A/N: So, this took a little longer than I expected, but it's here now. Hope you're all safe.
Enjoy!
Monster, monster under my bed
Come out and play 'cause I need a friend
You're so damn close that I feel your breath
You're the only one I have left
-Monster (Under my bed), Call Me Karizma
A dark, heavy hood shadowed Hermione's face as she observed the small Polish wizarding village from the outskirts of the nearby forest. Bellatrix was dressed in a similar fashion a little further back. In the time it had taken Hermione to recover, Bellatrix had succeeded in fracturing peoples' trust in the ministry, all without revealing herself. It was truly admirable, the brilliance she possessed to be able to pull off such a thing. Warmth from another body pressed to her back and Hermione tilted her head toward the source.
"You know what to do?" Bellatrix asked breathily.
At Hermione's nod, she smirked and jerked her chin toward the small wizarding settlement. The brunette adjusted the hood to ensure it was covering her face entirely. It would be easy enough to look suspicious, which was the entire point. Aurors had been crawling through small towns in an attempt to quell the unrest and, hopefully, locate Bellatrix, who they were sure was behind this. Her face, once revealed, would be recognized by enough people after being heavily featured for the past two years.
She fixed her gaze firmly downward as she walked through the town, occasionally glancing around. Her hood continued to cast shadows over her face, thanks to a helpful charm Bellatrix had placed on it. The village was about the size of Hogsmeade, maybe a little smaller, but just as busy and it wasn't long before she had garnered some attention from the locals. A pair of wizards, quite obviously Aurors, were watching her closely from the sidewalk. She abruptly turned, smiling to herself when they made to approach her. She kept her pace, allowing them to catch up to her without any trouble. The residents watched as they approached her, sharing uneasy looks with each other.
"Stop," one of them commanded, drawing his wand.
Silently, she did, keeping her back turned to them. Her neck prickled with unease at the hasty nature of the pair. She could feel both wands trained on her and while she knew she could hold her own, she'd rather not have to fight them.
"What's your business here?" the other asked, adjusting his grip on his wand nervously.
"Just passing through," she said, her words muffled by the hood and her direction.
They exchanged glances, the first one demanding, "Identify yourself."
Hermione made a show of slowly raising her hands, making a point to show she was not holding a wand. She could feel their impatience as her hands gripped the edges of her hood, lowering it as she turned slowly. She fixed them with a hard stare, announcing, "Hermione Jean Granger."
Whispers broke out among the villagers and Hermione fought to keep her lips from twitching into a satisfied smirk. It was clear the two Aurors recognized her face and name, but they were still suspicious of her. She didn't blame them, she was one of the last people to be seen with Bellatrix and it would have been easy for her to steal a few hairs to make a Polyjuice Potion.
"Your wand?" the first one asked, his own still firmly trained on her.
"In my sleeve," she said, gesturing to her right arm with her head.
"On your knees, keep your arms up," he ordered.
She slowly lowered herself to her knees, the second Auror approaching her. Two sets of wands were still carefully pointed at her, ready to strike if she so much as breathed wrong. She remained still as the Auror reached into her right sleeve, withdrawing the wand that was tucked there. This was the part that got difficult. Not many people knew she had taken to using Bellatrix's wand after the incident at Malfoy Manor, which would lead them to suspect her of lying. She took a steadying breath as he frowned at it, turning to his partner and holding it up for him to see.
"Is this your wand?" he asked.
Hermione contemplated her answer to the loaded question. "It is, but wasn't always."
"Elaborate," the first one ordered, threatening her with his wand.
Fighting a scowl, she explained, "My original wand was switched with Bellatrix's wand after we were held captive at Malfoy Manor during the war. It responds to me because it was fairly won so I have seen no reason to obtain a new one."
"You won this in a duel with Bellatrix Lestrange?" the second asked in disbelief.
