"So Bella," Hermione broached the subject on her hands and knees, her fingers digging into soil as the little wood chips cut into her knees. "why are we planting these?" Hermione asked as the Hawthorne bush scratched her arms slightly as she moved it from the pot to the ground. It was Saturday morning, bright early sunshine shone over the horizon. Spring was fast approaching and with it the promise of better weather.
Bella, her back to Hermione was tossing rocks out of the soil where she had marked out the location of the primroses. "Because there aren't any on this island and I need them." Bella said flicking away the last stone from the corner of the area.
"Yes you said that but why do you need them?" Hermione asked, the scratches on her arms multiplying. "I can do the primroses." Her offered as she dropped the bush into the hole she'd just dug and filled in the gaps with soil.
Bellatrix carefully removed her a primrose and installed it in her first little indention. "Beltane." She said gently filling in the roses with soil. "Spring. New life. The old ways." Another indention for another primrose.
Hermione swore as she chipped a nail. Bellatrix laughed and shook her head, "I've never met anyone who despised gardening more than you Pet."
"It's dirty work." Hermione responded stabbing at the ground viciously.
Bellatrix shot her a wicked grin, "But the clean-up is so fun."
Hermione stood after another twenty minutes of quiet swears. Her back ached, they had been planting for over two hours. How in the world did she get roped into gardening with her Saturday morning? She looked at Bellatrix next to her grinning happily and had her answer. She's garden all day if Bella wanted it. She'd never admit that and would complain the whole time but she'd do it to make Bella smile that way.
"It's beautiful." Bella whispered turning slowly to look at the entire back section of the garden. Hermione had to admit it was a striking garden. Bellatrix had transformed this sad little garden into a blooming paradise in the four months she had lived at the cottage.
"Someday I'll show you my garden." Bellatrix said, her fingers touched the delicate blooms. "It's so much bigger than this you could get lost in it. There is a maze and at the center is a little playhouse that Andromeda and I would go to when Cissy bothered us. She could never find the little house; she was terrified of the maze." She stroked her finger down the edge of the petal. There's a paddle pond as well, at the back of the garden, my father used to enchant the boats when we were little so we could sail around, the water wasn't even up to our knees but the feeling of gliding." Bella sighed for a moment lost in her thoughts, Hermione could see the images as though it were a film playing in front of her.
"Would you leave all this in two years?" Hermione asked thinking of all the work Bellatrix had put into the garden and the cottage.
"I have one year, eight months and seventeen days not counting today until I am free. I will leave this place and never look back, let someone else have the cage when I'm gone."
Of course Bellatrix would count her days left, Hermione's throat felt tight, a little seed of doubt crept into her mind, would Bellatrix leave her and never look back when her time was done.
On cue Bellatrix turned to finally face Hermione, "Then we'll go home forever." She whispered, her lips touching Hermione's. She loved the sweet brief kisses, they made her shiver slightly.
The bright morning sunshine was soon overtaken with the threat of rain, Bellatrix watched the clouds come with a sigh. "Is this on purpose?" She asked, disappointment colouring her voice slightly.
"Is what on purpose, the weather?" Hermione asked, she enjoyed rain though she imagined it could be a bit much on this island after the spell that created rain at Azakaban automatically without ceasing.
"It hardly ever rains on a Saturday back home." Bellatrix said heading into the house. Hermione followed her, their idea of having a picnic on the other side of the island was now forgotten with the darkening clouds.
"Bella."
"Hmmm?" Bella asked, her eyes scanning a page intensely of the latest book she was reading. This one involved boys trapped in a maze. "Ingenius." She muttered before holding her page with her finger to direct her attention to Hermione.
"I- well I'm meant to go round to the Weasley's tomorrow."
Bella's eyes instantly darkened. "But it's the weekend." She said, the book falling to the side of her with a thump.
"I know but, well I haven't been there since Christmas and when we saw Molly last week she hasn't stopped talking about me coming. Tonks will be there."
Bellatrix picked at throw blanket, Tonks being there implied that Andromeda would be there. The thought of it caused a physical pain in Bella's chest.
"And the Weasel?" She asked looking up again at Hermione, a cold fury warned Hermione to tread carefully.
"I expect so yes. I haven't seen him since Christmas either. He and Harry have been after me for weeks to come so I thought I could just get it all out of the way in one go."
Hermione could see that Bellatrix was measuring her breathes carefully, her fingers twisting against the throw blanket. The vase next to Bella trembled slightly on its stand, Hermione's heart started to pound. The light above them blinked several times shaking and then it stopped.
"Fine." Bellatrix said after a moment. She picked up her book and stood. "That sounds lovely I hope you have a good time." She walked from the room. "I'll see you after then?" Bella called from the stairs.
"Of course." Hermione said looking at Bella's empty seat. She tried desperately to keep the hurt out of her answer.
"Good we'll have dinner late then?"
"Yes I expect." Hermione answered, her throat was so tight she thought she was going to burst into tears.
"Perfect. I'm going to have a bath I'll see you tomorrow night then."
