Double the Fun
Hermione sat alone in her flat, her mind racing with the revelation that Narcissa's scent matched one of the scents from the Amortentia potion. She couldn't shake the thought that had been nagging at her since Narcissa had left. What if she was attracted to Narcissa? What did that mean? She knew she couldn't keep this to herself any longer, she needed advice.
Hermione went back to her lab and sat at her desk. After a few moments of staring at a blank parchment trying to figure out how to phrase her request to Harry without sounding crazy, she decided to just be straightforward and to the point.
Harry,
Can we meet for lunch tomorrow? I have something important to discuss with you.
— H
Hermione sent the message, feeling a little relieved but also anxious about what Harry would think.
###
The next afternoon, Hermione arrived at the Ministry of Magic, scanning the crowds for Harry's familiar face. When she spotted him, she hurried over, giving him a quick hug before leading him to a nearby cafe.
"So, what's going on, Hermione?" Harry asked, sensing her nervousness.
Hermione took a deep breath before beginning, "What do you remember about Amortentia?"
Harry furrowed his brow in confusion before answering, "It's the strongest love potion out there. It smells different to each person, depending on what they find most attractive.I remember smelling treacle tart, broomstick polish, and something that reminded me of Herbology but never figured out what. Why do you ask?"
Hermione bit her lip before responding, "Last night, Narcissa and I were working together on the project Narcissa asked for me to consult on. When she was leaving she gave me a hug and I realized that the third scent I always smelled when exposed to Amortentia is how Narcissa smells."
Harry looked shocked for a moment, but then a grin broke out on his face. "Hermione, you know what this means, right? You've found your otter!"
Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry's teasing. "I'm serious, Harry. I don't know what to do."
Harry reached across the table and patted her hand reassuringly. "Hey, it's okay. Maybe it's just a coincidence. Or maybe it's not. Either way, it doesn't hurt to explore the possibility, right?"
Hermione nodded but then began fidgeting with the straw in her drink, glancing at Harry with concern etched on her features. "Do you think it's too soon after Ron?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Hermione, I know Ron is my friend, or at least he was before he showed himself to be a complete bastard." Harry said with a slight growl in his voice. "But the truth is, I never thought the two of you were a good fit. You both want something very different out of life."
Hermione nodded in understanding as Harry continued. "And Hermione, let me ask you something. Did you ever really see a future with Ron? Did you ever feel like he really understood you or challenged you the way you needed to be?"
Hermione thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I guess not. But we were together for so long," Hermione countered, her eyes downcast.
"Longevity doesn't necessarily mean it's right," Harry said firmly. "And besides, you deserve someone who treats you right. Ron definitely hasn't been doing that lately."
Hermione sighed, feeling a weight lifting off her shoulders. "I know you're right," she said. "But what if people judge me for being with Narcissa? What if she doesn't even feel the same way?"
Harry reached across the table and placed a reassuring hand on hers. "Hermione, you can't live your life worrying about what other people think. And who knows, maybe there's something there with Narcissa that could be really great for you. You won't know unless you explore it, right?"
Hermione nodded slowly, her mind still racing with questions. "But what about… you know… the fact that she's a woman? I've never thought of women that way before."
Harry smiled at her. "Love isn't about gender, Hermione. It's about the connection you feel with someone."
Hermione's mind raced with worry as she considered Harry's words. What if her friends didn't understand her attraction to a woman? What if they judged her for it and stopped being her friend?
"I just don't know if I'm ready for all of that," Hermione said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if I lose everyone because of this?"
Harry smiled at her affectionately. "You won't lose me, Hermione. We're family, no matter what. Don't worry about everyone else's reactions, they may be surprised at first, but they love you and will support you no matter what. Plus I think you're strong enough to handle whatever comes your way."
Hermione looked up at Harry, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Thank you, Harry. I really needed to hear that."
Harry smiled, squeezing her hand. "That's what I'm here for. Now, let's finish our lunch and get back to work. We've got a world to change for the better, remember?"
