Why Do Birds Sing?

by Weekly-Crisis

"I wish to save Bellatrix." At this, the death eater in question lifted her head in utter shock. She met chocolate eyes across the room, the same eyes that previously resembled cracked, charred earth now glowed with the soft embers of the beginning of a warm fire and glimmered with… with emotions Bellatrix couldn't place.

4. Chapter 4

"Why did you bring roadkill?"

"Don't be so rude, Crookshanks is not roadkill." Hermione looked aghast as she held Crookshanks up to Bellatrix for a closer look. Big, round, amber eyes stared at Bellatrix, eyes gooey and warm and sweet like honey. Bellatrix didn't like honey. But the sweetness in the creature's eyes matched those of its owners and a warm pit filled with hazelnuts and chocolates and other things that reminded Bellatrix of brown eyes, sat in her stomach. "He's half kneazle." Hermione in response to Bellatrix's contemplative silence simply jutted out her lip, catching the offending flesh delicately between her teeth before it turned into a full pout as Crookshanks mewed. The pit grew warmer.

Bellatrix wanted to gag at how sweet the display was, so she did what Bellatrix did best. She sneered and pointed at the kneazle's face.

"He looks like someone punted him in the face"

"You look like you need to be punted in the face." Hermione's quip was quick and witty and it almost made Bellatrix smile. The brunette witch was definitely spending too much time with her.

Hermione for her part tried not to look embarrassed. She had tried very hard to keep their conversations and relationship professional but she couldn't help but bite to Bellatrix's quips and banter. It was easy to talk and joke and throw silly comments and the youngest black sister made it exceedingly difficult to converse normally, therapist to patient. But of course this didn't matter to Bellatrix, it probably worked better for her than having someone simply talk at her and expect serious responses. Hermione knew on some level, whether Bellatrix admitted it or not, that she also thoroughly enjoyed these moments with Hermione. It made her feel human, and Hermione could tell in the way Bellatrix began to fight back small, genuine smiles, or the way her eyes creased when she laughed. Actually laughed, not cackled, not spiked with madness or anger. Just laughed. Openly and honestly and Hermione drifted back to thinking it sounded like bells every time it spilled from dark lips.

Bellatrix observed Hermione, she was impressed by her quickness today and the tingle across her spine let her know that if she had no self control, she would've laughed out loud. But no, she wouldn't give Hermione the satisfaction today. Not even a full smile. So she smirked and crossed her arms, enjoying the pink flush settling across the brunette's cheeks and the way her heart was running a marathon in her chest. The girl was a mystery half the time, the other half it was almost too easy to figure her out, although werewolf senses definitely helped with that.

"Fair point, can't argue that. So why did you bring the cat?" Bellatrix eyed the plump and very hairy half kneazle who was now currently contently curled up in Hermione's arms. Hermione looked at her eagerly with one of her disarming smiles that always managed to catch Bellatrix off guard, though Bellatrix did her damn hardest to hide it.

"I thought it would benefit you having him around. He's far more intelligent than a cat and has his own special abilities!"

Bellatrix snorted, as if the laugh got stuck in her sinuses. "Oh yeah? What kind of abilities?" Bellatrix teased indignantly. It wasn't that she didn't believe Hermione, or that she didn't like the cat or pets in general, it was just that the need to tease the other witch was stronger than her curiosity.

"Well he can solve tasks on his own and he can tell if someone is untrustworthy, even if they're using a spell to disguise themselves." Hermione smiled proudly whilst cradling Crookshanks who purred happily. Bellatrix smiled. "And he's incredibly comforting and can help you relax at any moment."

"I do believe you're quite biased." Hermione smiled softly at Bellatrix, gently trailing her fingers through the half kneazles fur and taking a breath that seemed to ripple across her form, like a Buddhist fountain, like the way raindrops collect along a leaf, building until it trickles away.

"Perhaps, but he's so darn cute, how could you disagree?" Hermione gave a small smile, eyes soft and delicate. It reminded Bellatrix briefly of curled chocolate rolls you would find atop desserts or hot chocolate, and her sharp, teasing gaze softened ever so slightly.

"Yeah, very cute, I suppose you have a point."

Bellatrix was pretty entertained for the next hour. Crookshanks was nice company, he minded his business but kept warm at her side whilst Hermione ran through more questions whilst making tea. Rudimentary stuff about her being a werewolf and about being a death eater. Bellatrix enjoyed talking with Hermione, but she still omitted information, still refused to answer some questions because the witch shouldn't know about some things. And more than that, despite being in a 'safe house' Bellatrix never really knew who was listening.

"So… the eyes. Is there a meaning behind the colour?" Hermione asked, stirring her second cup of tea. Bellatrix smirked and met Hermione's eyes playfully, allowing them to glow.

"From what Dimitri told me, red is for alpha's, yellow for betas and omega's, blue … blue is for those who have taken an innocent life."

"How come yours aren't blue?"

"Next question." Hermione sighed and made some notes using wandless magic whilst she busied herself making lunch to go with their drinks, a lingering curiosity found her glancing at the werewolf's canary coloured eyes.

"How come you never used these abilities during battle?"

"The dark lord wanted to keep it as a last resort, I was stronger than normal betas, faster too. If the order knew I could be taken out with … well it would've have worked in his favour." Bellatrix mumbled, faint memories or arguments regarding shifting crossing her mind as she absentmindedly stroked Crookshanks fur.

Hermione frowned making a note of Bellatrix's pause.

"Taken out with what?"

Bellatrix laughed. "Do you really think I'm going to tell you how to kill a werewolf? Sweetheart, you'll have to do better than that." Hermione frowned, and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. She cut one of the sandwiches in half before rolling her eyes in concession.

"That… is very reasonable. Okay, what about the whole alpha, beta and omega triad? How does that work?"

"The alpha is the leader, obviously, the betas are their seconds in command, and the omegas are.. well it's easy to figure out. An omega can become a beta, a beta an alpha, and an alpha can become an omega. It's a circle and the power can shift constantly." Hermione was surprised Bellatrix was being so… willing, so amenable. It was nice.

"So, the alpha can pass down their power?" Hermione cut the second sandwich before turning to Bellatrix curiously. She noticed the dark witch's eyes darker ever so slightly.

"No, it's normally taken." Bellatrix looked around Hermione to see the result of Hermione's cooking for today. The pretty witch had showed her how to fry some eggs, cook some type of meat and toast the bread using the frying pan. Bellatrix didn't really care too much but she appreciated the effort the girl was going to, explaining the steps, making sure she understood. It was just eggs, pork and cheese but Bellatrix listened nonetheless. A brief memory of Dimitri snapping some poor kids neck flickered when Hermione asked her question. She didn't like talking about the power dynamics in a pack. From what she understood a pack is meant to be a good thing, but her experience hadn't been the best so far. "A beta or omega who kills the alpha will become the alpha. Sometimes it can be passed down through family but often the power is taken."

"I see. You can't become an alpha without killing?"

"I… well… Dimitri said it's rare to do so." Bellatrix fumbled. It was extremely rare but it was doable, but there hadn't been one for decades.

"But it can be done?"

"I don't know. Next question."

"Okay….." Hermione tapped the edge of the counter before crossing her arms. "What about the moon. What does it do to you?"

"On a full moon all werewolves feel stronger, faster, and more bloodthirsty. You learn to control it through mantras, your pack, your alpha." Bellatrix picked at her nails as she eagerly awaiting Hermione to finish with the questions so she could eat. "New wolves don't have control, they'll kill everything in sight without someone to control them or without a strong anchor."

"An anchor?"

"Something or someone to ground you." Bellatrix quoted, even standing straighter and mimicking a deep and all knowing voice. It made Hermione smile and in return Bellatrix softened. "They keep you human." Her eyes lingered on Hermione before simmering gold swirled into onyx.

"Was… it hard for you?" Hermione tentatively asked. They were making good conversation and she was learning far more than she could imagine. She knew it wasn't everything though, and to really get to that she had to convince Bellatrix to give her the grittier details. Even if the dark witch had been enjoyable so far. She had a mission.

"Yes." Bellatrix recalled bitterly. "I didn't have Dimitri before I joined the dark lord. I was just a kid. An angry one at that. I had to isolate myself to make sure I didn't hurt anyone." Running a hand through her curls she huffed and made a point of purposefully looking at the food and cooling tea behind Hermione's back. Hermione smirked and rolled her eyes but waved her hand, encouraging her to give more. Bellatrix groaned, dramatically throwing her head back. "I went into the woods, as far as I could and that was it. I would wake up the next day with half a memory, covered in dirt and leaves but never blood."

