"Crucio!"
Hermione awoke in a cold sweat. The sound of Voldemort's hissed curse – albeit only being in her nightmare – made her shiver, despite how hot she felt under her blanket.
She rolled over, wiping her moist forehead, trying to leave behind those dreadful memories. To no avail, unfortunately. The piercing glare of his red eyes still lingered in the darkness, was burnt into her very brain.
Knowing she wouldn't get any more sleep, the teen got out of bed, the kitchen set as her goal, to brew a calming cup of tea for herself. Half asleep she rummaged through the cupboard to find a kettle and put it on the stove. Her drowsy gaze wandered over to the window overlooking the garden and met a set of gleaming golden eyes. Hermione's blood froze, barely managing to stifle a scream, as she stumbled a startled step backwards.
She heard the vampire's muffled laugh through the closed window, calmed herself with a deep breath and went to open it.
"You can't scare me like that," she admonished her playfully stern, raising a warning finger.
"As we have just witnessed," Bellatrix returned equally jovial, her smirk impish, and leaned in closer, giving a coquettish wink, "I very much can."
Hermione shook her head dismissively but couldn't keep the grin from forming on her lips.
"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes, and turned around, pointing at the tea kettle, "would you like some, too?"
"Sure."
With an affirmative nod the brunette prepared two mugs and leaned against the kitchen counter, waiting for the water to boil.
Her eyes again drifted off to the vampiress, her mind slipping into memories of the recent events.
It had only been just over a week since their conversation in the park. From then on, Bellatrix had come by her house every day. At first the situation had still been unfamiliar and awkward but now it felt all but natural to have the dark-haired witch greet her in the mornings and send her off to sleep for the nights.
Even her parents seemed to have somewhat warmed up to her after their long conversation they'd apparently had on the night of Harry's birthday.
In all honesty, it was almost scary how fast they'd come to get along.
Logically, looking at their respective heritage and upbringing, the two of them should have been repulsed by one another; or, at the very least, should have had a much harder time getting accustomed to each other.
However, setting aside all the things that would keep them at odds, Hermione came to realize that they had quite a bit in common. Both were very smart and talented, with a strong desire to excel, always hungry to know more, learn something new, and broaden their knowledge.
The last point, especially, had rung true for Bellatrix these past few days. Like a sponge she'd soaked up every bit of information about muggles and their lives she could get her hands on. She'd peppered the girl with questions, almost exhaustingly so, but Hermione was all too happy to oblige.
Even though it was a bit disappointing that Bellatrix had been quite reluctant to talk about anything regarding her nature as a vampire, Hermione felt elated that the older witch was so invested in her life, her people and their culture.
Movies, especially, seemed to have struck her fancy, oddly enough.
"It's like going to the theatre! At home! Without the annoying obligation of striking up meaningless conversations with stuck-up imbeciles!"
The excitement and glee with which she'd said those words always managed to put a smile on the brunette's face whenever she recalled them.
The whistle of the teapot got her out of her musings. She filled the two mugs and went outside to join Bellatrix on the terrace, finding her comfortably settled on the garden sofa, gazing up into the night sky. The clink of the cup as Hermione set it down made her turn around.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."
"You didn't. I heard you coming."
"Still," the girl went on and sat down besides the vampiress, "you seemed so … enthralled."
"Well, I did always like them," Bellatrix replied nonchalantly, turning her eyes back to the stars, "Astronomy was my favourite subject in Hogwarts, actually."
"Really?" Hermione gasped in surprise, followed by a soft giggle, "I could've sworn it would've been something more … magical."
The raven-haired woman shot her a sly grin …
"You'll find that I'm just full of surprises."
… and a coquettish wink to boot.
That made Hermione laugh out loud. She leaned back on the sofa and flashed a bright smile.
"Then I can't wait to discover them all."
Bellatrix visibly stiffened at her words and fumbled her own as she hastily tried to change the subject.
"Yeah, uhm, well, enough about me. What about you?"
"What about me?" the brunette asked innocently, batting her eyes.
"Oh, you know, it's three in the morning?" the vampire elaborated, raising an eyebrow in admonishment, "I'm nocturnal. What's your excuse?"
Now it was the student's time to tense up.
"I, uh …," she stammered hesitantly, not wanting to revisit her dream at all. However, the prompting gaze of her companion had her give in a few seconds later.
"It was another nightmare – of that night."
Bellatrix growled irritated, gritting her teeth.
"I see."
"It wasn't about you, though," the girl tried to soothe her ire, reaching out to grab the older witch's hand, but ultimately retracting it, "I mean, you were there, too, but it was more about … him … torturing us." With every word her voice weakened, as she tried her hardest not to remember the events of her dream.
