Altera Aretla

Chapter Nineteen

"You have got to be shitting me," Bellatrix whistled out low when they approached Helga Hufflepuffs cup. It was on a stand, the sole object in the room they had just entered. "All this time, and all we had to do was this?" she questioned, taking the object into her hands. It looked smaller than in the illustrations and she could feel power emanating from it. Her reflection in it looked distorted. Sick, almost. She didn't like that and she looked away.

"It makes sense. The room of requirements, appears when required, with whatever is needed inside of it. Pretty nifty. Shame I didn't think of it earlier, but it does seem a bit too easy to have it here," Hermione said, hands on hips.

"Then whoever hid this cup was an idiot," Bellatrix snorted, shrinking the object and pocketing it.

"Or brilliant, because it was right under our noses the entire time," Hermione said, not upset at all, just relieved this object had been found. Finally, she would have some relief knowing that Harry's plan could not full be carried out until he had this last horcrux.

"Now I just have to find a way to hide it," Bellatrix said, as they left the room. It was night in the castle and they both slipped the cloak over their heads, traveling down the halls and speaking in a hush. "I was thinking I'd magic it to look like something else and keep it in my room."

"Are you sure that's wise? What if someone from the staff finds it? Do you know how much trouble a Prefect would get into!"

"They wouldn't suspect a Prefect of doing anything like that. Especially not one from Gryffindor," Bellatrix said assuredly. "Do you not trust me to know what I'm doing?"

"I do," Hermione answered without hesitation. "I just...I don't want you to get in trouble. What if one of the Cult find out you have it? They could kill you for it! I say it's better to bury it in the Forbidden forest where we can keep it hidden and even if anyone stumbles upon it, they won't know it's you."

"But there's a huge risk someone could find it by accident. Even one of the magical creatures could. I feel safer having it in my own room where I can keep an eye on it," Bellatrix shook her head. She was being stubborn on this and Hermione sighed. Guess there was no other way of convincing her.

"How are your headaches?" Bellatrix asked after they had lapsed into silence.

"Still here, but I'm used to the pain." It was almost a daily thing, sometimes twice daily. Intense pain would hit her and stay with her for hours. She didn't know what would trigger it, but she could make out snatches of her old world. She could see Harry and Ron, and they looked at her like she was being extremely odd. The voices weren't clear yet, and she longed to know what they said. On what was happening in her natural world. She didn't mention any of this to Bellatrix.

"That's not good. Isn't Clarence supposed to help you?" Bellatrix is concerned, and it's jarring to see someone Hermione associated with being a psycho showing such care and emotion. Though Hermione has gotten less and less shocked by this, seeing this Bellatrix as separate from her other counterpart.

"He couldn't make it to our last session. But I have another scheduled soon."

"When?"

"The 12th."

"Good, so it's not the 14th and you won't be busy then," Bellatrix said, more to herself. Hermione thought nothing more of the comment until the 14th actually arrived.

Somehow, Valentine's day had approached. Hermione was so out of it she barely paid any mind. Until the presents started showing up. Hundreds of presents all from her fan club of girls. "Oh my god," she groaned out, swamped as she opened the door to her room and all the presents stocked up by her door fell in.

There were flowers, stuffed animals, singing cards and boxes of chocolate. She didn't want any of this crap. She used her wand to levitate it all into her room before stepping back out. She had always disliked this holiday and today was just about to make her dislike it more.

Bellatrix only seemed amused by Hermione's dislike.

"I got a shit ton of presents and girls asking me out," Hermione grumbled to the dark haired witch.

Bellatrix laughed. It was rich sound, boisterous and all too pleasant. Hermione tries to stifle down the urge to make her laugh like that. So different from the laughs Bellatrix gives out in her proper world. "Does that bother you?"

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed as they sat at the boathouse dock, feet hanging over the frozen pond. Ember behind them was snarfing down the meal Hermione had brought.

"So girls liking you bothers you?"

"No, not that!" Hermione said, detecting hesitancy in Bellatrix's voice now. She recalled how Bellatrix had sort of admitted to favoring girls. "It's just...the fact that I'm feeling overwhelmed by all this affection. Affection not for me but for the other version of me. I mean, how could they even like me given all I've done."

"You underestimate teenage hormones, Hermione. They see your face, and they hear of your bad girl reputation and they fall swiftly to your charms."

Was Bellatrix complimenting her?

"Still how could anyone like me? I've rarely had people like the good me as is...and to like the bad version...? It's confusing to say the least."

"If it makes you feel better, I like this version of you. I like the good you, Hermione," Bellatrix said, placing her hand comfortingly on Hermione's hand.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered, the both of them just looking at each other in quiet solidarity. Bellatrix got up, suddenly full of energy. "Let's go somewhere."

"Don't you have some dates? Surely they're must be people falling over their feet for you," Hermione said, taking Bellatrix's hand and allowing herself to be pulled up. She found herself too close and backed up, the ghost of Bellatrix's warm breath on her lips.

"I don't want any of them either. I'd rather spend time with you," Bellatrix confessed. "So, wanna ditch them all and go for some butterbeers? We can get drunk."

"I've never actually gotten drunk before," Hermione confessed.

"I have. It's loads of fun." Bellatrix playfully winked.

"And here I was, thinking you were such a goody goody," Hermione teased.

Bellatrix's eyes lidded at this and she smirked, her gaze sliding down to Hermione's lips. "Sometimes I'm not."

