Disclaimer: Still applies…

Author's Note: Here it is…the next chapter…Sorry guys for the ridiculously long wait! I would like to thank my best friend and pen pal SecretStranger69 for helping me with the shower scene! Please reaf and review.

Wide Awake: Chapter 24

Hermione bustled around her flat, trying to make sure that everything was in order for that night's dinner party. She was extremely nervous about having everyone over at her place after the recent outburst at Harry and Ginny's a couple weeks ago. Once satisfied that the house was in order she went upstairs to take a shower, she was sure that Bellatrix would be back soon with the ingredients to start preparing dinner.

Bellatrix walked through Muggle London feeling increasingly nervous, it had been many, many years since she had cooked, and the worst part was, no one knew that she could cook. Once she picked up what she needed using the Muggle money that she had exchanged at Gringott's she headed back to Hermione's flat. Bellatrix opened the door and noticed that Hermione wasn't in the living room where she had left her, but she heard the shower running. The older witch had a sudden idea and set to preparing dinner. After about twenty minutes it was in the oven and Bellatrix had made her way up the stairs, steam was coming from the bathroom. She smiled and stripped down to nothing, and padded her way to the bathroom. Hermione didn't even flinch or move as Bellatrix moved into the shower with her. She stood there waiting for the older woman to make a move. She didn't have to wait long because she felt a pair for strong arms encircle her waist and a pair of lips on her neck.

"Mmmm Bella…" Hermione moaned relaxing back into the older witch.

She threw her had back, exposing her neck even more to Bellatrix's lips.

"I missed you Mione…I missed you so much." Bellatrix said taking her lips off Hermione's neck and turning her so they were now face to face.

"I missed you too Bella. I was so lonely without you." Hermione said softly.

Bellatrix smiled and ran her hands up Hermione's soaking wet body, her hands coming up to rest on Hermione's breasts. Hermione moaned as Bellatrix's hands squeezed them gently.

"Mmmm Bella…" Hermione moaned as Bellatrix rolled an erect nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

Hermione moaned and moved forward placing a kiss on Bellatrix's lips.

"Bella, I want to try something." Hermione said breaking the kiss.

"Mione…You k-know that I-I can't…" Bellatrix stuttered.

Hermione gave Bellatrix a reassuring smile and reached around her to pick up the shampoo bottle.

"I was going to ask if I could wash you…" Hermione said.

Bellatrix relaxed slightly, but she was tense in every fiber of her being. Sure sex was something personal but this…this was breaking all her rules about intimacy. Narcissa's words echoed in her head, she couldn't let Hermione down again.

"Alright…but if I tell you to stop…you have to stop." Bellatrix said.

Hermione nodded and pulled Bellatrix under the hot spray of water. Bellatrix's body relaxed and Hermione began to pour some shampoo into her hands; she reached up and ran her hands through Bellatrix's mane of curls. Bellatrix moaned as Hermione's talented fingers worked the shampoo into her hair. She had never done anything remotely close to this before, it was new for her but Hermione knew her limits, so she decided to let Hermione continue.

"Are you okay Bella?" Hermione asked pulling Bellatrix back under the water to rinse the shampoo from her hair.

"Fine Hermione…just keep going." Bellatrix said a little harsher than she intended.

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Bellatrix was tense again. She closed her eyes and then a thought occurred to her, this was going a little more personal than they had before, so she decided to just do what she felt like in silence until Bellatrix said otherwise. She poured some conditioner into her hand and worked it into Bellatrix's hair. Bellatrix relaxed again, her mouth slightly open. Hermione smiled, she was obviously doing something right because Bellatrix opened her eyes.

"Wash me." Bellatrix said.

Hermione picked up her body wash and poured some into her hands and worked the soap into a foamy lather. She tentatively put her hands on Bellatrix's shoulders, she could feel the older witch stiffen but she didn't stop. Bellatrix sighed as Hermione's hands began to run down her arms, her fingers leaving goose bumps in their wake. Bellatrix's eyes were closed, but Hermione knew that this was making her uncomfortable, so she quickened her pace, gently washing Bellatrix's breasts. The older witch moaned, but did not open her eyes. As Hermione's hands moved lower, she could feel Bellatrix's body stiffen, this time more tensely than before, but she kept going. Hermione washed up Bellatrix's legs and stopped when she reached the spot between the older witch's legs. The young witch looked up at her lover for approval, and was shocked to find that Bellatrix was staring at her, a dark look in her eyes.

"M-May I continue?" Hermione asked shakily.

"No, we are done here." Bellatrix said curtly.

She gathered some remaining soap from her legs and quickly washed between her legs, and she stepped out of the shower leaving a confused Hermione in her wake.

Hermione stood under the now cold water, her mind was racing. Bellatrix had gone way beyond her limits for the younger witch, but the prospect of having her most intimate area washed was too much. Hermione knew and understood this, but it still made her feel upset that Bellatrix still didn't trust her enough to do something like that.

"Mione, are you okay?" Bellatrix asked softly catching the younger witch completely off guard.

"Fine Bella, I will be down in a minute." Hermione replied.

The disappointment in her voice was unmistakable and Bellatrix felt ashamed of herself, but she just wasn't ready for something like that. Bellatrix dried her hair and dressed herself in her normal attire and left the bathroom.

Hermione stayed under the water for another ten minutes. Her body numb from the spray of cold water. Hot tears streamed down her face, the pain she felt was almost too much to bear, but she knew that eventually Bellatrix would trust her. Deciding that she had stayed in the shower long enough, she turned off the water.

"Bella…why won't you trust me?" Hermione whispered to herself as she dried herself and got dressed.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

"I can't keep them waiting." She muttered to herself as she left her bedroom.

Hermione shook all negative thoughts from her head. This was about her friends and her lover having a good time and she didn't want to ruin it with all her self-loathing.

TBC….