"Sure." Hermione said standing to leave. She was being dismissed and knew it was better to leave. She could almost feel the explosion coming. She hurried to the floo and was gone, the familiar spinning and unpleasant drop landed her face first in her flat.
Hermione arrived a little early to the Weasley's, she wanted to see Harry and hear all his news from the Quidditch world. Her best friend had been signed to the Tornados, much to her other best friend's chagrin. She listened to their good natured bickering back and forth around the merits of the Tornados versus the Cannons. Mrs. Weasley called Hermione into the kitchen, "Owl for you dear."
Hermione frowned and then recognized the owl, it was Bella's. "Thank you wait for a reply." The owl dipped his head and waited. Hermione adored Bella's owl, he was the most well trained owl Hermione had ever encountered. She tore the letter open:
You're mine.
Hermione felt a slight tremble run through her at the words. "No reply." She directed to the owl. The message arrived that was all Bellatrix needed to know. Hermione shoved the letter in her pocket.
"Bad news dear?" Molly asked watched Hermione's face.
"What- oh no, nothing bad, just a reminder about something." She gave Molly a quick smile that did not convince the woman.
"How is work dear?" Molly asked taking the roast out of the oven to baste it and pop it back in.
"It's a lot but I love it." Hermione said grateful Molly wasn't pressing about the letter.
"Must be hard working with Bellatrix Lestrange." Molly commented closing the oven door.
"Black." Hermione corrected automatically, "Sorry she prefers Black."
Molly frowned and looked at Hermione as though she had lost her mind, "Ah, Black then. It must be difficult working with Bellatrix Black."
Hermione felt as though ice water had been dropped into her stomach. She couldn't move back to the safety of her friends, she was cornered in the kitchen with Molly.
"No-it's fine. She- well she's actually very easy to work with." Hermione was going to say, 'She's actually my lover and I wish I was there instead of here but you know have to keep up appearances and fuck I wish she was here right now to curse that smug look off your face.'
"That's a relief dear. Must be hard to go into public with her, I am sure you worry about people getting the wrong idea about you two. Still I am sure most people know you work with her because you organized her pardon."
Hermione fought down another tirade, her controlled breathing mirrored Bellatrix's, "No it's really not a problem. I don't usually go with her to town but when I do we don't encounter anything odd."
Just then Hermione was saved by the bell literally, Andromeda and Tonks arrived into the kitchen.
Hermione broke away from Molly's gaze to greet Tonks and Andromeda.
Tonks gave Hermione a hug and reintroduced her to her mother. As much as Tonks and Hermione were friends she had only ever seen the woman twice. Once at Remus' funeral and once at Teddy's birthday.
"Hello Hermione it's wonderful to see you again." Andromeda said holding her hand out. Hermione stared openly at Andromeda's face. She was nearly identical to Bellatrix, Hermione realized she squeezed Andromeda's hand tightly for a moment before remembering herself. She had of course noticed the resemblance before but now it took on a whole other meaning. Andromeda's smirk was identical to Bella's and she leaned in to whisper to Hermione, "I've heard all about you Pet." When Andromeda said Pet Hermione nearly sank through the floor. When Andromeda released her from the hug she winked at her.
"I'm just going to see what the boys are up to." Hermione said, her face flushed at Andromeda's words. Were all the Blacks such teases?
The lunch was a smashing success, conversation, people talking over one another, all through the lunch however Hermione noticed Andromeda stealing just as many glances at her as she was at Andromeda.
"Ms. Granger I hear I have you to thank for my sister's pardon." Andromeda said moving her chair closer to Hermione's end of the table when Molly went to get the tart and tea.
"Oh well, she deserved it Mrs. Tonks-" "Ms. Black please, I never liked Tonks as a name."
Hermione paused for a moment, "Sorry, Ms. Black. She deserved it, she sacrificed a lot for our side."
"No doubt, she was never the same after Regulus died. Even started to talk to me again after that."
Molly entered with the tart and tea and the talk of Bellatrix stopped momentarily.
"You're so different from her." Molly stated pouring tea for everyone.
"Am I Molly?" Andromeda said adding sugar into her cup.
"Well yes, you came from a Pure blood family and stood up for the cause of everyone against He Who Must Not Be Named."
"As did my sister in her way, though I dare say her life was much more at risk than mine ever was. I found out from Sirius that it was Bellatrix who spared my family when the first war happened."
"How did she do that?" Ginny asked intrigued.
"She was my secret keeper. Albus never told me who it was that protected me. I always assumed it was Sirius but no, it was Bellatrix. She would check on Dora when she was in school as well. There were a lot of things Bella did that wasn't known to the public."
Ginny's crush on Andromeda was apparent, "Were you in danger?"
"We all were dearest but I think Tom targeted the families of death eaters to keep them loyal."
"Why do you call him Tom?" Hermione asked remembering that Bella never called him anything but Tom Riddle now that the war was over.
"Well, his name is Tom." Andromeda smiled, "Besides, I knew him as Tom Riddle, he was friendly with my parents. My father took him as a ward basically. He was older than us but we still just called him Tom."
"Hermoine here works with Bellatrix, they were out shopping on Monday." Molly said serving the pie.
