The Dark Corners of the Earth
Chapter 25 – Lovers in Japan
17th of April 2004 – Hokkaido, Japan – Hermione's home at the edge of lake Mashou
Hermione Granger, clad in a kimono, stood on the deck of the vacation house given to Bellatrix by the Japanese shogun which in turn was given to her. Though 'vacation house' was a misnomer; it was a beautiful and ancient traditional Japanese one-story mansion at the edge of a wonderful and mysterious volcanic lake surrounded by a gorgeous forests and steep cliffs on all sides which kept the tourists away. One only needed to step from the tatami-mats through the sliding doors onto the deck for a breath-taking view of the lake and the mountains beyond.
So quiet. So tranquil. This world was truly a beautiful place.
And so was the house. Its interior was typical Japanese, but Hermione wanted to bring in some western furniture to make it more to her liking. Two bedrooms, two guest suites, a sizable living area, a cozy study, fully stocked kitchen and even a sand-garden. Oh, this would be a perfect place to retreat from the busy life of politics and the game of diplomacy.
In fact, that was what she was doing right now. The process of demilitarization was going so well that her immediate attention wasn't needed and while Luna was making preparations for the delegation's visit to the UK, all Hermione could do was wait. It afforded her some precious time to relax.
In general, her mood was upbeat and hopeful. Hermione closed her eyes and breathed in some of the clean air while she listened to the soothing sounds of the birds living on and around the lake. She was also seeing a lot less shadows and other... things... now that was under a lot less stress, as it was a lot easier to protect her mind by simply blocking them out.
Hermione got a poignant reminder that she wasn't alone when a nimble hand snaked over her shoulder and slid underneath her kimono to rest upon her breast. Her breath caught in her throat when Bellatrix gently massaged her while clamping down her teeth on the nape of her neck.
"Hmmm," Bellatrix muttered. "Mudblood tastes wonderful."
"Bella," Hermione husked. "Haven't you had enough of that?"
"Never," Bellatrix whispered in her ear, putting power behind her flirt by first flicking her tongue around her earlobe before gently suckling on it. Typical, really... due to the hectic days after the Treaty going in effect, they'd both been either so busy or so tired that they hadn't made love all week. Of course, Bellatrix demanded compensation during this week of holiday.
A giggle caught in her throat while the utterly relentless Bellatrix not-so-gently pushed her back inside, into the living room and the master bedroom through the sliding doors. She wasn't quite sure where her kimono had gone, only that it was now very much missing. Hermione had a very short moment to enjoy the nice feeling of cool air on her body before she was roughly thrown down onto the two-person futon on the floor
The futon was wonderful; fluffy, thick, soft and dense. Just as wonderful to sleep as it was to make love in. In fact, Hermione thought it was much nicer than their giant bed back at Buyan island. Though that might also had something to with Bellatrix leading a trail of kisses over her belly.
Relentless and merciless, Bellatrix attacked her body without remorse. Nails dug into the soft skin of her inner thighs, her breath quickened and her back arched as Bellatrix treated her to a severe tongue-lashing. Pants and sighs turned into moans and screams; Bellatrix's continuing torture caused her body to thrash back and forth while Hermione reached down and roughly grabbed a handful of curly dark hair. There was no gentle love here; this was quick, rough and dirty sex for the sake of sex.
And Hermione was perfectly alright with that.
The young witch threw her head back while her entire body shook, beads of sweat running down her brow while she let out an orgasmic scream
A still panting Hermione lay on her back while a smirking Bellatrix lay next to her on her side, playfully running her fingers along the length of Hermione's belly. God, this woman was beautiful; better yet, the magnificent and terrible Bella was all hers.
The dark witch winked at her, as if trying to say 'look what I did!'
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Hermione spoke with sincerity, a warm smile creeping over her features.
A chuckle caught in Bellatrix's throat before she shifted to allow her to snuggle up against her. After sharing yet another wonderful kiss, the dark witch looked down upon her with the most loving of eyes. "Hermione Granger," Bellatrix replied softly. "We still have to think of a proper title for you. I think Queen-consort will do perfectly. 'Mistress' is so... inaccurate. We need a proper title for the proper experience."
"Hah," Hermione giggled in response. "Being with you is an experience, alright."
"Oh, pish posh, you love it," Bellatrix smirked. "I suppose you could marry a husband, pop out 2.4 kids and try to build a Ministry career, but you know you'll be bored stiff within a few years. Instead, you can rule the Walpurgis Union at my side as my queen-consort. I know I'm the excitement in your life you deserve."
"You're unpredictable," Hermione grinned while rolling on top of her dark witch, who grinned at her as she allowed it. "You're petty, arrogant and infuriating at the best of times. And god, I love the bones of you."
A throaty chuckle sounded when Bellatrix wrapped her arms around her. Breasts pressed against breasts as their lips crushed together. "Oh," Bellatrix whispered in between kisses. "You're one to talk, my overly moralistic, know-it-all, wonderful little bitch. And trust me, you're just as infuriating to me as I am to you!"
Hermione had heard enough and invaded Bellatrix's mouth with her tongue. There was yet more lovemaking to be done.
18th of April 2004 – Hokkaido, Japan – Hermione's home at the edge of lake Mashou
It was raining heavily outside, yet the air was quite warm for the time of year. Hermione sat crosslegged on the tatami mats with a book, but rather reading she watched the rain fall through the slid open doors. Smells of a rain-drenched forest tickled her eager nose; it was a smell she had always loved and reminded her of spending time in the summer with her grandparents in Hayfield. She lay her book to the side and simply watched, listening to the rain falling onto the tiled roof. Soothing.
