I Dream of Sin
Chapter Eight: Cause and Causation
This fury's burning
Inside your chest
It steals the air out from your breath
The hate inside
Will eat you alive
-Tommee Proffit, The Hate Inside-
Hermione was naked, flat on her back on silk sheets that were cool on her overheated skin. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was trembling with nerves and arousal. Bellatrix hovered over her, equally nude and taking her time in mapping out each curve of Hermione's body.
"Please," burst out of Hermione's lips unbidden. She hadn't meant to say this; but she couldn't wait any longer. It only drew a chuckle out of Bellatrix.
"Please what, my star?" she cooed, lips like an iron brand, making Hermione's skin hot wherever they touched. Marking her as Bellatrix's.
"You know what," Hermione huffed, a bit petulantly.
"I don't quite care for bratty behavior. Tell me nicely what you'd like," she said, stretching out like a panther on it's way to devour it's meal. Her body was warm and soft against Hermione's and the young brunette witch could make out faint silver scars on the older woman's body. Old battle wounds, it must be. Hermione knew better than to ask about them.
"Please touch me," Hermione whimpered, feeling needy and achy with the desire that folded itself into every crease of her body.
Bellatrix's lips curled up, pleased to hear this. She liked knowing she held all the control and Hermione didn't mind giving up control to her. But only to her. No one else would be allowed to wrest Hermione's control from her ever again. "How?" is the one word question that falls from red lips.
"Like the way I like so much. Like the way that drives me crazy," Hermione added on, a touch breathless now as Bellatrix snaked down her body, skilled hands peeling Hermione's sticky thighs apart.
Without anymore preamble, she dipped her head down, letting her tongue flick out playfully. It was a brief, light touch, but already it made Hermione's insides churn and her grip the back of the pillow her head rested on. This wasn't the first time they fucked, but it might as well be the first time every time. The stomach dropping, head spinning, gut churning sensations accompanied Hermione each time she joined the bed with Bellatrix.
No matter how violent they got, teeth ripping flesh, nails digging into blood, sweat clinging to every inch of their bruised and battered bodies. And no matter how far they went- sometimes perhaps even too far and Hermione had to deal with the state of her body that she was left in and that she had left Bellatrix in- it always felt fresh each time they were together.
Today was a more gentle day, only because Bellatrix insisted since last time they'd both broken a bone. But there had been beauty in that too. In the mutual pain. In the scars on their bones that would heal with time but that had been put there.
Hermione knew it wasn't natural to romanticize such a thing, but what did she care any longer? She felt this was the way she wanted to express her love and so she would express it like this. It was perfect then that Bellatrix expressed her love in equally brutal measures. With clenched fists and bared teeth and no sappy 'I love you's' as they were locked in erotic embrace on ruined sheets until the dawn could arrive to free them from their cage of carnal pleasures.
Bellatrix's tongue dipped out again, licking up the sticky fluids of Hermione's desire, taking her time to drive Hermione up the wall. She went slowly, never speeding up despite how Hermione needed it harder and faster to achieve her orgasm.
Her hands dug into pitch black curls now, pulling viciously. Bellatrix only moaned at the pain and kept up her steady slow pace.
Hermione was surprised when she came. She had felt stuck, and stagnant, and now relief over took her, making her shake like a leaf. She moaned her mentor's name and clamped her thighs to hold Bellatrix close to her.
When the waves were over, Bellatrix crawled up Hermione's body and pressed a hasty kiss to Hermione's shoulder before making way up to her mouth and kissing her there. Hermione let her tongue sweep into Bellatrix's mouth before she let her hands trail down Bellatrix's body. There was still time yet for another round.
Using her mentor's hips, she positioned her over her face, nails breaking the skin on the thighs. Red stood out stark against the pale skin, but Bellatrix didn't mind. Even when trying to be gentle, the both of them never could be. And it was because they knew they weren't weak and that they could take this harsh treatment.
