Hermione sat in Bella's little library flipping through the file. Bella was up in the bedroom asleep, it was very early, barely light outside. Hermione had stayed the weekend and had slept beautifully for the last three nights. Tonks would ask if she had ended it. Tonks would tell her she was crazy and it was dangerous, she knew all this, her head understood every word of Tonks argument but her heart. Her heart was another matter. Since the night at the manor Bella had been Hermione's obsession, when she transformed with the poly juice she had stared at herself in the mirror for ages, the way Bella looked and moved. Hermione blushed at the thought, the way Bella felt then. It was different, Hermione was different.
Hermione glanced at the bookshelf, there were the usual spell books, ancestry and blood lines, the entire beasts' collection and 'Magical Gardens and You.' She smiled at that one, she wasn't one to garden but she enjoyed watching someone do it. Her eyes travelled along the shelves until she came to a small cloth covered book, 'Unbreakable Vows, Bonding and Spells'. Hermione put her file to the side and retrieved the book.
She knew about bonding rituals, she'd seen a simple one at Charlie's wedding and knew it was the usual standard for all wizard ceremonies, but these, these were not the usual bond spells. Hermione fingered through the book slowly turning each page. She looked at the images of the Unbreakable Vow, when done properly it leaves a faint scar that glows golden when the vow had been fulfilled. There were also several warning pages of what happens when you fail to fulfil the vow or intentionally break it.
She was about to turn the page into the 'Bonding' section when Bellatrix appeared in the doorway. "Find anything good?" She asked looking at how deeply enchanted Hermione was by the book.
"Oh-um, no I- I've never seen this book before and I-" Hermione stammered and dropped the book. Bellatrix laughed. "What are you reading? Something naughty?" She said accioing the book from Hermione's reach and catching it easily as it fell.
"Unbreakable Vows, Bonding and Spells." Bella said reading the cover and tilting her head to the side looking at Hermione. "Something I should know? Planning on making a vow with someone Pet?"
Hermione's blood rushed to her face, "Or is it a bonding thing?" the smile on Bella's face widened and she opened the chapter up to bonding and read it for a moment. Hermione wanted to die on the spot and silently prayed for the ground to swallow her up. Bella flicked through the pages slowly nodding several times as she read. "It was just on the shelf and I've never seen it so I- well' Hermione tried to start again. "I think this one is my favourite." Bella said handing the book to Hermione, her finger holding the page. Hermione took the book; why couldn't the floor consume her.
Bella made herself comfortable in the chair across from Hermione, her legs thrown carelessly over the arm of the chair. "What do you think?"
Hermione's face felt hot, her eyes moving over the words. "Good one right?" Bellatrix asked pretending to be interested in her nails.
'Bonding of the Goddess' was the title, it was a bonding ritual for two women. One or both needed to be virgins in order for the bond to be unbreakable. The illustrations were beautiful; Hermione couldn't focus on the text but she had the general idea. "It's nice." She said at last closing the book and putting it on the side table.
Bellatrix studied Hermione carefully, the smile still playing on her lips. Hermione's embarrassment was too precious, it squeezed at Bella's heart and nearly sent her pushing Hermione to the floor to stop the familiar ache that ran through her but she didn't.
"It's Monday. Shall we go to the shops? I'm free in an hour." Bella said with a yawn. Hermione hadn't expected this invitation; she had also always had to go to work. "You said you were working from home for a month right?" "Yes." Hermione said stacking her files on the side table that she still needed to read. "So, now you don't have to go in so we can go to the shops." Bella said stretching, "Come on Pet protect me from the Molly Weasleys of this world. Besides, I need your opinion on some things I want to buy."
After a quick breakfast Hermione and Bellatrix were ready. "You won't get in trouble will you? Going with me?" Hermione shook her head no, Bellatrix was a 'free' witch to do what she wanted and so was Hermione. "Come with me in the floo then." Bella said pulling Hermione close, her hands resting on Hermione's hips. The unpleasant squeeze sensation of the floo network was made infinitely better by Bella's lips on hers. The pressure pushed them together in a most enjoyable manner. "So much better to cuddle together in a floo don't you think?" Bellatrix whispered in her ear. "Here's our stop." She said tugging Hermione with her. If Bella hadn't been holding her Hermione would have fallen on her face. She hated the floo network. "You'd think the magical community would have discovered a better way to travel." She said brushing off the powder before cleaning herself off with her wand.
The streets of Diagon Alley were quiet empty this early in the morning on a Monday. Bellatrix smiled at Hermione as they entered the bookshop. "I need to get a few things." Bella said heading off towards the garden section. Hermione looked around the shop, she looked books but at the moment she couldn't' think of anything she needed. She was curious about the book she had been looking at that morning but now was not the time to purchase a copy of her own.
