Twin Dragon Heartstrings.

Author: Ladyfun9

Pairing: Bellatrix/Hermione

Rating: Generally M, with occasional mainstream chapters.

Disclaimers: All of this (Ladyfun9 gesturing big wide circles over the computer with her hand) belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing, and this is all for non-profit fun.

SUMMARY: After the Battle of Hogwarts, the Golden Trio's messiah-like status changes their lives forever; only Hermione remains skeptical about their new fame. When it becomes obvious who the real leader was of the group, Hermione feels chocked by her own fame and inexorably is drawn toward the last person expected: Bellatrix Black. Hermione loses herself….body, mind, and soul… to the dark mistress. Fortunately, things have a way of working themselves out. Endgame: Bellamione.

A/N: Thanks to the HP content beta, chrisdevl. Just trust me- give the Beta some *snaps* because, damn. I'm not easy. Thank you for all your reviews - this is a really diverse readership and I appreciate all the comments- good, bad, and indifferent. Thanks.

XOXOXOX

CHAPTER 9: Meet the Blacks

As their future children would learn, a silent Hermione is a scary Hermione.

Very scary.

Bellatrix Black, who had faced down every imaginable Cruciatus curse by every possible castor, facing and defeating the best wizards in battle, the woman who terrified all others, was herself... slightly terrified in this moment. Bringing the legendary duelist to her knees was the thin yet seething 18-year-old Head Girl that stood before her, in little more than a fuzzy white towel.

Their little siesta at Bella's "getaway beachside mansion" was getting ready to be a whole lot less...siesta-y.

Hermione's face was unreadable.

After a few tense moments, the Griffyndor pinched the bridge of her nose, and opened her deep brown eyes and stared at Bella, directly, her gaze piercing straight to her soul.

"So, Bella…" She exhaled. "I take it, then, that you are an unregistered animagus?"

Bella chose her words, carefully. "Yes." She said, simply, after a moment's hesitation.

The brunette nodded. "I see. And I am to assume, likely correctly, that your natural form is in the animigus of a black cat?"

Again, cautiously, Bella simply said, "No."

Hermione's head cocked in disbelief. "You dare lie to me, now, at this moment?"

"No, Hermione."

Hermione's quiet fury was building. "Really? Really, Bella? Now?"

Bella shook her head quickly. "I'm not lying, I swear. My natural animigus is not in the form of a black cat."

Hermione's arms folded. How intimidating the younger woman could be! And the power she held sway over Bella was truly disturbing to the dark witch. She felt herself crumbling, under the blazing stare. Her walls were crumbling. Promises made, were going to be broken, soon, confidences lost…

"I…" Bella said, weakly.

"Don't LIE to me Bella! How dare you! After the things I've done for you! After all I've given to you…freely! You dare violate my trust, and worse, lie to me about it? Now?"

Hermione didn't yell. Yelling wasn't needed.

Bella opened her mouth, yet no words would come out.

Salvation for Bella, however, came in the form of a Pop! The sound, near the fireplace, drew both sets of eyes to the creator of the sound…

Minerva McGonagall.

"Professor!" Startled Hermione, bringing the scanty towel around her clearly naked body, once again. Bella, however, chose to say nothing in that moment. Rather, her eyes pleaded with the new addition to the conversation.

"Miss Granger. Madame Black." The formidable Headmistress nodded, curtly, to the two naked women. "I trust you have had a restful time away from Hogwarts, Miss Granger?"

"I…er….yes, well. No. I…Professor McGonnigall, I'm a little indisposed, right now, if you don't mind." Hermione said, embarrassed.

The headmistress stared at the young woman clad in a glorified dishtowel, and arched her eyebrows. "But not so indisposed that you couldn't scare the living daylights out of a petrified House Elf?" Her gaze was pointedly directed at Hermione, and didn't waver.

"What?" She said, incredulously.

"The same house elf, who apparated directly into my office during a meeting with several officials from the Ministry, screaming bloody murder, howling loudly the fact Miss Hermione was going to imminently murder Madame Black?"

"What?" Repeated Hermione, in disbelief.

The headmistress sighed, closing her eyes. "I am going to allow you two… one hour. ONE." She said, looking deliberately at Bella when she said that. "Then, you will get dressed, in more than a dishtowel," she said, now looking at Hermione, "preferably in dress robes."

Dusting herself off, she finished. "Then, you will apparate directly, and I mean directly, to my office, in which none other than Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic himself, will debrief you two."

"But Professor, you said that I could have until Sunday!" Hermione protested.