Maybe in some way, all the pain from the bullying had corrupted Hermione's emotional and mental understanding of human contact. That it could never be soft, only ever harsh. It was something she didn't wish to dwell on, if only to focus all her attention on the beauty above her.
She loved going down on Bellatrix, if only because she could finally see a bit of the mask Bellatrix wore slide away. If only even for a second. Bellatrix also did let out the most delightful noises and she was doing so now, small little whimpers as her eyes fluttered closed.
Bellatrix was always composed, even when she came. But it was all worth it to see that flash of vulnerability on her normally strong features as pleasure overtook her.
"Keep it up, my star," Bellatrix murmured encouragingly as her hips rocked back and forth now.
"Have I earned it now?" Hermione asked as her tongue arching in the right way made the dark haired witch above her fall apart.
"No," was the unapologetic answer.
Recently, Hermione had wanted to call her mentor by her name, but Bellatrix insisted that Hermione earn the privilege. So far she had not earned it, and Hermione wondered what it would take in order to be able to call Bellatrix by her name.
It was after they had tired themselves out physically, bodies sore from delicious caresses, that they were lying next to each other, Hermione pressed up on Bellatrix's side and laying on her arm. The older witch was humming that familiar tune. The one Hermione had heard when she first met her.
"What is that?"
"A lullaby. A song passed down through the ages by our kind."
"It's beautiful." Hermione snuggled in deeper.
"Of course it is." Bellatrix scoffed.
"But not as beautiful as you," Hermione murmured, before drifting off.
February came with fresh snow and fresh drama for Hermione. The bullies had been silent for too long and this would not bond well for Hermione. She could tell they had been sizing her up, watching her, waiting to see when they should strike. She expected their vile actions to happen soon, and yet she was not prepared for them when the time actually came.
"Happy Valentine's day, loser!" Pansy snickered as Hermione howled, tears streaming down her red face. She clutched her leg, her foot throbbing and the bone there broken from how the extinguisher had collided onto it.
That bitch! That bitch had dared to hurt her like this!
Pansy put the fire extinguisher back and walked off, still laughing as Hermione howled in pain.
"Ekipsey. Motherfucking Ekipsey!" Hermione screamed out at her foot but the healing spell didn't work. Why didn't it work?
This was all going terribly! She grasped at the wall, trying to pull herself up. Hopping down the hallway on one leg, not caring that people were staring at her and the red mess that was her face as she made way to the only safe space she knew.
"Oh my god, Hermione!" the nun nurse saw Hermione looking hurt and came to her. It only took her a second to analyze what had happened. "We need to get you to a hospital and now!" she urged, sitting the girl down and propping up her foot. She didn't even need to ask Hermione what had happened. She figured it was one of those nasty bullies.
Hermione tried to keep her whimpers down but it was hard to. Her foot had swollen up and now it was three times it's normal size. Hermione tried not to look at it, wondering why her magic hadn't worked on healing it.
Was it because the spell was too small for such a serious injury? But she didn't know other healing spells. That wasn't a thing she learned during her lessons. She'd have to ask Bellatrix about some later.
The nun nurse wiped away some of Hermione's tears and put an ice pack on the foot to reduce the swelling, cooing soothing words to her and brushing back her hair.
Eventually the loud wail of sirens came and Hermione was taken to the hospital.
When Hermione came back, she was a bit dozy from painkillers, and had crutches to help her walk. Her mom helped her into her bedroom, insisting that Hermione get some sleep. Hermione wasn't going to argue about that. She wanted to sleep this awful day away and see her beloved. Bellatrix would know what to say.
As soon as Hermione's head hit the pillows, she was asleep, dreaming of screams and bones and shattered smoke that clung to her body oddly. When at last she was came to the dream manor she spent a lot of time in, she saw Bellatrix rise up to her feet when she noticed the cast on Hermione's leg.
"What happened," she snapped out, anger and concern mixing on her pale features, drawing them together.
