When Hermione first saw the notice that a Hogsmeade weekend was coming up, she was positive that she wouldn't be allowed to go. After all, McGonagall hadn't been any help for Harry when he had no one to sign his permission form. She resigned herself to the fact that she was going to be confined to school grounds and tried to put the idea out of her mind, telling anyone who asked that she wasn't interested in leaving the castle.
Bellatrix, on the other hand, was adamant that Hermione get permission. She spent an hour yelling at Hermione for not wanting to go, and then when Hermione explained that she had no way of getting a signed permission slip from her parents, she spent another hour angrily demanding that she go straight to McGonagall and ask her to sign it. Hermione tried to explain, without giving too much away, that she doubted very much that McGonagall would help. Bellatrix arched an eyebrow at this, then dropped into a chair and told Hermione to give her a reason why McGonagall, a family member, wouldn't be able to sign the slip. When Hermione couldn't answer she smiled triumphantly and insisted that she ask.
Hermione agreed, sighing inwardly. Bellatrix wasn't going to be happy when the answer was no.
Her weekly check-in with McGonagall had been rescheduled due to a staff meeting, and Hermione was forced to wait until the Thursday before the Hogsmeade weekend to meet with her. She knocked politely on the door, trying to calm her nerves as the door opened.
"Good afternoon Miss Granger." A hint of warmth had edged into the older witches voice as she stepped back and allowed Hermione to enter the room. The early November chill had transformed the usually sunny room. Thick curtains covered the large windows, lap blankets rested in a basket next to the cozy sitting area before the fire, and a large shawl draped over the chair behind McGonagall's desk.
As McGonagall pressed the door shut Hermione prepared to take her usual seat in front of the desk, "I thought perhaps we'd sit in front of the fire today, Miss Granger." Hermione stopped in surprise, and followed the Professor to the fire, where two comfortable armchairs and a small couch. McGonagall sat in one of the armchairs, flicking her wand to summon up a teapot and two teacups as Hermione sat across from her in the other armchair.
A small table appeared before the two witches, a plate of shortbread piled high on top of it. "Please, eat." McGonagall said, moving the teapot and cups onto the table beside the plate. Immedietly the cups filled themselves, and Hermione thanked McGonagall before taking a large bite.
"So, Miss Granger, I assume you're going to ask me to sign your Hogsmeade permission slip."
Hermione choked on her bite of shortbread, and McGonagall sipped her tea as she waited for the younger witch to gain her composure. "Have I said something surprising?" She asked, amusement glittering in her eyes.
"No Professor, it's just that I didn't think you'd, I mean, with how busy you've been-" Hermione stopped, taking a sip of tea to mask her embarrassment.
"Well, even if I hadn't thought about it already, I'm sure that the entire school knows how much Miss Black would like you to accompany her."
Hermione colored, and McGonagall gave a slight chuckle, then got back to the point. "Would you like me to sign your slip?"
Hermione nodded, "Yes, Professor."
McGonagall nodded, "Very well then."
A quill and ink were summoned, along with a fresh slip, and McGonagall filled out the form quickly, passing it back to Hermione "I believe Professor Slughorn will still be in his office when we are through here, you might want to turn that in immediately.
"Thank you Professor!" Hermione said, meaning it. "I didn't think you would be able to because, well, you're not my Guardian."
McGonagall nodded, "In most circumstances, Miss Granger, I would refuse. In your case, however, I am the closest thing you have to a Guardian." Her face became stern again, "I trust you will not make me regret my actions?"
Hermione shook her head quickly, "No, Professor!"
"Good." McGonagall sent the quill and ink back and flicked her wand at the basket of blankets, causing one to glide over Hermione's lap. "Now, how is Slytherin treating you?"
Bellatrix grinned from ear to ear when Hermione returned from giving her signed permission slip to Slughorn. "I knew it!" She gloated, tossing herself down beside Hermione on the stone steps of the boathouse.
When they wanted to go somewhere they could talk without being overheard they usually went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. However the other day as they tried to have a conversation over Myrtle's hysterics, which grew louder as they continued talking, it became apparent that they needed to find a better place.
So far the boathouse was that better place. It was quiet and peaceful, and no one ever came down here.
"I have to talk to you about something." Bellatrix said suddenly.
Hermione looked up at her, waiting.
"We're both highly talented." Bellatrix said, "We've finished A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration, and now we're still stuck continuing to perform spells from a book we've already mastered."
"Right." Said Hermione, slowly.
Bellatrix grinned. "So let's take our education into our own hands." She swung down to the steps in front of Hermione and put a hand on her knee, "My Father used to have a book in our library that was full of advanced spells. It was mostly transfiguration, but there were some other things in it too." She shifted a little on the step, and Hermione became acutely aware of the warmth coming from Bellatrix's hand on her knee.