She clenched her jaw tightly, grounding out, "The circumstances were...unique. We had the help of a house-elf who died freeing us."
"What are you doing here?" the first one asked, reiterating his earlier question.
"Trying to track down the same witch everyone is looking for, but it's a little difficult to do so without keeping a low profile, which is what I was trying to do. You won't find her being as obvious as you are, she's not an idiot." Hermione leveled her gaze at the first Auror, her arms beginning to ache from holding them up.
The second Auror looked back at the first, a silent question on his face. Hermione waited patiently, watching the residents of the village whisper to themselves. Once again, she fought the urge to smirk at the desired response. The first Auror was still eyeing her warily while the other looked uncertain of what to think.
"Can you produce any evidence that you are who you say you are?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Hermione almost wished Bellatrix hadn't turned her scar into a different mark. She closed her eyes in an attempt to think of indisputable proof. "The only indisputable proof I have is that I have willingly cooperated with your every request and have made no move to attack or run."
The Auror holding her wand sent a pointed look to his partner, urging him to drop the issue. She had clearly done nothing but cooperate with them and was too stable to be the witch they were looking for. The first Auror stood his ground for several more moments and Hermione felt her arms begin to tremble from the strain of holding them up. She silently hoped they would let her go without any more trouble. She didn't want to be on the receiving end of any spells and she didn't want to have to fight them.
"Let her go!" a villager started shouting, "She hasn't done anything!"
Others started shouting their agreement, gravitating closer to the street she was kneeling on. She almost smiled as the first Auror hesitated, spinning and directing his wand at the villagers. The second dropped her wand on the ground in front of her, running to his partner and grabbing him to Apparate them away. Hermione let her arms fall to her sides with a relieved sigh, picking her wand off the ground.
"Thank you," she murmured as a middle-aged wizard helped her to her feet, grateful for the translation spell she had cast.
"Are you alright?" he asked. The villagers looked on, some of them continuing their routine, unconcerned with the foreigner.
Hermione nodded, sending him a bright smile. "Much better now."
"Come for a drink," he said, gesturing to a small pub, "It'll help you feel better."
"How long has it been like this?" she asked, following him inside and to the bar.
"The Aurors have been harassing us on and off for the better part of two months," he answered, wrapping his hands around his glass.
The bartender set a drink in front of her, adding, "They've been absolute pricks to everyone, intimidating and threatening us if we don't tell them what they want to know."
"That's terrible," Hermione said, thanking him with a smile and quickly bringing the pint to her lips.
"It's not just here. They've been popping up in any town that isn't falling in line. Without a Minister, people are getting antsy and the Aurors let her slip out of their grasp. Not to mention they don't do much but antagonize us. There isn't much love left for them."
"Wasn't much to begin with," the man from the street muttered into the rim of his cup.
Hermione took a hearty gulp before asking, "What do you mean?"
They shared a look before the bartender said, "They aren't exactly helpful to the villages far out like us. The Ministry overall hasn't been very good to us."
This was Hermione's chance and she knew it. "Would you fight for reform?"
She was met with firm nods and she smiled into her last swallow of Butterbeer. "Put your faith in me."
The glasses on the bar rattled as she set her mug down, pulling her hood up to cast her face in shadows. She was gone before either of them could respond, casting a notice-me-not as she made her way back to Bellatrix. It had been easier than she thought, but she shouldn't have been surprised by the instability Bellatrix had caused. The smirk on her face grew as she ventured further into the forest, far enough away that there was no sign of the village beyond the trees. She pulled her hood down, letting her disguise fall away as she stood triumphantly in front of Bellatrix. Bellatrix caressed Hermione's cheek in a manner that could have been described as tender if it weren't for the red lines left behind by her nails.
"What a perfect Lieutenant you are," she murmured, grabbing Hermione's chin and holding her head still, "You are exquisite in your deception."
Color bloomed on Hermione's cheeks from the praise and she stepped slightly closer to Bellatrix, her heart pounding in her chest. "What's next?"