"I know." Andromeda said sipping her tea. "I believe you have worked with her on a number of occasions."
Hermione nodded. "I have, she's very easy to work with. I find her much easier to deal with than many of my other cases."
"Be careful Hermione." Molly said, "She might be reformed according to the Ministry but-"
"But what Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione said feeling herself get defensive, Andromeda said nothing she just watched the interaction, her focus stayed on Hermione.
"Well dear she tortured people and killed them even after she was working fo the Order." Molly said gruffly.
"She did the things nobody else could do for the greater good." Hermione shot back with a little more heat than was intended.
Molly looked surprised, "She killed my brothers Hermione. In cold blood, they were part of the Order, I doubt their deaths were for the greater good."
"I am sure Bella was doing what Albus directed her to do." Andromeda said in a measured tone.
The table went quiet for several beats.
"I-I must be going." Hermione said, her tart untouched.
"No so soon?" Molly said giving a protest.
"Sadly yes, I've left several things to the last minute to come to lunch and I really need them finished by tomorrow."
Andromeda took a bite of her tart. "Shall I walk you out? I wanted to ask you a few things." Andromeda said standing.
"Oh yes of course." Hermione said saying her goodbyes and promises to come in a couple of weeks.
Andromeda walked with Hermione but did not speak until they were out of ear shot of the house.
"You wear your heart on your sleeve." Andromeda said with a sad smile. "They'll see right through you if you're not careful."
Hermione shoved her hands in her pockets not replying.
"You are sleeping with my sister yes?"
Hermione looked surprised and then realized Nymphadora must have told her.
"Dora told me nothing." Andromeda said, her eyes looking as naughty as Bella's. "Your face did when you saw me. I know I look just like her." Andromeda sighed, "I only came today to see who it really was who made my sister so happy in her letters."
"Bella writes to you?"
"Every day. Just like when we were small and she went off to school."
This touched Hermione's heart.
"Some days she and I will just write back and forth all day like a conversation, we just send the scroll back and forth. I told her we could talk on the floo but she refuses, she thinks the ministry listens."
"They do." Hermione said with a frown. "They can't check her letters but they do watch her movements and floo calls."
Andromeda nodded, "I thought so."
"Part of the pardon condition."
"I see. Are you getting ready?" Andromeda asked as they went through the fence.
"Ready?"
"For Beltane of course." Andromeda said.
"That's still ages away."
"Oh you sweet girl." Andromeda said pulling Hermione in a hug. "You really are so sweet." She pressed a kiss to Hermione's lips. "So innocent." She brushed Hermione's hair behind her ear. "I wish I could be there for your Beltane night."
Hermione looked utterly confused and Andromeda pressed her fingers to Hermione's lips. "Musn't spoil the surprise. Did you plant the Hawthorn and Primroses?"
Hermione nodded, "Yesterday."
"Good, just in time. You can't plant them too early or they bloom too soon and die. Oh I love Beltane; I remember my Beltane night." Andromeda sighed.
Hermione said goodbye still wondering what Andromeda was on about. She would ask Bella. The note in her pocket, she tightened her hand around it and apparated to the island.
Bellatrix was weeding in the garden when Hermione arrived. A look of relief washed over Bella's face when she saw her.
"Oh Pet, I've missed you so." She said coming over and hugging her close. Hermione melted into the hug.
"I got your letter." Hermione said pulling it out of her pocket. Bellatrix laughed and kissed her, her tongue slipping against Hermione's for the briefest moment. "Bella-" Hermione whispered into the kiss.
"Yes Pet." Bella said, kissing her neck.
"I don't want to leave you, ever. Can't we just stay together forever."
Bella kissed her way up to Hermione's lips, "Forever my beautiful girl. Come with me." She tugged Hermione's hand to bring her over to the Hawthorn bushes. "We need to do this now."
Hermione frowned, "What?"
Bellatrix pulled the silver dagger out of her robes, "We need to bleed the Hawthorn bushes."
Hermione pulled back a little unsure of what to do.
"It's just a drop of blood Pet. See." Bella pricked her own finger with the dagger tip and dropped blood at the base of the Hawthorn, "Now you're turn." Hermione held her hand out while Bella pricked her finger, they put their blood at the base of each Hawthorn. When it was finished Bella sucked Hermione's finger. "Shame did it hurt Pet?"
Hermione's fingers were tender but they felt better in Bella's mouth. "No- just a little."
"Shame, all better now." She whispered kissing the tip of each of Hermione's injured fingers.
"Bella?"
"Hmmmm?" Bella was wiping the tip of the dagger against her tongue.
"What's a Beltane Night?"
A smile spread slowly over Bella's face. "Did Andy tell you?"
Hermione nodded, "She said she wished she could be here for mine."
"That sweet girl." Bellatrix said, obviously touched for what Andromeda had said. "It's for you my beautiful girl. The whole night is just for you."
"But, what is it?"
Bella brushed Hermione's hair back, "It's when we are one with the goddess, when we bond ourselves to her."
Hermione melted at the words, that was why Bella had been waiting, why she refused Hermione's pleas when they made love.
