Chapter 18: The Gentle Reminder


The days at Black Grotto House melded one into the other for its two inhabitants. The overall mood of the place was a contradicting mix of the sleepy routine and the nervous anticipation of the coming doom.

Bellatrix's main concern was Hermione Granger. That, and her impending execution. She appreciated the girl not gloating about it, and being quite civil, but Bellatrix was not stupid.

She knew the younger witch was keeping an eye on her, going so far as asking the elves of her whereabouts, not that they'd ever go against her orders to ignorance. The girl had to be hoping to catch her in some sinister activity, thus pacifying her sense of justice at Bellatrix's death.

Much to Bellatrix's chagrin, and, she was sure, the girl's disappointment, she was not up to anything interesting. There was no point. Her Lord was dead. For the first time in the last three decades there was an empty place in her awareness. The emptiness felt odd and unsettling.

Then there was an echo of terror and agony just below her conscious mind.. She suspected the cause of that was the same one that made her sister's usually calm blues flash in fury and distress, the same one that gave her the healthy regrown teeth, and possibly a new set of scars… Though with scars, it was harder to ascertain.

Narcissa refused to entertain the topic, and Bellatrix was nervous to use occlumency to reach deeper than her mind was willing to go to find the reason. If she would die in a matter of weeks, why bother adding more upset to her present.

In short, she was not in the mood for plotting.

She let her brain's confusion go undisturbed, amused herself with magic, and tolerated Cissy's prattling about events in the future Bellatrix won't live to see.

If only the mudblood's stopped acting strange and challenging her settled preconceptions.

One such odd thing happened the day after the younger witch discovered her abilities with wandless magic.

...After her embarrassing meltdown in the mailroom, she vowed to avoid the girl at all costs. She skipped breakfast the next day, along with the other meals, and spent all day in the owlery levitating, slicing and burning the discarded feathers. She eyed the birds briefly, but decided against experimenting with them. She just knew both Cissy and the mudblood would have much to say, if anything happened to any of them.

Only the fallen darkness forced her to think of going back. And then she spent another two hours forcing her Lumos to produce and maintain light long enough so that she could get to the main house without breaking her leg or her neck.

When she finally got to her room and was done with the long bath, she realized there was a package and a note on her desk.

She puffed a tiny breath of surprise. The script was as annoyingly proper, just as the girl herself, perfect form and so proportioned in its size, slant, and letter joins, Cissy would be jealous.

"I won't bind your magic, and I won't volunteer information to those who might. You don't need to be fearful about that."

Fearful!

She burned the word off the note before she even realized what she was doing.

The package was wrapped simply, for suspense, rather than for decorative effort. The shape. The weight. It was obviously a book.

Bellatrix sighed.

She was not in the mood for some Muggle book. Was this the price for keeping her magic? Instead of blinding her, the mudblood was going to educate her?

She glanced at the singed note. She could always set the book on fire and return what's left, she consoled herself.

Magical Theory: Distortion of Basic Laws under Extreme Conditions

Proofs and Experiments

Black brows knitted, it did not sound at all as anything related to Muggles.

She opened the front cover. At the top corner there was a handwritten sentence with initials.

A gift, to the Muggle's Witch's Witch. HG

Bellatrix's lips twitched in reluctant amusement.

She flipped to the title page. The first edition came out in 1994, while she was enjoying the dementors' hospitality. That explained why she'd never heard of it.

She skimmed through the contents. The book was a collection of works by various researchers from all over the world. The space, the Mariana Trench, the Time paradox, the Veil…

She took the book with her to bed.

What was she supposed to do with such gesture?

The mudbl- the girl just didn't make sense!

Bellatrix tried to provoke the girl by using magic in her presence, but instead of alarm the younger witch burst into questions about the feat.

Bellatrix crossed off the number 15 of the 22 on her makeshift days tracker that morning before coming down for breakfast. She had seven numbers remaining, seven days left.

She did not want to die.


As for Hermione, her main concern was her utter lack of preparedness for all the things that were soon to come, be it the consummation, the Weasleys' group wedding, the final Hogwarts year, the NEWTs, the search for Apprenticeship and job opportunities. All that, and Bellatrix Lestrange.

Now that she knew of Bellatrix's mailroom hiding place, the witch still managed to disappear for hours somewhere else, and forbid the elves to reveal her location. Unlike the house wards which proved to have no preference, the elves, due to intimidation or familial loyalty, had a clear preference towards Bellatrix's commands.

The dark witch became even more standoffish and snappy since the mailroom situation. Often resorting to just three standard responses. Whoever wrote in those Marriage Manuals that asking or offering help or advice builds rapport, clearly hadn't met Bellatrix Lestrange.

…Could you help me with this?
-You're a witch.

