Days crawled by, without a word from Bellatrix leaving everyone anxious and worried. Hermione took to isolating herself from her family, anger and frustration boiling up in her blood.
Back at the manor she stayed in her room, ignoring all attempts made by her aunt and cousin. She lounged on her bed, her thoughts twisting against her, leaving her on the edge of breaking down.
Late in the afternoon, a week after her mother's sudden surrender Hermione left the confinement of her rooms to explore the library. The one room she had come to hate, associated with her mother's near death at the hands of her merciless master.
"Can not keep up with this.." Hermione grimaced at her aunt's defeated tone.
Creeping her way along the wall, she watched the quiet conversation between Narcissa and Andromeda, neither aware of her presence.
"You give the ministry to much credit sister, knowing them as I do they will eventually give up."
Not happy with their lack of concern for Bellatrix, she stepped away from the shadows, her eyes staying firmly away from the fireplace, solely focused on her two aunts.
"Surely you aren't going to just sit here, mom needs our help," Hermione spoke up, alerting the two women to her presence.
Andromeda turned sharply, raising a brow at her. "How long have you been lurking around?."
She shrugged noncommittally.
"My sister has made her choice, leave it alone" Narcissa replied, her tone angry and full of authority pausing Hermione in her frustrated retort. "You will only make it worse. Do be a good little girl and run along while the adults talk."
Hermione huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms in defiance. "Why are you giving up? Mom needs us."
She wasn't sure what the older black noticed but her shift in behaviour made her weary. Frustration bubbling up again as she realised she was without her wand, left on her bed.
"Stop Narcissa before you say something you're regret later" Andromeda pleaded with her sister, standing between the blonde and brunette.
Narcissa brushed her off, turning her full glare upon Hermione. "If my sister never found you she wouldn't of surrendered."
She wasn't expecting that, the accusation punching a hole through her chest. Hermione bit back her tears, refusing to show weakness, refusing to show the woman she had come to care for that her words deeply effected her.
"Bellatrix I know wouldn't of turned her back on her lord, especially not for a child that doesn't know her place." She left off this is all your fault but Hermione heard it plain and simple.
"I know where I'm not wanted." Spinning around Hermione moved towards the library doors.
"Too late for that."
"You think I wanted any of this.. You think I wanted to found my whole entire life was a lie.. My friends leaving me.. Stuck in a over portentous manor full of the enemy." Hermione screamed back, her eyes flashing dangerously, her fists clenched painfully at her sides "my mother being the notorious right hand of Voldemort, the same woman that tortured my friends parents, relished in the deaths of innocence and all for a psychopath hell bent on destroying our world."
Andromeda grimaced, pulling out her wand as she stepped again in between the two women, using her body as a shield incase either starting to throw curses.
"I never wanted this and I certainly didn't want to come to love you." Hermione's eyes widened at her declaration, her hand flying to her mouth. Without waiting for a response she ran from the room, through the labyrinth of corridors till she reached the manors doors.
She halted at the door, unsure on where to go. Whether she liked it or not she had no where else to go but here. Not caring she bolted out the doors as she heard the hurried footsteps behind her, not paying any attention she ran smack bam into the solid form lurking by the fountain.
"Hermione?."
As if her day couldn't get any worse.