I do not have a beta so all mistakes below are my own. I do not make any money from this and there is no copyright infringement intended. Please read and review.
It had been months since Draco had had a decent night's sleep. He was anxious; he was always anxious. Although he would not admit it to anyone. After tonight, everything would change. 'Everything has changed,' Draco thought correcting himself. Suddenly he brought his hand to his left forearm. His mark was beginning to burn; it was time. Tonight was the night that something had to happen. The Dark Lord was already furious that nine months had passed with nothing. He rose from the forest green couch. This was it; tonight was his chance to right the wrongs of his father and grandfather. Draco had made up his mind; tonight he would restore honor back to the Malfoy name.
Bellatrix along with Greyback, the Carrows, Yaxley, Rowle and Gibbon waited outside the vanishing cabinet at Borgin and Burkes. Her rank among the Death Eaters and her place by the Dark Lord's side rested on her nephew's ability to get them into the castle and furthermore, on his ability to kill Dumbledore. While waiting for the link to be established, Bellatrix could not help but wonder if it was anyway possible to see Hermione. If only she could get a brief glimpse of her it would restore some semblance of balance to her life.
"It's time, they're linked. We can enter!" Greyback exclaimed, his fangs barred and excitement evident in his eyes. One by one they filed into the cabinet; Bellatrix pushed thoughts of Hermione from her mind.
Black smoke seeped from underneath the old cabinet as the doors slowly parted revealing his aunt and a few figures shrouded in black. Draco stood; his face expressionless and body rigid. Bellatrix looked around; her dark, oval eyes finally falling upon Draco.
"Where is he Draco?" Bellatrix hissed.
"I…I don't know. I don't know," he said his blank face hiding a torrid sea of emotions.
"Well, don't you think you should find him?" Bellatrix asked and turned not wanting nor expecting an answer from her nephew. He took the cue and remained silent.
She addressed the other Death Eaters, "stay here." They all nodded no one dared questioned the mad witch. Bellatrix slowly exited the Room of Requirement and slipped into the shadows with one thing on her mind, HERMIONE!
Although it was late, the common room was bustling with students moving about; many of them uneasy for a shadow seemed to all of a sudden engulf the castle. Hermione sat alone in a chair near the window. She felt something; something was going to happen, she could feel it, and it had her feeling restless and put her nervous on edge. She looked around and noticed Harry was missing and that no one seemed the wiser to his absence. Over toward the fireplace Ron was engaged in another game of Wizards' Chess with Neville while Dean looked on.
In the midst of the chaos that ensued when a concoction of Fred and George's blew up, Hermione took the opportunity and slipped out undetected and headed toward the Room of Requirement.
Bellatrix stayed close to the wall and upon hearing footsteps, ducked into a nook until two love struck teens passed. Before she fully emerged from her hiding spot, she saw her walking down the hall. The young witch seemed to be lost in thought. She was headed straight for Bellatrix's hiding spot. Bellatrix seized the opportunity and as Hermione passed grabbed the young woman around the waist and pulled her into the nook.
Hermione let out a sharp intake of breath and turned around in her captor's arms ready to give whoever it was out playing pranks this late at night one hell of a tongue-lashing and a hex for good measure. The words died on Hermione's lips as she forcibly brought her lips to meet Bellatrix's.
The two broke apart; both gasping for air. "What are you doing here?" Hermione whispered showering Bellatrix's jaw and neck with butterfly kisses.
"I had to see you," she replied kissing the young witch's forehead as she tangled her hands in Hermione's curls, "I had to see you. I can't breathe without you."
"I missed you," Hermione wrapped her arms around the older woman and pulled her closer; her head protectively nestled under Bellatrix's chin, "you can't leave me again. My heart won't bear it."
"I know," Bellatrix whispered, "I know; neither will mine."
"What are we going to do then?" Hermione asked moving away to look Bellatrix in the eyes.
"For now nothing…"
"But…," Hermione began to interrupt.
"Please," Bellatrix drew the young woman back close, "for now there is nothing we can do. I just had to see you."
Reluctantly Bellatrix slowly released Hermione from the vice grip she had on her. Hermione began to sob. "Listen, things are bad here. Tonight it is not safe. I have placed you in grave danger. Something is going to happen tonight that could change the course of this war," Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but abandon the notion when Bellatrix roughly shook her by the upper arms, "Go back to Gryffindor Tower and stay there. Please Hermione, go there and stay. If something happened to you…" the words failed to manifest themselves.
Seeing Bellatrix's distress, Hermione nodded and ensuring that the corridor was clear decided it was safe to head back. Before she fully emerged, she was stopped and pulled back into the shadows. Bellatrix pulled Hermione up against her, holding her tightly, "I love you Hermione. I am taking you away from here," Hermione looked up at her, shocked. This is what she had being dreaming of since the beginning.
Hermione would have surely sunk to the ground had Bellatrix not been holding her, "are you sure?"
"I have never been surer of anything in my life. I thought that being away from you I could forget you somehow. I can't. I don't ever want to forget you."
"When?"
"Tomorrow at midnight. Wait for me in the Black Forest make sure to stay hidden and wait for my signal before you come out. Do you understand?"
She nodded, "yes." Hermione pulled her into a passionate kiss, "don't forget," she whispered against Bellatrix's mouth.
"Never. I will never forget you," Bellatrix pulled her into one last searing kiss, "now, go!" Hermione nearly ran back to the common room; she needed to sort out what was worth taking and was not. She hastily walked back to the tower, 'just until tomorrow night, and we can be together.'
The two were unaware that someone lurked in the shadows- watching.
He could see quite well in the dark. That was one of the benefits of being born with the curse. It didn't take much to discern who were the two figures tucked away in a well-hidden corner. One of the women he followed and the other he had seen and salivated. Mudblood or not; she was a delectable little thing indeed.
What many didn't know, not even the Dark Lord, was that Greyback had what boarded on supernatural hearing. No one would believe the things he heard at the manor. On many nights he could hear Narcissa crying in her bedroom, Rowle's pleasuring himself and when Snape stayed at the manor, he could hear the man pacing and mumbling late into the wee hours of the morning. Those were the evenings that Greyback cursed the gods for making him what he was, but on a night like tonight, he was grateful. He smiled. Two yellow stained, sharp two inch teeth protruded beneath a dark thin lip, "How sweet, the mudblood lioness and the pureblood princess," and proceeded to head back to the Room of Requirement. The Dark Lord was going to love this and finally he could move that bitch out of the way and secure a position among the ranks.
I know the story is highly angst, but I don't really know how to do happy. Blame it on my cynical outlook on life. Don't forget to review. Let me know what you think of the story so far!