Hermione's attention was drawn by a soft corner of the bookshop, little stuffed rabbits and teddy bears were stacked. She had never thought about this section before; she had purchased books for Teddy but that was always muggle based books from the internet. She remembered Ron asking her if she knew the tales of Habbit Babbit and the Jumping Cauldron. She smiled when she spied the toys that accompanied the story. She picked up a soft little book, the kind that let the child put things in and out of the pockets. "Musn't open it Pet, they'll make you buy it." Bellatrix said closing her hand over the little cloth book. "It's charmed to the child's touch so the charms respond only to that child." Bella explained showing Hermione the store copy with little peas in a pod and pounced around on the page. "So the charms don't' get lost." Hermione smiled, "How did you know about this book?" She was touched by the sweetness of Bella explaining the charmed children's book. Bellatrix place the book back carefully, "I had one when I was little." She gave the book a little pat. "I loved the page with Mummy's ring. It puts a ring on your finger and then it charms back to the book when you close it. I used to put the ring on and then keep the book open so I could keep the ring on." Bella seemed lost in the thought for a moment. "I think I should get it for Teddy." Hermione said watching Bella for a moment. "Oh I expect Andy bought this book the moment she knew Nymphadora was pregnant."
Bella left to pay for her gardening books. Hermione glanced over her shoulder once more at the wistful little section for tiny witches and wizards and left with Bella out of the shop.
"Do you need to go anywhere else?" Hermione asked looking around the street. "I need to get some potion ingredients; do you need any of those?" She asked consulting her list, she was low on essence of belladonna. "No put I'll come with you." Bella said following Hermione into the shop. As Hermione gave the clerk her list she watched Bella running her fingers through the barrel of beetles eyes. "Oh wait, yes, I need a silver dagger." Bella said suddenly remembering herself. Hermione's skin stood up a little, she had Bella's dagger at home. "Gets the juice out of berries better than peeling them." She replied with a smile before looking through the glass at the daggers on offer. Bella took her time selecting the dagger, testing several before settling for a nice small one that could fit in the palm of her hand.
"Anywhere else?" Hermione asked when Bella stopped in her tracks. Molly Weasley was coming out of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, their eyes met and Molly scowled. Bellatrix's hand tightened on her shopping bag. Molly's eyes travelled to Hermione who was watching the silent exchange between the two women.
"Good Morning Mrs. Weasley." Hermione offered to break the tension.
"Good morning dear, working so early?" She asked as if Hermione would only be out with Bellatrix for work.
"Oh no, just doing some shopping." Hermione ventured. Bellatrix said nothing, she refused to look away from Molly, her eyes boring holes into the older woman.
"Um, right well, do come round on Sunday for dinner. We miss seeing you dear and we won't take no for an answer. I trust you're not working the weekend are you?" Mrs. Weasley said implying that Bellatrix was just work.
"Oh um, yes, well I'll have to see. I have a new case." Hermione explained.
"I am sure your case can take a few hours, besides you're here in Diagon Alley it can't be that pressing. See you Sunday." Molly said before turning to walk the other direction of the girls.
"Bitch." Bellatrix hissed so Molly could hear. Molly paused momentarily but thought better of it and continued walking.
The interaction of Molly did little to dampen their day out shopping. By the end of the morning Bellatrix has several new furnishings for the cottage and a nice new wand, still limited in its abilities but a new one none the less. Their last stop before lunch was to Gringotts.
Hermione rarely entered Gringotts, she just did gold orders for what she needed, she didn't have enough gold to necessitate a vault but Bellatrix did, in fact the last time Hermione had been in Bellatrix's vault it had nearly killed her.
"I need to visit both my vaults." Bellatrix replied to the head goblin.
"Yes Ms. Black, do you have your keys?"
Bellatrix produced both keys. Hermione's head swam, two vaults, how in the world could anyone have so much money that they needed two vaults.
"Cringehand will take you both."
"I bloody hate these carts." Bella said as their cart arrived. She held tightly to Hermione's hand as they sped along the tracks to the first of the two vaults. The first vault was the Lestrange vault, Hermione was scared to touch anything after the burns she had suffered the last time. She looked around the vault as Bella dug through a pile of gold looking for something. The vault itself was massive, Hermione was glad however that the dragon had not been replaced to guard the high security vault. Bellatrix seemed to find what she had been looking for because a moment later she asked if Hermione was ready.
"You have two vaults?" Hermione said finally as she looked at painting of Bellatrix and Rodolphus on their wedding day. She studied the younger Bellatrix that stood before her, she was different, innocent somehow. Her eyes were not shadowed with death and cruelty. Rodolphus beamed next to his bride, a rather very nice looking wizard Hermione had to admit.
Bellatrix leaned against an antique desk and looked at the painting with her, "This is a masterpiece or so I'm told. I hate it." Hermione frowned, "Why?" Bella stepped forward to look at the picture, "I hated who I was marrying." She said with a sigh. When Bella said it the image of herself in the painting scowled at Rodolphus and walked out of the painting. Rodolphus looked embarrassed and followed his bride. "Where do they go? The people in the paintings?" "I expect the go to visit other paintings." Bellatrix responded before walking to the vault door. "And yes I have two vaults."
Hermione followed her out of the door and into the waiting cart.