In contrast, Bellatrix was restless. She had been since this morning. Currently, she was silently looking out the window, fidgeting with her hair for a bit before moving on to the table to grab the newspaper. As expected, she threw it down with a sigh almost as quickly as she had picked it up. On the front page was the photograph of her dancing drunkenly on the table while celebrating. 'Empress of the People!' the headline read. The article was full of praise for her, but Bellatrix's aristocratic tendencies were not easily defeated; she couldn't shake the feeling that she had lost face.
"Do we have any tea?" Bellatrix asked, the irritation obvious on her face. "Proper tea, please. With milk and sugar. Not that Japanese green shite."
"The larder is fully stocked with proper English tea," Hermione replied while getting up. "Shall I fix us a pot?"
"No... I mean, yes," Bellatrix sighed.
Hermione cocked her head sideways. "Bella. What's wrong?"
"Wrong?" Bellatrix frowned. "Nothing is wrong. Nothing. Nothing at all."
"Bella, you've not been yourself," Hermione replied. "Since we've left, you've been one of two things; overly amorous or depressingly broody."
For a moment, Bellatrix seemed rather conflicted until a broad grin crossed her features and two eager hands crept up to Hermione's sides. "I know which one of the two the both of us prefer."
Hermione said nothing, instead looking her in the eye. "Bella," she finally whispered. "You don't have to hide your feelings from me. Please, if there's something going on, just tell me. What happened just before we left?"
Bellatrix threw up her hands and let out a deep sigh. There was more conflict in her face as she crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lip while pacing in small circles. For a moment, all which could be heard is the rain falling down upon the roof and the deck outside.
"I received a letter mere hours before we left on this little holiday of hours," Bellatrix spoke in a softer voice that usual, lacking her usual confidence and conviction. "I haven't replied yet. Not sure if I will. It... it was from Cissy."
Hermione's heart sank; she quite knew how much Bellatrix's family meant to her. "Was it... not good?"
"That's just it, I don't know," replied Bellatrix. "But I'm leaning towards not good."
"What did your sister write?"
Bellatrix bit her lip for a moment. "It was a short letter. Very... businesslike. She congratulated me with my victory and my crowning and expressed her hopes for the Malfoys to be able to do business with the Walpurgis Union. Full stop."
Hermione nodded. Bella was right; it had been short and to the point. "Why is this not a good thing?"
"Thing is," said Bellatrix. "When I was a prisoner in Azkaban, we were allowed to receive and send letters once in a while. Cissy always wrote long letters to tell me everything which had happened to her. How tall Draco was standing, some barmy thing Lucius had done. She'd even told me some tidbits about Andromeda. There were feelings in her letters, hoping that I was doing well. She wrote that she missed me."
Bellatrix had never stopped pacing, but she looked... defeated. Her head hung low and her eyes had gone slightly watery. "This letter? All business. No feelings there. But I know she's trying to manipulate me like the good little slytherin she is. Apparently, I'm suddenly good enough for her now that I have gained power. She's hoping her family can profit off me, but still wants nothing to do with me."
Her dark witch was starting to get angry now. "Well, it won't work!" Bellatrix hissed angrily, not at Hermione but towards her general direction. "If she rejects me, then I will reject her! When I get back to the palace, I'll write to her that she can get stuffed! Yes, that's what I'll do. Better yet, I'll make it a bloody howler! One that swears so loud it'll make her eardrums pop!"
"Don't do that," Hermione spoke softly. "Don't close this door, Bella. You love your sister. Even if this is just meant for personal gain on her part, it can be the start of a reconciliation if you let it be. Don't do something you'll regret."
The rain was starting to let up a little when Bellatrix nodded briefly. Not looking so defeated anymore, Bellatrix shook her head. "Where were you when I was seventeen?" she asked softly.
"Uhm," Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Not born for another ten years?"
The dark witch let out a brief groan when reminded of their age difference. "You know what I mean," Bellatrix replied. "If I would have had you back then, my life would have been less of a mess."
Hermione crossed the distance and embraced her. "Empress of the Walpurgis Union," Hermione whispered, enjoying her closeness. "I'd say you did alright."
"After a few severe bumps on the road," said Bellatrix.
"Still want that tea?"
"Fuck the tea," grinned Bellatrix while leaning in for a kiss.
19th of April 2004 – Hokkaido, Japan – Hermione's home at the edge of lake Mashou
When Hermione came back from a lovely morning stroll around the lake, she could hear laughter coming from inside the house. Now, Bellatrix was sleeping so peacefully when she woke up that she had left her in the futon to sleep late, but whatever the reason she was now in gales of laughter. Now, this did make Hermione curious as this wasn't Bellatrix's usual mocking cackle but rather one of genuine enjoyment.
"Bella?" Hermione called out when she stepped onto the deck and removed her shoes to go inside.
"In here," replied Bellatrix from the bedroom in between fits of laughter. And there Hermione found her, lying on the futon on her stomach with her nose in a book.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked.
"This," Bellatrix grinned. "I woke up from an owl delivery some time after you left. It was a package from Rookwood."
Hermione narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Bella, I thought we agreed on no work during our holiday."
"Oh, this isn't work," grinned Bellatrix, obviously amused. "Look at what's doing the rounds at the palace."
