Thank you all so so so so sooooo much for sticking with this story. I am very sorry that I have left it so long between updates, it has just felt like I painted myself into a corner with this chapter and I really couldn't get it together. For those who have been waiting all this time, this chapter is the longest yet. So hopefully that makes up for it a little and please rest assured that I have not abandoned the story.
I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or locations, all credit to J.K!
Hermione looked down at the tartan rug beneath her feet, it was exactly the same one that graced the floor of Minerva Mcgonagall's office in her own time. Granted she remembered it being a little more threadbare and the colours looking distinctly less vibrant but the passage of thirty years will do that, still it felt comfortingly familiar to see it there. Often times when she was in the library or enjoying a quiet moment by the Black lake she would find herself forgetting all together that she had been displaced. She would forget that she wasn't in her own time because everything looked so similar, everything felt just like it always had. Then she would see a professor that she didn't recognise or Bellatrix would find her and it would all come rushing back to her. She felt like she was constantly losing her equilibrium, like her mind was in a perpetual state of disorder. This feeling only intensified when she thought about the relationship she now found herself in, if she could call it that. She didn't really know what she and Bellatrix were, they kissed… a lot and they spent all of their spare time together but they hadn't put a label on anything. Why did she need to have a label on anything though? That would only make it all more real, she would have to deal with the things she was forcing to the back of her mind every day. Did she want to be more than whatever they were right now anyway? When Bellatrix wasn't around she would sometimes get this tightening in her chest and she would start to panic at the thought of how close she was letting the girl get to her. And her mind would question what exactly it made her if she was prepared to be something more with someone who would go on to do the most despicable and disgusting things? Despite her efforts to silence the little voice in the back of her mind it still managed to whisper 'but you could change that'. She had become so lost in her thoughts that Hermione almost jumped out of her skin when something solid bumped into her temple. She looked around to see a cup and saucer filled with steaming tea floating right next to her face.
"Shortbread?" Professor Mcgonagall asked with a smirk.
"Yes please." Hermione replied as she plucked the cup out of the air and smiled as a Scotty dog shaped shortbread slid its way delicately onto her saucer. "Thank you Professor."
"Now you don't need to look so worried Miss Granger. I asked you here for a social call, not to tell you off. " Mcgonagall said lightly as she slid into the chair on the opposite side of her desk and sighed as she settled back into it. "The Christmas holidays are approaching, as I am sure you have noted, and I wanted to discuss your plans."
Hermione hastily chewed on the piece of shortbread in her mouth, the older woman had paused as if she expected some input from her but she was unsure what she could really say. Mcgonagall knew she had no family to go to and she didn't think she would be allowed to just disappear off somewhere into 1969 all on her own. "My plans?"
"This is a little unethical, but I am going to propose it none-the-less…we are family after all." Mcgonagall paused and Hermione noticed how the professor ran her pointer finger and thumb around the rim of her tea cup almost as if she was nervous. Her stern grey eyes observed the contents of her cup for a few moments before she shook her head a little and swallowed before continuing. "I have a, rarely used, cottage off the coast of Caithness in the Scottish Highlands. I wondered if you would like to spend a weekend there with me over the holidays?"
Hermione was taken aback by the offer, one because of its unexpectedness and two because she had never thought of Mcgonagall having a home other than Hogwarts before. In all of the conversations she'd had with the older woman she had never mentioned this cottage before. But then that didn't really surprise her, Minerva had always been an incredible private woman, she never spoke of her family or her childhood or her past at all. Hermione had always got the impression that the world had hurt Mcgonagall somehow, that it hadn't treated her fairly and so she had built these walls to ensure that she could not be hurt again. But this Minerva seemed more open, still strict in the classroom, but more relaxed at other times. She didn't seem quite so battle worn or quite as hardened as the woman Hermione knew. It made her heart clench painfully in her chest and tears spring to her eyes as she thought of what the future had in store for the woman she had grown to love in her own time. "You don't have to do that."
Minerva put down her cup and saucer carefully to one side before leaning earnestly across the desk towards her companion. "I know I don't have to Hermione, I want to."
Hermione set down her cup too and self-consciously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She was conflicted; she had started to feel a little bit stifled in the castle and would love an opportunity to be somewhere further away than just Hogsmeade. But would being alone with Minerva for a weekend be awkward? Her mind whirled for a second before a realisation dawned on her, this was not the sixty odd year old Professor that she knew. This was a thirty four year old woman, a woman barely older that Bill Weasley, surely they could find something in common. "It would break up the monotony of the castle a little bit."
"Good, I know how lonely Hogwarts can be at times." Minerva beamed as she reached across the desk and squeezed Hermione's hand briefly. She observed the bushy haired witch with her perceptive grey eyes for a second, her brow furrowed before a smirk broke out across her face. "Albus was correct. You really do think incredibly loudly."
Hermione chuckled lightly and rubbed her fingers over her eyelids in an attempt to try and rid some of the constant pressure inside her head. "The habit of a lifetime I'm afraid."
"Not necessarily a bad one." Minerva replied as she tilted her head to try and catch Hermione's eyes again. "Is there something you need to share Miss Granger?"
