Chapter 4: The Understanding
The door closed softly behind Hermione casting the small room into a deafening quiet. Hermione kept her wand at the ready as she took a tentative step further into the room.
The dark witch was laying on her back staring at the ceiling. Which was as good a place to stare as any. The room had no windows and no furnishings aside from one chair and a small bed stand. The bed stand did have several issues of Daily Prophet at the bottom shelf, but those were well below the witch's eye level and most likely belonged to Narcissa.
The witch was painfully thin but otherwise surprisingly undamaged.
Hermione hovered near the door with her wand trained at the silent witch. She didn't dare to come closer expecting the other witch to start talking or screaming. Yet the other witch ignored her completely.
Hermione sighed. It has been several minutes, she didn't come to St. Mungo's to stare at the witch.
'I imagine you've heard the news then… I saw your signature… how did you do it, Lestrange?'
Hermione sighed.
Must the witch be difficult always!
'Why are you ignoring me?! You are the one who cheated! There is no other way I would be matched with you, you sick awful horrible despicable…arhg!'
Hermione realized in her annoyance she walked up to the bed. Yet the witch paid her no attention. She hastily took a large step back.
'Really, it is quite pathetic to need a mudblood to save you from dementors, don't you agree? I'd be quiet too if I were you! I might even just die from such humiliation.'
Yet the witch ignored her.
'Fine, be that way!'
Hermione looked carefully over the witch.
'What are you playing at?'
She stepped closer again and poked the skinny forearm with her wand ready to jump away and cast an immobilizing spell at the tiniest of movements.
'The way I see it, you are dead one way or the other… So being on my good side will only help your situation… Could it be a silencio… combined with petrificus perhaps…'
She cast the counters but the witch was as unmoved as before.
'What the hell is wrong with her!'
She carefully backed out of the room keeping her eyes on the pale witch.
She felt for the door handle behind her, opened the door to exit, caught her foot on the doorway, and stumbled out of the room much less gracefully than she planned.
All eyes trained on her immediately. She frowned at all in turn.
The aurors were still in their conjured chairs.
'Miss Granger, we would really like to be done for the night,' said the leader. All three looked up hopefully at her from their chairs.
'And I told you, gentlemen, you won't be needed!' She snapped at them. 'You can depart at any time.'
The three scowled at her and shifted to get comfortable in their seats.
Just then Hermione realized that the healer was not there anymore. Hermione spotted the short lime-green form down the corridor, most likely checking on the other patients. She'd have preferred the healer to answer her questions, but she was clearly busy doing her job.
She glared at Narcissa anticipating a sneer, but the witch simply raised an inquiring eyebrow. 'Mrs. Malfoy, are you permitted to enter the room?'
The blond witch nodded and Hermione motioned for her to follow inside.
The wizards stayed put, making no move to leave.
She shrugged and closed the door.
Hermione stood close to the door, and watched silently as the blonde checked her sister over.
She heard Finite Incantatem and immediately had her wand out expecting the dark witch to spring up. The witch stayed put, but Narcissa was already whispering other incantations. When Hermione's panic subsided she recognized one of the quiet murmurs as a diagnostic spell.
Finally, she let out a relieved sigh, sat tiredly into the chair, and looked at Hermione.
'You didn't hurt her then…' half question half statement.
Now Hermione understood what the witch was doing. She rolled her eyes.
'Mrs. Malfoy, honestly! I have more pressing problems!'
Hermione paused to organize her thoughts in a way that would retrieve most information from the witch. Despite all her best intentions she asked the thing foremost on her mind.
'Why me?!' She hissed and waved a hand between herself and the prone witch. 'How did you even arrange that! Why?!' She was once again so angry she thought she would start to cry. 'Why can't your family just leave me alone?!'
'Miss Granger…' Narcissa reached out as if to touch her but thought better of it. She instead clasped her hands together again. 'I assure you I didn't… I didn't even know this was an option, not until Prophet wrote about Avery's case… but' She pulled a parchment from her robe pocket and enlarged it. 'It was returned. I fail to see how Bellatrix's name was even there.'
Hermione inspected the parchment. It had Bellatrix information, and many burned and blackened spots all over, not unlike the magically expelled notes from Triwizard Tournament cup.
Hermione thoughtfully turned the parchment in her hands.
'I assure you, Miss Granger, the only thing I tried is this failed attempt.' The witch pursed her lips. 'I spend most of my time here keeping an eye on Bella, and hoping my husband manages to stay alive so I am not made to share poor Rosallie's fate. I'm hardly in a plotting state of mind at the moment.'
Rosallie was the name of the only witch executed under the same amendment as Avery.
'Oh… You don't have to…'
Hermione stopped as soon as her brain caught up to her mouth.
'I am not so old as to have an option, Miss Granger!' the blond snapped, and Hermione cringed, vowing to keep conversation to relevant questions only.
Hermione cleared her throat.
