Finally, we have reached the end of this adventure. Before I leave you with our beloved witches, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has been following this story, it has definitely been a long journey (7.5 years, can you believe it!).
I must admit I was sometimes selfish, I think I didn't want this story to be finished. It has accompanied me through many depressive/suicidal episodes and has allowed me to express myself through Bella and Hermione, to put them through my own mental struggles and understand myself better in that process.
I am both nervous and excited to close that chapter of my life and -hopefully- start a new one soon. I promise the next one won't take 7 years.

On that note, please enjoy the closing chapter of our girls' story.

CHAPTER 19: Thank You

'She seems to have found peace.'

Narcisssa's words kept echoing around Hermione's thoughts, their meaning never less painful. The Gryffindor was still pondering the truth of it as she stepped out of the green flames and into the Grand Hall at the Ministry.

Everything had changed since the last time she'd been there, almost a year ago, to retrieve Salazar's locket. The fountain was no longer representing muggles crushed by wizards. There now stood an impressive statue of Dumbledore in his Headmaster years. The Hall was bright and welcoming, no trace of Voldemort's reign remained. It was breathtaking.

By her side, Harry soon stood, contemplating Hermione's teary eyes.

'It's beautiful.' The witch's voice broke.

It was so much more than that. It was the symbol of an ended war, the proof that what they had done together had been worth it. Harry nodded and took Hermione's hand in his, guiding her to the elevators. To her surprise, they did not attract any attention, at least no more than a few absent looks here and there. The trio had gotten so used to people turning to look at Harry over the years, especially after the Triwizard Tournament - it was a new experience, being able to walk without eyes following her every move. She was grateful for it. It would have been hard to explain why they were here. Hermione swallowed her pain at the thought of the trio that was and would never be again - now was not the time to break down in tears.

The lower the elevator went, the more anxious the young witch got. What would it be like to see Bellatrix in these circumstances? Maybe she'd be angry, maybe she wouldn't want to see her. Questions kept on coming as they approached the cells, Hermione's hands increasingly turning into tight fists.

'Hermione Granger, to see Bellatrix Lestrange.'

Harry's voice suddenly pulled the witch from her thoughts. They were facing a bored-looking Auror holding a registry, his eyes lazily scanning the page, nails absentmindedly tapping the desk. Hermione turned to Harry and saw exactly what she had dreaded. Although his eyes remained unfocused, the corners of his mouth said it all. Disgust. Not for her- well, not mainly. It was obvious that saying the name of the woman who had killed his uncle and so many of his friends was unpleasant. Seeing his best friend willingly visit her was the final blow.

'Your wands.'

The Auror extended his open hand and Hermione reluctantly gave away her wand. She had barely been reunited with it, it felt strange being separated again.

'You don't have to come,' Hermione turned to Harry, brows furrowed and elusive eyes, 'I'll be fine.'

It pained her to hear Harry's relieved breath. Of course, he didn't want to come, he didn't think himself capable of controlling his anger if faced with Bellatrix.

'Alright,' he cleared his throat and awkwardly placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, 'I'll be waiting here. Call me if you need anything.'

It was so strange, seeing Harry again after months on her own, and finding themselves in such circumstances. Would they ever be as close as they were before all of this? Maybe not. Certainly, going back to a normal life would be a long, painful process, as much for Hermione as for her friends.

After a moment or two, the young witch embraced her best friend, almost collapsing under the emotions. Intimate physical contacts were still new since Bellatrix, and it felt so familiar, yet so alien.

The Auror nodded to Hermione. Standing in front of the door to Bellatrix's cell, she felt even more unsure of her decision than before. What if it didn't go well? What if the dark witch was back to her crazy, hateful self? Damn, those thoughts. Hermione nodded back to the Auror and braced herself as the door slowly opened, arms crossed over her chest.

The cell was quite like the Gryffindor had expected: small, dark, windowless. What she hadn't really expected was to find Bellatrix seductively leaning against a wall, merely six feet in front of her as she entered. Hermione swallowed. Although the curves created by her stance were, undeniably, extremely appealing, the dark witch's eyes were what caught the girl's attention. Two deep, dark orbs of hatred.

'Get out,' Bellatrix made a shushing motion with her hand, and Hermione first thought it was directed at her, 'leave the girls to chat.'

