A/N Hello, my dear readers! It has been so long. We left earlier than we planned to, which is why I haven't updated, but I am back. The nice thing about having absolutely nothing to do was that I got a good bit of writing done. I hope you all had a nice Christmas (or Hannukah).
Enjoy!
"Bella," Hermione whispered against a pale cheek, "Wake up. I need your help with something."
The dark witch mumbled something incomprehensible, turning away from Hermione and pulling the blanket tightly around her shoulders. Hermione sighed, trying to loosen the blanket so she could get closer to Bellatrix. It took several tries, the young witch's frustrated tugging finally working. She wrapped her arms around Bellatrix's waist, scooting closer and nuzzling her shoulder.
"Bella, come on." Hermione's breath fanned out across Bellatrix's neck, causing a shiver to travel down her spine.
"Why? I want to keep sleeping," Bellatrix mumbled, hugging a pillow tightly to her.
"You always want to keep sleeping," Hermione argued.
"You sound like Cissy."
"I do not. Come on, Bella. I need your help," Hermione pleaded, tugging on Bellatrix's waist.
"You're lucky I love you. I don't get up for just anyone, you know," Bellatrix said, turning in Hermione's arms.
"I know. And I love you, too. It won't take long, I promise."
"I've already said yes, love." Bellatrix blinked sleepily as Hermione kissed from her cheek to the corner of her lips. The dark witch turned her head slightly, capturing soft lips in a lazy kiss. Hermione pulled away before Bellatrix could deepen it, quickly kissing pouting lips.
"You're beautiful," Hermione whispered, running her thumb along Bellatrix's cheek.
"So are you, love." Bellatrix placed her hand against Hermione's, leaning into the young witch's touch. "What do you need my help with?"
"Well, Aurion has helped me narrow down some possibilities for a new prison location, but I was hoping you could help me pick one. Since you've, you know," Hermione trailed off, biting her lower lip and not looking Bellatrix in the eye.
"You can say it, Hermione. It's okay." Bellatrix slid her hand to Hermione's cheek, hazel eyes flicking up to meet her own.
"I don't want to," she whispered.
"It's all over now. There was nothing you could have done to change any of it." Hermione opened her mouth to object but was quickly silenced by Bellatrix. "Don't you dare say you could've done something. Hermione, you didn't even know."
"But if I had known I could have done something."
"You didn't know, Hermione. You couldn't have. Besides, would you have believed it was true?"
"I-I don't know." Hermione looked away, focusing on the ring around her finger.
Bellatrix kissed Hermione's forehead softly before rubbing her nose against Hermione's. "It doesn't matter, Hermione. Okay?"
Hermione nodded, whispering, "Okay."
"That's my witch. I'll help you pick a place and then we can put this whole ordeal behind us." Bellatrix smiled, earning a soft smile from Hermione.
"It'll be nice to not have to worry about what I need to do to fix this bloody mess," Hermione murmured, leaning her forehead against Bellatrix's.
"You don't have to fix everything, love," Bellatrix whispered.
"I know, but this is my mess. I'm not going to make someone else take care of it."
"So responsible," Bellatrix teased. She ran her hands over Hermione's back, gently massaging the muscles as best she could.
"One of us has to be, otherwise we'd never get out of bed." Hermione sighed, pushing into Bellatrix's hands. "That feels so good."
"You need to relax. Maybe we should go to the waterfall and have a few hours to ourselves."
"Maybe later. We should get this done so we don't have to think about it anymore."
"It's settled, then. When we're done today we go to the waterfall. We'll stay for a week if that's what it takes but we aren't leaving until I deem you suitably relaxed."
"Bella," Hermione began.
"Nope, I don't want to hear any objections. You'd work yourself to death and still keep going."
"I was going to say thank you. For taking care of me." Hermione kissed Bellatrix's chin, smiling in amusement at the older witch.
"Oh. Well, of course, silly. You're my soulmate, I'd do anything to keep you alive and well."
"I guess we should get up, then."
"Yes. The sooner we're done the sooner you can relax," Bellatrix said. She slid out of bed, tugging on the first thing of hers she picked off the floor. Hermione watched her for a moment, admiring the older witch before doing the same.
