Hermione woke and stretched slowly, every muscle ached; she opened her eyes slowly and spied the black curly hair on the pillow next to her. Her leg felt like it was on fire, her neck itched and her eyes felt too dry. "Bella?" She croaked in a rough voice trying to reach for water on the nightstand, it soothed her as the body next to her stirred and then stilled. A muffled 'mmmm' came from the pillow but the woman did not lift her head.
"What time is it?" Hermione asked, her wand was not next to her and the curtains were drawn closed.
"I expect it's early." The sleepy voice replied still not moving. "Sleep." She said in a gentle voice, her fingers moved across the blanket to wrap with Hermione's.
"I can't sleep anymore." Hermione said sitting up slightly and pressing a kiss into Bella's hair. "I'm going to go read, you sleep." The curls nodded and Hermione moved her way slowly and painfully out of the bed and into the living room to read. Hermione sat on the couch and examined her leg, long angry gashes marked the skin there. The skin that covered the damage was sensitive to the touch, the healers had explained the scars would be minimal. She looked at herself in the mirror, the itchy spot on her neck showed the tattoo. Her kill count, she had noted Bella's their first day together; the Auror's kill count among the highest in the department. She had seen the number had changed from 93 to 95. She slowly fingered the tattoo and runes, she had killed a werewolf; it had been easy, the spell had left her lips before she could even think it. She saw the green light leaving her wand, the rage as she screamed the curse. She raised from the couch now and stepped closer to the mirror looking again at her tattoo. Deep inside her mind she realised she liked it, she liked the reason behind the mark on her neck.
"It looks good on you." Bella said from the doorway a few moments later as Hermione had still been standing and looking at it.
Hermione felt her cheeks burn slightly as Bella approached her, her lips touched gently on the mark. "You'll remember every single one, not just this one." She said pressing another kiss, the hairs on Hermione's arms stood at the whisper of the kiss from Bella.
"Does the mark every fade?" Hermione asked, her hands resting on Bella's hips, her thumbs playing with the waist band of her sleep pants.
"Never." Bella replied enjoying the feel of Hermione's fingers playing against her hips. "It feels good doesn't it? Deep down?" Hermione's hands slipped inside Bella's pants; the dark haired witch let out a soft breath. "You like it?" She asked, Hermione did not answer the hazel eyes met Bella's black ones. "I can see you do." Hermione's fingers tightened slightly against Bella's curves. "There's no shame in it. I love it." Bella whispered, her mouth sucked gently on the new tattoo, her own hands began to mirror Hermione's touches. "The power that moves through you; it makes you almost drunk doesn't it?" Bella said her hand brushed between Hermione's legs. "The anger and lust after you finish. I know that feeling." It was Hermione's turn to moan now as Bella moved her shirt up and Hermione helped her pull it off.
For a moment the dark eyes drank Hermione in as she now moved to removed Hermione's shirt, the long fingers making quick work of the buttons and the soft fabric fell soundlessly at their feet. Hermione laid her fingers over Bella's to pause the movements to untie the sleep pants and have them join the top on the floor.
"Let me." Hermione whispered, again their eyes met and Bella smiled like a hungry wolf capturing her prey.
"For a little while." Bella replied teasingly as she allowed Hermione to undress her and push her towards the couch. The lust that took over was one that Bella knew very well, as did Tonks and had Severus. When Hermione had satisfied her lust Bella took a deep breath and pulled Hermione from the couch. "My turn little auror."
They had made love several times in the weeks they had been together but this; it was like nothing Hermione had ever experienced before. Bella had her legs and arms bound to the bed and a knife in her hand sliding it slowly along Hermione's stomach. "Can I cut you Pet?" Bella whispered breathlessly against the taut muscles that danced over the chill of the silver blade.
"Yes." Hermione whispered arching her back to keep in contact with the blade. "Yes, please."
Bella licked her lips and turned the knife dragging it along her collarbone and down her arm, "Shall I mark you as mine?" The words sounded like honey rolling off her tongue, "Hermione." Again the way she said Hermione's name made the younger witch nearly go out of her mind to promise her anything. "Are you mine?" The question hung there for a heartbeat and then another, the cold silver pressed against the flesh. "I can't mark you unless you say you're mine Pet." She cooed to the soft whimpers of the witch. "So that's a yes then?" The girl nodded and Bella grinned again, the blade pierced gently against Hermione's arm, a soft trail of scarlet as Hermione hissed.
The blade was so sharp it needed only a little pressure to cut into the olive skin. "So beautiful." Bella whispered, her tongue brushed against the drops of ruby before it could fall to the bed. The delicate intricate patterns drawn by the knife left a scarlet trail as Bella moved it from Hermione's arm to her stomach. She then began moving the blade along Hermione's thighs, her brows knitted in concentration as she matched the pattern on each side. When she had completed it she lay the knife on the night stand and kissed along the pricks of blood. Every kiss drew Hermione deeper and deeper into the swells of pleasure until finally she was begging Bella to finish, to take her or release her. The raven haired beauty laughed and it echoed in the room. "I will take you when it pleases me little witch." She said pushing Hermione's heartbeat into a panicked rhythm. "But I will take you soon enough my love." She reached over to retrieve a potion from her nightstand, an oil of some kind that she rubbed into her hands. The cuts from the knife were burning hotter on Hermione's skin before the first touch of Bella's fingers with the oil touch her. Immediately the patterns soothed with a coolness and Bella's mouth followed the touches.
