Bellatrix calmly opened the door at exactly twelve o'clock to find Narcissa, and Draco, who had the same bitter face Hermione was wearing earlier, standing outside.
"Feel free to use the bathroom if you need to," Bellatrix sighed letting them in, "You look more pale than usual."
Draco shook his head and walked over to Hermione in the kitchen and sat down.
"Want this," Hermione handed him a water bottle.
"Bella! You're looking very….," Narcissa stepped in and glanced at her older sister's face, "You look…different."
"I haven't made that many changes to my appearance," Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "I still look like me."
"I think she's referring to the decrease in frown lines in your face, and the stress and tension level has gone down, which is what we want, so the muscles in your face aren't as tightened as they would be if Voldemort was still alive and in charge of you," Hermione said from the kitchen as she made tea.
"Know-it-all," Bellatrix muttered turning back to her sister. "Voldemort was never in charge of me, I was just simply a good and well-behaved confidant."
"Well-behaved," Narcissa laughed, "You were like a child!"
"She still is," Hermione replied.
"Do you mind?!" Bellatrix yelled.
Narcissa turned her head and gave Hermione a big smile. She turned back towards Bellatrix, "So when and why did you finally decide to fix your horrid teeth?"
"She made fun of me," Bellatrix pouted with her head low.
Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head at Narcissa.
"Mmhm," Narcissa walked over to the kitchen table and sat down next to Draco.
"I really appreciate your coming, N-Narcissa," Hermione said with a shaky voice as she handed her some tea.
Bellatrix immediately noticing the nervousness in Hermione's voice walked over and sat across from her sister and next to Hermione putting an arm around her, "Don't be so shy, dear. It's me you have to worry about, not her. I was always the bad one, right, Cissy?"
"What about your other sister, Andromeda," Hermione asked.
"What about her?" Bellatrix asked looking over at Narcissa. Hermione looked over at her, too, hoping she had an answer for Bellatrix.
"Sit up, boy!" Bellatrix pounded her hand on the table in front of Draco who was laying his head down, "She had as much as you did and can still control herself."
Draco grunted sitting up and folding his arms glaring at his aunt.
"I have talked to Andy," Narcissa said to Bellatrix, "She's asked about you, and how you're doing. I also have talked with her daughter, Nymphadora, and her husband Remus."
Hermione's ears perked up when she heard Remus' name. She felt a little less nervous knowing Narcissa was on good terms with him, so she must be safe to be around. So far, so good; now Hermione knows how Bellatrix felt when she brought Ginny and Luna over, but that was different, Ginny and Luna never tried to kill Bellatrix, maybe harm during the war, but never kill.
"Draco, sweetheart, you don't have to stay if you're really not feeling well," Narcissa said rubbing his back.
"Yes, I was the only responsible one last night," Bellatrix said, "Well me and Hermione's friend, Looooona."
"They're just kids, Bellatrix," Narcissa said, "You should understand, their mentality is only a bit higher than yours."
Hermione and Draco tried to hide their snickers but failed.
"Why are you all constantly making fun of me?!" Bellatrix yelled.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Bella," Hermione laughed grabbing her hand and leaning on her shoulder, "You're just such an easy and fun target."
Draco got up at the first sign of Hermione and Bellatrix's public displays of affection. He hugged and kissed his mother goodbye before waving to the other two. Hermione got up and let him out.
After another half hour, Narcissa got up from the table, "Is it okay if I have a word with Hermione alone; perhaps in the bedroom?"
Bellatrix gave her sister an odd look.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything," Narcissa told her as Hermione got up as well; although, Bellatrix and Narcissa were both thinking different things that could happen between them in the bedroom. Narcissa meant no harm, but it wasn't harm Bellatrix was worried about.
"So you're the new facilitator now," Bellatrix said as they began to walk towards the bedroom, "Don't think the new high and glorious headmistress would be please."
"I'll have a word with you alone, too, just be patient."
Bellatrix huffed as the door was closed.
Hermione walked to the other side of the room and turned around gripping the bed frame and biting her lip.
"I just want to say, first, how utterly amazed and impressed I am," Narcissa started. "When I first thought about coming to visit, it was only to see and apologize to you, because I thought things would be a lot different inside this room. It looks like you're just roommates. I don't know how you're doing it, Hermione, but whatever it is, continue, because I don't remember the last time I've seen her that calm for that amount of time. I mean, sure, she still has her split second outbursts, but they seem to be nothing to what they used to be; especially the way they were when he came back."
Hermione didn't know what to say. She didn't know if the "green face" was supposed to work on Narcissa, and she wasn't even sure she should trust it anyways. Narcissa noticed Hermione was still gripping the bed frame. She cautiously walked over, knowing Hermione was still shy of her. Hermione gasped when she felt Narcissa's hand on hers trying to carefully pry it off.
"You don't have to be scared," Narcissa told her. "I actually think you have it backwards; you should be scared of her, not me. But then again, this is only our…second time ever really meeting."
"She's much less scary without a wand and a dagger," Hermione said lower her eyes to Narcissa's wand planted in a pocket on her dress.
"Yeah, but she's still crazy even without them," Narcissa laughed.
Hermione laughed as well. She jumped a second after hearing a loud knocking at the door.