"How did you control it without an alpha?" Hermione was prying, she knew she was, and she knew Bellatrix would hit her limit sooner or later, but for now, she would take all Bellatrix had to offer.

"Father tried. He would discipline me but it was my Sisters who originally anchored me, then when I got more powerful Dimitri taught me a mantra he had learned."

Hermione briefly remembered the Black sisters argument before the trial about muzzles and dogs. Hermione swallowed nervously and changed direction. It would be too much to ask right now.

"What was the mantra?"

Bellatrix smiled playfully and began to circle Hermione slowly.

"What three things, cannot long be hidden?"

The brunette frowned at the riddle and thought for a minute. "The sun, the moon… and…." Hermione rifled through her brain for the last answer before she smirked and was quickly interrupted by Bellatrix who was suddenly very close.

"The truth." the darker witch smiled, weaving a hand around the golden girl and promptly snatching half of a sandwhich, eyes twinkling victoriously when Hermione simply blushed and rolled her eyes. Hermione chewed her cheek before taking a breath and risking it.

"And the discipline? Your father was human wasn't he? How did he even discipline you?"

"No. Next."

Expected. But Hermione had to try.

"Bellatrix you can't keep skipping when you-"

"I can, because if you didn't let me skip, I could kill you over it." Bellatrix threatened nonchalantly, eyes alight with pleasure at the first bite of salty pork and egg yolk, soy sauce and paprika melding together in a way that was foreign to Bellatrix. It was safe to say that she was in heaven. She would steal the recipe from the muggleborn if it was the last thing she did. Hermione smirked watching Bellatrix's eyes roll back and lashes flutter closed, it briefly pulled at her chest and she was suddenly feeling rather confident, especially with the way Bellatrix was practically in love with the spam and egg sandwich she had made.

"You wouldn't."

A challenge.

Bellatrix forgot about heaven. About how good the eggs tasted, how perfectly they were made, sunny side up but the white still cooked, the pepper that added taste and a little kick and the way the pork practically melted in her mouth.

None of it mattered.

Hermione had challenged her, and she would not lose. Bellatrix put down her food rather calmly for the intimidating energy slowly building around her. Once satisfied she would be able to safely return to her prized food after this conversation, she turned to Hermione, eyes burning with mischief and glee and an under stone of promised determination.

"Oh. The kitten has claws today does she? You wanna bet?"

"You wouldn't." Hermione stayed firm, keeping her back to the counter, her hands had shifted from their crossed position to hidden behind her back, in easy reach of the knife she had been using. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin arrogantly, almost mimicking how Draco had once spoken to Ron.

Bellatrix growled and lurched forward.

Before Hermione could blink, Bellatrix had her flush against the counter, one hand raised ready to strike, claws extended, a leg between her thighs, and her other hand braced against the counter. Hermione swallowed, fighting her spiking heart rate, fighting the blush creeping across her chest, fighting the errant thoughts focused on the warm leg pressed against her and fighting the offending notion that she enjoyed this game that she and Bellatrix played and most of all…. Fighting the darker thoughts of a steel knife slicing into her wrist and cackles breathing in the shell of her ear. Bellatrix growled lowly, exposing her canines, leaning closer and skimming her lips over the top of Hermione's ears.

"Do you still want to bet?" Bellatrix asked gruffly, her voice low and gravelly. She could feel Hermione tense up against her, the way her breath caught in her throat and the way her temperature rose ever so slightly. The way her thighs squeezed around her and the way her scent faintly, very faintly changed. Bellatrix held her breath. The scent of fear, arousal, confusion and hatred hung around Hermione heavily, and it was very confusing for Bellatrix and very overwhelming. Bellatrix also held her breath because she remembered the last time she was this close to Hermione she nearly lost herself in her scent. In chocolate and strawberries, in pine wood and rain. Bellatrix tried not to close her eyes, tried not to shiver as Hermione let out a shaky breath, she stilled and simply waited. She was testing Hermione in her own way. Hermione wanted to push the boundaries of their conversations, then she would push Hermione for more of the girl's fire, her spirit, the thing she hid from her friends so she could be this meek and mousy know it all.

Hermione tried not to relapse. It was a weird sensation, the thrill of Bellatrix's warm touch colliding with the phantom memory of her digging a knife into her arm. She grit her teeth, her mind shutdown, she refused to give in to the creeping breath kissing the her ear, the fear and faint excitement padding gently across her flesh. Hermione was in internal conflict, half of her wanted to rise to the challenge, to show she could handle this and more, that she was not afraid. The other half was frothing at the mouth for her to run, to stun Bellatrix, to drive the knife behind her hands into the dark witch's chest. She swallowed and collected herself. She would not be a slave to her fear or the past. This Bellatrix was different. Bellatrix Black, Bellatrix the werewolf, Bellatrix who didn't know how to cook and would teach her spells and talked with her about history. She was different.

"You wouldn't." Hermione murmured breathlessly. As if afraid to speak. Afraid to admit her courage and her belief in the young Black.

Bellatrix blinked, surprised. She frowned and bared her teeth though there was now growl, no fierceness to her.

"I told you the first time you found me half changed, I told you that I could kill you. I could do it right now. I could rip your throat out and it would be over."

"You wouldn't."

"How do you know that? You know I am a killer, a death eater, a monster. It's all true, you know what I am now. Why wouldn't I."

"Because you said 'could', every time."

"What?"

"You've never said you 'would' kill me. You've said that you 'could'."

Bellatrix's brows furrowed as eyes warm like a fireplace stared up at her. Hermione forgot about the knife behind her back, the phantom blade in her wrist and the inherent fear of black, soulless eyes, as she stared into golden irises. She manoeuvred her hands so she could gently guide Bellatrix's striking hand back down to her side.

"You're not a monster." Hermione whispered as Bellatrix growled, a warning sign, an attempt to disprove Hermione. "You're a werewolf. You're Bellatrix Black."

"So?"

"So, you're not just a killer. You're smart, you like interior design and tiny sandwiches." Hermione smiled, gently touching Bellatrix's claws. "You like spam and eggs, you love books and magic theory. You act brash but you have a sensitive side and you're protective of your family." Hermione flinched slightly as Bellatrix's frown thinned to a look of contemplance. The dark haired witch relaxing into Hermione's soft and firm grip, golden eyes never leaving the brunette. "You're powerful and if I'm honest I feel like you haven't even shown your true power, and if you had," Hermione chuckled as Bellatrix huffed in agreement. "We… probably would've lost the war. I've seen it, Bellatrix. It's why I chose to save you. Besides…" Hermione bit her lip, unsure of her next words. Mostly because she was unsure of her exact feelings on what she was about to say, and Bellatrix's leg was still firmly pressed in between her thighs, and her pure honey eyes staring intently that held this dusky look that reminded Hermione of the sun setting along Brighton beach. Hermione couldn't help but notice all these details now that the witch had calmed slightly, her eyes darting to dark pink lips that were slightly parted enough to see the tip of her fangs. If Hermione was slightly flustered before, it now felt like she had been stupefied with the fuzzy feeling.

"Besides?" Bellatrix let go of the breath she had been holding and was drowned in the soft scent of rich and mellow chocolate, of the rising arousal and embarrassment that followed, of the softness and calm that followed raindrops in a valley of fields. Of the smells and feelings of Hermione Granger.

Hermione smirked, Gryffindor courage intermingled with the fire Bellatrix liked so much flooding her senses watching Bellatrix's eyes flutter and the tension ebb out of her shoulders.

"Without me you'd be bored. I'm growing on you …. You like me." Hermione smirked confidently, folding her arms and giving Bellatrix a cocky and easy smile. Bellatrix laughed. She laughed until Hermione fell into a fit of giggle soon after, the infectious sound of bells easing her worries and dissipating fears until the two were simply chuckling together.

"You're crazy."

"I've been called that a lot recently." Hermione said amused that considering the dark witch's reputation, she was the one calling her crazy. Bellatrix let go of Hermione, sandwich remembered and her hunger reignited. Reaching for the plate of food and glancing at Hermione she paused and sneered.

"I don't like you."

"I know."

"But…." Bellatrix chewed her cheek thoughtfully as her eyes settled on the pretty witch.

"But?"

"Your food is growing on me." Bellatrix grinned cheekily before taking another bite of the sandwich to accentuate her point.

"I'll keep that in mind, Black." Hermione rolled her eyes, gently shoving the darker witch.

'Was it always this easy?' Hermione briefly wondered. It had felt like the two had known each other for years compared to the actual month and a half they had spent in each other's company.

