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Chapter Three
Hermione
The smell of Lavender and patchouli oil were floating from the Potions lab I had set up in the cellar. I just kept tracing the lines on my arm as I tried to meditate also. It was proving difficult mostly because of her.
She has knocked me all off kilter and has only technically been here two days. I can't imagine what way my head was going to be after two weeks of her living here. Floating around in her Potions mistress ways and cooking, offering to fix my scar.
Things couldn't have changed that much, I mean Draco did say his mother was always a very tolerant woman in comparison to his father. Perhaps she has no problems with me, perhaps that is actually the truth and not something she is faking to gain some upper hand.
You know what I just need to stop the nonsense. She wouldn't offer to help me if she wasn't being genuine. Right? I mean realistically she has been through a traumatic time and me sitting here and having doubts about her isn't right.
I just have to pull up my big, brave Gryffindor pants and deal with it. I mean I was now temporary roommates with Helen of Troy who used to be the biggest bitch in the Wizarding World. I am very aware of her and the way she looks so I need to take her up on that offer of occlumency or figure out a way to hide my thoughts.
There is no way I can survive two weeks with her without the objectifying thought process. It had been a long time since I had a date, or anything remotely close to sex. The last of which being a disastrously uncomfortable sexual encounter with Fleurs sister Gabrielle.
She was two years younger than me and too much to drink led to bad decisions but that was eight months ago now. I was definitely overdue for some pleasurable relaxation. I slowly started walking toward the kitchen knowing she was waiting at this point. It would be rude to keep her waiting, she is doing it as a favour after all.
Pushing open the door I seen her waving her wand which I had seen Draco give her at dinner over a cauldron before slicing her finger and allowing one drop of blood to drip into the Potions before lifting out a knife that looked eerily familiar. It was Bellatrixs knife and it seems Draco had kept more than just his Mother's belongings. I remember after Malfoy Manor he knife was embedded in Dobby and Bill kept it for safe keeping.
He also kept Bellatrixs work if the six notebooks on the kitchen island were anything to go by. She beckoned me closer to the table and you wouldn't have thought she was trapped for twelve years, her magical aura floated strong and light throughout the room. Her dominant hand which was her left was waving her wand and her spare hand was stirring the cauldron with a Finesse that even Severus Snape hadn't possessed.
"It that...?" I pointed at the knife on the table to which she nodded her head and me and stopped stirring before turning to face me.
"Can I have your hand? The curse was made by Bella and so it needs to be undone by a Black also." I nodded my head before placing my hand palm up on top of her own. Slowly she picked up the knife and pricked my finger with the blade before squeezing three drops from the tip of my finger. A harsh sizzling echoed from it and she went back to her multitasking after handing me a small piece of cloth with dittany to heal me.
"It need ten minutes to thicken into a soft of paste consistency. Once it gets to that point it needs to be applied to your arm whilst warm and then I have an incantation to say. Is that OK?" I could only nod at her and realised she wasn't working from the journal which lay discarded and closed on the table in front of her.
"What made you become a Potions Mistress?" She turned to me and sat allowing the Potions to rest and thicken up before taking a small sip of wine.
"I always had an affinity for Potions, I was the year above Severus in school and I remember going into my Mastery almost straight after my Wedding. It was the only stipulation I had begged my father to include, eventually he agreed and got me enrolled with Peeta Storm. Once I was Pregnant with Draco I had it completed. I then in turn brought Severus on as an Apprentice." My mouth gaped at her in that moment, she looked amused before getting me a glass and pouring me a drink with just a flick of her wand hand.
"You taught Professor Snape?" A small nod from her was shrouded in sadness and I knew they were close friends, he expression changed with the mask firmly in place that I have come to recognise as her Occlumency Shields.
"That boy didn't need much teaching, just Finessing. I was his Tutor at Hogwarts. I think I was one of the few people he was comfortable with, he was a very good friend over the years. Thats why I named him Draco godfather, much to Lucius ire.." I noticed she had been getting more and more uncomfortable as the conversation progressed.
