Hey, I'm finally done with my first semester of student teaching and IT WAS AWESOME! But I'm really going to miss the kids. I am student teaching starting in January with first and second graders who are in a special education class.
You know how life is, family and friends and problems and stuff gets in the way, and when I finally get a weekend or a week to do whatever the hell I want, well I can't.
But now I can!
I am extremely grateful for all of you; everyone that has favorited this story, followed, reviewed, and to the awesome people sending me messages.
Thank you Science Monkey for being super interested in the kind of special education I am going into, and I promise I will get back to you very soon, if not already.
Kigo Stories, you are awesome! Thanks for letting me know you care about me and this story. A few kind words do go a very long way.
So here's another chapter, and hopefully I'll be able to get to 30 chapters before starting next semester.
Enjoy!
"He's here," Bellatrix said.
"What," Hermione asked from the kitchen oblivious.
"Greyback, that bastard, he's here, and I'm going to kill him!"
Hermione quickly walked over to the window and looked out, "Where?"
"He was there, on the edge of the forest," Bellatrix frantically pointed out the window.
"I don't see him. Are you sure you're not just going mad?" Hermione laughed nervously and walked back into the kitchen.
"I'm not going mad!" Bellatrix turned and looked at Hermione, "You need to leave."
The door was banged upon just then, and opened quickly. Professor McGonagall approached, "There is an intruder on the grounds. We need to move you two quickly."
Hermione quickly gathered all important things she thought her and Bellatrix needed and put them in here enchanted purse. Professor McGonagall grabbed both their arms and apparated with them to number 12 Grimmauld place, past headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.
"I told you I saw Greyback," Bellatrix said to Hermione the second they got there.
"Everything you're used to at the room at Hogwarts have followed you here; Ms. Granger will know if and when you are telling a lie, and that goes for wherever you are, not just in this building, from now on. The Order has put extra security measures on this building," Professor McGonagall said ignoring Bellatrix, "Only members of the order can apparate inside the building. I forbid you both to leave this building at all. The only way you would be able to do that is to apparate anyways, and I know Hermione knows how to follow the rules."
"Oh, great," Bellatrix started, "So I'm stuck in another room, and can't go outside again. I feel like a fucking ten year old in trouble."
"You've visited this place many times Ms. Black. Now stop fussing, I have a lot of work to do and I need to get back." And with that, Professor McGonagall apparated and left them with unanswered questions.
"This is actually Harry's place," Hermione said matter-of-factly.
"..What?"
"After you k-…Sirius died, Harry inherited this house."
Bellatrix turned her back towards Hermione and shrugged, "Whatever." She started walking around, and up the stairs while Hermione followed, "I wonder if that blasted elf is still here. I know my dear aunt Walburga will be screaming every time you pass by."
"Don't worry, I'm used to her."
"Used to her," Bellatrix stopped and turned around.
"I've been here before," Hermione laughed a little. "Loads of times."
Hermione continued talking while she followed Bellatrix up more stairs, "Did you grow up here?"
"Well I didn't necessarily live here, but my parents, sisters, and I would drop by a few times a month…So I guess in a way….yes, I kind of grew up here. And it was way before Sirius' time; remember he was 8 years younger than me."
"I know we tried talking about it before, but..what was your relationship with Sirius like," Hermione boldly asked.
"YOU FILTHY BLOOD TRAITOR, BELLATRIX BLACK, YOU GET OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!" Walburga Black's portrait screamed as they walked by.
"Oh stuff it, Aunt Walburga," Bellatrix pulled Hermione past the portrait and up the stairs with her. "I guess my relationship with Sirius was fine until I met Rodolphus. A lot changed when he came into my life.."
"Sirius didn't like Rodolphus?" Hermione asked as they entered a room labeled R.A.B.
