The dining room was silent, only the sound of forks clanking against plates. Hermione was tucked between Narcissa and Bellatrix, who was holding her hand beneath the table, with Draco in front of her. Voldemort had originally wanted his daughter at his side, but chose not to in the end. He wanted the younger girl to feel comfortable, so he allowed her to be situated closer to the middle. Severus on Draco's left and Lucius was on Draco's right. She was surrounded by people she knew, at least to some extent.
The other Death Eaters were scattered around the table, except for Rodolphus. He'd opted to hide in his room and sulk instead of eat. Everyone had heard of his run-in with his ex-wife and were witnessing the closeness of the two witches. Bellatrix and Hermione weren't doing anything sexual or even sensual, but they noticed how close they seemed. The younger of the two would smile at Bellatrix every few minutes and she seemed to calm the nervous energy that was Bellatrix Black.
Draco, sensing the tension in the room, cleared his throat before looking at the Gryffindor with a brief smile. "So, Hermione, how do you like the manor?"
"It's rather large," Hermione replied, grateful for the noise. The silence was maddening. "I enjoy your family's library quite a lot. There's so many books I wish to read before the term begins," she looked at Narcissa, "If that's alright with you, of course."
"You're welcome to whatever you need in this home," Lucius spoke up, flashing the girl a friendly smile.
Rabastan cleared his throat. "There's a book toward the back of the library on dark magic you should read. It's a rather handy book, even if you don't practice the Dark Arts."
Yaxley sneered at Rabastan. He couldn't understand why Lestrange was helping the girl who helped humiliate his very own brother. He and Rodolphus had been plotting against Bellatrix for months. Why was he being helpful all of a sudden? He's a traitor to his own brother.
"There's quite a few books you should skim through," Lucius said, "We have plenty of books on the Dark Arts and on other things you might find of importance."
Nodding, Hermione made a mental note to delve deeper into the library another day. There was much she needed to do before her Christmas break was over, it seemed.
"So," Macnair smirked, setting his fork down, "What happened with Rodolphus?"
Rabastan and Yaxley tensed up, their eyes drawn to the dark witch and Hermione. Bellatrix cackled, her head thrown back. It's rather chilling, Hermione mused.
"Rod thought it'd be a good idea to proposition Hermione, so I just taught him a lesson on the proper way to speak to the daughter of our Lord."
"What gives you the right?" Yaxley spat, glaring at the eldest Black. He was tired of Bellatrix being the Dark Lord's favorite. She had no place among the Death Eaters, especially if she was no longer married to one.
Aiden Yaxley had always been a sexist man. Even during his years at Hogwarts he'd had many points deducted for his conduct against the female population. When he was married to another pure-blood, he had numerous affairs. Since his wife's death (the Ministry never was able to prove she was murdered), he hadn't really dated, though he had plenty of bed partners. None of them ever wanted to stay with him afterwards.
"She has the right because she is supposed to be helping and protecting my daughter," Voldemort hissed, glaring at the anxious man.
"My Lord," Yaxley started, only to be cut off by a violent hiss from Nagini. He swallowed loudly.
Voldemort shook his head. "Get out of my sight and take Rabastan with you."
Yaxley didn't move, too stunned to say anything. He'd never been banished from the Dark Lord's sight before. He usually stayed in the dark wizard's favor and to be out of it was devastating to the Death Eater.
"Now," Voldemort snapped, his eyes narrowing at the two men.
Rabastan quickly scrambled up from the table and stalked out the room, his eyes downcast. Yaxley followed suit, though his eyes were hard when he gazed upon Hermione and Bellatrix. They were destroying his credibility with the Dark Lord and he would have his revenge. He never realized that the walls surrounding his mind had fallen.
"Does anyone else have an issue with my daughter and Bellatrix?" Voldemort asked once the two scorned men had left the room.
The Death Eaters remained silent, barely breathing as they waited to see what their master would do or if anyone else would speak up. But there was only silence.
"Good," Voldemort hissed. "Now, I must ask that all of you leave, except the Malfoys, Bellatrix and Severus. I will not need any of you tonight."
Once the room was cleared, Voldemort snapped his fingers and the house elves appeared, hurriedly cleaning the table. They disapparated, leaving the table as spotless as it was before dinner. The remaining followers and Hermione sat in comfortable silence, awaiting the Dark Lord's instructions.
"My friends, I have been thinking and I believe it would do Hermione and Draco some good if they were to practice their magic, if that is acceptable with you two," he said, directing the last part to the Hogwarts students, though the question wasn't really a question, but an order.
"Of course, my Lord," Draco replied instantly.
