A/N:I have attempted to capture the grief of both Hermione and Narcissa in this chapter. I hope I have succeeded. I intend on letting this story last a little while longer as there is still potential in it. If I had felt like it would be dead I would have perhaps ended it with this chapter but there is much more I can do. I even have various ideas about it. I am sorry for killing Bella but it suited the story and it also is the setup for what is still to come. You guys have been amazing so far. It is brilliant to open my email every day and find a new load of reviews in there. Thank you all for all the compliments about how much you all like what I do. It means the world to me! Thank you! I suppose Bella's death makes it Narcissa/Hermione now but Hermione will never be able to truly give up Bella.

Chapter 21

Everything had changed. Voldemort's wrath had been unlike anything she had ever seen before. His red eyes had been reduced to tiny little slits as he tortured the poor Muggle man he had ordered Crabbe and Yaxley to find. The painful screams echoed through the house as his body writhed on the floor. It reached the stage were even Lucius Malfoy had to turn his head away as the poor man vomited over the carpet, clutching his stomach desperately. Blood dripped from the man's mouth and nose. His tears had stopped falling minutes before but the desperation in his gaze grasped even the toughest at the table as he attempted to catch someone's gaze. Eventually his body stopped moving. The whimpering stopped and his eyes were robbed from their light. The Muggle man had been reduced to nothing but a soulless body on the floor.

Voldemort had been furious about the deaths of both Bellatrix and Harry Potter. His most loyal servant had fallen. The Boy Who Lived was dead. He had demanded to know who had killed him as he was looking for the one who had murdered Harry to be punished. Lucius had kept his silence and succeeded in occluding his mind. His grey eyes had quickly flashed towards his wife. It appeared both Goyle and McNair lost their tongue in the presence of their Master because neither spoke a word of what had happened on the cemetery. Voldemort had hovered in front of Narcissa for several moments before leaning in.

"Who killed Potter?" he spoke softly, his red eyes piercing into Narcissa's.

"It was an accident, my Lord," Narcissa had answered firmly, not once averting her eyes. She did not even blink. Her face was emotionless. In front of Voldermort she was as cold and distant as the whole world believed her to be. Her pain over losing her sister was kept safely and deeply hidden in her heart. "It was Bella's own curse that killed her. Potter used a Shield Charm and it bounced back at her. She never had a chance. My Lord, a stray curse killed the boy. I do not know who cast it. There were so many." Voldermort had tried to invade her mind. He could not sense Narcissa's lie. He had turned around and left the drawing room, his black cloak billowing behind him. He had never once looked at Hermione. She was unsure why. A sense of relief had filled the room once he had left them to their own thoughts.

That was five days ago. Bellatrix's funeral had been yesterday. A simple black coffin had been lowered in a hole in the ground in the middle of the large gardens belonging to Malfoy Manor. Black roses had been draped on the dark wood. Narcissa, Lucius and several other Death Eaters stood around the grave. Their faces were emotionless. Bellatrix's husband Rodolphus was absent. Narcissa had bound her hair back in a tight bun in the back of her neck and wore a black veil to cover her eyes. Two house elves filled the hole with sand after the coffin had been lowered whilst everybody walked away. Hermione had remained behind as the others walked back into the house. She stood by the now fully covered grave for at least another hour, staring at the freshly stirred soil. She had felt Narcissa's eyes in her back but did not turn around.

Hermione ran a hand through her curly brown hair. She was standing by one of the large windows in the dining room. The sun reflected off the surface of the large pond in the garden. One lonely lily floated in the water. From the window she could see Bellatrix's grave. It was the cruel and cold reminder of her loss.

"Hermione?" Narcissa's voice spoke softly from the door way and Hermione turned around. "What are you doing in here? Are you all right?"

Hermione nodded slowly but averted her eyes back to the window. She could not bear to look Narcissa in the eye. "I am fine, Cissy." She hesitated. She had not really spoken to Narcissa since the evening of Bellatrix's death. She had sensed her protection. She knew Narcissa had done everything she could to keep their secret safe. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "You lied for me."

"He would have killed you if I hadn't," Narcissa whispered softly and carefully let her arms slip around Hermione's waist. Her head rested on the younger witch's shoulder and she felt how Hermione tensed up underneath her touch. "I could never cope if I lost you too."

"None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for me," Hermione muttered softly. The numbness in her chest was a horrible feeling. She ached inside. The pain had eaten the last of her emotions away. Now nothing seemed to remain. "If I had not discovered the truth about my blood, Bellatrix would never have tried to find me. We would not have fought at that cemetery and she would not have died." She swallowed. "She cast that curse at Potter to protect me."

