True Love
C1: Captured? Or Are They?
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters
A/N: Happy New Year to all of my dear readers. I'm back after taking a month off for mostly mental health reasons. I admit I was getting a bit burned out, but I'm back with a new story. This is going to be Hermione/the Black sisters. I know it's been done before but this has been sitting in my mind for a long time, and I really wanted to finally go for somewhat normal pairings. No more main character OC for the foreseeable future. I hope you enjoy this little piece, and I'll see you all next one.
For months they had been on the run from the Snatchers, because for some reason Dumbledore thought it was a good idea to send three teenagers on a wild goose chase through the wilds of Britain for artifacts that were Morgana only knows where, so he could in the end take credit for ending the greatest threat to his power.
Hermione did whatever she needed to keep her supposed best friends alive, even though they had both proven to be absolute dunderheads and always quick to put the blame on her if things went awry instead of taking responsibility for their own failures.
Having seen the writing on the wall ages ago, she did the only logical thing, defect to the so called Dark Side the moment an opportunity had presented itself, which was now two years ago during their ill-fated attempt to get Harry's Prophecy from the Ministry.
Of course they had been captured back then, and of course Harry being the idiot he was attacked the Death Eaters, thinking they could win that particular battle and of course that only ended in a disaster for him and the Order, since she got something positive out of it.
On that night's eventual standoff she let herself captured by Bellatrix Black, and since all eyes were on Harry and Lucius, she took a chance and told the raven haired witch exactly what she thought about the Golden Boy and the Order.
That had set off something between them, the Dark witch secretly pulling her to the side so they could talk in private and listening to everything the brunette had to say. Hermione could easily admit that she had a tremendous crush on the raven haired witch, and the times since that night at the Ministry that they had the opportunity to talk were enough to let her know that her crush was certainly not one sided.
The last time they had talked was just before she was sent on this wild goose chase, informing her that they should allow themselves to be captured once they had a Horcrux in their possession, and that the Snatchers were under strict orders not to harm her, which had led her to today.
The day started out as any other, in her cot in the tent she shared with the two idiots who had gotten more and more on her nerves, especially Ron whose temper started to get the better of him, probably from the prolonged exposure to the Horcrux he insisted on wearing all day, but she knew that they would be here soon.
Not that she would tell them of course, because her mind was made up and she honestly didn't care about what happened to them anymore. She had made her choice a long time ago, and at the end of the day she would be free of them without having put any suspicion on herself, and of course she would be free to explore her attraction to Bellatrix further, since she already had a guarantee that she would be taken in by the dark witch and her family.
That fact brought some worry to her already overactive mind. She wasn't on the best terms with the woman's son Fabian, and she hoped that wouldn't cause any extra tension between them.
A crackling of the wards she had put up last night brought her out of her thoughts. "Get up you two! We need to move!" She shouted to the main area.
There was a quick rustling of items as the two boys scrambled to get their things together, while she purposely took her time to getting her things together since she needed to give the Snatchers time to break through her wards.
She checked her bag for the final time before she walked outside, magically disassembling the tent when Harry and Ron joined her. "How could they have found us already? I thought this place was out of the way Hermione." Ron said with a near whine.
She quirked an eyebrow at him, knowing that this was a perfect opportunity to stall a bit more. "Really Ronald, out of all the questions you could ask that is the one you are going with at this particular moment? They're called Snatchers for a reason, you know."
He glared at her. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do, you said that there was no way they would find this place, that they would never come this far into the woods. You knew this was going to happen."
"Excuse me? Are you seriously insinuating that after seven bloody years of me keeping you two alive and getting you through classes you are going to question my loyalty? Who had the actual wherewithal to actually pack supplies? Who thought of bringing things that are actually useful instead of a bloody Wireless that seemed to be glued to your bloody hand the entire day? I prepared for every possible situation and I sure as hell have more experience camping in the outdoors than either of you." She spat with a similar glare.
Harry stepped between them, hoping to ward off a fight. "Stop it you two. This is not the time to fight. They're going to get us if we don't move."
Ron huffed as he always did before stomping off while Harry went after him with Hermione following behind getting more and more frustrated with the two boys. Harry's pacifistic attitude was grating on her just as much as Ron's temper and she was well and truly done.
She heard the heavy footfalls behind them not soon after, sending a low powered jinx to the two boys in front of her to make them stumble a little, now more than ever glad that she had taken the time to research wandless and wordless magic. It proved to be enough because the next moment they were in Body Bind curses as the Snatchers caught up to them.