"I would love to pick your brain about something at a later date if that is OK? I mean you have a Mastery on Potions so that will help, A also need to find a Geneticist." She smiled at me before checking on the consistency of the dark sludge.
"Well let us do this and then I am all yours Hermione." Oh god, I would melt into a puddle right now if I could, how can someone be so fucking hot, all sorts of dirty scenarios floated through my head, fuck I bet she tastes amazing. A soft choke on her wine across from me drew my attention to her. OK I definitely need to do something about this, I need to go out drinking and sleep with someone. It has been far too long since I have had sex.
"I'm sorry Narcissa. I can't sit here and pretend or make excuses. You are a gorgeous woman and it has been a while since I have been with anyone I can only apologise." She shook her head at me and walked closer to me to press a hand on my shoulder.
"You don't have to apologise for sexual desire Hermione. I really am quite flattered that a gorgeous witch such as yourself finds me attractive. It's quite good for the ego." She touched my cheek lightly and then turned to the Potions and noted it was ready. A dark red consistency was more than what I expected.
She lifted it out in a spatula and asked me to sit down, she rolled it almost like a, dough until it formed some sort of poultice and again I noticed she wasn't using her sisters notes.
"I haven't even seen you look at that book Narcissa, you sure you know what you are doing?" She smirked at me before sitting in the stool beside me and took hold on my arm. She rolled my sleeve up and placed the poultice on my scar before tying it on with Tantacula vines.
" I have an eidetic memory. I skimmed it earlier." Holy fucking god, I didn't think she could could any fucking hotter and yet she could. Harry always did joke about foreplay for me was scholarly and I didn't know what he meant until now.
"I need you to hold still for me OK?" I only nodded as she placed my arm to rest on her hand as she waved her wand above it. I could feel a tingling as the words flowed out of her, I didn't recognise the language but it sounded almost melodic coming from her mouth.
Soon the tingling turned to ice and it was getting a little uncomfortable, my whole arm felt frozen but I didn't move, I just watched her, a sheen of sweat gathering on her forehead. She was struggling, the curse must have been putting up a fight, I went to open my mouth and she shook her head and waved her wand three more times before the pain started to fade and it tingled as she stopped casting.
She looked exhausted but almost as soon as she set her wand down she undid the vines before removing the poultice and I was in shock at what I saw. Where before there was angry raw skin the lines were barely there. Now it just looked like a normal twelve year old scar, I couldn't even stop myself. I pulled her in close to my body and hugged her tightly to me trying to iflgnore the way her breasts were pressing against my own.
"Thank You Narcissa." We stayed locked in a hug for about ten seconds before she moved back and smiled at me.
"You're very welcome Hermione." She turned away from me and began to clean up the potion and all of Bellatrixs journals. I don't think she realises what she has just done for me, the first question would be whether I would have the dreams.
"I hope you don't mind but I think I will head to bed. I am pretty drained?" I only nodded at her and told her I would tidy up. I held onto her arm as she walked past.
"Honestly Narcissa. Thank You." A soft nod and she was gone, I cleaned out the cauldron and stacked the journals on top of one another. There were six in total and I was curious what tej mind of Bellatrixs Lestrange was like. It took every ounce of self control I had not to read them so instead I placed them down into the makeshift Potions Lab that Narcissa had sort of claimed at this point and made my way to bed also.
I decided a soak in the tub was a good idea and so with a glass of wine in my hand and my own working journal in my hand I made my way up to my bedroom. I noticed the only light flickering under the door was from the fire and through a small crack in the door I noticed an exhausted Narcissa was already sleeping.
She looked angelic when she was sleeping and I don't know whether this was some ill advised crush on her or if I was just in awe of the woman academically and the looks were nice to look at. Not dwelling on it I made my way into my own bathroom and ran the water before adding in all of my oils, stripping off my clothes and climbing into the water.
I couldn't get her out of my mind, those beautiful blue eyes, her strong hands resting under my own, her body pressed against my own. Desire flowed through me before I could put a stop to it, treacherous thoughts of her lying spread out on my bed and my head buried between her thighs.