Hermione broke down, unable to speak without being reduced to tears. She quickly blubbered the whole story, not sure how much Bellatrix was able to get out of it before she was crushed into a strong hug, her tears pearling on Bellatrix's dark outfit.
"Sh, it will be alright my star. You know what you must do now."
The tone was light but the words were dark. Hermione did know what she had to do. A most grim task indeed. But one that was long overdue.
"Let me fix your foot and then we shall begin our lessons for today," Bellatrix stated and took out her wand to do as such. Immediately Hermione felt better, and more ready to conquer the day.
The next morning found Hermione in a chipper mood with her body back to normal. She stretched out foot, grateful she could use it again like it was meant to be used. Sadly, it was a weekend, which meant Hermione couldn't show up at school and show off that she was no longer injured. But, that would come on Monday- she could use this weekend to enact a plan of perfect revenge on her bullies. She wanted them powerless, humiliated. Hurting. And most of all, gone.
But she couldn't be sloppy about it. She was but one girl and she did not want any run ins with the police. She also didn't want Ginny to find out about this and hate her. That would break Hermione's heart. Ginny was the only friend she had.
With a bright stride, Hermione walked downstairs, finding her parents already there, looking at her in astonishment.
"Wasn't your foot broken yesterday?" her father asked, slowly and deliberately.
Right.
Hermione had forgotten how she would explain that away because she had been so wrapped up in other things. "Uh, it must have not been that bad." She shrugged, while sweat began to come down her back.
"Hermione, we were there at the hospital. We saw the x-rays," her mother tacked on in a slow horrified tone.
Hermione gave a helpless shrug. She really did not have time to deal with this right now. "It must be a miracle. I'm gonna run out and get some last minute groceries." And she brushed past them, not wanting to stay in the house any longer.
She didn't grab her coat but she had no reason to worry. Gibbsy was there outside, holding her coat and the scarf, mittens and hat folded neatly on top. She took them and put them on.
He wore nothing to keep himself warm but something told her he would be fine. He was magical after all.
"It's most bad that Hermione's parents know," he fretted, rubbing his knobby fingers.
"They don't know yet. I won't let them find out." She had made a pact that forbade her from revealing her true identity from anyone, even her family. The witches were her new family. Because they knew and understood her when no one else could and Hermione would do everything she could to protect them.
If Hermione thought she was going to enjoy this weekend, she was sorely disappointed. No, worse than that. She was going to be devastated. She texted Ginny to met up with her Sunday morning so that they could watch a movie together and talk about how horrid Valentine's day had been to both of them. Ginny knew what had happened to Hermione but she didn't know that Hermione had recovered yet. Hermione was planning on telling her it was a minor fracture that had simply looked worse than it actually was.
She didn't want Ginny knowing she was a witch. Though, one day she might have to tell her if only because circumstance might push it out, especially when Hermione took her revenge against the school.
To her, it had become an ugly place long ago. The cheery colors, the banners of happy students, were all lies used to mask the true state of this place. When she took things into her hands, she would reveal the true nature of this school, of all the students who went there.
Deep in her thoughts, the snow crunched under Hermione's shoes, as the grocery bag full of snacks for them to consume while they binge watched a TV show swung in the air happily. A buzz in her pocket told her she got a message. She took out her phone and read it, a small frown growing on her forehead.
Ginny wanted to met Hermione in the parking lot behind the abandoned grocery store. That was odd...why would she do that?
When Hermione asked why, the answer she received was a quick 'hurry up' text. Shrugging, she figured maybe Ginny had discovered something cool and so she went that way, going quickly for the air was cool and her cheeks were beginning to turn red from it.
When she got there, she could make out a lump on the snow. She narrowed her eyes, wondering what that was. She got closer, pace hurried until she stopped, feeling her lungs empty of all air as she was punched to the gut.
Footsteps in the snow circled around the woman who lay there, her locks red against the snow like the blood that dripped from her, making a slow circle.
