Broken Mirror

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't make proffit either.

Chapter 5

"Hey 'Mione. How's everything going?"

"Just fine. C'mon, dinner's almost ready."

Hermione let openned the door wider for her friends to enter. Ginny kissed her cheek walking to the couch and turning on the Tv. Harry gave her a hug and extended a bag.

"We bought some cake. Though you might like it."

"Oh, Harry. You didn't have to. But thank you, really." Harry went to sit with Ginny on the couch and Hermione placed the cakes on the kitchen table.

"I'm very happy you invited us. It's been a while since we've all been together." Ginny said once Hermione sat in the armchair facing them.

"I know, but with everything that has been going on I didn't have a lot of free time." Hermione handed each of them a glass of the wine Bella had bought.

"I can only imagine. When Harry told me who you had picked up... Has she hurt you yet?" Hermione looked deep inside Ginny's eyes.

The truth was that the woman hadn't. Actually, she had been nothing short on polite and nice. But Hermione wondered what would've hapenned if Voldemort had won and she was the one in Bella's positions. What would the older wich do? It was a terrifying thought. Had being being too weak the reason why Bellatrix didn't hurt her? And why did Ginny seemed so sure Bellatrix would hurt her?

"Of course not. She is not... she is very diferent from what you think." Hermione didn't know how to tell the ginger woman that it bothered her that she thought from the beginning that Bellatrix would hurt her.

"Hermione, I know you have spent a lot of time with her and all, but... you can't forget who she is." Harry scratched his hair trying to find better words. "I mean, it's good that you are capable of giving her a second chance, but some people just..."

"Some people what, Harry?" Hermione knew they were only worried about her safety, but she needed to protect Bella. "Can't change? Don't deseve it?" She looked between the two. Harry seemed a litle unconfortable and Ginny was staring with a puzzled look. "It's just been a few weeks and there is so much to her... It's not like she needs to change it's jus-" complicated... "Look, I know you're just worried, but give her a chance. If not for her, for me."

"I suppose I could do that." Harry sighted

"Yeah, but what do you mean she doesn't need to change?! Did she hit you in the head?" Ginny was speaking louder. If she could not convince her own friends, how would she convince the rest of the wizarding world?.

"I can ensure you, Weasley, that I did not do such thing."

Standing in the doorway from the stairs was Bellatrix Black. And in Hermione's opinion, she looked stunning.

She had picked one of the dresses they had bought that afternoon. A blue one with no sleeves, showing her perfect cleavage (Hermione's opinion). Her silver nekclace with a craw skull hang from her neck, a black belt with also silver embroidery complememting the outfit. Dragon skin boots were the perfect match, and her dark curls were pinned in a ponytail, only some of them free and hiding her face partialy. It was also the first time Hermione saw her with make up after Azkaban. Turns out our talk had some effect...

"Lestrange." Harry imideatly stood up. Knowing how much Bellatrix hated to be called that, she elbowed her friend. "I mean... Miss Black." He looked back at Hermione, who gave a pleased and thankful nod.

Bellatrix walked up to them, swaying her hips. She wasn't doing it on purpose, Hermione had seen her doing it plenty of times when she had been only in pants and t-shirt. But the brunete couldn't stop from thinking how hot she was.

"Mr. Potter."

The silence was heavy, no one knowing exacly what to say. Ginny just stood back, staring intently at Bellatrix. Hermione was trying to come up with an idea for something to do while Bellatrix and Harry were looking at each other, Harry with a barely hiden hate and Bella smirking.

Sudendly, a biping sound came from the kitchen, saving them all.

"Dinner's ready! You go and sit down that I'll take care of everything."

Harry and Ginny followed Hermione to the kitchen entrance before walking some more and entering another door. A beautifull table was on display, with silver forks and knifes.

Bellatrix went with Hermione to the kitchen. Before Hermione could go into the oven and burn herself (like Bella had seen her do many times), Bellatrix waved her hand and the stew came magicly floating.

"Are you ok? Things seemed a litle tense back there..."

"A litle tense? Good way to describe it, Granger." seeing her sterned look (and a litle hurt at being called Granger), Bellatrix let out a breath and spoke more softly. "It's fine. Just try to enjoy the night. It's not like you had many chances to catch up with your friends with me here so. And I suppose that if it is just for one night... things will be fine."

"Thank you for understanding. And please... try to stay calm if things get a litle off hands, ok?"

"I'll try."

Dinner started quite awkwardly. Hermione asked Harry about how things were going on with is Auror job, if Ginny was going to have any game soon... They even talked a litle about Draco.

"He sais he's thinking too leave his job for sure. He just doesn't know how to tell Lucius." Harry explained.

