Bellatrix and Hermione had given Narcissa her moment and let her gush over the baby and the fact her sister was home. She was even happy to have Hermione back under far better circumstances than previously. Once it was done they were all ushered into the dining room where Narcissa had had the table set for 7 and surprisingly there were two cradles along the empty part of the table on each side. Before anyone could ask what was going on a loud sound chimed through the building and Pansy and Narcissa both moved out of the room.
"Visitors already?" Minerva frowned slightly looking at the newly weds.
"Apparently. You think everything is ok?" Hermione asked looking from the Headmistress to the woman still standing beside her who was not cradling a sleep Spencer.
"I think so. Pansy seems capable and who ever it is cant get through the wards without Cissy's invitation." Bellatrix attempted to soothe both of the women.
Nothing else was said before Narcissa, followed by Fleur and even more surprisingly Andromeda, came striding back into the dining room. Narcissa beamed and turned towards her guests but immediately the atmosphere became tense. Fleur and Pansy stood at the entry way into the dining room and Andromeda stood just inside staring at Bellatrix. Bellatrix shifted nervously, actually moving slightly behind Hermione, and stared back at Andromeda. Andy was holding a small boy in her arms who was looking at Narcissa longingly.
"Mon dieu... You both look so alike." Fleur spoke up breaking the tense silence as she looked between Bellatrix and Andromeda.
"Fleur, its so good to see you I was going to write you tomorrow." Hermione chimed finally looking at the pretty French blonde before practically bouncing over to her when Fleur opened her arms for a hug.
Bellatrix couldn't help turning her attention to her young love and smiling when the French witch happily embraced Hermione. Hermione had been so worried about the way people would receive her, especially now she had chosen to tie herself to Bellatrix. Bellatrix was so engrossed in watching Hermione and Fleur that she didn't notice Andy stepping right up to her until the younger woman was directly in front of her.
"You're a bitch." Andy spoke suddenly and Fleur and Hermione stepped back from their hug.
"I've never denied that." Bellatrix spoke looking directly at the brunette in front of her.
"You made my life hell." Andromeda accused
"I wont say sorry." Bellatrix looked away for a moment, when she looked back she could see the hurt in Andy's eyes and gently reached out to cup her cheek.
"I wont say sorry because I don't deserve forgiveness from you Andy. I was horrible to you and there is no excuse for that. I will say that i'm sorry about Ted and Nymphadora. I hoped your family would come out of this ok." Bellatrix offers gently, sadness in her eyes.
"Oh Bella..." Andy's eyes became watery and Fleur and Hermione, who were closest took their cue and gathered up the two babies from the reuniting sisters arms.
Now free of children the two sisters embraced in their own embrace. It had been decades since the two had been so close and so happy with one another. They were both in tears that were long over due and it broke Hermione's heart to see Bellatrix so upset. Narcissa moved over and gently rubbed Hermione's back before guiding Fleur over to the dining table to put down the little boy. Hermione and Pansy followed suit and Minerva who had been beside the table took a seat as they effectively gave the sisters a modicum of privacy.
Hermione sat Spencer down in the cradle and after a couple of mild grumps the little girl went off to sleep. Fleur set Teddy down and sat in the seat Narcissa offered for her, Hermione noted that that seat was right next to the youngest Black's seat, she chose not to mention it. When Bellatrix and Andromeda finally pulled apart they smiled before moving to their own respective seats. Hermione could feel all the eyes on her and Bellatrix when she turned and looked at her witch and gently reached out to smooth away a stray tear.
"Thanks pup." Bella smiled fondly at her new wife.
"Pup?" Fleur inquired though it looked as if she hadn't the two Black sisters on either side of her would have.
"Oh..." Bellatrix trailed off not sure how to explain that.
"Is it a sex thing?" Andromeda piped up earning a smack from Narcissa who had to lean across Fleur who, Hermione noticed, really didn't seem to mind having the Malfoy Matriarch on her.
"No. When she first found me she decided to taunt first, save my life later. She may have called me 'mudpup' a few times. I grew on and she dropped the 'mud'." Hermione explained her hand on Bellatrix's thigh under the table.
"Bella... that is horrible." Narcissa chastises, everyone looked a little less than happy with this information.
"I know. I'm a horrible person, but... I got the girl to marry me so I think i'm winning all the sudden." Bellatrix grinned smug and Hermione smirked her hand moving a little higher on Bellatrix's thigh.
"You are a horrible person, I don't know how Hermione puts up with you." Minerva said as dishes off food finally appeared on the table before them all.
