Disclaimer: Still applies.

Author's Note: I have been watching a lot of Charmed lately…I figure that Scrying for another magical being wouldn't be too far fetched for this…I just had the idea so I wanted to try it. Since it is a form of Divination.

Wide Awake: Chapter 20

A week passed and Hermione hadn't heard from Bellatrix. There had been no owls, no nothing. Hermione began to worry, she hadn't even seen Bellatrix at the office, but when she asked Luna, the younger woman assured her that Bellatrix had been to her weekly session. Hermione knew that Luna wasn't allowed to disclose any information about their conversation, but Hermione needed to know, she needed to know if Bellatrix was okay.

"Is she okay? Did she seem upset?" Hermione asked on the edge of panic.

"She seemed fine Hermione. There isn't anything to worry about." Luna said trying to reassure her friend.

Hermione said nothing; she just went back in her office and closed the door behind her. She had half a mind to go straight to Bellatrix's manor, but she wasn't sure how Bellatrix would react to such an invasion. Then there was the other option, Narcissa. But again Hermione didn't think it would be such a good thing to go to Narcissa after the outrage it had caused the last time she was visited by the older witch. She sighed and tears fell down her face. After a few minutes she decided that she should see Narcissa anyways, and face the repercussions later. Hermione pulled out some paper and wrote a letter asking Narcissa to meet her at her house. She sent it off with the office owl and waited.

Bellatrix spent the last week prowling her room at the Leaky Cauldron. She hadn't seen Hermione since the night they went to dinner and Harry and Ginny's. She knew that she shouldn't have gotten so upset about the conversation, but she couldn't help it. Any mention of her past made her angry, especially when she might know who those imposters were. It made her so angry that she wanted to just take care of the matter herself, after all that is what she would have done in the past. But this wasn't the past, and she wasn't the same person that she used to be. Plus, if Hermione ever found out…well then that would be the end of their relationship. Bellatrix sighed and rubbed her face, she was exhausted. Sleep had eluded her for the past few days and she was at her breaking point.

"I need a sleeping potion." Bellatrix said to herself.

Finally deciding that she needed sleep more than anything else she put on her cloak and left her room, walking out into Diagon Alley.

Hermione received a reply almost at once. Narcissa agreed to meet her at her house within the hour. Hermione put on her coat, grabbed her briefcase and left her office. She walked down the street in a trance, not paying attention to where she was going even though she knew the way to her flat. Bellatrix consumed her every thought and her resolve was crumbling, she missed her more than anything. As Hermione rounded the corner to her street, she could see Narcissa standing there on her door step, so she hurried towards her flat.

"Mrs. Malfoy, thank you for coming." Hermione said extending her hand.

Narcissa took it and smiled.

"You're letter seemed urgent." Narcissa said.

"Let's get inside and I will explain." Hermione said taking out her keys and unlocking the door.

The two women walked inside, and Hermione closed the door behind her.

"Would you like some tea?" Hermione asked taking Narcissa's coat and hanging it on the hook next to hers.

"Yes, please." Narcissa replied.

Hermione hurried off to the kitchen to make some tea. Narcissa stared around the small flat; it looked the same as last time, clean and tidy. She could feel her sister's magical aura lingering in the air, and figured that she spent a lot of time with the younger woman. Hermione walked back into the sitting room with a tray of cookies and two mugs of tea. She handed one to Narcissa and curled up in the arm chair across from her.

"I am assuming that this is about Bellatrix?" Narcissa asked holding Hermione's letter in her hand.

"I am so confused by her." Hermione replied.

Narcissa sipped her tea and surveyed the young woman over the rim of her mug. She knew exactly how Hermione was feeling.

"She can be rather confusing sometimes." Narcissa said putting her tea down on the table in front of her.

"I mean one minute she is laughing and smiling, and the other, she is moody and upset over something. I can't read her." Hermione said.