The Gryffindor glanced at the Auror by her side. He didn't seem to have any intention of leaving as he regarded the dark witch with utter indifference. Would he stay unless she asked him otherwise? Hermione swallowed and hesitated for a moment, pondering if it was a good idea to stay alone in this cell. Was it soundproof? What if, for some reason, Bellatrix suddenly snapped and tried to kill her? Not that the young witch had any reason to believe she would. Right?

'Could you leave us a moment, please?' Hermione politely asked the Auror, earning an annoyed snort from the dark witch.

'I won't be far,' the young man nodded and turned to leave, 'knock on the door when you want to leave. And shout if you need any… assistance.' He added with a knowing glance towards Bellatrix.

The latter lazily raised an eyebrow in response as she played with a black curl by her face.

'Don't worry, I won't hurt your precious Golden Girl.'

When the Auror had gone and the door had been closed, Hermione suddenly found herself back in their tent, in the middle of nowhere. Tiptoeing, not knowing what to expect from the woman in front of her. Bellatrix, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content in her spot against the wall, eyes fixed on Hermione, emotionless.

'Why did you do it?'

The words were out before the Gryffindor could prevent it. Her curiosity was too strong. Bellatrix did not even blink, she merely cocked her head to the side and looked the young witch up and down.

'Why are you here?' The tone was flat and indifferent, and yet Hermione was certain she'd caught the faintest notes of curiosity- or was it disbelief?

'I-' the young witch hesitated. Why was she here? What was she expecting? 'I'm not sure.'

Rolling her eyes, Bellatrix pushed herself from the wall and walked to the bed, dropping her weight on the creaking bedframe.

'Ugh, stop looking at me like I'm going to eat you,' the dark witch pulled at a loose thread on the mattress. Her eyes were evading, and her tone was flat, devoid of its usual tease.

Letting her arms fall by her side, Hermione grabbed one of the chairs and placed it in front of the bed. Bellatrix was still ignoring her. As the Gryffindor sat down, she realised how pale the older witch looked, and how fragile she seemed, sitting there, looking down.

'I think I needed to see you again,' Hermione carefully began, 'I thought it would- that it would give me some kind of closure.' She paused, gauging the witch's response. When there was none, she continued. 'I need to know why.'

'Why what?' Bellatrix spat, sending Hermione a defying glare, 'Why I took you with me, or why I gave myself in?'

'Both.' Hermione thought, knowing full well Bellatrix could hear it. The latter snorted, looking back at the loose thread she was playing with. What was this stupid girl thinking? She was Bellatrix Black, for Merlin's sake! The girl couldn't just come in and demand answers. Gryffindors, those arrogant brats.

'You know,' Hermione's voice cut through the silence, 'sometimes, words are harder to get out.'

As the older witch let out a heavy sigh, she wondered when she'd grown soft. Feeling vulnerable - although it had happened several times during the past months - felt incredibly alien and painful. And yet so relieving. There she was, facing the exact personification of everything she always fought to kill, with no desire whatsoever to act on those impulses anymore. She could finally let go and give in to whatever her current emotion was. It was not all hatred anymore. And yet, it seemed she couldn't resolve herself to fully let go.

'I don't know what you expect me to say,' Bellatrix bit back, 'I mean, it was quite obvious I couldn't run away forever.'

This felt to Hermione just like a defence mechanism, anger to cover the pain. She decided to remain silent, waiting for Bellatrix to continue.

'You little know-it-all- you were right, we couldn't have lived like that forever. You were so annoying.'

Hermione couldn't contain a small smile at the tease. Catching sight of it, Bellatrix suddenly straightened and crossed her arms across her chest.

'Find it funny, Granger?' The anger was back, her voice louder as she bared her teeth, 'I hope you didn't come to hear me beg you to help me escape, or how 'I love you so much, please save me.'' she mocked, 'You're nothing to me.'

'I didn't come for that,' Hermione's smile faded, taken aback by the violence of the older witch's words, 'I just wanted to understand.'

'Understand?' Bellatrix scoffed, 'Look at that, am I your new study subject? Want to know if old Bella feels remorse, if she'll apologise for her crimes? Well you're bloody wrong, I'm not apologising for anything.'

Hermione sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She should have known the dark witch would recover her offensive attitude when confronted.

'Ok, this is getting ridiculous- stop being so defensive.' the Gryffindor straightened her back, 'I know you don't mean all of that. And even if you did, that's not why I'm here. I did come for you, but I mostly came because my emotions are in shambles now because of you. I'm halfway between hatred and lust with you- and don't make that face because I know you're the same!'

