Bella hadn't spoken to her wife for the majority of the week. She had approached Hermione about going to Hogwarts over the weekend to watch Cass in her first house match. Since she started on the team, Bella had gotten special permission from Minerva that anytime she wanted to come watch, they could stay in Bella's old Professor quarters since they weren't currently being used. That was a short-lived notion after finding out that Hermione had agreed to punish their daughter by taking away her opportunity to play in the first Quidditch match of the season and Bella was furious. Hermione tried to explain her reasoning, "Cass needs to take responsibility for her behaviors, Bella. She's not going to be a child forever and she needs to learn that her actions have consequences. She's been used to getting slaps on the wrist her entire life and it's almost too late." Bella was seeing red by that point, "so I suppose I'm to blame entirely for when Cass steps out of line or acts cheeky because I'm Bellatrix Lestrange. Why wouldn't my daughter turn out just like me?" She remembered storming out of the bedroom that night, straight into one of the guest bedrooms and not coming back out. She charmed the room so nobody could get in expect Winky because she knew Winky wouldn't bring Hermione in if she forbade her to do so. Was it childish? Yes, but Bella didn't care. She knew Cass needed to shape up but taking Quidditch away from their daughter was unusually cruel and in her mind, Hermione had crossed a line without discussing it with her first. She fared no better with the headmistress, McGonagall taking the same side as her wife. "Useless, the lot of them." She sulked in that bedroom until she finally gave into Hermione's sad knocking on the outside of the door Saturday morning. "What?" She threw the door open, letting her wife enter the guest room. "What could you possibly have to say to me?"
"It's been five days Bella. You've never gone that long without speaking to me before," Hermione looked lost unsure of what to say next.
"I haven't been feeling particularly chatty," she stuck her chin up in the air.
"I know you are mad at me," Hermione entered the room a little further, latching the door shut behind her. "And I understand why you are upset." She waited to see if Bella would take any of the bait but the older witch just sat there as petulant as always. "Bella," she started a slow approach towards her wife. "It's us. We always work through our arguments. I can't take the silent treatment anymore. Honestly I'd prefer if you just blew something up or yelled at me though I know that you never would." In their whole relationship, Bella never so much as raised her voice at Hermione. If they had a disagreement the dark witch would just excuse herself until she had a chance to calm down and think rationally. Oftentimes it involves the help of muggle cigarettes that she thought Hermione was unaware of. "I'm sorry that I didn't discuss it with you first or think about how this would upset you before I went along with it. I truly never meant to upset you like this. I thought it was what was best for Cass. But I'm mostly sorry because I miss you. I miss us. It's been miserable without you the past five days and I've been beside myself. I can't sleep in our bed without you. No matter how hard I try, even smelling your shampoo on the pillows didn't help. I need you to forgive me because I need you Bella."
Hermione sat and watched the hard exterior of her wife crumbling at the apology. Bella was mad. There was no way around that fact. She wasn't mad for herself though. She was upset for Cass, "she needed this, Hermione. I know my daughter and she needs this. I needed this and it was taken away from me. I know exactly how she felt the last few days and she must have been heartbroken. All of my past resentment for my father came spiraling back because I understand how Cass feels right now. I'm sad she is missing out on today but I'm terrified that she'll resent you like I resented my father."
"It's just one game Bella."
"To you maybe but to Cass… to me? It's everything."
Barely above a whisper, "Bella, I am truly sorry." Bella reached down without looking and brushed her knuckle against the back of Hermione's hand. The first physical exchange in five long days had the brunette almost weeping. "I need to speak with Cass. She hasn't been returning my texts or owls."
"Next time something happens with Cass," Bella finally looked at her wife. "Please don't make any decisions without me. Same with Minnie. I need to be involved in these things."
Hermione saw her opportunity, leaning in to rest on her shoulder, "I promise."
Bella put her around Hermione's shoulders, bringing her in tighter against her body, "I've missed you too, pet."
"So," Hermione turned her head, kissing Bella's shoulder, "are we okay?"
"You know the best part of fighting," she tilted Hermione's head up until their lips brushed. Her hands tangled into brunette hair.
"Don't tease," Hermione whispered against her lips. "It's been too long."
Bella slanted their lips together, pouring days worth of love and emotions into the kiss, fingers tightening in her hair. Hermione let the smallest moan out when Bella found a particularly sensitive spot on her scalp. The best part about the girls being away was there was no need to worry about silencing charms. The elves knew when to stay away. Bella pushed her lover down on the bed and straddled her hips, cupping her face and bringing their lips back together again. She swiped her tongue across Hermione's lower lip silently pleading for access and it was granted eagerly. They kissed each other slowly exploring like they had all the time in the world. It was as if they were reacquainting themselves with a lost treasure.