"Yes, I know what you mean; she can be rather moody and irritable sometimes. She has always been that way, ever since we were children. And I honestly can't tell you why that is, but I guess that her service to…well you know…and her time in Azkaban hardened her to any emotion. I can say honestly that when she got out, she was not the Bellatrix that you have grown to care for." Narcissa explained.

Hermione sighed, she knew that Bellatrix had changed, and was still changing. It still didn't excuse the fact that she was confused and sad about the whole situation with the older witch.

"I can't read her, its like I see her trying to work things out, but she doesn't verbalize it. I never know when she is going to explode or if she is okay with anything." Hermione said.

"You just haven't been around her long enough to read her body language. Sometimes even I miss read her and there have been consequences for those lapses in judgment." Narcissa said.

Hermione said nothing; she just stared at the mug of tea in her hands. Narcissa's heart went out to the younger witch, she had spent many years with her sister, and even now she still couldn't figure her out.

"How long has it been since you have seen her?" Narcissa asked concerned.

"A full week, I have sent owls, but I have gotten no response, I even thought about going to her Manor to see her, but I didn't think that invasion into her privacy would be a welcome one." Hermione replied.

"Our last fight didn't end so well. She just walked off and then disaparated after she got upset over something." She added almost on the point of tears.

"What happened?" Narcissa asked, eye brows furrowed.

"We went to dinner and Harry and Ginny's. I asked Harry how work was going because I wasn't ready to discuss my relationship with Bella in detail. He talked about how he was working on catching a group of so called Death Eaters, and then Bella stood up and stormed out of the house." Hermione replied.

Narcissa sat up straighter, she leaned towards Hermione, and she was tense.

"What happened after that?" Narcissa asked urgently.

She was trying to remain calm, but if Bellatrix knew something about this, Narcissa knew that her sister wouldn't hesitate to rectify the situation. Narcissa also knew that it wouldn't be a pretty sight for anyone involved.

"I caught up to her half way down to street. She was very angry. She went on about how no one understood what it means to be a Death Eater and that those people were not, and had not done the time or gotten reprimanded by Him." Hermione replied.

Narcissa got to her feet and started to pace the room nervously. Hermione watched her worried and confused. She didn't understand why Narcissa was so agitated.

"Is that all?" Narcissa asked.

"She left before she…lost control. I don't know what happened after. But I talked to Luna today, and she was at her session and that she was fine." Hermione replied.

Narcissa stopped pacing, and looked at Hermione, she didn't look relieved.

"Bella can kill without a second thought and be okay with it the next day. You would never know if she had done something unless she tells you." Narcissa said seriously.

Hermione felt sick. Bellatrix kill? No, no, Bellatrix wouldn't kill anyone now…not now that she had changed. But the look on Narcissa's face didn't bring her any comfort, she was worried and that worried Hermione.

"You don't think she would…you know…kill anyone now?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Oh Hermione, I wish that I could honestly answer that, but I have no idea. She has changed so much, and changed so fast that I haven't been able to keep up." Narcissa replied sadly.

She had stopped pacing and sat back down on the couch, hands rubbing her face.

"I need to see her. I need to know that she is alright, I hate this waiting." Hermione said breaking the short silence.

"I know how you feel Ms. Granger. The best advice I can give is to just wait, I know that is bad advice, but it is all I can give." Narcissa said.

"Is that what you do?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself.

"I have been waiting on Bella for a long time. You get used to the feeling, though I do not wish that for you. You don't deserve it." Narcissa replied.

"And you do?" Hermione asked.

"The relationship between Bella and I…it's complicated, but I make it though some how, we both do." Narcissa replied.

Hermione didn't ask anything more about the nature of their relationship, being an only child; she didn't quite understand the dynamics of a sisterly relationship. Though she knew that their relationship was beyond sisterly and it had been that way for many, many years. Narcissa could tell that Hermione's brain was working something out, but she didn't say anything, there were just some things that were better left to their own devices.