Inwardly she smiled as they were grabbed by the collar and apparated away hopefully to Malfoy Manor where her new life would begin, hopefully with her Dark Witch. She would certainly work to make sure that future would come a reality. She deserved that after everything she had put herself through.
…
Bellatrix was by all intents and purposes a happy camper. She was in the good graces of her Lord and had managed to get a spy into the Order of the Phoenix by sharing the truth with a young girl that reminded her a lot of herself when she was younger.
She could easily admit that the girl's soul called out to her, even in the few moments they had managed to share at the Ministry and she suspected that the girl might be the one that the Prophecy that was foretold about her and her sisters so long ago, about a Muggleborn girl that would forever bring them together through love and magic. That had been part of the reason her Lord had ordered the Snatchers not to harm the girl in any way, shape or form and that there would be repercussions if she would come to harm.
Having seen everything about the girl in her head, the Dark Lord believed that the girl would be a great asset, something she had proven to be once she started sharing Order secrets along with her niece, giving them a distinct advantage going forward, especially when it would come to making plans to end Dumbledore and with him the so called 'greater good' which was nothing more than the blood caste and it's biased class system something their Lord vehemently opposed and sought to change.
A soft knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. "Bella, they're here." Her sister Narcissa said with a soft smile.
Bellatrix grinned at that. "Very good. Did the Snatchers listen for once and brought our mate in safe and unharmed?"
Narcissa smiled and nodded. "Besides a light Body Bind to make it seem legitimate, she is untouched Bella. I presume you want to do her interrogation yourself and in private?"
"Of course. Like I would trust anyone else with that. She doesn't know you yet so you should hang back until we have the opportunity to show her what she is to us. Have you heard from Andi and Dora at all?" Bellatrix asked softly.
Narcissa nodded and smiled at her eldest sister. "They'll be here tonight. There was an Order meeting about what happened. I think the old goat had them under a tracking charm so he could keep an eye on his Golden Boy, so he knows they're somewhere unplotable and it doesn't take a genius that we're the most obvious candidates to have taken them."
Bellatrix smirked at that. "Let him send his Aurors. They won't find anything, but I think we shouldn't let our mate waiting. Shall we?"
Narcissa nodded and smiled as she hooked an arm through that of her sister, the two witches making their way down to the war room.
She also hoped that the second team of Snatchers had done their job as well and had brought in her son's girlfriend Luna, who had practically begged her in a letter to let her stay with him while the war was fought, and she didn't have it in her to turn the blonde away since she was not only her Goddaughter, but also because she made her son happier then she had seen him in recent months.
When she and Narcissa entered the war room, she couldn't help but grin maniacally. "Well, well, I seems your time on the run finally has come to an end. Take the boys to the dungeons and search them thoroughly. I will have a talk with the girls myself." She said before sharing a quick look with her sister, silently asking her to get Fabian.
Narcissa slid out of the room while Greyback and Dolohov took Potter and Weasley to the dungeons, the two struggling against their bindings as they were hauled off.
When Bellatrix was sure they were alone, she warded the room before stalking up to Hermione, dismissing the Body Bind before pressing the brunette into the carpet, getting a soft moan from the brunette. "Hello poppet. I'm glad you kept your word and set up the trap for your friends."
Hermione smiled at her. "I promised, didn't I? And they are not my friends. I played the part you asked of me."
Bellatrix grinned and helped the brunette to her feet."I know sweet thing. I was only teasing you. There is a lot we need to talk about now that you are a guest in our home. The Dark Lord has also requested to meet with you once you've freshened up a little. My sister has taken the liberty of procuring a bit more of an appropriate wardrobe for you. I can see your time on the run has taken a toll on your clothes."
"It's not like I had the time to go shopping for clothes while pretending to keep those two idiots safe. I'll thank her properly later." Hermione said with a soft smile as the door opened to reveal Fabian.
"Hello Hermione, welcome to our home. I hope it wasn't too much of a hassle getting here?" He asked kindly, which kind of surprised her.
"Why are you so kind to me all of a sudden? You've been nothing but horrible to me in the past six years." She asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Mother asked me to keep up the appearance of not liking you as to not raise more suspicion. I've actually respected you for a long time. Would it be okay if we talked at some point in the near future?" He said honestly, making sure it was visible in his eyes.