An oppressive silence formed between them. Hermione picked up her teacup and took an awkward sip – Bellatrix doing the same.
As the brunette swished the remaining contents in a circle, a thought occurred to her.
"Oh, I forgot to ask."
She turned to the vampiress; her words almost caught in her throat.
"W-Would you have liked some blood with that?"
Hermione was a little reluctant to ask her; it had been a sensitive topic throughout the past week, after all.
The very next day after their conversation in the park, a parcel had arrived, filled to the brim with blood-bags – courtesy of Jonathan Strauss. Bellatrix had thrown a bit of a tantrum and downright refused to drink any of it, because she simply didn't trust him.
But in the end her thirst won out and she decided to accept his gift, albeit begrudgingly.
"I had some at dinner earlier, so I'm fine."
Her words were collected and final, coating them with a blanket of awkward silence once more.
However, this time, after taking another gulp of her tea, it was Bellatrix who broke it again.
"I … never really thanked you, did I?"
Hermione blinked at her in confusion.
"What for?"
"For stepping in when you did."
Bellatrix turned to her, the look in her eyes begetting the sincerity of her words.
"For protecting me."
A light blush formed on the student's cheeks.
"W-Well …," she started flustered, fidgeting with her hands, "w-who wouldn't have?"
That brought about a joyful, bell-like laughter from the older woman.
"Literally everyone else, dear," she managed to get out, still chuckling amusedly, and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, "and neither should you have."
Her merriment gradually subsided.
"You should've seized the opportunity and tried to slip away while he was busy with me. You had no reason to help me."
"He was hurting you," the girl replied quietly and turned away again, "that was reason enough for me."
She squeezed her hands tightly as she remembered the horrible scenes of said night.
"I never could just sit by and watch someone suffer like that … regardless of who they are."
A flicker of ire sparked alive within her, thinking about the many people who had been tormented by the woman sitting next to her. So, she fixed her fierce and accusing gaze back on Bellatrix and spoke with steadfast emphasize: "No one deserves to be treated that way."
The vampire's face was unreadable. However, Hermione believed she'd struck a nerve to some capacity, at least. Because even though they were staring right at each other, Bellatrix' gaze seemed unfocused, as if she was looking through rather than at her. But then she gritted her teeth and turned away, clicking her tongue.
"It was normal for me."
Her words were almost quiet enough for the girl to miss entirely, and yet, they gave her pause. They were laden with so much pain, sorrow and resentment, it made Hermione's stomach churn unpleasantly.
"What do you mean?"
It was a mere whisper, an accompaniment to the slow and gentle touch on her counterpart's shoulder to not startle her.
To no avail, however, as it made Bellatrix flinch just the tiniest bit, before she took a deep breath and flashed a weak smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"That's a story for another day, dear."
And the way she said it told Hermione it was final, that this topic wouldn't be discussed any further for the time being.
Slightly defeated, the girl slumped into the outdoor couch.
An awkward, yet not entirely uncomfortable, silence fell over the pair.
Bellatrix had brought her attention back to the stars, while Hermione was left to her own musings, repeatedly trying to stifle her yawns, which came much more frequent now. Only now realizing how tired she was, she leaned into the backrest to rest her eyes for a bit, not able to hold back a particularly big yawn.
"Perhaps you should go back to bed?" the vampiress suggested, chuckling lightly.
"No, I'm fine," Hermione replied in a drowsy mumble, "I want to talk some more."
"You're more asleep than awake."
The girl grumbled at the retort and sunk deeper into the sofa's cushions.
"Am not," she drawled defiantly but couldn't hold true to her words, as she drifted off into peaceful slumber to the melodic sound of Bellatrix' soft laughter.
When a pleasant summer breeze kissed her awake again, the first things Hermione noticed were the firm but strangely comfortable pillow her head rested on, as well as the gentle strokes of tender fingers brushing through her hair. She hummed contently and snuggled even closer to the cushion; a blissful smile plastered on her face.
Suddenly, the cosy headrest began to vibrate ever so slightly, as she heard an amused giggle.
"Well, good morning to you," an all too familiar voice greeted her.
She opened her eyes and was treated to the sight of a slim midriff, barely covered by a tight-fitting shirt. The girl turned just enough to be able to look upwards, where a set of voluptuous breasts hovered only centimetres above her; right past them was the impishly grinning face of Bellatrix Black, "Sleep well?"
Hermione quickly deduced that – given her current position – she must've had spent the night resting in the vampiress' lap. Blushing violently, she shot up into an upright position.
"S-Sorry," the girl stuttered and took a quick glance at the other woman.