"It is inevitable that in the end we must all die." Narcissa let her fingers run through Hermione's hair and placed a tender kiss somewhere in her neck. Tears glistened in her eyes. Slowly Hermione eased under her touch "You cannot regret your choices, Hermione, and you cannot hold on to the past forever."

"What will happen now?" Hermione asked softly and slowly turned around to look at Narcissa. Her hands were still resting on her waist. She looked up to meet her blue eyes "Harry Potter is dead. The prophecy states that one cannot live whilst the other survives. With Harry out of the way the road is clear for the Dark Lord to once again regain his full power." She hesitated. "Dumbledore has lost his most faithful servant, the one who was to defeat the Dark Lord. The Boy Who Lived is no more."

"It will be like it was before," Narcissa whispered softly and one of her hands slipped up to Hermione's face ad brushed against her cheek. "Dumbledore has to admit defeat. There is no one left who can resist the Dark Lord." She paused briefly. "Bella has not died in vain." She looked deeply into Hermione's eyes. "You have to believe that and deep inside you know it."

Hermione shook her head. "What difference does it make? None of this is ever going to bring her back. The Dark Lord has fulfilled his plan. He will rule once again. Mudbloods and other filth will be eradicated. Without Potter the Order stands no chance. Fighting is useless." She averted her eyes. "But it changes nothing."

"Hermione..." Narcissa searched the brunette's face but she did not make eye contact.

"I cannot stay here," Hermione whispered softly and broke free from Narcissa's touch. It felt cold not to have her hands resting on her body. She almost immediately longed for her closeness but she knew she couldn't. The guilt over Bellatrix's death made her push Narcissa away. "My presence has already killed Bella. Look what it has done. I destroyed her." She fought back her tears. "I cannot destroy you too"

"You can't leave, Hermione. You are one of us. A Death Eater," Narcissa whispered urgently. Something lingered in her voice. Suppressed anger perhaps, or overwhelming sadness. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were truly alone. "The Dark Lord will kill you before you have left the house."

"He has better things on his mind than to worry about the girl he never trusted in the first place," Hermione spoke and rolled up the sleeve on her left arm. She showed it to Narcissa. "You see this? There is nothing there. He never trusted me enough to make me a Death Eater. I know what they say. They say you never walk away from this and how can I, after what I have done?" She grabbed Narcissa's left arm and rolled up the sleeves of her robes too. The blonde woman flinched. Narcissa's arm did not bear the Dark Mark. "Clearly you never did trust him enough to offer your soul/"

Narcissa pulled back her arm and quickly pulled her sleeve back down. "It does not matter."

"If it doesn't matter than why are you trying to stop me?" Hermione whispered and walked away from Narcissa. She reached the door and turned around. Narcissa glanced out of the window. Her eyes rested on her sister's grave. She then turned to look at Hermione. Sadness reflected in her eyes. "You know you cannot stop me. By the time night falls, I will leave this house. It is the safest for all of us. If the Dark Lord learns about your lie he will punish you. If I am not around, he will never know and my presence will no longer put you in danger."

She was half way out of the door when Narcissa softly called her back. "Stay with me."

She froze but did not turn around. "I can't."

~()~

The sun had set behind the horizon a few hours ago and the world was now covered in a familiar, comforting darkness. Silence had fallen over the house in the last hour as its inhabitants had retired to bed. The fire in the fireplace had been put out by the house elves. A strong wind blew harshly around the house. It was bound to be a cold night. Thick grey clouds obscured the moon and the stars from her vision. It was common these days. Grey clouds filled the sky during the day too, leaving the world in a depressing state. She adjusted her cloak; made sure the hood covered her hair and most of her face and felt her wand against her chest.

Her hazel brown eyes wandered around the room one last time when she turned around in the door way. She did not bother closing it. Slowly she strode down the marble staircase and into the long hallway. It was dimly lit by several candles. The flames flickered violently as she opened the front door and the wind blew into the house.

"You can't do this," Narcissa walked from the shadows and Hermione turned around. She had expected her to be here but seeing her now made her ache inside. She knew Narcissa had come to stop her from leaving. Blue eyes widened desperately and Narcissa attempted to take Hermione's hand. She pulled away. "It is too dangerous. Out there the remaining Aurors will hunt you down like an animal. The Ministry has not yet fallen. They still have power and control. If they find you they will throw you into Azkaban."

"It is too dangerous between those walls for both of us" Hermione answered softly and shot a glance into the darkness outside "I have served my purpose to the Dark Lord. He does not trust me enough to make me a Death Eater. What use am I to him now that Potter is dead? If he ever learns it was me who murdered the boy our lives will both be over."

Narcissa looked devastated and torn apart. "Don't go."