No...
It was a defeated cry of anguish. Hermione sank down next to Ginny's body. Limp, lifeless, skin pale and the lips blue either from frost or from death. Even her hair was dull and colorless, looking more like spilled blood than the pumpkin spice color it had been.
Tears gathered in Hermione's eyes.
This was it. The final straw. They had taken one step too far. They had taken someone elses life. Had killed Hermione's only friend so she could be miserable.
Rage began to shake her now. Magic raced along her fingers, blue arching so strongly that even her wand could not handle the over flow of it, sparking and the tip burning hot like an ember. She rose to her feet, breaths unsteady, panting like a bull about to run one through.
And that's exactly what she wanted to do. Run them through, make them scream. Watch their guts spatter to the ground as they pleaded for their lives. And she would give no mercy.
This was on her. Ginny's death was her fault.
She had power. She should have done something sooner. Should have controlled them better. Now she had no choice but to eradicate them because they were too evil for their own good. If they had killed once, they would kill again.
With an one track mind, Hermione left the empty parking lot, the snow melting under foot from the sheer magical energy and heat she was radiating. Even the flakes dropping from the sky did not touch her, melting as she walked.
But first, they would learn pain. Learn how it was to lose a loved one.
She walked to where she knew they lived.
Her first kill was one of pure rage. She barely registered it, green light flashing everywhere as she stalked through Daphne's house, hitting anyone who was there, not caring who they were or could have been because to her eyes they were all marked people for the crimes Daphne had committed.
She saved Daphne for last, running her down into her bedroom, the girl shrieking as she hid behind a flimsy door that Hermione could blow down easily.
"It wasn't my idea. I swear it! Blaise and Pansy did it. They did! I was only there!" she wailed, terrified out of her mind at what she had seen Hermione do. The house was a ruin, spell marks all over the walls and furniture and dead bodies under foot.
Hermione blasted the door down, causing Daphne to shriek and hold out the knife she had snagged. Hermione snicked unkindly and flicked it aside with her wand. The knife embedded into the wall with a soft snick.
Daphne pressed herself against the wall, tears streaming down her face. Hermione was too mad to even say anything. All she saw was Daphne looking pathetic and felt the gut wrenching feel of this was how Ginny must have felt in her final moments. That drove the spell home, Daphne dying with a scream of horror as Hermione cast the Avada Kedavra.
Done with this house, she went to the next.
Her second kill was less rage infused and more sadistic.
Some anger had left her. She was no longer blinded by it, but she was still upset and she was hell bent on making the bullies suffer for what they had done. Blaise was next. He was alone at home, playing video games when Hermione crawled in through the window, face expressionless and hair tangled from the wind.
"Granger what the hell are you doing in my house-" he didn't get to finish, because Hermione flicked her wand and he was on the floor, screaming his lungs out as she crucio'ed him.
"This is for all the pain you caused me," she whispered over his screams. "For the daily insults and bullying. For the others you hurt. And for Ginny, who you murdered, you murderer!" A grin stretched her face. "Let's see how long you can last through this pain. I had to, because you gave me no choice."
She utilized the spell, torment for three minutes, then a break in which he would whimper and cry and try to escape only for her to start the spell again. She must have sat there, on his couch, tormenting him for a good three hours until he lost his voice and could not scream anymore.
"I hope you enjoy hell," she stated quietly and firmly and then set him on fire. He was so wiped out he could only twitch as the flames burned him through until he was nothing but charcoal and ash.
Her third kill was more sane, in that she drove the other insane.
"Hello, Pansy. You remember me?" Hermione asked, with a little crazed grin, leaning in over Pansy's form on the floor, where the big woman was cowering from her. Blood stained the walls were Hermione had exploded the heads of the other unimportant people that had been in the house when she'd invaded it.
"W-what do you want from me?" Pansy croaked out, tears soaking down her cheeks.
"You bullied me. Remember that?" Hermione didn't wait for an answer. "And you killed Ginny."