###
Ron sat in the same cafe as Harry and Hermione, hidden behind a column, his face twisted with anger and betrayal. He had just been at the Auror department and received a month-long suspension for the altercation with Hermione. As he was leaving the ministry, he had spotted the two of them and had decided to follow them discreetly.
Listening to their conversation, his anger grew as he heard Harry's encouragement towards Hermione to explore her potential connection with Narcissa. And then the comment about him not being a good fit for Hermione. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, struggling not to confront them then and there.
The rage continued to build as he heard about Hermione's worries about how people would perceive her if she pursued a relationship with Narcissa, and how she feared that Narcissa might not return her feelings. He couldn't believe that she would even consider the possibility of being with someone like Narcissa. He couldn't let this happen. He had to get her back, no matter what.
He quietly got up from his seat and slipped out of the café, his mind racing with thoughts of revenge. He knew he had to be careful, but he couldn't let this go. Hermione was his, and he wasn't going to let anyone else take her away from him.
As he walked away, he made a vow to himself. He would do whatever it takes to win her back, even if it meant destroying everything in his path. He would show them all that he was the only one who should have Hermione, and he would stop at nothing to prove it.
###
A few days after her lunch with Harry, Hermione was preparing breakfast when she heard a light tapping sound and looked up to see an owl perched outside her window. She rushed over to it, recognizing it as Narcissa's. She eagerly took the letter from the bird's leg and read it over quickly.
Hermione,
The potion is ready! I hope to meet with you in an hour. Let me know if that doesn't work, otherwise, I'll Floo to your apartment and meet you in the lab. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Narcissa
Hermione set the letter down on the counter and took a deep breath. She was excited to continue to figure out what was going on with Bellatrix, but she was also nervous about seeing Narcissa again. Her mind kept returning to Narcissa's scent, and the way she had felt in her arms. She still felt anxious about exploring that possibility but as she thought more about it, she realized how happy she had felt around Narcissa and how much she enjoyed spending time with her. Hermione made a mental note to talk to Narcissa about it later.
An hour later, Hermione finished getting the Way-Back machine ready for their time-traveling mission. Hermione couldn't believe she had started calling it the Way-Back machine, just like Narcissa had. She chuckled to herself, admitting that it was better than her previous name for it, Temporal Retrieval And Memory Preservation System, or T.R.A.M.P.S for short. Lost in her thoughts, she was startled by the sound of the lab door opening.
"Narcissa," she turned and said with a smile, feeling her face flush as the older woman entered the lab.
"Good Morning, Hermione," Narcissa said with a hint of a flirtation.
Hermione's heart fluttered at the sound of Narcissa's voice. She had to remind herself to keep her composure and not let her feelings show too much. "The potion is ready?" she asked her voice higher than normal, hoping to steer the conversation away from her own internal turmoil.
"Yes, I brewed it just this morning." Narcissa replied with a bemused expression.
Hermione mentally kicked herself for the stupid question, given the letter earlier said as much. "Yes, right. I knew that."
Hermione refocused her thoughts and walked Narcissa through the plan she had come up with. She described in detail how, among other things, she had disabled the safety protocols to ensure they could fix the deviation. Narcissa listened intently, nodding along and occasionally asking a question or making a suggestion.
"I think we should both go back," Hermione said, "I'll carry the potion with me, replace her drink and add the antidote. Meanwhile, you can monitor Bellatrix's thoughts and, if needed, mentally signal me when we are successful and should head back to the present."
Narcissa considered that for a moment before agreeing. "Yes, that sounds like a good plan. But we should also warn Bella, so this doesn't happen again. You should write a note and magic it into her pocket, letting her know what Rodolphus is planning."
Hermione nodded. "Yes, you're right. Are you ready to do this?"
"Yes, let's get started. I want my sister back." Narcissa replied with a look of determination on her face.
They both moved to the Way-Back Machine, and Hermione made some final adjustments before they both placed their hands in the pensive, ready to go back in time and save Bellatrix from Rodolphus's potion.