"This doesn't change anything, I'm not answering your question." Bellatrix eyed Hermione pointedly. "It's not a pleasant topic darling, let's move on."

"Okay." Hermione fiddled with the ends of her jumper. 'Here goes nothing.' "The dark lord then?"

"Careful sweetheart, you're pretty but not give up all the dark lord's secrets, pretty ." Bellatrix waved her hand dismissively, swallowing her mouthful before looking eagerly at the cup of tea that Hermione was blocking. When the witch didn't move she looked up confused to see Hermione looking at her in surprise. "What?"

"You think I'm pretty?" Hermione blinked, unsure if she had heard Bellatrix right, she knew the witch had jokingly flirted with her and outwardly threw those terms around but there was normally a 'mudblood', or sarcastic 'darling' or 'sweetheart'. This time… this time she had just called her pretty.

Bellatrix sputtered, choking on air unintelligently before clearing her throat and watery blush colouring her cheeks.

"Uh….so… the dark lord? What was your question?" She slurred together, words tumbling out in embarrassment. Hermione's eyes widened at Bellatrix's obvious change in subject and the way she glanced away. She would have to put a pin in this. There was no way she could handle this right now. Best to ignore it. Ignore the memory of Bellatrix pinning her against the counter, ignore the flash of arousal, ignore her stupid teenager thoughts.

Nope. It was just a flickering feeling.

"Um yes right… what… what happened during the final battle? Why did he just disappear? Why did he leave you behind?"

"That's three questions."

"Please?"

Bellatrix sighed heavily, Hermione gave a small frown and handed Bellatrix her tea, the dark witch accepted and took a small sip, testing the temperature.

"Look, I don't know. One minute we were winning, then we were losing, and then Dimitri and the dark lord disappeared. No warning, no nothing, all I know is that once it was over, I felt like I could finally stop, so that's what I did." Bellatrix shrugged despondently, staring into her tea before Hermione guided her to the couch.

"Can you feel anything through your pack bond?"

"I don't know, it's weird." Bellatrix groaned, irritated. "It's like Dimitri died, but if he did I would have felt it. That's all I got for you." Huffing, she blew a strand of hair out of her face before taking another sip.

"Well what was the plan for the battle originally?"

"You really think I'm going to tell you battle techniques?"

"What have you got to lose?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, throwing a hand up in exasperation.

"Gryffindors. So bold, so stupid. Nice try, it's my turn now." She grinned excitedly, looking over the rim of her cup.

"Fine. Go ahead."

"Soooo…. Time travel?" Bellatrix's eyes were sparkling and Hermione almost found it hard to say…

"Nope."

"Oh come on, I tell you all my werewolf shite, you won't even given me a tiny, just a tiny bit about you?" Bellatrix was beyond curious, and Hermione was finding it harder to say no to the puppy dog eyes she was giving her.

"One question."

"Oh fuck, really?" Bellatrix almost jumped out of her seat in excitement.

"Do you have a question, Bellatrix?" Hermione giggled at the other girls' antics.

"Uh yes … I just didn't think I'd get this far." Bellatrix smiled with almost a childish glee. "Okay so… have you travelled to different time periods or actual different timelines?"

"That's technically two but the answer is I've done both."

"Holy shit, really?" Hermione laughed, Bellatrix was acting like a kid at Christmas and it was adorable. She smiled watching Bellatrix wrack her brains over the possibilities. "So it's possible then, to visit other timelines different to our own?" Hermione's smile waned into something just a little sadder.

"Yes. No more about time travel for today, okay?" Hermione's tone had dimmed from entertained to a simmering somber, and Bellatrix frowned at the uneasy change.

"Then… Draco? Is he… I mean is he okay still? You said he recovered okay but… "

Hermione smiled softly. Bellatrix was so gentle and protective when she wanted to be. "Yes. Thankfully Draco recovered just fine. He's back on his feet and causing true Black and Malfoy havoc wherever he goes." Bellatrix breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled before a shadow of rage cast over her eyes.

"And the weasel?"

"Had several jinxes thrown his way by Draco's classmates for a week and strangely had boils on his arse for two weeks straight, so suffered greatly." Hermione smiled pridefully.

"Nice, great jinx by the way." Bellatrix winked playfully, downing the last of her tea. Hermione gasped in mock offence.

"Why, Bellatrix, I don't know what you mean. I'm far too mousy and shy to do something like that." The two grinned at each other conspiratorially. Bellatrix chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.

"No need to hide it, that fiery side of yours. It's hot, and… it's nice to see, you know?" Bellatrix shook her head in disbelief that the know-it-all before her had such a Slytherin attitude. She wasn't lying… It was kind of hot. Bellatrix shook her head once more, chuckling at how her thoughts of the muggleborn had changed so quickly and at the blush quickly spreading across Hermione's cheeks. Bellatrix had always thought if someone had been in the right place, in the right time, to save her from herself, from all the bloody purity nonsense, from the full moons, and the dark lord himself… maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way they had. But in saying that, maybe she never would have been with Hermione how she is now, in this very moment. Time was a confusing thing. She supposed that's why Hermione didn't want to talk about it.

"Bellatrix?" Hermione said softly, she had noticed the youngest Black drift off into her own thoughts and didn't really want to interrupt but they didn't have a lot of time left today.

"What is it now?" Bellatrix complained jokingly.

"Can you still teach me that spell?" Bellatrix smiled in response to Hermione's question. 'Finally something other than talking!' Bellatrix thought excitedly. As much as she enjoyed talking with Hermione, she was going stir crazy not doing much else.

"The tracking one? I suppose it wouldn't hurt." She grinned cheekily and somewhere in the back of her mind, Bellatrix thoroughly enjoyed the way her name spilled from Hermione's lips.

The morning sun found Bellatrix Black staring longingly at the green canopies that flourished just beyond the glass of the window in the living room. She hated being caged but at least the view was nicer than an Azkaban prison. A small rumble reverberated in her chest and she stood making her way to the small kitchen to find some of the food that the muggleborn had brought her. The first few nights it was hard to scent anything through the cabin, there were lots of various smells that mixed and blended together, yet only four smells that stood out. It only took a few hours on her third night to come to the realisation that at least six of them were related to the younger witch and while that infuriated her, it made finding things a lot easier. Now it had been three months since their first successful session, and Hermione had come to see Bellatrix every day without fail. They were only meant to have two sessions a day lasting about one to two hours each, however, during the evening sessions, the pretty witch had ended up talking with Bellatrix for hours on end. As it turned out, they both shared a deep passion for spell theory and application, Hermione even discussed the art of dark magic openly with Bellatrix, which greatly amused the dark witch. Who would've thought the golden girl had such a penchant for the dark arts. Hermione was also a fast learner, she took on Bellatrix's teachings with ease and executed spells brilliantly, even if she did accidentally set a chair on fire… and explode a flower vase… and explode Bellatrix's pillow. But that was only three tries for the witch to get the spell right, which was honestly a lot better than most people. And as disgusting as it may be, Bellatrix began to discuss the books Hermione had brought her. They talked about the characters, plots, author intention and everything they could until Hermione would start to get sleepy, eyes drooping ever so slightly, and words not always making sense. It was kind of cute how determined the bookworm was to hold a conversation with her. Hermione would also ask her questions, she had a job to do after all, Bellatrix understood that, she sometimes complied if she felt like it, just because she understood, didn't mean she would make it easy for the witch. She would throw her a morsel of information ever now and again, show her something to do with werewolves or the dark lord, watch Hermione light up in intrigue and fascination, only for her next question to be shot down, and the bright witch falter slightly but it never deterred her, bloody Gryffindor spirit. However their relationship had improved greatly, and Bellatrix would never admit it out loud, or even to herself really, but she thoroughly enjoyed the company of the muggleborn. That she wanted to spend time with her, learn more about her. She wanted to know everything, from what made her smile, to what made her angry, to what caused the maturity in her gaze, the flames, the sadness, the passion. It was becoming more and more difficult for Bellatrix to ignore her little therapist's affect on her. At first she thought it was a mild attraction, but the more she spent time with Hermione, the more she understood that Hermione made her feel… different. She made her feel better. And that was more than she could ever wish for from another person. So she would do her best to give Hermione what she wanted without sacrificing too much, it was the least she could do considering.

Bellatrix wasn't entirely sure what to make of the other witch. She found each interaction with her to be so natural that it was slightly worrying. It felt nice to enjoy the moments of calm that the woman brought with her. It was light, it was easy. Yet each time she left, Bellatrix felt this lingering anxiety tip toe along her spine that would make her pace the halls right up until their next meeting. It wasn't a feeling she was used to, nor cared for yet here she was waiting impatiently for the bookworm to turn up, because if she didn't she would start getting paranoid, start seeing red eyes in the dark and shadows in every corner.

