The first day back at Hogwarts had been an awkward affair. Students gave the group suspicious looks as they whispered to each other in passing. Hermione had yet to see Bella in any of her classes and she just wanted the day to end. She groaned out of annoyance as she walked into potions class with Draco.

As she entered the room Draco nudged her and she looked up to see Bellatrix talking to professor Slughorn. Hermione smiled as she felt a bit better. Maybe it was just seeing her or maybe it was the fact that she knew no one would dare whisper about her with Bella in the room...whatever it was, it made her feel a bit more at ease.

Bellatrix looked up as Slughorn went to gather some things for the class. When she saw Hermione's light smile she couldn't help but to smile back. Hermione forces herself to look away as Draco took her wrist, pulling her to the crowd of students who Slughorn was beginning to speak to.

Just as Slughorn began to speak about the potions he had prepared, Harry and Ron came walking in. Slughorn turned to look at them.

"Ah, Harry my boy. I was beginning to worry, brought someone with us, I see."

Ron looked as if he would rather be somewhere else.

"Ron Weasley, sir. But I'm dead awful at potions, a menace actually… so i'll just…"

"Nonsense my boy, we'll sort you out. Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine, get your books out."

Harry sounded a bit unsure as he spoke up.

"Uh sorry sir, I haven't actually got my book yet, nor has Ron."

"Not to worry, go get you one from the cupboard."

As the professor went back to lecturing and called on Hermione to identify the potions, Harry and Ron made their way to the cupboard and opened it. They looked at the only two books, one of them looked new and fresh, and the other old and tattered. With a challenging glance to one another they began to scuffle. Ron eventually came out victorious, snatching the new book. Harry swatted him with the tattered one and they joined the other students just in time for Hermione to get to the third potion.

"This one is amortentia. It is rumored to smell differently to each person, according to what most attracts them. For example I smell…"

Hermione took in the scent of the potion and gave a worried look to Bellatrix, who stood by Slughorn. The dark witch raised a brow, trying to keep a professional facade. But the curiosity in her eyes told Hermione that it was okay to say it.

"I smell...smoke and firewhiskey… and the lightest scent of cherries."

Bella let a slight smile show for a brief second and Draco rolled his eyes. Hermione took a few seconds to take her eyes away from Bella and rejoin the group. When she did, Slughorn began explaining the potion but Hermione couldn't hear him. Draco nudged her lightly and she looked at him.

"You alright?"

"Yeah Draco...it's going to be a rough year."

"Tell me about it… I thought everyone already hated me. I guess hate can get worse."

"Draco, I'm sorr-"

"None of this is your fault."

Hermione looked at him and nodded before turning her attention back to the professor, who was now holding a small clear vile.

"One tiny vile of liquid luck, for the student, who in the hour that remains, manages to brew an acceptable batch of Living Death...the recipe for which can be found on page ten in your books. I should tell you however, only once did a student produce a brew sufficient enough to claim this prize."

The students gave each other weird looks as he spoke but stayed quiet.

"Nevertheless, good luck to you all. Let the brewing commence."

After trying to brew the potion for a while and failing, Hermione looked up to see Harry one step ahead of her. She felt irritated as she watched him squeeze the liquid out of the Sopophorous bean.

"How did you do that?"

"Crush it, don't cut it."

"No, the directions specifically say to cut."

"No, really."

Hermione suspicious eyed the directions in her own book, making sure she wasn't reading anything wrong. As she read through the steps once more she felt a presence over her shoulder. She went stiff and tried to ignore the person behind her, but still jumped a bit at Bella's voice.

"You should listen to Harry… I don't see the harm in taking a few shortcuts."

Harry smiled as he stirred his potion.

"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment."

Hermione glared at her friend and gave her girlfriend a quick stern glance.

"No… the instructions say different. I'm going to do it the right way, Bella."

Bella shrugged.

"If you say so. But here's a small tip…"

Bella lent down a bit and whispered so that only the people at the table could hear if they wanted to listen.

"Do stop leaning over the cauldron. All that time you spent fixing your hair this morning will be for nothing. It's getting rather frizzy."

"I haven-"

She was cut off by Harry.

"Yes you have. You keep glaring at me then leaning over yours to look into it."

Hermione huffed as she looked at the book, feeling Bella squeeze her shoulder slightly before walking away to assist other students.

After the hour was up Hermione watched as Slughorn dropped a small leaf into Harry's batch. She let out a defeated sigh as the leaf disintegrated. Harry stood in front of the class with Slughorn and all of the students gathered around with irritated looks to watch the exchange. Slughorn held the small vile out to Harry.

"As promised, one vile of liquid luck. Use it well."

