A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm so excited to be updating again. I wrote almost this entire chapter in one sitting, and with any luck, I will have plenty of time to write over the weekend and during Thanksgiving so I can update again. I hope you're all staying safe and doing well. I know things are tough right now, but hang in there. As always, reviews are appreciated but never necessary, and if you really want to know when I update, just follow or favorite and you'll never have to wonder if I've been taken hostage by my muse yet.

I hope you enjoy!

Whiteout, whiteout have I had enough

Fade in fade out and I think I am done

Right up till now, I have felt so numb

You know I hate, I hate that I could break, but I cannot

And I'm afraid, afraid to be alone with my own thoughts

'Cause I'm ashamed, ashamed to have to face what I have done

-Whiteout, Koethe

Hermione greedily took in the garden, tilting her head up to the dun and spreading her arms. She would be returning to work tomorrow and she couldn't be more ready. She couldn't recall ever having so long off from work, which probably wasn't the healthiest thing but she didn't really care. A shady spot beckoned her and she couldn't resist the temptation of lounging there, arriving before she realized she had even started walking. She plopped down, letting herself fall all the way back so she was laying like a starfish. The grass was so incredibly soft underneath her and the dirt was the perfect firmness. She only wished Bellatrix could enjoy it, too, without having to be carried in and out.

A gentle breeze blew along the grass and Hermione let out a relaxed sigh, feeling the tightening in her shoulders diminish. It was a perfect day, not too cold or hot, and just the right amount of sunny. Narcissa had tried to insist she stay inside, but the expression in Hermione's eyes was one she was all too familiar with, so she had relented as long as she promised to stay close to the house. Excited to finally have some independence, Hermione had agreed, but Narcissa had never specified how far was still considered close. Hermione picked her head up, still able to see the manor, which was good enough for her.

For several minutes, she just enjoyed the feeling of the earth beneath her, sprawling on her back as much as she could. Narcissa would surely disapprove, but it would be easy to clean herself up with a wave of her wand. Even after she got up, Hermione spent the entire day wandering through the garden, never straying far enough that it was out of sight. As the sun arced through the sky, Hermione made sure to get closer to the Manor, wanting to be within Narcissa's definition of close when she was summoned for dinner. She felt better than she had in a long time, as if the stress from being considered a war hero had melted away. It wouldn't last long, Hermione knew. As soon as she was back at work, it would settle on her shoulders again.

"Hermione," Narcissa called, scanning the garden for the stubborn witch she had come to care for as if she were her own daughter.

"I'm here," she answered, appearing from around the corner.

A relieved smile appeared on Narcissa's face and she ushered her inside. Hermione hid her smile by looking down as she passed Narcissa. She knew by now that being stern was how she showed affection. It was just the three of them for dinner that night, something that hadn't happened since before Hermione had to stay home. Andromeda or Ginny usually joined them, sometimes both, but Ginny was eating with her family to appease her mom, and Andromeda had joined them so they could see Teddy. They were actually glad for the lack of company, it gave them time to reconnect as a family. Hermione's thoughts couldn't stop wandering to Bellatrix by herself upstairs, going so far as entertaining the idea of suggesting they eat there but she wasn't sure if it would disturb her. Bellatrix still received all her nutrients from potions and slept most of the time. Being awake was exhausting for her and she was only able to do it for an hour at a time at most.

"Narcissa," Hermione began once dessert was in front of her, "Would you mind coming to the ministry with us in the morning?"

The blonde witch was thrown enough that she set her fork down in surprise. "I don't mind, but what for? Andy would be much more suited to monitor you."

"Oh, no, it's not for me," she quickly said, "There's something I need your help with regarding the investigation and I have no idea how deep the Arthurian Order runs, so I'm not sure I can trust anyone else to do it."

"I don't see why not, but I can't stay all day, I do have to be here to administer Bellatrix's potions." She picked up her fork again, returning to her dessert.

Hermione nodded. "That's perfectly fine, it shouldn't take more than a few hours."

Draco watched the exchange curiously, wanting to ask what his mother would be helping with but he knew Hermione wouldn't be able to tell him. He wished there was something he could do to help Hermione, but he wasn't even allowed to know what exactly was going on. The most he could do was stay out of the way and let everyone do their jobs. Maybe someday he would be trusted enough to become a field agent, although he was sure his mother's help would be kept under wraps because she wasn't permitted a wand either.

Noticing the expression on his face, Hermione said, "I'm sure there's plenty of cases you could help with, Draco. I'm a little out of the loop with what everyone is working on, but if you want, you can ask Ginny in the morning."

