A/N: A big thanks to everyone who is still supporting this story :) I know a lot of you may hate me for splitting our two girls up, but try not to lynch me after you see this chapter ;) Thanks to those that got back to me about Blackcest, the majority seem to not want it in this story which is fine :) Hope you enjoy Chapter 13 :D

I do not have a Beta so all mistakes are my own and I apologise in advance for those I've missed.

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter and the original storyline are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Read, review and most of all… Enjoy!

Chapter 13: Going Separate Ways

Hermione

"For Merlin's sake Bellatrix…" Hermione muttered under her breath upon finding yet another mark she had to conceal. After hearing about Hermione having her freedom granted, Head Warden Brown had given her the use of his private bathroom to clean herself up in and to get changed out of her prisoner attire and into something more suitable for a free woman.

Hermione seized the opportunity and had a nice long soak in a hot bubble bath, where she scrubbed herself vigorously to rid herself of all the grime and dirt that had built up since her last shower. She hadn't been satisfied she was clean and fresh till her skin started to wrinkle and resemble that of a prune, after climbing out she then attended to the matted mess that was her hair, by washing it twice. Hermione had spent almost as long brushing her hair as she had spent in the bath, it hadn't seen a brush for months and by the time she had worked her way through the last of the knots, tears of pain were trickling down her face. 'Think I'm due for a haircut… That was torture!' She had thought while gently caressed her sore scalp with the tips of fingers.

Almost two hours had passed by the time Hermione had finished attending to the rest of her body and still she wasn't finished thanks to Bellatrix. Hermione wasn't certain where she would be going from here, but she had a rough idea. Kingsley was most likely going to take her straight to her friends, since her family was currently out the question, something that saddened her and brought her down a bit from her high for being released. And knowing her friends, there was only one place they would be, the Burrow.

Part of her was looking forward to seeing them again, they were still her best friends after all, while another part of her was… Looking forward to grilling them over their absence and lack of contact. 'I wonder what they will say…' Hermione pondered as she continued to conceal bite marks left on her neck and shoulders by Bellatrix, while her hair and clothes had covered them up from a casual observer, she had a feeling she'd be getting fussed over by her friends and the Weasleys. So the last thing she needed was questionable markings on her skin that would distract her from being able to go all out on her supposed friends.

Once she finished hiding the visual signs of Bellatrix's affections, her fingers briefly stroked the prisoner ID on her neck and took the time to inspect it. It was the first time since Hermione was branded that she had looked at it for herself. When she had first received it, she couldn't bear to look at herself in the mirror and instead concealed it behind her hair, but now… She was going back out into the world; she wanted to see what others would see as they silently judged her. Her ID was made up of what Hermione presumed to be two ancient runes followed by the number 36, she tried to work out what it stood for but for the life of her she couldn't even remember seeing those two symbols in classes at Hogwarts before. 'If I don't know what it means… Maybe others won't at a glance either…' She mused with false hope, in reality it didn't matter if people didn't know what it stood for precisely; they'd still see a convicted criminal either way.

Hermione stared blankly at it for a little while before shaking her head, not wanting to allow her mind strayed further into depressing territory. Pulling herself away from the sight, Hermione walked over to the pile of clean clothes and the familiar wand that lay on top of them. Hermione hesitated for a moment before picking up the curved 12 ¾ walnut wand, she had been surprised when Kingsley had returned it to her saying it was hers to do as she pleased. 'Like snap it.' She thought as she turned in over in her hand, it wasn't the first time that thought had run through her head. Bellatrix's wand had done terrible things at the hand of its owner and the only reason she had kept it was because she had no other choice, even after the battle she kept it close by just in case of trouble.

And even now she was still at risk. 'The last thing I should do with a price on my head is walk around without a wand.' Hermione thought with a frown. 'I should keep a hold of it at least until I can buy a new one.' She wished she could have her old wand back, but that had been confiscated when the trio had been captured and taken to Malfoy Manor. The reminder sent a chill down her spine as she looked down at her mudblood scar, the memory still horrified her, haunted her, despite the fact she no longer truly feared Bellatrix anymore.

Sighing to herself, Hermione put the wand down and started to get dressed. The clothing she had been given was not only the same clothes she arrived in but also the same thing she had worn during the battle of Hogwarts. Putting it on, she could see and feel just how much Azkaban had changed her. Her dark navy jeans were slack around her waist and baggy in the legs, her maroon zip up hoody and her denim jacket which had been a perfect fit previously, now felt two sizes too big and hung loosely over her frame. The only part of her which had remained roughly the same size was her chest, but it alone wasn't enough to give her body form as she stared at the shapeless figure looking back at her in the mirror.