"Lucius will understand. He loves Draco." Hermione placed her fork down.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Lucius's really proud of him for working in the Ministry." Ginny said, her frowning.

Bellatrix heard the conversation silently. Talking about her familly was hard. Still, she missed Narcissa. She was one of her baby sisters, and that would never change, no matter what hapenned.

The truth was that against all odds, all went quite well until they reached desseart.

Bellatrix had not spoken much. She only answered with 'yes' or 'no' to Harry questions. Hermione saw how it anoyed her friends, probably because they thought she was doing it because she saw herself as superior or to irritate them. However, the young witch knew Bellatrix was trying not to say anything hurtfull or cause trouble.

"You know Hermione, Ron has been talking a lot about you." that name caught both Hermione's and Bella's attention.

"What would he want?" Bellatrix words were not meant to be arsh, Hermione knew better, but it was obvious Harry and Ginny were defensive.

"Well, he is one of her best friends." Harry placed his fork down. "And we have known each other since we were eleven."

"Maybe..." Bellatrix stoped. She wanted to wipe that smug look out of Potter's face, but she didn't want to hurt Hermione. She closed her mouth and leaned back, expressionless.

"I told her, Harry." Hermione looked at Bella, knowing exacly what she was thinking. The brunnete was very happy that her witch was taking in consideration what she asked.

"You... what?"

"I told her about what hapenned between me and Ron. That's why she asked what he would want."

Harry and Ginny looked stupidly at her, and then at each other, obviously not understandin how she could trust an ex-Death-Eater with such a delicate information.

"Wh-why?" Ginny leaned over the table, to look better at Hermione.

"We're leaving in the same house. It was bound to happen for us to talk." Bellatrix felt a litle ofended at the ginger's question. Why wouldn't Hermione confide in her?

"It doesn't explain why she would want to talk to a Dea-"

"HARRY!" at the same time Hermione screamed, she placed a hand on Bella's knee to keep her from reaching for her wand. It seemed to work, because the witch's shoulders slacked a litle, but she was still weary. "There is no need, for that."

"Hermione..."

"No!" Hermione felt like she was the only one trying to stop a catastrofy from hapenning. "We are all civilizied people." Hermione thought she heard Ginny say something, but she prefered to ignore it. "And if you really want to know, it was an accident."

Hermione looked at Bella, who nodded, giving her consentiment to tell the story.

Flashback...

Hermione sat on her bed, knees up her chest, thinking. Bellatrix was downstairs, sleeping on the couch. The woman was finally starting not to have nightmares, and the brunete wouldn't cut short her much needed sleep.

Looking out the window, Hermione felt misarebly.

She had decided to clean some boxes that were on her dressing room. The first one had somethings of her childhood, like a photografy of her Grandma or her litle teddy bear. She knew where her parents were, and often went to Australia to watch them, but there was no way to bring their memories back. At least they were safe.

That hurt her, but not as much as the next box. It was full of stuff from her years at Hogwarts. There was an old pair of socks that Lavander Brown had given her for her birthday. Letter from her parents. A Gryfindor tie. Litle pieces of parchements with her best essays. A list of spells she had wanted to learn.

But the thing that bothered her the most was the picture of she, Ron and Harry. They were so carefree then, so happy oblivious to what would happen in the next years... And the image of Ron brought many painful memories.

The night he had broken up with her... They had been fighting for some time, so Hermione had decided to prepare a speacial dinner. He was supposed to arrive at eight and a half, like allways, but that night he didn't.

The time started passing and at ten Hermione placed the food in the fridge. At twelve, she heard the lock on the door turn.

She had fallen assleep on the couch. Even before seeing him, Hermione smelled him. He recked of alcohol and something else... a women's perfume? It was obvious he was drunk. He had tried to kiss her, but Hermione refused. That made him get mad and in an instant, they were already fighting again.

She had only wanted to talk to him, but Ron had thrown to her face a lot of hurtful things. And to call her a Mudblood... That was one of the worsts, because he had been her friend and she remembered how he protected her from that kind of discrimination.

Tears had started to fall from her eyes. It was painful to remember and even worst to forget. She hated it. The way he had treated her, the way their friendship was probably ruined.

Downstairs Bellatrix had woken up with pain in her back from the couch. Still feeling sleepy enough, she grabed the blanket and decided to go to her own bed.

However, when she was going in the room, she heard a sobbing noise. The only other person in the house was Hermione, so if Bella wasn't crying, it had to be her.

Bellatrix openned the door slowly and froze with what she saw. Hermione Granger, the strong woman who had held her, was a sobbing reck. Hands covering her eyes, shoulders shacking...

