Halloween rolled around at the same time that Hermione began to match Violet in a duel.
Violet was casually strolling down the halls of Hogwarts when she passed Hagrid.
He stopped her. "Now, what's up with you? Everybody seems so miserable lately."
Violet sighed, knowing that all of the teachers knew her real identity. "I was just thinking about you, actually. I just… I'm sorry. I know I've never done anything to harm you, but I'm sorry. For having thought that people like you were scum. I'd also like to say that I don't think that any more. You're a brilliant man and a wonderful teacher, Rubeus."
The half-giant place his heavy hand on her shoulder. "Now don't you worry about a thing, Bel- Violet. Ye've never hurt me. I can only wish that more people, like that rotten Umbridge, could come around and change fer the better. Friends?"
She smiled. "Friends."
On Halloween night, Harry, Ron and Hermione headed down to Hagrid's cabin for tea and to break their teeth on rock cakes.
Professor Mills was on her way down to Hagrid's cabin, simply for a chat with the large man. She had just reached the hut when she heard a woman's screams from inside the Forbidden Forest. Forgetting the tea with her friend, she took off towards the forest, drawing her wand.
Through the open window, the Golden Trio and Hagrid also heard the screams. All four quickly made their way into the forest, spotting the new Professor and following her.
Together, the five reached a circular clearing just as the screaming stopped. Violet stepped up to a tree and inspected it, moving onto the next and continued around the circle. Everyone watched her curiously.
Suddenly, two thin branches extending from the mid-trunk of the nearest tree wrapped around Violet's neck as if they were hands, lifting her from the ground. The screaming started again, coming from a wide hole in the thin tree-trunk.
"Please…" Violet choked out. "Stop… I can… release you." She pointed her wand into the bark of the tree, rasping something in Latin that none of the others understood.
The tree began to twist and turn, widening and thinning, morphing finally into the shape of a young witch with bright blue eyes, pale skin and pale blonde hair.
The young woman managed to smile and snarl at the same time, a hand still wrapped around Violet's throat.
"Congratulations." Her voice was high-pitched and sinister, and Hermione slowly and quietly drew her wand. "You have freed me from my prison."
"Prison?" Violet croaked.
The woman nodded. "I have been imprisoned in that tree for as long as I can remember, for thousands and thousands of years, as punishment. Once every thousandth Halloween I may scream for my release. This is it, and now I shall search for and kill every wizard with the blood of the family that imprisoned me. The Blacks.
Violet's eyes widened.
"Do you know where I might find them, dearie?" Her hand loosened just slightly around the throat she was holding.
"They died out. Not a single one of them remains. I was there at the death of their last."
"Are you lying to me?"
"No."
Harry went to speak but Hermione glared at him, telling him that their Potions Master could handle it.
"Are you sure? Because only the Blacks know the spells to my release and imprisonment, passed down through generations, spells that were created by the Blacks."
"Those spells are in books now. Dark Magic books. I learnt them there."
The young witch released Violet's throat and pulled a wand from her sleeve, beginning a duel with her. Hermione could tell that several thousand years of imprisonment had her only a little bit rusty, however she was on par with Violet.
'Violet said I duel as well as her…' As soon as the thought passed through her mind, Hermione jumped into the fight.
"What are you doing?" Violet asked, worry heavily laced in her tone.
"Helping! I'll duel, you trap her again!"
"I won't be able to, you need several people who know it!"
Both witches were suddenly flung back, their backs colliding with tree trunks.
The young – old? – witch took off deeper into the Forbidden Forest, stopping in her tracks when Hagrid walked towards her with the largest Acromantula following. Aragog.
As soon as the woman saw it, she began throwing spells his way.
He began to retreat, his old age lowering his ability to defend himself. The spiders behind him instantly began to advance on her. Hermione could see that she was hesitating. She knew that the woman could never defend herself against so many Acromantula.
Hermione stood up, helping Violet up from the ground, and walked over to Harry and Ron, who were closer to the scene. Ron was cowering behind Hagrid, his hands clutching at the bottom of Hagrid's jacket like a scared child. She felt a hand wrap around her arm in fear, and looked to her left to see Miss Mills, her eyes wide with fright.