Bellatrix smirked at the breathlessness of Hermione's voice, leaning forward to whisper into her ear, "Next is your reward."
A shiver raced down her spine at the idea, and Hermione stepped closer to Bellatrix, letting her Apparate them back to what had previously been Black Manor. She was allowed to get her bearings before Bellatrix had a wand pressed to her carotid. She stood her ground but tilted her head up to relieve some of the pressure. Her eyes were drawn to Bellatrix's lips as a tongue darted out, teasing her with a reminder of what it could do. A hand roughly gripped her hair, holding her head still.
"What should I give you, hmm?" Bellatrix mused aloud to herself, satisfied with Hermione's reactions to her.
Hermione recognized the rhetorical nature of Bellatrix's question and kept her mouth shut. She had quickly learned when Bellatrix wanted to be answered and when she wanted silence in response.
"Such a good Lieutenant," the dark witch purred, a predatory grin forming on her lips.
The urge to squirm under Bellatrix's gaze was undeniable but Hermione forced herself not to. She focused on keeping her breathing under control, losing herself when Bellatrix would lean forward or tighten her grip or observe her every inch as she debated what to do to her.
"I know just what to give you for being so obedient. Your favorite," Bellatrix breathed against Hermione's cheek.
Her breath caught in her throat as Bellatrix wrapped a possessive arm around her waist. As the Crucio tore through her body, a raw moan escaped her throat as her head lolled back, Bellatrix's arm keeping her up. She poured everything she had into making Hermione experience the best Crucio she had ever cast. Hermione was melting into Bellatrix, which only served to make her cast it stronger. All the feelings she had for Hermione were poured into the spell until Hermione was on the verge of losing consciousness. Gently, by her standards, she scooped the younger witch into her arms, laying the two of them on the bed. She pulled the brunette as close as she could, murmuring the customary healing spells as she lightly caressed her.
When Hermione woke, she was cradled in Bellatrix's arms. The darker witch was asleep with a peaceful expression Hermione rarely saw. Softly, she brushed her fingertips along the planes of her face. As her fingers ghosted along the contours of ruby lips, the dark witch stirred and Hermione held her breath, keeping her fingers as still as possible. Bellatrix stilled a second later, and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's not that easy to get away with it," Bellatrix mumbled, her lips twitching into a smirk.
"Sorry," Hermione breathed, pulling her hand away.
Bellatrix reached up to hold Hermione's hand in place, lacing their fingers together. "I don't mind."
Hermione smiled softly, stretching her fingers to brush them against Bellatrix's lips. Bellatrix offered them a slow kiss, her eyes staying closed as she squeezed Hermione's waist. The brunette melted into her, burying her face in sharp collarbones and releasing a sigh. A hand nestled in her hair, scratching her scalp lightly and eliciting soft moans. Bellatrix chuckled at the reaction, and Hermione could feel the rumbling of her chest.
Tilting her head up, Hermione asked, "What next?"
"Next, we continue to unite people against the ministry, with you as their savior. Once there are enough people following you, we take over and we'll make the big reveal." Bellatrix dragged her thumb across Hermione's lip as she spoke, leaning down and nipping it to punctuate her statement.
"I can't wait," Hermione breathed, threading her hands into dark curls and gasping as Bellatrix leaned down to kiss her.
Aside from the occasional tender moment, Hermione and Bellatrix spent most of their time fostering anti-Auror sentiment, building on Bellatrix's previous work by giving them a trusted figure to unite behind. They had no idea they were falling in line with exactly what Bellatrix wanted. The Ministry, remaining fractured under the stress of uprisings and trying to assert the authority of the temporary minister, was failing in its capacity as a governing body. Riots were more frequent, and more often than not, Hermione was there to quell the violence, offering them something to unite against. Many people within the Ministry were grateful for her apparent help, not yet aware that she was the driving force behind the rebellion they were trying to get under control. Without a central location, it had been even harder to organize and mobilize officials, adding to the chaos.
