A/N: Thank you soo much for the amazing love you've shown to this fic. It warmed my heart truly! Here is the next chapter for you awesome guys, and I sincerely hope that you like it. I do not own Harry Potter; it solely belongs to J.K. Rowling!

Warnings: Drama, angst, mentions of abuse (nothing graphic)


Hermione was nervous as hell. She kept glancing at the clock, then at the door as if it would burst open any second, then at the clock again—all in repetitions. The fidgeting in her seat was also constant, and if Harriet noticed it, she didn't say anything.

A forced smile appeared on Hermione's face when Lily looked at her with a beaming laugh and babbled excitedly about something. But, she carefully avoided Harriet's scrutinizing gaze.

She couldn't gather the courage to look at Harriet, let alone tell her what had happened after that dreadful day. Couldn't tell her that she went behind her back to meet the Dark Lord and trust Bellatrix enough to set all things right.

She couldn't muster the courage to tell Harriet that she had broken her trust.

It was a difficult decision when Remus had suggested visiting the Dark Lord, but it had to be done. She couldn't ignore Harriet's whimpering pleas when the nightmares plagued her mind, and neither could she ignore Lily's innocent questions whenever the little one was too worried about her mama.

What would happen now, though? She'd been dreading for today's meeting, knowing that things could take a worse turn for them.

Lady Malfoy along with Draco and Bellatrix would be here any moment, now, to talk to Harriet. How would Harriet react? Would she forgive Hermione for betraying her trust?

On the other hand, Harriet could feel the nervousness rolling off Hermione. It had been a few days since she was acting this strange. She seemed to be always lost in thought, and would often gaze at Harriet guiltily, thinking Harriet hadn't noticed her weird behaviour.

Sighing slightly, Harriet glanced at her baby girl, who was happily munching on her pancakes. The little one was unaware of the massive thunderstorm brewing in her mother's heart.

As much as Harriet dreaded them, the nightmares were becoming a regular occurrence again. They were always the same—Marvolo taking Lily away from her and Harriet not being able to do anything about it. She would run after them, but it would always prove futile, and Harriet would be left alone in the darkness.

The darkness resembled that of the old, dingy cupboard under the stairs.

Harriet would immediately wake up after that, not wanting to witness what would happen if the nightmare continued. She just couldn't. She was afraid, rightly so, but also ashamed because she knew that her nightmares were starting to take a toll on her daughter and Hermione as well.

How could Harriet be so stupid and selfish?

She was so lost in her own problem that she was acting like a bratty child. She hadn't properly talked or apologised to Hermione and Remus since that day at Gringotts. On top of that, she was avoiding them. They deserved answers, deserved to know what was bothering her. Being Lily's godparents, they had the right to speak on the matter too, but Harriet had just closed them off.

No. She needed to find a solution and soon, needed to talk and discuss the matters at hand, with them. It had been a few days, but she was sure that Marvolo wouldn't stay quiet for too long. He wanted to be a part of Lily's life, she could feel it in her heart. The longing, the loneliness, the love. It was all there. But, the feelings were only for his daughter and not Harriet, she wasn't sure.

Stupid mate bond. It was making everything difficult for her.

"Mama." Lily's sweet voice brought her back to reality.

"Yes, sweetheart," Harriet replied; her tone did not seem as sad as before. She was determined to justice by her family, and thus, she would talk to Remus and Hermione today itself.

"I'm finished." Lily proudly displayed her now empty plate to her mother. Harriet laughed at her syrup-covered face but beamed proudly nonetheless. It often confused her as to where Lily got such a sweet tooth from.

"Hmm, looks like you are. Now let's get you all tidied up, miss cookie monster." Harriet picked Lily from her high chair, tickling her sides, which earned her a surprised shriek from her little one.

"Mama, I'm not a cookie monster." Yep, her 'R's' were getting better now. Lily squirmed in her mother's arms, a look of pure joy adorning her face.

"You're not?" Harriet inquired as she stopped with her tickling assault, and steadied Lily on the high stool to clean her up. "Then who ate all the cookies I made last Sunday, hmm?"