"That would be nice," he said, brightening at the suggestion, "I enjoy helping with the magical creatures cases. Actually, Hermione, I was wondering if I might be able to work in your department?"

She tapped her fork against her pursed lips, losing herself in thought. "I'd have to ask Kingsley, and I'm sure he'll say I need approval. You'll pretty much be an intern if you are, but I could see the suggestion working. I'll bring it up to him when I meet with him in the afternoon."

The rest of the evening was spent discussing lighter topics or just sitting in silence with each other as company until they decided to turn in for the night. Hermione felt good even as she ascended the stairs, glad to have her strength back. She still found herself pushing open Bellatrix's door instead of her own without thinking, but she had gotten so used to sleeping next to the dark witch that it was weird to even think about sleeping alone. Bellatrix never seemed to mind the company. Hermione tried not to disturb her as she got comfortable, but Bellatrix stirred anyway.

"I missed you today," she mumbled sleepily, turning her head to Hermione.

"Y-You did?" Hermione stuttered, feeling her cheeks flush.

Bellatrix managed a nod. "Mhm. I enjoy your company."

"I'm sure anyone's company beats being alone all the time," Hermione responded, trying not to read too much into Bellatrix's statement.

"That's not how I meant it," she said, "Your presence is a breath of fresh air and I've been suffocating for the last...I don't even know how long."

Her cheeks burned as she opened and closed her mouth several times, unsure of how to respond. "I-I like your company, too. I wish I could help you more."

"You've helped in more ways than I deserve," Bellatrix said softly, a faint smile on her face."

"I disagree," Hermione said, pushing herself up, "You risked everything to help us. And you paid the price. No matter what you've done in the past, you've been punished for it. We never would have found the Horcruxes without your help and if he ever found out, he would've punished you. No matter what, you were always going to lose. You deserve a life."

Bellatrix wished she could reach out to soothe her. "I made my choices, Hermione. Now, I have to live with the consequences."

"That's my entire point!" Hermione threw her hands into the air in exasperation, "You already have. I know you suffered as a Death Eater, as a prisoner. I know that everything was taken from you the moment you were born because you had a duty to your family and its outdated customs."

"If it keeps my sisters safe, I'd make the same choices over again," she said, turning her head to the ceiling.

"What about you? What about your safety?" she placed a hand on Bellatrix's arm, ignoring the tingle that ran down her spine as her voice softened, "Do you remember what you told me the other day? About how I should let my friends protect me so I can protect them? The same applies to you. Don't get me wrong, I understand why you did it. I would give up everything to protect the people I care about, but it doesn't mean I have to. There are other ways. I know you know that."

Bellatrix clenched and unclenched her jaw multiple times as she stared at the ceiling out of stubborn pride. She was acutely aware of Hermione's hand on her arm, sending tingles up her arm and down her spine. In all her time trying, she had never been able to feel anything, she only knew they were there because she could see them. Really, her brain had filled in the gaps of what she should be experiencing, but this...this was so much different. It was so much stronger. Afraid she had crossed a line, Hermione pulled her arm away, fixing her gaze at the end of the bed.

"Please don't pull away," Bellatrix rasped, willing herself not to tear up, "I haven't felt anything in so long."

Hermione turned to look at her in surprise, realizing she had misinterpreted Bellatrix's silence. It had been an awed silence, not an angry one. "What about Narcissa? Or Andy?"

Bellatrix shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "Nothing."

"But...why me?" she asked, repositioning so she was on her side facing the former Death Eater. Hesitantly, she reached her hand out for Bellatrix's playing with her slender fingers absently.

"I don't know," Bellatrix managed with a shake of her head, "I was starting to think I wouldn't feel anything again."

"Do they know?" Hermione asked softly, feeling brave enough to move closer and lean her head against Bellatrix's shoulder. When had she gotten so comfortable with the idea of being affectionate with Bellatrix?

She shook her head again, unable to stop the tears from leaking from her eyes and her voice from cracking as she answered, "I can't."

Uncertainly, Hermione reached up to wipe Bellatrix's tears away, swallowing the nervous lump that had formed in her throat. Her heart flipped in her chest when Bellatrix leaned into her hand with a soft sigh. Her brain was unable to form coherent thoughts to respond, too preoccupied with how marvelous it felt when Bellatrix pressed her face into her hand. The former Death Eater's eyelids fluttered, and Hermione almost forgot how to breathe. She was so gentle.