Hermione took a deep breath. Slowly she looked up and met Narcissa's blue eyes. "If I do not leave tonight your life will be in danger. They will come looking for me. Ronald Weasley will not rest until he has revenged Harry's death. Many people will be out there looking for me. It will make no difference to them if I am with you. It does not matter if the Dark Lord rules. To them this is now about revenge. This battle is not over until they are dead or until I am."

Narcissa's eyes fluttered shut for a moment. "I will do anything. I will leave Lucius if that is what you desire me to do but please, don't leave."

"You mustn't leave Lucius. It is the safest place for you to be," Hermione urged and slowly lifted up Narcissa's chin. Her blue eyes opened again and Hermione could see her tears. She swallowed and then slowly leant in. Her lips brushed against Narcissa's. The blonde witch responded by kissing her back softly. Hermione could taste the salt of her tears as they fell from her eyes. When she pulled away she brushed a stray tear away with her thumb. "Promise me you will stay safe. Whatever it takes."

With those words she stepped into the night and without looking back walked to the end of the drive. She could feel Narcissa's eyes burn in her back. If she turned around she knew she would stay. She fought her tears and bit her lip so hard she tasted her own blood in her mouth. She took a deep breath, drew her wand and closed her eyes. With a soft 'crack' she Dissaparated into the night.

Narcissa Malfoy leant against the doorframe and stared at the empty spot where Hermione had only just been. Silent tears fell down her face. Her heart shattered in her chest all over again. She turned around and closed the door behind her. She slid down to the floor, her back resting against the wooden door and covered her face with her hands and cried.

~()~

Ivy covered most of the walls of the building, steadily climbing up further and covering the building in a dark shade of green. Through some of the holes in the cover some of the original grey bricks could be seen. Once this house had been a display of pride and money. Now it had been conquered by the hands of time. It was deserted. No one had been here in a long time. A window on the top floor had been broken. A silent reminder of a battle that had once taken place here, sixteen years ago. The gardens had been taken over by weeds and the grass reached till over her knees. Apple trees that no longer carried their fruits stood lonely and empty along the path leading up to the front door. Their branches almost looked like bony arms, reaching out to touch her. What once had been the magnificent Lestrange Manor was now an empty building, haunted by silent whispers of the events that had taken place here. Not a living soul had walked through these corridors and these gardens since the night Bellatrix and Rudolphus had been captured.

Hermione pushed firmly against the large wooden front door and with a horrible creaking sound it gave way. The musty smell of a house that had been not entered for sixteen years penetrated her nose. Hermione closed her eyes for a moment to let the smell sink in but then slowly reopened them and looked around. It was as dark inside as it was outside. She drew her wand from her cloak. "Lumos." The tip of her wand began to glow and cast a tender silver glow into the hallway.

She wandered through the hallway. The walls were decorated with painting after painting and tapestry after tapestry. A lot of the portraits were abandoned. They had perhaps permanently located to other places. After all, not even a painting could endure sixteen years of loneliness. Hermione stepped into what would once have been a beautiful sitting room. Large sofas with black cushions surrounded a large glass table on which a silver candleholder held four red candles. A book had been abandoned as if it had only been read yesterday. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling. It was decorated with Victorian artwork and a large chandelier hung over the glass table. The crystals reflected the light from her wand and the room bathed in a soft ocean of silver light beams.

Suddenly Hermione froze. On the mantelpiece above the fireplace stood a silver photo frame. Dark lips curled up into a smile. Dark brown eyes looked back at her. She reached and carefully picked it up. Bellatrix looked younger in the picture. Younger than she had ever seen her. She couldn't have been much older than Hermione was now. Her black curls were shinier than ever. Her face not as pale and her eyes had not fallen as deep into her head. Carefully Hermione traced the shape of Bellatrix's face with her finger. This picture was taken before she was thrown into Azkaban. It was over sixteen years old. It was before everything that made her human was robbed away. She put the picture back and walked further into the room.

On the opposing wall hung a large, burgundy red tapestry. As she approached it the writing on it became visible. The letters were made from the purest silver silk and spelled out name after name. It did not take long until she realized this was another version of the Black family tree. She cast her light over the by now familiar names and gasped when she found her grandfather's name. Alphard Black. He had not been burnt away. A silver line connected him to her grandmother. The line leading down to their child held no name but the line underneath did. Hermione Granger. She touched it. It was amazing and terrifying at the same time that though no one lived here the family tree magically updated itself. Her eyes searched for Bellatrix and the cold sting in her heart reminded her of her pain when she noticed that next Bellatrix's date of birth her date of death had appeared.

