The Mysterious Department

Arc Three- The Mystery Deepens

Chapter Eighteen: Housing Situation

"Relax, they're not going to do anything to you," Hermione assured when she saw Bellatrix glaring out of the corner of her eye at some muggles next to their table in the restaurant.

Bellatrix grumbled at being caught. "I know that. It's just-"

Hermione put her hand on Bellatrix's fist, stilling the woman and cutting off her words. She was purposefully trying to touch Bellatrix at least once a day so that Bellatrix would get used to not being annoyed by muggle touch. It was an ongoing process. "I know you're still overcoming the effects of the ring. It's fine."

"It isn't," Bellatrix said tersely.

"It is. It's only been two months. You can't expect monumental progress in that amount of time. You're already making big steps by coming to a muggle restaurant with me. You need to be more positive and less harsh on yourself."

Bellatrix's body eased up a bit as she pulled her hand away. "Fine," she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'll be nicer to myself."

Bellatrix had made large improvements already in the two months since the purist ring cult shut down and Hermione was proud of her. The woman wouldn't hide in her room anymore, unless it was time for a therapy session with a ministry sent healer. And she spoke to Dora and Hermione both, in that normal grumpy tone of hers.

She went out about town, shopping and just getting lunch publicly. And now, here she was in the heart of muggle London, eating dinner with a muggle born and surrounded by muggles. It was a shame really, this had all happened, but Hermione thought that if Bellatrix didn't truly want to be her old pureblood self it was testament to how she would never have been like that if she had grown up in a more understanding and open house.

Perhaps there would be hope for Narcissa too.

Dinner was a normal affair. Bellatrix only snapped once at the waiter but she and Hermione were able to have a normal conversation. Hermione relished that. There was still so much she didn't know about Bellatrix and if the woman was being in a more truthful mood, then why not use it.

"Tell me about your sister Andromeda."

That nearly caused Bellatrix to choke on her water. "Why do you ask?"

"You said she was different from you all. And you've never mentioned having another sister. So I was curious."

"She's estranged from the family is why. Disowned." Bellatrix admitted bitterly, setting her glass down and rubbing her finger around the rim.

"How come?"

"She eloped with a muggle born man. My family couldn't stand for such a disgrace so she was erased from ever existing."

"That's horrid!"

"That's purebloods for you," was the caustic response.

"And nobody does anything against this discrimination?"

"No. Because purebloods fund politics and government programs. Fund even society, so no one can stand up against them or else there won't be anything for anyone else."

"This whole wizarding world is so archaic. It could do with a systematic change."

"So could your world," Bellatrix countered. "I actually did some studies there thanks to Kingsley's interventions and there are as many problems there as there are in our society. The only difference is we all know about it and don't try to hide it, whereas your kind does, in implicit ways."

It almost sounded like Bellatrix might have gone to college in the muggle world. Now that was a story. Hermione couldn't imagine Bellatrix doing keg stands or twerking to hip hop. She was too prim for that.

"That is true, but we have movements to change things."

"Movements are grand and all but they're mostly for décor. Change in society is slow because they'll always be oppositional forces trying to stop progress from happening."

They continued on this vein of conversation until it was time for dessert. Bellatrix didn't order one for herself, stating she only enjoyed bitter things. But she did still snag a piece when she didn't think Hermione was looking.

They left dinner, full and ready to go home for it was quiet late now.

They decided to walk back to the wizarding part of London, if only because it would force Bellatrix to mingle among the muggles more and use more muggle means of walking to sympathize with them. Another thing was, they had to hold hands.

Bellatrix wasn't a hand holding type. Hermione was, but she was embarrassed by it. She didn't know why because it shouldn't be a big deal. But it was, a big deal.

So, Hermione flushed slightly in the face, and Bellatrix trying to ignore what her right hand was doing with Hermione's left hand, walked down the streets. It was something the healer had recommended them doing because it would help with Bellatrix's progress.

"Thank you. Dinner was nice," Hermione commented so that the awkwardness of this could go away.

"You wanted a dinner, so you got it," Bellatrix said brusquely no doubt because she was feeling a bit vulnerable at expressing outward affection right now and was trying to cover it up.

"We should do it another time when we get some days off from work."

Bellatrix said, "Oh, you just want me spending more money on you, don't you."

Hermione teased back. "You bragged about having so much money that you didn't care about it. Suddenly feeling frugal?"

But before Bellatrix could respond, her face went dark as she saw something ahead of them. "Move!" she told Hermione, pushing her to the right and into some snow bank while she jumped to the left. Not a second too soon for a bolt of magic zapped where they had been standing a second ago, turning it into a pile of goo.

