When Hermione woke up the next morning, she was surprised to see Bellatrix still in her bed, holding her while she read a book on wards. Hermione shifted closer to Bellatrix. Last night, despite the nightmare, was the best nights sleep she'd had in a long time. Although she knew she needed to get up, she wasn't quite ready to give up the comfort.
Bellatrix went from holding her to stroking her hair. A subtle sign that Bellatrix knew she was awake but wasn't rushing her to get up. "How did you sleep?" Bellatrix questioned.
Hermione opened her eyes and studied the older woman. As far as Hermione could tell she hadn't left her bed at all during the night. She was wearing the same nightie as the previous night. Her dressing gown was thrown on the desk chair. The only thing that appeared to change was the fact that she now had a book.
"I slept well," Hermione answered. She still made no attempt to move. "Thank you for staying with me. You didn't have to."
"I did," Bellatrix disagreed. She shut her book and laid it on the nightstand. "You needed me and I will always be here for you."
"What time is it?" Hermione questioned. She reluctantly pulled away from Bellatrix so she could sit up and stretch.
"Just after eight," Bellatrix replied. "I imagine Narcissa will come looking for us soon."
"We should head down," Hermione said though she would rather stay right here.
"Yes we should," Bellatrix agreed. "Why don't you get clean up? I need to change into something a little more appropriate."
Bellatrix got out of Hermione's bed and Hermione realized just how short the nightie actually was. It barely covered her thighs. She walked over to the desk and grabbed her dressing gown. She quickly put it on before heading to the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes to walk you to breakfast," Bellatrix told her before leaving.
Hermione got out of bed and grabbed some clothes. She headed to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. She got dressed as quickly as possible so she didn't keep Bellatrix waiting. It turned out it didn't matter. Bellatrix was already waiting for her when she left her room.
Bellatrix held out her arm for Hermione and Hermione took it. "We will be starting your dueling training after breakfast," Bellatrix informed her. "It'll start off slow until you practice. My guess is by OWLs, you'll be able to hold your own in a duel against me. The Dark Lord has agreed to help with your training for dueling. There is more to dueling then simply throwing dark spells at me and hoping for the best. You need to know when to shield and what curses can be shielded. Can you tell me an example of what can't be shielded?"
"The killing curse," Hermione said promptly. "A wall or something could potentially block it but not a shield."
"Yes," Bellatrix agreed. "You can conjure something that could block the spell, you can even dodge, but if you cast a shield you will die. After duel practice, we will work on the theory of the Unforgiveables," she continued.
Hermione looked at Bellatrix. "Do I get to try them?"
"No," Bellatrix said firmly. "But this is a step in that direction. I think, perhaps, you can try the Imperious curse next summer and the other two the summer after that. At some point I would like to use the Imperious curse on you, to teach you to resist it, but I realize thirteen is a bit young still. All Death Eaters are taught to resist the Imperious curse."
They entered the smaller of the dining rooms. The three Malfoy's were already there and waiting when they arrived. Narcissa's eyes went straight to Bellatrix, her mouth pressed into a thin line, much like Hermione's Head of House when she was angry.
Hermione took her seat next to Draco. Bellatrix moved to the empty seat beside Narcissa but before she could sit down Narcissa muttered something into her ear and dragged her from the room. Hermione glanced at Draco and Draco shrugged.
"Unhand me Cissy," Bellatrix demanded.
Narcissa let her go once they were in the kitchen. "What in Merlin's name possessed you to bed your soulmate at thirteen?" Narcissa hissed at her sister.
Bellatrix took a step back from Narcissa. It'd been years since she had seen Narcissa this angry. The last time had been when Draco was a young child and fell off his broom. That time the anger was directed at Lucius because he was supposed to be watching Draco.
"What are you talking about Cissy?" Bellatrix questioned.
"Don't you Cissy me," Narcissa spat. "I saw you in bed with her. I went to your room this morning and found it empty. I went to check on Hermione and found you in bed with her. Your dressing gown was on the chair and you…"
"Enough," Bellatrix exploded. Narcissa's mouth snapped shut and she had a small amount of fear in her eyes. It made her realize she had gone too far in her accusations but still… if Bellatrix harmed her bonded Narcissa couldn't let her get away with it. "I did not bed her Narcissa. She had a nightmare, her screaming woke me. I went to check on her… she needed me so I stayed with her. I was dressed although I admit I wasn't appropriately clothed... you know how I typically dress for bed. But I was focused more on her than what I was wearing."