'It was to be expected I guess… But I guess Azkaban isn't purely to blame, we barely ate while on the run… Still, won't take too much to fix that, especially if I am going to the Burrow, I'm sure I'll be fattened up by Molly's cooking in no time.' Hermione smiled to herself as she slipped on her trainers, perking up again slightly at the fact she was leaving before then leaving Mr Brown's ensuite bathroom and crossing his room, only to stop at the door upon hearing voices caught up in a deep conversation.

"I still don't get it." Brown said from somewhere on the other side of the door. "Why did Lestrange help Miss Granger?"

"You're guess is as good as mine, it is puzzling considering the reward she was offered." A voice replied which Hermione recognized as Kingsleys. 'Reward? What did they offer Bellatrix in return? She never did tell me…'

"Do you think they would have made good on their side of the deal?"

"Hmm… It's possible; no doubt there are others who might accept payment from the Goblins in exchange for them arguing for her release." 'Her release? They offered her freedom?' Hermione thought with astonishment at what Kingsley had said."Although personally I don't see how they would have managed it. Perhaps it was just a bluff and maybe Mrs Lestrange saw it as that."

"Even if she did… That still don't explain why Lestrange chose not to carry out the deed. Bluff or no bluff, she has no love for muggleborns, we all know that. I can't imagine her passing up the chance to harm or kill one last one, even more so if that muggleborn helped bring down her former master."

Taking a deep breath, Hermione opened the door, the two men remained completely oblivious to her presence as they debated. "I think she's trying to change." Hermione said as she stepped on through into the Head Warden's office. Both men turned to look at her, as did Tonks who was sitting by the fire. "Sorry, I… I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"No need to apologise Miss Granger, it concerns you just as much as it does Mrs Lestrange." Kingsley said with a slight smile before taking in her appearance. "It's good to see you back to your old self."

'No… I'll never be my old self ever again…' She thought bitterly and was half tempted to speak her mind but instead shook her head and walked over to the desk. "I don't feel it."

Mr Brown was studying her appearance as he looked up at her from behind his desk; the older man must have noticed how baggy her old clothes were on her as he gave her a small apologetic smile. "A few decent sized meals a day will help with that."

'That's not really what I meant…' Hermione sighed inwardly; forcing a smile, she nodded as she came to a stop by the desk. "I'm sure it will, at least I won't need to feel guilty about what I eat for a while now."

To her surprise, Mr Brown chuckled softly. "And here I thought Lavender said you two have nothing in common…" He said with a cheerful smile, which then quickly faltered when he realized what he had just said. "Err anyway… What did you say? She's trying to change?"

Hermione nodded in response and took the seat next to the Minister as he pour out, what looked like herbal green tea, into a china cup and offered it to her. She took the drink and thanked Kingsley before sampling the hot discoloured liquid, the taste of lemon and lime delighted her taste buds as she sipped the brew. The soothing taste brought a warm smile to her lips and she took another sip before going on to elaborate. "Well… She's saved my life twice now, the life of a muggleborn." Hermione began as she looked between both Brown and Kingsley. "Bellatrix also helped you all too and possibly saved your lives as well."

"Like hell she did, we had things under control. We didn't need her help." Tonks's angry tone of voice came from across the room, Hermione didn't need to look back to guess what look the young Auror would have had on her face.

"Now now Tonks, I know you of all people have every reason to hate the fact that Mrs Lestrange assisted us. But nonetheless she did." Kingsley said calmly as he looked back at her, Hermione couldn't help but smile slightly at the calm and composed nature that the Minister displayed. 'He's just what the wizarding community needs to get back on its feet.' She thought positively as he looked back at her and gestured politely with his hand. "Go on Miss Granger."

Taking a few moments, Hermione pondered carefully about what to say before carrying on. "She could have kept that wand and tried to escape herself, instead she handed it over without a fuss. She admitted to wanting to do the right thing, I know from her that sounds sceptical but her actions backed up her word." To her relief Kingsley was nodding in apparent agreement as she spoke. "She is trying to change, and I think…" Hermione paused slightly, knowing that what she was about to say could potentially cause a stir. "She should be given the chance to prove that."

"Oh? What kind of chance?" The Minister asked with a curious tone of voice.