###
April 1968
Narcissa felt herself being pulled back into her younger self, and as soon as she arrived in the past, she focused on Bellatrix's thoughts, finding she was still obsessing over Rodolphus. She waited for a few moments, her heart racing as she focused all of her attention on her sister. Then, suddenly, she heard the change in her sister's thinking. Bella was confused, wondering why she had been talking to Rodolphus in the first place. Then she started to get angry.
Narcissa watched in fascination as her sister's expression changed from gazing adoringly at Rodolphus to absolute disgust at being in his presence. Bellatrix's glare hardened as she pushed him off the bench, "You disgusting prick! Get away from me and never come near me again!" The surrounding Slytherins pointed and laughed as Rodolphus landed hard on the floor.
As she watched Rodolphus stand up and stalk away, Narcissa felt the pull back to the present and knew that Bella's reaction was all the sign Hermione needed.
Present Day
Narcissa and Hermione found themselves back in the lab, both feeling dizzy and disoriented. Narcissa shook her head, attempting to clear the cobwebs from her mind.
"What just happened?" she asked, her voice unsteady.
"We did it," Hermione said, a smile spreading across her face, as she analyzed some output on the display. "We fixed the deviation. The variation difference between the memory with Lucious and the point we just left in April 1968 is down to 0.005%."
Narcissa nodded slowly, still trying to focus. "But why do I feel like I have two different memories of Bellatrix?"
Hermione's smile faltered, and she looked at Narcissa with concern. "What do you mean?"
Narcissa frowned, trying to sort through her jumbled thoughts. "I remember two different versions of that Easter break. One consistent with what I had told you pre-antidote, and another where Bella, Andy and I followed through with Bellatrix's original plan and went to the apartment in London."
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. "That's strange. I… I think… I have two different sets of memories about Bellatrix's history, as well."
Narcissa watched as Hermione turned the console to try and see if anything there could illuminate what was happening. She quickly ran another set of calculations and exclaimed loudly in frustration. "Frack! While this doesn't explain the two sets of memories, running the variation analysis from when we just left until the memory from the other day, there is still a variation of 92.34%."
Hermione paused in thought. "It seems we fixed something but given the fact we still have a huge variation, I think your theory about another force affecting Bellatrix later in the timeline is correct. What else do you remember that's different?"
Narcissa sat back in her chair, her eyes unfocused as she delved deep into her memories, each one hitting her like a wave. "Bella was the one who helped Andy escape our parent's influence and run off with Ted. Bella also followed through with her plans to become an auror. She was the youngest witch to graduate to being a full auror in over a century."
Hermione listened intently, her mind racing with questions. "What else do you remember?"
Narcissa hesitated before continuing. "Andy remained close for many years after Hogwarts. But then, rumors started developing about Bella."
Hermione furrowed her brow and asked "What kind of rumors?"
Narcissa shook her head, her expression pained. "That she was becoming corrupt, involved with dark magic and dark wizards. I didn't want to believe it at first. But eventually, I found out that she had been secretly working for the Dark Lord for years. Her fellow Aurors, the Longbottoms, figured it out. They tried to stop her, but they were too late. After the fall of the Dark Lord, Bella hunted them down because of that. It's at that point in time where it feels like the two sets of memories converge."
The two women sat in silence for a moment, lost in their own thoughts. Hermione looked at Narcissa, before interrupting the quiet. "I think before we proceed any further, we should check and see if anyone else has experienced this double memory problem," she said.
Narcissa nodded in agreement. "I think you're right," she said.
Hermione thought for a moment before suggesting, "I was planning on going to the Weasley's Halloween Bash tonight at the Three Broomsticks? Why don't you join me and we can talk to Harry and Draco there. They might have some insight."
Narcissa considered the idea. "Yes, that sounds like a good plan."
Hermione smiled in relief. "Great, I'll meet you there tonight then."
As Narcissa turned to leave, Hermione called out, "Keep in mind it is a costume party. There are a few of us going as characters from Star Trek."
Narcissa turned back, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I have the perfect idea for a costume," she said cryptically before walking out the door. Narcissa couldn't wait to see Hermione's reaction when she saw her costume.