She nodded at him, filing that away to be researched later. She had more important things on her mind, and by the looks of it, so had he since he made a beeline to Luna, who he gathered in his arms before leading the blonde out of the room.
"Come poppet, I'll show you to your room so you can take a well deserved shower. You've done amazing so far, and I am sure you will continue to do so now that you're finally on the right side of this war." Bellatrix said as she linked her arm with that of the brunette and leading her upstairs.
Hermione just smiled at the raven haired witch, silently following her through the halls of Malfoy Manor.
…
After her shower and a desperately needed change of clothes Hermione was surprised to find Bellatrix in her room. "Don't worry poppet, I'm not spying on you or anything. It's just that we have a bit of a schedule to keep. The Dark Lord is waiting downstairs to meet you."
Hermione smiled at her. "I think I'm ready to meet him. Will I be safe?"
"You will always be safe with me by your side poppet. I just urge you to be honest with him. He loathes liars." Bellatrix said with a soft smile.
"I am always honest Bellatrix, I thought I had made that clear when I agreed to spy on the Order." Hermione said softly.
Bellatrix smiled and nodded. "I know little witch, I know, I'm just forewarning you. He may skim through your mind when you meet him and I must ask you to let him. It will make all of your intentions clear. After we've talked to him we will talk about everything I promised you we would talk about."
Hermione nodded at her as they came to the large doors to the library. "I must say that I'm a bit surprised about him wanting to talk to me in the library."
"Like most of us, he wants you to feel comfortable and knows that this might be a bit daunting for you, and since you will such a valuable asset to the cause, he wants you to be as comfortable as possible." Bellatrix said softly.
Hermione nodded as she steeled herself for the coming conversation, one she thought that she was never going to have.
Bellatrix noticed her mate's anxiety and gave her arm a comforting squeeze as they walked in, and to her credit, Hermione didn't make a sound or even flinch from her Lord's appearance.
Voldemort on his turn studied the girl as she entered, sensing a very strong magical ability and an insatiable curiosity in the girl. He could also feel her nerves but decided not to say anything about it. He knew the girl had been lied to for most of her life and knew what she believed him to be. "Good afternoon Miss Granger. Let me start by apologizing for the way we brought you here, but I hope you understand that it was possibly the only way to have safely done this."
Hermione nodded as she took a seat across from him. "I do understand, and I knew it was coming too, so that makes it all a lot easier to come to terms with. I am merely unsure of what to call you. It doesn't feel appropriate to call you my Lord yet because I am not a part of your movement yet. What would you prefer?"
"For now you may call me Tom, Hermione. I understand this situation is quite unprecedented for both of us. I also understand you must have tons of questions, which I will attempt to answer, and I promise that I will always be honest with you. What I cannot explain I am very sure Bellatrix can." Voldemort said not unkindly.
Hermione smiled and nodded. "Very well Tom, I suppose the most important questions are the things Dumbledore lied about. Is everything he told me lies?"
Voldemort nodded at her. "Everything concerning me and the war most likely is. We do not intent to kill all so called blood traitors, Half Bloods and Muggleborns, at least not anymore. I will admit that back in the First War my goals were different, which was mostly caused by my anger at the old man. Now however I realize my goals have changed. Most of my followers have families of their own and I know that spilling magical blood in any form is a waste. While I send my followers on raids. They are under strict orders not to kill anyone, or face the consequences of that."
Hermione nodded at that. "If you don't mind my asking, what are your goals this time around? Because I only know what Dumbledore told us after the Ministry."
"I want to do away with the Blood Caste. I realize now that Muggleborns and Halfbloods are just as magically powerful, and in some cases more powerful than a lot of pureblooded witches and wizards. The world I intend to create is one where everyone will have equal opportunity. Blood status will not matter anymore, just your magical ability." Voldemort said kindly.
Hermione's eyes widened at that, not in shock but certainly in surprise. "Wow, I never would have thought that your vision was so opposite of what I was led to believe. I can honestly say that I found that the system that is in place will be unsustainable in the long run."