Bellatrix had also begun to take into account that she may or may not be blatantly lying to herself about finding Hermione mildly attractive. Okay. She found Hermione extremely attractive. The golden girl was just her type, and if she had met the girl in school she knew she would've scrapped the pure blood ideology a lot sooner. She had slept with muggleborns before, it never bothered her anyways but it was the reason her discipline from her father and the dark lord became more… ruthless. Bellatrix shrugged to herself whilst raiding the cupboards and simply choosing to toast some bread. She was sure there was some jam somewhere as well. Bellatrix made herself a simple breakfast and mulled over what to do about the bookworm. She was not one to deny herself, or shy away from a challenge or her interests, but she had hurt her friend, the order…. innocent people, and most importantly, she had hurt Hermione. She didn't want to jeopardise the relationship they had built for a passing fancy, besides, she knew that despite how Hermione hid it, no matter how well she hid it, she knew there was fear in her. It was in the way she would flinch at a touch, cross her arms so that her hand rested on her hidden wand, sat herself closer to the exit. She was very much still a monster and death eater, and Hermione wasn't wrong to be afraid and be careful. Bellatrix sighed, groaning into her hand defeatedly. She had to ignore these feelings, even if it drove her fucking insane. She had denied it to herself for the last few months, and she would continue to do so, even if it was damn near fucking impossible to deny that the brunette was beautiful. It doesn't help that the witch has a nice arse. Nice tits too. Bellatrix groaned again loudly, thunking her head against a nearby wall to rid these ridiculous thoughts.

"Fucking hell, I need to get laid." She mumbled to herself. Surely she wasn't thinking about someone, let alone a muggleborn, in this way again? It had been years since she could think about sex or other people or anything really. She thought it had been beaten out of her, that there weren't any remnants of these sort of emotions in her. Father had taught her over and over that infatuation with mudbloods was traitorous, and the Dark Lord would simply kill someone if he caught any stray, wandering thoughts whilst using legilimency.

However…. Bellatrix was young, she wasn't under anyone's control anymore, her father was dead, the dark lord nowhere near, there was no pack, no alpha… and despite how hard she tried, there was no denying that Hermione Granger was attractive.

Bellatrix convinced herself that was all she was, just an attractive witch. A gorgeous witch.

No.

A gorgeous muggleborn.

No, a mudbaby- No!

Bellatrix growled to herself, flicking her hair back exasperatedly.

This was another issue she was having. It never really felt good to hurl the mudblood slur around, but she was used to it, it was second nature, part of her role and duty. But it felt like shit to call the girl a mudblood. And every time she caught a glimpse of the girl's wrist, a pit in her stomach made itself known. She never brought it up, and neither did Granger, but a part of her wanted to. Not to necessarily apologise, but to talk about it.

Bellatrix thumbed a strand of her hair thoughtfully, her hair had gotten rather long and unruly over the last year and a half, perhaps it was time for a cut, though she doubted there were any sharp objects about for her to use. She sighed, thoughts trailing back to Hermione once more. Maybe she would help her cut her hair and they could talk about the new book Hermione had brought her. She believed the title was 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'. It was rather interesting and very on the nose regarding societal wealth gaps. She knew Hermione was trying to broaden her horizons, so to speak. Perhaps she would tease the girl over the choice of genre. She did thoroughly enjoy how easily Hermione blushed around her, the way her heart rate spiked and she would cross her legs in response. There were a lot of things she wanted to talk about with the other witch. Fuck it, what did she have to lose? She knew Hermione enjoyed their time, their banter and the little game of cat and mouse they often played. What was the point in denying herself, if Hermione told her to fuck off, then she would, but for now, she knew that they both enjoyed what they currently had. Running a hand along the spine of the couch Bellatrix huffed to herself, eating her toast in silence, before deciding a hot shower would help take her mind off a certain bookworm.

Hermione had dreamt of Malfoy Manor over a hundred times, and yet each time brought with it the same exhaustion, the same panic, and the same fear. So when she found herself once again in a blurry imitation of Malfoy Manor, she mentally prepared herself. Walking along the oh so familiar hall until she reached the open space in which she had been unceremoniously carved up, again, and again, and again. However today, the object of her fear was curled up on the floor. Hermione's heart fluttered when she saw a tear race along the other woman's cheek. She blinked, and before she knew it, she was in the cabin hidden conspicuously in the woods, with Bellatrix Black in an episode, the dark haired witch twisting and crying on the floor. Hermione grit her teeth, gathering the energy to break the witch's trance and physically grab her by the forearms. Perhaps this was the foolish Gryffindor within her, for she forgot a basic rule. You don't just touch Bellatrix Black. Which is how she ended up pinned to the floor, the older woman's body pressed tightly against her own with claws cuffing her wrists and teeth like polished marble bared an inch away from her throat, yet venomous gold eyes never left hers.

She couldn't help it; a loud whimper of Bellatrix's name spilled from her lips. It was pathetic and soft and it reddened Hermione's checks in fear and embarrassment. Her heart was thundering and immediately she was flooded with memories of Malfoy Manor with darker memories of a darker witch. It was all too similar, her scar burned and her chest felt like it would shatter, panic and fear wove into her bloodstream, burrowing into her pores like a parasite and Hermione briefly wondered if this would be the end. That this powerful, distraught creature before her would consume her. She braced herself for the sear of a knife in her wrist, for her throat to be ripped out, flesh marked and ravaged, blood spilling, dirt covering her skin, mud and blood.

Blood and mud.

Mudblood.

Her scar began to sear.

Mudblood.

She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't beg for it to end. She wouldn't give the dark witch the satisfaction, but lord she wanted to. It hurt, her thoughts, her fear, it was too much.

Mudblood.

Hermione grit her teeth.

…

However there was no brushing of daggers or teeth, the threat around her wrists loosened and she felt Bellatrix's soft breath wash over her collarbone. She was looking at her with an intensity that caused her heart to stutter, and lightning skirted across her skin as the dark witch's lips teased her exposed throat before inhaling deeply.

Hermione held her breath as Bellatrix let out the faintest of moans. Hermione's eyes widened and she blushed darkly as the other witch pressed a kiss against her throat, and then another, and then one by her ear, her tongue tasting the skin softly before she pulled back, lips skimming past her jaw until Hermione was no longer staring at murderous eyes, but instead, she became lost in soft black pastels trimmed with gold, and an impish smile. Bellatrix laughed. It was simple and sweet and Hermione had not heard anything quite like it.

"Have I finally caught your tongue, pet?"

Hermione awoke to the sound of bells.

Well…

That was not what she was expecting. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Hermione looked at her phone, the alarm she had set was still ringing and she had forgotten that she had changed the ringtone to bells. Sitting up she turned the alarm off before staring out the window. The morning was not quite in full tandem, it seemed the world was still resting, the birds were just beginning to rustle the trees and there was little to no noise throughout the grounds. Hermione contemplated what her dream meant, she knew logically it was brought on by how her relationship with Bellatrix had drastically improved. Especially after the other girl had pinned her to the floor in the same way she had when she branded her wrist, and then to the counter to prove a point. Most of the dream was accurate to that time she found Bellatrix half transformed, the fear, the panic, the complete surprise… right up until Bellatrix took a deep breath. And then the dream became… not so accurate. Hermione felt rose petals colour her cheeks and she covered her face to hide the quickly spreading blush.

Stupid Bellatrix. This is her fault for all the teasing and relentless flirty banter. The dark witch had no bounds.

"It was just a stupid dream" she whispered to herself sternly, persuasively. It was silly really, a silly dream conjured up by silly thoughts. Everyone had those sorts of dreams, they didn't mean anything.

Hermione Granger decided to take a cold shower and forget about her dream, although when one confused Harry Potter found her still in the shower after 40 minutes, it was a wonder if she had truly forgotten all about her silly dream.

"Hermione, Earth to Hermione, you still with me?" Harry asked tentatively, gently poking the girl in her side as he found her staring blankly at the wall for the umpteenth time. They had agreed to meet this morning to discuss the progression with Bellatrix, as well as exchange information regarding he-who-shall-not-be-named. Yet the girl was almost 30 minutes late to the agreed upon time, and Hermione was rarely ever late, at least not to this extent. When he decided to go find the girl, he had found her still in the shower. He'd knocked several times without an answer and braced himself to open the door when she stepped out in a towel, half dazed. And since then, she had been in and out of it whilst getting ready and even after they had sat down in the library together. He sighed, placing a hand over the brunettes gently. "Hermione?" He tried again softly.