Bellatrix snaked her arms around Hermione's waist, nibbling on her earlobe before resting her chin on the young witch's shoulder. Hermione smiled, leaning back against Bellatrix slightly. Arms tightened around her waist and lips traveled across her neck. Humming, Hermione turned in Bellatrix's arms, draping her arms over the dark witch's shoulders. Tilting her head up, Hermione kissed Bellatrix tenderly, Apparating them as she did so.
"Definitely not this place," Bellatrix said as she looked around. It smelled of earth and wood and was cleared as far as she could see save for a few bushes. It was on the warmer side but not unpleasant and definitely far away from anything else.
"Why not?" Hermione asked, mirroring Bellatrix.
"It's too nice. The whole point of Azkaban and the Dementors was to keep us in a state where we couldn't fight our imprisonment. The rain, the cold, the damp, it all kept us too weak to do anything. If you put people here, they might try to escape." Bellatrix shielded her eyes from the sun, taking in the rich green of the foliage.
"That's the whole point of the wards, though. The whole point is for it to not be like Azkaban."
"I understand, love, trust me. But wards can only do so much. It doesn't have to be like Azkaban but you don't want it to be the exact opposite. You need a place that has a choking atmosphere but livable conditions." Bellatrix dragged her foot through the rich earth, smiling at the insects she revealed. "Besides, I like this place for us."
"Okay. Not this place, then. Shall we?" Hermione held her arm out to Bellatrix, Apparating them as soon as they touched.
"This is…better. The atmosphere is definitely depressing enough. It's not as horrible as Azkaban either. Are there other places like this one?" Bellatrix wrapped her arms around herself, moving closer to Hermione as she looked at the grey sky. It was cool, but there was plenty of space in the middle of nowhere. There were trees and rocky structures scattered about.
"Not really. I'm pretty sure this is the closest to what you told me it should be."
"I think it'll work just fine. If you think this is the closest to what I said then I'll take your word for it. Aurion can do the wards, right?"
"Yeah, but I should help him. We'll need to build somewhere for the prisoners to stay, too. But with magic that'll be easy," Hermione said. She looked at Bellatrix, moving her hair out of her face before wrapping her arms around the older witch.
"The two of us could probably have something up in a few hours, especially if we get help from the Aurors." Bellatrix leaned into Hermione, resting their temples together.
"They're busy guarding the prisoners and helping rebuild Hogwarts, not to mention their regular duties. Do you think we could manage on our own? I don't know what it should look like, though."
"It's a prison, love. It'll just be a plain building with cells and such. Anything else can be added later."
"I guess."
"Are you wanting to do this all today?" Bellatrix asked.
"I want to get this over with, Bella. I'm tired of this."
"I know, love. Let's get this over with, then. Maybe we can recruit my sisters and Draco to help."
"We should get Aurion, too. He'll have to be here for the wards, anyway," Hermione mumbled. She conjured her Patronus, shivering as Bellatrix ran her fingers through it while she relayed the message. It took off to deliver the message, leaving the two witches leaning against each other lovingly.
Their family appeared as a group, all with a hand on Aurion's arm. Bellatrix moved out of Hermione's arms, slinging an arm around Narcissa and Andromeda's shoulders. "Glad you could join us."
"We're always happy to help. What do we need to do?" Narcissa asked.
"We need to build a suitable prison and get wards up," Hermione said, arching an eyebrow at Draco. He nodded subtly, hiding his smile.
"Today?" Andromeda asked, looking between Hermione and Draco.
"Preferably. How should we do it, Cissy?" Bellatrix asked squeezing her sister's shoulders.
"I would think if Aurion, Andy, and I place the wards, Draco can help the two of you with the building. I think that's the best way to do it."
"That works for me," Draco said, shrugging.
"Me too," Aurion added. Hermione nodded, along with Andromeda.
"Excellent. Let's get this done," Bellatrix said, releasing her sisters and clapping her hands together. Hermione rolled her eyes, making Draco chuckle.
"What area are we encompassing with the wards?" Aurion asked.
Hermione hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip as she looked around. "For now, I think a quarter of the property will do. We can always extend it, right?"
Aurion nodded, mentally going over the layout of the property. "Yes, that's doable. Shall we?"
"Let's," Andromeda and Narcissa chorused.
Draco stepped forward, moving between Hermione and Bellatrix. "How are we doing this?"
