TSB 21 08/12/2014
Harry Potter was a very brave man and that's what found him sitting with Hermione in the Hogwarts kitchen for lunch
"What do you want, Harry? I don't have time for this" Hermione said irritated
"I.. I miss you, Mione"
"Don't even start with that horse shit, Harry James Potter. We've been in the same castle for the better part of a year now and you've barely glanced at me. What do you want?" She repeated
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you have to be with a Black and not Ron? We could still be mates if you hadn't been so selfish" Harry demanded
"Because I love her. Because she loves me. Because while Ronald has made me feel like garbage more than once Andromeda has never made me feel like anything less than loved and safe. Because while Ronald has abandoned me several times, Andromeda has always been with me. Because Ronald is a jealous arsehole who would emotionally manipulate me into giving him want he wants while Andromeda let's me do whatever the hell I want so as long as I come back to her bed at night. Don't talk me about being selfish, Mr Potter, because it's you being selfish by blaming me for you abandoning me because I fell in love. I want head first into a war for you, I was tortured for you, I put my life on the line for you and what have you done for me? Nearly gotten me killed at least once for every year we've known each other. You didn't even say thank-you for giving up my childhood for you." Hermione fumed and stood up to leave when Harry didn't say anything
"There's a war coming, Harry. Bigger than the Wizarding Wars combined. If you stand against it I won't be able to protect you. Chose the right side, Harry." She said before opening the doors to the kitchen to leave
"Hermione, wait" Harry called out
"What?"
"How do you know there's a war coming?"
"Because your precious light side has done some very dark things that have been discovered and they will not stand to let your light side go without punishment. A new world order is coming, best be prepared." Hermione said smirking
"What's happened to you, Hermione? This isn't you."
"You'll find out eventually, I'm sure. Why don't you ask old Dumbledore what his favourite activity with powerful students was? Did you ever wonder why the great and powerful Dumbledore never saved you from your room under the stairs? He says because of the blood wards around the house protecting you but why didn't they protect you from the abuse from your aunt and uncle? Why did Molly Weasley never protect you? She seen how malnourished you were every time you visited but all she said is that you look a bit slim. I mean, Fred and George had to break the bars off of your bedroom window to get you out of there, shouldn't that of raised some red flags? Say what you want about dark families, Harry, but don't forget who offered and so desperately wanted you to live with him and threatened to kill your aunt and uncle so they couldn't harm you again. Don't forget the only reason you're alive right now, don't forget the person who lied to one of the most powerful dark lords of all time for you and most importantly, don't forget you're not light either"
"What the hell do you mean I'm not light?" Harry said angrily
"You've killed. You've tortured. You've used the unforgivables, Harry. You've taken parents away from their children just like Voldemort did to you."
"That.. That's different. It was for the greater good" Harry defended himself
"Greater good? Oh come on Harry. Was it for the greater good when Dumbledore murdered his own sister? Was it for the greater good when Bellatrix fucking LeStrange, Voldemort's best lieutenant, the women who turned Neville's parents mad with the Cruciatus, crucio'd me? Was it for the greater good how many kids are out there right now with no parents being shunned and abused for what their parents did?" Hermione's voice got increasingly louder as she spoke before dropping to something barely above a whisper "Was it for the greater good that a boy who I had known for most of my life beat me so badly that I might not of survived simply because I didn't love him like he loved me? And then another boy who I thought was my brother in all but blood stood up for him and didn't even visit me? Tell me Harry, because I really want to fucking know if it was for the greater good"
"Ron's sorry, Hermione. He regrets it"
"No he doesn't and you know he doesn't. Now, I'm going to go home to my loving fiancé. I advise you to go talk to Dumbledore's portrait and don't let his grandfatherly words get to you."
Hermione walked in to find Narcissa sitting on the couch with her knees tucked up to her chest and Andromeda no where to be found
"If my time in Malfoy Manor taught me anything it was that it's okay to be hurt, it's okay to be scared of turning a dark corner, it's okay to talk about what happened to you and it's okay to never speak about it, it's okay to see their faces wherever you go and be scared of leaving your house. But it's not okay to let it consume you because letting it consume you means letting them win." Hermione said sitting down next to Narcissa
"I don't know how to" Narcissa said quietly
"I wish I could help you, Cissy, but I can't because I know nothing I say will make any difference to how you feel and it won't stop what ever you're feeling right now. But I can tell you that I love you, Andromeda loves you and Bellatrix loves you. We're all here for you, always."