Minerva's eyebrows arched in disbelief. "I did, indeed, Miss Granger. Sunday." Preparing to depart, she added, "Last Sunday."

Hermione's jaw dropped. Somehow, the most punctual student from the Gryffindor house had lost track of an entire eleven days…

She dropped her head. "Yes, ma'am."

Bella chuckled. Professor McGonagall's head whipped to the sound, and zeroed in on the older witch. With one look, she wiped the smirk off Bella's face, immediately.

"In all of her time at Hogwarts, Madame Black, Hermione Granger has not once broken a promise to me. Not once. This is a disturbing trend that I can only assume is attributable to you, Bellatrix, and your unfortunate influence."

Bella was silent, eyes wide.

"While deserved, your little reunion is over, ladies. I suggest, firmly, that you not be late to meet the minister. One hour."

She lifted her wand, preparing to exit. Before her departure, she looked at Bella, and said as she left, "Oh…and Bella. I should mention...you have never broken a promise to me, either. So, I should offer to you the option of releasing you from the binding promise to keep your training with me… confidential."

And the headmistress left, with a flourish and a pop.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Their lovemaking was tentative, gentle. Placid. While Hermione had certainly…finished, she was far from satisfied. She propped herself up, looking at her beloved.

"So, Bella…"

"Yes?"

"Your Animagus?"

Bella sighed, closing her eyes. She opened them, gazing at the young witch beside her, wrapped in Egyptian sheets, who she was touching…uncharactically tenativitly.

"My animagus. Yes. You asked if a black cat was my anigimus, and the answer is actually "no," Hermione."

The brunette struggled to keep a frustrated look off her face. Bella cupped her cheek with her own hand. "Actually, Puppy, my natural anigimus is in the form of a red dragon."

"I don't get – I don't understand…." Hermione said, brow furrowed.

Bella smiled, wanly. "I am an unregistered animigus, a rather large and ferocious red dragon. However, in order to keep an eye on things, I was taught to become a second animigus. A black cat."

"What?" Hermione said, incredulously. "Why, that's not even possible! Two animigus forms? That's unheard of!"

Bella arched her eyebrows. "You act like you were the only 'brightest witch of her age' in the room, dear. That's very unbecoming." Bella flashed a grin.

Hermione's mouth was agape.

"Shut your mouth, Puppy. Also, I had an excellent teacher."

"Professor McGonagall." Hermione said, stating the obvious.

Bella simply nodded. "The one and only."

Hermione collapsed back into the luxurious bedding, staring at the ceiling, taking in all of this information. It seemed all of the wizarding world was in on some weird conspiracy, involving her mysterious lover. She closed her eyes.

"Are you….mad, Puppy?" Bella's voice was tentative. Then she felt it, the odd feeling of Hermione's projection into her mind, without traditional magic.

You're still scared I'm going to get mad and leave you, aren't you, Bella?

Stop projecting into my mind, Hermione!

It's the only way to get you to listen.

"I am listening, Hermione!" Bella said, out loud, growing frustrated.

Hermione opened her eyes, and turned her head to face the messy haired witch lying next to her.

"No, you're not."

"Yes I am!" Bella said, raising her voice.

"No, you're not…." Hermione said, as she quickly pulled the older witch on top of her. Gripping her hair in her fists, she looked deeply into the unsure eyes of the woman on top of her. The younger woman continued, her own eyes darkening. "…because if you were listening to me, you would have heard me tell you, clearly, that I am totally committed to you. You would know, without needing reassurance, that I have an all consuming want of you. This...desire... has turned me into someone I don't recognize, Bella."

She licked her lips, taking in Bella's pupils, that were now beginning to dilate.

Hermione's nails dug into Bella's scalp, stinging, as she continued. "You would know, nothing can or will dissuade me, from you. Nothing will change my love for you. Nothing will change my desire to have you.."

She looked at Bellatrix for emphasis, pausing momentarily. Hermione's nails dug into Bella's scalp, stinging. Bella's control was becoming unsteady. Hearing the pure good girl swear always unraveled her. She looked uncertainly at the naked young woman underneath her; the witch she wanted to consume. Her breathing was becoming heavy, her heartbeat, erratic. Bella was actually sweating, so overtaken with a powerful desire to have Hermione. Yet she still held back, slightly unsure. Hermione's eyes flashed with recognition.

"You are not going to lose me, Bella, ever."

"I know that, in my mind, Hermione. But the heart…"

Gripping Bella hard, for emphasis, she said, "Stop it, Bella. Stop being afraid. You can't turn me away, you can't turn me off. My desire for you…it's…it's like nothing I've ever known. I need you."