"I don't want to break their hearts more than I already have," Bellatrix continued, still leaning her face into the warmth of Hermione's hand, "They remain stubbornly optimistic that my current state isn't permanent, but I don't share that optimism."

"Why not?" Hermione breathed, almost afraid that Bellatrix would pull away.

Instead, she shrugged. Her eyes shot open and she blinked several times, wondering if she had imagined it. Until she did it again, just to be sure.

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming right now," Bellatrix said, squeezing her eyes shut in dread.

"I am very much real, thank you," Hermione assured, unable to fight the small smile on her face, "Maybe a little optimism wouldn't hurt."

"Maybe you're right," she mused aloud, noticing Hermione's stifled yawn, "You should get some sleep."

The brunette nodded, nuzzling her face into Bellatrix's shoulder without realizing. Her hand was still cupping Bellatrix's cheek as she fell asleep. Bellatrix fought to stay awake for as long as she possibly could, knowing that when she next woke up, Hermione would be gone and she would no longer feel anything. She wanted to make the most of it, just in case it was a fluke and her mind was playing tricks on her.

When Hermione woke up, her face was pressed into Bellatrix's neck and her hand was resting on her left shoulder. Her heart raced and her cheeks flushed as she became aware of her position, willing herself to pull away slowly so she didn't wake the sleeping witch. She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding once she was dressed and in the corridor, running a hand through her hair in her distress. Cuddling? With Bellatrix? She supposed it felt wonderful to be close to someone like that but she had never expected it to be with Bellatrix. Not that she minded.

Hermione froze in the hall at the realization. Shouldn't she mind? She didn't have an issue with the fact that it had been a witch, she had realized shortly after dating Ron that she preferred the company of witches. It wasn't that Bellatrix had been a Death Eater, either, she had shown remorse for all that she had done and paid the price, plus, Hermione didn't think she was ever really evil. But Bellatrix was older than her parents. Although, witches and wizards lived longer than Muggles, so comparatively, she was probably only about a decade older. That wasn't so bad. Hermione shook her head in frustration. Why did it matter?

"Hermione?" Narcissa asked, eyeing her with concern, "Are you all right? Should you rest more before going to work?"

"I'm fine," Hermione quickly said, "Just...got a little lost in thought."

If Narcissa's raised brow was anything to go off of, the blonde witch didn't quite buy the explanation, but she didn't press the issue. "If you say so. Are you going to actually come to breakfast, then?"

"Yes." Hermione shook herself out of her stupor, forcing her legs to carry her to the Dining Room with Narcissa.

Hermione's plan was to throw herself into work- like she always did- to distract herself from thinking about the implications of her reaction to waking up cuddling Bellatrix. It had never failed her before so she had no reason to think it would when she needed it most. Draco was already waiting in the Dining Room when they got there, leaning his head against his head and absorbed in his book. Luna had been sending them to him through Ginny, and he had ignored her playful insinuations but didn't deny anything. He waved to his mum and Hermione, closing the book and sliding it into his satchel.

"Morning, Draco," Hermione greeted as she took her seat.

"You seem too excited to be going back to work," he commented, "Are you actually a human or just pretending?"

She prodded her sides experimentally. "I'm human."

"Could've fooled me," he muttered playfully.

She rolled her eyes, focusing on her breakfast so she could go to work. She was excited to go back. Work kept her from becoming bored and she was so used to always having something to do that her forced time off would be enough for the next few years. She didn't have to ruminate on things that were in the past if she didn't slow down. She knew Andromeda was right and it was only a matter of time before things caught up to her, but she was content to ignore it for the time being.

Narcissa and Draco dutifully followed her through the floo to the ministry and up to her department. They garnered several looks- mostly Hermione- that they ignored. Their floor was busy with field agents working extra diligently, fully aware that Hermione would be returning and would be a little more short-tempered than she normally was. They couldn't ever recall her taking more than an extended weekend off, and even when she returned from those, she was snippy. They couldn't begin to imagine the mood she would be in after a month off. They didn't want to find out.

"I know that look," Ginny teased once they had reached Hermione's office.

Hermione rolled her eyes, pushing open the door with a little more force than necessary. "Later."

"I'll hold you to it," Ginny promised, letting the subject drop, "Should I send for Luna and Neville?"

"I'll take care of it, but Draco would like something to do." Hermione tossed her jacket onto her chair, rolling up her sleeves.

"Come along then, Draco. There are a few things you could do." Ginny beckoned him to follow her, leaving Hermione and Narcissa.