"Well… I suppose I..." Hermione stuttered, she laughed internally because there were a thousand things she actually wanted to get off her chest so to choose just one seemed impossible. Plus none of her teenage angst seemed important enough to burden the busy professor with. "No, there's nothing that I need to share."
"Allow me to rephrase that question." Minerva said as she stood up from her chair and walked around the desk, she stopped in front of the younger witch before perching delicately on the corner of the wooden surface. "Is there something you would like to talk about Hermione?"
Hermione took a deep breath and leant back into the chair, yes there were many things she wanted to talk about; the future, her future, Bellatrix, her classes. It was which one she should bother to bring up, which would Mcgonagall be able to actually help her with. "Professor Dumbledore said something to me a few weeks ago and I have to admit it has been playing on my mind."
"Yes, he has a way of planting a seed of something and giving it enough space to grow." Mcgonagall said with a good-natured roll of her eyes as she crossed her arms across her chest and settled in to listen to Hermione's woes. "What is it that he said to you?"
"He said that he didn't think me coming here was an accident, that maybe it was always meant to happen." Hermione rushed out, almost in just one breath, she felt ridiculous now she was starting to put voice to this particular worry. Dumbledore's comments sounded like fantasy, it seemed like a fairy tale to imagine that she was always meant to be here. That perhaps she was always meant to be here with Bellatrix.
"Let me guess." Mcgonagall chuckled softly and raised an eyebrow at the slightly blushing younger girl. "He spoke of destiny."
Hermione's head snapped up incredulously, she was used to Dumbledore's ability to apparently read minds but not Mcgonagall's. "How did you…"
"I have been on the receiving end of many of Albus' discussions about destiny." Mcgonagall cut in as she leant across her desk to reach the tin of biscuits she had discarded earlier and plucked one out. "So what is it that he believes you are destined to do?"
"He believes I've been here before, that I'm stuck in a loop where I come back and… fix something every time that I do." Hermione felt the flush of anger rise within her as she thought about the unfairness of it all. Why did it have to be her that ended up here? Why couldn't it just have been someone else for once? Why was she always the one with all of the responsibility? She swallowed hard and attempted to control her voice before she spoke again. "Which seems about right, fixing everyone else's messes seems to be my role in life."
Mcgonagall chewed pensively on her shortbread for a few moments, affording Hermione the time she needed to calm down. She could tell as soon as she spoke to the young girl for the first time that she had clearly experienced a lot in her life, she seemed so much older than her years. "How so?"
"I've never spoken to anybody about this… but before I was born my parents lost a child, they were heartbroken naturally. All of their hopes gone and they could do nothing about it, they always said that when I came along I fixed some of that hurt. When I was three my Grandfather was in a car accident and he broke his pelvis, he had an operation to fix it but he was in pain all of the time. It affected his outlook on life, he was angry a lot of the time but my Grandma said that I could always fix his mood." Hermione took a shuddery breath and picked at the skin around her thumb nail so she didn't have to look at Mcgonagall. She didn't know what she would hope to see on the woman's features, she didn't know if she wanted sympathy or to be told to snap herself out of it. "Then when I began at Hogwarts I made friends with two insufferable, irritating…. incredible boys and spent seven years fixing everything for them. Harry's glasses, Ron's robes, Harry's transfiguration essays, Ron's potions homework, their blundered spell work or the stupid situations they constantly got themselves into. And then somehow I got roped into fixing the entire bloody wizarding world. I thought I was done. I thought it was finally someone else's turn to fix things. The life I left behind was such a mess, I thought that maybe somebody might finally come along and start to fix things for me instead."
Mcgonagall leant forward and squeezed Hermione's shoulder reassuringly; she hoped that it would show the girl that she understood. She understood what it was like to feel pressured to appear a certain way, as a child her mother had pressured her to hide her magical abilities from her father. She had felt pressured by her professors to perform and be the best, she had felt pressured to give up part of her identity to marry Dougal, she had felt pressured in her first job to think a certain way. Everybody wanted her to be something she was not; thankfully she had always had the strength of character to be true to herself. So she could relate to the way Hermione was feeling, but that was a conversation for another time, this was not about her. "What is it that Albus believes you should be fixing this time?"
"Bellatrix." Hermione answered simply as she finally looked back up at the older woman, the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.
"And what exactly is wrong with Miss Black?" Minerva asked sceptically, shaking her head a little bit in what seemed like despair. "She seems… distant and disenchanted with the world at times yes, but that is not too dissimilar to many girls her age. I have known many much worse."
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with Bellatrix, granted she is brash, pig-headed and infuriatingly stubborn at times. All that aside though she is also intelligent, caring and…well quite brilliant really. But I don't think it's about helping her now, it's about the future." Hermione revealed as she slumped back into her chair, this whole topic just exhausted her. These thoughts were constantly whirling around and around in her mind. Questions no one could really ever answer were constantly on the tip of her tongue. "Bellatrix becomes a deplorable and terrifying human being, so different from the person she is now. And Professor Dumbledore hopes I can stop that somehow."
Minerva looked over her glasses at Hermione, scrutinising the girl and her defeated posture. There was still something she was leaving out. "You don't want to stop her from becoming that?"