Hermione bit down softly on her bottom lip as she considered that. There was one suggestion running through her head, an absurd suggestion and yet for some reason she couldn't stop herself saying it. "Tonks mentioned a while ago… You will be running a rehabilitation program at some point in the future?" Kingsley nodded slowly, it was clear from the look in his eyes that he knew where she was going with this, but allowed her to carry on without interruption. "Well… Perhaps she should be given a chance on that-"

As expected, Tonks's raised voice cut her suggestion short. "Absolutely not!"

"Miss Granger, the rehabilitation program is designed for the purpose of reforming and releasing prisoners back into the community. Surely you're not suggesting Mrs Lestrange should be released?" Mr Brown asked with a strange look on his face as he leant forward in his chair.

"I… No… Not exactly." Upon hearing Brown ask her that out loud, Hermione lost her momentum. 'Am I?' She wasn't sure what she was suggesting, or why she was even trying to suggest something at all. But Hermione felt she owned the dark witch something for saving her life twice now and what else could she suggest? What else could a prisoner of Azkaban have possible use for? The answer was nothing, and Hermione knew that first hand now. The only thing she could do to repay Bellatrix was somehow give her hope of freedom, the chance to prove she was willing to change and rehabilitation seemed like the logical solution. "I just think that she should be given a chance to show she's willing to change… And if it goes well… Then yeah… I guess I am suggesting that."

Brown looked completely stunned and was looking at her with eyes that spoke what his lips would not 'Have you lost your mind?' Hermione looked away and chanced a look in Tonks's direction; she took one look at her face and wished she hadn't. The Auror looked livid; her hair had gone a furious crimson red. 'She's already ready to lose it with me… What's one more reason matter?'

But at the end of the day, it wasn't their reactions that mattered, it was the Ministers. Hermione took another sip of her herbal tea as she watched him carefully from the corner of her eye before he then shook his head. "I'm sorry Miss Granger but I'm afraid that isn't possible. Prisoners such as Mrs Lestrange are far too dangerous to be considered."

Hermione had expected a reply like that, but what she didn't expect was how her heart sunk at the answer. She groaned at that seemingly sad feeling, it wasn't something she wanted to feel when she was trying so hard to deny to herself that she felt… Something for the dark witch and instead all it did was add fuel to the fire. Not wanting to allow herself to get distracted, Hermione pushed all feelings side, real or not, and tried to concentrate on the matter at hand. Since she had brought the suggestion up, she might as well give it her best shot.

"Not ever? How can people change if they aren't given the chance?" Hermione asked, her voice slightly sharper then she had intended.

"Why do you feel so strongly about this?" Tonks cut in before Kingsley could reply, sounding very suspicious. It wasn't the first time she and Tonks had debated over this, but that was before certain… Developments had gone on between her and Bellatrix, and before Tonks had learnt about some of them. No doubt Tonks was now wondering if there was something more to what she was suggesting other than her being a strong believer in second chances.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione thought about how best to answer, knowing that this would likely be her only chance to try and repay Bellatrix without drawing suspicion to herself, from others aside Tonks. Nothing she could say would convince Tonks, but luckily it was only Kingsley she needed to convince and unlike Tonks, he was far more open minded and more trusting, he had always fully believed in Dumbledore and his judgement when most of the order did not. 'Wait… That's it… Dumbledore!'

Hiding a smile, Hermione composed herself and met the gazes of the two Order members. "Dumbledore always said everyone deserves a second chance. Look at Snape… Dumbledore gave him a chance to change and he did, even when all others doubted him and continued to do so right until the moment he died, yet without him we may never have stopped Voldemort." She said confidently as she ignored the shudder from Brown at Voldemort's name and looked at the Minister, knowing that Kingsley was fully aware of the truth about Severus Snape.

"You're right, Dumbledore always did believe in second chances, as I know you have and it's something that has worked out to our advantage." The Minister nodded in agreement before his face turned serious and Hermione could just tell he was about to shot her suggestion down. "But Lestrange isn't Snape, everything she did; she did to further Voldemorts cause, all of her own free will. A couple of good deeds don't rectify a lifetime of wrong." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tonks nod in agreement with Kingsley and even smirk, something that suddenly made Hermione feel very angry. 'She's so childish and closed minded at times! If only she knew how much like her aunt she was, she wouldn't be smirking then.' Hermione gritted her teeth and tried to remain calm as she listened to Kingsley, as much as she didn't want to admit it, he wasn't wrong.