"Oh… sorry Harry, where were we?" Hermione blinked slowly in response to Harry repeating her name again. She glanced around, trying to remember the journey from her shower to the library. It seemed that she had failed at not thinking about a certain black haired witch. She really needed to take her mind off that dream, and talking with Harry would definitely help with that. Hermione mentally shook herself, emptying out all unnecessary thoughts and focusing on the task at hand.

Harry smiled back at her patiently. "We haven't even started yet, luv." He chuckled lightly at Hermione's surprised and embarrassed face, his initial worry turning into amusement. "You okay? You've been out of it since I found you in the shower."

"Yeah… sorry… guess I'm still half asleep." She smiled back tentatively and he nodded his head in understanding, chalking her lack of attention down to nightmares, and in a sense, he was almost close to the truth.

"Alright. Before we talk work, we should probably address a different issue." Harry's eyes settled on her rather sternly and Hermione inwardly groaned.

Ron.

"I just want to understand what happened that day. Ron says one thing, Draco says another, and the school body is spreading rumours like wildfire." It had been some considerable time since the incident happened, yet everyday there were new rumours surrounding his two friends and Harry was quite sick of it. He loved both his friends but they both had such stubborn temperaments, and it was hard to know exactly what happened when one of them had a tendency to omit the truth, and the other had her nose stuck in her research and project with a certain member of the Black family.

"Rumours? What kind of rumours?" This was the first Hermione had heard of this. Was she really that wrapped up in Bellatrix that she had been blocking out the entire school?

"That you, Draco, Ron and Lavender are in some sort of messy love rivalry. That you punched Ron because he was sleeping with Lavender, that Ron confessed his undying love for you but was jealous of Draco and so beat him up," Harry looked fed up at the first on the list and he took his glasses off to rub his face tiredly before resting his cheek against his palm. "That Ron took out Draco because he saw you two flirting. That people saw you and Draco kiss, people saw you and Ron kiss, I know people saw Ron and Lavender do more than kissing. All sorts to be honest, 'Mione. I just want the truth, and for my two best friends to stop fighting." Harry sighed rubbing his temple, he thought finding Voldemort was his biggest problem, not the love squabbles of his friends.

Hermione sighed in agitation, resting her head against the cool wood of the table. She cursed herself for arguing with Ron so publicly, even if he had started it. Now she was paying the consequences with ridiculous rumours and an annoyed golden boy. With a heavy breath she sat up and began recounting what had happened to Harry, plainly and concisely.

"Me and Draco certainly were not flirting, we were just talking. He put his arm around me but that's it, I swear, we were just having a conversation. Ron saw and he… he didn't like that." Hermione didn't want to have to talk about this, to re-live that moment, it made her magic itch and her blood bubble thinking about poor Draco sliding down the wall, blood flowering in his blonde hair. She recounted the rest of the memory clearly with a blunt edge to her tone that Harry knew meant she was telling the truth. By the end Harry looked disappointed.

"Bloody hell… I'm sorry that happened 'Mione. Ron told it completely differently." Harry grit his teeth, he should've had faith in Hermione, he knew that she would never lie to him unless it was for good reason, and he knew he couldn't say the same for Ron. He should've discussed this with Hermione sooner, stop the rumours. Merlin, he really didn't know how Ron could be such a prick. "I didn't know he was sleeping with Lavender until I found out from the other students." At this, Harry looked down ashamed, he should've been paying more attention to both of his friends, perhaps if he had, he could've prevented this. "I would've told you if I had known, honestly. As far as I knew, Ron said he wanted to pursue his feelings for you and wanted a relationship, that no one else mattered and that after you kissed he knew."

"Yeah well, Ron's a liar." Hermione shrugged indifferently and Harry's eyes fell to the floor, a conflicting sense of wanting to agree and defend his friend leaving him in silence. "Harry, can we please talk about the real problems now? Talking about Ron and what happened with Draco; about ridiculous rumour and love triages…. it's just too much right now."

Harry considered the brunette beside him carefully, she was fiddling with her sleeves and looking away agitatedly. He mulled it over and decided he was satisfied for now, although he would be having words with Ron later and so he nodded in agreement.

"Right, let's start with You know who. We had Aurors search the battle grounds for days, there's not much evidence of where he could've gone. We think he apparrated, with his injuries he couldn't have gone far. A search of the woods was conducted and they found torn pieces of his robes caught on a few of the trees and a separate set of tracks." Hermione frowned as Harry reported his findings. Another set of tracks probably meant that Bellatrix was right, the alpha werewolf was with Voldemort, and they were most likely in hiding. "They're going to try tracking him with that for now as the trail went dead after, and they're trying to figure out who he's with but coming up a little short."

Hermione listened attentively, making mental notes at anything important, and debated discussing with Harry that it was most likely a werewolf with Voldemort. "I take it they want to know if Bellatrix can provide any information on where he could've gone to?" Harry nodded in response, taking out a map that had been marked as possible zones the dark lord could have fled to. The pair reviewed what had been already searched and discussed the new areas of search in detail, Hermione providing some new perspectives and tiptoeing around the werewolf topic, until a thought struck her and she wondered why she hadn't thought of it the minute Harry started talking.

"They could use the spell Avenseguim to help with the tracking!" Hermione jumped up in her seat excitedly. It seemed Bellatrix had inadvertently contributed to their efforts without even realising.

"Avenseguim? I've never heard of that spell. Where did you hear about that?" Harry looked at the girl genius in surprise and a little awe. Hermione, for her part began to look a little sheepish.

"Would you believe that Bellatrix Black is teaching me the spell?"

"She … what?" Harry was astounded and a little worried. Bellatrix Lestrange… was teaching Hermione Granger… spells? That was concerning, however it was also rather peculiar. Why would the pure blood fanatic even bother talking to his muggleborn friend? He found it rather suspicious, even if Hermione found it exciting.

"We happened to be on the topic of spells and I asked her if she would teach me it, eventually she agreed." Hermione continued. "It's a tracking spell that can turn an item into dust and leads you to the person you want to find. If you used it on the pieces of robe you found, it could help to narrow your choices and even lead you straight to him." Hermione's eyes were brimming with pride and determination. Bellatrix had provided a great piece of strategic information.

"Okay, okay, slow down. How do you know this spell even works? What if she lied so you could try it and hurt yourself in the process?" Harry wanted to believe Hermione, but the risks were great, the witch could have easily lied to his friend.

Hermione frowned in response to Harry's lack of enthusiasm and trust. She knew what Harry was trying to say, and he was right to an extent, the dark witch could've been lying. Hermione's excitement immediately settled into a lingering humiliation. Had she been played by the other witch? Her hand reached for her wrist where her scar began to itch. Had she been foolish to believe the witch in the first place? Bellatrix was known for being a trickster, it was very possible that the dark witch was toying with her. Hermione wondered why she didn't consider this before, the realisation of this weighing heavily on her mind. She would have to be more careful, trust is one thing, but blindly believing the death eater, that's right, Bellatrix was… is a death eater, she had to keep that in mind, blindly believing the death eater is another thing.

"You're right, I should've considered those options, I'm not sure why I didn't. I'll be more careful from now on Harry, but I genuinely think she was telling the truth. Perhaps have the aurors test it out?" Harry nodded in agreement and their tactical talk continued, and despite how she felt, she kept the information about Dimitri a secret. Eventually their talk came to discuss Bellatrix's progress.

"How has Lestrange been getting on with you anyways? Have you been keeping up with the reports to the ministry?" Harry threw her a glance inquisitively, he knew Hermione well enough that all her reports would be perfect and comprehensive, but he also knew the girl had been struggling with sleep, and that could leave a person incapacitated.

"She prefers Black." Hermione wasn't sure why that was her first response, nor why it came out a tad defensive. She tried not to put too much thought into it. "I think she wants to request to have her name changed although she hasn't outwardly requested it yet." Hermione made a note to ask Bellatrix at their next session today. She was still curious as to her situation with Rudolphus. "She's been doing rather well actually, a few bumps here and there but that is to be expected. She's become very open with me, we talk a lot about magic, about her life, she even talks to me about books and spell theory, and it's only been a few months, so I'd say it's a success so far. The reports have also been fine, I've been submitting them on time." Hermione chose not to disclose the dark witch's secret to the golden boy, he didn't need to know yet, no one did. At the back of her mind, Hermione knew it was wrong to keep this from everyone, it was important, very much so, however the order would definitely want to put Bellatrix down for it, and they still needed her. As Dumbledore would say, It was for the greater good. So she omitted any information regarding Bellatrix's transformation and the actual reason the other witch had begun to warm to Hermione.