"Of course I do, selfishly I would love her to stay this person that I know now and care about so deeply." Hermione said passionately; her mind instantly conjuring up the image of Bellatrix stooped over a book, her slender finger tracing over the page, her eyes alight with enthusiasm as she discovered something new. "But that's just it; I would be doing it for me or for the damned greater good. Would it really be for her? I'm not prepared to be the one to take her right to choose away."
"Quite right Miss Granger." Minerva agreed with a stern nod as she crossed her arms over her chest. "The future for the three Black sisters has been pre-ordained from birth; carry on the family tradition of 'Toujour Pur', nothing more and nothing less. I can see why you would be conflicted about taking more of Bellatrix's choices away from her. And I think it would be a fool's errand to try and fight against her loyalty, she may not agree with her family's way of thinking but she is a Black through and through."
"So you agree with me?" Hermione asked, sounding almost hopeful in her desperation. If Minerva agreed with her thinking then it meant she was making the right decision. She had been so torn about which route made her the most selfish, if she went with her heart she or her head it seemed like she would be making the wrong choice. "I should let Bellatrix choose her own path?"
"Yes, although do keep in mind that Bellatrix does already seem to have chosen you." Minerva confirmed with a sure tone, she peered at the girl for a few moments over her spectacles again. "And Hermione about what you said earlier. I saw how alone and lost you seemed when you first arrived here but that seems to have gone away as of late. I can't help but suspect that Miss Black has had a lot to do with that. Perhaps destiny really did give you the fix you were looking for, it just delivered it in the most unconventional package."
"Are you going to be alright on your own?" Bellatrix asked quietly as she subtly cupped Hermione's cheek for a second. They were on the platform in Hogsmeade, the Black sisters were waiting to board the Hogwarts Express. It was still early so the platform was rather empty for the time being, meaning they could be a little less cautious than usual. It wasn't like they were trying to hide their relationship but they weren't shouting it from the rooftops either. For one it was their business and for two Bellatrix was acutely aware of how many children of her father's associates attended Hogwarts and she didn't want the news getting back to him just yet. Not that he would really care, he had always been glad of her preference for women, it meant that 'she remained unsullied' in his bigoted mind. No, she wanted to keep Hermione away from him because the girl was just too pure to be polluted by her Father's bullshit.
"Of course I'll be alright, I'm spending some time with Professor Mcgonagall remember so I won't be so alone." Hermione laughed endearingly as she brushed her fingers against Bellatrix's lightly, enjoying the thrill that always came with being in contact with the girl's skin. She saw how the darker girl's eyebrows pulled together a little at her words and knew she had been hoping to hear something else, even if she would never admit it. "I'm still going to miss you so much though."
"Eurgh…I can't believe I have spent the last few years mocking my sisters for pining over their boyfriends during school holidays and now I'm about to spend this Christmas doing exactly the same." Bellatrix pouted adorably as she took a step closer to the bushy haired witch, the girl's vanilla scent invading her senses immediately.
"Oh you have a boyfriend?" Hermione smirked as she stepped closer to Bellatrix, their chests now only inches apart.
"Shut up." Bellatrix rolled her eyes good naturedly as she reached up to gently tuck a lock of hair behind Hermione's ear.
Hermione slipped her hand onto the Slytherin's waist to pull her closer. "No really, I had no idea."
"Even when you're being annoying I don't want to leave you." Bellatrix whispered as she leant in to capture Hermione's lips.
"Woah there!" Andromeda called from a few feet away, the girls jumped apart before their lips could touch. Bellatrix glared and Hermione looked sheepishly at the younger girl who was smirking like a Cheshire Cat and covering Narcissa's eyes with her hand dramatically. "There are children around."
Narcissa huffed, dragged Andie's hand away from her eyes unceremoniously and slapped it away from her face. "I am not a child Andromeda."
"Last time I checked you were fourteen." Andromeda drawled, her tone causing Narcissa's jaw to clench and her nostrils to flare. "I hadn't realised that made you an adult."
Narcissa closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths in a practiced manner before she schooled her features back to their normal haughty expression. "I'm a young lady now."
"Oh I am sorry your highness." Andie mocked and pretended to bow to the younger blonde.
"Why do you always have to be such a… such a cow." Narcissa spat with as much venom as she could muster causing Andromeda to snort out a laugh and Bellatrix to stifle a smile.
Andromeda opened her mouth to ridicule her little sister for her ridiculous insult but was cut off by a barked command from Bellatrix. "Andie, stop."
Andromeda turned a murderous gaze on her big sister and spluttered a little in disbelief. "Since when are you on her side?"
"Since we have to spend 7 hours on a train with her today and I don't want her in a foul mood." Bellatrix replied with a raise of her eyebrow at Andromeda, effectively silencing the girl. She turned her attention to Narcissa. "Cissy say goodbye to Hermione and then I'll give you a hand on to the train with your trunk."
Narcissa nodded at her oldest sister's request, she fixed a somewhat forced smile upon her face and stuck her hand out to shake the bushy haired witch's formally. "Goodbye Hermione, I hope you have a lovely Christmas."
Hermione smiled a little awkwardly and reached out tentatively to shake Narcissa's hand, she couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. She'd had very few interactions with the youngest Black sister, even at this young age the girl seemed cold. Granted she wasn't quite the ice queen that Narcissa Malfoy would become but still she could see the beginnings of it. "Bye Narcissa, have a good Christmas."
