A/N: Thank you for your reviews, favorites and follows after last chapter! Huge thank you to lanamarymack for her efforts, alpha/beta reading this chapter! You can find me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) if you want to keep up with what I'm working on.
Please let me know what you thought of chapter twenty-five and be on the lookout for chapter twenty-six soon!
The comfort of being back at Grimmauld Place felt better than Hermione could have expected, like slipping into a warm bath after a day out in the cold. Walburga and Orion received her as warmly as they did Regulus, making no distinction that she wasn't genetically their daughter. Somewhere in the last year, the role that they'd been ordered to play by Arcturus had become real. And, at some point for Hermione it had as well.
Once their final marks came in, the Blacks celebrated Hermione and Regulus's high marks with an elaborate feast put on by Kreacher. The old House Elf really out did himself and Hermione found herself thoroughly enjoying herself after a cup of elven wine that made her feel bubbly and tipsy down to the tips of her nose.
After dinner, Regulus pulled Hermione back into her room under the guise of helping her to unpack her trunk. She could barely resist rolling her eyes when he made a very meager attempt and putting away some of her books on her personal bookshelf, before he flopped down onto her bed and got to the real purpose of his assistance: grilling her about what had happened with Sirius.
Hermione put up a few anti-eavesdropping spells, not wanting to chance their parents overhearing what it was that she was about to reveal to him. "You have to remember that I know Sirius from the future," she explained, keeping her eyes on the clothing she was pulling from her trunk to hang in her wardrobe. She didn't want to chance catching his eye and seeing nothing but betrayal reflected there. "I know him better than I knew any of the rest of you."
"He hasn't made a secret of his disdain for you," Regulus said, causally. "Please don't give him any benefit of the doubt simply because you were friendly at some future point."
"Somewhere along the school year, Sirius's curiosity overcame his disdain," Hermione said. "He approached me and I was able to convince him that we aren't adversaries. I explained our true familial connection to him."
"Hermione," he said, a worried look on his handsome face. "Why would you do that?"
"Because he isn't my adversary. Or yours," she said, feeling frustrated. "I know that there was a lot of unpleasantness when he left —"
"That's one way of putting it."
"— but it's obvious to me that there are a lot of hurt feelings and regret on both sides of the argument," Hermione insisted. It felt a bit insane to be the only person who could so clearly see what was right in front of their eyes. "And I really think that if you could just all get together and talk things through, you might be able to find a way to move forward."
Regulus sighed, pushing his long fingers through his black curls. "That's never going to happen, Hermione," he said, sounding disappointed.
She took a deep breath and sat next to him on the bed, letting her head drop to his shoulder. "I know that," she said. "Sirius already told me as much. That's what you saw on the train. I'd hoped... I had hoped that he would join us when we got off the train so he could tell Mother and Father how well he'd done on his NEWTs and they'd be proud of him and then we'd all be talking again and..." she trailed off.
Regulus turned so he could press a kiss to the crown of her head. "That's a sweet idea," he said. "But my brother... he hates Mother so much. I don't think they could ever reconcile. And after how he's treated me over the last six years, just for being a Slytherin, I don't know if I'd be quick to reconcile with him either."
She bit her lower lip, realizing that it had been a pretty silly idea when she explained to Regulus. What, was one quick chat on the platform really going to lead to one big happy family? "You aren't mad that I was speaking with him?" she asked.
He made a little noise. "I mean, I wish that you hadn't kept it a secret from me, but I suppose I can't fault you for wanting to speak with a... a friend from your past," he said, very diplomatically. "But, I have to caution you. Sirius... he isn't the same Sirius that you know. Please be careful with what you tell him. He might not have your best interests at heart."
"I'm not leaving Sirius to the same fate that he met the first time around," Hermione said emphatically, wondering if she should tell Regulus about the Potters and Peter, same as she'd told Sirius. About how the betrayal would ultimately lead to the Dark Lord's downfall. Of course, she'd managed to get him to agree not to take the Mark, but she was still no clearer on the fact of if Regulus supported Voldemort or not.
Regulus gave her a wry smile. "I won't begrudge you that, not when you've already made such a positive change in my future," he said, standing up. "I should let you get some rest. It's been a very long day."
Hermione nodded, though she did not think that she would be able to sleep a lick that night. Too many thoughts about Sirius and Regulus and Voldemort swirled around in her head while she tried to think about what it was that she should do. But, by the time that she slipped into the sheets of her own bed, she was asleep before her eyes even hit the pillow.
She woke late the next morning and slipped a robe over her nightgown so she could shuffle down the stairs and join the rest of the family for breakfast in the dining room.
Walburga gave her warm smile when she walked in the room, her long blonde hair loose instead of in its usual updo. "There you are Sleeping Beauty," she said cheerfully. "I was about to send Kreacher up to wake you, but then Regulus said that you'd want to catch up on sleep with all the revising that you've been doing."
"At least the dedication to your studies has paid off," Orion said, a smile beneath his dark mustache. "But, you must give yourself plenty of time to rest. Good sleep is essential."
Hermione smiled, thinking about how terribly domestic this all felt and slid into the open spot next to Regulus. She poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice from the pitcher on the table, before Kreacher popped a fresh waffle on her plate, massive and covered in syrup. She could just imagine what her dentist parents would make of this tooth-rotting feast.