Harry took the vile and Hermione rolled her eyes in irritation but clapped for him anyways. After class was dismissed Draco and Hermione gathered their things. When Draco turned to look at Hermione he let out a snort that made hermione question him.

"What is it?"

"Nothing… I think I have a comb in my bag that you can use."

Hermione's face went red and she began to try to tame the frizzy mess of hair as she stormed out of the classroom, Leaving Draco and Bella alone. Draco looked at his aunt with a questioning look and she laughed lightly.

"She's the slightest bit irritated that Potter showed her up… and I made fun of her hair."

Draco shrugged and nodded before they both left the room and headed toward their dorms. As they walked silently down the corridors they heard a loud crash and turned to see Lavender brown pulling herself up against the wall. Her nose and mouth were covered with blood and her nose itself looked as if it was badly broken.

Bellatrix made her way over to help her but the girl shifted away with fear in her eyes.

"Get away from me!"

Bellatrix was about to try again when the girl jumped as an unknown spell hit the wall beside her head. Bellatrix turned to see Chandra heading straight for the girl, jerking her arm out of Luna's grip as she aimed her wand at Lavender.

Bella looked at Luna, who was covered in a slime of some sort and from what Bella could tell, she was crying. Bella looked at the girl cowering in a ball at her feet before Chandra stopped a few feet away.

"I should kill you, you worthless piece of shit!"

"Hey!"

Chandra's gaze snapped toward Bella, she hadn't even noticed she was there before. She stood there gritting her teeth as Bella spoke again.

"What is going on?"

"Do you not see what she did to her?!"

Bella looked at the crying Ravenclaw, she didn't really think of how the others' school life would change and how people would look at them until now. Luna had a few bruises on her shoulder, like she was hit, or something fell on her and the slime covered her completely. Some of the slime was even on Chandra's robe, where Luna had been grabbing her arm.

The dark witch looked at Lavender. And let out an irritated sigh.

"Lavender, is it? What happened to Luna. I would hate to have to go get professor McGonagall."

Lavender looked at Bella and spoke with a shaky, yet harsh tone. Blood sprayed from her mouth as she talked.

"She chose her side. She's one of them. And she acts like nothing is wrong with it! You people are wrong. And we're just meant to be okay with Deatheaters and traitors parading around… being involved with students… you lot are sick!"

Bellas blood boiled as she looked at the girl and Chandra raised her wand once more only for Bella to shove her arm down.

"No."

"Why! She only did this to Luna because she's afraid to do it to me!"

"I said no!"

Chandra glared at her for a moment before putting her wand away.

"They will get Hermione next…"

Bellatrix watched her as she led Luna away and tried to wipe the thick slime off of the girl's face. Bella offered her hand to Lavender.

"I'll take you to the Hospital wing."

"Don't you touch me!"

Bella looked at the girl and had to fight the urge to slap her. She pushed the thought to the back of her head and smiled.

"Very well. I'll let your head of house deal with you."

With that Bellatrix left Lavender sitting against the wall and made her way to professor McGonagall.

Bellatrix and Hermione's dorm

After Bella took care of the Lavender problem she went back to her dorm where she found everyone in her living area. The boys were talking to Chandra in a hushed tone and Hermione was trying to get the last of the slime out of Luna's long hair.

Hermione looked at Bella shortly before shaking her head and continuing what she was doing. Bella looked around to see that everyone had their eyes on her.

"What do you want me to do? I can't kill the girl!"

Harry sighed.

"Nobody wants you to kill her. I think everyone is just now noticing that we all became targets over the summer."

"How am I supposed to help with that?"

Chandra looked down as she crossed her arms. She spoke in a hushed worried tone.

"I made an unbreakable vow with you. But I can't keep Hermione out of harm's way if you aren't willing to help Luna."

Hermione looked up at her cousin.

"You two did what?!"

"I'll tell you later, or Bella will...just please not now."

Hermione gave them both a glare before turning her attention back to Luna. Bella threw her hand up as she sat in one of the armchairs.

"The position that McGonagall has me in prevents me from doing anything to the students. And with me being who I am, the students will blow anything not witnessed by someone way out of proportion."

The group gave each other worried looks. The room was filled with crippling silence before Draco spoke up.

"Well, I guess if no one trusts us and your hands are tied because of professor McGonagall...we're all gonna have to watch each other's backs."

The others nodded in agreement all except for Bella who just laid her head back on the chair. Chandra walked over to Luna and grazed her fingertips over the now black and blue marks on her shoulder.

"Well I hope everyone keeps that little promise up, because I'll end up killing these little fuckers."

Harry looked over to chandra.

"They targeted her because she is the friendliest and most quiet. Luna probably didn't even suspect anything...did you Luna…"

Luna shook her head softly before looking to the floor. Chandra sat by her and held her hand as Hermione continued picking the last few bits out of her hair.