It was three days later during their general down time in the afternoon and they were both laying on the bed with the little sleeping baby. Hermione was laying with her head in Bellatrix's lap reading a trashy romance novel about a woman who inherited a ranch but needs to find her uncles buried money to keep the bank from fore closing. The woman met an outlaw who was wrongly accused while on her mission. So far it hadn't impressed her but she figured she would stick out.
"Bella?" Hermione inquired suddenly.
"Hm?" Bellatrix hummed distractedly.
The older witch was sitting plaiting and unwinding a small section of Hermione's hair over and over again. She had spent so long in Azkaban sitting idle that the habit had stuck with her. A lot of the time she was thinking about spells and potions she could create if she had the laboratory to do it in. Hermione could tell when her thoughts frustrated her because she would unknowingly tug on the younger witches hair.
"Would you shag me?" Hermione's bluntness catches the older woman off guard who sits up straight in shock for a moment.
"What?" She asked the brunette stupidly.
"Well you told Minerva that you would shag me in a heart beat... did you mean it?" Hermione had sat the book down at this point and looked up at the raven haired witch.
"Of course I bloody meant it! Have you seen you?" Bellatrix scowled at the younger woman thinking she was being ridiculous.
"Well ok I just didn't realise you were bisexual." Hermione points out.
"Of course you didn't But for what its worth i'm not. I don't like men like that in the slightest. I'd say i'm a lesbian i've just never had the chance to be open about it." Bellatrix explains rubbing Hermione's scalp.
"Not even during school?" Hermione rolled onto her side facing towards the woman.
"Nope. I was quite anti social. Mother wanted me to learn not play." Bellatrix shrugged ever the nonchalance.
"So you've never actually been with a woman?" Hermione inquires reaching up to brush back Bella's unruly hair.
"Only ever Rod, and never willingly. Strictly speaking at least." Bellatrix looked down at the young witch.
"What about you?" Bellatrix questions curiously, they had never really talked about sexual experiences, neither particularly inclined to remember the past.
"Never been interested enough to bother trying the whole romance bit. I never really knew I was even interested in women until fifth year when I first met Tonks. I've never been kissed even, not even at the manor, they weren't there for that." Hermione doesn't realise the sadness in her gaze but Bellatrix can see it and it cuts her to her blackened soul.
"And a damn good thing too. They took enough from you as is." Bellatrix snarled out which only made Hermione smile.
"Will you do it?" Hermione rolled onto her knees and straddled Bella's lap her hands braced on strong feminine shoulders. Bellatrix's hands settled on her hips but she looked at Hermione quizzically.
"Do what, Pup?" Bellatrix didn't feel someone passing her wards, she was too focussed on the brunette.
"Kiss me?" Hermione breathed out, her confidence only hiding slight shyness at her bold request.
Neither witch heard the gentle knock at the door as at that moment Bellatrix had leaned forward and closed the distance between them. Hermione met the kiss eagerly, instantly wrapping her arms around Bellatrix's neck and pressing closer. Neither had ever felt anything better than the kiss they shared at that moment. It was simply profound for both of them as they each seemed to find something they had not known they were looking for. They might even have kept looking if not for the pointedly cleared throat.
Pulling back they both noticed they were flushed and despite the interruption they still clung to each other as they turned and looked toward the Headmistress who was giving them an amused look. Hermione went even brighter than she already was when she realised she was busted by her Headmistress. Bellatrix simply huffed and flopped back on the bed beside the still happily asleep little girl, the girls mother still astride her lap.
"Well I will admit this development might work in your favour I have news you both might like." Minerva spoke first and sat down in the rocking chair. Hermione moved so she was sitting on the bed instead of on Bellatrix.
"Go on then." Bellatrix waved a hand as if she was bored, Hermione could see both the frustration and the embarrassment on her face though.
"Well when I left here I went straight to Kingsley." Minerva stated watching as both witches stiffened but she carried on anyway.
"I told him I knew were both of you were but explained to him that if he expected Hermione to come back then he would have to find a way to bring Bellatrix back without her going back to Azkaban." Minerva explained as the little girl was starting to stir beside the intrigued looking Bellatrix.
"How did that work out for you?" Bellatrix summoned a diaper and the wipes while Hermione slip off the bed and went about making a bottle for the little girl. They worked together like a well oiled machine.
"That is dependent on your and Hermione's responses. See the only way we can manage to do it is to announce Bellatrix's desire for rehabilitation." Minerva furthered her explanation while watching Bellatrix expertly change the barely away little girls diaper.
"You're kidding? Who would believe Bellatrix Black would 'desire rehabilitation'?" Hermione asked sarcastically.
"No really. That is ridiculous." Bellatrix chimed in complete agreement with her young companion.
"Yes well this occurred to us also, so we have decided the best way to do it is to thoroughly involved Hermione, seeing as she doesn't want to be away from you. We are going to have you both marry when you return. If Hermione Granger can forgive and even love Bellatrix, a woman who tortured her then how can anyone doubt that?" Minerva asked both women who were now both on the bed again with Spencer in Bellatrix's arms while the raven haired witch feeds the little brunette baby. They were both shocked.
"You want us to marry?" Bellatrix's eyes were wide.
"Seriously you just witnessed our first kiss and you want to play us off as in love." Hermione points out with a disbelieving tone.
"Perhaps but you do realise how in love you both act right? You're intimate with one another without realising it. You both parent Spencer amazingly and work so well together. You might not realise you're in love but you are." Minerva states boldly and Hermione bites her lip.
"You might have a point." Hermione mutters and Bellatrix lifts an eyebrow.