Bellatrix waved her wand at Narcissa's trunk and it began to float a few inches above the ground, the blonde girl trotted over to her and looped her arm through her sisters. The black haired witch shook her head good naturedly but walked towards the train with her little sister attached to her side, helping her up the high steps and into the carriage.
"It's ok Bella, I don't need help with my trunk." Andromeda called after her sister sarcastically, earning herself a swift middle finger through the window from Bellatrix.
"Do you three ever stop bickering?" Hermione asked with a laugh, no matter how many times she saw Andromeda and Bellatrix interacting it never ceased to amaze her how close the sisters were. She couldn't imagine how these two girls could become enemies or how they could end up having no contact at all for decades.
"No not really." Andromeda winked at Hermione in the easy way that she always did and smirked in that way that was so similar to Bellatrix. "So how much are you going to miss me?"
Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn't help her smile as she replied mockingly. "Oh, more than life honestly."
"I knew I was your favourite." Andromeda shrieked dramatically as she threw her arms around Hermione's neck.
"Am I really that obvious?" Hermione asked, keeping up the joke as she circled her arms around Andromeda's back in return.
Andromeda nodded her head and grinned. "Totally transparent."
"I really am going to miss you though Andie." Hermione said suddenly serious, she was struck again by the depth of the friendship she had established with Andromeda. The girl brought a certain light to what could have been one of the darkest times of her life; alongside Bellatrix she almost made it all worth it. "It's easy to be around you."
"That's sweet Hermione." Andromeda replied, she pulled the bushy haired witch into a real hug and held her close for a few moments. "I'm going to miss you too."
"Well well well, if it isn't my favourite couple." A snide voice drawled from over Andromeda's shoulder, the two girl's broke apart slowly and turned to watch Lucius swagger towards them.
"Don't you just have a knack for ruining our lovely moments?" Hermione said with a heavy sigh, her light mood considerably darkened by the appearance of the blond Slytherin.
"I can't help it if you two repeatedly kiss in public places." Lucius smarmed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Not that I'm complaining, it is not the worst of sights I can assure you."
Andromeda groaned and cast an exasperated look at her future brother-in-law. "Exactly how much of your time do you spend creeping around hoping to catch us kissing?"
"Not that much." Lucius laughed, his features set into a superior expression, the same one Hermione had seen on his face many times in her own time. "Your sister fills quite a bit of my time."
"Disgusting." Andromeda balked, she crossed her arms too and allowed the repulsion she felt for Lucius to roll off her in waves. "She's fourteen, which is underage in case you'd missed that fact."
"You want to talk to me about being disgusting?" Lucius spat his taunting tone entirely gone now. He took a step towards Andromeda, invading her personal space; the action caused Hermione's hand to twitch towards her wand. But she held herself back; she didn't want a repeat of the Draco incident that had brought her here. "How do you think your father would feel if he heard about your little relationship?"
"You spend a lot of time talking about my father Lucius." Bellatrix laughed as she walked over to the trio that had gathered and barged the boy's shoulder to move him away from her sister. She stood face to face with the boy who visibly withered at her presence. "Are you sure it isn't him that you fancy? Perhaps I should warn Narcissa."
"D.. don't be ridiculous." Lucius replied a little hesitantly as he rushed over to collect the trunk he had abandoned, all of his previous swagger gone. He turned to look at Bellatrix, he couldn't meet her eyes but he attempted to seem composed. "Where is Narcissa anyway?"
"I just got her settled in a carriage at the very front of the train." Bellatrix smiled in a sickly sweet kind of way and Lucius scuttled away towards the front of the train. He snarled at a few first years that got in his way, the group parted to let him through but as soon as he was past them they all began laughing. "If only his reputation was as big as his opinion of himself."
"You didn't take Narcissa to the front of the train, you took her to the back." Hermione pointed out with her eyes narrowed suspiciously at Bellatrix.
"Ooops." Bellatrix shrugged, the corner of her lip pulling up into a mischievous smirk that made Hermione's cheeks darken a shade. They stepped toward each other again as if they were a pair of magnets that were drawn together whenever they were near. Bellatrix reached out for Hermione's hand, entwining their fingers together gently.
"Well I'm going to stop third wheeling." Andromeda called, feigning awkwardness as she saw the way her sister and her friend were looking at each other. "Have a lovely Christmas Hermione, I'll see you in January."
"Have a good Christmas Andie." Hermione smiled as she accepted the kiss to the cheek that Andromeda offered before the girl set off towards the train with her trunk floating next to her.
"I should get on the train too." Bellatrix said reluctantly as she looked up at Hermione from under her eyelashes. She stepped forward until she was invading Hermione's personal space but wasn't touching her. "But I really, really don't want to."
"I really, really don't want you to either." Hermione whispered as she slipped her wand out of her sleeve and flicked it. She subtly cast a silent disillusionment charm over them so they could disappear from view for a just a few moments. Before Bellatrix vanished she grabbed the girl by the collar and dragged her towards her, crashing their lips together. It was harsh and desperate, as if both girls were trying to get their entire two weeks' worth of encounters out of this one kiss. Hermione sucked Bellatrix's bottom into her mouth and was rewarded with a low groan from the other girl.