"Bellatrix Black!" screeched out a voice and both women turned to see who it was.

It was Rookwood from the party. Apparently he had not gotten caught by the ministry. Either that or he had escaped from prison. "You ruined everything for us! You traitorous cow!"

"Oh, looks like someone is upset," she almost sang, a gleam to her eyes. It had been far too long since she'd dueled and she wasn't about to miss this chance. She slid her wand out and took a chance. The streets had cleared when the muggles saw the strange man yelling at the woman.

"Hermione," she ordered, blocking another blow from him. "Secure the area. Make sure the muggles don't report this."

"But-"

"You don't need to help me," Bellatrix promised. "I've dying to get my hands on this pureblood arseholes so I could work out so my own issues."

Hermione was worried Bellatrix would get hurt but she knew her partner needed this. In some way, her hurting another pureblood who was a purist, would be healing in a way, proof in a way she wasn't like them.

Hermione rushed off to secure the area and hunt down any muggles that might have seen something. She oblivated as many as she could, mindful that there were no street cameras to record her.

When she came back, Rookwood was a bloodied and bruised mess under Bellatrix's booted heel. She ground it into his cheek, half his mustache gone. He was whimpering pitifully but glaring at her with hatred in his eyes. "I contacted the ministry. They'll be pleased to see this one."

"Are you alright?" Hermione inquired when she noted the blood trickling down from Bellatrix's temple. "Oh, this?" Bellatrix asked, touching the blood with her fingertips. "A piece of rubble got me from a blast radius. He didn't get a single spell in on me." She looked alive, unlike the shell of herself she had been for the past couple of days.

"I wouldn't have expected any less from you," Hermione grinned.


They got home a bit later than anticipated, only to find they had a guest. It was that blonde haired boy Draco which Hermione had seen get into a drunken altercation. What was he doing here?

Dora was entertaining him in the parlor with some hot tea, but as soon as he saw Bellatrix he stood up so quickly he nearly spilled it.

"Auntie Bella!" he exclaimed, a look of partial desperation on his face.

Was Bellatrix his aunt? Were all damned purebloods related?

"Draco, what's wrong?" Bellatrix asked, concern for her nephew clear on her face.

"It's my mother and father. They've been in Azkaban for months now and I don't know to who to turn-"

"What!" Bellatrix shrilled out and turned to Hermione accusingly. "You didn't tell me my own family was in Azkaban?!"

Hermione raised her hands in a placating manner. "It was mutually decided not to tell you to spare you during your healing."

Now Bellatrix looked accusingly at Dora. "You were in on this too?"

Dora gave an apologetic nod of confirmation.

"Screw my healing!" Bellatrix raised her hands up high. "Narcissa is my sister! My family. Why the hell is she even in Azkaban?"

Nobody wanted to say anything to this, Hermione biting her lip and turning away. Dora busied herself with the tea. It was Draco who explained. "They've been framed for being caught up in some purist cult. But I know it's not true. They wouldn't do that-" he pleaded with his aunt, as if trying to convince her too.

Bellatrix whirled in on Hermione again. "What aren't you telling me?" she demanded.

"Bellatrix I didn't intend to keep this from you, but you were sick and hurt and if I told you it could have made things worse."

"My suffering is nothing compared to what they do to people in Azkaban, especially those suspected of supporting dark lords!" she shrilled out, nostrils flaring with ire. "They break your soul. Do you have any idea what it feels for your soul to be broken?" she rounded on Hermione. But Hermione wasn't going to back down. She wasn't going to let Bellatrix bully her for caring for her.

"I don't," she said resolutely.

"I do," Bellatrix admitted. "Dementors feed on your happiness each and every day, sucking what little joy you have out of your body. They leave you an empty husk of a person unsure to even what day it is. If you don't die first from lack of nutrition and happiness, then you go mad. Your mind rotting inside you. No soul means not feeling anything. Being cold. Being numb. Wanting to make others hurt just so they know a sliver of what was done to you." Her words were deadly cold now. "My struggles with the ring are nothing to what they could be doing to her. She's my family, no matter how fucked up things are."

"Then why are people sent there. It sounds horrible," Hermione gasped, upset that that was where the people from the purist cult had gone. Where Bellatrix had gone for who knows how long. If she had suffered, had the joy leeched out of her, then it explained why she was always so melancholic. Always so sharp and ready to bite into others.

"Just tell me why she's there."

"She was at the purist cult. I saw her and Lucius both there," Hermione averted her eyes, ashamed to admit this.

