When they arrived at Slughorn's semi open door there was a note that read

Please come in one at a time, once the door is open again the next person can come in. No eavesdropping.

Hermione knew they would be the first there so she bravely went first. Slughorn was already in waiting for her stirring a potion carefully as she entered the door he put the lid on the pot.

"Ah Miss Granger I thought you might be first in. All I want you to do is smell this potion, tell me what you can smell and then have a guess at what the brew is. I will be asking you to step up to the pot and then close your eyes whilst I open the lid, you must keep your eyes closed until you answer."

"Good morning professor. Yes That's fine."

She moved in front of the potion and closed her eyes. She heard the lid open and took a deep smell.

"I smell new parchment, cinnamon and..." She faltered she couldn't very well tell Slughorn that the third thing she smelt was the smell of Bella's arousal. "It's Amortentia"

"Correct Miss Granger, you may open your eyes, although I am intrigued about the third smell?"

"Sorry professor that's not going to happen."

"Not even for ten house points?"

"No even for a hundred sir."

"Then they are a very lucky man."

"Woman sir."

"Pardon?"

"They are a very lucky woman"

"Ah quite, apologies I was under the impression you and Mr Weasley were..."

"No sir. Mr Weasley is nothing more than a friend to me, a brother."

"Very well, five points to Gryffindor nether the less."

He then waved his wand at the door and Ginny walked in.

He explained the situation and Ginny said "The Burrow, old Quaffle and...it's Amortentia"

Slughorn again tried to bribe her with house points and was again told no.

"Mr Potter is a good find Miss Weasley, don't let him get away."

"Thank you professor, I won't."

Neville had similar experiences smelling "Fresh dirt, spearmint chewing gum and...It's Amortentia" Slughorn again made a comment about how perfectly matched Neville and Luna were and Hermione realised that Slughorn must be a massive gossip to know their relationships.

Next Draco stepped into the room. He smelled "My mother's perfume, citrus and pine. I'm not sure what potion it is though professor."

"Do not fret Mr Malfoy. This Potion is Amortentia and once day it will smell of your one true love, that are out there, have faith."

Draco gave a sad nod and came to sit by Hermione.

The next 15 minutes was spent with class members interaction's with the Potion. It turned out that actually only around five of them could guess the potion from smell which Hermione thought was strange.

- Pet, Sorry to interrupt but I would theorise that those of you who correctly labelled the potion are those who are in love.

- Oh...that...that would make sense I guess.

- And you might call me a coward for saying this twice today and neither time to your face but I couldn't face this in person if you said something different in response... but I do. I love you Pet.

- I love you too Bella. How could you think I would say anything else.

- It would be my luck to have a soulmate who lusted after me but didn't love me. If I said it to you in person and you hadn't said it back it would have crushed me. I'm sorry for not trusting in this.

- Bella I get it. But the next time you say it I would appreciate it if it was in person.

- Deal! ...pet?

- Yes?

- Just one more time?

- I love you my Bells.

- I love you too Hermione.

- Enemies to I love you in 11 days. I think that could be a record.

- It just might be my love. Do you recon that means we need to be married before the end of the month...shit no I didn't mean that I mean...not that I wouldn't marry you just that we've only...smooth Bella...smooth.

- It's ok Bells honestly, class is nearly full now and I would really like to bond with my future nephew in law.

- HA! Omg, He's going to hate that!

- I know, although serves him right for all the times he was mean to me.

- You don't know how hard I tried to escape Askaban when I discovered you had punched him. Merlin was I mad.

- He called Hagrid pathetic...he deserved it and you're not going to change my mind on that one.

- I wouldn't dream of it, baby girl. Anyway class, focus! See you after lunch.

Hermione settled into an easy rhythm during potions once again and Hermione realised Draco possessed a lot of the trait's that she admired in Tonks, Andy and Bella. So it really must be the Black blood that calls to her then. Not that she wanted to sleep with them all of course, just that she could easily get along with them like family, maybe it was the soulmate thing. She had of course been following the addendums she remembers from Snape's potion book (which meant all of them)

- Hey Pet, Wanna really blow Slughorn away?

- I'm listening?

- Add a single drop of rose water right at the very end.

- But rose water isn't even on the ingredients list?

-Was I wrong last time Pet?

- No no you're right. I trust you.

Hermione collected the rose water and added a single drop and the steam started to rise from the potion in spirals.