When breathing became a struggle, Bella started sucking her neck just below the jawline leaving a trail of small purple bruises down the side of her throat column. Bellatrix stopped and paid special attention to her pulse point before moving to the other side leaving open mouth kisses along Hermione's jaw. Bellatrix took Hermione's ear lobe into her mouth and sucked on it eliciting a small yelp from the other woman. Bellatrix smirked at the noise and whispered in her ear, "maybe we should fight more often, pet. Make up sex is truly amazing." Hermione pushed Bella off of her ever so slightly so she could remove her sweater, leaving only her bra.
Bella laid down fully on top of her wife bringing their lips back together. Her hand slowly started its journey south, stopping only momentarily to cup her over her lacy bra, before venturing lowering and tickling Hermione's sensitive hip bone. "Please," Hermione begged, taking a breath of air. Bella moved her focus to Hermione's neck, biting, licking and sucking any and all areas that she could reach. Her hand finally popped the button of Hermione's trousers and slowly undid the zipper. "Bella!" She groaned. "I need you." She wiggled her hips and tried to get Bella to increase her speed.
"Patience, love. We can't rush perfection." She said against her neck as she lightly dipped her fingers into her panties moaning at the vast amount of heat she found there. Before her ministrations could go any further a gentle vibrating was felt, causing Bella's fingers to falter slightly. "What?" Hermione managed to ask when she felt it as well.
"It's just my stupid hello phone. Ignore it."
"Bella," Hermione moaned once again, "it could be important."
Bella's head hit Hermione's shoulder, "I knew this phone was going to be a problem eventually." She removed her hand from Hermione's pants, sitting up she pulled her phone out, "it's from Minnie." Bella's face immediately changed, "we need to go."
"What is it? What's wrong?" Hermione sat up, reaching for the phone as Bella slipped off of her lap. A small gasp was all that was heard as they wordlessly got dressed. "Was there any message attached to the picture?"
"Does it matter?" Bella snapped moving quickly through the room and into their shared bedroom, throwing some of both of their belongings into an overnight bag. "I don't know how long we will be there." She turned with their bag, seeing Hermione leaning against the door frame. "I didn't mean to snap. All Minnie said was come quick." She ran a hand through her curls, "did anyone from the school call your phone?"
Hermione walked over to her nightstand to grab her phone, "no."
All Bella did was nod, "we should go." She waited for Hermione to join her by their fireplace, "Hogwarts, Headmistress office," she threw the powder down, disappearing in green flames. Of course there was nobody there when she emerged from the other side.
"Where is the Headmistress?" Hermione asked emerging from the fire, seeing the empty office.
"Hiding if she knows what's good for her," Bella's tone was one Hermione hadn't heard in many years. She grabbed her wife's hand and started pulling her through the castle towards the hospital wing. "If Cass is still lying on that pitch I will burn this entire place to the ground." Ginny was waiting outside of the hospital wings doors prepared to intercept the two, "out of the way Red unless you have a death wish."
"Bella," Ginny held her hand out, "I've been told not to let you in there until you've calmed down." She looked between the two women, "calmed down, some."
"I get a text message from my daughter which is just a picture of my other daughter laying on the ground with the message to 'come quickly, Cass is hurt and nobody is helping her' and you expect me to calm down?" She knew she was making a scene and she didn't care at all.
"There was an accident," Ginny tried to reassure them but her voice wavered.
"I don't believe that for a second. She wasn't even meant to be playing today. Where is Slughorn? I shall start my torture with him."
"Bella," Hermione pulled on her wife's hand. "Let's go see our daughter first before you jump to conclusions and end up behind bars. Your daughter needs you."
That seemed to get the dark witch's attention, "fine. Take us to her."
Ginny had one hand on the doorknob behind her back, "it's not pleasant. She fell a great distance:"
"Arresto Momento… ever heard of it?" Bella's words were coming out like venom.
"I didn't see her fall. None of us did. The match had just ended. We were waiting for James to return the snitch."
"Did anyone see her fall?" Hermione was gripping Bella's hand tighter than before.
"Her sister."
Hermione gasped at the news, "take us to her."
Ginny opened the hospital door leading the pair down the bed lined room and straight into the muggle ward. The first thing they saw was Poppy surrounded by a slew of muggle looking doctors, looking at a group of images. "No," Hermione didn't know what was going on but by the look on everyone's faces when they saw the Blacks enter, she realized it wasn't good news.