Running my hand down my body I pinched my nipples under the water and imagined it was her hand, the fantasy clearly playing out in my head. Running my hand between my legs and swirling my clit a bolt of pleasure as her blue eyes flashed in amusement at me. God I have never felt like a this, what the fuck an I doing?
I was too far gone to stop at this point and I pressed two fingers into my entrance, if wouldn't take long I could tell that and so I kept replaying how small and perfect she felt against my body and finished myself off in a scream of of her name. The conflicting emotions of shame and sheer euphoria were too much to bear and even underneath the water I felt the force of my orgasm and sighed against the bath in a boneless puddle.
Finishing off my glass of wine I made my way into my room and threw on a tank top and pair of practical black panties before climbing into my own bed and picking up my book to settle in and read. Vera came in and crawled up to lie beside me and I must have fallen asleep because a scream woke me up from my restful slumber.
Adrenaline kicked in as I grabbed my wand and made my way out of the room, realising it was coming from Narcissa room I opened the door and couldn't believe what I was seeing. The lights were flickering and things were floating all around the room. She was thrashing around in ten bed clearly in the throws of a nightmare.
"No! Lucius stop! NOOO!" I didn't even think about it and climbed into the bed beside her to try and wake her up.
"Narcissa! COME ON WAKE UP! Narcissa!" In the next instant her eyes flew open and she flipped me so I was pinned and had her hand wrapped around my throat. I just grabbed her wrist and allowed her to come round.
"It's OK, it's me. It's me it's OK." Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she realised and slowly let go of my neck but didn't move to get off me. Instead she rested her head against my collarbone in a rare display of vulnerability.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I must have forgot to cast the silencing charms." She sat up and rolled to her back allowing her breath to return to normal.
"Do you cast them every night?" She nodded at me and I could see the burden she carried, I had nightmares for years after the war and even though time has passed for us she was still stuck in that Limbo aftermath.
"I am, Sorry I woke you." I turned to face her but didn't make any move to leave. Instead I entwined my hands in her own and when she didn't seem to mind I trailed my finger across the back of her hand.
"Do you have nightmares often?" A small nod spoke a thousand words, she wiped her face with her free hand and just continued to stare at the ceiling.
"I did too, every night for a long time and eventually they stopped. I get the occasional one here and there but for the most part they are gone." A soft smile overcame her face as she turned her body around to face my own.
"Well I suppose in twelve years time I might be healed. You can go back to bed Hermione, I am sorry I woke you." I shook my head and held tighter to her hand to show her she wasn't alone. All she needs now is comfort.
"You don't have to apologise, I am here for you, you're not alone. You have to lean on your family and friends." She quirked that ducking eyebrow at me in a way that made me feel like I was in the Headmistress office.
"Is that what we are...friends?" I shrugged and smiled before pulling the blanket up and over her to stsve off the chill I was beginning to feel.
"If that is what you want then yeah, we are friends." She didn't say anything but I could practically feel the cogs moving in her head as she was trying to wrap her head around something.
"It's difficult for me, I mean a week ago I was in an abusive, loveless marriage. A madmad had overtaken my home and corrupted everything he touched. Not two months ago you were brought to my home and tortured. Now I have been stuck in limbo and the rest of the world has moved on, I just don't know how much more of this I can take." For the first time the mask she always kept on the back burner was there in full force for all to see was her.
"I am sorry if my objectification isn't helping...I just can't seem to stop my thoughts from slipping out. I mean I am a lesbian and you are a very beautiful woman. I know you need some time to adjust without my inner monologue of perving." She let out a small laugh at my admission but shook her head and did something that if I was standing up I would have collapsed. She trailed her finger along my cheek and smiled.
" I meant it when I said I found it flattering but as I said a week ago you were seventeen and fighting at the opposite side I had gotten myself caught up in. If I too had twelve years to heal after the war my responses might be a little bit more flirty towards you but I just can't afford to think about anything else other than finding my feet in this foreign world." I nodded and adjusted my legs until my knee was pressed against hers.