Carefully, Bellatrix walked to the bed and sat down. She wasn't sure what to do. When it had been her, Hermione had hugged her and told her it would be alright, and she had liked it. But should she do the same? Would Hermione feel like she was prying in her privacy?

Hermione looked up to her, teared eyes. They were red and puffy, and Bellatrix decided that she defeneatly ought to hug the woman. She cleaned her face gently and without a word. Wipping the tears with her fingers, she kissed Hermione's nose and placed the girls head on her shoulder. Imideatly, the brunete's arms incircled her waist, garbbing her with need. Bellatrix did the same, trying to be conforting.

Hermione sniffed once, twice, before she started to cry harder than before. Bellatrix arms were gentle and perfect around her, and she felt safe. The look in the older woman's eyes told her that she could trust Bellatrix, and that she didn't pity her.

And trust she did. Hermione told Bellatrix all of it. The dark witch held her during the story and after, giving her support. It was obvious the girl needed that out of her chest, and Bellatrix knew how it was to keep everything inside. If it became to much, it was bound to explode.

Hermione liked that Bellatrix took care of her that night. Bella didn't leave her bed, and made dinner come up by magic. Bellatrix never said a word, until Hermione was feeling better.

"It's okay, you know? To feel hurt, I mean. Everybody does, and even if you're strong, you have moments when you need to be weak." Bellatrix hold on Hermione tightened.

"Thank you for hearing." Hermione snugled closer to Bella, and they fell assleep like that. "It's just that... it's not the first time he sais something hurtfull or leaves."

"I can't say I know how that feels." Bellatrix shin rested on top Hermione's head. "But sometimes is easier to let go. And you still have a lot of other people that love you, right?"

"Absolutly. I'm just being stupid..." Hermione made to stand but Bella hugged er tighter.

"Don't. It's not stupid to feel hurt or sad. Botling up is stupid. If you see it for what it is, sooner you'll get a solution. Or used to."

"You're incredible, you know?" Hermione looked up into Bella's eyes, her ones shining. "You didn't have to confort me, and here you are..."

"Is the least I could do." Bellatrix kept petting her hair. "And life has of this things, but it's not the end of the world."

"No, it's not. It really is not."

End of Flashback...

Ginny and Harry listened in silence to the all story. Harry had known Hermione was upset about Ron leaving, just not this upset.

Why had she confided in a murderer and torturer and not her friends? How had she gotten so close to Bellatrix? Harry was almost sure that was a plot from the dark witch. Who would imagine the deranged Bellatrix Lestrange, muggle killer and torturer, would cuddle a muggleborn? If it wasn't a trap, than he had no idea what it was.

Ginny was just surprised. Hermione trusted more Bellatrix than her to tell her all about that... Why? She had tortured her, it made no sense...

Hermione was feeling quite nervous, even with Bella holding her hand. Having Bellatrix confort had been... unexpected, but not unpleasant. The ex-Death Eater body was warmer than she thought it would.

"Hermione? Can we speak in... private?" Harry looked pointedly at Bellatrix.

Bellatrix squized Hermione's hand before letting go, mentioning it was alright.

The three Gryfindors stood and went to the kitchen leaving Bella who was eating Hermione's slice of cake.

"Why didn't you tell us any of this?" Harry rested against the counter, brow forrowing, looking deeply upset.

"I don't know... At first I didn't want to talk about it, and then I didn't know how to bring it up..." Hermione cast her eyes down.

"We're your friends, we would've understood." Ginny didn't move from where she was. "But why her?"

"I told, it was an accident. She just found me like that an-"

"And you could've shooed her away. Tell her to leave you alone!" Harry took a step forward. "This could all be a trick, have you thought of that? She could be trying to get to you so you give her her wand and then... ZASHS! She kills you!"

"Bellatrix would never do that!" Hermione thought better not to mention Bellatrix already had her wand.

"She is a murderer! A Death Eater, for god's sake Hermione!" Ginny looked at her upset her friend wasn't understanding. "She will most likely kill you, or try, and what do you do? You go and tell her all about your love life!"

"She won't! You don't know her, I-"

"Do you?!" Harry was almost screaming.

"Yes! At least I'm starting to!" Hermione couldn't belive she was having this discussion. "And I didn't say anything about Ron because we are all his friends, and you're his sister. Whatever you said would be biased. Bellatrix barelly knows him."

"And that's reason enough!?" Harry grabed her shoulders, desesperated. "You're not being careful. One of this days she'll get her wand an-"

"Stop talking about her wand! She already has it! From the first day she has it and she never atempted on my life!" Hermione shrugged, freeing herself from his hands. "I know you're just worried, but I've been living with her for weeks now... I know her better than you do, so you must trust me when I say something about her."