"She'd randy and I put out." Bellatrix chirped without missing a beat. Pansy and Fleur smirked but it seemed the other three witches were a little more conservative as they glared at the eldest sister.
"That's yet to be seen." Hermione teasingly pointed out looking at the woman beside her, her fingers were toying with the inside of Bellatrix's soft thigh through snug jeans.
"Hermione she's corrupted you." Minerva points out after a moment.
"I don't know. Maybe. I did touch her a lot but I was never sexual until very recently. You interrupted our first kiss." Bellatrix pointed out looking to the Headmistress.
"Wait you two haven't had sex yet?" Pansy asks after a bite of the shepherds pie they had been eating.
"No. It was a bit awkward, we shared a bed with a new born." Hermione shrugged taking her own bite of food. Bellatrix, who at this point was rather hot for the teasing witch beside her, squirmed a little in her seat.
"You two bathed together just this morning." Minerva pointed out tilting her head.
"Yes. Which consisted of washing and a few minutes of very light petting and some kissing, if you must know. We were kind of eager to get the day over with." Hermione informed with a pointed look.
"Oui, it is your wedding night, you should definitely enjoy that." Fleur spoke up finally joining the conversation.
"What about you Fleur? Are you ok? Headmistress said things weren't so ok with you and the Weasley." Bellatrix spoke up with a smile that Fleur didn't returned, instead she huffed in annoyance.
"I would be better if my parents were not so insufferable. They are trying to convince me to move back to France but Britain has grown on me and even though I really want to divorce bill I would still like to stay. I was looking at real estate when I decided to owl Narcissa about maybe visiting today." Fleur informed the group. Andromeda looked a little upset for the blonde but Narcissa looked almost pleased.
"This place is big. Why not move in here? Merlin knows Cissy enjoys company now she gets to keep it." Bellatrix spoke up as if reading her little sisters mind.
"Yeah and I would love to have you here." Hermione chimed smiling even as Bella's hand covered hers and she felt her hand pushed away from the crotch of the raven haired witches jeans.
"Really? I would hate to be in the way of your little love nest." Fleur teases the two.
"If you can handle a crying baby and Hermione screaming my name nightly then it wont be a problem." Bellatrix shrugs and leans back in her seat smirking.
"You're so confident. Its adorable." Hermione patted Bellatrix's thigh before pulling her hand away and taking a sip of the wine that had been sat in front of them all.
"Seriously though Fleur. You're quite welcome to move in here, there really is a bunch of rooms." Narcissa adds.
"Hell-fire, Andy you and Teddy should move in too." Narcissa added as an after thought, Andromeda looked a little stunned.
"Er... I guess it does get kind of lonely with just me and Teddy..." Andromeda trailed off uncertainly.
"Sounds like a good idea to me." Bellatrix's offhanded tone seemed to soothe Andromeda more than anything.
"I'll think about it and get back to you?" Andromeda asked Narcissa who just smiled and nodded.
"No problems." Narcissa smiled before looking expectantly at Fleur.
"Oh... well yes I would love to move in here." Fleur beamed and Hermione wore a bright smile of her own.
"That's fantastic. Bella i'm so glad you convinced me to come back." Hermione says smiling and looking back at her wife.
"Bellatrix convinced you to come home?" Andromeda sounded a little surprised.
"Yeah. Who knew that under that rugged ex-death eater murderess' exterior was someone actually sweet." Hermione shrugged but her companions were a little put off by her seemingly callous words.
Narcissa and Andromeda seemed to be expecting Bella to get angry while Fleur and Minerva were looking a little worried for Hermione's health and safety. Pansy was just wishing she had been sitting somewhere else so as to not be caught in the line of fire. They were all shocked when Bellatrix bodily pulled Hermione's seat closer and kissed her gently on the lips.
"Yeah, I have a lot to make up for so Thank you pup, and you Minerva for sorting this all out for us." Bellatrix said her arm looped around Hermione's shoulders as her little brunette leaned into her.
"You're welcome... my, Bellatrix I never imagined you were capable of being like this..." Minerva sounded apologetic and Bellatrix shrugged.
"I made my choices. The options weren't great but... I did what I did because it was my choice." Bellatrix looked at her plate for a moment and Hermione leaned into her a little heavier.
"Tell them all of it, baby. Tell them what your options really were. Tell them how much you loved life as a little girl. Tell them you were happy when Andy ran away to marry for love because it meant she was safe from your parents and Him. Tell them you've always loved them even through the madness." Hermione urged in a gentle town but loud enough for the others to hear. Bellatrix looked up with water eyes before burying her face in Hermione's neck.