'My my, look at that- a selfish Gryffindor serving her own interests.' Bellatrix cooed with a grin, leaning closer to the girl's face, 'Of course you didn't come for me.'

Hermione got up frustratingly, pacing around the room as she tried to ignore the smirk on the older witch's face. 'Don't get angry, this won't solve anything.' But Merlin, did she want to! Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and kept pacing, unable to look at Bellatrix.

'I came because we have a- connection, and I wanted to approach this whole situation in a different light. Does it really surprise you that much?

'I thought you'd be all over Potter.' Bella spat, sending the girl an accusatory glare.

The young witch stopped in her tracks and turned to face the older witch, her jaw open in disbelief.

'I'm sorry,' Hermione scoffed offendedly, 'I didn't know I was supposed to erase the past eight years of my life and fall in your arms like you didn't kill Sirius, or- or Ron!'

'I never asked that.' Bellatrix's eyes were sharp but her voice faltered imperceptibly.

'You kind of are, Bellatrix.' Hermione took a step towards her, 'You're complaining I care about you, and then you complain I don't care enough!'

'How is that my fault?' The dark witch's eyes grew darker as she defied the Gryffindor.

'You quite literally created those circumstances!' the young witch pointed an accusatory finger, 'I was your prisoner, you were the only living thing I could hold onto, I didn't want any of this. I wish you'd let those Death Eaters kill me when they came for you, I wish we'd never gotten close.'

Ouch. Hermione wished to take those words back the moment she'd said them. Bellatrix's face was distorted with anger. 'One step forward, three steps back'.

'I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't-' Hermione stammered, her eyes on the ground.

Bellatrix stood up and slowly marched towards the young witch, hands visibly shaking with rage.

'What? She spat, 'What do you want to hear Granger? What do you want me to say, huh?'

'Wha- nothing!' Hermione took a step back instinctively, her confidence faltering, 'I mean, anything you want.'

'Not anything, clearly you want something specific.' The dark witch's voice was louder and louder as she stopped inches from the girl's face.

'I- I just hoped you would-' Hermione was cut off by hands grabbing her forearms.

'You hope, you wish- do you ever wonder what I wish?' Bellatrix shouted in her face, 'Do you know how bloody hard it is to say anything when nobody cares? To try and understand what I feel when I've buried everything down for most of my life? No, you have no idea, because you've lived a perfect life, miss know-it-all. And I hate that. I hate you, I hate your perfect life, and I hate everyone!'

Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. That was… intense. Bellatrix's hands loosened their grip and rested on the girl's shoulders. The dark witch sighed deeply, the anger on her face gone as she avoided the girl's eyes.

'That's why I surrendered,' she continued, her voice weak, 'I didn't want you to end up like me. You still have so many years to live, so much more to do than be stuck with a resentful and bitter witch.'

At a loss for words, Hermione placed her hands around Bellatrix's waist and pressed her body against hers. A thousand thoughts collided in her mind as she was torn between pity and frustration.

'I'm sorry for what I've said,' Hermione whispered after a while.

'Don't be,' Bellatrix's voice was low and calm, not betraying the tears rolling down her cheeks, 'I know a part of you rightfully hates me, nothing can change that.'

Some time passed without a word spoken as Hermione turned the older witch's words around in her mind. A part of her did hate Bellatrix, the problem was the other part.

'I knew I'd get the Dementor's kiss,' the dark witch whispered, 'I don't care anymore. I don't have anything left, my sisters are on the winners' side and there's nothing left for me out there. I'm tired of fighting.'

When Harry entered the cell about twenty minutes later, his eyes fell on Hermione's sleeping form, her head resting on Bellatrix's lap. They looked so peaceful. The older witch was lightly brushing Hermione's hair with one hand, the other resting on the girl's side, moving up and down with every breath she took. Bellatrix didn't look up, she knew who had just come in. She could sense his troubled thoughts.

'You broke her,' Harry's voice was bitter, laced with disgust.

Her eyes still glued to the girl in her lap, Bellatrix took a deep breath. As long as he stayed where he was by the door, she wouldn't look up. She couldn't. She couldn't bear to see the pain in his eyes, to confront all the wrong she'd done to him. She didn't actually know what she felt for that young man, the boy-who-lived who had driven her master to death. Hatred, remorse, frustration, pity… Was it how Hermione felt towards her? Merlin, what a mess she created.

'I know,' Bellatrix's voice was calm and low, her fingers brushing the young witch's cheek, 'I'm sorry.'

She sensed Harry's countenance faltering. He probably had expected her to lash out when confronted- but she simply didn't have that energy anymore.

