Nothing could have prepared Hermione for the expanse of the Black Family Vault. It was at the deepest level of Gringotts. Cringehand opened the door and stood back, the vault itself broke into several rooms, each room had an inner door that required a key. The owner of each inner vaults name was embellished in gold above the lock. Bella's was the first inner vault on the right. She did not require the goblin to open the inner vault. "Hold this for me." She asked sweetly handing Hermione a little bag as she opened the door.

Inside the vault there were mounds of gold. They were organized in columns from the floor up to Hermione's waist against one wall. The silver was against the other and on the wall opposite of Hermione the tables glittered with jewels and crystals. Bella went to the wall that held the jewels. She examined several before selecting two perfectly cut emeralds that were identical. She placed them in the bag that Hermione held. "Now, just need some gold for the year." Bella said taking some coins from the nearest column. She added it to the bag Hermione held. "Do you need to go to your vault while we're here?" She asked absent minded. "I don't have a vault." Hermione said looking at more portraits that were stacked to one. These showed Bellatrix as a child, photographs moved as Bella ran in and out of the frame with her sisters, their silent laughter as they hugged each other. Bella stopped to see what Hermione was staring at and selected one that had her hugging Andromeda while Andromeda held a baby Narcissa. "That was the happiest day of my childhood." Bella said slipping the picture into the bag. "Ready?" Hermione nodded still looking at the mounds of gold.

As they left the vault she saw each door marked, even one for Draco. "We have a separate one from who we marry to keep our heritage safe." Bellatrix explained. "I could mix my two vaults together but I'd rather not. I'd much rather keep the Lestrange vault out of my family vault." Hermione nodded. "Andromeda, even though she was blasted off the family tree still has her vault here though I dare say she refuses to touch the gold. She might now though that Ted is gone and our parents." Bella pointed to the two doors that were marked with her parent's names wide open and empty. "The gold moves into the correct vaults when someone dies if you have that specification with Gringotts." "Did you not have that with Rodulphus?" Bellatrix shook her head, "No, when his brother died, his money went into our vault and then when he died it just stayed there so yeah, when his parents die it will also go into the vault so then, I get that as well I suppose."

Hermione's mind swam slightly; it wasn't as though she had been poor growing up or even now but the limitless amount of Bellatrix's gold was slightly unbelievable. Bellatrix paused by the door and held her hand out from the bag. "Wouldn't want you to get stuck in here." She smiled as she pulled Hermione close to her along with the bag. "You're my treasure." She said brushing her lips to Hermione's. She deepened the kiss for the briefest of moments before turning to open the vault door.

Once back on the island Bellatrix tossed all her bags down and retrieved the emeralds. She placed one on each nightstand by the bed. She adjusted them to catch the sunlight, the emeralds bathed the bedroom in a soft green light. Satisfied she pulled Hermione over to the bed and laid her down. Hermione looked slightly surprised as Bella unfastened her cloak. "Did you like that book?" Bella whispered against Hermione's neck. "Book?" "Mmmm the naughty little book you were reading this morning." Bella chuckled as she unbuttoned Hermione's shirt. Hermione's breath became heavier as Bella undid the last button and kissed her stomach. "I-I didn't really get to read it." Bellatrix smile as she kissed over the black lace bra that Hermione was wearing. "Oh, I could have sworn I saw you reading about unbreakable vows." "Mmmhmm." Hermione said trying to concentrate as Bella unhooked her bra. "What about the bonds, did you like those?" Bella bit down gently on Hermione's exposed nipple. "I-Oh Merlin-" Hermione breathed as Bellatrix gentle tugged at her trousers. Hermione raised her hips so Bella could pull them down easier. Somewhere in Hermione's mind swam Tonks' reaction to thinking that Bellatrix had bonded with her. "I love when you wear these just for me." Bellatrix whispered as she licked over the lace of Hermione's panties.

"Bonds?" Hermione breathed out against the gentle touching. "Mmhmm." Bella answered now gently nudging the panties away. "Bonds." She confirmed, Hermione's hand wrapped into Bella's hair so she would stay right where she was. "I- Oh G-d I- I don't-"Hermione tried to speak but she couldn't, Bellatrix's tongue had rendered her speechless. Hermione's eyes closed against the touches, Bellatrix was so careful to not touch her virginity as she pulled Hermione close to her. "Please Bella, please-" Bella paused and kissed Hermione's stomach. "What my baby? What do you need/" She cooed, her tongue once again running slowly over Hermione's clit. "Tell your Bella." Hermione gasped arching her back up to Bella. "I need you inside me. Please." Hermione gripped Bella's hair trying to force her where she wanted her. Bella licked her again just as slow. "No Pet, not yet." Hermione nearly cried in frustration, it had been two months of Bellatrix's sweet torture since Christmas. "I know baby." She whispered climbing up her lover's body to kiss away her tears of frustration. "It's not time yet my beautiful girl." "When, please." Hermione whispered against Bella's lips. Bella pulled slightly away to look at her, "Soon my Pet. Soon I promise."