She placed a comforting hand on the top of the older woman's.
"Guys…" Harry spoke up. They all looked towards him. "I think we should go…"
Ron instantly turned and headed for the edge of the forest, eager to get away from the larger-than-life spiders. The other four turned too, heading for the edge at a slower pace. Violet did not loosen her grip on Hermione's arm.
"We need to find out who that was." Hermione turned to Violet. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head. "I know who she was."
They all turned to look at her. "Who?"
"Ibsen. Priscilla Ibsen. Imprisoned for heinous crimes against humanity. Trapped by the Black family thousands of years ago."
"Ibsen? He was a playwrite." Hermione muttered.
"And a direct descendant of her sister."
"Let's be getting ye back up to the castle before we go on about her. Miss Mills doesn't look all that well, so I'll walk ye up."
Just a few minutes later, they were all stood in Dumbledore's office, Violet not having let go of Hermione or having uttered a word since before they'd left the forest.
After retelling the tale of what had happened, everyone was dismissed from Dumbledore's office and, after Violet still refused to let go of Hermione, the student was instructed to take Miss Mills to her chambers.
Once Violet reached the familiar door to her quarters, she started to relax and loosen her grip on Hermione. She let the young woman sit her on her sofa and pour her a drink, before insisting on Hermione sitting down next to her.
"I… Hermione I'm scared."
"You're alright, the Acromantula probably took her."
"She was an extremely powerful witch, Hermione, who knows if she's dead or not. And if she escapes the spiders, she'll come after me. She's already on the grounds."
"But you're not a Black…"
"She knows that I could trap her again by teaching you three the spell. She's under the impression I'm the only person alive who knows those spells. She'll want me dead."
"Why did you protect the Blacks like that? I would have let her go after them."
"Don't say that. Andromeda is an absolute sweetheart, Narcissa just wants to protect her son and Bellatrix… Bellatrix just needs help."
Hermione scoffed. "She's completely deranged, she could never change, no matter how much help she got."
"And yet you dream about a family life with her." Her teacher's tone was cold. "I think you should go, students aren't even supposed to be near a teacher's rooms, especially not so late at night. People might get the wrong idea."
'Two people already have.' Hermione thought.
"You're right. I'll see you in Potions."
The teacher nodded and walked Hermione to the door.
"Oh, and don't be scared. Hogwarts is safe, even if she is already on the grounds." Hermione wrapped her arms quickly around the shorter woman, and that's when she smelt it.
Cinnamon.
She pulled away. "I've got to go. See you Monday."
She hurried off, blushing, towards the Gryffindor dorms.
'I can't feel like that about a teacher! I mean, you can't deny that she's attractive, beautiful even, for her age. I mean, she's downright gorgeous. She's far too old for me anyway, any type of relationship with her would be completely frowned upon.'
Hermione's sleep was restless that night. Her dreams seemed to be repeating themselves.
"Happy Birthday, Mione." Bellatrix said, pulling her wife into a hug and then down onto the sofa, handing her a small box.
"Thank you, sweetie." Hermione eagerly opened the box, finding a simple white gold bracelet with red, black and emerald stones embedded sparingly and in a simple pattern around the bracelet. "Oh, Bella, it's beautiful, thank you!"
Her wife leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too, Bella."
"Merry Christmas, Mione." Bellatrix said, pulling her wife into a hug and then down onto the sofa, handing her a small box.
"Thank you, sweetie." Hermione eagerly opened the box, finding a simple white gold bracelet with red, black and emerald stones embedded sparingly and in a simple pattern around the bracelet. "Oh, Bella, it's beautiful, thank you!"
Her wife leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Mione."
"I love you too." Hermione leant in and pressed her lips to Bella's softly.
Once again, this chapter was around 424 words less than I'd like it to be. I don't know why I like 2,000 word chapters, but I can guarantee that you guys will at least get 1,500 words per chapter.
Thank you for reading! Chapter 7 should be up in about an hour, as I simply couldn't bear to draw it out any longer without something between Bella/Violet and Hermione.