Chapter 20: TBD, Part 2

Hermione stared incredulously at the reclining witch. Was she supposed to climb under her skirts or something? Some touching would definitely be involved. Whether Bellatrix would deem that excessive…

Or perhaps she was supposed to just reach under and just use her hand… and what? Just stare at the witch all the while…

Hermione bit her bottom lip, hard. Laughing in the bedroom was hardly a safe option even with less mercurial partners.

Magic!

Bellatrix kept talking about magic and them being witches for the last several days. Was she supposed to use magic? Did such spells even exist? She didn't know any spells like that. Was she supposed to? Was she supposed to research Deathly Hollows and hunt for horcruxes and browse through a sex spellbook in her downtime?!

Did Bellatrix expect them to accomplish the full-clothed-no-touching consummation using magic?

The Activity Guide didn't have such a section!

'..don't think just being in the same room would work.'

Quiet words pulled Hermione out of her moment. Bellatrix was still reclining in the middle of the bed, still looking at some spot on the closed window curtains, but her right hand was now absently picking at the dress sleeve of her left forearm.

'But we could try...'

Hermione agreed with the older witch that just sitting together in the same room won't count. They did plenty of sitting together during breakfasts.

She rubbed sweaty palms over her jeans, walked the rest of the way to the bed and hesitantly sat down at the very corner leaning on the post and facing the reclining witch.

'Can we speak for a moment?'

Black eyes left their preferred spot on the curtains and met hers.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably under the appraisal pulling her leg up to rest her chin on her knee and wrapping her arms around it. She felt very much out of place in the opulently decorated room, sitting on the massive bed which was probably hundreds of years old, with the older witch who was dressed and who acted like a damsel from a centuries old novel.

'I just... well... you seem to assume I know what I'm doing or supposed to do and well...' she sighed and fell silent.

Bellatrix stayed just as silent but was now looking directly at her.

'What does it really mean to consummate the marriage… do both of us have to find… uhm.. pleasure… does it have to be by each others effort… or can uh.. self-help... be enough… and if not… which one of us has to find pleasure… to consummate… and why this word is so ugly!... con-sue-mate…'

Hermione was grateful for the dim light Bellatrix insisted on, and for Bellatrix's persistent lack of outward emotions. She was sure if the witch was fully herself she would be cackling hysterically at Hermione's rant.

'I don't know how to do it within the rules you laid out… I don't even know how to do it without the rules… that book is as far as my knowledge about witches go...'

The dark eyes kept staring and Hermione felt even more inadequate and resentful that Bellatrix had the presence of mind to somehow make the logistics of consummation effectively Hermione's problem.

'The word is ugly.' Bellatrix's lips twitched.

She moved to recline on her side, head propped up on her elbow.

'One of the spouses is usually enough, else half of pureblood marriages won't ever get consummated.'

Hermione took a deep breath. That addressed some of her concerns. If the witch would just clarify how she wanted to be pleased without touching much, they could be done with it in a timely manner. She ran through the options she obsessed over the previous days. Hopefully the witch was not against talking too, because the guide, quite unhelpfully, instructed to talk and take cues from one's partner.

'You'll be the one.'

The one...

'What?!' That was not what Bellatrix position implied. That was definitely not what Hermione expected either. She couldn't be so vulnerable with the dark witch. She didn't think she could stay calm with Bellatrix in control. 'Why me?'

'Because'

Seriously!

'Why, Bellatrix?'

'Why not?'

Bellatrix looked away, and the fingers of her free hand started to drum on the bedcovers.

Hermione kept looking at the witch.

The thin frame heaved a deep sigh.

'I don't like it that much'

'Sex?'

'That's what we are talking about, isn't it?'

'Oh… But you are-'

Hermione's brows flew at what she almost blurted out and she stopped.

'But I am what?'

'Nothing.'

Black eyes were now drilling into hers.

'Come now, Miss Granger, don't be shy.'

'It's nothing.'

'But I'm the Dark Lord's whore?'

Brown eyes widened at the statement. That was not the sentiment she broke off from saying.

'A Death Eaters' strumpet?'

A strumpet?..

'Beautiful. I was going to say beautiful, alright.'

'Oh'

But the pale face didn't look any less displeased, if anything it seemed even more so.

'Perhaps it is best we focus on the task,' the older witch finally broke the silence.

'Right, yes, of course'

Hermione thought this and that way of what Bellatrix's supposedly preferred and of the way she acted. She gave up. There was no practical way to accomplish it.

'Bellatrix, you do realize, right, that I don't have… uhh… necessary parts… that could…uh…' she waved the hand in the dark witch general direction, 'take advantage of your willing disposition. For me to come… to be pleased... well… you realize you'd need to do something about it, right?'

She just knew Bellatrix would say something along her favorite throwbacks about magic or them being witches, and so a thought occurred to her.

'Then again' Hermione continued thoughtfully, 'if there was a charm or potion… there must be a potion… a Polyjuice! I can ask Harry or Ron for a hair…'

For the first time that evening Bellatrix's face got a pronounced expression, I-just-ate-a-lemon-or-two expression.

'Thank Salazar it is too late for Polyjuice.'

Hermione shot her exasperated look. Now that she thought about it, Polyjuice would have been an excellent option if she knew the witch would want to do it this way. The time for brewing the complicated potion passed long ago, of course, but...

'I could write to the shops. It is not the most popular of potions to keep on hand right now and it'll be expensive but...' she started thoughtfully.