"No need to apologize, dear. I could've woken you up at any time," the witch, however, only waved off with an amused titter, "besides, it was my decision to let you rest more comfortably, since sleeping sitting up isn't good for your posture."
"I would've carried you to bed too, if not for that stupid 'permission to enter' rule," she murmured as an afterthought and growled quietly.
At the thought of Bellatrix carrying her to bed – like a child – Hermione turned an even darker shade of red. However, the thoughtfulness of her actions brought a shy, yet appreciative smile to the girl's lips.
"In that case, thank you."
She cleared her throat, trying to find something else to say, when she noticed the advanced position of the sun.
"What time is it, anyway?"
"About noon."
"Already?!"
Hermione jumped up, taut.
"Y-You should have woken me sooner."
"I was going to. But your sleeping face was just too adorable, so I couldn't."
The longing sigh paired with the dreamy blink of her eyes Bellatrix accentuated her words with brought the brunette's blush back in full force.
"I-I'll go wash up," Hermione puffed hurriedly and rushed inside, accompanied by the vampire's mirthful laughter, which reminded her of an important fact.
"By the way, you—," she started, turning around, but stopped short in surprise when she saw Bellatrix already coming inside, "you … can enter the house?"
"Oh, yes. Your parents gave me permission when they left for work earlier."
The girl's face fell, dumbstruck.
"But … that was at least four hours ago."
"So?"
"Why didn't you carry me to my room then – or wake me up, at least?"
"Didn't I just tell you?" Bellatrix returned with a smug grin on her lips and blew her a kiss, winking.
"Whatever," the teenager drawled exasperatedly, eyes rolling, her cheeks hued in a light tint of pink, and pelted up the stairs, once again followed by heartfelt laughter.
After taking a shower and changing into something more presentable than her pyjamas, she made her way back down into the living room to find Bellatrix glued to the telly, well into what had quickly become her favourite movie.
"Star Wars again?"
Hermione sighed overly dramatic.
"Couldn't you have picked anything else?"
"What? They're good."
The response was only half-hearted, as the vampiress was too invested in the film to fully pay attention.
"I'm not denying that, but you've watched them so many times recently, that I'm just a little bit sick of them," the girl said, leaning onto the backrest of the sofa right next to where the older woman sat.
A deep growl escaped Bellatrix' throat.
"If you want … we can … watch … something else."
Hermione giggled sympathetically, almost feeling bad for the other witch. She could practically feel how much the idea repelled her.
"No, it's alright. You know I want you to feel welcome here, so you can watch whatever you want," the brunette stated, giving her guest's shoulder a gentle squeeze, "I'll be in my room."
She turned to leave but before she could even let go of her, Bellatrix' hand snapped up, getting a hold of her wrist.
Startled, the girl swung back around and was met by the equally surprised face of Bellatrix. With her eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, she looked lost, confused, as if she had no clue as to why she'd reached out to stop her.
When their eyes met, the vampiress flinched and tore her hand and eyes away and cleared her throat awkwardly.
Hermione smiled softly. She didn't know why Bellatrix had acted the way she had just now either, of course, but it somehow warmed her heart, made her feel needed, appreciated.
So, she walked around the sofa and sat down next to her.
"Well, I guess seeing them again wouldn't be the worst."
The vampiress didn't add anything to her statement. However, out of the corner of her eyes, the girl saw her tension dissipating and just the slightest upturn of her lips.
Suffering through that movie series for what felt like the hundredth time was a considerably small price to pay for that brief moment of quiet intimacy.
And it wasn't like she could focus on the films anyway, her mind too occupied by the upcoming meeting with Harry and Sirius. Every passing moment brought them closer to it, made her unease grow, her eyes darting to the clock with ever increasing frequency. When the last movie ended, Hermione's attention was fully reserved for the relentlessly moving arms of the timepiece.
"Calm down," the gentle voice of Bellatrix brought her out of her reverie, albeit she kept her eyes glued to the clock, "there's no need to worry."
A mirthless chuckle escaped Hermione's throat.
"Easy for you to say. You don't risk losing your best friend over this."
She took a deep breath to soothe her nerves, unsuccessfully.
"Neither do you," the older witch replied, her voice full of conviction, eliciting a sarcastic chuckle from the brunette.
"You don't know Harry like I do."
The girl gave a long sigh and flashed a quick smile.
"He can be very … judgemental. And stubborn."
"Well, in our special case that might even be justified," Bellatrix said nonchalantly, shrugging, "but be that as it may, you still have nothing to worry about."
She paused and took a deep breath, face serious, seemingly contemplating her next words carefully.
"You don't have to stick with me."
Hermione furrowed her brows in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that if it looks like they are going to reject me – which is the most likely outcome – you need to do the same."