"I'm sorry," Narcissa whispered.
Bellatrix shook her head. "I've done a lot of bad things Narcissa, but I have never harmed a child," she said. "Did you really think I would hurt Hermione? Did you think the bond would let me hurt her?" She ran a hand through her hair. "I would never hurt her. I can't hurt her. Think about that before you accuse me."
"I'm sorry," Narcissa said again. "I saw you in her bed, you looked undressed… but you're right. The bond would have punished you if you even tried to bed her. It most likely would have killed you if you succeeded. Forgive me Bella?"
"You know I will," Bellatrix said. She met Narcissa's eyes. "But not right now. Right now, I have a young bonded that happens to be a Gryffindor. I wouldn't be surprised if she came here to see what was going on."
Hermione turned to Draco once Bellatrix and Narcissa were gone. "What's that about?" she asked curious.
Draco shrugged. "They do that a lot," he muttered. "Best to ignore it."
Breakfast at Malfoy Manor involved plates of food being served to each person. Hermione's plate had an assortment of fresh fruits, scrambled eggs, bangers and a piece of toast. It was her go to breakfast, even at Hogwarts.
"What are your plans for the day?" Hermione asked Draco.
"I want to get my Charms essay started," Draco answered. Hermione stared at him in surprise. It was the second day of summer holiday and already he was doing homework. Not even she was starting yet. "Charms isn't my strong suit," he admitted. "Mother agreed to look over my essay so I need to start on it soon. After that, I'll probably spend some time flying." He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Hermione. "I'm hoping Father can convince Mother to let me join your dueling practice."
Hermione glanced at Lucius. If he could hear Draco, he wasn't giving anything away. Draco was her best friend, her real best friend, and while she loved the idea of learning with him, she really wanted Bellatrix all to her herself. It wasn't fair to him or Bellatrix because she was Draco's aunt so Hermione kept those opinions to herself.
"That would be great," Hermione said. "Maybe I won't get beat up as much," she joked.
"Who is beating you up?" Bellatrix asked dangerously, walking back into the dining room with Narcissa right behind her. Her eyes darted back and forth between Draco and Lucius.
Draco winced when he saw her hand move to her wand. Draco understood, to an extent, her need to protect Hermione from any and every threat. In all honestly, he was a bit jealous at the level of devotion Hermione got from his aunt. It wasn't that he wanted Aunt Bella to be devoted to him, but to have someone would be nice.
"You most likely, in dueling practice," Hermione answered.
Bellatrix's eyes went to Hermione. "It won't be that bad. I would never hurt you," Bellatrix said. Her eyes went to Narcissa as she said that.
Hermione nodded. She believed Bellatrix. She also knew Bellatrix was an expert dueler while she was a novice. While Bellatrix wouldn't try to hurt her, odds were she would get hurt unintentionally.
Bellatrix had some sausage and fruit onto her plate. She wasn't concerned about eating right now but she had to. The last thing she needed was Narcissa and Hermione hounding her to eat. She picked at the fruit and sausage until Hermione was done eating. When she saw Hermione was done she pushed her plate aside. "Done?" Bellatrix questioned.
"Yes," Hermione said.
"Follow me," Bellatrix requested. She ignored the looks from her sister and brother-in-law as she led Hermione from the room. They headed back upstairs to a room Hermione had seen but never been inside.
The room was empty, except for four dummies lined up against the wall. They were spaced out enough that four people could practice at the same time. "What is this room?" Hermione asked curious.
"It's a training room," Bellatrix replied. "One of several in the manor. This is the one we will be using every morning after breakfast. Duels will be simple and more formal at first. I'll teach you formal dueling as well but it isn't used much."
The door to the training room opened and Draco walked inside. "Sorry to interrupt," he said. "Father has allowed me to join dueling practice. No Dark Arts yet but he wants me to be able to duel."
