Chapter 23: TBD, Part 4 - Awkward Conversations
The day was bright and clear with barely a cloud in sight in a welcoming change to the usual isle's gloom. The sun was high when Bellatrix went downstairs for breakfast. She contemplated avoiding the common areas, but discarded the notion. She wasn't about to make herself more of a prisoner than she already was during her last few days at the place.
The mudbood was there with her breakfast plate seemingly untouched.
Bellatrix stopped at the doorway.
She wanted to storm in and demand to know which part of the other evening was so unacceptable. That, however, could turn the conversation to the topics she didn't wish to discuss. Worse still, that could be interpreted as if she cared. And she most definitely did not!
She turned to leave.
'Bellatrix! Don't go, please.'
The girl turned in her chair and was looking at her.
'Why? This,' sunlight reflected of the purple ring stone as the hand waved indicating the room, 'this was your idea, and you-'
'I fell asleep reading the journal. That's all. Everything was fine. Everything is fine.'
Everything was not fine. The girl was a very bad liar.
'Right?' Brown eyes drilled into black challengingly.
Still, the girl bothered to lie... and she obviously waited for her.
'Right.' She stepped further into the room. 'What could possibly be wrong.'
Bellatrix summoned one of the elves and soon her food and wine were in front of her.
They ate in awkward silence for a time.
'So... Ursus was a doodler.'
'That's not a crime.'
'No no of course not… But isn't it odd that he documented everything but how to make that thing work.'
'Must have been obvious to him.'
'Right... but why not document it?' The younger witch blushed. 'He certainly documented everything else.'
Bellatrix took a sip of her wine.
That was a good question.
Bellatrix recalled other, less compromising, journals the wizard left behind. All held drawings and doodles. His were some of her favorite journals when she was young. He travelled extensively and had all sorts of stories about foreign wizards and foreign magics. Then she discovered the secret notebook. The thought that her ancestor had intimate relations with Muggles was distasteful. Rereading it now, and understanding the implications in it, only added to the distaste. Still, the girl was right, Ursus documented obsessively all that interested him.
'Did your husband hurt you when you…were together?'
Bellatrix blinked at the mudblood's nerve. She carefully put the wine glass down lest it snapped, and picked a flavored breadstick instead. She took a small bite, and chewed thoughtfully. She recalled the breakfast the day before. Sitting in this room. Alone.
'No. Of course not.'
The brown eyes narrowed for a moment, and then the girl's gaze dropped to her food. Bellatrix cringed at the screeching sounds the plate made. Cooked meat and eggs truly didn't require this much abuse. And neither did her ears! When did the mudblood decide to take leave of her table manners?!
She was ready to summon the knife from the witch's hand, when the girl put it down. Loudly.
'Do you believe one of the spouses have a right to harm the other?'
'Is that what you think I think?'
The girl shrugged.
Bellatrix stayed silent.
The girl pursed her lips.
'You know... actually you don't have to answer! I don't care what you think spousal right to hurt is. I won't tolerate violence.'
Bellatrix bit the breadstick to prevent the smirk to show. With the jumpy way the mudblood had around her... The girl would most likely faint... or stun Bellatrix first and then faint... before Bellatrix could even think of doing anything... unfortunate.
'And you... you must tell me when I'm hurting you. I want your word, Bellatrix.' Bellatrix took in the stubbornly set jaw and the furrowed brows. 'Or we are not doing anything else together. Ever. You are free to complain to the Ministry.'
Bellatrix imagined that little scenario.
'Does right now count?'
The girl glared at her.
Bellatrix reached for her wine.
'Should you not delight at the opportunity?'
'I'm not you!'
'Hardly an accomplishment.'
The girl rolled her eyes, but too soon refocused on the dark witch.
'Do I have your word?'
'This is really unnecessary.'
The girl frowned, and plate screeched again under the girl's knife.
'Fine. Can you stop doing that?!'
'And if I make you uncomfortable.'
Bellatrix glared at the knife in the younger witch's hand.
'You make me extremely uncomfortable right now.'
The girl put the knife down with another eye roll and raised her eyebrows.
'Fine.'
'And if you want to stop.'
'Are you trying to make consummation impossible?'
The girl frowned harder.
'Whatever. Fine.'
Younger witch shot her suspicious look but appeared somewhat appeased.
Perhaps she acquiesced too quickly... Bellatrix chewed thoughtfully at her bread stick. There was really no need for argument. Wanting to stop or being uncomfortable or even hurt were very flexible terms after all.
The girl picked her knife again and was glaring at her food.
Bellatrix cringed involuntarily.
It was obvious the girl was not done with her questions. Even as she ate, silently and without further plate-scratching, she kept shooting Bellatrix furtive glances.
'I don't understand!'
Bellatrix stilled wondering what other explanation or concession demand the mudblood had.
'How did you have that journal on hand? Is he your favorite ancestor?'
Ah, that...
'I was brought up to be the heir of the House. Knowing family history is part of it. Story like his is hard to forget.'
'And the journal...'
'The library, pet, where else.'
'The library doesn't have journals. Is there a secret library here?'
Bellatrix couldn't help the smirk. Trust the girl to be worried about hidden books.
'Summoned from the Manor library, all family records are kept there.'
Brown eyes narrowed suspiciously.
'Summoned from a different library...from a different location…How?'
Bellatrix's lips quirked again.
'Magic. Obviously.'
The girl looked like she was going to explode.
Poor thing was just too easy.
Bellatrix was waiting for further interrogation, but nothing came. The girl eventually got over her annoyance.
The two discussed the journal for the rest of the breakfast.
Late the following day an owl knocked on Hermione' bedroom window.
Hermione hurried to let the bird in. Noting with some disappointment that it was only Harry's owl. Another letter that she expected for almost a week now was still missing!
There were two small parchments rolled one into the other.
"Dad doesn't know of anything that the type of consummation sex impacts. Check your marriage contract to be safe.
-That chat was worse than practice dancing with McGonagall, Mione!"
"Hermione,
First, I hope to NEVER have a similar discussion with Kreacher again! EVER! The grouchy bugger had the nerve to ask if I was planning for a new Missus... since the inquiries were too late to apply to the current one!
He doesn't know of any rules or rituals specific to the House of Black around the first marital sex. It has to happen to validate the marriage contract. That's it. He did say marriage contract may have more details... If yours is different from the Intent maybe look there?
Love,
Harry"
Hermione pursed her lips. There went those theories.
She'd check the contract, but she knew it was pointless. She looked through the document before signing it that morning at the hospital. Something so odd would have caught her eye!
It was possible Bellatrix was just set in her ways…
It just didn't make sense. The dark witch was infinitely flexible and inventive in the way she wielded magic, and, as Hermione started to suspect, in the ways she interpreted the truth, and yet so rigid about that one aspect of life. Just didn't make sense.
She frowned at the purple item on her bed and attempted another spell motion, willing for anything to happen.
Nothing did.
The bloody thing appeared magically inert. Even the basic spells, that should have enlarged, shrunk, or transfigured it, simply failed. Wingardium Leviosa worked, for all good that did.
The bedroom lights stayed on well into the morning lights at the only two occupied bedrooms at Black's Grotto House.
The coming day was the 30th day from the time Hermione Granger and Narcissa Malfoy acting in the name of Bellatrix Lestrange signed the Intent to Marry, and the corresponding Marriage Contract.
Neither Hermione nor Bellatrix were looking forward to the coming day.
End of Chapter 23