"Can I sleep with you? I mean actual sleep. Just for tonight" Narcissa asked
"You needn't ask. We'll just tell Andy to piss off and sleep on the couch"
"I don't want to get in the way of your relationship" Narcissa said
"You're not, don't worry. It'll be good to get away from her hair smothering my in my sleep. It's unbelievable. I remember the first night I slept in the same bed as her I thought someone was actually strangling me and it was just her hair" Hermione said, smiling when Narcissa leaned against her and took this as permission to wrap her arms around Narcissa who backed into the embrace
"Bella's the same. I can't count the amount of times I've had to untangled my hand from her hair because it seemed to latch on to it." Narcissa said with a small smile
"You know what, I think I know something that you might like. Go get dressed in your least witchy looking clothes and be ready to go out in twenty minutes"
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise"
Fifteen minutes later, Narcissa was dressed in a emerald green figure hugging dress and silver heels with her hair in a partial up-do, her long blonde curls cascading down her back with a few small curls framing her face
"How do I look?" She asked nervously
"Beautiful. But, there's something missing.. Oh, I know" Hermione said, pulling her wand out and transfiguring a handful of sickles into small Narcissus flowers, tucking them into Narcissa's hair
"There, perfect. A warning, the place we're going is a muggle place. But don't worry, there's little to no contact with them" Hermione wrapped her on the head with her wand and she felt a raw egg crack over her head
"I've always hated that charm" Narcissa muttered before grasping onto Hermione's hand and the disappeared without a noise and landed in the middle of muggle London before Hermione dragged her into a large building filled with muggles
"Hermione" Narcissa said quietly, looking around
"The second you want to leave we will but just trust me" Hermione said, pulling her up to a counter where a young man whose face was oily and covered in zits was staring at them
"Two for the Hunger Games, please. Oh and two bottles of water, a bag of gummy bears and a medium popcorn, please" Hermione added quickly
"T-t-that wi-will be forty eight ninety five p-please" The boy stuttered out, staring at Narcissa who was trying her best not to sneer at him and was getting increasingly agitated
"I would appreciate it if you would stop staring at my girlfriend as if she were a piece of meat, sir, as I'm sure you would prefer to keep your job" Hermione said in a falsely sweet voice
"O-o-of course, ma'am" He said all but thrusting their items into Hermione's arms
"Teenage boys are always horrible" Hermione grumbled sitting in a comfortable seat at the back of the theatre before turning to Narcissa
"Taste this, you'll either love it or hate it" She said passing the popcorn bucket to Narcissa who took a dainty bite out of one piece of popcorn
"This is delicious, what is it?" Narcissa asked
"It's called popcorn. It's covered in butter and salt and always manages to find it's way into your bra and itches like crazy"
After the movie was finished Narcissa was all but vibrating with excitement
"Merlin, how do the muggles do that? It's amazing. It's like our pictures but with sound and longer and a lot more interesting. We must find a way to bring that into the Wizarding world and the corn pop? Delicious" She raved on "Can we see another?"