She looked up at her lover, with a feral emphasis on her words.

"And I need you to be who you are, Bella. My ferocious lover, who needs me, just as much, in kind. I need you to be unapologetic, in your desire. No regrets...look, I know your deepest desires, Bella. All of the dark fantasies you have, for us. I know what you want…"

"You do, do you?"

"Yes." Hermione smirked, and reached over, grabbing her wand from the side table. Without preamble, she raised it. "Virginis!" Hermione said, unexpecidly. A flash of white light shot from the end of the wand, hitting Hermione herself, directly in her stomach. Bella gasped.

"Hermione?" She said, as the young woman was slow to open her eyes.

Hermione's expression was peaceful. Her eyes fluttered open. Looking up, towards Bella, Hermione spoke, in a soft voice. "There, Bella."

The dark mistress cocked her head, uncertain.

"Bella, you know what I did, don't you?"

"No."

Hermione smirked. "It would appear, my dark witch, that I am once again…pure. I am, once again, a virgin, for you. I would like you, very much, to end my….condition."

Bella exhaled.

Her eyes darkened, with lust, as she looked down at the girl underneath her. She became painfully aware of the points at which their bodies were touching. She could feel Hermione's warm center, arching up to her own. unconsciously, Bella's hands tightened where she had held Hermione's arms. She lowered her mouth to Hermione's ear, biting it, hard.

"You know what you do to me, don't you, little girl?" Growled the black haired woman.

She began kissing, nipping, laving her tongue down the creamy white neck. It left a trail of muscle vacillations directly behind her touch, trailing down Hermione's flesh, and a flash of arousal hit Hermione, at her core with Bella's ministrations. When Bella mouth reached her collarbone, she felt a sharp pain, as Bella violently bit her tender flesh, breaking skin. As blood trickled out of the bite mark, Hermione could do nothing but writhe underneath Bella, emitting a small moan of arousal.

She had awoken the beast.

Bella's mouth was everywhere; biting, licking, sucking the girl, who's sensory input was in overdrive. Hermione bucked her hips against Bella, but let out a frustrated huff as Bella stilled the undulating movement of her wanton pelvis.

"Stop!" Commanded Bella. "I fuck you. Period." She growled.

Bella leaned her left arm and elbow across Hermione's chest, leaning into it, to keep her pinned to the bed. With the other hand, she spread the girls legs open, revealing her very wet center.

"You're dripping onto my sheets, little girl." She flashed a fiery look at her.

"I'm …I'm sorry." Hermione whispered, too aroused to string together much more of a coherent sentence.

Using her left hand, but still pressing against her chest, she began to knead the breast that was resting directly below it. Flicking the nipple, alternating with angrily massaging Hermione's aroused breast, it distracted Hermione from what Bella was really doing.

Untill she felt it.

A single tip of her finger on her right hand had probed open Hermione's folds, to expose her swollen bead, and her extremely wet center. Stroking the area, Bella made long front to back strokes, deliberately pinching Hermione's hardened clit.

The Head Girl shuddered.

"Bella, please…."

"Please, what, little girl?"

"Please, please…I beg you. Take me... uh, please!" Hermione was actually begging, now, for real. Her desire to have Bella between her legs was overpowering her sanity.

"Maybe." Stroke. "Maybe not." Stroke.

"Merlin, please! Please Bella, please. I gave it back, to you…please!" Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Bella mounted her, eyes furious, pushing down her shoulders into the bed underneath. She spoke with a controlled fury.

"First of all, I decide when and if I'm going to fuck you, little girl. I decide if you've been good enough to have me end…this affliction. You do not order me to do anything, do you understand?" Bella spoke with a certain command that made the younger girl cringe.

And become even more aroused.

"Yes, Mistress." She said, quietly.

Bella resumed her deliberate strokes across Hermione's dripping pussy, watching it, amused, as it pooled between her legs and rolled down onto the sheets, saturating them.

"Little girl is going to have to wash my sheets, by hand, after this."

"Yes, Mistress."

"So…" Bella said, pulling her deliberate gaze from the flood below, lazily drifting upwards, to take in Hermione's face. She began the torturous strokes again, across the the top of Hermione's sex.

"…You've been a good girl, for me? No one has touched this, but me? No one has put their filthy penis inside you?

"No, Bella. No one."

"That's good." Stroke. "Have you wanted anyone, down here?" Stroke.

Hermione shuttered, breathless form her own arousal. "Only you, my Bella."

"That's also good." Stroke.