"Minister, Madam Black," Poppy approached them first. "Cassiopeia is right through here." She led them to a closed off room in the back of the ward.
"The ICU? In Hogwarts? What is going on?" Hermione was trying to remain calm for her daughter and for her wife. She could feel Bella's anger bubbling out of her so she was trying to display the feelings she knew Bella needed.
Poppy had opened the door and Bella brushed past her and into the room. It looked so much like the room Hermione was in after she killed Umbridge. Cass was laying in her hospital bed looking so small. She was hooked up to machines that were clearly helping her breathe and Bella lost it. She immediately pulled up a chair, grabbing her daughter's hand, whispering things to her that nobody else could hear. Hermione's heart broke at the sight not knowing how to help either one of them. She tried to listen intently as Poppy was rattling off Cass's many serious injuries. "Wait, what was that last thing? She could be paralyzed."
Bella raised her head, turning to enter the conversation for the first time, "paralyzed? My daughter? Who has aspirations of being a professional Quidditch player? Cassiopeia Bellatrix Black? Paralyzed?" She kissed Cass's cheek before standing and joining the healer and her wife. "There must be some mistake."
"I said potentially paralyzed to some degree. Of course we won't know the full extent of her injuries until she wakes up. However…"
"I don't like the sound of that however," Bella was getting more and more anxious as the seconds ticked by.
"She needs surgery. Muggle surgery. I can heal the broken leg and wrist but the fall caused significant damage to her spinal cord and fractures in a few of her lower vertebrae. She needs surgery in the next 24 hours to lessen her chances of paralysis."
"Do what needs to be done," Bella said immediately, not waiting to hear anything else. "I want Dr. Hoffman in surgery."
"She's already been paged and is on her way."
"Should we transfer her to St. Mungos or a muggle hospital?" Hermione worried her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Dr. Hoffman will decide the best course of action when she gets here. It's best not to move Cass until she's examined by her and the surgeon sees her scans."
"The cats have scanned her. Good," Bella mumbled from her seat. She had moved silently back to her daughter. "Where's Minnie?"
"I would assume that she's speaking with the guilty parties or anyone who might have been involved in the accident."
"Not the headmistress," Bella spat, "my other daughter."
"Oh," Hermione swore she saw a blush on the frazzled healer's cheeks. "She hasn't been permitted inside yet."
"What was the reasoning?" Hermione knew her other daughter was probably a mess not being filled in on what's going on.
"We had to stabilize Cassiopeia first," Poppy responded, placing another vial of pain potion into one of her IVs. "She probably won't wake before surgery. She's experienced a lot of trauma and was in an immense amount of pain."
"She woke?" Bella looked up finally interested in the conversation.
"Only for a moment, she asked for you," Poppy told the dark witch. "We have given her a lot of pain potions and the muggle doctors have prescribed antibiotics in preparation for surgery. She hasn't woken since. It's probably safe to go find your other daughter and the headmistress. Cassiopeia won't wake now."
Hermione walked over to her wife, bending to kiss Cass on the forehead. "Do you want to stay? I can go find Minnie and Minerva. I should probably speak with Slughorn as well."
Just as Hermione was getting ready to leave the room, the headmistress came on with Dr. Hoffman, "Bellatrix, Hermione," the surgeon addressed them. "We really need to start meeting under more favorable circumstances." Poppy handed her all of Cass's scans. She walked them over towards better lighting and took a look. "She needs surgery immediately."
"Give it to us straight," Bella squeezed her daughter's hand. Dr. Hoffman reiterated some of the information Poppy had already relayed to them but she broke it down into simpler terms and ideas which Bella greatly appreciated. The bottom line was Cass needed surgery and she needed it immediately. Unfortunately there was no surgery center on-site so they would have to transport her to St. Mungos where Andy will be informed to start setting up the OR with the muggle assistants. The surgery was invasive and there was the likelihood that Cass would be paralyzed but the surgery would decrease the chance by a small margin. "Fine. Do what needs to be done," Bella signed the first set of consent forms for the magical transport. They would move Cass within the hour. "We need to go find out what happened," she turned to Hermione who was staring at her as if anticipating a meltdown. "Send a patronus before you move her," she told Poppy. "We will be going with her." She didn't wait for a response before taking off out of the room.
"Bella, wait," Hermione was running to catch up. "Shouldn't we discuss what we are going to say?"
"Discuss what? Cass wasn't even meant to be playing today and now they are telling me she might never walk again," she couldn't keep the venom out of her voice. "Tell me to calm down," she saw the look in her wife's eyes, "go on. I dare you." She turned again, taking off towards the headmistress's office leaving her wife in the middle of the hallway. "Where is Slughorn?" She demanded when she finally caught sight of Minerva.