Bellatrix nodded. It wasn't Lucius that didn't allow Draco to learn the Dark Arts. It was Narcissa. She had seen what the Dark Arts had almost done to Bellatrix and refused to allow her child to suffer like that. She understood Narcissa's views, which is why she never tried to push Draco's inclusion into Hermione's training. The only time Bellatrix went against wishes was when Narcissa tried to decide what Hermione should and shouldn't do. Bellatrix appreciated her sister's views and listened to opinions but it was Bellatrix's decision in the end.
"Very well Draco," Bellatrix said. "We have just started. Remove your wands." Hermione and Draco did what they were told. "For now, you two will practice against each other. We will start with basic dueling etiquette. Hermione stand beside the dummy, Draco on the other side of the room." The two quickly moved to where Bellatrix told them to go. "Good, now face each other with your wand raised. Now, in a more formal duel you will bow to each other. We will be practicing this, not because it is useful in a real duel, but because this will let you know when it is okay to start. When you bow, Hermione will cast the first spell, then Draco and so on. Hermione," Hermione looked to Bellatrix. "No Dark Arts when dueling Draco. You can use them against me, but not him."
"Yes Morgana," Hermione agreed. It was easy enough to agree. She didn't want to hurt Draco.
"Begin," Bellatrix instructed.
The two soon to be third years bowed to each other. "Stupefy," Hermione cast.
"Protego," Draco said. The shield blocked Hermione's spell easily enough. "Expelliarmus."
"Protego," Hermione said.
Bellatrix watched as they tossed spells back and forth. One would cast an offensive spell, the other would block and then cast their own offensive spell. It was a good start although it was nothing like real dueling. Dueling in the real world was about tossing as many deadly spells at the enemy as quickly as possible. The objective was to kill… or incapacitate. Bellatrix preferred to kill because incapacitation meant there was a chance, however small, that the person could come back. Although back during the first war, the Order had been a joke. Incapacitating them didn't matter because they were too weak, or unwilling, to kill Death Eaters.
"Alright, that's enough," Bellatrix called after ten minutes. Both kids were panting heavily, though Hermione wasn't quite as bad. Bellatrix sighed. She had a lot of work to do. "Starting tomorrow morning you two will be running around the grounds."
"What?" Draco exclaimed in horror. Bellatrix glared at her nephew. "I mean, if you think that will help."
"Why?" Hermione asked curious.
Draco rolled his eyes when he noticed Bellatrix didn't seem bothered by the question. "Your stamina is terrible," Bellatrix explained. "The Dark Lord had us train by dueling. But you two are much too young for that method, so you will be running instead. The more you run the easier it will be to duel. Most witches and wizards don't think about raising their stamina and die rather quickly."
"So, muggle exercise? I'm surprised Death Eaters would be willing to do something like that," Hermione said. It wasn't a judgment, simply an observation.
"We may not like muggles but even we can't deny that they have some brilliant ideas," Bellatrix said with a small smile. "Building stamina is important. There are only so many curses and shields you can do before getting magically exhausted. Higher stamina allows you to dodge spells you normally would have shielded against."
Hermione nodded in understanding. Bellatrix did make a valid point. "Okay, I'll go running first thing tomorrow morning," Hermione promised.
Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at Draco. "Yes, alright, I'll go too," Draco told his aunt.
"Good," Bellatrix said pleased. "You're dismissed for today, Draco." Draco glanced at Hermione. "She will remain for now. Your mother has yet to give permission for the rest of our training."
Draco nodded and left the room.
"Are we still practicing?" Hermione asked now that they were alone.
"Yes," Bellatrix answered. "You will be practicing formal dueling with Draco as it is all his parents will allow him to do. You and I will be practicing real dueling. Our duels will be more realistic in order to prepare you for the future. Of course, I won't be trying to curse you. I will only use stunners and stinging hexes. You, however, can use any spell you wish."
"Isn't there a risk of you getting hurt?" Hermione asked concerned. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Bellatrix, although the possibility that she could do anything was minuscule.
Bellatrix wanted to laugh at the thought of a thirteen-year-old managing to hurt her. But she'd seen how well Hermione had taken to the Dark Arts. The risk was small but it was still there. "I can heal any damage you may do," Bellatrix promised. "If that is not sufficient the Dark Lord can heal as can Narcissa."