The Slytherin slipped her hands into bushy hair and tugged sharply knowing how much the other girl enjoyed it and how much it usually distracted her. When Hermione gasped she took her opportunity and slid their tongues together. She felt Hermione untangle one of her fists from the front of her robes and slide it down and around her waist, pulling their bodies flush together. She was sure that the feeling of kissing this girl would never get old, that she would never get used to how good it felt to have her body pressed against her. Bellatrix didn't ever want to let her go but slowed the kiss down reluctantly when she felt the tell-tale tickle of the disillusionment charm wearing off, nipping at Hermione's lip as she did. "I'll write to you." Bellatrix whispered as she attempted to catch her breath, pushing their foreheads together to keep them close for a few seconds longer. "Everyday."
"You better had." Hermione replied as she pecked Bellatrix's lips chastely now that they were unfortunately visible again. She stepped back out of the Slytherin's embrace and breathed out a shaky sigh, she hadn't expected it to be this hard to leave the girl. She watched as Bellatrix swallowed thickly and knew she was finding this as difficult as she was. She decided it was best to just rip off the plaster, get it over and done with rather than draw it out. "Bella, you need to get on the train."
Bellatrix nodded and waved her wand at her trunk ready to direct it towards the train; she reached out and squeezed the bushy haired witch's hand softly. "Bye Hermione."
"Bye Bella." Hermione muttered sadly, she couldn't stand to watch the girl walk away so she turned her back on Bellatrix's retreating form. With a heavy feeling in her chest she headed towards where Professor Mcgonagall was waiting for her at the top of the stairs that led from the castle to the platform.
Mcgonagall watched as Hermione approached with her forlorn expression, she looked down at the girl with a subtle smirk upon her lips as she settled next to her. "That was some impressive spell work Miss Ross."
"Thank you Professor." Hermione muttered, she felt the blush creep up her neck and she refused to make eye contact with the older woman instead letting her eyes dance over the platform below.
"Are you ready to leave?" Minerva asked after a few moments of watching the students file onto the Hogwarts Express.
Hermione sighed as she allowed her eyes to scan the carriage windows at the back of the train hoping to see a flash of pale skin and black hair. But the sun was hitting the glass at the wrong angle stopping her from seeing into the train at all. "Yes, I just need to go and get my bag."
"I have already had it sent ahead with a house elf. I hope you don't mind." Minerva smiled as she held out her arm for Hermione to grasp. The bushy haired witch just shook her head solemnly not even having the energy to care about the use of a house elf. She gripped onto the professor's wrist and allowed her to pull her along into apparition.
They popped into existence again on a snow covered stony beach, just outside the perimeter of a crooked little cottage. It had white washed walls, a thatched roof and a deep maroon front door sporting a lion's head knocker. The dwelling was nestled into a rugged cove, set back from the wild waves and protected by a low dry stone wall. It could almost look uninviting if it wasn't for the plumes of smoke that billowed from the chimney in the roof, suggesting the welcoming warmth they would find once inside. Hermione closed her eyes and breathed in the sea breeze, the bitter air burned her nostrils and she could taste the salt in the back of her throat. Her world had been so small for so long now, trapped inside the castle, that it seemed almost surreal to be out here in the real world. She could hear the gulls in the distance, smell the conifers that littered the mountain tops and feel the sting of the frigid air on her cheeks. She felt like a caged bird that had just been freed as she stood on that little shale beach, she spread her arms out to the side to feel the wind whistle between her fingers. It reminded her of holding her hand out of the car window as a child imagining she was flying and a small smile slipped onto her lips.
Minerva cleared her throat, pulling Hermione from her moment and inclined her head in the direction of her home, a silent invitation. The pair began walking towards the little gate that led into the property, as they got nearer to the cottage a true smile bloomed across Hermione's face. Pushed into the flowerbed that lined the path to the front door were little light up candy canes that twinkled merrily in the crisp white snow. Minerva caught her expression which she met with a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes, but the younger girl noticed the smile that was fighting at the corner of her lips. "They were not my idea."
The older witch waved her wand at the front door and it swung open with a creek and the two women observed the living room with identical horrified expressions. In one corner of the room stood a monstrous Christmas tree that was at least a foot and a half too tall for the room. The top of it curled along the ceiling, its upper branches fanning out as if it was attempting to make its escape from its cramped surroundings. Every inch of it was covered in the most horrendously mismatched decorations all in varying shades of red, gold, blue and silver. The entire roof had been messily swagged with criss-crossing lengths of tinsel in every colour imaginable and lights had been strung around the fireplace and both of the windows. Random ornaments had been hung from any part of the living room that it was possible to hang them from. It looked like someone had taken a box of Christmas decorations and simply thrown it into the air with a hope for the best. There was not an inch of the room that wasn't decorated; even the cushions on the small couch were sporting snowflakes.
"Well this is… festive." Hermione said carefully as they stepped cautiously into the house and closed the door behind them to keep in the heat.
Minerva growled something unintelligible as she slowly turned on the spot observing the whole room with a deep frown. When she had adequately taken in the monstrosity that was her living room she took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I knew I shouldn't have told her we were coming."
"You didn't do this?" Hermione asked quietly, a hint of hope in her voice. Seeing the sheer amount of decorations had made her question the woman's sanity just a little.