Hermione easily summoned her Patronus, sending it to Neville and Luna. She drummed her fingers on the back of her chair as she stood over her desk. Ginny had organized everything exactly how she liked it, making it easy to get through a month's worth of work before lunch. From what she could see so far, everything had been pretty standard. Most of their efforts had focused on investigating the Auror department and the attack, the latter which had little progress. She already knew the results of the former, thanks to Ginny.

"Hello, Hermione. The color around you stunning," Luna greeted, drifting into the office with a dreamy smile on her face.

"Thanks, Luna," Hermione said, ignoring the...well, she supposed it was a compliment of sorts, "It's good to see you, too."

"Madame Malfoy," Luna nodded at Narcissa, taking the woman by surprise.

Narcissa quickly composed herself, returning the nod and replying, "Miss Lovegood."

"Nice to have you back, Hermione," Neville said, only a few steps behind Luna.

"It's good to be back," Hermione waited until he closed the door to continue, "I know you two haven't had much luck with questioning, so I've asked Narcissa to help. You know how much I hate to use invasive tactics, but I see no other option to obtain leads, so it's absolutely necessary. Narcissa is a skilled Legilimens, so Luna, while you ask questions she will scan their thoughts to see if she can find anything. Narcissa, it's important that you make your presence in their mind as intangible as possible so they don't put up any mental shields. Only do this with the ones who are not Death Eaters because they will recognize her."

"You got it," Neville and Luna chorused.

Narcissa, however, had a concern. "I have no wand, Hermione, I can't possibly get into a stranger's mind without one."

"That's easy," Hermione said, holding out her wand to the blonde witch, "I am fully aware that you are not allowed to have a wand, which is why no one will mention this outside of my office. If anyone happens to find out, I will take care of it."

Narcissa hesitantly reached for the vinewood wand. It had been a long time since she had even held one, she was almost afraid someone would pop out from behind an object and arrest her on the spot. Hermione would never do that to her, though, and she knew the brunette would fight tooth and nail to protect her if she was caught, potentially at the expense of her career. Narcissa stowed it up her sleeve, determined not to let anyone find out.

"If you don't finish before lunch, that's fine. Stop for the day and if you have to go back to it tomorrow, I'm okay with that," Hermione said, finally sitting in her chair.

Luna and Neville nodded, beckoning for Narcissa to follow them so Hermione could get to work. Hermione rolled her neck at her impending morning of going through paperwork. It was not the return she had in mind, but work was better than no work, even if it was her least favorite. She idly wondered if the training field was open after lunch as she went through the reports on her desk, deciding that her agents could use some fun after working so hard while she was gone. She lifted the stack of paper covering the training schedule for the day, pleased to see that it was available for the two hours before they were done. Hermione grabbed a quill, blocking out the time on the schedule and labeling it "Voluntary Tournament- DMLE Only."

The cheers she could hear through the door as the training appeared on their schedule brought a smile to her face. There was nothing like a friendly competition to raise morale, and it had the added benefit of making sure everyone's skills were up to par. Normally, she only scheduled tournaments as a special occasion, but she felt that her department deserved to know how much she appreciated their work while she was gone. It also gave her something to look forward to after all of her paperwork.

"Tell me you're not joking," Ginny pleaded, bursting into her office and pointing at the large schedule showing the tournament.

"Why would I be joking, Gin?" Hermione asked without looking up from the report she was reading.

Ginny sat on the single empty corner of Hermione's desk, leaving the door open. "Because you're always mean when you come back from more than three days off."

Hermione laughed at the brutal honesty, setting the report down. "I assure you, I'm not joking. There is a tournament this afternoon."

A few agents caught the exchange from outside her door, quickly passing on what they had heard.

"Does this have anything to do with," Ginny gestured vaguely, but Hermione still understood what she was referring to.

Hermione buried her face in the report she had been reading, mumbling, "I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

"It does!" Ginny gasped, flicking her wand so the door would close, "It's later, I want to know."

Hermione groaned, leaning back in her chair and tossing the report on her desk. "Fine. Bellatrix and I were talking last night and it went...really well."

A grin spread across Ginny's face, her mouth falling open. "I bet it did."

"Ginny," Hermione chided playfully, swatting her shoulder.

"Come on, Hermione, details. I can see on your face how confused you are about liking her, what's the deal?" Ginny leaned closer, careful not to make a mess of Hermione's paperwork.

"I don't know," she said lamely, shrugging her shoulders.

"The deal," Ginny said, reaching out and holding Hermione's chair still, "Is that you are a workaholic and don't properly process your feelings. Are you really going to keep denying yourself happiness?"

