Hermione's heart raced as she fell away from Bellatrix. What just happened? The darker witch still held her close, but turned her head away, her face unreadable in the dark.

"I think he's gone." Bellatrix murmured a few minutes later.

Hermione nodded, and held the book as Bellatrix shimmied out from behind the suit of armor. After handing off the book, she followed. A flood of relief fled over her once her feet touched solid ground.

Then she felt Bellatrix's hand on her arm, and she felt her face burn in response.

"Ready to go?' Bellatrix asked.

Hermione nodded, her eyes downcast. Her lips felt cold and tingly, and she rubbed her hand across them absentmindedly as she followed Bellatrix down the corridor.

They made their way back to the common room in silence. Bellatrix stalked forward, her face hidden by her thick curtain of hair. Twice they almost ran into teachers, but somehow they made it back to the common room without being caught.

The fire was all but gone when they crept back into the common room. Only a few embers flickered beneath the ash.

Bellatrix flung the book onto one of the couches and leaned against a chair as Hermione closed the door behind her. The torches on the wall gave off enough light to see each other by, and Hermione kept her eyes trained on the dark witch as she walked across the room to rest against an end table.

"Bellatrix," Hermione began, "I-"

"You were freaking out." Bellatrix said, her jaw clenched as she glared at a spot next to her feet. "You were freaking out, and I didn't really want to have to explain to Pringle what we were doing wandering the halls at night with this-" she gestured to the old book, "I just…" she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You kissed me."

Bellatrix's eyes flicked up to Hermione's, then back to her feet. "Yeah." She spoke so softly that Hermione almost didn't hear her.

"Do you…" Hermione took a deep breath, her chest felt heavy, "Do you think about me that way?"

"You were being so loud." Bellatrix fought to keep her voice steady. "We were going to be caught. I had to do something."

"That's not what I asked."

Bellatrix slowly brought her eyes up to meet Hermione's. They glittered darkly in the torchlight. "I consider you to be my best friend. I'm not about to ruin that."

"But you…?" Hermione felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth in spite of the heavy atmosphere. She considers me to be her best friend!

The nod was almost imperceptible.

"Oh." Said Hermione, Oh!

Bellatrix didn't blink at she fixed her gaze on Hermione. "I'm not a freak." Anyone who hadn't spent the last few months practically joined at the hip with her wouldn't have noticed the slight edge of panic that had crept into her voice.

"No, you're not a freak." Hermione responded, becoming lost in thought.

"I couldn't help it." Bellatrix sounded distressed as she shifted against the couch.

Hermione studied her, noting the flush that had spread over her cheeks, the way she chewed absently on her bottom lip. The rain had made the fine wisps of hair that framed her face curl into ringlets, and Hermione felt the sudden urge to stroke them, brush them back, and smooth away the worried look that wrinkled her brow. Her eyes trailed back down to Bellatrix's lips and she felt a warm tingle spread through her lower belly as she remembered their kiss.

Oh. Hermione thought, bringing her fingers up to her own lips.

Just as Bellatrix opened her mouth to say something, Hermione closed the distance between them, tangled her fingers through the damp dark curls and captured the dark-haired witch's lips in a kiss.

Bellatrix drew back, eyes wide with surprise. "What are you doing?"

Hermione's face broke out in a grin, "I guess I couldn't help it either."

Bellatrix let out a laugh of relief, her arms reaching out to wrap around Hermione's waist and crush her into a hug. She held her firmly for a minute before she remembered herself and sheepishly dropped her arms.

"Let's take a look at our book." Bellatrix suggested as she straightened and took a seat on the couch.

Hermione took a seat next to Bellatrix and raised her wand to the fireplace. She smiled in satisfaction as a hearty fire roared to life in place of the dying embers. She shifted so that she was closer to her friend and nodded for her to continue.

Bellatrix opened the cover and smiled, "A Guide to the Black Arts," she read, "A compilation of favorite spells by Callisto Black."

She turned the page and began to read.

A/N: Hi guys! I know it's been a while since I've updated, but now that Midterms are over I can finally get back to it. Let me know what you guys think!