Harry listened to Hermione pensively, well aware that the brightest witch of her age had just mildly defended a death eater. However the recollection of Bellatrix making good progress was enough for him to dismiss it, deciding that as Bellatrix's therapist, she was bound to become a little defensive of her client… even if it was the woman who tortured her. He silently debated that with himself, was it really okay? He would have to keep an eye on Hermione, make sure the witch wasn't under any compulsion spells or had forgotten who she was dealing with just because they had a few good chats. Merlin, sometimes Hermione could focus too much on completing her projects or tasks that she forgot the purpose and goal.

"That sounds great 'Mione, but what about things to do specifically with you-know-who? Any information whatsoever on that?" Harry chastised gently, reminding Hermione of the goal.

'Oh' Hermione thought in surprise. She should've known it would have come back to this. This was the whole reason everyone had chosen to let her trial this experiment with Bellatrix. Hermione swallowed a little nervously.

"Well, most questions about you-know-who are shut down almost immediately, she's given me a few bits of information… but nothing that could tell us where he is." It was a half truth, one that wouldn't matter in the long-run. Bellatrix had divulged some information, but she couldn't discuss it without revealing Bellatrix's true nature. She glanced at Harry for his response, she was sure he wouldn't see through the omission; but it still made her nervous when the black haired boy eyed her with scrutiny, as if he could read her every thought. The boy wonder nodded in satisfaction and by the time they had finished their reports to each other, life had awoken and the school had become populated with students bustling down the halls and the woods were alight with birds singing, warm sunlight decorating the grounds with a lovely shade of orange peel set against ocean blue, although it was still rather cloudy, it was February after all, even if Britain was beginning to dip its toes into spring.

Hermione was rather eager to see Bellatrix today. So far almost all their sessions had been in the cabin, and she was itching to make use of the room of requirement she had set up. However, perhaps the dark witch wouldn't be ready for that kind of environment. Regardless, more information and learning could be done today, and she was looking forward to seeing the dark witch, and that was more than enough to energise Hermione Granger who had the rarest of smiles pulling at her lips that morning, and to anyone that saw her, they might have thought that she had just or received a love letter or confession. However, to Luna Lovegood, who had happened to bump into Hermione, the blonde witch could tell that Hermione's airy mood was due to something not so trivial.

"Oh, Hi Hermione" Luna smiled, the blonde swaying a little as if she moved with the breeze. "Wow, the Friggspurts on your shoulders are a lovely shade of white and pink."

Hermione glanced at Luna curiously. She was never entirely sure the creatures Luna saw were real, however muggles could say the same about witches, wizards and dragons, and so Hermione decided to venture and ask.

"Sorry Luna - What are Friggspurts?"

"Oh they're lovely creatures! They're tiny little faeries generally associated with love and fertility." Luna giggled and reached out to touch the air around Hermione, lazily moving her hand and cupping her palms together before blowing gently. To anyone watching, it would be quite the odd display, however to Hermione, she found it rather adorable of Luna, like a kid discovering magic for the first time. Hermione smiled at the antics until her brain caught up with Luna's words. "Their colours represent many things, purple for lust for example, the combination of white and pink is normally associated with the beginning of-"

"That can't be right." Hermione interjected rather quickly, thoughts racing and quite frankly she did not need to hear this right now. "I'm really sorry Luna, let's catch up later, I have an appointment!" And as she brushed off Luna's words, she brushed past Luna just as quickly, the blonde witch indifferent about Hermione's response and simply giggled to herself watching the Friggspurts dance after Hermione, a lovely bouquet of white, pink and tinges of purple following her.

The rest of Hermione's walk to the cabin proved to be uneventful, thankfully. She had dodged quite a few students, ducking and weaving through crowds, stepping into turning halls and even casting an invisify to avoid one Ronald Weasley who had decided his pining for her was to increase tenfold to prove himself. Hermione sighed in relief as she reached the cabin, stepping past the wards with ease. Hermione smiled brightly seeing Nymphadora talking quietly through a very slightly opened window, a gentle and relaxed smile on the pink haired witch's face. She greeted Nymphadora and after a brief catch up she stepped into the cabin, door closing softly behind her.

"Bellatrix?" Hermione called tentatively, not seeing the dark haired witch in the living room, which was odd since she swore the dark witch was talking with Tonks. Eventually, she heard the shower running and decided to check the food storage whilst waiting for the witch to finish. "Seems she's eating, that's good. Still just cereal and toast however." Hermione huffed, she had shown Bellatrix a couple of things to cook like eggs but the witch seemed insistent on eating the bare minimum. "I guess I'll have to do more cooking lessons." She mumbled to herself quietly, busying herself with taking notes of what the witch would need by the end of the week, unaware of dark eyes watching her from behind, the figure slowly approaching, claws as black as onyx extended forward. "I wonder if she would enjoy porridge, or perhaps I could bring an afternoon tea?" Hermione wondered to herself aloud, fingertips brushing against the cabinet drawer in contemplation, she pursed her lips before deciding she was done in the kitchen and would check the bedroom next. As she closed the drawer, razor wire cuffed against her throat and she froze.

"Afternoon tea sounds wonderful." The sultry whisper wrapped around Hermione like a viper, lips just teasing her earlobe. "But what should I eat now, pet?" Bellatrix's lips trailed from her ear to her neck and stopped at her shoulder, an inch away from the girl's shoulder, mouth resting openly against the flesh so Hermione could feel the points of her canines. Hermione gulped, a flash of arousal causing her to arch into Bellatrix slightly. Stupid dream. Bellatrix liked to play this game a lot ever since the incident against the counter, and Hermione was pretty used to it, it could be fun, Bellatrix was playful and they both liked a challenge but after her dream? She was hyper aware of Bellatrix's touch, how warm the other witch was, the way this excited her. Hermione closed her eyes and focused on steadying her heartbeat as Bellatrix chuckled by her ear.

Bellatrix noted with delight as she found open skin today, her lips freely, if a little carefully, exploring her shoulder. Hermione did not wear a turtleneck today, but instead a simple off the shoulder jumper, and she looked delicious. A shiver passed through the brunette, one she couldn't suppress, and a wave goosebumps followed in its path, and it felt like a ravenous warmth skirted from where Bellatrix's lips hovered over Hermione's collarbone, all the way down to the pit of Hermione's stomach. When Bellatrix had spooked Hermione for fun like this the first time, she had returned the favour with no success, Bellatrix always managed to catch her in the act or turn the tables. Bellatrix had introduced touch first, which was very surprising, but the dark witch seemed to thoroughly enjoy the reactions she could pull from Hermione with a simple touch, as humiliating as that was to admit. But those were just games, little pranks. Bellatrix had touched her a couple of times, showed glowing amber eyes in the shadows, flashed her teeth or claws, wrapped her arms around her waist, picked her up and threw her over her shoulder, but she was always gentle, always made sure Hermione was okay after, that she hadn't gone too far. Hermione should've accepted that she knew what they were doing sooner. She denied it to herself religiously, but she knew this was a risky and flirtatious game they played and it was getting more and more intense. She swallowed and stayed perfectly still in Bellatrix's possessive hold. Doubt swirled viciously in Hermione, Harry's words imprinted in her brain. Had Harry been right? Bellatrix was playing with her, and now she was going to tear her throat out? It took everything in Hermione to breathe, to calm down, to not to fall into a frenzy of anxiety and panic, to scream, to draw her wand. The more logical part of Hermione's brain was running steam, pumping out puffs of sense which were fizzling quite quickly, but still managed to cloud the doubt. She knew she enjoyed this. But what if Harry was right? What if this Bellatrix would tear her throat out, pin her to the ground and carve her up, present her to the dark lord and torture her until she crumbled.

Hermione's thoughts narrowed. No, it was simple. It was simple because Hermione miscalculated. The minute she found out about Bellatrix she should've altered the bracelets, she should've maintained distance, she should've reported it. Because Bellatrix as a witch was deadly, Bellatrix as a werewolf was downright fatal.

Hermione took a breath. No, no this was Bellatrix. The Bellatrix she had grown so fond of her and had begun to trust so openly. Hermione couldn't think straight anymore, she whimpered, and stretched her neck more towards the side, as if offering Bellatrix her throat freely. Bellatrix's eyes flicked up in response to this, and her smirk was absolutely feral, eyes golden. Hermione squeezed her thighs involuntarily, her breathing catching in her throat as Bellatrix nosed her skin. This was a game, it was Bellatrix being Bellatrix, she didn't want to hurt her, it felt completely different, Bellatrix was acting like hurting her was actually the last thing she wanted to do. Hermione was drowning in the battle of her thoughts and the biggest issue of all from this?