" Then I need to learn occlumency. I don't want to make things uncomfortable for you. It will take some time for you but I want to help you, merlin knows it took me a long time to adjust to the new normal. The first few months after the war were not pleasant, I went to Australia to try and reverse the memory charm on my parents but it was too far gone. I have left them to live their life in Australia and haven't interfered. They have another daughter now, she is four and her name is Holly. They are happy and that is all I could want for them. I was distraught after the war and took to drinking and made a disastrous decision to start a relationship with Ron but that ended before it began." She didn't interrupt and just smiled and nodded when appropriate which I was grateful for.
"I started drinking and going out, hooking up with random men and women. I was playing Russian Roulette with my life the whole summer before my final year at Hogwarts. Harry and Andromeda intervened and shook soem sense into me. It took me tow years to start to feel normal and that was with therapy and copious amounts of self medicating. I got there eventually. Give yourself a break and slowly but surely you will get home." A soft melodic laugh escaped from her mouth and I couldn't stop the smile that overcame my own face at how beautiful it sounded.
"Self medicating. Exactly what was the Golden Girl self medicating on?" This is good, she is teasing which was a welcome relief to the stress she was experiencing previously.
"Something I grew in the greenhouse that is not legal in the muggle world but entirely legal to use in the Wizarding One." I only usually indulge by myself but instead I jumped up taking her by the hand into my own bedroom and reluctantly let go of her to go to my walk in closet. A small wooden box was waiting for me as I invited her to sit in front of the fire on the warm mat. As I lifted out my supplies she raised her eyebrows before shaking her head at me in amusement.
"Well well, not the good little Gryffindor you claim to be are you?" I proceeded to expertly roll a joint for us both or at least I am assuming she would be indulging because she didn't even flinch at me.
"This is my own strain of Indica that Severus helped me with, or at least his portrait did. Would you like to try it? If not that is OK but it will probably help with the after effects better than any potion." She nodded and wandlessly lit the end of it before inhaling expertly, so this isn't the Slytherin bombshells first time smoking weed. Interesting indeed.
"Oh please I have twenty years on you Hermione, I have indulged in a select few recreational substances in my day." I nodded as she took another draw before handing it to me with a smirk. She was leaning against the foot of my bed and wandlessly summoned one of my cushions which were stacked on the chair beside the bed.
"Thank You Hermione. For being so gracious and allowing me to stay here, for befriending me. It has been a while since I have had a true friend so I thank you." We spent another two hours just talking and I had never felt so connected with a person. Once she left to go back to her own room I found it difficult to fall back over to sleep, my mind racing with teasing blue eyes and a beautiful smile.
-/-/-/-/-/-
The following morning I kicked myself, I haven't slept in till ten am in a while. The smell of food and coffee drifted in through the slightly open door. Gathering myself up I brushed my teeth and piled my hair on top of my head before heading closer to the kitchen.
There was music playing at the wireless and she had her back to me and her hips were swaying from side to side. She looked amazing and I instantly wanted to go and hug her from behind. She is not you girlfriend Hermione catch a grip.
"You know you don't have to keep cooking for me Narcissa." She spun around and a small blush covered her face at being caught off guard.
"Trying to keep myself busy Hermione. The Daily Prophet will no doubt make its appearance and its assumptions shall we say. French Toast?" She was nervous, it was understandable as the Press Conference was an hour ago. No doubt the Daily Prophet will rush out an Evening Edition with a new front page.
It's not very often someone comes back from the dead. Narcissa was not a nobody after all, she was a well respected member of Society and herstoryhas become a sort of Legend. The official story was that there was a raid on a home and Narcissa was found in a dungeon. The bare minimum was going to be shared as it was an ongoing investigation. The details had been hashed out between Kingsley, Draco, Harry, Andromeda and I when she was still unconscious.
That was why she was here, it allowed the Press a two week cooling off period before she would make her first Public Appearance at a Restaurant in Diagon Alley and some light shopping with Draco before visiting Gringotts. The Goblins had been written to in advance by Harry to warn them of what had happened and that Narcissa would be in to talk to them when she was fit and able.
