"Do you remember the night we first met, Hermione?"
Flashback
She was exhausted. The Black matriarch had been in meeting after meeting all week, covering the entire schematics of her new business venture. Bellatrix was looking forward to expanding the family business from just hotels to restaurants and bars. The marketing team wanted a plan, the shareholders also wanted a budget prediction, and to make things more complicated, Bella was still having meetings with her divorce lawyer. The bastard of an ex-husband Rodolphus wasn't signing the papers without causing the woman a headache. Typical of him, this is why she had to leave his sorry ass. If not to avoid a possible homicide charge, then for her own sanity. Rodolphus Lestrange; the french-british heir to some company or another. Bella never really cared. The Black family was the oldest of a few within Britain, it was a great shame when her father decided to settle with marrying her off to a Lestrange. Only a few were ever worthy of such an honor, and we all know Rodolphus is not one of those few. After doing her time as the dutiful daughter, Bellatrix was looking forward to moving past this mess in her life. She might have been in her early forties, but she still considered herself young and this divorce was going to usher in a new era for her life.
"Mrs. Lestrange, your sister just called. She wanted to make sure you were still attending her dinner tonight?" the voice of her assistant brought Bellatrix out of her reverie. She had just returned from the meeting with her divorce lawyer and had taken to laying down on her couch in the corner of her office. "It's Ms. Black, Fleur. The papers will be signed very soon and I'm tired of hearing that dreadful name." The blonde woman blushed in embarrassment considering it wasn't the first time her boss had corrected her. Handing Bella a cold bottle of water, Fleur waited patiently for her boss' response so that she can inform Mrs. Malfoy. Fleur had been working for Bellatrix long enough to be well acquainted with the temperaments of the Black sisters. Currently, Fleur would prefer not to place herself in a complicated position with the youngest Black sister, even if it was because of Bellatrix. The presence of Narcissa Malfoy always made Fleur Delacour uneasy. It was upsetting for the blonde french woman.
Scrolling through her contacts, Bellatrix decided to call her baby sister instead. She knew of the tension between her Cissy and Fleur and acknowledged the assistant's unease in mentioning the dinner. She would usually invite her along but maybe today Delacour could go home early. She was overdue for some free time, more than anyone else. It was never easy being Bellatrix's assistant. "How about you take the rest of the evening off, Fleur. I'll tell Cissy what time I'll be heading over to her house." Bella watched as a look of confusion crossed the blonde woman's face. Before she had a chance to speak Bella interrupted her. " It's alright you know. I'm not sure exactly what occurred between the two of you but I don't want to put you in a position that would make you uncomfortable." The French woman audibly exhaled and gave her boss a weak smile. Bidding her a goodnight, Fleur decided to head home for the night. Might even pick up a bottle of wine and some ice cream and spend the evening on the couch watching sappy romance movies with her roommate.
Bellatrix had already retreated back to her desk in the center of the spacious office. Right behind her stood floor to ceiling windows looking out over the london city. The sun had already set and the lights of the night made the city glow below her. Like fireflies, the woman thought. There was a couch in the corner to the left of her door, which also contained a glass coffee table. The decor for the room was black and silver. Black leather furniture, black marble flooring, her windows were conveniently tinted as well. Her desk was metal, harsh and beautiful, just like her. There was also a metal white board on the opposite side of her room across from the couch for the days she had to work out a plan and needed to visualize all the details and placements herself. After all, Bellatrix Black a visual character. Nothing was impossible if she could visualize it.
"Hey, Cissy!" Bella's voice had taken on a slightly higher pitch when when she heard the person on the other end accept the call. Narcissa Black, now Malfoy, was Bella's baby sister. No matter how old they got, the woman always held a soft spot in Bella's heart. She'd continue to do anything to ensure the happiness of her little grown Cissy.
The velvety voice of her baby sister returned the greeting with the same happiness in her tone. "Bella! How are you? I assume your assistant informed you of my call and you're calling to tell me that you will definitely be over later, right?" Bellatrix had taken note of her sister's tone change when she said 'assistant'. Something was definitely up with the two women, but Bellatrix had decided to mind her business until either one decides to come to her about it. They were all grown after all. They'll figure it out. Feeling the course of the week on her shoulders, Bellatrix really would prefer going home and spending the night in her bath tub while listening to some jazz, drinking her favorite wine, and catching up on some reading. Cissy would understand wouldn't she?