With a firm tone, she commanded, "Hermione. Look at me."

Hermione did so, her breath catching, with the look of want spilling across Bella's features. "No one will have you, but me."

"No one." Agreed the younger witch.

"Ever." Emphasized Bella, as she unexpectedly jammed three fingers into Hermione's tight hole. Gasping, Bella pulled out, noting the blood on the tips of her fingers from breaking Hermione's hymen. However, she did not dwell, as she quickly jammed her hand back into the tight opening of the wincing girl underneath her. Bella roared with pleasure, as her mouth quickly trailed down to the woman's core, and place her entire mouth over Hermione's swollen bead. All of the pain of the rough intrusion was forgotten, as Bella's talented mouth began pulsating on Hermione's clit, sucking it completely, while dancing the tip of her tongue across the top of it.

"Oh, fuck, fuck…" moaned the girl, bucking underneath Bella's mouth.

Bella pistoned her arm, in and out of Hermione's slick but tight opening. She could feel Hermione tighten around her fingers, and she knew she was close.

"Please, please, please!" Begged Hermione, indiscriminately, as she bucked her body without any control.

Bella went faster, feeling the logical conclusion coming, very soon. Her tongue flagellated the swollen bead, and Hermione's hips could not be stilled. Hermione was screaming, a crescendo of swearing, out of control, unaware of what she was saying, or doing; only needing Bella to finish her. Then, Bella curved her fingers inside of Hermione, deep. Bella instinctively felt the girl's rough patch, the area she loved, the area she knew so intimately, and dug her fingers into it, deeper.

"Oh! Fuck! Ohmigods, oh, Bella! Fuck! Fuck!" Hermione was out of control, bucking. Her voice was rising, just as her orgasm neared. "Ohhhh, yes! Fuck me …"

Bella went harder. Deeper. Faster.

"Oh, yesssss!" Hermione screamed. It would have been like the dozen other times she came, extraordinarily, hard under Bellatrix Black's ministrations. This time, however, distinguished itself with the searing wall of fire that blew out of Hermione's mouth as she came. It came dangerously close to burning the understandably startled -dark witch's shoulder. Fortunately, it merely burned part of her shoulder, neck, and only singed the ringlets of her dark hair.

"Hermione!" Bella shouted, startling the girl below her, out of her post-coital bliss.

"What?" Hermione said, dazed.

"What the ...what was that? You just blew fire out of your mouth and nearly burned me to a crisp!"

"I did?" She queried, in disbelief.

Bella huffed. "Yes, you did."

"I guess…" the girl said, meekly, "you're just that good, Bella."

XOXOXOXOXO

They were one minute early, meeting the level gaze of Minerva McGonagall, who nodded in acknowledgement. Hermione glanced around the headmistress' office, with Minerva's indelible stamp of ownership now present. She looked at the orderly shelves, so different than Dumbledore's era. However, their eyes were drawn to the obvious display set up in the middle of the office. Their eyes grew large, as they took in the charts and diagrams that were literally everywhere detailing such topics as:

"Assimilation of Agent Black's"

"Disinformation purge, Agent Black."

"Phase Two: Bellatrix Lestrange vs. Bella Black."

"Agent Black's reintroduction phases and strategy"

"Public Marketing: Wizarding world, Muggle World"

"Agent Black's probationary period cycle, Head Auror."

It would appear that Bella would be the main source of discussion over the next hour. Hermione's expression was shocked, but not nearly as shocked as her lover's expression, and who's grip on her hand grew even tighter by the second. There was a rather large crowd assembled, and no one said a word.

Eventually, the silence was broken by the subject matter herself, Bellatrix Black. "What the hell is all of this, Kingsley?"

In his deep tone, he let out a bellowing laugh. "Welcome back, Bella. I trust you and Hermione have had a chance to ... make amends?"

Reading the presentations, not looking at him while speaking, Hermione said disjointedly, "Well, I didn't kill her, if that's what you meant."

The room broke out in laughs.

The sound caused Hermione to break out of her trance-like concentration of the study of the presentations. For the first time, she noticed many high ranking members of the Ministry present in the room. Hermione became nervous. She looked up at Bella, who's gaze was locked in on a contingent in the room, causing Bella to have a hard look on her face.

Narcissa Malfoy.

Andromeda Black.

And a none to pleased looking friend of Hermione's, Tonks Lupin.

The were engaged in the wizard version of "staring chicken." It was Andromeda who broke first, as she stood up, and approached the two women. The sister that most resembled Bella leaned down, and gave the younger girl a peck on the cheek, first, in greeting. "Hello, dear Hermione. Nice to see you again."