"Okay," Hermione agreed. Now that she knew Bellatrix wouldn't get hurt, she felt far more comfortable. She didn't consider her own safety because she knew Bellatrix wouldn't hurt her. She wasn't sure how she knew it but she was confident she was right.
"I'll let you know when to start," Bellatrix told her. "As I said, I'll only be using stunners and stinging hexes. Stunners will simulate kill shots while stinging hexes will account for everything else. Your goal right now is to survive as long as possible. Eventually, your goal will be to incapacitate or to get a kill shot."
Hermione would be at a disadvantage in this duel. She couldn't silent cast. During their training sessions, Bellatrix had told her about silent casting and the advantages. She'd also mentioned the disadvantages and how much harder it was to silent cast. Silent casting was taught in sixth year. It was thought that older, more mature, students would have the best chance at being successful. Bellatrix had promised to teach her but not until her fourth year.
"On the count of three, you will begin," Bellatrix said. "One…two…three."
"Stupefy," Hermione cast as soon as Bellatrix hit three.
Bellatrix cast a shield before throwing two stunners and a stinging hex at Hermione. Hermione countered with her own shield but the shield broke after the second stunner, causing the stinging hex to hit her in the shoulder.
Hermione winced but did not let that distract her. "Serpensortia, Sectumsempra." Hermione cast one right after the other. She hoped the Sectumsempra didn't hit. She watched in awe as Bellatrix banished the snake and dodge the curse at the same time.
She turned around and cast four stunners at Hermione. Hermione quickly shielded herself. The shield was a bit stronger than the last time but after the third stunner it broke. The fourth stunner hit her and she went down.
Bellatrix ran over to her young bonded. She knelt beside Hermione and muttered, "rennervate."
Hermione blinked and turned toward Bellatrix. "I lost," Hermione mumbled. She knew it was going to happen but she had hoped she would last longer.
"Yes," Bellatrix said. She offered Hermione her hand and helped pull her off the ground. "You overestimated your shield. While it is possible a shield can multiple several curses at the same time, yours isn't as strong as it could be. If you would have dodged those four stunners you'd have lasted longer."
Hermione nodded in understanding. "Can we try it again?"
"Not today," Bellatrix said. Hermione's face fell. "We need to get cleaned up, unless you don't want to go to Knockturn Alley?"
"No, I do," Hermione exclaimed.
Bellatrix grinned at her eagerness. "Come, I'll walk you to your room."
They walked to Hermione's room in silence. Once Hermione was inside, Bellatrix turned and went to her own room to shower. Twenty minutes later, both witches were ready to go to Knockturn Alley, but before they could go, both witches needed glamours.
"Can you teach me glamours?" Hermione asked as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She could easily pass off as a Malfoy with her blonde hair. Her hair was a little curly though no where near as bad as her normal hair. She also had blue eyes. Bellatrix hadn't changed anything else, that way if Hermione wanted to get clothes, they would still fit once the glamours were removed.
Bellatrix flicked her wand and her own features were changed. Her hair straightened out and turned blonde. She didn't change her eyes, she liked the violet colour too much to do that. The eye colour wasn't common but it wasn't rare enough that people would automatically recognize her. If someone did recognize her, they wouldn't say anything, at least not while they were in Knockturn Alley.
Hermione's eyes flickered to the Dark Mark on Bellatrix's arm. The first time she saw the mark was during their late night training sessions. Before then, Bellatrix had been so careful to keep it hidden as she didn't want to scare Hermione. But one night, she had rolled up her sleeves and Hermione saw the mark. It hadn't bothered her in the slightest. She simply traced the design with her finger and they went about their business. "You're not hiding the mark?" Hermione asked curious.
Bellatrix looked down at the Dark Mark. "Only the Dark Lord can hide the mark," Bellatrix informed her. "It'll be okay though. No one in Knockturn Alley will care about the Dark Mark, if anything it will help make sure we get what we want."
"Will the Dark Lord mark me?" Hermione asked.
"You would have to ask him that," Bellatrix said. "But he doesn't mark anyone under seventeen, and not until they have left Hogwarts."