"Yeah, about that...It has been a trying week for me and I just left a late meeting with the divorce lawyer and I just want to get home and not doing anything. I know you'll understand that it's nothing personal, Cissy. I'm just gonna have to give you a rain check for this o-" Her rambling was interrupted by the cold voice of Narcissa.
"No, you will not Bellatrix Black. It's been weeks since you last came to a family dinner night and as much as I understand you being exhausted, you will be showing up tonight. No arguments. Draco will be visiting from school and he's bringing his friends along with him. Andy and her daughter are also stopping by." Her cold and straightforward tone reminded Bellatrix so much of their mother, it sent chills down the woman's spine. Sighing she prepared herself for to respond only to hear that her sister wasn't done talking. " When was the last time you saw your nephew? You know he loves you Bella. He asks about you all the time whenever he calls. What about Andy and Dora? When was the last time you spoke with them? Just show up tonight and if you're still tired after everyone has eaten, you can choose to crash in your guest room or go home." There was a pause as if Narcissa was actually giving Bellatrix the opportunity to think it over. Ha! Narcissa? Give Bellatrix an option? In what world?
"Great! I'll be looking forward to your arrival. Remember, dinner will be at 8:30 tonight. It's currently after 6, and I assume you're still at the office. You might wanna head out now and get in a quick shower. You probably stink." With a childlike giggle and a quick love you, Narcissa ended the call. Bellatrix stood there for a few minutes after the call. She hated how matter of fact her baby sister can get sometimes. Even though she's the oldest, Bella didn't want to upset her sister anymore than she already has. She knows that her lack of attendance to their bi-weekly dinners was upsetting the younger blonde. Looks like our Bella will be going to a dinner tonight and with such a lively guest list, the night will be nothing short of interesting.
"DRAGOOOOON!"
Squeals of laughter can be heard bouncing off the walls of the loft. Hermione was furious. She'd gone to take a warm bath before getting ready for the Malfoy dinner later that night. The bath bomb she used was supposed to be lilac scented. It usually helped her calm down after a rough morning at the firm she was currently interning for. Unfortunately, the light blue ball wasn't her bath bomb at all but something else. Who could have possibly messed with her bath bomb? The person in question was Draco himself. The boy had switched out the bath bombs with one that'll not only turn the water blue but also leave a light tint of blue on the person's skin. Stomping angrily towards the living room where Hermione had last seen the boy and their ginger friend, Hermione thought of many ways to make the blonde feret pay. She wanted to lounge around before having to get ready for tonight and now she can't help but to think about how much time she'll have to dedicate to getting rid of this sickly blue tint.
The looks on Ginny and Draco's faces made Hermione see red for the briefest of moments. Without a word, Draco was met with a book to the face. No one saw it coming, the sudden 'Oof!' from Draco silenced any noise in the room. Hermione hadn't seen what it was that she threw but blindly kept reaching her hand out to grasp something else to throw at the boy. Her towel was tightly wrapped around her body as she stomped towards the smirking boy. Laughter could be seen in his eyes, although both him and Ginny found it wise to not audibly emit the sound. This wasn't the first nor will it be the last time Draco does something like this. Their pranks are always spontaneous and sometimes they can get out of hand. After that one incident when they were all preteens, where Ginny and Hermione were close to facing legal repercussions, they came to an agreement to tone down their pranks ever since. This blue tint situation will blow over once Hermione gets her revenge and the trio will soon be sitting around during drinks with friends laughing about it.
"What the fuck is your deal?!" Looking at the faintly purple faced brunette, Draco took a deep breath to calm his nerves and replied "Mione, are you alright? You're looking a little blue today." Ginny couldn't take it anymore and bursted into tears all over again. At this point she was curled up on the ground clutching her stomach as tears ran down her face. The site of Hermione was really amusing to the two friends. To make matters even worse, Ginny decided to take her phone out and record as Hermione jumped to tackle Draco off the couch. The two had hit the floor with a solid thud. Draco's laughter only got louder as Hermione continued to hit him with the book that she had thrown earlier. All the while, Ginny sat back with a mixture of amusement and awe as she watched Hermione beat their blonde friend while managing to keep her towel wrapped securely around her. With a huff, the curly haired girl abruptly stood up and left the room. "I suggest you sleep with one open from now on, Mr. Malfoy!" The laughter from her friends could still be heard as Hermione returned to a newly drawn bath. Checking the time, she noticed that it was later than she realised and rushed to get this over with.