- You're pretty damn good at potions Bells

- Thanks Pet!

Draco returned to the bench looking annoyed "There's no damn rose water in this stinking dungeon. Whoa Hermione that's perfect!"

"Oh I've got the rose water Draco, here you go."

Draco stared at her in shock. "I thought the only people who knew about that were my mum and her sisters!"

"Well I certainly didn't learn it from your mum, most of the addendums to my potions come from Harry's old potions book."

- That was very Slytherin of you Pet. You didn't lie but you didn't tell the truth either. My little snake.

"Ye, that must be it I guess... either way good work Granger!"

"Thanks Draco, I think you can call me Mione now, or at least Hermione...since we're potion's partners. You should know I don't like change and now I've changed once I'm not swapping back so you're stuck with me.

"Fine by me Grang...Mione"

"That's the spirit!"

McGonagall's was giving Hermione the twinkly eyes again this lesson. Every time Hermione answered a question she would give Hermione a knowing smile and a few times Hermione caught the cat watching her work with tears in her eyes.

It was a very strange experience and Hermione was grateful to finally get out of class and get to lunch.

"She was doing it again you know?" Ginny remarked on their way out of class.

"How could I no? She watched me nearly the whole class. I just hope Luna is right and it's tears of joy and not tears of sadness coz she's going to expel me."

"She would never expel you Mione, she would take you as her private student and make you live in her office before she expelled you!"

"You're probably right. I just don't want to disappoint her. She like my mum, as well as your mum of course, she's like my magic school mum. My actual mum couldn't really support me through everything because she could never understand, Minnie can. Maybe I need to start spending more time with her. Your mum won't even take my owls currently, not that I blame her but it hurts."

"Come on no self pity before lunch! Plus I knew you would be on edge today so before I got to you this morning I asked Winky to make sure there was tomato soup and cheese toasties for lunch. You can thank me later Golden girl."

"You really are the best friend a girl could ask for Gin!"

They sat at Ravenclaw table this time and Draco sat with them. He was still feeling awkward with the group as a whole but he was defiantly softening with Hermione and even managed to throw some friendly banter back and forth with her. After she had eaten her soup and an ungodly amount of cheese toasties she finally excused herself.

"Sorry to leave you all but I've got a meeting to get prepare for. I'll see you all at breakfast tomorrow?"

"Unless McGonagall expels you!" Ginny fired back with a smile on her face. Draco and Neville looked shocked.

"Granger getting expelled? What the hell have you been up to?"

"You wouldn't believe it if she told you Draco!" Ginny laughed.

"I promise boys if this meeting goes ok I will tell you everything. If it doesn't well look out for my owl!"

"You'll see us tomorrow Hermy!" Said Luna with conviction and Hermione couldn't help but believe her.

- Your place or mine?

- Well hello to you too Pet. Mine. I'm just grabbing something from my house and then I'll be back. Change out of your robes there's no point sitting in them all day. Minnie won't care that you're not in uniform.

- Ok Bells. Are you going to tell me what we're doing yet?

- And take all the fun out of it? Not at all!

- Ok, just let me know when you're home and ready for me.

- Will do Pet.

About 15 minutes later Hermione got a shout from Bella.

- I'm just about ready for you here Pet if you want to head over?

- I'll just be two seconds then I'll be with you.

- See you soon.

Hermione had got changed into some cream leggings, a pale pink vest top and a lilac oversized hoodie. She was comfy and she always felt safe and loved in a big hoodie and she really needed that tonight. Either she was going to have a conversation about her soulmate and their path in life together with her headmistress or she was going to get expelled. Both options filled her with dread honestly but at least she would have Bella by her side.

She grabbed her wand and went to knock on Bella's door, before she could there was a shout from inside.

"Doors open Miss Granger come on in"

She let herself in and quickly warded the door as she did every time. As she turned back Bella's lips were on her, hot and needy. Bella's hands were already claiming her, one in her hair and the other pushing her hip into the door.

- Bella? I thought we had important things to talk about before our meeting?

- No talking, just kiss me for a minute

- With pleasure

Hermione's hands found their way around Bella's neck and she scratched at the baby hairs she found there.

Finally they came up for air and with a huge smile on her face Bella said "Hi"

"What was that for?"

"Just because I can, now come on I've got something exciting to tell you!"