The others watched curiously as a woman they all thought insane at one point in their lives sniffled into a 19 year old woman's neck. Andromeda was too young to remember how gentle Bellatrix once was so it was obvious that Narcissa was too, both sisters shared a questioning look before looking back at their sister. Pansy muttered something about a few owls in the warded room and that she was going to go and check them before leaving. Fleur wasn't sure if she should stay or leave but the decision was taken out of her hands when Bellatrix sat up straight and Hermione wiped the single tear from her cheek.
"I um... I guess its just... Druella was so good to them..." Bellatrix's voice was soft but the room was so quiet it didn't matter.
"And she was a monster to you Belle. They love you they will understand... I did." Hermione encourages gently and the other witches in the room felt like they were intruding on a tender moment.
"Why do you have to be so amazing to a monster like me?" Bellatrix cooed to her wife who smiled.
"I might just kind of like you a little bit." Hermione patted Bellatrix on the cheek with a teasing grin on her face.
"Yeah yeah. Where to start?" Bellatrix leaned back in her seat.
"Well, mother was never really gentle with me. I was a free spirited child and I think I drove her a little crazy with my never listening to her. Not long after Cissy was born mother started ignoring me, I can remember hurting myself a few times and she would just sneer at me and walk away after telling Twiggly not to heal me. Father would heal me when he came home but I would spend hours hurting. I think I was 8 or 9 when she told me I would be marrying Rod and joining the Dark Lord the moment I was done at Hogwarts." Bellatrix started and Narcissa frown.
"I remembered her being less than nice to you but... I didn't realise she was so brutal." Narcissa's voice was pitying.
"That was nothing. After she told me about my marriage and the Dark Lord she brought me a ton of books. I had read through 4th year before starting first. When it first started she would cruciform me if I dared stop reading. I learned after the 5th time she hit me with it. Mummy had a lot of hate for me." Bellatrix shrugged and took a bite of her food but her sisters, the French witch and the Headmistress were staring at her in shock.
"Bellatrix..." Minerva muttered the name apologetically, they had all know the girl was mistreated but they had no idea it was so bad for her.
"It doest matter. Its done now. When I was at Hogwarts it was better, I could be away from her but I never dared make friends for fear of them being ripped from me. When Hogwarts was over... well Cissy you know what I did. I made my potion and swallowed my fate. Pawned off to Rob and recruited by, hm what'd Parkinson call him... oh yes the big V." Bellatrix nodded taking another bite of her food, Hermione sat against her and sipped her wine.
"Bella why didn't you just refuse once you left Hogwarts? Run away like I did?" Andy asks softly and Bella gives a small smile.
"Because no matter how insane I became, I always loved my little sisters." Bellatrix offers sincerely.
"Druella had, hm I suppose given, Bellatrix to Voldemort in exchange for the family not being dragged into the war. She told Bellatrix if she didn't do it she would be killed and one of you would take her place." Hermione offered after seeing the confusion in her sisters in law's faces.
"You did this for us? But you hated me?" Andromeda still seemed confused.
"Happily. I never hated you Andy, I never brought into the blood purity hype. There were so many squibs born during that time so obviously that shit didn't work out anyway. I just... I played the part so well I started to believe it. And then Hermione was brought to the Manor..." Bellatrix's words trailed off as she looked at the little brunette beside her.
"But you tortured Hermione." Narcissa pointed out after a moment.
"I did, and sadly if it came down to it, I'd do it again. But it'd kill me to. I couldn't not torture her, if I showed her mercy He would have killed me, but only after killing you and probably Andy if he could have gotten her." Bellatrix spoke a little harshly hoping her sisters understood.
"You'd torture the woman you are obviously in love with for us?" Narcissa asked skeptically.
"Yes. I may love her, and it would hurt me considerably to harm her. I've always put you two first whether it seemed that way or not." Bellatrix answered without hesitation though she cast an apologetic look at her wife.
"I understand baby, its ok." Hermione smiled reassuringly and placed a kiss on her loves jaw.
"You're too good for me." Bellatrix smiled.
"Damn Black, you sacrificed your whole life for your sisters. Bout time the universe gave something back." Pansy spoke as she moved into the room and took her seat before setting a small stack of letters in front of Hermione.
"Gave me a wife and daughter and I still have my baby sisters. I certainly cant complain about how things have worked out. I just need to try and make amends. I think I need to start with the Longbottom boy though." Bellatrix smiled at Pansy who grinned back.
"We will write them in the morning." Hermione chimed looking pointedly and a little lustily at her wife. The smirk on Bella's face said she understood.