The girl's eyes widened, gut twisting unpleasantly.
"No, Bellatrix—"
"Promise me that you will take their side."
"But—"
"No 'buts'," the vampiress interrupted her yet again, eyes narrowed sternly, "I appreciate your devotion to our little 'We are in this together'-sentiment. But if staying together means driving a wedge between you and your friends, it would defeat the whole purpose of why I sought you out in the first place."
Hermione sunk her head, deep in thought.
Bellatrix was right, of course. Splitting the Order apart would benefit no one but Voldemort. It was only logical to turn against her, should the situation arise.
But the thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"So, you see, there's nothing to worry about."
Her eyes wandered back to the other woman.
She knew those words were meant to comfort her, to calm her nerves.
However, they did nothing to soothe her unease.
Because there was still one thing.
"Except loosing you."
A bell-like laughter escaped Bellatrix' throat.
"Well, that's not much of a loss, now, is it?"
No. Objectively speaking, it really wasn't. On the contrary. If Bellatrix were to disappear from her life she would soon be forgotten and everything would return to normal.
And yet …
"Yes, it is."
On a personal level, it would be. She didn't want the vampire to leave. She wanted to talk to her more, get to know her better.
Be her friend.
When she saw her astonishedly widened eyes, her face burned up in embarrassment and she blurted out an awkward explanation.
"I-I mean you are a smart witch a-and a very capable fighter, so it, uh …"
Hermione's initial rush died down a little. She cleared her throat, sheepishly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and finished in a much calmer voice, "It would be a great loss to not have you on our side."
She looked at Bellatrix, hoping she'd believe her spontaneous pretext. Judging by her impish grin, however, she saw right through it.
For a few moments the two of them only stared at each other in silence, before the sudden ring of the doorbell broke through it.
Hermione jumped up, startled, her heart hammering against her chest.
"Th-They're here," she breathed barely audible, panic raising its ugly head again.
"Calm down."
The soft voice and tender touch to her shoulder let her turn back to the vampiress and meet her glistening golden eyes.
"Everything is going to be fine."
And, strangely enough, she believed her.
Because how could she not; with that reassuring smile of hers, that caring shimmer in her beautiful irises and the comforting warmth of her loving caress?
Hermione breathed freely in this moment of blissful relaxation when a thought occurred to her.
"Are you … hypnotising me?"
Suddenly, the affectionate glimmer in Bellatrix' eyes made way for an excited sparkle.
"Did it work? I was trying to help you relax."
The girl couldn't stifle a giggle at the older one's flurry.
"Yes, it did," she confirmed gratefully, beaming at her counterpart, "thank you."
The doorbell rang a second time.
Hermione reluctantly separated from Bellatrix.
"I should let them in."
She walked a few steps before addressing the vampire again.
"Would you wait upstairs in the guest room? I would like to exchange at least a few pleasantries before I … drop the news."
"That's probably for the best," Bellatrix affirmed and walked past her, giving her a supportive squeeze on the shoulder. She made her way upstairs, but not before stopping halfway and turning around again, locking eyes with the brunette, "It's going to be fine."
A surge of confidence coursed through the girl at her sincere words.
"Yes, it will be."
Another ring from the doorbell sounded.
"Now go to your room."
"Yes, mother."
Bellatrix playfully stuck out her tongue and disappeared from view.
Shaking her head with an amused smile on her lips, Hermione walked over to the entrance. As she grabbed the knob, she took one last deep breath …
It's going to be fine.
… and opened the door.
When the door to the guest room swung open, Bellatrix watched with dignified composure as Sirius and the boy froze in place the moment they laid eyes upon her, throning on the little stool Hermione had provided her. She revelled in their dumbstruck faces, her lips curling up into a haughty grin, eyes glittering with playful glee.
"Hello, cousin," she warbled in a mirthful lilt, "fancy meeting you here."
Her quip seemed to startle him out of his initial shock as he and his godson drew their wands and pointed them at her.
Hermione, ever so sweet, immediately jumped in between.
"No, wait!"
"What the hell are you doing, Hermione?!" Potter barked, both angry and surprised.
"She's just here to talk," the girl defended, trying to make herself as wide as possible to shield the vampiress, "please, put down your wands."
Sirius shot his cousin a nasty glare.
"What did you do to her?"
His voice was low and menacing.
"What spell did you put her under?"
"She didn't bewitch—"
"It's called 'kindness', Sirius," Bellatrix cut in nonchalantly, raising from her throne, and walked a few elegant steps towards the intruders, who fastened their grip on their weapons as she approached, "and, honestly, it's more like she used it to charm me."
She put her hand on the brunette's shoulder, squeezing it gently to, hopefully, convey her gratitude without having to say it.