"No, I most certainly did not." Minerva snapped, the outraged expression on her face forcing Hermione to stifle a laugh. "It must have been Aggi."
Before Hermione even had a chance to ask who Aggi was a little house elf popped into being in front of her eyes. Immediately she could tell that this wasn't any normal house elf. The creature didn't look twitchy and nervous like most of her kind; she looked composed although a little eager. And she was wearing a neat tartan skirt paired with a tiny Christmas jumper with Rudolph's face on the front.
"Hello, Mistress Minerva." The little elf greeted in her high pitched voice, she looked as if she just about fought the urge to bow to the witch, she then turned her large purple eyes on Hermione. "And you must be Mistress Hermione; it is so lovely to have a guest."
"Hello Aggi, it's a pleasure to meet you." Hermione smiled as she stooped down to gently shake the little elf's long fingered hand. "But please just call me Hermione, the mistress part really isn't necessary."
"You're fighting a losing battle there I'm afraid, I've been asking her for years to drop the mistress, to no avail." Mcgonagall laughed a little as she dropped onto one knee and opened her arms, Aggi stepped forward somewhat sheepishly and embraced the witch like an old friend. "And am I to assume that you are responsible for the decorations in here?"
"Yes." Aggi beamed up proudly at the two witches as Minerva stood back up and looked around again at the room in despair. "Do you like it?"
"Well it's a little…" Minerva began, she was clearly torn between being honest with the little creature and sparing her feelings.
"Beautiful." Hermione cut in with the warmest smile she could muster, she couldn't stand the thought of disappointing the sweet elf after she had gone to so much effort just for her. "Thank you so much for going to so much trouble."
Aggi let out an excited little squeak and bounced on the spot. "I usually only use Gryffindor colours, but after I found out you were a Ravenclaw I bought some blue and silver decorations."
"That's very sweet Aggi." Minerva said with a sigh, evidently deciding to not push the issue of how truly awful the room actually looked. "Now is there any chance of some tea? My fingers are frozen stiff."
"Of course Mistress Minerva." Aggi replied as she hastily disappeared from the room with a loud crack.
Mcgonagall nodded her head towards the couch, inviting Hermione to sit down. "That was very kind of you, to be so sweet to Aggi."
"Everyone deserves respect." Hermione said passionately as she made herself comfortable on the soft couch. "Although I have to admit, I didn't expect you to own a house elf."
"Well I don't really." Minerva defended, she sunk back into the arm chair with a familiar smile. "I inherited her from a dear friend. I instantly freed her from servitude naturally, but it wasn't what she wanted. She felt useless and without purpose when she didn't have tasks to do and a house to tend, she was miserable at Hogwarts. I couldn't stand to see her that way so I bought this little cottage, that way she would have something to take care of."
"That's amazing. That you would do that for her is just incredible." Hermione beamed, her respect for the older woman growing ten-fold. She couldn't help but wonder if the Minerva of her own time still owned this cottage and if Aggi was still around.
Minerva picked invisible lint off her robes and avoided Hermione's eyes. "Well she is some of the only family that I have."
Hermione felt a sudden kinship for the woman sat across from her, they were both lonely in their own ways. Both were stuck without any real family to turn to. Both were trying to carve a place for themselves in a world that had treated them unfairly. Neither of them truly fitted in with the people that were around them. "I guess I'm part of this strange little family now."
Aggi reappeared in the middle of the room with a beaming smile on her face and three steaming cups of tea floating in front of her. One made its way to Hermione, the second to Minerva and the third settled itself on the little side table next to the couch. The little elf rushed over to the couch and scrambled into the space next to Hermione, her face alive with joy as she picked up her tea cup and sipped from it happily.
Minerva chuckled gently as she sipped her own tea. "And what an odd little bunch we make."
"Odd can still be good." Hermione said as she smiled contentedly, for the first time since she arrived in 1969 she actually felt like she was home.
"It certainly can be Hermione." Minerva said carefully as she placed her head back against the seat cushion and closed her eyes serenely.
It was a few days after Christmas and Hermione had spent the last couple of hours in the library reading up on a particularly complicated branch of human transfiguration. Mcgonagall had mentioned while they were at the cottage together that this is what they would be moving on to study once the new term began. She told herself that she had spent the afternoon studying because she wanted to get ahead but she knew deep down she was really doing it to keep her mind off a certain black haired witch. It had worked for a little while; up until Bella's beautiful eagle owl had begun wrapping insistently on the library window clutching a letter. True to her word the Slytherin had written to her every day, and it made Hermione's heart swell with an emotion she didn't have a name for yet. Currently she stood before the enchanted door knocker that marked the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room with said letter held tightly in her grasp, she always liked to read them in private. She reached up with her free hand and brushed her fingers lazily over its brass surface, the eagle shook its head looking as if it was attempting to clear the last remnants of sleep from its brain. Then it began to speak in its usual croaky voice, "I'm looking for five items of an everyday source all of which can be found in a tennis court."
Hermione thought over the knocker's words for a few moments, trying to assess the riddle from a variety of angles. First she thought about actual items, but no items that would be considered everyday would be found on a tennis court. Next she tried something a little more abstract and considered the surface of the tennis court and the shapes the lines created, again nothing came to mind. Then she began thinking about the words of the riddle itself, and suddenly it all clicked, maybe she should have been in Ravenclaw after all. "Vowels." She finally announced to the knocker. "All of the vowels are in the words 'a tennis court' and we use them every day."