'Everything I've always done was selfish,' Bellatrix continued, almost speaking to herself, 'my needs always prevailed. I never did what was right for everyone. And somehow, here I am, putting other people first. I never used to do that, except for my sisters.'

'Andromeda would not say the same,' Harry coldly replied.

Bellatrix's head snapped up. Did he meet Andie- how dare he speak about her like that! The dark witch exhaled and relaxed her features, trying to not give in to his teasing.

'I don't need you to remind me of my mistakes, Potter,' she snapped, 'I'm perfectly aware of the pain I've caused.'

Harry's eyes darted to the side, brows still furrowed in anger. Resolving herself to cut short this displeasing conversation, Bellatrix looked back down at the girl on her lap, seemingly undisturbed. Suddenly, peeking at the back of her mind, there was envy. She longed for that state of bliss and ignorance, that ability to ignore the turmoil of emotions wreaking havoc in her mind. She wanted to shut down everything, to simply be an empty shell looking at the world. To forget all the pain she'd caused and not feel guilty for it. Soon.

'Can I have five more minutes?' Bellatrix had almost added a please; almost.

Harry sighed and turned to the door without a word. Better that than a no. When the door had closed, the dark witch gently shook Hermione awake. The girl stirred, seemingly confused by the unfamiliar environment.

'It's time for you to go,' Bellatrix brushed a brown, stray curl behind the Gryffindor's ear.

'I want to be there tomorrow.'

Bellatrix's jaw clenched. She hadn't thought about that eventuality- was it a good idea?

'I don't think that's a good-'

'I need to be there,' Hermione fidgeted with her sweatshirt's zipper, clearly unsure, 'to have some sort of closure.'

'Hermione,' Bellatrix's voice was tinted with an annoyance she couldn't hide, 'what you need is to move on. You need to forget me, to forget the last months and all the horrible things I did to you.'

'I could never forget,' Hermione looked up into the dark witch's eyes, her gaze as soft as her voice, 'not fully. It's written on my skin.'

That was when Bellatrix noticed the girl was softly clutching her forearms through her sweater. Instinctively, Bellatrix clutched her own, feeling smooth skin where the girl's was scarred. Her heart sank as a painful feeling punched her guts. Would those marks ever fade? Would the pain disappear? Would she ever heal? The older witch turned away, unable to maintain Hermione's gaze.

'I did break you,' the words were whispered, barely audible and yet filled with such self-hatred.

'Don't you think you're that important,' Hermione pointed an accusing finger at her face, a slight smirk pinching the corners of her mouth, 'the war broke everyone, Bella. We'll survive'.

You will, Hermione.

Bellatrix chuckled slightly, wishing for nothing more than the girl to be right.

'That's the brave little lioness I remember.'

The return to the Burrow had been awkward, neither of the two Gryffindors knowing what to say. Fortunately, as soon as they sat for dinner, Hermione was caught up in various conversations, allowing her to temporarily ignore her inner turmoil. It was such a joy to be reunited with the Weasleys. She felt as if life was back to normal, that is if she could ignore all the painfully empty seats.

After dinner, she followed Ginny to her room with Harry, and they settled on the floor, continuing their current conversation. Crookshanks had been peacefully sleeping on the bed, looking up in annoyance when the trio had entered the room. After some time, he stretched and decided to play with one of Ginny's socks, ignoring the redhead's warnings. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. It was the first in a long time, and it seemed it didn't go unnoticed.

'I missed you, Hermione,' Harry warmly smiled at her, a hand placed on hers.

'Me too,' Hermione replied, squeezing his hand back.

'Hey, don't forget me!' Ginny pouted and possessively squeezed Hermione's hands, earning a laugh from the others.

Although it did feel incredibly comfortable, Hermione couldn't stop herself from throwing a glance towards where Ron would have been seated. Catching her glance, Harry ran a hand through his messy hair, an unsure expression now on his face.

'I admit I'm not really sure I understand- well, all of it.'

Hermione's jaw clenched. Was it the moment? Was she supposed to explain everything that had happened? She didn't even know where to begin.

'It's just that this whole situation is confusing, 'Mione,' Harry continued, seemingly oblivious to her distress.

'I think what Harry is trying to say,' Ginny cut him off, annoyed at his bluntness, 'is that we actually don't know what happened after you all escaped Malfoy Manor. And I think it would help us understand.'

