When she woke up Ella was prodding her. "Mistress wake up Miss Bellatrix is here to see you."

Hermione moaned the last person she wanted to deal with right now was Bellatrix. She didn't feel like being stiff, and being told how to be a lady. A shock went straight through her and she was up. Hermione turned around to see her wand out pointing at Hermione.

"I swear I thought you would have had it easy. At least you get to sleep when I was in training I never got to sleep."

Hermione didn't need this right now. She curled up her cuffs and stood like a Frankenstein so that the cuffs didn't fall.

"Now you just look ridiculous. Don't let your arms fall to your side just tuck them in with level arms."

She followed Bellatrix's examples. She didn't feel like doing this but she was going to have to.

"Now into the dinning room." Hermione followed and tried to have proper posture at the table.

"Good, but you kept slouching yesterday, so you will be tied into these." Bellatrix held up belts. "My mother did this for me when I was little. Now I'm going to slid you six inches away from the table." Hermione would have to use her wand to eat at this rate. For her to put her wand to the left Hermione had to stretch herself all the way out to put her wand on the table.

"Now here is the salad. We're adding another course so your salad is much smaller. This is a classic Waldorf salad and I will forgive your first drop of a walnut. Now continue talking with me."

I tried holding the silverware the right way and tried to remember how to cut a salad. Bellatrix corrected me along the way.

"You keep dropping your elbows. Ella is going to help me every time you drop your elbows she will smack you with a ruler."

"Now here comes the fruit. This is classic a green-brown pear, apple slices, and grapes. The grapes you eat one at a time and you eat them whole. The apple slices you cut in threes and the pear you slice down the center cut into quarters then slice into thirds. You eat after you cut don't cut then eat."

"So who are your friends in school?"

Did she really want to know this? By the way she was staring at Hermione it was apparent she did. Ella smacked her elbow. By this time she felt like a marionette.

"Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

Bellatrix did not seem shocked nor offended, "No girl friends?"

Hermione thought for a moment and then said, "Ginny Weasley."

"What did you two discuss?"

Hermione thought for a moment and realized how to help Harry defeat Voldermort was not a wise answer.

"We talked about class assignments and rumors that floated around the school. We generally believed that they were all false."

Bellatrix smirked and said, "They always are dear."

"Hermione needed to change the subject away from her. "Who were your friends at Hogwarts?"

"Lucious, Knott, Crouch, I had girlfriends but I can't even remember their names."

Hermione took note of how easily she deflected the question.

"So has Ginny had any boyfriends?"

"Yes, several before her… current boyfriend."

She had nearly said Harry. That would have been a disaster. That's the last thing she needed Voldermort knowing.

Bellatrix kept looking at Hermione, "Which is who?"

"Oh I think Rodger something." Bellatrix let the matter go though she knew I was lying.

"Are she and Rodger steady yet?"

"Almost there."

Hermione was lying thought her teeth, and she was grateful that she couldn't read minds.

"And you?"

"One and only one. Victor Krum."

Definitely no need to mention Ron.

"Why him?"

"He asked me to the Yule Ball and I accepted. He was very sweet and the summer at his house was wonderful but he was never Mr. Right."

"Understood. Now here comes the wine I'm going to teach you about red wine tonight along with the entrée."

Bellatrix taught Hermione how to eat quail and how to taste wine. She also taught Hermione how to exit the dinning room. The new silverware for the night was a sherbet spoon, escargot holder, and an escargot fork. The jewel for the night was a sapphire. It was gorgeously set with a pure with spot in the middle called a star.

"Now Hermione you need dancing lessons so, your father is going to teach you to dance. Hermione looked alarmed, "Well you must learn to dance and I can't do the man's part." Bellatrix left with a little bow to Voldemort on the edges of the room. The tables where cleared immediately and Voldemort moved to the center of the room. "Come along." Hermione slowly reached out and felt him for the first time. He felt of ice on a frozen lake. She was drowning in the ice when she stared into those red eyes, she felt so cold.

He waved his wand and music started playing. "Now this is much easier for a lady just follow me. It's a three step." He forced her feet to follow his and eventually she made progress. She accidentally stepped on his feet. He stepped on hers when she didn't move the right way. He apologized and she laughed, "It's alright."

We continued dancing, "That is the first time I've ever heard you laugh."

He laughed a real laugh. Hermione smiled and said, "That's the first time I've heard you laugh."

They both smiled and for the first time Hermione smelled him. He had a scent of old books, ink and a cool smell of almost a breeze. He smelt of fresh air on a winter day. She almost felt a happy calm reach the bottom of her stomach. The music stopped and Voldemort slipped from her. He offered Hermione his arm. She took it very loosely and followed his lead to her room.

She slowly smiled to herself and said, "I bet you didn't think I would be able to take out all of those death eaters did you?"

He smirked and said, "I knew you could but I didn't know if you knew it."

Hermione lightly giggled and said, "It turned out I was wrong, but I'm kind of glad I was wrong."

Hermione turned to look at him. He was happy. It was a tiny spark that was like the glowing embers in a dying fire. They stopped in front of Hermione's door. She turned to look at him he was happy and he tightened his grip on her. He was hopeful, for what? He wanted her hope as well? He took her head in his hand; his touch was cool and sharp without definite edges. And then he smiled at her, she felt that glowing along his skin. She didn't know how to handle this situation. She bolted and quickly slammed the door behind her.

"Please give in Hermione. I know that you felt me like I felt you. I trust you and I wish you would trust me. Please just give in Hermione." With that Voldemort left.

She was breathing like she had just run a 10-kilometer race. She wasn't ready for this. How could she trust him? The greater question was how could he trust her? He who knew what blood relations could do to one another? Did it really matter what he thought as long as he trusted her? Wasn't that enough? If she trusted him back what did that mean? She started crying she was so frustrated and confused.

She looked at herself in the mirror, was he really there in her? If she was his and she was willing to accept that was she evil? She breathed in and out and took out her ruby bracelet, trying to think of what he meant to her. She looked at herself in the reflection of the giant ruby. There were chunks missing in the reflection. Then she realized a really scraggily part of her hair was gone. She looked back at the mirror, maybe that's what Hogwarts taught her she had to only see the part of her she wanted to see. Hadn't she always been envious of the purebloods wishing she were one of them so she wouldn't have been so put under? Wasn't she ambitious? Didn't she have a dark side? They why would the sorting hat have put her in Gryffindor? Because she hadn't been envious of others blood and things they could do that she couldn't. Ambitions is tinted green with envy. She took a breath and let go trying to fall asleep.

When she woke up breakfast was a blur. Everything that happened from Ella leading her down the hallways to the Death eater's angry comments and challenges, Voldemort flowing in the room with all coy, the death eaters leaving, then came the moment.

She exhaled and let go. She looked him straight in the red eyes that were smoldering with a spark only she could see. She reached his mind and felt hope with a shadow of sadness come across her very core. She let go and breathed, she threw her arms around him. She hugged him.

She breathed in that smell of changing weather and felt his presence overwhelm her. He was thin, but he felt so strong. Slowly he put his arms around her and his put his head on to top of her. He backed up and craned his neck to look at her eyes.

She backed up looked at him and a feeling went up with a thought for him. I'm trying.

Hermione smiledand said, "Shall we continue?"

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