'Miss Granger, let me be very clear, I won't be having sex with your friends or their bodies. Ever.'

'Alright, fine, but how-'

Bellatrix reached behind the pile of pillows at the headboard and something flew towards Hermione. She caught the slightly glowing in the dim candlelight object before really seeing it.

'What- what is this?'

Bellatrix just stared.

Hermione squinted at the stick attached to entangled straps. If she looked past the odd glow, it almost looked like a-

She dropped the item and rubbed her hands furiously over the bed covers.

'P-please tell me it is not a family heirloom.'

'It is not.' Bellatrix repeated agreeably. The corner of the witch's mouth twitched. 'it should work well enough.'

'Oh Merlin… D-do I need to undress to put it on?'

'It's magic.'

That sounded like a no.

'Oh Merlin!' Hermione looked down her body. It looked as if a short fat dying glow stick attached itself to her crotch.

'You cannot hex me with your secret wandless magic, Lestrange! If you want to stop or something, just say so.'

She waited until Bellatrix nodded before doing anything else.

She climbed closer to the middle of the bed and stopped at the feet of the reclining witch. Obediently, Bellatrix spread her legs wider to accommodate.

Hermione stifled a sigh. She slowly climbed higher, careful not to leave too much of her weight on Bellatrix. Her hand reached down under the dress hem to ran up Bellatrix's leg. Tentatively up the calf, lightly over the knee, and more firmly over the thigh. The muscles twitched under her touch but the witch didn't move otherwise and stayed silent. The dress hem on one side was now pushed up to the pale hip.

She expected a hex or heart attack any moment, and resigned herself to either at this point.

The dress allowed for further movement and as if on its own volition Hermione's hand ran higher still. Up the pronounced hipbone and down the flat slightly dipping-in belly. Absently she thought to herself that the witch was still too thin. She lingered for long moments running fingers over the soft skin of the stomach and hip. Hermione thought Bellatrix breathing sped up some. She was certain her own breathing sped up for some reason too. She wasn't even doing anything strenuous yet.

Suddenly it clicked what felt odd. Bellatrix wore no knickers. Her heart thundered in her ears.

Bellatrix's breath hitched as Hermione's fingers dipped too close to the V junction of her thighs, but still the witch kept silent.

Hermione changed direction, reluctant to push. She traced along the tight bodice border which stopped her hand from going any higher. There were many thin lines under her fingers. Scars most likely. Not a surprise given the life the witch had led she mused. She glanced up to Bellatrix's face. The lower lip was caught between the teeth. Black eyes glued to the movements of Hermione's hand.

Hermione's hand headed down to caress along the thigh again, and then slowly up. Her thumb reached out to run along the soft skin of the inner thigh. She felt more than heard the other witch's breath hitch again as her hand passed mid-thigh and rose higher.

'Is this really necessary?'

Hermione's head snapped up from her study of the pulsing vein on the pale neck. Bellatrix didn't look angry. She looked bemused.

'Right… ah…sorry'

She shifted to hover fully over the witch. She steeled her resolve certain that the next minutes would surely top the most humiliating moments of her life.

'Miss Granger, this is my thigh…'

Oh Merlin!

'Still thigh'

Of course it is!

'Can we at least have light so I can see what I-'

'No!'

'Why don't you then-'

'I'm not touching that thing!'

'Merlin!'

Ten minutes later Hermione's arms and back were aching from the novel for her body moves and overall awkward position of trying to stay far but not too far. Bellatrix looked indifferent. However, Hermione had nothing but the witch's face to stare at, and she saw the dip in the lip where it was bitten from the inside, and the barely visible twitches of the brows which appeared to want to frown and were willed to be smoothed out instead.

The older witch was not comfortable.

Hermione rolled off Bellatrix.

'This is not working. I feel nothing, obviously. And you look unhappy.'

'I'm fine. It's fine.' Bellatrix pulled the dress down, and rose up to lean on her elbow. 'You feel nothing?'

Hermione shook her head.

Bellatrix looked at the stick that Hermione Scourgified repeatedly and was detaching from her hips in a hurry.

'Ursus was a pig, this should feel like something.' She said thoughtfully.

Hermione paused.

'Uhm.. who is Ursus?' Hermione frowned at Bellatrix suspiciously. 'Bellatrix! You said it is not a family heirloom!'

The witch gave one shoulder shrug.

'You don't think I came up with it, do you? A copy from my ancestor journal. Though maybe it is not based on his but more what he wanted his to be?... Not an heirloom in any case.'

Hermione finally separated from the stick and threw it on the bed between herself and Bellatrix.

'Wh-why would he want his to be so… modest and… glowing?'

'Maybe he was short…'

'Like half goblin?'

'Blacks didn't mix with creatures!'

'Of course, what was I thinking!'

Black eyes narrowed at her but then redirected to the stick.

'You think it's modest?'

'I'm not exactly an expert, Bellatrix!' Hermione really didn't wish for them to go into the details of how much of a not-an-expert she was. 'So why is it shining? Was he hard of sight too? And is it…'

Hermione cast a Lumos for a second then cut the spell before the dark witch could object. 'Purple! Why is it purple?'

Bellatrix looked away from Hermione, but her lips twitched.

'I just like the color.'

For the second time in less than an hour Hermione found herself biting the inside of her mouth to stop the uncontrolled laughter.

End of Chapter 20