Bellatrix tossed her the book which Hermione promptly caught. "A book?" Hermione said and read the title. "Fifty shades of Twilight?" The art on the cover, although calling it that was giving it far to much credit, was reminiscent of those pocket romances sold for 50p at the supermarket. It depicted a rather timid looking brown haired girl in a state of half-undress in front of a curly dark haired woman in a dress with low cut cleavage sporting a predatory grin. It took her a few moments to realize that these were supposed to be herself and Bellatrix! She turned the book around and read the blurb on the back. 'When the innocent young diplomat Hermione Granger is kidnapped against her will and brought before the Dark Queen Bellatrix Black, she fears her life has come to an end. A prisoner in a gilded cage, will she give in to her throbbing desires for a woman whom has once been her enemy?'
"Oh my god!" Hermione groaned in disgust. "Someone wrote fiction… fan-fiction. About US?!"
"Absolutely," laughed Bellatrix as she lay on her back, exposing her upper body to Hermione. "It's fairly tacky, but surprisingly cute."
"So quickly?" Hermione wondered. "It's barely been a week since you've outed me."
"Nah, Augustus suspects it was written by someone at the palace who knew that we were involved long before my coronation ceremony," shrugged Bellatrix. "I've toyed with the idea to have Lovegood ferret out the author, but only because I want a sequel. It's just so hilarious."
Hermione sighed. "It's not that bad, I suppose. People will have their fantasies, and I have to admit that there is something fairly romantic about our story."
There was a grin on Bellatrix's face. Why was there a mocking grin on her lover's face? Hermione didn't like that at all.
"Herrrrrmione," Bellatrix let the 'r' in her name roll over her tongue while she gave her a knowing grin of sadistic mirth. "Turn to page 96."
Hermione shrugged. "Alright," she sighed and turned the page to read. 'And so she stood before her, that magnificently extravagant Dark Lady she so desired. She felt her knees tremble as the glorious ruler slowly let the black robe slide down her perfect pale skin. Hermione drank in the sight of her. Those splendiforous red lips, those stygian deep dark pools that were her eyes. And her breasts. Oh, her breasts. They were breastiest breasts in the history of breasts. One could say, the best of breast. The young girl trembled before the magnificence which was the Dark Lady, suddenly becoming acutely aware that her undergarment had become moist with anticipation of having this wonderful Dark Lady pleasure her until long past the witching hour. Hermione licked her lips at the thought of eager fingers thrusting inside of her again and again...'
"Oh, GOD!" Hermione felt a bright blush cross over her cheeks.
"I know!" exclaimed an enthusiastic Bellatrix. "Hilarious, isn't it?"
"That's not the word I would use," Hermione sighed.
"Oh, pish posh, miss prude," Bellatrix pouted. "You're no fun."
"Please tell me this is the only copy. It looks to be self-published."
Again that grin. Oh, Hermione wished Bella would stop with that grin. "Oh, they're popping up all over the Union."
The blush was quickly faded when Hermione felt the blood drain from her cheeks. "This is slander! Lies!"
"Cute lies, though," said Bellatrix while accio-ing the book away from Hermione.
"I never thought I'd be in favor of book burning, but in this case I'd make an exception," said Hermione.
"Oh, don't be such a killjoy," said Bellatrix after flipping through the book. "Ahum, chapter 10: Hermione gets a spanking. Oh, look, here's an illustration!"
Hermione blinked. "Can you even do that? That would only work if we both had three legs!"
"I know! It's great, isn't it?!" replied Bellatrix. "Would you like to try this?"
"No! Well... maybe?"
Bellatrix opened a random page and started reading, almost instantly snickering. '… her tongue slithered over her eager lady-bits like a serpent in the grass seeking out a flighty rabbit to constrict. The temple of pleasure quaked as the writhing organ of taste...'
"STOP IT!" Hermione rushed forward. Bellatrix anticipated this and rolled away. Hermione missed her mark, but quickly scrambled over her lover to reach for the book. Bellatrix growled and held the book just out of her reach while pressing an open palm against Hermione forehead. The young witch flailed at her. "Give me that book!"
"NO!" Bellatrix shrieked. The two woman flailed around in bed for a bit, until the dark witch had apparently had enough of playing around. Hermione had the wind knocked out of her when the smaller woman outmaneuvered her; Hermione landed on her stomach and suddenly found the tip of Bella's wand pressing against the side of her neck. A shock went through her and immediately her entire body went numb. Hermione felt Bellatrix's weight shifting onto her back, her dark lover's mouth inches away from her ear.
"Can't... move..." Hermione whimpered weakly.
"Ssssh," Bellatrix mocked. "Just a muscle relaxant. You'll be fine in about half an hour. In the meantime, I shall happily distract you with some light reading."
Hermione groaned when she felt Bellatrix shift and heard the sound of pages flipping.
"Ahum," started Bellatrix. "Her nipples stood so firm and erect they could be used to cut glass. Or at least poke somebody's eye out. The young girl trembled in front of the Dark Lady as she stood nude in the moonlight. She felt her mouth go dry when two lovely bouncy breasts bounced just for her. The Dark Lady approached, her nimble tongue twirling around her index finger, as if showing off what she was planning to use it for. Her venus temple, growing moist with lust, itched for swift and violent entry. She whimpered, nay, BEGGED for the Dark Lady to use her, abuse her and humiliate her utterly. 'Please,' Hermione gasped, feeling herself go weak in the knees. 'Take my virginity. My hymen yearns to be breached at long last!'."
"Nooooooooooooooo," Hermione whimpered into her pillow as the relentless literary torture continued on. And on. And on.
20th of April 2004 – Hokkaido, Japan – Hermione's home at the edge of lake Mashou
"I'll swear I will come visit, Ophelia," smiled Hermione having thrust her head into the floo. Japanese irori fireplaces were quite different, located in a square pit in the floor in the middle of a room. This allowed Hermione to lay down comfortably on a mat with her head in the fire and gave her a good look of her parent's house through a distorted green haze. Her sister, ever the plucky child, had demanded a visit from her 'big sis' citing that Hermione hadn't come to see her often enough the past few months.