"I didn't- I don't remember doing some-"
A scream as Hermione slashed down with her wand and a cut appeared on Pansy's thick thighs, oozing red. "You killed her. I don't care your reason for it, but your reign of terror stops now. Bullying me was one thing, but hurting others?" Hermione shook her head, her red soaked locks flopping around her face. Pansy couldn't stop gasping for air and looking fearfully at the glowing wand in Hermione's hand. "No, this stops now. I have the power to stop it and I will. Blaise and Daphne already paid the price and now it's your turn."
"Please, Hermione- I'll change. I swear I'll be better-" Pansy began to plead. Hermione didn't want to hear this. How dare Pansy try to plead for mercy now?
"Oh, suck it up. It won't hurt much," Hermione smiled cruelly and then waved her wand over Pansy's head. "You will hurt yourself exactly how I instruct, and be aware of it and plead with me to stop but I will not," Hermione stated as she cast the Imperius curse.
The Imperio took place and Pansy fell under the control of it. Hermione let an excited grin cover her face. "Take that shard of broken glass and start cutting your wrists," she instructed coolly and Pansy watched in horror as her hands followed the command. Her left hand picked up the glass from the vase she had shattered as she'd tried to run from Hermione. She held out her right vein. "No...please," she begged but Hermione had no compassion.
"I'm going to leave a masterpiece of you. Perhaps you'll finally be pretty once I'm through with you." Is the cool detached answer from Hermione as she watches with dead eyes, no humanity left in them as of this moment.
Pansy cut every single veins in her body open that she could get her hands on and when that wasn't enough, Hermione handed her a knife and watched as the woman cut through her abdomen, sobbing and screaming the whole time until she ended up laughing from the shock of it all. Hermione joined Pansy's crazed laughter and then crushed Pansy's head in with magic until it exploded like a watermelon.
It splattered all over Hermione, coating her in salty blood.
"How is she coming along?" Voldemort asked in that whispery dry voice of his. The two of them stood in a dimly lit room, only a sliver of light coming in through the heavy curtains.
"They are dead," Bellatrix informed her lord, bowing her head a bit before him.
"They died for a good cause," he responded with callously, hands behind his back. "One that will further our future."
"When will you send for her?" Bellatrix inquired.
"Within a month's time."
"She still must complete her task, the grand task, to cement her concluding her training's," Bellatrix voiced, not comfortable with having Hermione quite leave the dream mansion just yet. Not ready to see her flesh to flesh.
Voldemort sensed her hesitance. "Why are you balking now, Bellatrix?"
"I do not want to push her. Her mental state is fragile and to push her into too much could have terrible consequences for us," she insisted.
"Are you afraid of her?" he asked with amusement.
"...no, I am afraid...for you," she breathed out, almost so low he could not hear, but he had.
"What do you mean by this!" he snapped out, angered by her. She took a step back from his ire, not wanting to taste the brunt of it.
"My lord, she knows not of you and of your brilliant mind," Bellatrix began, "nor does she know of the cause. She is not mindless like the others that came before her. She needs to be tempted to our side. She cannot be blindly thrust into it and be told to be loyal and serve. She will rebel. And with someone like her, with her magical prowess, that would be most unfavorable."
He thought about this, pacing a bit from her, the wooden boards creaking under foot. "I suppose you do have a point. Very well, you may tell her about the cause, indoctrinate her to it slowly and carefully and when the two months are up, she better be ready to serve the cause," he raised his voice, the last part a threat.
"When have I ever failed you, my lord," Bellatrix said, lowering her head in reverence. "You shall have your champion."
The news was rampant with the string of three murders.
Hermione had had the common sense afterwards to clean up her mess with some nifty magic spells. She had kept some souvenirs to remind herself for how she needed to be strong through this ordeal, keeping those grim trophies in a box under her bed.