"I am happy," Hermione protested, scowling at Ginny's grip on her chair that kept her from twisting side-to-side.

Ginny looked at her, clearly not buying it. "Hermione, I've known you, like, forever. You aren't happy with this life, not as happy as you could be. For what it's worth, I think Bellatrix would be a good fit for you."

"I don't even know if she likes me back, Ginny," she sighed, sinking into her chair, "Besides, I don't know if I'm cut out for relationships."

Ginny hopped off the desk, moving behind Hermione's chair and draping her arms around the brunette. "Just because none of them have worked doesn't mean you aren't cut out for relationships. What's the harm in trying? You deserve to be happy, 'Mione."

"When did you get so rational?" Hermione grumbled, leaning her head against Ginny's.

"When I started being friends with a certain brown-haired know-it-all," Ginny teased, "Especially while we were together."

"Must've been one hell of a witch to get through to you," Hermione joked, earning a light smack.

"She certainly has one hell of an ego sometimes," she responded with a laugh.

Hermione laughed, too, quickly sobering to say, "Thanks, Gin."

"Anytime," Ginny responded, "So, I'll see you at the tournament? For real?"

"Yes," Hermione laughed, "For real."

Ginny smiled as she left Hermione's office, leaving Hermione in a much better mood. She returned to her paperwork in high spirits, making short work of the rest. Yes, she was unsure about Bellatrix, especially since it had just developed. Thinking back, Hermione realized it had actually been in the works since the first night she had stood outside Bellatrix's door. The bond had pulled her there, sure, but she hadn't been able to place the feeling that came with thinking about the former Death Eater. Maybe she really did need to start processing things instead of throwing herself into work. Draco had joined her in her office just as she had finished, taking his usual chair.

"Hermione," Narcissa said as she entered her office to bid her farewell, "What's this about a tournament?"

Draco sent her a look that told her she would be in trouble if she didn't answer carefully. "It is a friendly competition for the employees in my department to keep their skills sharp and give them something to look forward to. And before you say anything about me participating, I am not allowed to as the head of the department."

Narcissa snapped her mouth shut with an, "Oh."

"Thank you. For caring," Hermione said. She hadn't told Narcissa the entire truth, and she knew she would get hell for it if she found out. Technically, she wasn't allowed to compete, but she could be challenged by the winner of the tournament.

"Of course," she said, placing Hermione's wand clandestinely on the desk, "Well, I just came to say goodbye, and I'm glad I can say it to both of you. I'll see you two after work."

"Bye, mum," Draco said with a wave.

"Bye, Narcissa," Hermione said, pulling out her lunch.

Draco turned to look at her with a smirk on his face. "How big of a lie was that?"

"It wasn't a lie at all," Hermione insisted, digging into her lunch.

"And dragons don't breathe fire," he retorted, rolling his eyes, "I promise I won't tell."

She sighed, relenting to his request. "It wasn't a lie. I'm not allowed to compete but the winner can challenge me. I just left out that last bit."

Draco hid his smile behind his book, eating his lunch and reading at the same time. He wanted to finish eating quickly so he could get back to helping, but he also wanted to finish the book so he could return it to Luna. Hermione finished her lunch first, scooping her wand off her desk and grabbing her jacket from the back of her chair. She shrugged it on as she left, waving goodbye to Draco for the next few hours. She wasn't exactly looking forward to meeting with Kingsley but that was nothing new.

"Bella?" Narcissa asked softly as she pushed open the door to her room.

"I'm awake, Cissy," she mumbled.

If Narcissa didn't know her sister as well as she did, she would say Bellatrix seemed tired. As it was, she was adept at reading her sister and could tell something was occupying her thoughts. Something that her sister found troubling, for whatever reason.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, brushing dark hair back.

Bellatrix sighed, turning her face away. She knew Narcissa would pick up on her mood, even if she wished she didn't. Talking about it meant telling her everything because Narcissa wouldn't be satisfied with a simple answer.

"I didn't want to tell you this, because I know you and Andy are trying to stay positive, but I can't feel anything. My brain knows what it should feel like and it's been creating artificial sensations to make up for it," she said, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Oh," Narcissa deflated, her shoulders sagging, "I see."

She immediately felt guilty for keeping it a secret for so long, or for telling her at all. "Don't give up on me, Cissy. Last night while Hermione and I were talking, she touched my arm and I could feel it. I can even move my shoulders, see?"

Bellatrix demonstrated that she could, in fact, shrug her shoulders up and down. Narcissa watched the action in amazement. It had been so long without progress, and she knew it would take time, but she had been getting discouraged. She was ready for her sister to be back to her full self again and it was feeling like it might never happen.