It wasn't until Hermione had started making her way closer to London that they started to worry about the implications. So far, everything had been far enough away that it was simple to brush it off, but the truth was that it was approaching at a speed they couldn't hope to hinder. Only one person was suspicious of Hermione's convenient timing. Ginny couldn't shake the feeling that she was being less-than-honest with everyone. Hermione had changed, changed in ways that were concerning. In some ways, she was still the same as she had been, but now...now she was terrifying. The red-haired witch spent a lot of time staring at the ceiling and thinking about everything that had happened with Hermione. She knew Hermione had lied to everyone about Bellatrix being dead, had gotten close enough to her that the dark witch didn't kill her. There was no way she didn't know what Bellatrix had been planning. Bellatrix had to have been training her in dueling, the way Hermione had been moving, her mannerisms, it was scarily like Bellatrix.
Ginny sat up, throwing her legs over the edge of her bed and running her hand through disheveled hair. Another thing that didn't make sense was her father. He had never held enough hate to blow up the Ministry. The only way that would've happened was if he had been under the Imperius, and Ginny knew the only way Bellatrix could've gotten to him was through Hermione. She frowned at the floor, pushing up from the bed and moving to her chair. Heavily, she grabbed a quill and piece of parchment and began writing a letter to Hermione. She was determined to get to the bottom of things, even if it put her in danger.
Sealing it an envelope and addressing it, she went off in search of the family owl. The bloody bird was always in the dumbest place, which was fitting because he was the dumbest animal she had ever encountered. Her mother and brothers were either asleep or taking turns visiting their dad. Ginny didn't have the heart to see him like that. Once had been enough, but she couldn't bear to see him lying unconscious in bed, barely clinging to life. It had brought a different kind of silence to the Burrow. One that was a heavy burden, reminding them all that even though they had fought, and lost loved ones, and supposedly been the victors, another war was waiting and ready to take its place. Ginny wasn't sure if she had the strength to keep fighting. She had lost two brothers, Harry, Hermione, possibly her father, along with countless other friends. It made her heart grow heavy just thinking about it and she was glad to have found the owl so she could send the letter to Hermione and put these thoughts out of her mind for the time being.
Arriving back at their home, Hermione and Bellatrix immediately knew something was off. Easily, Bellatrix shifted, taking to her wings and perching on the roof. Hermione moved through the house with her wand drawn, heaving a sigh of relief when it was just an owl waiting in the fireplace. She frowned at it, rolling her eyes and removing it. She recognized it as the Weasley's family owl and wondered what they wanted. As soon as the envelope was retrieved from the owl's mouth, it flew off, nearly crashing into a wall as it did so. Hermione rolled her eyes again, sticking her head out the window and letting Bellatrix know it was safe to come down.
"What is it?" Bellatrix asked, placing her hands possessively on Hermione's shoulders.
Hermione tore open the envelope, discarding it on the floor and unfolding the parchment within.
Hermione,
We need to talk.
Ginny
Bellatrix scowled at the words on the parchment, her nails digging into Hermione's shoulders. "This is bad."
"I'll go by myself. I'll make it look like I've been traveling for a while searching for you," Hermione rushed out, turning to look up at her.
"I don't like this," Bellatrix grumbled, "But I trust you to handle it."
Hermione nodded, rolling her neck to relieve the tension that had suddenly settled there. With a wave of her wand, Bellatrix effortlessly made her look as if she hadn't had a proper bath for several weeks and it reminded Hermione of her time on the run. She sucked in a breath as bruises and scrapes appeared, gritting her teeth against the pain. Bellatrix leaned in, nipping Hermione's ear and giving her a strong pat on the shoulder. Hermione took a deep breath, throwing a glance at Bellatrix over her shoulder before she was gone.