Hermione wasn't entirely sure the feelings Bellatrix was stirring in her were negative. Hermione squeezed her thighs again as Bellatrix's hand dropped to her waist and gently pulled her closer. The gesture grounded Hermione and she blinked, trying to find her footing in this situation.

"Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" Hermione responded albeit a little stiffly, she was still unsure of how this would all go. She couldn't quite see Bellatrix's face anymore and had no idea what the other girl was thinking. Perhaps Bellatrix really would kill her or…

Her dream momentarily resurfaced.

Nope.

No way.

Hermione tried not to close her eyes, she really did, but it was an involuntary action when she felt Bellatrix's lips graze her skin, that is until the dark witch burst out laughing, claws immediately retracting.

"I threaten to eat you and that's your response?" Bellatrix very much enjoyed this side to Hermione, the side that was unsure, the side that took risks and chances against her. Bellatrix relaxed, her grip on the girl going slack as she simple rested against Hermione. Initially she wanted to just spook the girl, a simple blow of air against the shorter witch's ear would have sufficed, however once she came closer to the girl, she couldn't help but touch her. And before she knew it, she had her in her arms, her claws and teeth at her throat teasingly, she thought she had gone too far by actually letting her mouth touch the girls flesh, and it briefly occurred to her that she had been willingly touching a muggleborn, not only that, but she didn't mind it at all. Bellatrix squashed those thoughts, it would make her father roll in his grave if he knew. Besides, what did it matter when Granger had such fun reactions, and normally gave as good as she got. She took great pleasure in the way the muggleborn shuddered, the way her scent got stronger, heavier, as Bellatrix placed her lips against the girl's throat before laughing uncontrollably. Perhaps it was the excitement of being able to talk to someone, or being able to do something other than lay about all day, perhaps it was being able to joke and play around like there was never a war. And perhaps…

Perhaps it was simply Hermione.

"You wouldn't eat me." Hermione took a gamble with Bellatrix, the other witch had her pressed against the counter, and had the advantage so far. Bellatrix had her in a compromising position, and if she thought about it too long she would begin thinking about how her arse was pretty much pressed against Bellatrix's crotch, with Bellatrix's chest against her back. She swallowed. Bellatrix snorted, and tapped her fingers against Hermione's hip in curiosity as she rested her chin on her shoulder. Hermione smiled victoriously, glad she had trusted herself, had trusted the progress she had made with the dark witch… and had trusted the dark witch herself.

"Oh and why not?"

Hermione offered a simple shrug in return, debating the answers she could give. She smirked and pushed back against Bellatrix a little, pressing a little closer to the witch who huffed and tensed. Hermione crossed her arms defiantly. "I'm not your type." Bellatrix's playful smile faded into a frown. She didn't like that response, she didn't like what it implied. The girl probably was trying to relate it to blood purity but Bellatrix wasn't stupid, there was more to it. But she wouldn't ask, and so she changed her frown into a grin and decided to tease the bright witch a little more. Besides, the little witch had no idea how wrong she was, how Hermione was actually Bellatrix's exact type. She had no idea how much she wanted Hermione. She leaned in close, pressing the brunette against the counter more, so that they were flush against each other, and using one hand she manoeuvred their position so that she had a hold both of Hermione's hands in front of her.

"You almost sound disappointed, do you want to be eaten, Hermione?" Bellatrix whispered in her ear, keeping her locked with her body. Hermione blushed darkly, this was the first time she could recall Bellatrix ever using her first name. And it sounded… incredible.

Hermione shivered, flushed pink at the senseless flirting, thighs rubbing in response, her back slightly arching Into Bellatrix.

"Should I take what's mine?" Dark and lustful. Bellatrix couldn't help herself, the words tumbled out sensually and wanting. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. Surprise at how much desire there was in Bellatrix's voice, at how it seemed even Bellatrix didn't mean to say it. She wanted to respond, and her lips parted to do so, to throw something back at the dark witch to surprise her… but as quick as the warmth in her cheeks appeared, it faded just as quickly, her throat constricted and suddenly she was in Malfoy Manor. Trapped. This was too much. Bellatrix was too close and she was trapped against the countertop, and the words 'Should I take what's mine' rang in her ears had seamlessly shifted from sweet and dark like her favourite mocha coffee, into the deranged whispers that caressed the shell of her ear and scattered with her screams on the floor of Malfoy Manor. Hermione was beginning to feel the threads of panic and her careful mask slipped. Conflicting thoughts and feelings rose unhindered and she was no longer blushing from the proximity and the witches' words. She was shaking. Because mentally, Hermione Granger was suddenly trapped beneath the dark witch, a knife clumsily scrawling a slur into her skin. Etching a claim over her. Branding her. Hermione's arm burned, and she suddenly couldn't hold herself up, her hands flailing in Bellatrix's grip and tears welled in her eyes.

"Please, stop." Hermione whispered, the sound, heart wrenching in her own ears, the sound of someone who was about to burst into tears, it was heavy and soft and it caught Bellatrix off-guard.

"Granger?" Bellatrix immediately let Hermione's hands go and backed up as Hermione turned to face her and slumped over, breathing heavily. Hermione was… crying?

Had she gone too far? She had crossed some sort of a line and she wasn't sure exactly what had happened but something changed. Hermione was enjoying things and then in a second it was like a switch was flipped and then…

Then Bellatrix remembered.

She remembered that she was a death eater.

She remembered she had tortured the witch she was having so much fun with. Except it wasn't just fun. She had put her hand around the other girls throat, and threatened her. She had trapped her against a counter. Held her hands to keep her still. Spoke words that could've been said in the past or even now but with a blinded and murderous edge. Joking or not, Bellatrix had caused irrevocable damage to Hermione Granger, and as strong as the brunette presented, the witch definitely had PTSD and Bellatrix could only imagine how much of it was because of her.

Bellatrix Black… Bellatrix Lestrange who had marked the girl in one of the most painful ways possible. She had killed people, people she knew. Bellatrix caught the way Hermione cradled her scarred arm.

"Hey …Granger? Hey, come on, look at me." No response. Hermione's knuckles were white stone, a slab of finely and intricately cut marble that was seconds away from crumbling, her breathing heavy, shoulders trembling and as soon as Bellatrix saw a tear slip down the girls cheek, everything fell apart. "Hermione? Please look at me?" Bellatrix's voice softened and she reached a hand to cup the girl's chin only for Hermione to slap her hand away rather harshly. Bellatrix winced, not so much from pain, but from surprise.

"Don't. Fucking. Touch. Me." Hermione ground out. And she meant it, her wand had slipped into her hand and she was glaring at Bellatrix with what she could only describe as pure unadulterated anguish, and a hatred that cracked and marbled once soft brown eyes.

Bellatrix stepped back.

In the face of Hermione's raw and evident torment, Bellatrix conceded, raising her hands in surrender.

"I-"

"Stop! I am not muddy, I am not a mudbaby, and I am not a mudblood! JUST STOP IT" Hermione screamed, unfathomable pain cascading in her voice as a dam broke and fresh tears fell as angry molten eyes met Bellatrix's.

Bellatrix frowned. Hermione was furious. The witch looked beautiful though, devastatingly so. Brown eyes swirled like magma and Bellatrix had no doubt that the hatred ladent in those scorched eyes burned just as hot.

"Granger, I-"

In a second, the door to the cabin was thrown open and one Ronald Weasley stood, wand in hand and ready to intervene, his eyes seeing only one thing. Hermione Granger, the girl he loved, backed into a corner, and Bellatrix Lestrange, death eater, murderer, hands raised and only a foot away from the girl. Bellatrix didn't have time to even turn as she was struck with a stupefy, and then another, and another, until she had crashed to the floor and lost count of how many more spells slammed into her. The bracelets around Bellatrix's wrists responded to Ron's magic, sending a powerful electric shock through Bellatrix that was unbridled in its force. Bellatrix ground her teeth, she refused to scream even as she crashed into the floor, wood splintering around her, slicing cuts into her palms, her cheeks and ravaging any open flesh it could find, she didn't scream when the first brutal wave of pain flooded her senses, nor the second, or third, and eventually Bellatrix grew rather numb. It hurt. It hurt so fucking bad. But she would heal. She deserved this. She let the waves of magic that felt as strong as a crucio wreck her body, she didn't fight it, she just balled her fists and bared it, her claws slipping out to stop her from changing because Morgana, it fucking hurt. Her heart was racing, it was beating so hard she was sure it would burst through her rib cage. But she would not give in. She had suffered through worse, this was nothing short of what she deserved. She would take it and more. Even if she wanted to rip that fucking redhead apart. Even if her heart felt scraped and battered and bruised, even if lesions raked her organs at the sight of Hermione crying. Even if Hermione hated her, detested her. She would not fuck this up even more.

