Chapter 3

The days leading up to the masquerade ball have been filled with preparations, excitement, and Ginny. Now, Hermione stands in Ginny's room, getting dressed for the ball. The dress is the same as Ginny's. The masks were all the same, golden lion heads. The men have manes and the women don't. they completely cover the face and have gold colored silk ribbon to fasten the masks on.

"Most families use the animal on their crest, but weasels aren't very flattering. We go with lions. The Black family wears raven masks with beaks. The Malfoy family wears half masks with golden snakes around the edges. The Lestrange family wears black cats but you won't see Bellatrix Lestrange in that, she's refused to give up anything to do with the Black house," Ginny says, explaining the use of a lion instead of a weasel.

The idea of going to a ball with all of the noble families is somehow more intimidating to Hermione with the knowledge that she'll be attending as a member of one of those families. She has to be perfect or she'll reflect badly on all of them. She wishes Ginny would have just told her earlier, so she could prepare better. But that is probably why she waited so long to tell her.

"You look lovely," Ginny says, picking up her fan and mask as they head out of the room.

"Thank you," is Hermione's response, a nervous tremor to her voice.

They make their way to the red and gold carriage that seats four. Hermione and Ginny sit on one bench and Ron and Harry sit opposite them. The doors close and Hermione finds herself uncomfortable in Ron's presence despite their engagement. They have only exchanged a few words since that night and they were very formal. He hasn't seemed to show an interest in conversation, but Hermione isn't upset by that, it was expected. They'll most likely marry and ignore each other for the entirety of their marriage, which is completely okay with Hermione.

Ron doesn't mutter a word throughout the entire carriage ride while Hermione stares at her hands, twisting the silver signet ring on her finger, determined to return it to its rightful owner tonight. The carriage stops abruptly in front of Black Manor. The building is much larger than that of the Weasley's but, in true Black fashion, is much darker in color.

Ron helps Hermione out of the carriage, but their eyes don't meet and neither of them say a word besides Hermione's muttered thank you. It's not necessarily awkward, its just cold. Hermione wonders if the warmth from the night of their engagement was all an act and what he could possibly gain from that. Unless he thought she wasn't planning on saying no. None of this makes any sense but, there's no going back now. Wedding preparations are already underway.

Walking into the Black Manor is like entering a different world. It was colder than the Weasley Manor and the décor was much darker. The entry hall was a lot larger and the room the Ball is being held in is an actual ball room with a refreshment room off to the side. There are no dance cards and the men have to walk up to women right before the dance begins. It adds a bit of mystery as to who's asking who to dance.

All four of them head up a back stairwell along with the rest of the noble families to be announced.

The different houses are announced, along with their members, starting with houses that contain Black family members. First comes the Lestrange house, then the Tonks house, followed by the Malfoy house. After that, the Weasley house is announced. Each name is called, and the respective person walks down the stairs to join the rest of the attendants in the ball room.

"Ronald Weasley and his Fiancée, Hermione Granger," the announcer calls as the two of them head down the stairs, Hermione's hand in the crook of Ron's arm.

She quickly makes eye contact with Bellatrix Lestrange, who seems to be staring intently at her. when she notices though, the eldest Black sister looks away. When they make it to the bottom of the stairs, Hermione waits on Ginny and Harry to be announced while Ron disappears into the crowd. She finds a comfortable spot, out of eyesight of most people, in front of some plants hiding a corner. She feels odd in the Weasley colors. But, before her friends have made their way down the stairs, Narcissa Malfoy, the youngest Black sister, is in front of her. Hermione is a bit startled by the intimidating woman.

"I apologize if I surprised you. I just saw you at the last ball and wanted to meet you then, but there was no time," the older woman notices the ring on Hermione's finger and takes her hand.

"I see you've met Bella," she says, turning Hermione's hand over in hers, inspecting the ring. The casual touch sending shivers down her back.