No one would be any the wiser. And while the town puzzled over what happened to the families, Hermione went to go see Ginny. The girl looked peaceful, smiling even, as she lay on the white sheets. Hermione knelt by her. It might have felt good to kill those bullies, but it would never bring Ginny back. Hermione had done research and failed to find anything substantial on the after life. It broke her heart but it seemed even magic had a limit.
Her parents were worried over Hermione and her somber state. Hermione was really upset at Ginny's death. She had been her one true friend, her one true ally and now...now Hermione could count on no one but Bellatrix. Even her parents were traitors, expressing regret for the murder of the three bullies.
How could they sit there and feel bad about it, when those bullies had made Hermione's life a living hell and even killed someone! It wasn't right! Anger at her parents boiled in Hermione's body. They weren't acting right. She would have to correct them at some point or another. For now, she was too miserable to continue plotting revenge. She just wanted to curl up in her bed and sleep.
And sleep she did, finding herself in her mentor's house. This time she was garbed in a red silky dress that reminded her too much of the blood she had spilled.
"What is wrong, my star?" Bellatrix asked, sashaying over to the brunette and cupping her chin with one long nailed hand.
"You know what's wrong. Surely, you've heard the news," Hermione said sullenly, with a bit of petulance and bratty undertones.
"I have. You did a wonderful job; utilizing all three unforgivables and in such short time. I'm very proud of you."
Hermione perked up at hearing the praise but it wasn't quite what she had wanted from Bellatrix. "My friend...Ginny...she's gone. And I'm...hurting," she clenched a hand to her chest. "Can you...do something about it?" she looked up hopefully, eyes shining with hidden desire for Bellatrix to be able to do something. Perhaps cast a spell Hermione could not.
Sadness flitted through Bellatrix's eyes as she peered down at Hermione. When she spoke it was with true regret. "I'm so sorry, my star. But I cannot bring back the dead." Her voice was soft in a way Hermione had never heard before and the brunette dropped her head, knowing she should have expected such an answer. Still...
"Then, can you make me forget in other ways?" she asked, voice rough and Bellatrix tipped her head up to kiss her lips softly as their eyes slipped closed.
"Well, well, who knew that Hermione would feel so strongly about little ol' me, enough to make her snap," commented a red haired girl, standing in the open doorway of a bedroom. Bellatrix scowled as she pulled on her shirt. She had tired Hermione out, the girl asleep under the dark covers, looking peaceful for the first time in a long time.
"Listening in is rude," Bellatrix commented darkly. She ran a hand through her mess of curls and winced when she found blood on her finger tips. Hermione must have yanked harder than Bellatrix had thought.
"It's not listening in, if one can hear it all the way down the hall," Ginny pointed out as Bellatrix exited the room, closing the door on the room. She glared the red head down. The girl looked no worse for the wear given what had happened.
"Are you stupid? Why would you come here? What if Hermione saw you?" the older witch hissed, hand on the knob, holding it there in case the brunette woke up and opened it up.
"She wouldn't. Not yet. She'll eventually have to see me anyways because I work for the cause too or did you forget?" Ginny said before continuing on. "Voldemort doesn't like it when you have other playthings."
Bellatrix's wand was on Ginny's pulse point before the girl even finished the sentence. Ginny held up her hands defensively.
"Is that a threat?"
"No. It's an observation." Bellatrix didn't lower her wand. "You know he requires dedication and loyalty."
"And what's to say I don't have that anymore," Bellatrix hissed, eyes flashing black.
Ginny tipped her head to the side, pushing away the wand with one finger as she offered a twisted look. "I wouldn't get too attached if I were you." Her eyes cut to the door where Hermione slumbered.
Bellatrix's lip corner quirked up. "Ah, that's the threat," she deduced dryly. "If I were you, I'd worry your ugly little head over yourself. Do your job and I'll do mine."
Ginny walked away down the hall and it was only when she was gone that Bellatrix slid her wand away. A dark look took over her features as she let go of the door and walked away in the opposite direction.