Hermione nodded. The mark would cause a lot of issues. She was glad she would have time before she took it. Hopefully everything regarding Harry and Ron would be dealt with by then. If not… she wasn't sure what she could do.
"Are you ready?" Bellatrix asked when Hermione didn't say anything.
Hermione looked at her. "Yes, I'm ready."
Bellatrix held out her arm and Hermione took it. They disapparated seconds later. Hermione clung to Bellatrix's arm after they landed. She still wasn't used to apparating and she didn't want to risk falling over.
Bellatrix seemed to understand that as she kept a firm grip on Hermione's arm. Once she was sure Hermione was steady, she let the girl go. "Do you need a stomach soother?" Bellatrix asked.
Hermione shook her head. "I'm good," she said. "I just have terrible balance after apparating." She looked around but didn't recognize her surroundings. "Where are we?"
"This is the entrance to Knockturn Alley," Bellatrix said. "Diagon Alley is back behind us. This is the only spot in Knockturn that allows apparation. Now, you need to stick close to me while we're here. Do not leave my eyesight, do you understand?"
"Yes Morgana," Hermione said.
"Come, we will go to Borgin and Burkes first. There is something the Dark Lord requested we get," Bellatrix said before leading Hermione down the cobblestone road.
They walked slowly to Borgin and Burke's. Bellatrix hated the shop. While there were plenty of interesting things in the shop, Borgin did anything he could to cheat customers. The only people he didn't dare cheat were the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself. According to Tom, him and Borgin went way back and Borgin was terrified of Tom, with good reason.
The bell over the door chimed when Bellatrix and Hermione walked inside. "Fill free to look around but do not touch anything," Bellatrix said. "Some of this stuff is cursed."
Hermione wandered around the many aisles of what looked to be junk. She spotted a bookcase full of old books. She moved over to the books while Bellatrix went to the counter.
"What do you want?" Borgin asked gruffly.
Bellatrix put her arms on the counter, letting her sleeves roll up to reveal the edge of the Dark Mark. Borgin's eyes widened at the sight. Tom hadn't been lying. Borgin was terrified of the Dark Lord, and by extension, Death Eaters. Oh, how Bellatrix wished she could show him exactly who she was.
Bellatrix removed a list from her corset. It was written by Tom and was a rather long list of what he needed and wanted. She passed the list to Borgin. "This is what I need," she said.
Borgin's eyes widened at the sight of the list. He looked up when he saw Hermione move out of the corner of his eye. "We don't allow children here," he said firmly.
Bellatrix glared at him. "You will make an exception," Bellatrix hissed. "She is under the Dark Lord's personal protection and more importantly, she is under my protection." She allowed her glamour to fade just a tiny bit. Enough for him to recognize her appearance and question if she really was Bellatrix.
"Y…yes, of course," Borgin stammered. He scanned the list. "These things should be easy enough to get. Do you require them today?"
"No," Bellatrix answered. "Deliver them to Malfoy Manor when you have everything. You will be paid upon delivery."
"Very well. It will be done," Borgin confirmed.
Bellatrix walked away from him and went to Hermione's side. "Did you find anything?" she asked.
"There's some interesting things here," Hermione answered. "I don't know if there's anything I would buy. From what I can see, most of the things here are cursed." She pointed to the opal necklace on display as an example. "While I'm sure they're effective, they seem… I don't know, too obvious?"
Bellatrix laughed. "Yes, I can see why would think that," she said. "If you ever see that necklace somewhere, don't touch it. It instantly kills Muggles. For witches and wizards, it's a bit different. It can kill, if worn or touched, but not instantly. There is an indescribable amount of pain that comes with it. Some are driven mad while others die."
Hermione dropped her hand, even though it wasn't anywhere near the necklace. "Got it," she said. "There was something interesting I found." She walked over to the bookcase and pointed out a book. "The Dark Lord is a Parselmouth isn't he? I read that he was the Heir of Salazar Slytherin and Slytherin was a Parselmouth."
"He is," Bellatrix confirmed, having heard the Dark Lord speak Parseltongue more than once, typically when he was angry. Bellatrix removed her wand and levitated the book from the shelf.
"I thought the Dark Lord might like the book," Hermione told her. "You know, as a thank you for teaching me."