"Bella and I can probably get the majority of a building set but we'll need your help in case we miss something."
"Everybody ready, then?"
"I was born ready, Draco," Bellatrix said. Hermione just nodded, looking at Bellatrix nervously.
The dark witch gave her a reassuring smile, summoning stone to form the base of the building. Hermione followed suit, pouring her magic into Bellatrix's, speeding up the process as they worked together to summon a building piece by piece. Draco fidgeted, feeling the magic in the air grow. He kept a watchful eye on the building, releasing his magic where Hermione and Bellatrix missed something. It grew wider and taller, somewhat resembling Azkaban but less decrepit and depressing. Through the haze of their magic, they could feel the wards slowly settling.
The sun arced across the sky as they worked, trailing a blazing path through the clouds overhead. They worked tirelessly, their magic draining slowly. Sweat ran down their brows, coating their skin and giving them a faint sheen. The last stone appeared in place and once they were sure the building would stay, they breathed a collective sigh of relief, slumping against each other tiredly. They felt the wards tingling against their skin but still not sealed over the property.
"Hermione, Bella, for the wards to seal we'll need a drop of your blood. The two of you will have full access and control over the wards until you appoint a warden," Andromeda said, sitting on the grass next to the wizard and two witches.
"Take it so we can be done," Hermione mumbled, flinging her hand up. Narcissa caught her wrist, chuckling at the younger witch. Aurion replaced Narcissa's hand with his, turning Hermione's palm to face the ground. He took a small knife from his forearm and pricked her finger. A drop of blood dripped from her finger to the ground, hissing as it made contact with the dirt. He muttered a quick healing spell before doing the same with Bellatrix.
"The wards are set. Any immediate relation to either of you will have access to the property but as long as one or both of you live, only the two of you will have complete control over the wards," he said. The family felt the wards snap firmly into place as they looked up at the prison they had built. It was large, much larger than Azkaban, though not as tall. The grey stone blended in with the sky but kept the cold out of the building. It spread over three acres and was ten stories tall, with an intimidating façade.
"I can't believe we did it," Bellatrix murmured, suppressing a shudder.
"Me neither. I'm so tired," Hermione said, leaning against Bellatrix.
"Same here," Draco said.
"We should head back. The two of you will have to take us," Aurion said. He seemed more energetic than the rest of the group, but Hermione could see the heaviness of his limbs. The soulmates groaned, grabbing whoever was nearest them and Apparating to the Manor. They landed in a heap in the drawing room of the Manor, untangling themselves from each other.
"Thanks for your help everyone. If you'll excuse us, Hermione and I have somewhere to be," Bellatrix said, pulling Hermione to her feet. The dark witch snaked an arm around the young witch's waist, Apparating them to the waterfall.
"Is it me or does the depth change depending on what we're doing?" Hermione asked once they were fully immersed in the warm water. She sighed as her muscles began to relax, leaning back against Bellatrix.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it did. This whole place just oozes magic," Bellatrix mumbled. Her fingers played at Hermione's waist, drawing the young witch closer.
"I think this is my favorite place. Look at the stars." Hermione pointed at the sky, her finger tracing constellations before settling on one. "There's yours."
"I like how peaceful it is. The healing properties are definitely a bonus."
"It certainly has its uses."
Bellatrix hummed, resting her chin on Hermione's shoulder. They fell into a comfortable silence, trading smiles and tender kisses. A gentle light emanated from the water, casting a greenish glow over the two witches. The moon was a sliver in the sky, barely providing any light to see by but they didn't need it. Hermione turned in Bellatrix's arms, wrapping her legs around her waist and looping her arms over her shoulders.
"I wouldn't trade this moment for anything, Bella," she whispered, pressing their foreheads together.
"Neither would I, Hermione. I do think we should head inside, though. I'm feeling pickled." Bellatrix placed a quick kiss on Hermione's lips, chuckling at her expression as she pulled back. "You're so beautiful."
"So are you. Now, I believe there was mention of going in? I'm exhausted."
"Me too, love." Bellatrix held Hermione firmly against her as she made her way out of the water to the cottage. She had a feeling Hermione was right about the depth as her feet met the dry ground. Hermione cast a drying charm over both of them as Bellatrix carried her inside. They collapsed on the bed, lazily crawling under the blanket and gravitating to each other.