"I miss you," pouted the child. "I like it when you tell me stories."
"Hm, I'm sorry I've been so busy. Did mum tell you why?" Hermione asked.
Ophelia nodded. "Mum says you've stopped a lot of people from hurting each other."
"Yes, I have," said Hermione. "When I get back from my holiday, we're going to spend some time together as a family, hm? I promise."
"Will you bring me back a present?" Ophelia asked, perking up. It made Hermione snicker a bit; young children were nothing if materialistic. "Oh, and tell Bella that the Easter Bunny is real. He left chocolate eggs for me."
"NONSENSE!" sounded from Bellatrix in the other room, but it was the only thing she spoke.
"Okay, little one," sounded her father. "Time for bed now."
"Awww.."
Hermione watched through the floo as Ophelia waved a sad goodbye when mum picked up up to carry her to her bedroom. Her father squatted by the fireplace. "Sorry about that, puppet," he said with a smile. "Ophelia was just really restless. We all know how busy you've been, but Ophelia doesn't really understand how important your work is. Honestly, we don't even want her to understand at her age."
"I get that," said Hermione. "I'll come spend a weekend at Turku as soon as I can."
"Puppet," said her father. "You do know how proud your mum and I are of you, right?"
Oh, she knew. But she was still touched. In a way she was still much like the little girl she had been, desperate for the approval of parents, teachers and peers. "Thanks dad," said Hermione. "Though there's still so much work to be done. Distrust and animosity doesn't simply disappear with the signing of a treaty. It's going to take decades of work."
"You can't fix the world, puppet," said her father. "But you can, at least, give it a good kick in the arse to get things running. How's Bella doing?"
"BELLA IS ANNOYED!" sounded from the other room. "AND VERY IMPATIENT!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "She's fine," she replied. "Her cheerful, usual self."
"Well, you two enjoy the rest of your holiday together," said her father. "You've certainly earned it. Have a wonderful, uhm, whatever time it is there. I could never work out these timezones."
"Thanks dad," said Hermione. "Talk to you soon."
Hermione withdrew her head from the fireplace and the green flames dimmed, turning back in their usual red-orange colors.
"FINALLY!" Bellatrix shouted from the bedroom.
And just to mess with her, Hermione grinned and threw another hand of floo powder into the fireplace. As soon as the tell-tale explosion of floo powder meeting fire resounded, there was the expected groan and loud cursing coming from the other room. After speaking the name of the person she wanted the floo to connect to, there was a moment when the fire seemed to freeze while the floo network worked through the connections necessary. In fact, it only worked because Ron and his family were currently on the mainland of Europe and in Walpurgis territory, having been given special dispensation to come visit Charlie.
"HERMIONE!" sounded Ron, even enthusiastic. "I was hoping to hear from you."
"Hey Ron," smiled Hermione. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I? I imagine you and your family have a lot to talk about."
"Ah, we're great. Charlie's great, the house at the reservation's been great. Even the wallies watching our every move are great blokes... even though they're, you know, watching our every move."
"Sorry about that, Ron," Hermione spoke sincerely. "I've tried my best, but Dolohov insisted on tight security during your visit. It just goes to show we still have a lot of work to do to bring us all closer together. Right now, our borders are shut tighter than a goblin's vault; soon, there'll be talks about prisoner transfers, trade agreements and to set rules for international transits between our territories. Lots of hard work ahead, Ron."
"Ah," Ron shrugged. "Hermione Granger is on the case. Better you than me, though. I think I might snore myself through those diplomatic things. That's considered an insult, right?"
"I would think so, yes," Hermione laughed.
"Oooh! Ooooh!" Ron's eyes suddenly lit up. "BRAIN-ATTACK! Quidditch World Cup. We haven't had a proper Quidditch World Cup since the start of this bloody war."
"You know, that's not a bad idea," Hermione rubbed her chin. "Sporting events are a good way to bring people closer together, organizing one would be an international diplomatic endeavor and I know for a fact that the Walpurgis Union has plenty of teams who'd love to attend."
"Hah," Ron winked. "Maybe this idea could win me the Norbert Peace Price."
"I think you mean Nobel Peace Price," laughed Hermione. "Have you heard from Harry?"
"He's back in ole Blighty, probably getting his ears yelled off by Snape. You know how it goes. Snape is not happy with this truce. Not at all," Ron shrugged. "But who cares what he thinks anyway. Say, when I do get to see that fancy new house of yours?"
"I'd love to show it to you, but that would require even more paperwork and guards," sighed Hermione. "The location is currently classified as top secret. You know what, I'll send you some pictures through the floo later to give you an idea. Eventually, you and Harry will have to come for a visit."
"Sounds good. Is Bellatrix there with you?"
"SHE IS!" sounded from the bedroom. "AND SHE'S WAITING IMPATIENTLY FOR HERMIONE TO GET OFF THE FLOO SO SHE CAN SHOW HER ALL THE CORNERS OF THIS BEDROOM!"
"Oh, dear god," Hermione blushed in embarrassment while Ron's eyes grew wide as saucers.
A goofy grin appeared on his face. "Hot!" he grinned.
21st of April 2004 – Hokkaido, Japan – Hermione's home at the edge of lake Mashou
When Hermione had started her tumultuous relationship with Bellatrix, she could best be described as a blushing virgin. Now, she knew exactly how to please a woman best, as was evidenced by the slight mewing moans Bellatrix produced while she lay panting underneath her on the futon. Indeed, in their relationship, Bellatrix might be the 'creative' partner who introduced her to new and sexier things... and then Hermione would do her best to perfect that experience.