Voldemort nodded at that. "Exactly, which is why it needs to change. I realize that the image I created in the First War and the way Dumbledore has twisted my beliefs I am not the person to lead this new world. I intend to bring forth a peaceful transference of power once my goals have been accomplished, being the death of Dumbledore and fulfilling my Prophecy, for which I want to thank you for bringing the written form to me. The Prophecy clearly states that only Potter or I can survive, and I intend that to be Harry. He has a piece of my soul in his scar and with an inevitable final confrontation on the horizon, I am sure that piece will perish. It is also the reason why I have instructed my followers to collect and destroy my remaining Horcruxes. Which leads me to a question of my own. Is it true you found one and brought it here?"
"We found Slytherin's necklace on Dolores Umbridge of all people, and we managed to get it, although destroying it has proven difficult. As I told Bellatrix, it is still around Ronald's neck, or probably in the possession of whoever searched him." Hermione said with a kind smile.
Voldemort nodded at her. "That is good to hear. I'll make sure it'll be destroyed in the proper way. There is a special method for destroying them because they were made with the darkest of magic."
Hermione nodded at that. "I can understand, and while I had my suspicions of that for a while now, information on them is very scarce."
"That is purposeful Hermione. It is magic that shouldn't exist in the first place. While it gives one eternal life, the life you live is only a partial life with a Horcrux. Your soul is after all, the only thing one truly possesses." He said kindly.
"I understand, and I can only agree with you on that, and I want to thank you for being so open with me and sharing all of this information." Hermione said with a kind smile.
Voldemort nodded at her. "Of course. I will always be honest with you, or any of my followers. Let me finish by saying that I do not expect you to take a Mark, but the option is available to you should you wish."
Hermione smiled at that. "I would rather not take a Mark, Tom. If you would allow me, I would like to take a Vow, pledging my magic and mind to you in whatever capacity you have need of me."
Voldemort flicked his eyes to Bellatrix, who had a proud smile directed towards her mate. "If you are sure about this, I see no problems with this." He said kindly.
She smiled at him. "If I may have a couple of days to find the exact wording for this Vow, I would greatly appreciate it."
Voldemort nodded at her. "Of course Hermione, take all the time you need, but I'm afraid I have to cut our meeting short, sharing so much takes a lot out of me, and I am still in the progress of regaining my energy."
Hermione merely nodded as he almost seemed to glide out of the room, leaving her alone with the raven haired witch.
…
After a quick lunch that she enjoyed more than she wanted to admit, she was led to a comfortable sitting room by Bellatrix and Narcissa, now also joined by the third sister Andromeda, who she kind of knew from Order meetings.
"It's good to see you again and in good health Hermione. I was really worried about you." The brunette said as she enveloped the girl in a hug.
Hermione instantly relaxed in her arms. "It's good to see you too Andi. I certainly missed our talks during my time in the woods."
Andromeda smiled at her. "I can imagine that. It can't be easy having to babysit the Golden Boy and his whining friend all day."
Hermione smiled and nodded. "It wasn't, but in the end it was worth it. We got a Horcrux and managed to get it here. That's all that matters. They haven't been my friends for years, not after everything they put me through with the Tri-Wizard, like I was a prize to be won between them."
Andromeda smiled and pulled the brunette in her arms, which earned her a quirked eyebrow from her sisters. "I can understand that Hermione, but I hope that we can show you how valued you are to not just us, but in time to the Dark Lord as well."
Hermione nodded at her. "I hope to be of use to him, but tell me, how does Dora feel about all this, and more importantly, how is she? I really missed her."
Andromeda laughed lightly at that. "Dora knows the role she still has to play in the Order, and she is okay with that. I managed to remove myself from them at this point, as per my agreement with both my sisters and the Dark Lord. On how she's doing, she's doing as well as can be expected in times like this. She wanted to do her part for the cause but also wanted to keep her job, which in this case is a big benefit for the movement. The Dark Lord has made sure to get her promoted too so she is directly responsible for scheduling, which makes planning raids a bit easier, since she makes sure the least competent Aurors are on duty."
"That sounds an awful lot like something Dora would enjoy. I'm glad that she's alright. Her sense of humor is something I desperately missed during my time in the woods." Hermione said with a soft smile.
Andromeda smiled at that. "Yes, Dora has that uncanny ability, but I believe we needed to talk about some things, little witch." Bellatrix said trying to get the attention of the two brunettes.
"Relax Bella, we have all the time in the world now that Hermione is here." Narcissa said with only a little bit of exasperation in her voice.
Bellatrix smiled at her sister. "Well, I did make the promise that we would talk about everything once she had talked to the Dark Lord, and as you always say, promises should be kept."