"Yes, she has," says a voice behind Narcissa, slurring slightly. Narcissa gently lets go of Hermione's hand, brushing her fingers over the inside of her wrist before breaking the contact. Hermione turns to face Bellatrix Lestrange directly, the scent of alcohol lingering slightly in the air around her. The smell isn't bad though, it mixes nicely with her natural scent somehow.

"Bella, I didn't realize you two were already acquainted," Narcissa says, her tone cool.

"Of course we are, Cissy, have you smelled her?" the question confuses Hermione.

"Let's not have this conversation here," Narcissa snaps before turning abruptly and walking off to join Lucius.

"Madam Lestrange, how nice to see you," Hermione says, turning her attention to the older woman.

"Please, call me Bella, darling," Bella says, moving behind the younger girl and leaning in, her lips almost touching Hermione's neck. The pet name and close proximity makes her slightly uncomfortable. Bellatrix pulls her back a step, the branches of the plants covering them.

"I'll call you Bella if you don't call me darling," says Hermione, trying to pull away without making it too obvious.

"I think I'll continue, and you'll call me Bella anyway, darling," the last word is said in a teasing manner, it makes Hermione slightly angry.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't," Hermione says, trying her best to keep her tone level.

"Fine, pet," This time, Bella's lips brush Hermione's neck, making the hairs there stand on end.

"There's no winning with you, is there?" Hermione asks, trying to regain composure.

"Right you are, pet," the words are yet again breathed against Hermione's neck.

Hermione tries to step out from behind the plants, but Bellatrix keeps a firm grip on her.

"You can't get away from me so easily, pet," Bellatrix inhales deeply, "you smell like vanilla,"

"Yes, what of it?" this time, Hermione can't keep her voice level, "it was my mother's perfume and I wear it now,"

"I love vanilla," Bellatrix says, breathing in the scent yet again. Her tongue flicks over a small spot on Hermione's neck, making her heart pound faster, "I wonder if you taste like it too," this was barely audible, but the closeness made it possible for Hermione to hear it. It was startling to say the least.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asks, whipping her head around to look Bellatrix in the eyes. Bella pushes her against the wall, not hard though, and Hermione has to hold her neck at an uncomfortable angle to keep her face from pressing against the wall, Bellatrix turns Hermione's head back toward the wall, her nose pushing slightly against Hermione's cheek, giving it nowhere else to go except where Bella wants it, "What are you doing?" the question is asked with a wavering voice despite Hermione's best efforts to keep her tone neutral. Bella's hand snakes around her, brushing over Hermione's breast resting right below it.

"See all of these people? They're different from you. You look different, act different, smell different," with that, Bellatrix inhales, her nose brushing against Hermione's ear, "but that's okay, the fact that you're different draws people to you. Good people, bad people, all types. This makes your uniqueness both a blessing and a curse, a strength and a weakness,"

"If you're drawn to me then," Hermione begins, taking a deep breath and trying to regain some composure, "what type of person are you?"

"Well that's a matter of perspective, isn't it, pet?" is Bella's response, "I will say, most people find me to be bad because of my…" she pauses for a second, trying to think of the proper word, "peculiar tastes," as she says this, her lips trail lightly over Hermione's neck, leaving a small amount of lipstick in their wake.

"Bellatrix Black," a slightly angry voice says from the plants. Bella steps back, letting go of Hermione with a pout. Hermione steps away from the wall, rubbing her neck where Bella's lips had been, trying to wipe away the contact.

"Fancy seeing you here, Andromeda Tonks," is Bella's cheeky comment.

"You saw me come down the stairs, Bellatrix, and you know better than this, go torment someone else," Hermione turns to get a good look at the woman and is startled by the resemblance she has to Bella.

"You're no fun, Andy," Bella whines.

"You'll get over it," is Andy's short response. She turns to Hermione.

"I apologize for my sister, she's drunk and doesn't know how to control herself," Andromeda says kindly, glancing at Bella in exasperation. She steps out of the corner with Hermione in tow.