"No, Sirius was definitely the black sheep of the family. His younger brother, Regulus… This was his bedroom. He decided to join Voldemort, but soon backed out from fear. He was killed shortly after at the age of 18. I think in the back of my mind, his death was one of the many reasons I stuck with Voldemort to the very end.. out of fear. Nothing and no one could harm me more than him; so I did the best I could to stay alive, out of selfishness."
"Once, when I was here, I saw Harry talking to Sirius in a room with a bunch of pictures on the wall," Hermione said, "I didn't want to intrude more than I already had. Will you show me the room?"
Bellatrix turned around and looked at her, "Very well." She walked ahead of Hermione grabbing her hand and pulling her back down the stairs past the screaming portrait and into the room with the Black family tree on the walls.
"Our family tree," Bellatrix stopped and let go of Hermione's hand, feeling the pictures and faces on the wall. "Sirius, of course, is burned away. Ah…and look here! I'm burned away now, too." Bellatrix put her hand where her face used to be and smiled at Hermione. Hermione looked guiltily back at her, but she didn't know why. She should be happy, but she felt guilty for taking Bellatrix away from her family.
"Oh, don't feel bad, love," Bellatrix walked over and hugged her tightly. "I wouldn't change any of it."
"MUDBLOOD! THERE'S A MUDBLOOD IN MY HOUSE!" they heard her aunt's portrait scream. Bellatrix rolled her eyes from annoyance and held Hermione closer.
For the next whole week, Hermione and Bellatrix weren't alone at number twelve Grimmauld. Harry had come by and started to clean out all the rooms starting from the top floor. He came alone and worked along with Hermione while Bellatrix stay cooped up in a random bedroom on the bottom floor. By the end of the week, Harry started bringing over Ron and Ginny to help them, and that had helped convince Bellatrix to come out from hiding. She wasn't too keen on actually going through any of her old relatives' things, but she did socialize with Ginny, and Hermione when she wasn't too busy stuffing her nose in an old book she'd found.
When Harry, Ron, and Ginny left one night, Bellatrix stomped into the room where Hermione was and sighed. When Hermione had not looked up from whatever she was reading, Bellatrix sighed obnoxiously louder. Hermione slammed the book shut and turned around, "Can I help you?"
"When are we going to leave this place?" Bellatrix demanded, "I'm tired of staying inside all day."
"Whenever Professor McGonagall or someone else from the Order says it's alright," Hermione answered, "Don't think I'm having a jolly time staying in this dusty, old house."
"Well if I had my wand, we could easily clean this house together in no time."
"Even if you did have your wand, it's Harry's house, and it's up to him how he wants it clean."
"DIRTY HOUSE, FULL OF MUDBLOOD WHORES AND BLOOD TRAITING FILTH!" they both heard Bellatrix's aunt's portrait scream.
Hermione shook her head and set the book down before going to walk out of the room. Bellatrix held out her hand and stopped her leaving; she sighed as she pulled her closer and wrapped her arms around her, "Are you happy?"
Hermione rested her head on Bellatrix's shoulder and looked at her, giving her a small smile.
"You don't have to pretend," Bellatrix said softly to her, "I know my being around doesn't make things easy."
"It doesn't make it hard, either," Hermione said pulling away a little and holding her hands. "It's not you that's making my mood keep at a low level."
"But there's nothing I can do to increase it even a little."
Hermione sighed, and then smiled, mentally telling herself to lighten up, at least for Bellatrix's sake, "You definitely increase my mood. Otherwise, why would you still be around?"
"I don't know, maybe they're paying you, and I just don't know it."
"Yeah, right. That would never happen. I'm like an elf, lower than a mudblood. Or are mudbloods lower than elves?"
"Don't use that word, Hermione, it offends me."
"What? Elves?"
"No! You know what I mean!"
Hermione giggled and leaned back into her, "Oh, my Bella. It will be less boring soon. Just be patient. What would you even do if you were allowed to go outside?"
Bellatrix didn't answer.
"Is it just the fact that you're not allowed to? You probably wouldn't even go outside if you could."
