Erm, defense against the dark arts, with you…" she said, feeling her face grow slightly warmer. 'Damn these quarters are hot!' she thought to herself, although she knew it was anything but the temperature that was making her face flush. "Oh yes, that's right, we'd better go actually, were going to be late", Bellatrix had started to feel reluctance at leaving her quarters build up inside of her, feeling for all the world like a shy child again, but she knew that now was not the time for such bashful behavior. She had to be brave, for herself…and for Hermione too, she supposed. 'What an odd thing to cross my mind' she briefly thought, before ushering the girl out of their quarters, and beginning the short stroll to the room in which she would be teaching.
A few minutes later, was when the fun really began. "Ok children" Bellatrix began, feeling a tinge of sadistic pleasure at the shocked stared and fearful looks that she was receiving. Sneering, she pranced around the desks to narrow her eyes individually at every single student, feeling just like a performer on stage. She mentally laughed at herself for being nervous in the first place, she was born to torture…sorry, teach. "If your small, useless little brains are able to process what I am telling you" she snarled, not missing the amused look that Hermione shot her, "I would like you to at least attempt, to turn to page 190 of your textbooks…but of course if that is too hard for you dundering fools, I'd be more than happy to find you some crayons and flashcards". Rolling her eyes, she sighed as she spotted what looked like a distant relative of Neville Longbottom, quivering and shaking as they held their hand up in the air.
"For Merlin's sake, boy!" she snapped, causing the said child to let out a weak sounding whimper. "Put your hand down, you are not in some sort of muggle junior-school" she yelled, although secretly, she thought that would be a much more appropriate place for the dunderhead. "P-p-please Professor, I need, I n-need.." tears started to run down his chubby face as he struggled to pronounce his words properly, but Bellatrix, being the kind, understanding woman that she was, was not going to make it easy for the poor child. "WHAT?" she roared, dark magic hissing into the air as her face converted into a most un-attractive expression, "WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED, YOU INCOMPETENT FOOL?" she noticed with triumph, that several of the students, including her nephew Draco, had started to stir uncomfortably, and some more small, weaker children had started to sob.
Finally, the blithering idiot managed to stutter his words out, "I n-need, I need, the t-toilet, p-professor" he gasped, rising slightly, he began to hop from one foot to the other in desperation. Stalking around the boy like a bird with it's prey, Bellatrix leaned close to his ear, "go" she hissed, feeling slightly liberated as she heard Pansy Parkinson break down into a fit of tears, and 'brave' Ginny Weasley attempt to cast a killing curse on herself. "Go before I re-open the chamber of secrets and throw you in there myself- I hear that Filch and Mrs. Norris have opened a sex-shop down there…" the boy wailed in distress and fled out of the room, screaming loudly, Bellatrix smiled to herself and backed away, putting her hands on her hips and scanning the room and it's distressed students, not letting her eyes stop on Hermione.
'Teaching' she thought to herself, shaking her head, 'I'm a natural'.