Disclaimer: I don't anything in Harry Potter. J.K owns all the characters and places.
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Author's Note: Take heed please – There are scenes of torture and minors are involved, if this is not your cup of tea please do not read the first portion of this chapter. You have been warned.
This is the first of the 'House of Black' series:
Summary: What would life have been like if Hermione Granger was born a Black? Follow our little heroine as she grows up in the House of Black and becomes Bellatrix Lestrange's right hand girl.
Chapter 19 - Neighbourhood Toys
Hermione was woken by an incessant knocking on her bedroom door, groaning to herself she slipped out from under her nice warm covers to go and open the door. When she opened her door, she was met with Bellatrix's face and a devilish grin.
"Mornin', come on, get dressed we got stuff to do before lunch." Hermione's mouth opened and closed a few times; her brain not yet fully awake enough to formulate a response.
"What? Get dressed, hurry up!" She was pushed into the bathroom by Bellatrix. Having used the loo; brushing her teeth and throwing cold water on her face, she exited the bathroom slightly more awake than before.
On her bed was a pair of black leggings and a black long-sleeved shirt, below the bed were black boots. She made her way over to her bed to get the clothes so she could get dressed but was stopped halfway back towards the bathroom by Bellatrix.
"What are you doing? Just get dressed here, you're wasting precious time." Hermione looked at her in alarm.
"I am not undressing in front of you, I won't be a few minutes anyway so just be patient." Squinting her eyes at Bellatrix, she turned on her heel and went to get dressed.
~*Warning! Torture of a minor ahead - You've been warned*~
Not long after Hermione's early morning wake up by Bellatrix, they were standing just outside of the gates of the Estate; they could see hundreds of tall trees and between them all was a small dirt path.
"Right then kitten, I'm going to shift, climb onto my back and hold on; we have a lot of ground to cover." Hermione nodded and waited for the transformation to take place before climbing onto Bellatrix's back. Taking a tight grip onto the fur and leaning into her shoulders, Hermione gave the all clear.
Bellatrix took off at a great speed through the trees; leading them through the winding path. Hermione was watching as the blur of brown and green flew past her eyes. She could feel the impact jolt through her body with every step Bellatrix took; she was letting off soft growls, which Hermione assumed was a way of telling the creatures of the woods that she was there.
Eventually they saw the roof tops of the houses that were Bellatrix's target; coming to a stop just behind one of the houses, Bellatrix waited for Hermione to slide off her back before shifting back into her human form. Looking at Hermione with a feral grin and wild eyes that screamed trouble; Hermione waited for her to tell her what they would be doing within the muggle village.
"Kitten, lets go shopping, we're looking for four muggles nothing more; don't want to bring unwanted attention to ourselves." Hermione nodded and followed Bellatrix, both slinking around and between the houses. Finding a house within the many they had searched, they found one that had one with a teenage boy. Bellatrix gave the nod of approval and Hermione waited for her to shoot a stunner at his sleeping form.
They continued on with their search and Hermione found a house that looked as if it housed a child, looking at Bellatrix she was rewarded with another nod of approval; Bellatrix stunned the child as well and lifted her wand to levitate the prone form to join the teenaged boy. Both of them moved around the remaining homes, eventually finding two more muggles; another teenager, this one female and an adult man.
Bellatrix and Hermione began their long trek back to the Estate, the four muggles floating in front of them. After nearly an hour walk, they arrived back at the Manor, opening the fear provoking gates which gave at a loud roar. They continued along the drive, passed the water fountain and round the right side of the Manor. Hermione opened the stone door, that only a member of the House Black could see and touch, she lit the sconces that hung from the passage walls.
Trailing through the stone passageways lighting the wall sconces, Bellatrix not far behind her, she led the way down some stone steps toward a circular room that was home to eight different cells; each cell door was made only of iron bars which were embedded in the floor, the only way to open them was with magic. Bellatrix put the muggles into four separate cells with one cell between them this was to stop a physical interaction occurring between their new prisoners.
"Kitten, this is where I will train you in the Dark Arts, darker than what Aunt Cassi has been teaching you; of course she has taught you quite well but I feel that you need to learn more now while you're younger, it's easier to grasp when you're younger than older." Hermione nodded in understanding before turning towards the cells.
"So, in effect they are my training dummies?" Bellatrix let a loud laugh at Hermione's choice of words.
"Yes kitten, they are your new toys, you get to do with them whatever you wish and then some. Of course, the aim of this is to teach you control on the Arts and to test your potential; if what you told us after meeting with Polaris is true." Hermione raised an eyebrow and glared at Bellatrix.
"You don't believe what I told you?" Bellatrix looked mildly annoyed but hummed in response. "I am telling the truth and if you want proof, bring one of the toys out and I will show you."
Bellatrix gave Hermione a pleased smirk and brought the child out of the cell. She allowed the girl to float a bit more before casting Renneverate on her and then dropping her to the floor. She began to scream when she realised she was not in her home or her bed and her parents were nowhere to be found.
"Oh, I love it when they scream!" Bellatrix shrieked with laughter, the child quietened down and looked fearfully towards the other two occupants standing in the circular room.
"Are you scared ickle baby? You want your mummy and daddy?" Bellatrix cooed with a high-pitched child-like voice and a cackle of laughter when the child whimpered in reply. Hermione stood unfazed by Bellatrix's mannerisms, she waited for Bellatrix to tell her what it was she wanted to see her perform.
"Bella, leave the child alone; what is it you want me to test first. If you don't believe I told you the truth, then tell me how I must prove myself to you." Bellatrix turned her wild eyes upon her kitten and hissed her displeasure at having been interrupted.
