She was standing at the bridge again. Looking down at the deep green ocean water that rushed under the bridge, the dark clouds that never lifted still hung heavily in the sky. A Strong breeze caused her cloak to whip about her body.
"'Mione?" She knew that voice, she turned to face him. The one she had fallen in love with, the only one who ever looked for her out here.
"Draco." She said, her voice soft, carried away on the wind.
"You scared me again." He said, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her tightly against him. "What brings you out here?"
"Life." She said leaning back against him, her eyes looking up at the dark sky. "It's been over six months since she arrived."
"I know." Draco sighed, his hot breath tickled her ear.
"Harry is learning how to adapt well." Hermione hated it, hated what she had allowed to happen to Harry.
"Yes." Draco agreed and rubbed soothing circles on Hermione's stomach.
She sniffed. "I fear that somehow, he is no longer the Harry Potter we once knew."
"That's because he's not." Hermione turned in the embrace and looked confused. "You see, when people are turned, the person that they were… Dies. A new person is born." Draco's eyes looked pleadingly at Hermione. He wished she would understand, Harry would never be the Potter she knew.
"We should have never brought him back." Hermione said, letting the tears fall.
"…And that's about it. Voldemort has taken over everything and we are one of about ten groups still attempting to kill him." Hermione finished, gesturing to the map before them. It had taken Harry a long time to even be able to walk, so they had decided, unanimously to put off filling him in until he was strong enough. Today was that day.
Harry let the information wash over him, his eyes scanning the map. "Hmm… And that's why you want me? Because of that bloody prophecy?" Harry asked.
"Honestly Harry we've tried everything, you think we haven't?" Hermione pleaded and reached for his hand.
"Oh I don't doubt that." Harry said moving away and looking at his nails.
Bella chuckled, she was liking Potter more and more each day. "Potter-"
"Harry." He corrected.
Bella sighed. "Harry… If Voldemort didn't think the prophecy true, do you really think he would have gone out of his way to kill a baby?"
"Well… No." Harry said looking at Bella.
She laughed, "You're still just a kid." She ruffled his hair affectionately; Harry scowled.
"Anyway." Ron interrupted. "The point is… You're the only one who can stop him."
There was a long pause; "And what makes you think I want to stop him?" Harry asked.
After Harry had regained his physical strength - as being asleep for almost six years did less than nothing for muscle gain - he had finally started come into his new powers. It was unknown whether the speed at which his abilities manifested was caused by a six-year nap or just because Harry's innate magical power far exceeded Bellatrix's own. Whatever the reason it seemed Bella wouldn't have to baby-sit for too much longer.
During their long training sessions, she had begun to see that Harry wasn't the same person he used to be. Just as she changed after her transformation, he too was changing… Inside.
Bella strolled aimlessly between the many experiments and weapons in the workshop area of the warehouse. Sometimes picking up something and looking at it wondering what it did, if it could be useful or if it could be used against her. The cars were what caught her attention at first, each one beautiful and clean. All of them stolen.
She smirked, these kids were more Slytherin and more like Voldemort and his gang of Death Eaters than they were willing to admit. It was more than interesting to watch them squirm under her gaze or double take at everything she said. They blamed her, blamed her for Harry's change in personality.
If only they knew.
She had been spending a lot of time carefully watching Harry, it seemed that through the venom/blood transfer some of her personality traits also made it into Harry, and she the same. She suddenly found herself thinking and feeling things that she would have never before.
Was it their primal instincts, being the only two of their race, or was it something else? Bella knew she felt protective of Harry now that he was changed. That he too felt pride swelling inside his heart just as she had for their new species.
Whatever it was, it was annoying. Bella had detached herself from emotions long ago, she was alone in this world the only one of her kind, the only one who could feel the way she felt. But that wasn't true anymore… Was it?
She stopped beside a motorbike. That's what those muggles called this, thing.She remembered her cousin, Sirius had one. It looked cool, she privately admitted to herself. She wanted to have a go on the silly muggle toy. What was the world coming to? She wondered.
It was true that she herself had been shocked by what Potter had said. He didn't want to fight the Dark Lord? She just didn't understand it, wasn't he supposed to be the great Harry Potter, Golden Boy, the Leader of the Light? Dumbledore's successor? It appeared not.
"What are you doing?" Draco's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife.
"Wondering. Don't worry, I'm not planning on running off to old Moldy-Voldy… Yet." Her eyes glinted with humour, but Draco wasn't laughing.
"Not funny. Not even close." Draco said coldly, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes still narrowed.
"You know… Your father got that attitude of his from me." She said sitting on one of the better looking cars bonnets.
Draco sneered, "Really?"
"He does pull it off better than you but then again he had the real thing to copy, you didn't." She shrugged. Draco rolled his eyes, turned away and went back to his work.
Bella watched him for some time before asking. "You really like Granger, don't you?"
Draco froze; "What's it to you?"
Bella looked up at the warehouse ceiling, and leaned back against the car. "Nothing really… I'm… Just, trying to make conversation."
Draco eyed her for a moment, over his shoulder. "Well… Yes. She is everything I could want in a woman."
"She's muggle-born." Bella stated.
"That doesn't make any difference." Draco snapped and looked back at his work.
Bella paused for a moment to watch his body language. "Then you really do love her." Bella said sliding off the car and walking past Draco. "That's interesting…" She whispered and continued walking towards the training room. Draco just watched her leave, his eyes narrowed to slits.
…tbc
