A/N: I'm so sorry that I've taken so long to update, however, before you start hating me i'd like you to know that chapters 1-4 have been edited and updated so that there is more detail and so that it is easier to read, curtsy of my grammar Nazi. So please re-read the chapters if you haven't already and R&R.

Chapter 5

The floors of the normally pristine manor had the house elves in a state of utter frenzy – Narcissa's constant pacing seemed to be wearing the floor thin and it was all the house elves could do to keep them polished. Narcissa's pacing (and the accompanying muttering) had everything to do with the fact that Bellatrix hadn't been home in almost two weeks. The blonde witch understood it was impractical for her dark haired sister to return home to the manor in the evenings, thus her reports on the mission had become a monthly occurrence, instead of a daily one. This did not mean however that Narcissa was happy with the arrangement.

The blonde witch could fully understand that Bellatrix's limited disappearances from Hogwarts were for her own safety. However, she could not agree with or understand the Dark Lords command that she, Narcissa, was no longer to be involved in any aspect of the mission. In fact, it was Lord Voldemort alone who dealt with Bellatrix as she made her reports these days and Narcissa could not help but feel that she was missing something important about this particular mission. There had to be something different about it (apart from the obvious) that even Bellatrix refused to share with her.

It was due to this lack of information that Narcissa had spent the last few weeks trying to work out what it was that had changed within the mission, within her sister. For one, Bellatrix no longer cursed or threw tantrums when she needed to return to Hogwarts. For another, she seemed to have grown fond of her so called group of friends – who were in fact the enemy. She had grown especially fond of the mudblood, Narcissa had realized, as if Bellatrix had forgotten the fact that she was inferior to the dark witch. In fact, the dark witch thrived on her presence, and thrived on the competition the young mudblood's intelligence seemed to bring out in her. Narcissa could see the young witch Bellatrix had been before Azkaban returning into the eyes of her sister, and at first she was worried that her potion had gone wrong and that Bellatrix's memory was starting to deteriorate. But, the more she questioned her sister about her behavior, and the more time she spent with her, the more she realized that this was not the case. Something else was happening to Bellatrix.

~PAGE BREAK~

Alex and Hermione had been caught up in what looked like another lengthy debate about the practical and ethical uses of dragon's blood in certain potions and cures. It seemed all they ever did was argue during their alone time. Ginny didn't even know why she bothered sitting with them in the evenings when they did their assignments. Of course, on the odd occasion when they weren't arguing, they said helpful things with which she could finish an essay or two, but even recently even in their down time she couldn't get a word in that wasn't academically related.

It was as if Alex had been treated the same way Hermione had for the last 6 years: underappreciated and tuned out when she spoke about anything school or academics related, and now they were making up for lost time.

It was sweet, in an utterly nerdy way, how they acted around one another.

It had always been just her and Hermione, so having a third girl in the group was kind of refreshing for Ginny, because for once, the red head had someone to talk to about the things that Hermione could just never understand. Like sports. There was no deeper thinking involved in Quidditch and barely any planning involved, and the brunette could just not wrap her head around the idea that someone could just know what to do without thinking about it beforehand.

It had taken Ginny all of two minutes in a one on one conversation with Alex, for her to steer the conversation towards Quidditch and find out that Alex had the same passion for the game as she had. It also turned out that Alex was signing up for the team and taking part in the try-outs the following week. This information seemed to come as a shock to Hermione who had assumed that Alex had the same derisive attitude towards Quidditch that she did. The red head, however, was thrilled.

Since Harry had become captain that year, none of the old team members were guaranteed a spot on the team. This meant that Alex had a really good chance of getting a spot, if she could prove that she was good enough that was.

The revelation that Alex played Quidditch and would be trying out alongside Ginny, lead to a conversation between the two Gryffindor's about class schedules, so that they could find a time somewhere between classes for them to practice before try-outs.

Hermione just stood by and smirked at the two witches. She would of course roll her eyes at the mention of Quidditch – having heard nothing but, since becoming friends with Harry and Ron in first year – but seeing her best friend getting along with her girlfriend was leaving Hermione feeling better than she had in a long time.

In the two weeks since Alex and Hermione had first kissed, the two had become even more inseparable than before. It had taken Ginny exactly two days to corner the pair to find out what the extra whispering and long walks were about.

It hadn't bothered Hermione as much as she thought it would have, having Ginny know about them. They hadn't exactly been subtle with their sneaking around, so ginny being suspicious of them was understandable. To the general public, Hermione would happily admit to the fact that she and Alex were a couple and simply ignored the whispers that went along with this knowledge. For the first time in forever, Hermione felt that she had possession of something that was all hers – not the groups, or the Orders, just hers – and she was reluctant to share with anyone.

When asked, Alex had simply smirked and commented that Ginny was probably just jealous that she had gotten Hermione first. There was no going back after that.

They were out.

Within their circle of friends they refused to hide their affection for one another – it was just to the general public that they behaved in such a way so as not to confirm any of the rumours that had sprung up surrounding the wand incident with Mr. Ollivander.

Harry took the news of Hermione and Alex's relationship better than Hermione thought he would. In between blushing and stammering, he told Hermione how happy he was and that as long as she was happy, he would be too. Neville's response was much the same – simply with a much brighter shade of blushing and a whole lot more stammering – while Luna responded in her usually direct manner, quoting articles and statistics she had read in the Quibbler, about Hermione's foray into same-sex relationships being completely normal for witches their age. Thankfully, or perhaps not so thankfully, she was cut off by Ron.

Ron had completely lost it. Since he had been pining after the brunette from their second year, he had somehow got it into his head that he some claim upon the her. Hermione had nearly taken his head off when he began ranting about how she was his and Alex had stolen her – like she was some prize to be owned.

Alex managed to bring the brunette back to a seething fury rather than an explosive one by reminding her that she would only regret her actions later if she harmed the red head. Her fury was once again bubbling however when Ron, stupidly read Hermione's silence as acquiescence to what he had been saying. Suddenly, he turned on Alex and started shouting about how she was the enemy and was simply using Hermione and that if no one else could see it then he would have to save her all by himself.

With one quick movement the red head had sent a hex towards Alex. The raven haired witch had had her wand out and the counter curse on her lips before he had finished uttering his curse, however. Ginny and Harry beat her to the punch by sending jinxes his way, swiftly followed by Hermione disarming him.

This, however, was enough of a betrayal for Ron to storm out of the room and slam the door to the boys' dormitory.

Not even Harry had spoken to his best friend since then and Ron had taken to sitting with Seamus and had been spreading rumours about Alex to whoever would listen to his rabble. Hermione's group of friends paid not even the slightest attention to the jealous redhead because, for the first time, in a long time, Hermione was truly happy again. And that was all thanks to the raven haired witch who was now constantly at her side.