Hermione tried to hide her disappointment by finishing the content of her cup. "However…" That single word ignited a spark of hope deep inside her, looking up slowly from her cup; she met the older wizard's gaze. "Mrs Lestranges actions won't be dismissed and perhaps… We could arrange for her to see a therapist. And in a few years down the line, if she continues to show signs of improvement and a desire to change then perhaps then… She'll be enrolled on the rehabilitation program."

This time it was Tonks who looked stunned, who had also now lost her smirk. Hermione hid her own smirk and nodded her acceptance, not knowing really what to say to that. But regardless, she felt pleased with herself for doing what she believed to be the right thing. If the woman genuinely wanted to change, then she'd seize the chance and if she didn't, she'd stay and rot. Either way she had done her part and repaid the dark witch for her actions. "Now I'm sure you're eager to leave this place, so let us be on our way." The Minister said, snapping her attention back to him as he got to his feet.

Hermione blinked in confusion for a few seconds before she realised what he meant, she had been so caught up in trying to find a way to repay Bellatrix that she had forgotten she was free now. "Where are we going?" Hermione asked as she put down her cup before climbing to her feet.

"Well, for now until this situation completely blows over, you can't return home. It isn't safe for you to be on your own." She wasn't sure if Kingsley knew about her parents or if he meant that she shouldn't be the only witch or wizard in the area but either way… Sadness filled her heart at the reminder as she thought back to her empty childhood home. "So we're going to the Burrow. I'm sure they will be more than happy to see you." Kingsley said with a warm smile. 'They might… But I'm not sure I will be…'

"As it is barely dawn, we'll apparate. Don't want to startle everyone by flooing this time of morning and risking Molly's wrath." He went on to say with a chuckle as Hermione followed him to the door with Brown close behind them, passing Tonks who reluctantly got to her feet and looked ready to burst with one emotion or another. "Thank you for your help tonight Mr Brown, I'm sure I'll be in touch soon regarding recent events and Mrs Lestrange." Kingsley said at the door as he turned to shake the Head Warden's hand.

"I'm happy to be of assistance Minister." Brown inclined his head formally before letting go of the Minister's hand and looked at Hermione. "I am sorry you had to come to this place Miss Granger. But hopefully I won't see you back here again. Take care of yourself."

Lavender's father smiled down at her, a smile which Hermione was more than happy to return. "Thank you." Hermione said cheerfully as Tonks walked over and Kingsley opened the door ready to take her back to where she belonged. 'I hope I never see this place again… Can't say I'll miss it but I guess it could have been much worse, if it wasn't for Bellatrix's company, however twisted it may have been. I would have lost my mind entirely in the solitude… Something else I should probably thank Bellatrix for…'

Thinking about Bellatrix brought her to a standstill, it didn't feel … Right, to just up and leave without a word. In Hermione's eyes, it would have been just plain rude not to tell her what was going on, especially as it had been Bellatrix's plan that had resulted in her freedom, even if that outcome hadn't been planned. "Wait… Can I… Erm… See Bellatrix before I go?" Hermione stuttered out and suddenly felt very small when she saw the looks she was getting, each one looked completely taken aback and not for the first time looked at her as if they feared for her sanity. "I want to thank her." She said quickly before they could comment and hoped that they would believe she was being her usual polite self. The two older men exchanged bizarre looks before shrugging their shoulders and nodding.

Bellatrix

Bellatrix failed to suppress a low yawn escaping from her lips as she lay on her bed. Since being returned to her cell, Bellatrix had refused to allow herself to go to sleep, no matter how much her body cried out for it and instead eagerly awaited the return of the girl.

She had watched the night slowly fade away through the grate in the girl's cell and the approach of dawn, hours had passed since being returned to her cell and still the girl had yet to return. 'What in Merlin's name is taking them so long?!' She thought impatiently as she rolled onto her back and stared up at the celling, pondering away as to what was keeping the girl so long. 'Hmm… Could my idiot niece be to blame? Could she be holding the girl back and laying into her over what she saw?' Somehow Bellatrix didn't think so; her niece seemed more the type to wallow in self-pity and suffer in silence rather than confront an issue head on. But what did Bellatrix know, the only times she had interacted with her niece was on the battlefield or here in Azkaban.

'Hmm so if it's not my damn niece… What's the hold up?' If she was honest, she wasn't too sure what was meant to happen now anyway. She had expected them to have a chat with the girl then return her to her cell after, but obviously that didn't seem to be the case.

A throb of pain caused Bellatrix to scowl and bring her hand to her forehead to gently massage the offending area. Upon touching her head, she remembered how the girl had gently tended to her despite those present, a soft smile graced her lips as she recalled the girl's warm soft touch, tracing where the girl's fingers had been with her own. It felt… Strange, to be handled with such care, it had been such a long time since she had experienced such care that she had entirely forgotten how oddly pleasing it could be.

