Hermione sat on the worktable in Narcissa's potion room. Her legs swung back and forth idly as she watched Narcissa observe the potion they had brewed last week. Hermione rolled up her sleeve, revealing the small burn scar. Narcissa swirled the potion in the glass bottle. She held it up to the light, seemingly satisfied with its composition.
"Are you ready, Hermione?" she asked, approaching her with the bottle in her hand. She eyed Hermione's clothes with mild disapproval.
"Yeah. Should I have dressed for the occasion?" Hermione asked teasingly, raising a brow,
"I just don't see why you insist on wearing those Muggle clothes," she sighed, shaking her head slightly.
"They're comfortable," she insisted.
"If you say so."
Hermione rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. Narcissa handed her the potion and she drank it, nearly gagging at the taste. "That is absolutely the worst tasting thing ever."
"It works, though." Narcissa held Hermione's wrist in her hand, watching as the small scar healed. Hermione looked at her forearm, noticing her lack of a scar.
"Cissa. I'm ready," she said, looking into the blonde witch's eyes.
"For the cabinet?"
Hermione nodded, rolling her sleeve back down. Narcissa's mouth was a thin line as she nodded. Hermione hopped off of the table, sliding her arm through Narcissa's. They walked to the drawing room in silence. Kyndet's head popped up from behind the couch, chirping as the two witches entered. Hermione scratched behind the ridges on his head and Narcissa rubbed his chin. He watched curiously as Hermione opened the cabinet and prepared to step inside. She hesitated with one foot in the air.
"Cissa. What if?" she began.
"Don't. You'll be fine," she reassured, smiling. Hermione nodded, steeling herself.
"Do you remember the spell?" she asked, placing one foot firmly inside the cabinet. Narcissa nodded, watching as Hermione stepped fully into the cabinet. The blonde witch closed it, drawing her wand from her sleeve.
"Lacus Animus Geminae," she cast, waving her wand at the cabinet.
Hermione held her breath, squeezing her eyes shut. She could hear the pounding of her heart echoing through the box. Her gut twisted, head spinning as she felt displaced from reality. It lasted for maybe a second but felt much longer before she felt normal. She opened one eye, peering at her surroundings. It looked the same as it had before. Her heart still hammered, seeming to echo in the small space. Hermione reached out a hand, pushing against the door. It didn't open and she pounded her hand on the door. It opened and she stumbled out, nearly tripping.
"Hey, Hermione," Draco said, steadying her with a hand on her arm, "Glad to see it worked."
"Me too," she breathed, looking around the room. It was different from when she had practiced in it, but she hadn't imagined it would look the same.
"It's nice, don't you think?" he asked, gesturing to their surroundings with a smile on his face.
"I couldn't imagine better decorations." Her lips twitched into a smile and the two descended into a fit of laughter. "I should be going back now."
"But you just got here."
"I'll be back. I'll bring friends, too" She winked, stepping into the cabinet. She heard Draco cast the spell and felt the sensation that signified her transportation between cabinets. It wasn't as shocking this time since she knew to expect it. She pounded her fist on the door lightly, this time keeping her balance when it opened.
"Hermione," Bellatrix breathed, rushing at her and enveloping her in a tight hug, "what the hell was going through your head that you thought testing the cabinet yourself would be a good idea?"
"I'm fine, Bella. It's not as if I could ask someone else to test it. This is my mission and I'd rather it be me than anyone else. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Hermione hugged Bellatrix back, kissing the dark witch's cheek.
"It's okay. Some warning would've been nice, though. I felt your magic spike and then fade and I thought something horrible had happened." Bellatrix buried her face in Hermione's shoulder.
"You could feel me all the way at Hogwarts?"
"No, not really. It was more the phantom sensation of your magic that I felt," she said, pulling back from Hermione to look at her.
"I didn't mean to scare you," Hermione whispered, her hand on Bellatrix's cheek. The dark witch's grip on Hermione's shoulders was tight but not painful.