"I don't know what it means, Cissy. I might still not be able to move more than this, but don't give up now. Please."

Narcissa had never heard her sister sound so vulnerable before. She had always maintained a tough exterior that not even her sisters could fully get past. It had been how she had protected them because she had to. Bellatrix always had to be strong, but now, there was no fight she had to win and she let her facade fall. Narcissa could help but feel chilled at what it meant. Her sister was stubborn and would've maintained her facade out of pride and stubbornness, which meant someone had made it past her defenses. Hermione was the only person she could think of that would outmatch Bellatrix's stubborn tendencies.

"I won't, Bella," she promised, "It's nice that Hermione is stubborn enough to talk some sense into you."

"To be fair, she wasn't more stubborn than me, she used my own logic against me," Bellatrix clarified.

"Even better." Narcissa smiled down at her sister, ignoring the scandalized expression on her face. "She was very distracted this morning, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Bellatrix snapped her mouth shut, feeling her cheeks flush with heat. "Nope."

"Bella," she pleaded, widening her eyes.

"Fine, yes, I might know why," Bellatrix relented with a groan, wishing she could smother herself with a pillow. "But it isn't my place to tell."

Narcissa sighed. "You're right, so why don't you tell me how you feel about what happened."

Narrowed eyes were her only response for a while, but Narcissa was incredibly patient, more patient than Bellatrix. "Ugh, and you call me stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn, I'm patient," Narcissa corrected with a victorious smirk, "So, tell me."

"I don't know, there's a lot to think about," Bellatrix muttered lamely.

"Like?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "Like the fact that I'm old enough to be her mother, which I know doesn't really matter because we live longer than Muggles, but I don't know if Hermione would feel comfortable with that. Then there's the fact that I tortured her during the war, not to mention the heaps of other crimes I've committed as a Death Eater. The fact that I'm bound to the bed for the foreseeable future. And that's if she likes me back."

Narcissa was wholly unprepared for the rush of words that left her sister so fast, it all seemed like one sentence. "Bella, I really don't think any of that matters to Hermione. She hasn't run away from you and she's fully aware of everything you've done. As for whether she likes you back, well, you won't know if you don't try."

"How can I try, Cissy?" she asked, wishing she could press her palms to her eyes, "What do I have to offer her?"

The urge to literally slap the sense back into her sister overwhelmed Narcissa, and she briefly considered it. "Stop being ridiculous. You don't have to bribe her into liking you, and I'm certain such a thing wouldn't work on Hermione, anyway. You are more than a person trapped in a bed, Bella. Hermione knows that."

Bellatrix sighed, not wanting to admit that Narcissa was right. Hermione wouldn't care if she would never be able to move. If she felt the same way. Bellatrix was actually just afraid. It was easier to make up excuses for why Hermione shouldn't like her than to actually admit that she might have feelings. That she did have feelings.

"Right, so you all know the rules," Hermione said, tapping her wand against the palm of her hand, "The brackets are up so go ahead and get started."

Her field agents clamored to their duels, tangible electricity in the air at their combined excitement. Ginny stood beside Hermione, surveying the pairs. Her duel wouldn't start for another few rounds since there wasn't enough space for more than three duels at a time. The duel would go until someone yielded or was unable to continue. Hermione made sure all her agents were skilled at wandless magic, so disarming was never considered the end of a duel, in fact, it was heavily encouraged. They weren't allowed to seriously harm one another, but they could- and did- play rough.

"Who do you think will win?" Ginny asked, watching over the duels with interest.

Hermione turned her attention from the duels to respond, "You know I can't say."

"Yeah," Ginny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "I know. It was worth a shot, though."

"You always say that," Hermione chuckled, turning back to watch the three sets of duelers.

Ginny arched a brow at a particularly interesting tactic one of the agents used, making sure to keep it in mind in case they were partners later on. "It's always true."

Hermione just rolled her eyes and shook her head in response. Draco was about to ask a question on why the duel didn't stop when one of the duelers had disarmed their opponent when Hermione turned to him and began explaining. He nodded throughout, asking questions about the rules and why they were different from traditional ones. At some point during the explanation, one of the duels had finished, the hovering bracket magically updating itself. Ginny took her place on the training field with her opponent, twirling her wand to loosen her wrist.