"It's alright, dear," she added calmly, "I can handle it."
The girl turned her worry-stricken face around to her.
"Are you sure?"
"Who do you take me for?" Bellatrix boasted confidently, wearing a cocky smirk, perfectly masking the fact that Hermione's concern for her just melted her heart a little bit.
"Now, if you wouldn't mind," she continued pleasantly and brought her attention back to Sirius, who had watched their exchange with narrowed eyes, "I'd like to have a word."
Her eyes darted to the Potter boy, who was positively fuming with detest.
"In private," she finished, pointedly returning his hateful glare with an unfazed expression.
The room fell quiet, death-stares thrown around between the wizards and the vampiress, until Hermione timidly broke the awkward silence.
"L-let's go downstairs."
She softly grabbed Harry by the arm, but he immediately jerked it away and shot her a nasty look.
Dejectedly, the girl sunk her head and made her way out of the room.
"I-I'll make some tea."
She tried to keep her composure, but Bellatrix could clearly hear the hurt in her voice.
It made her angry.
Go after her, right now!
Apologize!
How dare you treat her like that?!
The words burned on the tip of her tongue.
She wanted to yell at him, tell him how much of an arse he was.
But she held herself back.
She couldn't show weakness, couldn't show that she cared.
Not here, not now.
Fortunately, her cousin seemed to possess at least enough perception to read the mood.
"You should go after her, Harry."
The boy's incredulous look snapped to his godfather.
"Find out why she's doing this or if she's bewitched in any way."
Bellatrix rolled her eyes exaggeratedly.
"But Sirius—"
"It's fine," the adult cut him off and regarded the teenager with an encouraging smile, "go talk to her. I can handle things here."
He gave him a fatherly pat on the shoulder and a reassuring wink.
Harry looked back and forth between the two adults, before he nodded in agreement and left the room.
Sirius closed the door behind him and turned his now again narrowed eyes on his cousin, wand still pointed at her.
"What's this all about?" he hissed venomously, "what are you planning?"
"You know, it's quite rude to point at someone," Bellatrix trilled, nonchalantly walking over to the bed and sat down, leisurely leaning back on her hands and comfortably crossing her legs, "so put that thing away, already."
Sirius snarled aggressively, but after a few seconds he lowered his weapon, albeit not putting it away.
"Now talk."
She shot him an imperious smirk before she hummed in mock contemplation.
"Hmm … would you prefer the long version or the short?"
"The short."
"Alright, then," Bellatrix leaned forward, looking her cousin dead in the eyes, her voice now serious.
"I want the Dark Lord dead."
After a few moments had passed in complete silence, Sirius burst into sarcastic, almost mocking, laughter.
"Never would've taken you for a jester."
Her face and demeanour remained stoic.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"I suppose not," he replied equally stone-faced and crossed his arms as he leisurely leaned against the wall, "but I'm afraid I'll need the whole story after all."
The vampiress turned away, looking out of the window, and took a deep breath.
"You are aware of what I am now, aren't you?"
"I've been told. Yes."
"Well, then," she went on, flashing her cousin a half-grin, "would you like to wager a guess as to who might've had a problem with that?"
He didn't respond. But the knowing look in his eyes spoke volumes, so Bellatrix continued.
"The moment he realized it, he killed me."
The memory made her shudder.
"Lucky for me, vampires come back from the dead. So, after I woke up a few months later, I figured out that something was going down in the Department of Mysteries and went there to …" She clicked her tongue and spat out her next words as if they were poisonous. "… try and regain his favour."
"Yeah, I remember that night," Sirius rose his voice, shooting her a death-glare, "you broke my arm."
"Did I really?"
The witch chuckled softly in amusement but caught herself quickly when she saw his wand-arm twitch and breathed a heavy sigh instead.
"To be honest, I don't recall most of it. I blacked out before I could do anything and only came to again when the Dark Lord arrived – just in time for his torture."
She tried to play it cool, but the memory made her tremble just the tiniest bit.
"It wasn't the first time, of course. He had tortured me before. For failing my task, making mistakes or speaking out against his plans."
Her head sunk.
"But this time was different. The Cruciatus Curse gets stronger the more its user wants to hurt their victim. And I felt it. All his rage and disdain he channelled through the curse. It was more painful than anything I've ever felt before."
Sirius snorted.
"If you're trying to appeal to my compassion, save—"
"And then she stepped in," Bellatrix cut him off, slowly shaking her head with a chuckle, "Hermione, that lovely fool. Without reason, completely disregarding her own safety, she just took his torture in my stead."
Her chuckles turned into sarcastic laughter.