"Are you two finished yet," came Bellatrix's voice.
"We'll be out in a minute, Bells," Narcissa replied. She turned back to Hermione, "Thank you for calling me and inviting me over. I appreciate being included, even if I was part of the whole problem."
Hermione told herself she needed to stop being such a baby. Narcissa wasn't like the others on the dark side. She needed to get past the fact that she is Draco's mother, Lucius' wife, the sister of Bellatrix Lestrange…When she said the name Bellatrix Lestrange in her head, she didn't even think of her Bellatrix anymore. It's almost as if the real Bellatrix Lestrange was still out there in the world.
"You're more than welcome to come over and visit her anytime you like," Hermione smiled squeezing her hand. "And maybe bring your other sister, if that would help."
"We'll see. Bellatrix and Andromeda haven't talked in almost twenty years."
"Wow," Hermione gasped, jumping again as another harsh knock.
"I've already counted past a minute," Bellatrix yelled.
"I should go and let her in," Hermione said walking around Narcissa. She opened the door to find Bellatrix with her ear up against it. "Hear anything you like?"
"No, just mumbles," Bellatrix said pushing her aside to walk in, "Next time speak more clearly."
Hermione smirked and shut the door for them.
"You better not have told her anything," Bellatrix said advancing on her sister.
"Like what?" she calmly replied, "All your super dark secrets? I thought you knew me by now. You're a big girl now, you can decide when and who to trust with the reasons you are the way you are."
"Does Andy really want to see me," Bellatrix sat on the bed with her back to Narcissa.
"Yes," Narcissa replied.
"Is she mad?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Bellatrix, you kept questioning people like you want them to hate you, like you want to go back to Azkaban."
"I don't want to go back to Azkaban," Bellatrix got a shiver in her voice.
Narcissa walked around to look at her, really look at her, "You know I've never seen you cry in my life."
Bellatrix looked at the ground and then slowly looked up at her sister with wide eyes full of tears.
"There's something about that girl, Bella. You better not mess this up because if you end up the way you were before, I believe it'll be far more worse than it was. It's time to create a new life. It's time to move on. But you can't do that until you confront the past."
"You sound just like her," Bellatrix whispered, her hands clamping the side of the bed. Narcissa sat down next to her and grabbed one of them.
"You're lucky they're even giving you a chance."
"I know…I know. And I don't understand it."
They sat there for a few minutes in silence before Bellatrix broke it, "Have you..talked to or heard from Rodolphus?"
"No. I haven't heard from any of Voldemort's followers. I don't really want to, and I don't think they want to hear from me either. I'm just trying to get our life, Draco's and mine, back to normal. It's why I let him come back here."
"You'll come back to see me, right?"
"Of course; every week, if I'm allowed."
Bellatrix got up and walked to a corner in the room, placing her hands on the walls. She was gasping, trying so hard not to break down, her face was contorted with anger and fear.
"What are you thinking," Narcissa asked.
"Everything," Bellatrix mumbled, clear and loud enough for Narcissa to understand, "If things were different, if I was born to a better pair of parents, if only just that, things would be different."
"I'm sorry things weren't different. I'm sorry you have to be here."
Bellatrix turned around, "No. You were just a little girl.."
"So were you!"
"NO! I could've…I should've done something. I didn't protect you good enough. I was selfish and thought of myself first."
Narcissa shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks as she stared at her older sister, who still stubbornly held her tears back.
Bellatrix closed her eyes and breathed deeply letting out a long sigh, "As for being here, it's probably the best thing that has ever happened to me."
Narcissa walked over and hugged her.
"Do you really think she's special," Bellatrix asked her pulling away.
"There are more like her, we just haven't been around them much of our lives."
"How do you know you can trust them?"
"You don't know, but you can feel it."
"What does it feel like?"
"It feels like all the bad in the world are illusions, nightmares. And when you're with that person, the fact that some of those nightmares are actual realities doesn't matter, because as long as you have that one person you can truly trust with everything, anything is possible. You can even break free from the darkest, deepest of wells as long as you have that one person you can always count on, always."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've felt it."
"Who? Lucius?"
"No, Draco. My son and only child; it's a shame I have to count on him, and sometimes I don't know if he thinks he can count on me, but I try my best. I try to be the mother for him, the mother I wish we had growing up."
"I'm sorry I put you second to him."
"Don't keep blaming yourself, you'll never get better until you can forgive yourself for all the things you've done and said."
Narcissa hugged her again, "I've got to go, but I'll keep in touch with you, and I'll be back at the end of the week."
Bellatrix walked Narcissa to the front door and let her out. She watched her walk away and tried to follow her, but felt an excruciating shock trying to leave the room. She hissed loudly awaking sleeping Hermione on the couch. She shut the door and walked over.
Hermione rubbed her face and turned over to look up at Bellatrix, "Did your sister leave?"
"Yeah," Bellatrix kneeled down and smiled, "Does your head still hurt?"
Hermione closed her eyes again and murmured 'yes.'
Bellatrix picked her up and carried her to the bedroom covering her up and closing the curtains. She placed a cup of water on the bedside table and shut the door. She leaned again the door and shut her eyes concentrating on her breathing. After a minute, she reopened them and walked to the kitchen table to write a second entry in the Bellatrix Blog.