Narcissa sighed softly at that. "Fine, I suppose you have the book ready too?"
Bellatrix nodded and went to take a seat next to the brunette. "I suppose there is no easy way of saying this, so I figured that it would be easier if you read about what we need to tell you. You see, there is a Prophecy that was foretold in the year Narcissa was born. It foretold that myself and my sisters would one day share a lover, and we believe that to be you. Perhaps if you read the Prophecy for yourself it might make more sense."
Hermione just nodded as she was handed the book by the raven haired witch. "Before I read this, may I ask why you think I am the one in this Prophecy?"
Bellatrix smiled at her. "We had expected that question and there are several reasons we believe you to be the one the Prophecy describes. First is the talk we had at the Ministry. I am pretty well known for hating ninety percent of humanity on a daily basis, and with you I felt a very strong need to protect and care, both of which are foreign feelings to me towards anyone besides my sisters. Secondly I felt a hole in my heart when I had to let you go back to the rest of your classmates, and when I shared this with my sisters, they started sharing my suspicions. It is part of the reason Andromeda has been so touchy with you over the last few months. The other part of that is that she genuinely cares for you and wanted to provide a stable influence for you. As you might have noticed, Andi is the emphatic one out of the three of us."
"I have indeed noticed that and I'll be honest and say that I've had a bit of a crush on Andromeda ever since I met her and that I certainly felt the same for you when we met at the Ministry, and while I don't really know her, I certainly feel something for Narcissa too." Hermione said softly.
Narcissa smiled at her. "We will have plenty of opportunity to get to know each other Hermione. In the coming days all three of us will be spending a lot of time with each other, if that is what you want of course."
Hermione smiled and nodded at that. "I have a feeling we will. I have read a lot about the power of Prophecies over the last couple of years, and I know the power they hold. If this Prophecy is about you three sharing a lover and if you believe that is me, I am willing to believe it once I have read it."
The three witches smiled at her. "Take all the time you need Hermione. We know that you are not someone to rush, especially when knowledge is to be gained." Andromeda said teasingly.
Hermione just smiled at her as she read the Prophecy, paying close attention to the exact wording.
Three of the Darkest House will find love as one.
Born among Muggles, she will be the brightest of her age.
She will balance the sanity of the oldest, for love is balance.
Her love will bring the middle back into the fold, for love is unity.
The youngest will finally be made whole, for love is happiness
The brightest will be the glue that binds them forever, for love binds.
Together they will help bring an end to a conflict started long ago.
On the summer solstice in the year of her finding, they will bring forth change.
A change this world desperately needs.
After reading the Prophecy twice she looked at all three of them, all of them smiling at her. "This is certainly a lot to process, but I can't deny the things that I feel in my heart either. Is it okay if I just take the rest of the day to process some things?"
"Of course Hermione. The last thing we want is to rush you into something. I know you do not take decisions of any magnitude lightly." Andromeda said with a soft smile.
Hermione smiled at them. "If it's okay with you all, I would like some time to process this on my own."
They nodded and smiled at her. "Of course dear. I'll come and get you when dinner is ready." Narcissa said with a soft smile.
"Come little witch, I'll take you to your room. The halls of the Manor can be a bit confusing in the beginning." Bellatrix said softly.
Hermione nodded and smiled as she followed the raven haired witch through the halls of Malfoy Manor, and she had to resist the urge to press herself closer to the raven haired witch.
…
When she was alone in her room, she finally had time to think again, since the three witches had the uncanny ability to make her mind go blank, which with what she had learned today was not at all surprising, both in personal and somewhat professional sense.
She would never have thought that everything, and for once it was everything that she had been led to believe since she was eleven years old had been a lie.
Voldemort had been nothing but honest with her so far, since she had seen nothing but the truth in his eyes and while sometimes blunt, it had been the truth. It had surprised her how much her views aligned with those of the Death Eaters she had been taught to fear from the moment she had entered Hogwarts.
There were still some questions she wanted answered, and was sure if she asked they would be, but for now the what lay in the forefront of her mind was that Prophecy.
There was no misinterpreting it in any way, shape or form and while a bit daunting, she couldn't deny what she felt for the three witches was real and very strong, which kind of scared her because this was really the first time she felt this strongly about anyone.
Once again it was a knock on the door that brought her out of her musings. "Come in."