Ever since the war the Malfoy Potters joining forces had nearly sent the Goblins into an apoplectic fit. That much Wealth accumulated together was not a bad feat for them. They had always been standoffish with Harry, Ron and I after the whole Drago fiasco but once the two men got Married they Goblins were bending over backwards for them. It seems they didn't want to lose the business.
Now that Narcissa was back no doubt the news would spread and speculation will start. Only now they wouldn't be questioning her innocence, they know the kind of person she was now following the war. She was the woman who lied to Voldemort and saved the lives of everyone. I think for once Narcissas cold and icy exterior could fail her now due to modern perceptions, loosing that mask of ice will be difficult for her and as such she was panicking.
"I can only imagine what vicious tale Rita Skeeter is going to splash all across the Daily Prophet." I laughed and realised I had an ally in Narcissa Malfoy. We both hated Rita Skeeter, oh I am going to have great pleasure in telling her what had happened.
"You don't need to worry about Rita Skeeter Narcissa. Let's just say she capped her pen for good." Her blue eyes lit up at that.
"She's dead?!" A laugh erupted out of me in elation, oh my god I think ai love her.
"No!" I couldn't stop the continued amusement as she seemed to get more excited at pain than death.
"Blind, deaf, mad, eaten by locusts." So really no love lost then, and I thought I hated her.
"Azkaban." Her smile was megawatt by now and I have never seen a more pleased face in my whole life. She got her cup of coffee and sat down all interested.
"Miss Granger do tell how that unfortunate thing came to be." I then proceeded to tell her the whole sordid tale of how she met a man, fell in love and then got done with fraud, embezzlement and prostitution. She was like the cat that got the canary at this point and nodded her head before smirking info her cup for half an hour.
"Couldn't happen to a nicer person." I nodded and finished my breakfast with the blonde woman who's good mood was infectious.
"I wasn't her favourite person either. She was bitter for years about the whole jar situation." At her squint of confusion I knew her good mood was going to last for a while after I tell her this next bit.
"I found out she was an unregistered Animagus and so I trapped her in a jar in my fifth year and wouldn't let her out until she agreed to stop writing about me and Harry." That large shit eating grin was enough to fuel my patronus, fuck she was beautiful when she smiled. Honestly it's like a sunset and sunrise all at once.
" A jar, what animal was she?" I left it a beat before smiling into my own cup and then.
" A beetle." A breathy laugh erupted from her before it turned tgroatier and if made me imagine what was she showed pleasure. Breathy or throaty? Moans of sighs. Fuck stop it Hermione. Her eye brown shot to her hairline and I realised that I must have been screaming in her head at this point.
"So when can we get started on Occlumency?" She gave me a sheepish sigh before my house phone rings and it startled both of us. Narcissa had her wand out quicker that I thought possible, her right hand glowed dangerously also and I needed to get her to teach me wand less magic also.
" It's OK it's just my phone." I went and lifted the receiver and my blood ran cold. An Australian accent came over the other end of the phone.
"Hello, is this Hermione Granger. This is Aaron Samuel's, I am afraid I have some bad news." Once I realised I couldn't reverse the memory charm I implanted a separate thought into their heads of a distant niece that lived in the UK and they made me their next of kin. It was complex magic but I knew what was coming next.
"Monica and Wendell Wilkins were tragically killed in an accident four nights ago. You were listed as their will as a beneficiary, I was wondering how soon you could be here. It's about Young Holly." I couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, my heart broke and knees collapsed from under me and I couldn't breathe.
I could feel Narcissa take the now hanging receiver and place it next to her ear. I didn't hear what was said other than the fact that she was needed to go to Australia. Soon Narcissa hung up and knelt down to hug me close to her. Sound rushed through my ears as she took me to the library and sat me down on the couch before handing a glass of firewhiskey into my hands.
"I'm sorry Hermione. I am so sorry." She let me cry before I calmed down and realised my sister needed me. Granted she didn't really know me that well but I needed to be there for her regardless.
"Oh god I need to get to Australia." She stood up and told me to go pack and she would contact Kingsley about a Portkey for me. My parents were dead.
So a little bit of sadness fof Hermione. Let's keep going guys!!! Hope, you enjoy it. PLEASE REVIEW