"Andy, I trapped her fair and square, give her back," Bella says, glaring daggers and stomping her boot like an indignant child.

"She's a human, not a plaything, stop pouting," the response is cold, a stark contrast from the warm tone she used to address Hermione.

"They're basically the same thing," Bellatrix mutters under her breath.

"Oh, before I forget," Hermione says, sliding the ring off her finger and handing it to Bellatrix, "this belongs to you,"

"Looks better on you, pet," Bellatrix says, taking her glove off and sliding it onto her finger.

"Bellatrix," the warning in Andromeda's voice is obvious.

Bella starts to walk away but stops behind Hermione, trailing her fingers across her neck and whispering "mine" before laughing and walking away. Andromeda shakes her head.

"She's such a child when she's been drinking, she is typically more composed than that, I'm not sure what's gotten into her," her tone is already calmer.

"Thank you very much, I don't know what I'd have done if you didn't help," Hermione says, fully expecting Andromeda to tell her Bellatrix is harmless, but that doesn't happen.

"Try not to get yourself into another situation like that, I'm not saying its your fault, but I might not be there to help next time. Not to mention, Bella isn't always the most stable when she's intoxicated. By the way, I know your father, my husband works in the same office as him, I've heard a bit about you from the few times I've seen your father," she says, starting to walk toward the drink table set up on the other side of the ballroom. Hermione follows, taking a glass of champagne and downing it way too quickly. In her mind, she knows she promised herself she wouldn't get that drunk again, but does it count if she's even more intoxicated?

"Anyway, you should stay near me tonight, so I can make sure Bella doesn't bother you again," Andy says, picking up a glass of champagne and drinking from it with far more grace than Hermione did.

As Andy and Hermione linger around the drink table, Bellatrix stares them down from the other side of the room, drinking heavily from an ornate pocket flask.

"Miss Granger," Hermione turns around to see a young man, around her age bowing slightly. "would you honor me with this next dance?" he seems nervous and unsure of himself and Hermione takes pity on him.

"Of course," she says, taking his hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor. Most people have their masks on and it reminds Hermione she needs to put hers on after this dance.

The young man, Francis, is actually rather good at dancing, Hermione suspects that he's poorer than her considering the worn look of his shoes and suit. But, that really doesn't matter, Hermione is pretty sure she'll never meet the boy again.

Once the dance is over, Hermione makes her way to the drink table where she carelessly left her mask when she got a glass of champagne. Luckily, its still there and she puts it on, tying it in the back and making sure its sitting right on her face. Andy joins her, wearing a plain blue half mask that she holds to her face with a stick. A raven mask is now covering only the top half of Bellatrix's face, probably to provide better access to her flask. She's making fan gestures, but Hermione is completely ignoring it and drink more champagne than she should be. She's dead set on having a good time tonight and refuses to let the older woman ruin it. Sadly, Bella notices and gets closer, staring down any man who even looks in Hermione's direction. A few somewhat brave young men make their way over, most of them getting stopped by Bellatrix before they can quite get to Hermione. Hermione finds this whole ordeal very funny until one of them does slip through Bella's seemingly impenetrable wall around Hermione.

"May I have this dance?" he asks, extending a hand.

"Actually, she's taken for this dance," Bellatrix says from behind the man. The look on his face when he turns to see Bella is hilarious and it takes all of Hermione's will not to burst out laughing. After that brief moment, Hermione realizes that Bella is back, and she really doesn't want to get into that same compromising position again.

"Bellatrix stop that," Andy says, strolling over from the drink table, still holding the same glass of champagne from before. Hermione admires her self-control, not even holding the same glass she was five minutes ago. It's too late to get the boy back for a dance though, he ran off almost immediately after he saw Bella.

"Andy," Bella whines, "you're ruining my fun again," but, she does walk off, pouting from the corner across the room.

Andy sighs, standing by Hermione and downing the rest of her glass of champagne. As she goes to set the glass on a servant's tray, she notices Ron heading over, and following him is Bellatrix.