Hermione came to her senses just as Rob had thrown the first spell at Bellatrix and watched in stoic horror as the witch slammed into the floor, the flooring cracking and splintering around the witch, her body in spasms as the following spells devastated her, and wave after wave of magic traversed her body relentlessly, intimately, as if it was an old friend. Immediately Hermione regretted screaming, she didn't mean to, she didn't want this to happen, she didn't even realise she had screamed. This was bad. Very fucking bad. She may have just irrevocably destroyed her relationship with Bellatrix and fucked their chances of finding Voldemort. Her eyes met Bellatrix's, and Hermione felt her heart stutter and clumsily beat to the tune of regret for there was no blame, no anger in Bellatrix's eyes. But there was resignation. There was understanding. Hermione looked at Bellatrix Black and saw a broken and beaten twenty year old witch. Her lip was bleeding, she was covered in cuts, and she was looking down at the floor with a stalwart intensity, eyes as black as a stormy night as she bore everything that the auror and the bracelets threw at her. And then Hermione saw it. A ring of gold around the dark witch's eyes, her hands balled into fists so tight her skin was pulled taut, stretching like a plastic sheet wrapped around marble with the strength Bellatrix was using, and worse, her palms were bleeding… a lot. Hermione's eyes widened.

'There are times when it's harder to… control though, when I get angry for example, when I'm in pain…'

Bellatrix was digging her claws into her palms to stop the change. Not only was she in immeasurable pain, but she was adding additional pain, in order to not shift and potentially kill Ron.

Hermione had to act, and fast.

"Stop!"

"What? Hermione, she-"

"Please stop, it was a misunderstanding!"

"Hermione, she was trying to kill you!" Ron argued with her. She was losing time. She knew of course, she knew he thought he was protecting her, but it truly was a misunderstanding. What was he even doing here? How did he find the cabin, and where was Tonks? Hermione began to walk the Ron out of the room, though with much difficulty seeing as he was outright refusing to leave, wand still drawn.

Hermione was beginning to get desperate, Bellatrix didn't look like she would last much longer, if the scraping of nails against the floorboards and the beginnings of the a low growl was anything to go by.

"Please, really, It's not what you think, please, I'll explain but for now you need to leave us be." Hermione was short of begging, her fingers grasping at Ron's robes tightly imploring him. If this continued she would have to force him out, and that would cause too many issues. She prayed to whatever gods existed that he would listen.

Ron levelled a confused and irritated look at Hermione. He was trying to protect the witch yet here she was forcing him out. After Harry talked with him he was sure something weird was up with Hermione. He didn't think he'd find her in tears with the death eater about to kill her. He grunted, disgruntled, and stepped outside. "We all have to talk about this, Hermione."

"We will discuss this after, now please let me continue my session!" Hermione all but slammed the door in his face before casting a silenciaro, it wa slightly different to a silencio, and it would suit her needs right now, it would create a barrier to reduce any noise in the cabin to a faint buzz. The auror would believe they are just having a quiet conversation. Hermione locked the door and dropped to Bellatrix's side, quickly disarming the bracelets, returning them to their original state. She checked the black haired witch over for any serious damage and Bellatrix shot up, her back arching painfully as she growled harshly."

"Get away from me." It was spoken darkly. Threateningly.

A warning.

One Hermione should have listened to. Instead Hermione froze as piercing gold eyes met hers, Bellatrix had half shifted, and spit and blood were dripping from her fangs and lips. In this moment, Bellatrix truly looked monstrous.

"Bellatrix I-"

"I said GET AWAY" Bellatrix roared, spittle flying from her mouth, her claws tearing at the floor like it was warmed butter. It was deafening, it battered against Hermione's skin, quickly alarming her flight senses and her heart hammered as Hermione covered her ears at the sound. Bellatrix was struggling, mentally and physically, she didn't want to hurt the witch again, she wasn't in full control. She watched fear's heavy feet storm across Hermione, lowering the girls shoulders, sinking her closer to the floor. Bellatrix's chest tightened and her mouth snapped shut. She ground her teeth and dug her claws into the floor to stay in place. "You need to go. Please Granger, I don't want to hurt you."

Hermione looked up in surprise. Genuine fear and worry outlined the gold in Bellatrix's eyes and she saw how the witch was fighting herself. Fears dance began to slow into a waltz of worry and Hermione was reminded of how Bellatrix looked that first time. She couldn't help herself, she reached out, fingers delicately skimming along Bellatrix's jaw, the dark witch freezing under her touch before ever so slightly leaning into it. Hermione felt her heart soften and swell ever so slightly.

"…You truly are remarkable..."

Bellatrix's eyes widened, her heart began to slow, and seamlessly, gold drowned in black irises that became an ocean, waves of ink washing away gold until all that remained was midnight water. It reminded Hermione of Black Lake on a warm summer's night, the colour of black, a shimmering watercolour under the light of the moon. Claws began to retract, fur twisting back into curls, and before she knew it, she fell forward into Hermione's arms, exhausted, but for now, no longer a danger to the witch.

"How… did you-"

"Shhh." Hermione ran her fingers through Bellatrix's hair gently. She didn't know how to answer Bellatrix's question. Mainly because she also had no idea why Bellatrix shifted back so suddenly, it would be something they would have to figure out together. But first…. "I'm sorry."

Bellatrix chuckled tiredly. "For what? For having a normal reaction to someone who literally carved you up and decided to put you in a similar position?"

"I-"

"It's fine. It was my fault, Granger, don't worry about it." Bellatrix drawled tiredly, she felt exhausted, her body ached and even though she could feel herself healing, everything still hurt. It did feel nice to be held though, Bellatrix leaned into Hermione's touch and sighed, wincing as she felt pain shoot along her ribs. Hermione frowned and held the witch closer.

"But I'm still sorry, I shouldn't have screamed like that and-"

"Stop that."

"I-… stop what?"

"Didn't I tell you to stop apologising for things that you don't need to apologise for?" Bellatrix gave the witch a half smile, it was weak and tired but still genuine, and it made Hermione melt just for a second. Hermione smiled weakly and a stifled and choked laugh fell from her lips.

"You're such an idiot"

Bellatrix's heart warmed for a split second before she shook her head. "Yeah. I guess I am." Bellatrix chuckled before coughing and took a few breaths as her body did its work to recover. She looked up at Hermione briefly, taking in the way her brows furrowed in concern, eyes wide and brimming with tears. "Don't cry, Hermione." Hermione's heart hurt, and she tried not to let anymore tears fall as Bellatrix seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. Bellatrix reached out to wipe away the one tear that betrayed her.

"Are you okay? The lesions are pretty bad." Hermione worried over Bellatrix, checking her over as gently as she could whilst the dark witch just smiled sadly. Hermione didn't think she had set the punishment seal on the restraints so high. This was… this was a lot worse than what the chains did and yet Bellatrix took all of it. Harry was wrong. He was wrong, and Hermione felt a pang in her heart at how she had let her doubt cloud her mind. "Do you need a medi-witch or I could try and perform a healing spell? Bellatrix some of these cuts look awful and-"

"I'll heal, don't worry. So, just… just stay?" It was a selfish request and Bellatrix wanted to hide her face in embarrassment but she didn't really have the strength to. The power in those bracelets felt stronger than the chains, and that combined with the idiot weasels spells really sucked the life out of her. She really didn't know how she bore it without shifting or passing out.

Hermione was conflicted at the request, Ron was outside and would no doubtably tell Harry and they would have to have a conversation. She still didn't understand how Ron found them or where Tonks was but a second later and a very angry Nymphadora could be heard arguing with Ron and Hermione made the assumption that Ron had told some elaborate lie to the auror so that he could enter the cabin. She would have to change all the wards and spells protecting the area and the cabin because how on earth Ron had gotten past everything was worrying unless he followed right behind her. She would kill him for this, but right now… right now she just wanted to make sure Bellatrix was okay.

"Okay."

Hermione didn't remember falling asleep, but when she woke up in Bellatrix's bed wrapped in warm sheets, she knew that she must have missed the rest of the day's classes, and she truly didn't care.