It was almost time to leave. By the grace of all things magical, Hermione had managed to remove the blue tint from her skin without much complications. Deciding to wear her hair natural, she dried it and tied it up as she entered her walk-in closet in search of an outfit for the evening. Deciding on a casual red dress and black doc martens, the young lawyer in training exited the closet dressed and shaking out her curls. With a quick glance in the mirror to apply lipstick and a face moisturizer, she was ready to go. Walking towards the entrance, Hermione took notice of Ginny's dark skinny jeans and burgundy short-sleeve turtle neck and matching doc martens. Draco was sporting black slacks with a grey button up that was cuffed to his elbows with a metal necklace dangling from his neck. He looked like he had came from a business meeting. Fitting really, as a Malfoy heir, he was expected to look the part. Grabbing their coats, the trio headed out.
Their loft was in the middle of london, an old warehouse that was shut down for years until they happened upon it one night. It was run down and appeared as if no one knew it existed. They had made the purchase and decided to make it their new home. Crafting four bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a kitchen, and an open space for both the living and dining rooms, the three friends had been living together since they were seventeen. They enjoyed the location and the space of the building. For a warehouse, it surely was comfortable. It was their home.
Pulling up to the Malfoy estate, Hermione gazed out the window in a daze. Ginny and Draco were conversing about how Draco was going to introduce his mother to Harry. The conversation eventually drifted towards Hermione when Ginny mentioned Harry's best friend Ron. "You know he likes you, right Mione?" The brunette knew very well that the ginger boy liked her. She just didn't like him and so she thought nothing of it. "I'm aware. I just happen to not reciprocate those feelings, Gin. I've tried explaining this to him before. He doesn't want to accept it, which is what makes this unnecessarily complicated." Hermione watched as the red head turned to her as they approached the door, a rebuttal was written all over the youngest Weasley's face. She thought her brother deserved a chance with Hermione. Ginny believed they would be great together.
Before any words could be exchanged, the door swung open and the trio was greeted by a smiling Narcissa Malfoy. She greeted them all warmly while pulling Draco in for a hug and kiss on the cheek. Once ushering them inside Narcissa informed them that Andromeda and Nymphadora were in the library and that dinner would start when her sister Bellatrix arrived. At the mention of his aunt, Hermione watched with amusement as the blonde boy's face lit up with excitement. Hermione knew how much Draco cared for his aunt. Due to business issues, Bellatrix was away in France for fourteen years and so none of the children had seen her since they were young. Especially Draco, who spent most of his childhood telling the other two girls all about the fun things his aunty bella would do with him during the holidays away from school. Hermione always enjoyed the stories, and her interest was piqued at the notion of getting to meet the esteemed Bellatrix Lestrange for the first time. She's seen pictures of the woman, so Hermione knows that she shares features with the middle Black sister Andromeda. She also knows that Bellatrix was the sister who decided to take over the family business. Andromeda had decided to go into medicine while Narcissa chose to do interior design.
Entering the library, greetings were exchanged between everyone in attendance. The presence of the butler notified everyone of Bellatrix's presence on the grounds. It'd take her a few minutes to reach the front door and so Narcissa stood and gestured to the door. "Since my lovely sister has finally decided to arrive, we can all enter the dining area and take our seats. The food should arrive very shortly." Everyone heading in the direction of the dining area while Narcissa walked the opposite way choosing to greet her older sister at the door.
Bellatrix was irritated. She knew she was late but that was out of her hands. The traffic had been terrible when she finally decided to leave work. To make matters even worse, she had to rush and shower before heading out again and so her curls were air drying and getting frizzy. Pulling up to the front door, Bella noticed that Narcissa was already standing there waiting for her. Man that woman can be impatient, Bella thought to herself with a chuckle. Impatient she may be, Bellatrix wouldn't ask for her any other way. Walking up to her baby sister with a smile on her lips, Bella attempted to put her hair up into a bun in an attempt to control the unruly curls.