"Isn't it ironic? On one side the man I worshipped, trying to kill me in the most agonizing way imaginable, and on the other the girl supposed to hate me by default, swooping in to safe me."
She breathed a heavy sigh.
"I think that was the slap to my face I needed to finally wake up and realize that I was wrong to put my faith in him."
Her head sunk and her voice grew bitter.
"That he never saw me as anything more than a tool."
Silence filled the room as Bellatrix wallowed in her displeasure until Sirius broke through it.
"So, what now? Am I supposed to just believe everything you said, pad you on the back, welcome you onboard and pretend nothing ever happened?" he scoffed, clicking his tongue for good measure, and shook his head incredulously, "you hurt so many people. Friends, family. And what you did to Frank and Alice …"
He gritted his teeth and threw her a seething glare.
"I could never forgive you."
Well, that much was to be expected. She'd never assumed he would play along right away. Her stunt with the Longbottoms being a striking counterargument was also a given. Even if there was more to that story than he knew, but this wasn't the time to discuss it.
"I haven't come here to beg for forgiveness," Bellatrix replied calmly, raised from the bed and walked a few steps towards her cousin. He tightened the grip around his wand again, but otherwise didn't move.
"Everything I've done, I did with pride, dedication and conviction for a cause I thought was worth fighting for. And that is nothing to apologize for."
Sirius attempted to retort but the witch pressed on before he could muster a single word.
"The only thing I regret now is who I did it for."
She snarled, irritated, baring her teeth.
"He doesn't deserve my loyalty, my devotion; he never has. I gave him everything. But all I received in return were pain and suffering."
Clicking her tongue, she blinked away angry tears that threatened to fall.
"I can now finally see him for the bastard he really is and I want him to pay – for everything he did to me. But I know I don't stand a chance against him on my own. That is why I'm here: To form an alliance."
Sirius threw her a sceptical look.
"Hate me all you want. Lock me up and throw away the key. Chase me to the end of the sun if you have to. But first …"
She grabbed him by the shoulders, nailed him with an intense stare, her eyes burning with fierce determination.
"… please let me help you kill him."
The room fell silent.
Sirius regarded her with narrowed eyes; if out of abhorrence or contemplation, she couldn't tell.
However, she opted to let go of him and took a step back, raising an expectant eyebrow.
A few more seconds passed before her cousin heaved a heavy sigh, that bordered on a groan, as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I really hate you; and I would love nothing more than to see you behind bars again."
After he shot her another glare, Sirius breathed in deeply and casually leaned against the wall once more.
"Then again, you are a very strong witch – as much as it pains me to admit it; and having you on our side could be beneficial."
Bellatrix balled her hands, trying her hardest to not let her growing hopes show.
"But there's just no way I can trust you," her cousin sighed and rubbed his eyes shortly, "I mean, how can I be sure that you won't stab my back the moment I turn it to you."
"Hmm … I suppose it would be a gamble to you," the witch mused aloud and followed up with a cocky smirk, challenging, "but don't you think my prowess is worth the risk?"
Sirius stroked his beard thoughtfully, contemplating the question.
"It's not that simple."
He groaned again.
"And even if it were, it's not my decision to make anyway."
"Which is why Hermione is downstair talking to the boy right now and Dumbledore will be joining us later."
A mirthless snort escaped his throat.
"Thought of everything, have you?"
"She more than I, actually."
"Is that right?"
The room fell silent as he regarded her, contemplating, before he broke through it with his next question.
"What exactly is it with Hermione, anyway? What could you possibly have on her to make her help you so willingly?"
With all her might, Bellatrix suppressed the smile that threatened to form at the thought of the sweet, caring girl who somehow managed to surpass the walls around her heart and made herself at home there.
But she would sooner be caught dead than to ever admit that.
So, she repurposed her posture and put on a haughty grin.
"I know you would just love to hear how I manipulated, or threatened, or used the Imperius Curse on her to make her submit, but, really, it's all on her own accord."
"I don't even have my wand," she muttered as an afterthought and breathed a drawn-out sigh, dropping her regal act.
"I think, in the end, she simply pities me; for what I've become; for what I've been through – whatever, I don't know."
The witch shrugged in apt frustration and sat back down on the bed.
"And, I guess, part of it was self-interest, too."
"How so?"
"Well, dear cousin," she trilled and casually leaned back on her elbows, "as it would seem, vampires are not just an enigma to me but to pretty much everyone. So, by taking advantage of my personal vendetta against the Dark Lord, she probably believes she can get closer to me and learn more about my … kind."
She let herself fall flat on the mattress, her last word barely above a whisper.
Although she'd come to terms with her vampirism, to say it out loud still felt awkward and strange.
The unexpected chuckle Sirius elicited made her sit back up straight and look at him in bewilderment.