Her fingers crooked at just the right depth, her thumb moved with just the right rhythm as she pressed her body against her lover at just the right angle, and while twirling her tongue around a tout nipple with just the right pressure. She had even found the best way to move so she could gently rub her loins against Bellatrix's leg for the sake of her own pleasure.
Hermione prided herself in being a student eager to learn and quick to pick up new skills with all the zeal of an ardent perfectionist. Her rewards were the climatic sighs and shudders of her dark witch, and the love she poured into their deep post-coital kiss.
The sun had set, the cicada's were singing outside and the two women lay entwined on the futon, Hermione having parked her head on Bellatrix's chest.
"Sleepy..." Hermione drawled while closing her eyes.
"What?" said Bellatrix. "Already?"
"Hm?" said Hermione. "We're keeping score now?"
"Hah, you keep going like this and I'm going to have to up my game," said Bellatrix while stroking her long brown hair. She planted a kiss on the top of her head. "My lovely, dirty little witch."
"Hmmm."
"I can't believe you kept this thing," said Bellatrix. When Hermione opened her eyes for a moment, she saw Bellatrix holding the Bellatrix-ragdoll she had bought in Hekstreet almost a year ago.
"She's cute, isn't she?" Hermione smiled and closed her eyes again, enjoying the softness that was Bellatrix's body. "I thought about giving her to Ophelia, but I just like to keep her for myself." Truly, it was a silly little thing with its woolen hair and black button eyes, but she had rather grown attached to it.
"Interesting how you take that doll to bed with you when you have the real thing," said Bellatrix while putting it down next to the futon.
"I bought it before I... I was scared of you," said Hermione. "I'm not afraid to admit that now. The ragdoll... I thought of her whenever you became overwhelming to deal with. In truth, she helped me cope with you. Now that I've come to love you, I just kept the doll for fun."
Hermione opened her eyes to find the dark witch staring at her incredulously. "I can't be that frightening."
"You have no idea how scary you can be," Hermione chuckled. "Especially when you're trying to be nice."
"Oh, I think I have a fair idea how frightening I can be," winked Bellatrix. "When I want to, that is."
Hermione felt Bellatrix's nails rake over her back and swiftly retaliated by tracing patterns around the dark witch's bellybutton. "It makes me wonder," asked Bellatrix. "What could we be if our lives had been different? No dark lords, no wars, no Azkaban..."
The young witch smiled and rolled on top of her loved, pressing down and sharing a brief kiss with her. Two gentle, eager arms wrapped around her while Hermione settled for using Bellatrix's chest for a pillow. "A teacher. You'd be a teacher."
That made her dark witch laugh. "Me?! A teacher?"
"Why not? You're talented, you're charismatic..."
"... I could scare annoying troublemaking students shitless."
"That too."
"Well," Bellatrix grinned. "I suppose I could be a supremely intelligent and glamorous DADA teacher one very cute, naive and blushing Hermione Granger would have a tremendous crush on."
That made Hermione laugh. "She would at that," replied Hermione. "I think you could be a female Gilderoy Lockheart..."
Bellatrix made a face. "Oh, that stings, little dove."
Hermione quickly realized what Bellatrix had meant. "Well, without all the taking credit for other wizards' accomplishments and having actually done them, of course."
"Well-traveled adventurer, fame and fortune, acres and acres of lusty ladies waiting in line to bed me," Bellatrix smirked. "I rather like that idea."
"Acres and acres of lusty ladies, hm?" Hermione narrowed her eyes in a faux manner.
Bellatrix smirked, lay her hands on Hermione's cheeks and brought her face to hers. "That is, until my wonderful star pupil would make me fall for her."
"Sounds good to me," said Hermione while their lips brushed. "It's nice to fantasize. But this is the reality we've been given. It might not be perfect, but it can be what we choose it to be."
"Hm," replied Bellatrix. "I think I rather like this reality."
"I meant to ask you for some time now..."
"Hm?" said Bellatrix. "Out with it, little dove."
"You died," Hermione said. "Actually died. What do you remember?"
Bellatrix frowned ever so briefly, glancing past Hermione as she rolled her head away from her to watch the ceiling. "Honestly? I don't know. Whenever I tried to remember, I felt such pain in my head that it felt like my brain was exploding. It was worse than the cruciatus curse, worse than the headaches I get now. So I stopped trying to remember. I simply like to think that death itself was powerless to stop me!"
"Nothing at all?" Hermione asked. "Harry said that after Voldemort 'killed' him, he was in some sort of limbo which looked like King's Cross. I wonder if you saw something similar. So few people have come back from the dead to share their experiences."
"Sorry to disappoint you," Bellatrix smirked. "There's just flashes. Mostly of my old family mansion and… there was something else there. Something... AAH!"
Hermione's eyes brimmed with concern after the dark witch let out a sharp hiss and her face contorted in pain. Her chest heaved, her eyes bulged as she started to hyperventilate. "Bella! I'm so sorry, I..."
"Can we... just talk about something else, please?" Bellatrix half-chuckled through the pain.
In truth, the reaction worried Hermione to no end. Just want kind of hold did that horrid creature still have over her Bella? In the end, she settled for holding her love while the both of them slowly drifted off to sleep.
22nd of April 2004 – Hokkaido, Japan – Hermione's home at the edge of lake Mashou
Sushi.