The only people to have ever treated her in such a way were her sisters when they were young, but that was only sisterly affection, not a lovers, so that didn't count. As much Bellatrix didn't want to remember, the whore had treated her gently too. The mudblood had known all about how her father had treated her at home and had made sure that their encounters were soft and loving… Or at least at the start they were. At a young age Bellatrix had discovered she quite enjoyed the rough side if she got pleasure out of it, even more so if she was the one being rough, she loved the power and control, she loved the reactions she could get. But even then she still enjoyed making love from time to time rather than simply fucking… However all those memories of their encounters, both loving and rough had been forever tainted by the whore's deceit. Those once loving touches, turned out to be the cruellest of them all.

And then there was Rodolphus, her beloved husband. 'What a joke that was…' She thought bitterly, there had been no love there, no passion, no anything. At least not from her, Rod tried at the start to make it work and why wouldn't he? 'He managed to marry one of the most beautiful and intelligent pureblood daughters of our generation.' Bellatrix scoffed to herself, however she couldn't deny that in his own way Rod was quite handsome, if she had been that way inclined, she might have enjoyed his company. But she wasn't and even if she had been, her heart belonged to another, even on her wedding night… After Rod had climbed on her and did what he did, what little he could do. Bellatrix had snuck out to meet the whore. Even after she had killed her, she still didn't try letting her husband in, she barely let him touch her and only on the odd occasion did she allow him to do what he needed to do to produce an heir until that fateful day.

Something wet rolled down the side of her cheek and it took Bellatrix a few moments to realize she was crying. Cringing at the weakness she roughly rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and mentally chastised herself for letting her defences down and allowing her mind to contemplate past events. In her distracted state, she had missed the sound of approaching footsteps until they were feet away from her cell. Looking up, Bellatrix waited expectantly for the girl to come into sight and she did… But not how Bellatrix pictured she would.

The brunette was accompanied by the Minister himself and was wearing clothes, actual clothing instead of her prisoner garbs. Bellatrix stared hard at the girl; she didn't need to be told what was going on here. The sight in front of her was crystal clear. 'The girl's been freed…' "Can we have a moment alone please Minister?" The girl asked the wizard, the Minister nodded slightly and walked away, the girl's eyes followed him and Bellatrix listened to his retreating footsteps until they faded away into the distance.

Once gone, Hermione turned to look back at Bellatrix and gave her a small warm smile. "So… You've been freed then?" Bellatrix asked the obvious and didn't return the smile; instead her lips were perused tight as she stared coldly at the girl.

"I… Yes." The girl blinked at the cold tone Bellatrix used before stuttering out her answer meekly and for the second time in almost three decades, Bellatrix's heart unwillingly broke. Bellatrix bit down hard on her lip to stop her mouth reacting badly to the news against her will, once again she had started to let someone in, a mudblood no less, and once again she had been used by filth so they could get what they wanted. And now she was being abandoned again, being betrayed. 'I knew it! I was a fool to allow my defences start slipping! They're all the same! Parasites!'

The fires of hate and rage erupted deep within her, Bellatrix allowed the rekindled hatred for the girls kind to fill every inch of her body and drew strength from it. "Well isn't that just great for you." She spat out venomously, the hatred in her tone was so potent that the girl took a step back from her cell. "Funny how things work out… I saved your life twice, helped them out too and what do I get? I get chucked back in my cell after a small amount of forced gratitude!"

Again the girl flinched at the tone she was using; she had an utterly confused look on her face, as if she didn't why Bellatrix was reacting in such a way. "I know it doesn't seem fair." Hermione said softly and took a few steps forward this time, closer to Bellatrix's cell. "But that's why I'm here; I'm trying to help-"

"Help?" Bellatrix repeated sharply, cutting the girl off mid-sentence as she jumped to her feet and swiftly moved to the bars and grabbed hold of them hard. "I don't need a filthy mudbloods help!" Bellatrix shirked near enough in the girls face with as much hate and disgust as she could muster.

"Please… Let me finish." The girl went on to say in a soft low tone of voice. Bellatrix would have interrupted her again if she wasn't trying to control her breathing in an attempt to stop her body betraying how her heart felt at the moment. "Like you said… You saved my life twice; I wanted to thank you-"

As soon as Bellatrix managed to get a grip of her emotions she interrupted the girl once more. "Well thank me already and be gone with you filth!"