"Anything, everything, do whatever you wish. I only want to see what you're made of kitten." Hermione looked at the child who was now trying to scurry away from Bellatrix's menacing frame. She beckoned the child to her side to give her a sense of calm and to pretend that she was protecting her from Bellatrix.
"Come here, I won't hurt you" Bellatrix watched as the child ran to Hermione's side, grabbing her leg and hiding slightly behind her; this had Bellatrix howling with laughter. Hermione lifted her wand and sent a stinging hex at the child causing her to scream and fall backwards onto her bottom. Bellatrix's laughter echoed around the stone walls.
"Don't hurt me!" The child screamed when Hermione shot another stinging hex at the girl. Bellatrix was still laughing, and Hermione began feeding off her magical outlet; allowing the warmth of her magic to glide around her like a blanket.
Advancing slowly towards the child she began sending more painful hexes her way, watching as she tried to run away, only to be thrown back by the magical shield Bellatrix had erected. Hermione began sending slicing spells at the girl and watched with a smirk as they landed on her legs and arms.
"More kitten! Let it out!" Bellatrix wailed. "Don't go soft on me now!" Hermione spun around and shot a stinging hex at her, which had her doubling over with laughter.
"Run ickle baby! Run! Or the big bad wolf is going to get you!" Hermione laughed along with Bellatrix when the child started running around the room in a desperate attempt to flee. Hermione began throwing more of the dark spells at the child; the colours began flashing faster and faster and the air around them became more and more tantalizing on her tongue.
Bellatrix was cackling while spinning around the room; scaring the child just as much as Hermione was with her spells; deciding to give her a good scare she shifted into her Animagus form, jumping out in front of the girl and letting lose a roar that shook the pillars around them. Hermione laughed when the girl screamed and fell to the floor, having emptied her bladder in fright; her little cheeks were red and tear marks were streaked along them.
Hermione started a fire along the one curve of the room, she began herding the child towards the flames much to Bellatrix's approval. Tear filled and frightened eyes looked right into Hermione's dark orbs and suddenly Hermione stopped.
"Why'd you stop kitten! You were almost there, just one more push and the brat would be toast!" Bellatrix whined while looking at her.
"Bella, stop it!" Bellatrix looked at her and then to the child who was also watching Hermione warily, her tiny frame shivering; blood covering most of her night clothes. Hermione turned her back to them both, breathing heavily absorbing the magical aura that had been teasing her senses.
Bellatrix watched as Hermione turned back around, her eyes seeming to glow and before Bellatrix even registered what happened, Hermione threw her opens out with a scream and a powerful and overwhelming feeling of raw magic rushed through her body.
The child screamed as she was thrown into blazing fire behind her; Hermione and Bellatrix both laughing as the girl screamed. Bellatrix felt the head rush of adrenaline racing through her body as did Hermione, however Hermione was feeling the magic around her just as much. A split-second decision is all it took for Hermione, grabbing hold of Bellatrix's hand, she entwined their fingers together and willed her magic to allow Bellatrix to feel the electricity around them.
Bellatrix became fully aware of the sounds around her; she could feel the buzz against her skin, the magic racing along her skin, she could feel Hermione's magic as it let out pulses of warmth. She soon became aware of the tingling on her tongue, having already felt it once before she allowed it to fill her entirely and she let out a hearty laugh pulling Hermione closer to her side, holding her close and letting the magic fill them both with the usual euphoric emotion she got when torturing muggles.
Both Hermione and Bellatrix were completely unaware of the fact that they had just opened a second magical bond between themselves, further cementing their futures together.
~*Torture Scene Complete *~
Cassiopeia was sitting at the table with her tea and the Daily Prophet when Bellatrix and Hermione walked through the doors; each sporting a wild look in their eyes.
"What you have you two been up to?" Taking a sip of tea, she watched as they seated themselves at the table.
"We got some playthings to practice on." Hermione answered nonchalantly, as if she were talking about the weather.
"I take it you went and found some muggles then?" Cassiopeia saw Bellatrix nodding, her wild mass of curls moving to cover most of her face.
"Yup." Popping the P, she giggled and took a bite out of her sandwich. Shaking her head at Bellatrix's slightly maniacal giggle, she turned to look at Hermione.
"You were careful not to be seen." Hermione nodded. "Left nothing that could be traced back to you both?" Another nod. "Good, now then, how was it?" Cassiopeia took another sip of her tea.
"Brilliant! The filthy beast made the best toy, easily frightened and so easy to con." Hermione thought it best to keep the part of it being a child out of the answer, just in case her grandmother disapproved, but Bellatrix had other ideas.
"Children always are the best for training." Cassiopeia gave Bellatrix a disapproving glance.
"Bellatrix, how many times must I tell you, leave the children alone. They die to quickly, they're muggles and they're weaker; if you are going to train, use an older teenager or an adult." Hermione was surprised by her grandmother's words.
"You aren't angry at the use of a child?" Bellatrix snorted and Cassiopeia gave an airy laugh.
"When it comes to muggles, I could care less, I just don't think using a child to train is beneficial. They don't have a lot of stamina and are always easily tired; we do them a favour when we put them down." Hermione could understand that way of thinking, she had seen the child tiring, which is why she had decided to end her life.
"I gave her death, just not a quick one." At this, Bellatrix's laughter filled the room.
"Yeah, you didn't even give her painless death!" Cassiopeia was chuckling along with Bellatrix's laughing.
"What did you do?" Hermione gave her an evil smile.
"Exactly what they did to our kind over a millennia ago. I burned her alive." Bellatrix's laughter could be heard all around the Manor along with Cassiopeia's and Hermione's.
Down in the dungeons, the burned remains of the girl lay on the opposite side of the cells that now housed three frightened muggles. They too could hear the laughing from somewhere above them, adding fear to their already nervous bodies.