Bella's excitement was infectious and soon Hermione was following her to the couch. On the coffee table was a book which announced itself as Soulmate Magic- Bonding, Binding and Bidirectionality.

"Ok so I'm going to need to borrow this book at some stage! Where did you get it?"

"Was in Black Manor. Sit down and I'll explain what happened."

"So I knew I had a book on soulmates in my library, I remember because my father wanted to burn it as we would be married based on our 'Socio-political options' not love. But when he tried to burn it in front of us, it wouldn't burn, he tried everything and nothing would destroy it. Eventually he decided to just move it from the library but it kept reappearing. So it lived there unread until now. I went to collect it and I wasn't sure if it would let me bring it back but it did and there was a note in it"

"What did it say?"

"It was a letter from Isla black, she was alive in the eighteen hundreds and was as best as I can remember the second Black ever blasted off the tapestry. Here read it..."

Hello my descendent,

I know not who you are but I know how difficult this will be for you. You are a Black and we marry for status not for love but if you are able to take and read this book then you have found your soulmate.

I am a seer of sorts and I have had dreams of you my child, I knew one day you would need my knowledge and so I procured this book. It will guide you and help you in ways I cannot. It will be my last act in this house to bind this book to the library until which time a descendant of the Black line is granted a soulmate.

Listen well my child, love is not easy especially for us Black's but love is worth the sacrifices we make. Very shortly I will be leaving my family and starting a new life, it is not easy to turn against everything I have ever known but I know my place is with Bob. If you have found your fated love then be with them. You will find more love and acceptance in their arm than you will in the whole of the Black family tree.

Follow your heart and I wish you luck,

Isla Hitchens (née Black)

"Wow...that's heavy. Are you ok?"

"Ye, it's strangely helped me. I'm not the first Black to turn away from it's teachings for their soulmate. But what I found inside is even more exciting. I know later you are going to read it cover to cover but let me tell you the exciting bit!"

Bella was so excited that she nearly glowed, she had a smile plastered onto her face and her arms moved so gracefully as she spoke.

"So the whole bidirectionality essentially means that our magic is binding together, initially I was worried it would prevent me from healing your scar as my intention had been to remove the traces of my magic from you and thus remove the core but it's better than that Pet. If we bond our magical cores then my magic will be your magic and in theory the magic from the scar should be absorbed by your magic core."

"Seriously? Bells that's amazing!"

"I know Pet, I know! But the binding well it is a bit like a magical marriage and I...I don't know if I'm ready for that. I don't know if we're ready for that. I want to know everything about you before we do something like that."

"I understand Bella, I can keep my scar for as long as we need."

"Whilst I appreciate the sentiment you don't need to Pet or at least I hope you don't need to. You already know I believe that the process of our magic binding has begun, that is why you can block my spells and why you are suddenly so good at occlumency, it also explains why I'm suddenly feeling all these pesky emotions. But that means that I might be able to manipulate the magic in your scar. I cannot heal it now but...well there is something I would like to try..." she went suddenly quiet and looked down at the ground.

"Bella I trust you. If it doesn't work then I'm no worse off. Let's try, we'll never know if we don't try."

"Ok... let's try!"

She pulled up the sleeve of Hermione hoodie and rested her hand over Hermione's scar, her brows knitted together and she looked deep in thought. As she started to mumble words that Hermione couldn't quite hear the scar began to tingle, stinging slightly but mostly just a growing warmth, it was unpleasant but bearable. When Bella removed her hand the horrible scar was gone and in its place was a small crow skull and a beautiful intricate flower, it was still scarred into her arm but the soft silver colour of it was quite beautiful. Right in the centre of the flower was the letters B B so intrinsic to the design that you could miss them if you weren't looking as closely as Hermione was.

Before her was not only the crow from Bella's family crest but also of the necklace that Bella always wore, the BB within the flower obviously represented Bella herself. Tears started to stream down Hermione's face as she thought of how much better this was.

"Oh my love I'm sorry, I can change it back I was just..."

"Don't you dare. It's perfect, it's beautiful, these are happy tears. Bella I love it, no one would guess that it represents you unless they knew you well or they were told but I don't need to hide this. It's amazing." She pressed a quick kiss to her lover's lips "Bella, I love you"

Bella's breath caught in her throat. "I love you too Hermione. I don't know what I did to deserve someone like you but I will never let anyone take you from me. Never!"