The Burrow was quieter than Hermione had ever heard it. Her heart pounded in her chest as she approached the door, debating on whether she should just ignore the request. She resigned herself to the possible fate of being swarmed by the remaining Weasley family, her knock resounding through the home. She chewed her lip as the sound of footsteps followed her knock, relieved when it was only one set. Ginny threw open the door- still in her pajamas- and raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun.
"What are you playing at, Hermione?" she questioned. Hermione couldn't tell if she narrowed her eyes out of suspicion or to ease the strain of the light.
She forced confusion onto her face. "What do you mean?"
Ginny scowled at her, stepping onto the porch. "I mean with Bellatrix."
"I'm tracking her down," Hermione said, refusing to budge.
"How do you always know where to be? How do you always show up at the right place at the right time? I know it isn't luck." Ginny advanced on the brunette who, frustratingly, didn't move an inch.
"I'm following the clues she's leaving," Hermione gritted, clenching her jaw,
"Really? You expect me to just believe that? Every Auror in the Ministry is trying to track her down but you're the only one who's close? Why you?" An accusatory finger jabbed Hermione's chest, causing her to back up.
Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm, perhaps a bit too hard, forcing it down. "Why not me?! She's insane, Ginny! She tortured me, she's killed so many people, does she need a reason for what she does?! She wants me to be the one to find her! I don't know why, but I will find her, and I will end this. For good."
Ginny scoffed, shaking her head back and forth. "I don't believe you. I think you're working with her. I think you have been."
"Ginny," Hermione began.
"Are you?" Ginny spat, raising her wand and directing it at Hermione.
Instinctively, she held up her hands, slowly stepping closer to the redhead she called a friend. "Do I look like I'm working with her?"
"That's not an answer," Ginny said, gesturing wildly with her wand.
Hermione stopped, not having the desire to fight her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times.
"I don't want to hurt you, Hermione. You're my friend, or I thought you were, but I will if I have to." Ginny adjusted her stance, trying to disguise her shaking hand.
A crack drew both of their attentions, but neither of them moved to look. Hermione kept her eyes firmly trained on Ginny's wand and Ginny's eyes were firmly trained on Hermione. The crunching footsteps slowed to a stop as they approached the two witches.
"Am I interrupting something?" Draco asked, looking between the two witches.
Ginny risked a glance at the blonde witch. "A little."
Hermione, seeing her chance, said, "Ginny, I have to go before I lose track of her. I'm always two steps behind, I can't afford to lose her."
"I'm not letting you leave, Hermione." Ginny looked back at her. "It's too risky."
"I am not a threat to you, Ginny," Hermione assured.
"You haven't answered my question," the redhead scoffed, "Are you working with Bellatrix?"
Hermione sighed, dropping her gaze to the ground. She had become a good liar, but she didn't know if she was good enough to look Ginny in the eyes and lie. The younger witch had spent too much time around her and Harry and Ron to let anything fool her. Would the shock factor of telling the truth be enough for her to get away? There was also Draco to worry about, but hopefully, the truth would shock him, too.
Hermione shifted her gaze back up, her eyes like stone as they met Ginny's. "I am."
Hermione only had a split second before two spells were being thrown in her direction, but it was enough time to duck and turn on her heel. She stumbled as she materialized in her home. Bellatrix, thankfully, was there to stabilize her as she stood.
"I take it the talk didn't go well?" Bellatrix asked with a frown.
Hermione looked down, her cheeks flushing with shame. "No, it didn't. Draco showed up."
A stormy look crossed Bellatrix's face, a look of pure fury Hermione had never witnessed on the dark witch's face. Roughly, she grabbed Hermione's arm, turning on her heel without so much as a warning. Bellatrix's grip on her arm was the only thing that kept Hermione from falling as Malfoy Manor came into view. With a wave of her wand, Bellatrix smashed the gates in, dragging Hermione down the drive. She struggled to keep her feet under her as she was pulled along. Similar to the gates, Bellatrix waved her wand, blowing the doors off their hinges.