The duels gradually took more time to compete as the brackets progressed. She had made sure there were no back-to-back duels for anybody until there were only two pairs left. Ginny had, as expected, been one of the finalists. She was one of the most skilled duelists in the department, as she had proved time and time again. Hawkins was the other finalist, which Hermione had suspected would be the case but she wasn't certain. There were plenty of experienced duelers that stood between him and the final round, but she knew he often came to train on his lunch break. He was one of the newer agents, so he had an intense desire to prove himself worthy of it, and he continued to do so at every turn. However, he was new enough that he had never dueled Ginny, and she often helped Hermione oversee training, so she knew where his weaknesses were. Still, he put up a fight, but Ginny never had to use her signature dueling spell, to the disappointment of the other agents.

"Do you exercise the right to challenge?" Hermione asked.

Ginny was barely breathing hard. She wanted to, but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea for Hermione to be dueling. The other field agents were chanting for her to challenge, and Hermione was waiting with an expectant smirk. It was her irritating smirk.

"I challenge," she said, brushing her hair out of her face.

Hermione shrugged off her jacket, her sleeves still rolled up from earlier. "Draco, do you mind holding my jacket?"

"No, but are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked, draping her jacket over his shoulder and eyeing her warily.

"I'll be fine, Ginny knows where the limit is," she answered, pulling her hair up.

He nodded, and Hermione walked out onto the training field across from Ginny. As the timer counted down on the display, Hermione rolled her shoulders and neck, maintaining a casual stance compared to Ginny's ready one. She liked to challenge herself by starting from a passive stance. Ginny could see that, despite her relaxed stance, Hermione would be ready to retaliate the moment she was attacked. The spectating agents held their breaths as the timer hit zero, neither witch moving. Ginny struck with a speed she seldom needed when she dueled the other agents. Hermione was faster, and easily deflected her trio of simultaneous stunners, quickly firing a barrage back at her.

"Merlin, I always forget how fucking fast you are," Ginny muttered through grit teeth as she dodged and deflected.

Hermione smirked. In reality, she knew all her agents' weaknesses when it came to dueling, Ginny's included, and could end a duel in a matter of seconds if she really wanted to. She never immediately exploited their weakness because anyone they came across would need several volleys to see it, so it would be detrimental if they were down before they even started. Instead, she made sure to point it out to them after dragging it out so she could improve their stamina. She then made sure to show them how to avoid making that mistake and had them log training hours until they improved enough. Her observational skills made her an exceptional duelist. Even when she sparred with someone new, it never took her more than three exchanges to find a weakness.

Ginny dodged, deflected, and retaliated in an attempt to create an opening. She knew Hermione could end the duel at any point, but she knew Hermione's weakness, too. It was just a matter of exposing it to an attack. If she could hit Hermione's left shoulder enough, she would dislocate it and Hermione would yield to prevent further injury. She had never succeeded before, but that didn't mean it was impossible. Hermione was acutely aware of Ginny's target and was determined not to give her an inch, all the while targeting Ginny's knees. The redhead didn't bother wasting her energy trying to disarm Hermione. She knew she could, but Hermione was just as good without a wand, so it wouldn't do her any favors.

Hermione disarmed Ginny as she was preparing to cast a flurry of spells, forcing the younger witch to adjust. Ginny could sense that she was running out of time to win. Her defense was getting sloppy and her offense was not nearly as frequent as it had been. She needed to get in a better position to stand a chance or she would quickly lose to Hermione's steady onslaught of spells. Ginny flicked her wrist sharply, casting her signature Bat-Bogey Hex. Cheers erupted from the spectators at the sight, and the distraction her spell brought gave Ginny enough time to recover and move so she wasn't where Hermione was expecting her to be. She sent a series of spells at knee-height before her spell was dispersed, hoping to catch Hermione off guard.

The moment her knee touched the ground, Hermione sent a barrage of spells toward Ginny, now able to pinpoint where she had moved to. The spell had been a good distraction and she had been forced to let a spell land so she could surprise Ginny. The younger witch hadn't expected such a rapid response and struggled to deflect all the spells Hermione sent her way. The one she wasn't able to deflect was one that she had incorrectly thought had missed her, but it actually went past her and looped around to impact the back of her left knee. She hissed as she landed hard on her knees, looking over to Hermione who was just getting up.

Ginny could continue, but she would be at a serious disadvantage and wouldn't be able to put up much more of a fight. Hermione waited patiently while she debated with herself, staying vigilant just in case. She knew the smart move would be to yield so she didn't put more strain on her knee. If she did continue, she might severely damage it and it would be a longer recovery than if she yielded now. There was no shame in losing to Hermione, especially since she had put up on hell of a fight during the tournament and their duel.