"That really does sound like her."
He shook his head amusedly.
"She sure holds up to her title of 'brightest witch of her age'."
A small smile crept its way onto Bellatrix' lips.
Because, yes, that reputation befitted Hermione perfectly; the past week had been more than enough time for her to determine that.
Aside from herself, she'd never met a smarter witch in her life. The conversations they'd had were of such delightful intellect and clever banter, she'd occasionally even forgotten that her counterpart was still only sixteen years of age.
"And what about you, then?"
Torn out of her thoughts by his sudden query she blinked a few times as she turned to him.
"Pardon?"
"Well, I can – more or less – understand Hermione's motivation here," he replied smugly and crossed his arms leisurely, wearing a self-satisfied smirk, obviously awfully proud of himself to have caught her off guard.
"But that doesn't explain your behaviour. So, why, of all people, did you come to Hermione for help?"
Bellatrix froze.
She had been afraid of this question; not of it being asked, but of actually thinking about and honestly answering it.
Was it the unparalleled taste of the girl's blood? Well, yes. It had certainly played a major part, at first; still did, really, but not as prominently as before.
Now that she'd spent some time – however little it might have been – with her, there was something else drawing her towards the young witch as well.
But she'd never allowed herself to explore this feeling any further; too scared of what it might uncover within the depths of her inner self.
Whenever she found herself too close to the student, she would draw back immediately, suppressing any and all emotions that may have threatened to surface. She'd remind herself that she was supposed to hate Hermione, that she was nothing more than a filthy mud blood, not even worth the dirt under her feet, only to feel the sting of guilt for degrading her like that – the brunette angel, who had so selflessly offered her hand when no one else did.
All that musing was giving her a headache.
And it must have shown, too, since she could clearly see the confusion in her cousin's face, as he stared at her expectantly.
The vampiress pinched the bridge of her nose and growled in displeasure.
"I don't know."
"That's not an answer," Sirius snorted dismissively, annoyance clear in his voice.
"Well, excuse me that my turmoil is inconvenient to you," she retorted harshly, piercing him with a venomous glare, "I can't even explain what's going on myself. So, if you have any clever insight on the matter then, please, be my guest."
Her cousin clicked his tongue, but otherwise stayed quiet, while Bellatrix let her head sink again.
"Don't you think I'd just love to have all the answers, to understand whatever this is?"
A mirthless chuckle escaped her throat.
"I have never been more confused in my life and it's all because of that girl."
She sighed in frustration and dug her nails into her scalp, trying to suppress the headache that was still plaguing her.
"There's … something about her. Something I … can't seem to resist."
"That's …," the wizard raised his wary voice, "… unsettling."
The witch gave a single sarcastic cackle.
"You don't say."
An oppressive silence filled the room.
After a few moments Bellatrix raised her bleary eyes onto Sirius again and was met with his thoughtful gaze.
He was just about to say something when the sound of the doorbell beat him to it.
About bloody time!
Immediately, the pureblood surrounded herself with a regal aura once more, as she elegantly raised from the bed.
"Sounds like the guest of honour has arrived.
She regarded her counterpart with the fake smile only true aristocrats were capable off.
"Shall we head downstairs?"
Without waiting for his reply, she went to open the door. But as she walked past him, he held her back with a tight grip on her upper arm. They shot each other a death-glare.
"This conversation is not over," he hissed at her menacingly, what only brought about a haughty smirk on her part.
"But postponed indefinitely."
She freed herself from his hold, but then offered her hand to him, like a princess would to a dance partner.
"Now, would you please show me to the ballroom?"
Sirius rolled his eyes and smacked her hand away half-heartedly.
"In your dreams, 'your highness'," he spat at her venomously, making her giggle in earnest.
"Try to keep up then," Bellatrix quipped over her shoulder as she skipped down the hallway, leaving her aggravatedly growling cousin behind.
Albus Dumbledore strode down the street, the home of his probably brightest student already in sight.
Never before had the smart witch enlisted his advice – no matter the problem. Ever since she'd enrolled into Hogwarts, she'd always strived to solve everything on her own – mostly successful – which, as headmaster of the prestigious school, made him very proud.
So, to say that he'd been intrigued when Ms. Granger's letter of invitation had reached him would have been an understatement.
The following days he had been wondering many a time what problem might have possibly amassed for even Hermione not to be confident enough to tackle on her own.
Although, taking the most recent events into consideration, as well as the fact that Harry Potter and Sirius Black had also been invited, he had a pretty good idea of what this meeting would entail.
The wizard came to a halt in front of the sought house, his eyes drawn to a squirrel sitting on the canopy, happily munching away at a hazelnut. Upon realizing it was watched, the mammal snapped its attention towards its onlooker, high at alert.