A tear trickled down her cheek and she turned around. It was hard to imagine this living room had once been filled with light and life. She tried to imagine Bellatrix strolling across these floors. Hermione took a deep breath and slowly walked out of the large living room. There was a large wooden staircase at the end of the hall. She slowly walked towards it and walked past the door leading to the dining room. She held still and glanced inside. A layer of dust covered the table. One chair lay knocked over on the floor. She managed to tear her eyes away and climbed the wooden stairs to the next floor. All the doors leading to several rooms were wide open.

The first one she found must have been the master bedroom. A large four poster bed stood against the wall. The sheets had been torn to shreds. Feathers from the pillows riddled the floor. It was this room to which the broken window belonged. The large dresser was broken. The mirror shattered. Hermione walked into the room and then slowly turned to look around. Someone was in this room when the Aurors came to arrest Bellatrix and Rudolphus the night the Longbottoms were tortured. She tried to picture Bellatrix standing by the window, gazing outside like she had seen her do so many times at Malfoy Manor. Like a ghost the image slowly faded.

"It feels as if her soul lingers between these walls. It was here where she still had one."

Hermione spun around at the sound of the voice and her wand was pointing at the door. Narcissa slowly lowered her hood. Her blonde hair glistened in the silver light of Hermione's wand. Hermione's hazel brown eyes widened in shock. Her hand trembled.

"How did you find me?" she stuttered as Narcissa slowly strolled into the bedroom. Blue eyes wandered around the room. A sense of recognition flickered in her eyes. Her hand trailed the wood of the bed and she let the silky sheets run through her fingers. "Did you follow me?"

"I suspected you would go somewhere that was related to Bella," Narcissa whispered softly. She had reached the window and her fingers reached to touch the broken glass. It was as if the room whispered the story about what had happened here to them. She turned around and met Hermione's hazel brown eyes. A sad smile lingered on her lips. "I wasn't sure if you knew about this house but it seems you did."

"I only once heard Bellatrix talk about the house in which she and Rodolphus lived," Hermione answered weakly "I don't know why I came here. Maybe I am looking for something." She paused and the image of the picture downstairs flashed before her eyes. "Something to hold on to." Narcissa slowly walked over to her. "The picture downstairs, she looked so different. So..."

Narcissa smiled. "Beautiful. Yes, I know the picture you mean. The one on the mantelpiece. She is wearing the dark purple dress." When Hermione nodded her lips curled up further. "It was taken before she joined the Death Eaters. It is hard to imagine she once used to look like that. It was as if when she joined the Death Eaters, she started dying inside. Once she escaped from Azkaban, the Bellatrix I knew had died," She swallowed. "I watched my sister die twice."

Hermione sighed. "You shouldn't have come here, Cissy."

Narcissa cocked her head. Blue eyes searched Hermione's face. Her voice was soft and her hand slipped underneath Hermione's chin and lifted it up. "If I had known about you the first time I met you, everything would have been different." Narcissa let her finger slide down to Hermione's jaw and let one of her curls run through her finger. "You do you remember, don't you? The Quidditch World Cup?"

Hermione nodded. She remembered. They had been at the Quidditch World Cup when she first laid eyes on Narcissa Malfoy. Back then, she had turned away from her. Her appearance had disgusted her. Narcissa had looked down at her with contempt and disgust in her eyes. If she had known about the same blood that was flowing through their veins everything would have been different. "Cissy, don't do this. I can't stay here. How can I ever forgive myself for what happened to Bella? I could never live if it happened to you."

"What if I wanted to? What if I wanted to stay with you no matter what the dangers are?" Narcissa questioned softly, her hand still stroking Hermione's cheek. The younger witch closed her eyes as Narcissa leant in. Her breath was warm against her skin. "You can't tell me you don't feel it. That you feel something."

"I wish I didn't feel anything," Hermione whispered and tears trickled through her eyelashes and slid down her cheeks "But yes, I do. I feel it, Narcissa, and it tears me apart inside." She sighed and stepped away from Narcissa. She adjusted her cloak and pulled her hood back over her head. She knew where she belonged. She had made her choice that day when she came back to Bellatrix. She belonged on this side but being here endangered Narcissa's life. "I need to get away from all of this. Away from you and away from the Dark Lord. Do not try to find me. I do not want you to."

She spun around and ran out of the room. Her feet echoed through the house as she ran down the stairs. Cold wind blew through the house and sent a shiver through Narcissa's spine when Hermione left through the front door but did not close it behind her. Narcissa was left behind in the old bedroom of her sister, with the lingering ghosts of her memories. She turned to look out of the window. Cold tears slipped down her cheeks. Narcissa gasped as she saw Hermione's cloaked figure Apparate into the darkness. She was truly gone.