Her baby girl stopped washing her hands, biting her tongue between her teeth and trying to act discreetly. She was acting very sly at the moment but looked annoyingly cute in those pigtails of hers.

Harriet just raised an eyebrow at Lily.

"I did not, mama," Lily replied politely, but Harriet could easily read the mischievousness in her eyes.

"You didn't?" She fake gasped, acting surprised. "Then who did?"

"It was Grandpa Moony. I just helped him to finish them." Harriet pressed her lips firmly to hold back her laughter. Lily was so cunning at times, it was eerie. Just like her father.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, her heart skipped a beat.

"I didn't." It was Remus' squeaky voice that caught her attention. He seemed a little pale and his eyes were wide in fear. His face made Hermione and Harriet snort; he certainly remembered the time he'd finished the entire batch of cookies and got a good scolding from Harriet.

In her defence though, they were specially made cookies for the bakery's anniversary where Harriet worked.

"I swear I didn't, Harrie," Remus spoke., with Hermione following closely behind.

"I know, Moony," Harriet assured him, moving forward to hug him in greeting.

"Lils, it is a bad thing to lie," Hermione scolded Lily a little, Lily pouted.

"You're going to get me in trouble one day, little miss," Remus knelt in front of her and hugged her close.

"I'm sorry, Moony. I didn't mean to up.."

"Upset?"

"Yeah, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay, sweetheart."

"Lils, go and water the plants, now," Harriet spoke firmly. Lily groaned in annoyance, she didn't like getting mud on her dress.

"Do I have to, mama?"

"Yes, it's your punishment for lying. Off you go now."

"How are you, Moony?" Harriet asked while putting the kettle on the stove for a nice cup of tea. Last night was a full moon, and they always took an extra toll on his mind and body.

"Really good, feeling much better actually." It was true. He looked better than he usually did after the full moon night, and neither did he look as tired as she had thought.

"Umm, we wanted to talk to you about something," Remus seemed to stumble upon his words as he took a seat at the kitchen table. Harriet looked between him and Hermione, realising it was probably the reason her best friend had been acting strangely for the past few days. Good thing that they were both here now, she wanted to talk to them anyway.

"I understand...I."

"We are really sorry, Harriet. We didn't mean to, but it was the only option left in front of us," Remus tiredly sighed as he spoke quickly. He really needed to get these secrets off his chest, they have been burdening him for a while now.

"What are you guys talking about?" Harriet was confused. She should be the one apologising to them for making them worry too much.

"We couldn't see you in any more pain, Harrie Your nightmares were getting worse and..."

"Hermione!" Harriet was freaking out so bad on the inside now. "What did you guys do?"

They did not answer for a few moments, but the hurt and guilt was all over their faces.

"We went to meet Lord Slytherin after what happened at Gringotts. We wanted to make him understand the situation, but when we got there..." Remus sighed knowing well that she would freak out. "He wanted to file a lawsuit against you, and fight for half the custody and rights of Lily."

Harriet's mind stopped working, she could feel her world falling apart right in front of her. It was getting difficult for her to breathe, and tears cascaded down her cheeks.

Her nightmare was turning into reality.

"What?"

"We talked to him, Harriet. We made him understand that what he was trying to do is wrong." Hermione was quick to sit beside Harriet in an attempt to soothe her.

"He isn't going to take her away from you, sweetie. But he still wants to..."

"Over my dead body!" Harriet spat, anger consuming her mind.

"No," Harriet stood up from her seat, the deceit and fear clear in her eyes. "You betrayed me, how could you do this to me?"

"Harriet please," Remus moved towards her, but she backed away from him. That hurt.

"We couldn't see you suffer anymore, sweetheart."

"Suffer," Harriet scoffed. "That man hates me, he won't lose a single chance to make me suffer."

"Harriet!" Hermione stood from her seat as well but didn't let her friend speak anymore. "Do you think it's easy for us to see you crying and frightened all the time? As if someone would burst the door open any moment and snatch Lily from you. Do you think we don't know how hurt and dead you are on the inside?"

