Author's Note: Wow, your encouraging messages are unbelievable. Thank you for all the support! Here's to a chapter, finally. I'm sorry it took this long. As always, enjoy!
HUGE DISCLAIMER; None of these characters are my own. Just their OOC-ness is mine. There may be more swearing in this. ~1stSoulVamp
IN OUR DARKEST MOMENTS
Chapter 17: The Souls of the Damned
Hermione had locked herself in Bellatrix's room for three days now. The only one providing her with sustenance was Winky the house-elf who could pop in and out, past her wards. She had not wanted to see Bellatrix nor hear from the rest of the Malfoy family and their sorry excuse for keeping something, so big, so secret. Regardless of the reason behind their secrets, the brunette was hearing none of it. On the fourth day, a knock on the door in the morning always woke her up like the previous mornings since her life went to hell. Sitting up from the large bed Hermione frowned at the door. She knew it was Bellatrix trying to get in again. Rolling her eyes she flipped the sheets over her to block all the incoming light before groaning and yelling for the dark witch to go away.
Bellatrix, who was on the other side, deflated a little at hearing her soulmate's rejection again. Turning to Narcissa who sported a sad smile, merely shrugged.
"She needs time Bella, come, let the little witch heal." Narcissa held out her perfectly manicured hand to her sister.
Bellatrix shook her head. "I need to explain to her. Please Cissy."
"You really think she wants to hear that now? Bella, she's not gonna accept your answer of the Dark Lord telling you not to. It'll only elude to even more of his plan to coerce the girl to our side." Narcissa whispered so low that Bellatrix almost had to lean in to hear.
"Well then maybe I should just tell her everything!" Bellatrix said exasperatedly. "I mean, what has holding secrets done for us? Nothing, that's what. If anything this may be the betrayal on our side that'll make her go over to the Order. Maybe we underestimated her Cissy." Bellatrix sat down on the loveseat outside the room, dragging Narcissa onto it too. Clasping her hands with her sister she pleaded with the younger blonde. "If we explain everything to her, then at least she'll get a choice on what to say."
"The Dark Lord won't like this Bella. This may have led to the betrayal, but that's what we planned you for. You're supposed to be the one link that won't allow her to go to the Order." The blonde witch mentioned.
"Yeah and I'm not doing a bloody good job at it, am I?" Bellatrix jumped back up from her seat and set herself to knocking again.
Narcissa rolled her eyes at her sister's persistence. But what both sisters didn't expect was for the door to open and a murderous look on the brunette's face.
"Hermione!" Bellatrix exclaimed looking happy before her smile dropped at the look on the younger witch's face. "Pet?"
Hermione went to speak, but every time she tried to say something she just grew more angry, at them, at everyone. When Bellatrix tried to speak Hermione cut her off with a glare. Rubbing a hand to her face, trying to see if this is all real, Hermione pointed to the library. "Library, NOW!" She demanded.
Bellatrix jumped at the sharp tone and solemnly led the way with Narcissa, who still had an air of royalty around her, following her to the library. Hermione trailed behind the two witches, hurt, sad, angry, and confused. Upon arriving in the library, Hermione checked to see if it was just the three of them before sealing them in the room. Turning around she glared at the two sisters before barking, "Sit down!" but at the famous 'ice queen glare' that Narcissa was giving her, her bravado cracked and she gave a sad smile, muttering, "Please."
Narcissa sat down elegantly at the edge of the couch while Bellatrix sat all the way back on the other one, her arms crossed. Hermione sat down in one of the chairs adjacent of the two.
Having seen Hermione for the first time in three days, Bellatrix was over the moon. But she knew she was far from the light at the end of the tunnel, with the look in brunette's eye.
Shakily Hermione looked up at the two she had begun to trust so much. "W-was it all a lie?" Hermione asked as tears silently streamed down her cheeks.
Bellatrix moved up and knelt on the floor in front of the distraught witch, grasping her hands and kissing her knuckles quietly. "Non, mon amour. My love for you is still the same. We are still destined to be together."
Hermione ripped her hands away from Bellatrix as she stood up and walked around her to pace. "Yes, but what does that even mean? What else are you hiding from me?! Please, I'm tired of the secrets, especially when it has to do with my life!" Crossing her arms, she stared at the two matriarchs, hoping that they would tell.
It was Narcissa who spoke first. "Why don't you sit? It's a long story."
"But Narcissa, you said we should not tell to anger the Dark Lord?" Bella looked at her incredulously.
"And yet, somehow Bella, I fear you're right. We have underestimated the little witch."
Hermione sat back down in the chair she was in previously as Bellatrix moved back to the couch. "I heard you talking outside of my door. I know there's more to it than your Dark Lord." She said shyly.
Bellatrix sighed, "I suppose we should start from the beginning, then?" Hermione nodded.
So the two sisters launched into the story of how the Order ministrated a raid against her parents, the Rosiers, under suspicions of working with the Dark Lord and holding dark artifacts. How she was sent to an orphanage after the Aurors killed her parents. How she was the last sole heir to the Rosier fortune and how she ended up in Slytherin at Hogwarts because of her blood. They told her of the prophecy, and how Bellatrix and her fates were intertwined together. It was Bellatrix's mission to woo the girl, a mission given to her by the Dark Lord and how he came into play with all of this. But the witch in question made sure to point out that it was her mission at first but then she really did fall for the brunette. Hermione didn't look like she was buying it but Bellatrix insisted.
"So I'm fated to be with Bellatrix, because of this prophecy of us together being the power couple for the Dark Lord or Dumbledore which will help one of them in the upcoming war, depending on who pisses us off first?" Hermione summed it up.