Bellatrix woke with a start, her body burned as she gasped for breath. Where was she? She felt the body next to her warm and slowly breathing. Hermione stirred and slowly opened her eyes. "Bella?" Bella jumped slightly at her name, "Hermione?" She answered back to be sure of the woman next to her. "Is it just us here?" "Yes love." Hermione said putting her hand out to steady Bella's breathing. "It's just me and you." Bella's eyes flew around the room like a wild animal. "No Pet, they're here with us." "No Bella, it's just us." Hermione said, she had been here before Bella, the nightmares, Bella insisting that her victims were in the room watching them. "I hurt you." Bella said reaching out to touch the scar on Hermione's arm. "Oh Pet, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She cried out pulling Hermione into her arms and kissing her forehead. "I'm so sorry." Hermione laid Bella back onto the bed, "Shh Bella, don't apologize I'm alright." "The voices.." "Are just voices love, they can't hurt you. They're just voices ok?" Hermione said pulling the blanket up around them. Bella nodded allowing Hermione to tuck her into the blankets. "Sleep now, just listen to my voice and sleep." Hermione said now cuddling down to hold Bella close. "Shall I tell you about my new case?" Bella nodded as she closed her eyes to sound of Hermione's voice reading her a case file.

Hermione sat with Tonks across from her boss at the Ministry of Magic. Birch-Lock looked pissed and Hermione was wondering if it meant that his cop show was cancelled.

"Granger, you want to explain this?" He said holding up a letter.

"It appears to be a letter sir, possibly sent by owl.

"Can the sarcasm Granger, it's a letter from a concerned citizen stating you were seen out in Diagon Alley with Bellatrix Black yesterday. Did I or did I not tell you that I need you pressing through those files?"

Hermione glanced at Tonks and then looked at her boss, "Yes sir, I was, I needed to purchase some supplies and I had to visit Gringotts, I clocked the hours last night when I got home."

"Bullshit Granger, you were not at home last night, I flooed you twice when I got this letter and you know what? No answer, so no you were not at home. I don't care what you do or who you do in your free time Granger but when I ask you to go over files I expect it to be done."

"I finished the first stack of files at Ms. Black's home yesterday." That shut him up in a hurry. He did a double take and then ordered Tonks out of his office.

When the door was shut Birch-Lock looked like a tiger about to pounce upon prey. "You read confidential files at the home of the person who is key to the investigation we are currently undertaking?"

Hermione swallowed, when he put it that way it sounded really bad. "Yes, I-I wasn't thinking sir."

"Evidently, look Granger," Birch-Lock started stretching slightly and taking a sip of his coffee, "I don't personally care if you and this Black chick are fucking or whatever, but what I do care about is this case. If this case is compromised or fucked up because of who you are fucking so help me I will see to it that you get demoted to artefact investigator and never get a promotion. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"TONKS!" He called out for the auror to come back in.

She came back in and sat back down. "Report in on your suspect."

Tonks spent the next thirty minutes debriefing them on Fudges movements and contacts.

"Good work, stay with him Tonks. And Granger, make sure those files are not in the wrong hands."

Hermione nodded and left with Tonks to get some lunch.

Tonks sat across from Hermione at the Leaky Cauldron waiting on her shepherd's pie to show up. Hermione was chewing on a chip waiting on her sandwich.

"Well?" Tonks said taking a sip of her tea.

"Well what?"

"Are you bloody kidding Hermione? Is it over or not? Molly Weasley said she saw the two of you yesterday in Diagon Alley."

Hermione shifted in her seat. "No." She said looking at Tonks. "No and it isn't going to be."

Tonks sat back in the chair, "Are you bonded?"

"Merlin, this again?"

"Yes this again, are you? Are you going to?"

Hermione shrugged, "It's too early to do something like that."

"But you're considering it?"

Hermione pretended to be interested in the specials board. "She asked me if I had read about them. She had a book."

Tonks eyebrow raised, "A book?"

"Yeah, she caught me reading it." Hermione blushed, "She took it and then showed me the one she liked."

Tonks looked surprised, "Which one?", she sipped on her tea.

"Goddess one."

Tonks nearly spat out her mouthful of tea. She began coughing, "The Goddess one?"

"That's what she showed me."

Tonks finished coughing and sipped Hermione's water. "How are-"

Hermione turned scarlet, "Oh." Tonks replied, "Oh wow. I didn't I just, well I assumed you and Ron. Oh. Wow." Was all Tonks could say, "Wow." She sat back in the chair. "Are you going to? Do the Goddess one then?"

Hermione frowned now, "I don't know. I haven't really even read the whole thing."

"Well have you guys had sex?"

Hermione sighed, "Obviously, just not, well I'm still a virgin." She remarked very quietly as the waiter brought their order. "And Bella knows?" Hermione nodded, "We are very careful." Tonks shook her head, "Yeah I bet she is if she wants that bond." "Well I don't know if she wants that with me she just said it was her favourite one."

Tonks dug into her pie for a moment before speaking. "It's a beautiful bond but…well it's an unbreakable one, only death can end it."

"Is that the one you and Remus had?"

Tonks smiled a little, "No the Goddess bond is only for two women, Remus and I just did a general one, we didn't have time for one deeper than that."

Hermione ate some of her sandwich as both women sat in silence. Tonks had dated nobody since Remus' death and did not seem to want to.

"I just want to keep you safe Hermione." Tonks said after a few minutes.

"I know you do."

"I love you Hermione you're my best friend."