Of course Hermione had enjoyed sushi before. She'd lived in London, after all. She'd eaten it in railway stations where it was of average quality. She'd eaten it in London Japanese restaurants with her parents where the quality was good. But the tray of sushi which had been delivered today had been made by a master chef and the quality was nothing short of an orgasmic taste experience.
Bellatrix and Hermione, clad in kimonos, sat crosslegged in the living room of the house around the low wooden table. Their midday meal was located on a big plate and consisted of maki, sashimi and tamaki, along with various sauces. Hermione poured a bit of soy sauce over a piece, gently picked it up and popped it into her mouth. As soon as it touched her tongue, she closed her eyes, let it fall apart on her tongue and let the taste explosion wash over her. When she opened her eyes again, she found a smirking Bellatrix looking at her.
"Little dove," she laughed. "You looked like you were about to come. Need I remind you that it's simply a bit of fish on a ball of rice."
"Oh, you philistine," Hermione rolled her eyes. "This particular batch is made by Jiro Ono himself."
"Is that supposed to impress me?"
"Just try it. You'll see," said Hermione. "I can't believe you've never had sushi. You're a cosmopolitan aristocrat."
"I'm more of a beluga caviar kind of person."
"Come on. Don't be a spoilsport."
"I have a better idea," said Bellatrix. "You just keep eating."
Hermione didn't trust Bellatrix for one bit. She eyed her love warily until the desire to eat another bit of sushi became too great to ignore. After eyeing a particularly succulent looking bit of sashimi for a short while, she picked it up with her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth. Again the taste explosion, but this time she felt her kimono being pulled off her shoulder. While eating, Bellatrix poured some soy sauce on the nape of her neck and gently licked it off, her soft lips lingering on her skin and biting down softly. "Wow," Hermione shuddered.
Another piece was popped into her mouth and again she felt Bellatrix's lips sliding over her skin to lick off some soy sauce. The tip of her tongue ran up the side of her neck, causing her to shudder and groan lustfully.
A low chuckle emerged from Bellatrix's throat after licking off the Nitsume sauce. "My, my, my, you really are about to come, aren't you?"
"You have no idea," Hermione closed her eyes. God, how she loved this woman.
The next piece found her way into her mouth and, this time, the sauce Bellatrix put on her shoulder had a much thicker consistency. Her tongue followed the usual path, but Hermione was startled when the dark witch let out an agonized shriek and ended up coughing up a storm while lying on the ground grasping her throat.
"Bella?!" Hermione was quickly upon her. "What's wrong?"
"My mouth is on fire!" the dark witch shouted in a mixture of anger and pain. Hermione quickly slid two fingers over the residue of the sauce still on her shoulder and found it to be a green paste. Hermione briefly giggled.
"Bella," she snickered. "That's wasabi! You smeared half a bowl on my shoulder and licked it all off!"
Bellatrix rushed forward, made a grab for her curved wand, aimed it at herself and fired off a frost charm right into her mouth. With icicles hanging from her chin, Bellatrix hugged herself while shivering and her breath condensed as it passed her now chilled mouth and nasal cavity. "Oh, that bloody fucking dago food! It's fish and chips only from now on!"
A laughing Hermione just managed to save the plate with the sushi on it just before Bellatrix aimed her wand and mercilessly blasted the table to timbers.
22nd of April 2004 – Hokkaido, Japan – Hermione's home at the edge of lake Mashou
She couldn't move! Why couldn't she move?!
Hermione Granger floated in front of the balcony where Bellatrix was giving her victory speech to the people of the Walpurgis Union. Tendrils entered her head and body as she animatedly delivered her speech as if nothing was wrong. Bellatrix didn't see them, the people didn't see them. But Hermione did.
Why couldn't she move?!
Then she felt something move... through her. Fear gripped her by the throat as she managed to angle her eyes down to see what was happening.
And she screamed.
Tendrils were moving through her body, limbs and, terrifyingly enough, she felt several move through her skull when one wrapped around her throat and squeezed tightly to silence her. Fighting for breath, she felt her body snap upwards when the tendrils pulled. The world passed her with impossible speed, terrifying her even further. Moments later, she found herself floating in the coldness of space, looking upon a dying red giant star in the distance. Her body... it was translucent. Had whatever had infected her also killed her?
Her ordeal wasn't over. Not content with only ripping her soul from her body, slowly, bit by bit, her mind was being disseminated. Worse yet; she felt it happen. Her memories were being taken away from her; childhood memories, friendships, accomplishments, love… all were drifting away from her like dust upon the cosmic winds. Her personality was violently being torn to shreds; feelings, hopes, dreams. All gone.
The bare remnants of Hermione's self screamed in terror as she desperately tried to keep that what little remained of her from falling apart into oblivion.
"Little dove! Little dove! HERMIONE!"
The sound of Bellatrix's voice sounded in her mind and brought her back to reality. It took her a moment to realize it was the middle of the night and she was still in bed and in Japan during her holiday with Bella. Her chest heaved with quickened breath, her body was drenched in cold sweat and she squeezed her eyes shut as she lay in the fetal position, shivering.
"Merlin, Hermione," called Bellatrix as she sat next to her, stroking her long brown hair. "You were trashing about and shouting your head off. In fact, you struck me across the face just now."
"Sorry," Hermione whispered. "I... it was just so real."
"You give me a lot of grief about my headaches, but those nightmares you've been having seem to be getting a lot worse," said Bellatrix. "This is the third time this week."
The dark witch reached over to the small table where a decanter of cold water stood. After pouring a glass, she handed it to Hermione.
"Thanks," replied Hermione as she sat up and put the glass to her lips. The cold soothing liquid slid down her parched throat. When the glass was empty, she put it against her forehead.
