A/N: Welcome back, I'm so glad to finally be updating. I've had to essentially hold my muse hostage, but she is cooperating (for the moment). Don't worry, she receives plenty of snack breaks. If you don't follow BbtL, it is now complete, so this story is officially my number one priority. I can't say the same about my muse, she does what she wants. I will try to maintain a semblance of regular updates, but I think we all know that it's pretty unlikely. But, check back when you can, or just follow it so you're notified, and I'll do my best to update.

Enjoy!

One misstep, you're mine

And you better stay clever if you wanna survive

Once you cross the line

You'll be wishing you would listen

When you meet your demise

-Monsters, Ruelle

Draco adjusted his robes, trying to hide the nervousness under the guise of tidying his appearance. It was a habit he had inherited from his mother, but she would never admit it. He knew, though. Inhaling deeply, he opened the door to Hermione's classroom, ignoring the looks he got as he passed. He tried not to notice the way people eyed him with suspicion, shifting their things to make it clear he wasn't wanted there.

Ginny looked back as the door closed, spotting Draco and noticing the reactions of her peers. She was glad Hermione had told her beforehand, otherwise, she would've done exactly what they were doing. She didn't necessarily trust Draco, but she could think of worse people to sit next to. He had always proven to be intelligent, that much was for sure, and she did understand that circumstances and expectations had been different for him. Ginny wasn't sure if she would've done it if she hadn't known ahead of time, but she slid over as he approached, clearing her things off the bench to make room for him.

"Draco, you can sit here, if you want to," she said quietly.

"Thank you," he answered with a timid smile.

Ginny smiled in return, deciding that maybe it wouldn't be that bad to sit next to Draco. She had almost expected an insult, but instead, Draco looked genuinely grateful, and even a little remorseful. Draco's nerves settled a little. With Ginny offering him a seat, the rest of the students settled down a little bit, not quite welcoming, but not as uninviting as they had been. He glanced at Ginny out of the corner of his eyes, watching as she made a rude gesture to the student who sent a piece of enchanted paper at her head. He stifled his chuckle, focusing on the front of the room as the door slammed open, signaling Hermione's inevitable entrance.

"Right, so, Draco Malfoy will be joining us starting today, if any of you give him trouble, there will be severe consequences, so be sure to be on your best behavior. I expect you all to act like adults toward each other, but if I hear otherwise, there will be restrictions on the freedoms I allow you. It's very simple: Behave like adults and I will treat you like adults; behave like children and I will treat you like children. Any questions?" Hermione announced as she strode to the front of the room.

After several long pauses, she continued, "Good. You'll be working with your bench-mate today and for the next few weeks on a project. I will approve the topic, but for the most part, you can choose. You will not be required to come to class for the duration of the project, but I will be in this room during our scheduled time should you have any questions. Do not come to me outside of class unless it is something we agreed on beforehand. You will prepare a presentation on something related to this class, preferably something we haven't covered yet."

Draco turned to Ginny, giving her an uncertain look. She just smiled and shrugged. Draco exhaled in relief, his mind spinning with ideas for what they could choose. He hoped Ginny would be a good partner for him, from what he knew she was a little brash but still smart and relatively easygoing. And she was damn good at Quidditch if he had to admit it.

"I don't know about you, but I have no idea where to start," Ginny admitted.

"She didn't really give us very much instruction," Draco agreed, "But I think that's kind of the point."

"I suppose you're right," Ginny chuckled.

"I don't know about you, but I think it would be interesting to do it on a dark creature," he suggested.

"I don't know, we covered a good bit of them, and they seem like they'd be a popular topic. Maybe something along those lines, but a little more obscure. Maybe Animagi or something. We didn't really talk too much about it," Ginny thought aloud.

Draco mulled the idea over in his head, thinking about ways they could relate it to class. "I think I have an idea. I don't know if you'll want to do it, or if it'll be approved."

"What is it?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Well, I remember a decent amount of the Death Eaters were Animagi. We could do a comparison between the forms of Death Eaters and Order Members?" He shifted in his seat, straightening his tie.

"Interesting. We could potentially get access to the records at the Ministry and record the prevalence of Animagi on each side and the type of form they had. I could see Hermione- Professor Granger- approving that," Ginny said, quickly correcting herself.

They shared a grin, both pleasantly surprised with each other. It was a better idea to sit together than either of them realized, even if there weren't any other options. They approached Hermione, who was sitting on the edge of her desk with one leg dangling over the edge. She was watching the students with a blank expression, but her eyes were critical, constantly surveying the room to make sure it was the way she wanted it.

"I figured you'd be the first ones," she said absently, her eyes not staying focused on them for more than a second or two.