So they did want her to tell everything. She couldn't possibly tell everything though, she couldn't. There were so many things she couldn't even understand herself, how could she explain it to them? Hermione took a deep breath and tried to slow down her racing heart. She could do it, she could tell the main events and keep the- touchy ones for later.

'When Bellatrix brought me back to Malfoy Manor with Ron-' her voice cracked; she hadn't thought about that time in ages, 'she locked us in the cellar. I don't know how much time we spent there, all I know is she only came to see me once or twice. Then, one day, I woke up at Black Manor and she said Voldemort was dead.'

'Yes, there was a battle at Hogwarts.' Harry nodded, eyes lost in thoughts. 'That was on May 2nd.'

Two months? She'd spent two months locked in that damp, putrid cellar… Hermione shook her head, bringing herself back to the present.

'She told me about her plan to use me as leverage in case she was attacked. That's when she told me about Ron.' There was a heavy silence. 'I could see she was deeply affected by Voldemort's death. She was angry, uncontrollable. Then there was the attack by some Death Eaters and we apparated into a forest, in the middle of nowhere. That's where we spent the next four months. At this point, we spent our days mostly ignoring each other as much as we could. There were some outbursts and a bit of fighting here and there but it was nothing like before. I felt like she had lost her energy, that the situation was just draining her. At some point, I think we fell into a depressed state, both pulled down by our grief and hatred for each other. Somehow, it brought us closer and she told me things she had never told anyone, unbearable memories from her childhood. It didn't excuse her crimes, but I felt so terribly bad for her, to know what she had endured alone. We grew closer, she wasn't so violent anymore, and sometimes she was calm and pleasant. I think she showed me the affection I missed, and so I let her get close. And then, out of the blue, she said we had to move and that's when she apparated us here. When I visited her today she said she was done fighting.'

Hermione's eyes were fixed on her hands, she didn't dare look at her friends. The grim conclusion was still hard to accept, maybe because she couldn't fathom the idea of accepting death as one's only solution.

'It sounds like… like you accepted the situation, somehow,' Harry muttered hesitantly.

'Harry!'

Hermione's head snapped up at Ginny's outraged hissing. Harry's face was darkened by incomprehension and anger.

'Harry, I know you hate her- with good reasons,' Hermione added quickly, trying to stay calm, 'But it's more complicated than that.'

'It sounds like you didn't try to escape,' he accused her.

'Believe me, I tried! But she just kicked me down everytime, there was no way for me to leave,' Hermione attempted to calm her furiously beating heart. 'So yes, it came to a point where it was easier to accept that I would never see you again.'

'I'm really, really trying to understand, Hermione.' Harry insisted, his eyes searching hers for answers. 'But she killed Sirius, she killed Ron, for Merlin's sake! And yet all I can see is you sleeping in her arms when we visited her.'

Hermione's heart clenched at Harry's pained expression. How could she ever explain to him what had happened between Bellatrix and herself? Getting to her feet, Hermione avoided her friends' confused gazes. Clenching her sweaty hands, she announced she was going to bed.

'Will you still come with me tomorrow?' The witch asked on the threshold.

Harry turned to her and seemed to ponder the idea for a moment. Sighing, he finally nodded.

'Thank you.'

She wanted to hug him, to tell him how she loved him and how thankful she was; but she didn't have the strength and she felt he might not be ready yet. So she walked to her room and settled in bed with her eyes fixed on the ceiling, refusing to close. Hopefully, one day she'd be able to explain everything.

The courtroom was small. Circular, with rows of seats against the walls- and one metal chair in the centre of the room. Harry and Hermione stood on one side of the room, while Narcissa and Andromeda stood opposite them. They had all exchanged polite nods upon arrival, but somehow none of them felt comfortable mingling with the others. Hermione was anxiously playing with one of her curls.

The door suddenly opened. It seemed everyone had to contain their disappointment as Kingsley and an Auror entered. They were all impatient for Bellatrix to arrive, although not all for the same reasons. Kingsley greeted the Black sisters before walking to Hermione and Harry.

'I am very glad to see you again, Miss Granger.'

Uneasy, the latter nodded, not trusting herself enough to open her mouth. She felt the moment she did, that she would simply crumble to the floor. Then, the door behind Kingsley opened again. This time, Bellatrix entered, followed by two Aurors. The dark witch was wearing her usual haughty expression, head held high.

She walked to her sisters first and Hermione turned to Harry, not wanting to intrude on their private moment. She gave him a small smile, hoping it would ease the visible tension in his shoulders. He replied with the smallest of smiles and nodded in the direction of the Black sisters.