"I told him to clear out."
"Excuse me?" Bella stopped in her tracks. "I wish to speak with him."
"No," Minerva said soundly. "You want to torture him and punish him for Cass's fall. It was not his fault."
"She was not meant to even play today so yes he is partly to blame."
Minerva noticed the way Bella was fidgeting her wand by her side. A nervous tick that she hadn't seen for years from the dark witch. "He showed me the memory. You know your daughter, Bella. She wasn't missing that game today. They reached an agreement after Horace gave her some advice."
Bella scoffed, "please." She started pacing, "just tell me where he is so I can talk to him."
"Not going to happen," Minerva wasn't budging. "I won't have you assaulting my Professors."
"I need answers, Minerva and I'm damn certain I will find them," her wand never stopped moving against her hip. "You've given Slughorn the pass so who is to blame? You can't look me in the eyes and tell me that this was an accident. My daughter did not fall off her broom accidentally. That is the biggest load of hippogriff shit I've ever heard. Who did it?"
"For now, it is being deemed an accident."
Bella's shriek caused the older witch to take a step back. There were red and green sparks crackling from the tip of her wand now. "I swear to Salazar I will burn this whole school down," her eyes were distant as she glared at her mentor. "One last chance, Minerva. Who is responsible?"
"I don't know what to tell you…" her sentence was cut off by an explosion when Bella turned, hit her spell in the corner of the office and left.
Hermione appeared when the dark witch was at the bottom of the circular stairs, "Bella, please."
"Not now, pet," she threw her hand up and walked away, trying to quell some of her anger. Bella just kept walking because she didn't know what to do. She was the mother and she didn't know how to make any of it better for her girl. The easy answer for her was to inflict pain on those who caused Cass pain. The thought that her daughter's dreams may be shattered by someone else had her looking through a veil of terror that she used to see through daily. This sort of pure hatred and anger isn't something she had experienced in almost 2 decades. She wasn't sure how to deal with it. Bella was desperately trying to hold onto herself but she felt Lestrange bubbling up to the surface. "You are stronger than this. Cass needs you to be strong right now." Her steps slowed when she took a couple of deep breaths trying desperately to hold onto herself. "You are strong. You are a Black and you will not break down from this," she was trying to remember things her soul healer had taught her but it was getting increasingly harder.
"No Minnie. You can't!"
Bella heard shouting from around the corner and took off towards the commotion. She stopped just in sight of the scene unfolding before her but none of the children had seen her yet. Her youngest daughter was holding that awful red-headed spawn at wand point against a wall. "You did this, you filthy Weasel."
"Minnie," she heard Cass's girlfriend trying to reign her daughter back. "This isn't you."
"She did this. She knocked Cass off of her broom. I saw it happen," she was shouting in the girl's face. "You've always been jealous of my sister. You've been waiting for an opportunity."
"We both saw it," Sam finally seemed to find her backbone. "Don't deny it, Victoria. You hexed her from behind."
"I did no such thing," the redhead had an air of self satisfaction on her face. "Cassiopeia was fucking around and I saw her fall off her broom."
"Bullshit," Bella was slightly surprised to hear the swear word come out of her youngest. "This was her year. Scouts will be round at the last match and you better pray to Godric or whoever you pray to that she can play because if she's benched or worse, I will kill you myself." Minnie lowered her wand, grabbing Sam to walk away when she heard Victoria laugh. Quicker than taking a breath, Minnie turned around and punched Victoria in the nose. Weasley dropped to the ground with the youngest Black straddling her pummeling her relentlessly.
"Minnie stop!" Sam called out trying to stop one of her hands.
"I don't need magic," Minnie grunted between punches. "I'll kill her the muggle way."
Bella came around the corner. She didn't want to break it up. If what she had heard was true, the girl deserved the punishment, "Minnie," she reached down and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "It's not the time, my love," she squeezed her daughter, bringing her back to the moment. Minnie's fists immediately stopped when Bella stood, lifting her off the girl.
Minnie let out a heart shattering sob, falling into her mother's arm, "mummy. It was so scary." She cried for what seemed like forever. She only vaguely recalled her mother telling Victoria to piss off before she became her problem. She advised her to stay away from the hospital wing and to get one of her Gryffindor friends to fix her nose. "She looked like she was dead, mummy."
Bella held her daughter, letting her get it all out, "I'm here, bean."