'I don't recognize the spells she is under. Can you lift them? Can I talk to her? Did she even agree to this? Who would do-'
Narcissa looked sadly at her sister and rubbed gently the lifeless arm.
'She is not. Not under any binding spell.'
Hermione stayed quiet hoping for more of an explanation and observing Bellatrix at the same time in case waiting for a tiny movement to give her away.
'She has been like this since the battle. Worse actually. They almost buried her alive. I'm sure some wish they did. Her eyes started to open two weeks ago.'
Hermione stepped closer inspecting Bellatrix under this new information. Her silent immobile form now looked much less intimidating. She relaxed her death grip on her wand.
'Can she hear us? What did Mrs Weasley hit her with?'
'Molly claims a faulty memory due to the stress of battle.'
'But you don't believe her?'
The blond just hummed.
'There are many spells to kill a person, Miss Granger. Avada is just one of them… the only one unstoppable by magical means. As with any spell it behooves one to practice… Does Molly Weasley strike you as a practitioner of deadly spells?'
Hermione wanted to press for more, but she had other more pressing matters. She pulled the contract out. She was sure she saw a signature. She was not wrong.
'You! You signed it.' She shook the parchment. 'Is this even binding? Did I just… to you?!'
'Of course it is! Why wouldn't it be?' Blue eyes blinked closed and the witch sighed as if gathering strength to deal with idiots. 'I am Bella's governor as such my decisions for her are binding and final.'
Hermione opened her mouth to explain about consent and individual rights and snapped it closed. She was in this situation because of the Marriage Law, the law that the majority of witches and wizards took as a necessary inconvenience. Why indeed would the consent to marriage by the legal representative be an issue in this world…
'The scroll came here two days ago. The aurors let it through as the scroll had the Ministry seal. I took it as a cruel joke, yet hesitated to burn it in the hope that the document was real. Then your information appeared.'
Narcissa looked expectantly at Hermione. But Hermione was still processing, still examining the words for inconsistencies.
'Mis Granger, I know Bellatrix- what she did-' The blond witch fell silent, for the first time her bearing seemed less than regal. 'Are you going to request a death sentence for her?'
Narcissa's bearing seemed deflated. Her face was still a mask and her posture straight, and yet she looked less than herself. Hermione didn't know what to say and certainly didn't want to make things easy for the witch, so she stayed silent.
The knuckles of the clasped hands turned to translucent once again, as the witch spoke again.
'I don't have room to ask for your kindness… and certainly not on Bella's behalf… yet I must and so I shall. If it is a decision between execution and imprisonment… I beg you not to torture my sister. Another confinement similar to the last would be torture.'
Hermione felt her emotions bubble back to the surface, and she focused hard to keep all in.
'Ironic, Mrs. Malfoy, so ironic.'
Hermione wanted to say so much more about the request and about the chosen wording. She was afraid that if she started ranting she wouldn't be able to stop; and worse than that she might actually cry in front of the cold witch, and that would not do at all. So she clamped her jaw keeping the words in.
'If it is revenge you want, surely a more aware target would be more satisfying?' The blonde looked somehow even more defeated. 'I- I will allow you to do as you wish with my person as long as you spare Bella Azkaban.'
Hermione's eyes widened and she shook her head and the hope vanished from Narcissa's face.
'I don't understand you, I swear!' She ran hands through her hair. 'And don't tell me it is because I am a Muggle-born! It is because I am not insane! I saw your face that day. You were terrified… And now you are ready to suffer. For her!'
'Do we have a deal?'
Hermione shook her head again, and Narcissa sighed defeat clear in her eyes.
Hermione pulled her parchment out again but held it close.
'I want a favor of my choosing at a later date in exchange for my consideration in this matter.'
Blue eyes brightened and the blonde accepted immediately.
'Very well, a favor it is.'
Hermione handed the parchment to Narcissa.
Narcissa looked in confusion at the lack of quill but carefully unfolded the heavily creased document.
House Arrest - 7 years; Full Pardon at Completion spelled clearly on the Additional Stipulations lines with all empty spots stricken through to prevent any additions or alterations.
'But… You've already?.. Why would you?..' Blue eyes narrowed. 'You made me beg!'
Narcissa stood up and slowly reached for Hermione, settling for a soft squeeze of the younger witch forearm.
'Thank you, Miss Granger.'
Hermione shrugged awkwardly, she wasn't doing it for either witch so much as for herself; even if she had a feeling she'd regret her decision soon enough. She really wished she could see the Wizengamot faces when they get tomorrow's news.
'Mrs. Malfoy, probably best if Bellatrix is transferred to whatever house is suitable for her house arrest soon… else some misfortune befalls her. Or me, for that matter. I'd prefer to make my decision public by this morning's Prophet issue for the same reasons. If you are in agreement?'
Narcissa smiled thinly. Clearly Miss Granger had some Slytherin in her.
How refreshing.
Now, she just needed a way to get Bella to safe place without breaking any laws.
End of Chapter 4