Two hours and a journey to Hogsmeade and back found Hermione and Bellatrix in Bellatrix's room, drinking down the drinks. They'd gotten two cartons and had already gone through half of them. The world seemed brighter around them. More fun.

For once Hermione wasn't thinking about her mission or what she had to do tomorrow. She was present in the here and now. Having fun. She and Bellatrix were laughing about the stupidest things. Hermione's sides hurt from laughing so hard. She hadn't laughed this hard in so long.

The only thing missing was some music. Which was why Hermione had brought something from evil Hermione's stash to help with that.

"I brought this muggle device. Have you ever heard of a radio?" She held it in her hands.

"Ah, yes, I've seen them in muggle studies. Never actually got to touch one," Bellatrix touched it cautiously and with interest, fiddling with the knobs. She let out a cute yelp when it made an angry static noise. "Did I break it?"

"No, no," Hermione took the device from her. "You just need to tune it. It works by catching these invisible waves. Then, they produce sound. Like this," Hermione's whirling brings them to a station playing smooth jazz music.

"I like muggle music. It's nice," Bellatrix confessed. "In fact, I enjoy a lot of the muggle world. Shame I can't visit it as much."

"Maybe I can take you one day. Though, I don't know if it'll be the same as in my world."

"I would love to go with you," Bellatrix said, tipping her head back and finishing the rest of her drink. She got up suddenly, holding out her hands. "Come, let's dance to this."

Hermione got up, swaying a little on her feet. She allowed Bellatrix to put her hands on her shoulders and move them to the music. Hermione's hands went down lower. The danced slowly for a while. "You're not a bad dancer, Granger. Clearly all that bad girl seduction was founded in skill."

"Yea, except I can't seduce anyone if I tried," Hermione laughed.

"Oh, I'm sure you already have," Bellatrix said, biting down on her lower lip and smiling almost shyly. She looked so adorable like that. Hermione could feel a small flame burning inside her. It must be the alcohol. She cleared her throat before she could lean in. "How about some fast music?" Hermione suggested and pulled away, changing the channel.

Rap music began to play and the two of them attempted to dance to this, only for it turn out pretty bad. So bad, they couldn't stop laughing at each attempt.

Hermione woke up the next morning, lying on something that softly moved up and down. When she peered up she saw she was sleeping on top of Bellatrix, their legs tangled together. They hadn't bothered to change out of their uniforms at all. Thankfully Hermione didn't feel hungover at all and so she slowly pulled free from Bellatrix and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

She had just finished washing her face when a knock came at the door. It was insistent and she went to shake Bellatrix awake so she could open it. The dark haired witch awoke with a grunt and pushed her messy strands out of her face. "Whazzuh?" she groused, annoyed by this rough awakening.

"The door," Hermione mouthed and Bellatrix seemed to now register the knocking.

"It's probably my sister," she said and flopped back down onto her bed tiredly.

"Bellatrix, open this damned door!" came Andromeda's angry cry.

"Please, Trixie," came Narcissa's voice afterwards.

"Oh shite," Bellatrix grumbled out, pulling herself out of bed. She had drank more than Hermione last night and she looked to be regretting it now. "Hide," Bellatrix hissed at Hermione and Hermione rolled under the bed because it was the only place she could hide right now. Bellatrix got up, fixing her hair as best as she could and opened the door.

"You reek of alcohol," was the first thing Andromeda said as the two sister's came in. "Mind telling me why?"

"Dromeda, I am almost an adult. I can choose to have a beer or two."

"Or two dozen it seems," Andromeda kicked a nearby glass bottle on the floor with distaste. It rolled by Hermione under the bed. She held her breath. Would they pick it up?

"Dro-"

"We're worried about you," Narcissa spoke up, her voice soft and childlike.

"Why?" Bellatrix grunted out, annoyed.

"Look at the state of you, just today alone! You've been drinking, your room is a mess, and you didn't even bother to change from your clothes!" the middle sister pointed out.

"Is this because of Granger?" Bellatrix questioned, voice growing hard.

"Yes."

"Why do you worry about me and her? There's nothing going on!"

"You say that but ever since I've seen the two of you together, something's been off!" Andromeda insisted. "Even Narcissa feels this way."

Bellatrix let out a long suffering sigh and Hermione could just imagine her pinching her brow in frustration. She felt tempted to come out, to stand in Bellatrix's defense. To tell them the truth just so that Bellatrix wouldn't be estranged from her siblings. "Look, there is a lot going on that you are too young to understand," Bellatrix began slowly. "There's more than just having a vendetta against Granger. She's involved in something, and so are a lot of people. And this is a foul thing. I'm just doing some snooping on this. But I promise I am not working with her, and that I am being safe. I just can't have you knowing anything about this. So stay out of the way," she said coldly.

"But-"

"No, I have nothing else to say. And don't bother me anymore," Bellatrix ushered them out of the room and slammed the door shut on them. Their unhappy cries could be heard from the other end but Bellatrix ignored them, sitting on the bed. The springs above Hermione's head creaked and she slides out from under the bed.

"Bellatrix-"

"Don't," was said shortly and abruptly.

"You should tell them. The truth. I don't want you and your sisters to fight-"

"Hermione, this is bigger than that right now," Bellatrix said, getting up and waving this all away with her hand like it was nothing. "When the world is safe, then I can tell them the truth. But I don't want them involved. At all."

Hermione sighed out, but she would respect Bellatrix's wishes for now.