The girl shook her head, looking both angry and upset. "I don't know why I bothered… I thought you might appreciate the chance to change, a chance at freedom and starting again but I guess not!" The girl shouted back before turning sharply on her heel and storming of.

A stunned Bellatrix blinked in shock and confusion at what the girl said as she watched her march off. "Freedom?" She repeated too quietly for the retreating girl to hear "Mudblood wait!" Bellatrix shouted after her, but the girl didn't stop nor did she look back. 'Freedom? Surely not… Just another mudblood trick!' Bellatrix thought about that quickly. 'No… What would be the point? She'd have nothing to gain trying to trick me and she didn't look like she was lying…' The girl had been in a good mood when she returned; Bellatrix assumed her good mood was from being freed. Maybe it was, partly, but what if she was happy because she had good news for her? 'She didn't have to return, I'm sure she could have just left without saying a word, why would she come all the way back here instead just to try and trick me? She doesn't really seem the type… She's a Gryffindor and a member of the damned golden trio, surely she's too noble and honest for that? But then again… The whore was Gryffindor too… Shit.'

Bellatrix was torn, she couldn't decide either way if the girl was being honest or not, but what she did know was that the girl was leaving and with her, the chance to find out. Gritting her teeth and swallowing her pride, she proceeded to gain the girls attention one last time. "Hermione… Wait…" Bellatrix called out loudly yet softly, using the girls' name, knowing that she probably wouldn't respond to what she was.

It worked. The girl stopped in her tracks and spun her heels. "What?!" Hermione snapped harshly.

Bellatrix hesitated for a moment as she considered quickly once more if the girl was about to make a fool of her again. "What do you mean?"

"Oh so now you want to listen?" The young girl snapped again as she folded her arms, yet this time with less of a hostile edge to her tone. Bellatrix was forced to bite her tongue to stop her making a remark, not at the girl's insolence, but at how… Sexy, the girl looked with her arms folded, her body leaning to one side with her head cocked and a stern look on her beautiful face. The outfit the girl was wearing didn't do her body justice, but she didn't blame her for that, when she had first escaped Azkaban last time it had taken awhile for her to regain her figure, something she was starting to lose again she found.

"The Ministry is running a rehabilitation program. As thanks for helping me twice, and because I think you want to change…" The girl paused to frown at her as she slowly walked back towards her, no doubt her outburst was making the girl think twice about that, not that Bellatrix knew where she had gototen that idea in the first place, but she kept that to herself. "I suggested for you to go on it, but the Minister wouldn't allow it… But he is willing to give you a chance because of your actions and instead you'll be seeing a therapist."

Bellatrix scoffed and pulled a disgusted face. "A therapist? If you think I'm letting one of those patronizing morons root about inside my head then you got another thing coming!"

"If you go along with it, and your therapist verifies you want to change and show some improvement, then you'll be enrolled on the rehabilitation program."

"And how long will that take?"

The girl dropped her hostile demeanour and shuffled her feet as she looked around. "Erm… Well… That depends but… You're looking at a few years minimum."

"A few years?!" Bellatrix pouted and let go of the bars of her cell so she could pace. She didn't get the girl at all, didn't understand why Hermione was helping her, or trying to anyway. Bellatrix looked up at her chocolaty brown eyes as she walked by her, hoping to gain some hidden insight from them, they were soft, gentle, warm… Perhaps the girl wasn't abandoning her, perhaps she wasn't betraying her. 'It's not like she could have refused freedom that would have been insane… Hmm must be why I passed it up then…' Bellatrix frowned and stopped in front of the girl, her dark eyes scanned every inch of the younger woman's face. "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me? I tortured you, I abused you and I've killed people close to you. So why would you help get someone like me out?" Bellatrix asked suspiciously, having given up trying to suss the answers out for herself.

The girl stared at her for a few moments as she seemed to ask herself the same questions before shaking her head. "I told you. You helped me, that and I believe everyone deserves a second chance if they show the will to change."

Bellatrix couldn't stop herself letting out a short sharp laugh. "And I have?"

Again the girl withheld her answer, she seemed to debate with herself for some time as she stared at Bellatrix before answering. "I'm a muggleborn, something that you remind me of often enough. You hate people like me yet you saved my life, twice now… To me that speaks louder than words." Hermione smiled at her briefly before her face turned serious, her brow rose up and the brunette gave her an inquisitive look. "Unless there's some hidden reason that I don't know about?"

"Like what?" Bellatrix narrowed her dark eyes at the girl, unsure what the girl might be implying.