"I know what you must be thinking, but Ms. Granger, my sister…she is a very likeable person once you get passed the hard exterior she is quite a teddy bear. But don't tell her that I said that, she wouldn't be very happy." Narcissa said trying to lighten the mood.

"I can see…when we have been intimate…that she is holding back. I know she wants to move further into the relationship in all areas, but I see the reluctance and the fear." Hermione said rather awkwardly.

Narcissa's stomach clenched at the word 'intimate' it made her wonder how far they had actually gone, judging by the tone of the younger woman's voice, it wasn't what she was expecting. The thought of her sister with anyone but her made her skin crawl, but she knew, as did Bellatrix that their relationship could not continue any longer.

"She is scared. There have been times…in our past where there have been the same issues. All I can say is that you just have to go at her pace, and leave her be when she is like this." Narcissa said.

"How can I? Doesn't that show that I don't care, that she means nothing to me? She means everything to me Mrs. Malfoy, everything." Hermione said passionately.

By this time, tears had started to fall from Hermione's eyes. She couldn't help it; the lack of sleep and the absence of her girlfriend were taking their toll on her. She needed Bellatrix there with her, speaking to her, laughing her husky laugh.

"I have to say that the information that you have given me about those suspected Death Eaters is very disturbing. If she knows…well like I said, the consequences will be disastrous." Narcissa said seriously.

"It's all my fault." Hermione sobbed.

Narcissa's heart broke at the anguish behind the tears, and her resolve broke. She got up and sat on the arm of Hermione's chair, pulling her head to her chest. Hermione curled into Narcissa and she cried, cried out everything that she was feeling.

"Ms. Granger, I am sorry that I couldn't help you. But I need to find Bellatrix before…well I just need to find her. Let me talk to her and then you should try, I will send an owl when I have located her." Narcissa said running her nails through Hermione's brown hair.

"But how will you find her if you don't know where she is? I mean I know that Disapparating could work, but what if she isn't there?" Hermione asked sobering a little.

At this Narcissa chuckled a bit, and held Hermione at arm's length.

"I am going to use a very old, ancient form of Divination to find her." Narcissa said simply.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and knowing, she knew that Narcissa was a powerful witch in her own right, but she never expected her to be a witch of the old ways as well.

"You're going to try Scrying for her?" Hermione asked.

Narcissa nodded.

"I studied into the ancient practices of witches before our time, and it was believed that Scrying was a useful way to find someone magical." Narcissa replied.

"Do you think it would work? Do you have the proper crystal?" Hermione asked.

"I take it that you have read about this before?" Narcissa asked looking at Hermione with her ice blue eyes.

Hermione blushed.

"Well, yes. Though I think Divination is a load of rubbish, but if this works then I may just believe it…." Hermione replied.

Narcissa chuckled softly; she remembered her reluctance to believe in this subject while she was in school. It seemed a life time ago.

"How do we know that this will work?" Hermione asked.

"Disapparating won't work because Bella had covered her magical signature against it. I don't think that she had guarded it completely from this, because no one uses that practice anymore." Narcissa explained.

"I see, so if her signature is blocked from disaparition, then the Scrying could work. Brilliant." Hermione said.

Narcissa smiled and got to her feet, Hermione followed.

"I must take my leave if I am to find Bellatrix before she does anything. I mean for all we know she could just be at her Manor doing some reading or tending to her garden." Narcissa said.

"I hope so. And you'll send word as soon as you find her?" Hermione asked.

"Of course." Narcissa replied putting on her coat.

Hermione opened the door and followed Narcissa onto the street.

"Thank you for the tea." Narcissa said smiling.

"Anytime, thank you for the shoulder." Hermione replied.

Narcissa smiled again and began to walk up the street. She hoped that this ancient practice would work. If it didn't, then she didn't know what would. Shaking the thoughts from her head, she went into a deserted alley and vanished.

TBC…