"Hermione."

"Yes Bella?" Hermione looked at her lover with concern, the witch looked anxious.

" Lord Voldemort is coming here tonight."

"Here? Why? You should lock me in the dungeon."

"I can't. He wants to speak with you."

"Why?"

"It has something to do with his propagation plan."

Hermione felt a jolt of terror at the thought of being face to face with the dark lord. "I don't know if I can do it."

"You can. I'll be here the whole time. Work on your occlumency, we've been practicing and you're capable of keeping him out. Anything you don't want him to know, bury it deep down."

Hermione hid in the kitchen when the dark lord arrived. Bellatrix took him to the formal dining room and after a few minutes called for her.

"Yes Miss Black?" She went to Bellatrix's side at once, heart hammering.

"The dark lord wishes to speak with you. Sit down."

Hermione sat next to Bellatrix and forced herself to look at Voldemort. "Yes sir?"

"Granger, I know that you are highly intelligent despite being a mudblood. And it is because you are muggle born that I believe you can help me. Tell me what you know about the muggle science of genetics."

"I only know the basics sir."

"That is fine. And don't look so afraid I do not wish to harm you. I believe that this muggle science can explain how certain traits are passed from parent to child?"

"Yes." Hermione launched into a lecture on genetics and how genes are passed from parent to child. Both Voldemort and Bellatrix listened carefully and grasped the concepts easily.

"So, assuming that magic ability is passed down this way, would you say it is a dominant or recessive trait?" Voldemort asked.

"Dominant. It seems that when a wizard has a child with a muggle the child almost always has magical ability. Squibs, on the other hand, are very rare."

"Why do you think the population of wizards is so low if this is the case?"

"Well, the practice of marrying within pure-blood families limits the number of magical children born."

"Explain."

"Let's say you have two pure-blood families each with three children. If all six of those children married muggles or half-bloods that would be six new families to produce more children. But if those six children just married each other it would only be three new families."

"But, doesn't mixing the bloodline like that affect the concentration of magic? Make the children less powerful?" Bellatrix asked.

"I don't think so. Nature prefers genetic diversity. When people with very similar genes reproduce the offspring are more likely to have some sort of defect. The monarchy of Europe learned this the hard way in the middle ages. They kept marrying within the family and it caused blood diseases, deformities and insanity."

"Could this cause squibs?" Bellatrix asked.

"Assuming that magic is in fact directly passed down through genetics, yes."

"How does this science explain you? People who have no magic family?"

"It can't, unless it is a trait that skips generations."

"Skip?"

"Yes. This would be easier to explain if I had parchment and a quill."

Bellatrix summoned the items for her. "Thank you Miss Black. So, all the Weasley children have red hair. So do Arthur and Molly. But Fluer is blonde, so her child will have one copy of the red hair gene and one blonde." Hermione drew it out. "So lets say that child is blonde, and married another person with blonde hair. She could pass down her blonde trait or her red trait,"

"So even though both parents are blonde there is a possibility of the child having red hair." Bellatrix caught on.

"Yes."

Bellatrix made some notes on the parchment. "It could in fact skip a few generations and then show up later? If the red trait kept getting passed on?"

"Exactly."

"Were any of you grandparents wizards?"

"Not that I know of. My father's parents were definitely muggles. My mother was adopted so I have no way of knowing."

"Can you find out?"

"I don't think so. She never looked for her birth family. She was born in America and her adopted parents came to England when she was very young."

"So you could even be a half-blood."

"My mom didn't go to Hogwarts." Hermione pointed out.

"She wasn't born here so she wouldn't be on the list. And since her adoptive parents were muggles they wouldn't have known to go to the ministry to register her."

"But wouldn't she know she could do magic?"

"Maybe not. Without training and explanation any abilities manifested when she was very young could have faded. Once you reach a certain age most wizards need a wand."

"Well, there's no way to know for sure."

"Bella, why are you so keen to prove Granger a half-blood?" Voldemort asked with suspicion.

"My lord. Granger's magical abilities are well known. She is extremely powerful. I even tested her myself in a controlled environment. People point to her as an example of why muggle-borns deserve the same status as pure-bloods. But, if it were proven that she was a half-blood…"

"I see your point. But this is still the witch who helped Potter try to kill me."

"Yes, but any muggle-born person would try to subvert our cause. If I can prove her status and change her way of thinking she can become a great asset. It will help prove what we have been saying all along."

"But can you? Change her way of thinking?"

"Of course."

"Granger, do you know why I am so interested in this muggle science?"

"No sir."