Hermione nodded, her hand returning to Bellatrix's. They rested their intertwined hands on the tabletop, fingers linked together tightly. It brought Hermione comfort, feeling Bellatrix's emotions more clearly. The woman was extremely excited as she awaited orders from her master and it calmed Hermione slightly. If Bellatrix wasn't worried, she wouldn't be either.
"Bella, you and Lucius will be training them. I want them to be rather prepared by the time they return to school. Draco, should the news of my daughter's parentage come out, you will need to act as her protector at Hogwarts. I do not wish for that to happen, but should the problem arise…" he trailed off, knowing his orders were understood and that the consequences would be dire should they not follow his directions.
"We will begin practicing tomorrow," Lucius said with a nod.
Bellatrix nodded, glancing at Hermione. The young girl seemed paler than usual, though she kept up her confident façade well. The only reason Bellatrix could tell she was bothered was because of the connection she and Hermione had. It was a rather useful connection in moments like this.
"Narcissa, I was hoping you and Severus could work together to brew more of those anti-scarring potions Severus and I made. I do believe they'll be of use to Hermione and Draco once they return to school."
Voldemort was very appreciative of Narcissa's potions knowledge and of her skills as a healer. She'd been useful to the cause during the First War and she'd be a valuable asset in the second. Her loyalties were always with her family, which made her loyal to Him. She'd never leave her husband nor would she leave her sister. It was helpful that they both were his most loyal followers, even if Lucius was a bit of a coward.
"Of course, my Lord. Is there anything else you wish of us?" Narcissa inquired.
Voldemort pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Do see if there's any way for you to completely cut out all of the pain involved. Our children do not need to suffer at the hands of that awful toad of a woman Hermione has told me about."
Narcissa agreed whole-heartedly. She'd heard stories of Umbridge from Draco during her visits to Hogsmeade during Hogwarts' trips to Hogsmeade. She'd only visited twice, but Draco never seemed to have anything nice to say about her, though she'd taken quite a liking to him and the other pure-bloods. That was part of the reason he'd joined her inquisitorial squad.
"You may all leave," Voldemort dismissed, standing up from his seat. "I have some business I must address." He left the room, leaving the group to their thoughts. He had much to do, including finding replacements for Yaxley and the Lestrange brothers. They were becoming issues he was tired of dealing with.
"Why don't we all go enjoy a scotch in the lounge and chat for a little while before we all head off to bed? I think it'd do us all some good," Lucius suggested.
Severus nodded. "I agree. We have a long few weeks ahead of us."
"I must start planning the New Year's party soon," Narcissa mused, pursing her lips thoughtfully before glancing at her husband. "A scotch sounds lovely."
"What about Hermione and me?" Draco asked hopefully, his blue eyes darting between his parents.
Narcissa sighed. "You may have one glass, but no more, understood?"
Draco nodded, a childish grin on his face. It was rare that his parents allowed him a 'real' drink, especially their good scotch. It was saved for the more important occasions.
"I'm sure your father would have no issues with you sharing a glass of scotch with us," Lucius decided, smiling at the Gryffindor. He stood and ushered for the group to follow him. He was rather elated to be teaching his son and the Dark Lord's daughter. He must have a lot of faith in me, Lucius thought happily.
(Bellamione)
Everyone lounged comfortably in their chairs. Hermione was curled up on Bellatrix's lap, the scotch dangling lazily from her fingers. She was by no means drunk, or even tipsy, but she was relaxed as she observed those around her. Draco was sitting a straight back chair, his glass resting on the table in front of him while Narcissa and Lucius sat together on the loveseat. Severus had already made his way to bed, claiming the day's activities had exhausted him. Hermione wasn't sure she believed him, but she said nothing on the matter.
"Hermione," Draco piped up, "How about after one of our practices this week, we go into Diagon Alley to do some Christmas shopping?" He'd grown to like the bushy haired Gryffindor. She wasn't the know-it-all he'd thought she was and felt bad for teasing her so relentlessly. Besides, he realized that the Dark Lord would have them working together quite a bit, so there was no harm in trying to become friendly with her.
There was still a week before Christmas, but Draco knew Diagon Alley wouldn't be nearly as packed. Hermione would get the chance to shop freely without having too much of a worry of running into someone they knew from school. Or, Merlin forbid, run into the Weasley family.
"What a brilliant idea, Draco," Lucius praised, "We should all go do some shopping. How about Wednesday afternoon?"