"Yield," she ground out.

Hermione shoved her wand into her pocket, scooping Ginny's off the floor and handing it to her as she slung the redhead's arm over her shoulders. "Sorry about your knee."

"It's fine, I know you've been aching to clobber me. I did come pretty close though." Ginny managed to stay lighthearted even as she had to lean heavily on Hermione to spare her knee.

"Closer than you ever have," Hermione admitted, helping her off the field.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You always say that."

"It's always true," she retorted, mirroring their earlier conversation, "Let's get you to my office and I'll have Andy come and take a look at your knee."

Ginny nodded, hissing as she put a little too much weight on her knee. Hermione paused for a moment to shift more of Ginny's weight onto her. Draco followed dutifully back to Hermione's office, deciding to sling Ginny's other arm over his shoulders to help. Ginny smiled gratefully at him, not having to hop as much because Hermione and Draco essentially carried her. Hermione opened her door with her foot, guiding Ginny into her chair.

She pulled open the bottom drawer for Ginny to put her foot on, turning to them both and saying, "If Andy asks, you weren't dueling me."

"You got it, boss," Ginny laughed, "Narcissa is gonna be livid if she finds out."

"So will Andromeda," Draco pointed out.

"Which is why they don't have to know," Hermione said simply, summoning her Patronus.

The field agents that hadn't returned before them were collecting their belongings, waving goodbye to them from outside the open door. They waved in return with smiles as they waited. Hermione had perched on the edge of her desk, swinging her legs back and forth and keeping an eye on Ginny from the corner of her eye. Draco had resumed residence of his favorite chair, draping his long legs over one of its arms and watching the door. Andromeda arrived after a few minutes, looking more frazzled than usual. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it wasn't anything too serious.

"Honestly with the amount you two get hurt, it's a wonder you're still able to move around," she grumbled, fixing Ginny's knee with a few spells.

"At least I'm not as bad as Hermione," Ginny teased, sending the brunette a grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes, not trying to hide the smile on her face. She pulled Ginny to her feet, staying close by in case she fell. The four of them were about to leave when Luna appeared in the doorway, greeting them all with a dreamy, if a bit breathless, smile.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left, Hermione, do you have a moment?" she asked, stepping into the office, "Glad to see you're okay, Ginny. And that you're enjoying the book, Draco."

"As much time as you need, Luna," Hermione answered, looking at Ginny, "Will you tell Narcissa I'll be a bit late?"

"On it," Ginny said, grabbing Draco's arm to get him to follow her.

Andromeda went with them, closing the door as they left. Hermione sat in her chair, nudging her drawer closed with the toe of her shoe. Luna sat in the chair across from her, seemingly transfixed by something around Hermione's head.

Finally, she said, "We were able to get more information, but it's not looking good. We now know that there are different factions of the Order, at least three, possibly more. The ones we have in custody are the entirety of one of them, but the members of one faction are not allowed to know the identities of the members of another. From what we know, the faction we have in custody is referred to as The Long Arm and their duty is basically to be soldiers. I spent the afternoon digging through the archives to see what I could find but so far, there's nothing. To me, it seems that one of the factions is the leader of the others. I think it would be composed of one member to represent each faction, and the leader of the factions get their orders from their representative in the central faction. I found a passing reference to it in a very old file, it looks like it predates the Ministry and it was hard to decipher accurately, but I'm fairly confident I can manage to get the rest of it. It makes sense that the third faction would be more discrete. Like spies. This faction would collect information on people of interest as directed by the central faction. They would then report their findings and the central faction would dispatch The Long Arm."

Hermione steepled her fingers in front of her, inhaling slowly through her nose. "How many factions do you think there are?"

"If I had to make a guess, I would say only three. Increasing the number of factions makes maintaining stability more difficult. I do think at one point in time, there were several factions, which led to its initial collapse. The smartest move would be to keep it small and separated so that if one person is caught, they can't give away everything," she said after a moment of thought, "But I think the central faction might have someone who organizes them. They would be the leader of the Order."

"How much does Narcissa know?" Hermione asked, leaning back in her chair and drumming her fingers on her desk.

Luna watched her for a moment, furrowing her brow at what she alone could see. "Only that there are multiple factions. She doesn't know how many because none of them knew. Other than that, everything else I told you is from digging through archives."

"Okay," Hermione nodded, feeling tension tightening her shoulders, "Thanks, Luna."

"Hermione," Luna said, standing to take her leave, "Don't do anything stupid. We'll get to the bottom of this."