A/N If you've been here since the beginning thank you for sticking it out. If you're just joining us, welcome! I know how difficult it is to find Bellamione stories that update frequently, if at all. I'm so pleased you guys are enjoying this!
Regarding Narcissa being the one to send the books. It couldn't have been Bellatrix because she was in Azkaban at the time Hermione received it. I will say that what Bellatrix knows, Narcissa knows. Everyone has a role to play and all will be revealed in due time. Just wanted to clarify before moving on with the story.
I hope you continue to stay with me through this story. Thank you for reviewing/favoriting/following this story. It really makes my day. For those of you that are just reading, I'm a firm believer that no news is good news. Happy reading! :)
This story is non-canon and all characters and rights belong to JK Rowling
Hermione was tired of listening to Harry bumble through his speech to the other students. The building was filled with people curious about what he had to say, and he was making an utter fool of himself. She couldn't take it anymore.
"Look, whether you believe Harry or not doesn't matter. What does matter is that thanks to Umbridge, we aren't learning what we need to know. How are we supposed to be Aurors if we can't defend ourselves in a fight? How are we supposed to be valuable members of society if the Ministry won't let us learn what we need to? It's time to step up and take our education into our own hands. The Room of Requirement will be the perfect place to practice without getting caught. I have faith that it will show itself to one of us because we are in need of it. The Ministry may control the rules, but the castle has always had the students as its priority," Hermione cut in, effectively ending Harry's floundering.
People stared at her and she resisted the urge to squirm. Most were shocked at the usually quiet bookworm's speech. A few looks were exchanged before the first person stepped forward, signing their name on the parchment. This broke the spell that the other students seemed to be under and they all clamored to sign their name. They knew Hermione was right, but secretly, they were grateful she wasn't going to be the one teaching them.
"Thanks 'Mione. I doubt anyone would have joined if you hadn't said anything," Harry whispered.
"We've got your back, mate," Ron cut in, a boyish grin on his face.
Not that you did anything, Hermione thought to herself. She nodded to Harry, a small smile on her face. She was frustrated with how helpless the two boys were, but she felt like it was her duty to help them. That didn't mean she had to enjoy it, and she doubted Harry and Ron enjoyed always being saved by a muggleborn girl. They never said anything about her blood status, but she could tell they were annoyed at constantly being bested by her.
"I'm going back to the castle. I'd like to get a head start on this week's homework," Hermione said, taking her leave of the two boys. Truthfully, she had finished up to Christmas, but she wanted time to herself to practice and read. She knew the castle would be quiet because most students were at Hogsmeade, so this would be the perfect opportunity.
"Do you ever stop doing schoolwork?" Ron whined, clearly annoyed at her for not staying with them. She frowned, not giving Ron a response as she walked out the door, hearing it slam behind her. The slam satisfied the darker side of her, a subtle outlet for letting out her frustrations. Not for the first time, she wondered if she would be able to keep Harry and Ron alive, not because she was incapable, but because she was unsure if she wanted to.
The castle was blessedly quiet. The Gryffindor Common Room was deserted. No one was on the seventh floor at all, making it incredibly easy to access the Room of Requirement. It was almost too easy to lie to Harry and Ron. She was never the best liar, but they were so oblivious to the world all she had to do was say something about schoolwork and they'd believe her. She supposed she couldn't fault them though, it was no secret she was always learning. That didn't mean people had to know she was learning magic most adults didn't know.
In order to cast wordless spells, you must center yourself, find your magical center. You must always know the intention of the spell you are about to cast. Should you hesitate, the results could be disastrous. You must mold the magic to what you desire it to be, much like normal casting, but your intention isn't said, it is felt. You must feel it through your entire body and channel it through your wand. Wordless magic does not come easy, but if you find yourself getting frustrated you must stop and recollect yourself. Casting while unstable can cause serious harm.
Hermione rose from her cross-legged position on the floor, her wand dangling from her fingertips. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, letting go of the tension she felt and turning it into intention. After a few moments, Hermione opened her eyes and focused on her target. She held her intention within her entire body and dipped into her magic. With a flick of her wand, a spell shot out and barreled into the dummy she focused on, effectively knocking it back.
She could feel the air crackling with her magic, and she knew she could not lose herself in it, but resisting only made it harder to ignore. She would need to learn how to deal with it and wondered if Bellatrix could give her any advice. At that moment, she realized she had not yet received a response from the Death Eater.
What if she no longer wishes to teach me? Should I write her again, in case she simply forgot to respond? But if she doesn't want to teach me anymore it wouldn't do any good. I'll just have to wait until she responds. She might not be safe enough right now, and I'm quite sure she can't let my identity slip to anyone but her sister, these thoughts filled Hermione's mind. She absently worried her lip between her teeth before shaking her head to clear her mind. Refocusing, she allowed a deep breath to fill her lungs before she continued practicing, working on wordless casting only. She was hesitant to try wandless magic; she was too scared of losing herself.
Hermione was pleased she had done so well with wordless magic. She couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't any trouble with it. The book had specifically said most witches and wizards that could use it took several tries before success the first time. Hermione didn't think she had outstanding magical abilities; she was the brightest of her age because she had a fascination of learning, not because she was particularly powerful. Perhaps because she was so studious and took the time to memorize the information before applying it made her more successful on first attempts.
Returning to the Common Room, Hermione debated what topic she should learn next, assuming Bellatrix would continue supplying her. There was so much she wanted to know, and she was sure any topic she desired would be present in their library. She was fascinated by time magic, but she wasn't sure it would be useful in the coming months. She might like to study Occlumency and Legilimency, especially considering Harry's apparent connection to Voldemort. Those two practices were likely to be useful in the future. Reading people's minds seemed like a bit of an invasion of privacy, but it could be necessary.
Bellatrix has been sort of like a drug dealer, Hermione mused, a snort passing her lips and a bemused smile gracing her face at the thought. She tried not to laugh at the idea of the most feared Death Eater in a trench coat full of books hiding in an alley. It was such a ridiculous image that she knew if her boggart were to turn into Bellatrix she would conjure that image. She knew at least part of her should fear Bellatrix, after all, the witch earned her reputation, yet Hermione couldn't help but think there was more to the story, especially where Dumbledore was involved. She knew he would never give them the full truth because then he would run the risk of losing some of the Order.
She was broken out of her thought as she entered the cacophonous Gryffindor Common Room. She winced as she felt the magic hit her at the same time the sound did. Hoping she would receive a reply soon, she snuck up to the dormitories, intending to read away from the noise of her fellow lions. She loved her house, of course, but sometimes they were too excitable and there were times she just wanted peace. Hermione wondered once again why the hat put her in Gryffindor and not a different house. She couldn't quite see herself in Hufflepuff, but Ravenclaw would have been a nice fit for her; even Slytherins were cunning which required some sense of mental fortitude, not that she would ever fit in with that house, but she was not thoughtlessly brave as her housemates were.