The eagle nodded subtly and began to close its eyes again as the door swung open slowly to allow Hermione to wander through. The common room was empty; this wasn't a surprise as it was only her and four other Ravenclaws who had chosen to stay over the Christmas holidays. She debated staying in the common room to read Bellatrix's letter considering it was so quiet for a change, but she couldn't bring herself to sit down. She always found the tower too quiet and too open, the room's domed ceiling made her feel too exposed, it was just too unlike the Gryffindor common room for her liking. So instead Hermione started a slow tromp up the stairs to her bedroom, she pushed the door to her dorm open and sighed at the comfortingly familiar smell. Although she felt out of place in many parts of the castle she had been able to create a sanctuary in her room, her dorm mates were quiet and kept to themselves which suited her down to the ground, she was happy here.
"I was wondering how long I was going to have to wait for you." A familiar yet unexpected voice spoke from the direction of her bed.
Hermione jumped and whipped around to face the source of the noise, there sprawled out on her bed in all of her glory was a grinning Bellatrix. She thought for a second that the girl was a mirage. She had been dreaming about her so much lately that this could well be just another time that she would wake up lonely and disappointed in her bed. But something felt different, everything was too normal for it to be a dream and the smell of the girl's perfume had begun to invade her senses in a way that filled her with a tentative hope. "Bella, what are you doing here?"
"Surprising you… obviously." Bellatrix mocked, her smirk turning into a warm smile as she rose from the bed and gathered a still stunned Hermione into her arms. She pulled her close and buried her nose into her bushy hair inhaling her reassuring scent and revelling in the feeling of Hermione's hands creeping up her back and returning her embrace.
"Bella." Hermione whispered the girl's name like a gentle prayer as she pulled away from the darker haired witch just a little so her eyes could dance over every inch of the girl's face. She couldn't believe that she was really here, that she really had her in her arms, she had been craving this moment since the second the Hogwarts Express had pulled away. "I've missed you so much."
Bellatrix leant forward and captured Hermione's lips, they moved together for a few moments as the darker witch subtly tried to lull the other girl into submission. When the bushy haired witch sighed into the kiss she couldn't help but smile in victory at the reaction she was always able to elicit. She dragged her lips across Hermione's cheek and began to kiss along her jawline, moving down to nip at her throat before soothing the sting with her warm tongue. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."
Hermione groaned and somewhere in the back of her mind she heard the letter she had just been holding hit the floor, completely disregarded now she had the real thing. She had never felt like this before when someone kissed her. No matter how amazing the kiss was she wanted more, needed more. She had never craved somebody this way, she wanted to feel Bella's hands on her skin her lips on other parts of her body. And now after being without Bellatrix for so long she was finally prepared to ask for what she wanted. "Show me. Show me how much you missed me." She felt the Slytherin bite down more fiercely at her throat in response to her huskily whispered plea. She knew it would mark but covering up the evidence of Bellatrix's passion had become a bit of a kink for her. She wove her fingers into dark locks and began to push the girl backwards towards the bed, she used her hold on Bellatrix's hair to pull her lips away from her neck and into another searing kiss. Their tongues met instantly and the usual fight for dominance ensued, but Hermione was not about to let her win this time. She sucked on the tip of the other girl's tongue, causing a loud moan which was all the motivation she needed to give Bellatrix a strong shove that sent her tumbling backwards onto the bed.
Bellatrix landed heavily on the mattress of Hermione's bed causing the gift box, she he long forgotten about, to wobble and threaten to fall. The present sounded as though it whimpered as the Slytherin rolled on her side to grab it hastily and stop it toppling off the bed with a muttered "Shit, shit, shit."
"What is that?" Hermione asked as she spat some of Bellatrix's hair out of her mouth, she had followed the girl down on to the bed hoping to carry on their kissing. But instead she found herself half lay across the dark witches back and much further away her lips than she liked. Her eyebrows raised in surprise at the good sized box wrapped in red and gold striped paper that Bellatrix held between her hands. How had she not noticed it before now? Oh yeah, she had been far too distracted by the beautiful creature beneath her. "And did that box just make a noise?"
"That is your Christmas present." Bellatrix answered as she wiggled a little, encouraging Hermione to climb off her. Both girls rearranged themselves on the mattress so that they were now sat next to each other and the Slytherin secured the gift box on her lap. "And I cannot confirm nor deny whether it made a noise."
"Bella you didn't have to get me anything." Hermione swooned as she leant over and cupped the darker girl's cheeks to pull her into a sweet kiss.
Bellatrix pushed their foreheads together and looked into Hermione's eyes with a serious expression on her face before she whispered. "Great I'll take it back then."
"No you won't." Hermione smirked as she leant in again and nipped Bellatrix's bottom lip playfully before pulling away and snatching the box off her lap hastily. Something rattled heavily inside and the other girl quickly grabbed the box carefully back from her.
"Open it." Bellatrix said softly, gesturing with her head to the box she now had secured…again. "Carefully though."
Hermione got up from the bed and stood in front of Bellatrix, she reached for the lid of the box slowly before pulling her hands back sharply. "Nothing is going to jump out and bite me is it?"