"Can you remember this time?" Bellatrix asked.
"Unfortunately, yes," Hermione replied. "Some... thing was tearing my body and my soul apart. I tried desperately to fight it, but in the end it shredded me into nothingness."
Hermione leaned against Bellatrix, and her dark lover quickly allowed her to lean into her. "There, there," she spoke with an exaggerated little girl's voice. "Empress Bella will scare the frightening monsters away. And, at least, there can't be any monsters hidden underneath this futon."
That made Hermione laugh in spite of herself, even if the memories still made her blood run cold. "Tell me about it. If you ask me, the wizarding world could use a bit more psychiatry and psycho-analysis."
She looked up into the confused expression on Bellatrix's face. "Is that a Muggle thing?"
"Oh, yes," said Hermione. "It's the science of the mind. Oh, I bet they'd love to get their hands on you, Bella. They could write entire books about you."
"Well, I am very impressive, after all," Bellatrix smirked. "But I don't care much for the poking and the prodding. I do know what having terrifying nightmares are like. I had them often after my escape from Azkaban. Cissy often fixed me up with a Dreamless Drought. It'll help."
The two women lay back on the futon, Bellatrix staring at the ceiling while Hermione snuggled up against her. "What were your nightmares about?"
"Do you really need to ask?" an uncomfortable expression formed on Bellatrix's features. "Mostly they were about being back in Azkaban. That my escape, my accomplishments and our love is merely an illusion and I am still in that hellhole. I hate every inch of that place, little dove. I want to tear it down until nothing but a pile of rubble remains! If there's one thing I regret about this peace you have crafted, it's that I never got the chance to do that."
"When did the nightmares stop?" asked Hermione.
"Sometimes I still have them," said Bellatrix. "But now that I know I am strong and that I am the ruler of an empire, they have no power of me."
Hermione nodded. She was almost certain that her own nightmares were caused by her contact with the pure magic rift in the temple. They had started shortly after. It was rather hard to claim that a massively powerful cosmic horror had no power over her. Especially when she was seeing things that weren't supposed to exist.
"Do you want to go back to sleep or do you want to stay awake for a while?" Bellatrix asked.
"Don't know," replied Hermione.
"Well, whatever you do, I'm going to sleep," said Bellatrix. "I've very tired, after all."
"Gee, thanks for the sympathy," Hermione chuckled.
"One has to be realistic, no?" Bellatrix winked at her, prompting the young witch to kiss the tip of her nose.
"Did I mention I love you lately?" Hermione smiled.
"Well, that much is obvious," said Bellatrix. "Who doesn't love me?"
"Snape."
"Snivellus doesn't count," Bellatrix pouted. "Nobody loves him anyway, the simpering git. Let's not talk about him. In fact, I might have a silly idea to cheer you up."
"Oh?"
"No, no, no, you'll find out tomorrow morning," said Bellatrix while shifted both herself and Hermione to lie on their sides while spooning the young witch from behind.
"Sleepy," Hermione whispered. She was rather tired, actually. The nightmares she'd been having had been very draining. And with Bellatrix holding her in her loving arms, she felt considerably better.
23rd of April 2004 – Hokkaido, Japan – Hermione's home at the edge of lake Mashou
With a stretch and a groan, Hermione let out a yawn while groggily waking up. Still in that hazy state between sleep and the waking world, Hermione lazily kept her eyes shut while enjoying the feeling of the morning sun pouring through the window.
She became aware that she was not being held, nor was she holding someone. This had to be remedied immediately. Carefully, she reached out and found position next to her on the futon to be empty. After letting out a disappointed mew, she slowly raised herself up from the cozy mattress and forced her eyes open. When her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she saw that Bellatrix was indeed gone.
New question. Where had she gone? Bellatrix hadn't exactly been an early riser during this lovely holiday.
Hermione sat up and reached for the nearest kimono. After letting out a yawn, she stood up and stretched. "Bella?" she called out softly, but there was no reply.
It was then that she heard an angry shout and what sounded to be a crash from the kitchen area. She was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes when she rounded about the corner and sauntered into the kitchen area... only to find Bellatrix cursing and screaming at several pans at plates while frantically moving back end forth between the stove and the small table to the side.
Also, most of the kitchen counter happened to be on fire.
It was the latter fact which started Hermione fully awake. The young witch rushed back into the living room, looking frantically for the place she had last seen her wand. After rushing about back and forth for what seemed to be an eternity, she found it sticking out of a shoe and ran back to the kitchen.
"AGUAMENTI!" Hermione shouted and conjured a stream of pure water from the tip of her wand, drenching most of the kitchen and, thankfully, putting out the fire. Bellatrix, for her part, hadn't even noticed as she had kept fussing over whatever she was doing with the stove. When the dark witch finally found her bare feet standing in a puddle, her eyes grew wide and she turned to Hermione.
"I had it under control!" Bellatrix hissed, obviously angry at the interference.
"The kitchen was on fire!" Hermione called back. "I don't consider that remotely 'under control' at all! You do realize that this entire house is made out of wood, right? What were you even doing?"
Bellatrix narrowed her eyes while holding up a frying pan. "I was..." she hesitated for a moment. "Cooking."
"Cooking?!" Hermione blinked.
"YES!" Bellatrix shouted back. "Proper English Bacon and Eggs! None of that naff raw fish on soggy rice! I thought a couple of simple cooking spells would..."
"Coquere Ova and Carnem Coquatur?" Hermione blinked. "How on Earth did you set the kitchen on fire with those?! They are beginner level cooking spells. Completely idiot-proof!"