Hermione sighed and looked down at her hands and began to fidget. "I don't know… Why did you save me? I know the reason you gave me… But is that all?" The girl didn't look at her as she asked; there was something odd about the tone of voice she used, it almost sounded hopeful. 'What could she be possibly be hoping that I would say?'

Of course, Bellatrix had an answer to her question, but if it was the right answer she didn't know. And even if she did, she wouldn't share it, the girl was leaving. It no longer mattered anymore. "Why do you ask?" Bellatrix asked in response with a husky tone to mask the sorrow that was eating away inside her.

"Will you stop answering my questions with a question!" Hermione snapped in annoyance, something that Bellatrix laughed playfully at and smirked at the girl as she took a few steps back. "You know why I ask! You were offered freedom as payment for taking my life and you turned it away… Why? And don't give me that rubbish about returning the favour, we both know that's a lie… What was the real reason you couldn't kill me last night?"

Bellatrix felt her chest tighten at the one question she didn't want the girl to ask, she had hoped the girl had forgotten about her vocal blunder, that the attempt on her life, that the plan and now her freedom would have pushed what she said out of the girl's mind. But apparently not, in a small way it pleased Bellatrix to hear that the girl hadn't forgotten, that she wanted to know how Bellatrix felt, even if she didn't know what she was asking. "I…" Bellatrix tried to find a way to express herself but couldn't get the words out and instead shut her mouth tight. She couldn't bring herself to tell her, how could she when she could barely acknowledge it to herself.

Shaking her head, Bellatrix let out a long yawn and stretched her arms high above her head before turning on the spot and heading over to her bed. "I'm tired. Now if you don't mind… I need to get some sleep." Bellatrix said, not once looking at the girl as she climbed into bed and turned her back on Hermione. She could feel the girl's eyes burning into her back and heard as the young witch sighed before the sound of her turning on her heels followed. Biting her lip, Bellatrix looked over her shoulder. "Will you visit?" Bellatrix asked, unusually soft and despite herself, wasn't able to completely conceal the sadness in her tone. Their gazes met and for a while the girl said nothing as warm brown orbs stared back at her, the girl eventually blinked and broke eye contact before she nodded and left.

Bellatrix, feeling oddly pleased, turned back to face the way and close her eyes with a smile on her lips.

Hermione

Hermione wobbled slightly on her feet as she recovered from the gut wrenching effects caused by apparition, Kingsley steadied her and held onto her for a moment longer before releasing her arm. The smell of morning dew and fresh grass engulfed her as she took a deep breath, the smells and sounds of summer surrounded her and as she opened her eyes, Hermione was greeted by a very welcomed sight.

The three of them had apparated to a hill that overlooked the Burrow, before her eyes lay meadows of deep green grass decorated with various colours of summer wildflowers, with a few lingering patches of spring wildflowers still dotting the landscape. A dirt path ran a course through the grass and led directly to the home of the Weasley family. The Burrow itself sat in the centre of the early summer landscape enclosed by hedges and trees; from up on the hill Hermione could make out the faint shapes of ducks and geese sailing across the family's large pond. The beautiful sight of nature in full bloom was enough to cause her to smile warmly; it showed her that despite everything that had happened, life could go on.

As Kingsley took point and started to lead them down the hill, Hermione chanced a look at the young Auror walking besides her. From the looks of it, it seemed Tonks was still upset at what she had learnt from the mind of her aunt, it hurt Hermione to see her friend looking so glum and she wished they could talk. 'I won't get another chance for a while after we reach the Burrow…' She thought then stopped in her tracks. "Kingsley? Do you mind if I have a quick chat with Tonks before we go down? In private." Hermione asked softly as she looked up to the man, hoping he wouldn't be offended or annoyed by her request.

"Not at all." He replied cheerfully, not looking bothered in the slightest at her request. "I'll go on ahead and make sure Arthur and Molly are up." He nodded to Tonks before turning on his heel and carrying on down the hill.

Tonks didn't turn to look back at her as the Minister left, her gaze remained fixed on the ground in front of her. Sighing to herself, Hermione made the first move and walked around the Auror so she could look up at her. "Tonks… Can we please talk before we go on…"

"I've got nothing to say to you…" Tonks said harshly with cold eyes as she pushed passed her.

Despite feeling hurt at how Tonks was acting, Hermione made a grab for the Auror and stopped her walking off. "Tonks…" Hermione muttered as she looked at the woman who kept her back to her. "Nymph…" She called out to her again, this time using her little pet name for the Auror, hoping that it would get her attention and it did somewhat as Tonks turned her head to stare hard at her. "Please don't be like this."