Hermione saw no harm in it. Christmas was next Tuesday, so there was a good chance that after Wednesday, Diagon Alley would be packed with last minute shoppers. Seeing as it was only Saturday, she'd be able to get to know the family somewhat better, meaning she'd be able to (hopefully) get them a gift or two.
"Sounds like a great plan," Hermione said with a languid smile before sipping her scotch.
Bellatrix tightened her arm around Hermione's waist, kissing her shoulder briefly. She finished off her glass of scotch and said in a clear voice, "I believe it's best if we all head off to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and training will be hard on them," she gestured to Hermione and Draco, "considering they've never experienced a battle with fully-trained wizards."
Everyone drained the last of the liquor from their respected glasses and went their separate ways, disappearing into their rooms after brief "good nights".
(Bellamione)
Hermione stood awkwardly in the center of Bellatrix's bedroom. The dark witch had evacuated the room, giving Hermione the time she required to get dressed for bed. But Hermione was terribly nervous. She wasn't ready for anything physical to come of her interactions with Bellatrix. She rather enjoyed kissing the eldest Black, but the idea of anything more was petrifying (and she'd been literally petrified before).
She slowly changed, her hands shaking nervously as she adjusted them. Thoughtfully, she decided to test the extent of her connection with Bellatrix.
You can come back inside, she thought loudly, wondering if Bellatrix would be able to hear her thoughts. She could feel her emotions, rather readily, so maybe the connection was growing…maybe.
Waiting, she counted slowly in her mind. One…Two…Three…Four…
There was a hesitant knock on the door and Bellatrix's head popped in, her eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Did you…"
Hermione nodded, a faint smile gracing her lips. "You heard me?"
Bellatrix grinned and closed the door behind her. "I did. How'd you know that would work?"
"I didn't," Hermione admitted, "But I wanted to see if how strong our bond was."
Stalking forward, Bellatrix gripped the younger girl's hips gently and tugged her close. "Well, now you know," she mumbled before pressing her lips firmly to Hermione's, eliciting a quiet moan. She could feel Hermione's nerves, though it didn't take a magical bond to notice it. She could tell just by looking at her face.
Bellatrix's tongue slithered along Hermione's bottom lip, begging for entrance into the Gryffindor's mouth, hoping to coax out another delicious moan. Her tongue was granted access and she decided to take full advantage of it. She made sure to press her body fully against Hermione's, her tongue wrestling gently with the younger girl's.
Hermione threaded her fingers in Bellatrix's inky black curls, twisting them slightly. Bellatrix moaned softly at the pressure and began walking the Gryffindor towards the bed. She knew they weren't ready for anything more, but a good snogging wouldn't hurt anything. She didn't stop walking until Hermione's knees bumped against the end of the bed.
Falling backward, Hermione didn't even attempt to brace herself, her hands staying in Bellatrix's hair as they both crashed onto the bed. Bellatrix's hands ended on either side of her head, just barely creating space between them, though their lips never separated.
"Bella," Hermione mumbled, her breath tickling Bellatrix's lips. "We should stop…"
Bellatrix groaned, but rolled off the Gryffindor. She stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm her pants. Her curls crowned her face wildly and Hermione realized she'd never seen someone so beautiful in her entire life, and she'd met Fleur Delacour.
"I'm not sure it'd be a good idea for me to sleep in here tonight," Hermione said, sitting her. She stared awkwardly at her hands.
Bellatrix sat up as well, her head tilted in confusion. "Why?"
"We hardly know each other…" Hermione responded weakly, though she knew the answer wasn't sufficient. She and Bella had known each other for months.
"Bullshit," Bellatrix replied bluntly, "Give me your real reason."
Hermione sighed. "I'm not ready for anything physical and I don't even know what we are and…" she was halted by Bellatrix lifting up her chin and planting a chaste kiss on her pale lips.
"We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with, darling. And we're soulmates. The rest will sort itself out later. However, I do wish you'd stay in here with me," Bellatrix admitted, "With the Lestrange brothers and Yaxley skulking around, I don't feel comfortable with the idea of you staying in a room alone."
Hermione contemplated Bellatrix's words. She was right and if she was being honest, the idea of being alone in such an unfamiliar place was rather terrifying.
"Nothing will happen?"
"Nothing," Bellatrix promised, smiling at the Gryffindor. "Now let's get some rest. You and Draco have training tomorrow and you'll need to be rested. Lucius and I will not go easy on you." The pair quickly got situated in the bed, their backs to each other.
Hermione shifted around uncomfortably as silence filled the room. It wasn't until she felt Bellatrix shift and throw an arm over her waist that she began to feel more comfortable with her surroundings. She snuggled into the older woman and fell quickly asleep.