Harriet was speechless—Hermione had never snapped at her like this, not even the time when she'd willingly went into the Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny.

"Please Harrie, try to understand. You can't just avoid the truth now. As surprising as it is, he is Lily's father and your mate. It is legal and within his rights too, it is legal. You'll have to talk to him one way or another."

"And what about the innumerable times he tried to kill me in the past? What about the time he insulted me in my own home?" Harriet asked them. They didn't have the answers to her questions, only Marvolo had them. "I understand that he didn't know about me being his mate until now. But the way he'd treated me in the past, is that fair? Did I deserve to be used as a pawn in the games of Dumbledore and Voldemort, hmm?"

Each word was a stab to her own heart.

"And Remus, I thought you were smart, did you really think he would want only half the custody of my daughter?"

He bowed his head not only in shame but tiredness, trying to make him understand that the situation wasn't in their favour for now. There were far worse things they needed to be prepared for, and for that, they needed Marvolo's help. But Harriet wasn't having any of it; he should have known. Her insecurities and fears were getting her way of thinking reasonably.

"I'm not letting him anywhere near my daughter," Harriet's words were determined. She wiped her tears away and stood straight, letting them know that her decision was final.

"Am I a bad baby?" Lily's timid voice broke the tension in the room. Harriet whirled around to see her daughter standing in the doorway that connected the kitchen and the garden. Mud stains painted her dress indicating that she had finished the task assigned to her. But she was sad, so sad that it made Harriet's heart clench seeing her baby girl like this.

How long had she been standing there? Did she hear them all fight?

"No, baby," Harriet moved towards Lily, hugging her close, and taking her seat back on the table. "Why do you say that?"

Lily didn't speak per se, tugging on the buttons of Harriet's shirt—a nervous habit of hers whenever she was afraid to say something.

"Lils," Remus coaxed her. "What's wrong little fawn? Why are you so upset?"

"Mama, am I a bad baby?" Lily asked again, this time looking straight at Harriet. Her mother shook her head in denial, "No, my love. You're the bestest and the kindest and the cutest baby in the whole world."

"Then why don't I get a dada?"

Her words were a punch to the gut. Harriet couldn't tear her eyes away from her face, but couldn't form any coherent thoughts either. In all these years, Harriet had tried her best to be the most loving and caring mother for her child. To give Lily everything that she'd never had growing up—love, family, values, everything. She had tried her very best to leave the truth of her biological father behind for now; she was too little to understand what her mother had endured.

Yet, her baby girl was questioning her own worth, as if it was her fault.

"Lils!" Hermione was beside her in a second, taking her from Harriet's still embrace and into her own, making sure to maintain eye contact with her.

"We don't talk like that, sweetie. You are a wonderful, wonderful child." Hermione made sure that Lily understood her. "You have the cutest little dimples and the cutest little smile. And you even help Mrs Farrow with her gardening, right?"

Lily nodded at her aunt's question.

"Then how can you be bad? You're so kind and so, so loved Lily! Mama loves you, Mione loves you, Moony loves you, we all do." Hermione kissed her head lovingly, while her mother sat there with a numbing pain consuming her.

"There are lots of people in this world, sweetheart, that are not so lucky.," Remus spoke. "There are many babies in this world who do not have mama and dada. Take your mother, for example, Harriet did not have mama and dada. But you have us, you will always have us."

Lily took in everything seriously, but her little mind seemed to be in trouble. "But sir Goblin said that Mista Marvolo is my dada. Then why didn't he come to meet me ever? Was he mad at me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, little one. He loves you soo much. So very much."

Harriet visibly stilled hearing that voice; it had been years since she last heard that voice, taunting and mocking when she couldn't save Sirius in time.

Harriet hadn't been fast enough and, in the end, Bellatrix had won. The loud cackle of her laughter still echoed in Harriet's ears. reminding her of what she'd truly lost.

What was she doing here?

She turned around to face the crazy woman, and sure enough, she was standing there alongside Narcissa and Draco.