"Be like what?! Upset? Angry? Don't you think I have right to be?!" The now dark haired Auror snapped as she snatched her arm away. "Have you forgotten what she is? Who she is? Have you forgotten that she killed Sirius? Dobby? That she drove the Longbottoms to insanity? Or how she tortured you? And that's only the things people know about; Merlin knows what else she's done." With each remark Tonks took a step closer to Hermione until she could feel the Auror's heated breath on her face.

Hermione couldn't help but flinch at the Auror's aggression; she bit her lip but managed to hold her ground. She didn't blame Tonks for the way she reacting as an Auror, as Bellatrix's disowned niece, and as her friend but part of Hermione wondered if Tonks was acting out of jealousy as well. "I haven't forgotten-"

Before Hermione could try and at least explain her actions, Tonks cut her off. "And now you want her released?! Have you lost your damn mind! Why? Why Hermione? Unless…" The Auror paused as she seemed to consider something and from the look on her face, Hermione had a good idea at what she was going to ask. "Do you… Do you have feelings for her? Is that it?"

'I hate being right sometimes…' She thought as she suppressed a groan and rapidly shook her head. "What? No!" 'Liar!' The voice of her conscious whispered in the back of her mind as she quickly denied it.

"Don't lie to me Hermione! Do you have feelings for my insane murderous aunt?"

"Tonks, now you're just letting your feelings get carried away." Hermione replied as she shook her head again and took a step back.

"This has nothing to do with my feelings!" Tonks spat out.

"Doesn't it?" She asked softly, knowing that she was treading on thin ice now. "I know… I know you still love me… And I know you're hurting over Remus's death…"

Tonks's face grew dark as her dark eyes narrowed on Hermione, get hands were clenching at her sides as she started to shake with rage. "Don't go there Granger."

But Hermione took no notice, if Tonks wasn't going to hear her out and instead just yell and rant… Then Hermione was going to say what was on her mind. "This isn't about Bellatrix is it? This is about you and me… And it's not fair Nymph… What you're doing… It's not fair… You lost Remus, and I'm sorry. I truly am… But it seems like you're using me to try get over it-"

Hermione never got to finish what she had planned on saying as she received a firm slap across her face from the Auror. 'I guess I deserved that…' "How dare you… This has nothing to do with my feelings for you or Remus's death and everything to do with you whoring yourself out to a Death Eater!"

The sound of a second slap filled the morning air, but this time it was Hermione who hit Tonks after seeing red at Tonks implying she was a whore. Despite how Tonks was acting, Hermione couldn't help but regret her action immediately when she saw the hurt expression in Tonks eyes. "Nymph…" She whispered as she reached out, only for Tonks to step back out of her reach.

"Hermione!" From somewhere far behind Tonks, she heard her name shouted out. Hermione looked round Tonks to see the familiar shapes of Harry and Ron running towards her, she smiled faintly as she watched them approach and waved at them as Tonks walked past her. Just as she was about to turn back around and face the Auror, she heard a loud pop, telling her that the Auror had just left and that their conversation and likely their friendship was now over.

'Nymph…' She thought sadly as a single tear rolled down her cheek, losing one of her closest friends was not how she planned to start her first day as a free woman. She sighed deeply; feeling thoroughly depressed as she turned to look back at the approaching boys. 'I wonder if I'll lose them too after I'm finished with them…' Shaking her head slowly, she started her descent down the hill alone.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed Chapter 13 ^_^ Thank you for reading and I'll update soon x

Natalie Blackman: Always great to see a fellow Bellamione writer :) especially one whose work I enjoy so much! I'm honoured that this has given you the motivation to write again and I look forward to seeing your work updated ^^

BloodRoseQueen: Don't have sleeves on at the moment ;) But I may well do :p you'll have to wait and see.

Rebecca M Mesecher: Eeek don't hurt me! :(

unserendipitous: For now we have only seen Tonks's front she's been putting on for Hermione's sake, but we'll soon she how she's coping or not coping. It will be awhile before Bellatrix see's Hermione as an equal, if she ever does, but if she does then perhaps ;)

Rippl: I'm glad you're enjoying the story so much! Stay tuned and you might find out ;)

Kiara: Great to see a newly converted Bellamione shipper :D I hope you continue to keep enjoying the story and the pairing ;)

And thank you to everyone else who has reviewed :) they really help with keeping the creative juices flowing ^^.