As Hermione turned back to them, Bellatrix was stepping away from her sisters' arms, her face unreadable. Breathe, Hermione, just fucking breathe. The dark witch was walking towards her. She was the perfect face of determination. How can someone be so comfortable facing Death?

'Two minutes?' Bellatrix snapped, looking at Harry standing by Hermione.

The young witch gave her a scolding look. She was quite sure she didn't mean to be rude, but still, she wanted Harry to remember her better than that.

'Please?' Bellatix added, rolling her eyes to the ceiling.

It was clear that the word had taken some effort to get out and Hermione couldn't repress a smirk. She nodded to Harry and he stepped to the side, not hiding his annoyance. Merlin, behaving like water and oil to the end, those two.

'Hermione,' Bellatrix's voice was nothing but a whisper, 'I'm sorry about everything. I'm not asking you to forgive me, but please- forget me. Move on with your life.'

The young witch swallowed, not knowing what to say. Bellatrix was very adamant she should cross her existence from her life entirely. But could she forget her? Should she forget her? At this moment, it was easier to embrace the numbness than to try to unfold and dissect her thoughts. Coping with her traumas was a task for tomorrow, for next month- maybe next year. Right now, she simply wished she could fall asleep and unplug her brain. Stop the rumbling of thoughts, the heartache and the feeling of impending doom twisting her stomach. And as she was trying to quiet down her brain, Hermione suddenly realised why Bellatrix was so determined to die.

Unable to stop it, Hermione let a tear roll down her face as her eyes dived deep into brown ones. With a small smile, Bellatrix brushed the tear away. She seemed lost in thoughts for a moment, unsure how to say goodbye. Then, she reached for her nape and unclasped her necklace, the silver raven skull dangling in front of her.

'Here.'

The dark witch gently took Hermione's hand and placed the necklace in her palm, enclosing it with her own hand.

Didn't you say I should forget you?

I'm very paradoxical, pet.

Hermione chuckled. The cold pendant seemed to weigh a ton in her hand.

Thank you.

Removing her hand, Bellatrix embraced the young Gryffindor, placing a tender kiss on the top of her head.

'Please, don't look,' the words cut through Hermione's chest like a knife, a painful reminder of what was to come.

The witches broke the embrace, and Hermione nodded in acknowledgement.

'Potter,' Bellatrix called out sharply.

The wizard looked at her with a blank expression as he stepped back next to Hermione.

'Harry,' the name was extremely alien on the dark witch's tongue, she had never actually said it out loud, 'I'm sorry.'

She couldn't believe she had just said those words- the amount of effort it had taken to say them was utterly ridiculous. The boy's eyes grew larger. It seemed he didn't expect her to say them either. After a couple of seconds, he nodded, eyes still large as saucers. Hermione couldn't help but smirk next to him.

Bellatrix walked to the metal chair as her sisters sat down, soon followed by Harry and Hermione. The Aurors cast Patronus charms around the room, leaving the centre unprotected. She had promised she wouldn't look. As soon as she felt the characteristic cold shivers run down her spine, Hermione rested her head against Harry's chest. He placed his arms around her protectively, his racing heart the only thing betraying his emotions.

The Dementors glided around the courtroom, waiting for Kingsley's signal. The latter was speaking- probably enouncing the judgment- but Hermione couldn't hear a single word he said. She looked up to Bellatrix one last time, crossing her gaze.

Thank you.

The mental words tore through her chest. Unable to hold her gaze anymore, Hermione buried her head in Harry's chest, her ears ignorant to anything but the dark witch's thoughts.

I'm truly sorry about everything I did; I wish I could take it all back. I hope my death will bring comfort and peace to those I hurt. Thank you for giving me a chance, even if I forced it upon you.

The temperature in the room dropped again. Hermione clutched Bellatrix's necklace, oblivious to the pain in her palm from her strong grip. She could feel the fear emanating from Bellatrix's thought, could sense the panic and the doubt coming over her. While the words kept pouring into her mind, she found herself transported through the dark witch's life, memories blurring together.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…

The words kept ringing in her head as one final memory appeared before her. The moment when she had come undone under Bellatrix's hand, and she clearly heard her own voice resonate: 'I love you'

She had thought it, yes, but she didn't know Bellatrix had heard it! Was that it? Was that the one thing that had changed the dark witch's mind?

Thank you, Hermione. Thank you.

The words resonated again for a few moments. Then there was nothing but silence.

The End