"How the fuck did you get into my house?" Modesty all forgotten, Harriet immediately stood up in front of Lily and Hermione.

"That is not the way you treat your guests, Lady Potter," Bellatrix's tone held the slightest of taunts; she couldn't help it, it was in her nature. But she certainly noted the way Harriet tried to protect her daughter; seemed like her Gryffindor bravery was still intact.

"You have my vow that since I'm in your house, I won't harm you or any of your family members, Lady Potter. And neither will I ever reveal the location of your house to anyone," Bellatrix spoke with confidence, knowing that it was a step in earning Harriet's trust. The reason she had come here was extremely important, not because of the Dark Lord, but because of the woman and child standing in front of Bella. "That being said, I will defend Cissa and Draco, if the need arises."

Harriet didn't know how to respond to that. On one hand, the woman had invited herself into her home without an invitation, and on the other hand, she had given a vow without breaking a sweat, knowing that Harriet would be uncomfortable in her presence.

A quick glance at Remus told her everything, though. He was fidgeting and was too awkward with the whole scenario; guess Bellatrix's sudden visit hadn't been uninvited or a surprise.

He simply mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to her.

Lily wiggled in Hermione's lap and was let go off by her aunt. She moved towards the trio to greet them, and her mother didn't try to stop her. Harriet seemed okay for now, knowing that Lily was safe. There was hesitation, but just the slightest.

"Miss Cissa, Mister Dwaco, hello!" A smile was tugging at her face now that her 'friends' were here. Miss Cissa and Mister Dwaco were so nice, they even let Lily play with their peacocks.

But Lily didn't know the other woman standing with Miss Cissa. Who was she?

Lily scrutinized her with curious eyes, and the woman smiled at her. Still, Lily didn't return her smile. She made a come hither motion with her tiny hand, and the woman obliged as she knelt beside Lily.

"Do you really know my dada?" Harriet let out a harsh breath. Lily had been calling Marvolo 'dada' ever since the visit to Gringotts. She had tried to strike a conversation with Lily, to tell her that he wasn't her real father, but it felt like something was stopping her. There was an unknown fear creeping her out.

"I do, little miss," Bellatrix replied in a calm voice. She had only heard about Potter's daughter a few days ago. Cissa had been ranting about how cute and adorable she is ever since she'd met her, and Lucius too, was in the same boat as his wife. The pair was all high praises of how wonderful the child is, and also how Lady Potter had done a fine job raising her. Then, Bella had found out about Lily's heritage, and wasn't that a surprise!

She was even more surprised when she saw the utter love and concern Minister Slytherin held for his daughter. It was as clear as the sun in the sky. As for his mate, he kept those feelings well-hidden, even trying to deceive himself.

Back to Lily, though, she couldn't agree more with Narcissa. The child was utterly beautiful—she definitely took after her mother's fine features. But in those emerald eyes of hers, Bellatrix could sense the slyness of Marvolo as well.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Yup, Bellatrix wasn't wrong. The child was a true Slytherin. Lily's tone was nothing but polite, that made Bellatrix chuckle.

"My, my...aren't you a sly one, little girl." That didn't lessen Lily's determination though. "Well, your father is nay high and has bright red eyes. He has curly hair, and also has a friend named Nagini—the big snake."

At the mention of the large serpentine, Lily's face immediately brightened up. "And he also showed us the special tiara that he got for you. The blue one."

It was as if Bellatrix had told Lily the secret that she needed to hear because dada had said not to tell anyone about the tiara, but she knew about it, which meant that the curly-haired woman was dada's friend. Moving forward swiftly and without any hesitation, Lily wrapped her arms around Bella's neck, making Bella melt in her embrace. Bellatrix sighed, leaning her cheek on Lily's head and rubbing her back in comfort—the girl adored Marvolo as equally as much he loved her.

"I'm Lily, Miss." Lily introduced herself, when she pulled away from her.

"And I'm Bellatrix Lestrange, darling. But you can call me Bella." Bellatrix spoke in a formal tone that made Lily giggle.