Hermione notices Ron but not Bella. He makes it to her and puts his arm around her, uncharacteristically friendly compared to the rest of the night.

"Should we dance?" he asks, the smell of alcohol on his breath. Hermione knows exactly why he's being friendlier, he's drunk. She is too, she's not judging him for that. She is, however, slightly upset that the only reason he's speaking to her is that he's drunk.

"Now, is that appropriate?" says Bella, butting into conversation before Hermione can get a word in yet again, "you two are barely engaged, we don't want a scandal on our hands now do we?" she asks, tut-tutting at the contact. Once Ron removes his arm though, Bella's replaces it from the opposite side, snaking farther around Hermione's neck than she's comfortable with and resting at her pulse.

"Oh, hello Madam Lestrange. I apologize if I've offended you," he slurs out. The scowl on Bellatrix's face when he says this seemingly going unnoticed by the intoxicated man.

"Well, we shan't let it happen again shall we?" Bellatrix asks, her voice now sounding almost completely sober and very scary.

Andy at this point has given up, sipping from another glass of champagne and watching to make sure Bella doesn't trap Hermione again. As long as they're in front of people, it really doesn't matter too much. Bella has wrapped herself around Hermione again, clinging to her like a second skin. Ron doesn't seem to notice, or at least doesn't care, as he continues making drunken conversation with Hermione.

Andy decides its best for her to take Hermione home with her, sure that she'll get herself in trouble if she lets her go home with the Weasleys. Not that they're bad people, they just aren't too observant and don't really know the dangers that lie in wait.

...

Making to into the carriage is quite an ordeal. Hermione is acting like a grumpy toddler, Bellatrix is complaining, and Hermione of all people, is siding with her.

"Andy, you should let me go with you, you don't want to leave me here do you?" she pouts, clinging to Hermione slightly less than she was before.

"You have a carriage and I only have one guest bed, go home,"

"My carriage went home,"

"Well, isn't your husband here, have him catch a carriage,"

"He left"

"Go home with Cissy,"

"You know how Lucius hates me,"

"No Bella," Andy says, shutting the carriage door before she can argue more.

The carriage ride home is quiet, Hermione is dozing with her head against the window and mumbling something incoherently. As the carriage approaches the house, Hermione stirs, looking out the window at the house. It's small compared to the Black manor but very nice. Hermione stumbles out of the carriage with the help of the driver. The guest bedroom is located in the hall branching off the foyer.

"Now, here's the guest bedroom, make yourself comfortable. There's a bathroom through that door and extra blankets and pillows in the closet. I'll be back in the morning before breakfast with an old dress of my daughter's," Andy says, closing the door. Hermione begins undressing, it takes her a while, the large dress seems far too fragile in her drunk, fumbling hands.

After the dress comes the corset, luckily this one comes with laces in the front, so she can easily take it off. Once she's stripped to her chemise, she unmakes the bed, heading to the bathroom to try and wash the rest of the makeup off of her face. She towels her face off and walks back into the room, surprised to hear a knock at the door. She assumes its Andy. It's the only logical explanation at this time of night. She opens the door and is greeted by a sly smile that does not, in fact, belong to Andy.

"Don't scream," Bella says, pushing past Hermione into the room. "you thought I was done, didn't you, pet?"

"How did you even get here? I thought you said you had no way of getting home,"

"I may have stretched the truth, a little white lie, if you will," is Bella's response as she starts fumbling with her dress in a less-than-graceful way.

"I need to get Andy then," Hermione heads to the door, but Bella stops her, half-dressed.

She backs her up toward the wall, each step making Hermione's heart beat faster. This woman is unpredictable and dangerous, and she somehow got in the house.

"How did you get in?"

"I knew where the spare key was," Bella pulls out a key, twirling it in her hand.