"CISSA!" she bellowed, her angry voice carrying through the halls of the manor.
Cissa heard the call of her enraged sister from the garden. She flitted to the origin of the summons, wringing her hands and fidgeting with her hair. She hoped she was responding fast enough, nearly running so she didn't keep her sister waiting. Breathlessly, she stopped in front of her sister and Hermione, trying to catch her breath.
"Why did Draco go see Ginny?" Bellatrix asked, her voice terrifyingly calm.
Narcissa opened and closed her mouth several times. "They've been spending time together. Believe me, I don't like it either..."
"You didn't think to tell me?! You didn't think that was important information?!" Bellatrix's grip on Hermione's arm tightened as she spoke and the brunette could already feel a bruise forming.
"I- no, I didn't," the blonde whispered, dropping her eyes to the floor.
"Hermione was almost caught, Narcissa! Ginny and Draco know! What do you think is going to happen?" Desperation crept into Bellatrix's tone, surprising both Hermione and Narcissa with the vulnerability.
She shook her head, covering her mouth with her hands and holding back tears. Narcissa didn't trust herself to speak. She couldn't choose between her son and her sister, she didn't want to lose either of them. Bellatrix was still waiting for her answer, staring unflinchingly at her. Hermione didn't try to intervene this time, and Narcissa was genuinely afraid of her sister.
"I don't know," she finally said, her voice small, "I'm sorry."
She didn't hear what Bellatrix said next, her eyes moving past the two witches to the two figures making their way to the house from the driveway.
"You need to go," she panicked, recognizing the blonde and red hair, "They're coming up the drive."
Bellatrix threw a glance over her shoulder, yanking Hermione close. "Then this is where they die."
"Can't you just Obliviate them, please, Bella," Narcissa begged, nearly collapsing to her knees.
There was a long inhale from Bellatrix in an attempt to quell her rage. "What do you think, Hermione?"
"It would be smarter than killing them, but they might always figure it out again." Her voice shook with the implications of her statement. She didn't know if she could kill them, she had only ever done so on accident, even if she didn't regret it.
Indecision tore at Bellatrix. There was still time to leave and trust Narcissa to deal with it. She wasn't sure if she did, though. A glance at Narcissa revealed that she was still on her knees, pleading her with her eyes. Bellatrix rolled her shoulders, heaving a sigh.
"This is your mess, Cissa," she decided, turning with Hermione in her arms.
Narcissa almost sobbed in relief, slowly rising from the floor. She had mere moments to compose herself before they were close enough to see her clearly. With a sniffle and wandless magic, she tidied herself as best she could but she knew her eyes were still red and watery.
"Mum! Are you all right?" Draco asked, running the rest of the way when he saw the state of the doors, "What happened? The gates, the doors...Was Bellatrix here? Did she hurt you?"
"I'm fine Draco," she whispered, squeezing his arms.
Ginny glanced at the doors before looking back at the pair. Realization colored her mind and she breathed, "You knew."
"Ginny!" Draco said, checking to make sure his mother wasn't upset by the accusation. When she couldn't meet his gaze, he felt coldness spread through his body.
"No," he whispered, backing away, "No."
"Draco," she pleaded.
He shook his head, the veins in his forehead becoming prominent as he clenched his jaw. "Where are they?"
"Please don't go after them, Draco. They'll kill you," Narcissa said, trying to approach her only son.
"The Aurors already know," Ginny said, "I don't want to have to tell them that you helped. Where are they?"
A shuddering breath filled Narcissa's lungs and a choked sob escaped her.
"Mum, please," Draco begged, "Please."
She swallowed another sob. "There are two places I know of that they could stay in. Hermione's parent's house and the property I gave to her, where Black Manor used to be. But please, don't go after them yourselves."