After Bella had soothed each cut she bit down harshly onto the tattoo and at the same time entered Hermione with three fingers causing the witch to cry out painfully and buck up from the bed. Bella did not slow her pace as she moved with no mercy, Hermione's eyes screwed shut against the feeling of having her virginity taken all over again. "Bella." She cried out painfully as the beautiful black eyed witch left her lover's chest and crashed her lips against Hermione's. After a moment the pain stopped and Hermione relaxed into the unforgiving thrusts of Bella's fingers. She had never had Bella make to love to her like this, no, this wasn't love making this was fucking. Not even their first night together had been like this. This was blood lust fucking, it was incredible. Hermione could barely catch her breath before Bella was on her again pulling at her hair and biting into her skin. In the end Hermione screamed the witch's name in a hoarse voice that left them both laying and panting in exhaustion on the bed. Bella waved her hand and the ties that had bound Hermione for the last two hours released. Tears stung her eyes again and suddenly for the first time since their relationship had begun Hermione felt vulnerable after their sex had ended.
She started to speak but she didn't have to, Bella was giving her water, rubbing her wrists and pressing soft kisses against the bruises. Little soft words punctuated the kisses as she found Hermione's mouth; her lips bruised from the harsh kisses earlier were now given gentle swollen kisses. Each touch, each kiss and caress soothed every mark and ache in Hermione's body.
"Negotiation, tonight we are going to practice your negotiation skills. It is up to you and your skills if your partner makes it or not. So for a demonstration let's have Ginger-nuts and Potter. Potter you're the hostage, Ginger-nuts you're the negotiator; everyone else, you're taking notes."
Hermione sat with Tonks, Neville and the other aurors. Bella approached Potter and held him in front of her. "Alright Ginger-nuts, I'm listening, save Potter's life."
Ron stood there dumbfounded as Bella held her wand against Potter's neck while a shield charm effortlessly stood between them.
"How-how are you doing that?" Ron asked uncertain at the shield charm that was up.
The watching team shifted slightly but said nothing. Bella did not answer she simply hit Harry with a stunning spell and declared him dead. "You failed and Potter is dead." She shook her head, "I swear Ginger-nuts if I ever have an assignment with you I'll retire." There were chuckles from the waiting group of aurors. "Thoughts?" She asked looking at the group.
Hermione swallowed, "He wasn't concentrating. He- well he got distracted by your magic and you got irritated and killed the hostage."
Bella nodded, "Did you hear that Ginger-nuts don't piss off the person holding the hostage. Try it again." She revived Harry and pulled him up dusting him off. "Let's try to keep Potter alive this time around."
Ron had three more tries and each one ended in Harry's 'death'. Bellatrix shook her head, "Granger, up here." Hermione rose and joined them, "Potter go sit and eat something, good job." She said as he walked in a slight daze from being stunned four times in a row. "Now Granger, you're the negotiator and Ginger-nuts here is the hostage."
Hermione took the ready position and Bella pulled Ron against her like she had done with Harry.
"I'm here, you told my boss you wanted to talk." Hermione began, her wand was in her hand but it was deceptively relaxed at her side. However anyone who knew auror training would know that Hermione's wand was at the ready in less than a second.
"I don't want you I want your boss." Bella said, her grip tightened on Ron. Hermione was pleased to not have killed Ron in the first few seconds.
"I'm the person who can get you what you want." Hermione said, her fingers still relaxed as she watched Bella tighten her hold on Ron but let the shield down.
"Pause." She called and Hermione relaxed as Bella looked at the waiting group. "Longbottom, what has Granger done that Ginger-nuts didn't."
"She addressed you and didn't show her wand as a threat. I mean it was there but she didn't brandish it around. She didn't threaten you." Longbottom called out with Tonks nodding.
"If she had come in demanding you speak or brandishing the wand he would be dead." Tonks called, she loved negotiation training.
"Good, and start up." She said turning back to Hermione and holding Ron, her shield did not go back up.
Hermione's mind went blank for a second before she remembered what to say, "Let's work on this together, what can we-" She saw Bella's smirk as she stunned Ron.
"Fuck!" Hermione called out and nearly stamped her foot.
Bella roared with laughter before stunning Hermione, "Now you're both dead. Oh Merlin this is going to be a long night." She revived them both and pulled Hermione up, she winked at her as her back was to the group so they couldn't see. "Try it again and this time, don't make it like we're buddies, I don't trust you yet."
By Hermione's third attempt she had managed to get Ron away from Bellatrix and stun her. Neville got it on his first attempt with Hermione as the hostage. Bella called Tonks over and had a quick discussion with her niece. She called Neville up to negotiate with two other aurors watching and not speaking to anyone in the group. Harry wasn't even given a chance that night to try to negotiate with anyone as the hostage. She called Hermione up twice more with the other aurors; she managed on her first round with both now. Tonks and Bella nodded and then retreated with the senior aurors for a talk; the trainees glanced over several times. Bella was frowning and Tonks was grinning when Amelia Bones joined them. The head auror was there as well looking at the small group huddled together. They watched Neville, Hermione and then Ron negotiate. Their faces gave nothing away, they simply nodded at Bella and left.
"Longbottom." Bella called holding out her hand to pull him into the knot of aurors. "Congratulations you're going to be filtered into negotiations. Well done." She patted him on the back, Tonks was beaming and pounding him on the back.
"Does that-does that mean I'm not with Tonks anymore?" Neville asked looking up at the pink haired witch who smiled at him.
"Of course you are still working with me, just means we're in specialized training now; we're not part of this training." She explained still grinning. "Lots of travel and we have to learn a few new languages but I think we're both up for it."