Bellatrix eyeballed the box for a second as if she was seriously considering the question before answering. "Erm…I hope not."
Hermione's eyes widened for a second as a thousand thoughts on what could be in the box whirled through her mind. Her thoughts rushing back to the Weasley twins and all of their weird and wonderful pranks. But when she caught sight of the slight blush that had crept on to Bellatrix's cheeks she realised this wasn't a joke, the girl had done something sweet. She could always tell when Bella was about to say something or do something sweet because all of her usual bravado would slip away. She would stop being able to keep eye contact and her cheeks would take on that lovely pink hue. Hermione swallowed thickly and slid the lid delicately off the gift, sat in the bottom of the box on a little pink cushion was a slightly worried looking kitten. It was all black except for a little tuft of white on its chest and its eyes were different colours, one was blue and the other yellow.
"Bella you got me a kitten?" Hermione whisper shrieked as she reached into the box and scooped the kitten out gently, holding it close to her chest and rubbing her nose through the soft fur on its neck.
"I remembered you telling me how much you missed your old cat." Bellatrix replied quietly, her heart swelling as she watched the expressions that played out on Hermione's face as the kitten settled its head on her arm and began purring softly. "I know she could never replace him but..."
"I love her." Hermione cooed as she touched the tips of the little kitten's ears and watched how they twitched lazily.
"She only has three legs." Bellatrix said quietly causing Hermione to hold the kitten away from herself for a second and sure enough the little creature was missing one of her front legs. "She was hit by a spell, she lost the leg and it turned her eye on that side blue."
"Where did you get her from?" Hermione asked as she lowered the kitten onto the bed gently and watched as she walked unsteadily on the soft surface.
"We went for dinner at a friend of my father's house, his wife breeds cats and she was part of her latest batch." Bellatrix revealed as she caught the little cat before she could wander off the edge of the bed. She kissed her little head, between her ears, and set her safely on the ground where the kitten walked around much more confidently now that she was on solid ground. "They were planning to kill her or set her loose because no one would buy her. As soon as I saw her I knew I had to have her for you, you always find a way to love the things others seem unable to see the value in."
"How could you not love her?" Hermione asked incredulously, she felt her cheeks flush a little at Bellatrix's warm words. But she was able to hide it behind the smile that was created by watching the tiny kitten clumsily play with a loose piece of thread on her blanket. "She's perfect."
"Cissy certainly thinks so." Bella smirked as she reached down to tease the kitten by pulling the thread out of her reach so she had to jump to catch hold of it. "You might need to establish visitation rights with her."
Hermione crouched down and scooped up the kitten again, holding her to her chest possessively. "She can look after her one weekend a month."
"I think she'll need more than that." Bellatrix chuckled as she stood up and made her way over to where Hermione stood so she could fuss over the kitten too. "I have been hiding this little thing in my room for the last few days and I must have caught Cissy in there playing with her at least twenty times."
Hermione laughed lightly at the thought of Narcissa crawling around on the floor with a cat, it didn't really fit with her image of the imposing Malfoy matriarch. "Somehow I can't imagine her cooing over a kitten."
"Why not?" Bellatrix asked with a slight frown, her hand stilling on the kittens fur. She knew her sister tried to pretend that she was grown up, but anyone with eyes could tell she was really still just a child.
"I don't know, she just seems… cold sometimes." Hermione replied carefully, she didn't want to offend Bellatrix, she knew how protective the girl was when it came to her sisters.
"I guess she can come across that way." Bellatrix agreed, but a pensive look crept across her features. People often judged her and her sisters too harshly, usually because they were intimidated either by their name or their abilities. "I think that's just a defence mechanism though, she really has the biggest heart."
"That must be a family trait." Hermione smiled as she leant in close to Bellatrix, drawing comfort from her close proximity. It felt like it had been far too long since she had felt the warmth from the other girl's skin like this. "Thank you so much for getting her for me, you've made me so happy."
Bellatrix scooped the kitten out of Hermione's arms and held her up in front of them; the little creature squirmed a little and meowed softly. "We need a name for the little lady."
Hermione turned and pressed a gentle kiss to Bellatrix's cheek, it felt strange to think that they somehow shared this little life now. That they shared a responsibility and love for this little creature. "Did you have one in mind?"
"I did actually, but it seems silly now." Bella answered as she set the kitten on the floor again so that she had both hands free to embrace Hermione again.
"No tell me, I have no ideas." Hermione pushed as she ran her nose up the Slytherin's pale neck, inhaling her scent and letting her eyes flutter shut.
"Nyx." Bellatrix breathed out shakily, before swallowing thickly to try and compose herself. "She is the goddess of the night and the only goddess Zeus was ever known to fear."
"I like it." Hermione whispered and pressed a gentle kiss to Bellatrix's lips. "Little yet mighty. It sounds like someone else I know."
"Hey, I'm not little." Bellatrix shrieked as she pulled back from the other girl looking aghast.
"You're not tall." Hermione laughed as she stood up to her full height to emphasise her point, like this she stood about three inches taller than the darker haired girl. "But luckily I believe that the best things come in small packages."
Thank you so much for reading, please make sure to review. I would to hear any of your suggestions or hopes for where these two might go next. As always feel free to PM with any questions or suggestions.