"Should I feel honored to receive such a welcome, Cissy?" Bellatrix pulled her into a hug, which was automatically reciprocated. "Oh shut it, Bella. I'm only here because I wanted to make sure you didn't forget where the dining room was considering how long ago you visited." Rolling her eyes playfully, Bellatrix entered the home with her sister next to her. "Excuses, excuses. You know that I know this house like the back of my hand. I saw the spark in your eyes, Cissy. Were you expecting to see a certain blonde french woman?" Bellatrix playfully questioned her sister as they approached the doors to the dining room. There was a choking sound from Narcissa's direction as she tried to deny the accusation. Unaware of the trouble occurring on the opposite side of the door, Bellatrix was unprepared for the body that slammed into hers as she opened the door.
"Oof!" Narcissa smoothly side stepped to avoid getting hit as the two bodies crashed on the floor. Bellatrix opened her eyes after hitting the floor to see brown curls all over her face. Moving it out of her face, she looked down to see the red face of Hermione. Smiling Bellatrix said "Well, I see someone's excited to see. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I don't know who you are exactly." Hermione was mortified. She'd been trying to escape the room after tricking Draco into sitting on his chair while she proceeded to kick it from under him causing him to crash to the floor. Ginny and Dora were howling in laughter while Draco grew red in the face. He had gotten up and threatened to tickle her into submission. Submission for Draco meant, until Hermione peed herself. She'd bolted to the door in a fit of giggles in hopes of making an escape until Narcissa arrived until she found herself running into a solid form and falling. Now she was on top of who she can only assume as Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione's head had gone black. She wasn't sure what the woman had said to her, she only saw lips moving. The woman really looked a lot like Andromeda, the brunette noted. Finding the situation ridiculous, Hermione let out another giggle and proceeded to get off the woman. Bellatrix was amused. She eyes the young girl as she dusted off her dress after calming down. Finally of the ground, Bellatrix looked the girl head on and stretched out her hand for introductions. It seemed as if the girl had not heard her when they were on the ground.
"I am so sorry, Mrs. Lestrange! I wasn't expecting anyone to be on the other side of the door and I was just trying to get away from Draco. I hope I didn't hurt you when we fell. Oh wow, talk about bad first impressions. This is the first time we're meeting and I already managed to hurt you." Bellatrix was trying her best not to laugh at the curly haired brunette in front of her. She seemed to not have noticed Bella's hand stretched out to her and kept on rambling. Narcissa had chosen to enter the dinning room to calm the other dinner guests down. She knew Bellatrix would handle the situation with Hermione.
"Do you ever stop talking?" Bella said with humor in her voice. She didn't want to offend the pretty girl. Hermione was silent immediately.
"How about we try this again, hmm?" Stretching her hand out again Bellatrix reintroduced herself. Grasping the older woman's hand with a small smile on her face Hermione followed suit. "I'm Hermione Granger, Mrs. Lestrange. I'm really good friends with your nephew Draco." The two stared into each others eyes smiling, not realising how long they kept a hold of the other's hand until they heard Narcissa calling for them. Regaining their senses, the two women entered the dining room and grabbed their seats. The rest of the night was spent with conversation among the three Black sisters, light bantering among the younger friends, and also glances between Hermione and Bellatrix. The older woman was intrigued by the younger girl. From what Narcissa said about Draco's friends and how the girl spoke, Bella knew that Hermione was incredibly smart. She was impressed by the fact that she was so young and already interning at a law firm. She could see the girl as a lawyer. With her intellect and personality, Bellatrix already knew that Hermione had potential to be amazing. Something in her wanted to know more about the younger woman. Bellatrix wanted to know what her hobbies were, what ticked her off, if she enjoyed romantic comedies or binge watched Disney princess movies. Smiling to herself after catching Hermione glancing at her again, Bellatrix rejoined the discussion about the theme for Narcissa's New Years party.