"You... gave her her wand...?" Ginny was surprised with her friend. The Hermione she knew whould've been smarter than to give a Death Eater a wand.

"Yes. She's a witch." The way Hermione said that, as if explained everything, made Harry realised he would have to do something else.

"Okay." Hary sighted. "She is in your care, you know her better, you choose what to do."

"Really?" Hermione was surprised of how easily Harry had given up.

"Yes." he lifted his head with that look that said nothing would stop him. "But if you insist in being imprudent, than I'll stay here with you"
"Pardon me? You what?!"

"I'm going to stay here with you and her. To make sure she doesn't hurt you."

"Harry, that doesn't make any sense! You and Ginny are engaged, you can't be thin-"

"I agree with him, Hermione." Ginny looked at her bushy haired friend. "It's safer if he stays."

Hermione was at loss of words. If Harry came live with her things would become even harder for Bella. But if Harry could see Bella for who she really was, than he could convince the rest of the Wizarding World.

In the end, Hermione ended up accepting her fate and escorted her friends out with a promisse from Harry to come the following day.

She found Bellatrix still sitting in at the table. The dark witch listened in silence. She was thinking, Hermione could see. When she finished the story, Hermione waited for Bella to say something, but the dark witch didn't.

"Are you... mad at me?" they were sitting across the table, and Hermione really expected not to have ruined everything.

"At you? No. Maybe at Potter, but he is only worried. It means he is really your friend, at least." Bellatrix crossed her arms, looking deep in thought.

"So, what do you want to do?" Hermione said, trying to change topic.

"Let's grab something to read and sit in the living room, okay?"

And so they did. After cleaning the table and doing the dishes, they sat each with a mug of hot chocolate in the couch near the fireplace. Bellatrix was reading a fiction Hermione had recommended her, while the younger witch read about the history of Goblins. They were siting on the couch, Bellatrix leaning against the arm and Hermione leaning against her.

"They left early, didn't they?"

"Yes." Hermione turned the page. "I wish things hadn't turn out like this."

"It will be strange to have him here. Does he have a job?"

"Yeah, he's an auror." Bellatrix made a face of distate and Hermione leaned more against the witch. "And he has Ginny, so he won't be here as much as you think."

"Hum."

"Hum?"

"Hum."

Hermione looked at Bella, who was looking at the book without reading.

"A galeon for your thoughts?"

"Just thinking... will you have Skeeter live here too?"

"God no!" Hermione giggled. "Why on Earth would I do that?"

"How am I supposed to know? You're the one hosting two people, not me! In a few months, your home will be crowded!"

Hermione laugth and wondered how the older witch did it. Bellatrix was smilling, even when things were looking worst than before. She really was a strong woman. Was it really today that she had tried to comit suicide? Mood swings... right.

Next day arrived with heavy rain hitting the windows. Hermione rose later than usual, since today she didn't have to go to the Ministry. She crept into Bellatrix's room and woke her up.

None of them talked about what had hapenned yesterday. They had more to think about.

After they were finally ready, Hermione showed Bella the card of the restaurante they would be going to. The witch's eyes went wide for a moment, and then back to normal.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I saw that, Bella. Are you having second thoughts about coming? I know I said I wanted you there, but if you'd rather stay home I won't force you."

"I know. But have you ever been to this place, Hermione?" Bella held the card in one hand.

"Well, no bu-"

"I used to go there with my parents. It's quite... expensive. And known for being the meeting place of high born people."

"Well, I guess that at least I'll be able to see some royalty." Hermione was really not seeing the point of all the fuss.

"Hermione, all high born people are..." Bella looked away, scared she might hurt Hermione.

"Are what?" the brunete montioned for the fireplace. "We need to go, otherwise we'll be late."

"Purebloods, Hermione. They're all purebloods."

"What? Oh, you think I can't go jus-" Hermione knew Bellatrix had prejudices, she had just forgoten about it. Maybe that was why it stinged.

"That's not it, you idiot." Bellatrix waved the card in front of her. "You're forgeting Skeeter was the one who planned this, and I don't like the woman." Bellatrix sighted and took Hermione's hand. "Just be carefull with what you say, yeah?"

Hermione nodded, a litle startled. Bringing Bella with her was really a good idea.

They stepped in the fire, and soon they were travelling to the restaurante.

To be continued...

A.N.: Hey everyone! I know it has been a really long time, but here it is, a new update! Sorry for the mistakes... I hope you like it, and if you have any sugestions please tell me. I'm going to start writing another Bellamione fanfic, and if you have any pairings you would like to see, I open to ideas. Adeus.