"We'd like to examine the relationship between Animagus form and affiliation during the war," Draco said cautiously.

Hermione's eyes snapped to them, drinking them in for several quiet moments. She was hesitant to approve the topic because it could lead to Bellatrix's discovery, but if she denied it, that would be suspicious. Hermione was silent for so long Ginny and Draco started to wonder if she was feeling okay, but they refrained from saying anything. She continued to think about it as her eyes went back to examining the room, deciding that it would be riskier if she didn't allow them to pursue the topic. She had Minerva's promise to keep their secret and protect them, though she wasn't sure how that would work out if someone else realized. Still, though, she and Bellatrix were capable, and she supposed she could have some explanations prepared, just in case. Bellatrix was not going to be happy.

"Okay, I'll write to Kingsley," she finally said with a small nod.

She watched Draco and Ginny run off to collect their belongings, nearly racing out of the room. It was an effort to maintain her composure as she listened to the rest of her students present their topics, either approving it or sending them to make revisions. She was barely holding herself together when, finally, the last pair of students left, and as the door closed behind them, she pushed off from the desk.

"Fuck," she mumbled under her breath, grabbing at her hair and tugging it.

She paced the room restlessly, nearly chewing through her bottom lip as she thought of a way to break the news to Bellatrix. She had a good reason for approving their topic, but she didn't know if it would be good enough in Bellatrix's eyes. It all depended on the type of mood she was in. Hermione groaned in frustration, cursing whatever twisted diety had put her in this position. With a heavy sigh, she plopped down into her chair, beginning to draft the letter to Kingsley. She could always tell them Kingsley wouldn't let them access the records, but she wasn't quite sure they would believe that, considering she had a lot of privileges most others didn't have. Still, she could probably think of something.

Dear Minister Shacklebolt,

I have assigned two students a project that requires they compare the Animagus records of Death Eaters and Order members. I assure you they will be handled with the utmost care. I will personally see to their security, picking them up from the Ministry and ensuring I am present when they are being observed, as well as returning them in person should your permission be given.

Thank you,

Hermione Granger

Hermione read the letter again, deciding that was the best she could do. She could play middleman for the records, that way she could take Bellatrix's from the pile while Ginny and Draco were going through them. She figured it was her best option, seeing as she didn't want to come up with an excuse for why they couldn't do that topic because it would be suspicious. It was easiest if she just withheld the information from them. Draco probably didn't know Bellatrix was an Animagus, since he hadn't mentioned anything about Polaris, and Ginny definitely didn't know. Hopefully, it would make Bellatrix feel better that she would be able to hide the file and she wouldn't be as angry as Hermione was anticipating. It was the best she could come up with.

Bellatrix's head lolled back and she gazed at the window longingly. She was sprawled on the couch, her head bent at an uncomfortable angle to stare at the window. There was nothing stopping her from getting out for a little while, but she didn't want to move, and she was tired of being a bloody bird. She glanced at the fireplace, hoisting herself, flopping really, from the couch to the floor. It wasn't exactly cold out, but she felt the need to do something with her hands. Classes were boring, the students had almost grown used to her constant tormenting, so even that wasn't fun anymore. Methodically, she placed logs in the fireplace, arranging them in a particular way, fidgeting with them until their placement was satisfying. She grabbed a stack of papers from the designated "kindling" pile, meticulously tearing them and stuffing them under the logs.

Looking around, she was forced to get up and look for the flint, growing bored after several minutes of searching aimlessly. She sighed, abandoning the task and throwing herself back onto the couch. It felt like the walls were closing in, pressing in on her, and she threw an arm over her eyes, resisting the urge to scream. Unable to take it anymore, she leaped to her feet, throwing open the window and shifting in one fluid motion. She took to the skies, circling around the school grounds, the wind combing its fingers through her feathers. The sensation calmed her marginally, but she couldn't help the restlessness that overwhelmed her. They had yet to accomplish anything significant, and it felt like victory was slowly slipping out of reach. The longer it took them, the higher her chances of discovery grew, and not everyone would be as lenient as Minerva. Bellatrix couldn't help but feel like the end was nearing before they even started.

The Forbidden Forest called to her, as it so often did, beckoning her into its depths. Bellatrix complied, angling her wings to send her banking toward the trees, flying over them for a time until she began to descend. As she approached the ground, she shifted, landing in a slight crouch. She dragged her fingertips along the bark of the trees, admiring the rough texture. Inhaling caused her lungs to fill with the slightly musky scent of the forest. It always made her calmer, reminded her of when she was a student and would wander as far as she was brave enough to. There were so many times where she had nearly gotten caught, either sneaking in or sneaking out, but it was always worth the danger. She felt kindred spirits lurking beyond the trees, and no harm had ever befallen her here.