Both sisters quietly nodded. Hermione was angry at their confirmation, but no longer at them but rather at the two who had orchestrated most of her whole life. The Dark Lord and Dumbledore were both solely responsible. Bellatrix and Narcissa's family had merely been pawns to the Dark Lord's bidding which was really just a hissy fit against Dumbledore.
"I know you're mad at us pet, but we've told you all we know now." Bellatrix murmured.
"I'm not mad at you Bellatrix." Hermione said as she got up to pace in front of the fire place again. "I'm mad that most of my life has been directed by your Dark Lord and Dumbledore, of all fucking people!" She shook her head angrily. Turning to the two older witches she looked sheepish. "I'm sorry my anger was directed at you. I didn't realize you were merely under your Dark Lord's instructions."
Bellatrix shook her head. "But still, it's not fair that he ordered me to play with your feelings."
"Bella, out of all of this, there is one thing I'm certain of." She came around the couch to settle across the dark witch. "You may have been ordered to romanticize me but what we have is real, at least I hope, and regardless if you were ordered to do it first, I don't think that was what you are feeling now." She looked down nervously at her hands, blushing.
"No, what I'm feeling now is real." Bellatrix leaned in slowly to kiss both her cheeks and the blush on Hermione darkened to a deep red. "Ah there's my beautiful, pet." The older witch said cheekily.
Narcissa watched the two silently until Hermione turned to address her. "Cissy, please forgive me. I meant no real harm. I was just foolish and angry and I didn't know what to think. I'm sorry for being angry with you and yelling at you after you welcomed me into your home, and been such a gracious host and bought me a gown, an-."
The brunette was interrupted as the blonde pulled her in to kiss her on both her cheeks. "Ma chérie, I forgive you. But if this happens again, do not be expecting forgiveness so easily. I know you were hurt at having uncontrolled things in your life, but it does not make it okay to yell at the only ones who actually love you and are willing to protect you. Do you understand, ma petite sorcière?" Hermione gulped and nodded. "Good. I believe you should talk to Draco. He is beside himself."
Hermione nodded as the blonde matriarch took down the wards and walked out of the library. "She's mad at me isn't she?" Bellatrix hummed before nodding.
"Don't worry pet. I have a wonderful idea to get back into her good graces." There was a twinkle in the dark witch's eye which made the brunette raise a questioning brow, but they both sat up from the couch before Hermione went to go look for Draco to apologize for shunning him.
The brunette silently knocked on the door to the blonde son of the Malfoy family feeling terrible. Hearing the door open she looked up at Draco who looked like he hadn't been sleeping well. However, upon seeing that it was her, his face lit up.
"Hermione! So good to see you!" He grabbed her in for a hug. Breaking the hug he continued, "I can explain."
Hermione shook her head smiling sadly. "No need, your mother and your Aunt explained it pretty well to me. I'm just afraid your mother is mad at me."
Draco chuckled. "She probably is. She gets hurt when her family is mad at her and the only way she can deal with it is if she blocks you out first. You just need to do a little something extra special for her."
"Yeah your Aunt was saying the same thing. She had an idea but didn't tell me what." Hermione said, still standing in the doorway.
"Oh if it's Aunt Bella, she probably has something mischievous up her sleeve." The blonde said as they both walked the hallway and down to the dining room for breakfast. Hermione nodded in agreement.
"She said she forgave me but she still seems hurt." The young Slytherin witch stated.
Draco shrugged with his hands in his pockets. "Honestly, she probably really does forgive you, she just need time. She feels insulted that you didn't trust her enough to have your best interests at heart."
Hermione's demeanor saddened even more. "Oh Draco I didn't mean for anyone to be insulted! I was just upset." Small tears began to form.
"Hey, hey! Don't worry! Aunt Bellatrix has it all planned out! She will not be mad at you for long. With my Aunt involved, you'll likely enjoy it too." He said snickering.
Hermione wiped her eyes on her sleeve before giving the blonde boy a curious glare. "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh nothing. You'll see." Draco said as they arrived to the dining hall for breakfast.
The pair of teenagers sat across from each other as Lucius sat at the head with the dark witch and the ice queen sat either side of him. Hermione smiled at Bellatrix, sitting next to her, before looking up at the blonde patriarch who saw she was gonna say something, shook his head, and gave her a warm smile. It appeared Hermione did not have to apologize to him for he already understood and Hermione was grateful. Glancing over at Narcissa however left Hermione sad. The blonde wouldn't even look at her and she looked to Bellatrix who gave her a sad smile and just pointed at her food, silently telling her to eat.
It was the first quiet family breakfast she had had since being there and it left an empty pit in Hermione stomach. She couldn't help but know that she was the cause of all this tension and felt horrible. She still had a few weeks here as there was still the Malfoy's New Year's Eve Ball. She's hoping by then the Malfoy would still welcome her but she needed to do something fast about the blonde matriarch, who now, seemingly wanted nothing to do with her. She could only hope that whatever Bellatrix had in store for her redeeming herself was worth it.
She also didn't know what to do with the information that had been given to her. She knew she had to check that vault that the Dark Lord had told her about. It would confirm if she was really a Rosier but she still didn't know what he meant by already giving her the digits to her vault. She and Bellatrix would have to brain storm and they would have to go together to Gringotts and see, but for now she was worried about a certain blonde and the New Year's Ball to be worried about the fight between the two kings.
Author's End Note: Apologies for this filler chapter! I merely wanted to provide you with some insight and also set up for a certain something they're going to do to apologize to Narcissa which will help speed this story right along. Stuff is gonna happen soon and I don't just mean the Malfoy Ball ;) Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Remember all mistakes and inconsistencies are my own because I have no beta, so let me know if you see any. French translations are somewhere around here, though I don't think there was too much in this chapter. ~1stSoulVamp
Notes:
mon amour my love
Ma chérie My dear
ma petite sorcière my little witch