"Wizarding numbers are at an all-time low. I wish to raise those numbers. I want to create strong and powerful witches and wizards."

"Precisely my lord. She would be an excellent candidate for that as well." Bellatrix said.

Hermione couldn't believe it. Bellatrix wanted to have her used as a broodmare?

"I can only imagine you want her for yourself?"

"You are perceptive as always my lord."

"Very well. You have my permission to pursue this matter. I am putting great faith in you and your ability to persuade her, only because if this works, she can be quite useful to me."

"Thank you my lord."

As soon as he was gone Hermione turned to Bellatrix. "You just can't stand liking a mudblood can you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"This. All you can think about is proving I'm not a mudblood. I bet you hate yourself right now."

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't care about your blood status. Haven't I proved that?"

"I thought so but I guess not. I'm going to bed."

"Hermione. Don't walk away from me." Bellatrix warned.

"Or what? You'll lock me up in the dungeon? Forget to feed me? Or worse?"

"No. But I need you to listen. We are going to New York and we are coming back with proof that you are not muggle-born whether it is true or not. Not because I care, but because it will keep you safe. It could be a long time before the order can defeat him. Years. Or we could fail. How long do you think he will let me keep you as my own little pet? And if he ever suspects I actually care about you? He'll kill you. Or give you to someone else, and I won't be able to stop it."

"But so what if I'm half-blood. I'm still the girl who fought against him."

"Yes, but he realizes your value. You're smart and a talented witch. He wants you for the same reasons he wanted me. What I said earlier is true, if we can use you as an example of someone who fought against us and changed sides, it will go a long way to quell the unrest in the magical world. And if we have a child together we will both be safe."

"And how is that going to work?"

"We can discuss that later."

"No. I want to know everything upfront."

"I've been experimenting with human transfiguration."

"Bellatrix! That's incredibly dangerous."

"The alternative is that we both disappear together, meaning a life in hiding and we won't be of much use to the order. Or, he will order you to marry a pure-blood and have children with him."

"But, are you sure that will even work?"

"Yes, I believe so. I did a test run so to speak. And this way house Black continues, something he very much wants. If you don't want to go through with it, let me know. I will find somewhere safe for you. Otherwise, we need to leave for New York soon."

"I need to think about it. And to speak with Minerva."

Hermione watched out of one of the burrow's top windows as Bellatrix and Molly stood in the garden below. "I don't know what to do." she said

"I wish I could tell you." Minerva replied. "I know that you take great pride in being muggle-born, but Hermione, Bellatrix is offering you a safety net. She's right, as it stands you are at risk every day. Voldemort may be indulging her now but eventually he will want you eliminated if you are of no use to him. And if the day ever comes that he learns Harry is alive and the order is reforming? That will no doubt be your last day."

"She offered to leave with me. To go into hiding."

"Is that what you want?"

"I don't know. Not really. But, I don't know how long I can play their game. Pretend to be one of them? Work for him?"

"It is a great deal to ask."

"But, you are asking?"

Minerva sighed. "My desire to destroy him leads me to ask you to strongly consider it. We need people on the inside, this will not work otherwise. But as your teacher, and your friend, I only want you to be happy."

Hermione thought of all she had already risked for the cause. "I will do it, for the order if nothing else."

"I admit I am relieved. I don't want anything to happen to you. Molly will take some convincing though."

"Why is that?"

"She's still not a fan of Bellatrix."

"But…"

"Molly believes that she is sincere in wanting to help us. She does not, however, think that she is a suitable match for you."

Hermione blushed. "No one ever said anything about that."

"You didn't have to. We know how Bellatrix feels about you, the veritaserum made sure of that. Regardless of how young she looks, she's over twice your age. And yes, there were extenuating circumstances, but she has done terrible things. You haven't said how you feel about her?"

"It wasn't that long ago that she tortured me. And even less time since she locked me up, treated me like a servant, starved me…"

"But?"

"But, I'm happiest when I'm with her." She rose from her seat on Ginny's bed. "We'll contact you as soon as we're back."

"Take care Granger."

Hermione joined the other women outside. "You two have a nice chat?" Molly asked.

"Yes, our friend can fill you in after I'm gone. It was nice to see you again Molly."

"And you, dear. Take care." Molly hugged Hermione good-bye and then glared at Bellatrix. "And you better watch out for her."

Once they were back at Black Manor Bellatrix looked expectantly at Hermione. "Did you come to a decision?"

"Yes. We will go to New York. And if we can prove that I am a half-blood we will take it from there. I'm undecided about everything else."

"I understand. I'll make arrangements to travel at once."