"Why should I? I should be able to at my own will, if I wanted."
"But you and I both can't, and this time, it's not just because of you and your past, it's for both our safety."
"Well, mostly your safety. I would kill anyone right on the spot, with or without my wand."
"What makes you think I wouldn't?"
"You have no mean bone in your body."
"Neville thought the same thing about himself."
"That was different. Neville did it to save you, not to save himself."
"Whatever. I found some old pictures of your family earlier today," Hermione walked over to a box and picked up a large book.
"Oh. The family album. That's nothing interesting."
"I think it's interesting," Hermione said bringing it back over to Bellatrix.
"You would. You think every little thing is interesting. You think I'm interesting."
"You are interesting; Bellatrix Black," Hermione made Bellatrix giggle by giving her an Eskimo kiss.
"Alright, if you say so," Bellatrix picked Hermione up and carried her outside the room, "Let's go into one of the rooms that has a bed we can sit on, and then we'll look this over."
As Bellatrix carried Hermione down to the first floor, they could hear Walburga Black's portrait screaming as usual. But in between screams, she suddenly stopped. Hermione jumped out of Bellatrix's arms and handed her the family album, looking over the railing down at the portrait.
For the first time since Bellatrix and Hermione arrived, Kreacher came out of hiding. "Kreacher put a silencing charm on mistress' portrait," the old house elf said looking up at Hermione, "Miss Hermione is the only kindness Kreacher knows." Kreacher walked away into the kitchen while he said this.
"Well, at least we don't have to listen to her anymore," Hermione sighed, and then turned to look at Bellatrix who had a stunned look on her face, "What?"
"He was nice to you," Bellatrix exclaimed pointing her finger, "But surely he knows you're a….a…"
"That's because I was nice to him," Hermione laughed and grabbed Bellatrix's hand leading her into one of the bedrooms, "Now come on."
Bellatrix talked for three hours while Hermione continually listened. Hermione remembered every name Bellatrix said to her, "You have a large family. And you haven't even met everyone! How do you remember all of them?"
"How do you remember all of them? They're not even your family!"
"I have good retention skills."
"Well, everyone knows that." Bellatrix got off the bed and walked out of the room to put the album away. When she came back, Hermione was sleeping on the bed and she quietly closed the door and walked into the kitchen.
Hermione had gotten her a new phone, and once she sat down, it received its first text message from an unknown number.
"Hogwarts. 23:00. 12-07."
Bellatrix didn't understand. Well, she understood whoever this was wanted her to meet them at Hogwarts at 11 P.M. on July 12. That was the coming Sunday.
"Who are you?" Bellatrix texted back.
"You know who I am," the person texted back, and then sent a second message, "I saw you in the window a week ago." A third message was sent, "Taking care of the dirty mudblood I got to play with. Is she still fun for you? If not , I will take her off your hands."
Do they seriously still think I am on their side? Can I use this to my advantage? Hermione would not approve of me going double agent like Snape and sneaking into Hogwarts to deal with these idiots. I don't even have a wand…I could use Hermione's…but she still would be upset with me….But I must get revenge! For her!
"I will meet you there July 12," Bellatrix sent back.
"Be sure to bring the little girl for me."
Bellatrix didn't answer. She was definitely not taking Hermione with her, especially because she wasn't even going to tell Hermione about what was even going on. She would have to come up with a plan. She knew she had no kind of potion to give Hermione. She couldn't lie to her because of the whole green face thing and even if that didn't exist, eventually, she was going to find her out. And even though she knew she was risking Hermione's trust and faith in her, even though she knew this might really change their relationship for the worse, she felt the burning need to take action; action, that for once, was the right kind, and for the right side.
She decided that she would wait until Sunday night when Hermione fell asleep, and would take her wand and apparate into Hogsmeade. Once there, she would find him. She would find the man that so hurt the woman she now cared for and loved with all her heart. She would find him, and she would kill him.