"Is that your way of telling me you're in love with me, Pup?" Bellatrix's tone is light but they all knew the question was a serious one.
"No. Not yet. But the feelings are there aren't they?" Hermione was a little worried about the woman answer, it was true she did have romantic feelings for Bellatrix but it was too hard to figure out if Bellatrix returned them to feel confident in asking the question.
"Yeah... They're there." Bellatrix's confession was soft and honest and Minerva had to fight to hide her smile at the look on the young brunettes face. Sheer happiness.
"So will you consider it?" Minerva asks gently.
"Yeah might as well. What is the rest of the plan though? I'm not going back to Lestrange Manor and Hermione is technically homeless aside from this place. Are we to live at Hogwarts?" Bellatrix looks up from feeding the baby.
"No actually we've spoken to your sister, seeing as Lucius is in Azkaban and Draco has gone abroad she is alone and has agreed to have you both live their with her." Minerva admitted the last in a but of a rush.
"No. No bloody way. Are you out of your bloody mind? You want to send Hermione back to where all this started? That's cold." Bellatrix barked out savagely the little girl whined a little how ever and so Bellatrix calmed and cooed to the baby immediately
"Its ok Bella. Just don't expect me to go anywhere near the Drawing Room or the basement." Hermione mumbles pulling her knees up to her chin.
"I don't expect you to go in the bloody house at all. What does Narcissa have to say about this?" Bellatrix turned her glare on the ever stolid woman watching the little family.
"Actually Narcissa and Andromeda had both been asked and though Andy didn't mind the idea she doesn't have the space for the three of you as well as Teddy. Narcissa is quite excited by the idea that Bellatrix would be going home. She is quite lonely." Minerva explained looking at Bellatrix with hard eyes.
Hermione listened and waited, she couldn't believe how much she really appreciated the protectiveness coming from Bellatrix. They were both hyper aware that Bellatrix's actions, along with Lucius and Greyback's, were the reason Hermione was reluctant to live in the Manor and Bellatrix was trying to keep her from having to live in place that would only remind her daily.
"What about me though? Narcissa doesn't like me. The way she looked at me at the Manor spoke volumes." Hermione said unconsciously rubbing her scarred arm against her thigh, a move Bellatrix felt as much as saw.
Minerva regarded the younger witch and the woman beside her, Bellatrix crossed her legs and rested Spencer in the crook of her legs. With the baby resting secure Bellatrix reached out for Hermione's arm and slid her hand into the thankfully loose sleeve placing her palm right over the scar. Hermione had flinched but since Bellatrix had found them and they began sharing the bed she had often times woken up to Bellatrix hand covering the scar, they rarely spoke of it though. Hermione found the touch rather comforting after the initial sensation of anything other than her clothes touching it.
"I know she was... cold and detached back then. Narcissa has always been like Andy though just... Andy was the strong one and Cissy was my baby sister. Cissy looked up to me and Andromeda she... well she didn't like me much. I went from her carefree sister to a total bitch in the space of a day. Narcissa was too little see that. Narcissa's heart is a lot warmer than you would think though." Bellatrix explained gently to the little brunette.
"I... ok. But you will have to accept that I wont believe that until I see it." Hermione smiled and let Bellatrix pull her arm into her lap. Hermione let Spencer hold her fingers while Bellatrix's hand remained up her sleeve.
"So... you are both agreeing to this? The marriage, living in Malfoy Manor?" Minerva breaks the silence after a few minutes, she suddenly felt like an intruder.
"I do but I would like to be able to visit Gringotts before the house arrest starts." Bellatrix spoke up after a moment.
"For what purpose?" Minerva inquires seriously a small frown on her face.
"I would like to add the Lestrange fortune to the Black fortune and name Spencer as the beneficiary should something happen to myself." Bellatrix spoke softly looking from the little baby to her mother before looking back at the Headmistress.
"Bella... you don't have to do that." Hermione says softly the gesture meant a lot to her though.
"Of course I don't have too. I want to. I love Kitten." Bellatrix shrugs, Hermione knew that even though Bellatrix wasn't the heartless bitch she had been seen as for so long she still struggled with expressing her feelings.
"She loves you too. She absolutely adores you." Hermione smiles looking from Bellatrix down to her alert little baby.
"You could adopt her." Minerva points out suddenly and both younger witches turn to look at the Scot.
"Pardon?" Bellatrix's tone is one of shock but its also full of wonder at the idea.
"Well, Spencer doesn't have a father and you two will have to get married with in the week. Why not adopt her as your own. The Black Family." Minerva suggests seriously.
"That sounds like a great idea. You will be my wife and you've been a fantastic unofficial mum to Spen. I'm completely ok with you adopting her if... if you want to I mean." Hermione turned adorably shy at the end of her statement and Bellatrix couldn't help turning and planting a soft kiss on the brunettes lips regardless of Minerva. The Headmistress simply smirked.
"I'll be taking my leave then and will be back in a few days to collect you both and take to the Ministry. I have still got to talk to the Weasley's and Mr Potter." Minerva stood and moved for the door.
"Headmistress..." Hermione called only continuing when the older woman looked at her.
"Thank you... for what you've done. I... I need Bella more than I realised. So much has changed..." Hermione mumbles her words but the woman hears them any way.
"You are most welcome ladies. At Hogwarts you were both my favourite during your respective school years. I can get behind this union despite the past." Minerva smiled and with a wave of her hand stepped out of the cottage.
Both witches smiled at the departing woman's words and sat in a happy silence, the little family content in each others company.