"Would you take me to meet Dada, miss Bella?"

Harriet tensed behind the duo, and everyone present in the room could sense her obvious discomfort.

"Of courage, little miss. But first, we'll have to ask your mother, okay?"

Lily looked at her mother, walking over to her and stretching her arms wide out for Harriet to take her. Without wasting a moment, Harriet scooped her up, kissing Lily soundly on the cheeks in forgiveness. She could feel how bad Lily felt for making her mother upset; it was a silent apology from her behalf. If it was anyone's fault, it was Remus' and Hermione's, who had invited Bellatrix, of all people, to their home without thinking of any further consequences.

"It's all okay, my love!" Harriet spoke, shushing her when she saw Lily's lips quivering, "Oh, darling. Don't cry. It's all okay. Mama will make it okay, right?"

Lily nodded; her mama was a superhero, she always made everything right and nice. Grandpa Moony and aunt Mione also knew that. Nuzzling her nose against Harriet's, an adorable habit of hers, Lily spoke, "I love you, mama."

"No more than I love you, my darling," Harriet whispered, not wanting anyone else to hear the tender words she spoke for her daughter. It felt as if she wanted to keep it a secret between the two of them. "Now, you go with aunt Mione and Moony and give a tour of the house to our guests, while I talk to Miss Bella, okay?"

Putting her back down, Harriet shared a look with Hermione requesting her to take care of Lily. With one final glance at Remus, she was left alone with the Bellatrix.

"She's a lovely child, I must admit." Bellatrix took a seat at the now empty kitchen table, silently gesturing towards the lovely pot of brewed tea that remained untouched, "May I?"

Harriet gave the slightest nod, watching as Bellatrix took her leisure time to add milk and honey to her tea. As she took the first sip though, Harriet couldn't keep her patience any longer, "What do you want? What are you doing here?"

"I hate long boring conversations and all the drama that comes with it, so I'll cut this thing to the point and do us both a favour of not wasting our time."

Well, the woman was brutally honest.

"I didn't come here for the sake of Marvolo Slytherin or your friend and werewolf godfather. I came here for Lily and you." Now that was unexpected.

"Me? I don't understand." Harriet moved towards the chair across from her, and closest to the door, just in case she needed to get to Lily. Also, she was confused as to how casually Bellatrix addressed Marvolo. There was no overuse of titles or anything.

"But I do. I understand perfectly well about how you're feeling." There was a deeper meaning behind her words. "I understand the betrayal you feel towards your family, I understand the resentment you have buried deep within yourself for those muggles. And I understand the fear of losing your everything. I understand it all, Harriet. That is why I'm here to help you."

"What do you know about betrayal? You killed your own cousin." There was fury rolling off her. A look of regret flashed through Bellatrix's eyes, but Harriet must have mistaken it.

On her end, Bellatrix did not try to explain her actions. Sirius' death was her fault, as simply as she could put, and she couldn't do anything to bring him back. But she could try to do something for him. That was the reason she was here.

"I was 16 when my marriage was fixed to Rodolphus. He was older than me, and I was still a girl at Hogwarts with dreams to conquer the world. I was close to my sister—Andromeda—and Sirius back then. So, I protested against the marriage agreement thinking they would stand by my side, but I was wrong. They were too scared of the consequences of going against grandfather Arcturus, and in return, I was removed from my position of the Heiress of the house after which the title went directly to Sirius. I wasn't left with anything but the choice to accept the marriage.

I changed after my marriage though— I wasn't the strong woman I had grown up to be, I was beaten, abused and raped."

Harriet's breath hitched as she heard her. Her own husband raped her? How did she survive living with that monster?

She had never thought that Bellatrix would have such a vulnerable and tender side to her fierce personality, or that she would open about something so personal to Harriet. Sirius and others have always told her of how crazy Bellatrix was.