"Very well," Bellatrix said. She levitated the book to the counter. It was an unspoken rule at Borgin and Burke's to never touch anything unless told it wasn't cursed. "I'm buying this."
Borgin's eyes widened at the sight of the book. "Only a Parselmouth can read it," he said.
"Yes, I am aware," Bellatrix said, rolling her eyes. "It's for the Dark Lord. How much?"
"Ten galleons," Borgin said hesitantly. The last thing he wanted was to cheat Bellatrix. "The book is useless to anyone but the Dark Lord." Hermione reached for her money bag to pay but Bellatrix already threw the galleons onto the counter. "The book isn't cursed," Borgin informed them. "It's safe to touch."
Bellatrix grabbed the book and handed it to Hermione. Hermione tucked the book into her robes and followed Bellatrix out of the shop.
"Is he always like that?" Hermione asked curious.
"Like what?" Bellatrix asked.
"He seems… I don't know scared but also kind of arrogant," Hermione answered.
Bellatrix laughed. "He's afraid of the Dark Lord and Death Eaters. I showed him my Dark Mark and he was quick to try to please me, no doubt afraid I would report him to the Dark Lord."
"Do you think the Dark Lord will be mad that I got him something?" Hermione asked worried. "It's not meant to be a bribe or anything and I don't want him to think it is."
"Don't worry about that," Bellatrix told her. "People give gifts to the Dark Lord quite often. Now, where do you want to go next?" Bellatrix's eyes met Hermione's and Bellatrix shook her head. "Bookstore, of course, why didn't I think of that?"
Hermione beamed. She was pleased Bellatrix seemed to know her so well. "Is there a bookstore here?"
"You can find just about anything here," Bellatrix answered. "The difference is most shops here are tailored toward the Dark Arts whereas Diagon Alley isn't, though you can find books on the Dark Arts in Diagon Alley. The less…dangerous shops here are run by magical creatures that aren't allowed to own shops in Diagon Alley, such as werewolves and hags."
Bellatrix led Hermione a few shops down to a place called Cobb and Webb's. "This is the bookstore," she said before opening the door for Hermione. "Nothing is cursed here like at Borgin and Burke's but many books are charmed to scream if you're underage and try to open them."
"Like the Restricted Section?"
"Very similar yes," Bellatrix agreed. "The difference being that very few of those books are considered dark. The only book I can think of that is dark is Moste Potente Potions and the only reason it's even in the library is because of the Polyjuice Potion which is on the NEWTs."
"What is Polyjuice Potion?" Hermione asked curious.
"A potion that allowed you to turn into someone else for an hour," Bellatrix explained. "It's a complicated potion and a lot can go wrong, which is why it's part of the NEWTs.
Bellatrix and Hermione wandered around the shelves of the bookstore. Hermione would point out a book and Bellatrix would grab it and flip through it so Hermione could see if it interested her. So far, they had five books picked out including Moste Potente Potions.
Hermione had been given strict instructions that she wasn't allowed to try any of the potions in the book without being supervised by Tom. When Hermione asked why Tom, she was surprised to learn that although Bellatrix was great at a number of things…potions wasn't one of them. She knew the basics and was good at making a few select potions but overall, she avoided them.
"Did you get a NEWT in potions?" Hermione asked curious.
"No," Bellatrix answered. "I didn't have the patience for it. I took Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, DADA, Charms and Transfiguration."
"So, for NEWTs you can take whatever you want?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Bellatrix agreed. "As long as you received the proper grade in your OWLs. For instance, Potions required an E to get into the NEWT class. I got an E on my OWL but chose not to continue the class. Narcissa did get a NEWT for potions though."
"Morgana," Hermione called as Bellatrix headed to the register to pay for all of Hermione's books. "How am I supposed to read these books with that charm?"
Bellatrix laughed and walked back over to Hermione. "The charm is removed when the books are purchased. It becomes up to the parents to keep kids from reading the books."
"Are any of these books actually dangerous?" Hermione wondered.
"No, not on their own," Bellatrix replied. "As long as you're not practicing the spells or potions without supervision, you'll be fine. Now, are you ready?"
"Yes," Hermione said after a quick look around the store. "Let's go."