"I think we should get ahold of that book, and try some of the spells." Bellatrix finished, looking expectantly at Hermione.
"I don't know." Hermione said. "If McGonagall found out-"
"She won't." Bellatrix said confidently. She removed the hand that had been on Hermione's knee and crossed her arms over her chest.
"If we mess up on a spell-"
"We won't."
"How are we going to get ahold of the book?"
Bellatrix waved a hand dismissively, "I wrote to Tomes and Scrolls in Hogsmeade last week, they have the book, we just need to pick it up."
Hermione stared at her. "Oh."
"Come on, Hermione, you have to admit that nothing we've done with McGonagall has even remotely compared to that night in the forest." Bellatrix looked as though she dared her to disagree.
"No, we haven't had anything like that." Hermione agreed reluctantly.
Bellatrix said nothing, waiting.
"Fine, we'll get the book." Hermione said, with an air of someone who has made a huge sacrifice.
Bellatrix laughed in delight and leapt up, kissing a very surprised Hermione on the cheek before pulling her to her feet. "Let's go intimidate that blonde first-year." She suggested happily, striding towards the painting that hid the passageway out.
Hermione followed distractedly, her cheek burning where Bellatrix had kissed it. She was suddenly so confused that it didn't occur to her to intervene on behalf of the first year.
The frigid rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of the happy horde of students making their way along the road to Hogsmeade. Bellatrix's hood was down, her hair and face wet with rain. "Isn't it wonderful?" She asked, stretching out her arms.
Hermione kept her opinions to herself, smiling instead at how happy it seemed to make Bellatrix. Another wave of confusion spread over her as she remembered how her cheek had burned last night, and how warm Bellatrix's hand had been. She pushed that confusion aside, I'm just glad to have a friend. She told herself.
She was startled out of her thoughts as the Village came into view. The pace quickened, and the chatting seemed to grow louder in some groups of students, and quieter in others. One third-year boy actually yelled "Freedom!", much to the delight of his friends, who echoed the call.
Bellatrix's eyes narrowed, "Sometimes," she noted, "It's not the castle I want a break from."
Hermione stifled a grin and chose not to respond. Soon they had reached the shops, and Bellatrix's mood lifted again.
"It's over here!" She exclaimed, wrapping and arm around Hermione's and plunging through the crowd trying to get into Honeyduke's. They stepped around the candy shop, and headed behind it, where a few less frequented shops were. Tomes and Scrolls was located here, and Hermione felt a little thrill of excitement rush through her as they drew closer.
It vanished as soon as they reached the door. A sign had been posted: Closed until Further Notice.
Bellatrix stamped the ground. "Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Fucking damn it!" She threw herself at the door and began pounding it.
Hermione watched her for a few minutes, and then decided to pull her away before she hurt her hand. Wrapping her arms around the dark-haired girl, she pulled her back. "You're going to hurt yourself." She said softly. Bellatrix whipped her head around to glare at her, and for a brief moment Hermione thought she was going to hit her.
The moment passed. Hermione let go and stepped back, keeping herself between the store and Bellatrix.
"Now we have to wait until the next visit." Bellatrix hissed.
"Won't they deliver?" Hermione asked curiously.
Bellatrix shook her head, "Not a book this valuable. No one would." They stood in silence, Bellatrix's eyes blazing in a way that worried Hermione. She racked her mind for a way to fix this. An idea pushed its' way into her mind.
"We could break in!" She said, excitedly.
Bellatrix looked at her, unimpressed. "You mean here, in front of all these people." She spat on the ground in the direction of a few children who'd stopped to watch. The scattered, shrieking.
"No, of course not, I mean tonight!"
Now Bellatrix looked as though her friend had lost her mind. "The gates will be closed by tonight. You want to go over the gates?" She crossed her arms over her chest and prepared to tell Hermione just how stupid that idea was, but Hermione cut her off before she could speak.
"No, under it." Hermione thrust her hands into her pockets. The rain was coming down harder now, but she didn't want to risk Bellatrix hitting the door again by going the awning, besides, Bellatrix didn't appear to mind. Her hood was still down and she did nothing to fix that as the girls stood under the torrent.
Hermione continued, "The castle is full of secret passageways, and I think I know where one is that leads to Hogsmeade."
Bellatrix said nothing as she thought, her eyes never straying from Hermione's. "So you know of a secret passageway that will get us into Hogsmeade?"
"Yes."
"From Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
"Will it get us back?"
"Yes." Hermione's brown eyes locked onto Bellatrix's.
Bellatrix thought about that, then grinned. "Ok then. Let's go to Honeyduke's before we head back, I want to get something out of this visit."
Hermione smiled in relief and allowed Bellatrix to take her arm as they headed towards the sweet shop.