"Take it easy, one might think that you like muggles" Hermione grinned "Let me grab a couple things we can watch movies at home"
By the time Hermione managed to drag Narcissa away from the electronics department of the store they were in, she managed to make a dent in Hermione's muggle bank account with a brand new TV, a plethora of movies and TV shows and other bits and pieces that caught Narcissa's attention and managed to shrink them all down to the size of a galleon when nobody was looking
"Anything else you want to look at, my queen?" Hermione said, bowing dramatically
"Is there anything that I can see here that you can't show me the lapbook?" Narcissa asked
"Laptop and probably not but if you missed anything we can come back" Hermione said laughing at Narcissa's mistake
"What are you waiting for? Take me home, women"
Hermione had spent the better half of the night watching Narcissa watch movies with a amused smile on her face as Narcissa turned to look at her with excitement in her eyes to ask her about something muggle in whatever she was watching. They were up to their fourth movie for the night when Andromeda and Bellatrix finally got home and found them cuddled together on the couch in front of something completely foreign to them
"What – " Bellatrix was immediately cut off by Narcissa shushing her. Hermione untangled herself from Narcissa and took the other two into the kitchen
"It's a muggle thing called a laptop, you can do heaps of stuff on it and I'll explain it in the morning. Narcissa is sleeping with me tonight and I think it would be best if you two found somewhere else to sleep for the night, I don't think you two are the best for her to be around right now" Hermione tried to say it as gently as possible and grimaced at seeing the look on Bellatrix's face
"Don't forget who you're talking to, girl" She said coldly
"Bellatrix Black, yeah I know. I also know what Cissy is feeling right now, no thanks to you. She was captured and quite obviously tortured and so was I. Don't forget whose house you're in right now, Bellatrix" Hermione said back just as coldly
"You going to let her speak to me like that, Andy?" Bellatrix asked
"Bella's right, love, we're her family, we should be with her" Andromeda said hesitantly
"You know what? Fuck you, Bellatrix. Fuck you too, Andromeda. I'm leaving, if Cissy wants to come with me I won't stop her but if either of you even think about trying to find me you'll be in for a nasty surprise" Hermione stalked out of the kitchen
"Cissy, I'm going to a muggle place called a hotel. It's like the Leaky Cauldron for muggles, you're welcome to come if you want to" Hermione said in a calm voice but clenched her teeth when she felt Andromeda behind her
"Sounds like fun, will I need to pack anything?" Narcissa asked, pretending not to notice the tension between the three women
"Sleepwear, toiletries and a change of clothes" Was all Hermione said before she stalked to her room while Andromeda followed like a lost puppy
"Why are you so upset, love?" Andromeda asked while Hermione shoved things into her suitcase
"Go fuck yourself" Hermione hissed at her, going into the bathroom
"Talk to me"
"No. Fuck you, Andromeda. We're her family, love. Can't upset my darling Bella, love. You couldn't understand, love, you don't have a family." Hermione's voice got louder and louder as she spoke until she was screaming at Andromeda "YOUR BROTHERS LEFT YOU, LOVE, THEY DIDN'T CARE ABOUT YOU, LOVE. THEY CHOSE EACHOTHER OVER YOU, LOVE, JUST LIKE I CHOSE BELLA OVER YOU, LOVE. YOU'RE EVERYONES SECOND CHOICE, LOVE, YOU UNDERSTAND" when Hermione stopped screaming her cheeks were flushed and her chest was heaving and she pushed Andromeda out the way to go back to the sitting room
"You ready, Cissy?" She said with a false smile on her face, shrinking the laptop and movies and putting them in her pocket and apparated away with Narcissa when she nodded and they arrived at the apparition spot at The Goring Hotel and entered through a side door into a special waiting room
"The Royal Suite, please" Hermione said stiffly to the women at the front counter
"How long?" The women said
"I don't know. Book it for two weeks for now"
"That will be five thousand galleons, Misses..?" The women trailed off looking between the two women
"Noson-Trodai and Black" Hermione would've grinned at any other time when she seen the women's eyes widen and her freeze for a second but instead it just irritated her "Now, please. Just sent the cheque to Gringotts." And swept passed everyone in the hotel when she got the key with Narcissa trailing behind. When they arrived at their suite Hermione went straight to the bathroom after throwing her things on the nearest couch
"You alright, Hermione?" Narcissa asked timidly, sitting next to the bath
"I'm fine, Cissy. In the pocket of my coat is all the movie stuff why don't you get it out and we can finish watching it while we relax in the bath? I'll get the room-wizard to bring up their best wine" Hermione picked up the phone next to her and ordered their best and oldest wine and a bowl of strawberries
AN: I couldn't find any actual prices so I just guessed it all. I know it seems like Hermione over reacted but it will be explained why she reacted so harshly in a future chapter. Also, thank-you to everyone who reads and replies, it makes me want to write even more.