Hermione knew she had been sneaking glances all night, but she couldn't help herself. She knew Bellatrix was attractive but she wasn't expecting this. The woman was beautiful. Her jet black curls laid on top of her head in a messy bun while a few rogue curls fell in her face. The dress pants and satin grey top she wore looked amazing on her. Hermione thought it was unfair for a human to be that attractive. Bellatrix was currently laughing at something Ginny had said about Draco. The way her face lit up and her mouth curved as she bared rows of pearly whites. The sound was music to the brunette's ears. Hermione tried to ignore the change in pace of her heart. She couldn't possibly be attracted to Draco's aunt. Maybe she's just tired and hormonal because its been awhile since she's had sex. Yeah, maybe that's why. Psych! Poor Hermione was also trying to ignore the fact that she also spent majority of the dinner remember how Bellatrix's body felt beneath hers during their little run in earlier. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. Hermione froze when black eyes met her own. "How is someone's eye so black?"
Draco and Nymphadora burst into giggles as Bellatrix smirked at Hermione. Realising she had said that out loud, Hermione silently wished the earth would swallow her up. Her face was red from embarrassment as she averted her gaze from the older woman and surveyed the table. That's when the curly head brunette noticed the Narcissa and Andromeda were also looking at her with amused smiles on their faces. "Ummmm." Hermione didn't know what to say.
"We were talking about that time you and Draco broke into one of the teacher's offices to pull that prank on Harry and Ron." Releasing a sigh and smiling at Ginny gratefully, Hermione rejoined the conversation in hopes to move past this embarrassing moment. Bellatrix on the other hand was no longer interested in the story as Hermione continued talking. She had seen the girl watching her all night and now that she knew how intensely the girl was watching her, Bella was curious about what other questions the curly haired brunette might have for her. She was willing to answer any and every question Hermione wanted to ask her.
"Shall we take this conversation to the library and have a few drinks while we're at it?" Narcissa said as she stood from the table. Mumbles of agreement came from everyone. Bellatrix walked over to Hermione with a welcoming smile, "They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Let's just say mine is as black as coal." Hermione had not seen the woman approach her and was caught off guard by her proximity. Suppressing a shiver Hermione turned to the woman and smiled. "I'm sorry about that by the way. I had completely zoned out and didn't realise I was looking at you. I don't want to look like some creep or anything. It seems our night together has been a complete mess. I really am sorry. I'm usually better at first impressions."
"Did you know that you ramble a little when you're nervous? Its cute." With a soft chuckle, Bellatrix walked away from the younger girl once entering the library. With elegant and long strides, the woman approached a mini bar in the corner and grabbed a bottle of red wine. Heading to Andromeda who had already taken out the wine glasses the sisters poured the drink and distributed it. With a thank you, Hermione sank into one of the chairs in front of the fireplace with a content smile on her face. The Malfoy library was one of her favorite rooms in the house. She was always comfortable while surrounded by books. The night was winding down and everyone was involved in their own conversations as she sat back and observed the room. It felt good to be here. Despite the embarrassing moments with Bellatrix, Hermione enjoyed her night. The happiness in Narcissa and Draco's eyes upon seeing each other for the first time in a while, the young woman was glad that the mother and son duo were able to talk in person. She knew how busy Draco was lately and so these moments weren't often. Somehow, conversation had drifted towards relationships. Hermione tuned in just in time to hear Bellatrix ask her a question.
"What about you Hermione? Any boyfriend?" The woman was smirking again. Hermione decided then and there that she hated that sexy smirk for what it did to her stomach.
"No. No relationships. They're not my thing, actually." Hermione's carefree tone caught Bella's attention. She wanted to know more.
"Oh? I find that kind of hard to believe. Such a young, attractive, and highly accomplished young woman like you...single by choice? Hearts must be breaking all over london" Hermione's breath hitched as she watched the older woman walk over to the chair directly across from herself.
"Bella, leave the girl alone. She doesn't need to be subjected to your mocking. Even if it's in good fun" That was Andromeda, the second Black sister had noticed the interaction between both women all night, although she found it amusing, she knew it would do no good to leave Bellatrix to her own devices. Licking her dry lips Hermione sipped her wine while keeping eye contact with the oldest Black sister. "It's alright Andy. Mrs. Lestrange was just about to find out that my personal life was none of her business anyways. She was barking up the wrong tree."