The owl post arrived not much later, including a massive, tawny owl that gracefully deposited the Daily Prophet into Orion's waiting hand. Walburga received a correspondence of her own and opened it gleefully. "I've been expecting an owl from Druella," she said, looking at Hermione across the table indulgently. "We should really take you in for one last dress fitting now that your bridesmaid robes are done and you are home."
The brunette could barely resist a groan, remembering that she'd have to endure at least one or two more fittings. Though, she supposed there was a part of her that was morbidly curious about what sort of dress robes Narcissa would have selected for her bridesmaids. Was she the type to pick something that would actually be flattering or did she want to pick something that didn't flatter to keep all the attention on her?
Walburga's face became paler the longer she read the note that was clutched in her hands. Before Hermione even knew what was happening, the witch let out a shriek of absolute horror, tears springing to her eyes.
"Darling," Orion said, looking quite concerned. "What is the matter?"
She could form no response, even as her husband stood and cradled his arms around her. Great sobs wracked through her body, shaking her back and forth. Instead, she thrust the parchment into Orion's hands and pressed her hands over her face.
As Orion quickly read the missive, his face grew stormy and furious. "Regulus," he barked out. "With me. We must leave immediately."
Regulus did not need to be told twice, scrambling to his feet and following his father down the hallway so that they could Floo away to some unknown destination. Hermione was left alone with Walburga, still crying furiously. Unsure of what to do, Hermione stood and wrapped an arm around her in a half hug that felt more awkward than comforting.
"Mother, what's happened?" she asked, feeling dread settle in her stomach like a rock. She cursed Orion for having taken the parchment with him.
Walburga shook her head furiously, still too upset to speak. All Hermione could make out was a few words. "Oh, think of the scandal," she murmured.
"Please tell me," Hermione begged, wondering what in the hell had happened. Was it something to do with Rosier? Had he or his father done something horrible once he'd been able to tell him about the duel and now Orion and Regulus were having to go clean up the mess that Hermione had made?
But, Walburga was too overwhelmed by the situation and not at all forthcoming . Instead, she retreated to her room, calling Kreacher for a Calming Draught and a brandy. She laid in bed all day, crying. Hermione knew it, because she walked by her parents' door several times, hoping to broach the topic each time, but finding Walburga still indisposed.
It left Hermione in a mild state of panic all day, useless to do much of anything while she sat around in the parlor, hoping to see her father and brother walk back through the Floo. By the time that it was nightfall, Hermione felt that it was hopeless and decided to retire herself. Getting ready in her own room, she soon decided to tiptoe across the hall to Regulus's room, so that he would wake her up when he returned home.
She tried to stay awake as long as she could, reading until the words on the page went blurry, but eventually she admitted defeat and turned out the light. She must have fallen asleep, because some indeterminate time later, Regulus was shaking her awake.
"Regulus, you're back," she said, blinking in the darkness while her eyesight adjusted. "I tried to stay awake."
"It's the middle of the night, I don't blame you," he said, his voice low. He sounded exhausted.
"What is it? What's happened?" she demanded, feeling that she might go spare if he didn't tell her. "Mother wouldn't tell me anything."
Regulus sighed, before peeling back the sheets so that he could slip into the bed beside her. The chill night air sent a chill up her spine. She turned to face him, so she could see his profile. "Bellatrix has broken off her engagement with Rodolphus Lestrange," he whispered, like saying the words made it all too real. "Apparently she has been chafing against the arranged match for a long while, but Cygnus thought that she would do what she was told."
Hermione's eyebrows furrowed together. "No," she said, emphatically. "The Bellatrix that I knew was very clearly Bellatrix Lestrange. There must be some sort of way to fix it."
He chuckled at her pronouncement. "Oh, there's no fixing this," he said, bitterly. "She ran off to be with the Dark Lord. And He's — He's taken her as his lover." He spat the word out, like it was the most disgusting thing that he'd ever heard. Hermione couldn't tell who he was more upset at.
She felt like she was going to be sick. Of course, it was so secret the level of devotion that Bellatrix had for Voldemort, but she could not imagine the wizard who'd terrorized her doing something as frivolous as taking a lover. It felt too plebeian for the man who was surely more reptile than human in the future that she came from.
But Walburga's lone utterance seemed much more obvious now. "Think of the scandal," she repeated, in awe. "What are they going to do?"
Regulus turned on the pillow so that he could look at her. "Nothing to be done about it tonight," he said with a great yawn. "But, there will be a meeting of the family as soon as everyone can be called together. Many meetings, I'm sure."
Hermione hummed in agreement, wondering how the Black family was going to navigate such a spectacular betrayal. Surely the Lestrange family was not going to be very happy with them and would need some soothing. But, they were supporters of the Dark Lord, as well, and she was certain that Voldemort would make them fall in line if he had to.
"Listen, you are welcome to stay here, but I can't stay awake a moment longer," Regulus said, apologetically.
She grinned at him. "I better return to my own room," she said. "I'm afraid for Mother's heart should she think she might have some other scandal to clean up in her own household."
Regulus chuckled, but he was gently snoring before she could pull the covers up to tuck him in.