"If I resisted, it became even more painful. That time Sirius had joined Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor. His opinions and views started to change, not only for the Slytherins but for our family as well. I tried to protect Regulus as much as I could. The Dark Lord was at the peak of his power too, and in him, I saw my chance that I had desperately wanted—to prove that I was more than a body to be abused or taken advantage of, more than a woman to be traded for alliances. He too saw my worth and started training me himself. My practice in the dark arts and the broken heiress magic pushed me towards insanity. I was so obsessed to please him that I kept punishing myself."

The slightest twinge of jealousy pinched Harriet's heart and she tried to ignore it.

"I wouldn't say that I don't regret the attack at the Longbottom's or Sirius' death, because I do. I really do," Bellatrix spoke opening her heart to the young woman sitting in front of her. She saw so much of her own younger self in Harriet, it was eerie.

And Harriet, surprisingly, believed her.

"So when Mr Lupin told us about your past, and what those muggles and Dumbledore did to you, I had to do something. It's the least I owe to Sirius."

The mention of her late godfather was enough for Harriet to let down her tough facade. Besides, she could tell that Bella was sincere in what she'd said. "How? He wants to take Lily away from me. Moony told me himself about the lawsuit he planned to throw my way."

"No, he doesn't. That decision was only based on the fact that you would reject him and the bond between you both. He was and still is, afraid that you wouldn't accept him. He wants you both—safe and happy," Bellatrix corrected her, this time rounding the table and taking a seat beside her. She was glad to see that Harriet didn't pull away.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat this, darling, because you need to understand it and we have very little time. Mr Lupin has a theory that Dumbledore may or may not be aware of Lily's birth, and it wouldn't take him long to find where you are living."

"What?" Harriet's face drained of all colour.

"Yes. He had started with a secret investigation to find who stole his letters. Only the inner circle knows about it because he thinks that the traitor is helping Dumbledore. It is being kept under very tight wraps. As for us coming here, we all think it would be safe for you to move to Slytherin manor."

"I'm not leaving my home!" Harriet exclaimed. She was already shocked from all the information that was thrown her way, now she would have to leave her home behind.

"Think about Lily!" Bella snapped at her, finally shutting her up. "What do you think would happen if Dumbledore really knows where you are? Are you ready to fight him alone? Are you ready to risk your daughter's safety because of your stubbornness?"

Harriet didn't say anything, she couldn't. There were tears gathering in her eyes.

"I know you're scared, and I know that fear, and I know that you think the world is against you in this very moment. But trust me, Harriet, I wouldn't let you fall. I won't let you make the mistakes I made. I promise you," Bellatrix could see the hesitation in her eyes still. It was okay, Hell if this would have happened to Bella, she would have lost her mind already. But Harriet was strong, she always had been, and thus, she needed to be assured.

Taking out her wand, she put in right over her heart, "I Bellatrix Lestrange, nee' Black, vow to protect

Harriet Lillian Potter and her daughter, Lily Hermione Potter, with my life. Any danger towards them would be towards me, any threat to them would be a threat to me. Let mother magic flow through my veins, and honour my words."

A golden thread flew out of her wand, from where it was pointed at her chest, and disappeared into Harriet's body, binding them in the Unbreakable Vow. Harriet didn't know what to say. She was left speechless—the woman was unlike any other persona she'd ever met. She was her enemy, yet today, she'd promised in her life to always protect Harriet and Lily.

"Thank you," A whispered hush fell from her lips and a smile appeared on Bella's face, knowing that Harriet had accepted the bond. It was reassuring to know that someone was on her side in case things went wrong.

"Now, do you trust me, and accept to meet him?"

"I guess so, until and unless he doesn't try to be sly about any of it." Bella cracked up an evil laugh. My, my, Harriet too was sneaky when she wanted to be.

"Umm…" Harriet didn't know how to ask the awkward question.

"What?"

"Wouldn't your husband mind that you gave a vow to me?"

"He wouldn't, dearest, and even if he could, it wouldn't have mattered." Harriet felt a chill running through her body seeing the mad glint persistent in Bella's eyes.

"I killed him."


-A/N: Let me know what you guys think about this one! Reads, followers, favorites and reviews are always appreciated! Good day to all! :)