At this, Bella sat back and chuckled lightly. "The wrong tree, huh? Are you sure it's by choice? Are you dating Ginevra? That's it isn't it?!" Both Ginny and Hermione choked on their wine as Bellatrix smiled like she had found the answer to human existence. Draco laughed while getting up to tell the butler to call for the car. I was getting late and they all needed to head out. Returning to the library he said "Oh God no, aunt Bella. These two? Together?! It'd make better sense if you thought Hermione and I were together. Ginger here has eyes for Dora over there though. Mione here is telling the truth, however." Feeling a rush of pride having proved Bellatrix wrong, Hermione raised from her seat in preparation to leave. She was followed by a blushing Ginny and a smirking Nymphadora. With a quick stretch, Hermione watched as Ginny, Nymphadora, Andromeda, Narcissa, and Draco all walked ahead, exiting the library. Following not far behind, Hermione reached the door only to be grasped from behind. Bellatrix had stayed behind, she was too tired to make it home and so she was gonna head to her designated guest room here. She just had to bid her new friend a good night first.
Wrapping her arms around the younger woman's waist. Bellatrix smiled as she heard the girl gasp from the sudden contact. Leaning into the girl, Bellatrix inhaled the scent of lilac and mint. She chuckled as Hermione leaned into her chest, seemingly relaxed with their position. "Mrs. Lestrange, what are you doing?" The breathy question from the younger lit a fire within Bellatrix and the older woman leaned into Hermione's ear, close enough that her lips lightly brushed against it as she whispered "What happens if I wanted to know about your personal life, Hermione?" The feel of the older woman's lips brushing against her ear caused another wave of heat to travel through her body. Hermione couldn't think clearly, naturally, she blamed it on the wine. "You know, usually you'd take someone out on a date before you try to get them all hot and bothered. Or is things done differently for you, Mrs. Lestrange?" With a chuckle, Bellatrix released the young woman and stepped back. She wasn't sure how long they stood at the door but they had to leave before anyone started asking questions.
"You can call me Bellatrix, you know. I won't bite...unless you want me to." Smirking at the younger girl, Bellatrix walked up to her and gave her a hug while kissing her on the corner of her mouth. Subtly has never been a strong trait for the Black matriarch. With her divorce almost finalised. She was looking forward to what this might mean for her and Hermione. The possibilities can be endless. Not waiting for a response, Bella handed her a slip of paper, winked and made her way towards her bedroom for the night.
Hermione stood at the entryway to the library for what seemed like hours until Ginny came and dragged her along. Her ginger friend had asked her if she was alright but Hermione just shrugged it off and told her friends that she was just tired. The entire car ride back to their loft was spent with Hermione replaying the night while finger the slip of paper in her coat pocket. It had been Bellatrix's number. Hermione was surprised by how forward the older woman had been a short while ago but it also excited her. She wanted to know what else about the older woman was exciting. Her thoughts faltered as she looked towards Draco. Bellatrix was his favorite aunt. Hermione didn't want to overstep by flirting with his aunt. Deciding to leave this situation up to fate itself, the curly haired brunette continued to play with the slip of paper while silently making the deal with herself that she'll only keep the number in case of emergencies or something. She won't overstep. Bellatrix was an incredibly smart woman, gorgeous as well, but Hermione attempted to convince herself that she would only ever contact the older woman whenever she wanted a good conversation or wanted embarrassing stories of child Draco. What could possibly go wrong? As soon as the thought appeared, Hermione knew everything possible would go wrong.
Hey, guys! So, firstly, sorry for such a long break. It was finals week and I was swamped. I'm finally freeeeeee! lol. So, yeah. Thank you all for the kind reviews, the favorites, and the follows. I am truly pleased that you all are enjoying this story. So, initially this was supposed to be a one-shot and since the story has developed itself, I'm going to make it a short fic instead. Hopefully, I can complete it by New Years. This means regular updates within the coming week! Yay! So, buckle up. Things will be taking off from here. As for now, let me know your thoughts on the chapter. I look forward to giving you guys the next chapter. Until then!