"Hello, 'Dromida." Squeaked out the brunette.

Andromeda's eyes, so similar to her older sisters, took over the visage of her estranged sibling. After a brief moment of inspection, she set her jaw, and launched herself, unexpectedly, into her sisters arms.

"Dear, Brave Bella. Always taking on the world."

Tears sprung into Bellatrix's eyes, as she awkwardly returned the embrace. Pulling away, Andromida whispered softly, so only the two lovers could hear. "Bella...allow me, however, to quickly heal the burn on your neck, your singed hair, and the several hickeys that appear to be…um, decorating your neck at this moment, if you don't mind."

Bella blushed, as Andromeda cast several silent spells in tandem, addressing those issues. Her concentration dropped, as her eyes turned to Hermione, becoming playful. With a deliberately teasing tone, she said to the blushing Head Girl, "You little minx. Wouldn't have pegged you for the type." She winked, as she turned and resumed her sitting place in the back. "Lucky Bella." She murmured.

Hermione's blush was surpassed only by the blush of the older woman, who was sitting mortified, next to her. They looked at each other, awkwardly, but remained, holding hands.

"I take it my sister fulfilled her dream of becoming a healer, then?" She whispered to Hermione.

"One of the best." She said, earnestly.

"Good. That's will be important for us to have…in the family, I suppose."

"Indeed."

Kingsley cleared his throat. All eyes were on him, as he commanded the room effortlessly. "thank you everyone, for being here. I realize everyone's schedules are quite full. However, difficult times are on us, and has accelerated the timetable for Operation Undercover , unfortunately."

"How did I know…" Muttered Bella.

Kingsley's eyes looked apologetically towards Bella. "Bella, I'm sorry, I truly am. I realize you were promised a years' leave, to allow you to become acquainted with your…other half," he said delicately. "Allowing you and Ms. Granger some time while she completes her final year at school and formally takes her N.E.W.T.s…."

"Cradle Robber!" Burst out Bill Weasley, good spiritedly. The room burst out laughing, even Bella chuckled.

Narcissa, Tonks, and Hermione, however, were not laughing.

"Enough." A grizzled man said, from the back. "We have real world shit, going down. Gossip can wait. Stop interrupting the Minister."

"Thank you, Mr. Pappillion." Kingsley said. "I'm sorry, Bella, but we have three to four threats against England on multiple fronts. Our group is spread too thin. As you know, since the fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the natural order has been upset, and other insurgents view this as an optimal time to strike."

"A power vacuum has been created." Bella sighed.

"Exactly." Said the intense man, from the back. "We need you, Bellatrix. These pussies," he looked at Hermione, "no offense, kid. Our enemies are afraid of very few things. You, however, are one of them."

Bella grimaced.

Kingsley began the debriefing on "the plan" to reintroduce Bella to society and some licences taken to describe her efforts in the war. Bella's jaw remained fixed, her expression neutral. Her grip on Hermione's hand, however, was becoming borderline crushing.

Hermione leaned over and whispered to the black haired witch. "It'll be okay, Bella."

"Will it?" She said, piercing black eyes looking back.

Hermione couldn't answer that, with certainty. She chose instead, not to bullshit, a characteristic Bellatrix loved about her. Instead, she changed the subject. "How do you know that odd man in the back?"

"Pappillion? I trained him."

"Oh." Hermione said, quietly.

"Puppy, you really need to finish, with the pensive." She said, gently.

"I suppose."

"Not that I'm complaining, as to why you didn't, mind you..." Bella grinned.

Hermione smiled back, almost shyly.

"Ladies, your attention, please?" Kingsley urged.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Kingsley, I get it. I know the plan. Just tell me," she sighed, "so I'm mentally prepared. When does this crap start?"

On cue, an owl burst in through the window of the headmistress' office, circling the two lovers. It appeared to be performing the rather ordinary task of delivering mail. Unceremoniously, it dropped something on Hermione's lap. Surprised, she unrolled it. It was that evening's edition of The Daily Prophet. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the headlines:

BELLATRIX LESTRANGE INNOCENT!

EXCLUSIVE: Secret Double Agent for the Order Revealed!

Agent Bella Black Unmasked as the Greatest War Hero of All Time!

Hermione, showing the headlines to Bella, couldn't help but notice the panicked looked exchanged between her and her youngest sister, Narcissa. The two women then looked to Kingsley, who was clearing his throat.

"Bella, I'm sorry." He said, genuinely. "It has already begun."

TBC.