"That means I definitely have to tell Andy, you broke in,"

"No, you won't tell Andy," Bella pulls another key from her pocket and makes her way to the door, locking it and sliding the key into the pocket of her chemise, "because that's the only way out, pet, and I have the key,"

Bella then goes over to the closet, pulling out all of the blankets and an extra pillow, before flopping down in the middle of the bed. Hermione, knowing she needs to sleep too and refusing to sleep on the floor without even a blanket, walks over to the bed. She sits down on it and pushes Bella from the middle to the other side. It's not an easy task as Bella is quite good at making herself dead weight. Hermione lays down and slides under the blankets that were originally on the bed. She puts up a pillow for a barrier and Bella moves it immediately. Hermione turns her back to Bella and tries to sleep as Bella wraps her arm around her and pulls her closer.

...

Hermione doesn't know how, or when, but she did finally get some sleep last night. She tries to sit up but realizes Bella is wrapped around her and holding on tightly, like a snake. There's a knock on the door, it knocks a few times, but Hermione doesn't want to call out and wake the sleeping beast. Finally, whoever's out there walks away and comes back a minute later, sliding a key into the keyhole and opening the door.

"Hermione, time to get up, breakfast is soon and how in the world did you get a k-" Andy stops mid-sentence and looks at Hermione entangled with Bellatrix, "how?" is all she can get out.

"She apparently knew where you kept a spare key," Hermione answers, hoping to be helpful. The look on Andy's face changes to anger as she lays the dress she's holding down on a chair and picks a pillow up off the bed, swinging it at Bella to wake her up.

"What?" Bella asks in a mixture of a whine and a mumble.

"Get up and explain yourself," Andy demands, hitting Bella yet again with the pillow.

"I will at a reasonable hour, gosh," Bella says, ripping the pillow from Andy's hand and putting it over her face, disentangling Hermione in the process. Andy sighs, clearly defeated.

She helps Hermione get dressed while Bella groans about how early it is, as if them being there is an inconvenience and not the other way around. Once Hermione is dressed, they head to the dining room, leaving Bella to sleep until after breakfast when Andy plans to yell at her.

"Good morning Ted," Andy says, kissing her husband on the cheek and sitting next to him at the table.

A woman Hermione assumes is the cook pushes the door open and sets platters of food down, exchanging a few friendly words with Andy before heading back into the kitchen.

"Morning," a sleepy voice calls from the doorway.

"I thought you were going back to sleep," Andy says, anger lacing her voice.

"I tried but you two woke me up too much," Hermione turns to look at Bella and realizes that she's taken off the rest of her clothes and is only wearing her chemise. The sight is shocking, she's wearing underwear in front of a man.

"Is that appropriate attire for breakfast Bellatrix?" Andy asks with a sigh.

"It is when you're woken up at an ungodly hour by your stuffy sister and told to leave," she says, plopping down in the seat to the right of Hermione and reaching over her with her right hand as she sets her left on Hermione's thigh.

"Good morning Bella," Ted says, trying to make polite conversation while Andy scowls at him.

"Finally, someone who's polite to me. Good morning,"

"How did you sleep?" he asks, making polite conversation.

"Well, enough, it would have been easier if I had the bed to myself,"

"You-" Hermione begins but is cut off.

"Hush pet, the adults are talking," Bella says, patting her leg, obviously trying to get a rise out of her.

Hermione takes a deep breath, doing her best to keep calm as Bella reaches over her yet again for the butter, her hand still resting on her thigh. The entire breakfast is very quiet after Ted's attempts at conversation were met with enough glares from Andy that he stopped.

When everyone is finished eating, Andy stands and motions for Bella to follow her out of the room, Bella stands with a pout and looks back at Hermione.

"Can I take my pet?" she asks, standing and laughing. Despite the question, she leaves the room before its answered.

"I'll get you a carriage pulled around," Ted says, standing and exiting the room, leaving Hermione alone in the unfamiliar dining room.

Hey, it's a week late and I barely finished in time but hopefully you'll forgive me because of the large amount of Bellamione in this chapter.