…Do you need my h-
-I'm a witch!

Hermione tried to fall back on old conversations which now made more sense.

…You brewed that potion, didn't you? That's what you meant by saying it was in the lab!
- I'm a witch.

Hermione tried to start new conversations, curious about the witch's abilities.

…How did this get here?
-Magic

…But your hand didn't even move. How did you cast that?!
- I'm a witch

…Will you show me?
-You're a witch.

Hermione tried to stay on the practical day-to-day stuff.

…I've just looked for you in this room. How did you...
-Magic…

Hermione made an effort not to make an issue of Bellatrix using wandless and often wordless spells. She hoped this way the witch wouldn't hide her powers, and she could keep updated on Bellatrix's returning strength and abilities.

And it seemed to work.

Talking to the witch however was becoming more complicated, instead of less!

It was the 24th day since the signing of the Intent. They had seven days till the deadline. She had to talk to Bellatrix.


The two witches finished their breakfast a good half an hour ago, but neither moved to leave the sunroom. This was supposed to be the day for their next breakfast conversation, and while both had things on their minds neither wished to start talking first.

So they sat in tense silence.

Hermione wanted… no! needed… resolution. No matter how embarrassing. Yet every time she took a breath to start, the breath would fizzle out and no sound would come out of her throat. She wondered if discussing the topic over owls would move things along.

It seemed to work for Ron.

Her practiced speech was running through her head. She took another breath. Today had to be the day.

While Hermione was in self-made hell of anxious thoughts, Bellatrix was floating in her own less than cheerful musings.

She didn't want to die, but in her circumstance, she wasn't sure how to avoid that. The girl was scared of her, had never mentioned consummation, yet acted as if there was a point to building a relationship. If she was a Slytherin Bellatrix would call the contradictions a mind game, and dismiss them, but the mudblood was a Gryffindor. Those pests just weren't that devious.

What did the girl want from her? Why won't she just come out and say?

And, as if to add to her confusion, the brown eyes once again covertly landed on her person, and the younger witch sighed deeply once more.

Just when Bellatrix's frustration was reaching the boiling point, and she started to eye the doors, a large owl tapped on the window.


Bellatrix practically jumped out the armchair to let the owl in. Anything breaking the awkward silence was good at this point.

The owl dropped a package with attached parchment into her hands and immediately flew out the window.

Hermione looked curiously at the delivery.

'Mrs. Malfoy?'

Bellatrix ripped the letter off the package and threw it to Hermione. Before Hermione could protest the treatment, the envelope floated onto her lap, too precise to be an accident.

'Ministry' Bellatrix muttered, she was already unwrapping the package.

A book.

Hermione felt a pang of irritation that she got a letter while Bellatrix kept the book.

The witch discarded the wrapping paper and the thin twine string, and froze.

In fascination Hermione observed as the normally pale complexion got some color.

'What is it?'

Hermione's voice shook the witch out of her moment.

Hermione's eyebrows rose as she saw Bellatrix silently casting something that looked a lot like a Scourgify. Several times. It was hard to read the barely noticeable movements of the witch's fingers as she cast, centering her energy through her hand, or possibly her fingers.

After another long motionless contemplation, the dark witch gingerly opened the book in the middle. Much to Hermione's concern, the pale cheeks flared to bright red.

'Come on Lestrange! What is it?' What got the older witch so angry?

Bellatrix continued flipping through the book completely ignoring her.

Hermione opened the envelope that came with the book.

"Dear Couple,

The Marriage Law mandated 30-day deadline of your union consummation is nearing close. In order to stay compliant with the law, please make every effort to complete the requirement in allotted time.

If one or both of you are unable to fulfill marital duty due to debilitating injury, grave illness, or death, please inform the Marriage Initiative Commission (MIC) promptly; please include, as appropriate, your request for annulment or a return-to-compliance timeline.

Penalty for the party at fault in cases of annulment will be determined on a case-to-case basis by the MIC 's 30-day Compliance team. The return timeline will be evaluated and approval issued after review by the MIC's 30-day Compliance team.

The Activity Guide was included with this letter, in order to facilitate compliance.

Respectfully,

MIC 30-day Compliance team"

Wide-eyed she turned to the older witch.

The Scourgify made sort of a sense she supposed.

Was it a magical book?

Did it have pictures?

Did they move ?!

Bellatrix was still staring at the book.

Hermione's patience ran out and she flicked the wand to summon the book from the frozen witch. That seemed to shake Bellatrix of whatever thought she was lost in.

Black eyes flared in irritation at her audacity.

'You need it more anyway,' she muttered and stalked out of the room.

When Bellatrix's footsteps faded almost to nothing, Hermione finally looked down.

Oh Merlin!

They moved!


End of Chapter 18