The sound of a clock smashing as Bellatrix grabbed it off the mantle and threw it against the wall where it shattered, started all of them. "Merlin damn it! I told that sodding woman to never get involved in such idiocies again! She got away from getting the sentence last time, and her stupid arse had to try her luck again!"

She grabbed some floo powder off the fireplace. "Draco, come with me."

The boy followed the order and his aunt into the fireplace and then they were both gone.

Dora magicked the broken pieces of the clock together. "Don't blame yourself. You did the right thing not telling her because this was going to be her reaction in any scenario."

"She doesn't think it was the right thing to do," Hermione mumbled out, feeling dejected.

Dora didn't have anything else to say to that.


Hermione tried apologizing to Bellatrix about what happened, but Bellatrix wouldn't hear the end of it. She was barely home anyways, setting up some arrangement to help her sister. And at the end of the week, who should arrive by fireplace but Lucius and Narcissa. Both looked gaunt and flinched whenever someone spoke too loudly or something made a loud noise.

"They're going to be staying with us for a while," Bellatrix explained to Dora, Draco and Hermione. "Kingsley, on the promise that I would take care of them and allow them to be reformed, said they would be freed. Since their estates were taken by the ministry, they'll need some time to get back on their feet."

"We're staying here? With the mud blood?" Lucius asked as his eyes seemed to find focus on Hermione. Before Hermione could even react, Bellatrix had slapped Lucius open handed across the face. "You will not speak to her like that as long as you are under my roof, eating my food. Or you can go straight back to Azkaban!" she hissed behind gritted teeth.

Lucius cradled his hurt cheek, getting the message, while Narcissa glared at Bellatrix. "Don't be uncouth."

"I can act however I please to you," Bellatrix growled, clearly upset with her sister. "You ruined Draco's future and very nearly his family, all for what? Some old prejudices?"

"You speak as if you are a mud- muggle lover," Narcissa quickly corrected herself, disgust outlined on every last line of her face. "You're supposed to be the forefront of this family, Bellatrix. Doing us pride by-"

"As forefront of this family, I've decided that we won't be doing such things anymore."

A loud gasp from Narcissa, like she had been stabbed. But she knew better than to argue. She had been rescued from a horrible place and she wasn't stupid enough to spit on her sister's help.

"Ginger will take you to your things," Bellatrix commented harshly and dismissively when she saw with satisfaction that her sister would not be arguing back with her.

Ginger popped up at that, leading the Malfoy's to go to their rooms. Draco stayed behind, smiling at his aunt. "Thank you so much for helping me, Auntie Bella. Truly."

"Family sticks together, Draco," she murmured, soft affection on her face for him. He seemed to be the only exception to her no showing emotion rule.


The Malfoy's for the most part, seemed to avoid Hermione whenever they could. The one time they couldn't was at dinner, when they all had to sup together. Draco would stop by for dinner, because it seemed the poor thing didn't know how to cook without a house elf at his disposal.

There, it was clear they disliked Hermione but they tried to be courteous to her. Talking to her in snatches, listening to what she had to say. If they showed even a hint of disdain, Bellatrix roughly cleared her throat and they fixed their attitudes.

It even seemed like they didn't like Dora all that much and the reason for it became clear when Dora explained who her mother was. "It's Andromeda. But she got erased from the family tree. They're not allowed to talk to her or get in touch with her according to family tradition."

"That's stupid. You're here; why can't they talk to her."

"Because I didn't ask to be born, so the curse doesn't affect me. And it's not like Bella doesn't want to talk to Andromeda, especially since auntie has a changed demeanor on muggles. They literally cannot talk to each other. I have to be their go between."

Hermione brow furrowed in confusion at this. "What do you mean?"

"When she was cast from the tree, mum was then affected by ancient magic that has been around for centuries and long forgotten to us in how to control it. Mum is physically unable to inherit any of the fortunes or talk to us unless she is put in terrible pain."

"That's awful!"

"Auntie has been researching it so she can fix it but she hasn't found anything good yet. It sort of makes me think this is the reason why she's in the mysterious department. So that she can find an artifact to reverse this."

For her sake, Hermione hoped she would. It was a terrible thing to be cut off from family simply because of who one chose to love.

But such were the ways of pureblood it seemed.

With the arrival of Bellatrix family, the woman forgave Hermione and Dora for not telling her about the incident and things went back to normal, or as normal as they could be for them.

Hermione continued taking night classes in order to learn more about the wizarding world. She worked with Blaise on cases, coming to tolerate his company. And then four months after the blood purist cult take down, Bellatrix was finally reinstated on the team.

And just in time, for more troubles were about to unravel.

A/N: This is the end of arc three, but I have an arc four coming up sometime in August.