"I'm not going anywhere my love. I've got a question that might be stupid but I don't know the answer."

"Go on Pet?"

"Do magic tattoos hurt?"

"Wasn't expecting that one pet I admit. They don't have to, it depends on the intention of the caster. Mine burnt like hell but that's because it was its own for of punishment, my dark mark hurt because it is a form of dark magic but normal magic tattoos shouldn't hurt if performed by a professional. Why?"

"Because I think once we get rid of this scar I might have this beautiful design tattooed on me. I'd keep this but it still aches in the cold."

Bella leant down to place kisses against the scar. "I am so sorry my love, I wish there was more I could do but one day I will remove it. I would rather like you will this tattooed on you though. It would let everyone know you belonged to me, might have to make in initials a bit more noticeable thought. This was designed to be beautiful but also nearly unclockable. I think you would look really good with tattoo's Pet."

"Maybe a few, I've always wanted the illustration from the cover of the muggle book Matilda with the words "You are not alone"."

"I've never heard of that book Pet. I have read some muggle fiction but that isn't one."

"Oh well it was my favourite book as a child. It's a book about a girl who doesn't have a very good home life so she reads, lots, anything and everything she can get her hands on. She reads nearly everything in her local library. She's clever, really clever, and brave. She starts a new school and the Headmistress is horrible, locks her in a cupboard called the Chokey that's full of rusty nails on the wall and all sorts. Anyway it turned out that she's been a witch all along and actually had powers, they chase the Headmistress and the girls abusive family away. She gets adopted by her teacher and they live happily ever after."

"So it's basically a book about you Pet?"

"I never thought about it like that but I guess you're right. The front cover is Matilda sat on a stack of books whilst reading, very me!"

They spent the next few hours just getting to know each other better. Hermione told stories from her muggle childhood and Bella told stories of her adventures with her sisters (although she made sure to avoid mentioning her parents). They both knew this was either the beginning of the end of them hiding or the last days they got to spend together for a while and they didn't want to waste it.

Eventually it was nearly time to start the walk to McGonagall's office.

"You ready for this pet?"

"Ye. What is the plan exactly?"

"Well before we finalize a plan I just wanted to... I...was wondering if..." She stood up from the sofa, took a deep breath and then started to give herself a talking to as she walked in front of the sofa. "Bellatrix Black you were the Dark Lord's right hand, you spent 14 years in Askaban, you defied the Dark Lord at the battle of Hogwarts. You are scared of nothing get a grip of yourself!"

"Bella? You ok?"

"Yes, just a little pep talk. Okay." She sat back on the sofa and took Hermione's hands in hers. "Hermione, you are my soulmate and I love you, you have changed my life over our time together and I was wondering if you would do me the honour of being my girlfriend?"

"Bella of course I will! Honestly Ginny has already been calling you my girlfriend so she'll be happy it's official."

"Of course she has, bloody presumptuous little thing isn't she. Anyway Pet so the plan, she knows about the magic regarding your scar and is aware that in theory one of the ways to remove it would have been pleasure but obviously we didn't discuss it as a viable option. She knows we have been spending time together but that is all, at least as far as I know. We will tell her the truth, that it just sort of happened but that it feels right. If she seems receptive we will explain that Luna thinks we're soulmates and that my ability to change your scar would support that idea. I want you to understand if she does not approve I will not risk your education. I will also not remain in this school without being able to be with you. So if it comes to it I will return to Askaban until you finish your school year."

Hermione stood up now and walked away from Bella.

"No you bloody hell will not! If you go back there I won't even be able to talk to you! Plus I couldn't live with myself if I sent you back to the dementors. No if she doesn't agree I will transfer to Bauxbatton. We can continue to communicate via owl and I can even come to visit during holidays. I will not allow you back in that place!"

Bella also stood now and walked towards Hermione. "I will not send you to France away from all your friends!" She realised they weren't going to come to an agreement about this quickly if ever. "Ok Pet, if McGonagall doesn't give us her blessing then we will discuss our options with her. I will not fight with you just before going into one of the most important meetings of our lives. I love you Hermione. Please, let's not fight."

"You're right Bells. Come here." She held her arms open for Bella who willingly stepped into her embrace. Bella kissed her gently. "We don't have to fight, Luna said it will be ok and she is rarely wrong. Everything will be ok."

"Shut up clever clogs! Let's go!"