Dumbledore slightly inclined his head, wearing a small smile.
"And who might you be, little friend?"
For a few more seconds, the animal stayed still. But then its tense body loosened up, as it lazily tossed the remainder of its snacks over its shoulder before jumping off the roof with a front flip, transforming into a human in the prosses.
"Jonathan Strauss," the headmaster greeted amusedly as the addressee landed in front of him with all the grace of an Olympic athlete.
"Albus," he responded curtly, tipping his head lightly, "should have known it wouldn't be that simple to conceal myself from you."
"Why, yes. I do pride myself on my perceptiveness."
The old man chuckled quietly before carrying on.
"So, since you are here, may I assume that Ms. Granger's issue is indeed connected to Bellatrix Lestrange, then?"
"Well, she's going by 'Black' again now, but, yeah, right on the mark."
Dumbledore nodded his understanding.
"Will you be joining us?"
"No. Hermione wanted me there, but Bellatrix didn't."
He shrugged nonchalantly.
"Not like I'd have agreed anyway. Your little tussle doesn't concern me."
"Is that right? Then why are you here?"
Jonathan hummed pensively, leisurely crossing his arms.
"Well, initially I was asked to keep an eye on Bellatrix. Apparently, she's a cause for great concern to certain individuals."
He shrugged parenthetically.
"However, after I talked to the two of them, they caught my personal interest, too."
His face remained stoic, but there was a spark of excitement glistening in his eyes when he turned to the house, stroking his chin-beard deep in thought.
"There is something between them; some sort of strange attraction I can't quite explain …"
A thrilled grin formed on his lips.
"… it goes deeper than mere attachment; it's something out of their control – instinctive, almost natural. I've never seen anything like it."
Dumbledore stroke his beard thoughtfully, this new piece of information certainly piquing his interest. If that unspoken connection between the two women actually existed, it could surely be exploited. Maybe to lure Bellatrix in, have her work for the Order and fight for their cause. Perhaps this was even the purpose of this little get-together – to recruit the former Death Eater.
However, between all the possible benefits such an arrangement would come with, there was still one unsettling detail he needed clarification on beforehand.
"About this 'attraction' you spoke of; could that potentially become an endangerment to Ms. Granger in any way?"
"It might," the blonde man confirmed without hesitation, "I mean the very first time Hermione invited Bellatrix into her home, she almost assaulted her thrice."
"Never out of malice," he added calmly after spotting the headmaster's worriedly widened eyes, "she was acting on instinct, trying to satiate her bloodthirst. But she got that moderately under control now that I'm providing her with frequent rations."
Dumbledore regarded the doctor with a sceptically raised eyebrow a few seconds longer before his features relaxed and his smile returned.
"Well, then I am very grateful to whomever asked you to keep an eye on Bellatrix. It is quite reassuring to know Ms. Granger in your safe hands."
Jonathan fixed him with a deadpanned expression.
"It's not her I'm protecting."
That made the wise wizard frown again.
"Bellatrix is strong; hardly someone in need of protection," he stated matter-of-factly, "so what – or whom – could it possibly be you'd have to guard her from?"
"Let me worry about that. You have your own mess to clean up," came the apathetic reply paired with an offhanded gesture.
"Speaking of which: You should probably get a move on. I bet they're dying for a change of pace in there right about now."
As much as Dumbledore would have liked to dig deeper into this topic, he had to admit that his counterpart was right. He had already wasted enough time on this conversation as it was. So, he put on his signature benign smile and bid his polite farewells.
Halfway to the entrance, however, he came to a halt once more, as he was addressed by Dr. Strauss again.
"One last thing: Whatever happens in there, don't hold it against Hermione. Her heart's in the right place."
He kept his voice level, coating it with an air of indifference, but Dumbledore was able to detect just the slightest sliver of empathy in his words.
Beaming brightly the headmaster turned fully to the other man.
"My, my. I'm glad to hear your caring is also extended to Ms. Granger," he spoke with an amused titter and gave a playful wink, "I will be counting on you to keep her safe, then."
Jonathan clicked his tongue, exaggeratedly rolling his eyes.
"Up yours, Albus."
He then flipped him off and turned back into a squirrel, scuttled up the gutter drain and out of sight, returning to his observations.
Dumbledore, meanwhile, only chuckled again and walked up to the house to ring the doorbell.
Hello everyone!
I'm very sorry it took so long again. I had a pretty slow start with this chapter and it also underwent quite a few changes throughout the writing process.
But even if it was strenious, I had a lot of fun writing it. So, I hope you had just as good a time reading it.
Thank you for reading :-)