Bellatrix wandered around barefoot, the detritus soft under her feet, squishing pleasantly with every step. She continued to drag her hand over the trees as she walked, unafraid of the potential dangers. There were many creatures that could swallow her whole, hell, there were plenty of plants that could do the same, but she knew they wouldn't. She was more powerful than they were, and the forest was unnatural in many ways, but even it and its inhabitants respected the unspoken hierarchy. Her magic paved the path for her, commanding the forest to succumb to her, commanding the creatures to submit to her. In the forest, she was the most powerful thing, and she loved it. The power, the thrill of knowing whatever she wanted would be done. It reminded her of Hermione. The way she would always follow her, would always listen, would obey without hesitation. It was addicting.

A rustling in the underbrush behind Bellatrix caught her attention, and she turned back, catching a glimpse of the highest spires of Hogwarts. Suddenly, she realized the light had been gradually fading, and it barely penetrated the thick mass of trees. She sighed, knowing it was time to head back. Hermione would be returning soon, and, if she had to admit it, she was getting hungry. With a mildly dejected sigh, she shifted once more, rising above the twisted treeline and soaring back to her temporary home. It felt more and more like a prison every day, but the continued thought that it was temporary settled her somewhat. It was getting harder to keep telling herself that, though. She could only take so many limitations for so long, and the only place she would be more limited at was anywhere in the Wizarding World. Her options were slim, and she would take the small freedoms she could get, even if she did feel stifled.

"You did what?!" Bellatrix demanded through grit teeth, pressing Hermione roughly into the door.

"I will be a middleman to the files, they'll never even see yours," Hermione gasped, her vision spotty.

"Narcissa knows. If she finds out about the project and tells Draco what I am it could give everything away!" Bellatrix hissed angrily, tightening her grip on Hermione's robes.

"Even if she finds out and tells him, he has no reason to believe that Polaris is actually his aunt being hidden by the Wizarding World's Golden Girl," Hermione insisted, "And you don't know that he will tell her, or that she'll tell him. Surely if there were any reason to suspect you were hiding as an Animagus, she would've come forward. As far as anyone knows, you're dead, and your body is a bunch of scattered ashes."

"And if she tells him, and he tells the Weasley girl? What then?" Bellatrix roughly grabbed Hermione's chin, her nails digging into the soft skin.

Hermione remained silent, loathe to admit that she hadn't thought as far ahead as she should've. She had no idea Narcissa knew about Bellatrix being an Animagus, and didn't even stop to consider that she might. It would be easy enough to explain away if it were just Draco, but if he told Ginny... If he told Ginny, it would be a lot harder to convince someone who knew her well.

"We'll figure it out," Hermione mumbled, her eyes dropping away from Bellatrix's. She didn't think she had ever felt so small before.

"We need to make a move. Soon. We're too vulnerable now. This could cost us everything, Hermione."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, disappointment spreading through her chest, "If I had denied the request, it might have looked suspicious. I thought I was making the best decision."

"The problem is that there is no best decision," Bellatrix said, surprisingly softly. She loosened her grip on Hermione's chin, stroking her cheek with gentle fingertips.

Hermione inhaled fully, the spots finally fading from her vision as oxygen filled her lungs.

"We'll just have to move things forward. We've gotten careless, we're stagnant. I'm wondering if maybe coming here was a bad idea. It's too late, now. We'll work around it. Let's go to London this weekend and get some of what we need. We'll store everything in your parents' house, we'll Imperio Arthur to pick it up there and go to the Ministry. We work every weekend until it's ready, and when it is, we strike. No more biding our time or fooling around." During her speech, Bellatrix had moved away from Hermione, pacing back and forth across the room.

Hermione simply nodded, leaning against the door. She felt week and defeated, like she had failed. Again. No matter how hard she tried, things always slipped out of her control. There was nothing she could do now but listen to Bellatrix and hope Draco and Ginny never found out. Bellatrix stopped pacing, glancing at her with an unreadable expression. Hermione curled her shoulders, visibly shrinking under the dark, piercing gaze.

"Stand up. Don't you dare do that. Stay strong, Hermione, because you are," Bellatrix snapped, her tone softening as she spoke.

Hermione looked up at her timidly, forcing herself to square her shoulders under the burning gaze. She inhaled deeply, slowly, assembling her face into the picture of neutrality. Bellatrix gave her a lopsided grin, still with its slightly predatory nature, even after all the time they had spent together. Hermione found she didn't mind being her prey.