AN: It's been about two years since I have put this story on hiatus, and as I'm sure most of you have assumed by now, I have abandoned it. I want to thank those of you who have read (and especially reviewed) this while I was actively writing it, as I certainly would not have gotten as far into it as I have without you. At some point, I was writing more to please my readers than to please myself, which is perhaps one of the reasons why I was so displeased with the results

My reasons for officially abandoning this story are mainly the same as the ones I had for putting it on hiatus, and I really don't think I can salvage this plot or these characters. While it was an interesting experience to see how the characters seemed to act on their own, with me writing down words that seemed to come on their own to craft a plot that I never intended, the fact remains that these actions backed me into a corner, yet somehow while leaving a story that hardly seems to have any action at all. In addition, I'm simply not much of a fan of Bellamione anymore. This ship is extremely abusive (which I'm sure you already knew, and I knew, but I haven't got a hope of justifying it anymore) in any context, and really I got involved with it in the first place because I thought the smut was hot (which it still is)

I have mostly stopped writing, although I do have two Harry Potter one-shots that I have posted since putting itDotN on hiatus: This is War and Blood Ties. I'm considerably more pleased with those two than I am with this story, or with Haunted, for that matter. I think I can see that I am not well cut out for writing longer stories, as I am simply too impatient to properly plan one out. I will post here the entirety of my plotline planning, so that you may see the story that could have been, and probably understand why it crashed and burned with no other structure

Plot ideas (last edited June 15, 2012):

- A search begins to capture and kill Greyback. Bellatrix offers to help, eager to attack, but is shot down. Security is further tightened around the other remaining Death Eaters. Hermione remembers that Malfoy Manor was headquarters and suspects Greyback might be there. She finally agrees to go there to look for him, and to explain her plan to the Malfoys.

- Hermione goes to Malfoy Manor and talks to Lucius and Narcissa. They are rather rude but clearly make an effort to start a good relation with their future daughter-in-law. They explain their interaction with Voldemort and how it affected them. They also add that no Death Eaters are welcome in their home, especially not Greyback. Hermione tells them about her plan and Cissy is pleased that someone is trying to save her Bella but Lucius feels angry that Draco is left hanging.

- Hermione falls asleep one night, completely drained and exhausted, and has a sex dream about Bellatrix after their wedding. She wakes up suddenly, completely disgusted, and can't fall back asleep again without thinking of it. Now she's more tired, she can't look Bella in the eye without blushing, and the readers get some smut without rushing the plot.

- Hermione reluctantly explains her plan with Kingsley, who is strangely pleased that Hermione took control of her own future but is much less impressed that she is trying so hard to save Bellatrix. He reminds her that she was sentenced to death and is annoyed that Hermione threw a wrench in the works.

- Later chapter - Bellatrix and Hermione are married with an extremely awkward and hostile ceremony. The reception is cut short by a fight between Bellatrix and Ron, who thinks she forced Hermione into this. The newlyweds head to a honeymoon cottage in a secluded forest for two weeks. They take love potions to help consummate the marriage. Smut ensues.

- Awkward honeymoon of awkwardness begins. The two are extremely uncomfortable remembering the previous night, and Bellatrix assures Hermione that nothing like that will ever happen again. Hermione wants to please her new wife to make their future smoother but Bellatrix got what she wanted and doesn't bother playing nice. Hermione spends their first day married off in the woods, contemplating her future.

- Later chapter- Someone tries to kill Hermione after she is married, then she returns home to find that Bellatrix is convinced that she was the assassin. Hermione knows this to be a lie but knows that the Ministry will punish Bellatrix if they find out what happened. She is unable to remove the memory modification and goes to the Manor. Lucius isn't home but Cissy is and she asks her to help remove the spell. She tells her that such a powerful charm on such a powerful witch had to be casted by somebody who knew her mind very well, someone like a close family member. That person must also be an extremely skilled Legilimens, which she is not, and they probably don't like Hermione or Bella. Hermione suspects Lucius...

- Next chapter- ...and confronts him when he returns to the Manor. She demands that the spell is removed and he hesitantly complies, bewildered. Eventually Bellatrix reveals that it was Andy who modified her memory and tried to kill Hermione, to the horror of all present.

- Next chapter - Hermione visits Andromeda, who flies into a Bellatrix-esque rage and needs to be restrained. She screams that Hermione betrayed her by marrying and protecting her sister after what she did to Tonks. She wanted Bellatrix dead, but the Dementor's Kiss would be the next best thing, so she set her up. Hermione is shocked and doesn't know what to do, hurt and confused but unwilling to attack Andy.

- Draco meets a Muggle-born girl and they hit it off. She ran away from home and is desperate for protection from her uncle, who is searching for her. Draco asks her to marry him to protect them both and she eagerly agrees.

- Draco and the girl get married. It is a very quick event with little pomp and ceremony, but Cissy takes the opportunity to fawn over her new daughter-in-law just as she does over her son. Lucius doesn't really have an opinion about the girl aside from "well, she's better than Granger". Bellatrix finds this amusing but Hermione does not.

- It turns out the uncle from whom Draco's bride ran away is none other than Greyback, whose brother was a Squib who married a Muggle. Draco is concerned that the Ministry will find out that his wife does have Wizarding blood and punish him and his parents for not strictly adhering to the law. Hermione notes the irony of Draco worrying that his wife's blood doesn't have enough Muggle in it. Everyone is also concerned that Greyback, who is still on the loose, will track down and attack the couple.

- Hermione is pregnant, as she unknowingly took a fertility potion as part of the wedding rituals. Bellatrix is horrified that Black blood will be mixed with her Muggle blood, creating what she considers an abomination. Hermione is more disgusted that she is carrying part of Bellatrix within herself. The marriage is not going well, but the Ministry will be satisfied with it only if she has the baby.

Finally, I have reuploaded the chapters that I did edit, a very long time ago when I thought that this story was still worth saving. I have added a time limit for when the marriage must take place, and put the story in third person. These are the only major changes, as far as I recall. As always, I have no beta, so there may be errors there. The first 13 chapters have been edited, and most of the 14th, until it changes person partway through a paragraph.

Thank you for sticking with me so far, and I hope that I'll have more stories up here in the future

-Ophelia