When Dora popped her head into the room, Hermione couldn't help but smile. "Dora! I'm so happy to see you again. I missed you while I was forced to spend months with those two idiots."
The Metamorphmagus smiled at her best friend. "Hey Hermione. I have missed you too. It got kind of boring without you to gossip with."
Hermione smiled and went up to hug the pink haired witch tightly. "For the foreseeable future I am going to be right here and have more than enough to gossip about."
Dora smiled at her as they took a seat on one of the comfortable couches that were in her room. "With everything that has happened to you over the past few months, I'm not surprised, not to mention everything you've learned today."
Hermione smiled and nodded at that. "Yeah, you can say that again. I never realized how much Dumbledore lied to us on a daily basis, and it makes me so angry that he can just do that and get away with it too. I don't understand how you can keep up appearances."
Nymphadora smiled at that. "It's a lot of fake smiles and false promises Hermione. What I share with the Order is always a lie. My mother has made sure that I knew the truth from a very early age. I haven't taken a mark or anything, but I swore a vow, like my mother and aunt have done too. Only aunt Bellatrix carries a mark, since she is is right hand and therefor cannot show weakness in front of the Death Eaters, because despite our Lord's newly found principals, a lot of them are still very misogynistic and opposed to women in power. My aunt can easily silence them with her actions though. It is the one area her instability comes in handy in."
"I never realized how much you actually sacrificed for the cause. I also never realized how okay I would be with being a part of the Death Eaters, but so far everyone has been honest with me and has given me no reason to distrust or even dislike them, while the Order has always lied to me. But if I'm honest that's not even the weirdest part of my day. I presume you know the Prophecy too?" Hermione asked softly.
Nymphadora nodded and smiled. "Fabian, Draco and I know about it, and I've had my suspicions that it might be you for a while now, and no, this is not going to change anything between us. You are my best friend and that is never going to change, and I'm pretty sure that both Draco and Fabian won't have issue with it either. It will probably bring you and Fabian a lot closer together too. I know that he portrays a certain image to the world, but his home persona is very opposite of that. I think you would like him if you would let yourself. But I can also understand why you are nervous about this. They do have a bit of a reputation, both separately and together."
Hermione smiled at that. "I know, and that is where part of my worry comes from. I am supposed to be what brings the four of us together and I barely know them. I've talked all of five minutes to Bellatrix, less than that to Narcissa and I still feel I barely know your mother."
"One thing I've come to realize over the last couple of years is that they've had numerous discussions about what would happen if they found the one that would complete them, and I know that they will answer every question you have without reserve. You can literally ask them anything and they will answer honestly every time. So use that to your advantage and ask everything you want to ask them. Once you start spending time with them I am sure you four will find that you are perfect for each other." Dora said with a soft smile.
Hermione nodded at that. "I know, but you know how my mind works. I need to analyze things first and then maybe I can start asking them questions and eventually start spending time with them. As for Fabian and Draco, we'll see what happens. I briefly spoke to Fabian before I was brought here to clean up a bit and I noticed that he was different than I was used to, and I am inclined to believe him on what Bellatrix asked of him."
"He's always been a bit of a softy with people that he cares about, but aunt Narcissa's lessons on etiquette and keeping up appearances have proven invaluable over the last few years. I'm just glad that we can all work on being a family now." Nymphadora said with a smile.
The brunette smiled at her. "I'm honestly looking forward to that, I've been drifting away from my parents for a while now and I was desperately seeking for some sense of stability, but tell me, what is going to happen to Potter and Weasley now?"
Nymphadora grinned at that. "Tom is going to let them get away so they can rally what remains of the Order. It has to happen like that so we can build up the last of our forces and work to expose Dumbledore's lies before a final confrontation can take place. We have a few more spies in the Order, since neither me or my mother are going back there. Our work in the Order is done. My girlfriend will also join us shortly."
"I didn't even know you were dating someone. Now you know I want to know everything." Hermione said with a bright smile.
Nymphadora smiled at that. "I was going to tell you. For the past couple of months I've been dating Fleur Delacour, after she wisely canceled her engagement to Bill Weasley after he attempted to get it on with her sister, so he's currently enjoying a nice lengthy stint in Azkaban."
"Well, that serves him right for trying to do anything like that with a fourteen year old girl." Hermione said softly.
Dora only smiled at that, feeling exactly the same, and as they continued to talk the afternoon away, Hermione felt her worry about her future slink away with every passing hour.