Bellatrix snapped around, the expression on her face being one of absolute rage. This was not an understatement; fire burned in her eyes, teeth grounded together and her chest rose and fell rapidly. The dark witch's hands balled in angry fists and, without saying a word, she stormed past Hermione and out of the kitchen. Once, Hermione would have been utterly terrified to see that amount of rage expressed by Bellatrix, but now she oddly found it cute.
"Bella," Hermione sighed and rushed after her. "Wait."
She found her dark lover standing on the deck outside of the living room, overlooking the lake beyond, having crossed her arms and having her back turned to her. "Well," she hissed. "That's the last time I try to do something nice for someone."
Hermione light-hearted mood quickly turned to guilt when she heard the sheer hurt on Bellatrix's voice. For someone as abrasive, strong and self-confident, Bellatrix was surprisingly easy to upset. But then Hermione understood; she was one of the few people whom Bellatrix fully trusted and loved. Hermione's opinion mattered to her... and she had just unwittingly questioned her intelligence and ability. When Hermione stepped back to the kitchen, she flinched when she heard the scornful voice of Bellatrix. "That's right. Walk away."
After Hermione returned from the kitchen, she had a frying pan in hands. "Well," she smiled sincerely. "Kitchen fire aside, it does smell and look really nice. How about we have breakfast and clean up later?"
The dark witch gave her a wary look, but threw up her hand as Hermione had already put down plates on the kotatsu. After sitting down and actually tasting the food, Hermione came to the conclusion it was quite delicious.
"Proper food," nodded Bellatrix. "Proper English food. None of this foreign heresy."
"It is good," said Hermione. "You've never cooked before in your life, have you?"
"Never had to," Bellatrix adopted a vainglorious smirk. "We've always had house-elves for that, and servants now. During my... stint in Azkaban, the dementors actually cooked. Don't laugh, they had to prepare the food somehow. I can't say the food had much flavor, though."
"What possessed you to try to cook breakfast?" Hermione asked.
"I saw you do it," Bellatrix shrugged. "Didn't look hard. I wanted some proper English food for a change and I woke up early so I might as well. And..." her voice lowered. "I... suppose... I thought... you might like it."
That did make Hermione smile. This woman, an aristocrat among aristocrats, had left her comfort zone which she had no reason for other than to do something nice for her. The young witch almost instinctively leaned over to kiss Bellatrix on the cheek. In response, the dark witch smiled blissfully and lay her head on Hermione's shoulder. Overcome with the sweet smell of her curly hair, Hermione lay her hand on Bellatrix's hip and gently rubbed up and down.
"This is nice," whispered Bellatrix. "No politics, no war, no empires to run. Just you and me."
Indeed, Hermione considered that maybe, just maybe Bellatrix could have a bit of a romantic soul.
"Remember last year when you told me you had an endless supply of suitors?" Hermione asked. "But you turned them all down."
"Heh," Bellatrix chortled for a moment. "More than I'd care to admit to. Interestingly, most of them were girls. Sometimes students from the Magic Academy of Moscow would try to sweet-talk me. Most of them were star-struck vapid airheads and thus wholly uninteresting. Then there was a time when Countess Natasha of Moldavia bribed one of my guards and did the lying naked in my bed thing. Well, two weeks of lying naked on a prison bed taught her a lesson. I had no shortage of male suitors either, mostly weak layabouts trying to improve their positions. Honestly, I get offers of marriage every week, but one useless husband was enough for one lifetime."
"And out of all those suitors, why did you choose me?" Hermione said.
Bellatrix stared at her, briefly and uncomfortably. "You're the only one who's ever left an impression on me."
An uneasy expression crossed her face. "I choose you because... I love you," she said, and Hermione could tell by the look on her face and the uncomfortable silence that followed that she had startled herself by saying it. Oh, it was clear by her actions and obvious affections that she did, but to hear the words from her own mouth. Hermione thought back to her own struggles with her feelings and realized just how much old prejudice Bellatrix must have wrestled with to overcome to admit to herself that she was in love with her and was worth pursuing. God, one of the most rabid pure-blood supremacists falling for a mudblood... It was one thing to admit that mudbloods weren't worthless, but another thing to admit being in love and wanting to be with one. It made Bellatrix all the more special in her eyes.
She was smiling at her now, red lips curled upwards flanked by dark curls. Their eyes locked and their lips touched for a loving kiss.
And Hermione was keeping secrets from her. Perhaps the most dire and dangerous secret in the world. It wasn't right. Bellatrix deserved to know the truth. Perhaps she would even help. Yes, of course she would. Bella would see the need to help her and Luna fight against the biggest threat the world had ever faced. She had to.
"Bella?" Hermione swallowed hard. There'd be no turning back from this, but she knew it was the right thing to do. "There's something I have to tell you."
Bellatrix arched her back upwards, offering her a curious frown. So, Hermione started her tale. She told Bellatrix about Luna's ulterior motive on bringing her to the Walpurgis Union, about their slow discovery of the Cosmic Horror secretly being the source of all magic and using wizards and witches to break free of its prison. She mentioned historical evidence, ancient cover-ups, her experiences at the cult lair, her nightmares which included both Bellatrix and Snape being manipulated by the creature as being the cause of their headaches, the existence of the Dead Grimoire in Somerset and almost being killed after witnessing their possible future in the depths of the pit inside the guild temple.
To her credit, Bellatrix sat there quietly and listened without interrupting even though Hermione could see the growing skepticism in her eyes. Once Hermione was done speaking, Bellatrix went quiet for a moment. After looking at Hermione intently, she rubbed her chin for a moment.
"Show me."