Minnie looked up, her cheeks stained with tears. Bella's heart broke for her. She could imagine having the same reaction if something happened to one of her sisters. Her voice seemed so small, "they wouldn't tell us anything or let us see Cass."
"How is she, madam Black?" Sam wiped her own tears away.
Bella extended her arm to comfort Sam as well as her daughter. She had grown quite fond of Cass's girlfriend over the past few years. She didn't know what to say to the girls. She was never one to sugar coat things but they were just kids. "Please mummy. Don't lie. We just want to know."
Bella sighed, "she's unwell. They need to take her to Mungos for emergency surgery. Minnie, you'll come with us. Sam," she saw the hufflepuff staring up at her, "send a message to your parents. If they allow it, you can come with us as well."
"Be right back," she pulled out a cell phone and walked away, calling one of her parents.
"Is the surgery serious?"
"Bean," Bella kissed the top of her head, "Cass may never walk again."
"Madam Black? They said as long as it's okay with the headmistress I can stay with you as long as school will allow me," she put her phone into her back pocket.
"Go pack a bag," she told Sam. "Meet us in the hospital wing. Quickly now. We will be leaving soon." The hufflepuff nodded, taking off towards her common room. "Minnie. I overheard what you were saying to that girl. I want you to know that I believe you wholeheartedly but your genius school is calling this an accident. It's your word against the Weasel and the Weasel's word against an unconscious girl. I need you to tell me what happened."
"Mummy. It was Victoria. Just look," she closed her eyes waiting for her mother to breach her mind.
"Are you sure?" Bella hated invading her daughters' minds unless given specific permission. It was an invasion of privacy that happened to her and her sisters far too often when they were growing up. Minnie nodded, "okay just try to relax and push the memory forward." She closed her eyes and reached into her daughter's memories. She watched from Minnie's point of view. Cass had played tremendously during the game. She made every goal. Bella felt pride seeking in her chest then watched as Potter caught the snitch. The crowds were going wild and she heard Minnie scream, eyes trained to the sky as sparks shot from Victoria's wand, hitting Cass from behind causing her to take the fall. She cringed and pulled out of Minnie's mind after hearing the thud when her daughter hit the ground. "Merlin," she gasped. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
"It was awful, mummy," Minnie started crying again. "I wasn't lying. And," her voice turned more venomous, "it wasn't an accident."
"No. It certainly was not. It was that fucking ginger cunt. You were right." She looked down at her daughter, "don't tell your mother I called a child a cunt."
"Victoria is a cunt, mummy."
"I'll take care of all of this," she kissed Minnie on the forehead. "Let's get back to your sister before they transport her."
When they got back to Cass's room the transport medi-witches were already there loading her onto a Magical Transport Stretcher with all of her tubes and machines transferred to travel ones. "We are ready when you are," the one man said as he tightened the lay strap around Cass's legs.
"Ready to go, love?" Bella turned to her wife.
Hermione approached her after the embrace with Minnie ended. She noticed a complete shift in Bella's behavior from what transpired in the Headmistress's office. She wasn't about to bring it up though and ruin whatever was about to happen at St. Mungos. Just as she was going to speak, Sam came in carrying a book bag on her shoulder, "ready."
Hermione smiled at the girl, bringing her into an embrace, "Cass would be happy that you are here, Sam." Her voice dropped below a whisper, "she loves you very much."
Sam gave her a sad smile, "I love her too, Minister."
Hermione held out her hands for Minnie and Sam to grab, "we are ready, Bella." They walked over towards where the dark witch was standing at Cass's head.
"We are all with you, kitten," she placed one last kiss on her daughter's forehead. "Ready," she gave the medi-witches an unsure smile.
"Let us know how it goes," Poppy called after them.
"Of course," Hermione's pleasant Minister voice was coming through though deep down Bella knew she was just as upset about the situation. Well maybe not as murderous but just as upset.
"We will go through first," the man who Bella assumed to be the head medi-wizard spoke up. "Floo travel is safest for her right now. Meet us there. 4th floor, muggle wing."
They stood and watched as Cassiopeia was taken through the floo with the transport team. Bella looked like she was going to vomit. "Back to the 4th floor," she let out a nervous laugh. "That's where you were, pet."
"Let's go in pairs. Minnie go with mummy," she let go of Minerva's hand. "Sam and I will follow."
Minnie and Bella exited the floo inside of the hospital. "What are you going to do about Weasley mummy?"
Bella patted Minnie on her shoulder, watching as her wife and Sam exited the fireplace. A sickeningly sweet smile accompanied by darkened eyes appeared on Bella's face, "I'm going to do what needs to be done."