"I know."
"Thank you, Cissa. For sending me through." Hermione beckoned her with a wave of her hand.
"I'm glad it worked. My sister loves me, but I don't think it would have saved me if something happened to you," she said, joining the hug.
"I could never hurt you, Cissy, even if something happened to Hermione. I just wouldn't ever speak to you again," she said jokingly.
"Oh, well, that's so much better," Narcissa said, rolling her eyes in an unladylike manner.
"I know," Bellatrix said, grinning. Hermione laughed, extracting herself from the embrace. She sat on the couch, Kyndet curling in her lap. She scratched his chin absently, Bellatrix sitting next to her and draping an arm around her shoulders. Narcissa sat on her other side and Hermione laid her legs across the blonde witch, leaning back against Bellatrix. Narcissa sent her a playful glare and Hermione grinned broadly. She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. Kyndet sleepily watched the three witches, his sharp teeth visible because of his smile.
"We should tell the Dark Lord it's done," Hermione mumbled, breaking the comfortable silence.
"We can tell him later," Bellatrix said, too comfortable to get up.
"We'll have to go one at a time," Hermione said, looking at the cabinet vacantly.
"What?" Bellatrix asked, caught off guard at the change in topic.
"Through the cabinet. We'll have to go one at a time and someone will have to send the last person through."
"One of us should go first, that way there's one of us at Hogwarts and one of us here."
"I can send the last person through," Narcissa said, joining the conversation.
"Perfect. Which of us should go first?" Hermione asked, tilting her head to look at Bellatrix.
"I think you should. You already know what it feels like so you'll be able to help everyone as they go through."
"How will we know when to send the next person?" Narcissa asked.
"Bella can read the journal. Her and the Dark Lord are exceptions in case anything happened to me."
"You prepare for everything, don't you?" Bellatrix asked, squeezing Hermione's sides.
"Yes. I like to win," Hermione said, lightly smacking Bellatrix's hands.
"Merlin, she's just like you, Bella. What have you done to her?" Narcissa teased.
"I haven't done anything! She was always like this. I just sped up the process."
"Kisses from an evil witch are very corrupting," Hermione joked, squeezing Bellatrix's hands lovingly.
"I wouldn't know," Narcissa said.
"That's because you're already evil, Cissy. It doesn't do anything."
"Wait a minute. Does that mean?" Hermione's jaw fell open when Bellatrix nodded. The young witch stared at the blonde, having the sense to at least close her mouth.
"Oh, please. I was nineteen and drunk. It hardly counts," Narcissa said dismissively, waving her hand through the air.
"It counts, Cissy. You knew exactly what you were doing. You both did." Bellatrix wiggled her eyebrows at Narcissa, triumphing at the red shade her sister's face had become.
"You've kissed a witch?" was all Hermione could ask. She really shouldn't be so surprised, Narcissa seemed the type to go for wizard or witch. Narcissa chose not to respond, looking away to hide her face.
"Cissy. We're only having fun. You don't have to be embarrassed. Hermione hardly has room to judge you."
"I'm not judging her," Hermione muttered, earning a laugh from Narcissa. The blonde turned back to them, all trace of red gone from her face.
"I know, Bella. Still, it's not something I remember all that much," she said, scratching the back of her neck.
"I do," Bellatrix said, "I could remind you."
"No, thank you."
"If you say so."
"I do. Unless you want Hermione to hear all about your escapades during school?" Narcissa asked mischievously.
Bellatrix paled slightly, shaking her head fervently. "Absolutely not."
"I didn't think so." Narcissa winked at Hermione. The young witch was watching them with a confused look on her face. She had no idea what they were referring to so vaguely, but she couldn't hide the curiosity she felt.
"You can tell me when we're old, Bella," she said, turning her face to the dark witch.
"Deal," Bellatrix obliged, smiling at the young witch.